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Description
Acceptance II: Running to Destiny

In my fear and flaws
I let myself down again
All because
I let myself down
In my fear and flaws
-from “No Roads Left” by Linkin Park

Perfida and I had been running for three days from the dragon ValinHorn and his daemon Lina. I stopped and leaned against a tree, and Perfida also stopped. I looked around, after a few minutes of resting, and didn’t even see the smallest signs of Valin or Lina.

“What have I gotten myself into?” I asked Perfida and she just shook her head. I ran my human fingers through her fur. Perfida, my tiger daemon, was the only person I could count on. The only person Whiptail Dragon, Sunset Maker, Cassius-Raphael could trust. Jesse-Dali, my fellow Sunset Maker, had been helpful, but she was not known as a friend to any dragon. Not even to herself. But being soulless still hadn’t stopped her from helping Perfida and myself escape.

As I finally let myself slip into the grips of despair, I heard people singing. I looked at Perfida and she lead the way, just a few feet away, to a caravan. Hiding behind a bush, I saw that they were a group of minstrels that were guarded by four guards. The guards seemed to be more like mercenaries than guards. A sign of them being mercenaries was that all of them had snakes as daemons. While not all mercenaries had snake daemons, it was very rare to find a truthful person with a snake daemon.

I walked slowly out of the bush, which made everyone stop. While Ithor wasn’t the biggest land for trouble, it still had its fair share. Two of the mercenaries pointed their swords at me. “I’m just a wayward traveler. I’ve lost my way.” I said.

Then one of the minstrels, the oldest one which could be known by him being the only one with white hair, stood in front of me. He had a wolf daemon. “What is your name?” He asked me.

“I am Cassius-Raphael.” I told him. “A journeyman of the honorable Sunset Makers. A group of artisans.”

The minstrel nodded. “I have heard of your group.” He said. “I, for one, won’t say no to an artist of any kind. Can you fight? There has been a dragon flying around Ithor without stopping for the last three days.”

“I can fight a little.” I lied. “What kind of dragon?”

“A Guardian Dragon. We are going to Nessus City in Ravenna to perform for the rulers of Nessus. We are singing to practice for our upcoming performance.” The man said and the minstrels resumed their singing. Perfida growled, not wanting to sing, but I knew that it would be better if we blended in. So I started to sing along with the other minstrels. We continued to walk until sunset came around and then the caravan looked for a place to rest. Two of the minstrels sent their owl daemons out to go and check for a safe spot. Upon finding one, they came back and lead the rest of the caravan to a small cave. The cave was just big enough to fit the wagons of the caravan, but the people had to sleep outside.

I helped the minstrels prepare an evening meal. “You sang wonderfully.” One of the younger minstrels told me. “It was almost like you weren’t even human.”

I laughed as I sat by the fire. “You could say that.” I said and Perfida looked at me. “I mean that every artist taps into something that isn’t human. And that only artists can do that.”

The young minstrel nodded, though I could tell he was confused. “Then all artists aren’t human?” His dragonfly daemon hovered over his head.

“No.” I replied. “They all connect to something higher than humanity.”

“Like a dragon?” He asked and then laughed. “But those beasts are too terrible to ever really inspire anything but terror.” As I stayed outwardly calm to the comment, Perfida fidgeted a little.

“Yes, dragons.” I said. “But sometimes terror is the emotion you want conveyed. Dragons, terrible and deadly, are the only sure way to connect to that emotion.”

“But why connect to such a deadly emotion?”

“To give the people you’re serving something worth seeing.” Pausing a moment I thought about who I was talking to. “Or something worth hearing. Sometimes the only way to reach a person is through a very strong emotion.” After that, the conversation turned to art theories and the life of varying types of artists.

I lay down on the ground and looked at the stars. When in my dragon form, I highly enjoyed trying to get up high enough to touch the stars. They were something so far away, something so foreign, that I wanted to understand them all the better. I tried to see Jesse in the stars. “But you don’t love and we’re of different clans.” I whispered and only Perfida heard me before I went to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning the whole caravan was in commotion. One of the mercenaries looked at me. “A Guardian Dragon was seen flying near to us.” He said. “Come join us if you want protection. You are only a mere artist.” Perfida growled and we joined the minstrels. The minstrels weren’t in as happy of a mood as they had been before.

Instead of looking at the sky, Perfida and I looked at the ground. We were looking for any sign of Lina. Though we got a few looks from the others, we knew that if Lina found us then Valin would be sure to follow us.

Perfida growled at every little sound. I found that I cared for these minstrels even though they would try to kill me if they found out who I really was. It might have been the fact that they had hired mercenaries to protect them and not guards. These were people that would bend the rules so that they would succeed. Just like a Sunset Maker.

After a few hours of walking, I saw an Ocelot. This Ocelot looked at me and Perfida. By the look it gave us I knew it was Lina. I looked at the minstrels and knew that when Valin attacked that they could be used to distract him. But, at the same time, I knew that they couldn’t see me as a dragon and live. While killing humans wasn’t that hard, there was still a chance that one would escape. And if one escaped, the mystery of the Sunset Makers would be solved. That would make me hunted by my own order.

As Lina went off to find Valin, I turned to one of the mercenaries. “That Ocelot was the Guardian Dragon’s daemon. It is I who it is after.” I said. “I want you to notify Nessus City if you hear of the capture of Cassius-Raphael and to alert the rulers that a member might have used a dragon to catch me.” By giving this twisted account I could make it so that John Connor’s dragons, the real rulers of Nessus, would have much more on their hands than finding me. The mercenary gave a shocked look and nodded as I ran off.

I ran for hours with Perfida at my heels. While running, I disturbed birds in the trees and animals on the ground. They knew something was up and that a dragon fight would soon ensue. I looked towards the sky for Valin and Perfida looked below the trees for Lina. Every sound seemed to be louder than normal and Perfida and I were connecting for battle. While looking towards the sky I noticed the White Dragon with the V on its chest. Perfida and I raced through a meadow and the White Dragon took notice of us and roared. It flew away, most likely to alert Valin of me.

Two hours later, we ran through another meadow, and this time Valin was there. His shield tail was raised and ready to strike. Then he set it down. “Cassius-Raphael, you are under arrest for threatening the safety of Nessus.” He told me. His blue skin shinning in the sun and his voice sending power through the earth.

I smiled at him, a cruel smile that tried to give the impression that I was in control. “ValinHorn, I would highly suggest you abandon your endeavor to arrest me.” I told him. “I will not come calmly and I hardly think you want to die now.”

He bent his head down and looked at me eye to eye. “I was told to get you alive, but if I have to bring your corpse to Nessus City, I will.” He said.

I stared hard into his eyes, noticing pity for me. “Tell me, Valin, didn’t you ever try any mischief as a hatchling?” I asked him. While Valin kept my gaze, I couldn’t help but hear Lina growl. I stepped back. “Well, I guess our fates are decided by you.”

I had my turning back into a Whiptail Dragon happen very slowly so that Valin could see what enemy he truly faced. I held up my front right claw and showed it to Valin. “You will die, I am sure.” I told him. “I have killed other Guardian Dragons. Good-bye, ValinHorn and Lina, these are your last few minutes of life. Go back to the creator of all!” With that said, I whipped my tail around for a first strike.

Description
Acceptance II: Running to Destiny

In my fear and flaws
I let myself down again
All because
I let myself down
In my fear and flaws
-from “No Roads Left” by Linkin Park

Perfida and I had been running for three days from the dragon ValinHorn and his daemon Lina. I stopped and leaned against a tree, and Perfida also stopped. I looked around, after a few minutes of resting, and didn’t even see the smallest signs of Valin or Lina.

“What have I gotten myself into?” I asked Perfida and she just shook her head. I ran my human fingers through her fur. Perfida, my tiger daemon, was the only person I could count on. The only person Whiptail Dragon, Sunset Maker, Cassius-Raphael could trust. Jesse-Dali, my fellow Sunset Maker, had been helpful, but she was not known as a friend to any dragon. Not even to herself. But being soulless still hadn’t stopped her from helping Perfida and myself escape.

As I finally let myself slip into the grips of despair, I heard people singing. I looked at Perfida and she lead the way, just a few feet away, to a caravan. Hiding behind a bush, I saw that they were a group of minstrels that were guarded by four guards. The guards seemed to be more like mercenaries than guards. A sign of them being mercenaries was that all of them had snakes as daemons. While not all mercenaries had snake daemons, it was very rare to find a truthful person with a snake daemon.

I walked slowly out of the bush, which made everyone stop. While Ithor wasn’t the biggest land for trouble, it still had its fair share. Two of the mercenaries pointed their swords at me. “I’m just a wayward traveler. I’ve lost my way.” I said.

Then one of the minstrels, the oldest one which could be known by him being the only one with white hair, stood in front of me. He had a wolf daemon. “What is your name?” He asked me.

“I am Cassius-Raphael.” I told him. “A journeyman of the honorable Sunset Makers. A group of artisans.”

The minstrel nodded. “I have heard of your group.” He said. “I, for one, won’t say no to an artist of any kind. Can you fight? There has been a dragon flying around Ithor without stopping for the last three days.”

“I can fight a little.” I lied. “What kind of dragon?”

“A Guardian Dragon. We are going to Nessus City in Ravenna to perform for the rulers of Nessus. We are singing to practice for our upcoming performance.” The man said and the minstrels resumed their singing. Perfida growled, not wanting to sing, but I knew that it would be better if we blended in. So I started to sing along with the other minstrels. We continued to walk until sunset came around and then the caravan looked for a place to rest. Two of the minstrels sent their owl daemons out to go and check for a safe spot. Upon finding one, they came back and lead the rest of the caravan to a small cave. The cave was just big enough to fit the wagons of the caravan, but the people had to sleep outside.

I helped the minstrels prepare an evening meal. “You sang wonderfully.” One of the younger minstrels told me. “It was almost like you weren’t even human.”

I laughed as I sat by the fire. “You could say that.” I said and Perfida looked at me. “I mean that every artist taps into something that isn’t human. And that only artists can do that.”

The young minstrel nodded, though I could tell he was confused. “Then all artists aren’t human?” His dragonfly daemon hovered over his head.

“No.” I replied. “They all connect to something higher than humanity.”

“Like a dragon?” He asked and then laughed. “But those beasts are too terrible to ever really inspire anything but terror.” As I stayed outwardly calm to the comment, Perfida fidgeted a little.

“Yes, dragons.” I said. “But sometimes terror is the emotion you want conveyed. Dragons, terrible and deadly, are the only sure way to connect to that emotion.”

“But why connect to such a deadly emotion?”

“To give the people you’re serving something worth seeing.” Pausing a moment I thought about who I was talking to. “Or something worth hearing. Sometimes the only way to reach a person is through a very strong emotion.” After that, the conversation turned to art theories and the life of varying types of artists.

I lay down on the ground and looked at the stars. When in my dragon form, I highly enjoyed trying to get up high enough to touch the stars. They were something so far away, something so foreign, that I wanted to understand them all the better. I tried to see Jesse in the stars. “But you don’t love and we’re of different clans.” I whispered and only Perfida heard me before I went to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning the whole caravan was in commotion. One of the mercenaries looked at me. “A Guardian Dragon was seen flying near to us.” He said. “Come join us if you want protection. You are only a mere artist.” Perfida growled and we joined the minstrels. The minstrels weren’t in as happy of a mood as they had been before.

Instead of looking at the sky, Perfida and I looked at the ground. We were looking for any sign of Lina. Though we got a few looks from the others, we knew that if Lina found us then Valin would be sure to follow us.

Perfida growled at every little sound. I found that I cared for these minstrels even though they would try to kill me if they found out who I really was. It might have been the fact that they had hired mercenaries to protect them and not guards. These were people that would bend the rules so that they would succeed. Just like a Sunset Maker.

After a few hours of walking, I saw an Ocelot. This Ocelot looked at me and Perfida. By the look it gave us I knew it was Lina. I looked at the minstrels and knew that when Valin attacked that they could be used to distract him. But, at the same time, I knew that they couldn’t see me as a dragon and live. While killing humans wasn’t that hard, there was still a chance that one would escape. And if one escaped, the mystery of the Sunset Makers would be solved. That would make me hunted by my own order.

As Lina went off to find Valin, I turned to one of the mercenaries. “That Ocelot was the Guardian Dragon’s daemon. It is I who it is after.” I said. “I want you to notify Nessus City if you hear of the capture of Cassius-Raphael and to alert the rulers that a member might have used a dragon to catch me.” By giving this twisted account I could make it so that John Connor’s dragons, the real rulers of Nessus, would have much more on their hands than finding me. The mercenary gave a shocked look and nodded as I ran off.

I ran for hours with Perfida at my heels. While running, I disturbed birds in the trees and animals on the ground. They knew something was up and that a dragon fight would soon ensue. I looked towards the sky for Valin and Perfida looked below the trees for Lina. Every sound seemed to be louder than normal and Perfida and I were connecting for battle. While looking towards the sky I noticed the White Dragon with the V on its chest. Perfida and I raced through a meadow and the White Dragon took notice of us and roared. It flew away, most likely to alert Valin of me.

Two hours later, we ran through another meadow, and this time Valin was there. His shield tail was raised and ready to strike. Then he set it down. “Cassius-Raphael, you are under arrest for threatening the safety of Nessus.” He told me. His blue skin shinning in the sun and his voice sending power through the earth.

I smiled at him, a cruel smile that tried to give the impression that I was in control. “ValinHorn, I would highly suggest you abandon your endeavor to arrest me.” I told him. “I will not come calmly and I hardly think you want to die now.”

He bent his head down and looked at me eye to eye. “I was told to get you alive, but if I have to bring your corpse to Nessus City, I will.” He said.

I stared hard into his eyes, noticing pity for me. “Tell me, Valin, didn’t you ever try any mischief as a hatchling?” I asked him. While Valin kept my gaze, I couldn’t help but hear Lina growl. I stepped back. “Well, I guess our fates are decided by you.”

I had my turning back into a Whiptail Dragon happen very slowly so that Valin could see what enemy he truly faced. I held up my front right claw and showed it to Valin. “You will die, I am sure.” I told him. “I have killed other Guardian Dragons. Good-bye, ValinHorn and Lina, these are your last few minutes of life. Go back to the creator of all!” With that said, I whipped my tail around for a first strike.