My turn, I guess.
Age
18
Gender
Female
Place of Origin
Port Syren
Height
5 Ft 4 In
Weight
135 lbs
Hair
Calina's hair is as red as the sunset with streaks of gold, lighter shades of orange, even blonde running through it. Her hair flows in waves down to her waist
Eyes
Green
Appearance:
Calina often draws the eyes of many a man due to her beauty. The combination of vivid red hair contrasted by her green eyes is rather uncommon. Not many can pull that look off, but Calina can. She is short in stature and small in weight; this often comes to her advantage as she is able to move quicker than most. She loved to dress up as a kid, so she would play 'elf' (hence the fake elf ears) when she was little much to the annoyance of her family…..
Personality:
Smart | Cunning | Focused
Having lived in the merchant town for the majority of her life, Cal had to be smart. She had to learn how to tell when someone was ripping her off. She learned how to tell when people were lying to her, and actually became quite a good liar herself. When she has a task to do, she focuses in on that task. When Kilyria hatched for her when she was out trying to escape her little world, she was awestruck. How could such a creature choose her? But she quickly shoved that feeling down and focused on the task at hand: escaping her hell that was Port Syren.
Sassy | Witty | Fiery
Calina is probably the sassiest 18 year old out there. She dishes out sarcasm like ice cream, and can take it right back with a laugh. However, this young redhead has a fiery temper, and you do not want to mess with her. If you get her angry (which is more difficult than it used to be), you better watch out because she will rip your head off, figuratively speaking. If you mock her, especially for her age, she won't forgive it easily.
Caring | Loyal | Stoic
Opposites do seem to be apparent in this statement. In Calina's case, however, they describe her very well indeed. She does indeed have a good heart, she cares for others more than you would catch on. She loves everything living. She has a keen respect for life, more so when Kilyria came into her life. She is still stoic from her past in Port Syren. In her past, Calina (or Cal to her friends) was cold and ruthless. Her family had been so controlling, and she was forced to put on a stoic face that never really came off. Most people still see her as cold, ruthless and without a heart. Sometimes, if upset enough, she returns to that stage where she just doesn't care about anyone, only about her and Ki's survival. Finding that silver egg literally changed her for the better….She is now a faithful friend, once you work hard to earn her friendship since it's not easily gained.
Insecure | Damaged | Untrusting
When her beloved, Joshua, was murdered, a big chunk of Calina's heart died as well. She has never truly been the same. She doesn't trust anyone, for fear of having that trust ripped away and breaking her heart once more. She doesn't let on, but she really is very insecure, second guessing everything.
She has never fully gotten past Joshua's death, though Kilyria has helped a lot. Whenever she feels scared, sad, depressed, or any emotion really, she runs to her and just hugs her. She finds peace in her dragon. Now rougly about 8 feet long, Ki nuzzles close to her companion, wrapping her head around her shoulders and resting her head on Cal's chest. Cal finds this position very comforting and has spent many a night in this position, clinging to her only friend in this world.
Child-Adult Transition
Cal is right on that edge of adulthood. So we will see a little mix between childish behavior and adult behavior as she figures out who she is.
Skills and Abilities
~~Water Manipulation~~
Cal has always had some sort of fascination with water...mainly rain and snow. They whisper to her. They always have, ever since she was a little girl. When Kilyria came into her life, it's louder and clearer. She's recently started to try and talk back. With time, she will be able to control the rain, and water, and even summon it. She is also able to control the heat in her surroundings. If you needed boiling water, she would be able to boil it within seconds.
~~Empath~~
Calina has always had a hit on observance of how people are feeling. She can't read minds, more like their mood. She can't control it yet. Right now she can't tell which feeling is from what person if there's a lot of people around her. But with training and honing, she will be able to distinguish the moods from each person distinctly.The one she can always tell apart is her dragon: Kilyria.
Strengths
Lying:
Calina, in her line of work, has become quite good at telling when people are lying to her. She can read them fairly well, including body language, tone of voice, language, ect. In this act, she has also become a decent liar when she needs to as well.
Negotiating:
Obviously being a merchant's daughter, she has learned the skills needed to negotiate. She knows when people are ripping her off, and how to get them to lower their standards to where she sees fit.
Independence:
Being on her own for several years, Cal knows how to survive depending only on herself. It wasn't until fairly recently that she worked with someone else, and that wasn't even really that much of depending on Cora as it was using her.
Beast taming:
Cal's parents tamed two beasts in the sea: the Scylla. The Scylla is a form of shark, it has a long neck that is capable of twisting and catching prey out of the air. Scylla meat is often considered a delicacy, served only to the rich. Cal has had her fair share of Scylla meat, and doesn't care for it.
Furthermore, by learning the habits of the Scylla, Cal has learned how to calm them down. She's taken to putting that skill to use on other animal, feral dogs in town, big game when out hunting, she knows the body language of the creatures, and can portray herself as not being a threat.
Cal has picked up the skills of her trade, so if they come across an aggressive Scylla, she can predict it's movements and actions, giving them an advantage.
Doer/Work Ethic:
She's one of those people who does what needs to be done without complaining. Whether it be dirty work, or something she does every day. If someone needs to be warned/threatened, she will do it. If someone needs to be fed and nurtured she will do it. She doesn't care about what the job is, just that something needs doing. When she finds something to do, she does it to the best of her ability.
Weaknesses
Age:
People rarely take her seriously. They don't think she's old enough to know anything of value. They would see her as a child, as someone who doesn't know how the world works. It truly makes her mad when people think she doesn't know what it means to be an adult. (Which is partially true, actually)
Lying:
Cal has become so accustomed to lying when it suited her needs, to get what she wants, it has become her default. She doesn't like to trust people with the truth unless they earn it.
Combat:
Calina has had no use for any sort of combat skill whatsoever in her past. Of course she's learned the basic self defense, but that's mainly just escaping from someones grip and then fleeing. She's practically useless in a fight until she's trained. She is interested in learning, but she doesn't really have the means since she's constantly on the move trying to keep Ki hidden.
Fear:
Having been hurt by so many for so many years, Calina grew up being told that she would never amount to anything unless she obeyed. She would be useless unless she married the man who would make life easier for the family. She's having a hard time getting past this...Joshua helped. A lot. She was able to live without this fear: helplessness. To live without it for even a short amount of time and then have that hope ripped away devastated her. Sometimes her fear of trust, helplessness, people in general, it cripples her.
Being in that stage between adulthood and childhood can be quite difficult. Especially for one who married so young as she had. Cal was 13 when she married Joshua.She'll have some issues with maturity, she won't be able to separate her choices from her emotions as well. She's the typical adolescent trying to worm her way into adulthood....which will happen within the RP (hopefully)
Pessimistic:
Cal often sees the negative side of things, she doesn't look for the bright side. Because of this, she's often seen as depressed, over-critical, you name it. She often sees the worst in people, but plays it off as if she doesn't care.
Brief History
Calina was born to Arlen and Amelia Iona in Port Syren 18 years ago. Her father was in the beast taming trade after her family had settled there several years before Calina was born. Her great grandfather was the first of the Iona clan to settle in Port Syren, making the choice not many made: to stay put in Port Syren. Arlen was the head of the family, as was typical. He's a strict man, not allowing for any wiggle room, excepting, of course, his beloved Amelia. Not even Cal was allowed to stray far from the town; she was allowed to go out in a small boat and enjoy the calmness of the waves (which she did very often). She grew up isolated, naive, as well as ignorant. She didn't know much about the rest of the world...she wondered what it was like, outside of her fathers world.
She didn't have very much time to dwell on the fact that there was an outside world, however. Amelia made sure she knew the jobs of a woman: cooking, sewing, taking care of kids, keeping the place clean, the normal stuff. Her father taught her the trade of beast taming. Cal thrived in this trade...she loved the intensity of it...it was a break from the strictness that was at home.
Not many people knew, but Arlen was abusive. Not just to Calina, but to his entire household. However, Calina bore the brunt of his fury the most. Whenever she had done something even slightly wrong, she would earn her fathers fury. She has a few scars from when his anger got out of hand before her mother stepped in. Her mother and her never really got along either...they both kind of retreated to themselves whenever Arlen was in one of his rages. Because of this, Calina bore most of it alone, and scared. She never knew when her father would be in one of his moods. She strove to please him, but no matter how hard she tried, he was always angry at her for one little thing she did wrong.
This is where Cal learned her work ethic. She would do everything to the best of her ability in the effort to accomplish what almost every little girl wants: to please her daddy. It was all for naught, however. Later on, Calina became a troublemaker. She had tired of working to please her father, and wanted to explore. Unfortunately, this often led to her being banned to the house. This was the worst for her...since she craved the open sea on her small vessel. She would slam the door to her room, and if it was raining outside, the rain would heat up to a point where it would create minor burns whenever it fell on flesh. This would happen now and again when she got really, really upset, but she couldn't control it, not at all, really.
At the age of 10 her father announced the arranged marriage of Calina and Joseph. The wedding would take place on her 13th birthday. Calina rebelled. She would not marry this Joseph...she swore it to her father. Arlen grew angry and struck her against the cheek. He had let the anger win over him: he had taken Cal by the throat and shoved her against the wall. It was there that he threatened to remove everything she held dear if she threatened the arrangement again.
For about a year Cal was silent. She neither talked, nor interacted with anyone in her family. Then Joshua came along. Joshua was a kind boy. He was a little over 12, at the time. He had this way about him. He had this way of coaxing a smile out of the stoic Calina. He made her laugh more than she had laughed in her entire life. For 1.5 years, she and Joshua developed a very strong friendship. By this time, Cal had fallen head over heels for Joshua. When he finally proposed they elope, she was overjoyed. Not only did she want to marry Joshua because she loved him, but it would also be one final act of rebellion against her father. She and her beloved married a mere week before her wedding to Joseph was to take place. Her father was not happy. He kicked her out, and swore she would never speak nor see her family again.
Happy to finally be free of her family, Calina let herself love Joshua wholeheartedly. She was finally able to laugh without fear of punishment, free to walk outside the door without fear of her fathers fury. They did everything together. They accomplished so many amazing things together. She was truly happy for the first time in her life....until that day.
Shortly before she had turned 13, Joseph had come to town, expecting to wed her. Her father had been so angry, he had forgotten to tell Joseph she had wed without his permission. Joseph was not happy. He saw her walking to the market with a basket with a smile on her face, even though almost everyone there abhorred her for her treachery. He met her eyes briefly but looked away. She didn't even give him a second glance. Joseph was angry. So angry. He started to follow her, to find out where she and the man who stole her from him lived. When she entered a small cottage outside the village, he retreated.
Waiting for some time, Joseph waited for Cal to leave again, leaving her husband alone. When the time came, he leapt. He had taken Joshua by the throat and strangled him. He told him who he was, and what Joshua had taken from him. The door opened, and Joseph finished the job as Calina's scream filled the air. Joshua's limp body fell to the ground with his neck broken. Joseph turned to Calina, hatred in his eyes.
Calina had run to her beloved's body and cradled it to her. She had sobbed for the better part of 2 hours, calling for him to come back. When she realized, finally, that he wasn't coming back, Calina let out a screech of anguish. She had gone outside with a shovel. It was time to bury her beloved. The few people in town who did care for her (traveling merchants, none who settled), came out and supported her. She kept her face stoic, emotionless. She had cried all the tears she would cry. Never again would she give her heart to another...or so she thought.
A few years after Joshua's death Calina formed a sort of friendship with a fellow exile who went by Cora. (Calina was 15 years old when they met) While they weren't exactly friends, and tended to try to avoid each other when possible, these two young women worked together in an effort to survive in a world where exile often meant starvation. They became partners, going out on fishing trips where Cora taught the young redhead how to fish.
~~~2 Years Later~~~
The Discovery of a Lifetime: Cal x Cora
[Spoili]
Calina sighed as she bent over trying to get the last of the grime off of her boat, named Le Anglaria, before Cora arrived. They were going out on a fishing trip, hoping to bring in enough food to support them both to last for about a month, and bring in a livable amount of money. The latter was probably very unlikely. Cal was sore from scrubbing the decks, making sure the rigging lines were secure, and that everything was prepared.
Finally, the last of the dirt came off, and she stood with a low groan. Her back would attest to this later on. She had grown up as a beast tamer...not a fisherman. But she was learning, as Cora seemed to be an excellent teacher. Cal headed below deck to make sure Cora's room was stocked and ready. Clean bunks, sheets, pillow, all the necessities. After Calina finished her last minute work, she headed up top, and sat on the dock of her boat, letting her legs dangle out over the edge, waiting for Cora to show up.
~~~~~
With clouds swirling overhead and a cool breeze playing through her thick, wiry curls, Cora considered the possibility of a storm as she wound her way through the alleys and passageways of the Port, making her way to the smaller, generally unused docks near a set of rough cliffs. Larger boats disliked maneuvering around the sharp rocks, but the space suited Cora and Cal's smaller vessels well, and shielded the pair from prying eyes. Scrambling down the gravelly slope, the woman's green eyes scanned the harbor for a familiar carrot top, and, sure enough, found it milling about a gently bobbing white boat like an insect.
The sight of Calina brought about conflicting emotions within Cora's already-turbulent heart, as it always did: relief, resentment, apprehension, mistrust. Although the pair were bound in many ways, they still had much to learn about one another- a difficult task considering they were both about as emotional as rocks. In any case, Cora knew they had a job to do today, the same job as the day before, and the day before that: to make as much money possible with the limited resources they had. Luckily fish were plentiful in the ocean, and Cal was a fast learner- hopefully they would bring in a solid catch despite slightly turbulent waters.
As the sailor neared her partner's boat, she raised a hand in a stiff greeting, and wasted no time in hopping aboard. "Ready?"
~~~~~
Calina had stopped mourning her beloved some time ago, but to this day she was reminded of him by little things. Today it was the soft, choppy waters with the sun rising in the horizon, but clouds quickly dimming the horizon. He loved these types of days, and would drag Cal from her warm bed to come see the sunrise. She took a deep breath, breathing the salty air in. She felt at home here, more so than in her small cabin outside of town. The sound of footsteps resounding from the wooden docks broke Cal out of her reverie. She glanced over to see Cora boarding the small vessel. Cal's face remained neutral as she stood as her partner approached. "Ready?"
Cal nodded and set to untying the lines that held the small vessel to the docks. Soon enough, the duo was headed out for open sea. "Any trouble in town?" she asked as she adjusted the course slightly. A storm may be brewing, but they would get the job done. While she was uncomfortable with Cora, she did what needed to be done to survive. She always had this sense of resentment bounding whenever Cora was around. She shook it off, saying it was probably her imagination.
"How far out do you want to go today?"
~~~~~
Within minutes the pair were sailing, and with every small wave crested Cora's shoulders released some of their tension until she was almost smiling as the small vessel skipped across the water. "Only the usual. Merchants forgetting to mind their own business, kids wrecking everything ..." Captivated by the sight of waves splashing against the side of the boat, it was a moment before the sailor added, "Not too bad." The vessel charged bravely forward, powered by the lively breeze- but oddly quiet on deck.
There was a moment of silence before Cora responded as she scoped the horizon knowingly. "Should only be about ten more minutes. We're moving fast." Although she didn't want to disturb the larger ships and gain unnecessary attention, the fisherwoman thought herself entitled to some of the better fishing grounds near the shore. It was a dreamy, hushed ten minutes as a sudden feeling of longing came over her, a strange beckoning that only strengthened as the pair sailed further out to sea. Something's out there. Cora said nothing to her partner, but scanned the water carefully as the wind pulled them closer and closer to an unmarked beacon.
~~~~~
Cal nodded knowingly. Town was often....unpleasant for exiles like themselves. People tend to treat you worse then they do the family dog. She noticed the familiar ease in Cora's posture as they sailed further out. She knew her colleagues love of open water. Her own tension started to ebb away the further they got from town. It was a quiet ten minutes. She sat pondering in her thoughts until she felt this pull towards...something. She sensed something close. She left the wheel and threw the anchor down. As she leaned over, easing the chain over the edge, something caught her eye. "Cora, come look at this." A small object was floating on the water. She leaned over, reaching. She was just able to grab it and lift it over the railing.
"What the heck?" She twisted and turned the object in her hands. It was perfectly smooth with no blemish in sight. Silver in color, the object kind of glimmered in the lighting.This thing was no piece of driftwood. "What do you think it is? Some kind of egg?" she asked, although if it was an egg, it was larger than any one she'd ever seen or heard of.She looked over the edge, and could briefly see a similar looking object at the bottom of the shallow water. "It looks like there's another one at the bottom there." she said. Beckoning Cora to see it as well.
~~~~~
The boat was just sailing into slightly more shallow water as the attractive feeling reached its height, sending Cora, head pounding, over to grip the railing with white knuckles and stare out over the coursing waves. Slowly, the vessel came to a halt. So Cal felt it, too. Wary of some coral dragon's magic, the woman peered suspiciously into the depths and scanned the bottom for any signs of movement. Green eyes, however, were drawn straight to a curiously shining, cobalt object lying half-embedded in the sand.
Cal suddenly cried out and reached to swat a similarly-sized, silver sphere out of the water; it, too, glimmered with an unusual iridescence that was impossible not to admire. "I ... I don't know," the older woman murmured, though her gaze was swiftly drawn back to the object still sitting patiently in the sand. Without thinking about it, Cora pulled her cable-knit sweater over her head, stripped her breeches away, and climbed onto the edge of the boat, her bare feet gripping the edge of the railing with but a moment's hesitation; within in a half-a-second the sailor was diving through the clear, green water, her bright eyes keen on a certain shimmering object only a few feet away ...
With a gasp, Cora re-surfaced and hoisted herself up with one arm, the other wrapped snugly around the mysterious trinket. Huddling against the wall, the woman took a moment to assess the ... the egg that was practically humming in her shivering hands. It gleamed sapphire, with curves and ever-shifting lines that looked like a rolling sea of jewels. Trembling, she looked up to where Cal was staring at her own bauble, similarly transfixed.
~~~~~
Calina saw Cora jump overboard to retrieve the other object and winced. That water had to be cold. Her attention was drawn to the egg in her hand, for that was the only explanation for its perfectly smooth surface...it was thrumming in her hand. She felt something whenever she touched it, like...she had no idea. She hugged it close to her bosom, feeling warmth spread like wildfire through her chest. It was like she was meant to find that...she felt something...affection? She hadn't felt affection for anyone or anything since Joshua died. How can this object create such an emotion in me that I thought I would never feel again? How is this possible after mere minutes of its discovery?
Hearing Cora gasp for air and clamber back aboard Le Anglaria, Cal glanced up to see an egg identical to hers, only dark blue, like a sapphire color. She met her gaze shortly before turning her eyes back to her own thingamajig that garnered her affection so quickly. Not even Cora was able to get past the outer shell that is herself. She couldn't take her hand off it....it was as if she were to let it go, this feeling of...completeness would leave her crippled.
She looked up to see Cora carefully inspecting her egg. "Let's go home." without waiting for a response, Cal stood from her position, silver in hand, and headed to draw up the anchor. Seemingly of it's own accord Le Anglaria turned and headed back to port. Something was up. She wasn't steering....Calina headed back to the main deck, and sat across from Cora...She felt the familiar surge of anxiety flowing....starting to hyperventilate, Calina felt a panic attack coming. Taking as deep breaths as she could, she clutched her egg closer with shaking hands. Weirdly, as soon as her flesh made contact with the egg again she felt a calming flow through her. Slowly but surely the panic attack left, and she was sitting staring at this beautiful object that had manage to soothe her...
"What in the hell is going on?" she wondered aloud as the boat sailed straight up to the dock of its own accord. Standing again, she tied the back lines to the dock, and hopped off deck, knowing Cora would probably get the front. As soon as she hopped off her boat, Cal slid her egg into her bag. She didn't want any trouble, and she sure as hell wasn't losing that egg. Already she felt as if she would be torn in two without it....."Head to my place?" she said as Cora stepped off Le Anglaria back onto dry land.
~~~~~
Shivering whether by the intense cold or the presence of the egg, Cora decided that clothing was probably a good idea, and yanked on her sweater and breeches. Keeping the egg tucked against the gooseflesh of her stomach, the woman tugged on her socks and boots and tried to ignore the euphoric effect the sapphire bauble was having on her normally-stoic self. It was magic, it had to be- but, surprisingly, it didn't feel like a bad kind of magic: the feeling in itself was suspicious, but Cora wasn't afraid of the little round sapphire clutched close to her stomach. Although the partners had barely been out on the water for half an hour, Cora did not protest her colleague's assertion that they head back for shore.
The sailor wasn't at the wheel, but she could feel the boat swinging around in a very unnatural way, almost as if the water were ... pushing them back to shore like a great hand clasped around the body of the vessel. If sailing out had been quick because of the wind, sailing back into the harbor was like lightning, leaving the pair of exiles with naught to do but tie their boat down with confused hands. Cora nodded briefly at her partner's offer. "I think that'd be best. We ought to crack these open." Still holding the egg against her stomach, the woman continued, "Something's off."
What scared her was that something seemed right.
~~~~~
Cal nodded, agreeing that something was off. "You may want to hide it, It looks valuable, and someone may think you stole it." She said as she gestured to the egg clutched to Cora's stomach. Without waiting for a response, she turned and started heading to what's been home for the past four years. As they wound through the back streets, trying to avoid the main population as much as possible, Calina clung to her bag as if it were her lifeline. She tried to play it casual, but pickpockets were common on these roads. She wouldn't let anyone take her newfound trinket that had awoken an emotion that she thought was dead.
She felt water splash on her arm; it started to rain slightly. Hearing the familiar whispers she hid a smile from her companion. She loved the rain.
Finally they reached the outskirts of town and Calina led Cora into her small cottage. Immediately snatching the egg from her knapsack, she dropped the bag and held it close to her once more.
No sooner than her arms were around the silver egg than it started moving. Gasping softly, she held it up to observe it...little cracks were?starting to show. What? Oh! It was hatching! Softly, Cal set her egg on the table, staying close by its side, eagerly awaiting to see the creature that emerged.
Slowly but surely, the creature inside chipped away at its prison. "Come on, little one." She whispered softly. After about ten minutes of trying to be patient, the egg finally shattered. Calina stared at the amazing creature before her. Her...scales?....we're silver, and her eyes were as blue as the night sky. The mall Dragon met her eyes and cooed softly, melting her heart. Reaching her hand out slowly, Calina stroked the dragons head. Where her wings should be were just bone outstretched. She figured the webbing may grow in later. She met Cora's eye, a look of awe in her own.
She sat on the ground, legs crowed and the hatching crawled into her lap and rested her head on Cal's stomach. "This is...unreal." She though aloud. Cal cuddled the being softly, scared that if she was to rough, she would break the young dragon.
Okay. She had to have a name, she sensed her Dragon was a girl so it would hAve to fit. What to name her? After a few minutes, she chose the name she and Joshua had picked out for their first daughter..."Hello, Kilyria." She said softly. At hearing her name, Kilyria cooed and bounced slightly with excitement.
Cal looked at Cora, she knew she had to leave, but was unsure as to whether Cora would go. Reluctant to leave her partner behind because they had worked up a good system. They made each other's lives easier by helping each other. How hard would it be on her own, if Cal were to leave. She wouldn't breach the subject now, she waited for her thoughts first. To see how she reacted.
~~~~~
Although she was vaguely aware of Cal's ginger hair leading the way through the crowds of the Port before her, on the entire trip to the younger woman's cottage Cora felt as if she were walking on a cloud. Noises seemed dampened as if chatting passerby were holding rags over their mouths, colors of the market blurred together into one soft rainbow, and at one point thick, warm drops began to fall from the sky, though the sailor hardly noticed it. All of her attention was focused on the trembling object pressed firmly into her stomach, hidden away behind a heavy sweater and a well-placed knapsack. The egg seemed to draw upon her energy and composure, leaving the woman with naught but giddy, quivering nerves as she hurried through the streets of the city.
Ruby, chapped lips parted in a sigh of relief as Calina's small cottage came into view, and the two women hurried through the front door and into the main room with intent in their step. While Cal went to set her silvery egg on the table, Cora sat down on the floor with a heavy thud and gingerly placed the beautiful, shimmering cobalt egg on the ground before her. No sooner had she reached out to stroke its rippling side when a gaping crack appeared, startling the sailor's hand back to rest on the dusty floor. Green eyes strained forward in attempt to decipher the contents of the eggs, but found no hints within... And so Cora sat, enraptured, as crack after crack appeared on the beautiful egg's surface, each contributing to form a jagged but elegant spiderweb.
Around ten minutes passed before the largest crack of all materialized diagonally across the face of the egg, slicing its surface into two roughly equal parts. The top half slid off after a moment, and the entire sphere suddenly rolled forward, depositing a slimy, wriggling creature onto the floor with a wet plop. Startled, the fisherwoman took a few moments to inspect the being before her, marveling at its soft white body and tiny claws. Soon enough she also noticed the small, fragile wings plastered to the creature's back. It was, unmistakably ... "A dragon?" Cora asked incredulously, and as if in answer, the hatchling opened its eyes to look at her with a calm and rosy gaze. An albino dragon. Giving a chirp of delight and straining forward toward her, the baby began slipping around in its own fluids and tripping over its enormous feet in excitement.
Cora, however, was overwhelmed. She threw up a hand and cried softly, "Stop that! I need to think." Immediately the hatchling stopped in its tracks, collapsing into a heap and staring patiently at her through rose-colored eyes. Although she could have used the younger girl's input, one backward glance revealed that Calina, too, had a young dragon sitting before her, and was similarly overwhelmed. Why in the world were two dragon eggs floating off the shore? the sailor wondered in exasperation, putting a hand to her temple. Will their mothers be after us? At an utter loss, she turned her attention back to the small creature huddled at her feet, which was still looking expectantly in her direction.
At Cora's stern gaze, however, the baby's eyes seemed to expand with love and genuine affection, holding her in what seemed to be the highest possible regard for a newborn dragon. Somewhat startled by this heartfelt expression, green eyes blinked once, and then twice before the sailor finally softened and opened her arms. After all, someone needed to take care of these dragons, at least for the time being ...Giving a delighted chirp, the hatchling wasted no time in folding into the fisherwoman's warm woolen sweater, and Cora was surprised to feel the coldness of the baby through the thick material. "Well, we'll just have to warm you up." She tucked him beneath the sweater and shivered a little as gooseflesh formed on her stomach, but did not dare complain. Something about this small, innocent creature pressed close to her heart felt enormously right, as if they were destined for one another ...
Shaking off the preposterous feeling, the sailor turned to her companion and shrugged, trying to play off her excitement as best she could (and failing miserably). "Cal. Now what?"
~~~~~
Kilyria was shivering but it wasn't from the cold; it was from sheer excitement, also a bit curious. She bounced slowly in Calina's lap and hopped out and ran a circle around her and jumped on Cal's shoulders. Cal smiled a genuine smile for the first time in years at the young hatchling's antics. Letting out a small chuckle Calina reached up and brought the small dragon to her bosom, under her shirt where Kilyria curled up and rested her head on Cal's shoulders. Gasping softly at the rush of emotions flooding through her, Cal breathed in a deep breath and let it out slowly, enjoying the feel of her dragon's scales resting on her. This had to be a dream....this couldn't be real. Dragons were extinct, weren't they? Well, most of them were. Yet here they were. Two dragons, hatched for them. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
She met Cora's eyes as her own egg had hatched into...an albino dragon? She watched Cora's startled reaction. Cora looked just as overwhelmed as she, only she handled it differently, putting a hand to her temple and not immediately embracing the young albino. Turning her attention back to her own dragon, currently snuggled in her shirt and breathing contently. Cal fingered the dragon's tail, it had a beginning of a mean looking club with a nasty hook on the end. That will do some damage in time. Every second that their flesh was in contact, the stronger the bond she felt with this wonderful creature.
She looked up as Cora addressed her. What now? Good question. She knew what she must do, but was reluctant to say..."I'm not sure. We have to keep them hidden, Cora. You know what would happen if they were seen. They'd be killed, probably us too...OUCH!" She exclaimed at Kilyria's sudden bursting out the top of her shirt to go explore her new surroundings. Her tiny claws had snagged a little bit of her shoulder, leaving a large scratch. She sighed. She met her acquaintance's eyes, green eyes locking in with hers. "They're going to grow....and grow fast. We won't be able to hide them for long..." She trailed off, still hesitant to say what she was thinking. "We need to leave Port Syren. Probably never to return." There, she'd said it. She had this feeling...they had to go north. Away from the sea...her heart tore. She loved the sea...the feeling of open water, the salty air, the scylla's and the seacat's roaming underneath. To go north would mean to leave them behind. She breathed softly, looking towards Kilyria, who was nosing around the cabinets.
Cal whistled softly, and Kilyria looked up and met her eyes. Squealing loudly with excitement Ki ran to her new best friend and sat on her lap, eyes looking up at her with eager expectation, awe, love, care, concern. Cal didn't know how to react to this, so she just ran her ha?d down the baby's back.
~~~~~
Cradling the dragonlet gently beneath her sweater, Cora listened quietly as her partner made a heavily weighted proposition, though on the inside she was screaming. "I don't know if I heard that right. You're suggesting we leave the port, Cal?" she asked after a moment, her voice thick and tone incredulous. Finding a newborn dragon was overwhelming in itself, and finding two was unthinkable, but the prospect leaving her home of nearly twenty years was somehow more preposterous than either. "How are we going to make a living on the plains? Or in the forests?" the woman asked, her voice somewhat bitter. "We can't take our boats upriver, and I don't know anything but the sea. How can we leave it, Calina? Why would we?"
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Cora pressed the palm of her hands into her eyes and absorbed the silence, thinking. Despite her misgivings, there was a quiet voice inside of her saying, 'do it.' Leaving Salt Haven would finally put distance between her and Darius, and the mere thought brought tears to her eyes; but the port was her home, her destiny, and she was utterly lost without the calm presence of the ocean nearby. Every muscle felt locked in tension, and every particle of Cora's being was caught in the struggle of her decision for a few heavy minutes.
Suddenly a light touch on the stomach brought the sailor out of her reverie, and with surprise she peered into the neck of her shirt to see two calm, rose-colored eyes staring back at her. The hatchling had begun to knead at her abdomen gently, like a small pet would, and although the motion was small Cora felt all of the tension drain out of her almost immediately. A few reflective seconds passed until she spoke again. "We can take the river north and see where it takes us- maybe head for the forest, or the mountains to the west, where no one will bother us. I hear some of the smaller villages around there know a bit about dragons." Heaving a sigh, the woman reached under her sweater and stroked the sleepy newborn curled up against her stomach. "But this isn't going to be easy, Cal. If we're going to keep them ... It's going to be worse living than the past few years have been. And we'll have to be careful- so careful." Cora closed her green eyes as she awaited a response that she knew would result in her abandoning the only home she had ever known.
~~~~~
Calina nodded, understanding the incredulous tone in Cora's voice. She could hardly believe she had suggested it herself. But a few minutes later Cora had heaved a sigh and consented. "... this isn't going to be easy, Cal. If we're going to keep them ... It's going to be worse living than the past few years have been. And we'll have to be careful- so careful." Cal shot Cora a sly smirk. "I was planning on trampling through the middle of town shouting that we had dragons, come and take them. Of course we'll be careful, Cora. Aren't we always?" Cal shot back. But as soon as she had finished speaking, Cal got up from the floor, put Kilyria on her shoulder and got her normal pack out. She filled it with a few days change of clothes, food to last for two for a few weeks.
After she was finished, she followed Cora to her place, and when she was ready they went out the back door with dragons in tow. As soon as the door slammed, Calina turned towards the sea at the connecting point with the river. They would stay near water, if she was going to give up the sea, she would not give up the river. Some flowing water had to be near to keep her calm. But this she knew:
She was never coming back.
And so the two young chosen one's began their journey of a lifetime. A journey very few have been picked for. A journey that will lead them to grow and flourish in a world they didn't even knew existed.
This, my friends, is where the story begins.[/Spoili]
Relationships
Amelia Iona-
- Arlen Iona-
- Father
- Age 48
- Abusive fathers aren't often involved in their daughters lives except to make it a living hell for them...
- Joseph Damona-
- "Fiance"
- Age 35
- Joseph was the man that Arlen had arranged for Cal to marry....as we all know this didn't work out.
- Joshua Akassa-
- Husband
- Deceased
- Joshua was married to Calina for 6 months before being murdered by Joseph.
Cora Taylor Morgan-
"Friend"
Age 20
There really is no word to describe the relationship between Calina and Cora. They aren't really friends, persay, but more like partners in survival. They work together often to survive in a world where if one is disowned it's very difficult to survive.
Gender:
Female
Appearance
As a hatchling, Kilyria was the size of a large puppy. Her wings were just little bones sticking out with no webbing, and her eyes were deep blue, like the ocean They still are. Her hide is covered in thick, shined silver scales, and two horns extend from right behind her ears going backward. She looked like a baby dragon would look like. Her talons are sharp and deadly, if they needed to be.
Now, Kilyria is around 8 feet long, tip to tail. Large enough for Cal to sit on her back, but small enough to not be able to fly with her. Still silver, her wings have grown quite a bit. She is able to use them to cover Cal at night, when there is no shelter, using them as a blanket. Her deep blue eyes are intensely beautiful, yet extremely kind as well. She has grown in height as well, being about as tall as a large horse (think Clydesdale).
Personality:
Curious | Playful | Childish
Like most silvers, Kilyria is curious by her very nature. Sometimes it has gotten her into trouble, other times it has paid off in the end, rewarding them both with supper for the night. She's also very playful, she loves to play games. She balances Cal out very nicely in this sense. Cal normally likes to cut to the point, while Kilyria likes the playing around. Kilyria is a mix between what we call a cat and a puppy...she has the energy and playfulness of a puppy, yet the stealth and demeanor of a cat. She loves the water....she's often found napping in a small stream whenever Cal is off doing something that she didn't need to get seen at.
Kind | Loving | Gentle
Unlike Cal, who can be seen as heartless sometimes, Kilyria is very kind and gentle. She loves everything that has life. She trusts easily, and has this loving aura around her that one can't help but trust her with everything. She is the only one that Cal truly trusts, even though they can't understand each other. Ki is so gentle with every living thing, it's incredible. She loves to watch nature around her interact. The food chain, the circle of life, everything. She's fascinated by it. She would love to one day be able to communicate with mortals without harming them...but first she must be able to communicate with her future rider, Calina.
Intuitive | Knowing | Calming
Kilyria has a very good intuition, she's good at telling how her companion is doing, and what she needs. It's like mother's intuition, only a little stronger. She has this calming aura around her, one can't help but love her. She seems to know what people are going through, and tends to their needs. She's very mothering by her nature.
Abilities
~~Calming~~
Kilyria is able to calm people down. When tensions are high, anxiety raging, anger firing, whatever it is, Ki can help to keep you calm and peaceful. At the moment, it's just with her rider. That in and of itself is a challenge for her, since Cal is such a fiery young woman who has a temper. But with time, she is able to calm her down, help her to remain peaceful. This will come in handy in battle situations, she will help her rider (and in time those around her) keep a level head.
~~Snow Manipulation~~
Kilyria is able to control snow. When it is barely starting to snow, she will eventually be able to take it and turn it into a blizzard if she so desired. She will later be able to summon it if she needed to. Her ability is a nice match to Cal's in that if it is raining, Ki will be able to turn it into snow when she is trained. Imagine: Snow in the middle of the summer. Wouldn't that be cool?
Strengths
Size:
Kilyria is a medium sized dragon. She's neither small, nor large. Her max length will probably be close to 20ft. Because of this, she's more agile, able to turn almost on a dime.
Talons and Tail:
Her talons are very sharp, good for gripping things, piercing things, and more. She is swift and agile, being able to grab onto her prey at the last second. Her tail has this hooked club at the end. This would be great in combat...if needed.
Flight:
Her wings are rather large, so she is able to do long distance flights fairly well. She loves to fly almost as much as she loves living creatures. She's able to maneuver very well in the air, commencing complicated tactics with ease.
Swimming:
Kilyria loves the water. She absolutely adores it. Sometimes she refuses to get out, even when Cal is urgently trying to get her to move when there's people near. But she's good at it. It's built muscle where other activities wouldn't, it's increased her flexibility.
Optimistic:
Kilyria is optimistic by nature. She loves to see the best in people, where Cal can't. She thinks the glass is half full, not half empty. She is a happy, go-lucky type of dragon who loves to bring a smile to her companions face. Often, she is the only one who can.
Weaknesses
Fight:
Like most silvers, Kilyria hates fighting. She hates it with a burning passion. Most often, she will try to flee from a fight, or talk them down, or use her ability. The only time she is willing to fight is if her own life, Cal's, or any of her family is in danger. If that is the case....beware for she is a deadly weapon when she chooses to be. For when she's truly threatened, she will use her breath weapon: flame.
Size:
Because she is so small, she doesn't have a lot of strength to put behind her attacks. While she does have some muscle built up from swimming, she doesn't use it other than for that reason. Also, when in a heavily populated area with a person you can't communicate with...it's rather hard to hide an 8 foot long dragon from prying eyes.
Curiosity:
Kilyria is an extremely curious creature. When she's fascinated by something, she will study it, interact with it. Whether it be friend or foe....Ki has often gotten herself hurt or in trouble because of her curiosity. Cal balances her out in this sense, because Cal is a little more careful in her tactics...she won't let her friend get into too much trouble.
Fear:
Like Cal, Ki has been a bit sheltered. All she's ever seen is what she's seen with Cal. She's terrified of being separated from her friend. She clings to her like a mother to her newborn child. If Cal's away for longer than an hour, fear begins to set in and she begins to panic... and a panicking dragon is not fun at all.
