The Rise and Fall Of The True Drakaina [vasillisa x EtherealLights]

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vasillisa

Edgebabby
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  1. Intermediate
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  1. Primarily Prefer Female
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Fantasy, Modern Fantasy, Modern, Romance, Action Adventure, Magical.
In the year 10AO, a lethal infection swept the isolated lands of Shawnee Glacier. Unlike the more common ailments of Valucre, this sickness did not spread normally like any other disease or virus. What many of Shawnee Glacier's inhabitants call it now, The Plague, was not airborne, and many currently wonder if it was even contagious. The Plague did not steal the lives of the elderly or the young, but instead fed off the energy of mortals in the prime of their lives. The symptoms were common, many did not know their illness was any different than the common cold or a stomach bug at first. The minor symptoms lasted for about four days. On the end of the fourth day, the victim of The Plague would experience delusions and elevated body temperatures. Slowly, their brain would boil from the extreme heat of the illness and they would slip into a cold sleep. The heat from the victim's body would slowly fade away and by then, the bodies would normally be laid to rest. It wasn't long after that a portion of the population had fell ill and passed that strange things began happening deep in the wilderness of Shawnee Glacier. Travellers on the roads after dark began reporting sightings of ghosts wandering the tundra. Pale, stiff bodies trudging through the night towards where the moon rested on the edge of the glacier, the tallest mountain in the land, Mount Aneira. Civilians laughed at the ridiculous stories. "There is no such things as ghosts!" They would say.

By the middle of the year, the sightings had stopped, people failed to wonder why the layers of ice and snow covering the deceased's graves were disturbed and unsettled. It was around this time, that other matters became of more importance. More and more people were noticed missing, and then discovered slovenly disemboweled. The pink snow tracks always led back in one direction- Mount Aneira.The citizens of Shawnee Glacier began to take the ghosts more seriously, begging the druids of the land for some kind of help. The druids prayed to the Old Gods, desperately awaiting a sign.

Two weeks before the end of the year, an oracle called Maester Neheem was blessed with a vision. It was the answer to everyone's prayers. Maester Neheem communicated with druids all over the glacier, and they discussed the foresight and the destruction that would soon overcome the land if the Undead was not stopped. It was decided that the druids would perform a ritual, at the base of Mount Aneira and ask the Old Gods for help.

On the first day of the year 11AO, Maester Neheem and a small circle of the land's wisest and well-trusted druids met at the base of the great mountain. The druids begged the Old Gods for interference and were well rewarded. The druids were guided into creating what would be their land's savior. Carved from stone, and breathed to life by the spirits of Shawnee Glacier, two Drakaina were born.They were the only two of their kind, birthed adults and yet still untainted by the darkness of the world, they were said to be the greatest gift ever bestowed upon Shawnee Glacier. However, there were many flaws in the oh-so-perfect God-given gifts.

A sanctuary was built at the base of the mountain and named Aneira Sanctum. It was named home to the two Drakaina and it was where Maester Neeheem dedicated his life to teaching the two young women about the morales of life and how to fulfill their purpose. Most of the land grew scared of the mysterious Drakaina, but were thankful when the undead population died down.

The year is now 26AO, and people are going missing again, and this time, the Drakaina are to blame.

---------------------------

Luella

"I don't even understand why he needs to see us. It's not like the whole population of Shawnee Glacier was interested in us before!" Noelani's usually silky voice was hard and emotionless, making me study her closely. Her onyx eyes were narrowed as she glared at Maester Neeheem, hands fisted against the luscious curve of her hips. Had she always seemed so...powerful?

Maester Neeheem's pruned palm raised in her direction, but his eyes stared dully at the cold stone floor. It was a gesture my sister and I knew all too well, a warning sign actually. Although it usually was a warning flag for us to clamp down on the emotion and shut it out, it just seemed to make the rage in Noelani grow.
"Noel, maybe this won't be so bad. It could be good actually! If someone as powerful as he can prove to the land that we are friendly creatures, maybe we wouldn't be feared any longer." I offered her a small, slight smile and touched her forearm lightly. Her mouth mashed into a long thin line and she shook her head, black curls bouncing erratically.
"I never knew there was anything wrong with being feared," her voice had grown soft again and she let out a small sigh. "Whatever."

I flinched as she slammed the door on her way out, and Maester Neeheem's knowing gaze turned to rest on me.
"I perceive disturbance in your sister," he weirdly echoed my thoughts, and even though I knew he couldn't see, I still felt as if he could sense the way I stood there chewing my lip in anxiety.

I drew in a deep breath, lifting my chin.
"What are we supposed to tell him?" I asked, purposely evading his statement.
"The truth."

---

"My lady, you are summoned."
I nodded to the thin, frail servant woman and took one last look in the mirror.
"You are not evil," I whispered softly to my reflection. I stared deeply into my own striking gray eyes, my long, straight silver hair, the twisted dusk-colored horns that protruded from my skull. The light blue dress that Maester Neeheem had chosen for me was quite flattering, and all the while hinted innocence. I ran my fingers over the crescent moon around my neck and let my feet lead me to the council chambers.

All of Aneira Sanctum was made of thick, sturdy stone. It resembled a huge stone castle, and of all the great wonders of my home, the council chamber was my favorite (even though we had never had visitors). The entrance to the dome-shaped room is barred by two huge, heavy oak doors. The room is set up like an arena, with rows of stone benches lining the walls of the bottom half of the dome. The top half is open, letting the council visit under the bright sun, or the glowing stars.

I hurry to take my seat, my throne is beside Noelani's in the middle of the floor, facing the doors. My sister is already seated, legs crossed and long-painted fingernails drumming impatiently against the armrest of her stone chair.
Her dress is low-cut and accentuates her curvy figure much better than mine. What game was Maester Neeheem playing where he dresses me so innocent and her so seductive?

Maester Neeheem stood before us conversing with the same old woman who had summoned me. At last he straightened, clearing his throat and waving his hand in approval.

"Ladies, let us welcome Chief of Shawnee Glacier."
 
The oak doors opened before Katsu as he walked into what seemed to be a room of importance, with Maester Neeheem stating his full title. The ceiling was a dome shape, with an opening at the top to let the sunlight streak in. There were two thrones in the middle of the room, which were occupied by two ladies.

Well, not ladies. They had horns adorned on top of their heads. However, the young man was not phazed by this. He had heard of these two monsters. They were the center of the whole problem after all. He kept on walking to the center of the room, standing tall. His countenance was cold, and distant.

"My Ladies." he bowed to the two Drakainas, his hair falling in front of his eyes. Katsu then turned to the old man, and also bowed. "Maester."
 
Luella

I drew in a deep breath as the Chief of Shawnee Glacier entered, and I straightened in my chair. Noel did the same.
"Chief, may I introduce your Protectors of the Glacier. Noelani, Bearer of Life," Maester Neeheem stretched his horizontal palm in the direction of my sister.
"-and her sister, Luella, Bringer of Death." I bowed my head to our guest, a gesture that I did not share with my sister.

I rose my gaze to his, searching for his intent for being here. My sister however, did not think about it, she had more vocal plans on the subject.

Noelani arched her back, pushing her chest forward and let her shoulders relax. This was a pose I would know all too well in the future.
"Good morning, Chieftain Katsu. Although we are absolutely delighted to have you here, it has come at quite the surprise." Her voice was smooth and held a projected volume that bounced off the cold stone room and echoed around us dangerously.

I could feel her emotions coursing through me. She was angry. No. Not angry, she was fuming. It was strange, although she was close to losing it on the inside, her exterior gazed at him innocently, as if nothing in the world was going on. That was the difference between my sister and I. Being Drakaina, anytime we lose control of our emotions, we resort to her true form, blurring the lines of humanity. Because of this sensitivity, we have to be extra cautious of our tempers. I am pretty good at clamping down on the emotion and shutting it out, my sister on the other hand, is only good at looking like she is okay.

I drew in a deep calming breath, wishing for Noel to feel the same emptiness I felt.
 
He watched the one with the gray hair, who was staring at him. What was her deal? Luella was her name, right?

Katsu turned his gaze towards the one with the black hair, Noella something? He didn't bother with names. His business was straightforward, ask about the disappearances and leave. When she spat out her question, the chief resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What an atittude. She should sow her mouth closed. Smoke was practically coming out of her nose, yet she remained calm. Ah. Now I see the relation to dragons.

"Well," he said, his tone calm and cold, "Disappearances have sprung up again like so many years before. And since you both eat flesh -I mean meat-" he smirked as he corrected himself. "The village is assuming that you both are the causes behind this." he ran his fingertips through his hair, pushing it away from his eyes. "It is quite problematic." It was true, the village was panicking, and he could only do so much to keep it calm.
 
Luella

Oh no. She is going to lose it.
My teeth found my lower lip and I began to pull and gnaw at the raw skin there. This was not good at all.

"You, humans eat meat too!" Noel shot back, leaning forward in her throne. Her long dagger-like nails were clutched around the ends of the armrest, her knuckles turning pale from the tension in her hands.
"What makes you think we are the monsters?! After all, you guys did lock us up here and still expect us to do the dirty work!" Her jaw clenched and in the corner of my vision, I saw Maester Neeheem raise his palm in Noelani's direction.

Noel's emotions were like a tornado inside my core, flooding my senses and making me detach from the situation. Maester Neeheem said something about remaining calm and the next thing I knew, Noel was shouting.

I drew in a deep breath, trying to find my voice, but her emotions, they were too much. Her voice was distorted now, part of her ranting was her shrill yelling, and the other was cut off in loud shrieks, her true form evolving her words into the throaty roar of a monster. She was ruining everything.
 
"Yes, we humans eat meat. Not flesh." Katsu snapped at the girl with black hair. "The village has every right to accuse you both. You are monsters, whom eat anything with blood running through their veins. Do you not think how it must feel for everyone when they know a threat like that lies beside their hometown?!"

He wasn't phazed by the scrieching and yelling the girl was doing. She seemed to change into a monster right before his eyes, which just confirmed his statement from before. The Chief pointed a finger at her. "Look at you. The monster is right there in front of my eyes. Any human would have the right to accuse you of the disappearances if they saw how you acted." he growled. She thought she had it hard? She was practically living in a palace, for god's sake, with everything she wanted right away.

"It's inhumane."
 
Luella

"It's inhumane."

Those words. They would be the words that changed our whole lives. As the words left his mouth, Noelani let out a loud scream, threw her head back and fell to the floor before us.
"Noel! Don't!" I rose to my feet, my palms outstretched towards my sister.
She whipped her head around in my direction and her eyes were no longer the wide onyx that they had been, her iris was a rusty crimson.

Maester Neeheem limped to Noel's side and reached to touch her shoulder.
"Noelani, control the beast, you are-" My sister cut his soft words off with her claws, raking them across his cheek. The old blind man fell to the ground, and my sister let out another screech, only this time, it wasn't even remotely human.

Her emotions pulsed through my body and I felt my temperature begin to rise as well as my own feelings began to churn within my core. If I didn't get away from her, I was going to turn too.

"Quickly, come with me," I grabbed for Katsu's wrist and yanked him from his spot. He wasn't very muscular and it was actually pretty easy to drag him to the huge oak doors that led back to the sanctum. I shoved the door open and pushed him through, doing the same with myself. I paused briefly to glance back at my sister.

Noel's skin was crawling, as if there were hundreds of little bugs running beneath her skin. Her body began to morph and within seconds her body was covered in scales. A pair of leathery wings tore through her flesh and the dragon who was once my sister beat her giant wings once and launched herself into the morning sky. I felt something ripping deep in my chest and her emotions detached from mine just as I slammed the door shut.
 
"Maester!" had exclaimed Katsu as the girl with the black hair clawed the elder's face. He was rushing to the old man's side until the other girl pulled him away to another room which was seperated by oak doors.

The black-haired girl was obviously an insane monster, her skin crawled, and her eyes turned into an unnatural red, almost that of blood. She really is a monster.

When she had finally let him go, she closed the door and Katsu pulled his hand away from her grip. He was lean and tall, and he didn't show much muscle, but contrary to most beliefs, he was quite strong.

"Let go of me." he snarled at the girl. He wrenched his hand out of her vice-like grip, which left red marks on his skin. He didn't want anything to do with the two girls, much less have physical contact or any conversations with them. "What the bloody hell was that?!" he growled at the girl while pointing at the oak doors, really designating what was happening behind those doors.
 
Luella

I drew in a deep, calming breath.
"That was her resorting to her true form. You see, we experience emotions differently than humans. Our emotions are stronger and more real than most people. And when we lose our tempers, we transform to our real bodies and our real forms. It doesn't always happen like that, sometimes our bodies change every few days to keep our emotions calmer, but when we do lose our tempers, there is nothing stopping the change. The reason she lashed out on the Maester was because of her humanity slipping away. Her mind and thought process turns to that of a beast," I blinked at him, my teeth finding my lip again.

"She's not a monster, even though it appears that way. She actually can be really sweet, and kind." I began walking down the hall, my fingertips trailing the stones and m y voice echoing around us eerily.
"You should really get to know us before you dub us monsters. How about you stay with us for a little while? We can show you how we live and let you walk in our shoes for a bit." I paused and turned to face him, taking in another deep breath. I felt fatigued, my head was spinning and my stomach felt queasy. It was probably from the change that was reversed only minutes before.

"I promise no harm will come to you throughout your stay. You will be safe here."
 
"I object to the what you said about her being kind, sweet and caring. She obviously wanted to rip my throat out from the moment I stepped into that room." answered Katsu crossing his arms. He didn't follow her, and stood by the oak doors.

When she suggested for him to stay he had to give an incredulous laugh. Afterwards, he raked his fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his eyes. "You're kidding, right? She'd kill me in my sleep, or put poison in my drinks. It could even be you. Any trust I had in you two, what little there was, has disappeared."

His countenance became serious and cold again, as he told her the facts. This wasn't a fairytale; it was reality that punched you in the face all the time.

"Besides, I have my village to take care of. They can't be left alone, and they'd think that you'll have devoured me. Which may actually happen because of that." he jerked his head towards the oak doors.
 
Luella

I exhaled loudly and crossed my arms.
"She's not always like that. She was just mad," My excuses didn't seem to be enough, his face still looked unconvinced. I shook my hair, wishing some great idea would just appear in my head.

"Look, she really doesn't like the fact that we are so hated. Deep down, she is lonely and we are both tired of being feared. I mean, we are humans too. Well, partially, but look, that's not the point. Can't you just find it somewhere in your heart to try and give us a chance? We have nowhere that accepts us, we have nobody except the Maester."
I sighed, shaking my head. It was no use. We would forever be deemed murderers. I cleared my throat and motioned to the door that I stood before. '

"Well, It will be late soon, and even though you believe we are the killers, we aren't, which means the monster that is destroying your village is still out there. It won't be safe to travel at night, so here is a room. Rest well."

I shook my head at him again and turned to walk swiftly away and back down the hallway.
 
Katsu kept on pushing his hair back- he couldn't help it, it was a nervous habit. "Fine." he muttered, walking up to the door. He opened it and walked in, slamming it shut behind him with a loud 'clack'.

As the young man expected, the room was somewhat extravagant, with a king-sized bed by the window, a desk with paper and utencils, a wardrobe, and a vanity table. There was also a red carpet with threads of gold sown into it with such craftsmanship, that the illustration seemed to move on the floor.

When he looked up, a small sized chandelier hung from the ceiling. The serting sun shone directly into the room, which made the crystals rebound the light throughout the room. Owever, the sun disappeared wuickly behind the mountain, leaving place for the stars.

The chief wasn't amazed or anything, just repulsed by the extravagance of everything. The village didn't have such luxuries available to them, and to think that these people had tons of empty rooms adorned with the same furniture, made him feel sick.

They had to do all the dirty work, the black haired girl had said. He shook his head in disgust. They had everything they wanted right at their feet, whilst the villagers had to work sweat and brow to save food for the oncoming winter.

After brooding in his thoughts, Katsu took off his cloak, and set it on the chair, by the mahogany desk. He walked towards the window, and looked outside into the night, and shifted his gaze upwards, towards the brilliant stars.
 
Luella

After leaving the Chief to his room, I was too stressed to do anything else. I had to do something to relieve myself from the tension that was building inside of me or else I would soon be in the same spot Noelani was in right now. I wonder where she wandered off too? Hopefully she was just resting on a mountain somewhere and staying out of trouble. Yes, I knew my sister could be a troublemaker sometimes, but she still could be a really good person. Not that anyone would believe it after the show she just put on. I did have to admit, I was the more self-controlled of the two of us.

Before I knew where I was going, I found myself walking through the courtyard. It wasn't much, just a small gazebo and a few stone benches, it would be a lot better if the cold climate of this land didn't cover everything in a blanket of snow. Not that I minded it at all. I found myself slipping out of my fur lined shoes and letting the bitter cold of the snow crunch beneath my feet as I walked. I glanced back at the sanctum, scanning the building. All the guest rooms overlooked the courtyard, and it was easy to find the one that Katsu resided in. It was fogged over from the heat of the wood stove inside that had been lit to warm his room. I wonder how he's handling it.


I shook my head at my thoughts and padded to a stone bench, brushing off the layer of fresh snow that had began to fall and sat. I let out a long breath of air that turned smoky in the cold air and I raised my hands infront of me.

My fingers weaved in the air before me, like I was spinning an invisible web and as I did it, the snow around me began to rise and freeze a glassy ice. I worked from the bottom up, and the sculpture began to fill out in a matter of minutes. The icy statue took the shape of a large canine, head thrown back and eyes staring at the moon that had risen in the sky. I rose from my spot and moved to another spot, humming to myself as I began to fill the courtyard with dozens of frozen animals in different poses. The stress began to melt away and I soon felt cold and free of emotions once again. Just how I liked it.
 
Katsu was annoyed to find that noise was disturbing the peaceful quiet of night. Even the village, who had way more people than the three who resided in the castle, was quieter.

The Chief looked down to find the girl making ice sculpture out of thin air. It made a loud swooshing sound while she did. Ah. That was the noise. Isn't she an ice mage of some kind? Lella the Ice mage of death? Doesn't matter. What a show off.

Katsu rolled his eyes as he watched her erect ice statues out of thin air. It was as if she was begging for attention, she probably knew he was looking outside, and decided to show off her skills.

Is modesty not a virtue around here? He couldn't help to think of this, for he was angered. They thought they were the prey? Poor darlings whom were always bullied because they had magical powers? They have everything, and they claim that they do 'the dirty work'.

He was again going back to what the other girl had said. He held it against them, for it was not tue in the least. If they saw what the village had to go through every winter, they'd hold back the comments about themselves that made others feel sympathy for them.

How pitiful.
 
Luella

I don't remember what time I finally made it back to my room, but I slept well into the afternoon. When I woke up, the snow had fallen heavier and the world was waist deep in snow, and it was still coming down. Definitely not something that was going to be possible to travel in.

"A blizzard," Maester Neeheem said as he sipped from his wooden mug. His eyes stared deadly at me, with a knowing gaze. It was weird how his eyes did that. They saw me, even though he couldn't. I lifted the tray off the sturdy oak table and shook my hair back. I was dressed casually today, just a pair of fleece pants and a fur sweater.
"Mmhmm." I didn't bother saying much, Noel was back to her cheery self and was talking so much it left me with time to think. Honestly, I just blocked it all out.

"-Lu, whee are you going with that?" I looked up from the tray I was holding and glanced back at my sister. I really didn't want to say anything to agitate her.
"I think I'll eat in my room."

I did not, however, go to my room. Instead I found myself softly knocking on the guest bedroom with warmth radiating from behind the oak door.
"I brought you lunch," I said through the door. "It's a stew. I made it myself."
 
Katsu groaned and rolled over in the bed as he heard someone knocking at the door. He looked out at the window from his bed and saw that it was snowing even harder than before.

Much to his annoyance, he had to get up and open the door. When he did, he saw that it was the girl from yesterday, with some broth of some kind, on a platter. He had to admit, he was hungry, but was it poisoned?

He pushed his already disheveled hair back from his face, and answered grumpily, "What do you want little girl?" He had been up most of the night, doing unfinished paperwork which still wasn't done. In addition, he probably had more, being gone a full day already.
 
Luella

I brushed off his snide comment and ran my tongue over my lips which felt dry and cracked.
"Food," I said, holding the tray out to him.

I rocked on my heels uneasily and sighed loudly. Before I could handle the suspense any longer I blurted, "Take me with you. To the village-I mean."

My cheeks felt unusually warm and I bowed my head to hide it.
 
Katsu stopped in his tracks. After a moment, he took the tray -which he had to admit, made his mouth water. Damn, he was starving- and looked at her confusedly. To the village? She wanted to go to the village? What for?

He cleared his throat to break the moment of silence that was going through and responded, "Why?" He had thought that she hated the people, just as much as her sister did. Was he mistaken?
 
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