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The air was bitter cold against his skin, each breath brought a stab of pain in his lungs, each exhale caused a bit more of his beard to freeze. The remnants of withered grass crunched beneath his feet, each step eliciting a pang of anxiety. Try as he might he was unable to suppress his shivering, the cold permeating through his numerous layers of furs to his very bones. He had known nothing but cold for so long that he could scarce remember what it felt like to be warm, to be comfortable.
The wound in the sky could still be seen, angry and red against the inky blackness, fiery looking tendrils pulsating out from the main scar. Roiling clouds blanketed the sky, blotting out the sun… or the moon. There had been naught but darkness since the scar appeared, time had lost all meaning. Day, night, it made no difference, the world may as well have stopped turning. And from the scar had come the shadow. The shadows had filled the sky, and skulked about on the ground. The shadow had meant death for all that witnessed it. It choked the life from the world, everything it touched withered and died. And what little did survive was hunted.
A branch snapped in the distance and he froze in place, his heart pounding in his chest. The thudding was agonizingly loud in his mind, threatening to betray his position. He dare not move, even so much as to seek cover. Slowly, he turned his head towards the direction of the noise. A lanky shadow moved through the trees, a mass of pure darkness that not even the sunless, starless night could match. It moved slowly but purposefully, stalking like a cat on all fours, moving silently. It pushed deeper into the leafless wood, eventually moving out of sight, mercifully heading in the opposite direction of his travels. He slumped as he let out his held breath, his muscles aching from the cold and holding so still. He took a few tentative steps, eyes still transfixed on where the shadow had been. If the shadow took notice, it made no move to reveal itself. Perhaps he was in the clear, or perhaps he would have the life ripped from him in an instant.
It was not until he reached the ruined tower that he accepted that the shadow was not coming for him, not today at least. He gazed up at the broken structure, the ceiling long ago had collapsed in on itself, and the walls caved and crumbled, leaving little indication of the proud sight it had once been. His heart sank as a great shadow descended from the sky, emerging from behind the whirling clouds. There was nowhere to go, nothing he could do, he was entirely exposed. The shadow spread its wings, grasping with its feet as it landed heavily on what remained of the bell tower. Mortar crumbled and stones tumbled to the ground as its claws dug into the masonry of the tortured tower. Blinding light filled the sky as its wings, tail and horns burst into flame, bathing the ruin in an eerie, unnatural red glow. He gazed upon the demon, and knew that it meant not only his doom, but the doom of all that he knew.
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He staggered back, nearly falling to the floor before catching himself, breathing heavily and struggling for air as though taking his first ever breath. His entire body was drenched with sweat, his shock of hair dangling in front of his eyes. The single torch now seemed blinding, whereas before it did little to combat the dingy darkness of the chamber. The warm glow illuminated the seer’s face. Her skin was pale, it had not been touched by the sun in perhaps years. Her slight smile was unnerving, the smile of someone who knew too much to be considered natural. Her jet black hair fell across her face, making her look deranged and feral, framing the geometric eye painted across her forehead. But nothing could distract from the ragged pits where her eyes had once been. The flesh was covered in scars, the grizzly result of when she had clawed them out when she had been only a child… desperate to make the visions that plagued her cease. But she was granted no reprieve from the horrors.
“What… what did you show me?” His voice wavered as he addressed the seer, his entire body tense, shaken from the vision he had received.
Her lips curled into an ever more unsettling smile, showing her strangely pointed teeth, “My burden is to live with the nightmares, your burden is to decide what they mean.” She reached for his hand, taking it in hers. Her finger tips were stained black, her nails dirty and broken. He did not know her name, she was simply the seer. Her parents had not deigned to give her a name, she was their shame. His skin crawled as she took his hand, it was all he could do not to pull it away from her grasp. She turned his hand over, dragging a jagged nail across the lines of his palm as she studied it. The sensation made him shiver and he jerked his hand away, taking a few steps away from her. She was such a small and delicate thing, a pitiful creature forever toiling in the dark. And yet he feared her with all his heart. She ran her fingers across the miserable sores where her eyes had once been, leaving black streaks across her skin.
He grabbed the torch and turned to leave. The brand was growing more dim as it neared its end. He had been in the seer’s chamber for some time it seemed. He could not say with any certainty why she had visited that vision upon him, when it might come to be, or if it had already happened long ago. But one truth was emblazoned in his mind, he could not allow that eternal night to come to pass, not while he still drew breath. The image of that fiery shadow would forever haunt his mind. He had never seen such a structure anywhere on either than mainland or any of the shattered isles. His knew his destiny was to the west in the undiscovered lands. He would find his fate across the sea.
Original Submission
Artist:
Teal_Avokado
Character:
Cerys
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Category Artwork (Traditional) / Fantasy
Species Dragon (Other)
Gender Female
Size 1044 x 1608px
Listed in Folders
Well well well, to think this beautiful edgy gal was yours all along! Seems Avokado has a habit of rendering beautifully evocative scenes of any of your characters~ Quite the hop from Fiadh, but a lovely character regardless!
OMG, this is absolutely an amazing artwork of your majestic Ness Cerys! I love the colors and contrasts, plus the sublime story written from you... Wow sweetie!! :) 💖✨💖✨💖
Now i can understand why you grabbed such a great opportunity from this amazing artist, their art level has not so many rivals. No problem sweetheart, reading your stories is a true joy and honor 😊💕
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