Ice Witness

The awakening was slow, almost torturous, as if from the deepest of deep sleep. Oioralemat kor Chet Oriorrerua (White Moon of Storm Clan) was first aware of the songs of birds, filtering through his consciousness. The white adult dragon let the sounds soothe him as he struggled towards wakefulness.

Opening one eye, Oioralemat peered around, blinking in confusion; this wasn't where he'd been, unless his memory was playing tricks. Opening the other eye, and lifting his head, Oioralemat surveyed the small forest clearing with even more confusion...everything seemed to be taller and bigger than it should be. And, where were his Mother and Father, and the other Clan members that had been with them?

Suddenly, the memories flooded back, and a shuddering gasp of pain was pulled from the dragon's body. Horrific images....minions of the Withered Aegis, swarming in from all directions, overwhelming even the awesome power and strength of a group of adult and ancient dragons. And, then, a flash of magical fire and light...dragons torn apart....the screams of his mother and father....his own screams....searing pain....nothingness....

Squeezing his eyes shut, pushing the memories into a dark recess of his mind and trying to lock them away forever, Oioralemat concentrated on the bird-songs...as he did, the dragon suddenly became aware of a voice, speaking in the Common language. Opening his eyes once again and looking in the direction of the voice, Oioralemat spotted a hatchling...what was he saying? It had been years since he'd been around any naka-duskael and had need of Common.

Gifted?

Who....what? Oioralemat suddenly realized that, although he was standing up, he was directly at eye-level with the hatchling.

“Wha....??” he managed to croak.

The hatchling grinned at Oioralemat's confusion, introducing himself as Spitfyre; the hatchling explained it all again: Oioralemat was one of the Gifted....he had died and been reborn as a hatchling...

“No!” Orioralemat exclaimed. “I ascended from the Peak of Storms...it was witnesses by the whole Clan!”

The hatchling nodded, a somber expression on his face. “That was your first life, hatchling. This is the beginning of your second life...as a Gifted.”

Eventually, the former adult dragon was forced to accept this new reality, distressing as it was. He was no longer Oioralemat kor Chet Oiorrerua...he would never again see his mother, Efinan'oretaa, lovely Sunset Daughter, or his stern but loving father, Ganarlert, the powerful Eastern Flame...they were gone forever....leaving him alone....his heart hard and cold as ice, remembering what the Withered Aegis had done to him and his clan....Oioralemat kor Chet Oiorrerua was dead....

Whatever was required of him, he would accomplish it, and would wreak his revenge upon the Aegis and its minions....he was now Tondargaet Glit kor Chet D'Naya...Ice Witness of Clan Nothingness.