@Nianque: Finally, an omake for Dawn!
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The Shadow Guard: Dawn
Having arrived back in Warfang little over a week ago, Dawn has been taking the time to relax after all her traveling. Well, for a given definition anyways...
Since Venenum didn't have anywhere else to live, Dawn has been caring for the young dragoness. Between Venenum's curiosity and
unusual upbringing, her antics alone have been pushing Dawn's abilities just to keep her out of trouble.
Still, where others saw a rambunctious dragoness unfit to be a guard, Clarity saw potential
waiting to be brought forth. Truly, that's one of the many reasons Dawn preferred working for her.
Though, it is
because of her respect for Clarity that Dawn doesn't spy on her like she does almost everyone else around her. Resulting in the current situation: Dawn standing before Clarity, not understanding why she was summoned.
Looking up at the larger dragoness, it was always difficult for Dawn to tell what she was thinking.
"Though, I suppose there aren't many who can. Venenum's mere existence didn't seem to faze her, and Zap didn't mention getting a reaction from her either..."
Finally, Clarity speaks, her voice composed. "I've been alive for a very long time, and seen many strange things. Even so, you found three different dragons with abilities many would assume only Purple Dragons could possess. Well done, Dawn."
...
"That can't be all, she has more important things than briefly congratulating others. Is this a test of some kind? Is she setting up a point? Does... she think I'm secretly working for Umbra?"
Focusing on her superior, Dawn does her own best to speak composed. "Thank you, though I was just doing my job. The others have done excellent work as well, no need to single me out."
Watching as Clarity silently looks at her, Dawn focuses as her superior responds. "You deserve praise for a job well done... Still, you could of worked for Umbra with talent like that. So, why haven't you joined him after all this time?"
Dawn shifting slightly at that, she wasn't sure what to say. Yet... she already knew the answer, for a
long time she had lived by it... So, Dawn just let it come naturally to her.
"I never liked hiding from my problems, and problems hiding from
me even less. I could never bring myself to sit back and watch, letting others suffer just so I can tell someone else to save them."
Though Dawn isn't sure why, something about Clarity seems to change. "If that's the case, then being one of my soldiers must still be limiting for what you'd prefer. Perhaps you would be willing to try the guard program?"
...
"Wait, what?" Confused by the sudden question, Dawn couldn't help herself. "M-me? I... It would be easy for anyone to do what I do. Really, I'm not special, I just
bothered to train unlike most."
Clarity raises a wing, signaling for Dawn to fall silent. Looking her superior over, Dawn listens quietly. "True, anyone could
technically do what you can... Though I imagine making others tired is highly unusual."
That surprises Dawn, even stepping back a little as she tries to suppress her reaction. "I'm not sure what you mean, I just get lucky that's all." Yet, as she replied, Dawn realized her mistake: Clarity never gave context.
Clarity, for her part, still seems completely calm. "I may not be a spymaster, but I'm still perfectly capable. If you're just hiding the ability so others don't plan for it, that's fine. Preferable even, for a future guard."
Yet, Dawn looks away in silence, her tail curling around her leg.
"I wish that was the answer, hurts less that way..." Finally, as she lets out a quiet sigh, Dawn turns back to her superior.
"I actually developed the ability early when first experimenting. I... initially didn't think much of it, and simply used it to sleep easier. I only began developing it and my information gathering..."
Dawn doesn't want to say more, thinking about what happened... Thankfully, Clarity doesn't press for now. "We all have our scars, so if it hurts that bad... Then fine. You'll still do an excellent job without it."
... Taking a professional stance, Dawn speaks with composed steel. "I can use that facet without issue, too valuable to ignore after all. If you really want me to try for the guard program, then holding back achieves nothing."
Clarity smiles at this, a no-more-than-necessary serious one. "Good, I need someone like you in the program. Oh, and do try to keep your candidates involved. Potential like that needs to be cultivated, rather than wasted."
Nodding her head in silent agreement, Dawn begins to leave before stopping. Looking back to Clarity, Dawn eases her body as she smiles slightly. "Thank you, for giving me this chance."
With that done, Dawn figures she should check on Venenum. Hopefully she hasn't been too much for Nim to handle, Nim manages her nieces fine. Though, she supposed, all six of them will be seeing a lot of each other...
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So it was
kind of weird writing Clarity, since I was trying to avoid defining her character too much. I'm not really sure if I could rewrite this. Still, explanations for a few things...
I figure Clarity would like having a loyal soldier operating as a "Guardian" Guard, and that the other Guard Candidates (Nim/Zap/Venenum especially) would be incredibly valuable for protecting the Guardians.
For Dawn's backstory, I
do have a concrete idea. That she was born in a Fire Dragon family, and that she initially refined her Shadow abilities to cope. I would say she hasn't actually specialized in the sleep facet, and more her skill with it comes from how early she tapped into it.
Of course, I'm also assuming that Shadow Dragons could make others tired instead of outright making them sleep. Anyways, I would say Shadow Travel/Shadow Sense/Sleep are her most particularly refined followed by general combat and sensory invisibility.
She doesn't have any meaningful understanding of the moon facet, partially... because I don't either. Really, Moon is associated with a
lot of things like madness and cold. So while shooting
madness beams sounds awesome, it also sounds like a Fear Dragon thing.
