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<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Archane Dalvesta</span></span>
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"Girl, yer spewing nonsense.  I can't do nothin' for ya, so scatter before you scare away my customers."</span><br/><br/>No matter how many times Archane told her tale to the gruff old merchant, the severity of the situation just didn't seem to sink in.  He didn't believe her story, although she couldn't blame him entirely for that.  Had she not seen it with her own eyes... Archane wasn't sure she'd believe it either.  The horrific images of fire raining down on her village were forever burned into the back of her eyelids though, accompanied by the screams of her people that still rung in her ears.  They were proof enough that the tragedy that struck Ahrol once more, was all too real.<br/><br/>It had happened once before, when she was little.  Her kind had the ability to summon Dragons, due to their ancestry with the powerful beasts.  One day, a Dragon was summoned by one of the villagers... and for the first time in Dragonkin history, it turned on it's summoner.  It killed him, then turned it's rage on their village, raining death and destruction upon all that stood in its path.  There were rumors that the destructive giants could sense if a person was good or bad; could feel the evil rooted within someones heart.  After all, it would<i>choose</i>whether to fight by the persons side or not.  They were not beings that could be controlled, and were to be treated and acknowledged with respect.  It was speculated that that was why the Dragon turned on the Dragonkin that summoned it.  It sensed their evil intentions, and killed them to get rid of the source of that evil.  The reason why it continued to rampage on their village though... was unknown.  Dragons were extremely prideful creatures, so perhaps it felt betrayed or scorned, and it's rage took hold of it.  Who knows.<br/><br/>Archane had spent so much time after that day trying to understand why, but none of her questions resulted in answers.  They only led to more questions.  And now... it had happened again.  But unlike last time, they had been unable to stop it.  Their village was in ruins, and now a Dragon was loose in their world.  Without a Summoner to send them back to their home, or an equally powerful opponent to stop them, the devastation it could unleash upon Cordelan would be catastrophic.  As leader of Ahrol, her father had entrusted her with the task of stopping the Dragon, as he dealt with the disaster that struck their home.  It was an important mission, and despite how much she detested asking for help, it was one she could not complete alone.<br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b300b3"><br/>
"My father sent me here Bastian.  Your <i>friend</i>." </span>That last word fell sharply off her tongue, hoping guilt would move the stubborn old geezer to do something if nothing else would.  All she needed was help tracking the beast, and Bastian was the best around.  However her hope was quickly squashed by a scornful snort.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#808080">"I don't know what that uptight prick told you 'bout me, but we were never friends.  I may sell to yer kind, but I don't fraternize with 'em."</span>The old man called Bastian said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world, organizing his wares into little slots and cubbies behind his wooden cart without so much of a glance towards the slight young woman.  Her lips pursed in minor annoyance, however she let the comment slide.  The Dragonkin were looked down upon because of their connection to the destructive giants, and the power her race held, as they were the only ones able to actually summon a Dragon.  It intimidated and frightened many, though there were some that were more accepting than others.  Because her father sent her to find this man among the chaos and destruction of her village, saying how he could help her, Archane had assumed he would be one of those few open-minded individuals.  It appeared both her and her father were wrong to count on his help.<br/><br/>Huffing, Archane turned her back on the silver haired man, her long black cloak billowing out in the wind.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b300b3">“If you saw the horrors that I have... you wouldn't be so dismissive."</span>Bastian stopped what he was doing to glance up at the young woman as she walked away, pulling a dark hood over her long pale locks.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b300b3">"Who knows... perhaps now, you soon will."</span>With that, Archane left the elderly merchant alone to seek help elsewhere.  If she could even find someone who would be willing to help her...  A pair of cold, violet eyes drifted over the sea of people that had gathered in Delphia, all from different walks of life.  The sight of them made her nose crinkle in disgust, as she could tell with just one sweep of her eyes that this town was full of nothing but spineless cowards and weaklings.<br/><br/>It didn't make sense...  Why would her father send her here if there was no help to be found?  Archane was well-versed in arcane magic, but she was no expert tracker, and she couldn't very well take on this Dragon by herself.  The muscles in her jaw tightened as she walked down the street, black combat boots kicking up dirt as she went.  This whole thing was becoming tedious and frustrating...  What would it take to convince these people of the truth?  Should she summon her Dragon right there in the middle of Delphia?  Show them what might happen to their precious country should they ignore her any longer?  It was an awful thought and she knew that... but at that moment, after days of traveling only to find nothing in the end, Archane was seriously considering it.<br/><br/>Her brows were furrowed in frustration as she weighed her options, deep in thought as she briskly walked down the street.  She was so concentrated on trying to figure out what she should do next, that she almost didn’t notice the quiet that had fallen over the usually loud and boisterous town.  Lifting her head, she looked around in confusion, noticing the unmistakable look of fear on the townspeople’s faces.  They tried to mask it with hatred and anger, but she could see it in each and every one of their faces.  She had seen it enough to know it all too well.  What could have changed so suddenly that it would cause such a drastic reaction though?  Who - or what - could cause the air to become so thick and heavy with dread, so quickly?  Something had changed...  and she intended to find out what.<br/><br/>It wasn't hard to find the source of the sudden shift in mood.  All she had to do was follow the direction everyone was looking, nimbly weaving her way through the gaps in the crowd.  Dressed in all black, she almost looked like a shadow, her cloak swishing around her small form.  To others, she must have seemed odd.  Going<i>towards</i>the danger while everyone else stayed as far back as they could.  But that was just how Archane had always been.  Daring, rebellious, curious... Always going against the “natural” order of things.  It just seemed to her that if you didn’t try things differently every once and a while, nothing would ever change.  Nothing and no one would grow and move forward, and what was the point of a world that stood still?<br/><br/>Finally pushing her way to the front, what laid before her was not something she would have ever expected.  A tall, imposing man with unnatural looking eyes and horns atop his head.  Even with his clothing, her sharp violet eyes could see the scales along the portions of skin that were visible.  He was no ordinary man... He was a half-breed.  Half human, half<i>Dragon</i>.  Archane had only heard stories of them... She had never seen one in person, nor was she even sure until now that they existed.  Unlike the other citizens in Delphia, her heart practically jumped in excitement, eyes twinkling with the brilliant idea that had just come to mind.<i>He</i>was the answer to her problems.  The answer to everything.<br/><br/>Not wasting one more moment, the young Dragonkin quickly walked over to the half-breed, standing right in front of him to block his path.  The shocked gasps from the unsuspecting passerbys almost made her smirk in amusement.  How naive and idiotic they were.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b300b3">“You.  I need to talk to you.”</span>Lifting her head, she spoke loudly enough so he could hear her clearly.  Brash and straight to the point like she always was.  There was no time to waste though.  Besides... she had to admit, she was rather excited to meet him.  After all, they did share something in common no one else did.  ...In a weird way, she supposed.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b300b3">“Alone.”</span>With that, Archane pulled the hood of her black cloak off her head, revealing her pale-colored locks.  It was common knowledge the one thing all Dragonkin had in common was the muted colors of their hair, though the cause was unknown.  She was hoping it might help convince him to talk to her, if he knew what she was.  ...Not that she was going to give him much of a choice in the matter anyways.