The Collector, they called him. Ixis did not think it was such a significant talent. Many of the projects were teleporters of some sort, and able to take items of their choosing. Ixis did the same.
Maybe sometimes he did it without permission. Maybe he enjoyed leaving behind an exact identical replica, tricking even the snootiest of Red Mages. It had worked on her once (and he did not think it will work on her again), but he had enjoyed that moment of tricking the Red Mage.
| Name Ixis | |
| Age Young | |
| Appearance Tall and slender with ruddy skin and curly red hair, his eyes are bright shade of copper. Ixis is a man in his prime, but there is something very innocent and docile about him that gives him the air of someone much younger than his actual years. Ixis does not have the standard molten gold shade of eyes that all of Shy’s projects have. No one seems to know why- some think it is because he has not reached his peak yet, and that once he taps into his gifts fully, they will start shifting to molten gold. | |
| Personality Ixis is sweet, docile, a child in a man’s body. Most of the other projects are quite protective of him, and he seems to occupy a perpetual younger brother role for most of them. He is innocent, and joyous. Optimistic, and easily distracted by shinies. | |
| Ability Ixis is a Collector. He has the ability to take and teleport objects and beings no matter their size or their willingness. He has the unusual quirk of being about to create identical replicas: they do not last too long though, maybe up to a day. His favorite feat is having tricked Mystic the Red Mage into believing she had Faust. |
Ixis did not know how he felt about this new Vella Crean.
It had been home, once. He had quietly pattered around the Labs and had followed Shy, eager to prove his talents and his gifts. He was an odd one, with eyes that were perpetually copper and rarely managed to cross over into the geneticist’s signature molten gold.
The Collector, they called him. Ixis did not think it was such a significant talent. Many of the projects were teleporters of some sort, and able to take items of their choosing. Ixis did the same.
Maybe sometimes he did it without permission. Maybe he enjoyed leaving behind an exact identical replica, tricking even the snootiest of Red Mages. It had worked on her once (and he did not think it will work on her again), but he had enjoyed that moment of tricking the Red Mage.
The one who hated his Shy, the one who had started this whole war with the Death Courts.
“What’s the matter Ixis?”
He did not suit this Vella Crean any more, and he did not like the way memories kept crashing back into his head, comparing the new with the old.
“Many of us leave, don’t they?”
Ari blinked, her gray eyes showing surprise.
“Sometimes, mostly to bond dragons. To explore worlds, meet others.” She answered carefully.
“Would you like to leave?”
Ixis shrugged. “I do not like this place.”
“It was home once.”
He shrugged again. “It does not feel like home any more.”
Something bright and shiny teleported into the labs, and Ixis jumped, delighted at the unexpected appearance.
“Is Shan coming for a visit?” he asked the Aid who only seemed capable of long suffering sighs and grumbling about work.
“The prodigal son is not due for a visit quite yet.” Ari answered dryly.
Glitter and Paperweight. His attempts at collecting the familiars had always failed- somehow that descendent always seemed to know when he was up to his tricks.
“I will go see.” He answered brightly. “Maybe they will have some interesting news.”
—
The Vella Crean was almost completely rebuilt. It was a stunning miracle finessed by a smug raven haired scientist and beautiful looking creatures with molten gold eyes capable of magical feats.
Maya did not approve.
Hefting a large crate of arrow tips and letting it rest on her hip, she scowled, looking up at the sides of the tower where fantastical looking gollums were slowly shifting across the rock and marble. They had scared the living shard out of her the first time the creepy scientist had brought them out to play. Some type of new protection, gollums that would be part of the architecture, silent and inactive until the Death Court dragons arrive.
Privately, she worried about the poor spiky bastards.
“Do you need help with that?”
The words were so bright, so friendly, Maya could not help the brief moment of nonplussed surprise as she stared at the tall, terribly young looking redhead with bright copper eyes.
“It’s not too heavy.” She answered, her first instinct to turn away the offer of help. “I had to stop and stare. It’s not often you see stone move.”
The boy (man, she told herself. Just… too innocent to be called a man) smiled. “Imraan is pretty proud of his new work.”
“Imraan?”
“The architect, the one who is responsible for rebuilding the city.” The redhead gestured towards a heavily tattooed man with a manbun laughing outloud next to some odd looking metal stone contraption. A white and yellow dragon reached out to smack the man with the side of a wing.
“I thought the scientist was responsible.” Creep. Sly. Shy. That was it. Shy.
The boy (man! Young man!) shrugged again. “He creates us, but we are our own people. Something not many people seem to understand.”
Us.
Us?
Maya stared again. This boy was different. “I thought you all had the golden eyes?” She stopped, surprised by her own frankness. “I’m sorry-“ she began immediately. “It’s none of my business.”
The young man laughed. “Most of us do, some of us are better at hiding at.” His copper eyes brightened. “I’m Ixis. You are?”
Maya nodded her head. “Maya.”
—
Maya groaned as she bit into the most delicious bread in the world.
“What did you call this?” she asked around a mouthful of tart, savory, creamy goodness.
“Chicago deep dish pizza.” Ixis was completely and utterly smug as he took another bite of his pizza. “Sometimes called a pie, I don’t know why. I’m surprised no one has bought pizza to the city.”
Maya closed her eyes, savored the cheesy goodness. “Maybe once, before the Wars. Then people were too busy surviving.”
Maya opened her eyes to silence to see Ixis sitting at her table, his expression shuttered.
“Hey, the war happened.” She reached out to cover his hand with hers. “It wasn’t anyones fault.”
“Should be.” He said quietly. “People died.”
“People, normal people die all the time.”
Ixis shook his head. “They wouldn’t if they accepted Shy’s help.”
“I don’t think immortality is the goal for all of us, Ixis.”
“Should be.”
—
“Shan!” It would be inappropriate but entirely true to say that Ixis glomped the Director. Immediately peering behind him in search for his familiars. “Where is Glitter?”
“Hiding” from you. The Director nodded his head. “Shy wanted to see Alarith in person, something about checking in on the Imperial line?”
Ixis nodded. “You’ll find him in his offices, as usual. Alarith is…?”
A resounding and spectacular crash from around the corner of the corridor, followed by peals of physical and mental laughter.
Shan winced. “Enjoying himself with Shiqinth, it seems.”
Ixis beamed. “I’ll go keep them company.”
—
“The boy wants to leave?” Delicate surprise on Shy’s face as he gently placed the teacup on the saucer.
Ari winced. “You must stop calling him a boy, Shy. He is a man. Older probably, than your son.”
“Still a boy.” He murmured. “Why does he want to leave?”
The aid rolled her eyes. “You expect me to know everything that happens, even in the private lives of all the residents?” the scientist continued to peer at her with feline green eyes. She paused, stilled, huffed a bit, and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe he’s going through puberty, or needs to fly the nest.”
“Anything to do with that girl?”
“Maya, Shy. Her name is Maya.”
He shrugged. “Her mother gave her a beautiful name and she shortened it.” He sniffed, as if it was an insult.
Ari smiled. “Not due to Maya, although she seems to also have ideas of leaving.”
“Has Sh’an met her?”
“Do you not wonder if Ixis has the capability of bonding a dragon?”
Shy arched a brow. “My dear girl, of course he is.”
“Of course.” She repeated, and laughed. “Because you had intended for all of us to bond from the beginning, is it? And me?”
The scientist let out a laugh. “You are already the den mother to all of the projects.”
She shook her head. “More like a baby sitter.” She muttered to herself. “She has been Searched, hasn’t bonded here, at the Vella Crean. But a different world, maybe….”
“Shan says there is a clutch, at Kyanos Weyr.”
“Oh?”
The scientist had the grace to look embarrassed. “It would not hurt to add to our gene pool, a little bit. More dragon genetics to… work with.” His eyes took a slightly dreamy look. “Candidates for the Guard are coming in, slowly. But I have ideas, Ari. Having willing dragons would make my work more pleasant.”
—
“Maya!”
Maya looked up from where she tightened the straps on a brown Light Court dragon. Ixis ran towards her, his copper eyes holding a bright shimmer of joy.
“What has you so excited?”
“I’ve been Searched! For Kyanos Weyr. So have you, if you would be willing to go.”
“Kyanos Weyr?”
He nodded, his curly red hair bobbing around his face with his enthusiasm. “At the Empyrean Stair.” He paused. “If you would be willing to go.”
Maya turned back, staring at the straps on the brown dragon. She tightened it a little bit more and felt the rumble of complaint.
“Leave?”
The Collector hesitated. “It wouldn’t be forever.” He answered, unsure.
She stared at her hands, and smiled. “Why not? An adventure.”
From the hatching
Several of the hatchlings had glanced or sniffed in his direction, but none had seemed interested further so far, perhaps causing Ixis a bit of distress. There was plenty going on, but still, it could be disheartening — especially since they were all so shiny.
There was a light tug at his pants leg, very faint. Then another, more forceful one, causing the young man to look down. Nearly invisible in his shadow – except for the blatantly sparkly bits – was a black hatchling, who had gotten out of her shell and neatly avoided being spotted by anyone as she snuck over.
Did you see me? Did I do good? I’m a ninja. She grinned to show a bunch of her baby teeth. My name is Lyaonth!
Name: Lyaonth
Gender: Female
Coloration: Fae-Touched Black
Abilities: Telepathy, Teleportation (w/ Sparkles), Fire BreathPersonality: Creative, Sneaky, Energetic