|| _____Aiakos (ee-AH-kos)
|| _____Male (dmab)
|| _____Death-Weaver
“Aiakos, listen close. To be close with death is to understand life.” It was a warning of sorts, maybe a challenge even, “I’m not sure I understand, father?” “Ah, one day you might.”
I have never been patient. I was curious and determined, and did not like waiting around for things to just happen. I took up interest in dark magic and manipulative magic, which rewarded me with some harsh looks from my father, but he never said anything. What really drove my curiosity was life itself… The struggle to grow and flourish in an ideal condition, and yet how easily it could be torn apart and broken down. I spent hours on end tending to a garden and challenging my magic capabilities; making certain plants grow faster, the effect of heavy magic on some, and my favorite, reviving the shriveled plants that were growing weak in time. It was difficult, and didn’t always work with the desired results, but I pushed on, set on improving in time.
Except, that was the one area that I couldn’t make progress in no matter how much I practiced. It seemed that death’s grasp was stubborn, and even when tricked and cheated, left it’s marks on its prey. The flowers that had succumbed to death were fairly easy to breath life into once more, but death had marked them. The once colorful petals were torn and pale, sad-looking and begging to return to the earth. What am I doing wrong? I would ask myself, and began testing my magic on larger organisms. Now, I wouldn’t go out of my way to try my luck, but rather if a rabbit or a dear happen to pass by, I would take the opportunity. The results were… nearly the same, but improved slightly in time.
An idea struck me one morning, and my father’s words echoed in my head once more. If I understand life… What life do I understand better than my own? Would my own magic be effective on the being it came from?
Well, I won’t know until I try.
I woke up early one morning and hurried off to an obscure spot in the woods where I would not be interrupted… or found out. I glanced around and scribbled runes into the dirt and attempted to channel my own life force. It was easy enough to find, but grasping it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I gasped, feeling my chest tighten, and I was overcome with a wave of… fear? I jolted back, cursing myself. I’ve never been one to bail from something once my mind is set. “Aiakos? Are you here?” The voice echoed in the distance, and I jumped from the sudden noise. My father. I brushed the runes from the dirt with my tail and stood, but stumbled a bit. I cursed again.
Feeling weak, I looked myself over and gasped at the sight. Around me swirled a yellow-ish whisp of energy, seemingly made up of light and dust. I reached out to touch it, but it swirled around my paws. But oh, the energy that ran through my body upon its touch. That’s when the realization hit. I had challenged Death, and I am to dance with Life to continue on. I chuckled at the thought, not entirely understanding myself.
“Aiakos! There you are-“ My father appeared in my line of sight, but he froze upon seeing me. “What have you-“ I couldn’t stand it. I turned tail and ran without looking back. I don’t think I could face my father like this, and I didn’t want him to worry. This was entirely my doing, after all.
I ran as far as I could, and stopped only when I felt truly disorientated. I set up a makeshift camp and began to scavenge material and feathers. If I am to run away, I don’t want to be found out and taken back. I had to look as intimidating as my magic felt, and I needed a way to hide myself while still on the move. I needed a mask of sorts, and a heavy cover. In few days time, I had collected fabric from a nearby village and had picked up handfuls of vulture feathers from nearby planes. Carefully piecing my materials together, I adorned myself with the crafted mask headdress and heavy cape, and continued my journey.
As I ventured further into unknown territory, my ego grew as well. Here I am, I think to myself, still thriving after challenging death itself. I hold my head high, never looking back, determined to continue improving my magic, but this time, with a deeper understanding of the challenge. Practical uses, perhaps little to none, but there may be a day where I truly do understand.
