let me burn away the sins ? malak

[bai shi]

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THE RETURNED

golden eastern dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. demiromantic gray-asexual. traveler.

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The drums of war had rung two and a half years ago, maddening the god of war in their pursuit of a peaceful life in a land so foreign to them. The fallen Emperor had been attempting to find a more peaceful existence, without the constant clamoring of war, and they'd found it briefly amongst the grief of their long lost mate and raising children they had admittedly, not the greatest attention with. The members of their now long-fallen group, Alithis Evgenis, were sure to have noticed the former Kingpin assuredly losing their mind and slipping further into insanity. The cause for that was the wild instinct driving them to engage in war and rend chaos across the lands - a fitting situation for a symbol of chaos and destruction.

Talons sliding through grass and soil, the once blind dragon that had recovered their sight with medical aid of a dearly beloved friend, was once more blind. Fresh new scars of silver ichor scored the brilliant golden hide of the ancient beast of war,  their story laid out for those who could interpret their scars. They trod unencumbered through trees, a familiar path to the all but mindless beast, reason long forgotten in their rampages of the battlefields far away. A deep crooning, thundering snarl would fall from scaled lips upon the forest, blindness not inhibiting their passage. "Malak.", came the deep seated growl of a name they had not spoken in those years of disappearance, mighty head craning as if to find trace and trail of the avian companion that they sought in a moments lapse of sanity.

[Malak]

Despite Alithis Evengises downfall due to reasons Malak liked better left forgotten, although Alithis would always hold a place in his heart, the avian remained in his great oak tree; covered in trinkets and treasures only a bird could adore. However, in the more recent years, it would be wise to move to a different tree. Malak couldn't, more admittedly he wouldn't. Not without reason. Although, a rotting tree was reasoning enough, right?

Winter had come and gone as it always had, as it always will, making way for the spring season; the rainy season. It had been a year and a half since Malak had last seen Bai Shi in which he helped shed their antlers; stealing a bit of velvet for himself in the process. For all he knew, Bai Shi was dead, this being the only thing to remind him of the dragon besides memories. Memories of meetings, of journeys to regain sight, back at forth between the pitt and the typhoon all for a few ingredients. Journeys to no end, it seemed. However, it seemed Malaks journey stopped here; caught in the stone teeth of a hunting trap. Blood trickled down the side of his body, the source of which it flowed being his upper chest, shoulder, and throat with a fairly sized crimson puddle pooling below him along with feathers strewn wildly around the fringes of the accident, an obvious indicator of his struggle.

Oh what he wouldn't give to go back to the old days, the familiar, safe days of medicinal work in Alithis, of watching Laeglin torment his guardian, of perching upon Bai Shi, his Kingpin, his companion. It was always hard to say goodbye. Malak flapped harshly, trying to break free. It started of as a dull pain within his chest, but it soon spread across his entire body. Malak felt weak, sweat covering every inch of skin and wings trembling out of control. His eyes darted all over, desperately searching for a way to relief his body from this miserable feeling. It was all too much to handle and for a moment he considered giving in to the pain and giving up. Malak was tired. Tired both staying strong for what little members of Alithis still came to him for guidance or for help and tired from being strung up like a lifeless doll upon a young spruce branch, but he didn't really have a choice in the matter. The avian felt sore all over, the injury was clearly taking its toll on his entire body. Malak winced sharply, a shrill cry falling from a blood soaked beak that left as a wispy cloud into the damp air.

The bird clenched his jaw tightly, shutting his eyes as little tears drip...drip...dripped down from the corners of his eyes to the pool below to dance wildly in a mix between salt and blood. Gently sobbing turned into fit of rage, the bird looking up to grab hold on the rope like twine and shaking wildly; out of ideas. The world seemed to spin around him and a sharp, throbbing pain took hold of Malak, so much so that all he wanted to do was vomit and hope the pain would come out with it. It was exhausting. Tired, but unable to sleep and unable to stop it. The bird paused for a brief moment, contemplating all he had fought for and all he could lose if they gave up now. Laeglin, Bai Shi, Althis. Everything. He took a deep breath, then another and then another. A state of calm returned to his mind for a moment. With every breath he drew, a darker cull crept forward and for a mere second all Malak wanted to do was to give in. To finally make this pain cease, to finally have peace. To join Bai Shi, wherever they were. To join his kingpin, his companion. His love. Malak shut his eyes, letting a soft sigh release from his drenched beak, the tenseness from his body subsiding; salty tears falling from scared eyes. I can’t go on, Malak thought as the sharp pain returned. Terrified now, he kept his eyes clamped shut. Whatever caused the agonizing sharp pains in his right side, Malak was sure it wouldn't look pretty. Surely this pain would stop soon. Surely there's an end to this. But I hope you can. The bird stopped flapping, his wings growing still, yet death late to cull. Malak waited for something now, anything.

[bai shi]

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THE RETURNED

golden eastern dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. demiromantic gray-asexual. traveler.

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the struggle of the living left behind was something the dragon knew well, they'd suffered so long, for so very long when their mother had grown sick and their father had been away at war through their childhood. they'd known the scent of death lingering too close to bear, the scent of blood on the air. they knew the taste of blood in their mouth and throat, the maddening taste of death within it, a tease, a temptation of what was to come in the future. it became an instinct, to know when death was descending upon the mortals. upon the unlucky.

deep inhale of breath, damp air filling lungs and blood, a familiar blood. a blood they knew, a blood that belonged to a bird that they could easily swallow in one bite. malak. their malak. their bird. their ... just theirs. a snarl built from the depths of their lungs, the shrill cry from malak, the shrill cry echoing in their ears as clarity returned to blind eyes. "malak!", came the ferocious roar, the summons of a battlecry upon their lips. their friend was hurt. they could smell him and the blood, head swinging side to side as their pace increased, the calm gait having left them. deeper yet was the growl escalating into a furious hiss as the golden beast loped into the view of the dangling avian. their blind gaze was roving the clearing, the trees that they couldn't see, "MALAK!", their hiss was frantic, whiskers lashing uneasily as they trod forward to the exact center of scent. there. there!

head locking onto the bird, nose filled with the scent of his blood and filling their head with a fog of bloodlust and anger, teeth snapping together in irate frustration. sensing the trap more than anything else, growling as they split their jaws. the safest way to catch him was to be underneath him while they freed him. they had many questions but his blood and the scent of his tears, everything was screaming inside of them. they needed him to be okay. he was always ok. they didn't know what they were going to do if he wasn't. jaws spread, they closed their jaws around malak and the rope keeping him captive from the branch. they felt the twine give away, immediately dropping their own head to what they considered to be a rather level degree, immediately spreading their jaws to keep the poor bird from suffocating within their maw. gently, they lowered their head towards the ground, trying to quiet their voice and thundering heart, the scent of his blood and the taste of it all but driving the beast mad with bloodlust. "malak ...", shit where could they take him? what could they do for him?

permission given! //