There can only be one (open)

"There is only one prophet, there can only be one"...... the voice echoed

And his name is.....

Malaki woke up with start and heavy panting and was immediately comforted by the female laying next to him as she put her neck and body against his while putting the top of her snout under his jaw.

"I had a bad dream". Malaki said in a sleepy state to this companion. "A dream? Or a vision?" She replied

Malaki started to stand up until his mate forced him back onto the ground with a heavy thud. "No more running, no more secrets." She paused at that before adding. "No more hiding."

"I love you and I know that you love me."

"Night Wing or not you should not have to make excuses about diplomatic aid and opening clinics to spend time with me."

Malaki wanted nothing more then to spend time with her but he kept it simple as he always did. "I..... my tribe is hated and distrusted. Our love must be secret. Your tribe hates my kind. If they knew about us, I fear for your life and mine."

A dream within a dream.

Malaki woke up again at the soft drizzle of rain hitting his face and he gave a rumbling cough with a bit of red crimson spray like a mist.

He was in a shallow hole with the bodies of his personal escort. They were dead and he was on his way. Earth wings stood around him. One with heavy body paint looked down at him "You are a false prophet."

"There is and can only ever be one prophet and his name is....."

Malaki woke up again panting to find himself back next to the female lover he had kept secret in these foreign tribal lands. Nuzzling her lovingly with his snout Malaki stood up quietly like a shadow as was often the case with his kind.

He had slept for the most part of the day and after surfacing out the cave to sit in its mouth the sun had already fallen behind the hills of the horizon. Night was coming.

Dragons of all races slowly showed up with the straps over there muzzles and eyes shining like polished glass. They bowed in worship of him. They called him, "The one true prophet."

But like the things before they faded away like mist and Malaki was left with nothing. He did not have to check on his mate, he already knew she was not there in the cave. Nothing was ever real, all of it was just visions, illusions. Reality itself seemed to be an illusion.

With that he started to smash his head with heavy thuds against the cave wall leaving red marks with each impact. Malaki saw a future were he built a loyal army/cult that worshiped him like a god. With a mirage of air waving like the air on a hot desert day he saw monsters even bowing down to him and wearing the masks/muzzles on there faces with glassy eyes. But still they obeyed.

It was the potion.... the one that blocked and fought off his visions. The potion he had created. It was that that would make weak minded creatures obey. Monsters and dragons alike, all there minds would be slaves to his will.

Malaki continued to hit his head but slowed only to say. "For I am your father, and you are my children.......I will lead you to paradise. The end is coming and only I can bring you salvations."

His path, his future was clear. It was set unless another changed it. But it was not likely. The world loved to have an enemy to fight. But it hated and refused to accept that it had created such a enemy. Such was the case of Malaki.

Creatures loved to hate him but loathed to take responsibility for him. Like a father refusing to take responsibility for the bastard they created.

All in all Malaki was destermined to see the world world burn and feel the pain he had felt.

((Hey, just a quick question bc I'd like to join with one of my chars, but don't know which one would be best ^^ Where in Pyyria does this cave lie?))

His cave is in his mind or perhaps it is not. He is not in his right mind and so his cave is were ever you want it to be.

((Hope this works for you, I wasn't quite sure how to start an interaction))

It was a curious sensation to be so far away from home, she felt like a ghost among dragons, alienated, even though she wasn't lonely. Dragons talked to her, the Earthwing scholar liked to joke with her, but it was different, very much so. Not only did she stand out between all the greens, reds and blacks, her demeanor was also very different from that of the dragons in the Imperium.
Helia was used to having calm and caring dragons around her, such was the way of the Starlights, but it was weird to be around the hotheaded FireWings or the solemn Earthwings. She had yet to really meet a NightWing, but from what she had heard they were rather...peculiar. Attor's words of warning still echoed through her mind everytime she thought about meeting a NightWing.

Her sisters were either ecstatic about being here or they hated it. Helia knew Seri and Geroween loved being in this new territory, meeting all these new dragons. Her eldest sister, Seri, admired the strong Firewing Guardians, while Geroween blossomed at the opportunity of getting to know new customs and politics, but her other two sisters, Hashal and Kyrith, weren't as happy. Hashal was intimidated by the gruff tribes and Kyrith just didn't like being away from home. It didn't make the situation better, that Helia hadn't had much time to talk to or spend time with them, she had been so busy with her research and with meeting new dragons, but that was why she was out here now, prowling around the outskirts of the safe zone all on her own.

The Imperium was more dangerous than the Starlight Territory, she had been warned not to leave the safe zone on her own and even though she was very curious about what was out there, she stayed put, not wanting to bring anyone's wrath on her and losing the hospitality she enjoyed. But the LightWing sorely needed some time to herself, that's why she had come out here, soaring high above a cloudless dusk and looking down at the unfamiliar landscape. In moments like this she always grew a little homesick and missed the familiar sight of the dazzling jungles.

She sighed, trying hard to let the roaring of the wind drown out the well known melancholy pulling at her thoughts, closing her eyes for just a second to fully embrace the feeling of wind on her scales and the smell of the forest below, until a familiar, small voice shook her out of it.
"Helia look! Down there! Something's just lying around there." She opened her eyes, looking down to where Hashal was pointing and began slowing her flight when she saw the black mass too.
"I wonder what it is, it doesn't look good." Hashal was right, whatever it was, it was just lying on the ground, a big bundle of blackness in front of something that looked like a small cave or something. It wasn't moving either. The slender dragoness slowed to a full stop, hovering in the air above the thing, frowning. She felt her usual curiosity arise, wanting to go check out what was lying down there. Maybe it was a dragon and needed help, or it was something interesting to study, but she also heard the warnings about monsters in this area. Trying to fight her own curiosity, she stayed put for a few more seconds, watching the dark mess down there until it started twitching and moving a little bit, the movement producing glittering sparks in the waning light.
"That's a dragon!" she exclaimed to her sisters, already beginning her descent even though she heard their warnings of caution and danger. A dragon this far out and just lying on the ground surely meant they weren't okay and Helia had never been the one to just turn away.

Quietly she touched down a good distance away from the dragon, ducking down a little bit, unsure of what to expect. Now that she was closer, it was obvious, that this was a dragon, a NightWing from the looks of his scales and the sparkling relfections had been the scales on his underbelly, she could see them clearly now. He also seemed to be breathing, although it switched between a calm rhythm and agitated pants, matching the twitching of his body. He seemed to be sleeping.
Slowly, as to not startle him awake she crept closer, stopping close enough to get a closer look at him, but far enough away, that he couldn't just pounce her if he was awake after all. Helia wasn't sure if he was hurt or not, the waning light and his constant movement made it hard to make anything out, but she didn't want to just leave him lying here.
"Hey." she quietly adressed him, trying to wake him or catch his attention, depending on if he really was sleeping or in some other state.
"Are you okay?" she tried again after a few seconds, keeping a close eye on him, even though she felt her sisters touch down behind her.

Malaki stirred out of his visions and waking dreams to look at the voice with eyes not glowing as they usually did at night, but white and stricken with blindness. "What do we have here!" He said with exuberance. "Not a monter though, all the pity. Monsters are useful for my experiments. But still". Malaki put his body low to the ground and cocked a head to the side to examine the speaker with his blind white eyes.

"You and your friends could still prove useful."  It was not information given but he could see through the rivers of time and see that she spoke to others. Strangely enough he could not see any faces. With that the night wing let out a cackle that was less then sane and pulled out a large bottle from a bag that was attached to his body harness. A body harness that was damaged from claw marks and injuries that had since stopped bleeding but were still fresh.

"The elixir might kill you, or it might not." With that the night wing stood on his hind legs and did a little spin before falling back to all fours and offering the bottle again. "Only one way to find out! Yes! No! Maybe so?" Not even waiting for a reply the night wing sighed. "Probably for the best then." With that the male dropped the bottle and it shattered causing the black liquid to spill onto the ground and start hissing dissolving the earth and rock like a acid.

"I'm not in my best mind." With that he started to bash his skull against a nearby rock for a few seconds only to stop. "The voices the shadows the futures all intertwined. All separate yet connected, its enough to lose your mind. Like words life is a rhyme. Its maddening!" With that he could not help but laugh.

"I came to get plants for my medicine to calm the rivers of time. I.....I......" Malaki stammered and managed to get some form of sanity back. Shaking his head he bowed down low with chest to the ground and said. "How rude of me not to introduce myself. I am Malaki son of..... well, son of a dragon." A slight chuckle escaped him but it was joke he would understand and few others. " I am Chief Apothecary of the Potentate"

"I know a long title that probably means nothing to you. But still a title granted by the archon of my tribe." With that Malaki let his lower jaw hang open and his tongue hanged out as if a bad taste in his mouth.

"I am blind as in the attack I lost my special goggles that shield my eyes from the offending light. It should not be far away. I would go looking for the plants that would heal my mind but as you can see, I am blind" With that he gave quite a wolfish sinister grin.

A growl escaped the maw of her eldest sister, as the black dragon started gesturing in Helia's general direction with a bottle. Seri was the natural protecter of this little family and as such she trusted her instincts often times identifying possible threats before any of the other sisters could. The slightly bigger dragoness had taken on a defensive stand, wings spread apart and claws dug deep into the soil, ready to pounce if need be. Helia was usually much more calm than her sister, but even she took a few steps back out of the reach of this strange dragon, he gave her chills, even though he didn't seem very threating, talking more to himself than to the slender dragoness in front of him. Still, it was better to be cautious than to be sorry and all this talk of this potion possibly killing her should give every dragon at least a good dose of wariness.

The viscuous liquid hissed and bubbled as it evaporated into the air, after the bottle broke to pieces between the two of them. Helia quickly lifted one of her paws, as to not get anything on her scales. She wasn't sure what this stuff was, but it seemed to be dangerous enough to avoid. Seri was still more than a little agitated, warning Helia to get closer to the obviously sick dragon, but she couldn't stop herself from moving towards him when he started banging his head on the cave wall. That was probably where most of the scars on his head and neck came from, but she couldn't be sure, only confused for the moment. The white dragoness stopped dead in her tracks, when he suddenly stopped banging his head and turned towards her again. His mind seemed to jump from subject to subject, thought to thought faster than she could follow and she didn't know what to do or even what to say to any of it. Kyrith did. She scoffed.

"Obviously he is mad." her second oldest sister said, looking at the other dragon with disgust. "We should leave him here, he looks dangerous and we don't want him to attack us." She got swatted almost immediately with Hashal's tail. Her younger sister had somehow mustered a great confidence boost in the last couple days, daring to swat her older sister, but Hashal had always been the most caring of them all. "We can't just leave him here! He might be mad, but he is also hurt. We should get him some help or something."
"Did you just swat me?!" Kyrith yelped exasperated instead of an actual answer and a squabble ensued between the sisters all of the sisters, except Helia who had gotten closer to the dragon while her sisters were yelling at each other.

The slender dragoness held her body low to the ground, creeping more than actually walking towards him, steering clear of the still smoldering puddle of black liquid. She slowly cocked her head inquisitively, her natural curiosity getting the better of her. Chief Apothecary of the Potentate sounded important and marked him as a member of the Imperium rather than a Rogue. She wondered what he was doing so far out here alone and how he had gotten all those fresh wounds, if he had just come to collect plants for his medication. "I am Helia." she introduced herself with a slight bow of her head. "Scholar of the Starlight Order." Maybe it was a custom of the Nightwings to identify oneself with their rank? She wasn't sure, as she had never actually met a Nightwing before.
Carefully she kept a little bit of distance between them, still unsure whether he wouldn't just jump at her and do whatever, but she was determined not to just fly away again. The dragoness had definitely imagined her first meeting with a Nightwing a little less confusing.
"Maybe I can help you find your goggles if you describe them to me." That would probably be a good first step. She couldn't really think of anything else to do anyways. She was no healer and no experience in dealing with the mad, all she could do was hope to keep him calm enough to get some clear instructions out of him. After that she could worry about his wounds or these plants he spoke of. The latter she might actually be able to assist with.

"A good first step?" Malaki questioned with a cocked head and let out a laugh that was less then dragon. Just like how a human would say a laugh was less then human. "What is the first step other then what one who says it is? Who or what would question that said first step out of fear of retaliation from those in power who dictate what steps are taken?"

Malaki shook his head and giggled as if at a private joke like a hatchling would. "But what do I know? Everyone says I mad even though I the only one who can save them from themselves."

Staring off into space the night wing smiled. "But that is not why you are hear. To answer your question the goggle lenses are black as the darkest night as they were crafted by the clever hands of human slaves from the crystal heart of a fallen star. Sadly none remain living who can do that."

"The leather straps of the harness were crafted from the hide of the now extinct dune runners of the desert lands. You should not find it hard to find. But beware the......"

Malaki went silent and grumbled. "Never mind the grumblings just get the goggles before the horde arrives". At that he paused and laughed again "Oh silly me how are you to find the goggles along with my satchel if you don't know where to go."

With that he pointed with his snout. "Just follow the blood trail."  

It was only then that he noticed the injuries to his body.

This dragon puzzled her more than anything else. Sure, the way he spoke and behaved was frightening and she was still wary of him, but most of all she was genuinely confused. Helia was a naturally patient dragon, but she had no experience in dealing with the insane or anyone whose thoughts jumped quicker than a frog. She tried her bets to follow along with his thoughts but utterly failed. She didn't even understand half the things he was saying, most likely because he was talking about things she had never heard of or wasn't accustomed to, but the six winged dragoness doubted that he would be able to answer any questions she might ask satisfyingly, so she just kept her mouth shut and tried to piece together what he was trying to say.

At least her offer of helped seemed to get through to him, whether it was the cause of actual lucidity or just pure luck didn't matter. She followed his gaze towards a trail of blood she hadn't noticed before and nodded.
"Stay here and let me know if he worsens." She told her sisters and went off in the direction of the blood trail, Seri however followed her.
"I do not like him and what he is speaking of. He is most likely mad, but we can't be sure this horde he mentioned is just a hallucination." Helia nodded, not looking at her sister.
"I know, but we can't just leave him." Down here the sun was still high enough to shine through the tree tops and guide her way. Dusk came much later down here than it did up in the sky. "Hurry, so we can get out of here." Helia was slowly getting annoyed by her sister's overprotectiveness but didn't say anything. Seri meant well and fortunately it didn't take long for her to find the described goggles. She had no idea what hide the straps were made from or the glass, but it looked close enough to what Malaki had described so she grabbed them. Quite a few of the trees in this area looked rugged and disturbed. Some of the ground was dug up and leaves ripped of the branches. Did he maybe crash here or had a fit of madness? She didn't want to think of a monster having done this, so she just pushed the thoughts aside and hurried back. Her sisters were still there and so was the NightWing. All of them unharmed thankfully, even though Kyrith's stares could have just as easily been daggers piercing through the dragons hide.

Helia dropped the satchel and the goggles in front of Malaki, stepping back again as soon as she did, but huddling down. "The place I found those was quite a mess. Did you crash land down here?" That would maybe explain his wounds.