Hemera

Hemera, the witch.

When she arrived, she was young, idealistic, and very, very powerful. That clan in the Beacon of the Radiant Eye accepted her readily. The warmth and care they offered provided a striking contrast to the behavior of her birth-clan, which banished Hemera at the first sign of her unnatural power. She controls the weather at will, but it is both a blessing and a curse. Her powers may greatly benefit a clan, but Hemera is dangerous when she loses control of her emotions. Her relief at finding a place to rest, even a home, was soon sullied by the heir to the clan, Elysia.

Elysia's jealousy was, at first, merely an annoyance, an uncomfortable fact not worth addressing. Hemera was no real threat to Elysia, and Elysia knew it. Yet the tension persisted, and Hemera grew wary of the prideful coatl. The longer Hemera remained with the clan, the more paranoid Elysia became. The heiress stopped sleeping, she lashed out even at close friends. As Elysia's behavior continued to escalate, Hemera decided to leave her new home rather than cause conflict. Before she could go, Hemera was stopped by several clanmates. Elysia's behavior was too dangerous, they said. She had already banished her own mate just for speaking out. The clan members asked her to help them, to save her new home, to stop Elysia's chaotic spiral. Hemera agreed.

One particularly dark night, Hemera asked to meet with Elysia, and Elysia agreed. The young heiress invited the witch to walk with her. At the very first opportunity, Hemera took her chance and laid a curse upon Elysia. Never again could Elysia seek power, or she would turn to stone. Furious, Elysia flew off into the night, never to be heard from again.

Some hailed Hemera as a hero; others viewed her with mistrust, some usurper from a foreign land come to claim power. Regardless of Elysia's intentions, the witch's the world felt wrong, out of place. Ultimately, Hemera fled from her new home. She couldn't stand the stares, the eyes that soundlessly accused.

Story by GrinningFox

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Sketch by GrinningFox

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