[GD] Abyssal, Apparition, Spector & Vulcan >:(

Strength Trial

The pond stretched like a mirror under the sunlight, deceptively calm for the two large ocean dragons circling its edges. The four-legged dragon’s scales shimmered dark green, claws sharp enough to gouge the pond’s banks. Her large wings folding and unfolding like sails in a storm. Across the water, the aquatic dragon slid smoothly from the depths, black and orange scales glinting, its fins slicing the water with fluid grace. 

She was a sight to behold, an independent dragon, fierce and powerful with the size to match. No she wasn’t the biggest dragon in the world but her size was nothing to scoff at. However her size was matched by her companion in this trial. She let out a little hiss between her sharp fang, quiet enough that most dragons would have chalked it up to the wind but the green dragon she was to complete this trial for, turned just slightly in her direction and for a second Spector thought she had been caught but Hecate made no other movement to confirm nor deny her assumption.  They stood watching each other before the green dragon made the first move. She beat the air with her immense wings that sent waves rippling across the pond. She then lunged, talons aimed at the waterbound dragon, but the aquatic foe twisted out of the way, sending sprays of water that seemed to act almost like shields. With a sudden flick of her powerful tail, she sent a jet of water crashing into the winged dragon’s chest, knocking her back against the muddy bank.

Hecate growled and unfurled her wings, lifting herself slightly above the pond, circling and diving with terrifying speed. Every dive creating small tidal waves, each strike of her claws barely missing the nimble aquatic dragon. There was barely enough time for Spector to think of an attack before the older dragon was diving again but when she did, she let the green dragon have it. Finally, after a flurry of attacks back and forth, both dragons paused, each breathing heavily. Hecate hovered, wings dripping water, chest heaving; the other glimmered in the pond, tail coiling, eyes gleaming with cunning. In that moment, it was clear, neither could dominate outright, yet both had carved their mark on this large pond, turning it into a battlefield worthy of legends. It was a good thing the fight wasn’t to the death, ey?

The pond had gone still again. Only faint ripples remained where the two smaller dragons had fought, thrashing, snapping, churning the water into chaos before disappearing in opposite directions. Below, in the deeper dark where the pond widened into something far older, Sobek hovered. Massive. Silent. A low rumble vibrated through his chest, barely disturbing the water around him. It wasn’t loud yet it carried weight. Like distant thunder pressed into the depths. Apparition drifted nearby, their body curling in a loose, easy arc, their deadlight flickering softly.

“They were loud,” Apparition spoke gently, watching the last bits of a small wave disappear until the pond was as silent as it had been before the battle. “I hope Spector passes… that was a pretty fierce battle…” They glanced down, watching the last part of their sister's tail disappear into the depths. 

Sobek’s eye shifted slightly upward. Another rumble followed, this one longer than the last, edged with a quiet, gravel-deep growl. Apparition tilted their head, considering.

“Yes,” they said gently. “You’re probably right.”

Sobek didn’t move but the tension in the water around him eased just slightly. Apparition watched the surface for a moment, then brightened. “…I did like how the water moved, though.” They drifted forward, glow intensifying. The many eyes on their massive heads lit up further, and the pond responded. Currents bent toward the colossal pair, gathering, spiraling. Water lifted in a slow, controlled rise, forming a twisting column between them and the surface. With a soft motion of their tail and wings, Apparition shaped it.

Two fluid forms emerged, one almost snake-like and the other with four legs and big wings, dragons made entirely of water, their bodies curling and snapping in a silent reenactment of the fight they had just witnessed. But here, there was no violence in it. It was simply motion, rhythm, the comfortable movement of shifting currents. The figures collided just once before dissolving, collapsing back into the pond as if they had never been there. Stillness returned to the pond and Apparition was sure no dragon above them had even noticed the show he had put on. Sobek watched the last ripple fade. A short, low grunt left him, a rough sound, but not displeased. “I’m glad you think so.” Apparition drifted back to his side, rather pleased with himself. For a while, neither of them moved and then, slowly, Sobek turned and began to sink deeper into the dark. Apparition smiled to themselves, they supposed that meant they passed. 

Further from the pond the first two dragons had completed their trial in, was the ocean and if you looked closely enough that very pond and the ocean were connected but you’d have to dive pretty deep to get there. Two more primarily water bound dragons were there.

The ocean tightened with anticipation. Abyssal drifted in the dark, vast and unhurried, his long body coiling like a living current. Faint lights shimmered along his scales and body, calm and steady. Across from him, the smaller dragon did not share that calm. She lunged, her strike was fast, meant primarily to test, not to kill but it still landed with force. Teeth scraped along his side before he shifted away, the impact rolling through his massive form. Abyssal did not strike back.

He retreated instead, putting distance between them. “Is…is this really necessary? There are other ways for me to prove myself…” The smaller female didn’t seem to care. “It’s necessary to impress me.” Abyssal sighed, it made no sound but it pushed the water around him. She came again, faster this time, more precise. She made a feint, then a snap toward his throat. Abyssal twisted, narrowly avoiding it, but the water around them churned harder now, tension building. This really wasn’t what the colossal dragon wanted, he wanted to show a magical feat, perhaps flirt but not fight. Never to fight. But the smaller dragon left him no choice.

Her next attack came again immediately but this time, Abyssal moved first. He did not move to harm but to answer. His colossal body moved out of the way and then surged forward, displacing the ocean itself. He was quicker than she had anticipated for his size. The current bent around him as he curved, intercepting her with overwhelming presence. She collided with him, not painfully, but decisively and in the next instant, his coils shifted around her. His movements were controlled and precise. His grip on her was complete and unbreakable. Yet she struggled, twisting, growling but there was no panic in him, no aggression, only strength. Immense, effortless strength. The water stilled finally, Abyzuo had acknowledged his strength, not loudly but quietly when she stopped fighting to get away from her. He uncoiled from around her and without a word she turned and left, slapping him in the face with her tail as she left. A final F-you he supposed. 

Maple stood still against it, broad, steady, her pale hide catching the light like sun-warmed ivory. Her gaze rested on the darker shape across from her. The dragon she was to be a companion to. He was smaller than her, but not by presence. Blue flames curled along his body in slow, controlled motions, licking over his eyes, ears, middle body and tail. They gave off light, not heat, at least, not yet. Maple studied him, unimpressed. His flames flickered, uncertain for just a moment, then he steadied himself. Maple’s tail dragged along the ground as she watched the smaller male.

“Well?”

Vulcan exhaled slowly, then the flames along his body changed. What had been gentle, decorative fire suddenly deepened in color, the blues sharpening into something brighter, hotter, more dangerous. The air around him began to shimmer as the temperature rose, subtle at first, then undeniable, almost unbearable. He took a step forward and the ground beneath his claws darkened. Another step forward, closer to Maple but not too close, and the flames spread, not outward in destruction, but upward, rising from his body in long, streaming ribbons that twisted into the air above him. They didn’t scatter with the wind. They held, as if bound to his will.

Maple didn’t move, she watched, not particularly impressed but not bored enough to leave just yet. Vulcan lifted his head and with a sharp, controlled breath, he drove the fire higher. The sky seemed to answer. The blue flames arced overhead, gathering into a vast, swirling mass that blotted out the sunlight in shifting waves of color. Heat pressed outward in a steady pulse, the flames were not wild, not dangerous, just immense. Maple supposed that wasn’t a horrible display or magic and she gave him a small nod, the tiniest bit of approval. The flames began to float down and down until they touched his scales and returned to the other flames that danced across his body.

Flexibility Trial 

The ocean at night was not merely dark, it was layered in darkness. Above, a dim sky pressed against the surface of the darkened ocean. Below, the deep swallowed light whole, turning distance into uncertainty and movement into suggestion. Only faint glimmers, bioluminescent flickers and drifting embers of unknown origin, hinted that anything lived beneath. At the very skin of the water, shapes moved, two of the shapes were immense like living islands. The other shape was smaller than the two largest and the fourth was even smaller but none of them were anything to scoff at size wise. They were siblings, here to complete this trial together.

At the forefront was Abyssal. Colossal beyond comprehension, their serpentine body stretched like a living current beneath the sea. Their form seemed half-there, half-not, as though the ocean itself struggled to decide whether they were real. Their presence was quiet, but absolute, the kind of silence that commanded obedience rather than asked for it. Yet he was kind. Trailing slightly behind and to the left was Apparition, equally immense but far more tangible. Their body was thick and powerful, carved like a creature born from trenches untouched by light. His eyes glowed steadily, always watching.

To the right moved Spector, smaller than her colossal siblings but no less commanding. Her movements were fluid, elegant, like a ripple given life, her gaze held a sharp awareness. She guided with precision, her path never wavering.

And then there was Vulcan.

Smallest of the four, though still enormous by any other measure, he cut through the water with visible effort. His form burned faintly beneath the surface, heat distorting the water around him in shimmering waves. He did not belong to the ocean the way his siblings did. Fire and water warred across his body, steam trailing behind him in soft, whispering clouds. Yet he remained, pushing forward, determined. Above them, their companions followed.

Glassworm drifted closest to Apparition, a tiny, transparent green presence compared to the vast being below. He made no sound, uttered no call. His small body shimmered like fragile crystal, wings fluttering gently as he hovered just above the surface. He stayed close, instinctively trusting the silent giant beneath him. To the left, Boney Jones moved along the narrow stretch of land bordering the sea. Her skeletal frame clattered softly with each step, hooves pressing into damp earth. A lantern swung from her side, casting warm, golden light that defied the oppressive darkness. Unlike the others, she did not rise into the air. She could not. But her pace was steady, unwavering, guided by the massive shape of Abyssal gliding just offshore.

Mischief flitted through the air near Spector, her smaller form darting with restless energy. Her lantern flickered with a playful, shifting glow, casting moving shadows across the water’s surface. She occasionally dipped lower, as if tempted to touch the sea, but always pulled back. It was almost a game in a way. And near Vulcan, flying slightly higher than the rest, was Dingo.

He matched Vulcan in size more closely than the others, his wings beating steadily against the heavy air. His gaze remained fixed on Vulcan’s glowing form below, not daring to dip closer to the fire covered dragon. 

The formation held as they moved forward, the first four at the top of the water, visible, guiding. The second four following, each tethered by trust. The ocean beneath them grew darker, not in color, but in presence. Even Abyssal slowed slightly, his glowing markings dimming as if in response to something unseen. The currents shifted, pulling in unfamiliar directions. Shapes moved far below, too large and too distant to fully perceive. Spector was the first to speak.

“Stay close,” she murmured, her voice like a ripple through water and air alike.

Mischief dipped lower at that, her usual playful movement tightening into something more cautious. On land, Boney Jones tilted her head, the lantern at her side flickering brighter for a moment. “Feels like something’s watching.” she said, her voice dry as bone yet carrying easily across the distance. Abyssal’s response was low, steady. “It is.” No one asked what. Above Apparition, Glassworm shuddered faintly. He drifted closer, almost brushing the surface.

Apparition did not turn, did not speak, yet a warm presence spread from them, a calm, encompassing reassurance. The water stilled slightly around their massive form, as though acknowledging their dominance. Further ahead, the ocean terrain shifted. Formations rose from the depths, their edges breaking the surface in uneven, treacherous lines. The path narrowed, forcing the group into closer proximity. Below, the sea was littered with the remnants of something ancient. Massive skeletal remains half-buried in sand. Vulcan hesitated.

Steam rose more heavily from his body now, the water around him hissing softly. “This place…” he muttered, his voice strained. “It’s wrong.” Dingo circled once above him before lowering his altitude. “Then we go through it quickly,” he said. “No stopping.” Vulcan gave a small nod, though the tension in his body did not ease. Spector adjusted her course slightly, guiding Mischief between two jagged outcroppings. “Follow my line exactly,” she instructed. “No wandering.” What the four companions didn’t know was that the siblings had been here before, knew what lay here. What hunted in the depths, what watched with eager eyes for one mistake and they had chosen this path regardless. Abyssal moved closer to shore, ensuring Boney Jones had a clear path. “Stay alert,” he told her. “The ground will shift soon.”

“Ground always shifts,” Boney Jones replied dryly, but she adjusted her stride nonetheless. Then something moved beneath them. It was not a distant shape this time, something close.

A long, shadowed mass slid between the skeletal remains below, too large to fully see. The water above it bulged slightly, distorting the reflections. Glassworm chittered rapidly, seeming to spot it first. Apparition reacted instantly, their massive body curved, positioning themselves directly beneath Glassworm. The faint light within them of their deadlight brightened, seeming to push back against the darkness below. The shadow paused. For a moment, everything stilled and then it sank back into the depths. No attack came but the message was clear.

‘You are not alone here.’

Abyssal spoke, breaking the eerie silence that had crept upon the group. “We must keep moving,” he said, more firmly now. The group pressed forward. The terrain grew tighter, the water shallower. The surface broke more frequently now as the siblings remained deliberately visible, each a guiding light for those who followed. Above, Mischief’s lantern cast long, dancing reflections across the water. Beneath her, Spector remained unwavering. On land, Boney Jones stepped over a jagged ridge, her lantern swinging steadily. She did not look toward the water again. Vulcan pushed harder, heat flaring briefly as if in defiance of the oppressive cold. Dingo matched him stride for stride in the air.

And at the front now, Apparition continued forward, vast and silent, their presence holding the path together. Eventually, the darkness began to thin, not entirely but enough. The water shifted from pitch-black to deep blue and it was clear the water was not dark because it was night but because the thing beneath them was colossal in a way these dragons would never be. The jagged formations gave way to smoother terrain. The oppressive weight eased, just slightly. Little by little, the tension began to release. Mischief let out a small, relieved laugh, her flight loosening again. “Okay,” she said, “that was… unpleasant.”

Boney Jones snorted softly. “You think?” Abyssal did not respond, but his pace slowed. Spector rose slightly closer to the surface, her form catching more light. “We’re through the worst of it,” she said. Vulcan exhaled, steam dissipating into the air. “Good,” he muttered. For the first time since they began, Apparition slowed and the others followed suit. They had reached a point where the ocean opened wide again, vast and welcoming. The formation held, the first four at the surface and their companions close behind. Guided. Protected. Together. And now safe.

And though the darkness still lingered in the depths behind them, the group paid it no mind.

Providence Trial

The ocean was quiet in the way that only the deepest places could be heavy, endless, and watchful. Far below the reach of sunlight, where the water turned black and the pressure could crush mountains, the four siblings drifted in their domain. They coiled through the ruins of a long-dead leviathan, its massive ribcage half-buried in silt, its spine stretching like a broken road across the seafloor. Around it, faint bioluminescent life pulsed in slow rhythms, as though the ocean itself breathed.

At the center of the bones, nestled within the hollow of the skull, something glowed. Soft. Steady. Precious. They guarded it without question. Apparition drifted closest, their colossal body looping protectively around the skull. Yellow-gold streaks shimmered faintly along their dark form, like cracks of light in a void. Abyssal lingered just beyond, coiled in the shadows. He was immense, longer than the skeleton they guarded and far darker, his body absorbing what little light dared exist here. His eyes gleamed faintly, always moving, always watching. Spector circled in slow, elegant arcs, her orange-and-black body tracing loops through the water. She moved with a quiet precision, each motion deliberate. Where the others loomed or lurked, she flowed.

And Vulcan… Vulcan burned.

Blue flames licked along his back and tail, casting flickering light that warped against the darkness. He was the smallest, yes but that didn’t matter to his siblings. He darted between the others, restless, never still, his wings tucked tight against his body. For a long time, there was only silence. Then Abyssal stiffened, a low vibration shuddered through the water. Not sound exactly  but something deeper, a disturbance perhaps. “It’s here.” he growled, his voice like gravel. Spector stopped mid-arc. Vulcan’s flames flared brighter, as if in anticipation. In the distance, the darkness shifted.

At first it looked like nothing, simply a thicker patch of black. But it moved against the current, and it looked wrong. Then came the shape of it, it was long, jagged and uneven. Its body twisted like a broken spine, and its many eyes, too many, blinked open one by one, pale and hungry. It was a wild dragon. Not wild in the way Spector was, independent but raised by human hands but something darker, perhaps even sadder. Dangerous. It did not belong here, amongst the remains of the colossal dragon that had helped raise the siblings. Had kept them safe in the depths of the ocean, where they felt most comfortable, all except Vulcan but he loved their guardian regardless. Vulcan hissed, flames surging as it lurked closer, slithering in a way that appeared almost demonic. And then the wild dragon lunged.

The water exploded as its massive body surged forward, jaws splitting open wide enough to swallow Spector whole. Rows of uneven teeth snapped shut and met nothing. Spector twisted aside in a blur, her body bending impossibly as she slipped past the strike. At the same moment, Apparition surged forward. They hit the wild dragon and the sickening crunch could be heard even past the suffocating silence of the deep. His jaws clamped onto the intruder’s neck, teeth sinking deep into the surprisingly soft scales. The wild dragon shrieked, a mix of pain and fury and thrashed violently. The force of it tore through the water, slamming into Vulcan and sending him spinning away. Vulcan recovered instantly, flames becoming bigger as rage settled in. He shot upward, then dove, trailing fire as he slammed into the attacker’s side. The flames didn’t burn like normal fire, it seemed to cling to the stranger.

Yet the wild dragon did not retreat. It twisted, its body bending at disgusting, unnatural angles. A second set of jaws split open along its neck and snapped at Abyssal’s face. He recoiled just in time, a bit too late and it might have gotten ugly. Then Spector darted in, she wasn’t as big as her siblings but could still do damage. She struck, not with strength like her siblings but with precision. She sunk her sharp teeth into the side of the wild dragon face, fangs digging into the creature’s many eyes. And for the first time, the intruder faltered. Apparition moved again, the biggest of the siblings, the strongest of the siblings. The water seemed to dim further around them despite their deadlight and glowing eyes. The wild dragon, who had been preparing to attack again, paused. It sensed something, something dangerous from this dragon. Sure the wild dragon was bigger than Apparition, perhaps stronger but the malice coming from the smaller dragon was difficult to put into words. And then they struck, quick and aggressive, like a snake striking its prey. Their large powerful jaws clamped into the wild dragon's neck and they dug in, further and further. And the dragon shrieked, thrashing wildly, trying to tear free of Apparition’s grip. It succeeded, ripping itself loose at the cost of flesh and recoiled, retreating just beyond reach.

For a moment, they just watch each other, the siblings and the wild dragon who had attempted to desecrate their guardian’s grave. It was a standoff, unfair in a way but the siblings didn’t care.

Abyssal circled quietly and Spector hovered near Vulcan, who had taken a glancing hit and now burned brighter than before, agitation feeding his flames. They did not talk, there was silence in that dark deep that seemed to creep closer and closer. Finally, the wild dragon lunged again but this time, it had changed tactics. Instead of attacking them directly, it dove downward toward the skeleton. For a dragon of its size it was quicker now, its mission changed, more focused. It went toward the skull, the bones of its rival, its arch nemesis who even now in its death was still a smear on the wild dragon's name.

Vulcan reacted first. “No!”

He shot forward, faster than the others, flames flaring into a blazing trail. He slammed into the dragon’s face, attempting to push it off course but the size difference was brutal. The impact sent him spiraling, his flames flickering erratically as he tried to right himself. “Spector!” Abyssal roared but she was already moving. She intercepted the dragon’s path, coiling around its snout, claws digging in as she redirected its momentum. It snapped at her, catching her tail in its jaws, this time Spector was the one who shrieked. And that was enough for Apparition to strike again. This time, they didn’t go for the neck, he went for the eyes. Their large maw closed along the upper part of the dragon's head and they bit down with everything they had. To their surprise something cracked and the wild dragon convulsed aggressively.

Abyssal surged in close, latching onto the wild dragon's front limb and biting down hard. There was another crack and the dragon convulsed again. Spector latched onto its tail, perhaps out of spite or perhaps with her smaller form the tip of this monstrous dragon's tail was all she could wrap her jaws around. But like her siblings, she bit down with all she had. The wild dragon began to thrash violently, unable to see, pain rippling through its body, feral terror surged through it for once. It managed to shake Spector off and the momentum smashed her into the sandy ground and she gasped at the force of it. She lay still for one moment, two moments and then she began to move again but she seemed slower.

“Stay down.” Vulcan spoke close to Spector and her ear twitched but she did as he suggested. There was blood in the water, thick clouds of it forming around the thrashing dragon. The dragon was tearing itself apart to escape. Vulcan looked at his sister, then looked up at his other siblings. “Go…” Spector’s voice was weak but the smaller dragon could feel her emotion, the force of her words, even if he couldn’t hear it.

Vulcan rose again, shaking with silent rage. The flames around him grew hotter and hotter until the water around him began to boil and steam. His siblings clamped onto the wild dragon could sense that something was about to happen. Could feel the heat rippling off their brother and knew it was time to let go and they did. He inhaled sharply and then unleashed everything he had. A torrent of blue fire erupted from him, far larger than before, fueled by something deeper than instinct. The flames were hot, too hot, even under the water. They hit the dragon and the creature screamed. There was nowhere to run from the flames, the flames that somehow managed to burn despite being under water. The wild dragon looked at the siblings one more time before turning to flee with primal terror.

The siblings did not untense, not for a few moments and then silence returned. The water, as if sensing the end of the fight for good, finally settled. “I doubt that beast will be back.” Abyssal spoke first, breaking the silence. Spector lifted herself from the seafloor, wincing but intact. “Yeeaah, I think we taught it a lesson it’ll never forget.” Spector’s voice was still weak but her normal sass was returning. One by one the siblings touched the skull of the beyond colossal skeleton with the hands or fins, a silent goodbye, perhaps a promise they’d be back again to visit their guardians watery grave.