Named by the Bones

    Of all the inhabited locations on Dovabrod, the Desert Canyon is one of the most dangerous, yet protected. The high cliffs make it difficult to climb, and there is virtually no air currents flowing through it, making flight very difficult to near impossible. The only source of fresh water, is a stream that flows down the northern side of the cliff and into a small lake. The only food that grows there are a type of fruit called a durian, and a few coconut trees. Several packs of Hydrakons inhabit the caves that are scattered all throughout the canyon, and can provide the unwary with a quick demise. The dragons that rule the canyon, are the tribe of Canyon Gliders, lead by the brave and mighty Taroubasa. And it is within the village of the Canyon Gliders, that this story begins...

---

    It is always a joyous day when a new life joins the clan, and early in the morning on this day, a young female was born. She was a petite thing, much smaller than other newborns. Two long, curled horns wrapped around her head and curved forward, and two more nearly identical ones sprouted from her tail. She had a short mane of alternating black and white fur running from her forehead to the tip of her tail and a speckled cream white underbelly. Her coloration resembled that of an Okapi, with more darker tones and less white stripes. Black markings adorned her face, and her feathered wings were massive, even for an infant. Her eyes were a beautiful sky blue. Because of her large horns and tail spikes, her parents chose to name her, Calcium, for her strong bones.

    As Calcium grew, she began to learn that she was different from others her age. While others were learning to control their elements, Calcium sat and watched. She had tried to use her element many times before, but only a tiny flame could be produced... Occasionally in Canyon Gliders, they are born without and element. Calcium found out the hard way, that she was one such dragon. With her best efforts, all she could do was produce a small flicker of a flame. It embarrassed her that she didn't have an element, and when the others started picking on her, she rebelled. On one afternoon though, a fight got out of hand, and quickly spiraled out of control...

    "I said knock it off!" Calcium shouted, stomping her paw on the ground and flaring her wings. The lion-colored male only laughed again.

    "What's the matter Boney? Don't you like your new nickname? Or do you prefer Tinyflame? No? How about Talentless? That's a pretty good one right there, really suits you." He mocked.

    "Shut the hell up! So what if I don't have an element?! I could kick your a-"

    "Oooooohhhh suuuuuuurreee yooooouuuu coouuuuuulllddd..." He mocked again, shaking his rump at her. "You are so pathetic, and your name is so stupid!"

    "You want me to show you just how talent-less and stupid I am? FINE!!!" Calcium shouted as she lunged at the young male. She used her wide paws to beat him, and her tail as a bludgeon. Within minutes, she had him curled over in a fetal position.

    "STOP! STOP! STOP!" He pleaded, but Calcium didn't let up. She kept beating him, until a booming voice shouted;

    "THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" Calcium stopped and turned, seeing her clan leader, Taroubasa, towering over her. He was only 18, but he was a powerful leader. She turned her head away from him. "Calcium, this goes beyond what you've done before, and you will be punished. Attacking one of the clan, on such a violent and brutal scale is unacceptable!" He scolded.

    "He kept calling me names and making fun of me for not having an element! I was just defending myself! He should be-"

    "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" He shouted, stomping his massive paw, and cracking the desert floor beneath it. "Come with me Calcium, I've had enough of your attitude." Calcium frowned and drooped her wings as she followed him. The young male laughed at her under his breath, but when she shot him a dark glare he shut right up. Calcium followed Taroubasa to the outskirts of the village. He stopped at the border and looked down at Calcium.

    "What are we doing here...?" Calcium asked. Taroubasa looked at her with a stern expression.

    "Calcium- your actions have left me with no other choice. This isn't your first offense, and I had hoped that you would have learned not to pick fights by now. You are 13 years old... And due to all of the fights you've gotten into, I know you are capable of defending yourself." He said.

    "You- you don't mean that you're going to-"

    "Yes Calcium... I'm banishing you for one decade..." He said with a heavy heart. Calcium gasped and took a step back. "When one of the clan attacks another on such a brutal scale, the punishment is banishment for 10 years. I've done everything I could to keep you from receiving this punishment for the past three years, but now I can't make up excuses anymore... You must take your punishment. Accept it, and survive on your own... After the 10 years are up, you may return to the clan." Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to him. She hung her head low, and drug her wings on the ground as she walked out of the village borders. She ventured about 10 feet, before looking back. Taroubasa's face showed much sorrow, and his eyes said how sorry he was. She turned away, and took a deep breath, before running off along the canyon...

---

    Over the next seven years, Calcium survived in forests near the canyon. There was much more prey here than there ever was in the canyon, but she never felt safe here. The plants and trees cast many shadows, and she was always on edge. Several times, she had been attacked by wild Hydrakons, but thanks to her size, strength, and polydactyl paws, she was able to fight them off. Seven years didn't feel that long to her, oddly enough. But at age 20, she had grown into quite the young dragon, and she was very agile and skilled at claw-to-claw combat. But that all changed on one fateful evening...

    Calcium was crouched low in the bushes, stalking a young buck. The low light from dusk made visibility difficult, but she could hear every little sound, and smell the animal's scent on the wind. She laid low, watching it graze from the bushes, awaiting the perfect moment to strike... But little did she know, that she too, was being watched... When the deer was within 10 feet of her, she lunged out at it, quickly latching her claws onto its back, and biting its throat. With a quick and precise twist, and a sickening CRACK, the animal dropped dead. There was little to no blood spilled in the quick fight, which had been Calcium's intent from the start. During her first year on her own, she had learned that killing an animal, and pilling lots of blood was a bad idea. The smell of the fresh blood had drawn a large pack of Hydrakons straight to her, and she had only just managed to escape them while they fed on her kill. Since then she had been quick with her kills. Making sure to keep the blood loss at a minimum by snapping the neck, and then dragging the kill up a tree to eat it. Feeling satisfied with her clean kill, she grabbed the deer by its shoulders with her powerful jaws, and began to haul it up the nearest tree. Yellow eyes watched as she dug her claws into the trunk, and climbed up to the top branches with her kill still locked in her jaws.

    "Excellent work." A voice said from a nearby tree. Calcium's eyes narrows to sharp slits and a ferocious snarl spread across her face. "Easy, calm yourself. I have no intent to harm you, nor steal your kill." The voice said. Calcium remained on-guard. She had been alone for seven years, and hadn't had any contact with other dragons since her banishment. She watched as a tall, and well-built male climbed straight down from a nearby tree. His scales were black as coal, and his underbelly was marked like blue flames. There were a few blue tribal markings on his face and legs as well, and he sported a large, wine-red mane. His tail had a massive blade with several spikes, and his wings were unlike anything she had ever seen. They looked almost like they were armored, and had little hooked claws at the end of each extraordinarily long finger. She lowered her snarl upon seeing him, but still kept on guard.

    "Why were you watching me?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him. He chuckled.

    "Oh you could say I was -hunting- so to speak, and when I saw the way you took down that buck with such precision and skill, I couldn't help but admire it. And to haul it all the way up a tree like that? Quite smart and resourceful." He said.

    "You pick up things when you have to survive on your own." She added, lowering her guard a bit. The black dragon looked up at her.

    "Come down, if you would please, I'd like to get a better look at you." He asked. Calcium was hesitant for a moment, but clambered down the tree regardless. She was about a head taller than him. The black dragon circled her, looking her up and down. "Long legs, making you swift on your feet... Powerful tail for attacking... Large wings, making flight easy... Petite frame, implying great agility and speed... And- oh? Polydactyl feet? Excellent at climbing and combat... Quite nice." He said.

    "What are you doing?" Calcium asked.

    "Oh, just seeing what you're capable of." He said nonchalantly. "You see, I am one of the elemental Guardians, and as such I am required to have a few bodyguards. But they can't be just anyone, no, they must be skilled, and loyal." He explained.

    "And let me guess, you're considering me as one of your bodyguards...?" Calcium said sarcastically. The black dragon stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes.

    "Quite so." He said. Calcium was silent for a bit, as she thought about it.

    "So tell me, what kind of perks come with being the bodyguard to a Guardian? Hmm?"

    "Oh a great deal of things... First off, you are granted access to the Guardian's Palace. Secondly, you can go wherever you please in the land, and you have the authority to make other do what you want."

    "Oh really? Well since I have no need to order others around, I can scratch that perk off. And being allowed into this 'Palace'? What's so amazing about that?"

    "That palace is unlike any other. The walls offer immense protection, and our Grand Library holds a great deal of lore and other written works. It is an honor for anyone to even set foot there. But you, as my bodyguard, would live there." Calcium thought about his offer for about ten minutes or so, before speaking again.

    "I'll accept your offer, and become one of your bodyguards." She said proudly. The black dragon grinned.

    "Excellent."
---
    Over the next three years of her exile, Calcium served as Elder Darkon's bodyguard. She followed him as an escort wherever he asked, and left him alone when he commanded it. She quickly rose through the ranks and became his right-hand soldier. And when her decade of banishment was up, she began the journey back to the Desert Canyon. With her massive wings, and great endurance, she was able to fly straight through the night, and arrived at the edge of the desert in just three days, much faster than the usual 6 day flight. She made her way down into the canyon, and back towards the village of her clan. As she approached it, several dragons stopped what they were doing and looked at her. There was a clamor of voices as she strode back into the borders of her clan, and made her way right to the center of the village. Taroubasa was there and grinned upon seeing her.

    "Calcium! You're back!" He exclaimed. He had grown much larger since she had left, and his voice was about four times deeper. Several more spikes had grown from his cheeks and chin as well, and his horns were huge.

    "You've changed a bit since I last saw you." Calcium remarked.

    "As have you." He replied. He looked down and saw she was wearing a strange darksteel necklace. "What a unique-looking necklace. Who gave it to you?" He asked.

    "A friend." She replied with a smile. Something was different about Calcium.

    "You sure have come a long way from that young dragon that was picking fights with others. And I'm amazed at how much you've matured over the years." He stated.

    "I had to change, just to stay alive." She added in. "But now I know what I did was wrong, and I've paid my time for my youthful mistakes. I've learned quite a lot since I left." She said with a cheerful smile. Taroubasa smiled with her as he looked into her amber-yellow eyes. Funny, he didn't remember them being yellow though... Perhaps he had forgotten what color they were, it had been 10 whole years since he had seen her after all.

    "Well, the clan is glad to have you back." He said happily.

    "And I'm glad to be back. Though, I won't be here for too long. You see, while I was out there on my own, I bumped into the Elemental Shadow Guardian. Elder Darkon made me one of his bodyguards, and as such I have a prior assignment to complete." Calcium explained. "I wanted to stop by before proceeding with my assignment, to say hello to everyone. It has been 10 years after all."

    "Oh? A bodyguard to a Guardian? Wow, you've stepped up in the world over the years. I'm very proud of you." Taroubasa said. Calcium turned to leave.

    "Tell my parents I said hello. And that I'm still alive and well." She said before leaping into the sky and flying off. Taroubasa and the other Canyon Gliders watched her go from the ground.

    "She seemed so- different...?" One said. Taroubasa looked up to the sky as she flew further and further away.

    "Indeed she has... Indeed she has."