Hallowed Be Thy Name (Collab)

The Seven Deadly Sins & The Seven Heavenly Virtues
The SaV (Sins and Virtues) Crew consists of these lovely wiki members! Take a moment to appreciate everyone who helped create, develop, and bring these characters to life!
*Angel Of Madness 001
**Diptera
**Achromatic
*Weaselcloud
**Silver
**Lion
**Mother Genesis
*PhantomHeroJ
**Calla
**Hallow
*Draga the dragon
**Void
**Aphid
*Nightshade28173
**Nightmare
**Daydream
*DelilahtheBoxer
**Vital
*.planetarypluto.
**Desire
*Doomstalker 2
**Clam
==Prologue==
Silver
"Oh, Void."
Silver sighed as she looked into the empty room of the sin of Envy. It was no secret that the little HiveWing-esque dragon hated his place in life, but why couldn't he just suck it up and deal with it?! Plenty of mortals had to work jobs they hated, raise families that fell apart overtime, or deal with dragons who taunted them. It sucked, but it was their place and sole purpose in life. Unlike a certain dragon, Silver had that all figured out.
She ran her talons through her antennae, making sure they were clean and tidy. I have to look perfect, she thought, checking herself in a mirror that Void kept in his room. "Not as big as mine," Silver commented, watching the light flash off her namesake scales. Of course, that was to be expected. Not everyone could look as fabulous as she could, and not everyone cared to look like it either. Vital certainly can't be bothered, Silver thought with disdain. Vital was so utterly lazy, but she was the sin of Sloth, after all. "Well, time to start another search party," she said, stretching out her long neck and curling her tail inwards.
The others were all gathered around a large table, eating breakfast or doing whatever it was they did. Nightmare was tearing into some bloody and maimed carcass like she'd never see food again, while Diptera was eating like it was her last meal as well. Vital was asleep at the table, Desire was (politely) eating, and Calla was checking himself over with a small, talonheld mirror. It was him who took first notice of Silver standing there.
"Judging by your expression, I take it Void ran off again," he said, arching his brow. Calla tucked the small mirror away, something Silver couldn't even fathom, and got up. "Don't worry, I already ate."
"Poor little Void, all alone out there," Desire sang in her high-pitched, child-like voice. "I can start looking in places like the Scorpion-"
Silver cut her off with a motion of her talon. "You're not leaving here, Desire. Not after last time."
"Ugh, so what if I took some money, you can't expect me to be perfect, Silver!" 
Vital cracked an eye open and murmured, "Dess, you're not winning an argument with Silver." The sin of Pride didn't even have a chance to puff her chest out proudly before Vital fell back asleep, her soft snores filling the room again. Desire sank into her chair and started muttering, likely curses.
Nightmare rolled her eyes. "I don't know why we're worried about him. He's a sin! He'll be perfectly fine and maybe he can learn a lesson or two out there."
"Because it's Void and he keeps running off," Silver growled, a warning tone in her voice. "You've heard him."
"Aaaaaand surprise surprise, I don't care," Nightmare said, a mocking tone in her voice. Silver's tail twitched irritably. Oh, Nightmare, leading yourself very close to death is not smart. The two were locked in a glaring contest until the buzzing of Diptera's wings broke the silence.
"Desire!" they hissed, holding the tiny red RainWing by the scruff of her neck. "Quit trying to sneak off! Silver said no! If you sit down and behave, listen to your big siblings, I'll throw you the biggest party once we find Void." 
Desire's eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly. "Okay! I can do that"
Silver sighed. "Thanks for making her shut up. Calla, do your little follower thingy and-"
"Already on it," he said, closing his eyes and appearing deep in thought. "Not in Possibility like he usually is. Not the Scorpion Den. Not in Sanctuary. He's . . . somewhere on Pantala, I have a HiveWing trio with eyes on him in the savanna."
"I swear, Pantala just screams 'trouble'," Nightmare said, not glaring at Silver anymore. "I can't remember the last time I went there and things didn't go horribly."
"You haven't been to Pantala in centuries!" Diptera reminded her.
"For good reason," Nightmare snapped back.
”Those SilkWings think they’re prettier than ME.” Silver scoffed and titled her head while looking in mirror. “I don’t want to get Void back, anyways.”
Diptera gasped. "I'm sorry, but WHAT?!" He reared up on her hind legs, and Silver did find it a bit intimidating. "We are 1,000% getting Void back! We need Envy to be complete!"
"Oh my moons, Diptera will you just shut up?!" Nightmare hissed. "If he keeps running off it's no wonder we don't care enough to get him back! Leave him to his own devices and let him come crawling back."
Silver sighed. She knew that even if she gave a direct order to not look for Void, the others would do it anyway. Diptera and Desire loved the insufferable wyrm too much, and Calla would do it because it gave him an excuse to charm more dragons. Moons, if Mother struck me down now I would not complain, she thought, massaging her temples. "After breakfast you guys can go look for him," Silver said, continuing, "But I'm not helping. And if you get into trouble, that's on you to solve."
Diptera snorted and reached beside them, grabbing Desire's talon. "Come on, forget what I said earlier, you're coming with me!" The little dragon didn't protest, instead giving an excited squeak as Diptera essentially flung himself out of a window and took off. Silver stared, and let out a load groan. 
"Can that dragon please learn something called lying low?!" she shouted at the ceiling. "Who else is going to hunt for Void?" As expected, Calla strutted towards the same window Diptera had left through, politely stepping out of it and disappearing. Diptera will teleport eventually. I bet Calla's just beating her to the punch, Silver thought. "Is that it? Yes? Good," she said, not giving anyone else a chance to answer. 
Vital yawned and looked up at Silver. "If they find him, they find him. We can just-" she paused to stretch and yawn again- "Wait here and see what happens."
Silver silently agreed with Vital, though if anyone asked it was her idea to wait, being the leader and all. Void can never hide for long. This time, I'll make sure he doesn't escape again. 
== Part One: A Hidden Sin ==
=== Chapter One ===
Void 
Void had hated his role as a Sin. The biggest thing that made him feel like that was Silver and her . . . well, just her. Even if she wasn't there, he'd never found himself feeling much like the sin of Envy. He was a good, kind dragon, not someone who wanted what others had! The only thing he'd ever wanted was to be a normal, nice dragon, and for the few dragons he cared about to accept how he help. Deep down, he kinda liked having only two dragons he cared about. Two true friends who he could rely on. His siblings, Calla and Diptera. He loved them dearly, and perhaps the only reason he ever would run away was that he knew that Diptera could find him very easily and he could see her. 
He stopped. There was a twinge in his mind, a mental note that told him something: they had discovered he was missing. Void rolled his eyes. He always knew what the other were doing all thanks to his mirrors. He had left one of them in his room, hoping that someone would pick it up, and luckily, Silver had it now. 
She should be more careful . . . Void thought eyeing, a trio of HiveWings. There wasn't anything visibly wrong with them, but the way they stared at him . . . it was too long. They weren't looking at him, they were searching him. Scanning each scale on his body like he was the most valuable thing in the world. Calla, he realized, his blood freezing for a moment. I have to run. I have to find somewhere where they can't find me. 
As he picked up speed, a thought struck him. The hives! I can hide out there! He wondered if Calla had any dragons enamored there, but those thoughts became second to the desire to not get caught where he was. He took to the air, pumping his wings so fast they blurred together, heading for the one Hive that hadn't been torn down. The place where other HiveWings lived. Jewel Hive, he thought. But I want to hide. I can go to a broken Hive instead. 
He touched down on the ruined treestuff that once made up Wasp Hive. It was perfect, except for the fact he had bright red and blue scales. "What can I do about that?" he mused aloud, padding into the empty shell of the Hive. "I can probably find a spot to make a convincing disguise in here." Nobody can see me transform, or it'll raise suspicion, but it has to be a place a HiveWing could reasonably be. And I can't be viewed as a HiveWing who wants Wasp back, but then why else would I be in the old Hive? 
Void looked around, steadying his heartbeat and listening to the mental pings he got. "Good," he whispered, "They don't know that I know that they're looking for me." I need to make those HiveWings think I'm going to the LeafSilk kingdom . . . He thought of a way to be hidden. Normal. But the Hive didn't hold answers, just brief safety. Void sighed, and looked down. 
The treestuff under him looked like someone picked on it. Must be age . . . he thought, but it didn't seem natural to him. The slight bump, the rough edges and small pieces of wood that could give him splinters, it was all too precise. Void traced a claw over a small hole. Maybe . . . just maybe he could poke around it. Void started to dig into the treestuff, carefully moving it out of the way and plunging his talon in deeper-There! He felt his way around something, claws curling around the object. He held his breath as he pulled it out. 
It was a black bag. Just a bag? Void thought, looking at it. He wiggled a claw into the opening and checked inside the pouch, and it made his jaw drop. Ten bracelets, ornately carved into delicate patterns and shapes. He drew one out, sucking in a sharp breath. The silver reflected what little light there was, revealing how it was so intricately made to look like snakes winding around a tree branch. It would be perfect to enchant.
Oh, why am I so nervous about this? They can't catch me yet. Now now, he thought. Void let out a deep breath, steadying his heart as he focused on the bracelet. "Make sure to word this very, very carefully, Void. You can do this." Still, he stared at the bracelet, wondering where it came from. It almost looks like something Diptera would wear. Could it have once been Wasp's? He glanced back at the treestuff hole. Who hid it, and why?
"I just have to go for it," he said, telling himself. But focus. Word it right. Maybe I can just make it-No, no, that would never work. He couldn't make it specific to the bracelet, otherwise it would only be a matter of time before the sins found him and took it away. It had to be a permanent disguise. But what if I miss my old life? He wondered. Would he ever? Diptera and Calla would miss the old me. I can't make myself look different for good, but I have to give myself the power to change at will. 
"Just make yourself full HiveWing and think about this later," he told himself. Void exhaled, then clutched the bracelet tighter. "I'm doing this. I'm not going back." 
He sat down on the treestuff, curling his tail around him. The enchantment needs to make me unrecognizable. He glared at his scales, the red and blue that stuck out in a crowd and acted like an alarm to the other sins. "Maybe maroon pink?" It was worth a try. The color washed over is scales like paint, drowning away his brighter colors with this more muted, rust-like color. Yes, keep that color. It's perfect to hide for now. I can enchant myself to have other colors after my transformation.
"I enchant myself to become fully HiveWing, but with my powers intact." Void thought it was a pretty good enchantment, specific enough to work without giving him any issues. But he was still wrong, still overlooked something. In a flash, pain roared down his whole body. He let out a sharp yell, falling to the ground as his body began to change itself. His wings were splitting into two, tearing themselves apart and making him cry out in agony. His horns folded inwards, causing a pounding pain in his head, and he let out a hiss. "Painlessly!" After shouting that, he watched his body became fully HiveWing as the pain faded. Finally, he thought, I can now start my new life. 
He shook himself out, flexing his new wings. "Ah, much better!" He chirped, looking himself over. "Yes, yes," Void slowly pushed himself off the floor, testing out how his new limbs and body worked. His range of motion, how he moved and could control this new body. It was like he'd been reborn. 
"Ok, colors." He closed his eyes, thinking hard. How did he want to look? Normal HiveWings were yellow and red and even green and brown, but none of those colors particularly echoed in him. I can try red. This looks well enough. I enchant my scales to become maroon red in color. He watched as the color ate up his duller color, the disguise to hide in the shadows. It didn't look that much different. Now, what next? Underbelly can be . . . light red. His underscales seemed to flip and change to match the color he'd wanted. 
"Nice!" He grinned, even though no one was with him to see his progress, or how proud he was. I enchant my spikes to be black, my horns to match, and my wings to be a pale, transparent gray color. His body complied to his wishes, and Void did a little dance on his talons. But his form was missing something, he couldn't figure out what it was. Black scales! He realized. Every HiveWing had them. He studied himself, checking his claws, and decided to make little black spots around his talons before removing them. Do my horns count? Probably, he thought, deep in thought. The last thing he wanted to do was to make his eyes a warm golden color, and make little pale speckles on his tail and legs and even his wings. 
"Perfect!" He cried happily. He took to the air, soaring through the sky and past a ruined bridge of silk. His wings buzzed, filling the air with a glorious sound that painfully reminded him of Diptera, but he'd never been this happy. Like he'd been living on a chain made by Silver, and now he was finally breaking free of it. This was going to be his new life, where he could follow the dream he'd always had: History. He could be a teacher, and encourage young dragons to be themselves like he did, maybe. Or he could join a team of other historians and search to discover more knowledge. Trying to find everything he could, exploring the past-it was his real passion.
He did flips in the air. He felt like singing, but Void never had a great voice. Up here in the air, he could see everything below. He could make his visions, his dreams a reality. But even here, on top of the world, happy as a bird . . . he was still saddened by what he would lose. Not his old place in life, he could care less, but his siblings. The dragons he'd known for his whole life and had been with. How could he live a mortal life, unobtrusive and unimportant, if he still wanted to rub elbows with Calla and Diptera? They were two of the most influential sins in the mortal world, with Calla being a known face and a charmer, and Diptera throwing wild parties that fed her for days. They were celebrities, if you could say that to them. 
I'll figure it out later, he told himself. Diptera will find me unless I hide myself from her senses, but then . . . he didn't want to mask himself from them forever. Void didn't want to ignore the two siblings he liked, leave them alone. Will they be alright? Can I lie low, just until Silver gives up, and then let them find me? He didn't know if they were near him yet, because Silver wasn't looking. Part of him was pained that only a few dragons cared enough to search for him. Silver's more than happy to keep me under her claw, but won't even acknowledge me otherwise. She doesn't care enough to find me.
He had always thought (well, a year after hatching) that Silver cared for him. Cared about all of them. But she didn't, and that was something the others didn't realize. Void stopped flying forward, stopping to hover and losing himself in his thoughts. He hoped for her to care. She truly seemed to care about him. And maybe that was why he was so blind to the reality, and it took such a hit for him to open his eyes. 
It was a few years ago. When he was twelve, he'd attacked Possibility hoping to get Silver's attention. He wanted the love she seemed to show to the other sins, and he craved to be seen as good in her eyes. Good enough to be a part of the sins. She hadn't even seemed to acknowledge when he attacked, didn't watch. None of his siblings did. Maybe if they had been watching him, they'd have stopped the MudWing from sneaking on him. From hitting him on the head with a club, hard enough to crack his skull and knock him out cold. And that day had scarred him, stuck with him and left him alone in the world when he realized none of his siblings were going to help. 
He became traumatized. And than he started to question himself, of why he was born, of his power, of his place in the world. Diptera tried to cheer him up on his rainy days, and most of the time it worked. She was goofy and knew everything he liked, throwing smaller parties just between the two of them. But sometimes, they didn't work. The trauma hung over him like a cloud of gloom and he'd stay in his room, painting. Once, he'd painted a huge picture of him, Calla, and Diptera. Side by side, laughing together. It was his ideal world with them. He'd felt so proud of it that he'd hung it over his bed, looking at it everyday in hopes that he could make the picture a reality someday. 
It wasn't that Calla and Diptera didn't like Void. Calla was a calmer older brother, and Diptera was a lovable, eager older sibling too. But Calla always seemed to subtly nudge Void on the path he was meant to choose in life. Diptera constantly asked if Void would come back, bring Envy back to them. It was like . . . sometimes, it felt like his siblings only cared about him as long as he was who they wanted him to be. As long as he was Envy. 
Void swiped at his eyes, not even realizing he was crying at first. Will they ever want to stick around with me if I'm like this? Will they ever let it go? He knew that having a talon in both worlds would be difficult-impossible, even. But he just couldn't leave the two dragons who actually treated him like a brother behind. They liked being around Void, actually truly cared for the dragon-not just the sin. And they'd saved him multiple times. 
* * * * * 
"Silver is using us!" He shouted. "She doesn't care about any of us for who we are!" 
Silver leaned down, hissing in Void's face. "Oh, really? And where is any of your proof for this, you pathetic wyrm?" 
"J-Just look at how she treats us!" Void was trying not to crack, but Silver was just so big. And imposing. Like she could and would eat Void in a single bite and think nothing of it. 
Silver grabbed him by his chest, digging her claws in and holding him aloft. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut, Void. I get that you're jealous, one could even say envious, of my looks and my status, but you can't have it. Dragging me down with you won't get you far." 
"That's-I'm not-" Void couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's not at all what I'm saying-!" Silver cut him off, throwing him to the ground and looming over him. 
"You think that you can just try and drag me down? ME?!" She hissed, and lunged for Void. He braced himself, fearing worse injuries than the last time she'd attacked him. But instead, with a rush of air, Diptera barreled into Silver from the side. 
"Leave Void alone, Silver!" she barked, "Go find some mortals to beat on instead!" 
Silver got back up, growled, and left. Void had never been more glad to have Diptera on his side. 
* * * * * 
It was simplified. His mind didn't want to remember the whole thing, the pain and the blood that made him want to leave so desperately. It was a miracle Void was left without any physical scars from those experiences. He couldn't make them see like he did, and he was not about to bash his siblings in the head either. What can I do? What's a Void way to show them? He thought hard as he continued flying. 
Art? But how can they see? It would just look like I'm crying about Silver's attacks again. Maybe it can be a piece where everything is 'perfect', but Silver is all messed up. That would make her mad, surely. And maybe the others would start to see it the way I do-Without Silver, we can be normal, right? Ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought . . . Void landed next to Jewel Hive and slumped against the base of it. Watching dragons pass by, yellow and black scales mixing with greens, browns, and a whole rainbow of other colors. It was funny to think that the mortals had been so divided, so at war with each other before. 
An idea struck him. Before! What's a more Void way of doing things than looking into the past! He leapt into the air and did a flip, grinning. Yes, YES! I can look into the past, our creators, our purpose! Would there be scrolls on our existence? Ways to find out how Serendipity was before she made us? Can I talk to Mother Genesis at all? Thinking of the name made the sky rumble, and Void bit back a whimper. Okay, just call her Mother. But if I can find my past, and show the others, maybe that'll prove something. Maybe I can also look at Diptera and Calla! We can't have been hatched just to do evil, right? 
Void did another flip in the air, soaring high. "It's perfect!" he chirped to himself, scanning for a small town to go to. Somewhere I can start my new life, and start my new research. As he spotted a smaller, quiet-looking town and began to dive for it, hope soared in his heart. I'll set all of us free from Silver. I'll make them see, and then I can finally live in peace. 
=== Chapter Two ===
Hallow
Tick.
Chocolate and caramel scales seemed to glow in the light of early morning. Had he been up all night? Doing what? His thoughts were fuzzy, his body shaky but his talons perfectly still as they rested above a map, red ink slowly dripping off his claws like blood.
Tock.
Why was he writing this? Scratching eerie red slashes and circles onto a map of Pyrrhia and Pantala, words that his brain couldn't read right now. It was like he was unconscious, but perfectly awake. What could put his mind at ease? Allow him to rest?
Tick.
The only sounds were the MudWing's shallow breathing and the small clock that sat beside him. Ticking away, making every moment seem to pass that much slower to him. The marks had meanings. They were attacks, places that had been destroyed and full of dragons brought to their knees. He shuddered, not wanting to think about the cause.
Tock.
Hallow lashed out with his tail, thumping it against the clock and smashing it. Springs, along with bits of wood and metal, now stuck out of it, the cracked glass over the time that was now forever frozen. It was morning, and the light streamed in through slits in his window. "Why can't all of my problems be so easy to solve?" he wondered aloud. The problems of those despicable dragons behind the attacks. Harming innocents. Dragons whom Hallow's entire purpose was to hate and destroy. He hated being connected to them-the Sins, they called themselves. 
He and the others called themselves Virtues, beings of the opposite of the Sins. Made to undo their evils and one day, stop them for good. Everyone had an opposite, a Virtue and a Sin that constantly went toe-to-toe with each other. Some were frequent fighters, such as Daydream (Virtue of Patience) and Nightmare (Sin of Wrath). Others didn't seem to acknowledge the fact the other existed. Hallow, being the Virtue of Chastity, fell on the less-caring side with his opposite, the Sin of Lust. Calla. At the thought, his talons moved towards his chest, where two scars made an 'X' across it. The only thing that marred his scales, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect canvas. The only thing that had truly hurt him, in all his years of fighting the Sins. 
Hallow suddenly shook his head. Look at me, burnin' daylight. He sat up and stretched out, shaking his talons which he only now realized ached from all that writing. Letting out a quiet yawn, he looked around his room. By any standards, even mortal ones, it was rather bland. But to Hallow, it was home. A comfortable mat sat in the center, beside his table, where he slept, sat, wrote, everything. The only other things in the room were dozens upon dozens of scrolls, some blank, some full of scribbles. They were neatly lined up on the walls in shelves, all around him, the comforting smell of the old parchment one of the things that made him feel at peace. All these scrolls were where he practiced his signature runes.
He exited his room quietly, not wanting to disturb the other Virtues. Hallow wasn't sure if any of them were awake, but if they were . . . well, he wasn't the biggest fan of any of them. Except Daydream. She was the only one whom he cared about in any meaningful way. 
Hallow stepped out of their hideout into the light of the new day. He inhaled the fresh, crisp air as it glided past him, brushed his claws against every blade of dew covered grass, and bathed in the mix of temperatures, sights, and sounds. It felt . . . nice. Like the world was fine the way it was. A world without pain, sorrow, loss, one that wasn't plagued by them. 
With a sigh, he let that feeling pass. No need to cloud my head with wishful thinking. Now, where did that map have marked? Hallow racked his brain, thinking hard. "Possibility seems to be the Sins' favorite target as of late," he muttered, pacing. "I should head there now. While they're gone. Repair some damages, see who I can help." He'd started to draw a rune in the dirt, but a voice piped up behind him. 
"Where are you going?" It was Daydream, her voice gentle and her yellow scales glittering and shining in the light. Hallow smiled as she padded up beside him, looking just as tired but much happier than he ever could. 
“I was just going to Possibility to see if I can help anyone.” 
Daydream nodded. “I’ll go with you," she chirped. If it was any other Virtue, Hallow would have been annoyed. If it was anyone else, he'd have teleported away without a second thought. But Daydream was different. She was like the gentle and sweet sister he wanted to protect. 
“Alright, let’s fly.” They both leapt up into the air, soaring up high. Hallow took the lead, and Daydream soared right beside him on his left, beating her wings fiercely. The rising sun shone off her scales and reflected it into his eyes, making it hard to look at her without being blinded. The silence was deafening, but it gave Hallow a moment to think and breathe. Like his mind was a rising torrent of thoughts, worries, regrets, like a hurricane of sound. Flying with Daydream was the eye of the storm. 
But alas, his mind wouldn't stay peaceful for long. It soon wandered back to his sleepless night. The mindless writing. The writing of how many were dead. Wounded. Fallen. How many dragons he'd failed to protect for the crime of trying to sleep. Evil never sleeps, he thought. Neither can I. 
"You okay?" Daydream's face was a look of concern. "You're making a face." 
Hallow nodded. "You?" he countered with a tilt of his head. She nodded back, and the air faded back into silence. They were each deep in their own thoughts, own problems, neither wanting to prod the other. The silence was bliss enough for both of them. 
* * * * * 
They soon landed in Possibility, the town easy to recognize. Hallow and Daydream, however? Nobody recognized them. After all, they seemed much like an ordinary MudWing and SandWing, both normal in the town. Daydream didn't mind the lack of recognition, perhaps preferred being on the down-low. Hallow felt annoyance bite at his heart. He spent his life to protect these dragons, and they didn't know him. Hell, they probably don't even know I exist! He sighed and stalked off, pushing those annoying thoughts away. I don't need praise. I'm doing what is right. 
Daydream disappeared into the crowd, likely chasing after some poor soul. Hallow shook his head, smiling as he walked through the crowded streets, filled with life. This life, the noise around him, the dragons each going about their daily lives. This was what he was protecting, even if they didn't know it. From the newly laid eggs to the oldest dragon in the town and everyone in-between. He was their sworn protector. 
Hallow passed by an older SandWing, missing teeth and with a tired, hungry look on his face. Pity flitted across his face for a second, seeing the dragon in such poor condition, but it left just as quick. But as he was about to move on, a small SandWing dragonet darted through his legs, squeaking frantically. "Wait, wait up!" she cried, slowing down and coughing, dropping a small plush of some kind of cat-thing. She didn't even seem to notice, and started to dash off again. 
He couldn't stand by and watch this. Hallow bent down and gently picked up the plushy, brushing dust off of it. It was some kind of serval, he thought, but it didn't matter. Instead, he came up to the pair of SandWings and tapped the older one on the shoulder. "Pardon, but I believe your dragonet may have dropped this." He smiled and held out the plushie. The dragonet made a frantic, excited squeak, and snatched the plush. 
"Thank you," she murmured, burying her snout in the plush. 
The older SandWing smiled and patted the dragonet. "Good. Thank you, kind sir." Hallow smiled and dipped his head, but stopped before leaving. They both looked terrible-Tired, thin, and sickly. Quickly, but keeping it hidden, he scratched a quick rune in the dust to heal them. The pair suddenly perked up a bit, and Hallow felt pride swell in his heart. This was why he protected dragons, to improve lives like this. If only I could lift them more. Give them food, give them coin, give them safety. He sighed, walking on. 
How long will they live? Will she grow up into a wonderful life, or will she suffer at the hands of the Sins? Will she live, or will she die? Can I protect her? 
Questions and worries plagued his mind, and the only thing he could do was keep walking and try to forget it. Hallow shook his head, wishing that he didn't have to worry so much. To protect dragons alone. But as he moved on, now the crowd was getting thicker and harder to avoid. For every cart or dragon he managed to dodge, it seemed like another one moved in his way. Dragons cursed him, swore, wished unspeakable things upon him. A growl built in his throat, but Hallow pushed it away. They just don't know. 
The crowd finally spit him out in a less dense area, a place where he could take a step without being cursed out. Nearby, leaning against a shabby hut, was a dragon, shuddering and holding their eyes closed. They seemed like some hybrid between a SandWing, dusty brown with a wicked tail barb, but dark green scales of a SeaWing mixed in and a few scattered glowing scales. Around his neck was a scarf that must have once been beautiful, but was now a dingy mud color. The weirdest part was that their scales looked too tight on them. Like a suit a size too small. Some ends of bones, especially at their wings, stuck out of the skin. It was a sad sight. 
A sad sight he was determined to make a happier one. Hallow sat down beside the dragon and offered a friendly smile. "Hello there. I am Hallow. What about you?" 
The dragon looked at him, and scanned him over with a critical eye. They seemed suspicious, surprised, but curious. "Sludge, if you must know. You're the first one to ask." They scoffed. "Got anything to spare? Food, spare change, anything?" Hallow shook his head, and Sludge turned away with a sigh. 
"I can offer my time. An ear to talk to. How about it?" Sludge blinked, a confused look slowly drifting into a small smile. Hallow smiled back, serious about his offer. 
"You're the only one to not gawk. Or point. Or stare. Or throw things at me." The hybrid shuddered again. "What do you suggest doing? I'm broke and a sorry sight for any passerby, so I can't be good on your reputation." 
Hallow laughed. "I don't care about my reputation. I don't need one. I'd rather make sure dragons like you aren't forgotten." He nudged Sludge gentle, who snickered. "So, how about you tell me how you got here? We can talk it over something to eat." 
Sludge seemed to perk up after that. Hallow knew a small place with some cheap food and bought some for the both of them, and that seemed to make Sludge a chatterbox. The talkative dragon was hatched an orphan, not knowing his parents. Nobody wanted a weird little hybrid, but as he grew, his scales just stopped. That's why his bones all stuck out, and why nobody loved him. He'd tried being a good dragon, and had yet to turn to crime-but it was hard. Hallow listened intently, hearing the dragon say only negative things. Can he not see the good in himself? That he's made it this far in life? 
Hallow's heart started to crack. Dragons like Sludge were out there. Dragons who tried to be good, have morals and be the best dragon ever. But their hand of life said no, said that they would be hatched into a world that didn't care for them. Made them think they weren't good enough, made them feel inferior. Just like Sludge. Hallow suddenly interrupted him with a hug and said, "You are amazing, Sludge. You're a good dragon, even though we just met. Don't think for a second that no one wants you. Somewhere out there, someone is waiting for you-But there's also me looking out for you, okay?" 
Sludge had tears in his eyes. "T-Thank you. What was your name again?" 
He smiled and stood up. "Hallow. Nice to have met you, Sludge." How he wished he could do more for this dragon! Morale boosts couldn't save him from poverty. From starving. From the horrors of this world, the horrors of the Sins and what they did to innocent dragons like him. Hallow couldn't look back. He'd start to cry, thinking of how wrong this was. A world that bullied dragons for a difference. Is this the world I am protecting . . . ? A world where dragons abandon their own young? A world where difference is seen as a poison? 
He shook his head, trying to erase the image from his mind. No. Differences are not a poison. It's alright, Hallow. He went on his way, and suddenly, Daydream popped up beside him again. "You doing okay?" 
"Y-Yeah, just a lot . . . on my mind right now," he said, sighing. Daydream rolled her eyes with a grin. 
"Oh my gosh, same! Why is this world so cruel sometimes?" 
Hallow growled. "Because the Sins brought evil into it." After that comment, it was silent. The pair just walked together, offering words of hope, encouragement, and kindness to any dragons that they passed in need of it. His mind was finally resting at peace for just a moment, seeing the good in the world. The difference he was making. The way the day seemed to zoom by, repairing damage, helping dragons, and making everyone happy. The sun began to sink below the horizon, the moon and stars claiming the sky for their own. 
Daydream yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I'm going back to the hideout now. You coming?" 
Hallow shook his head. "Nah. I'll walk a bit more." Daydream nodded and took flight, beating her wings until the darkness and distance swallowed her golden scales up. Nothing but a speck on the horizon. Hopefully she doesn't get lost, he worried. 
He continued walking down the calming streets, where lanterns were being lit along the paths and dragons were returning to their homes. Some were heading out to parties, or just strolling through the night, but one dragon in particular caught Hallow's eye. A dingy MudWing sat by herself, crying in an alley. "Ma'am?" Hallow asked, walking over and adjusting his eyes to the change of light, "What's wrong? Can I help?" 
The dragoness suddenly lunged forwards and grabbed Hallow, shaking and shuddering. "He doesn't love me, HE DOESN'T LOVE ME! I haven't seen him in weeks!" Her words were mixed, choked out with sobs and hard to comprehend. 
"Who?" Hallow felt . . . odd. There was something off with this MudWing. Like she was hollow inside. Empty. Soulless, even. 
"Calla, my love!" She cried, "I haven't seen him in days! What if he died?! Oh, I can't live without him!" As the MudWing screamed, falling to the ground, tears pooling, Hallow sighed. That explained the soulless feeling he got. A dragon used by Calla. Their life stolen and ripped away from them. Enamored, Calla would call it. Sickening, as I say. The Sin of Lust had ruined her, taking away her self-worth and independence like so many others. 
“You don’t need him," Hallow said, softly. "He was just using you.” He tried to explain, gently reaching out to try to use his powers to heal her, but he was suddenly shoved to the ground with incredible strength and a knife pointed at his throat. Hallow swallowed hard, looking up at the dragoness with a fire in her eyes. 
“Don’t say that about my love," she growled, then looked at the knife, and saw her reflection, crying again. "Oh, my love! You wouldn’t abandon me! No, you wouldn't! You died didn’t you?" She sobbed and cried, and Hallow struggled up. "Oh I’m coming, I’ll be with you!” Her talons turned to aim the knife at herself. Hallow’s eyes went wide. He couldn't let this happen! No, NO! 
He jumped for the knife, and his talons clutched the hilt. Cracking his eye open, he hoped he'd saved her. But blood dripped from a wound in her neck, and Hallow tore himself away, stunned. The knife clattered to the ground, stained with blood as the dragoness slumped over, bleeding out. "NO!" He shouted, trying his best. Runes were slow, he was panicked, everything was going so wrong! The dragon was bleeding out too fast, his runes weren't doing enough, it was in vain. Her face closed on a twisted expression of pain and grief, and Hallow tried not to cry himself. 
He sat there, his talons dripping with red. He was deaf to the howling winds and songs of the crickets, just . . . staring. He was blind to what he was doing, his talons moving again, writing something. His talon, soaked in blood, drew runes in the ground, but Hallow didn't know what he was writing. His mind was stuck, locked away and the key destroyed. Calla killed her. He broke her down. He caused this. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't save her. I can't save anyone. 
I've failed her.
I've failed everyone.
Could I have saved her somehow? Hallow clutched his head. Moons, I could have. I could have saved her, and so many others. If only Calla was dead . . .
=== Chapter Three ===
Achromatic
Pacing was normal for the silvery-gray dragon who was meant to represent Temperance. A balance of things, if you would. Not too much, not too little. Achromatic lived their life with a talon in each world, careful to not overdo or underdo anything. They were the chaos-controlling factor of the Virtues, and spent much of their time cleaning up the unbalanced messes the others left behind. 
Speaking of . . . Hallow was causing quite the mess in Possibility. Achromatic sat in front of their crystal ball, a lens into the world around them. It showed whatever place across the continents was currently the most active, alerting them if things needed to be fixed. Hallow clutched the body of a dead MudWing, her throat slit wide open and the knife on the ground beside them. "Ugh, Hallow, don't get involved with this," they said with a sigh. 
Achromatic reached out their talon and waved it, small clusters of snow and icy wind gathering in it. Before long, a small crystal was created, showcasing the events in Possibility like a video of what had happened. They paced over to the large scale, one of the few things that took up a lot of space in their room, and gently placed the crystal on one side. The scale didn't dip very much, which was a relief for Achromatic. A smaller dip meant they had to do less to balance things out.
A knock on the door came, startling them. Great, who is it now? 
Another knock, with little hesitation. Two more knocks. Moons, calm down, they thought, before a song of knocks echoed in their room. The door opened a bit, and they could hear the buzzing of wings. "Ah." Aphid poked her head in, grinning. "Morning, sleepyhead!" The Virtue of Kindness was looking very chaotic as she entered the room. She was grinning, staring at Achromatic as she walked up 
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Collaborations
Category:Genre (Adventure)