Sayth
“Why have you surrendered now?” the dragon asked in a smooth, masculine voice.
“I got them, all of them,” Sayth replied. “Sealveybreon, what you see are the memory chips from each of the miracle sylver weapons that assaulted First Drako. Far beyond anything thought possible from human technology, they cast the tide of battle most unexpectedly in the Alliance’s favor. True to sylver’s ability to replicate other forms of matter, the sixth weapon took my form to frame me. I was never there, as all the guardian dragons were called away by false distress signals. I spent the next eleven months hunting down every last one of the weapons. I’m sure your scientists will want a close examination of this data.”
Sealveybreon crossed his arms and wrapped mighty emerald wings around his body like a cloak. “You are Earth’s guardian dragon, entangled in loyalties to both Drako and your home planet. While extraordinary service of the past acts to your credit, I cannot allow you to roam free. You will stand trial on Second Drako for the crimes of conspiracy against dragonkind and apocalypse.”
“Yeah, unfortunately, something urgent came up, and I can’t spare the time.” Sayth phased his plane of existence just enough to pass through the crystalline shackles. They clanked harmlessly to the ground. He leaped back, sprouting a black dragon tail and six wings from his shoulder blades in a gust of air that pushed the guards off their feet.
Sayth motioned to assailing thunderheads on the horizon. “Did you think I chose to meet here because of the authentic cuisine? They’ll grill your steak with natural geo-electricity. There’s nothing like it. Perhaps with an imported Cabernet blend? No. This moon has deadly electrical storms; you’ve got about forty seconds to get out of the atmosphere.”
The guards looked to Sealveybreon, who begrudgingly signaled for them to board the falcon ship as dark clouds drew ever closer. It flapped aloft as gracefully as a real bird and soared into space. Sayth instructed Azalyske to assemble a Faraday cage. Sylver wiring formed a protective sphere around him.
“It’s the fox who rules the acorns in the autumn that gets the squirrels,” he said to himself.
-Rainbows Wane
“This must be the lengthiest day ever. How much farther need we continue?” Magie moaned.
“You know, there’s an old saying: watch hyper-fusion detonator, never explodes,” Sayth said.
“I believe you mean: watch pot, never boils. What did you do?” she asked.
“An extravagant amount of demolition work, pertaining to hostile alien species. Much like you, I worked a lot with the military, both Drako’s and the alliance’s. Although not truly, I acted as the guardian dragon of Earth,” he replied.
“How did that work out for you?”
“It’s a never ending, ever rending, loop of laps and lapse in relations.”
“To that, I can precisely relate. Here’s a proverb for you: he who insulates his house with guns enjoys only the shelter of a roof full of holes. Have you ever wondered what your life would have become had you tread a different path?” she stopped for a moment, perhaps to take in her own advise. A pleasant, fabric softener scent danced across the flowing planes. The Veilands were a beautiful vista.
“Oh, I easily could have become an unreal sacterriphysicist or hyperastropath engineer. I have many, many degrees and focuses. It’s not infrequent that I wonder if I’d have done more good taking a more academic career. Of course I did save the universe, not to brag or anything, so my current path proved pretty important. How many engineers could do that? Lately, I’ve been studying the recently emerged Cose technology. Fascinating. In a perfect world, you know without some idiot causing universal war, it’s certainly something I could see myself pursuing,” he replied.
“By the gods, ego much? But seriously, learning with the dragons was the greatest blessing of my life. I was able to take their advanced signature sciences back to TriCora and vastly expand the accounts of magic there. Fabel truly gave me a great gift with his abilities to traverse dimensions. Just as with you though, a life of peace and learning was not meant to be for me. TriCora is a rugged frontier of beasts and demons and developing factions. I found my place as one of the few who could protect her wondrous lands. The position of archmage was largely thrust upon me,” Magie stated.
“Indeed but had that not been the case what would you have done? A study of animals perhaps?” he asked.
“I love animals and TriCora is a marvel of uncatalogued flora and fauna. I recall how I first met Spiral was during a survey of Harpe Forest. Sadly within such an underdeveloped dimension it’s a far cry from what one could make of a career. People there are focused on survival and none see it fit to pay for such scientific endeavors. Conservation efforts are not on the agenda. But biology has and will always be a hobby of sorts. Far less with some idiot threatening the universe as you so amply put it,” Magie hopped a sequin creek of flowing sparkles. Light clouds had gathered overhead and rhinestones tumbled from the sky. They cleared as the evening calm washed across the scene.
“Our roles as guardians truly seem insurmountable. I’ve never told anyone this but Spiral has suggested starting a family. I must have dodged the topic a hundred times with some urgent crisis or other. She understands but the subtle hints of disappointment kill me. She’ll shrug it off then later bury herself in engineering projects rather than come to dinner. Listen to somber bands like “Swerve to Be Seen”. Little things. I want to give her all her heart’s desires however the thought of a kid terrifies me. Besides, we’re dragons, we have all the time in the world,” his shadow cast long over the twill weave grass and denim brush.
“Jestellia mentioned that I had not wished for children either. That is something I don’t yet remember. Well, anyway, another path I could see myself taking has much to do with management. I always did like a smoothly run ship. Although I say that as a metaphor; I don’t actually care for boats or airships. Mechanical what-nots were never my forte and they seem an endless typhoon of maintenance. Spiral, I do remember, always had my back when for worse came to such matters,” Magie said.
“Yes, Spiral… You’ve always been a great mentor and inspiration to her. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I gather she would have been in a far worse place without your guidance,” he replied.
“The pleasure was mine. I only wish I remember more. Look there, on the horizon, silhouetted against the setting sun,” Magie pointed to a point, a small rise that rose into a lengthening line as she neared. Distant at first, it was difficult to make out but features emerged as the sun melded into the land and stylized stars filled the sky. An enormous tower. Slim and narrow, it was cast of pearl white stones with sapphire mortar and turquoise windows the shape of various celestial bodies.
-The Gatekeeper
Sayth is the main character of Rainbows Wane, a main character in The Gatekeeper, a secondary character in A Deck of Fates and the overall protagonist of the Signature series. He's the guardian dragon of Earth, which allows him to transform any and all parts of his body from human to dragon form. He's a man of science and solves problems through ingenuity and cunning rather than relying on his immense strength. Although he prides himself on being a pragmatist, he has a fierce sense of morality and will go to the ends of the universe to defend those he cares about.
Like all the main protagonists of the Signature series, Sayth has a genius level intellect. Its that which has allowed him to surmount impossible odds time after time. Sometimes he gets bored and speaks in lyrics or metaphors. He has the unique ability to mentally process the reality bending nature of the Vaynegia and technology developed from it, a key influence throughout the series.
In addition to his dragon physiology, he can transcend the dimensional fabric which also allows him to phase his body intangible. He has power over shadows and can become a near-invisible shadow himself. In Rainbow's Wane he carries a Sylver sword named Azalyske which gives him the ability to line across the universe instantly and cut through anything except more Sylver. Since being stabbed by Oth's poison his blood became infused with the Ghate and therefor a deadly poison of its own. This also gives him a natural immunity to all poisons and toxins. Needless to say, Sayth is an immensely powerful warrior and often is pitted against godlike adversaries.
