One particular thing not mentioned anywhere else on this website is that Akir’Ischa has revealed another life to me besides her draconic one. A life experienced right before this one started.
ROUGH DRAFT – to be edited.
Around 550 to 330 B.C. on Earth reigned the Persian/Acheamenid Empire. Not on this exact planet, but most likely on an alternate Earth of some sorts that I can’t figure out how, Akir’Ischa had a life in the deserts of that Persian Empire. She was a cold-blooded reptile-like runner. She could outrun the fastest horses. She had 4 claws on each paw and a set of horns or mane-like spikes on her neck. Overall her body was made for desert, it was sleek and muscled. She was a bit smaller than the Arabian horses, but longer and much stronger. At day she hunted, mostly goats from the nearby shepherds, but sometimes also caravans that came by. At night she slept in ruins, mostly near a city. These were sometimes old temples, then abandoned, making them a perfect shelter for her. The ruins went deep and had a long tunnel system, so humans didn’t dare to enter them. She knew most of them as her home. Whenever she got chased, a temple was her way out.
The people of Thapsacus called her ‘The Black Desert Devil’ because of her dark scaly skin (absorbed more sun warmth) and blood-hungry personality. I’m not known with the name that her species was given.
Thapsacus (meaning ‘passage’ or ‘ford’) was a city that was built near the Euphrates and was important for its river crossing. Nowadays it would lay in Syria. So my guess is that She traveled a long way for a reason I don’t know. It wasn’t the only place she went to. Akir’Ischa also traveled to Babylon, Persepolis, Pasargadae, Jerusalem (probably her birth place) and Damascus.
I don’t know if there were more of her species. I don’t remember seeing any. Do know that I miss a lot of memories, so the chance is still there.
She appeared to be a shape-shifter too, or having the possibility to become human. That way she entered Thapsacus and the other cities sometimes, interacting with the inhabitants. Maybe that way her species mated. She was all dressed in black, traditional clothing from that time. She had black hair and her eyes were a deep dark brown with gold speckles. She also wore an amulet with a black diamond in it. I don’t know what it does or where it comes from, since she doesn’t wear it when she isn’t human, but it apparently holds great power.
During that time the Templers and the Creed were big and active organizations too. Akir’Ischa was known with the Creed somehow and sometimes helped the Creed with escaping from the Templers by guiding them to ruins near cities and then let the Templers get lost in them, or just attacked and killed the Templers.
There is one memory where she noticed 2 humans getting chased. A member of the Creed chased by a Templar. At one point they are close to her and she jumps up from the sand, grabbing the horse of the Templar and killing them both. Then she somehow sinks back into the sand, knowing the Assassin saw her, but didn’t had a good look on her. I think this ability also had to do with the black diamond. I don’t know where she got it from.
It’s known that one member of the Creed respects her, because he took nothing as mere superstition. He rode many times into the desert, looking for her. But he never saw ‘The Shadow’.
Although he has never seen her, he has heard stories from heat-stroked travelers, claiming to see a black shadow following them. The shadow made them feel more urgency, moving faster along the roads to get to safety. The shadow always left a mile or two from the city walls. She disappeared like a rock in the desert. A gust of the winds, and she was gone.
Travelers began to think it gave good luck when she followed them, since then they were never robbed or had their livestock drop, nor any fall ill. Though they couldn’t explain for a missing goat or two on occasion. Because of that, others claimed the travelers were hallucinating. Still others claimed to have twice over the amount they had on arrival. This led to rumors that the shadow put a spell on the travelers, stealing the stock without being noticed.
This might go with the memory of grabbing a camel from a caravan without the people noticing it was gone.
Another memory is of Her entering a city:
Sandstone gates, big wooden reinforced doors and a big crowd flocking closer to each other to enter the city. Slowly crawling through the gates under the watchful eyes of guards. The city is built in a circle. Akir’Ischa slowly walks through the gate, dressed in black cloth and making sure every inch of her skin is covered. I’m not sure if it means her skin wasn’t fully human, or she just didn’t want anyone to see her. She goes straight ahead, following the main road towards the center of the city. On the outskirts there are huge slumps, hundreds of houses built on top and against each other to occupy as much of the little space they have. This is a district of beggars and thieves, waiting for anyone to enter the small corridors that make up the maze in between the houses. But the main road is her path towards the shining roofs in the center of her beloved city. Her heart loves this place, but she will leave when she has done her business. When coming close to the center she comes upon another set of gates, this time made from heavy wood and iron. More guards patrol the area, dressed in armor that is both functional and decorative. The plated armor is lined with gold and some higher ranked guards even have gems set in the breastplates or shoulders.
Had a talk with Rashad, the assassin.
Never met each other in animal form. Did meet in passing once or twice, but unaware of each other. Just another face in the crowd. Confirmed shapeshifting.
Old soul, capable of things unknown to us.
Gold amulet, black stone:
Other person had a vague memory of someone grabbing the stone, like stealing it. Probably Rashad:
“I (Rashad) have seen that amulet and was in possession of it for a time, though I couldn’t tell you its significance. It was the only one of its kind, very valuable. I came across it in a target’s home. It was stolen, rather, it wasn’t his. I had heard of vague whisperings of it, and knew instantly when I saw it that it was the amulet some others were searching for. I took it, of course. I would have been foolish not to. I told no one of it, however, and wouldn’t have until I knew more. I never got the chance as I was killed shortly after.
Got killed in the ruins east of Babylon, a day’s ride on a good horse. I’m afraid I can tell you nothing of the language on the amulet. As I said, I had intended to inquire of it through a specific set of contacts. I had the amulet on me when I was killed, so I’m not certain where it ended up. All I knew of the words was the language was not one of Humans, nor would it be possible for human tongue to pronounce it correctly. There had been only one man I believed would be able to tell me what it said.”
It was taken from Akir’Ischa. Stolen. She got it from her dad, and more than likely it is used for her abilities, like shapeshifting.
It’s why she showed herself more and more, to check on any person of the creed if they had it. No ability to shapeshift, so she couldn’t go into the city.
The general population of the city would not have been able to conceal such an item. Greed was rampant, it would have been for sale the same day. The wise would have kept it hidden away. If I (Rashad) had known who she was and that it was hers, it would have been returned to its rightful owner. I may have killed for a living, but I had morals.