delaney

Delaney has got green skin with a lighter green underbelly and three large dark green spots going down his back.  He has wide golden brown eyes that can either make you melt with softness or harden with anger.  He has four flippers replacing four legs that, while it allows him to be an excellent swimmer, it also makes it very hard for him to travel on land.  

Although he seems like a happy, carefree animal, Delaney has suffered a traumatizing childhood.  Even though the reason for this was his adventurous spirit, he still loves to travel and learn new things and meet new animals.  He is very kind and caring, and believes everyone should have second chances.  He always tries to avoid violence and is more ready to run away from danger rather than face it headon, his illusions a great aid in this habit.

Delaney doesn't have many useful physical abilities.  He's very large and heavy, and can't travel that fast on land.  He's an excellent and fast swimmer, however.  The reason his family has stayed safe for as long as they did is because they have the power of illusions, which they used to hide themselves from the dangers of the world.  He can use this to hide himself away, or to make an image or several appear to confuse others and defend himself. He also has the power of Empathetic Connection, the ability to sense, feel, and understand the emotions of others.  For example, if he touches or even is near someone feeling extreme sadness, tears will begin flowing down his face.

Delaney is what you would call a "Loch Ness Monster" or a "Nessie", and he was one of the last known of his kind.  His parents, Sullivan and Rowan, tried to teach him the way of survival and their magic, a way to protect himself when they couldn't.  They told him that they were foreign and magical creatures to the rest of the world, and that they were hunted for it. They tried to keep Delaney safe and under their wing for as long as possible, but the boy's carefree spirit got the best of him.  Oftentimes Delaney would venture out into the world without illusions, and though it angered his parents, he never thought anything bad would happen--until it did. 

One day Delaney snuck away from his parents to chase and admire a beautiful butterfly.  He didn't think he needed an illusion, since nothing bad had ever happened to him or his family before this day.  The butterfly took Delaney's complete attention, the lad unaware of his surroundings, something that his parents had always warned him to be. 

Continuing on, Rowan and Sullivan noticed Delaney was gone, annoyed, they set out to find him.  They to did not cover themselves in illusions, it never even crossed their minds, since they were so set on finding their son and frustrated that he had left them again.

There was an eerie quietness to the forest, no birds chirping or bugs buzzing. It was very odd, and it was something that should have frightened both Delaney and his parents, something that should have triggered them to throw up their illusions, but they didn't, and soon enough they realized their vital mistake.

Seconds later they were surrounded by humans, and gunshots filled the silence in the forest.  Rowan's motherly instincts caused her to run to Delaney, who still wasn't sure what exactly was happening.  Sullivan planned to follow suit, but his steps feel short when a bullet sunk deeply into his skin, followed by several others.  He hadn't even any time to call out in pain before his breathing stopped, and the great animal slumped over.  Dead.

This is when Delaney began to realize what was happening, his mother running at him as fast as she possibly could, struggling as her flippers slowed her movement and were painfully punctured by various sticks and rocks in the rough terrain.  She reached Delaney, panting heavily as she turned around to see the hunters following her, and then turned back to Delaney with a hard determination in her eyes.  "Put your illusion on, now."  She had commanded, the boy doing so without question.  "Now turn away from me and run Delaney, and never look back." 

"What about you, momma?"  The eight year old Nessie had asked her.  "Are you coming?"  He turned his glance to look at this fallen father, covered in inspecting and intrusive humans, a sadness feeling his heart.  He turned back to his mother, and she bent down to touch heads with him, the tears streaming down his face revealing the feelings of Rowan.  

"My little one, your powers grow stronger every day."  She smiled softly.  "I will be right behind you, just keep on running.  Never take away your illusion.  Never look back."  Delaney nodded and pulled away from his mother, running away from the scene, as fast as he possibly could.  He never looked back, just as his mother instructed, not even when he heard gunshots.

He ran and ran and ran and ran, all the way to the world of Vescentia.