At the highest peak of the world, said to be reaching the sun, once she stood proudly. Glimmering underneath a plethora of magnificent scales, with a purpose as their guardians. Infused with the Gryphites' finesse and a touch of dragon magic, these knights were refined in a way never witnessed before. Shimmerscales they were called, and this one was the best of the best- For she was gilded Apollo, named after the very world itself.

From the moment her conscience formed, her duty was as clear as day- Protect these mythical beings despite the cost, for the rest of the world held a burning hatred against these magnificent forces. A fear of imposing too much, of holding too much power, of being unfairly advantaged- How blind the regular folk were! These sentient dragons had bestowed the Gryphites with nothing but prosperity, held wisdom beyond understanding and upkept desperately needed peace! Did they not realise they'd receive the same blessings, had they too followed the gryphon riders towards the peak of the mountains?

What should've been gratitude, was instead returned with rejection.

The first time a dragon fell, it was as if the earth quaked to its very core. Petulent fools cheering victory, the Gryphites ashamed of not foreseeing this outcome. By all means, a dragon was a force to be reckoned with, but one could only do so much against a kingdom's army. The dragon populace shrinking by the year, the Gryphites put everything in their power to prevent it dwindling any further- Though it cost them their own numbers more than they'd ever admit.

Thus the Shimmerscales flew through the skies, responding to each booming cry that bellowed from the belly of the beast. The world knew nothing about them, for all they cared they were Gryphites all the same. Outsiders referred to them as the gryphon riders' elite supersoldiers, for good reason. Enchanted with the prowess of dragons, they were jaguars compared to their masters' snail pace. For this unit specifically, she proudly held her aliases akin to prestiguous titles- The Golden Hazard, the Solar Flare, the Dragon's Gold. It was as if this knight brought forth the deadly heat of dragonflame itself, scorching fields to rid of any that dared step too close. 

For about a decade this persisted. The dragons' populace shrinking less, the Gryphites reinforcing their strengths. Sooner or later the world would revere their empire once more, of that they were sure.

Instead, the world retaliated with war.

A war magnitudes greater than they ever could've anticipated.

Handling a multitude of rebelling kingdoms and guilds was manageable. Multiple countries, let alone regions, was not- Even the elves and orcs shook hands on the very soil they once shed blood over. The entire world had banded together to wipe a small but stubborn speck off the map- To allow the regular folk to be their own incentives once more. To drive back the Gryphites where they rightfully belonged, hidden behind the mountain peaks that blocked the sunlight. To rid of this dragonblight that tainted as far as the eye could see.

If this was how the real world worked, then whatever Apollo had dutifully done before was child's play.

Shrieking roars and painful wails left and right. Gryphites, elves, orcs and many, many more wading through red lakes. Gryphons and dragons alike tumbling down from the skies like fallen angels. It wasn't a matter of when they'd be saved- And for the very first time in her existence, Apollo felt a terrifying, alien feeling. The dread of surviving. The fear of death and life simultaneously. The terror of it all ending as if nothing had ever mattered at all.

So she fled.

— ON THE DOWN LOW —

This unit was lost for a while, after leaving behind her loyalties so graciously. If it weren't for the Gryphites ultimately surrendering and retreating to their original grounds, she'd have been recalled to guard the last sentient dragon left. Without a doubt that'd be the fate of any survived Shimmerscales, otherwise dismantled and reduced to ashes alongside the fallen. The regular folk couldn't ever possibly know of her past, her duty, her origins- So she fled, into the world she'd been sheltered from since day one.

It'd have been easier, had she possessed illusion magic for a disguise. Her garb immediately gave away she'd be a mercenary or similar, yet it was the only thing that provided protection. Her wings would raise suspicions, but not completely outrule she could be unrelated to that global fiasco. Cluelessly hammering away and failing recoated paints took a while, to say the least. Luckily for this one, folk from remote places didn't care as much, and she was able to get aid in a miner's town far, far, far away from the central conflict.

The folk here didn't look anything like the ones she'd seen thus far. No resemblance of the usual eyes, nose and mouth- Instead, their limbs tangled reminescent of trees, and they danced in harmony with the earth as if they were one. Apollo soon came to learn they were plantfolk- Their origins similar, but from different masters. It formed a kinship she'd felt previously with fellow Shimmerscales- Leaving behind their original purpose, the knight was stuck in limbo trying to find new meaning. Sticking with these folk whom understood, made it all a tad less daunting- It was a bonus in turn too, for this town finally had someone who could practice fire magic safely.

As the years passed by, the knight had fallen into a comfortable routine, serving mostly as the town's protector, but also aiding their mining endeavours.. Not that it was as hectic as her past, far from even. Still relatively unkept with the world, it'd been another decade, flying by in a blink once more. She was lucky less folk raised eyebrows at her armour, as word of the once great Gryphites and dragons became quieter by the years.

The world had gained traction once more, with countries down to its individual citizens having newfound vigour. More folk she'd never seen the likes of before, dilly-dallying more with one another rather than sticking to their own. More towns, more kingdoms and even new rulerships she'd never heard of before- The sound of these 'adventurer's guilds' peaked her interest in particular. One reason being it seemed to be a stable way of living for mercenaries. Another reason, Apollo would fit right in with what she stood for.

Once more, she left behind her loyalties, in place for something new.

— A NEW SUNRISE —

There were times she wondered if the prospect of guarding something, was even to her tastes- Occurring most during the quiet, peaceful stretches she spent with the plantfolk. Occasionally she even wondered if she cared to begin with- Dropping her loyalties for the Gryphites almost felt easy, in hindsight. The miner's town was more devastated to see her go than she was herself. Had she no reason to fight for anything? No drive to thrive? Apollo hadn't had the faintest clue. The first guild she joined, was mostly out of self-preservation purposes. Nothing like a 'noble cause' or 'wanting to help folk in need' as was usually advertised on flyers. It almost felt comical, why would she of all things wonder about these concepts? She shouldn't have to- She wasn't meant for that sort of alien behaviour.

Yet the mild curiosity won her over.

It didn't click for a while, unsurprisingly.

Once more she'd witness the stupidity and mean-spiritedness of the general populace, now more up close than ever before. Petty thievery, unfair judgments, disregard for all but oneself- There were times she considered bringing it all down with her. What was the point of protecting these folk, if nothing could ever be as grand as what the Gryphites were previously?

Though, then a bit of the good shone through the cracks. There'd probably be nothing like the Gryphite Empire ever again, yet folk thrived in more.. Unique ways, without such a force overlooking them. Folk could care for their fellow men and pets akin to family, in a way that was somehow more devout than one's worship to dragons, deities, or whatever power held the reigns. Folk could stand together in the face of disaster despite the odds, as if they were an impenetrable fortress. The populace seemed to have this sense of resilience, that far outweighed the pride Apollo ever felt for her origins.

It was peculiarly intriguing, and Apollo desired to experience that feeling true, too.

In the following decades, eventually turning into centuries, Apollo travelled all over the world, joining and questing with guilds to see more and more. Usually sticking to her lonesome, eventually word travelled of a mysterious, winged mercenary- Quiet in her words, but warm in the safety she brought with her. As if she borrowed the sun and let it shine wherever it was needed. The first time the entire guild applauded her for a successful journey, Apollo felt a spark of what she could only hope was the feeling she'd been chasing- Genuine happiness and pride, rather than being spoon-fed her supposed ideals.

By then, her origins were nothing more than a fairy tale, legends oft shared with the curious and the adventurous. Detaching herself from what she once was, Apollo felt like her own- And by whatever greater force she swore, she wanted to be fully driven by herself from then on. Perhaps the Gryphites were wrong about the world- The knight was more than thrilled to find that out.

— THE SUN'S CHOSEN —

Revered as the one who brought the sun's warmth to the citizens of this world, word eventually went Apollo must be the sun's champion- It made sense to every elf knowing of this notion, perhaps to some orcs as well. Much like the deities they served, their champions could be worshipped, too. That didn't feel right.

That didn't feel right, in comparison to running quests for the humble folk- In comparison to helping out with the smaller and simpler troubles- In comparison to thankfully never being as grand as the Gryphites once were.

It frightened Apollo. By then the knight despised the idea of being put on a pedestal- She preferred everyone on equal footing! She preferred life experienced by everyone despite their origins! And yet.. Despite her protests, the folk didn't listen, some truly believing Apollo must be a walking miracle. She would've resisted for the rest of her existence, if it weren't for being approached by a literal deity one day.

As if someone was born out of the sun itself, walking down the rays onto the soil everyone stood on. In the blinding light appeared a fierce warrior with the upper body of an elf, but the lower of a chimera. Asphodelus, he introduced himself as, the elven deity of the sun, prosperity and war. He stood proud and tall, reminescent of how she once did for an empire long gone. Holding out his hand, a small flame shone brighter, slowly taking the shape of a miniature sun- Its warmth engulfing Apollo in a comfort as if she could feel it genuinely.

"Apollo, namesake of this world", Asphodelus spoke with authority yet warmth. "You have proven yourself a fighter and protector for this planet and its citizens, thus I have chosen you to be the champion of the sun."

At a loss for words, Apollo didn't know where to begin- "But I'm no elf!" she blurted out.

"No matter. That does not diminish my opinion."

"Isn't that one of the traditions? All champions ar-" Asphodelus cut her off.

"No matter, as I said. If anything, that is precisely why you are my choice."

She was lost. "Why? I don't want to be a holy symbol, I don't-"

The deity sighed, and even that sounded somehow ethereal. "You and I are more alike than you think. I will be frank- To exist as this, as something, as someone worthy of praise by merely being, it brings solitude and isolation. It is a burden."

Apollo would've raised an eyebrow. "This is supposed to convince me?"

"No. I merely wish to not share this experience on my own anymore. For that, I need an equal. A champion in formal terms, but informally an indivual who understands above all."

By far not the explanation she was expecting to hear- Perhaps this.. Would also do away with possible other conspiracies on her existence, considering she'd prefer not to be burned at the stake for being a supposed 'vampire' or 'undead'. Apollo couldn't believe she thought it, but this deity could possibly, as he put it, be a like-minded person- As well as a way to worm out of sneaking suspicions for the rest of her existence.

— THINLY VEILED LIGHT —

At the foot of a mountain, said to meet heaven each rise and dawn, stands her shrine in the shadow of the Sun Deity, Asphodelus. Much like the deities they serve, their champions are also revered by the general populace- For she was kindled Amaterasu, the one and only offspring the elven god ever had. For she was also revered as Apollo, the one to bring this planet its future and its prosperity, after the blazing trails of the shining star- Celebrating the birth of a sun anew each day.

.. If only they knew of the lie.

Long forgotten was the fact she was once the wielder of dragonflame itself.

A fake. A fraud. That's what she was.

Knowing nothing but to stay hidden all her life.

Yet it never came any easier to her. Sure, sentient armours were a little less unheard of ever since the Dragon Extinction- Nonetheless, Apollo never wanted to find out what mishaps would follow, were anyone to find out- Besides Asphodelus, that is, for he understood and related to her in a way that only particular folk could. Over the course of their, say, 'patrionage', they'd thus far gotten along quite well, to the point they could mutually call one another friends. Besides being prayed to and called for more often, Apollo luckily could mostly still live as she had previously- Minding her own business, questing, helping out the folk in need on equal grounds.

It was a relatively nice existence, she supposed- Even if 'by law' she required to usually stay in Valdryn, the elven region, it was still a large part of the world she could aid- After all, that was her sole drive for existing, if not that, she'd rather be smelted into an ingot. The knight even found a guild to stick to, more or less, Haevirndawn- Solely for the reason there was someone who understood it, Felmyst. A lone force much like her, revered yet outcast, they found one another to be good company, especially in complete silence. It's as if they were inseparable, yet no one would've guessed they were friends from a glance. Perhaps she had an affinity for finding and bonding with the odd ones out- Not that Apollo minded, for it made her feel a little less of an impostor.

After centuries of existence thus far, Apollo could definitely say that the Gryphites were so, so, so wrong about the world.

A relief, honestly, even if it took her eons to become her own individual.

— END OF DAWN —

The last thing on the champion's mind, was to retreat the second everything went wrong. It started with several missing Haevirndawn members, not that big of a deal. Felmyst was also missing amongst those, relatively a big deal, but he ought to be fine! More sightings of demonic entities, also manageable! Increased activity near settlements.. Not great, but doable! Another blink, and it was as if the planet was overrun with devilish creatures- Marking the End Of Dawn. Suddenly she was called for left and right and everywhere. Taking her position besides the blinding force that was Asphodelus, as well as other deities the populace cried out for- How could they not, in the face of disastrous carnage?

Little had Apollo space to think of anything else, but to fight and defend and guard like her whole existence depended on it. No singular shred of the fear she once had of life and death. No singular worry whether she should surpress her prowess lest she lashed out too much. No singular anything holding the champion back- In an odd, somewhat sick way, Apollo hadn't ever felt this alive- Shrieks of demonic foes falling by her magic, as if music to the ears. Their blood seeping through the greaves of her armour, as if laden by the sea. Screams of fellow folk, comrades and companions alike, as if sharing their battle cries.

It was then, the veil kept up for eons, had fallen.

Nothing to fear, for she was revered for eons too by then, and the folk celebrated with her once the worst had passed.

A sigh of relief.

Metaphorically, of course, although it was short-lived. Soon thereafter, Apollo heard what came of Felmyst and the other missing Haevirndawn members. Most returned alive, yet it still came as a gut punch to hear her friend didn't. The knight was one of the few attending Felmyst's funeral, having the honours to start the fire to lead him into the afterlife. It was a little easier, knowing in his last moments, he had made up with his rival, and was at peace with passing on. Grieving came all down to Apollo herself though, as this time someone had left her, instead of doing the usual leaving herself.

A plethora of feelings and experiences she'd lived through by then- She'd adjust with time, even if it took a few decades.

What the knight didn't account for, however, was that she was still accepted as Asphodelus' champion, even seen as a deity in her own regard- A symbol of reverence for lost spirits and sentient entities much like herself. Perhaps this was the first step for her kind to normalcy- It was too early to tell, she thought. Nonetheless, Apollo finally understood what she was- After eons, the champion could finally fully embrace her position and role.

Where the world met the sun, there Apollo stood, basking in the sun- Enjoying the light that glimmered off her armour, reminescent of shimmering stars- The Sun's Reverence glowed with a radiance unparalleled.