Ruska

Something stirred in the blackest depths of the deepest oceans. An ancient creature unused to the cold darkness of the waking world. A she dragon with no name and no memory. Yet she worried not about this.1

In the dark and the silence you needed no name. Names and titles meant nothing here. And if you did have such things you would lose them eventually. When you had been here as long as she had you lost everything to the darkness: your memories, your name, even yourself. The ocean claimed everything that entered it, even those things that went unseen.2

But something called to her now, tugging her towards a world full of light, and names. In the world of the named there was no place for the nameless. She knew not her name, nor if she had ever had one.3

Ruska, it tugged at her mind, pulling her towards the world above. It was an empty word to her. It held no meaning, yet all the meaning in the world. Such a powerful word, such an empty word.4

Ruska, it was urgent now, almost desperate. Whoever called needed her help, and she had not much time. This word, this empty word, would have to do. In the world about she would call herself Ruska. Ruska of the nameless waters. Ruska of the dark and the silence of the depths unknown to all but those who resided there. She would call this empty word her name, it was an empty name.5

Ruska, it pulled harder now, coaxing her body into motion. As she moved the creatures of the cold world around her scattered in fear. In one swift movement she had shattered their world as the empty word had shattered hers.6

She stretched near frozen limbs, letting frozen blood flow warm once again. She shiften cold, stiff wings that scattered stiff ice into the surrounding darkness. Eyes that saw through the blackness opened slowly, glowing with a light of their own. She was alive again, alive and headed towards a world she no longer remembered. Towards people and things she did not know now.7

She would long again for the silent dark, she knew this. But another adventure and an old friend she would discover again through new eyes awaited above, and so above she would go. The things of the darkness below sent silent goodbyes to her as she left them behind for a world they could not enter and live.8

She headed towards the world above slowly. It was a world unready for the dragon. A world full of war and crime and other things that she could no longer remember. A world unready for Ruska, Ruska of the deepest depths.