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Introduction

I am Maldijo the Draik. I believe it says Fire Draik, but I am truly a Black Draik with Fire tatoos. When I was born, there were no such things as Fire Draiks. But Black Draiks were abundant. Now, they have all died out, except for me, to my knowledge, and to blend in, I took the guise of the Fire Draik. Also, I am not owned by the human I live with, I am merely a companion. I chose her. She did not choose me. And when she dies, I shall choose another human, and on into eternity. Such is the curse of immortality.

Story

I suppose you want me to tell you that I was happy from the day I was hatched, and I frolicked in the pristine meadows along with the other Draiks in my flock. But, alas, that would not be the truth.

Shortly after I was hatched, I was stolen by a dark faerie who was an ancester of that vile Jhudora. I do not like Jhudora very much. But I digress. This faerie, who I choose not to name, raised me to be evil, so that I could perform her nasty deeds. And I can tell you that I really enjoyed doing them. I captured faeries all over pre-human Neopia and brought them back to my master so that she could perform her experiments on them.

This work did not go unnoticed by the other faeries, however. They appealed to the Moon Faerie, ancestress of today's Space Faerie, and she came to see what was going on. She came up behind me one day, as I was close to the end of yet another faerie hunt, and placed a spell on me so that I could neither run nor yell for help. She then told me that , because I had caused the deaths of so many faeries, she was placing a curse on me, the curse of immortality. A bright, bluish-white light surrounded me and lifted me up, and the next thing I knew I was awakening on the forest floor with a terrible headache.

For many months, I thought it was all a dream. The only evidence to the contrary was the sudden appearance of a moon symbol on both my forehead and my stomach. And as I had been out of contact with Draiks for years, having been shunned by them because of the work I did, I wasn't entirely sure that those markings weren't normal.

Seasons passed, and years passed, and I continued my work for the dark faerie. However, there was no denying it: I was not getting even a day older. Now, Draiks live a long time, as I'm sure you know, but I was beginning to suspect that something was wrong. In another few years, I was certain that the curse was real.

Convinced that I truly was cursed for my work, and therefore unable to die, I began to desire a way to reverse it. Perhaps if I merely quit my service to the faerie, I would be free of the curse? I began plotting my escape, as I was cerain it would not be easy.

The day of my escape came, and, as I had predicted, it was quite difficult. I am certain only my immortality saved me. It was then that I gained the blue scar across my left eye. But at least now I was free, and had to call no one Master. Certainly now, I thought, the curse will be lifted? Unfortunately I was wrong. I am cursed to this day.

I have seen the rise and fall of many things, and watched as my kind died out. I have witnessed the humans as they discovered Neopia, and I am sure that one day I shall witness them leave it. I have seen many generations of Draiks born and die, and have felt the disappointment as each new generation shuns me as the last one did. I believe that they can sense the evil I once did, although I have long since repented, and I know that not one of them knows exactly why they shun me, since they do not know my past. I have tried to blend in, of course, but I am always recognized for what I am: different.

Markings

I do not look like other Fire Draiks. This is because I am a Black Draik, and the Fire Markings were tatooed on later, after my kind had disappeared. Therefore, in addition to the average Fire markings, I also have some markings on my face. My ear flaps are the same dark grey as the rest of me, and I do not have a scaly stomach. On my forehead and stomach you will find a blue moon, remnants of the curse the Moon Faerie placed on me. Across my left eye you will find a scar that some people mistake for a tear, a reminder of the battle I won in escaping the dark faerie. I wear a brown leather necklace with an ancient gold coin on it, a trinket I stole from a light faerie in my faerie catching days. Some people mistake it for a collar, but it is not. I call no human Master. I have both of my ear flaps pierced with a gold hoop earring, on the right near the top and on the left near the bottom. They are also much thicker than those of the Draiks of today, not just pitiful skin stretched between bones. Also, my left wing is pierced with a silver hoop earring. These were all rewards from the dark faerie for various difficult captures.

Brian

Brian is my Ona. I don't know why, but as I was out wandering one chilly night in early October, an Ona began to follow me. He followed me for about five miles before I gave up upon losing him and I picked him up instead. He is the first creature to have shown compassion to me my entire life, and I feel an emotion for him that I have never felt before: love. I hope Brian's arrival signals a beginning for all other creatures to stop shunning me. He is soft, warm, and fairly helpless, like a baby. I protect him with my life.

Pictures

The human I have chosen to live with, Mary Catherine, has insisted upon drawing me. I do not know why. But I feel I must put these pictures up. She wants me to let you know that they are very old, however. The picture to the left is the most recent and what I look like.

Actually, I rather enjoy this picture. It shows that I can be happy, even if I do not express it outwardly. I also think I look wise.

I like this one too. It's probably Mary Catherine's best picture of me so far....

Hmmm. I like this one. I believe Mary Catherine is good at capturing my emotions.

This one has a strange appeal to me. I believe Mary Catherine is getting better at drawing.

This is a picture of me before I was cursed, just as I catch a light faerie.

Fan Art

These humans are strange creatures. They all seem to want to draw pictures of me. Mmmmm. I suppose I can allow this to continue, and even show you some as well.

laffy_taffy3

This is a picture the human Taffy drew of me. I am celebrating the fourth birthday of Zoey, her Draik. I have no idea what Taffy meant by congratulating me. I have always been a Draik. Really.

doopid_chicken1

MC: Eeeee! Thanks, Sophie! *tackleglompclingbearhugchewchewgnaw*
Dijo: *stare* Please excuse my Human. But I do think this is a nice picture.

Heh. This is what I'd look like if I ever tried to fight in the Battle Dome.

Directories

*sigh* The Human likes to show me off. So here are the Draik Directories I am listed in. I don't like being associated with so many Draiks. None of them like me.

This one, at least, is for Brian.

Other

The Human has done some other stuff for me that I feel should be listed here.

My Neopet Code:
NC=NdramW2ScDCfymscaErAimT[distant]L[1]Y[0]N[2]B-M[blk/wyt]
HpeIswn;;[across left eye]G[TIS]

BC History:

On my lookup at the time, I asked people to vote for the picture at left to make the Human happy. Well, I got 416 votes, first Draik, and sixth Overall. You made the Human happy. You also made me... happy, I suppose. Draik is a very difficult category, and yet in that week I got a full third of all votes cast. This may be a sign of things finally turning up for me.

Yes, hope springs eternal. I wish it wouldn't.