Adult Female
Name: unnamed
Species: Umber Arkai
Birthday: Monday, January 2, 2012
Owner: alisette
Element: Light 
By the time an arkai has reached adulthood, it has fully grown into its powers. These birds have mastered the element of light, and at times shine with it. Once a year they gather to mate, and the sky is brightened with their ritual dances. The eggs are easy enough to find, their glows acting like beacons, visible from miles away. Because of this, adults guard their nests constantly, with at least one adult always on the lookout. Once fully grown into their powers, arkai birds are not easy creatures to defeat. These lovely companions are capable of conjuring bolts of lightning down from the sky. These lightning bolts are carefully aimed at any enemy, and decimate anything they hit. Like all powers, though, this magic will eventually tire the arkai, making them more susceptible to attack. These skills are not commonly needed at the castle, where fights are kept to a minimum, but arkai like to travel far and wide. They are ideal companions for travel, needing no more sleep than their magi and supplying their own meals. Arkai gain their energy from the sun itself, needing no more sustenance than its rays. They appear somewhat reptilian in nature, as they are distant cousins of quetzalcoatls. Arkai birds come in many varying colors, though the newest arrivals at The Keep are widely varied. Some come in light shades of bronze, some are a dusky red, and others are purple or dark grey. All bear the stunning feathers their kind are famous for.
Arkai birds are so named because of their resemblance to the magical lights that the Arkai magi create. These magi use their scientific and magical skills to create dazzling displays known as firelights. The lights come in many different colors, much like the arkai birds themselves. The arkai are almost exclusively found in the lands surrounding the arkai magi's homes, as those magi have taken them as their favorite companions. The order of the Arkai believe light holds the secrets of the universe, and they have dedicated their lives to studying the element. Because of this, arkai birds are usually their companions, as the birds hold power over light. These beautiful creatures also are more than happy to assist their human companions in their work, in exchange for friendship and a safe place to make their nests. Arkai birds do not have many enemies, for the ability to produce explosions that devastate the landscape is all the protection they have need of. The only threat is the occasional poacher, who would be foolish to approach one of these valuable birds or steal an egg. Wild arkai birds are found south of Voltar, where the land is too hot for most creatures to survive. Here, where volcanoes erupt often and dangerous lava forms streams, is where the arkai magi make their homes. It is most stunning during the night, when the heat loses some of its strength. Then these birds show up beautifully against the dark sky, their feathers bright against the blackness. They almost seem to shine from within, making the hot journey more than worth the effort.
Sprite art: Rijolt/GlassWalker (adult) | Description: Damien