Hi all,
It's been a while since I've written a post about the lore of Elemental Dragons and I don't think I've covered this topic too much before.
First of all, what is a Nothing?
In the Elemental Dragons universe, a person or dragon whose partner dies is considered a Nothing. This is because it is really hard to exist without the other.
There are a few examples of Nothings in the books, but the main one that's shown is Bluey (aka Muddy). When he's introduced in Venom and Earth, he is shown without a human companion. The group takes him in with them and he travels with them. But he can't get too close to the city without a human as otherwise they would target him as a Nothing.
What happens to Nothings?
For humans, they're immediately thrown out of any camp that they're in if they're under nineteen. All of their work towards their education is discarded and they are forced to enter the adult world with nothing but the clothes on their back. They don't get the same job opportunities as everyone else and they are looked down upon for having a dead dragon.
For dragons, they are immediately taken to zoos or farms to perform as entertainment. They can be ridden on and fed but they are not treated well. They are not allowed to exist on their own in the wild as they are considered a drain on the ecosystem. This is best seen with Russet and Moon in the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection.
Can two Nothings pass as companions?
At the end of Cinder and Fire, it's shown that Marco and Cerberus have joined up and are passing off as each other's companions. This can be common for Nothings but very few get away with this in the longterm. The ones that do get away with it tend to have the same elements. If their elements differ, it's a lot harder to get away with.
One day I'd love to write a book about Nothings in the Elemental Dragons universe. But before I start on that I'm going to finish the Original Elementals series. Maybe after that I can focus on what the next series of the universe will be.
That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.
