DRAKES -(DRAGONS)

SHORT STORY PART 1

IN THE WORLD OF KRŸȽON ON THE ISLE CALLED DŪNE - THE DESERT LANDS OF THE BAȐRENS ARE THE HOME TO SMALL 3 FOOT TO 4 FOOT DRAGONS THAT NEVER GET ANY LARGER AND HAVE NO BREATH WEAPON YET THEY HAVE SHARP CLAWS AND VERY SHARP TEETH TO RIP AND TEAR THEIR PREY APART. USUALLY THIS IS A SMALL 1 FOOT KANGARAT OR THE DELICIOUS WӮRMS (WEIRM) THAT GET TO BE ABOUT 15 FEET IN LENGTH AND UP TO 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER AT MAX AND ABOUT 4 DRAKES ARE NEEDED TO TAKE ONE OF THESE DOWN KNOWN AS A VENERABLE WӮRM. WӮRMS HAVE NO EYES AND MOVE SIDE TO SIDE DEEP IN THE SAND MAKING TUNNELS AND MANY HOLES THAT THE DRAKES SEEK TO HUNT. SOME FORM LARGE SOLID SANDSTONE FORMS TO MAKE CAVES. THE DRAKES TOOK MOST OF THE LARGE SOLID CAVES FOR THEIR OWN AFTER THEY WIPED MOST OF THE LARGE OLD WӮRMS OUT. DRAKES HAVE 3 FOOT WING SPANS ON EACH SIDE IN A BAT LIKE FORM. THEIR EYES ARE JEWELLIKE IN YELLOW OR LIGHT BLUE HUES AND SOLID STRIPE PUPILS CAN HAVE EDGES OF VARING HUES OF ORANGE AND RED OR DEEP BLUE AND PURPLE.

ONE DAY ASTRAYA WAS TRAVELING WITH HER FRIENDS LOOKING FOR AN ANCIENT RUINED CITY OF MAGIC SEEKING A STONE THAT COULD PENETRATE THE DARK EVIL KHAOS KNOWN AS 'ILK 'S FOG WHICH THE HUMES (HUMANS) NAME IT THE MYRKFOG BECAUSE ITS PITCH BLACK AND NOT MUCH CAN BE SEEN THROUGH IT WHEN IT CREEPS ALONG CONSUMING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH TO BE BE ONE WITH THE SHADOWS. THIS STONE IS CALLED THE DARKSTONE FOR IT CAN BE A LIGHT SOURCE AND IS IN THE HISTORIANS BOOK OF PROPHECY TO HAVE BEEN USED BY THIS ANCIENT CITY TO TELEPORT TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THERE MAGI CITY MANY CENTURIES BEFORE. THE DARK STONES WERE GLOWING WITH COLOURS LIKE THE FIRE OPALS WE SEE TODAY MIXED IN WITH DEEP PURPLE CRYSTAL FORMING SHARDS. THE SHADES OF UNDEAD CALLED THE UDU (ŌŌ /OO-D- U /YEW) WOULD ALSO BE TURNED TO DUST WITH A MAGI RUNE WORD HOWEVER THE BOOK DOESN'T KNOW THE WORD. HOWEVER ASTRAYA SEEKS THIS STONE OR STONES IF ANY CAN BE FOUND PLUS ANY MAGICK GALƉR (SPELLS) THAT SHE CAN FIND TO AIDE AGAINST THIS ON SLAUGHT OF MYRKFOG AND 'ILK. THE MAGI CITY'S NAME IS TULA (T-ŌŌ /OO-LAH) AND THE STONE WOULD PENETRATE WITHIN AT LEAST 10 FOOT RADIUS OF LIGHT SO ONE NORMALLY BLINDED COULD SEE AND THIS GLOW COULD POSSIBLY TURN THE TIDES OF 'ILK TRYING TO CONSUME AND DESTROY EVEYRONE ON KRŸȽON, THE STONE HAS A DARK PURPLE GLOW NORMALLY WHICH IS TOO DARK AS A LIGHT SOURCE EXCEPT WHEN UP AGAINST THE MYRKFOG IT WOULD BE A BRIGHT LIGHT VIOLET HUE SO CLOSE TO WHITE THAT THIS WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING IF SHE COULD FIND JUST A HANDFUL OF CLUSTERS.

THE RAGING WAR ACROSS THE LANDS AGAINST THE 'ILK HORDES MUST END AND THE WARRIORS NEED HOPE AND THESE STONES WOULD BE A START... RIGHT NOW MANY OF THE HOBLIEN FOLK (HOBBITS) AND WEE FOLK (FEY) THAT HAVE THE SIGHT

ARE GUIDES IN THIS DARKNESS BUT THEIR RACE IS DYING OUT WITH THIS BATTLE AND THESE SHARDS COULD GIVE AIDE TO ALL AND SAVE THESE RACES THAT ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN SEE IN THIS MYRKY MESS...

TRAVELING AS THE DUST ROLLS IN AND THE SMALL GROUP CARRY THEMSELVES THROUGH THE HEAT BEATING DOWN ON THEM FROM A VERY BRIGHT SIRIUS STAR AND THE HUES MIX AND BLEND LESS FROM THE SIRIUS A AND SIRIUS B STARS (SUNS) SO MOST THINGS ARE BLINDING IN THIS DESERT LAND OF WHITE THEN AT NIGHT MORE ORANGE AND MIDNIGHT BLUES MIXED IN THE SKYLINES.... THERE ARE

THESE GOOGLES MADE WITH SLITS TO COVER AND PROTECT AND WORK AS SHADES THE GLASS IS EQUAL TO OUR WELDING HELMS FOR PROTECTION.

APOLLO SHOUTS TO ASTRAYA AS HE RUNS CHANGING INTO A DOG THERE IS A STORM COMING WE HAVE TO FIND SHELTER FROM THAT WHICH COMES EASTWARD.

URIEL SAYS TO ASTRAYA THROUGH A MINDLINK TELEPATHIC SENSE WHICH ASTRAYA CAN RECEIVE CLEARER THAN SEND - THERE IS A ROCK CAVE JUST OVER THE RIDGE ASTRAYA. AS SHE DISMOUNTS URIEL SHE SAYS, "MY FRIEND I BELIEVE WE ALL NEED A REST ANYHOW ITS BEEN A LONG UNEVENTFUL TRIP TIL NOW THIS STORM APPROACHES TO MAKE IT EVEN WORSE." DARIN A DWARF ('WARF) SAYS AS HE IS RUNNING TO THE ROCK ENTRANCE WELL ITS PROBABLY A WӮRM HOLE SO WE WILL BE EATEN BY IT AND NO MORE WORRIES AFTER THAT. ASTRAYA SAYS BACK WELL I WOULD RATHER BE FIGHTING A GIANT BLINDED FLUKE WORM CREATURE LEACH THING THAN THE SANDSTORM ANY DAY... ITS A GOOD FIGHT TO DIE WITH HONOR WHERE AS IN A STORM LIKE THAT ITS STRAIGHT TO THE LOWER LEVELS FOR US ALL TO WORK BACK FROM SO ...

THE ROCK CAVE IS ALSO COOLER THAN THIS HEAT THAT SLOWS US TO A CRAWL AND TAKES SO MUCH WATER TO COMPENSATE FOR I AM READY FOR THAT.

THERE IS JUST A ENOUGH CRAG CRACK TO SHIELD US ALL FROM THAT STORM.

APOLLO REACHED THE ROCK CAVE FIRST AS HE SHOUTS BACK TURNING BACK TO A HUME FORM. WITH A SCAN OF HIS SENSES HE SHOUTS BACK TO DARIN WELL NO WӮRM CURRENTLY LEAVES IN THIS AND HASN'T FOR A VERY LONG TIME WE ARE SAFE. URIEL REACHED SECOND AS DARIN AND ASTRAYA FOLLOWED IN THE CAVE AFTER. URIEL LIT HIS HORN SOON IN THE CAVE SO THAT ALL COULD SEE AS IF A SPOT LIGHT TORCH OR LANTERN HUNG IN ITS SMALL CAVERN. THE FOUR HUNCHED DOWN BREAKING THERE BAGS FROM THEIR BACKS TO FORM FOUR BED ROLLS. AND APOLLO FOUND A TREE ROOT AND BROKE OFF SOME OF THE SMALL VEINS TO MAKE LOGS FOR A FIRE AS THE ROAR OF THE SAND STORM STARTED WHIRLING AROUND THE ROCKS .... WHICH HELD IN PLACE PERFECTLY AGAINST THIS PRESSURE. ON THE FARTHEREST WALL URIEL'S LIGHT SHINED AS DARIN SAID LOOK... THOSE ARE CREATURE MADE OH ITS A CAVE PAINTING HOW COOL. ASTRAYA ASKED URIEL " DO YOU KNOW WHICH TRIBE THIS PAINTING IS FROM? " HOLDING A STONE IN HER HAND FROM HER NECKLACE TO SPEAK BACK TO HIM TELEPATHICALLY.

URIEL SAID NO "BUT FROM THE LOOKS OF IT THIS IS DRAKE SKRATCH AND ETCHED SO THAT IS ALL I CAN TELL." ASTRAYA SAID OUT LOUD WELL I THOUGHT THE DRAKES WERE ALL BUT A MYTH DARIN SAID NO THEY WERE REAL THEY FOUGHT THE DREADED GIANT WӮRMS BEFORE THE MOSTLY ALL WERE TURNED TO THE MYRKFOG 'ILK ONLY A HANDFUL I KNOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESIST THAT URG TO TURN... MANY ENDED UP FIGHTING THEIR OWN KIND ... BROTHERS, SISTERS, MOTHERS AND FATHERS. THIS SORT OF LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A RECORD OF THAT BATTLE. THEN THEY ALL HEAR A LOUD ROAR FROM THE BACK OF THE CAVE

KNOWING THAT IS NOT A STORM SOUND.... ALL PULL THEIR WEAPONS OUT AND URIEL TURNS THE LIGHT THAT DIRECTION....

- - -

TO BE CONTINUED....