Power rangers: Dragon Riders
Chapter one: Return of the Riders
Disclaimer I do not own Power Rangers or the Inheritance Cycle
It was an ordinary day in blue bay harbor and the three former wind rangers sat around ninja ops.
"Man, I'm bored, since we defeated Lothor nothing exciting has happened," said Dustin,
"Be careful what you wish for," said Sensei wisely.
Suddenly an alarm went off,
"What's up?" asked Tori,
"I'm picking up an anomalous energy reading just outside of town in a cave at the base the mountains," said Cam.
"Let's go check it out," said Shane as they headed for the exit as they reached it Sensei stopped them.
"Be careful," He said.
"We will Sensei," said Shane as he and the others left ninja ops and headed for the cave when they arrived Dustin looked around.
"Dude, this place is huge!" He said amazed at the sheer size of the cavern that they were in
"Check that out," said Tori as she pointed to a stone column in the center of the room upon which rested an ancient scroll Shane walked over to the column, picked up the scroll, unfurled it, and began to read aloud,
"Long ago the earth was defended by warriors who rode into battle astride mighty dragons. Legends tell of their skills in both hand-to-hand combat and magic. It is said that these Dragon Riders where immortal unless blade or poison took them.
They protected the land for thousands for years, only for good where their powers used," said Shane as he rolled the scroll back up and set it down on the column again.
"What happened to them?" asked Dustin,
As he did, a woman of about twenty-one entered the cavern from a small room concealed in the wall, She was tall and slim with dark hair, pale skin, and emerald green eyes,
"They where betrayed by one of their own, Many were killed, The ones that survived fought back bravely and finally killed the traitor and his dragon along with him, and hid the three remaining eggs until their riders could be found," she said.
The ex-rangers looked around and immediately entered fighting stances.
"Who are you?" asked Tori,
The woman spoke again. "I am Aryonna, I am the guardian of the legacy of the Dragon Riders, and I mean you no harm unless you mean to harm the eggs," She said gesturing towards what looked like three large smoothly polished stones sitting on three large silk cushions: they where each about a foot long, and each was a different color,
The first was a deep crimson with black veins that spider-webbed over its surface the second was sapphire blue and had bronze veins over its surface the last was the color of pure gold,
"Those are eggs?" asked Dustin
"Yes, the last three dragon eggs on earth my people have been guarding them for a thousand years ever since Throck'tar was defeated," said Aryonna,
"I have waited patiently for nearly two hundred years for the day when the eggs in my care would hatch heralding the new age of the riders," said Aryonna as she rested a hand gently on the golden egg and smiled at it,
"Are you human?" asked Shane,
"No I am not, I am an elf," said Aryonna as she pulled back her long sheet of raven hair to reveal pointed ears,
"How will you know when the Riders have been found?" asked Tori,
"When the dragon within an egg senses the presence of its chosen rider it will hatch but only then. Many of my people have hoped that one of the eggs would hatch for them," said Aryonna.
"May we try?' asked Tori,
"I don't see why not," said Aryonna kindly, Tori approached the eggs, reached out a slightly shaking hand towards the blue egg, and lifted it from its resting place admiring its polished surface,
"It's beautiful," as she said this, the egg emitted a squeak Tori dropped it in surprise but it did not break,
It merely emitted another squeak this one louder than the first she touched it once more when she removed her hand a small crack appeared in the shell then another and another they grew larger until the egg finally split open and a baby dragon emerged,
"Oh it's so cute," said Tori as she reached out her right hand and touched the small creature on its head, but quickly pulled her hand back as she felt surge of icy energy shoot into her hand and race up her arm. Burring in her veins like liquid fire. She fell back but Dustin caught her before she hit the floor of the cave.
"What happened to her?" he asked angrily,
"She has bonded with her dragon this is normal she will be fine," said Aryonna calmly and finally after what seemed like an eternity. Tori stirred, and opened her eyes,
"Are you okay?" Dustin asked,
"My arm hurts!" said Tori as she tried to move her right hand. She slowly flexed her fingers and looked down at her palm in the center was a slivery mark in the shape of an oval,
"What is that?" asked Shane,
"It is called the Gedwëy Ignasia or Shining Palm in the Ancient Languageit is the symbol of the bond between rider and dragon, and a mark of great honor," said Aryonna.
Dustin helped Tori to her feet. She bent down. Her dragon walked over, and she picked it up it chirped happily and crawled up to her shoulder.
Dustin reached out to pet the small creature. It snapped at his finger, and scuttled down Tori's arm. Spread its wings, and glided to the floor,
"Dustin, are you okay?" asked Tori concerned that Dustin might be hurt the dragon's teeth might be small but they were very sharp.
"Yeah it didn't break the skin," said Dustin Tori turned to the dragon at her feet she suddenly felt something brush against her consciousness like a tendril of thought.
It was as if the barrier around her thoughts had fallen away she could sense curiosity she pulled back from what she suddenly realized was her dragon's mind.
She reached out with her mind again, and touched the dragon's consciousness this time she felt a powerful gnawing hunger. She drew back into her own mind and looked around for something to feed the little dragon.
"Aryonna, I think my dragon is hungry," said Tori,
"Yes he is. Wait here and I'll go get some food for him," said Aryonna as she left the room retuning a few minutes later with three large pieces of dried meat.
She sat two of them on a large wooden table and handed the third to Tori, Who tore it into pieces and began to feed her dragon,
Once he had eaten all of the food she picked him up she noticed that the spikes along its back where the same color as the veins that covered the shell of the egg, Fragments of which still littered the floor of the cave,
"Tori have you thought of a name for you dragon yet?" asked Shane.
"I think I'll call him Riot," She said.
"I like it," said Dustin.
"Me too," said Shane.
Riot gave a small roar of approval.
"I think he likes it," said Dustin,
"That was my dragon's name," said Aryonna.
"What happened to him?" asked Tori.
"He died in the war against Throck'tar. He defended me valiantly but was killed by a poisoned arrow we tried everything but it was no use," said Aryonna sadly, a single tear rolling down her cheek and falling to the floor.
"Aryonna I had no idea if you'd like I can choose a different name," said Tori
"I would be honored for you to use the name it would be a fitting tribute to Riot's memory," said Aryonna smiling as Tori's dragon explored the cavern.
"Thank you Aryonna we'll try to make you proud," said Tori.
She turned to Dustin who had approached the two remaining eggs and reached out for the red one he picked it up and waited for a moment but nothing happened so he sat it back on the cushion, and placed his hand over the gold one it wobbled on its cushion and cracked.
"I guess this one's mine," said Dustin as the crack grew and another one appeared than another and a small piece of the shell where the three cracks met lifted off and fell to the floor and the head of a golden dragon emerged.
It looked up and gave an excited squeak after five minutes the egg split open completely and the tiny dragon approached Dustin he reached out to let it sniff his hand. It nibbled his sleeve.
"Be careful Dustin," said Tori.
"I will Tor," He said as he reached out and brushed the dragon's flank,
It was as he had received an electric shock his muscles tensed and he screamed in agony as he fell to the floor.
He lay there for nearly forty-five minutes while his dragon explored the cave.
"Dude, that hurt!" he said when he finally sat up he shook his head the small golden dragon approached him squeaking happily.
"Hey there girl," he said stroking her head softly.
"How do you know it's a girl?" asked Shane.
"I don't know. I just do," said Dustin as he stood up and stretched Aryonna walked over and looked at Dustin's dragon, which was now tugging on his shoelace.
"She seems quite taken with you. Never before have I seen a bond between a dragon, and its rider form so quickly," she said.
"Have you chosen a name for her?" she asked.
"Aurora, because of her scales," said Dustin turned to Aurora and reached out with his mind, Hello, Aurora you are very beautiful, He said,
She squeaked happily and resumed tugging on his shoelace until the knot came undone; He reached down and tied it again. She looked at Dustin,
"Aurora, why did you untie my shoe?" he asked. She just blinked.
"Tori hand me some food," said Dustin Tori handed Dustin the second strip of dried meat and he began to feed Aurora she ate veraciously.
When the last piece was gone, she curled up next to Dustin and yawned tiny curls of smoke rising from her nostrils.
"Your turn man," said Dustin.
"Is this going to hurt?" Shane asked.
"Oh yeah it does," said Dustin,
"You will be fine. The reaction is different from one person to the next," said Aryonna.
"I'll do it anyway," said Shane as he gritted his teeth and touched the last remaining egg, which wobbled, squeaked, and cracked after a moment the crack grew larger than two more cracks formed in the shell.
They grew until the egg split open and the final hatchling emerged, It stretched its wings, opened it jaws, and let out a squeak, It walked timidly over to Shane who held out his right hand for the dragon it sniffed and squeaked happily,
Shane stroked the hatchling's head gently He shuddered in pain at a wave of energy flowed through him he dropped to his knees and fell sideways onto the floor of a cavern.
He lay motionless for what seemed lake hours until he finally felt the wave of energy subside; His head throbbed painfully as he stood up.
"Waspinator has a headache in his whole body," he groaned shaking his head to clear it Regretting it immediately as this only caused the pain to intensify,
His dragon looked up at him he reached out and contacted the hatchling telepathically he sensed that it was hungry,
He crossed the cavern and picked the last piece of dried meat from the table he began to tear it into small pieces and began to feed his dragon, when the last piece of meat was gone, he got down on the floor, and his dragoon jumped into his lap, and wagged its tail happily.
"This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!" said Shane excitedly
"I know man, this is like so awesome," said Dustin as Aurora scampered about playing happily with Riot,
"Have you picked a name yet?" asked Tori. Shane thought for a moment.
"What about Draco?" asked Shane. His dragon shook its head.
"I don't think he likes it," said Tori.
"Dude, isn't that the name of that mean kid from the Harry Potter books?" asked Dustin.
"Yeah, but it's also the Latin word for dragon," said Tori.
"Huh?" asked Dustin.
"Never mind," said Tori shaking her head.
"Wait I have an even better idea," said Shane.
"Well spit it out man," said Dustin.
"I think I'll call him O'card," said Shane
"Very clever, you took Draco and spelled it backwards," said Tori.
"I got the idea from you using an anagram of your name for your dragon," said Shane.
"I see someone was paying attention in English last week," said Tori.
"What happens next?" Shane asked as he got up from the floor still holding O'card.
"You will begin your training as riders tomorrow we'll have to start out slow because magic uses energy just like running.
In fact, the more powerful a spell is the more energy it takes. I have seen many wizards in training die because they tried something they weren't ready for, but we'll start with the most basic spells healing lifting small objects and depending on how well it goes maybe even some combat spells," said Aryonna.
Dustin walked over and Aurora ran to him as fast as her legs would carry her. He picked her up, and she squeaked happily.
"How long do dragons live?" asked Tori.
"They are immortal they can live for millennia as long as nothing happens to their Rider, they are not mortally wounded, and they don't get sick," said Aryonna.
"What happens to a dragon if its Rider is killed?" asked Dustin,
"As they draw their last breath they hear the sound of their dragon's dying roar, for if a Rider is killed their dragon dies with them," said Aryonna sadly.
"Dude, that's harsh," said Dustin.
"Wait if dragons only live as long as their riders how can they live for millennia?" asked Tori.
"Didn't you hear me read the scroll? Dragon Riders could only die if they were poisoned or killed by a sword," said Shane.
"What time is it?" asked Tori.
Shane looked at his watch "Five thirty."
"Oh man is it really that late?" asked Tori.
"Yeah, why?" asked Shane.
"I have to go pick Lily from soccer at six I gotta go," said Tori as she set Riot down on the floor and headed for the exit of the cavern, Before she had made it more than a few paces, Riot let out a loud chirp,
Tori turned to see the small creature looking up at her she reached out with her mind,
Riot, I will be back tomorrow. I promise, now go play. She said Riot wagged his tail and scampered off to rejoin Aurora.
Dustin and Shane followed her out of the cavern and they returned home for the day.