This is my story, and it starts with Dragons.

Chapter One: The Beginning

1978- Undisclosed location in the Italian Mountains

Alazel pulled his cloak around him tighter. The wind cut through the heavy fabric without mercy. He pulled the hood over his silvering black hair and tromped through the snow.

He had to find her. Time was running out. Where was she? He had to find her. She would die in this weather.

He paused, closing his eyes and sinking into a trance. He sent his mind out, threading through the dead trees, the snow, the ground. There she was.

He set off after her, growing closer to her life force.

There was a small cave, and he could just make out her blood red cloak in the gray interior. Alazel rushed up the steep slope and joined her in the cave.

"Kaida, Kaida, are you alright?" Alazel whispered, cupping her cheek slowly. The woman looked up at him. She was truly the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her skin was as white as the snow outside. Her hair was a deep red, nearly black and reached her waist. Her eyes were red, with a silted pupil. She reached out a hand and grasped Alazel's.

"It's coming," she gasped painfully, her eyes hazy with pain. He glanced down, a frown on his face.

"Here, now?"

She nodded, covering her swollen belly with her other hand.

"But, it's too soon…" Alazel whispered, his eyes darting to her stomach. Kaida gave a small scream.

"It is not going to wait, Alazel." She grasped his hand. "You have to take care of it, promise me!"

He looked at her; his blue eyes boring into her red ones. "I promise."

Kaida fell backward, crying out in pain. She spread her legs, pushing hard. Alazel repositioned himself, waiting for the child. Kaida screamed, her eyes clenching shut. Alazel gasped, "I can see the head," he whispered to her softly.

"Just, just make it stop!" Kaida cried out. Alazel looked at her concernedly. Her breathe was coming in faster and faster pants, and sweat poured off her body. "Make it stop!" she howled.

Alazel reached in between her legs and gently grasped the baby's head. "Push, push Kaida!"

Kaida pushed, and Alazel pulled, and the baby fell lightly onto the snow, followed by a rush of warm blood, melting the snow and staining the rock beneath it.

What little color was in Kaida's face left. She reached out and clutched at Alazel. "What…what?"

"A girl," Alazel whispered, holding up the small white child, "A perfect girl…"

Kaida gripped his arm, staring at the silent baby, who stared solemnly back.

"Promise me, Alazel, promise me you'll take care of her…"

"I promise, Kaida. Kaida? Kaida?"

But Kaida was dead. Solemnly, Alazel removed all of Kaida's clothing and wrapped the tiny baby girl in them. She smiled at him, her dark blue eyes staring at his every movement.

"Just a second, baby girl, and we'll be on our way." He pulled a pair of dragon hide gloves from the pouch on his belt and pulled them on. He reached down and grabbed Kaida's body by the shoulders. Alazel dragged her body out of the cave and down the rocky slope. He arranged her body beneath a knarled old tree.

He took a step back and looked down at her, his one time lover, the mother of his child.

Go peacefully into the eternal night, and find your place among the stars. He spread his hands, and blue fire leapt from his finger tips, embedding itself in Kaida's body.

The flames disappeared inside her body, and slowly blue fire began to appear on her body. The body didn't smoke, it didn't erupt, it just slowly disappeared, destroyed by the magick fire.

Alazel turned away from the blacked tree and looked up. The night had cleared, giving him a wonderful view straight into the heavens. He threw his head back, the hood of his cloak falling back.

Directly above him, three stars shone brightly in a perfect triangle. He stared at them in silence. He knew what that was. It was written that when the three stars aligned, the world would end.

He turned and walked slowly back up the slope. The baby girl was wrapped in the crimson cloak, staring silently at her father.

He knelt next to her and scooped her into his arms.

"Come, my child, I will take you back to the Temple. My daughter." He carried her down the slope and pulled his hood up.

Trinity Star…

…Here there be Dragons…

The following is an excerpt from the journal of Alazel, Head Dragoon of the Order of the Drakes, written this day of Dec the year 1978.

I have returned from my month of solitude, but I have not returned alone. I left the temple to commune with the Great Gods and the Dragons, and I have come back a father.

Kaida is dead. It is a horrid thing. She was the truly the last. Who will be able to tell if her daughter will be the same? Not for many years.

The other Dragoons were confused as to what to do with a girl-child, as the Temple has never harbored one before. I was insistent. I told them of the Three Stars, and of the child's name.

Trinity Star. Her hair is as dark as night itself, and her eyes the darkest blue of the water. Her skin is like her mother's, pale as death.

She has not cried at all since her birth. She just stares at us, smiling sometimes, frowning more often. I have never raised a child before, none of has. The few children we take in are given over by their parents when they turn 12 summers old, never younger than that.

And now we have an infant.

She will be raised here, in this Temple, far from the Wizarding World. She will learn all that we know, for the day when the Three Stars align, and the world ends.

…Here there be Dragons…

1982-Unknown location in the Italian Mountains

The unicorn mare stumbled, scraping her knees on the rocky slope. She nickered softly as she heaved to her feet. The snow fell around her, nearly blinding her. She shook her head, her once magnificent mane falling limply beside her neck.

Her breathing was labored, and her steps were slow. She knocked a loose tree branch out of the way with her horn, and she finally saw her destination; a small cave up the side of a steep slope.

She lurched up the final stretch of the slope and collapsed in the cave, her hooves sliding against the frozen floor. She lay on the cold ground, her breath steaming out of her flared nostrils.

She flung her head in pain, touching her side with her muzzle. Her head flopped back down, and she rolled, pushing with all her might. The foal was nearing birth. She gave an exhausted snort before rolling again, bearing down on the foal inside her.

Finally, all the pressure stopped. She lay there, panting. She could feel the foal, lying still near her hindquarters. She tried to lift her head, looking for the foal. She had not the strength.

She lay her head down again. She heard the foal nicker softly. She tried to respond, but could not. She took a few shallow breaths, and stopped breathing.

The small black foal stared at the body of his dam. His white eyes focused blearily on her, and his white mane and tail were stained with blood. He nickered again, waiting for a response.

But there was none, nor would there ever be.

"Alazel, slow down! I can't keep up!"

Alazel, his shoulder length black hair tied back out of his face, his blue eyes piercing, turned and looked back at the young Acolyte.

"You volunteered for this, Dahadrel, I did not make you come." Alazel continued up the hill, his walking staff punching through the snow.

Dahadrel panted. "Yes, but I still don't understand why you make this trek every year to the place where you found the girl."

Alazel smiled, but did not turn back. "One day you may understand, Dahadrel, but for now, shut up."

Dahadrel paused, his flaming red hair like a spot of blood against the white surroundings. He shrugged and continued after Alazel. Alazel looked up, yes, they were getting near. He paused, kneeling in the snow next to some tracks.

"Look here, Dahadrel. Tell me, what animal made these tracks?"

Dahadrel knelt next to his master, running his hands over the track. "Unicorn, late last night or early morning I'd say."

Alazel nodded and stood up. "Good."

"Odd though, isn't it?" Dahadrel asked, "A unicorn out here, all by itself?"

Alazel shrugged. "It's not our place to know the minds of unicorns." He continued up the rocky slope, finally reaching the cave where Trinity had been born four years ago.

He froze when he reached the inside of the cave. "Dahadrel," he called down, "I found the unicorn…"

He knelt next to the still body. Yes, she was dead. He sighed, stroking her soft mane sadly. Such beautiful creatures….

His head snapped up, eyes scanning the darkness. He saw white eyes staring at him from the back of the cave.

"A thestral?" he mused, "What are you doing here?"

Alazel stared in shock as the young foal stepped from the darkness. His coat as black as the unicorn's was white….and his mane and tail…they were white! Alazel knelt, his eyes never leaving the foal.

Hello, friend thestral. I am Alazel.

The foal tossed his head, prancing nervously. Alazel held his hand out, and slowly the thestral walked forward, sniffing gingerly.

"My word, you're half unicorn…that was you mother, wasn't it?" Alazel whispered, running his hands along the foal's neck.

"I have a daughter," Alazel said softly, "Her mother died giving birth to her as well. Will you come back to the temple with us?"

The foal cocked his head to one side and snorted. Alazel turned and walked down the slope, the foal taking careful steps behind him.

"Dahadrel, start heading back to the temple. Get Trinity, I want her there to greet our new guest." Alazel gestured to the thestral. Dahadrel nodded, his mouth slightly agape.

The young Acolyte spun and started the trek back to the Temple. Alazel turned and looked at the foal.

Come, my friend. We have a long walk ahead of us.

…Here there be Dragons…

Temple of the Drakes

Four year old Trinity Star stood silently with Dahadrel, waiting for her father's return. She hardly moved, her blue eyes trained on the snow covered mountains surrounding the Temple. She took a deep breath of the icy mountain air; the wind playing games with her black hair.

"Ah, Here comes Alazel," Dahadrel said. Trinity turned, her keen eyes easily picking out her father's black hair against the snow. What was that with him?

Alazel walked up to them. Trinity stared at the creature behind him.

"Half unicorn, half thestral, correct?" Trinity asked. Alazel nodded, a brief smile on his face. Trinity walked around her father and held her hand out to the foal. He sniffed her hand and looked up at her.

"Hello Morthdred," she whispered, "My name is Trinity. I think we'll be the best of friends."

Alazel and Dahadrel traded glances. Morthdred…so he is named.

…Here there be Dragons…

Trinity Star lay silently against Morthdred's side. Their breathing matched, and both were asleep.

Alazel stared silently at his daughter and the foal. He smiled sadly, gently pushing a strand of Trinity's black hair out of her face. She shifted silently against Morthdred, before becoming still again.

Alazel stood up, staring down at them. He smiled again and walked out of Trinity's chamber.

She has no idea what she is…and perhaps it is better to remain this way. For the time will come when she will discover her true self…and I pray she can handle the truth.

I hope we all can.