Fall of the East

by Exodus9

Co-written by three authors, Exodus9, Talon the Dragon, and Kauzul. Fall of the East follows the story of the last Eastern Dragons who are trying to find their way in the world, which wants them all dead. Along the way they meet new friends and enemies, and their journey will one day take them to face Alto, the destroyer of Aeon and, if he has his way, the world.

1. Chapter 1

The Fall of the East: Chapter 1

Rem let out a sigh of relief as he spotted the shores of the western continent ahead of him. The feeling of pure exhaustion soon took over as the black scaled dragon's wings felt like they were about to snap off. going into a steep descent, the male fire dragon dove towards the shore at an extreme rate before spreading his wings once more to slow down a bit and rolled onto his back, holding the injured you dragon in his paws tightly so that his body took the brunt of the fall. As they slammed into the ground, Rem grunted as he slid on his back in the sand, coming to a slow stop soon after. Releasing the young dragon, He coughed and rolled onto his side and looked to him with half closed eyes. "We..." he broke into a fit of coughs before speaking again.

"We made it." he sighed and closed his eyes.

Crow didn't look at Rem and merely nodded, before sitting down in the sand and wrapping his dark, ragged wings around him, his thin tail curling around his feet as he did so. "I don't like the water..." he said quietly, his pale grey eyes staring bleakly back across the sea. "Do you suppose...the village is still burning?" he almost whispered, and although they were far away from their home, Crow almost believed he could see smoke rising in the distance. His breath shuddered as he thought of what might have occurred if Rem hadn't helped him, everyone had been screaming, fire and lightning had torn apart the village that he had been his home. And the smell of fear, it had been so rich in the air, unlike anything Crow had ever felt before, and he shuddered at the memory. 'Why…why did you help me? Don't you have your own family to look after?" he asked, his pale eyes still fixed on the sea.

The black scaled dragon rolled and placed his head on his paws, looking out over the sea as well. "Not anymore." he replied quietly, a few tears falling from the edges of his emerald green eyes. "They... were both killed by the general and Alto. When I found you near the shore, I knew that, even though this may sound weird, but you were the only thing that I had left in my life. We were both shunned by the other dragons for being different and stuck through it together. Just like now, we have to persevere together through this. Somewhere inland Warfang lies, and I think that is the only safe place for us right now." said Rem with a long sigh. "First we need shelter, food and wood for a fire... at least that is what my father said in my survival class." said the fire dragon as he tried to stand, but fell, his chin smacking against the ground. It took him a few attempts to stand but when he did, he felt like he could forever. Looking around, he spotted a sheltered cave, hidden by some rather large rocks. Looking inside, he sniffed and blew a small fire ball. Seeing and smelling nothing, he called out that he found a cave and entered.

Crow didn't react, but his pale eyes moved to look at Rem. "I'm sorry." he said quietly. He frowned slightly at the site of the Fire Dragon's tears and opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came, instead he just nodded at the older dragon's words and got back up, his wings still clinging to his sides tightly and headed down the beach as Rem looked for shelter. He returned by the cave carrying a few logs, bleached white from the salty water. "You don't need to worry about your survival lessons, as long as you have me around, you'll be alright." he said with a slight grin, and produced a few fish from under his wing. They were rather rotten and covered in grime, but Crow didn't pay it any mind and started eating the smaller of the two.

As Crow entered, Rem turned around and gave him a thankful nod as he dropped the fire wood. Seeing the condition of the fish however, that was a different story. Leaning down, the large fire dragon sniffed the rotting fish and almost passed out from the stench. "How did you ever survive on eating this stuff Chronos?" asked the male as he picked the fish up by its tail and cooked it with his fire breath for a few moments before arranging the firewood and setting it alight. Turning his large neck, Rem looked on his back to see the burn from the electricity from the general and sighed. "That was way to close" thought the male black dragon and he curled up closer to the fire, now depleted of his magical energy. His stomach growled vigorously but he chose to ignore it. He could hunt for the two in the morning then they could fly to Warfang and be safe.

Crow froze when Rem said his real name; he had almost forgotten that he knew it, for it was something that he had shared with no-one. He felt that his true name was a treasure, one that should only be shared with those worthy of it, and Rem had fallen into that category, everyone else just called him 'the crow' because of his status as a beggar and his odd affinity for the creatures. He missed his birds already, but they had all fled the village at the sight of the fire, they had known that evil forces were on the move. As he continued to stare into the colourful flames of the fire, Crow suddenly realised he had completely forgotten to answer Rem's question, and he shrugged "You get used to it, trust me, I've had worse." he said, lying down on the rough stone of the cave floor, and his thoughts started to wander again, as they always did before he slept. He liked the name Crow, even if it wasn't his true name, but then, it was his only treasure, the only thing he ever really owned. Sometimes, he imagined himself as the son of a Lord or even a King, and he would be a great warrior, and everyone would call him The Crow, the greatest warrior that ever lived. He smiled and rolled over, looking up towards the ceiling, perhaps in Warfang, he might get a chance to fulfill his dreams.

Rem awoke the next morning to see the sun slowly rising on the horizon. Looking over, the black dragon noticed that Crow was still asleep, curled up close to the warm coals of the extinguished fire from the night before. Stepping outside, the older male spread his wings and took to the air, silently flying above the forest nearby. Scenting a deer, the male smiled and landed quietly in a tree, stalking the unsuspecting buck as he strolled through the trees. When it was under him, Rem leapt down, only to hit the solid ground. Rem slowly picked himself off of the ground and shook his now sore body. To his left sat a dragoness with gleaming sky blue scales and white wing membranes and horns. "What the hell!" yelled the black scaled dragon as he stormed over. "That was so my kill!" In the confusion, the female dragon stumbled back and started to shake slightly. "I... I am sorry. I did not know you were here..." he said quietly. Calming down at her fear, Rem helped her up and sighed. "I should be the one apologizing. It is just I haven't ate a decent meal in days." admitted the black fire dragon as he sat down. The dragoness sat as well and smiled. "We could share it. I'm Frost by the way." she offered. Smiling, Rem nodded and picked it up onto his back and waved for her to follow him to his cave. As they arrived, Rem placed the heavy buck down and slightly nudged Crow awake. "Breakfast is ready." he said quietly as he sat back down beside Frost.

Crow had been dreaming, something that was uncommon for him, particularly when he had just been through something so traumatic, but the young dragon's mind was full of hope for what would come in the city, and his dreams of glory were welcome in place of the nightmares that tormented him in the darkest of nights. His pale eyes opened and he instantly spotted the stranger. He didn't react negatively, although by nature he was rather untrusting of others, and simply stared at her, his pale eyes boring into her as he tried to figure out where she came from. Without taking his eyes off her, he accepted the piece of deer Rem offered him and greedily scarfed it down, a meal like this was very rare for him, but he treated it no differently than the rotting fish from the night before.

Smiling at the little black dragon, Frost turned to Rem and smiled. "He is so cute!" she exclaimed quietly. "Is he your little brother?" she asked in a curious tone. Rem looked up at the female and shook his head. "No, Crow here is my closest friend. We literally bumped into each other one day and became friends soon after. Oh and I forgot to tell you my name. I am Rem." he said with a smile as he took another bite. "Oh Crow, this is Frost, she... helped me catch the deer." said Rem as he turned his head to the entrance of the cave after feeling eyes on him. The older black dragon nearly stumbled back as the large for of an elder Ice dragon stood at the mouth. "I swear, young Frost. You are most certainly one of my most... adventurous stu- who are these to may I ask?" said the fire dragon in a slightly pompous tone as he looked at the two black dragons. Rem instinctively moved and stood over Crow while the elder spoke. The elder's eyes grew wide as he noticed the silver insignias that every dragon was born with on the eastern continent and stepped forward curiously. "You two are from the east... what brings your clan here may I ask." he asked in a slightly hostile tone, causing Rem to drop into a defensive stance. Growling, Rem flared his wings and crouched even lower over Crow to hide I'm from view. "We are here because our village was attacked and destroyed. We flew across the sea non-stop to escape the evil lord known as Alto. Both of us have no family or home left and were seeking out the capital city, Warfang, for shelter and new lives." explained Rem in a slightly cold tone. The dragons of the east and west continents never seemed to get along after the wars long before and the tension was still there clearly. Frost looked and saw the markings for the first time. Remembering how nice he was though, Frost walked up to Rem and faced the elder with pleading eyes. "Master Cyril, could these to take up residence and become students with the others and I?" she asked respectfully. After a few moments of careful consideration, the elder known as Cyril smiled and nodded, waving with his wing for Rem and Crow to follow him.

"I'm not cute!" said Crow indignantly at the Frost Dragoness, and he flared his ragged wings in anger. She laughed quietly at his reaction and that only made him more agitated. "Okay then, what are you if not adorable?" she asked in a teasing tone. "I'm going to be the greatest warrior that ever lived! And don't you forget-" he broke off as the three of them spotted the Elder Dragons, and Crow fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation once Rem stood over him protectively. The young dragon quickly retreated into the shadows, becoming almost invisible to the naked eye. Crow watched the two older dragons fearfully, for they did not seem to trust him or Rem, the young dragon frowned at the thought that they might hurt him, and stepped forward slightly, ready to help his friend fight if need be. Although Crow always dreamed to be a warrior, it was actually quite impossible for him, for his body was physically weak after years of starving and scavenging rotten food. Likewise, he was slightly relived when the Elders accepted Frosts plea. After waiting for Rem to take the lead, Crow followed closely behind, sticking close to the larger dragons shadow, and not meeting the eyes of the Elder. It wasn't long before they had reached the outskirts of the city, and Crow blinked in amazement, it was huge! Much larger than the village he had grown up with, and teaming with life. Shops were crowded with goods and the streets were made of cobbled stone rather than dirt. In the alleyways between the houses, Crow could see a bunch of vagabonds, young dragons like him who also didn't have a home. They stared at him from out of the shadows with hollow eyes, and Crow looked away. "So...where will we live?" he asked Rem, looking around at all the giant buildings in the distance.

As Rem was about to answer, Frost looked at him and smiled before crouching down to the level of the small dragon. "We are heading to the Warfang Academy! It is the largest, most... advanced building in the city. The rooms are huge and you get to have a roommate!" said the ice dragoness with a wide smile, trying to cheer up the young dragon. "I know you two will like It." she said to both Rem and Crow as she turned back to look where the group was being led by Cyril. Rem looked back and forth wearily and subconsciously pulled Crow closer to him as the dragons shopping and selling turned with disdainful glares as the eastern dragons walked through the streets, some even shouting insults such as "Low lives!", "Eastern scum!" and "Go back to the slums of the east!" Snarling and gnashing his teeth a few comments more personal to him, Rem hurried himself and Crow up beside Cyril and asked, "Cyril, can we fly to this academy? I really do not feel comfortable walking around in these streets." With a slight nod, the Ice Guardian spread his massive wings and took to the skies. Grabbing Crow, Rem took to the air as well and they were followed by Frost.

"I can fly you know." muttered Crow as he was snagged off the ground and hauled towards the academy, but he didn't struggle. It was nice, to have someone looking out for him, for it was a luxury he had never experienced before. Rem had always been his friend back in the village, but being a beggar, they didn't always run in the same circles. Now, the young dragon gasped in awe as they flew over the city, from above, he could see all of the spiraling towers and massive structures that shot into the sky as they headed deeper into the city. Finally they arrived at the Academy, the giant building seemed to tower over the small dragon, and he quavered in fear as he spotted other unfamiliar dragons, the place was teaming with them and Crow clung to Rem's arm, his pale grey eyes staring around fearfully.

As the group arrived at the massive building, Rem could not help but let his jaw drop some at the pure size and architectural magnificence. The mahogany coloured bricks that lined the walls stood intimidatingly high above the black scaled dragon and he felt as if it could come alive at any moment and eat him up like a piece of dust. To their left, a group of dragons entered the main courtyard and began to study for who knows what. To their right a couple electricity dragons were joking around as they would place their yellow paws on each other and shock their friends. Rem was shaken from his thoughts as he felt the smaller black dragon cling to his front leg and smiled. "Don't worry Crow. If they try to hurt you, they will have to deal with me." he said in a quiet, calm tone. "If you want, you can ride on my back like in the village." offered the older of the two black dragons as they neared the entrance into the main building of the academy, its large double doors swinging open as a few guards moved past the group.

Crow instantly let go of Rem "I'm not afraid! I'll walk." he said, striding forward after the Guardian despite his misgivings about the place. Just the knowledge that Rem was looking out for him was enough for Crow to keep walking. He felt out of place, which was normal for him but here it felt even more so, Crow must be one of the youngest students here, for he didn't see anyone his age. The Guardian seemed to read his thoughts and looked down at the young dragon. "Although it is...rare to have dragons studying with us at your age, it is not uncommon, we will make sure you are ready for the curriculum that is assigned to you." he said kindly as the entered the main chamber. A few of the other guardians were standing around, talking to students and each other quietly in the massive room, their whispering voices seemed to echo off the wall, but as Rem and Crow entered the room, their voices fell silent.

Rem let out a light chuckle at the young dragon's brave antics as he followed after the large guardian of ice. As they entered the room, Rem felt himself stick closer to the side of the elder dragon, praying that he did not get assaulted just for being an eastern dragon. A few students started to move towards the small group and Rem reached out for his friend, who he saw more as a little brother, and pulled him closer. It was good to show confidence but now was not the time. The large elder stopped a few meters from the other elders as he spoke. "While I was out training my apprentice, we came upon these two young, eastern dragons." he said to the other elders. Another elder, this one being of the air element piped up aggressively. We should just hang the two of them. They will cause nothing but trouble here!" Rem recoiled at the comment and to his horror, some of the other elders nodded in agreement with the old fire dragon. One dragon in particular, a large earth dragon stepped forward and caught everybody's attention. "There will be no such harm done to these young ones, Infernus! Indeed the marks on their shoulders signal them as eastern dragons, but they are also young. They most like it do not even know about the history of our race. They will stay here. I have a room already set up for them. If any of you order some private dragon to, or harm them yourself, you will be the one that is hanged!" he roared before motioning for Rem and Crow to follow. As they walked through a hall, a single door at the end of the hall opened into a massive apartment with balcony and all. "You two will stay here for now on. It is away from the rest of the city, but attached to the academy. Classes begin with combat at noon. Be up and in the main arena a few hallways down by then and do not be late." With that he left the two to lounge around. Rem did not feel like inspecting at the moment and just lazed on the couch looking out at the afternoon sky through the balcony opening.

As the other dragons glared and snarled at the two, Crow stuck close to Rem, his former confidence dwindling, only to be replaced by fear, an emotion he despised. His horror was only intensified when the elders themselves suggested that he and Rem be hanged, and Crow tried to hold back a snarl as he glared at the older dragons. He knew that to attack them was futile, but if they tried to hurt him, or Rem, he would do whatever he could to hurt them. While the other dragons argued amongst themselves, one of the Guardians of black scales started to stare at Crow in shock. After a moment, the youth and the elder locked eyes, and Crow blinked in surprise. Something seemed, familiar about this dragon, but he couldn't figure what it was. As he was escorted away, he kept glancing back at the guardian, who's pale eyes followed him out of the main chamber. "Who-who was that?" he asked the earth dragon timidly, but the Guardian left without another word, and Crow's wings fell in defeat. With a sigh, he hoped up on the couch beside Rem and curled his tail around his feet. "They really do hate us here, don't they? I thought that the Guardians would all be like the Ice Dragon...but I guess I was wrong." he said, a look of deep sadness over his face.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and Crow glanced over at Rem before he got up and opened it. Standing outside, was the dark guardian. He stood regally before the young dragon, his cold eyes as pale as ice, while his cheeks harboured a sunken look, and his scales shone with a dull, black parlour. "W-what do you want?" asked Crow, and the guardian looked at him to Rem. "I would like to speak with you, now." he said, looking back to the young dragon. Crows eyes looked down "Well…I…um..." The older dragon reached forward and pulled Crow forward. "It was not a suggestion, it was an order." he said coldly and the young dragon cried out in surprise as he was carted down the hallway. "Rem! Let go of me! I don't want to go with you!" he snapped and struggled against the older dragons iron grip.

Rem looked over to the younger black dragon and shook his head before curling up and placing his head on his paws. "What else would you expect? The western and eastern dragons were in a huge, war, many died, and they still have hard feelings about it. Of course they are going to want to kill us Crow. I hate to sound discouraging, what they do not know is that dad taught me the past of our races-" he was cut off as the knock sounded. Rem stood a few meters behind the younger dragon and listened to the conversation intently. "Crow!" yelled Rem as he raced after the fear dragon. He was not going to let his friend be injured because of their nationality. But as the male black dragon leapt after the guardian, he turned around and loosed a sonic screech, blasting the black dragon back through the door of the room and out of sight. Rem tried to stand but the darkness of unconsciousness took over.

"REM!" screamed Crow as he rushed over to his fallen friend. The dorm was suddenly crowded with students as they all tried to figure out what happened. "What's going on? Was that some sort of Fury? Did the Eastern Dragon do it? Did that young dragon do it? No! It was the unconscious one, the Eastern filth!" Shouted the students and one came forward, breathing heavily as they pulled some debris out of a wound in their side. They pointed dramatically at Rem as the rest of the students stood behind him "I saw it all, that Eastern Dragon attacked one of our Guardians!" he shouted and the rest of the dragons snarled and hissed in fury. Crow trembled at the sight of their rage but stood protectively in front of Rem "Stay away from him!" he snarled, his cold eyes burning. The other dragons advanced, hissing and lighting up their elemental powers. "Out of our way, Eastern scum! This one will hang for what he has done!" another shouted. "I SAID GET AWAY!" screamed Crow, and suddenly the room went dark. Dragons stumbled around blindly and started screaming in terror, a few fell to the ground and began clawing at their scales "Get them off, get them OFF!" and all the while Crow's eyes glowed white as he glared at the dragons in pure anger. "I won't let you hurt us!" he snarled, but suddenly, the darkness disappeared, and the Guardian was standing beside Crow with his hand on his shoulder. The young dragon looked up in surprise, and blinked as he saw what was going on around him. The students seemed to snap out of their daze and got back up, but stayed away from Crow and Rem. "And that...is why I wanted to talk to you, young one." sighed the Guardian, his paw still clasped firmly on Crows shoulder. "Guardian Phobius, we thought you were..." gasped one on the students as they bowed respectfully before him. "I'm fine." said the Elder, brushing off some of the rubble off his scales. "Get this one to the Healing Ward, I need to have a chat with this young one here." he said, and the students quickly took Rem away, and cleared out the room, leaving the Elder and the young dragon alone. Phobius closed the door, which was slightly hanging off its hinges and turned around. "Wait, I want to go with Rem! I have to know he's okay!" insisted Crow, who tried to get around the guardian, but the Elder stopped him. "No, I must speak with you. It is very clear to me, from those displays of power, that neither of you are fully aware of your hidden potentials." said the Elder smoothly, and Crow looked at him in confusion. "What...do you mean?" Phobius motioned to the balcony, and Crow reluctantly followed after him. "I assume...that you are unaware that you are a Fear Dragon?" he asked as he looked out across the city. "A…what?" asked Crow in confusion. Phobius smiled slightly "Fear Dragons are a dying breed, many of us were whipped out in the purges, but a few of us..." he looked over at Crow "have survived." The young dragon grasped onto the stone railing. "I don't understand...I don't have any elemental power, I never did." "Never? Haven't you always been plagued by nightmares, even in your waking hours, haunted by such horrors that seem to lurk near every dragon, follow them around and torment you unceasingly? Don't tell me other dragons always thought you were different…strange...un-natural?" asked the Elder as he continued to look out. Crow backed away from him slightly, his eyes widening in shock. "How do you know me?" he whispered, for everything he had said was true. "Because it has been the same for me, every day of my life. Do you know why they purged our kind, all those years ago?" Crow shook his head "I...didn't even know there was a purge..." he placed his hand over his chest "I…didn't even know what I was. I'm...nothing more than a beggar." he said, ashamed. The Elders gaze softened and he looked over towards the young dragon. "What is your name?" he asked quietly. "...Chronos...but in the village they called me 'the crow'." Phobius nodded approvingly "That's a good name, honourable to our legacy." and Crow looked up with a slight smile. "So…why did they...purge…us?" he asked, curious, and Phobius's smile faded. "They feared us, it was a simple as that, no dragon could stand the powers we hold, the ability to show dragons their greatest fears, and make them suffer for it...they tried to wipe us out, convinced we were un-natural elementals, sent from Hell itself to destroy the dragons of this world. With all the elements pitted against us, our kind never stood a chance. A few of us managed to escape and hide, like myself, but the rest of us..." he sighed and hung his head. "Why are you telling me this? I mean...I am grateful to know it, but how did you know what I was?" asked Crow and Phobius looked over to him once more. "I'm telling you this because you are the first Fear Dragon I have seen since the purge. And I knew what you were the moment I saw you, just as you recognized me for what I was." he said simply, and Crow nodded slightly. "Come, we should go and see your friend now." he said quietly and left the room. "Oh, and before I forget. I would like it if you would take a private class with me, so that I can train you in your element. You are young, and direction in this power is very important during your growing years." he said seriously. Crow padded quietly beside him, and nodded as they entered the Healing Ward.