1
"I swear by the ear of my mother's corpse that I'll make you hurt if you're late for supper again boy!" screamed Uloria at her son, Trevon.
"Aye me mother!" he cried back, more than a hundred paces from the door he had erupted from.
The clouds were low and dispersed in the skies that held above the log-and- straw cottage. Trevon trudged through the tall grass fields in search of the far-off, forestall line. The snow had all but melted, and the large grasslands had absorbed the mountains run off, turning most of them into virtual swamps. The young human was caked in mud up to his waist, even though he was less than a quarter of the way to the great forests to the north east. With every step, the boys feet came out of the deep mud with a most distasteful sucking sound. His olive green tunic had been strained dirty brown hours before on a previous adventure down the long and winding dirt road that eventually lead to the agricultural village of Gremen. Along with the abomination of a tunic, Trevon sported his semi-long, blonde hair, which was now knotted with clumps of dried mud and bits of grass and trees. The boys head could just barely be seen bobbing up and down from the cottage window, which Uloria was now gazing from.
The great, old oaks loomed like a protective barrier from the elements. Not even the heaviest of mountain rains could penetrate the massive green mesh of a canopy. Birds of seemingly every spectrum of color swooped in low arches from their arboreal homes to greet Trevon as he passed the forest's road. The path was well beaten down due to the heavy traffic from the Mountain Halls in the west and the High Kingdoms in the east. In fact, many emissaries of the two largest powers in the continent had used - and even become lost on - the road that connected the two hemispheres. Despite the road's high profile, it had been seldom used during the freezing cold of winter, pardoning the constant patrolling by Trevon. He had been taught by his father to recognize the sights and uses of various elements of the forest. Indeed, one could say that Trevon was a woodsman.
The woods appeared as normal as they ever had, and the ground seemed dry despite the heavy rains and snowfalls. The lulling song played between branch and tree cause even Trevon, the hyperactive youth, to steady his pace, and calm down. The path went straight until it curved slightly to co over a small stream, and into the "oak chamber", and gargantuan room formed by massive, ancient oaks. The unreal trunks formed impenetrable walls, and the thick canopy the roof. In this particular section of the forest, only a few erratic plants grew towards the center of the room. As Trevon looked about the room, he noticed something that nicked his interest, and his fear. A hole about as large as a full grown horse was apparent in the far side of the room. A stream of alien light beamed in from the hole.
"What in the name of the lords..." mumbled Trevon to himself, truly bewildered by the change of the seemingly never changing forest. The hole in the roof was an unwelcome deviation to the everyday routine, and perked Trevon's apprehension. Directly underneath the hole in the roof was a large, long striation through the dirt, wide enough to pull a wagon. If one were a giant, it would look as if a huge spade were dragged across the ground. The trench dragged on from directly under the hole in the roof to a spot in some erratic tall grass, which was still littered with patches of ice and snow. Trevon followed the ditch into the tall grass with great latency, not wanting to get into any more predicaments which would upset his mother. Trevon eventually met the ditch's end, although it wasn't a ditch at all. The creature, whatever it was, which lay in front of the terrified boy had fallen from the sky and dragged itself across the ground forming the striation.
Trevon stood wide eyed in the presence of the completely odd creature. It must have been nearly as bog as a large oliphaunt, but had none of the same features. The creature resembled both a giant wasp and a dragon, thought the boy to himself. The main body of the beast was armored with thousands of diamond shaped scales. The scales that covered the back and upper wings were black, whereas the other areas on the massive creatures body were covered with black ones. Eight thin, branch-like legs were folded under the creature, like the broken legs of an old table. The magnificent creature was covered in a relatively thing layer of transparent ice, and semi-melted snow. Trevon's became excited and decided that he should run home and tell his mother about his extraordinary find before somebody else could claim it. Just as quickly as the boy's fear had left him, it returned tenfold ; one of the eight legs moved.
2
Trevon's bladder let go at the sight, and his jaw dropped. His eyes gaped wide with a hybrid of fear and fascination coursing through his veins. Another leg twitched on the magnificent creature, but the intensity was too much for Trevon. With a scream like a banshee, the young boy destroyed the placidity of the calm forest. Even though he was more scared than he had ever been, Trevon couldn't tear his gaze away from the spectacle. The creature was indefinitely moving now, and the thin sheet of ice on its back was now cracking as it slowly tried to get up. Although Trevon couldn't notice it, a cool gust of wind came from the gaping hole in the arboreal canopy, and blew the sheets of ice off the creature. Before the boy realized what was happening, two extraordinary wings shot out from the creature's back side. The wings resembled those of a monarch butterfly, and were colored with fiery orange and raven black, with ivory white spots. The head of the best thrust outward like a hunter's spear, and its gaping jaws ripped opened, revealing row upon row of tiny razor sharp teeth. The creatures heavily muscled body rippled as it lurched up on its back four legs and spread its wings to their limit, blocking out any light which shone over the young boy.
"Oh shit," muttered the boy from his strength deprived voice. The creature let out a horrifying roar that would without a doubt alert anybody within quite a distance of its presence. The creature came back down onto all eight legs again, and brought back its wings. The creature shot out a petrifying gaze at the boy. The creature's eyes were black as ebony, in fact they were so dark they seemed to suck the light out of the very air itself. Vapor pummeled out of the creature's long snout, and brushed the side of its horned head. The scales resembled tiny black and gold mirrors without the ice over them, and Trevon couldn't help but notice them with some sense of curiosity, until he realized that the beast was staring him right in the eye. Trevon simply remained silent and looked toward the ground awaiting the inevitable. Resistance seemed so futile against such a great opponent, thought the boy.
"Don't be so quick to dub me an enemy boy! Look at me!" erupted the creature with a snarly, rough voice which held so much power. Trevon lifted his head to meet the gaze of the creature, and to his surprise found the creatures face drawn in what could only resemble an awkward smile. "Fear me not, for I am but a messenger. I am of the Drakan. I won't kill you if you deliver a message for me." Trevon, somewhat reluctant to make any deal with the creature nodded in agreement. "Very good. And it's safe to trust me boy. I have nothing to gain from tricking one as minor as you." Trevon shuddered. It was as if the Drakan could read minds, thought the boy. The Drakan erupted in vile laughter and said, " I can." Trevon convulsed as if struck by an invisible blow. After a brief pause the Drakans serious tone entered his voice again. "I wish of you to go to the high of kingdom human kind, and tell the lords that the Drakans seek what is rightfully theirs, and thieves will be punished with death." Trevon almost laughed at the request, but decided that would be a grave error.
"One does not simply walk through the gates of the high city of the humans, and ask to see the lords, unless one wants to be locked in the asylum for mental reasons, though I supposed I didn't have to tell you that," retorted the boy, gaining some nerve in his voice, perhaps too much.
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MY INTELLIGENCE!!!" screamed the Drakan with enough power in his voice to cause Trevon to stumble back and fall. Gaining its calm, the Drakan replied, "I have thought of such problems time and again already boy. That is why I'll give you this!" The creature plucked a gold scale from his chest and launched it at Trevon, who caught it in mid-air. What am I supposed to do with this, queried the boy in his mind.
"A tale of Drakans would be quite hard to be believed without some sort of proof. That is why I have given you that scale. I suggest you keep it on a chain, or somewhere where it will certainly not get lost. That is a very powerful artifact you now wield." Trevon remembered that the Drakan could read minds and wasn't quite as shocked when the creature answered his mental question. "You have your quest. I suggest you have it finished before the next fool moon, lest the next war of the realms occur," said the Drakan as he propped its wings up, and readied itself to depart.
"One more question!" blurted the boy without thinking, wanting only to catch a longer glimpse of the creature before it was gone.
"Yes?"
"Um.. Why a gold scale? Yeah! Why didn't you give me a black one?" The Drakan erupted in laughter again.
"A gold scale is taken as a threat, or warning of action to the enemies of the Drakan. A black one means death, and impending doom. Now may I please leave? It is a long flight." With a bit of hesitation, Trevon nodded. "By the way, this will definitely not be the last time we meet. I will return for my scale." And with the beast shot up through the hole in the treetop canopy. The sky was now dark, and Trevon's mother would be upset. The boy made his way home with much haste, clinging tightly to the gold scale in his hand.
"I swear by the ear of my mother's corpse that I'll make you hurt if you're late for supper again boy!" screamed Uloria at her son, Trevon.
"Aye me mother!" he cried back, more than a hundred paces from the door he had erupted from.
The clouds were low and dispersed in the skies that held above the log-and- straw cottage. Trevon trudged through the tall grass fields in search of the far-off, forestall line. The snow had all but melted, and the large grasslands had absorbed the mountains run off, turning most of them into virtual swamps. The young human was caked in mud up to his waist, even though he was less than a quarter of the way to the great forests to the north east. With every step, the boys feet came out of the deep mud with a most distasteful sucking sound. His olive green tunic had been strained dirty brown hours before on a previous adventure down the long and winding dirt road that eventually lead to the agricultural village of Gremen. Along with the abomination of a tunic, Trevon sported his semi-long, blonde hair, which was now knotted with clumps of dried mud and bits of grass and trees. The boys head could just barely be seen bobbing up and down from the cottage window, which Uloria was now gazing from.
The great, old oaks loomed like a protective barrier from the elements. Not even the heaviest of mountain rains could penetrate the massive green mesh of a canopy. Birds of seemingly every spectrum of color swooped in low arches from their arboreal homes to greet Trevon as he passed the forest's road. The path was well beaten down due to the heavy traffic from the Mountain Halls in the west and the High Kingdoms in the east. In fact, many emissaries of the two largest powers in the continent had used - and even become lost on - the road that connected the two hemispheres. Despite the road's high profile, it had been seldom used during the freezing cold of winter, pardoning the constant patrolling by Trevon. He had been taught by his father to recognize the sights and uses of various elements of the forest. Indeed, one could say that Trevon was a woodsman.
The woods appeared as normal as they ever had, and the ground seemed dry despite the heavy rains and snowfalls. The lulling song played between branch and tree cause even Trevon, the hyperactive youth, to steady his pace, and calm down. The path went straight until it curved slightly to co over a small stream, and into the "oak chamber", and gargantuan room formed by massive, ancient oaks. The unreal trunks formed impenetrable walls, and the thick canopy the roof. In this particular section of the forest, only a few erratic plants grew towards the center of the room. As Trevon looked about the room, he noticed something that nicked his interest, and his fear. A hole about as large as a full grown horse was apparent in the far side of the room. A stream of alien light beamed in from the hole.
"What in the name of the lords..." mumbled Trevon to himself, truly bewildered by the change of the seemingly never changing forest. The hole in the roof was an unwelcome deviation to the everyday routine, and perked Trevon's apprehension. Directly underneath the hole in the roof was a large, long striation through the dirt, wide enough to pull a wagon. If one were a giant, it would look as if a huge spade were dragged across the ground. The trench dragged on from directly under the hole in the roof to a spot in some erratic tall grass, which was still littered with patches of ice and snow. Trevon followed the ditch into the tall grass with great latency, not wanting to get into any more predicaments which would upset his mother. Trevon eventually met the ditch's end, although it wasn't a ditch at all. The creature, whatever it was, which lay in front of the terrified boy had fallen from the sky and dragged itself across the ground forming the striation.
Trevon stood wide eyed in the presence of the completely odd creature. It must have been nearly as bog as a large oliphaunt, but had none of the same features. The creature resembled both a giant wasp and a dragon, thought the boy to himself. The main body of the beast was armored with thousands of diamond shaped scales. The scales that covered the back and upper wings were black, whereas the other areas on the massive creatures body were covered with black ones. Eight thin, branch-like legs were folded under the creature, like the broken legs of an old table. The magnificent creature was covered in a relatively thing layer of transparent ice, and semi-melted snow. Trevon's became excited and decided that he should run home and tell his mother about his extraordinary find before somebody else could claim it. Just as quickly as the boy's fear had left him, it returned tenfold ; one of the eight legs moved.
2
Trevon's bladder let go at the sight, and his jaw dropped. His eyes gaped wide with a hybrid of fear and fascination coursing through his veins. Another leg twitched on the magnificent creature, but the intensity was too much for Trevon. With a scream like a banshee, the young boy destroyed the placidity of the calm forest. Even though he was more scared than he had ever been, Trevon couldn't tear his gaze away from the spectacle. The creature was indefinitely moving now, and the thin sheet of ice on its back was now cracking as it slowly tried to get up. Although Trevon couldn't notice it, a cool gust of wind came from the gaping hole in the arboreal canopy, and blew the sheets of ice off the creature. Before the boy realized what was happening, two extraordinary wings shot out from the creature's back side. The wings resembled those of a monarch butterfly, and were colored with fiery orange and raven black, with ivory white spots. The head of the best thrust outward like a hunter's spear, and its gaping jaws ripped opened, revealing row upon row of tiny razor sharp teeth. The creatures heavily muscled body rippled as it lurched up on its back four legs and spread its wings to their limit, blocking out any light which shone over the young boy.
"Oh shit," muttered the boy from his strength deprived voice. The creature let out a horrifying roar that would without a doubt alert anybody within quite a distance of its presence. The creature came back down onto all eight legs again, and brought back its wings. The creature shot out a petrifying gaze at the boy. The creature's eyes were black as ebony, in fact they were so dark they seemed to suck the light out of the very air itself. Vapor pummeled out of the creature's long snout, and brushed the side of its horned head. The scales resembled tiny black and gold mirrors without the ice over them, and Trevon couldn't help but notice them with some sense of curiosity, until he realized that the beast was staring him right in the eye. Trevon simply remained silent and looked toward the ground awaiting the inevitable. Resistance seemed so futile against such a great opponent, thought the boy.
"Don't be so quick to dub me an enemy boy! Look at me!" erupted the creature with a snarly, rough voice which held so much power. Trevon lifted his head to meet the gaze of the creature, and to his surprise found the creatures face drawn in what could only resemble an awkward smile. "Fear me not, for I am but a messenger. I am of the Drakan. I won't kill you if you deliver a message for me." Trevon, somewhat reluctant to make any deal with the creature nodded in agreement. "Very good. And it's safe to trust me boy. I have nothing to gain from tricking one as minor as you." Trevon shuddered. It was as if the Drakan could read minds, thought the boy. The Drakan erupted in vile laughter and said, " I can." Trevon convulsed as if struck by an invisible blow. After a brief pause the Drakans serious tone entered his voice again. "I wish of you to go to the high of kingdom human kind, and tell the lords that the Drakans seek what is rightfully theirs, and thieves will be punished with death." Trevon almost laughed at the request, but decided that would be a grave error.
"One does not simply walk through the gates of the high city of the humans, and ask to see the lords, unless one wants to be locked in the asylum for mental reasons, though I supposed I didn't have to tell you that," retorted the boy, gaining some nerve in his voice, perhaps too much.
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MY INTELLIGENCE!!!" screamed the Drakan with enough power in his voice to cause Trevon to stumble back and fall. Gaining its calm, the Drakan replied, "I have thought of such problems time and again already boy. That is why I'll give you this!" The creature plucked a gold scale from his chest and launched it at Trevon, who caught it in mid-air. What am I supposed to do with this, queried the boy in his mind.
"A tale of Drakans would be quite hard to be believed without some sort of proof. That is why I have given you that scale. I suggest you keep it on a chain, or somewhere where it will certainly not get lost. That is a very powerful artifact you now wield." Trevon remembered that the Drakan could read minds and wasn't quite as shocked when the creature answered his mental question. "You have your quest. I suggest you have it finished before the next fool moon, lest the next war of the realms occur," said the Drakan as he propped its wings up, and readied itself to depart.
"One more question!" blurted the boy without thinking, wanting only to catch a longer glimpse of the creature before it was gone.
"Yes?"
"Um.. Why a gold scale? Yeah! Why didn't you give me a black one?" The Drakan erupted in laughter again.
"A gold scale is taken as a threat, or warning of action to the enemies of the Drakan. A black one means death, and impending doom. Now may I please leave? It is a long flight." With a bit of hesitation, Trevon nodded. "By the way, this will definitely not be the last time we meet. I will return for my scale." And with the beast shot up through the hole in the treetop canopy. The sky was now dark, and Trevon's mother would be upset. The boy made his way home with much haste, clinging tightly to the gold scale in his hand.