A/N: Here's my latest story, which is going to be written with Dragon Fanatic. We're going to be alternating chapters. Any reveiws are very much appreciated! And this story doesn't just stay in Dragon City. No it doesn't...
Disclaimer: Neither Dragon Fanatic nor I own Dragon Booster.
Prologue
Moordryd yawned, placing his hand in front of mouth nondescriptly. He had been rather excited this morning, after his father had called him and blatantly told him to get up and pack extensively for a journey he was supposedly making that very day. This was news to Moordryd. His father's eager tone gave him extra incentive to pack quickly for a month's journey and to pull Cain (literally) out of bed to pack as well. He was coming too. And Moordryd had still been excited when Cain and he hopped on their dragons and made their way to his father's citadel even before the sun rose above the horizon.
However, his excitement had disappeared after Cain and he stood in his father's citadel, waiting for him to return from the back room he had gone to over half an hour ago. Cain was enormously interested in his wrist-comm and Moordryd was greatly captivated by how many times he had yawned in the past while.
The door Word had exited slid open soundlessly, and as such, neither Moordryd nor Cain heard him return. Word walked to his control panel and looked at his son and his friend. Cain clicked happily away on his wrist-comm, while Moordryd was apparently doing nothing and staring into space. Word sighed irritably and strode up to his chair, making loud sounds as he did so.
Cain and Moordryd jumped as Word looked at them with distaste. "Are you ready to listen?" He asked with an obvious look of disproval.
Cain clicked off his wrist-comm and nodded quickly. Moordryd folded his arms and stood impatiently, slightly threatened to start tapping his foot. "Well? Why did you make us get up early, pack and then wait here? For over half an hour?"
Word smiled. "You two have a little trip to make."
"Where to?" Moordryd asked flatly, wishing his father would get to the point.
Word waved his claws around in the air. "I want you to retrieve something for me, which may take some time. Actually, I'm sure it will take quite some time. Which was why I waited until now to make you go. Your racing season has ended, and if you manage to retrieve what I want, you should be back in time for the next racing season. For the academy."
Moordryd mulled it over. What would they have to get that would take so long? They had a few months left until the next racing season, the academy, began. "How far away do we have to go?" Moordryd asked skeptically.
"I rather thought you might be more interested in what you'll be retrieving for me." Word smiled at them, obviously wanting them to ask that first.
"Okay then, what are we getting?"
"After pouring through many different ancient texts from the dragon-human war, I concluded something interesting." Word sat down in his chair as Moordryd rolled his eyes. This may prove to be a lengthy history lesson. Word noticed him. "I shall keep this short, as I want you to bring them to me as quickly as possible."
"We have to get more than one thing?"
"Yes. In the original dragon-human war," Word started again, "the Dragon Booster and his dragon had a close ally that had been with them since before the war even broke out. His best friend, if you will. This rider was unknown, I cannot find any texts mentioning his name. But his dragon's name was mentioned time and time again, Hercrylox."
"Hercrylox?"
"Yes. This was a Bull-class dragon, very close to the Dragon of Legend. It had been said that this was the only dragon in existence who knew the Dragon of Legend's true weakness. The Dragon Booster and his dragon trusted their friends, never once afraid that this dreadful secret would be made known to any one else. They said this 'weakness' the Dragon of Legend had could destroy him utterly."
Word looked them in the eye, pleased to know he had their full attention. "As the war raged on, Hecrylox and his rider stood steadfastly by the Dragon Booster's side. He was an experienced fighter, a strong fighter. Later in the war, however, he turned on the Dragon Booster. He pledged his allegiance to the Dragon Booster's enemies. It isn't stated what made Hercrylox and his rider turn on the Dragon Booster, but the did. And hated him fully. The Dragon Booster knew that Hercrylox and his rider would tell his enemies about the Dragon of Legend's true weakness. Do you know what the Dragon Booster did?"
"What?" Cain asked and leaned forward.
Word grinned. "The Dragon Booster ran after him, and intercepted him before he reached enemy camp. There they fought. It was there that the Dragon of Legend was nearly defeated!" Word balled his claws into a fist and pounded them on his chair in rage that Hercrylox hadn't won.
"The Power and Fire Boosters came up behind Hercrylox as he was about to deal the final blow, whatever it may have been. He was quickly killed. It wasn't until after the war, and after all the dragons had been turned back to gold and their bone marks severed and fallen off, that the Dragon Booster turned again to Hercrylox. He knew that if the bone mark existed, it could turn other dragons into the Hercrylox. A dragon bent on destroying the Dragon Booster and one that knew his true weakness! So he broke the bone mark."
"He broke it? He actually broke it?" Moordryd asked in disbelief. "I thought bone marks were indestructible."
"True, but the Dragon of Legend managed this. The bone mark broke into fourteen pieces. These pieces were then distributed among the nations. Of course, their draconium influences were now gold, but these bone marks were hidden in the great cities of each of the draconium colors. One was hidden in the blue draconium city state capital, another in the green. And the purple, orange, grey and so on. The gold city received two. These were kept securely and guarded day and night. But as the years passed, the bone marks were discarded, forgotten and a number of other things."
"Why would people throw away a piece of the Hercrylox bone mark?" Moordryd asked.
"Perhaps they thought one simple piece was not threatening in the least, or perhaps they didn't believe the 'legend,' that the Hercrylox knew the Dragon of Legend's weakness."
Moordryd stood for a moment, before asking. "And you want us to go find all the pieces?" Word settled back in his chair and nodded. "What? It's hard enough finding one bone mark…but fourteen pieces? We'll never do that, especially if they're lost."
"No, you only have to find twelve." Word reached into his pocket, and held up to shimmer in the light a green object. "The two pieces that were given to Dragon City, the golden city, were entrusted to the Dragon Priests. Before I was…before I left them, I managed to take one."
"That's a piece of the bone mark?" Cain asked and backed away.
"Yes, but this little bit won't do anything to harm or influence anybody."
"Great," Moordryd huffed, "not only do we have to find twelve pieces, there's another with the Dragon Priests. Now how do you suppose we get that one?"
"Don't concern yourselves with that now. Get the other pieces. I suggest you head to the nearest city. Bring them all to me and be back in time for the academy…anything less I consider a failure. Am I understood?"
"Crystal clear." Cain responded. Moordryd grimaced at him.
But as he turned his attention back to his father, he barely had time to catch the rectangular device his father had suddenly flung at him. "That," his father said dryly as Moordryd fumbled it and only just caught it before it hit the floor, "will help you locate the pieces. It is a scanner designed to search for the green draconium pieces using their unique frequency."
Moordryd turned it over in his hands before asking one last question. "And I suppose you have a way to fuse them all together?"
"Precisely. Now go."
----------
As Artha reflected on the incidence, he called it pure coincidence, or perhaps even fate. But at the time, he had only thought of it as a real pain in the butt.
He stood outside Penn Stables, hunched against the chill of the morning as his crew poked around the entrance. "The sun hasn't rose, nobody's awake, none of the stores are open…does this make any sense to you?" Lance looked at Artha, then shook his head.
Artha groaned and leaned against the building. "You know, Lance, sleep is very good for the body."
"Not until I find my toy jousting dragon." Lance gave him a look and continued to look in various nooks and crannies.
Parm stretched and walked over to them from where he had been looking behind a dumpster. "Lance, are you sure you left it out here? I'm sure we would've found it by now if it were…."
"Of course I'm sure. I left it right outside the stables." Lance glanced around. "Somebody must've stolen it."
"Who'd steal that thing? It's practically broken. And why are we still looking?" Artha asked everyone.
Lance looked "Because, I'm your little brother. And it's one of my favourite toys."
Parm grumbled and crossed his arms. "Humph, one of your favourite toys to run over my feet."
Lance looked at him innocently, then prodded them all to start looking again. "Let's look that way more." He pointed several hundred yards away from the front of the stables near a drag way. Artha and Parm shrugged and followed.
"Figures that he had to remember about his toy at five in the morning!" Artha grumbled. Parm yawned. "You wanna sneak back in?" Artha chuckled. Parm nodded slowly, his eyes heavy with sleep, and Artha almost doubted he heard.
"Guys!" Kitt ran up to them, whispering loudly.
"You found it?" Lance asked excitedly and dashed towards her, then slowed as he noticed she held nothing in her hand.
Kitt grimaced. "No, I…"
"Stable brats."
"…wanted to warn you." Kitt finished in a low whisper.
Moordryd smirked at them as he rode Decepshun past them on the drag way. Cain and Coershun followed closely.
Artha glared at him. "What are you doing here?" He asked pointedly, suspicious.
"Nothing." Moordryd said sharply. "Can't we travel in peace without you yapping brats to…what are you doing here?"
"Looking for my toy. You haven't seen it, have you?" Lance peered at him, and at the huge packs they had attached to the backs of their saddles. Moordryd saw Lance looking, and unnoticeably tried to hide the scanner he was holding behind his body.
"Aww, Cain." Moordryd said and turned to his friend. "They're looking for a toy." Artha glared at him even harder.
Cain stared at them incredulously. "At five in the morning?"
"Yeah, well, "Artha scratched the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed about poking around his stable at five in the morning…for a toy. "…uh…where are you going? And why?"
Moordryd sighed. "Cain, is there a law that says I must answer him?"
"Hmm," Cain fingered his beard. "Not to my knowledge."
"Don't overwork yourselves searching for that toy, stable brats." Moordryd sneered and sent Decepshun into a gallop, with Cain following behind casting one last mocking laugh at Artha.
Artha sighed as Lance piped up. "We'll find my toy soon."
"We'd better." Artha grumbled.
Kitt looked at them all. "Um, guys. Shouldn't we be worried about where they're going?"
Artha shrugged. "The racing season's past. They're probably going on some vacation. And good riddance. I hope they're gone for the whole break."
"Yes, but where to? That's Moordryd and Cain. Word's probably sending them somewhere. Just because the season's over, doesn't mean he's taking a break too." Kitt said, planting her hands on her hips.
"We don't have any proof. And what are we going to do? Follow them?" Artha asked.
"Yes, can we?" Lance pleaded and jumped up and down.
Artha sighed, turning to his other friend. "Parm, what…Parm!"
Parm mumbled a barely coherent, "yeah, yeah," as he continued to gaze rather intently at his scanner.
Lance tried to see what he was doing. "Are you scanning for my toy?"
Parm looked up. "No. Didn't you see? What Moordryd was holding?" Artha looked at Kitt, then they both shook their heads. "He was holding a scanner!"
"Um…so?"
"Soooo, what were they scanning for?" Kitt asked and smiled in anticipation of uncovering their ploy. "Why would they need to scan for something?" She turned to Parm, expecting him to have the answer, which he did.
"I just finished some calculations. Moordryd was scanning for something, and I tuned into his radio wave and measured the frequency. He's…" Parm stared closely at his scanner. "It's weird." Kitt grinned at Artha. "He's scanning for green draconium…but the frequency…that type is only found in…bone marks!"
Lance gaped. "A bone mark? Kitt was right! They are up to something!"
"A bone mark in their hands? That can't be good." Kitt said to Artha. He sighed.
"You're right. We should talk to Dad. Do you know what type of bone mark? Is it powerful?"
"I can't be entirely sure. But your Dad may know."
----------
"The Hercrylox."
"And…how do you know?" Artha asked. Connor gave the scanner back to Parmon.
"I'll be right back."
Artha shared a look with the others as they stood in the cave below Penn Stables, yawning their jaws off.
"At least he knows." Kitt mumbled. "Who here has heard of the Hercrylox?"
Lance shrugged. "I bet it's dangerous though."
"It is." Connor said, returning quickly. He held up a scanner.
"Another one?" Lance asked.
"Yes, Lance. Another scanner." Connor looked them all in the eye, and told them the tale of the Hercrylox. After he explained the basis, he went on to continue, "I recognized the frequency because I've seen it before. When Word was banished from the Dragon Priests, the Dragon Priests showed me a piece of the bone mark. They had two, but one had disappeared. There was almost no doubt that Word had stolen it. They passed down to me the near secret tale of the Hercrylox. We all hoped Word would never learn of it. It is mentioned very little, barley at all in ancient texts. The Dragon Priests are the only living beings who know if it. I don't know what made Word grab the Hercrylox in the first place."
"Maybe because the Dragon Priests kept it in high regard?" Parm ventured.
"Perhaps. Now it appears that Word has learned of the tale and sent Moordryd and Cain off to recover the remaining twelve pieces with a scanner searching for the unique frequency."
"And the big deal is?" Artha asked. "So what if they manage to find them? Word can't really do anything with only thirteen pieces. As long as we have one, he can't…well, do anything."
"I don't want to chance anything. He's made a chromatic bone mark, remember? Perhaps thirteen pieces will be enough for him." Connor said worriedly.
Kitt looked at the scanner Connor held. "And we're going to follow them and use that scanner to find the bone marks before they do?"
Connor nodded and handed the scanner over to her. "You should leave within a few hours. Go to the same cities they do, track them and follow closely. Some cities, like the light green, grey and orange, are.."
"Very hard to find." Parm gasped. "We'll see the fabled light green city! Where the Keepers live!"
"If you manage to find it." Connor said. "You'd better hurry. I'll stay here and guard the piece we have, in case Word tries something."
Lance smiled. "I can't believe it! We'll be going to the other cities! This is so awesome!"
"What about your toy?" Kitt asked him.
"Oh, er…I found in the stable near Fracshun…"