Chapter 1: Discovery
At a bar in a small village located in Iwagakure, a large group of people were drinking and talking. These were your average, non-magical men. The Nohmaji (noh-mah-jee), they're called. Nohmaji didn't have any kind of special ability whatsoever, quite unlike the warriors of Konoha and the elves of Kumo. These people couldn't fly or summon magical creatures. Hell, some of them never even picked up any weapon other than an axe or a knife. But if you spoke to them, they would tell you that they were glad they didn't harbor any magical abilities. You see, most Nohmaji believed that having special abilities is a curse. Even the sorcerers of Iwa had to hide themselves so they wouldn't get stoned. In truth, the Nohmaji are actually jealous.
Anyway, back to our little bar conversation. One slightly drunken man said in a boisterous voice, "And that is how the Snake of Darkness was banished from the land!"
"That's a load of ol' posh!" Another man exclaimed, "Let me tell you how it really happened."
The men around the table leaned forward, eager to hear. Looking once at his audience, the second man began, "From the way I heard it, the Snake of Darkness was banished by the Dragon Lords!"
"Oh, not those wretched magicians again!" One member of the audience cried.
"Shut up and listen," the storyteller snapped before continuing, "The Snake of Darkness was taking over too much land. With his seven followers and the Eight Deceased Skeletons by his side, not many people would fancy trying to stop him. But the warriors, elves, sorcerers, hybrids, and alchemists got together and went to the Dragon Lords."
"And the Snake of Darkness couldn't beat the Dragon Lords?" An audience member asked disbelievingly.
"The old snake bit off more than he could chew," the storyteller replied, "The Dragon Lords were too strong for him and his accomplices, so they fled. A Dragon Lord still died though," he added after a moment's thought.
"Which one?"
"Not sure. Whichever one it was, it's still a large blow to the Dragon Lords. They only have fourteen in their ranks now."
"But anyway," the storyteller stood up, raising a glass of wine, "Let's toast!"
Shouts of agreement came from his friends as they followed his actions. The storyteller cleared his throat and said, "To the Dragon Lords…!"
"Awww! Nah!"
The storyteller glared around at the complaints before shouting, "May this land be blessed with peace and prosperity forevermore!"
Cheers came from the listeners and everyone downed their drink. Soon, the people continued with their loud and merry gatherings.
Deidara opened the door to her house, carrying a basket of mushrooms. "Mom, I'm home, yeah," she called.
"Welcome home, dear," her mother, Kitsune, said, "How many mushrooms did you get?"
Deidara held up the basket with a triumphant grin. "I filled the entire basket, Mom, un."
Kitsune smiled. "Thank you so much, sweetie. Could you wash them out for me while I take care of the laundry?"
"Sure, hmm." Deidara carried the basket of mushrooms into the kitchen and put it on the counter next to the sink. Turning on the cold water, she started taking the mushrooms out of the basket one by one. After rinsing them out, she placed them in a separate basket.
Reaching into the basket for another mushroom, Deidara felt something smooth and round. This couldn't be a mushroom. Mushrooms were rubbery and had a stem. Peering into the basket, she saw that she was holding a shiny, tan stone.
"Wow, yeah," she whispered, lifting the stone up to eye level and looking at it closely.
The large stone gleamed under the dying sunlight coming in through the kitchen window. Running her hands over the surface of it, Deidara noticed that there were absolutely no flaws in the exterior of the stone. Almost as if she was conducting an extremely meticulous examination, Deidara squinted at the stone, noticing that it was slightly transparent. Tiny veins could barely be seen, crisscrossing each other. The stone was beautiful.
But how had it gotten into the basket? Deidara did not remember picking up a stone during her mushroom hunt. As she turned the stone over in her fingers, it slipped out her wet grasp, falling on her foot with a loud thud.
"Ow! Damn, un!" Deidara cursed angrily, hopping on one foot as the stone rolled under the dining table.
"Deidara, no swearing!" Kitsune scolded, coming in with the empty laundry basket.
"Sorry, Mom." Deidara retrieved the stone, cradling it to her chest.
"What's that?" Kitsune leaned forward, eyeing the stone curiously, "Where did you get this stone?"
Deidara shrugged. "I found it in my basket. It's really strange; there are vein-like patterns on it, yeah."
"Really?" Kitsune took the stone from her daughter. Deidara stiffened instinctively, wanting to caution her mother yet thinking it would be stupid if she thought a stone could break. Its surface was still flawless after smashing Deidara's foot.
"I can see the veins!" Kitsune exclaimed excitedly, tracing the pattern with her finger. Handing the stone back to Deidara, she added, "I don't know how a stone could look like that. Maybe your father knows something about it. You can ask him when he gets home."
"Alright, Mom." Deidara carefully carried the stone into her room. Placing on her bed, she gently stroked the exterior, thinking back to her question of how the stone ended up in her basket.
Perhaps it had fallen in there from a tree. But who would put a rock up in a tree?
Maybe a wild animal had placed it with her mushrooms, intending to come back for it later. But there were no animals nearby that could be strong enough to carry the stone. The stone was about the size of a football and approximately twice as heavy.
Well, the stone couldn't have teleported into her basket. It's not like it's a magic stone.
Suddenly, Deidara sat bolt upright. What if it was a magic stone? I'd be the luckiest girl in this village if it was a magic stone. They are really rare! The only thing rarer is dragon eggs!
Picking it up again, Deidara said in an awed whisper, "I am so glad you appeared in my basket."
The front door slammed, making Deidara jump about a mile in the air. Stuffing the stone under her pillow, the young blonde proceeded to dash out of her bedroom. She arrived in the kitchen to see her father hanging up his hunting equipment.
Daiseki was a strong man. With broad shoulders, dark eyes, and well-muscled arms, he gave off an intimidating aura. But he was actually a very kind and patient person. Unlike many other couples in Osthwa (ahs-thuh-wah (1)), Daiseki and Kitsune had married out of love.
Now, he and Kitsune gave each other a welcoming kiss. "Welcome home," Kitsune told her husband, smiling.
Daiseki returned her smile. "It's great to be back," he answered.
Deidara stepped forward. "Hey, Dad, un."
"Ah, my little Dei-Dei!" Her father gave her a hug, "How are you today?"
"I'm fine, Dad," Deidara replied, slightly embarrassed at her father's nickname for her, "Did you catch anything, yeah?"
"Three rabbits and a deer," Daiseki gestured outside as Kitsune left to prepare dinner, "I've already hung them up in the store room."
"Oh, Dad. I have something to show you, un."
"What is it?"
"It's some kind of stone, yeah. I think it may be…"
"Dinner's ready!" Kitsune declared, bringing in a large plate holding a roasted chicken.
"After dinner, okay, Dei?" Daiseki asked. Deidara nodded.
All through dinner, Deidara couldn't help but feel a little anxious and pick at her food. What if someone stole the stone while no one was around? She couldn't shake off the nagging feeling of unease.
She was relieved beyond imagination when dinner ended. Clearing the dishes, Kitsune suggested, "Deidara, why don't you show your father the stone you found today?"
"I know, un," Deidara said, getting off her chair and dashing to her room. Retrieving the stone from underneath the pillow, she quickly ran back out to the kitchen where her parents waited.
"So that is what you wanted to show me?" Daiseki asked, nodding at the rock Deidara clutched.
"Yes, un. I was hoping you know what it is, yeah. You see, it's not an ordinary stone," Deidara explained, handing the object in question over to her father a little reluctantly.
Daiseki accepted the stone, handling it carefully. He turned it over a couple of times, narrowing his eyes and examining the stone. After about two minutes, he shook his head and gave it back to Deidara. "Sorry. I've never seen anything like this, either. It is definitely an unusual stone."
A little disappointed, Deidara took the stone. "What should I do with it, yeah?"
"Why don't you take it to the merchants in the main part of the village tomorrow?" Kitsune suggested, "They might know something about it."
"Yes, go talk to the merchants," Daiseki agreed with his wife, "They come across new things to add to their stocks every day. One of them might have seen something like this before."
"Okay, un," Deidara sighed, heading back to her room, "Night, Mom. Dad."
"Good night, honey," Kitsune called after her daughter.
Back in the privacy of her bedroom, Deidara placed the stone on her bedside table. She rubbed her hands across the smooth surface, wondering what the stone was capable of.
Almost as if answering her unspoken question, the stone began to glow. Startled, Deidara watched as the glow became brighter and brighter until all of a sudden, she was seeing images in her head.
Looking through the eyes of some unknown creature, Deidara saw herself flying above a field of fire. The sky was covered in dark, storm clouds. Lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder rumbled across the plains.
A tower loomed out of the darkness. Deidara let out a silent cry and raised her arms up to shield her face from the collision. To her surprise, she swerved away from the structure at the last second, and in that moment, she found out which creature she was possessing.
"Holy crap, I'm a dragon!" she whispered as the dragon did twists and turns in midair. Something moved across her vision. Deidara and the dragon craned their shared head to see what it was. Deidara was shocked to see a yellow dragon hovering in the air, a red-haired boy on its back.
Looking closely, Deidara saw that the boy was saying something, his mouth moving soundlessly. Deidara strained to hear what he was saying, but a sudden burst of pain in the dragon's wings distracted her. To her horror, she began to fall, the dragon's wings punctured and torn by arrows. There was nothing she could do except watch the earth get closer and closer in her death-spiral out of the sky.
The world became a confusion of colors and things. Something spiky and orange flashed in the corner of her eye, the endless sheet of flaming earth grew closer, and everything went black.
1. Osthwa is the name for the entire land, including the regions of Konoha, Kiri, Suna, etc. In other words, the regions make up Osthwa. Osthwa is the world.
In case it was a little confusing, the scene that occurs after the stone glows is Deidara seeing a dragon's memories. I don't know if I just clarified things or made things more confusing, but I tried.
R & R!
