A/N- Done with finals! They've been bogging me down for a while, hence the last super short chapter (for which I am sorry!) Also, on Sunday I got to see How to Train Your Dragon Live: The Arena Spectacular! The show was stunning! Amazing use of graphics and actors, as well as amazing dragons! They were HUGE! You don't realize how big these things actually are until you see a live sized model of them!
Now, some back story for all you lovely readers. Breeds of dragons are capitalized, and this is not what Vikings would call them but, well, these are dragons talking!
*50 Years Ago*
Gather round hatchlings, gather round! The old dragon settled against the wall of the warm cave, watching the younglings flitter about. They nipped at each other's tails, shoved each other with their wings, and blew tiny clouds of smoke. The old dragon smiled as they slowly settled down, glowing eyes turning to his large ones. He snorted contentedly and settled down to tell his tale again, as he had countless times before.
Thousands of years ago in the cold northern lands of Frjosa, where we now live, things were much different. It was just as cold and snowy as it is now, but there were many more islands. These islands were home to thousands of dragons, just as Svelley is now. But our island was not the only one with access to the hot springs and caverns. No, our island used to be part of a great mountain range; it's many peaks breaking the ocean surface. If you were a Deep Swimmer, you could follow the land that connected our island to the next, and the next, and the next. All of these islands had holes and pockets that connected them to the heat within. The Fire Lovers used to follow the tunnels inside the islands down for miles until they found lava for heat bathing. They told stories of the Magma Swimmers, dragons that could survive – and enjoyed – the burning heat of molten rock. The warm water around our islands attracted fish for miles around and we never went hungry. Although seen from above our island seems like little more than a crag of dull rock, inside lay the wonders of the dragon race! Oh, you should have seen it…nests specifically for dragon eggs, little springs for hatchlings to play in, hundreds of underground pools for the older dragons…but I digress.
During this time –and some say ever since time began – there was a force known as the Ancient Power. It is only spoken of in legends or hushed whispers around glowing coals. Some say that if harnessed, it will bring peace to all the dragons. Some say it will be a weapon to fight the Vikings with. Others say the power IS the weapon to fight the Vikings with. Still others fear that it will bring about the end of the world. Whatever it is, many dragons over time have tried to use it, for better or worse. The only dragons who could control the power were our ancient heroes and ancestors, when the world was still a new place. They wielded the power for good, shaping themselves and the lands around them to be a fit place for dragons. They chose homes far from the reach of the humans of that time and settled into a life of peace. The Ancient Power fell to the wayside, no longer needed.
However, time and time again dragons sought this ultimate power. Nigh on 1,000 years ago, a cult of dragons formed that were determined to take this power for themselves. Over a two hundred dragons committed themselves to the ritual of calling the Ancient Power into themselves. They all went mad and many burnt up from the power raging inside. The others were twisted into horrible grotesque beings, misshapen and disproportionate. The power ate at their minds, twisting them against each other and the rest of the dragon race. They attacked, giving no thought to their own safety. So many died…so much blood stained the rocks and tunnels of our islands. We rose up and fought back, planning on ridding the world of the evil dragons forever. The battle lasted for weeks. They were so strong, so horrible. The magic they could perform…it ripped our islands apart. Many sank under the waves. Others were filled with lava and only the Magma Swimmers live there now. Still others belch toxic black smoke into the sky. So many many dragons died, caught in the crossfire or trapped in the islands as they burned. Our own island as you know did not escape unharmed. Many tunnels are now sealed off, due to what lies beneath or within them. Hundreds of our flock died and a countless number were injured. Whole races were wiped out. We are so much smaller than we were. We vowed that no dragon would be able to commit this atrocity again. So, we created the Wise Ones.
They were a group of 10 old dragons that dedicated themselves to protecting the Ancient Power. They spent years studying the legends and history surrounding it, as well as what it had done to the dragons who tried to use it since. However, they disappeared 100 years ago and have not been heard of again. Legend says that they found the source of the Ancient Power and traveled there to try to rid if forever. If they were successful, we do not know, but no dragon has been able to harness the Ancient Power since. All traces and knowledge of it was erased, except for the power of words, to pass this knowledge on to hatchlings like you. The loss of the Wise Ones was a great tragedy to our flock, for they were well loved and had great knowledge. But if they died, then they did so with honor, protecting us to the end.
The dragon yawned and blinked slowly, listening to the trills and murmurs of the baby dragons. Some had heard the tale before and were eagerly filling in their younger siblings on the few details he had missed. Mind pictures bounced between them, augmenting their tales. Before they had a chance to get too out of hand and fanciful, the old dragon blew a cloud of steam over the group.
Back to bed now, all of you. No complaining. You will all hear the story again another time, and many others to come. It's time for the older dragons to have their story sharing time. The babies grumbled, but tottered off. One lapis lazuli dragon trilled to a fellow Air Spinner, pictures still flitting between them. The old dragon yawned once more before welcoming in the older dragons.