"This is the dragon's tale. This is the story. Listen, all, listen and hear the truth. In the beginning of life, there was the earth. On this earth, many lifeforms lived and breathed. Here they slept, here they mated, here they created new life. In those days, the earth was three major land masses. To the North, lay the Garden. Eden to the Christian dragons. To the Southwest, lay Atlantis. To the Southeast, lay Lemuria. From these lands, came the dragons. It is in the Garden that this story begins. Some say that this was the land of the original werechild, the product of Lilith, the she-wolf, and Adam, the first male. It is also said that from there doth the dragon spring. And so was it true. It is little known that there were two serpents of the garden.
As is known, the serpent had legs, and they were taken when it betrayed the Lord most high, the Creator. This is their story. The serpents were each gifted with a job. The one, was gifted by the Destroyer with that duty. It was to subvert the creations, however it could. The second, that was the one little known of. To this one was the duty of Protector. To this one was given the speech of the Creator. It was for this one to protect the Garden, and keep the denizens therein safe from all harm. This was the one that fathered the dragons. This is the one that lived.
When the first snake originally tempted Eve, the female of the human species, she was reluctant. She knew that what it was making her want was wrong, was not something of the Creator. It made her feel strangely, and Adam could not understand what she herself did not. She left the first serpent, confused and dazed. Coming to the second serpent, she explained her problem. She was compelled, nothing would make her happier, nothing would please her more than to have that fruit, from the tree of Life itself. She did not know why she was driven, nor why she felt so strangely. She knew only one thing. The second serpent, he tried to break her compulsion. He showed his fangs, he threatened, he coiled himself about the tree in the hope of protecting it. Nothing he did could stop her. And so he could only watch, as the female ate the fruit, and fed it to Adam. He could only turn his eyes from their great sin, and wait. He knew punishment would come.
It was not long. The Creator came, and he banished the humans. To the first serpent, he took its legs, stole its voice. He thrust it from the garden, into the boundaries around it. The first serpent was named, it was Ternoble, a follower of Lucifiel, the fallen one. To the second serpent, the creator gave gifts. For his valiant attempts, even in the face of great destruction, the serpent was given wings, much like the angels and the Creator himself wore. The serpent was gifted with many colors, the likes of which had never been seen, save for in the flowers of the Garden. To the serpent was given the earth, to seek out and create more of itself. To the serpent was given a name, dragon, the winged one. The dragon was given freedom, to create for itself a measure of the world. The dragon sought out its former friends, Adam, and Eve. He helped them, helped create for them, from their sins, a world anew. Without the Garden, they were lost, but he helped them find a path away from Ternoble, a way of peace under the sight of the Creator. From Eve came both Cain, and Abel. What was little known about was Seth. The dragon born of Eve, punishment for her sins.
When Seth was born, the dragon took her away, took the darkness of Seth from the Garden continent, and together, they went to Atlantis. It was in Atlantis that the dragon grew most. Here, it found kindred spirits. Here, the dragon found a reverence accorded to it. It was here that the dragon discovered the crystals. Spherical stones strewn about that reverberated and vibrated with the dragon's scales. It was here the dragon first discovered that its newness came with the ability to wield its own magic. It controlled a strange force there, unlike any it knew. The dragon discovered that the power of all the beings of Atlantis fed the power of One. Here, the dragon found a home. The dragon, along with his offspring Seth, decided that here, it would learn. It knew, only if it was bound as a slave could it work to the level of Master. And so the dragon and Seth became the servants of the One. They became servants of the sacred fire, of the Firestone of Atlantis, the seven tipped many faceted stone. This stone was the repository of the Creator's light, the tears he shed when hanging in the Nothing. It was here that the dragon's learned. They became servants to the Members of the One, an organisation whose purpose was to throw down the darkness, to bring forth more of the light, and have it touch the hearts of all. Even in Atlantis Lucifiel had a foothold. Here, he was Baal, the ram-horned demon god. His fiery red eyes and lion's mane sparked fear in his followers, and he walked Atlantis, man formed. It was he who subverted Seth, the first of her kind, and brought her to the side of the Fallen. It was here, that the celestial battle first began. The first dragon discovered much in his time as servant. He discovered the combinations of the powers of the stone. He found that the stone was created by the Creator, and was faceted in such a way that it was capable of channelling energy to the very core of it. It was this energy, pure and powerful solar energy, that fed the civilisations of Atlantis. The dragon also found that the stones that echoed on its scales were smaller firestones, embodied with properties by the creator. The dragon found that the stones were capable of clearing its mind, and when the dragon looked to the depths of the stone, he found a link to the Creator. These crystals became known as "eyes of God" and were worn by the devout, placed on the forehead. They endowed the true believer with the sight and the wisdom the Creator could grant to them. Within the world that was Atlantis, a million hearts would beat, a million songs would twine and writhe in a world not like ours. The technology was astounding, and it was the Creator who deemed it worthy. Long before television or radio, there existed electricity, with no cables or cords. This was a world were a wish meant a real, true thing, a wish was something granted by the power of the true hearts. The power within the spirits of Atlantis were bright, warm, embodied with the power of the firestone.
That is, until Baal and Seth began their work. It happened over the course of several hundred years. Baal took for himself followers, children of the womb, and ignited within them the dark fire. The passionate burning of hate, of troubled minds. It was Seth who created a new race, the race of blood. It was over the course of years that the offspring of human began following Baal. After all, he had the same powers as the Creator, save that his miracles hurt those he stole from. An example, if one of his followers wanted riches, Baal would steal them from a family of the One. This was the way Atlantis began to fall. The families and members of the One refused to accept the darkness within themselves, the darkness that was falling.
Each month, the firestone would glow dimmer, and the light would fade. The crystals that the people wore grew dimmer. The dragon didn't know what to do. By this time, he had reached the rank of the Master, and he was the highest of earthly beings. He had a crystal that glowed brighter than all else, an amethyst that glowed golden at the edges. Every time he looked at the firestone, he could see it grow dimmer, the crystal showing signs of a cracking, thin lines scoring the stone. The dragon didn't know what to do. The followers came, every day, but hope was growing dim. The Creator was strangely silent to the dragon, and the dragon continued on as he could, worshipping the One, keeping the congregation on the side of the Creator. The dragon knew he worked against his own child, his flesh and blood. So he knew it was to happen, so he knew the Creator had told him. One day, when the stone glowed dimly, with its light no more than a spark, the Creator turned his eyes to the dragon, and spoke.
"You have been faithful, ever and always. My heart has not turned from you, friend. I say to you now, you must bring forth a child, a child like to you in form and blood, and you must be patient. Listen, and the heart will tell you. I cannot guide my children here any longer, I can only watch. The darkness of Lucifiel and your kindred, Seth, has spread. She brings forth dragons of the darkness, and there is no refuge. I have to leave you now, it hurts me now to even speak. Fare thee well dragon, travel one day to Lemuria, where we can once more commune."
The dragon nodded his head, and slipped off his crystal. It had gone dim, as had the firestone. All around, the solar power of Atlantis was fading, and the dragon knew his time was come. He began the process of begetting a daughter, all the while watching the brooding darkness cover the sky. Every day, less and less of the congregation came, less and less worshipped. After all, they have been abandoned, and all hope was lost. The dragon soon had his daughter. Ten months after the Creator told him, he held a tiny girl child, and he named her Ezekial, the first-born. She was a wondrous blending of human and dragon, and the dragon felt it was good. He and she went into hiding, waiting for her to grow into her birthright. They waited for years, the congregation in hiding, their continent darkened. Then one day, Ezekial lifted her head, and sniffed the air.
"The time has come, Father. Hear me now, God of Gods. Grant me the power of your heart, let me speak with your voice. Hear me now, people of Atlantis! We fall, down, down, down, and we will not rise again. The time has come, the Creator will destroy this place, as it is meant to be. We die, prepare yourselves!"
Flapping her broad feathered wings, Ezekial flew up, into the darkened sky, and alit on a mountain top, where darkness crowned the peak. She shimmered, the white of Creation flowing around her in bands of dim colors. She waited, knowing Seth would come, and that Baal/Lucifiel had once more fled the scene, having feasted upon what he wrought. She knew that she must live, for she and the dragon would have to move on, and create anew. That was their job, their sacred mission.
It was not long. Up from the depths of the darkness came Seth, her blackened scales gleaming, her eyes a maddening yellow with red lights. She roared, her breathe was fetid, and her teeth sharp and keen. Ezekial merely opened her clear blue eyes, and smiled. She knew who would win, and who would lose. It smouldered within her, the white fires glowing on her skin. Seth would fall, and be banished to the Fallen Realms. Nothing would change that. Even though Seth was many, many times Ezekial's size, she was unafraid. Ezekial waved a hand, and Seth screamed. The arc of Ezekial's throw went through Seth's shoulder scales, tearing a slice of darkness from them. The darkness dissipated quickly, and Seth attacked. She was cocky, Baal had told her that she could never lose. He told her that her powers, the darkness her soul now embraced, was enough to destroy anything the Creator could throw. Roaring again, she flew against her sister. The two siblings fought, a full seven days and seven nights, and the two separated again. Ezekial turned her face to the darkened sky, and screamed. She bled from a million places, her spirit hurt, but she was the winner. She watched as Seth fell, her wings broken, and Seth screamed. Watching, Ezekial murmured something, then watched as the dark earth opened, and Seth fell within. Swiping her wings, Ezekial rose to the sky, above the skies of her continent, and the dragon soon joined her. They hung in mid-air, and watched, as the continent fell, and they heard the screams of the fallen dragons.
Turning their muzzles away from the pain, the two flew off, headed to Lemuria. They found Lemuria to be a world of heat, dense jungles, and rich earth scents. A strange place. The dragon and Ezekial found a confusing assortment of colors and shapes and sounds. Nothing made sense. It was like some child took earth colors and scribbled everywhere. The two did feel however a renewed link to the Creator. They were gladdened by this. The life around them was confusing enough, but with the renewed contact they knew they could live here, in peace. Walking through the forests, they saw life, but it was strange life. Half shadowed, as if they did not truly live. These life forms were everywhere, but congregated in the trees. They stared down at the dragon and Ezekial, their wide yellow eyes bright and shining like amber stones. The dragon touched a paw to his face, where the stone was glowing with renewed vigour. The Creator spoke to them then.
"Ah, you wish to know what you see. These, these are the lemurs. The lost souls. I don't yet know what they will do. These are the spirits who became lost on the journeys they have chosen, and thus, they are here. I want you to watch over them, and be their guide. Try to show them back to a path."
The dragon nodded, and Ezekial took her clawed hand from his shoulder. They looked up at the lemurs. The little creatures were strange looking, their amber eyes large and round in black, sunken faces. The dragon stared at them, then started. He felt an alien presence within his mind, hooting and speaking in growls.
"Food, yes? Eat you now? Not food? No, friend. Friend not food. I 'member that. I not eat you. Me come down? Speak with you? You big. Help me? Friend?"
The dragon conveyed the words to his daughter, and she spoke to the creature.
"Come down. We no harm you. You friend. Me friend. He friend. We wish speak with you. You speak for all?"
"I speak. Coming down."
The small creature climbed down and hung from a branch above them. It looked at them, and then opened an eye that was in the middle of its forehead. This startled the dragon, but Ezekial merely reached out and touched the tiny creature, across the forehead. The creature cooed, and Ezekial smiled.
"I can feel your energy, littling. It is kin to my own. Who were you? What made you lose your way? This place is like Angelus Errare, where Angels lose their way. Do you remember who you are? What you once were?"
"'member trees. And clouds. And a big flower. 'member wings, and horns and loveliness. 'member a big stone, and friends. Lots of friends. 'member smiles, and laughted. 'member family. Family. Mine. They were, what were they? Winged. Lovely wings. I remember wings."
The little creature laughed. In an almost human voice it yelled.
" I remember wings! I remember who I was! Why am I here? I have to get home! Atlantis, I must go there. My family is there."
Ezekial screamed. Here, before her, was one of the Fallen. An offspring of Baal's making. A winged one. That could only mean it was one of Seth's making. She looked at it, then thought.
/It has no memory of its being evil. It worries for family. Perhaps, it is not inherently evil, and the soul does not have to be. Maybe, I can help it find the One. I don't know, I can only try./
Slowly, and carefully, she explained to the small creature what had occurred. From it, she discovered that many of the created Fallen, the offspring of Baal and Seth, had died in the drowning, and that many had come here, and lost memories. The children of the lost.
The creature understood. It realised what it had done in that other life, and realised what it could do now. It knew it could start over. Looking at her, it began growing, its fur being absorbed and integrated into a deep, deep brown human skin. The creature seemed to unfold, until a deep brown human stood before her, his eyes a deep piercing green, his hair long. Around his eyes, black rings remained, and he had a long, silky tan and brown tail. Sitting down, he nervously groomed it.
"So what now, great one? I must find my family. Will you and the strange one help me?"
"We will."
So Ezkekial and the dragon set about their mission, resurrecting the lost spirits, and reuniting families, who remembered their past wickedness as another life, another time, not something of the new day and age. There, in Lemuria, many just wanted to find their loved ones, and live once more as families.
Ezekial came to settle down, with one of the former Fallen. It was strange at first for her, but she found him to be warm, to love her truly, and his own blood was enough for her and he to have dragon children. The dragon himself found a new mate, and they went off, to be dragons together, alone, with only the voice of the Creator with them.
After a time, and several younglings had been born, the dragon and Ezekial noticed a change in their new world. Once more, the evil one had arisen, but was now a dragon. To Ezekial's sorrow, Seth had not fully died. She had been changed, and now was a merger. She had merged, and become Ternoble, the black dragon once more. Ezekial sensed that this Ternoble was not as powerful here, and was waiting, deep within the earth, rumbling only occasionally. Ezekial and the dragon rumbled uneasily in their throats at this. They had seen land destroyed for this, and did not wish to see it again. They began planning. The dragon would rise, both of them knew. The world would hurt again, as it had since the Creator opened his eyes. Both knew this.
They knew that they would have to save the new dragon race, that both types had to survive, and create more. This was a driving urge to them. To make their race flourish. Over the months that followed, they trained, and the dragons grew, further and further, the blood of Ezekial and the dragon thinning to the point where marriage between the two clans became possible. As they concentrated on their task, they chose those who honestly had changed, who honestly cared and wanted to live again under the Creator's eyes. As they gathered, they saw that others were changing. Some had fallen back to a mix of their old ways. They were becoming something like animals. They were regressing, back to the lemurs they had been. Those who had refused that path turned their heads, and moved further and further into the mountains.
Ezekial and many of the other females began changing their habits. Ezekial grew large, changing her anatomy and her mental thoughts closer to those of a snake. She began becoming secretive, growing heavy and egg bound. She knew that to protect her children, she must have many of them, lay them in eggs, to wait to hatch. She began laying them in small groups, burying them in the deep, dark earth of the mountains, so that they had the sky and the earth around them. Her offspring, and the mate and children of the dragon, began doing the same. They bore live children, but most of their energy went into laying the eggs in safe places. They lived like serpents for a time, drawing from the energy of a snake, basking in the sun. They gathered into clans, their numbers growing larger, and watched the ones who had regressed. What they saw disgusted them. Ternoble was showing his influence in a wicked way. The lemurs were committing unthinkable acts on and at each other. They were beasts, pure and simple, who had the thoughts of humans. The dragons knew this was an abomination, and turned their hearts from the rest, for all time.
Soon the time came when the dragon and Ezekial knew their time had come. The Creator told them that once again, the time had come for a land to end. They would not be able to save the land of Lemuria, and could only evacuate those they loved. And so it came that the dragon and Ezekial, their children, and the children of their children left that land, and flew together to a place where the land was strange. Ezekial and the other females left their eggs, safely entombed, to wait for the time when they could hatch.
The dragons travelled far, finding the changing land strange. The water was receding around Eden, and more land was growing. They found humans here, but these humans were scared of them. Continuing on, all the dragons could not find a place to rest. Finally, they landed, and the dragon plaintively howled at the Creator
"Great Lord! What are we, your favoured people, to do? Guide us! We need you!"
The Creator spoke, spoke to all their minds in the broad message.
"You will leave this earth, and leave it for eternities. It is no longer your time. You are not needed here. One day, you will return, and your children will be born. For now, I will take you where in my universe you wish to go. Life is elsewhere, and your kind are on hundreds of worlds. Maybe you can find peace on one of those. Prepare, you will come here, to my domain, and decide."
The dragon and Ezekial nodded together, and gathered their families about them. In all, almost 1,000 dragons and dragon kin existed. Together, they were the clans, and they were ready to leave. They knew that one day they would return, but not until the world was ready. Gradually, over the centuries, the dragon souls came back to the earth, and wore human skin, to test and find out if the earth was ready for their wakening. Now, it has come that time, and the dragons are once more hatching and flying. We are once more bound by our promise to protect."
As is known, the serpent had legs, and they were taken when it betrayed the Lord most high, the Creator. This is their story. The serpents were each gifted with a job. The one, was gifted by the Destroyer with that duty. It was to subvert the creations, however it could. The second, that was the one little known of. To this one was the duty of Protector. To this one was given the speech of the Creator. It was for this one to protect the Garden, and keep the denizens therein safe from all harm. This was the one that fathered the dragons. This is the one that lived.
When the first snake originally tempted Eve, the female of the human species, she was reluctant. She knew that what it was making her want was wrong, was not something of the Creator. It made her feel strangely, and Adam could not understand what she herself did not. She left the first serpent, confused and dazed. Coming to the second serpent, she explained her problem. She was compelled, nothing would make her happier, nothing would please her more than to have that fruit, from the tree of Life itself. She did not know why she was driven, nor why she felt so strangely. She knew only one thing. The second serpent, he tried to break her compulsion. He showed his fangs, he threatened, he coiled himself about the tree in the hope of protecting it. Nothing he did could stop her. And so he could only watch, as the female ate the fruit, and fed it to Adam. He could only turn his eyes from their great sin, and wait. He knew punishment would come.
It was not long. The Creator came, and he banished the humans. To the first serpent, he took its legs, stole its voice. He thrust it from the garden, into the boundaries around it. The first serpent was named, it was Ternoble, a follower of Lucifiel, the fallen one. To the second serpent, the creator gave gifts. For his valiant attempts, even in the face of great destruction, the serpent was given wings, much like the angels and the Creator himself wore. The serpent was gifted with many colors, the likes of which had never been seen, save for in the flowers of the Garden. To the serpent was given the earth, to seek out and create more of itself. To the serpent was given a name, dragon, the winged one. The dragon was given freedom, to create for itself a measure of the world. The dragon sought out its former friends, Adam, and Eve. He helped them, helped create for them, from their sins, a world anew. Without the Garden, they were lost, but he helped them find a path away from Ternoble, a way of peace under the sight of the Creator. From Eve came both Cain, and Abel. What was little known about was Seth. The dragon born of Eve, punishment for her sins.
When Seth was born, the dragon took her away, took the darkness of Seth from the Garden continent, and together, they went to Atlantis. It was in Atlantis that the dragon grew most. Here, it found kindred spirits. Here, the dragon found a reverence accorded to it. It was here that the dragon discovered the crystals. Spherical stones strewn about that reverberated and vibrated with the dragon's scales. It was here the dragon first discovered that its newness came with the ability to wield its own magic. It controlled a strange force there, unlike any it knew. The dragon discovered that the power of all the beings of Atlantis fed the power of One. Here, the dragon found a home. The dragon, along with his offspring Seth, decided that here, it would learn. It knew, only if it was bound as a slave could it work to the level of Master. And so the dragon and Seth became the servants of the One. They became servants of the sacred fire, of the Firestone of Atlantis, the seven tipped many faceted stone. This stone was the repository of the Creator's light, the tears he shed when hanging in the Nothing. It was here that the dragon's learned. They became servants to the Members of the One, an organisation whose purpose was to throw down the darkness, to bring forth more of the light, and have it touch the hearts of all. Even in Atlantis Lucifiel had a foothold. Here, he was Baal, the ram-horned demon god. His fiery red eyes and lion's mane sparked fear in his followers, and he walked Atlantis, man formed. It was he who subverted Seth, the first of her kind, and brought her to the side of the Fallen. It was here, that the celestial battle first began. The first dragon discovered much in his time as servant. He discovered the combinations of the powers of the stone. He found that the stone was created by the Creator, and was faceted in such a way that it was capable of channelling energy to the very core of it. It was this energy, pure and powerful solar energy, that fed the civilisations of Atlantis. The dragon also found that the stones that echoed on its scales were smaller firestones, embodied with properties by the creator. The dragon found that the stones were capable of clearing its mind, and when the dragon looked to the depths of the stone, he found a link to the Creator. These crystals became known as "eyes of God" and were worn by the devout, placed on the forehead. They endowed the true believer with the sight and the wisdom the Creator could grant to them. Within the world that was Atlantis, a million hearts would beat, a million songs would twine and writhe in a world not like ours. The technology was astounding, and it was the Creator who deemed it worthy. Long before television or radio, there existed electricity, with no cables or cords. This was a world were a wish meant a real, true thing, a wish was something granted by the power of the true hearts. The power within the spirits of Atlantis were bright, warm, embodied with the power of the firestone.
That is, until Baal and Seth began their work. It happened over the course of several hundred years. Baal took for himself followers, children of the womb, and ignited within them the dark fire. The passionate burning of hate, of troubled minds. It was Seth who created a new race, the race of blood. It was over the course of years that the offspring of human began following Baal. After all, he had the same powers as the Creator, save that his miracles hurt those he stole from. An example, if one of his followers wanted riches, Baal would steal them from a family of the One. This was the way Atlantis began to fall. The families and members of the One refused to accept the darkness within themselves, the darkness that was falling.
Each month, the firestone would glow dimmer, and the light would fade. The crystals that the people wore grew dimmer. The dragon didn't know what to do. By this time, he had reached the rank of the Master, and he was the highest of earthly beings. He had a crystal that glowed brighter than all else, an amethyst that glowed golden at the edges. Every time he looked at the firestone, he could see it grow dimmer, the crystal showing signs of a cracking, thin lines scoring the stone. The dragon didn't know what to do. The followers came, every day, but hope was growing dim. The Creator was strangely silent to the dragon, and the dragon continued on as he could, worshipping the One, keeping the congregation on the side of the Creator. The dragon knew he worked against his own child, his flesh and blood. So he knew it was to happen, so he knew the Creator had told him. One day, when the stone glowed dimly, with its light no more than a spark, the Creator turned his eyes to the dragon, and spoke.
"You have been faithful, ever and always. My heart has not turned from you, friend. I say to you now, you must bring forth a child, a child like to you in form and blood, and you must be patient. Listen, and the heart will tell you. I cannot guide my children here any longer, I can only watch. The darkness of Lucifiel and your kindred, Seth, has spread. She brings forth dragons of the darkness, and there is no refuge. I have to leave you now, it hurts me now to even speak. Fare thee well dragon, travel one day to Lemuria, where we can once more commune."
The dragon nodded his head, and slipped off his crystal. It had gone dim, as had the firestone. All around, the solar power of Atlantis was fading, and the dragon knew his time was come. He began the process of begetting a daughter, all the while watching the brooding darkness cover the sky. Every day, less and less of the congregation came, less and less worshipped. After all, they have been abandoned, and all hope was lost. The dragon soon had his daughter. Ten months after the Creator told him, he held a tiny girl child, and he named her Ezekial, the first-born. She was a wondrous blending of human and dragon, and the dragon felt it was good. He and she went into hiding, waiting for her to grow into her birthright. They waited for years, the congregation in hiding, their continent darkened. Then one day, Ezekial lifted her head, and sniffed the air.
"The time has come, Father. Hear me now, God of Gods. Grant me the power of your heart, let me speak with your voice. Hear me now, people of Atlantis! We fall, down, down, down, and we will not rise again. The time has come, the Creator will destroy this place, as it is meant to be. We die, prepare yourselves!"
Flapping her broad feathered wings, Ezekial flew up, into the darkened sky, and alit on a mountain top, where darkness crowned the peak. She shimmered, the white of Creation flowing around her in bands of dim colors. She waited, knowing Seth would come, and that Baal/Lucifiel had once more fled the scene, having feasted upon what he wrought. She knew that she must live, for she and the dragon would have to move on, and create anew. That was their job, their sacred mission.
It was not long. Up from the depths of the darkness came Seth, her blackened scales gleaming, her eyes a maddening yellow with red lights. She roared, her breathe was fetid, and her teeth sharp and keen. Ezekial merely opened her clear blue eyes, and smiled. She knew who would win, and who would lose. It smouldered within her, the white fires glowing on her skin. Seth would fall, and be banished to the Fallen Realms. Nothing would change that. Even though Seth was many, many times Ezekial's size, she was unafraid. Ezekial waved a hand, and Seth screamed. The arc of Ezekial's throw went through Seth's shoulder scales, tearing a slice of darkness from them. The darkness dissipated quickly, and Seth attacked. She was cocky, Baal had told her that she could never lose. He told her that her powers, the darkness her soul now embraced, was enough to destroy anything the Creator could throw. Roaring again, she flew against her sister. The two siblings fought, a full seven days and seven nights, and the two separated again. Ezekial turned her face to the darkened sky, and screamed. She bled from a million places, her spirit hurt, but she was the winner. She watched as Seth fell, her wings broken, and Seth screamed. Watching, Ezekial murmured something, then watched as the dark earth opened, and Seth fell within. Swiping her wings, Ezekial rose to the sky, above the skies of her continent, and the dragon soon joined her. They hung in mid-air, and watched, as the continent fell, and they heard the screams of the fallen dragons.
Turning their muzzles away from the pain, the two flew off, headed to Lemuria. They found Lemuria to be a world of heat, dense jungles, and rich earth scents. A strange place. The dragon and Ezekial found a confusing assortment of colors and shapes and sounds. Nothing made sense. It was like some child took earth colors and scribbled everywhere. The two did feel however a renewed link to the Creator. They were gladdened by this. The life around them was confusing enough, but with the renewed contact they knew they could live here, in peace. Walking through the forests, they saw life, but it was strange life. Half shadowed, as if they did not truly live. These life forms were everywhere, but congregated in the trees. They stared down at the dragon and Ezekial, their wide yellow eyes bright and shining like amber stones. The dragon touched a paw to his face, where the stone was glowing with renewed vigour. The Creator spoke to them then.
"Ah, you wish to know what you see. These, these are the lemurs. The lost souls. I don't yet know what they will do. These are the spirits who became lost on the journeys they have chosen, and thus, they are here. I want you to watch over them, and be their guide. Try to show them back to a path."
The dragon nodded, and Ezekial took her clawed hand from his shoulder. They looked up at the lemurs. The little creatures were strange looking, their amber eyes large and round in black, sunken faces. The dragon stared at them, then started. He felt an alien presence within his mind, hooting and speaking in growls.
"Food, yes? Eat you now? Not food? No, friend. Friend not food. I 'member that. I not eat you. Me come down? Speak with you? You big. Help me? Friend?"
The dragon conveyed the words to his daughter, and she spoke to the creature.
"Come down. We no harm you. You friend. Me friend. He friend. We wish speak with you. You speak for all?"
"I speak. Coming down."
The small creature climbed down and hung from a branch above them. It looked at them, and then opened an eye that was in the middle of its forehead. This startled the dragon, but Ezekial merely reached out and touched the tiny creature, across the forehead. The creature cooed, and Ezekial smiled.
"I can feel your energy, littling. It is kin to my own. Who were you? What made you lose your way? This place is like Angelus Errare, where Angels lose their way. Do you remember who you are? What you once were?"
"'member trees. And clouds. And a big flower. 'member wings, and horns and loveliness. 'member a big stone, and friends. Lots of friends. 'member smiles, and laughted. 'member family. Family. Mine. They were, what were they? Winged. Lovely wings. I remember wings."
The little creature laughed. In an almost human voice it yelled.
" I remember wings! I remember who I was! Why am I here? I have to get home! Atlantis, I must go there. My family is there."
Ezekial screamed. Here, before her, was one of the Fallen. An offspring of Baal's making. A winged one. That could only mean it was one of Seth's making. She looked at it, then thought.
/It has no memory of its being evil. It worries for family. Perhaps, it is not inherently evil, and the soul does not have to be. Maybe, I can help it find the One. I don't know, I can only try./
Slowly, and carefully, she explained to the small creature what had occurred. From it, she discovered that many of the created Fallen, the offspring of Baal and Seth, had died in the drowning, and that many had come here, and lost memories. The children of the lost.
The creature understood. It realised what it had done in that other life, and realised what it could do now. It knew it could start over. Looking at her, it began growing, its fur being absorbed and integrated into a deep, deep brown human skin. The creature seemed to unfold, until a deep brown human stood before her, his eyes a deep piercing green, his hair long. Around his eyes, black rings remained, and he had a long, silky tan and brown tail. Sitting down, he nervously groomed it.
"So what now, great one? I must find my family. Will you and the strange one help me?"
"We will."
So Ezkekial and the dragon set about their mission, resurrecting the lost spirits, and reuniting families, who remembered their past wickedness as another life, another time, not something of the new day and age. There, in Lemuria, many just wanted to find their loved ones, and live once more as families.
Ezekial came to settle down, with one of the former Fallen. It was strange at first for her, but she found him to be warm, to love her truly, and his own blood was enough for her and he to have dragon children. The dragon himself found a new mate, and they went off, to be dragons together, alone, with only the voice of the Creator with them.
After a time, and several younglings had been born, the dragon and Ezekial noticed a change in their new world. Once more, the evil one had arisen, but was now a dragon. To Ezekial's sorrow, Seth had not fully died. She had been changed, and now was a merger. She had merged, and become Ternoble, the black dragon once more. Ezekial sensed that this Ternoble was not as powerful here, and was waiting, deep within the earth, rumbling only occasionally. Ezekial and the dragon rumbled uneasily in their throats at this. They had seen land destroyed for this, and did not wish to see it again. They began planning. The dragon would rise, both of them knew. The world would hurt again, as it had since the Creator opened his eyes. Both knew this.
They knew that they would have to save the new dragon race, that both types had to survive, and create more. This was a driving urge to them. To make their race flourish. Over the months that followed, they trained, and the dragons grew, further and further, the blood of Ezekial and the dragon thinning to the point where marriage between the two clans became possible. As they concentrated on their task, they chose those who honestly had changed, who honestly cared and wanted to live again under the Creator's eyes. As they gathered, they saw that others were changing. Some had fallen back to a mix of their old ways. They were becoming something like animals. They were regressing, back to the lemurs they had been. Those who had refused that path turned their heads, and moved further and further into the mountains.
Ezekial and many of the other females began changing their habits. Ezekial grew large, changing her anatomy and her mental thoughts closer to those of a snake. She began becoming secretive, growing heavy and egg bound. She knew that to protect her children, she must have many of them, lay them in eggs, to wait to hatch. She began laying them in small groups, burying them in the deep, dark earth of the mountains, so that they had the sky and the earth around them. Her offspring, and the mate and children of the dragon, began doing the same. They bore live children, but most of their energy went into laying the eggs in safe places. They lived like serpents for a time, drawing from the energy of a snake, basking in the sun. They gathered into clans, their numbers growing larger, and watched the ones who had regressed. What they saw disgusted them. Ternoble was showing his influence in a wicked way. The lemurs were committing unthinkable acts on and at each other. They were beasts, pure and simple, who had the thoughts of humans. The dragons knew this was an abomination, and turned their hearts from the rest, for all time.
Soon the time came when the dragon and Ezekial knew their time had come. The Creator told them that once again, the time had come for a land to end. They would not be able to save the land of Lemuria, and could only evacuate those they loved. And so it came that the dragon and Ezekial, their children, and the children of their children left that land, and flew together to a place where the land was strange. Ezekial and the other females left their eggs, safely entombed, to wait for the time when they could hatch.
The dragons travelled far, finding the changing land strange. The water was receding around Eden, and more land was growing. They found humans here, but these humans were scared of them. Continuing on, all the dragons could not find a place to rest. Finally, they landed, and the dragon plaintively howled at the Creator
"Great Lord! What are we, your favoured people, to do? Guide us! We need you!"
The Creator spoke, spoke to all their minds in the broad message.
"You will leave this earth, and leave it for eternities. It is no longer your time. You are not needed here. One day, you will return, and your children will be born. For now, I will take you where in my universe you wish to go. Life is elsewhere, and your kind are on hundreds of worlds. Maybe you can find peace on one of those. Prepare, you will come here, to my domain, and decide."
The dragon and Ezekial nodded together, and gathered their families about them. In all, almost 1,000 dragons and dragon kin existed. Together, they were the clans, and they were ready to leave. They knew that one day they would return, but not until the world was ready. Gradually, over the centuries, the dragon souls came back to the earth, and wore human skin, to test and find out if the earth was ready for their wakening. Now, it has come that time, and the dragons are once more hatching and flying. We are once more bound by our promise to protect."