Chapter 1: Dragon Born
Myria wanted all to live in peace, a world free from strife; this desire seemed to have nothing malevolent in it and so she gathered followers. Volnain and Morgion sided with her; Volnain desired peace, but what Morgion desired was anyone's guess. Those who advocated free will and the mortal's right to live their lives as they chose were led by Suzaku the god of the bird people, at his side were the gods Kihlrah and Shrimp. Yggdrasil and his Grass Clan remained out of the fighting and the elemental gods took neither side lending their powers to both depending on their fancy at the time. For a time the goddess Deis sided with her sister, but eventually the two came up against something that split them apart: the Dragon Clan.
The war had dragged on for centuries, there were intervals of breaks in the fighting, but there never was peace. The natures of the some Clans changed, their forms altering to fight the war. The Dragon Clan suffered the greatest change and some might say the greatest tragedy as well. As Myria began to focus her efforts on the Dragons, Deis broke away from her sister, taking away her half of the Infinity gem. The Dragons met her threat by developing half of their forces for offence and the other half for defence thus was the Dark Dragon Clan and the Light Dragon Clan created. However, the two opposing ideals of the now split clan began to clash: those of the Dark Dragon Clan were natural born fighters, peerless combatants, but these skills made them naturally aggressive; they demanded that the assault on Myria's forces be increased after the enemy had been repulsed. The Light Dragon Clan, healers, defenders, had a more pacifist view and said that they should only defend themselves. A once strong bond between the two peoples degraded and the day came when a Dark Dragon and a Light Dragon, one year apart in age, were born to the royal family. The Dark Dragon grew and gathered his followers and eventually left with them, against his father's wishes, to create a city for the Dark Dragons alone. And so, the population of the Dragon City of Lon Chai was cut almost in half.
The city of Lon Chai, hidden in the mountains, sitting on a plateau surrounded by a river that fed the Central Sea. Its ivory spires and watchtowers kept the city alerted to invaders; the population of ten thousand could sleep in peace. The temperatures and weather were always of great advantage to the farmers, the temperatures comfortable enough for short robes and yukata (1), those men and women that did not tend to farms tended to gardens or bartered for goods and services or simply spent their time gossiping. The peaceful life of a Light Dragon Clansman: Lon Chai was so secluded that no army of great size could ever attack, making that sort of passive life possible. However, there were those of the Dark Dragon Clan who, feeling responsible for their fellow Clansmen remained behind as the standing army of the city.
Liem Dragnis, the leader of the Samurai, the Elite Guard of the army, which made him second only to the King in terms of military command, walked the streets. He was headed for the advanced watchtower. Something had been spotted on the horizon and in times of war even the smallest thing could not be overlooked; one thing was certain though, it was no flock of birds. He was dressed in full armour and the sun gleamed off the golden designs of his armour. His sandals were noiseless on the stone street, only the scabbard of his katana rattled as he walked. The people waved at him and called out to him in greeting, some of the younger women stared at him and sighed as he passed; he was very attractive and strong, an accomplished warrior and the subject of many youthful fantasies. He had short black hair and a beard, well groomed, and he had a constant grim expression; he was a man of the military, a soldier first. A soldier greeted him at the base of the tower.
"What news?" Liem asked.
"Unidentified objects flying on the horizon, sir!"
"Show me."
The army was always in either training, resting or on guard duty, Liem made sure of it. There were at least five guards at each tower and at the moment all of them were watching the approaching spot on the horizon. At the top, one of the soldiers handed over a portable telescope to Liem, so that he might glimpse at this potential enemy. Through the telescope he saw the approaching targets.
"There are five of them." Liem whispered.
"They should be within sight soon, commander." One soldier said.
That was when Liem saw the lead flyer. It had a rectangular snout with two large nostrils and a black mane of hair. Two horns sprouted from its head and two tendrils flowed from beneath its nostrils, giving the impression of a long thin moustache. It had along serpentine body and, judging from the size of its head, the body must have been at least a mile long. It was a Sky Dragon (2), a creature that was honoured and revered by all of the Dragon Clan, ridden by Dragon Clan royalty the way lesser men would ride horses; it was a creature on the brink of extinction and this one that flew now may have been the last of its kind. Four other smaller dragons, with riders, flanked the Sky Dragon. These were Dragon Riders of the Dark Dragon Clan, the dragons were those who had been born as dragons and they had never, nor would they ever, walk the soil in human form: they had been paired from birth with one of the Clan who would ride them in battle. This bond formed from birth elicited a nigh unbreakable trust between dragon and rider making them a fearsome pair in battle.
Liem lowered the telescope and handed it back to the soldier next to him.
"Stand down the alert and signal them they can land on the main platform." He instructed the soldiers. "Call the samurai and instruct them to prepare an honour guard and have them meet me at the landing platform."
"Yes sir!" The soldiers replied as they stood at attention and saluted.
Liem left the tower and began to walk towards the main landing platform. It was large to accommodate large flyers or important visitors; the easiest way to travel to Lon Chai was, of course, by flying there. It was a circular, stone platform at the edge of the city, overlooking the river and the falls in the distance. The stone had been carved so that it looked like the platform was held on the back of a single large dragon and the perimeter of the platform had smaller stone dragons, similar in design to the dragon statues one could find in the shrines dedicated to Ladon.
Twenty of the samurai joined Liem at the platform. They were fully armoured, complete with helmets and masks and they carried naginata, a spear that has a blade at the end of the pole. They formed two columns behind Liem and waited. The Sky Dragon flew through the air the same way an eel or serpent would swim through water, its graceful, flowing movements, its great black scales and dark-grey mane and huge size evoked awe and fear from anyone who gazed upon it. It took a very strong-willed person to approach the beast let alone ride it. Liem and his soldiers didn't flinch or even move as the dragons approached, they were trained soldiers after all. The dragons that followed the Sky Dragon had to beat their wings quickly to simply keep up with the behemoth; Liem knew they would need to be tended to before they left.
The Sky Dragon hovered above them and began a spiralling descent towards the platform. As it came close to the platform its body coiled around itself as it slowed down. Liem had seen such a beast once before and had always wondered how it could slow down such a descent since it didn't have wings. Its head lowered to the ground and its rider eased himself to the ground. It was a man of youthful appearance, perhaps in his mid to late twenties. He wore black full-plate armour with gold trim, his head was uncovered revealing his pale skin and long blue hair; his hair was of such a dark shade that it could be mistaken for black. His face was quite handsome, but the hard gaze and demeanour could only be described as cold. The remaining dragons landed around the behemoth, but only one rider dismounted; it appeared to be a robed man, a sorcerer or perhaps a priest of the Dark Dragon Clan.
"I thank you for your aid, O revered one. I ask that you please come again when I have need of your strength." The dark armoured one said.
The Sky Dragon growled and flew into the sky, uncoiling as it did so.
"Scout the area until I give your new orders." He said to the remaining dragon riders. "Report any abnormalities."
The four dragons nodded and took to the sky, each headed in a different direction. The dark armoured man, followed by the robed man turned to Lime and his cohorts.
"Take positions!" Liem commanded.
The columns distanced themselves from each other and marched forward in unison. When each column had reached their designated positions, that is, the area between the dark armoured one and Liem, they turned in unison and face each other. Two men, walking side by side could easily walk trough the area that separated the two columns.
"Present arms!"
Each man took hold of their naginata with both hands and held it before them.
"Salute!"
They dipped their weapons so that their blades and those of the ones they faced touched, clanging as they did so. It formed an archway under which the dark armoured one and his follower passed. Liem put a hand to his heart and bowed as the man walked up to him.
"Prince Marduk (3)... It is an honour. I did not expect to see you in this city again, my lord." Liem said.
Marduk smiled slightly at the term prince; he was a ruler, a king in his own right and he would always be called prince as dictated by tradition.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with the king. Take me to him immediately." Marduk commanded.
"The king has a lot on his mind... But I will do as you ask." Liem bowed.
The two turned and Liem led the way. The robed man followed and the twenty soldiers stopped their salute and fell in behind Liem and Marduk, marching side by side.
In the shrine closest to the castle, a man paced restlessly back and forth. His name was Marutukku, called Maru, and he was the king of the Dragon Clan. He had light blue hair and wore a royal yukata; he was young, in his mid-twenties. As a king he tended towards the informal and was well liked by the populace. His wife, the queen, was now in labour about to give birth to their first-born. According to tradition only midwives and apprentices, if they had apprentices, were allowed to be in the room with the mother at the time of the birthing. As an expecting father he was concerned about his wife, but he could not be there for her, so he paced back and forth in the empty shrine.
"Zenny for your thoughts, O king?" A voice from a pew said.
Maru turned and saw an old man sitting on the bench. He was bald and had a long white beard, wore a long brown robe and carried a staff. The king recognized him as an old scholar, a priest of sorts who went by the name Bishop. The old one motioned for the monarch to sit beside him. Maru, having nothing better to do, took a seat beside the older, presumably wiser man and waited for him to say something.
"You're worried about her." The older man stated.
The statement was so obvious as to be laughable and Maru did so; he'd needed something to relieve his tension.
"Yes... yes I am." He said, his face taking on a more sombre cast.
"Then why are you not with her?"
"Isn't there some church rule that says only the midwife is allowed with her?"
"None that I am aware of and I know all the rules of religious decorum and etiquette."
"Then why..."
"Many centuries ago," Bishop began sagely. "A queen was giving birth and did not wish her husband to see... terribly embarrassing to be seen in such a position, you understand. So, she sent him away. When he demanded she explain herself, they were terribly unfriendly, a marriage of convenience... where was I? Oh yes, she had cited some obscure religious law. It was so obscure that no one bothered to check its validity and so it became tradition. Rather silly if you think about it."
"So there's no reason for me not to go?" Maru asked, incredulous.
"Even if there were such a law, you're the king; change it. Your people love you and your wife, you are a fair and just ruler and there is nothing you have yet done that the people have not approved of. There was the split of the clan... but that was under your father's rule." He mused with a knowledgeable smile. "If you so chose, you could change the laws, religious or otherwise and the people would support it... as long as you were being reasonable, of course. Now why are you still here? Go to her."
Maru smiled at the feeble, though valiant effort Bishop put into attempting to push him away. The king rose and bowed to the older man out of respect before he left the shrine. When he exited the shrine, he saw an interesting parade: his lord general, Liem Dragnis, was escorting, along with twenty other samurai, Marduk, the lord of the Dark Dragon Clan and a robed mage/priest. The small parade came up to the shrine and stopped. Marduk walked the path to the shrine and stood before the king.
"Hello, brother." Marduk greeted in a monotone voice.
"Brother." Maru said; his tone was quite flat as well.
The most striking thing about these two was not the differences between them, but the similarities: Both stood at the same height and so saw each other eye-to-eye. Both had similar facial features, marking them as family. They wielded positions of power, were loved and respected by their peoples and they exuded an aura of absolute confidence and authority. Their differences were really only skin deep; while Marduk had a military bearing and a grim expression and a clean-shaven face, Maru seemed more relaxed, showing weariness and he had a bit of stubble about his face. They were also a year apart in age, Marduk being the older and Maru being the younger. It was the hardness in their eyes that truly marked them as from the same family, a determination and gaze that was unmistakably identical.
"My condolences for the loss of your wife." Maru began. "I hope Zypher is faring well?"
"My daughter is well... you need not concern yourself over our welfare." Marduk maintained a serious expression and tone. "And Rose? How does she fare?"
"My wife is in labour, currently and I was just about to check up on her, if you'll please follow me." Maru motioned as he began to walk towards the castle.
"You... break tradition? Father must be rolling in his grave right now." Marduk said, neither his expression nor tone changing, though one could still tell he was amused at the possibility.
"'Tradition is merely a word used by those who want to justify the status quo. It doesn't mean we should stop looking for new and better ways to do things.'" Maru quoted.
"Well, it appears father was right: I was a bad influence on you."
"Just because I quoted what you said before you left once." Maru laughed.
They passed through the city, walking past homes and people. Men, who weren't working, stopped their games of dice and conversation, stood and bowed to the King and his brother, women stopped tending to their gardens, speaking to their friends and neighbours and bowed to the passing group and a group of children stopped playing with their friends, one of which was in dragon whelp form, and bowed towards the sibling monarchs. The entered the castle and headed for the Rookery, a room where royal births would take place. The honour guard dispersed after they entered the castle grounds, as their duty had been completed; they returned to their posts. According to historical records, the Rookery was where Dragon Clan children had been born long before the royals had been established and so it continued to be used as the birthplace of the nobles as it had once been the birthplace of the whole clan.
They stood before immense doors with draconic designs on them; this was the entrance to the Rookery. A young woman, no older than sixteen stood before the door. It was the mid-wife's apprentice and it appeared that the mid- wife desired no one to disturb her sa she worked, taking the old tradition a step further. The girl seemed surprised at the King's arrival and became quite nervous; after all, how was she, a peasant to tell the king to go away?
"M-my l-l-lord, y-you can't g-go in th-there." She stammered.
"Its alright." Maru said, smiling at the girl. "You've done your duty, I'll full responsibility for this."
The girl stepped aside and the king opened the doors. She blushed slightly as Liem glanced at her; she was one of his admirers, but she had never seen the samurai this close before. The Rookery was more of a huge cavern than an actual room, stalactites and stalagmites grew and water dripped from the roof and there was a pool of water off in one corner. The mid-wife, a grizzled and experienced old woman placed a dragon's egg on a pedestal- shaped stalagmite. A large adult dragon lay in the corner of the Rookery, this was Rose in dragon from. According to tradition, a pregnant woman transforms into their dragon form for the duration of the pregnancy; this supposedly increases a dragons transformation powers to be born in dragon form, but it had never been confirmed. It was a practice that had been dropped by the peasantry but still kept by the nobility. Though she was now nobility, Rose could be said to be the first peasant to have given birth this way in ages, as she had been born of the peasantry. Maru was going to go see his wife, who was now beginning to shift back to her human form, but the mid-wife blocked his way.
"Why are you here? You are not allowed to be here." She stated imperiously.
"There is no reason I should not be with Rose and a thousand reasons why I should." Maru stated in all calmness.
"There are religious laws..." She began.
"No, there aren't and even if there were I would change them; I am the king, you know."
The mid-wife fumed, but handed Maru Rose's kimono and the king went over to his wife, covering her naked and now human body with the robe.
"How are you feeling, beloved?" He asked her, smiling down at her.
She had red hair and blue eyes; she had been kind and caring to everyone, no matter their station, when she had become queen and was beloved by all. They all said her name, Rose, was an indication of her peerless beauty, but it never did her actual beauty justice. She lay back tired and smiled up at her husband.
The mid-wife glared at Marduk, his mage/priest companion and Liem, all of whom stood at the entrance. None of them, however, were going to be cowed by this simple old woman, so they didn't move.
"It appears my business will have to wait." Marduk said.
Marduk stayed in the palace, ruling Maru's stead while the king spent time with his wife. Marduk began by overseeing the army, increasing their training regimen and the number of patrols outside the city. When asked about his own kingdom, he said the mage would tell him if something was wrong. He informed Maru of Shax (4), the leader of Myria's armies, who had set his sights on this city and may be making a visit soon. He told the king it was a trap to gauge the standing forces of this city and that there wouldn't really be any serious peace talks. Maru said that he would give any peace talks a chance, that fighting was not what a Light Dragon did and that violence must be the last resort. Marduk did not argue, calling Maru a fool, but he did not dispute the king's actions.
Weeks after it was laid, the egg hatched and the inhabitant caused something of a stir: for the he was not in dragon form, but a human infant hatched from the egg. This was strange, for the child should have hatched as a dragon, not a human, stranger still was the dragon birthmark on his forehead. After doctors and clerics had examined the child, pronouncing him healthy, neither Rose nor Maru concerned themselves with the oddities of their son's hatching. They named him Ryu, after the first ruler of the Dragon Clan, Ryujin (5).
Once the child hatched, Maru took to his throne once more and Marduk left the city. As he was leaving he made an offer to Liem, to join him in his city of Scande, the fortress of which would soon be complete. Liem declined stating that he was captain of the samurai, that he would be remiss in his duty to the Dragon Clan if he were to abandon his post. He swore fealty to Maru and this was where he would stay until ordered otherwise. Marduk bade farewell to his brother and the city that was once his home as he flew away on the back of the Sky Dragon accompanied by his dragon rider escort.
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"O to be a dragon... of silkworm size or immense..." –Marianne Moore, "O to Be a Dragon"
*Music: 'Whispering Prayers' (Site: ocremix, game: Secrete of Mana)
*Music is only meant to enhance chapter reading experience.
(1)-I felt that the dragon clan setting was more like feudal era Japanese
than anything else, which is why I used some of the terms I did.
(2)-Sky Dragon is of an Asian dragon design and not western style.
(3)-Marduk is a Mesopotamian god; he was the one to defeat Tiamat. One
of his fifty alternate names was Marutukku, Master of the arts of
Protection.
(4)-For those of you who have read my story 'Requiem of Souls' you'll
know who Shax is, except this story takes place long before that story
and thus he is a different man in this time.
(5)-Ryujin is the name of the Japanese dragon god of the sea.
Myria wanted all to live in peace, a world free from strife; this desire seemed to have nothing malevolent in it and so she gathered followers. Volnain and Morgion sided with her; Volnain desired peace, but what Morgion desired was anyone's guess. Those who advocated free will and the mortal's right to live their lives as they chose were led by Suzaku the god of the bird people, at his side were the gods Kihlrah and Shrimp. Yggdrasil and his Grass Clan remained out of the fighting and the elemental gods took neither side lending their powers to both depending on their fancy at the time. For a time the goddess Deis sided with her sister, but eventually the two came up against something that split them apart: the Dragon Clan.
The war had dragged on for centuries, there were intervals of breaks in the fighting, but there never was peace. The natures of the some Clans changed, their forms altering to fight the war. The Dragon Clan suffered the greatest change and some might say the greatest tragedy as well. As Myria began to focus her efforts on the Dragons, Deis broke away from her sister, taking away her half of the Infinity gem. The Dragons met her threat by developing half of their forces for offence and the other half for defence thus was the Dark Dragon Clan and the Light Dragon Clan created. However, the two opposing ideals of the now split clan began to clash: those of the Dark Dragon Clan were natural born fighters, peerless combatants, but these skills made them naturally aggressive; they demanded that the assault on Myria's forces be increased after the enemy had been repulsed. The Light Dragon Clan, healers, defenders, had a more pacifist view and said that they should only defend themselves. A once strong bond between the two peoples degraded and the day came when a Dark Dragon and a Light Dragon, one year apart in age, were born to the royal family. The Dark Dragon grew and gathered his followers and eventually left with them, against his father's wishes, to create a city for the Dark Dragons alone. And so, the population of the Dragon City of Lon Chai was cut almost in half.
The city of Lon Chai, hidden in the mountains, sitting on a plateau surrounded by a river that fed the Central Sea. Its ivory spires and watchtowers kept the city alerted to invaders; the population of ten thousand could sleep in peace. The temperatures and weather were always of great advantage to the farmers, the temperatures comfortable enough for short robes and yukata (1), those men and women that did not tend to farms tended to gardens or bartered for goods and services or simply spent their time gossiping. The peaceful life of a Light Dragon Clansman: Lon Chai was so secluded that no army of great size could ever attack, making that sort of passive life possible. However, there were those of the Dark Dragon Clan who, feeling responsible for their fellow Clansmen remained behind as the standing army of the city.
Liem Dragnis, the leader of the Samurai, the Elite Guard of the army, which made him second only to the King in terms of military command, walked the streets. He was headed for the advanced watchtower. Something had been spotted on the horizon and in times of war even the smallest thing could not be overlooked; one thing was certain though, it was no flock of birds. He was dressed in full armour and the sun gleamed off the golden designs of his armour. His sandals were noiseless on the stone street, only the scabbard of his katana rattled as he walked. The people waved at him and called out to him in greeting, some of the younger women stared at him and sighed as he passed; he was very attractive and strong, an accomplished warrior and the subject of many youthful fantasies. He had short black hair and a beard, well groomed, and he had a constant grim expression; he was a man of the military, a soldier first. A soldier greeted him at the base of the tower.
"What news?" Liem asked.
"Unidentified objects flying on the horizon, sir!"
"Show me."
The army was always in either training, resting or on guard duty, Liem made sure of it. There were at least five guards at each tower and at the moment all of them were watching the approaching spot on the horizon. At the top, one of the soldiers handed over a portable telescope to Liem, so that he might glimpse at this potential enemy. Through the telescope he saw the approaching targets.
"There are five of them." Liem whispered.
"They should be within sight soon, commander." One soldier said.
That was when Liem saw the lead flyer. It had a rectangular snout with two large nostrils and a black mane of hair. Two horns sprouted from its head and two tendrils flowed from beneath its nostrils, giving the impression of a long thin moustache. It had along serpentine body and, judging from the size of its head, the body must have been at least a mile long. It was a Sky Dragon (2), a creature that was honoured and revered by all of the Dragon Clan, ridden by Dragon Clan royalty the way lesser men would ride horses; it was a creature on the brink of extinction and this one that flew now may have been the last of its kind. Four other smaller dragons, with riders, flanked the Sky Dragon. These were Dragon Riders of the Dark Dragon Clan, the dragons were those who had been born as dragons and they had never, nor would they ever, walk the soil in human form: they had been paired from birth with one of the Clan who would ride them in battle. This bond formed from birth elicited a nigh unbreakable trust between dragon and rider making them a fearsome pair in battle.
Liem lowered the telescope and handed it back to the soldier next to him.
"Stand down the alert and signal them they can land on the main platform." He instructed the soldiers. "Call the samurai and instruct them to prepare an honour guard and have them meet me at the landing platform."
"Yes sir!" The soldiers replied as they stood at attention and saluted.
Liem left the tower and began to walk towards the main landing platform. It was large to accommodate large flyers or important visitors; the easiest way to travel to Lon Chai was, of course, by flying there. It was a circular, stone platform at the edge of the city, overlooking the river and the falls in the distance. The stone had been carved so that it looked like the platform was held on the back of a single large dragon and the perimeter of the platform had smaller stone dragons, similar in design to the dragon statues one could find in the shrines dedicated to Ladon.
Twenty of the samurai joined Liem at the platform. They were fully armoured, complete with helmets and masks and they carried naginata, a spear that has a blade at the end of the pole. They formed two columns behind Liem and waited. The Sky Dragon flew through the air the same way an eel or serpent would swim through water, its graceful, flowing movements, its great black scales and dark-grey mane and huge size evoked awe and fear from anyone who gazed upon it. It took a very strong-willed person to approach the beast let alone ride it. Liem and his soldiers didn't flinch or even move as the dragons approached, they were trained soldiers after all. The dragons that followed the Sky Dragon had to beat their wings quickly to simply keep up with the behemoth; Liem knew they would need to be tended to before they left.
The Sky Dragon hovered above them and began a spiralling descent towards the platform. As it came close to the platform its body coiled around itself as it slowed down. Liem had seen such a beast once before and had always wondered how it could slow down such a descent since it didn't have wings. Its head lowered to the ground and its rider eased himself to the ground. It was a man of youthful appearance, perhaps in his mid to late twenties. He wore black full-plate armour with gold trim, his head was uncovered revealing his pale skin and long blue hair; his hair was of such a dark shade that it could be mistaken for black. His face was quite handsome, but the hard gaze and demeanour could only be described as cold. The remaining dragons landed around the behemoth, but only one rider dismounted; it appeared to be a robed man, a sorcerer or perhaps a priest of the Dark Dragon Clan.
"I thank you for your aid, O revered one. I ask that you please come again when I have need of your strength." The dark armoured one said.
The Sky Dragon growled and flew into the sky, uncoiling as it did so.
"Scout the area until I give your new orders." He said to the remaining dragon riders. "Report any abnormalities."
The four dragons nodded and took to the sky, each headed in a different direction. The dark armoured man, followed by the robed man turned to Lime and his cohorts.
"Take positions!" Liem commanded.
The columns distanced themselves from each other and marched forward in unison. When each column had reached their designated positions, that is, the area between the dark armoured one and Liem, they turned in unison and face each other. Two men, walking side by side could easily walk trough the area that separated the two columns.
"Present arms!"
Each man took hold of their naginata with both hands and held it before them.
"Salute!"
They dipped their weapons so that their blades and those of the ones they faced touched, clanging as they did so. It formed an archway under which the dark armoured one and his follower passed. Liem put a hand to his heart and bowed as the man walked up to him.
"Prince Marduk (3)... It is an honour. I did not expect to see you in this city again, my lord." Liem said.
Marduk smiled slightly at the term prince; he was a ruler, a king in his own right and he would always be called prince as dictated by tradition.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with the king. Take me to him immediately." Marduk commanded.
"The king has a lot on his mind... But I will do as you ask." Liem bowed.
The two turned and Liem led the way. The robed man followed and the twenty soldiers stopped their salute and fell in behind Liem and Marduk, marching side by side.
In the shrine closest to the castle, a man paced restlessly back and forth. His name was Marutukku, called Maru, and he was the king of the Dragon Clan. He had light blue hair and wore a royal yukata; he was young, in his mid-twenties. As a king he tended towards the informal and was well liked by the populace. His wife, the queen, was now in labour about to give birth to their first-born. According to tradition only midwives and apprentices, if they had apprentices, were allowed to be in the room with the mother at the time of the birthing. As an expecting father he was concerned about his wife, but he could not be there for her, so he paced back and forth in the empty shrine.
"Zenny for your thoughts, O king?" A voice from a pew said.
Maru turned and saw an old man sitting on the bench. He was bald and had a long white beard, wore a long brown robe and carried a staff. The king recognized him as an old scholar, a priest of sorts who went by the name Bishop. The old one motioned for the monarch to sit beside him. Maru, having nothing better to do, took a seat beside the older, presumably wiser man and waited for him to say something.
"You're worried about her." The older man stated.
The statement was so obvious as to be laughable and Maru did so; he'd needed something to relieve his tension.
"Yes... yes I am." He said, his face taking on a more sombre cast.
"Then why are you not with her?"
"Isn't there some church rule that says only the midwife is allowed with her?"
"None that I am aware of and I know all the rules of religious decorum and etiquette."
"Then why..."
"Many centuries ago," Bishop began sagely. "A queen was giving birth and did not wish her husband to see... terribly embarrassing to be seen in such a position, you understand. So, she sent him away. When he demanded she explain herself, they were terribly unfriendly, a marriage of convenience... where was I? Oh yes, she had cited some obscure religious law. It was so obscure that no one bothered to check its validity and so it became tradition. Rather silly if you think about it."
"So there's no reason for me not to go?" Maru asked, incredulous.
"Even if there were such a law, you're the king; change it. Your people love you and your wife, you are a fair and just ruler and there is nothing you have yet done that the people have not approved of. There was the split of the clan... but that was under your father's rule." He mused with a knowledgeable smile. "If you so chose, you could change the laws, religious or otherwise and the people would support it... as long as you were being reasonable, of course. Now why are you still here? Go to her."
Maru smiled at the feeble, though valiant effort Bishop put into attempting to push him away. The king rose and bowed to the older man out of respect before he left the shrine. When he exited the shrine, he saw an interesting parade: his lord general, Liem Dragnis, was escorting, along with twenty other samurai, Marduk, the lord of the Dark Dragon Clan and a robed mage/priest. The small parade came up to the shrine and stopped. Marduk walked the path to the shrine and stood before the king.
"Hello, brother." Marduk greeted in a monotone voice.
"Brother." Maru said; his tone was quite flat as well.
The most striking thing about these two was not the differences between them, but the similarities: Both stood at the same height and so saw each other eye-to-eye. Both had similar facial features, marking them as family. They wielded positions of power, were loved and respected by their peoples and they exuded an aura of absolute confidence and authority. Their differences were really only skin deep; while Marduk had a military bearing and a grim expression and a clean-shaven face, Maru seemed more relaxed, showing weariness and he had a bit of stubble about his face. They were also a year apart in age, Marduk being the older and Maru being the younger. It was the hardness in their eyes that truly marked them as from the same family, a determination and gaze that was unmistakably identical.
"My condolences for the loss of your wife." Maru began. "I hope Zypher is faring well?"
"My daughter is well... you need not concern yourself over our welfare." Marduk maintained a serious expression and tone. "And Rose? How does she fare?"
"My wife is in labour, currently and I was just about to check up on her, if you'll please follow me." Maru motioned as he began to walk towards the castle.
"You... break tradition? Father must be rolling in his grave right now." Marduk said, neither his expression nor tone changing, though one could still tell he was amused at the possibility.
"'Tradition is merely a word used by those who want to justify the status quo. It doesn't mean we should stop looking for new and better ways to do things.'" Maru quoted.
"Well, it appears father was right: I was a bad influence on you."
"Just because I quoted what you said before you left once." Maru laughed.
They passed through the city, walking past homes and people. Men, who weren't working, stopped their games of dice and conversation, stood and bowed to the King and his brother, women stopped tending to their gardens, speaking to their friends and neighbours and bowed to the passing group and a group of children stopped playing with their friends, one of which was in dragon whelp form, and bowed towards the sibling monarchs. The entered the castle and headed for the Rookery, a room where royal births would take place. The honour guard dispersed after they entered the castle grounds, as their duty had been completed; they returned to their posts. According to historical records, the Rookery was where Dragon Clan children had been born long before the royals had been established and so it continued to be used as the birthplace of the nobles as it had once been the birthplace of the whole clan.
They stood before immense doors with draconic designs on them; this was the entrance to the Rookery. A young woman, no older than sixteen stood before the door. It was the mid-wife's apprentice and it appeared that the mid- wife desired no one to disturb her sa she worked, taking the old tradition a step further. The girl seemed surprised at the King's arrival and became quite nervous; after all, how was she, a peasant to tell the king to go away?
"M-my l-l-lord, y-you can't g-go in th-there." She stammered.
"Its alright." Maru said, smiling at the girl. "You've done your duty, I'll full responsibility for this."
The girl stepped aside and the king opened the doors. She blushed slightly as Liem glanced at her; she was one of his admirers, but she had never seen the samurai this close before. The Rookery was more of a huge cavern than an actual room, stalactites and stalagmites grew and water dripped from the roof and there was a pool of water off in one corner. The mid-wife, a grizzled and experienced old woman placed a dragon's egg on a pedestal- shaped stalagmite. A large adult dragon lay in the corner of the Rookery, this was Rose in dragon from. According to tradition, a pregnant woman transforms into their dragon form for the duration of the pregnancy; this supposedly increases a dragons transformation powers to be born in dragon form, but it had never been confirmed. It was a practice that had been dropped by the peasantry but still kept by the nobility. Though she was now nobility, Rose could be said to be the first peasant to have given birth this way in ages, as she had been born of the peasantry. Maru was going to go see his wife, who was now beginning to shift back to her human form, but the mid-wife blocked his way.
"Why are you here? You are not allowed to be here." She stated imperiously.
"There is no reason I should not be with Rose and a thousand reasons why I should." Maru stated in all calmness.
"There are religious laws..." She began.
"No, there aren't and even if there were I would change them; I am the king, you know."
The mid-wife fumed, but handed Maru Rose's kimono and the king went over to his wife, covering her naked and now human body with the robe.
"How are you feeling, beloved?" He asked her, smiling down at her.
She had red hair and blue eyes; she had been kind and caring to everyone, no matter their station, when she had become queen and was beloved by all. They all said her name, Rose, was an indication of her peerless beauty, but it never did her actual beauty justice. She lay back tired and smiled up at her husband.
The mid-wife glared at Marduk, his mage/priest companion and Liem, all of whom stood at the entrance. None of them, however, were going to be cowed by this simple old woman, so they didn't move.
"It appears my business will have to wait." Marduk said.
Marduk stayed in the palace, ruling Maru's stead while the king spent time with his wife. Marduk began by overseeing the army, increasing their training regimen and the number of patrols outside the city. When asked about his own kingdom, he said the mage would tell him if something was wrong. He informed Maru of Shax (4), the leader of Myria's armies, who had set his sights on this city and may be making a visit soon. He told the king it was a trap to gauge the standing forces of this city and that there wouldn't really be any serious peace talks. Maru said that he would give any peace talks a chance, that fighting was not what a Light Dragon did and that violence must be the last resort. Marduk did not argue, calling Maru a fool, but he did not dispute the king's actions.
Weeks after it was laid, the egg hatched and the inhabitant caused something of a stir: for the he was not in dragon form, but a human infant hatched from the egg. This was strange, for the child should have hatched as a dragon, not a human, stranger still was the dragon birthmark on his forehead. After doctors and clerics had examined the child, pronouncing him healthy, neither Rose nor Maru concerned themselves with the oddities of their son's hatching. They named him Ryu, after the first ruler of the Dragon Clan, Ryujin (5).
Once the child hatched, Maru took to his throne once more and Marduk left the city. As he was leaving he made an offer to Liem, to join him in his city of Scande, the fortress of which would soon be complete. Liem declined stating that he was captain of the samurai, that he would be remiss in his duty to the Dragon Clan if he were to abandon his post. He swore fealty to Maru and this was where he would stay until ordered otherwise. Marduk bade farewell to his brother and the city that was once his home as he flew away on the back of the Sky Dragon accompanied by his dragon rider escort.
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"O to be a dragon... of silkworm size or immense..." –Marianne Moore, "O to Be a Dragon"
*Music: 'Whispering Prayers' (Site: ocremix, game: Secrete of Mana)
*Music is only meant to enhance chapter reading experience.
(1)-I felt that the dragon clan setting was more like feudal era Japanese
than anything else, which is why I used some of the terms I did.
(2)-Sky Dragon is of an Asian dragon design and not western style.
(3)-Marduk is a Mesopotamian god; he was the one to defeat Tiamat. One
of his fifty alternate names was Marutukku, Master of the arts of
Protection.
(4)-For those of you who have read my story 'Requiem of Souls' you'll
know who Shax is, except this story takes place long before that story
and thus he is a different man in this time.
(5)-Ryujin is the name of the Japanese dragon god of the sea.
