THE
LOST CONTINENT
PROPHECY
Turn your eyes, your wings, your fire
To the land across the sea
Where dragons are poisoned and dragons are dying
And no one can ever be free.
A secret lurks inside their eggs.
A secret hides within their book.
A secret buried far below
May save those brave enough to look.
Open your hearts, your minds, your wings
To the dragons who flee from the Hive.
Face a great evil with talons united
Or none of the tribes will survive.
— Prologue —
Many years ago…
He had done it, at last, he finally was certain that this is it, the solution that he'd been fighting for, the answer to all his problems, the thing that will forever place humankind, place him at the top.
It took far too many years of experimenting, coupled with some… He'd never call them failures, but still there had been setbacks, and a few non-believers that he subtly took care of when they spoke blasphemy. But when this worked, none of that would matter anymore, after all… What is a few years to perfect his craft, when in exchange he'd get ultimate power for as long as this world stood?
He looked down at the cup he's holding in his hands, filled to the brim with a deep green liquid, and he allowed himself to smile for a moment. Across history, humans attained power through wars, political debates and political wars. But him? He'd just drink some green tea and all of his dreams will be fulfilled. While others wage wars, he'd be casually taking a sip and after a single moment he would attain greater heights than anyone else.
He brought the cup closer to his face, sniffing the rich and powerful scent of the beverage he made from the one type of plant he'd been growing in his throne room. And then he lowered the cup on his lips and drank it all in one sitting.
Immediately he felt something, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his mind was filled with whispers and sensations. As he had expected, the plant was sentient, and although he wasn't able to understand the whispers, he was able to gather enough from the new sensations, he felt the plant's desire for control, to expand and grow, just like him.
PLANT! His mind exclaimed with incredible power, making the whispers stop as he felt surprise coming from it after being spoken to like that. My name is King Cottonmouth! Through the countless eyes that you control you've seen my kind, but you couldn't have grasped what it truly meant for you, as I have a deal! A plan to gain even greater power, more control, to expand across more than your vermin and insects, but onto beings much greater!
The whispers resumed after he said that. He hit the nail in the right spot, the plant had wanted to merely take over him, but it was listening attently at the idea of getting even more.
For humankind, I am salvation, I am their answer, their hope. I know you've started many coordinated attacks against us. But consider this: if you let us grow, I will help you grow and bring more humans for you to consume.
More… More… More… Grow… Consume… More…
The whispers repeated some of his words, and Cottonmouth was feeling an immense satisfaction, he always knew that he was a true prophet, someone that anyone, be it human or plant life, would listen to.
And that's not all! With me I've brought a creature from another continent, something that I haven't seen in your land, a dragon! Beasts that can grow to an immense size and destroy with ease, give me back the control to my body, and I'll make this creature join us, a mighty guardian against any fools that might attempt to threaten us as we rule together!
The plant clearly liked the thought of controlling something mighty, because Cottonmouth felt as his eyes moved back to the usual spot and his body was moving normally once more.
He looked at something that covered a big part of the table placed in front of his throne, a large egg, one which brought so many headaches, but now it will all pay off at last.
The beast inside must have felt long ago that something wasn't right for it, it had to be scared, because there hasn't been any more attempts to crack the egg even though he first got it so many months ago that it should be ready to leave by now.
So he took matters into his own hands, by actually bringing his hands to the egg and pressing hard on it, starting to crack it.
The creature must've felt that as the egg shook in discomfort, but what it thought didn't matter at all, so he pressed hard… And finally the top of the egg broke.
He peered inside, and there it was… Orange and green scales, and a small pair of wings that oddly enough resembled leaves, and the creature was pressed against the bottom of its egg, looking up in fear.
Very quickly he brought his hand down and grabbed the creature by the neck, who gasped and tried to squirm and bite at one of his gloved fingers with its small teeth.
"You ungrateful lizard," Cottonmouth grunted as he brought it onto the table with a hand, the other reaching for a nearby needle. "Do you even realize what is happening? Do you know who I am?"
Its eyes opened wide as it looked almost out of breath with his hand pressing on the neck, its head barely managing to turn as it observed the sharp needle he grabbed, leaking some green liquid from the inside.
"I am your king and your master, and the one who saved you from being near your tribe of simpletons, so you could fulfill a greater purpose, you should feel honored for being the first of your kind to serve me!"
He pierced the needle through the still soft scales and the small dragon let out a small whimper before going limp for a moment. And then it moved again, eyes white.
And that's when Cottonmouth spotted movement from the corner of his eye, the plants… The plants in the room are moving, they're growing and getting taller! His eyes looked at this with amazement and pride.
It's already happening, as the plant expands its dominion, so will my dominion. Very soon… Every living being in this land will turn their eyes and their minds only towards me.
