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The wind blows as I stand there at the top of the wall watching the riders and their dragons get ready to take off for the annual search of new dragon riders and their dragons from the surrounding villages and lands. As I watch, a rider mounted his gold dragon and launched up in to the air. What a sight to be seen! A gold dragon flying into the sky, with the first rays of the rising morning sun glinting off his scales causing the dragon to glow in the light. The way his wings spread out allowing him to fly up into the sky, and out over the valley. As I watched the dragon, he turns and lands beside me. The dragons’ rider dismounts and walks over to me. “Hey! Silver what are you doing up here! You know that it is not safe at this time of year.”
I turn to look at the rider “Danor. I know as long as you and Satorval are here, I will not have nothing to worry about.” I look over at the gold dragon “Satorval you take care of him and bring him home safely. You know that I will be watching for you.” I point back over the valley to large doors that protected the temple of star dragons. “I will be there in the look out.”
As we talk, a young woman approaches us “Ok, you two brake it up you are acting like you will never see each other again. You know that we have to go and that we will be back before night fall.” I turn and look at her. As she stands there a black dragon lands behind her looking at all of us.
“I know, I just wish, I could go with you all.” Danor swats my shoulder and then gives me a big hug as he winks at the young woman
“Tell you what,” Danor says, “how about Satorval take you down into the valley, but we do have to go you know why.”
I look at Danor, “Really, I can ride Satovral!” I look over at Satorval just as he turns his front foot over and holds it where I can climb on.
“Yes,” replies Danor, “and remember to hold on to his harness this time.” I give Danor a big hug and run over to Satovral. With out missing a step I use his foot like a springboard and land right on his harness ready to go. “Satorval go ahead and take her down.” He turns and looks at the young woman. “Well are you two ready to get going we will have along fight ahead of us.”
“Yes, we are ready. You know that you packed my bags this morning before she even got up or so we thought.” She moves closer to Danor and they hold each other and kiss, “Are you ready to let her grow up and find her own dragon yet. I know you told me of how you two lost your parents and that you do not want to loss her, but if we are to get married she will have to be able to live on her own.”
Danor pulls back enough to look at her. He carefully moves hair out of her eyes. “I know it is just so hard. I have had to watch over her since she was 6 and wish our parents where here for her, so that when I go out like this I know she will be all right.”
The young woman smiles, “You know, Tamar will watch over her, like he did for Senrage and me after he found us.”
“I know, it is just so hard to leave,” Danor looks back over the valley. They watch as Satorval sets down. Danor laughs at us, as Satorval has to make me get off, “She is such a pain. Satorval will be happy to be free of her for a little while though, so that he does not have to deal with her climbing all over him.” Satorval noses me until I fall down laughing then launches up into flight.
The young woman laughs, “Well Satorval has learned how to get free of her I see.” As I get up brushing the dust off me, Tamar walks up placing a hand on my shoulder. We watch as Satorval flies back to Danor and lands. The riders all mount their dragons and take off into the air they circle three times then fly off to the east. Tamar does not let me out of his sight that day, and when the dragons and riders do not return, he takes me to the temple to sleep for the night. I end up sleeping there for several nights, and when the dragons do return, Danor is not with them. Even though Satorval came back with them, he was so up set that the remaining dragons had to hold him down. I run out to see if I can help and Satorval ends up knocking me down with his head trying to apologize to me. Without thinking, I climb up into his harness but do not tie in, the other dragons thinking that I was in control let go. Satorval launched straight into the air and starts flying towards where he had lost Danor. As we fly, Senrage and his rider catch up with us and the two dragons start to fight, they end up over a different valley and I fall off into the brushes.
As I fall, I end up hitting my head and end up unconscious. When I wake up, I find my self in small cabin with an older lady, Wanda, who took me in as her daughter. As the years went by she taught me all that she knew about the magic of fire and how to heal injures using both herbs and magic together. She was so afraid of dragons, that I learned not to ask about them, and ended up learning to stay out of sight of the dragons to. Through the years Wanda made sure that I could take care of myself, and went I, could I would escape down to a small lake late at night and go swimming knowing for some reason that it was important. Then one day Wanda had me come with her when she went to the market at the near by village. We packed all my things, and every thing that we had made to sell there at the market on her mule cart and we started out. The journey was a long and hard one. We finally got to the village and set up in the marked stall she had rented. As our goods where selling we both noticed a young man in a robe, that kept watching me from a near by stall. At the end of the second day Wanda showed up after doing some supply shopping with a dress and under garments made of fine woven silk. As she handed me the package, she let me know that tomorrow I could go out, and explore the market.
Early the next day I got up, washed, put on the under garments and the dress that Wanda had bought. I love the way the dress felt and the colors where so great it was a light blue, with yellow flowers, gold flakes that sparkled as I moved. As I left the stall, I noticed Wanda watching me go down the lane with a sad little smile on her face. As I explored the market the young man from the both up from Wanda’s walked up. “Hello”
I turn and look at him, “Hello. How are you?” I notice that he is wearing a long dark blue robe with black trim and that I cannot see his feet.
The young man, “Good. My name is Senrage. Would you like to walk with me?” I look at him and for some reason I knew that, I could trust him.
“Yes, where would you like to go?” I look into his eyes and see something that I knew, but cannot put a finger on. As we walk, we talked, and stopped at several booths where Senrage bought us things to eat and drink. We wondered through the market to the racetrack, where we watched as several men raced their animals, and when the racing was over, we decided to go swimming up at the lake at the top of the hill. We talked about Wanda and what I had done over the last several years, and when we got to the lake, I stepped in to the bushes and took off my dress. I came out of the bushes noticing your tail; we laughed and talked, then jumped into the pool to swim.
When we surfaced you noticed that we where no long in the pool that we had dove into and that there was a huge grinder that seamed to pull off our remaining clothing, along with the fact that we where now high in the sky. As we talked about what we we’re going to do, we saw several squirrels that where there pulled into the grinder and came out ground up landing into a huge mound. Senrage tried to use water magic on the mound but failed. I then noticed that a ball of fire was hovering over the pool and I called it to me. I then used fire magic against the unseen walls of the pool and found an invisible path that we decide to try. As we started down the path I noticed that Senrage seamed embarrass. I thought it was because of him being naked as we walked, I found a long piece of cloth that I handed to him. Only to find out that it was not he, but me being nude that embarrassed him. So I asked for the cloth back, he handed the cloth back and wrapped it around me. I used the fire to show us where the path was as walked down the path. The path leaded to a meadow up in the mountains that where surrounded by thick bushes. As we walked off the path, it burst into flames. As we look around the clearing, we notice that there are three paths. One path lead out to a massive salt-water lake, that was full of flesh eating animals that were hungry. Another path lead to a lava field with high cliffs I could not climb the way I was dressed and what seamed to be stable rock path leading through it, but Senrage knew that the rock was rot rock because of it’s color and showed me how easy it was to brake. The last path lead to a pit full of spikes, as we were deciding which path we would take the bushes moved. I called fire to my hand and Senrage seamed to change some to a more protective form that I did not mind. Then a small creature emerged from bushes she seamed scared but moved towards us. As I looked at her, I noticed that she seamed to be a baby. I left the ball of fire hovering and I walked over to her and picked her up. About then a large creature emerged from the lake and collapsed, right there on the shore. As the creature collapsed, I noticed that it is wounds where beyond any thing that I could do.
We then decided and walked toward the pit. Senrage then jump into the pit only to land in blood. He found a door in the side of the pit under me that lead into a chamber full of half eaten bodies that goblins had been. I fallowed him down into the pit using a ledge that sloped down into the pit about half way down the ledge gave out and I fell into the blood in the pit. That is when the little one jumped from my shoulder and made for the far side of the pit. Senrage fallowed her and broke down the wall that had been hiding a metal door. The little one started to climb the door whining as she did so. Senrage picked her up and handed her to me then with out warning he used magic as he smashed in the door with his fist vaporizing the door. The little one jumped from my arms and raced through the opening. I look at Senrge and we fallowed her through the opening. Once inside I called fire to my hand to light the cavern, as we looked around we found thorn bushes all over. “Do you smell a sweet sent here?” I asked
Senrage then said, “That is because the thorns are Death Roses. Careful around those a p***k can kill, and I am allergic to them.” We the found the little one happily humming away while she was eating the Death Roses.
That is when an old man surprised us at the doorway. “Hello” the old man looked at the three of us as the little one returned to my arms with a full belly. “I have been waiting for the three of you.” We both look at him surprised, and Senrage was instantly ready to defend us with his fist glowing. The little one suddenly lands on Senrages’ shoulder and starts cooing, Senrage blinks distracted by her. The old man, “Hello, I see you made it.” Senrage blinks again looking at the old man, and the little one returns to my shoulder wrapping her tail around my neck. Old man, “Well you two have been waited on for a long time.”
Senrage blinks and lowers his fist but the aura stays on his hand, “What do you mean?”
I reach up and loosen the little ones tail. “Fallow me.” the old man says then the old man waves his arm and the thorns move reveling a path that leads upwards.
Senrage blinks again “Huh?”
I look at the old man, “What do you mean waiting for?”
“That is what I asked?” Senrage grumbles.
The old man looks at us, “You will see. Come the three of you will be safe with me.”
Senrage blinks then says, “Well I am for one, do not intend to being tangled up in the Death Roses.”
I look at the old man, “Ok, so where are we going?”
“My guess is up there,” Senrage replies.
I then look at Senrage, “Well let us go see.” Senrage starts walking up the path being careful of the Death Roses. We walk with the old man and come out into a large deep valley, surrounded at the every top with Death Roses. At the far end, we can just barely make out a village. “Come I have a place right over there,“ said the old man. As he points to a small clearing to our left we follow him. The old man leads us to his place where he offers us a change of clothing and food.
“Thanks,” Senrage says to be polite, takes the clothing, and goes inside to get dressed.
I smile, “Thank you that would be great,” I take the clothing inside and get dressed then walk out side followed by Senrage.
The old man turns and looks at us, “Here is some thing to eat. Oh, and be careful about the little one she will get a lot bigger.”
“We saw her mom, so ya we got that part down,” Senrage smiles a bit.
Old man looks at the little one, “What you saw was a wild one, those with partners look different and get a lot bigger in size.”
“Really?” Senrage then looks at the little one and back at the old man.
“What do you mean?” I ask as I look at the old man.
Old man looks first at Senrage, then me, “Well those that the Daffra bond with change their growth pattern and become dragons here.”
“So…” Senrage asks, “Sliver’s turning into a dragon?”
“Daffra what is a Daffra?” I look at the old man confused.
The old man laughs, “The little one on your shoulder she is a Daffra.”
“So…” Senrage asks, “Is Silver turning into dragon?”
The old man looks at Senrage, “What, no Silver will be her rider. Look up, and tell me what you see over us.”
I look up, and see that the valley walls are full of cave entrances, “I see caves all over.”
Senrage’s tail twitches nervously. The old man looks sad at the caves, “Yea, but all the caves are empty now.”
“Not all of them…” says Senrage looking around.
“What you mean?” I ask looking at Senrage.
Senrage tail twitches very nervously, “This is.... My home…”
“Oh!” I look at Senrage startled. All of a sudden, Senrage takes off running faster then I ever thought he could and as I watch he literally grow talons and start climbing up the rock face using slots that were already there.
The old man turns to me, “Well lets get you two over to the village.” Above us, a dragon roars from the cave Senrage has entered.
Stunned at what I just saw I fallow the old man, listening to what sounds like very low roars coming from some of the upper caves that sound almost like, “Wow, how long have you been here?” Then there is a very happy roar and happy thumping sounds that echo through the valley. The old man and I get to the village just as several dragons take flight from a cave. I watch as the dragons fly out of the cave and fly back and forth over the valley, then one lands right behind me causing a small tremor with out thinking I duck and turn looking at the dragon. The dragon has a different coloring then the dragons, and seems familiar. All of a sudden, the little one jumps from my shoulder to the dragon whistling happily. The dragon smiles and makes laughing growling like sound.
Just then, a woman pushes her way through the village people that have come out to see what is going on. The dragon lies down and noses the little one on his leg and she climbs up his scales with tiny talons just barley dinging in. The woman screams, “Hey, get away from him.”
I turn to look at the woman, “Why?” The dragon noses the little one and she chirps happily at him.
The woman screams at me, “You are not the one. I see no birthmark on you to say you are.” The dragons eye snaps all the way open and the purple turns into such a thin slit you cant see it and he looks at the woman and on the side of the head a scar starts appearing over the eye and the eye turns red.
“Moreover, what is the shape of this birthmark?” I ask the woman watching her now holding her head. The little one on the dragons shoulder crawls up its neck and leans over looking at the scar looking thing over the dragons’ eye. She does not reply, and I shake my head and pull my tunic down showing my right shoulder. The red eye snaps to the birthmark and kind of glows then the scar like thing disappears and the dragon starts shrinking turning human. Then little one jumps back to my left shoulder. The old man and all the villagers stare at the mark. “What dose this mark mean to you?” Senrage walks over his now scared mark eye showing with a matching symbol in the red. I look at Senrage and say, “What, I have had the mark as long as I can remember.”
Senrage head turns and I notice the matching symbol on in my eye, “So have I.”
The old man had been watching us, shakes his head, “I did not notice that when we met but this changes a lot of things.” The old man then turns and says to the crowd, “She has come back to us.” As he says this, the crowd bows before us.
Senrage scratches his head confused. “ There were three people that knew about my eye, and one of them was a woman.” His eye widens and the pupil widens focusing on something, right after that his muscles stretch and he turns into a dragon again. The little one who is now rapidly changing shape already is halfway a mini dragon curls her tail around my neck. The crow rises and moves out of the way making a path through the village.
The old man looks at us, “Come let me show you.” Senrage walks over into the bordering forest and goes around the village. I fallow the old man as the crowd closes the path behind us.
“Where are we going?” I ask the old man who just walks on, then after about a hundred meters and the little one turning into a full baby dragon. We reach a hut and the weight of the little one force me to set her on the ground. When I put her down she runs right up Senrages’ tail, and he walks to the hut. With the eye symbols showing Senrage taps on the door with a talon.
I look around to see that the yard looks familiar, “Hu, this seams familiar, but why?” A woman opens her door in her twenties and when she sees Senrages’ eye she goes very still and slowly reaches a hand out and touches him on the nose and then comes closer and hugs him around his neck. Senrage rubs her back with his head affectionately. I look at her and know she is a rider but cannot place where I have seen her. “Who are you?” I ask in an unsure voice.
She rubs Senrages’ sii (front leg talons) then looks up at me, “I am...Senrages’ rider…” she says the words as if she hasn’t spoken in along time.
I look around confused and then notice that the little one is about the same size as me. “Where are we, it is all familiar. But I do not know why?”
A voice echoes in my head, Symbol looks familiar because of the symbol in my eye. Senrage rubs the woman affectionately.
Then I hear her voice in my mind, Senrage...I missed you.
Startled I sit down to find the old man handing me a piece of metal. “Here this is yours.” I look up and see that on the woman’s cheek there is a scar with a symbol under it and from Senrages’ red eye a red tear falls and lands on her cheek.
I look at the two of you then the piece of metal in my hand. “Why do I feel like my past has been hiding from me?” When the tear hits the symbol on her cheek the scar disappears but the symbol remains the same. The same thing happens to Senrages eye the scar disappears from his eye and he turns black. His scales sharpen and turn black and he starts growing into a giant dragon a lot larger than before. Senrages’ human like teeth, turn into serrated fangs, while his spine and tail grow spines, and as he breathes smoke comes out of his nostrils. He looks down at the woman and she smiles very happy. Black armor covered in pikes appears on her and so does a serrated sword. Then suddenly the piece of metal that the old man handed me starts to burn my hand.
A woman screams, “THE BLACK DRAGON HAS RETURNED!!!!”
Senrage looks down at his rider, “Are they seriously still scared of my after 600 years? I mean come on that one time I was beaten I just happened to land on the village.” The burning metal seams to have started some sort of magical storm that I have no control over. Senrage sighs as the people of the village start screaming in horror, but he turns his hand over and lifts his rider onto his back. I end up passing out stopping the magical storm that I released unknowingly in a reaction to the piece of metal. Senrages’ rider says, “You won’t believe the stories that where made off of you falling into the village.”
Senrage takes off with his rider, a smirk on his face thinking, The only villager other then my rider that wasn’t scared of me was the old man. The little one comes up nudging me, but I do not come to and she lets out a howl of distress. Senrage and his rider hover over the village, his eyes glowing at in responses to the little one and something fires into the metal object, and I jerk awake. I come to with the sense that something is wrong. As I try to rise up I find that there is a dragon standing over the top of me, and above her in the sky is Senrage now even bigger that before.
“What is going on?” I ask confused.
I hear Senrage in my mind, Silver look up. The dragon before you is yours she’s small, but fast not to mention I’ve never been this big before. That is when she backs up reveling to me that she has grown and is now just about big enough to ride.
The old man walks over and helps me to my feet, “Come let me show you where you get the rest of your gear, that you will need.”
Trust the old man Silver, my voice echoes inside your head, he is the one who.... Found us...I mean my rider and I.
I look up and passed the little one, “Ok!” I fallow the old man to the back of the village where an old door in the wall of the valley is. With a couple great beats of his wings causing very strong winds in the valley, Senrage flies north. As we reach the door, it opens reveling a great hall so big that you can move with ease. “Wow!!! This is huge,” I tell the old man.
It should be dragons after all built it, replies Senrage to me.
As I pass through the entrance I hear my dragon for the first time, My… name is… Lastorn.
Your a quick learner Lastorn, we hear Senrage as his voice becomes faint.
“Lastorn.” I turn to look at her and see a light blue dragon with a gold blaze running up her face and centered in the blaze is the same mark as my birthmark.
I do believe that’s about as big as she’s going to get I’ve seen many dragons her coloring my voice disappears completely, Senrage sends to me.
Lastorn walks up nosing me, “Yes you may go.” laughing I look around and notice that there is a mural on a wall to one side of the main room. I land in a secret clearing much bigger then me and help my rider down. I notice that the mural seams to show Lastorn and me, along with Senrage and his rider defeating an entire swarm of dragons on their own. I start to reach out to touch the mural when the old man stops me. I then notice there is a pulse coming from the mural and it makes my hairs stand on end.
The old man takes my hand, “Here let me show you where you can sleep.” I get the feeling as if something is imprisoned behind the mural.
I fallow the old man, “What is with the mural, and why am I on it with Lastorn.” Another pulse goes through the rock and the old man refuses to answer. The pulses become urgent and I turn to see Lastorn nose the mural. There is a cracking sound, the mural weakens, and as I watch, I see Lastorn pulled in to the mural. A clawed hand about the size as Senrages’ pushes its way through the now cracked mural. I collapse beside the old man crying because I do not hear or feel Lastorn any more. “Lastorn!” I cry out trying to find her in my mind. There is a scream in Senrages’ mind as I call out and he stands suddenly, “We’ve got a problem…”
The woman puts her helmet back on and picks up her shield, “I...heard,” Senrage lifts her up and put her on his neck. I sit there watching the emerging being. The being is about half way out when I start hearing Senrages’ wings.
The old man starts trying to pull me from where I sit, “Come on lets go!” There is a huge tremor and the being comes rushing to get out. I still sit there unable to move, watching and wanting to see if Lastorn will reappear. The being pulls itself out it is a gold dragon, then half the temple is ripped away by a HUGE talon hand. That seemed to break my trans and I move with the old man leading the way. I see Senrage now a giant compared to the gold dragon and the old man drags me outside. The gold dragon growls at Senrage. We turn to watch as the dragons launches into flight. Senrage smash him out of the air into a solid rock wall and I come the rest of the way out of my daze.
I then manage to pull away from the old man and I go back inside the now ruined temple to see if I can find Lastorn. In a large fragment of the mural, there appears a new drawing of Lastorn, which I spot from the entrance. I walk over to the mural piece as the image changes and the Lastorn drawing look at me. With out knowing why I place the metal piece down on the edge of the mural releasing an image that appears over the mural. As the image appears, I hear Lastorn in my mind crying out to me. There is more rubble smashing and the gold is having a lot of trouble just trying to stand. I turn looking the gold dragon, “Satorval stop!” I yell. The gold’s eyes snap open and he gives up. I shack my head, how do I know him, as Senrage hisses at the gold. I turn back to the mural and call to Lastorn. I can just barely hear her as she responds with a whimper of fear. I call to her again and as I do, magic fills the air. Senrage snort at the gold, turn around, and walks over to the temple and as his talon hits the magic aura, it turns black and starts focusing on the mural. Still calling to Lastorn I feel the magic as it gathers around me and then a small white light appears in the middle of black magic, Senrage twist the magic to an open spot, and the black magic starts taking the form of Lastorn. I call again to her, and Satorval start humming as the Lastorn starts to form. There is a black glint and when the shape of Lastorn is there and the white light is in the center a black beam fires from Senrages’ eye and hits the white turning it black and the form starts to harden but her colors are darker. Once Lastorn is back fully I walk over to Lastorn to reassure her, “Lastorn!” Her light blues are now dark, her gold tinted black. The gold Satorval moves towards us with his head down trying to look sorry.
Senrage snorts and lies down, “I hope you learned your lesson Satorval and the reason why I put you in that mural in the first place.”
“Lastorn… Lastorn!” I call to her but she dose not seam to hear me, as I look at her and I can see that her eyes are covered with a film, and cannot see me. I then reach for her only to have her move away.
Senrage glares at Satorval “Drop the mind control Satorval.” Satorval looks at us then Lastorn suddenly launches into the air. Senrage hiss at Satorval, and a black aura appears around Senrage and blasts Satorval into a wall knocking him unconscious and Lastorn starts falling unconscious.
“Lastorn!” I yell. Senrage look over at Lastorn and catches her with his tail. I try to run to her through the ruins only to have Senrage lower her in front of me. As Senrage lowers her, we see that the gold marks are gold again. “Lastorn.” I say as I touch her then notice that her gold has a black gold outlining to it. “Lastorn it is ok,” I reassure her as her eyes open slowly and Senrage stands and put pressure on Satorval.
Lastorn looks at me and I run my hand down her blaze. Senrage keeps pressure on Satorval and look over at me, Her colors will never be the same her blue will stay dark and the black around the gold will stay.
I look at Senrage, “That is ok,” I then turn and look at Satorval without realizing it I send an energy wave at him knocking him to the ground deeper, just as Lastorn returns, I am fine, and she nuzzles me.
Good to hear, there is a huge tremor and a black blast from my hand and the gold is buried VERY deep into the ground. The old man runs over making sure that we are all ok. Senrage chuckles whiles the old man looking him over, Come on old man, it’s me, Senrage smiles a toothy grin. Lastorn tries to stand only to manage to sit up, that is when I notice an orange mark on her belly, which seams to be glowing. Senrage look at Lastorns’ belly, Also.... Lastorn will have.... a minor curse.
I pat Lastorn side, “It is ok we can work with that,” a matching symbol appears on my belly and glows matching Lastorn’s. The mark hurts a little but the pain fades rapidly and then Lastorn stands shaking her head and nuzzles me. Senrage’s smiles a tiny bit but it fades, You must be tired.
“We are come on, lets find us some place to stay.” I reply.
The old man looks at us smiling, “I have just the place, please fallow me.”
Senrage smiles a little at the old man, I know where your going old man you’re going next to the cave where I used to sleep.
The old man, “Yes, that’s right I hope that they can pass through the seals though.”
Senrage smiles, “If I am around that’s not a problem.” Lastorn drops her head down to my level, to make sure as we walk she has contact with me. We fallow the old man to the one side of the valley and up to the caves. Senrage walks behind us to make sure he does not step on anyone. As we approach the valley wall, a field starts to appear to one side and Lastorn side steps at the sight of it.
Senrage smiles a little at Lastorn, Don’t be alarmed.
Lastorn snorts and I smile, “Lets see what it is first be for we touch it. Ok, Lastorn.”
Lastorn replies crowding me, Hum, let it touch not me, and then she raises her head and starts to move away.
Senrage rubs his tail along the wall, and something falls off it as if glass and the shards disappear, Do not try it yet, he smiles. Lastorn snorts and still dose not want anything to do with the field.
“Lastorn,” I move to her, “It is ok. I am here with you.” We reach two caves one is huge and another one is smaller. There is an emblem above the smaller cave seams to start moving as I collapse crying not knowing why, just knowing there was something or someone missing that the emblem reminds me of. Senrage watches me understanding, as Lastorn moves over me protectively trying to understand. Senrage sends a thought to her and then she understands. “I wish I could remember!” I cry.
I might be able to help there, Senrage walks over to me, I turn and look at him as our eyes lock, and we are suddenly in my mind. Senrage looks around my mind and find a block and smash it allowing me to view my lost memories in dreams then he left me to the flood memories coming back and I pass out. When I come to, I find that I am in bed and I am looking straight at Lastorn who is pacing back and forth. Just out side of the cave with the bed, I see some of Senrages’ body.
“It is ok, Lastorn,” I start to rise only to have Lastorn poke her head in nudging me back down. I hear Senrage yawn in the background. “Lastorn,” I look at her, “What it is? I’m, ok.” With a snort, Lastorn lays down her head in my lap and falls asleep.
Senrage reach his head in the cave, Well, she is so tired watching over you like that.
I stroke her nose and look at Senrage, “Oh, if Danor were here we would not be in this place.”
Senrage shake his head, Oh, so long ago.
“Danor…” I look at Lastorn, “I know that name.... Satorval's rider. All I remember is when they where together and a storm that I got lost in.
Danor lives, if he were dead so would be Satorval, Senrages’ eyes narrow, I think I know where he is....
“Where the way Satorval is acting, Danor is in trouble,” I reply.
He is in BIG trouble... Senrages’ eyes go a milky red and he pulls his head out of the cave and walks off. I manage to slip free of Lastorn and fallow Senrage outside, “What do you mean?”
Does execution count? Senrage asks and then takes off with his rider. I turn to wake Lastorn only to find the old man standing there.
“Wait he will be back and we do need someone that might be able to keep Satorval calm,” the old man looks at me with pleading eyes.
He is right Silver, and even though Satorval is buried deep in the ground, a thought can go anywhere, Senrages’ rider sends to through Senrage as they flies out of reach.
“Oh, so will you watch Lastorn for me?” I ask the old man.
With a gentle nod the old man replied, “Yes, I will.” The old man goes inside to the bench just inside the entrance and sits down.
I turn and walk down the path to where Satorval lay buried. As I approach Satorval, he raised his head out the ground and looks at me, “Satorval it will be ok. Senrage and his rider will get Danor back. I know that you miss him, and so do I.” A pyre of smoke appears at the horizon. Satorval stands up, and watches the smoke rise up through the air. I walk up touching Satorval, “No, you are needed here.” and with that I remember that Danor was my brother just as Satorval nose me, and look back at the sky. As I look up I see Senrage in the distance his arm cradling something, but he looks tired. “Easy, let him land. You need to wait they do not look good from here.” Then I see three very fast dragons chasing Senrage. One gets a swipe over Senrages’ eye, and with that, Satorval jumps in to the air, attacking the three dragons roaring the whole way. Senrage rather crash-land into the valley, and I run over to where he is. “Danor!” I call out as I get near Senrage. There’s a deep gash in Senrages’ side bleeding badly. Senrage falls unconscious and his hand falls open showing Danor in a crystal. Overhead Satorval howls and starts lashing out at the three dragons. Satorval manages to kill at lest one rider and wounding the others driving them off in the process. A large pool of blood forms around Senrage and I notice he’s covered in arrows, swords, and axes. I move to start to remove one of the swords when I drop in to a trans causing Lastorn to start humming as she walks out of the cave fallowed by the old man. Senrage coughs, as they walk closer, and the trans I go into deepens and the weapons in you start to disappear. Senrage doesn’t move or breath, Lastorn continues to hum, and the old man makes me sit down. Then Senrages’ rider falls off his back with a thud, the old man carefully moves her off to one side and starts to work on healing her. As Lastorn moves to support my back causing a white ore to surround us and Senrages’ wounds start to heal at the same time his rider comes to. Senrage is still unconscious after the healing all of his wounds and I notice that his eye does not heal. I sit there tired, and then smiles as Senrage starts snoring and his hand tightens on the crystal with Danor in it. I turn to look at the crystal just as Satorval returns and noses the crystal. The crystal does not budge from Senrages’ hand as he sleeps. I try to get up only to have Lastorn place her head in my lap. A few hours later Senrage wakes up, I look over to see Satorval sleeping right there next to him. Senrage lifts his head, looks around, and then nudges Satorval awake. I manage to move Lastorn's head and get up. Senrage opens his hand to the crystal after he accidentally makes Satorval roll down a hill. Satorval stands up growling and I move to where you are holding Danor. Senrage blows small wisps of black flame over the crystal. As I get closer, Satorval comes back up and noses me out of the way which wakes Lastorn. Lastorn gets up and joins us around Danor’s' crystal. As the crystal cracks, and without thinking I move forward to move pull away the crystal, it shatters, Lastorn starts humming while pulling back to sit up, and Danor lays where the crystal was in Senrages’ hand. Senrage watches carefully, as Lastorn humming starts to slowly get louder. I reach out touching Danor only to find Satorval nosing my back and he starts humming joining Lastorn’s humming. Senrage waits a bit and then there is a very loud thrum coming from him as Danor wakes up. Danor sits up, and looks around confused.
Danor your ok, I hear Senrage send. Danor moans looking around.
“Your home.” I say as Danor looks over at me then up at Satorval, who practically leaps with joy.
Danor looks at me, “Wow, you have grown, it seams like, since I saw you last.”
I look at Danor, “Yes, it has been a long time. When Satorval came back I got on him and tried to find you.”
Do not forget me, Senrage sent amused.
I look over at Senrage, “Didn’t you try to stop Satorval. So that everyone could talk, I tried to stop Satorval by climbing on him, but he launched into flight, and didn’t you Senrage try to fallow him and during the chase I fell off.”
Yes that was me that caught you but when I did a magic arrow hit me in the eye with my symbol and after I crashed I turned half dragon, Senrage looked at me then at Danor.
“I landed in the bushes and must have hit my head on a rock,” I say as I rub the spot I hit as a few memories come back.
You landed on a boulder you did not hit your head you smashed it, Senrage replied.
“I really do not remember that all I know is an older woman took me to her place where she taught me how to use the fire magic and she expanded my knowledge of healing magic.” I return as I shiver slightly from being tired.
Senrage snorts then replies, I actually brought you to her and went off and came back when you were ready to go home but I had lost my memories in a fight but I remembered where to go but not why...
I turn to look at Danor, “I am just glad that you are back.” I turn looking at Lastorn and Lastorn leans down and nuzzles me.
Been awhile hasn’t it Danor, Senrage watches us.
Danor turns looking at me then sends to Senrage, It must have been she has gotten so big, he then reaches up and messes up my hair.
You kidding it was 22 years that’s nothing to an immortal, Senrage snorts as a bird flies up his nose.
Danor smiles, “True, but she was still so small then.”
True, but was not as small but I was a lot smaller too, Senrage laughed.
Danor laughs with Senrage, “Yes you where, so where is your rider.” Senrage moves his arm and she’s lying in his hand, in her armor sleeping.
Danor tries to stand up, and I stop him, “Danor stop you need to rest Senrage can you take them home please.”
Hum, the house are right there, Senrage points over to our left and sure enough not 20 feet away is a house, And I’m sure I’m not allowed to crush houses.
I look at you and laugh, “You know where I mean, or has it been so long that you have forgotten.” I then point up to the caves, “You know take them home.”
Oh, right, I hold my other hand out and Danor just barley manages to climb up in to your hand. Satorval launches up flying wildly around, waiting on Senrage as he stand erect and steps between the houses.
Lastorn stands and looks at me, you want to ride.
I look at her and ask, “Are you ready?” Each of Senrages’ steps causes a small earthquake. Senrage reaches their cave, he blows in the cave cleaning it out, and puts Danor at the bed, then press the wall on the side of the cave, and it opens into a small elevator for food and stuff. Satorval then comes diving for the cave. Senrage moves to the side and Satorval flies in. Senrage bends over and ask the old man to send food up to Danon’s cave.
Lastorn looks at me and then to the sky, Come on lets go! Lastorn noses me toward her shoulder. Senrage looks in the cave and says something to Danor, then he looks around the other caves and picks one then sends, Lastorn bring her up here.
Lastorn pushes me towards her back even harder. “Ok. Ok!” I laugh, “I get it,” I climb up on Lastorns’ back and she launches up into the air. Senrage blows fire into the cave and the fire cleans it out. Lastorn is wobbly at first but soon find her balance and glides towards where Senrage is. There is a chill in the air and Senrage moves to one side letting us land inside. Lastorn manages to glide in but as I dismount, I end up falling off her.
Senrage looks in checking to see if I’m ok. You ok? The cave is nice and warm good, I’ll get you a bed, and he reaches in and presses on the wall and another elevator for food appears. Lastorn moves around checking the cavern out.
I get up and move towards the food, “Yes I am ok, and thank you?” Senrage reaches down, lifts up a bed, and puts it in the cave. Lastorn grabs the bed and moves it next to where she lays down. Senrage walks to his cave and go on all fours, in this case all three because in carrying his rider in one hand. I eat then join Lastorn watching as she falls a sleep. Senrage yawns and fall asleep with his rider cradled in his arms. I get up and walk outside watching the village, as they get ready for bed, I can hear Senrage breath through vibrations moving throughout the mountain. As I watch, I see someone carried in to one of houses. I turn and move back to Lastorn, then laid down in my bed falling asleep watching Lastorn.

The Next Morning Senrage wakes and yawns sending big vibration runs through the mountain from his yawn and I wake up. Lastorn moves to the entrance of the cave only to find that a field blocks it. I get up and find that the field is blocking both of us from going out. Senrage then stands and there is a tremor and we both would have fallen out our cave if it were not for the field, after the tremor stops the field shatters I am walking around the town. Lastorn howls at the field, as the field drops. I climb up on Lastorn just be for she launches up in to flight. Senrage walks into a clearing I have not been in before, where we see Senrage and with his rider is jogging next to him. Something screams and Senrage stops to eat something huge. Lastorn starts to dive for the clearing, just as Satorval and Danor leave their cave. Senrages’ rider is cooking some meat over a fire and he is eating a huge animal. Lastorn continues to dive straight for the ground. Senrage rips a huge chunk of meat from the animal, as I lay into her neck holding on, as she flares out taking down a large deer. Senrage swallows the chunk whole and start taking another bite. Satorval comes in with a buck landing next to Senrage. As Danor walks up, he looks at me, “You know better than to ride without a harness for that blue.”
Senrages rider walks over and hands Danor a chuck of cooked meat. “Yea well having the harness is the thing.” I reply. As I slide off Lastorn and move away so she can eat.
Danor takes the meat, “Thank you, so how long has she had the blue.”
A day, Senrage replies as he moves over so there is room for the other dragons.
Danor looks around at the small number of dragons in the clearing, “How did this happen, we had all but six caves full.”
You where frozen in a crystal, Senrage sends after swallowing something, Time past there are few dragons now…
Danor looks at Senrage, then his rider, “So what is the blue called?”
I look at Danor, “That is Lastorn she started out as a Daffra but she has changed since then.” There is a ripping sound and Senrage rip off another chunk of meat. I turn to see Lastorn is chewing at her kill trying to figure out how to tear it up.
Danor nods, “That explains her unique coloring.”
I look back at Danor, “Well she was a lighter blue and her blaze had no black in it before.”
After Senrage swallows a chuck of meat, you can blame part of the on Satorval.
Danor turns and looks at Senrage, “What do you mean?”
After Satorval goes out of the mural, he used his old trick mind control while she was still in the mural and it changed her color, Senrage replies.
“What mural?” Danor looks at Senrage and his rider, “What?”
Senrage glances up, In the old temple... he looks away, It was not 22 years we were gone.... It was 220...
Lastorn looks at Danor then at Senrage, she then gets up and tackles Satorval with a playful growl. Danor watches Lastorn and starts laughing, “Well I see she is just like you Silver.” Senrage smiles a little but it fades quickly away.
I look at you, “What is wrong?”
There is a reason why...Satorval was in the temple, Senrage looks up at me, Which isn’t a temple its… A magical prison...
“Why was he there?” I look at Satorval, “I know that Lastorn just was trying to help, when she was pulled in.”
There.... Are some scars that can be covered but never healed... a huge scar starts to form on Senrages neck and others like it start appearing all over him, This is why Satorval was there he took control of a whole 15 battalions of dragons and when I tried to stop him he turned on me...
I look at Danor, “Why were you in that crystal…”
Senrage looked over at Satorval, It was a side effect of putting Satorval in the mural...
“Hu, so without Danor free to calm Satorval, and me some where else how were you planning to keep Satorval from trying to find Danor.” I ask Senrage. “You talk about mind control. How do you think I use to play with satovral when I was a kid? He use to help me climb up his back with out moving only using his mind.”
There are.... Senrage pauses and looks at Danor, things that can change a mind...and Danor’s memories aren’t back yet, Senrage replies. I turn to stop Lastorn, only to see that she has gone back to eating, and is tearing up her deer now.
Once he remembers.... Senrage looks away and starts eating again and Satorval dips his head ashamed at something.
I get up and move over to where I could watch them. “So what do you think of Lastorn?” Senrage rips out some more chunks of meat chewing over something.
Danor looks at Lastorn, “She reminds me of the first dragon I ever saw.” Senrage continues chewing on some meat thinking.
I look at Danor, “Who was that?” Senrage rips off another chunk.
Danor replies, “Our mother's dragon Tafferan.” Senrage is oblivious to what I’m saying, reaches his head in to the rib cage of the creature he is eating and rips out the heart.
“Tafferan? I don’t really remember her.” I look puzzled at Danor.
Danor gives me a sad smile, “I am not surprised she passed away shortly after you were born.” Senrage starts eating the heart, after he is done he sticks, his head in the corpse as if he is checking for something, and there is a ripping sound. Senrage pulls out a sack that looks like its full of eggs. Lastorn moves so that she is behind me and falls asleep.
Senrage raises his head up with the sack, Danor if I remember correctly that you were the hatchery owner.
Danor looks at you, “Well, more like ran the hatchery for you all.” Satorval moves over to check out the egg sack.
Its got at least twenty eggs haven’t had this many last I’ve check well.... Senrage pauses thinking, In 220 years…
Danor looks over at the sack, “Well, lets get them to the hatching grounds.”
The grounds will probably need repairing, I lift the eggs and stand erect.
“I will help,” I turn, and look at Lastorn, “Oh! Lastorn, get up.” Lastorn responds with a snore, Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Senrage bursts out laughing, and has to lay the eggs down gently as he can because he just can’t stop laughing.
I get up and push on Lastorn, “Ok, sleepy head wake up.” Lastorn opens an eye to look at me and gives me a snort then goes back to sleep. Senrage falls backward laughing at us. “Jess, I guess we let her sleep here so where is the hatching grounds. I do not remember going there.” I say looking first at Senrage still laughing then at Danor.
Its because you haven’t been there before, Senrage sits up smirking.
Danor chuckles, “Not, true she was just to young to remember.”
There are 2 one was destroyed beyond repair it was the one she visited was the one she visited it was destroyed by then same dragons that did this, Senrage pokes a talon at the scar over his neck.
Danor sits there thinking, “Hum, I remember us leaving to see if there were any available teens for the soon to hatch eggs.”
Correct, well, I pick up the sack again. I’ll see you at the second hatchery not the one you usually used, and he walks off through the forest.
I look at Senrage as he walks off then to Danor, “Ok, so where is the hatching grounds.”
Senrage walks off in a direction. Danor looks after Senrage, “You can fallow Senrage I think Lastorn will be out for a while.”
“Oh! Ok!” I fallow Senrage through the forest and after awhile we reach a huge dome bigger then Senrage. “Wow, this looks like it might be older than the whole valley.”
It is it was made before the valley was, Senrage walks right into the dome and it does not break in fact he just passes through. I fallow carefully, and when I walk through it is even bigger then it looked outside. As I look around, I notice that their seams to be a huge stand on one side for people to sit in. Senrage notices where I’m looking, That’s where the young teens of at least 18 sit when it’s their time to be chosen to be a rider.
Just then, Satorval and Danor walked in looking around. “Well not as bad as I thought it would be.” Danor said.
Yeah but this is the play area for young dragons. The hatching, and nesting areas are the problem, Senrage turns looking at Danor.
“Oh!” Then Danor notice the far side of the dome.
The dragons got in but the last few of the other dragons managed to stop them... Senrage turns looking at the far side, Before they did too much damage…
“Well are we going to stand here?” I say as I move across the dome towards the mess when Satorval lands in front of me hissing at the mess. Senrage is over by some corpses that are covered by some sort of magic dome, just then Lastorn crashes against the outer dome howling in fear of loosing me. Senrages’ eye snaps up to the dome where she hit, Lastorn continues to beat at the dome trying to get in. Then Senrage notices Satorval is stuck half way in where he was trying to show Lastorn how to get in. Lastorn. I send to her, It is all right land out there and I will come to you I am all right.
Hmmm.... Senrage walks to the middle of the dome and kneel over something. Lastorn lands continuing to howl that I am not there yet. Then all of a sudden she flies right through the dome and crashes into some trees. I run over to see if she is all right only to collapses in pain half way to her. What the... Senrage looks away from what he is doing to see what the crash was, I didn’t even set her parameters in yet... The orange mark on Lastorn and me is glowing brightly. Senrage opens something and notice her parameters are setting themselves. Lastorn tries to stand only to fall back down then she starts whinnying when she sees me on the ground in pain. At the whimpering from Lastorn, Senrage turns around and pick us both up just as I pass out.
Danor looks at you in concern, “You could have let me know that they where not coded in here yet.”
Silver wasn’t and she walked right in so I didn’t think there was any need to code them but what’s odd is... Senrage pauses looking at us in his hands, Lastorn wasn’t and when I went to code her, it was auto coding...
Danor move to see the equipment, “Hummmmmmmm, Silver might have passed the coding be cause of our parents and I would have thought that Lastorn would have passed with out coding unless that is how the damage happened in here was by Daffra dragons.”
Most likely, Senrage moves us over in the area of the stands.
Danor watches Senrage, “So, what can we do for them?”
Just let them rest they will get over it, Senrage sets us down in a clear area together.
Danor turns back to the mess, “Ok! Well let’s get the hatchery cleaned up then. Satorval watch those two let me know when they get up.”
No mind control Satorval, Senrage walks over to the hatchery and its a mess in complete ruins, this’ll take awhile... Danor joins Senrage and starts to move some of the smaller pieces of garbage, while Senrage lifts and moves the bigger pieces. I come to only to find Lastorn lying there near me. After Senrage and Danor remove the rubble, they start using magic to push back the plants to reveille a large area with some sort of controls to one side. Lastorn finally comes to she is very up set I move to comfort her to find that she is larger again and that her wings are now starting to show some red on them. Satorval then lets Danor know that we are awake and that Lastorn is up set. Senrage nods his head toward us and Danor walks over, but the magic glow doesn’t stop. Lastorn rises up trying to move, but there are rocks tumbling from where Senrage is causing a small tremor that Lastorn freezes on and she starts trembling in fear and starts to jump into flight. Satorval moves to stop Lastorn, allowing me to move to Lastorn and climb up onto her back calming her down greatly. Then a small earthquake and a stone dome appear with steam coming out of it. Fallowed by three more domes appear around something and there is an inhuman squeal but it’s not that loud.
Danor walks over to us looking at Lastorn, “Why don't you two go over to the stands.” then turn to Satorval smiling, “Yes, Satorval you can go with them.”
O, man I forgot how ugly these things get.... Senrage makes a face of discuss. As we near the stands I find a small egg that seams to have been here for a very long time, Satorval looks at me then the egg, only to notice that the egg seams to be still alive. A nasty smell fills the air and Senrage looking down at something in a pit with something breathing inside. Lastorn reaches out and hands me the egg then starts to clear an area of brush out so that we have somewhere to rest and look at the egg. The egg is black and gray marble with streaks of red. At the smell, Satorval turns so that he is between Lastorn, the pit, and me alert and waiting for any danger. A giant cater pillar like thing crawls out and starts making low growling sound. Satorval makes Lastorn lay down then launches up into the air ready to defend us. Satorval relax its only a breed worm! Senrage looks down at the huge worm and then he stomps on something and spikes impale the worm keeping it stuck there where it lay. Satorval lands between us still ready to fight, watching every move the worm make. It starts to roar at Senrage in rage but cant reach him. Then at one point Senrage kicks it and it sort of slumps and stays slumped. I watch the best I can as Lastorn is covering me with her wing. Then the worm moves straight up and opens its mouth.
“What is a breeding worm?” I ask confused. Senrage makes a growling sound and slime pours from the mouth of the worm and fills the hole and the small basin to one side of the worm. Lastorn finally manages to stand up against Satorval's thoughts. Senrage walks into the basin and the slime turns black he nods approvingly. Satorval turns in surprise to Lastorn, as she shakes her wings out. Senrage walks out of the slime completely dry, while I look at the egg, “This egg is so small, I wonder what it is?”
A petite dragon, Senrage says looming way over us.
I look at him, “This egg seams to have been here so long, that I think the eggshell is now like rock.”
Here let me see, Senrage opens his hand and lowers it. I place the egg in your hand and Lastorn moves so that she can look at the egg better. Senrage doesn’t close his hand instead he take and taps and taps on the egg till it cracks open and a baby black and red dragon is in his palm, Its a lot smaller because its petite. I look at the petite dragon only to have Lastorn gently pick it up with her mouth out of Senrages’ palm and place the dragon on my shoulder with some difficulty.
Senrage smiles at Lastorn, Go to the hatchery with the brood worm and put the little ones nose in the slime. I move towards the worm when Lastorn growls and looks up through the dome I do not stop but go to the slime and move the little dragon down to where it's nose is in the slime. I then turn to see what Lastorn was growling at. Senrage then walks over to a broken dome and starts fixing it.

Glossary


Connor: a baby black and red petite male dragon that clings to Silver

Brood worm: worm that provides food for the new dragons

Danor: male rider of Satorval and brother of Silver

Lastorn: a t blue dragon with a gold blaze running up her face and centered in the blaze is a birthmark matching Silvers, a black border to the gold, red markings on wings

Satorval: gold male dragon

Senrage: black male dragon with a birth mark in his eye matching his riders

Silver: female rider of Lastorn with a birthmark on her right shoulder matching Lastorns’

Tafferan: female dragon of Danor’s and Silver’s mother

Tenare: an old silver male dragon in the dome keeper of the dragon lore

The old man: keeper of the Death Roses guarding the valley

Wanda: the old woman that rescued Silver when she fell from Satorval’s back and taught Silver how to use fire and healing magic

Female rider: female rider of Senrage a birth mark in her eye matching Senrages’

Female rider: female rider of Tafferan and mother to Danor and Silver