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WOW! Thatz amazing! blaugh

I second that!

Chapter One

Bad News

Giz glanced at the huge skull forever burning within the eternal sapphire fire. Its grim and eyeless sockets caused a shiver to run down Giz’s spine. The skull, flames flickering in its eyes, once belonged to his Elder’s greatest enemy, Mal, the corrupt Dragon who wanted all of Man to be killed because they had murdered his mate. Giz’s elder had fought courageously and won, but had paid a high price for his victory. Now his elder, scarred and maimed, never left his cave for the shame of his loss. Both of his wings had been viciously ripped off and eaten by Mal, yet he still fought valiantly. His crippled elder had crawled back to the shore after his victory where his childhood friend, Arbre the healer, awaited his return from battle. She had carried the wounded Dragon on her back for over fifty miles back to the Mountains and treated him immediately. Arbre had barely been able to heal him, but with all of her herbs managed to stop the bleeding.
Giz took a deep breath and yelled, “Elder! You called for me and I have come!” His voice echoed like a mimicking young Drake mocking another young one. A creaking and snapping noise could be heard as an icy white Dragon peered over the blue fire. His lightning blue eyes lit up at the sight of Giz, then lost all emotion. He thundered around the fire and stood in front of Giz, then lowered his head so he was face to face with him.
“Ah, yes….Giz,” he said, his voice low and sad. “I have been waiting for you. Did I not tell you to report here after you returned from Crasse?” Giz winced and lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Elder. I was exhausted by my travel and could barely walk, let alone fly. My humblest apologies for rudely making you wait.” Elder growled, then slowly lied down. He sighed and looked at Giz intently.
“Well?” he asked, impatient for Giz’s report.
Giz looked up at the old Dragon and said, “Elder, you won’t be happy with the news I bring…” Elder’s face turned grim as he waited for Giz to continue. Giz exhaled deeply and slowly forced his words out.
“Elder, he refused to carve the headstone. He said he’d rather you rot in wingless disgrace than give you spiritual wings at your grave and…Elder, he cursed you by name,” Giz whispered, his head again hung.
Elder stayed silent as he got up and walked deeper into his cave. Again, he lay down and put his head on his crossed paws. His back turned to Giz, he whispered,
“If I have no Dansleciel Headstone carved by the Riser Racine, I won’t be able to fly to Paradise after I depart this life… I’ll burn in undying fire, like Mal did.” He gestured vaguely towards the cobalt blaze with one talon. He sighed and turned his head towards Giz, his eyes watering. Giz walked up to Elder and raised his claw to wipe a tear running down his cheek. Jerking his head away, he twitched his tail and said, “You may leave now. That is all I needed to know.”
“No, but Elder…” Giz sputtered in protest, his eyes wide open. He looked into his eyes pleadingly and put his paw on Elder’s.
“I said LEAVE!” Elder roared as he shoved Giz’s paw off him and quickly stood up. “NOW!” He charged into the darkness of the back of his cave where the lamp’s light didn’t reach its every corner.
“Elder…” Giz begged as he slowly approached the darkness, cautiously watching where he was stepping. A burst of flame singed the tip of Giz’s nose and left a smear of soot and a vicious white burn scarring Giz’s scales. Giz, startled and hurt, turned on his heels and dashed out of the cave, away from the sobbing sounds coming from deep within, away from the smell of thyme and lavender, and away from that terrible smiling skull…
Giz had made up his mind. After sitting on the edge of the mountain lake near the shore and watching the blue dragonflies with black wings, thinking for hours about Elder and his Headstone, he had decided that he would fly right back to Crasse and demand that Racine carve the Dansleciel Headstone for Elder or…. Giz sighed. He truly didn’t know what to do, but he was going to Crasse and would somehow make Racine carve the Headstone…. some way. Giz stared at the evening sun, wondering where the day went.
“The days are getting shorter and colder now. Winter probably isn’t very far behind,” Giz said to himself. He unfolded his wings and took a deep breath. “I’ll have to hurry if I want to beat the snow to Crasse.” He sighed and jumped over the edge of the mountain, sadly glancing up at Elder’s cave for one last time. He turned his head around again and flew towards the sun until even the sharpest-eyed Dragons could only see a tiny black fleck growing smaller and smaller with each blink of their eyes.
“I’m on my way, Racine. I’m on my way.” Giz whispered angrily. He would help Elder…even if it cost him his life.



Elder Before the Battle




((Once again, these pictures were found on Google. They do not belong to me.))

Here's Chapter Two. In advance, I have to warn you I can't post the whole book. I'll post everything but the last Chapter. In one paragraph, I will summarize the last Chapter. Well, here's chapter two, posted in fear of the monkey... eek

Chapter Two
Back To Crasse

Giz slowly opened his eyes and felt something drip into them, making them sting. He tried to raise a claw to wipe his eye, but his arms and legs were firmly tied to his body, as were his wings. He licked the liquid out of his eye, and then accidentally brushed his tongue against the rough fabric covering his head.
‘Burlap bag?’ Giz thought. ‘How unoriginal…’ He struggled to lift his tail, but it was as if Elder was sitting on it.
“Now you put me down!” a strange voice yelled angrily. “Do you know who I am?! I’m the Prince of Sun Dragons! If you don’t-hey! No, no put that-that bag down! You’ll see! The King’ll find me and when he does…” The voice, now muffled, continued to yell in protest. “Untie me or you’ll really get it!”
Giz then remembered he could breathe fire and promptly set fire to the burlap bag. Bits of burning materials sizzled on his face, slowly burning into his scales. He shook his head angrily.
“Who dares try to tie me, a Dragon of the Montagne Mountains, in simple ropes?! I’ll roast your feet off and chew your bones while you still try to wheeze in air! I’ll kill your clan, I’ll rip you limb from limb then throw you in a river! I’ll rub salt in your wounds! Untie me or I will make sure your last few minutes on this earth will make you wish you were already eternally burning!” Giz snarled viciously and turned his head towards his body. A thick net was wrapped around him and his limbs were tied to him with very thick rope. He set fire to the net and ropes and then got up dizzily.
He glared ferociously at his captors…and gasped in surprise. Giant rat-like creatures towered above him, clutching huge axes with golden handles. The huge beasts had long rattish tails, completely bare of any fur. Thick brown hair covered the rest of the beast’s body and legs, but his face was void of fur. Three thick black whiskers shot out from each of their cheeks, which stuck straight out. Tiny bearish ears rested on either side of their foreheads. Long yellowish tusks stuck out of the corners of their mouths and curled backwards. All of the ratty creatures had hunched backs, tiny eyes, and long ebony claws sticking out of their lion-like paws. The biggest monster leaned down to Giz and laughed heartily.
“What did you say you were going to do to our clans again?” he asked, his axe against Giz’s throat. Giz growled after he got over his shock and angrily stared into the hairy creature’s beady black eyes.
“I’m not afraid of you, rat! I could eat ten of you for breakfast!” The mouse-like beast squeak-laughed and kicked Giz brutally.
“Eat me, Méchant, chief of the Hunt? No matter, there are twenty of us and one of you,” the rat monster leader smirked, gesturing towards a horde of evil-looking rats behind him surrounding several netted animals. “Are you hungry enough for all of us ‘rats’?” Giz smiled and stood up, shaking the soot and burned burlap off of him.
“It is dinner, and I haven’t eaten lunch yet,” he answered slyly, looking at the leader’s foot. “Though your paw is as big as my head, I’ll digest you all part by part.” The rat-brute snarled, surprised by Giz’s reply. He lowered his axe, turned around, and began to walk towards the other ratty creatures. Giz sighed and turned towards a netted beast, intent on freeing him for reinforcements in case the rat decided to attack.
“Digest this!” The surprised dragon accidentally let a burst of flame out on the netted beast, freeing a very angry bright yellow Dragon. Giz whirled around and saw the leader charging at him, axe raised. The leader brought the axe down, but the yellow Dragon shoved Giz out of the way. The golden Dragon rolled away from the axe and pushed himself up on his paws. The rat-beast bellowed in anger; his axe’s tip had been brought down with so much force that most of its edge was buried in the earth.
While the rat monster struggled to pull the axe out of the ground, the two Dragons propped themselves back to back on their hind legs, ready to fight for their lives. The yellow Dragon turned towards Giz and nodded gratefully.
“Thanks for getting me out of my bindings. I’m Soleil, Prince of the Sun Dragons.” His lighting blue eyes twinkled in anger. “The Mauvais hunted me while I was stalking my prey in the woods. The King told me they sell animals like us because of our ‘magical’ powers. They actually are quite rich.” Soleil looked around him at the desolate plains and the Mauvais charging towards them, led by Méchant. “Though I can’t see the woods from here. They must have taken me here after they knocked me out.”
“I’m Giz, of the Montagne Mountains. To your left,” Giz replied, clawing a Mauvais in the stomach. It fell to the ground, clutching its bloody middle section. Soleil jumped and bit a Mauvais’s wrist and dodged out of the way of its falling axe. He quickly got up and put his back against Giz’s.
“Ha, I got one!” Soleil crowed proudly, pointing towards the grey Mauvais moaning and holding its paw. “I’ve never had to fight. My soldiers always took care of that.” Giz brought another one down and clawed it viciously to make sure it was dead.
“Three,” the violet Dragon said quietly, jumped, and bit another on the throat. Holding on, he let the Mauvais run until it tired out. He twisted his head and ran back to Soleil.
“Four.” Giz kicked a squirming Mauvais in a small pond and held him under.
“I got another!” Soleil cried out, wiping blood off his wounded forearm. He kicked a dying Mauvais and said “You dare bite me, a Prince?! Ah well, I forgive you.” He lunged and put the creature out of its misery.
“Five.” Giz panted loudly and licked the blood running down his cheek. Several scales had been ripped off of his tail and forehead by a Mauvais’s axe. He killed it quickly and moved on to another.
“Where’s Méchant?" Soleil asked as he bit a Mauvais’s tail. Giz glanced around quickly and shrugged, kicking a Mauvais in a very painful spot.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s dead,” he answered, staring at the Mauvais writhing in pain on the ground.
“Wassa matter? Did you get hurt?” he asked in a babyish voice. The Mauvais ignored him and, eyes watering, moaned pitifully.
“My……oooohhh, it hurts! Make it stop!” Giz smirked and nodded. He licked his lips of blood and leaned down.
“Okay, I guess I could.” The Mauvais looked up at a gaping maw of fangs and blood and screamed aloud before everything silenced and went black. Giz spat out blood and wiped his mouth.
“Six.”
“I got four so far!” Soleil announced, whacking a Mauvais with his tail. When the Mauvais tripped, Soleil tore into its abdomen.
“Aww, gross!” Soleil complained, intestines hanging off his snout. “I got another…” he said weakly, shaking his head of the beast’s entrails. After a long while of screaming, howling, and triumphantly proclaiming how many they killed, the Dragon pair had killed nineteen Mauvais.
“I guess that’s all of them,” Giz said, wiping blood off his chin. Soleil looked around him at all of the unmoving bodies and cleared out his stomach loudly. Giz looked away and tried to ignore the feeling of his own stomach fighting back.
“What about Méchant? I still haven’t seen him. I didn’t kill him; did you?” Soleil asked, wiping his mouth sickly.
“I didn’t get him. Hey, are you all right?” Giz answered tiredly. Soleil nodded weakly and looked at the netted animals.
“We should probably free them now, huh?” Soleil said, gesturing towards the tied beasts. Giz wordlessly walked towards a net and ripped it open with his claws, letting a shockingly white unicorn free. Soleil moved to another net and bit it open. A vicious bright green Dragon burst out, roaring and swearing angrily. The freed creatures helped free the other creatures, which ranged from Hippogriphs to Griphons. After freeing every beast, Giz sat down on a clean patch of yellowish grass tiredly. Soleil joined him and yawned, completely drained of all energy. The first Unicorn they had freed followed by at least five more, trotted over and bowed at Giz’s and Soleil’s feet.
“Thank you both for freeing me and my people. We are eternally grateful. Any time you call for us, we will come.”
“Get up. You owe us nothing,” Giz answered. The Unicorn got up and neighed.
“If you wish. Now we must part ways. We must try to find our way back to our herd. Goodbye,” the Unicorn said, turning towards the other Unicorns. He ordered them to walk towards the South, so they obediently began galloping away from the clock tower.
“Goodbye, friends. Thank you again!” the Unicorn yelled over his shoulder. Giz sighed and turned towards the other beasts, big and small, and asked “Well? Do you not have a home? Go back to your clans. Goodbye!” Giz yelled and turned towards Soleil. “You too. You have to go back to your clan. The King must be worried.”
“Oh. I was hoping I could go with you. Y’know, wherever you’re going…” Soleil said sadly, slightly downcast. Giz shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I’m on a very important mission, a life or death one, sort of. I need to do it alone…” Soleil nodded understandingly and jumped in the air, flapping his wings.
“Well, goodbye then. Perhaps we’ll meet again,” Soleil said, flapping higher and higher with each word.
“Perhaps.” Giz nodded and jumped as high as he could. He flapped his wings and turned towards the clock tower barely poking above the horizon. Flapping towards it, he slowly gained altitude. He glanced down and saw all of the beasts slowly heading in their own directions, like him. He was on his way again towards Crasse….and Racine.


Soleil





Mauvais Battle Axe

((Yet again, these images were found on Google. The Mauvais in my story look like the picture I posted minus the mace on his tail, chains, bandages, scars, arm cast, and spikes. Other than that, that picture is pretty much like the creature in my book.))

BRING ON THE DRAGONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool. Here it is. Ok, I know some of the characters have stupid (non-french) names (Giz, Elder). That's because those beasts were created before I wrote this book. They have sentimental value and no matter how much you beg I will not rename any of them. And one more thing; Inconnu's text is supposed to be gray but I am NOT turning the whole text black and redoing all of the colors just for him! Ok, with that said....Enjoy!
"AGGGHHH! Doing this colors-for-voices thing is wearing me out more than actually writing this!"

Chapter Three
The Clock Tower

Giz soared towards Crasse, the clock tower slowly bonging nine times. The cool night soothed his mind and body, the soft caressing breeze gently stroking his aching muscles. He gasped as he neared the clock tower and was able to see each of its tiny jewel-encrusted details. It seemed to be more beautiful every single time he saw it. A sea completely carved out of a huge slab of blue topaz inlaid with sparkling sapphires swirled around the ivory face of the clock. Emerald numerals sat on the edge of the ocean like little gem boats. The solid diamond hands seemed to glow because of the sun’s light shining through them. The clock tower itself was made of swirling and flowing tan marble with twirling lines of black and white. The very peak of the tower was topped in a glistening triangle of gold.
As Giz flew around the clock, he looked down at the small mud-brick buildings surrounding the clock tower; they were crudely made low-to-the-ground rectangles of buildings with small doors carved out of the buildings. A larger dome-shaped building covered in a rainbow of precious gems and topped with a golden hawk lay on the outskirts of town, protected by several small creatures carrying large spears. Giz knew it belonged to Racine, the Riser.
When Giz tried to fly towards the smallish building, a gust of wind pulled him towards the clock tower. He flapped as hard as he could, but it felt as though a huge beast had wrapped its paws around his wings and hind legs. He struggled against the pull, but was yanked back towards the clock face. Giz was pushed around and was pulled face-first towards the clock. The hands began to spin counterclockwise, faster and fast and faster until the hands were just a white blur against an ivory background. The numbers twisted and morphed into green eyes, blinking at Giz, hypnotizing him. A rush of blue gems spun around the eyes, twisting and rolling like an angry ocean. The wind then pulled him into the clock face, into the eyes, and into complete darkness…

Giz awoke with a start in a tiny shaft of light; a bitter wind viciously was beating and battering him. Looking around him, he saw rocks and bones littering the hard stone ground. He quickly got up and turned away from the violent wind, but the wind changed direction and blew brutally into his eyes. His slitted eyes watering, he glimpsed a flash of dull light and charged towards it against the wind. He was blown down on his back, his legs kicking and thrashing. A dark shape loomed above him, long white fangs glinting evilly. Giz growled, his teeth bared, but then wished he hadn’t. The freezing wind beat against his mouth and teeth, causing him to yelp in pain. Wind rushed down his throat and held his mouth open, freezing his fire-acid pockets. Howling pitifully, he tried to roll over, but the wind held him pressed against the ground. He stared at the dark shape’s two shockingly green eyes that had just opened above Giz. The dark shape stepped out of the shadows and into the pinprick of light. Its emerald eyes were framed by two pointed oval ears swinging gently. A scaled snout leaned closer to Giz, a foul-smelling breath gently blowing into his mouth. Giz jerked in vain, struggling to close his mouth to the disgusting creature’s breath. As the creature came closer, Giz tried to gasp, but it came out more like a hissing gurgle. An ebony Dragon peered into Giz’s shocked amber eyes, humming tunelessly. A reddish Fox, glowing a light red, trotted from behind him. A bright white stripe shimmered on his forehead, dazzlingly stunning against his dark-orange fur. Its intelligent brown eyes blinked in confusion as it quietly asked,
“Another Dragon? I thought you and…y’know...were the only ones.” The black Dragon shook its head and stepped closer to Giz. He lied down on one side of him. He gestured for the Fox to lie on his other side. Slightly protected by the wind, he closed his mouth forcefully and coughed. He spat out a few drops of saliva and growled at the Dragon, who had stopped humming.
“Where am I? Who are you? Why did you help me?” he snarled, glaring at the black Dragon. The ebony Dragon shook his head and glanced at the Fox.
“Well, I’m Richie, you’re in prison, and we helped you because you were in pain,” the Fox said, shrugging. “Why shouldn’t we help you?”
“What about him?” Giz asked, looking at the Dragon. The Fox sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know. He’s never talked to me, or anyone in here, as far as I know. Anyway, we all call him Bas.” Richie answered, biting his bottom lip. Giz looked at Bas, one eyebrow cocked. Bas growled and looked into the darkness, where a quiet dragging noise was coming from. Something huge was coming their way. The trio slipped into the shadows, quietly watching the beast nearing them.
“Come on out. I can see you,” the creature growled, still walking towards them. Giz shook his head at Richie and Bas, but they still ran towards the beast.
“Inconnu? How did you...what are you doing....?!” Richie whispered in surprise. Inconnu stepped towards Giz, who looked up at its head. A giant grey Dragon with spiraling gunmetal horns almost completely covered in chains stared at him. It’s ripped and bloodied wings hung limply at its side, covering several old scars. Large overlapping scales rattled gently as he moved his head closer to Giz. Inconnu winced in pain because of the wind beating into his wounds.
“Hmm...a purple Dragon...” he said quietly, looking Giz up and down. “Brilliant eyes though...” His silver eyes stared into Giz’s, making him very uncomfortable.
“How did you get out of your bondings?” Richie sputtered, still confused. Inconnu turned towards the little Fox and quietly said,
“I didn’t.” He lifted his bloody wings and stifled a cry of pain. Richie gasped and looked at the trail of blood that Inconnu had left behind. A large drop of blood trickled down his chest from his sliced open main wing tendon. Inconnu saw Giz staring at the tendon and said,
“They put indestructible titanium bands around my tendons inbetween the wing so I’d have to rip my wings off to escape. I just sawed my tendon against the wall until the band could get ripped out.” He quickly wiped a tear of pain that was rolling down his cheek, embarrassed. Richie bowed his head.
“We were put here by Man. How’d you get here?” he asked Giz.
“I don’t know. I flew by this clocktower and the wind pulled me in,” Giz answered, looking up. His eyes were immediately bashed by the wind, but he ignored the pain. “Is there any way out?” Richie shrugged.
“I guess so...we’d have escaped by now if we knew about it. Man puts animals like me in here so they can skin them later. I can’t avoid it...”Richie said sadly, looking at his tail. “Man is trying to destroy Dragonkind because they think they kill their livestock and burn down their villages, so that’s why Bas is in here.” Bas nodded and hummed quietly.
“There’s a ton of Dragons in the South Sea on the Montagne Mountains. That’s where I’m from. Man will never find them, at least.” Giz said as he began to fly against the wind toward the ceiling. A glimmer of light appeared out of nowhere. He flew towards it, hoping with all of his heart that he could escape through it. Bas appeared behind him and breathed a puff of fire on the light. It melted away to expose a huge doorway. Again he flamed, and the door burned down, revealing Crasse, the sun just coming up. Giz stared at Bas, who simply began humming and flying with the wind to the ground.


“Wait, Bas! How did you know how to....How did you...?” Giz asked in a hurry. Bas shrugged from down on the ground and grabbed Richie gently in his jaws. Giz was then pushed out by the wind, out into the city. Giz smiled happily; the cruel battering wind had stayed in the clock tower. He turned around to see Richie crawling out through the “o” in the six on the clock face. Giz flew towards him, but the wind pushed him away. He tried again to fly towards the clock, but the wind again shoved him away. Richie waved with one paw and jumped. The wind grabbed the Fox and thrust him towards Giz, then pulled him straight down. Richie smiled and whispered,
“I’m free...thank you, Dragon, I’m free....” Richie faded into mist, smiled and again whispered,
“Thank you....” Richie disappeared and Giz gasped in shock. He flew towards the wind, but was pushed towards Racine’s hut. The clock slowly bonged nine times as a shimmering black dragon spirit flew towards the sun, slowly aging, slowly humming, slowly whispering,
“I’m really Xaeo, Giz...and you have freed my passage to Paradise. The clock imprisoned us because we wanted eternal life...but now I am free...Thank you...thank you...” Giz roared at Lake angrily,
“Bas?! No, come back! Stop!” Xaeo smiled and whispered,
“Thank you....” Giz stared in shock as he burst into mist and slowly floated towards the sun. Giz shook his head and closed his eyes, a tiny tear rolling down his face.
“Spiritual wings....will fly you to eternal life...Richie, Xaeo....Life in Paradise...” he said quietly, remembering Elder. He turned and flapped towards Racine’s hut, intent on saving Elder and giving him his well-deserved eternal life with Richie and Xaeo in Paradise.

Man, I am SO mad at my self for how short the Chapters are but for some reason they just won't get bigger! gonk It sucks. I am incapable to stretch them! I don't mind critics, but mostly I am my on critic. Sometimes I miss things, so I like critics as long as they aren't too mean... Well, here's the next chapter. Ughhhhh! I hate coloring the "voices", but it enhances the story so I will suffer for you....Aww screw it! All of the dwarves' speech-parts are gonna be olive! Live with it! *explodes into flames from stress burning_eyes *

Chapter Four
Racine

Giz landed in front of Racine’s hut and was immediately swarmed by the creatures bearing spears. The short human-like creatures barked out commands to him.
“I need to talk to Racine.” Giz said, looking at each hairy beast. The smallest monster stepped out from behind the others and bowed.
“Hello again, Dragon. The Riser is in a meeting with the King right now. If you can come back at Sunset, he might be able to squeeze you into his busy schedule,” he said gruffly, looking at the hut. Giz growled angrily and said,
“The King can wait, dwarf.” Giz pushed past the dwarves and walked towards the hut. A brutish dwarf stepped in front of him and poked Giz’s chest with his spiked club.
“Ooooh, no you don’t! The Riser is not to be disturbed!” he spat forcefully. He pushed Giz with one hairy palm. Giz stared at him with one eyebrow raised.
“You think you can stop me? I killed thirteen Mauvais and you think you can stop me?” Giz laughed, shoving the large Dwarf out of the way, who bit him on the ankle and tried to club him. The Dragon shook him off his ankle and grabbed the club before it hit his back. Giz picked the dwarf up by the club and tossed him into the other Dwarves, who all toppled down on each other. He flew up a medium-sized waterfall to the door of the hut. The Dragon chuckled and pushed past two large Gnomes, who tipped their hats at him, frightened. They stroked their beards and sighed in relief as he passed them without even a second look.
Giz walked up to Racine, who was sitting on one end of a long wooden table glaring at him angrily. A simple chain with a carved emerald tree dangling off of the end of it hung around his neck. His green eyes stared at him with hatred. On the far end of the table sat a shimmering golden Dragon, its yellow eyes twinkling wisely. From his head to his tail, each of his scales was covered with tiny gems that shined as if they were recently polished. A thick golden helmet festooned with larger jewels hid most of his face. Golden chains hung around his neck by the hundreds. Simple gold armlets were clamped tightly on his bulging biceps.
“Racine, you will carve the Headstone or I will personally make you. How would you like a necklace of your own guts?” Giz growled ferociously.
“You again! I told you I don’t care about that walking carcass of yours, your Elder, is it? I refuse!” Racine snarled back, standing up and shaking a fist.
“Hmm, I guess I could make you a coat of your own furry hide, then. Rest assured, I’ll make sure I line it with soft red velvet,” Giz growled, stepping closer and closer until his nose was rubbing Racine’s. The King stood up and quickly said,
“Now, now, let’s not be too hasty. If Racine thinks that this Elder person isn’t fit to Rise, then he isn’t fit to Rise.”
“He saved Dragons, who supply Racine’s jewels and marble!” Giz snapped back, his eyes wide. He raised a paw and was about to sweep Racine’s head off his shoulders when the King scorched his shoulder. Giz turned around angrily and glared at the King, who had run to Racine’s aid. The King stared at Giz angrily and hissed,
“I am your King and you will obey me, or I will imprison you where you cannot escape. Racine is the Riser, and if he decides he won’t do something, he won’t.” Giz growled angrily and raised his paw. He clawed the King across the face, the golden Dragon’s blood splattering on the wall. The King, now silent, turned towards Giz slowly and looked at him with no emotion whatsoever. Suddenly, the King roasted Giz’s face. Giz howled in pain, clawing at his eyes desperately. He fell onto the floor, tripped by the King’s tail. Blind and vulnerable, Giz growled and tried to claw the King. His talons sliced through air near where the King stood, licking the blood off his face. He kicked Giz swiftly in the ribs, causing Giz to roll into a tight ball. The King kicked him on the head, and everything went black.

“Hello Giz.” Giz awoke slowly in the clock tower to the cruel wind, his eyes blurry and stinging. Above him stood a familiar grey shape peering at him in worry.
“Inconnu? It that you?” Giz asked hoarsely, sitting up weakly. Inconnu grunted and nodded, then turned around.
“Giz, the King said if I fight you.....he’ll let me go.”
“But you can’t! You’ll kill me!” Giz spluttered, staring at Inconnu sleepily. He stood up and stumbled into Inconnu, who pushed him to his feet roughly.
“I have to or he’ll kill me. I’m sorry, Giz,” Inconnu said quietly.
“Inconnu! Come! I’ve found suitable chains and bangles!” Racine called from deeper within the tower. Inconnu turned and began to walk towards the voice. He turned his head and sadly said,
“I’m sorry...” Giz growled angrily and lunged, snarling viciously,
“How could you?! I found the way out and I can get you out of here! You know that! And yet you still would rather fight me!?” Inconnu turned and walked away.
“The King would find me eventually.”
Giz roared and jumped up. Flapping his wings, he flew up the tower towards the exit. Suddenly, huge metal spikes grew out of the wall and almost speared him. Dipping and dodging, he maneuvered around the spikes and rose to the tiny opening. He blew fire on it, which bounced back onto him and burned his jaw. He growled angrily and dug his fangs into the wall around the hole in the wall. Thin spikes erupted out of the wall and speared his nose. He jerked back and blew more fire onto the wall, battering it with his tail and claws, but to no avail. He was knocked out of the air by another large spike. He spun to the ground and fell, his arm bruised and bleeding. He winced in pain and stood up, his shoulder aching. He hobbled into the shadows and lay down. He sighed and rested his head on the cold ground. The wind beat his body, but he was too exhausted to care. He dozed off, the violent wind cutting into his shoulder, tossing his blood on the floor and walls, holding him down.

“Father, no! He’ll get killed! He saved me and this is the way you repay him?!” a familiar voice cried out.
“HE ATTACKED RACINE!” another voice roared viciously. Giz yawned and opened his eyes, which were immediately whipped by the wind. His eyes watering, he watched two yellow dragons roaring and hissing at each other.
“Surely you care about me?! If you do, you’ll let him go! This is murder!” Soleil yelled at his father’s face, saliva flying into the King’s eyes. “I have a debt to repay to him! Let him GO!” The King pushed the Prince down brutally and whacked him with his tail.
“The Riser is more important than you, or anyone for that matter! You will obey me or I’ll set Inconnu on you, too!” The King reared and kicked his son, who whimpered in pain. His wings flared, he hissed at a wicked-looking troll,
“Lock him up with Inconnu’s new chains and iron bands. The old ones are useless; he ripped straight through them with his claws.” The troll stood still stupidly, spittle running down his chin.
Giz thought angrily. The King hit him on the shins with his tail, which made the troll rock back and forth gently. 'Inconnu lied about the chains? That means he must have made those gashes himself. But why? Did he not want me to know about his claws?' The troll stumbled deeper into the shadows and rattled several metal chains. Another troll grabbed Soleil by the wing tendons and dragged him to the other troll. A loud snap echoed through the cave, as did a howl of pain.
‘Soleil...’ Giz thought bitterly, afraid that the King would know he was awake.
“Grab the Dragon. It’s time,” the King commanded, walking into the shadows. A troll lumbered over to Giz, who pretended to be asleep. The troll grabbed his neck and walked towards where the King just was. Giz stifled a cry of pain as his wounded shoulder scraped against a pile of rubble and bones. A shard of bone lodged into his bloody shoulder muscle, slowly cutting widening Giz’s wound. Giz’s head bashed into a large boulder and his neck was bent back as the troll continued to walk. Giz fainted, his head spinning, his shoulder throbbing, his blood making a bright red trail through the tower...

Giz swam back and forth through conciseness, only hearing snips and bits of conversation and a background of sobbing.
“Hmph. He’s dead...” ...a quiet giggle...
“I don’t.....”....worriedly...
“Should I...”.....thump....
“...don’t know....”...angry...
“... a good kick should....” ...shuffle....
Giz was suddenly kicked in the abdomen brutally. He rolled into a ball and clutched his stomach. Fire acids dripped out of his mouth and pooled onto the ground, mixing and swirling together. No flames burst from the liquids, not even a tiny spark. Giz hacked up blood and weakly stood up. Blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth. His shoulder wound was crawling with tiny flies. He coughed loudly, his body shaking gently. The flies buzzed in his ear loudly. Giz hissed, shocked, at the war armor on his body. He then looked in surprise at his surroundings; he was on top of a lush green hill surrounded by trees. The bottoms of the trees’ trunks were surrounded in small stones. The night stars above seemed to whisper,
“You’re free...”
He shook his head and looked up at a sick-looking Soleil. Giz nodded in greeting and licked his wound, then looked up again quickly. Soleil was shackled in bands that clamped around his wing tendon, cutting into his wing membrane. Thick chains attached to the bands were tied tightly around his broken hind legs, which were stretched out from behind him. His front ankles were bound together with thinner chains. Blood trickled down below his bruised eye.
“Soleil...How could your own father....?” Giz whispered.
“I persuaded him to give you armor. Good luck....” Soleil coughed, blood dripping out of his mouth. Soleil let a tear trickle down his now badly bruised cheek. He whimpered and looked at his bloodied wings. Giz growled weakly and glared at the King, who was standing by Inconnu.
“Now, now, Giz. Save your energy for Inconnu,” the King cooed. Giz hissed at Inconnu, whose head was hung in shame.
“Giz, if you beat the Prisoner, I’ll carve the Headstone,” chuckled Racine, who was leaning on Soleil, prodding one of his bruises with one finger and acting as if it was the most interesting thing on earth. Giz nodded grudgingly and looked at Soleil sadly.
“If I win, let Soleil go, too,” Giz said, staring into the King’s eyes.
“Fine. It’s impossible anyway,” the King replied, fingering one of his chains.
“So...Inconnu...Still haven’t changed your mind? We’re outside,” Giz said angrily. Inconnu shook his head and glanced at the Dwarves almost completely hidden in the trees. Each Dwarf clutched a yew-tree bow with many poisonous iron-tipped arrows. Giz looked in the same direction and hissed.
“Fine. Have it your way, Inconnu.” Giz feebly hobbled to the top of the hill. Inconnu followed him. They turned to face each other, their tails swishing.
“Goodbye Giz,” Inconnu said, his eyes two burning coals.
“Goodbye Inconnu,” Giz replied angrily.