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 Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:04 am
Alright This is a story that I have been working on for a while. Its not done yet and I am still working hard on putting it all together. I would like everyone to tell me what you think of what I have so far in it. I am up to all opions and suggestions to help make this better. ((I kind of want to publish it when im completely finished...So its like your getting a first look at it))
I will most likly change a bunch of things around..I never am satisfied with it. I have re-written the first chapter and the prologe about 4 times now xp
I have through chapter 3 completed and is working on chapter four mrgreen
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:05 am
Prologue:
A Horrid Night
On a dark and foggy night in the Shadowlands, Gwinn was the keeper of the Inn Of Moonshrine. Gwinn; is a muscular man with a beard and hair that’s turning gray, he was cleaning up for the night, he looked out side and saw a maiden carrying a bundle. He opened the door and invited her in, but she refused to go inside.
All, she kept saying was "They’re after me." She thrusts the bundle into his arms; the bundle wasn’t quite heavy, but wasn’t light either. Gwinn took the top layer of cloth off the object carefully, and he saw a baby girl hardly awake. The girl was a beautiful baby, a perfect little chin, straight black hair; though she hardly had any he could tell it was straight, the only thing about her was odd was her blood colored eyes. The color of her eyes might have been weird to some people but not to an innkeeper like Gwinn, he had seen more unusual things in his life. He looked up from the child, holding it out in front of him like it was poisonous. He looked for the young maiden, but she was already running for the forest, behind the inn. A few moments past and Gwinn heard a voice in his head. In fourteen years a man will come looking for her. It will be her choice to go with him on his quest or not. It was the voice of the female, and it sounded calmer then before.
That small phrase that the women had given him will always be in his mind, as if haunting him warning him of something, yet he would be ever more confused on what she meant; after awhile of staring into the woods trying to figure out the message’s meaning. He heard a low but loud cry in the sky and looked up into the night. What he saw were two big dragons, one as black as night with red eyes, the other sliver with soft but fierce blue eyes. It seemed that the sliver one was chasing after the black on. The black one was the first to dive into the forest followed by the sliver.
For a moment everything was silent and then Gwinn heard the maiden scream, her scream sounded like scrapping on a slate-board, breaking the silence of the night. The scream didn’t last long, then after another moment of silence; Gwinn heard a beat of wings and saw black one arise from the treetops the maiden in its claws. Gwinn watched in awe, knowing there was nothing he could do for the maiden; he also wondered what had happened to the sliver one. He went inside the inn and started to prepare a place for the baby girl to sleep. The maiden didn’t leave Gwinn with a name for the baby, so he named her Kelinda, the name of his grandmother.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:10 am
Chapter One:
The Journey Begins
Gwinn tossed and turned in his small bed. That dream had come again, or was it a nightmare he could never tell. Good and the bad came from the night. He rolled over to his broad back and glanced up at the ceiling of his room. His mind wandering back to that day, it had been many years since. That scene continued to play over and over in his mind, like a warning that something would soon happen. He even wondered if he could have done anything for that poor women, other then take her child. His mind then wandered to Kel. He had raised her to the best he could, being an innkeeper and hardly knowing anything about children.
Moving his hand out from under the covers of his bed he ran a hand though his gray course hair. His bead from back then had been clean shaved. He rolled out of his bed pushing that memory from his mind. He needed to get ready for the day’s work that would be piled on him. Gwinn wasn’t the type of person to let things go, having the pile up until they were due. He couldn’t live like that and couldn’t believe that people did live that way. He pulled the clean shirt that had been left out for him over his muscular build. He splashed his face with the cold water that had been left in the basin, rubbing his hands over his face taking off the dirt and grim collected upon from the day before.
He then moved to the small window and glanced out it at the slowly rising sun. Holding back a short yawn combined with a sigh, he headed out to make sure Norm was beginning breakfast for the customers, and to make sure everything else was running smoothly.
Kelinda, Kel for short, worked as a servant at Moonshrine since she was six. In the mornings, midday and late day she worked in the kitchens with Norm. The rest of the time she was preparing the rooms for the customers that coming day. Norm didn’t like Kel very much, because when Kel was eight she developed a habit of sneaking off to get a look at the customers, instead of working. Kel now fifteen woke up, got dress she checked what needed to be done for the day and started out with going into Lunar Forest to gather some herbs Norm needed for the day.
While in the forest she saw a man who looked around twenty, but Kel couldn’t really tell, because he looked like a dwarf and an elf combined. He had the statue like a dwarf, short, wearing boots; he also had a brown beard that almost covered his small pointy ears. His face had the reflection of an elf, the cheekbones high on the face and a soft rounded chin. His eyes were quite similar with her own; they were the same color; the color of blood, though his eyes were a bit rounder and smaller then hers.
They made eye contact for a moment. “You know it’s not safe in the forest alone,” he told her calmly.
Kel shrugged her shoulders then went back to collecting herbs. When finished gathering the herbs from the forest she made her way back to the kitchen. She set the herbs on the cutting board and cut them to the sizes that Norm need them for his stew. She put them on the table by the fireplace, and went to go see if she could find the man with eyes like hers in the dinning area. Kel didn’t even see him and wondered if he even stopped at the inn. After a while of looking she walked towards Gwinn’s office, to report back to him, on the way she bumped into the man knocking him over.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there,” Kel said stunned. She offered her hand to him.
“Don’t worry about it, it happens all the time, though no one has offered to help me up, they usually just walk away.” He replied taking her hand. “Weren’t you just in Lunar Forest gathering herbs?”
“Yes, I have worked her for as long as I can remember,” she replied softly. “Can you please move I need to talk to Gwinn,” she said politely.
“Sure,” he said, moving out of her way as she reached for the door, of Gwinn’s office. Kel went in and the man went to the bar. Kel saw Gwinn at his desk, reading some papers. When Kel shut the door Gwinn looked up and smiled lightly at her.
“I’m finished gathering the herbs for Norm,” she told him.
“That’s good, did you cut them and leave them out for Norm?” questioned Gwinn.
“Yes,” responded Kel nodding.
“All right, then you can clean up the rooms and then come back here when you finished with that,” Gwinn instructed her.
“Right away sir, I will also wash the tables in the dinning room,” Kel turned to leave then stopped at the door, right before opening the door. “Sir, before I came I ran into a man coming out of your office, who was he?”
“Oh you mean Storm, just your ordinary traveler, coming from the North,” answered Gwinn, in a light-hearted voice. “Now get back to work, some travelers are awaiting their rooms”
“I’m there sir,” she curtsy and left. Kel spent the next few hours, fixing up the beds, sweeping the floors, and washing the windows, of the ten small rooms in the inn. She also went to the barn and got some hay to re-stuff the bedding of some of the worn out beds. Afterwards, she washed the tables and swept the floor of the dinning room. Then she walked back to Gwinn’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” answered Gwinn.
Kel opened the door and walked in. “You wanted to see me, after I was finished sir?” asked Kel.
“Yes I did Kel, please sit down next to Storm,” beckon Gwinn gestured at the spot next to Storm. Kel closed the door and sat to the right of Storm. “Storm, this is Kel, the young lady I have told so much you about.”
“We have already met, outside your office. Kel accidentally bumped into me, on my way out of your office; she was kind enough to help me out,” Storm replied.
“I’m really sorry for knocking you over,” said Kel. “I really didn’t see you coming out of Gwinn’s office, no offense.”
“No, offense taken,” responded Storm. “It happens all the time and I’m use to it.”
Kel, laughed, “Well if you knock some one over you help them up, it’s just a polite thing to do, that was Gwinn told me anyway, right?”
“Yes that is right Kel. Now you two shall we get started?” Gwinn replied.
Kel and Storm both nodded.
“Storm, needed some help on restoring peace among his ‘people’ and he would like a kind person to help him, so I told him about you,” Gwinn instructed Kel.
“Before Kel decides if she wants to join me I should tell her what we have to do to restore the peace among my ‘people’ and the history on what happened to make it be how it is,” retorted Storm.
Curious Kel interrupted, “There are more people like you?”
“Well not exactly like me,” answered Storm. “Now lets see it all started on a day much like today; intensely sunny, not too hot, and no sign of a cloud in the sky. Some thing came and stole our Firestone. The king sent the knights to go retrieve the stone but didn’t find any of it.” He gave a slight pause to allow the information to sink in before he spoke again. “Our king is afraid that this war may be the end of our race, if he succeeds in stopping our civil war we are having. Our king needs my help to find the Firestone and bring it back to our people. I’m afraid about this war; I wonder who will be killed in it my family, my friends or if our king will be over ruled by the people or not. Right now I can’t think of that, I must to restore the stone to its full before something awful happens. Once found I must immediately bring the stone to our homelands. So Kel will you help me restore peace to the land?”
“I would love to help you, I do love to help people that are in need of some help,” retorted Kel. “I would miss Gwinn and the inn but I want to go on an adventure. Also what would Norm think that if I left with Storm wouldn’t he suspect anything and try to find out why?”
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:12 am
Chapter One Continued
“I thought of the also,” replied Gwinn. “You two will leave during the night when Norm is asleep, then that way it will look like you ran away.” Kel nodded showing she understood. “Kel you better go pack what you have.”
“That sounds like a good idea” responded Kel. She got up and walked to the door, she opened it and goes into the hall then closes it and heads for her room. Her room, was the loft over the kitchen, it contains a small bed with a few books and clothing lying on the floor.
When Kel left Gwinn’s office, Gwinn looked at Storm and asked “Well Storm you seem like a nice sort of person. Where do you plan on going after you leave Moonshrine?”
“Well I plan on going into Lunar Forest to get to Misty Mountains, to look for the Firestone.” Storm replied with pleasure.
Kel, packed most of her belongings into a roughly used sheet and tied it at the end, she stuffed it under her bed and headed back to Gwinn’s office. Once she got to Gwinn’s office she knocked and went in. Kel gasped surprise that Storm was still in Gwinn’s office.
“I was just leaving” Storm assured her. Storm got up off the chair and walked out the door, as Kel moved to the side.
When Storm closed the door behind him, Gwinn asked Kel “All packed?” She nodded. “Now, you will stay come back here when the inn is dying down a bit and everyone is going to bed. It would be the usual time that you would be going to bed. Okay?” Kel nodded once again and left to finish her chores.
The rest of Kel’s chores were to clean up after the visitors, in the dinning room and at the bar. While cleaning up Kel saw Storm at the bar talking with a few people visiting the inn. Storm winked at Kel as she passed by him with her broom. Kel swept around the tables making a pile of dust and dirt by the fireplace in the dinning room. She took a piece of paper and slid it under her pile of dirt and threw it into the fireplace. By now most people have either went to be or left for the night. Kel went to the kitchens, and saw Norm wasn’t there and everything was quiet, she went to her loft and took her belongings out from under her bed and headed to Gwinn’s office. On the way Kel had to slip into a few closets and empty rooms to avoid being seen. Kel proceeded to Gwinn’s office and got there safely. She went in his office door and closed it setting her things down.
“Hello Kel,” said Storm in a sort of exotic creepy voice.
Kel jumped at the sound of his voice; she looked around the room and saw Storm. “Oh thank goodness it’s just you Storm, I thought it was Norm.” Kel replied surprised. “Where’s Gwinn?”
Storm explained, “He’s making sure it is safe enough for us to leave, and he had a few customers to take care of.”
“That Gwinn, always looking out for the safety of others and always putting customers first before anything,” Kel said with a little laugh.
Gwinn walked in as Kel started to laugh, “What’s so funny Kel?” he asked closing the door with a smile.
“Nothing,” replied Kel with a similar smile back and a winked her right eye at Storm.
“Well then I think you two should get going, Storm you will leave by the front door and walk around to the back while Kel will go out the back and wait for you,” explained Gwinn.
Storm said good-bye to Gwinn, a newly founded friend; they shook each other’s hands firmly. Storm had a sort of feeling from Gwinn, transfer to him when they shook hands. The feeling was that Gwinn longed to come with them, which he would have only if he didn’t have an inn to take care of. Storm let out sighed and walked out of Gwinn’s office with a small grin on his face.
Gwinn faced Kel, “Kel, I just want you to know that we are going to miss you here at the inn, well I will miss you.”
Silent tears flowed down Kel’s face. “I’ll miss you too, Gwinn,” Kel whispered. Kel embraced Gwinn, wiping her face on his coat. Gwinn hugged Kel back as a small tear appeared on to his face. “I’ll see you soon Gwinn I promise, but I don’t think it’s my destiny to stay here my whole life,” Kel assured him. They pulled apart from each other and Kel left Gwinn in his office.
Gwinn was sure going to miss having Kel around the inn, before she came into his life, everything was gloomy. Kel walked to the back door hardly making a sound, she opens the door and closed it silently. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she looked up at the sky, the moon was shinning brightly over the Shadowlands. Kel looked at Lunar Forest; the trees glistened beautifully in the moonlight. In awe Kel stared at the trees, she thought, so this is why it is called Lunar Forest, I always wonder why they called it that and now I know. She never did have a chance to see them at night always busy working and cleaning the inn after the evening meal. She was usually tired and went straight to bed, knowing she would need her strength for the morning.
“Kel,” Storm whispered loud enough so Kel would hear. Snapping out of her trance Kel looked over in the direction his voice came from. Squinting Kel saw Storm’s small figure in the darkness of the night. Kel walked over to him her few belongings in hand. “Once were in the forest a few miles we will set up camp,” he informed her. Storm looked up to the night's sky. And so the long journey begins. He thought to himself, feeling a bit excited on what was to come.
Nodding Kel swung her belongings over her right shoulder and followed Storm into the forest tiredly. After while of walking though Lunar Forest, Kel began to fall behind the dwarf-man, growing tired. Her legs grew heavy under her and she tried hard to keep up with the quick paced man. Despite it being night and how small the man was it seemed he had enough energy in this one moment to last a lifetime. She was struggling to keep up so she called out to him, breaking the silence of the night and the silence between them. "Storm could you slow down a bit?"
Shifting his head around his shoulder, he paused on the road ahead looking at her. "Sure" came his soft replied. He had forgotten how humans weren't as strong and well endurance as his race.
"We'll stop for the night" He spoke when Kel had caught up and stood next to him out of breath.
She nodded feeling highly out of breath to speak. Following Storm a bit more, they went off the road finding a small glade within the trees this is where they set up their camp for the night.
***
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:38 pm
Chapter Two:
Summoning
In Aqueadora the capital of the kingdom of the dragons, a dragon was out gazing at the stars; it was a sleek silver dragon, about eight and a half feet in length from tip of its snout to the tip of its tail. Four muscular limbs came from its body, two in front and two in back. All four limbs were armed with clawed talons, which gripped the peak of the mountain. The middle of its back was lined with sky blue small spikes, leading to its sleek snake-like tail. The silver dragon also had a pair of transparent bat-like wings emerging from the shoulder blades of its body. Its body was covered with small smooth scales, ones that man would treasure or try to sculpt into beautiful jewelry. Many would be fooled thinking if that the scales were pure silver. Those who know what a dragon scale is actually made out but the dragon itself that produces it.
The dragon’s tail lay softly behind it hardly moving, same as the body that it was attached to. The only movement that could be seen from the beast was the inhale and exhale of breath that its scaly body took in. Its great bulk shifted, its wings expanded and the silver dragon launched itself into the night sky. Its body accelerated into the night sky flying higher above the mountain range into the clouds. Small amounts of dew formed on its large wings. The dragon flew in the clouds for a few moments before it dived down out of the air towards the lush mountain valley.
The great dragon softly landed near the river that ran through the valley and between the mountains. On the other side of the mountains was a dessert and then a forest and then into the realm of man. Man was scarcely seen around the dragon’s kingdom. Either they gotten lost while trying to find the lairs of the great beast, got eaten, or died from the harsh weather that the mountains almost always had. Or would seem to the humans, the dragons controlled the storms in these mountains, most of the time making them harsh enough that many people wouldn't wander into their valley.
When the beast had landed its great silver wings folded neatly onto its back once again. The dragon crouched down near on the grown the tip of its snout lightly touching the cool water that ran in the river. After taking a long drink from the river the dragon once more lifted its head to the sky. Its blue piercing eyes scanned the sky as if looking for something that others couldn’t see, though there was no joy in those eyes, just the look of sorrow and despair.
A voice could be heard from behind the dragon, though it was more like a low growl, over the sound of beating wings. "Zakiax, your father wishes to see you." The being who said this was also a dragon. He was a bit smaller then the sliver dragon that he called Zakiax. The dragon was covered in golden yellow scales that would match the color of the rising of the morning sun. The dragon's eyes were a soft color between hazel and golden. He landed behind the sliver dragon his wings folding on his back when his claws made contact with the riverbank.
The dragon called Zakiax gave a low sigh and responded his voice full of sadness. "I have no need to see my father today, Takeal." He turned his head from the night sky and glanced at the golden dragon behind him.
"But he orders that you see him at once. I also advise changing back to your original colors." Takeal spoke softly "You must quite mourning her death; we will need you when war breaks out. Our Warriors are nothing with out you" It sounded as if he was trying to cheer him up a bit.
"I will see my father." He retorted in a voice that sounded like he already loathed the idea of it. "Though I will see him in the form I wish it, he must respect that" He then closed his eyes and the color of his scales changed from silver to pitch black. His scales were darker then the sky itself. Opening his eye, they where now a new color, not blue but red as blood. He spoke, "I can't. She was all I had; I lost my daughter and my wife. My best friend leaves with out a word to anyone, to neither father nor me. They where all I had in life and now I have nothing."
"You have us," his soft reply came. He was trying to make him feel better but of the look of Zakiax's face it seemed he did just the opposite.
"You mean our race?" He asked and sighed slightly. "Our race has done nothing for me, you didn't except the one I loved 'cause she was two-footer and different from our race." Deep sorrow was on his face; it had been a while since he had spoken about the one he loved deeply. He had loved none other from his race but she of a different race.
It was hard for the proud race of the dragon to accept one to love for out side of their kind. It went against tradition and dragons where solely for tradition. Anything out of the past traditions would be considered undragon-like and wouldn't be accepted into their society.
Zakiax hardly took part in anything anymore, he was always too depressed to try to get involved in anything, fighting on the other hand was something he found he could do to keep his mind of these things and thoughts. He hardly spoke with anyone, only going to his father when summoned, just so he could be lectured on what his role was for the future of the kingdom. He never liked listening to his father talk, court life to him seemed boring, it was most likely why he took up his command of his father's army at a young age wanting more adventure then, a simple court life. Though at times where he just wanted to be by himself away from other he would refuse to go to his father.
He got in trouble refusing his father's wishes, but he didn't care about anything these days. He was also getting sick of his father, sick of everything including his life. Zakiax looked back to Takeal.
"Let's get this over with" He muttered and then took of into the nights sky followed by Takeal.
The two dragons arrived at a semi-large cave at the base of a cliff. Zakiax was the first to land on the ledge; he entered the cave his black body disappearing into the darkness. Soon he was followed by Takeal who followed with out a word the moonlight first shinning off of his golden body illuminating off the cave wall, until his body also disappeared into the darkness of the cavern.
Small illuminating lights lit the pair of dragon's way as they went deeper into the caverns. It was easy to lose your way if you didn't know where you where going. It was like a maze; the tunnels branched off at points going left and right, leading to different tunnels that lead to different places in cavernous cave. The dragons took a simple rout; taking a few rights here and there and then turning left. The last path that they took widened at the top of the tunnel, it also widened at the sides and came to a great hall, which was lighted from above and from the sides. The sides of the great hall glittered with specks of gold and silver.
Zakiax paused in the doorway to the great hall and he let out a long drawn out sigh. He had decided what he was going to do, and if his father respected his choice then fine, if not then he didn't care what would happened to him, because of his choice. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before his body shifted into his human form. Not many dragons could change the color of their scales and eyes let alone shift into something else. It was truly a rare gift that this young dragon possessed.
His human form was about five foot seven to about five foot eight. Sleek black hair covered his skull coming just below his ears. His clothing was nothing special just a plain shirt and pants. A short sword rested at his right hip and his right hand rested on the hilt.
"Zakiax, that form wouldn't be wise, not how His Majesty's attitude has been lately. Our race so close to revolting against him and others has put him on a bit of an edge."
"I told you before, Takeal, I'll see my father in the form I wish to see him in" He replied glancing back at him. His blood red eyes moved to from the gold dragon to around the room. Everything seemed a bit bigger then before, he did shrink quite a few feet so, it wasn't that unexpected. “I don't care what he thinks anymore, nor anyone else"
This was going to be Zakiax's first time he came before his father in a different form, and his in his human form non-the less. If his father refused him this way then he wasn't meant to be among his kind, he would go elsewhere and find a new life, a new purpose.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:40 pm
Chapter Three
Defiance:
The golden dragon walked past the young male, headed for a chamber door to the left of the throne. While Takeal was gone Zakiax’s eyes wandered round the cavern. They stopped at the mural on the right wall; he walked up to it, and places his hand on the magnificent painting. It was an old piece one painted in the ancient times of their race, the color had faded but the message of peace shown with in the image was still visible. War seemed like it was a far thought when this painting was painted, Zakiax’s mind wandered in the depths of the image; he lost all current thoughts and worries with in it.
Fingers traced the outlines of the claws of the dragon portrayed in the mural; he remembered the first day that he had seen the same image of peace when war wasn’t even at the back of their minds, like it was now breaking their kind apart from each other. Sons where against their fathers, family and friends had been torn by this chaos, that soon erupted after the Queen’s death. Zakiax was beginning to tire of this dreadful civil war, fighting one another was pointless and getting them no where. Their society seemed to down fall when King Azarel formed the guard putting Zakiax in charge of it. His father believed that being involved in something other then sitting in a library all day staring at pointless books, would get his mind off the loss of his love as well as his child. Zakiax knew though that it wouldn’t happen, he would never be able to forget Naphina or his baby girl who had been left unnamed.
Being the head of the guard really didn’t mean a thing to him, he may be one of the best fighters in the kingdom next to his father, but he truly didn’t care about that. This fighting was pointless in his mind, he rather see people live in times of peace rather then in a war for power. Being prince, he would some day be able to change these things, but with his father in power the reputation of the peaceful race of the dragons would be destroyed. The general view of his father was coming forth; his goal was to show the world that the dragons would no longer be peacefully, but a race that should be feared and praised for their power.
He would try to keep these thoughts to himself until he found the time that was right to voice these views. Some would say that he got these ideas from the race of human, yet their race always seemed to be at war with one another as they settled disputes on the battle ground then in conferences. Zakiax didn’t care how those around him saw him as, either as a freak who runs with humans as well as can shift where else no normal dragon could, or as one who studied more of past wars of different races then of politics, like his father wanted him to.
Zakiax was drawn from his thoughts when he heard the chamber door re-open. Takeal was the first to exit into the throne room, followed by another dragon with black scales and piercing yellow eyes. Zakiax’s own blood-red eyes held no emotion towards the other, who respectfully bowed towards the male and then left the room. He assumed that the black dragon was an advisor from a different town.
Not moments after the black one left a brilliant red dragon entered the throne room. Zakiax gave a slight nod in respect towards him. He realized that his hand was still on the mural, he too it off, and then spoke. “You called for me father.” He made it more of statement then a question.
“Shift to your true form and then we shall talk,” ordered the Dragon King, in a firm, but calm voice.
So he won’t ever accept me in any other form then my true one. I really don’t think he will ever accept me in his life time. It’s sad when a dragon, no when a father can’t accept his own son for what he truly is.
Now he believed it was time for him to voice his opinion on this matter, his other thoughts and ideas on how the kingdom was being run will remain to himself, for the time being. A soft inaudible sigh left his lips before he responded, his eyes now on his father, “Sire, if you don’t accept me in this form, then you don’t accept me in any other form; meaning, that you truly don’t accept me as your son.”
There were a few long moments of silence between the two before the silence was broken by Takeal, “Zaki-,”
Azarel cut him off while a growl, “Son you know its custom and please don’t take it out on others, because it’s your fault in the first place.”
That was a response that Zakiax hadn’t been expecting, he didn’t know what his father was stating in the first place. His face showed his slight confusion, and then changed as he soon realized the meaning behind it. A soft hiss escaped from him, as he tried to keep his anger under control as he spoke.
“No one can help it with whom they fall in love with. I can’t help if I’m the only one who can change into different shapes.” He gave a glare towards his father and then turned to leave, every single time his father brought up the subject it made his anger rise even more then ever. He needed to get away for a while, he would likely be found in the library, his place of sanctuary from hardships of life.
Azarel didn’t stop his son from leaving, once the man was out of the room he turned to Takeal and spoke, “I see he still hasn’t gotten over it.”
“Yes sir, the loss of Naphina affected him more then most would have expected it to. It truly shows the love he and her had. She took our hard-headed trouble maker and changed him into a softie, yet at her death he changed back into a harsher version of his old self,” Takeal responded.
Zakiax turned down a few hallways which soon lead him to a pair of big oak doors: handles coated with gold, the crest of the royal family pressed in the handles, and a dragon carved smoothly in the wood on both doors. He slide the pendant over his head that contained his own crest, he pressed the crest into the indent in the handle causing the magical lock to open. Only few could come to the royal library, so he would most likely be alone with his thoughts. Zakiax opened the door and entered the vacant library.
He moved through the long vast shelves of books, his mind beginning to wander yet again. He mindlessly pulled a book from the shelf, he was familiar with it because he’d read it before in his childhood. Why couldn’t things go back to the way they were? Why did change have to happen in their peaceful kingdom? He knew that change was good from time to time, but the things such as mother dying never should have happened, they might not be in the mess they were currently in if it hadn’t.
As a youngling, Zakiax had always been fascinated with books about other wars between other races. In private he would teach himself what he could about fighting and tactics from the books. In the younger years of his youth trouble would always seem to find them or they found it, he never did know how it went. Storm was his best friend; the two were inseparable as hatchlings, being born around the same time they shared a bond. His parents had also picked Storm out to be his playmate and servant. Zakiax never did see him as his servant, more of a friend, he even shared the chores Storm was given.
Many of the situations that the two seemed to get themselves mixed up in where even hard for the King and Queen to get them out of. One time they had messed with a traveling sage from a neighboring town, they angered him greatly as a result Storm had been cursed. Zakiax would have also been curse if he was not able to shapeshift. The curse had awoken that ability with in the young dragon, as his body had shifted into a human for the first time.
He put the book back, coming out of his thoughts for a while. He glanced up to the dim lit chandelier that lit the whole library. “This place really needs some windows, sun light is better to read with” He murmured softly to absolutely no one. He knew it wouldn’t happen, but he always believed it was best to dream of such things for the future. Something he had in mind in changing when he took over his father’s role as king, that wouldn’t for many years so he would just have to deal with what he had now. He moved down another aisle of books and found another book and pulled it off the shelf.
This one he had studied under the elder that taught him more about his ability to shapeshift. After the incident Storm and Zak had been separated, Zakiax was sent off to study under some elder that knew more about shapeshifting then any had, where Storm was forced to stay at the castle doing what he was told. Most of the time Storm stayed away from others, he kept to himself, keeping to the libraries and the places that he and Zak mainly hung out at. He waited during those few years for his friend to return.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:43 pm
Chapter Three: Continued
When the Queen became ill, Storm had been sent to take care of her, she would mainly ask for stories of his childhood with Zak. She began to miss her only child. Some said that her illness was contracted because of her depression and want to see her son again, others believed it was something else.
Zakiax had been grateful to the elder, even if he was strict. He learned a lot from him in so little time; during his times under the elder he had come out of his rebellious phase and became a respectable dragon. When the elder told him he had no more to teach him, he sent the boy back home. Zak returned home only to find his mother in the last phases of the disease and near death.
The elder had died not soon after the prince had left him, and his mother died a few months after his return. Her death devastated everyone, but affected Azarel the most. Her elaborate funeral was held a few days later. Despair over took the young prince and he left on a ‘spiritual’ journey as he called it, leaving the kingdom and all its memories behind him. Storm came with him on this journey; the two still joined in friendship.
“You space a lot,” a voice stated behind him.
In surprise Zakiax had dropped the book. He bent over and picked it up and looked over his shoulder, seeing Takeal he sighed. He didn’t even realize that he had come in, didn’t realize that more then an hour had passed; his mind had been too deep in his memories. “Father sent you?” He asked his tone now calm and quiet, coming to the library had calmed his anger.
“Doesn’t he always,” the golden dragon responded. Takeal was the same to Azarel as Storm was to Zakiax. Now he was his most loyal subject, doing everything told to him.
“If father wants to speak with me, then he should come and find me himself,” he murmured. “Were did Storm go?” He asked with slight hope in Takeal knowing why he left exactly.
“Back to your trouble some phase I see. We all believed it was gone for good, but yet now it comes back to the surface. Strong and annoying as ever.”
Zakiax gave him a small glare, mainly because he didn’t answer his question. “I am who I am,” he replied in the same calm tone. “I can’t change that, don’t think I want to change that. I won’t let father change it either.”
Takeal sighed, bowed, and then turned to leave, “I will tell your father what you just told me.”
The sound of hinges squeaking as the oak doors closed behind the golden dragon could be heard. Zakiax gave a small sigh of his own and went back to wandering down the long aisles of books. He found another book, one he had long forgotten; it was a smaller book then the others he had picked up. He flipped through it and gently ran his hand on the pictures it contained. It was the first book his mother had read to him, the bedtime story that would always lull him to sleep.
The book brought back memories that he had long forgotten, he could now remember the distinct features of his mother, her calm sweet voice, the emotions she put into her readings, as well as the motherly vibes she gave him. Love, it was hard for him to understand it then and hard for him to forget it now. He remembered times when father would even settle down next to mother and listen to her read, when the story was finished Zakiax would be asleep in his father’s claws. They had a good parent and child relationship then. That changed since mother’s death, everything changed for him then.
A single tear dropped onto the page caused by the memories, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand preventing more from falling. The book was closed and put back in its rightful place. He moved on, this time he exited the library pulling the doors open before him.
He left the library behind him, and then found an empty corridor to pace its length. To many different thoughts swirled in his mind, as well as to many different memories. He was pacing to try to rid himself of those thoughts, for they could soon be the fuel for an unwanted fire later. As he paced his fingers trailed over the hilt of the sword at his hip, maybe he should go back to training it would get his mind off all things. When he trained himself he lost all original thoughts, his mind and body adjusting to the flow of the fight.
“Zakiax Dragonheart!” A growl came from down the corridor.
The echoes of the growl made Zakiax freeze in his spot as his pacing stopped. So his father was coming to speak with him, and he sounded angrier then ever as well. Father only used his full name when he was in trouble, he should be used to his father’s anger, but it always was a different experience each time it was released. He never could predict what father would do when he was as angry as this.
He would just have listen him to him quietly, and hope that his father wouldn’t be too harsh with him. He waited until his father’s figure became more district and into view. “Yes father?” he answered softly sounding like a defeated man.
“I am getting sick and tired of your childish behavior lately. Your attitude is going to change, and its going to change right now!” The king growled, towering over his son’s smaller human form. Takeal was behind the king, mainly there just watching both of them.
Zakiax didn’t respond right away, his eyes never left his father’s. He almost lost himself with in the fierce anger his father’s eyes held. The young dragon pulled himself out of his small trance and replied in a voice sounding more of a growl. “I will not change my attitude on your command, or anyone’s command. It will change when it wishes or when I wish it to.”
This was the first time that he had ever talked to his father in this way, with this much anger and slight hatred for the man before him. Before he even knew what had happened his father was on top of him, his claws pinning each of his limbs to the cold stone floor, beneath them. “Your attitude will change,” he repeated, his face now a few inches from the boy’s face.
Zakiax could feel his father’s magic drain his strength from his body. He hated that feeling, hated how his father could manipulate him so. He didn’t struggle, for he knew that struggling against his father would make his punishment even worse then it was already going to be. He closed his eyes refusing to look at his father. His energy left him until it seemed there was nothing else to take from him. He fainted before this had happened though, giving himself to the darkness.
Azarel got off of him slightly satisfied. “Takeal,” he ordered. “Take him to the dungeon, we’ll let his temper cool off a bit.”
Takeal nodded when the king had left he moved over to the prince and took him away, taking his limb body deeper down into the caverns.
***
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