Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Tale ❯ Part One : The Path of a Quest ( Chapter 1 )

Dragon Tale - The Hunted

Note: This story is based off an rpg a close online friend and I did a loooonnng time ago. Details have been lost and stuff's been added but it's still in a sense half his story. So there, half the credit goes ta Geo.

Part One: The path of a quest.

Draco, a girl of 15, walked down a well-beaten path through a dense forest. The tree branches were so tightly entwined above her that it appeared to be one giant arch.

Small rays of sunlight snuck through the entanglement, casting light for the young girl.

A Dragon by blood, Draco was now traveling in her human form. The slender, average sized girl, with silvery blue hair was not too unusual in appearance despite her oddly colored hair. Many dragons, when taking a human form, had oddly colored hair, or rather, hair that closely matched the color of their scales.

Draco was unusual in many inwardly ways, even for a Dragon.

She was a bit of a loner, choosing few select friends to trust and never expanding her trust beyond that.

A dragon mage, Draco's chosen weapon was a scythe. Right now she casually carried it over her shoulder, a homemade but ever faithful weapon that had yet to fail her.

Draco's mind wandered on her unusual raising, being orphaned young she'd grown up raised by whomever at the time was up to feed a young Dragonet. Draco wondered about her Father, who had left when she'd been young. Was he still alive somewhere? A coward who had run off from his mate and child, leaving them helpless. The thought was a bitter one that often haunted the back of the young dragon girls' mind.

Suddenly a dark figure stepped out from behind some bushes that had concealed it making barley any sound save for a faint rustle of the leaves.

Draco kept on, unaware of her stalker. A dry twig snapped and Draco whipped around, her eyes darting taking in her surroundings in an instant. However, she saw nothing.
"So jumpy...tsk" whispered a voice in her ear.

With an involuntary yelp, Draco tripped over her own feet, crashing ungracefully on the ground.

With an amused chuckle, Liam, an old friend of Draco's offered a hand to help her up. Grudgingly Draco took his hand and got up, embarrassed.

Liam's smirk was irritatingly superior. Draco brushed herself off before speaking.

"Do you always scare the shit out of people or is that just a privilege you save for your friends?"
Liam's smirk widened. "I only do it if I know I can get away with it."

Draco rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him. Liam's sure footing didn't allow him to give much way.
"So, what do you want?" Draco asked.
Liam faked a look of hurt. "What can't I just say hi once in a while?"
It was Draco's turn to chuckle.

"The day you just drop by to say hi is the day hell freezes over"
Liam laughed. That was the truth. "Well now...you seemed pretty lost in thought before..."
Draco looked away, she didn't feel like admitting what her mind had been on as she'd been walking. It was so childish. "I was just thinking..." She left it at that.
"about?" Liam pried.

Draco shook her head. "It's nothing"
"you seem to be doing that a lot" Liam commented.
"Doing what, thinking?"
Liam shook his head with a devilish grin. "Thinking, Na, never. Not answering direct questions. You're so secretive"
"and you're not? I have a right to be if I want to." Draco replied a little defensively.

"There you go again" Liam pointed out.
Draco sighed, exasperated. "Do I have to tell you everything?"
"Yes" Liam replied blandly.
Draco shook her head and kept on walking. "It was nothing."

They walked in silence for a long time. Draco knew, through years of experience, better then to ask Liam what he really wanted. He would tell her when he felt like it and not a minute sooner.

Liam was more of a loner then Draco. He only considered Draco a true friend and trusted no one else. The two had known each other since Draco had been about 7. He was a year older and a full-fledged human mage. Somewhere in his bloodline, he had elfin blood but it didn't show on him save for his slightly pointed ears which he kept concealed most of his time by his unruly golden brown hair which fell over a set of brooding green eyes. Orphaned at birth and grown up on the streets, he was the most self-sufficient person Draco knew. She respected him ... though as frustrating and annoying as he could be at times.

Finally he spoke.
"So the hunters got to the young Baby dragon...what was her name again?" He idly commented.
Draco paled. "Thundara?"
Liam nodded. Dragon hunting was a wide spread profession and Dragon hunters were revoltingly fierce and merciless. And growing in numbers steadily.
"But she was just a young one..." Draco protested, refusing to believe the cruel reality.

Liam nodded again. "That's what they want, young and defenseless."
Draco made a face. "that's disgusting!"
Liam shrugged in cold reply. "that's life."
Draco angrily twirled her scythe along her fingers, hacking at some overhanging leaves.
"it's unfair!" She protested. Draco's own mother had been killed years ago by hunters. Draco had been only 4 at the time and barley remembered anything of her mother.

Liam moved aside to avoid being hacked to pieces. He knew about Dragon tempers, they could be more deadly then any dragons' claws by themselves could ever be.

"Calm down" Liam snapped, one hand skillfully grabbing the scythe by the wooden part of it and pulling it out of her grasp. Draco sighed and snatched her scythe back, setting it back upon her shoulder so she could carry it comfortably.

"It's not fair..." She repeated , more softly this time.

Liam nodded in agreement. He could understand Draco's frustration. She was slowly watching her kind die out and felt complete helpless.

"Unfair yes, unstoppable, no" Liam said quietly. Draco looked sharply at him, her gaze demanding he tell her what he meant by that.

Liam's face grew completely serious, it seemed that he'd finally come to what he'd come to her to tell.

"I was traveling when I came across an interesting draconic legend..." Liam started, meeting her gaze evenly. " It revolves around a dragon gaining the possession of five gems, A pearl, Emerald, Sapphire, Crystal and Ruby...it seems that there's five special versions of these gems, created by Dragon blood, the legend states that should a dragon collect them...then " Liam paused.

Draco's intense gaze told him that she was listening to his every word.

"Then something will happen...good I guess, the scroll I was reading it off of was faded and I couldn't make out that last little bit.." The part-elf finished.
Draco frowned. "that's not much to go by...what if it just wipes out the dragons rather then helping them?"
Liam shook his head" I doubt that, these gems were created to help the dragons ...so I can only assume that whatever happens, it will be good"
Draco nodded slowly. It made sense. "How would I find these gems?"
Liam shrugged. "Ask your Dragon friends, the might know a lot more about Draconic legend then I would, being Dragons and all"
Draco shifted her scythe. "so I do I little research, find a couple gems and hopefully they'll go poof and make everything better?" She smiled grimly at Liam. "I just love how you make everything so easy Liam"
Liam grinned "Hey that's what I'm here for. Anyway, this is where I gotta split. "

Liam moved to a different path that headed in a different direction, deeper into the forest. Draco waved to him and continued on her way, her mind now on the gems.

A possible ray of hope, or just one big joke Liam had thrown together? She wasn't quite sure which it was.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Draco had been walking for an hour now, she was heading toward the Dragon hideout, and the only possible entrance was through certain trees, hidden well in the forest. Draco was carrying her scythe casually in her hand now, not expecting any danger so close to the hideout and so deep in the forest.

Not even the most desperate of the bandits went this deep due to the rumors of stray wild beings that preyed on the unsuspecting traveler. A rumor, of course, started by dragons to keep curious beings from stumbling in on their safe hold. True, the occasional dragon would munch on a bandit but as a rule, Dragons tended to feast upon livestock rather then humans. Draco had once overheard an older Dragon complaining how humans made unsatisfactory meals because they whined too much.

Draco's mind had once again wandered, a bad habit that could very well cost her her life. Draco failed to notice another, more sinister figure stalking her from behind.

Passing under an apple tree, Draco leaned her scythe against a tree and reached up to take one for a midday snack when it attacked.

Slick and silent the figure snuck up behind her and before she knew what was happening, a cold blade pressed against her exposed throat.

Draco froze.
"Make one move and this blade will clear that meddlesome head of yours straight off your shoulder with one swipe." A nasty voice hissed in her ear.

Draco's mind instantly recognized the voice. Well known Dragon hunter and personal rival of Draco, T.K was merciless and cruel.

Draco took several deep breaths to calm her nerves and mentally scolded herself for allowing this to happen in the first place. Half demon, T.K was a force to NEVER be taken lightly.

Mind panic stricken and not exactly thinking clearly, Draco threw her weight back onto T.K, hand slipping between the blade and her exposed throat in seconds.
The two fell backwards, the blade cut deeply into Draco's hand as she pushed against it and pulled away, scrambling up as best she could.
T.K reacted quickly. Just as Draco's fingers brushed against her scythe, he grabbed her ,pinning her to the ground with one hand, ready to slice her open with the dagger in the other.

Draco had already begun to transform as was at an awkward stage, her body still human and frail but her wings had appeared. They plummeted at T.K now, knocking him to the side but not before his dagger left a long deep gash at Draco's side.

Draco stumbled to her feet, one hand clutching at the gash the other desperately reaching for her scythe.

Her blood covered fingers closed on the cool wood of the scythe as she brought the blade towards T.K. Her grip was weak however, wounded hand screaming in pain at her from the cut and T.K knocked the scythe harmlessly to the side with his dagger.

Draco stumbled back, her back pressed against the tree and her hand began to scramble hastily along the bark before finally finding a niche and pulling at something inside of it. The tree vanished and the girl fell backwards into a pit. The pit closed behind her before the Dragon hunter had a chance to follow. T.K swore angrily seeing his prize slip from between his very fingers.

In the pit, Draco fell for several seconds before hitting the ground and slipping into the bliss of unconsciousness.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Draco came to in a warm cave. She was laying on her back, silvery wings spread out around her in an arch.

Body aching she flexed her bandaged hand tentatively. It hurt but obviously a healer had looked at it because it was fully useable again.

Draco blinked as she head movement and turned her head slowly to see who it was.
Moon, a dragon as silver as moonlight reflected on water(hence her name), looked over at Draco.
"Oh you're awake dear." The Dragon smiled kindly at her patient. Moon was a healer and Draco concluded that it had been her who had healed her. Draco gave a grateful smile. Moon nodded at the unspoken word of thanks.
"Change to your dragon form, this human body of yours needs a break." Moon instructed and Draco obeyed meekly. Silvery blue scales spread over a shifting body and in a few minutes where the beaten body of a teenage girl had been there was a healthy dragon form. Draco stretched lazily, then remembered something.
"Oh the entrance I came though, T.K saw it you have to close it off!" She exclaimed and Moon nodded soothingly.

"Done"
"Good." Draco relaxed again and Moon shook her head.
"Draco, Draco, Draco, what are we going to do with you?"
Draco looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Moon's chuckled was kind. "You get in more trouble then a newborn Dragonling."
Dragon grinned dragonishly, her lips showing her fangs slightly and eyes twinkling with laughter. "well now, you can't expect me to sit back and do nothing."
Moon sighed, she was fond of Draco and was much like a mother to the younger girl. "Be more careful..." She scolded. "You were hurt pretty bad...you were lucky that you were so close to the entrance."
Draco nodded, embarrassed. " I know, I'm sorry." It wasn't the first close call Draco had had but like a cat she seemed to always come out of trouble alive, even if barley at times.

"Don't be sorry, be grateful Moon was able to heal your ass up." The clear commanding voice of Chris, the unofficial Dragon leader of the little clan that hid out in the hideout spoke up. He slid into the room they were in, looking at Draco with piercing gray eyes.
Draco's eyes didn't meet his. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Stupid little kid, nearly getting killed again. She admired Chris for his strength, he was by far the oldest of the bunch and knew the most of them all.
Concealing her embarrassment by a wave of fake indifference she got up and leaped out of the room playfully. "aw that T.K only scratched me up a little, next time I'll get him!" Moon chuckled at the rather childish way Draco was acting and Chris simply shook his head.

Draco grew serious stopping in mid leap to turn to face the two older dragons. "...oh yeah, Liam told me that another baby dragonet was killed."
Chris nodded "so we'd heard.."
Draco looked at him, Chris always seemed to know everything when it came to Dragons...maybe he knew about the legend as Liam had said he might.

Draco looked at Chris, thinking. "Chris...what do you know of the five Dragon gems."
Chris scoffed. "Load of trash legend..."
Draco blinked, surprised by this reply. "So you've heard of the legend?"

Chris nodded his great dragonhead. "yes I've heard of it, but I don't believe in it"
Moon spoke up softly. "I do..."
Chris looked at her. "Look if it was real, how come no dragon before has collected them?"
Moon shrugged. "...but the gems exist...we know that."
"You do?" Draco asked, looking at Moon now curiously.

Moon nodded and her claw dug in a crevice in the wall, pulling out a sparking sapphire. The Sapphire was beautiful and inside of it was the carving of a dragon about to land. The gem itself smelt, to Draco's sharp nose, like ...well like dragon. The entire gem reeked of Draconic essence.

Something inside Draco stirred. "That's it!" She exclaimed without even thinking.
Moon nodded. "See this is one. Chris you can't deny that what you see doesn't exist" She said pointedly, holding the sapphire out for him to see.

Chris brushed it aside with his tail. " I never said that I didn't believe that they didn't exist." With a swift swipe, Chris produced a glowing crystal. "I even came across this a few years ago...it's another.." Draco took the crystal and examined it. Inside there was a golden dragon, perched proudly, it's wings outstretched above it. It felt just like the other did...wonderfully dragonish. It filled Draco with a warm feeling of something old and familiar, like the voice of a parent or the touch of a loved pet who had long ago passed away. Like something gone but not forgotten.

Draco didn't see the two dragons staring at her until she looked up again.
"what?" She asked. Moon shook her head.
"Nothing just...Draco, these gems are reacting..."
Draco looked confused. "huh?"
A third voice spoke up. "When you touch them they glow...they've never done that before"
Draco looked up to see a dragon with deep forest green scales and intense , if sad, eyes the shade of emeralds.

Moon and Chris nodded in a agreement. Draco looked back at the gem, it was glowing...she hadn't noticed that it wasn't before.
Moon spoke up softly. "Maybe Draco is the one meant to collect them"
Chris scoffed but he continued on less confidant. "I still say it's a bunch of trash.."
Moon was ready to snap back a reply but Draco cut her off. "but if it isn't and it works....and it helps us, wouldn't it be worth it?"

Chris nodded reluctantly. "Yes...but if it doesn't it would be a complete waste of time."
Draco grinned "Wasting time? Sounds good to me...I think I'll try for it!"
Chris shrugged and Moon beamed at her. "Yes!!! Draco if anyone stands a chance....it's gotta be you."
Draco nodded and beamed around at them, even at the stranger who had spoken up earlier. "I'll do it, just you wait and see!"

Chris chuckled now, he had to admire the younger dragons enthusiasm. "Fine, do what you want...but" He met Draco's gaze evenly. His eyes were cautionary and weary. "It'll be dangerous...we don't know where the others are scattered and with these hunters being so persistent now..."
Moon nodded her scaly head in agreement. "You shouldn't go alone..."
Draco was about to protest indignantly that she was no child when the stranger spoke up.
"I'll go with her. It's better then rotting away in here like a bunch of cowards. "

Draco cocked her head and a looked at him. This guy had to be pretty new, she'd never seen him before.
Moon noticed Draco's confused look. "Oh , Draco this is Ultima, Ultima, this is Draco."

Draco smiled slightly in an attempt to be friendly. "hi"

Ultima merely nodded in reply.

Chris looked at the two before stretching lazily in a corner. "Very well...you two go on this mad goose chase."
Draco turned her gaze back at Chris. "thanks for that vote of confidence"
Chris closed his eyes for a nap. "Anytime kid, anytime."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

In a dark realm a shadowed figure sat in a chair, facing a dark mirror. The figure was a man, his face mainly concealed by a hood and his robes resting on him with an air of high authority.

A Dark lord of an uncertain past, Dhara ruled over evil itself.

He now moved a hand over a mirrored pool, the water rippled, first forming unrecognizable shapes, which soon turned into the forms of Draco, and Ultima.
Dhara mused over the picture before him, muttering to himself. "Lady fate sure has odd ways...but I must not let this interfere with anything...No...I can't have any in-convinces." T.K stepped in from the shadows followed by another figure, clocked as concisely as the dark lord was.

T.K kept his distance from his master. The Dark Lord's eyes fell upon the Dragon hunter, causing him to shift uneasily.

"I see you failed to capture the girl" Dhara commented dryly.
T.K cringed. "I don't understand why you want her alive, just give the order and I could have her head on a platter for you..."
"are you questioning me?" Dhara asked in a low voice.

T.K hastily shook his head. "not at all master, I was just saying..." He stuttered, fear spreading into his eyes. This new master of his was one not to be messed with.
"Incompetent fool" Dhara muttered.

A Dark figure, standing to the side, that had remained silent until now asked. "Should I go master?"
The Dark Lord considered this. "...hm I suppose so, but go back to your castle, I'll have her come to you..." Dhara's smirk, though hidden, was ruthlessly sinister.

"Lady fate isn't the only one who can twist the minds and souls of mortals."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Note: Ahhhhh first part done, and a relief at that! This story's been rewritten so many times. I know it's not fancy or perfect but meh I'll be satisfied in getting the story done not about the quality of my writing tho it can't be that bad can it? Well Next part coming up soon. Read and Review peeps please so i know someone's actually reading my scribbles.
Till the next chapter.

~Skor