Post by dbkillerex on Mar 1, 2016 5:50:34 GMT -5
Chapter 1/3
Long ago in a distant land lived a creature unlike any other. He awoke each day just before sunrise and slithered from his cave onto a ridge of jagged cliffs. There he watched as the world washed over with color like amber and the silence of night gave way to the ambient sounds of life awakening on the valley bellow. Once this was done he would soar into the air with a single clap of his wings and roam the earth until evening once again descended.
Loque'nahak, as the humans favored to call him, went through this mundane daily routine for almost eighteen years. Until one day he grew bored. Dragons were a frivolous lot and were known to hoard treasures in the form of gold and gems only to fight the knights who saught to steal it from them. Loque favored himself an exception, however, he could not shake the urge to indulge himself in something special. And so he made a promise to himself that he would seek out a treasure fit for an existance as magnifiscent as himself, and once he has it he would denounce all other materialistic desires.
On the morning of this decision he left his lair with the force of a hurricane and flew accross the land under the mountain in search. As he rode the winds above a small village he noticed the farmers caring for their fields and drinking wine with their families to celebrate a good crop. This place was on his daily route, so for the past decade the humans have learned not to fear his approach. Some would point and gawk at him but it served only to bolster his pride.
In the middle of all of the villages stood a tall castle, and in it, a king governing them all. On these hours of noon the king would let his daughter Ariel out to the garden for tea with her handmaidens. The princess was beautiful to say the least, be it her hair as red as rubies or her eyes as green as emeralds. The dragon watched the princess grow each day for many years so he took notice that her kind eyes have gotten weary. This is it. She is the finest gem in all the kingdom Thought Loque to himself and brandished his claws.
He swooped in over the gates like a volture and captured the princess, ignoring her screams as he took to the skies once more. The castle's guards snapped into action and fired their crossbows at him, but the bolts bounced right off his tough scales. Loque took the princess back into his cave, where he lay her gently in his nest and gazed down at her for the first time. She was still unconscious, so he let her be and curled around himself to sleep. When he awoke he noticed her move to the corner farthest from him and hug her knees as if being timid would save her.
Loque approached Ariel with a long stride while she sat there unphazed and sized him up.
"Are you alright?" He managed to ask
Her eyes widened in wonder and she tilted her head "You can talk?"
"W-well obviously! Anything a human can do I can do better!" He boasted, delighted that she was finally showing signs of recovery.
"Is that so...?" She retorted
"Yes. Without a doubt" He puffed his chest and raised his snout.
"Even things like... Kidnapping?"
Loque took it like a physical blow and staggered back a few feet "Well, you could say that."
It was then that a shout could be heard from outisde the entrance.
"Terror of the mountain, I demand to speak with you!" A stout man wearing plate armor stood by the far wall.
That's rare, 20 years of silence and now everyone wants a piece of me. I should kidnap people more often Loque thought.
"Come forward"
The knight marched in with a large bag and a sword in the sheathe to his waist.
If Loque had an eyebrow he would raise it. "What's that for?"
"Incase negotiations failed" Said the man, he too, seemed brave for a human.
"What is it you wish to trade?"
"The king wishes for his daughter's safe return. In exchange you may have anything else of your choice"
"I have nothing else I want" Said loque deifnitevely.
The knight took no time to empty the contents of his bag at the dragon's feet: 8 pieces of gold, 3 opals, 2 emeralds and 2 bottles of wine now stood as offerings on the cavern floor. "We have much more, if only you would only give us back our princess".
"Are the ears of mortals as short as their lifespan?!" Loque growled, baring his teeth at the unwelcome visitor.
Instead of cowering, the man kneeled and prostrated himself. "She is the hope of our people. Consider it!" He pestered.
Taken aback loque stood slack-jawed, then turned his back on the knight "Come back on the next full moon and you shall have your answer" He said firmly.
Without another word the king's servant climbed back down towards the villages. Loque stared across the rocky shelves to the princess who seemed utterly disinterested in their dialogue. After that they hadn't spoken for a while. The following morning loque found that the princess had been thirsty, and lacking a better alternative, began drinking some of the wine. He sat beside her for a while, trying to understand what he found so captivating about her. His daydreams were rudely interrupted by her shoving the second bottle to his face- Drink it, she seemed to be saying without a word. An hour of drinking later they began talking again, she told him of the dire state her father was leading the kingdom to, and how she was struggling to be something more than a symbol. She would promise the people a better future when she rules, but as it stood she held no actual power nor idea on how to change things for the better. Loque, on his part, told her of his fateful decision. She seemed relieved.
The days went on and Loque grew fonder of the princess. He would bring back wild beasts from the valley and roast them with his fire so that she may eat with him three times a day. At first she would ask for nothing, but with time she grew bolder and he had to take her to the river for water and to neighboring towns for spices and firewood. She insisted on curing the meat left over and selling it for coin. She, being proven to have a talent in crafts, even purchased some skins and tanned leather to make him a saddle.
At first his pride would not let him don it, but he grew tired of carrying her in his claw. The first day he let her mount him her eyes gleemed like they hadn't in years. She witnessed the reaches of endless blue stretching over the horizon for the first time in her life. The wind pushed against her body without mercy whilst they glided, so she leaned in, taking it in with short breaths. Colors filled her vision like Rosewood and sage under an azure sky. The sounds of birds and insects letting out their mating calls filled the atmosphere. She was free.
Before long night descended, covering the world in it's raven black wings. "Is it time to go home?" she asked, dissapointed. "Home?..." Loque repeated in a low voice, peeking over his shoulder. "The mountain, I mean."
Long ago in a distant land lived a creature unlike any other. He awoke each day just before sunrise and slithered from his cave onto a ridge of jagged cliffs. There he watched as the world washed over with color like amber and the silence of night gave way to the ambient sounds of life awakening on the valley bellow. Once this was done he would soar into the air with a single clap of his wings and roam the earth until evening once again descended.
Loque'nahak, as the humans favored to call him, went through this mundane daily routine for almost eighteen years. Until one day he grew bored. Dragons were a frivolous lot and were known to hoard treasures in the form of gold and gems only to fight the knights who saught to steal it from them. Loque favored himself an exception, however, he could not shake the urge to indulge himself in something special. And so he made a promise to himself that he would seek out a treasure fit for an existance as magnifiscent as himself, and once he has it he would denounce all other materialistic desires.
On the morning of this decision he left his lair with the force of a hurricane and flew accross the land under the mountain in search. As he rode the winds above a small village he noticed the farmers caring for their fields and drinking wine with their families to celebrate a good crop. This place was on his daily route, so for the past decade the humans have learned not to fear his approach. Some would point and gawk at him but it served only to bolster his pride.
In the middle of all of the villages stood a tall castle, and in it, a king governing them all. On these hours of noon the king would let his daughter Ariel out to the garden for tea with her handmaidens. The princess was beautiful to say the least, be it her hair as red as rubies or her eyes as green as emeralds. The dragon watched the princess grow each day for many years so he took notice that her kind eyes have gotten weary. This is it. She is the finest gem in all the kingdom Thought Loque to himself and brandished his claws.
He swooped in over the gates like a volture and captured the princess, ignoring her screams as he took to the skies once more. The castle's guards snapped into action and fired their crossbows at him, but the bolts bounced right off his tough scales. Loque took the princess back into his cave, where he lay her gently in his nest and gazed down at her for the first time. She was still unconscious, so he let her be and curled around himself to sleep. When he awoke he noticed her move to the corner farthest from him and hug her knees as if being timid would save her.
Loque approached Ariel with a long stride while she sat there unphazed and sized him up.
"Are you alright?" He managed to ask
Her eyes widened in wonder and she tilted her head "You can talk?"
"W-well obviously! Anything a human can do I can do better!" He boasted, delighted that she was finally showing signs of recovery.
"Is that so...?" She retorted
"Yes. Without a doubt" He puffed his chest and raised his snout.
"Even things like... Kidnapping?"
Loque took it like a physical blow and staggered back a few feet "Well, you could say that."
It was then that a shout could be heard from outisde the entrance.
"Terror of the mountain, I demand to speak with you!" A stout man wearing plate armor stood by the far wall.
That's rare, 20 years of silence and now everyone wants a piece of me. I should kidnap people more often Loque thought.
"Come forward"
The knight marched in with a large bag and a sword in the sheathe to his waist.
If Loque had an eyebrow he would raise it. "What's that for?"
"Incase negotiations failed" Said the man, he too, seemed brave for a human.
"What is it you wish to trade?"
"The king wishes for his daughter's safe return. In exchange you may have anything else of your choice"
"I have nothing else I want" Said loque deifnitevely.
The knight took no time to empty the contents of his bag at the dragon's feet: 8 pieces of gold, 3 opals, 2 emeralds and 2 bottles of wine now stood as offerings on the cavern floor. "We have much more, if only you would only give us back our princess".
"Are the ears of mortals as short as their lifespan?!" Loque growled, baring his teeth at the unwelcome visitor.
Instead of cowering, the man kneeled and prostrated himself. "She is the hope of our people. Consider it!" He pestered.
Taken aback loque stood slack-jawed, then turned his back on the knight "Come back on the next full moon and you shall have your answer" He said firmly.
Without another word the king's servant climbed back down towards the villages. Loque stared across the rocky shelves to the princess who seemed utterly disinterested in their dialogue. After that they hadn't spoken for a while. The following morning loque found that the princess had been thirsty, and lacking a better alternative, began drinking some of the wine. He sat beside her for a while, trying to understand what he found so captivating about her. His daydreams were rudely interrupted by her shoving the second bottle to his face- Drink it, she seemed to be saying without a word. An hour of drinking later they began talking again, she told him of the dire state her father was leading the kingdom to, and how she was struggling to be something more than a symbol. She would promise the people a better future when she rules, but as it stood she held no actual power nor idea on how to change things for the better. Loque, on his part, told her of his fateful decision. She seemed relieved.
The days went on and Loque grew fonder of the princess. He would bring back wild beasts from the valley and roast them with his fire so that she may eat with him three times a day. At first she would ask for nothing, but with time she grew bolder and he had to take her to the river for water and to neighboring towns for spices and firewood. She insisted on curing the meat left over and selling it for coin. She, being proven to have a talent in crafts, even purchased some skins and tanned leather to make him a saddle.
At first his pride would not let him don it, but he grew tired of carrying her in his claw. The first day he let her mount him her eyes gleemed like they hadn't in years. She witnessed the reaches of endless blue stretching over the horizon for the first time in her life. The wind pushed against her body without mercy whilst they glided, so she leaned in, taking it in with short breaths. Colors filled her vision like Rosewood and sage under an azure sky. The sounds of birds and insects letting out their mating calls filled the atmosphere. She was free.
Before long night descended, covering the world in it's raven black wings. "Is it time to go home?" she asked, dissapointed. "Home?..." Loque repeated in a low voice, peeking over his shoulder. "The mountain, I mean."
