Overview
The dragon rose from the battlements of the Castle Vermillion, her giant wings blotting the moon's image for a moment as she soared high in the sky. Kaitlin knew the dragon was a female, not only because of her tell-tale brownish green hue, but because the last male dragon, “Crimson” had been slain nearly 200 years ago. It has been a long time since I have seen such grace in the heavens, the half-fae thought. They hide now…even from me.
The majestic creature made slow, lazy circles in the sky, a sleek silhouette against a thousand stars in the crisp winter’s night. Kaitlin knew her dragon, Brianna was hunting for herself and her sisters. She would be able to spot game anywhere within 10 leagues from the mountaintop castle they both called home. The pretty brunette sighed softly, she so wished Brianna would call to her…. but that had not happened for eight years, when Kaitlin was 16.
As she turned back to her path Kaitlin noticed the dragon’s hunting pattern changed. No more were there random circlings, but the adolescent female made a bee-line toward the valley below that eventually led to Castle Vermillion.
“Good,” Kaitlin said, more to herself than anyone. “She has found something to eat.” I just hope that it is not a flock of goats some herder is tending. She worried. They would likely call every man within a hundred miles to hunt her down and kill her.
Men hated dragons. Even after 500-years men still hated dragons. To them it was a festering wound that would never heal until the last of the reptiles had been slain. Dragons had killed thousands, no hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children during the Purging War. No matter that they were tricked by the magic of the Trolls to do so.
All men hate Dragons, she thought. Women hate them too. No, not all women, not the faes, she contemplated with a smile. And certainly not the Dragon Keepers. We alone know that dragons will one day be the salvation of our world.
“If the Dragon Keepers can keep them safe, that is,” she said in a whisper.
As her words vanished into the mountain’s wintery gusts, a flash of light illuminated the indigo sky. Kaitlin saw a massive ball of yellowish-red flame stream through the night. Its glow completely illuminated Brianna and all that was in front of her. The flames leaped from the dragon’s mouth twice more in quick succession. Then it came. A shrill screech so intense it could have woken the dead.
The Call! Brianna had finally called her once again.
Kaitlin wasted no time. She did what her mother had done before her, and her mother before that. She did what Dragon Keepers had done for centuries. She began to climb far above the castle to the top of the mountain. She was going to a clearing devoid of vegetation and rubble. For generations it had been simply called “The Talking Rock” and it was where Brianna was calling her to come to.
Clouds had covered the moon, and what had been a cold night now had become a frigid one. The girl pulled her scarlet cloak and hood about her, the thick fleece feeling warm against her skin. Her trek would lead her up through overgrown animal paths so she was glad of the thick cloak around her. Usually it would take her an hour to get to the talking rock, but with the blowing brambles and the onslaught of snowflakes the size of her fist, she knew it would take far longer.
At least it will give me time to think, she pondered.
Why now? Why after eight long years? She shuddered, not from the bitter cold but from the realization of what the reason would probablymight be. It is close to the time to spawn. Brianna is the same age as me … to the day. When she is 25 she will leave to find a mate and not return until she has her egg. There are no more males so she will probably die.
Alas, the rest of this tale is...
Secret
But it has been heard that a
Scribe may soon finish the tale... the truth of the matter is - if you were not simply a Commoner and were registered
profession on Mernac or any battle Class you would be able to read the Scribe's work in progress right now.
It is here... just a little invisible to those who are not yet a
patron to one of Mernac's guilds (
join).
In some cases, the entire tale may not yet be written. In those cases,
The Tale may be looking for a new Adventurer who Journals or
Scribe to tell the tale. Could this be
you?
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