Post by Cirna on Aug 25, 2008 14:45:21 GMT 12
PROLOGUE
He blinked his eyes softly. He had to stay with the egg. He must protect the egg. His mother... Dark, painful images burst through feeble mental barriers. His mother. Blood. A triumphant wingwolf. Blood. Terror. Screams. Blood. Blood.
And more blood.
Slowly, the rush halted, receding behind flimsy walls. That didn't matter. All that mattered was to protect the egg. But he was tired. It would be nice to just lie down and sleep. "NO!" the cry burst out of him. The wingwolf could return.
But he was tired. So tired he didn't notice the wingwolf sneaking up behind him, until it sank its fangs into his tender, scale-less blue flesh.
He cried out once, but his heart failed him and he lay dead across the opening of the hollow where the egg lay, and that was what saved it.
For the wingwolf had already eaten the mother dragon, and decided to return for his body later. The wingwolf lazily beat its huge wings and left, and finally the hiera soaring above, silent, deadly, took the midnight-blue egg.
She knew she must save the egg, for it was the last of its kind. It might be kinder to leave it, but she couldn't. She couldn't
The sun rose, and the fragile shell shattered. And small dragon crawled out. It had midnight-blue skin, with silver flecks all over its body. Crumpled wings spread, beating frantically, but the dragon didn't budge an inch. The hiera smiled. "Welcome, Cirna."
ONE
The sun rose, and with it a symphony. Cirna could see all the murana perched in the trees, head thrown back, breast swelling between notes. Three young hiera were flying above them, every once in a while the dropping down and snatching a mouthful. Cirna’s own stubby wings fluttered slightly, but she didn’t bother to try and join the kittens. She sighed. After all, she could not fly.
Nithron, the hiera that discovered her egg, noticed the sad sigh. Her sleek panther shape settled down beside Cirna. “Honey, you know hiera mature faster than dragons. Just wait six or seven months and you’ll be soaring through the skies.” Cirna rolled her ice-blue eyes. “I know, but six or seven months is ages. Simera, Norith, and Cygill could fly when they were only four months old, and they’re younger than me!”
Nithron sighed. “I know it’s frustrating, not being able to fly. I couldn’t fly until I was nearly a year old! All my friends teased me about it, but I was patient, and eventually I could fly just like them.”
Cirna stamped her paw. “That’s just my point!” she practically shouted, “I’m not like them, not at all! I’m a dragon, they’re hiera! I can make fire, they can make hurricanes! I’m not anything like them!”
Nithron waited patiently through this outburst. At last she said, gently, “You just need to be patient, Cirna. Why don’t you go swimming, instead? It’s almost like flying in the water, and I’ll bet you my left wing that the hiera can’t. You can go to the Shore, if you like” Cirna’s eyes lit up. “Okay then. See you later.”
Stepping out of the deep cavern, Cirna stared out across the blue sea to Dragon Cove. Once the skies had been full of soaring dragons, but the fierce wingwolves had killed off all but her brother and her egg. But he, too, had been ruthlessly murdered by a black-hearted wingwolf, and she herself had been rescued by Nithron.
All of Cirna’s friends had been there on egg patrols, but Cirna couldn’t fly across the Azure Sea. Cirna walked to the edge of the campgrounds, and prepared to leap across the river.
“Wait up, Cirna!” called a young voice. Simera and Cygill sprinted to meet her. “Do you want to come play with us and Stekit?” Cirna shook her head, the silver flecks on her midnight-blue scales flashing in the bright sunlight of summer. “I’m going down to the beach for a swim.” The two fledgelings shrugged. “’Kay then, see you later!” Cygill blinked, then he and Simera turned and bounded playfully towards the kitten-cave.
Cirna spread her small wings, and leapt and caught a nice thermal. She glided across the bubbling river, then headed down a path to the sea. The soft earth beneath her paws had been walked so many times it was as smooth as a calm pool, but her claws dugs up small piles of dust, which floated away in the growing breeze.
Cirna passed between the two great oaks, and broke out of the forest. The vast expanse of the blue ocean was spread out in front of her. She took a step back, then sprinted as fast as she could towards the edge of the Shore cliff. Her wings spread, and for a moment she hovered, but she tucked them against her body and dived perfectly into the deep blue ocean.
Cirna pushed at the water with her wings, and was rewarded with a burst of speed far greater than any she had ever gotten in the rivers. She had never been allowed to swim in the ocean before, for fear of deadly currents, and she was delighted with her newfound ability. It was like flying!
To her immense surprise, her stubby wings propelled her far faster than the fastest hiera could fly. Cirna beat her wings gently, and rose to the surface. The air made her salty eyes sting, and she blinked to clear them.
Cirna started when she realised how far she had come. On the horizon lay the distant Dragon Cove, and behind her was the rather closer Hiera Island. Dragon Cove! Cirna began to head towards the distant island, but hesitated. It was getting dark, and she wouldn’t like to swim home in the pitch-black, cold water.
She swam in the deep sea for another few minutes, before diving to the bottom and shooting out into the sky. She spread her wings and glided down to the edge of the beach. Once dry, she set off for home.
TWO
After a brief walk, Cirna arrived back at the hiera’s camp. Nithron spotted her dark blue hide easily amongst the hiera’s sleek pelts, and called out to her. “Cirna!” she mewed loudly.
Cirna padded over to her foster mother. Nithron passed her a fat ilkador fish, before tucking into her own. Cirna gently flamed her fish before eating it; unlike the hiera, she had no appetite for cold meat.
At last everyone was curled up calmly around the Meeting Rock with full bellies. Sintar, the hiera’s leader, leapt up onto the flat marble top, before proclaiming; “All who are old enough to eat meat come to the Meeting Rock to discuss tomorrow’s trip to Dragon Cove.” Cirna’s heart sank, but she tried not to look so.
Once everyone had assembled, Sintar called in a somewhat softer tone. “As many of you know, tomorrow I will be taking the fledglings to Dragon Cove for the egg patrol.”
He paused for an instant, and then continued. “And anyone else is quite welcome to come.
“Also, Edric, our eldest kitten, has taken his first flight and will now be a fledgling, be he will not be able to come to Dragon Cove.” Sintar concluded, and the amassed hiera began to disperse.
That night, Cirna stayed awake long after the others were sound asleep. If only she could go, too! Then she would prove that she was just as good as the others!
All at once, it hit her. Cirna knew how she would get there, but she wouldn’t fly.
She would swim!
Cirna awoke well before dawn, stomach aching. As quietly as she could, she stood, scattering soft ferns and moss. “Cirna?” murmured a bleary voice. She froze. “I’m just going to the mudholes,” she whispered.
Simera nodded. “’Kay. Just be quieter.” Cirna silently let out a pent-up breath, before creeping quietly out of the cave.
Once was a fair distance away from the camp, she was a bit faster, caring less about the noise the further away she got. She only stopped once, briefly, at the mudholes to relieve the ache, and, after another few minutes, arrived at the Shore.
Now all she had to do was wait, and Cirna wished she had thought to hunt on her way. “To bad,” she whispered to herself.
Then, remembering Nithron’s advice, Cirna tried to be patient.
He blinked his eyes softly. He had to stay with the egg. He must protect the egg. His mother... Dark, painful images burst through feeble mental barriers. His mother. Blood. A triumphant wingwolf. Blood. Terror. Screams. Blood. Blood.
And more blood.
Slowly, the rush halted, receding behind flimsy walls. That didn't matter. All that mattered was to protect the egg. But he was tired. It would be nice to just lie down and sleep. "NO!" the cry burst out of him. The wingwolf could return.
But he was tired. So tired he didn't notice the wingwolf sneaking up behind him, until it sank its fangs into his tender, scale-less blue flesh.
He cried out once, but his heart failed him and he lay dead across the opening of the hollow where the egg lay, and that was what saved it.
For the wingwolf had already eaten the mother dragon, and decided to return for his body later. The wingwolf lazily beat its huge wings and left, and finally the hiera soaring above, silent, deadly, took the midnight-blue egg.
She knew she must save the egg, for it was the last of its kind. It might be kinder to leave it, but she couldn't. She couldn't
The sun rose, and the fragile shell shattered. And small dragon crawled out. It had midnight-blue skin, with silver flecks all over its body. Crumpled wings spread, beating frantically, but the dragon didn't budge an inch. The hiera smiled. "Welcome, Cirna."
ONE
The sun rose, and with it a symphony. Cirna could see all the murana perched in the trees, head thrown back, breast swelling between notes. Three young hiera were flying above them, every once in a while the dropping down and snatching a mouthful. Cirna’s own stubby wings fluttered slightly, but she didn’t bother to try and join the kittens. She sighed. After all, she could not fly.
Nithron, the hiera that discovered her egg, noticed the sad sigh. Her sleek panther shape settled down beside Cirna. “Honey, you know hiera mature faster than dragons. Just wait six or seven months and you’ll be soaring through the skies.” Cirna rolled her ice-blue eyes. “I know, but six or seven months is ages. Simera, Norith, and Cygill could fly when they were only four months old, and they’re younger than me!”
Nithron sighed. “I know it’s frustrating, not being able to fly. I couldn’t fly until I was nearly a year old! All my friends teased me about it, but I was patient, and eventually I could fly just like them.”
Cirna stamped her paw. “That’s just my point!” she practically shouted, “I’m not like them, not at all! I’m a dragon, they’re hiera! I can make fire, they can make hurricanes! I’m not anything like them!”
Nithron waited patiently through this outburst. At last she said, gently, “You just need to be patient, Cirna. Why don’t you go swimming, instead? It’s almost like flying in the water, and I’ll bet you my left wing that the hiera can’t. You can go to the Shore, if you like” Cirna’s eyes lit up. “Okay then. See you later.”
Stepping out of the deep cavern, Cirna stared out across the blue sea to Dragon Cove. Once the skies had been full of soaring dragons, but the fierce wingwolves had killed off all but her brother and her egg. But he, too, had been ruthlessly murdered by a black-hearted wingwolf, and she herself had been rescued by Nithron.
All of Cirna’s friends had been there on egg patrols, but Cirna couldn’t fly across the Azure Sea. Cirna walked to the edge of the campgrounds, and prepared to leap across the river.
“Wait up, Cirna!” called a young voice. Simera and Cygill sprinted to meet her. “Do you want to come play with us and Stekit?” Cirna shook her head, the silver flecks on her midnight-blue scales flashing in the bright sunlight of summer. “I’m going down to the beach for a swim.” The two fledgelings shrugged. “’Kay then, see you later!” Cygill blinked, then he and Simera turned and bounded playfully towards the kitten-cave.
Cirna spread her small wings, and leapt and caught a nice thermal. She glided across the bubbling river, then headed down a path to the sea. The soft earth beneath her paws had been walked so many times it was as smooth as a calm pool, but her claws dugs up small piles of dust, which floated away in the growing breeze.
Cirna passed between the two great oaks, and broke out of the forest. The vast expanse of the blue ocean was spread out in front of her. She took a step back, then sprinted as fast as she could towards the edge of the Shore cliff. Her wings spread, and for a moment she hovered, but she tucked them against her body and dived perfectly into the deep blue ocean.
Cirna pushed at the water with her wings, and was rewarded with a burst of speed far greater than any she had ever gotten in the rivers. She had never been allowed to swim in the ocean before, for fear of deadly currents, and she was delighted with her newfound ability. It was like flying!
To her immense surprise, her stubby wings propelled her far faster than the fastest hiera could fly. Cirna beat her wings gently, and rose to the surface. The air made her salty eyes sting, and she blinked to clear them.
Cirna started when she realised how far she had come. On the horizon lay the distant Dragon Cove, and behind her was the rather closer Hiera Island. Dragon Cove! Cirna began to head towards the distant island, but hesitated. It was getting dark, and she wouldn’t like to swim home in the pitch-black, cold water.
She swam in the deep sea for another few minutes, before diving to the bottom and shooting out into the sky. She spread her wings and glided down to the edge of the beach. Once dry, she set off for home.
TWO
After a brief walk, Cirna arrived back at the hiera’s camp. Nithron spotted her dark blue hide easily amongst the hiera’s sleek pelts, and called out to her. “Cirna!” she mewed loudly.
Cirna padded over to her foster mother. Nithron passed her a fat ilkador fish, before tucking into her own. Cirna gently flamed her fish before eating it; unlike the hiera, she had no appetite for cold meat.
At last everyone was curled up calmly around the Meeting Rock with full bellies. Sintar, the hiera’s leader, leapt up onto the flat marble top, before proclaiming; “All who are old enough to eat meat come to the Meeting Rock to discuss tomorrow’s trip to Dragon Cove.” Cirna’s heart sank, but she tried not to look so.
Once everyone had assembled, Sintar called in a somewhat softer tone. “As many of you know, tomorrow I will be taking the fledglings to Dragon Cove for the egg patrol.”
He paused for an instant, and then continued. “And anyone else is quite welcome to come.
“Also, Edric, our eldest kitten, has taken his first flight and will now be a fledgling, be he will not be able to come to Dragon Cove.” Sintar concluded, and the amassed hiera began to disperse.
That night, Cirna stayed awake long after the others were sound asleep. If only she could go, too! Then she would prove that she was just as good as the others!
All at once, it hit her. Cirna knew how she would get there, but she wouldn’t fly.
She would swim!
Cirna awoke well before dawn, stomach aching. As quietly as she could, she stood, scattering soft ferns and moss. “Cirna?” murmured a bleary voice. She froze. “I’m just going to the mudholes,” she whispered.
Simera nodded. “’Kay. Just be quieter.” Cirna silently let out a pent-up breath, before creeping quietly out of the cave.
Once was a fair distance away from the camp, she was a bit faster, caring less about the noise the further away she got. She only stopped once, briefly, at the mudholes to relieve the ache, and, after another few minutes, arrived at the Shore.
Now all she had to do was wait, and Cirna wished she had thought to hunt on her way. “To bad,” she whispered to herself.
Then, remembering Nithron’s advice, Cirna tried to be patient.
