Drachen Gebiet - Beginn des Krieges

   In another time, in another land there were mighty beasts of wolf, and cat, and bear alike, but the ruler of this land was the mighty dragon. A few colors they came in, each regarding a different one, and different abilities these dragons had. The onyx dragons, large muscular beasts having large black spiked scales, were said to have came from deep within the earth, and having no wings for they were not needed under the soil. The crimson dragons, a red fire breathing beast, said to have come the fires of the earth. And the cobalt dragons, small in comparison to the red dragons but with huge wings and soft skin like scales, said to be born from the sky. This was their land, that is, until man came to claim it. The dragons also had a magic to make their physical forms into that of man, and was how first contact was made. There were few interactions between dragon and man, many political in nature as the dragons set the boundaries that were not to be crossed, but contact was sparse. As long as the doings of men did not interfere with the dragon society, as it much did, there was a plentiful peace among the land. But more recently a darkness has loomed, and fears have arisen that this peace will not last...

 

 

Chapter one - Mysterious as she may be

 

 

   In a forest of the Altair Mountains, outside a small town, two peculiar folk were saying their good byes. One was a young male, 18 to 20 or so, with ragged black hair and stunning blue eyes, and the other was a youthful female, several years older than he, with long ragged burnet hair and feral green eyes. She had a pack of supplies with her while the boy had just the clothes on his back.

   "You sure I can't change your mind Vyre?" asked the boy.

   "Yes, this is the path I wish to follow, Nerin," Vyre replied.

   "Alright, let's meet here every week to check up, okay?" Nerin asked.

   Vyre giggled, "You worry too much Nerin," and walked up to Nerin and gave him a light peck on the cheek, "I'll be here."

They waved to each other and then she headed toward town. The town itself was small, a mining town, only containing a couple shops for trade. As she entered she looked around, she had seen the town before but not from the view she now saw it from. She then saw a house she recognized and walked up to it. The white stone walls heavily contrasted the dark wood that the door and framing was made of. She brought her hand up fisted and rapped on the door a time or two. A few moments later a man answers, looking of similar age as her. His short black hair was styled and his clothes of higher quality.

   "Excuse me sir, I was just wondering if you could help me?" Vyre asked.

   "Well," the man said with a smile, "that would entirely depend on the help needed. Come, come in for a bit, it looks you have been traveling and am sure you wouldn't mind a seat and some tea."

   "Thank you kind sir," Vyre replied.

    Vyre entered the house which didnt quite match the high class clothes that the man wore, in fact there were no noticeable items that suggested wealth in any sense. He showed her to a seat in the commons area of the house as he left for the kitchen to pour some tea. The common room only had a couple chairs that were made of the same wood as the house framing and a rug on the floor made of a creature native to the area. A wide fire place lined most of the opposing wall and was made of the pale stones, like the house, found in the nearby hills. To her right, near the entrance to the room, was a bookcase that spanned the wall and filled to capacity, and to her left two doorways, one on the left wall and the other on the back wall, with one leading to the sleeping quarters, apparent by the bed that could be seen, and the other supposedly to the kitchen and where the man left too.

    The man reentered the room with two poorly fashioned cups, "I am Lordiron, Lordiron Runecraft," he said handing one of the cups to Vyre and sitting in one of the other seats.

    "Vyre, Vyre..." she replied, "Vyre Longstride."

    "Hmm, Longstride you say?" Lordiron pondered, "Not a family that I have been acquainted with in these parts."

    "Oh, uh, yes," Vyre said nervously, "I'm from a small encampment in the Altair Mountains about five lengths west of here."

    "Five lengths? But that's Cobalt territory."

    "Yes, the camp has an agreement, separate from kingdoms courts, with them."

    "Well, not that often do we get strangers with such a background," Lordiron said, "What was it that you needed help with?"

    "I was, uh..." Vyre struggled, "in search of a teacher, a smithing teacher, blacksmithing that is."

    "What an odd girl," he thought, and then said, "Well, there's not much need for blacksmithing out here, not so far from any of the kingdom's enemies, but we do just happen to have a skilled blacksmith that has put his skills towards more peaceful measures. I'm sure he can teach you anything you might need to learn."

    "I thank you, what might his name be?"

    "John Black," Lordiron replied, "But I think I should introduce you. He is a fine smith but a little stiff on the communication side."

    "I would be most grateful."

    Lordiron brought their cups back to the kitchen and they left his house. His house was the second south eastward from the west entrance of town, the town itself  was triangular in shape with the sides buldging out. The townhall was in the middle of the southern side, while most of the food and supply markets were on the eastern side where new supplies enter town. Lordiron was a runecrafter, a profession that didn't necessarily need constant supplies, and so his house was on the western side of town. East of townhall were the food markets, lining up as bakery, meat, and produce from west to east. The northeast side contained the tailor, cobbler, and the smithery from southeast to northwest. Those that lived on the northwestern side of town did local work such as hunting, fishing, wood work, and leather work. As well the local tavern was the center structure of the northwestern side. The town stables were just outside of town on the eastern road. In the center of town there was a tree surrounded by grass and framed in by circular stonework, and on the southern side of that was a well. The well was unique in the fact that it drew water from the ground at the bottom because of a rune the Lordiron inscribed himself. But that was the main limit to his work in the town.

    They walked over to the smithery were John was waiting, looking to the north. The smithery was a small barn like structure with no front and had a house that was attached on the southeastern side. John was a tall, bald, mighty looking man and had a grimace plastered across his face. He was the type of man that did rigorous work and had little time to relax. Wearing not but a white linen sleeveless shirt and brown linen pants he seemed a little under dressed for the mountain climate, but then Vyre noticed the immense heat that came from the smithery as they approached Mr. Black.

    "Good morning John," Lordiron said.

    The hefty man turned around, looking away from the northern road, "Ah, Lordiron, I would have expected you gone by this time," John said in a deep voice, his ragged mustache nearly covering his mouth.

    "I was held up by a newcomer to our town," Lordiron said motioning a hand toward Vyre, "This is Vyre Longstride, she was hoping to find a smithing teacher."

    John looked at the young woman, examining her body for strength and posture, "This little one wishes to learn such a rough craft? She would be better with the tailor women down the row," he replied harshly.

    "I am not a maid that has given herself to the house of her man," Vyre retorted.

    A slight smile could be seen under John's mustache, "You have spirit, I'll give you that," John chuckled, "But if you wish to be an apprentice of mine, you will follow any teaching I provide. Understood?"

    Vyre nodded.

    "Well, I must be off," Lordiron said, "Take care, both of you."

    John nodded and Vyre waved as Lordiron left in at a bit of jogging pace.

    "First of all," John said, turning back towards the northern road, "We must wait till the new ore gets here."

    Vyre walked up beside John. She felt dwarfed by the foot and a half that he had in height above hers.

    Up the road to the north a large wagon came into view which seemed to please John. The wagon was lead by a large armadillo looking creature that had pointed armor pieces similar to the Onyx dragons. Behind the creature, the wagon was six to seven men abreast wide and made of thick wood planks and the wheels themselves were a man tall with several interior pieces for structural stability. One man sat at the front of the wagon with the reins guiding the creature, while six more sat in the back on the edge of the wagon, three to either side.

    The wagon pulled up in front of the smithery the men talking to each other and taking quick glances at Vyre.

    "Good morning John," said the driver.

    "Morning William," John replied with his mighty voice.

    "I'll ask more about your company once I get my men to work," Willam said with a glance and a wink towards Vyre.

    "Actually, my company will carry the ore in alone."

    William and the other workers looked at John with a funny look. Vyre especially was surprised.

    "We have a schedule to keep John, we don't have time for a single person to be taking half loads into your shop," William remarked.

    "That scraggly band of miners you have will do just fine without you for a day," John replied, "My company needs to learn that being my apprentice is not going to be easy."

    "Ah, I see," William said, then turn to his men, "Well, you heard him. Off to the pub!"

    The men cheer and jumped down from the wagon to head to the pub. John walked up to the wagon and dropped the back, chains clanging and catching it at a horizontal level. John jumped in as Vyre walked up to the wagon. John came around and set a sturdy wooden pack on the edge of the back.

    "Come 'round here and put this on your back," John said.

    Vyre put her pack she had on down on the left side of the entry way to the smithery, then came around and put the wooden pack on her back. John started loading the ore into the pack, but the raising weight didn't seem to affect Vyre much.

    John stopped at a little over half way full, "Is that enough or can you carry more."

    "More," Vyre replied.

    John resumed filling the pack with ore till it was full, and jump down, motioning Vyre to follow. Vyre followed him into the workshop of the smithery, the pack carried weight but none that Vyre couldn't carry. On the left side was the ore deposit near the door, the forge half way back and a large sheet anvil beyond that. To the right were racks and shelves for near completed items, as well as a door to the house. Near the back wall were three stand alone anvils of varying designs.

    "Drop the ore here," John said, pointing to the near empty ore deposit.

    Vyre rested the pack on the wall of the deposit and let the pack side down her arms till the ore poured out. John was impressed at the woman's strength.

    "Good, you won't need my assistance to empty the ore every time," John said gruffly, and walked back out to the wagon with Vyre close behind.

    With the two working as they did, it still took them four hours to unload all the ore. Vyre wiped the sweat from her forehead as she set the pack on the back of the wagon, which left a small sweet stain on her shirt where it had sat.

    "Good work," John said, "Now get the miners back here to take their cart."

    Vyre nodded and headed for the pub which roared with activity that could be heard from the smithery. As she walked a cool breeze came by and refereshed her a little before reaching the door.

    Openning the door to the pub let out a stream of smoke from several different types of inhale able products. Her nose was more sensitive than a humans and she backed off and covered her nose from the overwhelming smell. She took in a mighty breathe and entered.

    She didn't go in far, just far enough to be heard, and yelled, "Eh, miners. Your cart is empty," before quickly leaving.

    A moment later the miners came out and met up with Vyren who was still blowing out her nose.

    "Ah, did the atmosphere get to you lass?" William laughed.

    "I really don't see how you hu-ack... ah, men can stand that stuff," Vyren replied.

    William looked at her funny for a sec but then smiled and laughed it off.

    They started walking back to the smithery when William asked, "You unloaded that cart awful quick for a scraggly gal like yourself. Might I ask, did John help you?"

    "Only with shoveling the ore into the pack I used," Vyren answered.

    Some of the men started whispering to each other at that, and William asked, "So you were able to carry a full pack then?"

    "Yes."

    William laughed, "You will make for a fine apprentice then."

    They got back to the smithery where John was waiting by the cart. William took John off to the side for a moment to talk while the miners loaded into the back. a moment later John looked over to Vyren and called her over. As she stepped up to them both of their faces were dead serious.

    "You are a mysterious one I will admit," John said, "But your past is not of my concern as long as you're dedicated to being my apprentice. Ya hear?"

    William opened his mouth for a second as if to say something but then backed down in respect.

    Vyren nodded.

    "Good then," John said, "There is no issue then right," looking at William.

    "Aye, just thought you were a bit out of the ordinary lass," William replied and headed over to the wagon.

    As William snapped the reins he waved his good byes. William now was far in the distance and John headed inside the smithery, Vyren following close behind. The sun was now resting on the horizon, the night sky chasing close behind.

     John headed over to the door of the house and said, "That will be all for today, let me so you to your quarters."

     Vyre nodded and ran over to grab her pack before meeting John at the door. They entered the house and Vyre saw it was similarly styled to Lordiron's, but it was a little narrower. There was a staircase immediately to the left as they entered, the front door to the right, and a narrow hall on the other side of the stairs. John led her up the stairs where there was a door at the top, another to the left, and another behind her towards the front of the house on the left as well. John turned around on the left, his hand sliding along the simple banister that railed the walkway to the far door with Vyre close behind. Upon opening the door, a cloud of dust was propelled into the air.

     "I apologize for the mess," John said, "My last apprentice had left around a year ago and I had not been in here sense."

     "It's alright, I can have it fixed up in no time," Vyre said.

     "Would you like my help?"

     "No, I think I will do well on my own."

     "Alright, I'll get some food going then and call for you when it's done."

     Vyre Nodded and John left.

     She turn to look at the room, "Well, I definitely have my work cut out for myself," she though with a sigh, "It would have been easier to have said I wanted to be a runecrafter apprentice, but that might have been tougher to hide the knowledge I have of it. Not to mention he left today, which would have made it a little awkward. Why do I feel so infatuated about that human."

     "Gah, what am I thinking," She said aloud, "I got to clean this room."

     She put her bag down and found and pulled a more tattered piece of cloth from it and headed out into the hall again. She checked the first room on the left and noticed it was John's bedroom and continued on to the other door. The other room was the wash room which had the tub on the left and a sink on the right, and a wooden canal that lead to both with a split stone that was inscribed with a water rune. She walked over to the stone and put the pieces together to complete the rune, and water began to pour from it. Water ran down both cannal ways, into the sink and the tub. She placed the cloth in the canal to wet it and separated the stone to stop the water. After ringing out the cloth she headed back into her new accommodations where she started to wipe down the furniture of dust. After a good bit of cloth work and the handiness of a broom she found, the room was clean.

     And not any sooner, John called up that supper was ready. She headed down stairs and through the hall that was on the far side of it into the dining room which had a single, small, round table and two chairs. On the far side of the left wall was the kitchen of which John came out with a pan that had a well cooked chicken in it.

     "Go on, sit down," John said gruffly, "The chicken is dry and pretty bland, but I am a blacksmith and not a cook."

     Vyre sat in the chair closest to her and nodded. Plates were already on the table but she waited respectfully for John to grab the first piece, which just happen to be one of the breasts. Her mouth savored as she grabbed the other breast and took a bite. It tasted almost as good as her mother made, scorched and dry as a bone. She ripped into the piece she had furociously when John commented.

     "Slow down little one," He laughed, "you'll choke eating like that."

     She gulped what she had in her mouth and continued a little more civilly.

     The rest of the evening was fairly enjoyable as she talked with john, and, when time for bed came about, Vyre was exhausted and fell asleep quickly.

     The dawns light barely was peeking over the horizon when Vyre was woken by a loud knock on her door.

     "Sun's up," John said, "Are you going to sleep all day?"

     "Be there in a second," Vyre replied as she hopped out of the bed, merely in underwear, and started to get dressed. After she was dressed she ripped the sleeves off her shirt and lifted the bottom and tied it on her left side keeping the knot over a black mark that was there.

     As she entered the workshop, John had entered the front entrance carrying several logs of wood in his arms of which he dropped in front of the forge.

     "Lesson one," He said, "Keep the forge lit," Vyre approached, "To do this you need charcoal, and to make charcoal you need wood. So while you chop the wood into sizable pieces, I'll get that which is ready underneath the the forge opening."

     Vyre watched him as he pulled on a metal handle about six inches under the forge's mouth, and from the drawer he tossed finely chopped lengths wood into the forge. Now having the approximate size of wood needed, she started chopping, lifting the axe high above her head and bringing it down with a mighty thud. She not only drove the axe through the wood but buried it half way into the ground.

     John, to say the least, was shocked but calmly said, "Not sure what they feed you, nor do I suppose you've had any practice with tools, but you might want to lighten up with your next swing or I'll have to have you work on the floor next."

     Vyre gave a nervous smile and was more careful with her next swing and those that followed. She had made quick work of the wood and john showed her how to load it in the drawer and had her close it tight.

     "Now around to the back," John urged where there were two more handles on the back of the forge. He grabbed the top one and moved it back and forth several times, "This sifts the ashes from the still burnable wood. After pressing it in tightly, he grabbed the bottom handle, "grab that bucket for me and put it here," and he pointed to a spot that was warn from this task.

     After placing the bucket there, she backed up and watched him pull the handle revealing another drawer full of ash, and once it was fully drawn out the bottom fell on one side making it easier to sweep into the bucket. They next, after closing the ash drawer tightly, headed back inside the workshop.

     The rest of the day was long drawn out by Johns teaching on how to extract iron from ore, but eventually the sun set and they enjoyed dinner together again before heading to sleep.

     The next day began similar to the previous, with John waking Vyre. When she met him in the smithery he was collecting the iron they drew from the ore yesterday, which they shaped into small ingots as well, and placed a couple in the forge.

     "I took the liberty of fueling the forge before you came down so we could get started quickly this morning," John said, "Now grab those tongs and a hammer."

     Vyre nodded and did as she was told. John instructed her on how to pull the ingots out of the forge and how to start shaping it. The continuous beats of the hammer against iron with and occasional shift of feet on the floor formed a somewhat fitting melody that kept Vyre at a steady pace. Once John saw that she was fine on her own began working some of the ingots himself. Before long another day had passed and the two finished their work.

     "Vyre," John called out.

     "Yes?" Vyre replied as John tossed his hammer towards her.

     She caught it with her left hand with ease, but her lifting her arm pulled the shirt high enough for John to catch a glimpse of the inked design on her left side. But John pretended not to notice and he beckoned Vyre to hurry up and get inside.

     Before dinner that night John reached into one of the shelves and pulled out a small stone.

     "Vyre," John said with an unusual smile beneath his mustache, "can you hold this for me?"

     Vyre extended her hand out and John placed the stone into her palm. Instantaneously pain coursed through Vyre's arm, but she hid the pain as much as she could and smiled back at John.

     Johns smile faded and he sighed, then said, "For havens sake, put it down before it actually hurts you."

     Vyre's smile weakened to the pain as she placed the stone on the table, her palm and finger tips now seared to a sickening red.

     She breathed for a moment, releasing the pain, then asked, "What was that?"

     "Take a look at it, you should know better than I," John replied.

     Looking at the stone again, she took in the etchings on the stone that she saw before it was placed in her hand. She knew that holding the stone was going to be painful, she knew John knew, but wished he was just letting her hold a special trinket.

     "Now, tell me what it means," John said.

     It was almost humiliating, John doing something such as that and knowing what it would do and then having her expose what she really was.

     "The emblem in the center is the one for a dragon, and the emblems around the dragon are that of fire," Vyre Replied.

     "That which burns only those that are kin of dragons..." John said, "I didn't wish to believe it, but the tattoo on your left side was just the same as her's... Why are you her dragon."

     Vyre looked away shamefully, "You know, we aren't suppose to like you humans, let alone have these feeling."

     "You are not of the crimson drakes, they are more upfront," John said, "but nor do I sense that I am the one of your affections. Runecraft was the first one you went to, it was all to inconvenient that he had to leave the same day."

     "Yes," Vyre said with a tear in her eye.

     "You dragons I swear," John said with a gruff chuckle which made Vyre look towards him, "You aren't the first I've met."

     Vyre looked curiously at him.

     "Take a seat, It's not a short tale."


 

Chapter 2 - Hidden Birthrights

(daughter in a bakery, spitfire, arena crush, friends help, dual, mother comes)

    It was a bright day in the capitol city of Gennera, the Gated City of the Fifth world. The streets were busy as ever this day, and the market bustled with commerce. The sight elegant craftsmanship, whether it was clothing, pottery or the wood works, was inspiring and the smell coming from cafes and bakeries filled the nose. Music could be heard from traveling bards on every street. The city was a mecca on the recently found world, selling unique wood and stone works, food, textiles, and animals of the planets origin.

   In particular there was a bakery in the middle of town that had quite the reputation, not by the normal customers, but through connections with the bakers daughter. She was tall and slender with perfect proportion of which the aprons tie string, which hugged her body, accentuated this day. She had dark red hair and golden hazel eyes. Her hair never seemed to brush out straight and always looked ragged despite what she or her parents tried.

  The lunch rush was ending, the last customer leaving out the front, and The daughter was eager to meet up with her friends this evening.

  "Mother?" she called out.

  "Yes, dear?" a voice called out from the back.

  "The customers are gone now. May I leave?"

   A middle aged woman emerged through the door to the kitchen with some bread. After setting the bread down she turn to her daughter, "Off to cause trouble again?"

   "Mother," she said sighing, "Its not like that."

   Her mother giggled, "I know. Well it doesn't seem like we have much for you to do here. Go on."

   "Thank you, mother," and she gave her mother a hug and raced through the kitchen to head up stairs to her room. Her room was small and was at the front of the house over the store front. It had a small wardrobe on the right as she walked in with her bed just beyond it, on the left was just a desk that sat in front of a window that over looked the street. She closed the curtains and began removing her work linens to put on some clothes she didn't mind dirtying. After she was dressed she opened the curtains ad sat at her desk. There was a bottle of ink, a small glass of dirty water, a narrow paint brush, and a a book filled with runes. She was remarkable knowledgeable about crafting runes. Self taught, sitting at the desk, she always remembered the first one she made, a sleeping rune of which she had put on the dog they had owned. Grabbing the brush, she removed the cork lid to the jar of black ink, and meticulously started inking runes on her left palm and back hand and on both side of her wrist. All of the runes were encased in trigger runes which delayed the effect till the desired time. Finished, she cleaned the brush in the water and re corked the jar, and making sure her runed arm didnt brush against anything she headed out.

   The streets were quieter in the area, the people having moved to the areas with mercantile goods. She headed to the out skirts, where the people became a little less formal looking. She finally came up to a large lodge and headed in side. It was fairly empty but the smell of cigar smoke never left and she would always have to get readjusted to the smell due to her sensitive sense of smell.

   Over near the bar, a heavier man called out, "Orpheana! Over here!."

   She gave a sliver of a smile and headed over.

   "Oliver," she said, "Drowning yourself before the show even starts I see," laughing.

   "Oh come now," he retorted, "last thing I need is a young gal like your self to be putting me in my place."

   The man on the far side of Oliver lifted his head from the bar and replied humorously, "but it wouldn't be the first time shes done it to you."

   "Ah, Now why did you have ta' go and bring that up again, Guiles?"

   Guiles Laughed