Chronicles From the End of an Age

A New Purpose - 43Yrs BTA

A soft wind breathed over calm water and passed by emerald-green trees. Leaves waved in greeting and grass rippled at its presence. The sun stood proud in the sky, sending shimmers of light through the greenery and over the occasional wrinkle in the lake. Fish danced beneath the lake's surface, swimming up to small sandstone cliffs guarding the eastern edge.

A single cave lay carved into the cliff's side. The cave's floor and walls were smooth and warn. It only went back a couple of dragon lengths before coming to a rounded end. There was a nest of browning leaves and twigs set further to the back of the cave, and the entrance was marred with dried red blood. Laying, with a wing hanging lazily over the edge, basking in the noonday sun, was a lightning yellow drake.

His eyes were lidded and half asleep. His scales shone with flawless brilliance, near gold in their perfection. The tip of his tail twitched idly back and forth in the response to some half-awake dream. His large bat-like wings lay relaxed and outstretched. A ridge of small, curled spikes ran from his neck down to the end of his tail, and two slightly curved horns were attached to the back of his head. A picture of perfect content.

A cloud passed through the sky, blocking out the sunlight. The drake let out a huff, his eyes flickering open to glare at the offending construct. A groan escaped him as he pulled in his wings and stood up on four wobbly legs. He yawned, sharp white teeth lining his mouth. He gave a short warming flap of his wings before falling back on his haunches and staring out at the lake before him.

His body felt warm, his stomach full. The grassy plain littered with trees made a beautiful view. The lake was deep enough to swim in, and fish were plentiful. But as he looked back into his cave he couldn't help but feel a pang of... something. A wish that there was something else there. Maybe a dragoness curled around a clutch of eggs. Or a friend who wanted to goad him into a spar, or a hunt. He shook his head, looking out over his cove once again.

Sometimes, he regretted leaving. He regretted the decision to abandon his life and position. To run from a toxic and dangerous world. He had been frightened. He admitted that to himself. Terrified of what the change could mean, and when he found out the dangerous resources being governed he had to leave. He could have fought, of course, but he would have died.

A growl escaped him at the thought as he scratched his talons at the surface of the cave. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the obsession that had driven him to this position in the first place. No one had wanted to come with him. No one cared, or even if they did, didn't find the actions as despicable and worrying as he did. He had no choice but to leave.

He huffed out a sigh, before taking a step forward and dropping from the cave into the air. He didn't bother flapping his wings as he glided over the top of the lake. He dropped onto the sandy, stony black shoreline of the lake, enjoying the dampness of the ground under his feet. He took several steps to the lapping ripples in the water and bent down to take a drink, allowing the water to rush through his throat as he took several heartful gulps.

Several flaps of a wing above him startled him. He took several steps back with a growl as he looked to the sky with narrowed eyes. A pair of dragons were descending down toward him. One with the clear blue colour of the sky. The other a lighter, icy blue. They landed on the lake shoreline several metres away from him, sparing him a slight glance, before the sky-blue female lent down to take her own drink.

The drake felt his suspicion rise when he realised that the dragoness was a mind dragon. The other was an ice drake, a strange species to see in these parts. The fact that the two were together was of something of a curiosity in and of itself. Maybe they were interspecies mates running from judgement, or perhaps diplomats that had decided to travel together. He didn't know, and frankly, he didn't care, as long as they didn't bother him. Still, he didn't like the idea that the mind dragon was likely at this very moment reading his mind.