Chronicles From the End of an Age

A Lost Species - 8 Months BTA

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Shade felt the shadows curling around him, cloaking him like a protective wing. The sticky green scent of dense forest undergrowth clung to his snout as he slowly pushed through clingy bushes and wet leaves. A breezy wind caused the thick canopy above him to wave back and forth with hushing whispers that passed through the forest quicker than he could fly. Buzzing insects found it necessary to play their chorus near his hearing glands, while bird chatter flowed through the green ocean.

The shadow drake ignored the bugs as best as he could, listening beyond to the song of the forest. Every step he made was placed carefully, and his body stay as low as possible. The shadows licked at his ebony scales like fire. His bladed tail was kept off the ground, brushing past the licking leaves harmlessly, while his wings were kept tightly to his side. A flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye as a bird fled from its tree, hooting out a warning to the rest of the forest.

A grin spread across his maw as he turned quickly and quietly. The shadows rose from the ground, lashing onto him and pulling him down into their realm. The chorus of the forest became distant and distorted, and the green of leaves was replaced by an inky blackness that swayed and waved like an illusion. Shade moved quickly through the room, adopting a quick trot as he circumvented his way past the dense foliage.

An odd shape caught his eye, causing his movement to descend into a slow sneaking movement. Another dragon, hiding within the foliage, faced forward with intense concentration. From the shadow realm, it was impossible to tell what species of dragon it was, or really any defining features at all, save it was probably slightly larger than he was. He began to sneak around the dragon, aiming to leap out and surprise it from behind. But as he moved the shadowy head of the dragon shot to face toward him. He froze, his heart beating rapidly. The head tilted slightly, studying him with great suspicion. It got up, slowly approaching him with hesitant steps.

Shade gritted his teeth, before making his decision. With a roar, he let the shadows fall from him as the world rushed back into colour, leaping forward with claws outstretched and a momentous beat of his wings. A yelp came from his foe, and he crashed into the light green dragoness. The two rolled over each other, crushing several bushes and plants as they struggled for dominance. Shade ended up on top, pinning the other dragon to the ground on her back. He smirked down at her as she struggle for several moments more, before giving up with an annoyed huff.

The dragoness was slightly larger than him, with scales to match the iridescence of the forest around them. Piercing yellow eyes looked up at him with narrowed accusation. Her underbelly was a lighter green than the rest of her, and her wings lay outstretched, pressed against the foliage on either side.

"I had you that time!" she growled.

"You hesitated that time," he replied, giving her snout a small nuzzle.

"Yeah, only cause I wasn't a hundred percent it was you," she turned her head away from his affection, "I didn't want to give my position away if it wasn't."

"And that was your mistake," he responded, laying down on top of her, causing her to grunt.

"Alright! Alright, you win! Get off me, you oaf!"

He snickered, nuzzling her neck, before getting to his feet and stepping backward. She drew her wings close and rolled to her feet, breaking down another large shrub as she did so. Dirt clung to her glittering emerald scales as she shook herself out, and turned her attention back to the black shadow dragon, who was still smiling goofily at her. She rolled her eyes and swatted his nose with her tail, causing him to let out a pained yelp of his own.