Dragon Journey

[Sen Pai]

Dragon Journey

× A 1x1 about discovery, adventure, and so much more ×
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Ever since you were a hatchling, you were always told to never go near the Abyss, a darkness that surrounds the Village. All of the other dragons stayed clear of it, not even the most daring flew down it because those that did fall victim to the Abyss never came back. There are those who almost fell into the Abyss, they described it as something pulling them into the darkness, a weight so heavy that they thought they would be dragged into the Abyss. That is why no one approaches the Abyss for we fear what we don't know.


But you were curious, one way or another you stood at the edge of the Abyss. Staring down at the never ending darkness, you tool one last glance at your home, the Village. This could very well be your last time to ever see the beauty of your hometown. The mountains, the sky, the grassland, the dragons. The original Elders told you that this Village was not the dragons' original domain. They spoke of a world that was vast in size and diversity, they even said something something other species. But those were just myths, stories that you would tell your young ones. And you believed those stories.

 

[Sen Pai]

A young green dragon stood at the edge of the Village, her dull green eyes staring down into the heavy darkness below. It seemed to be pulling at her, tugging her forward with a powerful mysterious force. But Viridus leaned back, her claws digging into the soil beneath her to keep herself from falling into the seemingly endless Abyss. She glanced over her shoulder, relaxing her wing to stare at the obnoxiously red fire dragon.


Keeping her jaw clasped tightly, Viridus moved to turn around, careful not to succumb into the pull of the Abyss. The sky was painted dark blue, the stars seemed to have lost their spark as the sun began to rise from the east. It was at this perfect time that all of the dragons, excluding two juveniles, curled into a ball, entering deep sleep. They had planned this little escape for quite some time now. Everything had to be perfect for it to work.


But, as she stood at the bank of the Rubicon river, Viridus began to wonder if she doubted herself, if her partner in crime was having second thoughts, they both knew that no dragon ever came back from the Abyss. However, before Viridus allowed her thoughts to wander, she reminded herself that she had already thought of all the other possibilities, how she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't go now. And so, Viridus took a step towards Caelum and lost her grip in the ground.


Viridus didn't know why the Elders had described the Abyss as such a scary place, shooing hatchlings from even going near it. The fall was rather peaceful, it was as if she was completely weightless, like a simple feather slowly drifting down to the ground. But that serene feeling only lasted for a moment for a heavy weight pressed down upon the young dragon, knocking the air out of her. The farther she fell, the heavier the weight became, and soon it felt as if her bones were going to break. Unable to scream in agony, Viridus felt her heart pound against her chest, her lungs desperately cry for air but none of her body's pleas were heard by the mysterious force called gravity.


Just as Viridus was about to fall unconscious, about to relieve herself from the pain, her body crashed into something hard but soft, dry and moist. The familiar taste of soil filled her mouth except it tasted more bland, as if it lacked the same amount of nutrients as the soil of the Village. Viridus weakly spat out the soil, having landed on the ground and skidding to a stop, leaving a large dugout in her wake. She coughed and gagged, slowly moving her limbs into a more comfortable position.


Cringing as she attempted to lift her right wing, Viridus frowned, obviously displeased when she found out she was unable to. An irritated sound escaped Viridus' mouth, a small shot of smoke rising from her nostrils. The dragon struggled to push herself up, her legs shaking as if she was a newborn deer, just learning how to walk. She used her nose to push herself up and stand on four feet, it was difficult at first but as Viridus' joints locked to support her, the dragon was finally able to stabilize herself.


Immediately, Viridus glanced around to see if her companion had fared well in the treacherous journey, or if he decided to jump at all. But in that moment, Viridus became aware of her surroundings. The world around her was like nothing she had ever seen before, the stories of the Elders were nothing compared to the magnificence. The sky was washed a soft blue, wispy white clouds drifted across, hiding behind the light brush of the violent colored trees. The grass that encircled around her feet was a gorgeous shade of lavender and the nature that was around the two dragons was indeed unique.


Her eyes were wide with amazement, unable to believe that this was what was hidden beyond the Abyss, beyond the Village. Turning to look at Caelum, Viridus didn't know where to look anymore so she simply set her gaze on the one thing that held any sort of familiarity to her. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. Finally she managed to form some sort of sentence. "What...what is this place...?" And then the ground shook tremendously as the violet trees began to fall, announcing the approach of something big. Something large. Something completely new to the two young dragons.

 

[Armageddon]

The timing couldn't have been more opportune. Dawn was upon them, blanketing the stars in a deep blue that would soon become brighter. The village air was silent, still. It tempted to lull Caelum into the comforting embrace of dreams, as it had done so many times before, but he resisted with all of his might. This was a special time, a time unlike any other, a time that no juvenile had ever though of before - except for his companion, of course, the jade green Viridus.


The Abyss was strange, shrouded in mystery and wonder, and a dash of fear. Though his strides were sure as to their direction, the mind behind the walk was not. He felt hesitant, almost remorseful, as his gaze drifted behind him to the beautiful sight of the village. His home. His only home. He felt bitterness wash over him at the memory of his father, his eyes so stern and unforgiving, his voice booming. The stinging hatred that had pierced Caelum's heart when his father had insulted his worth, insulted his pride. Suddenly, the piercing green eyes of the fire-colored dragon grew brighter, fiercer. He was determined to prove him wrong. And if the only way was to enter the darkness, become one with this dangerous Abyss and live and survive, so be it.


It had been decided long ago, with his accomplice by his side, Viridus. She was a strong-willed dragon; he could tell from the moment he met her. She was unlike many females, who tended to be ... cattier. She also was a seeker, a discoverer of new things. Though they were a fiery pair, they clicked because of this similarity, and so their plan sprouted from the fantastical dreams of young whelps to the set-in-stone plans of juveniles. And here they were, on the edge of their village, Viridus turning to look at him. Some understanding sparked between them. His jaw relaxed, the wings folded on his back releasing from a very tense position.


He stared down into the Abyss. Black, the shade of evil, but still reaching towards him. Calling to him. Beckoning him to come down, down, down, to see what lies below this mask of darkness ...


Viridus took a step out and fell, and in his moment of thought, his moment of regret, but most of all, his moment of adrenaline, his foot moved forward as well, and they were both off.


The fall was not nearly as bad as it was spoken to be - at first. As he floated down, something suddenly pulled him faster, as if two hands reached out and gripped him to yank him down faster. In fact, it went much, much too fast. Something began to crush him, close in on him. He couldn't breath. He couldn't scream, even thought he wanted so desperately to cry out in pain as it felt like he was getting crushed underneath an enormous boulder, even if in the air. The air wooshed around him, an overpowering whistle. What would this do to Viridus? His thoughts began to jumble as it felt like his brain couldn't handle all of the activity. It was fading. And he fell, fell, fell -


- and then he landed.


The crash was powerful, sending the strange substance flying. He laid still. His mind was groggy and black, but his eyes opened to reveal splotches of color that floated around his vision. The ground was soft, but not, and definitely organic - but not like the ground at home. No, this was tougher, less rich. The colors began to merge and sharpen. His feet slowly planted themselves on the ground.


When he attempted to stand, however, something was weighing down on him. He simply couldn't. He attempted with all of his might, but a force was pressing against him, against his own force, and winning. His legs began to tremble with the effort. Some moments passed, and his body began to accustom itself to this strange weight. Something in his legs strengthened and locked, and he finally managed to push himself up to all fours, his head rising with some difficulty as well. But as his eyesight sharpened and cleared, the sight that was before him was unparalleled to anything he had ever seen - and he immediately knew that it was worth the fall.


The trees were vibrant and alive, a shade of purple that he had never seen on wildlife. The sky was a light blue, with white puffs of clouds sluggishly moving across it. The substance underneath him - which turned out to be grass - was the strangest shade of purple, very light, a lavender. The brush and flowers surrounding them were a sure beauty to behold, unique, strange, and very new. It was magical. It was so much better than anything the Elders had ever spoken to them about.


His eyes wandered to Viridus, in all of her jade glory, struggling to stand just like him. Well, at least she could feel it too. Her body adjusted, and she was suddenly wide-eyed with amazement at the sight around them. It truly was a gorgeous place. It was worth the pain and effort, and this new force that was pressing on them both. Viridus looked to him, their bright eyes meeting, sharing the beauty. She spoke, gathering her voice and asking, "What...what is this place...?" Caelum could do nothing but stare at her, his head shaking from side to side, responding after a moment of stunned silence, " ... I don't know." That was all the rumbling voice could form. There was a moment of the most peaceful silence as they stared around at the scene, entranced.


But something broke them from their trances. It was a shake of the ground, a violent one. He managed to stay on his feet as his head suddenly started to whip around, his teeth baring slightly in defense. His eyes suddenly laid on the trees falling in the distance, approaching them. It was huge, and Caelum had absolutely no idea of how to defend himself from it, especially with not being used to this new force that was upon them. He turned himself towards the line of direction immediately, adrenaline coursing through him, waiting for Viridus to make a move, if any. He didn't know whether to stand his ground, or run like hell.

 

[Sen Pai]

The sky seemed to be plagued with clouds, the wispy shapes covered the sky with white and grey, blocking out much of the natural sunlight. The animals and wildlife that surrounded the two dragons grew louder, their squeaks and calls became deafening to the juveniles. It was as if everything was going so quickly and they didn’t have enough time to react. Would the lack of time prove to be fatal for the two adventurers? Had they left the warmth, comfort, and safety of the Village only to die immediately after they discover the new world? Is this what happened to all the dragons that got sucked in by the Abyss?


Viridus wanted to move, she wanted to run but her body refused to listen to her panicking mind. Eyes widening in fear, the green dragon listened as the large creature moved closer, the sound of falling trees becoming louder and the ground shaking intensified. Her claws sunk into the soil beneath her, crushing the purple grass into pulp. Clenching her jaw tightly, Viridus didn’t move her gaze from the direction of the predator but she forcefully moved her torso to turn away from it.


Releasing her grip on the loose earth, Viridus turned completely to face Caelum, hoping that the fire dragon would have some sort of solution to what approaching problem they would soon have to face. Unfortunately, her companion was giving her the exact same look she was giving him. The feeling of panic flashed in the green eyes of Viridus, her heart pounded, making the noise of the new world, the World Before the Village, seem louder than it really is.


“We need to hide.” Viridus blurted out after quickly scourging her mind for something that they could do. Anything would be helpful as the time continued to tick, nearly the final second. Thinking that she was the one who had influenced Caelum to come join her in her journey, Viridus decided that it was her responsibility to keep the two safe. She was the more mature one out of the two juveniles after all. Viridus didn’t want any casualties and she did not think that Caelum wanted any as well.


Hurrying off to the side, Viridus hugged her injured wing to the side of her body, making sure it was away from the strangeness of the purple and blue coloured forest. They couldn’t hide behind a tree, it would get knocked over. They didn’t have enough time to run away to a safe place, they would surely get caught by the nearing giant. So, Viridus scanned the forest anxiously, her green eyes searching desperately for a place that would hide them.


Gesturing for Caelum to follow her behind a huge rock, Viridus bounded towards the spot, hoping that they wouldn’t be caught. Unfortunately, the timer had gone off. The giant knocked over the last set of trees that were in its way, revealing the two dragons as sitting ducks in a clear pond. Viridus slowly turned her eyes up to look at the beast that stared down, setting its gaze directly on the two juveniles. She froze as she felt the hot breath of the gigantic beast against her scales.


The beast walked on four legs, it had three flippers of some sort coming out of its large, hairy side. The hair that covered its body was stringy and clumped together, somewhat hardened by the years of being exposed to air. Its legs was covered in softer fur-like material and its eyes were large and angled. They were a clear blue, its irises were large and intelligent, as if it was studying the two dragons with a curious gaze. The beast seemed to have an exoskeleton on its head, wearing a white bone helm to protect its skull. It was coloured white with a hint of blue, matching the forest very well. Uneven and sharp teeth stuck out from its jaw, pointing in all sorts of directions.


The giant leaned down to peer closer at the two dragons. It was huge, its eyes were huge, its neck strained slowly to get down low enough to see the two dragons. The irises seemed to enlarge and shrink as it focused on Caelum, the facial features of the beast did not change as it examined the two dragons. Then, as quickly as it came, the beast slowly raised its head once more and took a few steps, moving along as if it had never seen the two dragons, treating them like nothing.


Viridus stood as still as a statue, she turned to Caelum and mouthed, “What was that?” As an adventurer and an inspiring scientist, Viridus didn’t know if the feeling that she felt at the moment was fear or curiosity. Either way, she knew that what she had just witnessed was something that was normal to this world, the World Before the Village, and she wanted to find out more. So what else was she to do other than hurry off in the direction that the beast had come from?


Little did the green dragon know that it wasn't the beast that was truly watching them because from a hole in a knocked down violet tree, two pairs of glowing eyes peered out at the dragons.