Dragons Tail

Ruagh looked over his lands his eyes aflame with a deep fiery glory as humans toiled in the fields below, his heart ached for their eternal struggle but as he took a shuddering, pained breath he knew his duty, he was reminded of what had to be done to ensure the survival of his people, a thunderous powerful roar shook the mountains as the mighty Red dragon lept from his glorious vantage point atop the Ruasian mountains and a great gout of flame tore through the mornings work, the neatly plowed fields set alight by the great flame of Ruagh.

His great wings beat at the air as he soared over the heads of the frightened villagers and again his heart sank as he descended, angling his wings to plummet towards the ground and a family clustered together, frozen in fear, his roar shook the houses and his jaws opened wide as he devoured them in a single mouthful. His wings beat majestically as he rose from the earth to soar back up into the sky as the villagers began to muster their courage... and their farming implements once again.

Wheeling overhead he gave another terrible roar as he reminded them of his presence once again before turning again for his mountain home to be thoroughly ill, adventurers, warriors and people who made their way to his mountain home were fair game but how low Dragonkind had fallen in order to survive, he stretched his great wings over his nest as he descended again to provide warmth to his eggs but his heart held little hope, magic was dying from the world and with it were passing the Dragons, once the mightiest, wisest and kindest race upon the Earth now withered and passing into legend and myth, but he had found a way to restore a little magic to the world in terrifying humans, he and other dragons all over the world set to devouring people, to terrorizing stock and burning human cities, each time they passed to frighten humans humans delved back into myth and lore trying to find a way to stop them, every time they hurt humans the humans delved into magic, but even that was not enough, the Dragons found their savagery distasteful and knew that soon they would not have the stomach to maintain their scare tactics, without people to use it magic withered, it dried up and stagnated and while the Dragons depended on magic to survive they could not store it within themselves to the same degree humans could, humans were like mystical batteries drawing in the energy around them and holding it within them as they went about even their day to day life, they could hold vast amounts of power, but they were not using it, abandoning it slowly but surely for Technology and science.

Ruagh feared for his race for once he had seen a vast empire that stretched from end to end within the world but now he knew of only five others, his mate Silassa the knowledgeable, Kayrina the wise, Malakri the devious, Lithania the luminous and Ekansrua the elder, they formed a small community away from the humans watchful eyes and it was to that place that Ruagh knew he would have to go soon. He looked upon his eggs with a smile and a loving gaze as he covered them gently with ash from the volcano near to his mountain home still glowing with its heat and covered the ash with a rocky layer to retain the warmth, he was careful to camouflage them from any dragonhunters that might come prowling for his lair and turned again to look over the weeping village with a heavy heart, he spread his wings and took once more to the air.

“Ruagh! Beloved!” It was a fond reunion and a wonderful welcome as Silassa made her way to greet him, her long neck lowered to rub against his the scales rubbing gently to show the others pleasure to see their mate, “Silassa my love it has been too long I have been counting the hours since our last meeting, the lustrous golden female smiled upon her mate and flickered her tongue at him cheekily, “Oh truly beloved? How long has it been?” “Ten thousand three hundred and ninety five” He grinned back at her and flickered his own tongue in a cheeky manner, “How have Ekansrua and Lithania been beloved?” his mate lowered her eyes from his and her wings fluttered in a most agitated way, “My love, Ekansrua is ill, and Lithania has been unable to treat him in our home, even Kayrina has been unable to do anything to slow his condition” She sighed a heavy sigh as her golden eyes rose to meet him and he paused as he always did looking upon her beauty, she looked like heaven, she looked like a glorious sunrise in the light as it set her luminous golden scales to glowing, “There is just not enough magic to sustain us all here anymore my beloved.”

It was terrible news as he walked with his love towards the gathering point of the great Draconic court, now fallen into disrepair and almost all of the Marble chairs within the court were empty, the chairs were ringed by a grove of Cherry trees with linked boughs forming great archways through which the Dragons could enter and take their places beneath the starry sky.

Ruagh's eyes strayed over the gathered Dragons and he felt his heart grow heavy with concern as he took note of their conditions for the lack of magic had affected them all in different ways, Silassa looked beautiful to him but of course she always did, still he noticed that her scales had lost some of their luster and her eyes seemed a little more sunken, her cheeks had grown thinner and her flanks had lost some of their weight to an almost unhealthy degree, she was one of the best off as his eyes turned next to the Eldest among them, Ekansrua's green scales once the glowing emerald of youth and vitality had grown dull to the point they seemed almost gray and flecked with patches of black and brown, his cheeks had sunken in and his muzzle was dangerously warped upwards at the back closest to his cheeks giving him what looked like a permanent smile but it was indeed a problem for he could no longer eat solid food, his wings were tattered and eaten by rot and his entire hide smelled like moss, Ruagh knew as did they all that Ekansrua was not much longer for this world for every breath seemed to shudder past his lips, Kayrina looked gray instead of her usual glowing silver but her bearing and poise left her seeming almost untouched by the malaise that was eating away at her, she was the bravest refusing to admit weakness or defeat, Malakri had developed a hacking cough and his scales too had dulled, the deep black sheen that had once inspired great terror now seemed a faint shadow of its past glory but his features did not suffer as did the others although his muzzle was set into a semi-permanent sneer, Lithania once the most beautiful of them all sat in a dull stupor beside her mate Malakri, her white scales were the white of bleached bone and her words were all slow and heavy only her prodigious magical prowess and mental discipline keeping her from degenerating into either an animal or vegetative state...

Ekansrua cleared his throat as he spoke the opening prayer in an ancient tongue even to the Dragons this tongue was old and near forgotten, “Sky fathers and star mothers we gather beneath your lights to ask for your guidance and wisdom, Fire, Talon, Tooth and Magic we pray for your wisdom to descend upon us” He broke into a fit of coughing by the end of his prayer but his eyes lifted as soon as he mastered himself again and he looked out over the younger Dragons that were all that was left of his clan, “From this point onward I name Ruagh as successor to the Gathering of Lore” He looked upon the surprised gathering with a small upwards flicker of his lips and a dancing spark in his eyes, “We all know I am not long for this world and this will be my last Gathering and it is my right to choose successor but now that that business is concluded it is time to hear from you all, Silassa how goes your teaching of magic while polymorphed?” All eyes turned to Silassa and she smiled faintly her powerful draconic form rippling as her scales fell around her before dissolving into motes of soft golden light that shed a gentle illumination upon the gathering, where the mighty Dragoness had once stood a slender woman with skin of a soft golden tan and hair of spun silver sat in all her flawless glory, pointed ears twitching faintly as she considered, “Many do not wish to learn and see Magic as the way of the past honored Elder, as superstition and foolishness even when faced with it firsthand, the humans consider it trickery. That is not to say that my efforts have been fruitless I do have three most promising human apprentices”

A harsh snort blew over Silassa's diminutive and denuded form but she kept her balance in the face of Malakri's contempt filled exhalation “Foolish little girl” He sneered at her as he spoke in deep disgust for her words, “You cannot teach sheep to be Lions, my not so enlightened sister may think that humans will be our salvation but they are in fact our undoing honored elder, as we all know humans can store vast amounts of power and draw this power from the world around them, from the magic we require to live, they draw it in but because they do not use it they waste the energy holding it inside them till they die then their descendants soak in their ancestors energy and more energy from the world, on top of that humans breed like rodents or insects and have a short gestation of nine months, I still believe our best alternative is to weave a plague upon the humans and eradicate them, Magic will return and our clutches will again be strong and healthy” He tapped the table before him with an elongated fore talon his eyes aglow as he looked upon the rest of the gathering as if awaiting a challenge.

Fortunately challenge someone did, Kayrina growled low and dangerously as she looked upon her presumptive brother, “Malakri you utter coward, we are Dragons not the gods to decide who lives and who dies, we are Dragons not hunters of humans and slayers of the weak my study of the ancient lore goes well and it tells of a time similar to this where magic was almost entirely drained from the lands, many Dragons put themselves to sleep to await the return of magic and one... Well I'm not sure that the record is accurate but according to his testimony he survived by taking a human wife, I cannot see yet how that let him survive but he remained awake and well while his brethren either withered and died or slept away the years”

Ruagh's eyes turned next to Malakri's mate as Ekansrua addressed her, “Lithania my dear, your work on the ancient Wells has not gone well?” There was a small, contemptuous snort again from Malakri as Ruagh's mind churned over the words of Kayrina, a human wife had kept a mighty dragon alive? His eyes were distant as he mulled over that thought not yet knowing why or how that could be Lithania finally marshaled the forces she needed to speak and did so with a slow and heavy accent, each word thudding like a stone, “Honored elder...” She spoke with laborious breaths as she addressed Ekansrua, “My work... Goes well... In a way...I feel fitter... than many of you.... but stagnant magic... while it nourishes... the body... rots the mind... and spirit...” Lithania shook her head gently as she looked upon the elder Wyrm, “I have... Little doubt... I could remain... forever near one... of the wells... Unless slain... but my mind... and my spirit will... wither to the animal state... I will be a beast... consuming or consummating with... any that comes near....” She ceased speaking after that, shuddering with the effort that her words had taken before turning her dulling eyes back to Malakri, cuddling into his side for warmth as the others looked between one another as they mulled over their own words and the words of their brethren.

Ekansrua's mottled head lifted and he cleared his throat to command attention of the youngsters, all heads turning to face him as they mulled over their options, “I believe a short recess is in order please return tomorrow for a final council, Children, this has been an age of decline, but we can still hope for it to abate” A sudden flicker of thought ignited within Ruagh's mind at that word, children and he turned to Malakri in the knowledge that only he could help with this effort, an evil and desperate gamble, he smiled first though to his mate, bidding her return to their clutch while he spoke with his brother.

“Malakri” Ruagh approached his brother with hesitation and determination, “I think... I may have a way to draw a little magic from the humans without killing them.. That said...” He smiled faintly as he looked to his black scaled brother “I need your help, Do your demonic contacts still want to try attacking a village on this plane?” Malakri recoiled as Ruagh spoke of Demonic invasion! It was so out of character for the Red dragon, “Of course but None in this council would approve it, I don't have the power to call them through myself..” Ruagh cleared his throat as he looked to Malakri for a moment, looking upon those dark scales of his wicked brother, “Then I grant you my powers Malakri, call forth as many as you can and send them to raze the town near my Nest” At this Malakri was truly taken aback, his dark eyes widening as he felt the thrill of Ruaghs remaining power flooding into his body, his brother, his red brother, Malakri still could not believe it, the mighty, kind and good Ruagh giving him the power to call demons! Malakri nodded dumbly and Ruagh spread his wings to head back to his nest, bittersweet Memories of a time long past... And a bittersweet reunion with his love, his mate..A short meeting, for they would have to part after the council the day tomorrow.

It was a bright and sunny morning as Alissa climbed from her cot in the village of Chelsey's moon, just at the foot of the Ruasian mountains, it has been a long day for the farmers after the death of one of the smaller families at the talons of the evil red dragon that lived so high in those hills, she hummed softly to herself though as she brushed through her long blonde hair with a sharp toothed comb crafted by hand from one of the hardwood trees that grew on the mountains slowly she untangled the mess that had tangled her hair during the nights sleep and slipped into her simple, white cotton shift. Today she had a lucky break, she did not have to toil in the fields to turn the scarred soil into lush greenery again.

She smiled as she made her way towards the foot of the Ruasian mountains, a large and simply woven wicker basket slung over one arm as she hummed a bright tune, simple and delighted with her place in life, even with the looming threat of the monster high in these very mountains, she smiled as she passed over the softly carpeted ground, soft grass and wildflowers bending beneath her feet as she swayed a little, caught up in her tune. As Alissa ascended the side of the mountain though she did not worry about monsters or the future of her village, she knew her people were strong and brave, she smiled as she approached a small field of wildflowers that gleamed gently in the sun so high overhead and she bent to pick a small bouquet before resuming her upwards trek, as the slope of the mountain began to increase from the gentle incline to a more strenuous upwards climb Alissa slung her basket upon her back, placing the handle between her teeth to keep it from rocking so much.

She ascended with the sure footing and easy grip of one skilled in mountaineering as she climbed till she reached a small ledge that provided a perfect platform and shelter for the small herbs that she and her mother before her had taken to growing up here, as always the beauty of her little garden left her speechless as the smells of the growing herbs filled her nose, a symphony for the eyes and the nose the herbs had been arranged in patterns of wonderful symmetry and patterned after the pictures her mother had seen in books of so called magic, strange loops and circles and whirls formed a great pattern, a great circle of living growing things, but today she met with a small surprise, a young man stood within her garden, a man with long, flowing red hair and a small can was watering the herbs with a delicate care and tender grace.

Alissa blushed darkly as she looked upon the man working in her family's garden, a man who she had never seen around town and of course her curiosity was piqued, hiding so close to the edge of the small ledge she watched the young man toil in her garden, he was rather handsome she thought, tall and slim but quite well muscled beneath that tight white tunic and soft, white cotton pants, as he turned his brown eyes glimmered in the sun and he smiled in return, catching sight of the young woman spying on him.

Alissa knew she had been caught and clambered up along the side of the ledge again with a soft blush upon her cheeks at the lack of grace before such a handsome gentleman, as she drew closer though she could see that he looked a little ill, his cheeks were sunken inwards a little and his eyes seemed as though he hadn't slept in weeks, “Greetings my lady” His voice was soft and sweet as he addressed her but seemed almost old and very cultured it seemed to match his appearance too, although he looked rather young and well toned his eyes gleamed with a wisdom and intelligence that surpassed so many in her village, “H.. Hello sir” She finally managed to stammer out as she stood speechless before him, there was something, an aura of power that rippled from him, a sense of command and wonder, a soft and pleasant laugh spilled from his lips as he placed the can gently upon the ground to step towards her his hands outstretched.

“Oh come my lady I am no Sir, my name is Ruagh and these mountains are my home” He smiled as he looked to the young woman, “Many people have called me a hermit or a madman, but I prefer to think of myself as a thinker, might I have the honor of your name my lady?” His voice was wonderful and thrummed through her mind as though it were music, her heart beat faster just listening to him not to mention what it did to other places in her body, a sweet warmth spreading through her limbs as she felt a little anxiety lift from her shoulders, “Mister Ruagh it is a pleasure to meet you” She smiled then and dropped in a small curtsy as she placed her own basket beside her to unburden herself before him, “My name is Alissa, I am the daughter of the villages herb woman and I was sent to pick some herbs from this garden”

Ruagh's warm brown eyes glittered as he looked upon her fair face, her features haunting and elfin with an odd symmetry that had been called unnatural by some, her ears rose to slight points and her body was trim and lithe from years of rock climbing and running, she smiled and the world paused in its eternal orbit, his heart skipped a beat and his smile spread upon his lips, Ruagh felt a longing he had not felt since the day he had met his Mate, Silassa had made him feel this way from the first moment he had laid eyes upon her, but his eyes were drawn from her kind face as the smell of smoke rose without warning from down the mountainside, his eyes widening as he beheld the devastation he had asked of his brother, far below the ledge upon which they stood, Ruagh watched as Alissa's village burned, a black tide of demons, twisted and deformed ravaged the village, set the fields to flame and lit the thatch of simple buildings, jaws opened and children were cut down and tears filled Ruaghs' eyes.

Alissa's eyes were drawn away from the face of her companion as she caught the glimmer of tears, the expression of horror upon his face as the black tide washed over her village, her hands rose to cover her mouth and her knees buckled as she caught sight of the freely flowing red river that streamed from the open buildings, men, women, children captured and slain, but not all met their ends so easily, as she watched the demons ransack her small village she whimpered from her lofty perch, watching as twisted, grotesque demons pulled women and children from their homes, destroying thatch and timber and stealing maidenhood, ravaging their victims just the same as they ravaged her home.

Ruagh felt a rage grow within him as he watched the devastation, the rape, the murder, the fury with which the Demon horde completed their acts of evil, he stepped forward and out into the open air, his humanoid body falling freely as he felt his power, the last of the power of his race welling up within him, flesh trembled and shook as his magics swept through him, burning within his blood and boiling his bone, pliable muscles grew and swelled under his transformational skills and wings were the first to make their presence known. Might Red wings beat the air and lifted him high upon the air once again as his body began to grow between the mighty pinions, carrying him on his broad wings towards the devastated village, he swooped in low as he neared the village and his jaws opened to unleash a gout of roiling flame upon a demon in the throes of lust filled copulation with a human woman, the woman fell, crumpled as her mate was vaporized in a cloud of foul smelling smoke, twisting Ruagh rose within the air, his wings snapping wide as he soared upwards, light blazing through the mighty wings, and tainting the very sun with the crimson of his wings. Demons paused in their revelry and began to panic, seeking refuge behind humans as Ruagh began to unleash blast upon blast of draconic fire, vaporizing the twisted parodies of humanoid form but leaving the humans untouched, careful aim and careful timing Ruagh swept his vengeance through their ranks, in mere moments his flame had purified the village, his claws tending to the last remnants of the demonic horde.

As the survivors looked upon their unlikely savior, marshaling their courage and the last of their posessions Ruagh took a position within the ruined towns square, poised and powerful he waited for the humans to come to him, unwilling to push them further in the wake of such a blow to their village, he watched as they scurried to and fro, even going so far as to ignore Him as they dealt to the remaining fires that were dying along the thatch and timbers of the buildings, put out by the skilled hands that had once extinguished the flames that Ruagh had plagued their village with, but as fires began to die, as some of the dead were buried more and more of the villagers began to gravitate around the mighty red, his eyes searching for Alissa without any success as he waited for someone to address him.

“Great Dragon, you have plagued our village for so long, why do you now save it?” An elderly man had come forth to speak with him, a human of great age and wisdom, with a civil tongue and a beard long enough to dust the very earth upon which he walked, his back was bent and he smelled of age as Ruagh looked upon him, a soft rumble beginning in the mighty dragons throat as he addressed the humans gathered about him, the entire remainder of the village, “This village is in my territory” His own voice spoke in flawless, unaccented common as he spoke, “A Territory that once spanned a great tract of land before your people had even emerged from their caves, the demons threaten us all and You are a part of My territory, I must eat to survive and your village is close, but with this recent invasion my priorities have shifted, I will defend this village and seek another place to search for sustenance, but for this I must demand Tribute.”