Dream: Dragons and Monsters

Date: 5/16/2017

“Centuries ago dragons had ruled the skies, land, and seas. They were worshipped like gods and given offerings in return for safe passage across the seas, good harvests, and protected kingdoms. However, humans are greedy creatures and soon mages came into being. They found ways to control the dragons and force them to battle against one another. Soon a great war broke out. Near the ending of the war two young mages went to the lair of the dragons and worked out a way to free them from their prison, in return the two mages were given the souls of two lost dragons. One a dragon of shadows, one a dragon of toxins. These two fought alongside the dragons in the war, but the dragons lost. The two mages were said to have been executed but throughout the centuries the story has changed and been retold so no one knows what happened to them.” The elder told me as I leaned back in my chair. My violet hair was hidden under my green beanie. I was tired. I'd heard this lecture too many times. I got up and headed out the door of the elder’s office. I could hear him shouting for me to come back. “Senryu this. Senryu that.” I mumbled as I scratched at my neck where my black dragon tattoo ended. The thing spiraled down my left shoulder and arm. “Yo Senryu! You piss off the elder again?!” Asven, the red-headed snake charmer in the village. He drove me nuts most days. My yellow eyes narrowed and he stopped in his tracks. “I swear you're part reptile. When you get pissed your eyes change.” “Then leave me alone for your safety.” I hissed at him. “Yeah yeah. Fine woman.” Asven said and headed off. Hours passed and I could hear a low humming noise. Soon an explosion hit the village. Then another. Scales worked across my skin but I fought it down. “Don't do it. It might be him.” I hissed quietly. I charged off towards the village. Some of the mages were trying to put out the flames but there was no sign of who had done the attack. “Dantellion!” I growled once I caught sight of the fire mage. He'd shot flamed across more of the village and I had to run to keep up with him. I felt someone pull my arm only to watch as arrows flew by where I'd just been. Poison-tipped arrows. I looked to see who had grabbed me only to get a glimpse of amber reptilian eyes as my vision blurred and darkness pulled me under. I could hear hushed whispers as I felt ground beneath me. I could smell fresh rain upon the grass around me. My eyes, however, would not open. “Seems she’s waking up.” I heard someone say. “You shouldn’t have brought her with us.” another voice said. I groaned and sat up slowly. I grit my teeth as I felt pain like pins and needles shoot through my body with each movement. Finally my eyes allowed me to open them and I saw a dark forest with a group of men and women, all with glowing reptilian eyes of varying shades. I felt my eyes widen in surprise as I tried to get to my feet. “Calm yourself, lass.” the one with amber eyes said. I knew he had been the one that had grabbed me earlier on. “There’s no reason to keep her with us. She’ll just slow us down.” one with glowing red eyes said. I felt the scales form across my arms. I recognized that voice. “Dantellion!” I growled as I pushed to my feet. My voice was low and deadly. “Murderer!” I shot at him within seconds. His eyes widened before he got to his feet and grabbed my fists before they could connect. “Feisty as always Senryu.” He said with a smirk. I slammed a knee in his chest as scales shot across the rest of my body and claws formed where my nails had been. Dantellion backed up as fire covered his fists. “Alright, let’s play.” “Shouldn’t we stop them?” an emerald-eyed woman asked. “Not yet.” the amber-eyed man stated. I slashed my claws at him as I felt something shift inside me. Dantellion leapt back and slammed a flaming fist into my stomach. I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming. Blood trickled down my lip because of that. I fell back and pushed up, slamming a kick into his chin. I let the momentum carry me till I was back on my feet. He glared at me but there was a wicked smile upon his lips. I crouched low as I held my hands before me, shadows formed in them to create black daggers. His eyes widened a fraction of a second before his wicked smile widened. “You destroyed my home you bastard. I won’t let you live.” I hissed before vanishing from sight and then slamming the handle of my dagger down on his back. Dantellion hit the ground hard. He rolled and shot a flaming kick at my side. Connecting hard. I went flying into a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of me for a moment. I hit my knees and fought to get back up, my daggers having vanished. “You two done?” a sapphire-eyed woman asked. Dantellion and I both were struggling to get to our feet. I glared at him and he chuckled at me. “Good. We have to head off. Now you can either come with me and live, or stick here in the lies and die a coward’s death.” the sapphire-eyed woman told us. More so me. “Why should I follow someone who works with a killer?” I growled at her. “Because he saved your life. That village would have killed you.” she told me. I got to my feet again and looked to the amber-eyed man from before. “She speaks the truth.” he stated. “That man has betrayed my village and myself a number of times...and you expect me to believe him a saint?” I asked bitterly. “Oh hell no! I’m no saint.” Dantellion said with a laugh, “But I did save your ass Senryu. Why do you think you always had to hide your precious scales?” “Because you kill those who are different from the other villagers.” I explained simply. He laughed again. “No. It’s because they didn’t want us other dragons finding you.” “I’m no dragon.” I told him. “She’s delusional.” the emerald-eyed woman stated. “She’s just more human than the rest of you.” the amber-eyed man stated. I glared at them all but something in me told me they weren’t lying. Something in me felt like there words might actually be the reality I’d been kept from. “Murasakiryu?” I questioned as I stared into the campfire. “That’s kind of a mouthful. Can I just call you Ryu?” The amber-eyed man, Murasakiryu, just chuckled at my comment. “With our names being similar that may get confusing.” I sighed at that. He was right. He and I were sitting around the fire while the others were off hunting. The sapphire-eyed woman was Raven while the emerald-eyed woman was Ailana. There was no real leader. Just a group of dragons, who looked very human...and I was one of them. It was far more to take in than I should have needed to. I got to my feet and stretched. I was tired of sitting around. The only member of the group I trusted was Murasakiryu. Which might not have been the smartest move since I could tell he was the most powerful of them. Watching them the last few days I could see it. The others were just a tad wary of him. He was quick, observant, and clever. Despite that he was a goofball that cracked jokes to kill the silence or tension. “Why do you stick with them?” I asked as he continued to watch the fire. “What do you mean?” He asked me back. I rolled my eyes. “You don’t seem like the ‘follow the group’ type. You seem more like the type to go off on your own.” “Oh I plan to soon.” He stated with a smirk. “When?” I asked. “Afraid to be left with them?” His eyes hadn’t moved from the fire but I knew he was watching my movements. My reactions. “Yes and no. Mostly just curious but I don’t much care for them. They hide too much.” I answered honestly as i continued to stretch. I wanted to run off. Far from the group. I wanted this to all be a dream but I knew it wasn’t. “Do you not hide things?” He asked calmly. “Not willingly. Can’t intentionally hide what you didn’t know you knew.” I said and formed daggers in my hands again. I began to practice with them as I spoke with him. “Valid point. If it were true.” He said before vanishing from where he sat. I stood my ground, listening intently for him. I slowed my breathing and my heartrate to help me hear him. Instead I just felt a hand grab hold of my throat as he suddenly stood in front of me. His arm had a pulsing red and violet hue running through it. He let go of my throat and shoved me to the ground, hand on my collarbone to keep me down. I couldn’t move. It was like a paralysis had crashed my system. “Close your eyes and rest Senryu. You’ll soon realize what you knew.” He whispered before darkness took me under once more. I could see fires. Bloodshed. Battles across countries of man and dragon alike. I felt sickened by the sight of it all. Most of all the sight of the dragons killing their own kind. I bit back a shriek as the images changed to show two young mages lying still before two powerful dragons. “You fought bravely young ones.” The silver dragon said as it lifted a violet and black orb in its claws. “Now reawaken with these lost souls. Become more than this war.” The copper dragon said and motioned to its comrade. The silver dragon placed the violet orb atop one young mage and the black orb atop the other. The orbs glowed before dissipating and covering the bodies in a powerful glow. Soon the mages both shot awake, gasping for air. I watched as they looked to one another and then the dragons. “We are not the killers your kind think us to be.” The copper dragon stated. “Senryu, Murasakiryu, these will be your new names. Go forth. Show the truth of the dragons.” The silver dragon stated before the two dragons vanished. ‘Me?’ I thought as I watched in surprise. The images blurred once more only to shift and show me the two mages from before. Scales across their bodies as they shot off in the war. Murasakiryu sliced his way through many mages with his katanas that he’d enhanced with toxic magic he’d gained from his dragon soul. The other Senryu manipulated shadows, throwing enemies into one another and occasionally into enemy weapons. She cut down many with daggers she’d made from her powers of her dragon soul. The two reborn dragons fought fiercely against the enemies ahead of them. However the battle was taking its toll on them. Many dragons had already lost their lives. These two were now members of a quickly dying race. I shot up and gasped for air. I was in a cave entrance with the group. I glared at Murasakiryu but I sighed and just curled into myself. I felt dizzy. My stomach hurt. Something wasn’t right. “How long?” I asked. “3 days. We managed to force some liquids down your throat but nothing more.” Ailana explained and looked to Murasakiryu. “Try not to keep her under so long next time.” “You act like there will be a next time.” I stated as I got to my feet. I used the cave walls to walk to the entrance. I saw rain pouring down and held my hand out under it. The soothing feeling made me miss what I had once known as home. I stepped out under the pouring rain and let it soak me to the bone. I could feel the stares of the other dragons but I didn’t care. It was like a veil had been placed upon me and I had stepped out of their world for just a moment. The rain lasted days. The others would talk amongst themselves. I’d tune them out for the most part. I didn’t want to be part of that world. I didn’t want any of it. On the night that the rain started to wane I stood out under it once more. “Swindler’s rings and snitch’s tongue. This curse of ours cannot be undone.” I whispered as I closed my eyes, letting the rain soak me once more. “Keep that up and you’ll be sicker than a dog.” Raven told me as she placed a hand upon my shoulder. “I’ve never once been sick. Minus your friend’s poisoning.” I told her as I glanced back to the group. Murasakiryu just smirked at me when I said that. “He’s trying to wake you up since you seem to think you’re truly some human gifted dragon abilities.” Raven told me. I sighed at her response. “I never thought that of myself. I always thought I was a freak.” “Well in a way you are. We all are.” Dantellion stated as he stood in the cave entrance. “We’re some of the last dragons alive. Forced to appear human for our sakes. It’s a crock of shit if you ask me.” “Good thing no one asked you.” Ailana said with a roll of her eyes. She turned her attention to me. “Look, you don’t have to like us. Let alone trust us. However we aren’t the ones you should be afraid of.” “I don’t believe that. I should honestly fear anyone at this point. I’ve only met one person that doesn’t seem fake...and he overdosed me with poison.” I told them as I felt the rain slow. I wasn’t ready to trust them or anyone. Dust flooded my vision as I heard a clash of swords. Ailana was dead. Dantellion badly wounded while Raven tended to him. Murasakiryu was facing the mages ahead of us. His opponent was an enemy dragon that had been captured by the mages. One of those mages being that asshole Asven. I don’t understand how he survived the explosions that Dantellion had shot across the village but I was now wishing he’d never survived. Asven’s eyes were closed but his body held a faint white glow to it. He was the one in control of the dragon facing off against Murasakiryu. The dragon he faced down had pitch black eyes and scales across his whole body. I didn’t hear a name for him but I don’t think it mattered. He was somehow keeping up with Murasakiryu’s sword-fighting. That shouldn’t be possible. I formed my daggers in my hands once again as I caught sight of another enemy dragon. I charged them before they could get to my comrades. “Snap out of it!” I growled at them. My daggers had just barely caught the sword pushing down towards Raven’s head. I fought to push it back up as she did her best to move Dantellion to safety without opening his wounds too much. I pushed hard against the blade of the other dragon and watched as it cracked and shattered in his hands. I made my daggers vanish as claws formed and scales covered me. I slashed at the enemy dragon. He snarled at me as electricity crackled around his body. He charged me as I felt my shadows wrap around me. I caught his kick as electricity jolted through my system. I bit back a shriek and tightened my grip, digging my claws in till blood dripped. He growled and tried to get loose but slammed him hard to the ground. We traded blows for a while, gaining cuts and bruises along the way. I finally knocked him down and out. I felt sorry for the poor bastard but I could help him better without him being awake. I saw Murasakiryu had finally knocked the other dragon to the ground. His scales had turned varying shades of violet and silver as he charged the mages. None of them seemed to realize just how much of a threat he was because they didn’t move. Within seconds many of them had hit the ground writhing in pain. Reddish violet patches forming where he’d slashed at their skin. Asven and a few mages were left standing but Raven had gotten Dantellion patched up enough to move. Her scales became crystalline as she took in a deep breath before releasing a banshee like shriek. Thankfully it was targeted specifically at the mages, two of the remaining dropping to the ground as blood spilled from practically every orifice of their body. The other two had managed to place some kind of magical barrier around themselves just long enough to keep from being hit. She joined the battle with Murasakiryu as I went to Dantellion’s side. “Funny how enemies can become allies.” Dantellion said with a pained laugh. “Oh just shut up. You’re not allowed to die until I’m the one that kills ya bastard.” I told him, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips. I let my shadows slither across my arms and over his body. “Gonna kill me while I’m down huh?” Dantellion asked. “No. Gonna thread your broken body back together.” I told him as he took in a sharp breath. My shadows having slithered within him to begin threading the wounds closed at a quicker pace than he was initially healing. I focused on the task at hand as I kept listening for any signs of trouble. Raven and Murasakiryu seemed to have things covered now that I’d taken over with Dantellion. I just hope that we aren’t too late in the end. I awoke after that.