Young Writers Society

"Aces high. read em and weep." Zell had one his fifth game of poker.

It was the middle of the night and everyone else was asleep. Zell, Beowulf and a few of his men were still up playing cards in the tavern. Zell was winning every hand in the game of poker they were playing. One of the ways Zell get's his money for beer is to gamble.

Beowulf said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were cheating."

Zell narrowed his eyes. "I'm offended that you'd even say that. Why would I do something like that to my new pals?"

Beowulf laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Before everyone placed their bets for the next hand, Zell picked up his bottle of alcohol and leaned back in his chair to drink it. Zell suddenly lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud.

He sat up on the ground and saw that Beowulf and his men were glaring at him. Zell asked, "What?" He looked down at the ground and saw all the ace cards he'd been using to cheat.

------------------------------

Meanwhile, Yeng was asleep in his room. He began to toss and turn as if having a nightmare. His struggle in his sleep caused him to wake up in a panic. He felt sharp pains in his chest as he contunually gasped for air. He jumped out of bed and frantically looked for his bag. He found it under his bed. He pulled it out and began to dig through it. The pains in his chest worsened. He pull out one of the vails that held his antidote. Quickly, he opened it and drank the rancid juice. After he drank it all he waited for the pain to go down. "I almost turned just now." When the pain had completely dissapeared he got up and fetched his sword. He couldn't go back to sleep now. He went up to the ship's deck to practice his sword skills.

When Yeng got out of his room and started down the hall, Zell ran past a corner down the hall and frantically looked for something. When Yeng went up to him to ask what was going on, Zell pulled off the lid to a barrel and hid inside, closing up the barrel after.

Yeng sighed and asked, "What did you do this time?"

Zell popped his head out of the barrel and said, "You never saw me." and hid back in the barrel.

Beowulf and his men arrived at that moment. He asked, "Yeng. Did you see Zell come by here?"

Yeng nodded yes and pointed down the hall in the direction he came from. Beowulf and his men ran down the hallway. After they were gone, Zell said from inside the barrel, "Thanks Yeng, I appreatiate it."

Yeng sighed and walked away.

--------------------------

Yeng had gone to the ship to practice. He didn't want anyone to bother him while he practiced, so this was the perfect spot. After Yeng spent about an hour practicing with his sword, he felt a presence watching him. He sheathed his sword and turned around. Ayda was watching as he practiced. Since he finally noticed her, Ayda walked over to Yeng and asked, "What are you still doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Me niether."

Since Ayda was here Yeng thought this was a good time to tell her something. "Ayda."

"Yes?"

"If you're going to be following me in my quest, then you have to promise me something."

Ayda asked, worried. "What's that?"

"If I ask you to stay out of a fight or not to follow me somewhere, you have to listen to me."

"But-"

"Please. I only want you to be safe. If something were to happen to you I don't know what I would do. So promise me."

It was a few moments before she answered. With a forced smile, she said, "Ok, I promise."

"How touching. I think I'm about to cry."

Ayda and Yeng sprung to their battle positions. With his hand on his sword, Yeng looked around the whole deck but saw no one.

"I'm up here, genius."

Yeng looked up at the ship's mast and saw a black figure lying lazyly on the mast. Whatever it was, it was definitaly not human.

The creature spoke in a human tongue. "It's been a while, Yeng."

"That voice." Yeng loosened himself up and stood up straight. "What do you want now, Valmorr?"

The creature got up to its feet and jumped down onto the deck out of the shadows. It was a black dragon. It was aproximately the length of two horses from head to tail and had a pink mohawk running down its spine. "I just wanted to say hi. Can't old friends say hi once in a while?"

"We're not exactly old friends."

The dragon looked at Ayda, who hid a little behind Yeng. "Traveling with a girl? You're getting soft Yeng."

"I'm not going to ask again. What do you want?"

Valmorr walked over to him and eyed Yeng's sword on his waist. "Such an interesting sword." He began to pace around both Yeng and Ayda. When Valmorr got close to Ayda, it took all her will power not to shriek with fear. "I can feel a powerful aura eminating from it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was the legendary Hokuten Blade." Valmorr finished pacing around them and walked to the front of the ship's deck. "You may think you're strong, but if that sword really is the Hokuten Blade, then you will not be able to control it without risking the lives of others."

With that, Valmorr opened his wings and flew off into the distance. When he was gone, Ayda said with an annoyed voice, "I'm starting to get sick of these surprises that you've brought along with you. Who was that dragon anyway?"

"His name is Valmorr. I met him a while back, when I first recieved my curse. He shows up once in a while to pester me. I guess he thinks it's funny." He turned back to Ayda. "You'd better get back to bed now. We'll be leaving to the city in the morning."

Ayda nodded and walked away. Yeng watched as she walked away. The way she acted led Yeng to believe that something was on her mind. He decided not to bother asking her and let her get back to sleep. Yeng still wasn't tired so he continued with his practice.

----------------------

Meanwhile, Zell was snoozing away inside the barrel he was hiding in. He must have nodded off while he was hiding from Beowulf.

The next morning, just before dawn, Karma went up on deck to check things out. She was dressed in a light green tunic with brown pants, along with a cream sash around her slim waist a a jaunty angle. She had decided to discard the heavy padded tunics that she favored. Incidentally, the tunics made her look extremely bulky.

Breathing the refreshing salty spray coming up from the ocean, she decided to relax on a barrel for a while, and soak up the sun.

After a little bit, the barrel began to shake, and a muffled thumping came out of it.

"Mmmph! let me out! I didn't mean to chea-"

"Good morning, Zell" said Karma, smiling to herself, "How are we today?"

She got off the barrell letting Zell out. He put a hand to his head and groaned, not wanting to hurt his image he smiled and acted as if he were yawning.
"Good morning yourself."
Karma rolled her eyes, "So what you do now?"
"Nothing that a couple of beers cant get rid of." he stepped out of the barrell.
"Today we leave, are you coming with us?"
Zell got a cocky grin, "Why you so interested?"
"Oh for pitys sake, it was just a question you pigheaded man." she said throwing her hands in the air in exsasperation.
"Yeah, Im going too."
"Fine, well it leaves in half an hour."
"I wouldnt miss it, I promise you." He winked at her and went off in the other direction.

.................................
Yeng woke up with someone next to him, it was Ayda. He had never felt her come in, he didnt want to wake her just yet. He propped himself up on one arm and watched her sleeping and watched the gentle way her chest moved when she slept.
He touched a tendril of her hair and then carressed her face in a gentle way, Ayda stirred.
Yeng held his breath thinking, no dont open your eyes just yet. She did any way, "Good morning, how was it you came to be in my bed?"
She smiled, "I told you I couldnt sleep, and since your bed turned out to be comfertable I decided Id stay."
"Well I wish you would have woke me up."
Aydas cheeks turned red, "Well I didnt."
"Perhaps you should be punished." he pulled her to him and rolled on top of her, pinning her hands back he asked, "Do you surrender?"
"Never." She giggled.
He leaned down and kissed, letting her hands go in the process. He felt her hands go to his face and the back of his neck.
A knocking on the door interupted them both, giggling Ayda said "Get the door."
"we will continue this later."
Ayda sat up as Yeng went to the door and opened it, It was Beowulf.
Beowulfs face turned red when he saw Ayda in the same room as Yeng.
"Um Uh, I was just letting you know the boat leaves in 20 minutes."
Yeng smiled, "Thanks, we'll be ready."

(YOU GUYS CONTINUE HERE, IM NOT SURE WHO WAS WANTING US TO BEGIN THE BOAT SCEANE BUT HERE YOU GO)

(OOC: I guess it was my own fault for not being descriptive enough, but in my last post they were already on the ship heading for their destination. No point in worrying about it now though, I had to edit my last post to acomidate for what you guys posted. Regretably, I can't think of anything to post today. My mind has been somewhere else lately.)

Beowulf watched as Yeng and Ayda emerged from the stairs carrying thier belongings and laughing like a couple of lovesick teenagers. A twinge of jeousally rippled through his massive body, he sighed.
"Whats wrong old man, cant handle to another woman vanish from your reach." he asked himself. He had partners along the way but nothing ever serious, he liked it that way but sometimes wished for more. Even that cheat Zell was having luck with the women, Karma seemed to have taken a liking to him, they were both engaged in a conversation. He attention snapped back to Ayda and Yeng who were boarding the ship now.
Ayda walked to a bench and streched out on it, placing her hands beneath her head. Yeng started in Zells direction.

"Whats with him?" Zell said draining a liquid of some sort. Yeng followed zells gaze to Beowulf who intensally staring at Ayda.
"Isnt it obious."
Both men turned to Karma who sighed, "Men trully are clueless to the ways of women. Beowulf feels for Ayda and resents any man whom is with her. I should know.
(I dont know if someone wrote that Karma and Beowulf have never met but I have a new idea)
"Whats that supposed to mean?" Zell asked narrowing his eyes.
"He was the same with someone I knew long ago, someone he left due to those feelings.":
"Who?" Yeng asked.
"Me. It was a long time ago, we were just a couple of kids with time on our hands. He was on a mission and I was a women in search of a mission, you can say we hit it off. That all changed when he realized well thought I was in love with another. Oh nevermind, the past is the past no use dragging it out into the open." She than looked out toward the ocean, oblivous of all around her at that moment.

Yeng decided to rejoin Ayda whom had been talking to a shipmate about the importance of taking care of your weapons. The boy looked to at least 12.
"Your weapon is your life, it protects you so protect it, honor it."
The boy was listening with a look of understanding on his face. "Yes M'am."
Ayda turned when she heard Yeng say Hi.
"Hi."


All i have time for.

The ship began to rock violently as the wind began to push the ship into the ocean. Zell's stomach began to feel weird. He clutched his stomach as it growled loudly.

"Ah, crap! how could I forget how seasick these trips make me?"

Karma noticed Zell was acting strangly. She walked over to him and asked, "Zell, are you ok?"

Zell's face was beginning to turn green. He tried to keep a straight face as he replied to Karma. "Oh, yeah. I'm just great! Never been better!" His stomach let out another unhealthy growl. "Gata go!"

He ran to the other side of the ship where Karma couldn't see him. She decided to take his word for it and made no attempt to follow him.

He ran behind the guy who was steering the ship. Zell swung his body on the end of the ship and began to hark his breakfast into the ocean. When he was finished he groaned in pain. His stomach didn't change a bit. If anything, it felt like his sickness was getting worse. "Ah man, this sucks. I'd rather be doing this while I'm drunk. At least that way I won't feel much of the pain." A small wave hit the side of the boat. Even that was enough to upset Zell's stomach even more. He puked over the side of the boat again. He groaned again. "Looks like I'm staying in this spot for the rest of the trip."

The ship's pilot sighed to the thought of having to hear Zell throw up every five minutes. If he wasn't careful, listening to the seasick alcoholic might make him sick aswell.

(OOC: can we make it so the guy driving the ship gets seasick too and someone else will have to steer the ship?)

(OCC:who would drive the ship???)
From across the ship Yeng let out a laugh, he had forgotton how funny it was to see Zell on a boat. He had seen Zell fly to end of the ship and when he hadnt come out knew where he was going.
"I'll be right back." he gave Ayda a kiss on the forehead and went to where he had seen Zell dissaper.

"Need something to drink?"
Zell looked up to Yeng with a grin on his face and became annoyed.
"Go the hell away." He said feeling a wave of nausea, he covered his mouth.
"You still get seasick? I figured with as many times as you get drunk you would be this time."
"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Keep quiet."
Suddenlly Yeng got an uneven feeling in the pit of his stomach, he jerked around and noticed Ayda wasnt anywhere in sight.
"Looking for something." Yeng froze, he turned to see Terall with Ayda.
"Release her."
"You want her, come and get her." Terall vanished taking Ayda with her, Ayda's scream as she called out to him continued to echo in his mind.
Dropping to his knees he let his head fall to the ground, he knew something like this would happen, why had he just left her. If anything happend to her he would never forgive himself.

.........................................
Coughing as she opened her eyes she found herself laying on the ground next to a pool of some kind of putrid liquid. The smell was so intense she threw up all over.
"Welcome to my humble abode my dear."
A man who looked to be about in his mid 30's was sitting in a chair a couple feet away from her.
"Who are you?"
"Oh you dont recoginze me, perhaps if you had your sword and were in the swamp you'd know who Iam then."
"Terall."
"Very very good. I knew there was some reason you were so important to Yeng."
She now knew why Yeng could never find Terall, Terall had been around the whole time just in human form.
"What do you want?" she asked him.
"What I want isnt that simple,well wasnt that simple. I have you to thank for that."
"What do you mean?" she stood up and her hand went to sword that wasnt there.
Terall smiled,"As you know Yeng is infected with my curse,well Im not so young anymore and Iam in dire need of someone to carry on in my place. This is where you come into play, Yeng has to accept my curse before I can pass it on to him, of course he wont willingally so I will use you to bargin with."
"I'll never let him do that, I'll kill myself first."
Terall let out a loud laugh that made Ayda want to attack him, "You are so spirted, perhaps once my soul is passed into Yeng Ill keep you yet."
"Why do you want Yeng, why not someone else? You could have anyone."
"I want Yeng because of the magnifcant powers he's got, it would just triple mine a hundred times fold."
"I wont let you do that to Yeng, even if it means me killing myself I will." Ayda said snarling.
"We'll see about that."
He than snapped his fingers and bars went up around Ayda, she knew not to touch these because they would shock her. Sitting down she weeped quietally.

..................................
Aboard the ship, Yeng was in chaos of trying to figure out where Ayda was when Beowulf entered.
"I found a note to you, its signed Terall."
Yeng snatched the note from him and tore into it, he found inside a map and 3 simple words "Meet me here."


OKay guys its up to you... Im thinking about starting a storybook of my own. What do you guys think.

(OOC: Meh, I guess the part about someone else driving the ship is irrelevant now. Forget I said anything. And also, it's spelt "Terral.")

Yeng looked at the map. It showed their current postion and a dotted line from here to a wasteland to the west across the ocean. They were heading north right now, he would have to change their course if he was going to get Ayda back.

-----------------------------

Meanwhile, Valmorr, the black dragon from before, was lazily flying over some wastelands to the west. He was bored and didn't think he'd find anything fun to do here. Until he saw a group of people standing on the ground. They hadn't noticed him yet. He was flying high enough to look like another bird in the sky.

"Well, well." He said to himself. "WHat do we have here? Now why would any humans be traveling across this god forsaken wasteland in such small numbers? Doesn't matter, this could prove to be fun."

He flew behind the group so he wouldn't be seen, and he began to descend towards them. When he saw what he was up against, he stopped. This was no group of humans. The leader looked human, but Valmorr sensed some sort of demon trait about him. His minions were creatures who looked like they were crossed between a dragon and a wolf. The minions were carrying a large cage. Inside the cage was a human girl. Valmorr recognized this girl. She was the girl with Yeng the other night. "Now why would these guys have that girl under lock and key? Doesn't matter, I'm sure Yeng would apreciate it if I got her back."

He swooped down and landed quietly behind the group. He crept up behind them unnoticed. Ayda saw the dragon and recognized it from the other night. She didn't saw anything so the dragon could stay unnoticed. One of the creatures that was gaurding her cage saw her and followed her gaze to whatever she was looking at. Before it could warn the others in its group, Valmorr tackled it and broke its spine, effectively killing it. Before the others had time to figure out what was going on, Valmorr quickly finished off the rest of them. When he focused on the leader, the leader had turned into a beast similar to these creatures. Valmorr knew what this creature was. It was Terral, the monster that Yeng had been hunting for years, and also the monster that had been causing trouble in the world of dragons and other creatures.

Terral lunged at Valmorr and tried to bite his neck. Valmorr jumped inthe air and slammed his body on Terral before he could reach him. Terral lifted Valmorr into the air and tossed him towards Ayda's cage. Valmorr stopped skidding on the ground just before he hit the cage. He heard a sparking noise coming from the cage. He looked and saw that it was electrified by some unseen force. If Valmorr hadn't stopped when he did, he would have been fried to death by this thing.

Valmorr got back to his feet and saw Terral running towards him. He folded his wings and rolled out of the way. Terral couldn't stop in time, so he slammed into the cage and got electrocuted. The cage's electricity shorted out and Terral fell unconcious. Valmorr went over to the cage and ripped the bars off with his mighty talons. He turned and kneeled. "Get on. Now's our chance to escape."

Ayda didn't argue and climbed onto Valmorr's back. She held on tight when Valmorr jumped into the air and began to fly away. And not a moment too soon. Terral woke up just in time to see them fly away. He let out a howl of frustration as he watched his ticket to a new body slip from his grasp.


Valmorr flew to the north towards a mountinous region. Ayda asked. "Why did you save me back there?"

"You have any reason why I shouldn't have?"

"No, but I thought Yeng said you two weren't friends."

Valmorr laughed under his breath. "Yeng says a lot of things. He and I first met the same year he was bitten by that creature. He wouldn't have lasted the first year of his curse without my help."

They stayed silent for a few moments. Ayda asked, "Are you going to take me back to Yeng?"

"No."

"Why?" She asked with frustration.

"It's too dangerous for you to go back to him right now."

"Then where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you to my home, Mount Hakurea. It's the last place us dragons can call home. My bretheren will protect you while I go find Yeng and bring him here as well."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because Terral is our enemy too. He has been killing every dragon he has seen since the day he first appeared. Our population is dropping faster than the humans' because of this. I guess you could say I was tried to stop whatever he was planning."

They got closer to Mount Hakurea. Valmorr said, "We've almost arrived at the dragon city."

"You promise you'll go straight to Yeng."
"I promise you, now hold on."
Ayda clung to Valmorr as he went in for a landing, a few dragons came out to see what was going on.
"Dont worry they will not hurt you." He lowered his neck and body and helped her down.
"What's she doing here?" Ayda looked up to see an older looking dragon with ash colored eyes and a yellowish looking body.
"She's under my protection Tenia. She's a friend of Yeng's so treat her with respect, I'll be back later with Yeng and compainions."
He shot back into the sky leaving Ayda with the dragons. She looked at the dragon who snorted his repulsion. Aparentally this dragon didnt like human's, Ayda decided to introduce herself.
"My name is Ayda."
A younger dragon came forth, "Ping." Ping was a green and black dragon with blue eyes and he was a little smaller than the rest of them.
"Hi nice to meet you."


(YOU GUYS CONTINUE IM GOING TO BEGIN ANOTHER STORY)

I'am going to continue posting here but I want to start one of my own.

((OOC: Sounds great! I'll definately ccheck it out! also, can you ppl spell check, I know I am sort of a hypocrite, but it would be nice ))

Karma, wondering what Zell was up to, walked around to the side of the ship, just as Terral took off with Ayda.
"NO!" Yeng was doown on his knees, looking at where Ayda had been moments before, "NO!"
Karma quickened her pace until she was running flat out, "What's that thing doing with her?"

((all I can write for now, sorry))

(OOC: Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'll think of something and do it tomorrow.)

Ayda had been getting along with the other dragons Tenia still didnt want anything to do with her, everytime she got around him he would move.
"Whats up his butt?"
Ping laughed, "You'll have to forgive him. You see when he was little he had been adopted by a human, as you know humans die before dragons."
"Oh I see, he was good friends with this human and when he died it devested him."
Ping nodded. Ayda began to worry about Yeng and it Valmorr had got to him.
........................................
Yeng had been on his way to the island when he noticed a black bird in the sky and it kept getting bigger, that wasnt no bird it was Valmorr. What did he want?
"Good to see you again Yeng, before you start yelling at me you should know I rescued Ayda and shes on my homeland."
"Is she okay, is she hurt, Ill kill that bastard if he's hurt her."
"Calm down or you'll strain something. She's fine and no he hasnt hurt."
"Take me to her."
"What about your crew?" Valmorr asked.
"Its not my crew its Beowulf's."
Beowulf came walking up, "Go I'll take care of them."
"Very well. Hope on and I'll take you to your lady."
Zell finally recoverd from his seasickness came out from around a barrel just as Yeng and Valmorr took flight.
"Hey, where the hell is he going?"
Karma who had been watching the sceane unfold was relived that Ayda was okay, she may not have liked her that much but she didnt want to see her dead.
"That dragon thing said he knew where Ayda was and now he's taking him to her." Karma told them.
"I hope she's really okay and this isnt some trap." Beowulf said.

All i have time for.

"If Yeng is going off to the dragons' homeland to get Ayda, how is he going to meet back up with us?" Karma asked.

Zell replied to Karma's question in a relaxed tone. "Don't sweat it. We were going to the city in the first place, right? He already knows this and he's no idiot, he'll meet up with us there."

Karma said, "Well that's a relief."

Zell looked around to see if anyone was watching or listening. When he made sure that no one was, he asked Karma, "Hey, Karma?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you hold it against me if I said you had a beautiful body?" He rubbed the back of his head and smiled mistiviously.

Karma's expression grimmed and she spoke as if she was speaking to a child. "I'm flattered by your compliment, but now's not the time for your antics."

"Antics? I'm serious though. You have a great body."

Karma sighed and walked away. As Zell watched her walk away, he thought to himself, Playing hard to get, eh? Well I'm not one to give up when the going gets tough. He grabbed two bottles of wine from one of the barrels on the ship and followed after Karma. Maybe she'll be a little more friendly towards me if she had a bit to drink. Zell giggled to himself, mistiviously.

(OOC: F.Y.I. I've just been accepted into a scalarship programme in Japan. Even though I'm going to be leaving in September, I'm just letting you know that I may not be able to post after that for 10 months because I'll be in Japan. Just letting you know.)

(OOC: Japan! Wow, that's a long while away but lucky you.)

Sitting by herself Ayda was finally alone, the dragons sometimes kept an eye on her but something had stirred them to go off in groups and talk in their own tongue. Ping had rustled up a small looking glass for her and in it she saw how messy she looked, her hair stood on ends with bits of sand in it, she had bags under her eyes and small red ants kept on biting her legs.

"Get off!" she brushed at her legs in frustration and rubbed at the small bites. "Hey, Ping! Have you got anything for these bites, I'm starting to itch."

"Sure, just rub some sand into it."

Sand? What use is that? But she tried anyway and was relieved to find the itching decrease.

"Hello stranger," Yeng said.

She smiled up at him and smoothed her hair. "You came but where is everyone else?"

"I didn't think it was necessary for everyone to come, we'll meet them in the city."