Zoltar soared over
the Shadow Lands, the sunlight flooding his obsidian black scales and the wind
tugging at his wings. Far below, wide open plains stretched as far as the eye
could see. A clear blue river snaked through the emerald grasses, twisting and
roaring on its way to the distant sea. Countless prey animals grazed on the
lush vegetation, a herd of zebra scattering as Zoltar’s shadow swept over them.
He grinned, flashing his fangs, as he watch them flee. It was such fun to watch
them panic and run at the first sight of him.
Just ahead loomed
Mount Mokewtu, jutting out of the vast grass lands like some great
disfigurement in the earth. Pine forests clocked the rocky slopes of the
mountain while snow frosted its twin peaks. In its shadow lay Zoltar’s home;
the Shadow Talon village.
Caves spotted the
mountain’s slopes as Shadow Talons walked in and out of the shallow tunnels. In
the streets outside, dragons stood with the morning’s catch at their paws. Some
had fish while other’s had game and all were hissing and growling as they went
about trading their goods.
As Zoltar scanned
below, he spotted a familiar snout among the crowd. He smiled as he recognized
his brother, fighting as usual with a Shadow Talon bartering ostrich eggs. He
swooped in to land next to his brother who was getting redder by the second.
“One ostrich egg is
not worth a whole salmon,” Mouzan was roaring, waving the fish around like a
wet rag. His barbed tail was lashing back and forth with such force, it sent
dusk and pebbles scattering.
“Hey Mouzan,” Zoltar
arched his eye crests, “Making trouble again I see.”
“I’m not making
trouble. This reptile is a crook and he knows it,” Mouzan bared his teeth at
the dealer, who looked at Zoltar beseechingly.
“Come on. There are
other places to get ostrich eggs,” Zoltar said as he dragged Mouzan away.
The two wandered
along the village’s main road, catching up on what was going on in each other’s
lives.
“So how’s Nickeeta?”
Zoltar asked.
“She’s doing alright.
Tired from tending to the eggs, but okay. You?”
“Same old, same old.”
Zoltar shrugged, stopping at a stall to examine some coconuts.
“Still not thinking
about starting a family?” Mouzan arched his eye crests.
“You know I’m not
interested in that yet.” Zoltar said handing the stall owner two small quail in
exchange for the coconut he’d been eyeing. “I don’t feel that I’m ready for the
responsibility involved in such a commitment. It’s hard enough dealing with
Hisster without a wife and kids on top of it.”
“Oh, you know
Hisster’s just difficult. He has to be, being chief and all that. Besides you
get along so well with Nickeeta.”
“Yah, yah. I know,”
Zoltar rolled his eyes, “I’ll marry when I’m ready and when I meet the right
dragoness.”
They’d passed the raw
produce section of the market and were now in the cooking area. A rich banquet
of spices flooded their senses. On either side of them, Shadow Talons were
rubbing chilies, preserved lemons, and other aromatic spices into large slabs
of meat, before blasting them with tongues of red hot flame.
“Did you need to
bring anything home?” Zoltar asked, turning to Mouzan.
“Well, Nickeeta
wanted me to bring home some ostrich eggs.” He scowled, “I guess a chicken will
have to do.”
“Well you could have
had them if you’d given him the fish.” Zoltar said, stopping at one of the
stalls where a female Shadow Talon was preparing a whole chicken. Her onyx
black horns caught the light of the dancing flames as she shot fire from her
mouth.
Mouzan flattened his
ears and scowled, before turning to the Shadow Talon at the stall, asking “How
much for a chicken?”
“That salmon you’re
carrying will bring you two chickens,” she said, smiling.
“Deal,” Zoltar
shouted, before Mouzan had a chance to argue.
“I could have handled
it,” Mouzan hissed quietly as he handed over the fish.
“I know. It’s just
that you tend to like arguing over nothing,” Zoltar said taking the two roasted
chickens from the stall owner. He placed them inside the bag around his neck;
its leaves would keep the meat nice and fresh.
Mouzan rolled his
eyes and snorted as he and Zoltar headed home. Soaring over the village they
passed the junior soldiers training grounds. Young Shadow Talons stood in
perfect formation practicing lunging and guarding against invisible enemies.
Older Shadow Talons stood on tall rocks overlooking the dragonets, instructing
them.
“You know we should
probably go see Scorpus after we’ve dropped the chickens off with Nickeeta,”
Zoltar suggested, glancing at Mouzan who was floating just beside him, “It’s
been a while since I’ve heard from him and I could go for a bit of excitement.”
They’d nearly reached
their home on the far side of the mountain when the earth began to shake. Large
boulders tumbled down the mountain side, crashing into trees with ear-splitting
bangs.
Startled, Zoltar
halted in mid-air, beating his wings to stay aloft. Mouzan had missed a wing
beat and was trying to right himself as the earth below heaved.
Just as suddenly as
it had started the ground stilled.
Zoltar dropped to the
ground, shaking. His heart was pounding and his breath came out in short sharp
bursts.
Mouzan crashed down
beside him in a panic.
“Quick! We have to
find Nickeeta. The cave could have collapsed.” Mouzan cried, breaking into a
gallop.
Zoltar rushed after
him, the thump of his racing heart filling his ears. He couldn’t bear to think
what could have happened to Nickeeta. She wouldn’t stand a chance if the cave
had collapsed. Zoltar tried to tear his mind away from the thoughts, but he
couldn’t. Images of Nickeeta lying crushed beneath rocks flashed through his
head, driving him forward. Maybe if they got to her in time, she could be saved.
They came skidding to
a halt a few moments later. Apart from a few rocks thrown around the entrance
to Mouzan’s cave, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Zoltar breathed a
quiet sigh of relief. There were no signs of a massive collapse. Nickeeta must
be alive.
Cautiously, Zoltar
stepped inside, keeping a look out for signs of falling debris. Who knew what
the earthquake had done to the cave's structure. Mouzan was close behind him.
The echoes of their ivory claws clacking on the cold stone floor resonated
through the tunnels. Fire rocks lit the interior of the cave, giving off an
eerie red light that pulsed as they passed by.
“Nickeeta?” Mouzan called
scanning the cave for familiar black scales.
“I’m down here,” a
voice cried from the depths of the tunnels.
“She’s in the
sleeping cave,” Mouzan cried in panic, dashed deeper into the mountain.
Zoltar kept close to
Mouzan’s tail, his heart thundering in his chest. What had happened? Was she
alright? Were the eggs okay? Nickeeta had been brooding over them for the last
year and it was nearly time for them to hatch. His heart was drumming to the
beat of his paws against the stone floor as they raced down the cavern.
Finally they reached
the sleeping cave. Mouzan skidded to a halt, his claws creating a terrible
scraping noise. Zoltar slowed to a stop behind him.
A Shadow Talon was
crouched in the far corner of the cave, her bruised wings spread over a nest.
Rocks littered the ground around her. Two boulders seemed to have trapped her
barbed tail between them.
“Nickeeta,” Mouzan
gasped, stepping forward to nuzzle her wings.
“Mouzan. Zoltar,”
Nickeeta exclaimed in a relieved voice, lifting her wings to reveal her two
eggs, still safe in the nest.
“Are you okay?”
Mouzan asked as he and Zoltar heaved at one of the boulders trapping Nickeeta’s
tail.
“I’ll be alright.
They didn’t land directly on my tail.” she said, gritting her teeth as she
dragged her tail out from between the boulders. Some scales had been knocked
from her hide, but other than that there didn’t seem to be any broken bones or
puncture wounds. “Oh, I was so afraid I’d be down here for hours,” she said,
shivering
“Thank goodness you
and the eggs are alright,” Mouzan cried, drawing Nickeeta into a hug. She
nuzzled him closely, letting out a long sigh of relief.
“We came as soon as
we felt the earthquake,” Zoltar started brushing dirt off the eggs and removing
the rocks around the nest.
Mouzan nodded, still
clutching onto Nickeeta.
“I’m going to find
Scorpus. He and the other soldiers will be forming a rescue plan for any
trapped dragons,” Zoltar said, turning to Mouzan and Nickeeta “You’ll be fine
here right?”
“Yes. We’ll be fine,”
Mowzan sighed, gently stroking Nickeeta’s bruised wings. “Scorpus and the
others will need you.”
Zoltar nodded and
dashed for the exit. Once outside, he leapt straight into the air, heading
towards the soldiers’ camp outside the village. As Zoltar flew over the
village, not much seemed to be out of the ordinary. Apart from a few rocks
strewn across the paths, everything seemed normal. Maybe it had hit their part
of the mountain worse than others.
But something in the
back of Zoltar’s mind kept telling him there had to be more to this, more than
just an earthquake. Things like this didn’t just come out of nowhere. The last
earthquake had been less than two decades ago. It had caused a tsunami on the
northern side of the Shadow Lands. It hadn’t done much damage, but if it had
been on the south, it would have had an entirely different outcome. Zoltar
decided to keep his ears and eyes open for possible side effects of the
earthquake. It wouldn’t hurt to keep his senses on sharp alert.
Half an hour later
Zoltar was walking down the winding tunnels where the chief and soldiers
resided a few miles from the village.
The air was musty and
clouded with dust from the earthen walls and ceiling. The fire rocks lighting
the tunnels seemed to flicker and pulse as Zoltar strode past.
Finally he reached
the end of the tunnel. It opened up into a magnificent room, the walls studded
with various gemstones and precious metals. In the far left corner was a golden
throne in which Hisster rested, his barbed tail lashing back and forth as he
watched him enter. Scorpus and the other soldiers were there, their heads bowed
in respect.
Zoltar, remembering
the protocol, crouched with his wings spread and his head bowed so that his
amethyst horns brushed the earth.
“Rise,” Hisster
commanded, waving a talon.
Instantly they got to
their feet. Zoltar caught a glimpse of female soldier he knew well. She was
standing a few dragons away, scanning the others, looking. Nira caught his gaze
and a flash of relief crossed her snout. Zoltar smiled as she looked back at
the chief.
“I’ve called you here
on account of the earthquake. I’ve just been consulting with Shadow Talons
studying mount Mokewtu. The signs don’t look good,” Hisster said gravely, his
paws clinched together, “The water on the mountain’s slopes has started to steam
and fissures are appearing in the sides of Mokewtu as we speak. Experts think
this afternoon’s earthquake was a warning of what’s to come. I don’t know how
long we have. We could have months or a few days before the mountain bursts her
seams.”
Zoltar’s mind was
whirling. How could this happen? Shadow Talons had lived along the slopes of
mount Mokewtu as far back as anyone one could remember. The mountain had never
in Megalonia’s history erupted or so much as blown a puff of smoke. The Shadow
Talons would have never settled on her slopes if they’d know she’d someday
rupture. What would happen to their way of life, their homes and above all were
would they go if Mokewtu did erupt?
“Sir,” Scorpus
started, taking a step towards the chief, “We must evacuate the mountain. If
Mokewtu blows there will be no one left apart from the few soldiers living here.”
Hisster nodded
grimly, then turned to Zoltar and the other soldiers, “You must all go to the
village and warn everyone. Scorpus and I will be along as soon as possible. We
need to send for reinforcements. Quick, we must get everyone out before it’s
too late.”
“Yes sir,” they said
in unison, spreading their wings in salute, before turning around and sprinting
back up the tunnel. Zoltar’s heart was pounding as they tore through the
passages.
When would the
volcano erupt? Would it be a small explosion or would it be a big one? How long
would they have to leave the mountain for? Would they ever be able to return
once the mountain had given way? Would he be able to get his brother in time?
Paws thudded against
damp earth as the dragons emerged from the tunnels. Instantly they took to the
air, wings beating and claws racking at the sky as they rose. Thunder clouds
were looming over head and an ominous rumbling filled the air around Zoltar as
he and the others race towards the distant village. The smell of wet moss and
fresh dirt filled the air; rain was on its way.
Zoltar scanned the
ground. With a jolt of fear he realized there were cracks slashed through the
earth below. They hadn’t been there this morning. They didn’t have days to
evacuate the village. It was a matter of hours, even minutes before it would be
too late.
Nira was flying
alongside him. She cast him a worried stare as she brushed wings with him, the
terror shining in her eyes. Zoltar nodded. They both knew that they had
precious time before tragedy struck.
Without warning a
sharp pain sliced up his spine and Zoltar let out a roar of agony. His body
seized up and he was sent reeling towards earth as a cruel wind stung his eyes
and bit at his wings.
“Zoltar,” Nira cried,
tucking her wings and diving after him.
Zoltar was barely
aware of what was going on around him the pain was so intense. Everything was
blurred and from what seemed some distance away he could hear his name being
called. A figure swam into view, reaching for him.
Nira grabbed his paw,
locking talons. There was a sudden jerk as she thrust out her wings and caught
the air, slowing their fall.
They both crashed
into the ground. Nira released her grasp as Zoltar collapsed, his whole body
ridged as wave after wave of pain raced up his back.
“Zoltar! Zoltar can
you hear me?” Nira roared, slapping her paw across Zoltar’s snout, trying to
break through his pain.
“Y-y-you carry o-on,”
Zoltar finally managed to gasp for where he lay coiled into a tight ball. His
sides were heaving as his whole body shook with spasms. He kept having flashes
of red and gold across his vison and explosions thundered in his ears. Suddenly
a mountain loomed in front of him, its peak a blaze with scarlet fire. Burning
rocks of roaring flame fell from the crimson sky. Screams pierced the air
around him as black smoke choked his lungs. Then just as quickly as it had
appeared the image disappeared and the pain vanished.
“What? And leave you
here like this? You must be delusional,” Nira said.
“You m-must go on,”
Zoltar hissed through gritted teeth, “We don’t have much time. It’s coming.”
“What? What’s
coming?” Nira asked, her voice starting to shake.
They both looked
towards the distant shadow of Mount Mokewtu.
Suddenly a thundering
boom shook the air around them as the ground began to shake. The other soldiers
were blown from the air. They hit the ground, just as another deafening roar
filled the air.
The Shadow Talons
watched in horror as the entire north side of the Mount Mokewtu collapsed in a
tsunami of molten rock and ash. Smoke roared from the great fissure, pouring
out the mountain and up in a giant mushroom cloud. Lighting flashed in its
depths as it spread, blotting out the sun and sky. No sound broke the deafening
howl of the volcano as it engulfed the Shadow Talon village in a cloud of smoke
and fire.
Nothing moved. It was
over.
“No,” Zoltar
whispered, crumpling like a wilting flower. His eyes were squeezed shut, but
still the tears flowed. His chest hurt like something was squeezing every rib
in his body. A strange chill had passed over him and he was shaking. It was
over. Everything, everyone was gone. His brother, Nickeeta, even the dragonets
in the eggs were gone.
He looked over at
Nira, blinking through the tears. She was just standing there, her face as hard
as stone. No emotion crossed her face as she slowly sank to the ground. She
curled up into a ball and covered her face with her wings. A quiet whimpering
was all that could be heard from the ball of scales.
Zoltar turned back
towards the mountain. Great plumes of smoke were still rising from the mountain
as rivers of glowing orange lava streamed down its sides, but there was nothing
left to destroy. Everything he cared about …his home… his family… his friends…
were gone forever, lost to the volcano. What was he going to do now? There was
nowhere to go. Even now as he stood here, ash was starting to rain down on the
landscape around him. Nothing would survive.
A shaky gasp escaped
his jaws as he surveyed what only a few minutes ago had been a thriving
community. What was going to happen to him, Nira and the Shadow Talons left?
There was a flurry of
wingbeats and he slowly turned to find that Scorpus and Hisster had arrived.
“What happened?”
Scorpus asked, his eyes filled with horror.
Zoltar knew there was
no need to answer as his commander sank to the ground beside him, grief
stricken. Silent tears slowly trickled from the old warrior’s eyes. It was the
first time Zoltar had ever seen him cry.
Hisster stood just a
little way off, neither moving, nor speaking. He just stared out at the burning
pools of lava. The light of the fires reflected into his eyes, causing them to
shine a smouldering red. Zoltar couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling. He’d
had a wife and three young dragonets. All had perished in the flames.
As the evening drew
near and the sun began to sink behind the billowing clouds of black smoke,
neither dragon moved. Even as day turned to night they stayed, staring out at
what once had been their home.
Chapter 2: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/work/felistia...
i was looking forward to seeing their family. T^T
Alright, let's start. 
Next one:
The second bold part needs a comma in between those two words too, by the way. Last one:
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