FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The mists had just cleared from the mountain range of the Frostward Vale, a land so treacherous that only the hardiest of species chose to live there. It was filled with rocky peaks and deep valleys that would catch those who traveled on it even when there was no obfuscation from the constant fog that rolls down from the peaks to the land below. Those who walk the land find little that they can do to navigate there, which made it an ideal location for those with wings. It wasn't uncommon to see dragons, gryphons, or other intelligent winged creatures making their homes up in those mountains where they wouldn't be disturbed by folk down below.

So when a naked elf came screaming down the side of one of the mountains it caused many creatures there to take notice, especially since that elf was being chased by a number of kobolds. His feet continued to pound along the stony ground despite being bloody from the rocks that he had stepped on and his skin marred and bruised from falling down multiple times in his escape. With the creatures chasing him still in pursuit there was nothing that the elf could do but keep running, even as he looked ahead of him and found that his path was coming to termination by a very large cliff. It was too late to turn or try to find another route, at this point it was either jump and probably perish or stop and probably perish.

The elf chose the former and when he got to the edge of the cliff he didn't stop for a second. He could hear the screeches of the kobolds behind him as the land was suddenly replaced with air under his feet. It felt like time had slowed to a crawl, floating briefly above the yawning expanse of the ravine he was jumping into before his body began to plummet. The wind whipped violently across his naked flesh as he tumbled downwards, falling head over heels down towards the rocks below...

"Gotchya!" the elf heard as he suddenly defied gravity, being carried upwards as something grasped around his arms. When he looked to see what creature or monster had possibly captured him he saw the flash of silver scales as the winged creature continued to take him up. As his vision began to fade out the last thing he saw was the head of a dragon looking down at him, shouting something he couldn't understand before everything went black...

When the elf opened his eyes once more it was with a gasp as he bolted upright. As his chest heaved to try and get more oxygen his eyes scanned the dark room, his eyes able to see the details of the room that he had called home for the last twenty years. He saw the glint of his armor and weapon in the corner where he stored it, right next to the shelves of books that contained as much knowledge of draconology as he could find. Seeing the familiar sights helped him to calm down from the all too familiar nightmare as he got up and poured himself a drink of water.

The magically enchanted container glowed with a soft blue light as he used it, the frost energies chilling the liquid to nearly ice cold as he took a sip while returning to his bed. Even wide awake his mind still replayed the images in his mind's eye, showing him the first memory he had of his life before the dragon that had saved him that day took him away from that accursed place. Everything before that was burned away like the mists he had ran through all those years ago to escape. Part of him wished that he knew what happened to him up on those mountains, the other part hoped that one day that memory would join all the others in obscurity.

Far away from the Frostward Vale was the elven city of Gildeon, which was where he had ended up after years of continuing to flee from the only place he could remember. It was one of the larger cities in the elven lands and also home to the Dragon Knights, an alliance of dragon and elf working together that kept the skies safe from evil dragons that threatened not only their kingdom but neighboring ones also. In response those kingdoms make sure that the city is well-funded, not only with gold and supplies but magic and information as well. It was the entire reason that he had went there in the first place, the elf thought to himself as he swirled the water around in his glass.

His reverie was interrupted when he heard a knock at the door, looking up to see it open slightly and another elf poke his head through. "Oh good, I see you're up early Master Ryonir," he said as he gave the other elf a grin. "The elders wish to speak to you as soon as you're ready, full armor."

"Thanks Flynn," the elf said as he put his glass back down on the nearby nightstand. "And for the last time, you can call me Ryonir. I would think that we've worked together enough that you could call me just by my name."

"Force of habit," Flynn replied as he began to retreat. "Try not to keep them waiting too long... Ryonir."

The door shut once more and the elf sighed as he got up and started to get dressed. Even with the enchantments on it to make it lighter and easier to wield he still had a hard time getting on the armor that had been given to him his first week as a Dragon Knight. It took about fifteen minutes before he was ready to head outside, finally getting his sword belt on before walking out of the dormitory where the other recruits slept. The sun had just started to shine over the horizon as he walked through the courtyard towards the hall of the ancients where the elders were likely waiting for him.

"Ryonir!" a voice shouted, the elf looking above him just in time to see a silver dragon land a few feet away with a loud thud. "Good morning!"

"Good morning to you too Zefrit," Ryonir replied with a small chuckle at the dragon's enthusiastic entrance. "You know that we don't have training today, what brings you here?"

Ever since Zefrit saved Ryonir at the Frostward Vale the two had become inseparable traveling companions, and when Ryonir decided to stay at Gildeon and become a Dragon Knight his friend did the same. It was nice still having him around, especially since with no recollection of the past and no idea who he was the dragon was a grounding rod for him to reality. He was also crucial to his recovery after nearly dying up on those mountains and had helped nurse him back to health. Unfortunately the silver dragon knew just as much as the elf did on Ryonir's past, only having met him in mid-air after he had heard him screaming down the mountain side and attracted his attention.

"I thought that we could go and get some breakfast since we had the day off," Zefrit said as he started walking next to Ryonir. "We could go to that place we found that seats dragons and elves together, or we could just take some food and go out for a while. Either way it's a beautiful day and I don't want to see you spend it buried in your books again."

"Alright alright," Ryonir replied, waving his hand. "We can certainly do something like that, but right now I have to go meet with the elders."

"The elders?" the dragon repeated as he stopped in his tracks. "Something wrong?"

"Flynn wouldn't say," Ryonir answered with a shrug. "I don't think it's anything big, otherwise I would have been told it was an urgent matter, but since they told me I was supposed to come in full armor I'm wondering if it's something ceremonial. Either way I'm not sure how long it's going to be, but I can use my message stone once I'm done so you're not waiting around."

There was a moment of pause before Zefrit came bouncing up towards him until he was walking next to the elf once more. "Fair enough," he stated. "I'll at least walk with you until you get there, my day is pretty free at the moment."

Ryonir just nodded and continued to walk forward, the two conversing while they walked up the stairs to the monolith of a building in the middle of the city. While there was a lot of impressive architecture that the city boasted it was the hall of the ancients that was by far the greatest; it was not only the meeting place of the elders but also where the general population could gather in the event of an emergency or mass notification. It also contained all the knowledge that the elves had gathered on any subject imaginable and also contained memorials and awards to those that were considered heroes.

Their conversation turned to silence when they entered the atrium, the area dominated by statues that towered even over some dragons as they walked between them. Both dragon and elf alike were honored here as another show of solidary between the two species, and every time Ryonir walked past them he couldn't help but wonder if any were related to him or if perhaps he might have known any on them before his memory loss. The thought just caused him to shake his head as the two continued to move forward. Once they reached the sun-kissed stone in front of the main doors where the elders convened the elf nodded to his companion and went forward alone, opening the heavy doors before shutting them behind once he had entered.

"Dragon Apprentice Ryonir," the wizened elf in the middle of the line of elders announced, Ryonir trying not to grimace slightly at the reminder that he wasn't a full knight yet. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, we hope that we didn't wake you. How are your nightmares?"

"They come and go," Ryonir replied as he bowed as best he could in his armor. "For what reason have I been summoned before you?"

There was a moment of silence between them, something that was uncharacteristic of those who had more years lived between them than some of the elder wyrms out there. "As you know ever since you've come to us with your muddled memory we've taken great strides in order to help you, not only to heal your mind but also to help guide you on your quest to know yourself," the elder said carefully. "You have been very patient these years, especially when it came to us keeping you from obtaining the full rank of dragon knight, and though your bloodline is shadowed we may have finally had a small breakthrough. Please step forward and pick up the item before you if you would please."

Ryonir couldn't help but frown even more as they made reference to his elven bloodline, which was just another missing piece in an incomplete puzzle. Having shadow blood meant that it was a lineage that couldn't be traced, which meant that he came from a clan that lived outside of the elven kingdom. Combined with the memory loss it didn't give him any favors on trying to find his identity, though it appeared that the elders may have something different in mind for a test. He slowly walked forward to the table that separated him from the others and saw that the item they were referring too was a single large dragon claw that sat on top of a blood-red satin sheet.

The elders just watched as Ryonir looked at them for some sign of what they were looking for, though their passive faces revealed nothing. When he glanced back down at the claw something caused him to pause as his hands hovered over the artifact. He couldn't sense any magic in it, aside being from a dragon, and he doubted that the entire hierarchy of Gildeon would be in the same room with something that was dangerous or cursed. Still he felt his stomach turn as his metal-covered fingers reached down and grasped hold of the talon before lifting it up.

At first nothing seemed to happen as he gripped the bone, and in the elf's mind he wondered if he did something wrong. When he looked to the elders they motioned for him to pick it up, he just nodded as he lifted the artefact off of the cloth a glowing symbol suddenly appeared on the fabric for a brief second before disappearing. As he continued to bring it up into the air a dark aura began to radiate from the talon and an icy chill began to grip his insides. It started in his hands and quickly began to spread outwards, going up to his shoulders and cascading outwards until the elder forcefully told him to drop it and his fingers released their grip.

Ryonir found himself gasping for breath as the head elder took the talon and quickly wrapped it in the cloth once more. "It was as we suspected," he said with a look of concern on his face. "Do you know what this is?"

"Well... a dragon's talon," Ryonir replied, still confused on what just happened even after completely recovered. "Why?"

"This is from the dread dragon Karlix," the elder explained once he had put the talon away. "Ripped from his paw when he sacked a rather large human city over forty years ago. This creature was the scourge of the Frostward Vale for centuries, laying waste to anything that stood in his path for years at a time before heading back to his sanctuary and disappearing from history."

"He sounds like a terror to-" the elf stopped mid-sentence when he realized what the older elf had said. "Wait, the Frostward Vale? This dragon lives there?"

"Indeed," the elder replied grimly. "When we heard of the location and his usual timeline of destruction we had a suspicion, and fact that the aura radiated from you means that you were touched by his dark power at one point." The others at the table nodded slowly as Ryonir felt his heart begin to race. "Karlix is overdue for another attack soon and those that have rebuilt after the last time are worried that this is going to be the worst one yet, they are appealing for us to help dispatch this fiendish monster for good."

"So this dragon may possibly have been the reason why I was running naked down a mountain?" Ryonir finished.

"I think that is something that you are going to find out yourself," the head elder stated, the words taking the younger elf by surprise. "That's right Ryonir, I know that we had our reservations about promoting you to the rank of Dragon Knight, but if you really are connected to this dragon than you may have a unique perspective that will help end Karlix's reign of terror. Considering the immediate potential of the next attack we need to ordain you immediately, so report down to the sacred chamber and you will be inducted into the fold, and may the wind lift up under your dragon's wings."

The elf felt his chest swell as he was given the typical response to a Dragon Knight and Ryonir felt like he was walking on air as he bowed and thanked the elders for this opportunity. He tried to contain himself but couldn't help but run a little towards the doors of the chamber to leave. When he got out of the hall he saw that Zefrit was still standing there with a big grin on his face. The dragon and elf ran towards one another and hugged hard, Ryonir nearly getting knocked over as they hugged.

"Did you know?!" Ryonir asked once he had gotten the wind back into his lungs.

"They contacted me so that I could be here to get us traveling as soon as possible," Zefrit replied, grinning sheepishly. "That is, if you're still willing to have me as your companion of course."

"I couldn't think of anyone else that I would want to travel with," Ryonir stated with a smile. "But before we get into all that I need to be officially sworn in and get my mark, let's hurry before the elders change their mind."

The dragon nodded and together the two made their way down into the chamber where the weapons of Dragon Knights were forged. While Ryonir had gotten the armor when he was an apprentice this was something that he had been waiting for, the blade of the Dragon Knight. Not only did it have enchantments to help destroy evil dragons but there were also runes on it to help heal and enhance the good dragons that typically accompany them. Only the master forgers and enchanters in Gildeon knew how to even create such a blade in perfect harmony between restoration and destruction.

As the two walked down the large staircase they found themselves deep underground in the caverns underneath the city. This was where the real order of the Dragon Knight was; while they housed most of the city on the surface it would not be well fortified against a dragon attack, which is why most of the essential buildings and equipment were in these underground caves. It prevented the flyby attacks that most dragons employed and even if Gildeon was burned to the ground it was likely that the order would survive still. It was also one of the most closely kept secrets that the Dragon Knights had; Ryonir had only been clued recently into its existence when they had given him his initial denial but wanted him to continue to serve.

"Nervous?" Zefrit asked the elf as they walked through the mason buildings built into the cave walls.

"A little," Ryonir replied. "There's still the chance they could deny me my blade. If that happens... then they may decide that I'm not worth it and kick me out of the order entirely."

"Oh come on now," Zefrit scoffed. "You're a good knight and an asset to them whether they give you a sword or not. If they're bringing you here I'm sure whatever trepidations they had before have been solved."

Ryonir nodded, but the small frown on his face was still on his lips while they walked. Though he knew it was the worst-case scenario he had heard of those that had failed so spectacularly in their trials that they did something to them to erase their memories of the Dragon Knights and sent them on their way. Could he give up such a thing, especially after finding a potential clue to what happened to him in those mountains. With it so close there was nothing that would stop him from going into the chamber and getting his blade and he swallowed any reservations before walking inside.

"We've been waiting for you Ryonir," the cloaked figure said as he beckoned Ryonir forward to the font that he stood behind. "I must admit that I didn't know if I was going to be seeing you standing here before me. Come forth and receive your weapon and join the ranks of the Dragon Knights."

Ryonir could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he stepped forward until he was on the opposite side of the font. There was no weapon there that the elf saw, instead what he saw was his own reflection in the mercurial surface of the pool. At first he thought it was a mirror, but when the mystic waved his hand over the surface it rippled like water. When Ryonir looked down again he caught a brief glimpse of something... strange, like a shadow of something vaguely draconic behind his reflection between the ripples.

But then another tiny wave came and washed away whatever entity Ryonir was seeing, leaving just the elf's reflection staring back at him as he was told to reach in and grab his weapon. He looked down at the liquid in slight surprise as he realized now how they could create such unique and exotic swords in so many different shapes. The mage explained this was called a liquid forge, and not only was it extremely rare but also required intense amounts of arcane power to fuel. As his hands hovered over the liquid he felt a very familiar tingle as the other elf informed him it was Zefrit himself was powering the font with his magic.

With only a moment more hesitation Ryonir took his hands and plunged them below the surface, feeling the liquid metal envelop them as his own power was added to the mix. Almost immediately it began to swirl around his engulfed hands, the elf sensing the currents shifting and coalescing around them. He could sense it filtering through his very essence while the substance bubbled and morphed around him. Ryonir closed his eyes as the silvery liquid began to glow around his submerged limbs, starting to sweat as every inch of his body felt like it was vibrating.

As the font continued to pull energy from Ryonir he began to feel lightheaded and though his eyes were closed he began to see... something. He started to feel a chill that soaked straight down into his bones as he found himself standing and staring at the clear blue sky. Wind began to howl in his ears as he realized he was back in the Frostward Vale, his body practically shivering as the cold continued to seep into him. As he tried to figure out what that meant he heard something behind him, a low growl that vibrated through him more than the cold. The elf turned around just in time to see the head of a huge dragon come down on him, filling his vision with teeth and tongue as they were brought down around him!

Ryonir gasped and opened his eyes and saw that the liquid had settled, the mystic on the other side continuing to watch him through the shadows of his cloak. "It is done," the mystic stated. "Grasp your blade and take your place amongst our ranks."

The elf felt his heart racing as he got ready to seize his destiny, everything that he had been working for decades finally culminating to this point. He took his fingers and slowly curled them around... nothing? When fingertips touched palms he realized that there was no weapon in the font and Ryonir found himself sloshing around the liquid a little to see if perhaps he missed where it had formed. His stomach dropped down into his feet when he couldn't find anything in the metallic substance, and for a second he thought that it was his worst fears realized that the font of the Dragon Knight had rejected him.

After about a minute or so of searching Ryonir finally gave up the ghost and began to pull his hands out of the liquid, only to stop when he saw the glint of silvery metal against his arms. When he looked up to the mystic of the forge there was no reaction that might explain what was happening. With no hint of what was coming he continued to lift up his arms and saw that the magical metal had covered his hands like a pair of gauntlets. The elf's eyes widened when he got to his fingertips and raised them to see that the intricate designs that wound around his digits ended with a set of gleaming claws.

"That is... certainly unique," the mystic stated as Ryonir looked at the new armaments in awe. "I suppose the claws could be considered a blade, but usually there's something a little longer-"

Both elves were taken slightly aback when silvery blades sprang forth from the gauntlets, gleaming in the torchlight as he waved the blades about experimentally. "Have you ever seen weapons like this formed?" Ryonir asked the mystic. "Most of the time the difference is a longsword and a greatsword... or maybe a scimitar... this... this is something different."

"It wouldn't be the first time that something like this has happened," the mystic replied. "I once knew one that got a daggertail whip while another actually had gotten a bow. The crucible knows what type of weapon to give those that can utilize them."

Even though the mystic seemed to know what he was saying the elf wondered if that was really true or if he was just being placated. Either way the mystic told him to continue over to the next chamber with his weapon, walking into another section so that he can get one more item and officially be inducted into the dragon knights. It was an emblem, a magical sigil that showed all who knew were magically inclined or of royal status that he was officially part of the order. When he walked over to the new place he found Zefrit was standing there waiting for him, the elf standing next to the dragon as the mystic stood in front of them.

"You ready?" Zefrit whispered.

"As I'll ever be," Ryonir replied, watching as the mystic pulled out a cloak complete with a brooch engraved with various sigils.

"Today we are inducting into the order of the Dragon Knight these two brave souls," the mystic stated as he held his hands up into the air with the cloak. "These two have decided to be joined together in order to combat the evils perpetrated by those dragons that wish to use their immense power and strength for evil instead of good. May they be forever protected by the wings of our order of which this cloak represents."

The mystic brought the cloak back down and instructed the dragon and knight to put their hands on the brooch, the two of them nodding to one another before putting their hand and paw on it. They could feel the shared magic course through their bodies as the mystic continued to perform the incantation. It was the bond that would allow the two to know where one another is even at great distance as well as a number of other benefits. The gemstones of the brooch, which had been sculpted to look like that of a dragon, glowed brightly as they heard the voices of the ancients swirling around them.

They remained that way for about a minute as the mystic continued to go through the tenants of being a Dragon Knight, something that the two holding the cloak already knew by heart. Once they got finished the glow of the gemstones faded and the mystic handed Ryonir the garment completely. It fit easily over his armor and the hood of the cloak fit perfectly over his head so that would say on even in high winds. Ryonir could feel the mystical energy seep into him when the brooch was clasped in place while the mystic nodded to both him and his dragon.

"May the wind always be under your wings," the mystic said as he gave them both a nod. "Normally there would be a celebration as well but unfortunately your duty calls you more urgently than most. I wish you the best of luck Ryonir, and I hope that you find what you're looking for out there."

The two nodded and made their way back out of the chamber and into the caverns proper. "So... you're officially a Dragon Knight," Zefrit said as they walked back towards the stairwell to get back up to the surface. "How does it feel?"

"It feels... strange..." Ryonir finally said as he looked at his new weapon, the blades retracting in the gauntlets. "I know that it's something that I've been working forward ever since we got here, but now that I've got it I still don't feel any different than before. It was kind of silly to think I would get some epiphany once I became one, but I had hoped that maybe it would help to spark something inside of me."

"Well you do get to go on an official mission to the Frostward Vale now," Zefrit countered. "Now not only will you be going back with me but you'll have the resources of the Dragon Knights at your disposal too. I mean, you're going to have to kill some evil dragon to prevent him from laying waste to possibly an entire kingdom while you're at it, but I think that's just an added bonus of making these lands a safer place.

Ryonir just nodded and the two walked in silence the rest of the way up to the surface, though inside the elf's mind his thoughts were racing at a mile a minute. He had woken up this morning an elf with amnesia reaching for a goal that he had been told might be unobtainable, now he was off with his dragon friend to try and reclaim his past while destroying a dragon. It certainly wasn't how he expected his day to go, but he was glad that after all this time waiting he was finally getting pointed in the right direction. Once he was back up in the surface he got his supplies from the quartermaster for the trip and headed towards the plateau where dragons were able to take off and land easily.

"Hey Ryonir!" the two heard a voice shout, turning back to see Flynn running up towards them with a bag that appeared to be filled with books. "Wait up!" The two watched the elf as he ran up to them and set the bag down and caught his breath. "That was close, I thought that I might have actually missed you guys."

"What's going on Flynn?" Ryonir asked. "Why is half your library in your bag?"

"It's all the literature I have on the Frostward Vale," Flynn replied as he patted all the books. "Though perhaps I may have overpacked, especially since I've memorized most, if not all, of these. I suppose I can just leave these here and bring the essentials so I can travel light with you guys."

"Wait, slow down there," Ryonir stated as he held up his hands. "You're not coming with us, are you?"

"It's not uncommon for an archivist to come along on cases like this," Flynn said with a grin as he patted Zefrit on the flank. "Plus I'm sure Zefrit is strong enough for two waifs of elves like us. So what do you say Ryonir, ready to go and meet your destiny?"