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Chapter I of the DRAGONBLOOD CHRONICLES

"Well well well, if it isn't Valkhael himself. Do you know how much it took to track you down?" a voice says. I can't see who it was due to the burlap sack covering my face. Despite the pain roaring through my body, I stay silent. In fact, I let a confident smirk crawl across my bound muzzle before the hood gets yanked off. I wince because of the sudden difference in light. I chuckle. "What the fuck is so funny?" the voice asks. I see a silver-scaled western dragoness standing over me, flanked by two masked guards. I smile darkly at her and stare deep into her blue eyes as I let power surge through my bound body, making my blood heat as my mind kicks into overdrive. I reach out with my senses. My smile broadens when I find what I'm looking for. I take a steady breath in through my nose and test the range of movement of my shackled hands. The shackles actually cover my hands, up to the wrist. Regardless, I find that I can move them quite a bit, but I need just a little more...

I jerk forward, the chains losing whatever little amount of slack they had. The dragoness shoots me a confused look. "You're only going to hurt yourself! What could you possibly gain from doing-" A loud pop interrupts her as both of my shoulders dislocate simultaneously. Pain shoots down my spine, but I easily ignore it. I let energy build and focus into my hands. Once I feel that enough has built up, I grit my teeth under my bound muzzle and lift my arms then let them fall. I let the energy burst from my hands just as the tip of my shackles clacks against the marble floor. And the entire floor around me shatters as if it were thinner than glass, sending my still-bound body falling through the mostly-hollow prison tower. My shoulders still dislocated, I prepare to use my paws, the shackles no longer attached to anything. Needing a way of stopping my fall, I look around, eyes narrowing in focus when I see a way. I twist around and kick hard, whipping the free end of the chain to a lantern hook. And it hooks.

Without wasting a single moment, I lurch my body forward, swinging on the chain and slamming into the stone wall back-first. I repeat the process, but twist around so my shoulder slams hard into the stone and pops back into place. I do it again for my other shoulder. My blood heats further, to the point where it feels as if lava is coursing through my veins. I peel my lips back and breathe in deeply. When I forcefully exhale, a cone of sparkling frost pours from my bound maw, coating my manacles. I swing forward once more and slam my hands against the stone. The manacles shatter. Before I can make my next move, I see the dragoness glide down the jagged hole in the marble floor. I trace a large circle below me with my left hand and a triangle with the right, inscribed within the circle. Both of my hands leave violet trails that remain as if I had drawn them in the air. When the sigil is complete, I open one hand fully and close the other into a fist then slam them together. The sigil flashes once then explodes with a horizontal wave of force that tears through the stone wall like paper. I spread the fingers of my open hand and pull back my other hand. I shove the open hand upward. The almost invisible ring of force melds into a beam and launches upward.

As it travels upward, the walls around the tip of the beam shatter outward. The dragoness swerves to avoid touching it and resigns herself to the fate of being launched through the shards and into the distance. The beam soon reaches the lantern hook and crushes it, my fall resuming. I take my other hand and open it, pushing downward. Another piece of the ring melds into yet another beam and rockets toward the ground, shattering everything in its path. I point a single finger towards the ground below. As soon as it touches, the very earth around me ripples and a violet, shield-like sigil surrounds my fingertip, enacting one of my most useful Abjuration spells: Invulnerability. I arch my back and push off my finger, landing on my shackled paws, completely unharmed, as tower debris collapses around me. A Dispel Magic has the remaining bindings on my muzzle and paws falling off.

"Sho'Kam Dhae Fanielle Khim," I chant. The ancient words gather in the air and a circle appears at my feet. "Nit'then Koal Whon Thal." A five-pointed star surrounds the circle. "Ne Choa Qyn." Symbols fill the triangular gaps in each point of the star. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Magik. The ground trembles beneath me as my Summoner's Circle opens. "TOKALA NIEL DALEH VE!" I scream into the night sky. I open both of my hands and push upwards slowly with my palms facing the sky. The lines of the Circle ignite as a mostly-formless blob of liquid darkness rises directly in front of me. My mount takes shape, a body the size of an adult bear, with a long canine head and tail and huge feral legs. The darkness drips away to reveal a pelt of mottled brown and grey fur topped by a saddle strapped to its back by leather straps secured under its belly. The Circle fades as the direwolf Tokala looks down at me obediently with yellow eyes. I give him a scratch behind the ears before walking to his flank and leaping on his back. "Dame, Tokala!" I order from the saddle. He nods and takes off towards Moate Kune--The Forest of Dreams.

. . .

"Vansele, Tokala, vansele," I speak. He slows to a walk as we enter the misty barrier surrounding Moate Kune. "Deai lumone?" Tokala grunts and nods in response, ready for a break. I didn't blame him. We had been traveling at quite a swift pace for the better part of the night. He comes to a stop next to a fallen tree and I slide from the saddle. In the ancient language I tell him to relax, to which he gladly obliges by laying down on the bed of foliage. The mist isn't so bad past the barrier. I sit on the fallen tree and take a well-deserved breather. "Shok'ahv Kuma leione to'ama kadeeli. Sine tomana kalha," I sigh. Suddenly, a bone-chilling howl rings through the forest. "That's not good." Tokala nods in agreement, ears perked. He starts growling. "Kyla vieal tzel va," a feminine voice calls. "If you can speak, I can speak Common, too," I respond.

"Oh. It's not my native tongue, but..."

"Come out. Tokala won't attack unless I order."

"Tokala? Wait a fucking minute! Are you...Valkhael?"

"In the fur."

The underbrush parts, and the woman steps out. She looks like a ghost, with a white pelt and black underbelly, and cobalt tipped ears. Two twin tails trail behind her, also tipped with cobalt. She wears a set of half-plate armor over a simple outfit. An empty sheath is strapped to her back. "My name's Eltairen."

"Well Eltairen, what are you doing in Moate Kune?"

"I...I don't really know. I just...I fell asleep on my horse and ended up here. I've been here for a few days."

"This place has a way of drawing people in. I'm on my way back to Kuma, if you're headed that way."

"I actually came from there. Trust me, you don't want to go there. The Dragon Knights came and holed up."

"Well shit. It's always something. Look, I'm headed to Kuma regardless, 'cause I promised to help someone. But, you're the first person I've met who hasn't immediately tried to either kill me or arrest me. I'd understand if you wanna keep wandering Etekahl alone, but if you're up for some adventure..."

"Is that even a question? Journeying with the famous Valkhael would be like a dream come true!"

"More like the infamous Valkhael...How are you with a sword?"

"Trained for years as a...soldier. Top of my class."

"That would be handy. How well do you handle stressful situations?"

"My instructor used to say that I actually work better under pressure...wh-"

"Good, good. Final question: on a scale of rock to stream, how would you rate your sanity?"

She looks up at me. "Ummm...let's go with...stream?"

"Ah! Perfect! Welcome aboard!"

Her maw goes slack in awe and her eyes sparkle happily. "R-really?"

"Yes! We'll head out first thing tomorrow morning. But tonight, we rest."

In the ancient tongue of Co'ahn, I tell Tokala to keep watch. He lays down and rests his head on a nearby log. I remove my tattered blue tunic, muscles rippling beneath the mist-white fur of my bare underbelly. "So, Valkhael is a snow leopard? The stories make it sound like you're a-" Eltairen starts. I interrupt her with "a dragon? Nope. Just a snow leopard." I fuss with my trousers, freeing my cramping tail and buttoning my trousers above the base. "I'd recommend losing the armor," I suggest. She gives me a worried look, so I assure her with "don't worry. Tokala will keep watch." She relaxes and gets to work removing her armor. "Here," I say, walking over behind her, "you're only going to tighten it like that, let me help."

After helping Eltairen remove her armor, I slice my tunic in half down a seam and lay it out on the ground by Tokala. I lay on one half and gesture for her to take the other half. She walks over and lays down beside me.

. . .

I wake up first, grinning when I see that Eltairen has her back pressed against my bare chest. I lean in close and whisper in her ear "c'mon, time to get up." She stiffens and stretches out, her eyes blinking sleepily. "Aww...is it morning already?" she complains.

"I could just move and let the cold wake you up."

She looks over, noticing that she's snuggled against me. "N-no. Just give me a moment to wake up."

She yawns toothily and slowly pulls her back off my chest. "Fuck, why is it so cold?" she complains, shivering as she sits up. I shrug and sit up. "Mornin', buddy," I say, patting Tokala's side. He rises to his paws and shakes off his sleepiness. I stand and stretch.

The mist is thicker, refracting the light of the morning sun. The bed of the forest is covered in a sparkling dew. A brisk breeze stirs the canopy, carrying with it the scent of aging wood. When Eltairen rises, I help her don her armor. "So," she asks while I tighten her chestpiece, "what's the plan?"

"Well, the Dragon Knights know that I'm coming back, so they've most likely prepared. Sneaking in isn't an option because I'm too easily recognized, and storming the place is just suicide. I don't feel like getting captured again, but I also don't want to endanger the townspeople."

"Why are you even going back, then?"

I reach into Tokala's saddle and pull out a glass vial filled with a viscous red liquid. "This is medicine crafted by the druid circle down in Holme. It's capable of curing any disease, curse, or hex afflicting the user. It has to be made specifically for the one who needs it. There's a pup in that town that needs it very soon. I promised to get it to her, and I never go back on a promise."

"Okay, so how are we going to get it to her?"

"I have a...friend that owes me a favor. We just need to get him inside the walls."

"How small is said friend? There's always the sewers."

"That's perfect. I'll call him."

I step back and stomp my paw, holding both hands to where my palms face the ground. I trace a ring in the air, where it stays, outlined in violet energy. I chant in the ancient language as my Summoner's Circle traces itself inside the ring. When I finish, the Circle opens and casts a stream of purple light to the ground. A creature walks out. The cat-sized, green-and-black-scaled dragon looks up at me as the Circle closes and fades. "Eltairen," I speak, picking up the creature in my arms and letting it climb onto my shoulder, "I'd like you to meet Dyahl, one of my familiars." The pseudodragon tilts his head and squeaks a greeting. "You can have multiple familiars?" Eltairen asks, scratching under Dyahl's chin gently.

"If you're powerful enough. Dyahl was my first, though."

"What about Tokala?"

"That's a story for when we're not pressed for time. Dyahl, we need your help."

I tell Dyahl the plan and give him the vial. He takes it in his maw gingerly and nods. "So, what happened to your horse?" I ask Eltairen. "There are some scary-ass plants in this forest. One of the fuckers ate my horse whole," she answers. I blink and nod. I help her up onto Tokala's saddle before joining her. "Dame, Tokala!" He grunts and sets off.

. . .

We leave the mist-barrier of Moate Kune and head north-west to Kuma. Soon enough, we reach the edge of the treeline around the imposing stone wall surrounding the city. The area around the wall is cleared, a hundred feet between the nearest tree and the stone wall. We stay in the shadows cast by the morning sun and walk the wall until we find a small grate covering a hollow pipe dripping with clean water. I reach into Tokala's saddle and pull out a parchment scroll. I remove the golden ribbon and unroll it. Instead of reading the arcane symbols written in golden ink, I crumble it in my hands. I face Dyahl and blow the fine gold powder at him. His body becomes wispy and barely visible as the Gaseous Form spell takes effect. He floats through the grate and disappears into the sewers. I sit on the ground in a meditative stance and close my eyes. When they open again, I am looking through the eyes of Dyahl.

I guide the pseudodragon through the city, keeping out of the way of patrolling Dragon Knights. They definitely prepared. All of the patrolling Knights are dressed in full plate armor, a few actual anthro dragons have their wings armored. With my help, Dyahl sneaks through the city to a small house in the middle-class sector of the city. His form returns to gas and he slips through the keyhole. He reforms on the other side and follows my directions to the bedroom, once more slipping through the keyhole. A young wolfess with forest green and dark grey fur lies on her bed, curled up trying to sleep. She clutches her stomach and starts coughing uncontrollably.

My familiar floats to the bed and lays the vial down before nudging her. Her rose pink eyes open, filled with pain. He helps her roll over before gripping the vial and pulling out the cork with his teeth. He brings it to her maw and tilts it so that the thick liquid pours into her open muzzle. After a bit of struggle, she swallows it. The color returns to her eyes instantly and her face relaxes. Her chest stops heaving and her breathing returns to normal. She looks to Dyahl gratefully and smiles. He nods and leaves the house. As soon as he's on the other side of the front door, I order him to stop. Once I confirm what I see, I dismiss him, the pseudodragon blinking out of existence.

"That's really not good," I speak. Eltairen gives me a curious look. "They sent one of their riders!" I explain. They aren't called the Dragon Knights for nothing. Some of their more elite fighters, the riders, are given feral dragon companions. The riders are also notoriously cruel and thankless when it comes to the townspeople they force to provide for them. "Look, Eltairen," I begin, "I know we just met, so I can't ask you to come with me. I have to at least scare off that rider. I know the kind of Hell they can cause in a town." The kitsune looks at me with fierce determination. "So do I. I knew what I was getting myself into when I joined you. We'll do this together."

"Okay, I can't stop you. Just, if anything goes wrong, use this to summon Tokala and get to Holme. Run through Moate Kune, where the dragon can't follow." I reach into Tokala's saddle and pull out a jet-black scroll lined with silver and hand it to her.

"Why Holme?"

"Because the Dragon Knights have no power there. Alright, let's do this. Do you have a sword?"

"Umm...no. I don't."

"Well, I don't really use weapons. We might just have to swipe one."

"Fine by me."

I wave my hand, dismissing Tokala. His form dissipates into shadow and vanishes. I offer my hand to Eltairen as my blood heats. She takes it without hesitation. The world around us fades to grey and blurs. I lead her through the border of the Ethereal plane. We step right through the wall as though it doesn't exist. When I end the spell, we are on the other side of the massive wall. Immediately, Dragon Knights turn toward us in shock. "Hi, did you miss me?" I tease. One of the Knights lunges at me with a sword while the other reaches for a horn at his side. "Guess not." I dodge the sword and rush for the one with the horn. The canine side-steps and sounds it. The rider I saw earlier turns and starts walking towards me. I let my power build as I prepare to fight.

Suddenly, two more riders, obvious from their lighter armor, step out into view. "Oh, shit! Eltairen, go, now!" I push her into action. "But what about-" she stammers.

"Just go!"

"Okay!"

I use my building magic to send her through the Ethereal and onto the other side of the wall. Once she's gone, I turn to the three riders. Their mounts are hovering over me, circling in anticipation. Then I see what one of the armored feral dragons has in its talons--the limp, unconscious form of the pup I had saved. Rage builds with the magic, nearing a peak. My blood begins to feel like liquid fire in my veins. I dig deep, searching for an untested power resting within me. Once it stirs, I push it to the surface and my magic soars.

The magic energy found in the very air around me starts to gather, to solidify. The Knights can do nothing but look on in shock and terror as my body explodes with brilliant white light. My mind and magic focus as I reach Ascension. The wind picks up, swirling the multi-colored particles that have started to gather around me. A Knight fires an arrow from somewhere. It stops dead right before hitting me, turns around, and launches back at the one who fired it. My feet lift off the ground as my new form follows its instincts. I have lost control, using too much energy forcing the Ascension, and can only manage to give a simple command as I retreat inside my mind--protect.

. . .

My consciousness returns. Weakness and exhaustion crash onto me like a tidal wave. I shakily raise my hand to my mouth and cough. When I pull it away, I see my own violet blood staining my fur. I look down and try not to scream.

A Knight's lance penetrates my stomach, along with two arrows lodged in my chest. I try to heal, but no magic comes forth, my well completely spent. I collapse onto the cobblestone road beneath me and look up at the sky. My vision fades as I let out my final breath with the oath "Ultaem victoris vinn, cohmveil ka'nma regorayes."