91 winters ago, an egg was hatched in a cave several miles West of the town of Evonmar. The egg was laid by the great fairie dragon Drake. Being his only offspring, Drake spent many years teaching the young Lumen the ways of the world. How to hunt, how to cast, and how to wield his ever growing magic within.
At age 50, Drake left Lumen to his own studies to do some adventuring as he felt his wings had become weak with child upbringing staying here in the lair. So Drake left Lumen a series of books to read and tasks to be done in his absence. One morning, Lumen came to a page in his studies that brought great wonder and joy! The ability to transform his dragon body into that of a humanoid creature. He heard his father Drake speak of this ability. Drake said he tried it a few times and only once convinced a human woman to an evening of fornication. Feeling the need to experience such things, the young dragon of light tried out his fledgling powers. It worked! But to his surprise, his humanoid form was that of a Drow. A Drow, being a dark skinned Elf of the night, was so opposite his being he could hardly contain his anger.
After a year or so with playing around with the Drow form he could take, he decided to leave the lair and venture into the caverns above and below. There were many shafts, and he made maps throughout the years he travelled them. He even came across an undead Jester which they parlayed briefly with mutual respect.
One day, while adventuring into a new uncharted cavern, he came upon a teenaged beautiful Drow by the name of Diedra. They spent so much time together that Lumen almost forgot he was a dragon. Their love flourished, but Lumen never once revealed his true form to her. One day he went to see her and instead of her waiting for him stood a Drow Wyvren rider. He was brief and stated that Diedra was to become the new spider queen to rule the underworld and was no longer permitted to see him as she was to be married to the Drider king. In a fit of rage, he incinerated the Wyvern rider and ran home.
Drake was there to greet him. Telling him of all the great tales of the new friends he met. A cleric of Darkenday, a Ranger, a druid, a Bard, and a peculiar thief. Drake did not pay attention to Lumens adolescent troubles and immediately started work on paintings and sculptures of the new companions he made. Lumen felt rejected and abandoned.
Drake left a few months later saying his friends needed him. He never returned.
One morning Lumen decided to take flight and search for some fresh food. Horses sounded good today. He was hit by several spears and arrows from Drow Wyvern riders. He killed them all, only to realize they were a security force for a carriage below... Lumens spider queen...
He couldn't contain himself. He killed the remaining Drow soldiers and opened the door to the carriage. Diedra was cowering, scared from dragon fright. Lumen changed into his Drow form and she shrieked in terror. She would never forgive him for this ultimate betrayal.
Not being able to process all that happened, he snatched up Diedra and put her in a cell in the Drakes massive lair.
Along comes the adventuring party of "Drake's friends"..............
As detailed earlier in the chronicles, the light dragon fell not so much by our might but due to an ego that shone brighter than the blinding light he could produce on the best of his days. The might given to him as a legacy could not surpass his self absorption and pitch soaked wick of a temperament that doomed him.
ReplyDeleteWe feared a confrontation, but as fate, or his self victimization, would have it he awarded us an other opportunity to prevent his continued cruelty and execution of larger and likely darker ambitions of which I had great suspicions.
The offering from my friend of the animated dragon I feel is a legacy moment of my own. Yes, as much as I do find the world of magic being so prevalent under the noses and lurking unforeseen over the common folk, I am a man of reason and wonder. Magic in the hands of one such as I, is not to be feared considering my intentions. So I find it impossible...insanity to turn down such a magnificent gift. After all I am a carpenter, a smith, my surname had meant "engineer" in the time of my ancestors. With time, I can make that once dark creature into something good, to be simplistic. But mundane it will not be in the slightest. I see the finest lumber and metal work. A parlor fit for any king, philosopher, or in this case adventurer that is so gifted as to ride the winds within.
My third fate it is. For I was destined to fill this map of mine, not simply by sleeping off to the side of roads or in flea ridden inns, but from the sky. Those within and on the other side of this book, now and forever were destined to receive my pen. And so, at some point I shall travel the cities and all reaches, which are no longer far but will be familiar all.
Just not yet. It is my future, for a more traveled man who knows the road by traveling upon it, not looking down from above. A great difference between the participant and the voyeur in ones love affair with life, and if I wished to be such a charlatan or arm chair observer, I would have chosen to waste my day in some academy or city tavern drinking in the stories of others along with my ale.
The drow can retrieve the dragons hoard, with his spoils likely taken from their own dead. Perhaps the lair its self may be cleansed in their collective mind if it were allowed to be the studio from which I create my epic work, gilded with the hide of their greatest foe.