As the winner of the Draconic Guardians Competition, forum user
Bonestorm has written a story called
The Kings of the Skies.
Enjoy!
Kings of the Skies
The element of Darkness was plentiful, their numbers voluminous and their dominance immeasurable. This darkness of age, when the lands were ruled by the rages of fire and brimstone; the skies ever dominated by all-encompassing nightfall. Such was the strength of the Obsidian reign, neither Pegasii, nor Phoenix, nor demon of Maxwell would ever dare venture to the skies, frozen by fear of what horrors lurked above. These creatures, natives of the air, suffered great oppression in the face of the night. Even the dragons of the realm were so weakened by their dark overlords that they were forced to fight for their providence with other creatures of the lands. The creatures became desperate, risking life and limb for anything they could amass.
Etherlina, a slight figured princess of the Azure brood tended to her hatchlings in the lair of their heartlands. Tonight she was alone, knowing well of the risks forced upon her eggs as they would be well sought after by any neighbouring creatures, all playing predators in the brutal climate with the abandon of convenience to forage and hunt. The heavy echoes of breathing drew nearer as the glowing walls of the lair flickered with shadow. She cowered, intensely nervous, aware of the dangers of her weak state as a new mother and her vulnerable offspring – but it was the sound of safety. Her mate had returned with a kill to feed his new family.
Tatsuya, heir to the Azure Throne, was a character of vigilance and valor and well known throughout the land. Born of the hardship faced by his brood and toughened by struggle he was insightful and courageous in the face of his enemies. His presence instilled confidence in his Azure brethren nearby in battle, lending hope to their cause in an uncertain future. Tatsuya was not content with the lives the Azure brood were living, he wanted action, he wanted rebellion, and he hungered to endow lasting freedom upon his greatly stressed tribe.
The father of the brave prince, Tatsola had been ever attentive but lacked awe and fear among the brethren. The idea of freedom was fast losing shape in any reality for Tatsola as he lacked the vision and creativity to fight successfully beyond their own minor foothold on land. This proved to be Tatsola's shortcoming as his hesitancy to war on effortlessly for his brothers led to his death as he was ambushed by the Obsidian brotherhood. Tatsuya was made the rightful king of the Azure dragons, ever vengeful to the death of his father. The time had come for him to make a stand, to make a difference, to make a better life for future generations of the Azure brotherhood.
Many months passed as King Tatsuya planned a strategy that would allow the dragons to successfully siege the skies. He knew there was not enough strength in the Azure brotherhood alone and must reach out to all manner of creatures from the skies. The azure dragons spread far and wide, ignoring their ferocious nature and graciously accepting the cultures of the surrounding dragon broods to amass an army to take on the overpowering darkness. Their humble approach was acknowledged as sign of truce by the dragons of the land, fearful for their own futures.
Tatsuya knew what must be done to free his brothers from oppression as he led the rainbow dragonkin army to the cloaked skies in search of the expectant forces of darkness.
Amongst the towering storms, the night fallen sky had chaotically prepared itself for war. The Obsidian brood were organised and intimidating, their sizeable army led disciplined by their leader Astarot, the most fearful dragon ever known. The armies met in a charging tsunami of beings, the brave dragons of the rainbow seemingly engulfed by the darkness. It was not long before Tatsuya found himself forward, skirmishing with the Obsidian giant high above the storms in the purest darkness; flames providing a reference of each other as they fought. It became apparent to Tatsuya that despite his will to win alone, he was never to be successful with Astarot in his element. He dropped his shoulder and fell through the clouds closely followed by the furious black dragon and his insatiable appetite for barbarity. The titans raged on, fencing through the air in a current of tempestuous winds.
Astarot manoeuvred powerfully, lunging outright at Tatsuya; razor-sharp talons readied, dripping with the liquids of shadow bearing hunger for the force of his life. The swirling Obsidian brood leader seized the brave Azure, hauling him upwards in a tornado of cloaked shroud before charging brutally toward the surface far below. The combating leviathans shattered the ground with a brutal malice, momentarily stunning the battle-laden skies with cataclysmic sound. The dust could hardly settle before the warriors flew awkwardly out of the crater, wings still locked, heaving and tussling over the volcanic lands before them. Tatsuya’s wounds were mortal and he knew he could not continue to fight much longer. He broke free bearing forth with his gargantuan fangs, piercing ruthlessly at the neck of Astarot. The Obsidian overlord exclaimed a deafening shriek as he convulsed defeated. Tatsuya shed a tear, proud in his achievements, deeply hopeful for his dragonkin’s success.
Despite their bravery, compassion and leadership, the Azure tribe were not the most powerful in battle; almost all had suffered and died in the conflict. The war continued long through the storm, and even with their sheer numbers and aggression, the blunt and now disorganised Obsidian brood fell to the armies of the sky in their diligent battle for freedom. The shroud had been lifted, the creatures of the realm were no longer fearful of the darkness. Overwhelmed by the efforts of the Azure brood, the dragons of the realm helped the females of the tribe raise their young and devoted them the skies in thanks for their humility, leadership and support in freeing their kind from the dominance of the darkness.
No matter how the elements conflicted and warred through time, the Azure dragons would ever be heralded as the masters of the air.
The Kings of the Skies.
