Draconia[Chapter Fourteen/"Anast's Goodbye" Cover/PG 1 Up]

[Kradiocan]

-Quick Intro and Other Info-
-Background-

Draconia is actually a story I started, but never finished, way back when my vocabulary, grammar, and other story-writing elements weren't the best. It was originally called "The Dragon Realm", and located in a purple notebook, complete with art of characters, chapter pictures, the works...well, everything but an ending. I got all the way up to chapter fourteen when I stopped! Despite lacking in a lot of good story elements, the plot was actually there. And so, I've decided to give the basic concepts of the story another shot. Lets see how this goes, shall we?

You probably didn't read that, but I just wanted to mention it. So yes, as far as I'm concerned, this is original, unless you count stealing from my seven-or-how-ever-old-I-was self.

-Anast's Goodbye (Zachra's Story)

Cover Page
Page One

-Other Links

Preview of Chapter Five

-References-

Draconia Research Center Map
Alouis Stargazer - Original Digitally Enhanced By Neon~Tinged~Disaster (Another xD) By Neon~Tinged~Disaster
Tracker Dragon - Original Digitally Enhanced
Lieva - Original Digitally Enhanced
Cameo Dragon
Esmerllda
Enfil
Blade Wyvern
Borthn
Whithrus
Zachra (Sorry for the sudden low quality, my computer exploded a few days ago. I'll get on making it back up to standards when I can!)

-Layout-

Every chapter will be posted as soon as I've got a rough sketch in my mind, have the time, etc. All chapters will be posted in this layout:

Contents-
*all the chapters will be posted here, along with links to their post. This not only prevents a supper long first post, it also allows others to post freely. So, lets say...

Contents-
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two

And you are on the post for Chapter One. Chapter One won't have a link, but the Prologue and Chapter Two will.*

Chapter-*insert number here* - *insert name here* (*insert name of character this chapter is "seen" from* (This story will be written in third person, but if you've noticed, some third-story stories are still only told from one point of view. To attempt to avoid confusion, I will be putting the name of who's point of view it is from.))

If you're unsure, you can look at a chapter's post to see what I'm talking about.

-Commonly Asked Questions-

How long did [Chapters 1-2] take you?

Two plus hours each.

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Contents-
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen

Prologue - The Rising Threat (*censored*)

The image of a large, white dragon, pure white except for the three red bands across it's throat and neck, and the smaller, scientist-looking human, standing together, looking down across the valley seemed like a strange one. Neither species had interacted in as long as either one's history could record, though there were rumors of ancient, prehistoric interactions. Both watched, almost analyzed, the small, ant-sized people mulling around in the valley bellow, carrying out their own explorations and experiments on the new world that they had discovered. After a few minutes, the scientist, the human, the inferior species, turned to the dragon and spoke.

"Remind me again why you are approaching me? From your description of yourself, you don't seem the kind to approach others for help." The comment caused the white dragon to smile, his smile small, cold, and calculating, as he thought about what the human had said.

"You...your species, the humans...they have something that I need. That I want. I have told you that I...rule this world." the white dragon replied, making sure not to give too much away. From the ancient rumors, he had heard of the human's greed for power. In an almost absentminded gesture, the white dragon reached up to rub the three red rings on its throat and neck. Yes, he had power to give, and if the human went through with his plan, he would have all the power in the entire world.

"You mentioned that. Three children that would be...er...how did you say it?" the scientist asked. The white dragon laughed quietly to himself.

"Chosen. Chosen to wield the energies and powers of the supposed three creators of this world." The white dragon extended his hand in a gesture meant to point out the entire valley. "All this. They fell long ago, but rumors reign strongly around these parts."

"Rumors with whom?" the human asked, looking across the valley. "As far as I can see, you're the only dragon here." Again, the white dragon laughed.

"There are many planets in this world. This one, Gater, Gateway, it's only the entrance. I rule all the worlds here." the white dragon replied. "I can give you power, anything you need, as long as you help me find the three I search for."

"And how am I supposed to do that? Just say, 'Hey, lets get a bunch of people to come here and let a friend of mine look through them!'? I don't think that would work..." Again, the human looked up at the dragon, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the size difference. The dragon laughed, then brought out a piece of paper, seemingly out of nowhere, and handed it to the human.

"This is a design for something that should...attract the younger generation." the white dragon informed. "Allow their wildest dreams to come true-to fly, to soar, to fight without worry about injury..." The white dragon saw the human smile as he studied the blueprints before rolling them up, tucking them beneath his arm, and looking to the sky.

"It's sunset. I should be getting back before the others start to worry about me." he said. The white dragon nodded, seemingly in understanding, and with a small bow, the human started down the side of the valley. The white dragon watching him go for a bit, then spread his wings and took off, heading to the west, toward a spiral of color that circled into the sky.

After the white dragon was far enough away, a second dragon crawled out of the bushes that were situated behind where the human and dragon had met. His brilliant golden scales sparkled in the setting sun, accompanied by silver bracers located on his legs, neck, horn, tail, and the silver pattern on his wings. The golden dragon was covered in bright, blood-red scars, though none of them seemed to bother the newcomer as he watched the white dragon fly away.

"What are you up to this time...?" he muttered to himself, remembering the paper. He had only caught a glance at the design that had been drawn out on it, but it had been enough-he knew the idea that the white dragon had implanted into the human's head. With an easy, soft groan, the golden dragon eased himself into a sitting position and looked up at the sky.

'Oh great Lieva, I call upon your power just this last time before you must ready yourself...if you can, please, provide me with the object, modified to fit my own needs, so that I may be able to intercept them before they carry out their plans.' he thought, closing his eyes and looking up. After a few minutes, he felt something underneath his right fore-foot. The dragon lifted it up slightly to see a bracelet, wove of gold and silver threads, with a tiny, silvery, dragon-head shaped bead woven into it. Carefully, as if the object was sacred, the dragon picked it up and slipped it onto his wrist. Instantly, he felt himself shrink, until, to his utmost surprise, he had taken on the shape of a human. The dragon, now human, looked at his new hands, flexing them slightly, unused to this kind of body, this kind of system. However, he still smiled to himself, happy that his prayer worked. Slowly, the dragon-human turned back into his dragon self and looked up at the sky.

"And so the final threat is upon us. Whether it ends in victory or loss, I will fight for you, Lieva,Borthn, and Redal." he said aloud before spreading his own wings and taking off into the sky.

[yuiopopcorn]

sounds cool

[Kradiocan]

Thanks! I'll probably have the first chapter up within the week, and I hope next Sunday is the latest it'll be up.

[yuiopopcorn]

cool can't wait

[neon.]

This is great! It seems really interesting. I hope the next chapter is up soon. :3

[not zinnia]

Woot for another dragon-based story! ;D
Mine is completely different, but still. C:
edit: I'm still working on it, so yeah.

I love how it's going so far, hope you update soon. <33

[Kradiocan]

Thank you all for the opinions! I'm going to try for Thursday afternoon, but if it doesn't happen(because our internet's going a bit funky right now), sorry! C:

[RyokoSha]

This is cool. I like it! Looking forward to reading more. : )

[yuiopopcorn]

This is the best story ever!! It was worth waiting for thanks for posting your story

[Kradiocan]

Contents-
Prolouge
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen

Chapter One - The Color Test (Rick)

Rick ignored the happy chatter of the kids around him, keeping his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. They were all about his age, fourteen, but he still felt no real connections to them. He was dressed simply, black Sketchers sneakers, white athletic socks, black shorts with pockets into which his hands were placed in, dull red shirt, and a red baseball cap covering his short, brown hair. His face held a neutral expression, his hat drawn over to cover his eyes from other people's gazes. One of his eyes was a dark, deep brown, just like his mom's, while the other was a bright red. It was a funny story, Rick's mother always said. However, Rick never found anything funny about being born with a single eye, having a second transplanted, which had mysteriously turned a bright red as he grew up. He had been outcast from his friends, shunned by newcomers, and teased by others. And so, surrounded by new, mysterious people, Rick made sure to keep his head down, and keep quiet the best he could, ignoring as others tried to get his attention. However, this all changed when Rick suddenly ran into someone and looked up.

The boy he had run into had short, dark brown hair, though Rick couldn't tell if it was dyed or not, for there were flecks of silver showing in the brown. He was wearing a bronze-yellow shirt with long, tan pants and some form of brown boots. His skin was slightly darker than most, which meant that the silvery eyes that met Rick's own when the boy turned threw him off guard. Usually, silver was the color of blindness, yet he could almost feel the boy's gaze on him, looking at him, analyzing him, trying to find out if Rick was a friend or foe. The second thing that instantly caught Rick's attention were the three scars that were formed around his right eye. Then, the boy spoke, his voice slightly deep, with almost a hint of a natural growl that meant nothing more than the natural tone of someone's voice.

"Interesting eye you have there." At first, Rick almost flinched at the mentioning of his red eye, but then he realized it was just a statement, and that there was no real hostility behind the statement, or in the silver eyes that took in everything.

"Uh....yeah. I was born with one eye, and the one that the doctors transplanted turned red." Rick replied, slightly embarrassed. However, the boy seemed unwavering, his gaze soft, yet with a hint of sharpness. The gaze of a hunter, almost, making sure that he missed nothing in front of him.

"Interesting." the boy replied, almost flatly, then stuck out his hand. "I'm Alouis. You?" Rick looked down at the hand that was extended, noting the silver and gold bracelet that hung from his wrist. Strangely enough, the bracelet had a small, yet noticeable crack in it, but Rick decided not to mention it as he returned the handshake.

"I'm Rick. Nice to meet you, Alouis." Rick replied, feeling himself smile for the first time in years. His mom had made a good choice, deciding to send him to this "school" that some researchers had set up for some reason. Finally, after years of being the loner, the weirdo, someone had seen past the strange, red eye and to his true self. In response, Alouis smiled also, then looked around, noticing that the crowds were thinning slightly.

"We better get in before they lock us out." he mentioned, turning slightly and heading towards the open gates, where all the children were filtering to. Rick followed Alouis closely, keeping his eyes fixed on the back of his head. Slowly, but surely, they made it to the gates, where there was a man dressed in a lab coat handing out papers. Without even really looking at them, the man handed both Alouis and Rick a paper. Rick took one look at it, and knew it was a questionnaire. It was a series of ten questions and the directions at the top stated to fill it out, and give it back to "your designated instructor." Rick and Alouis both looked up at each other, the same question reflected in their eyes. Before either could physically ask, however, another man in a lab coat came over.

"What are you two doing just standing around?" he asked, his voice gentle, but holding a slight snarl that hinted at a chained aggressiveness. "Come along." With a quick grab, the man pulled Rick and Alouis along towards a large, slightly yellow building. "You should be within the school complex, with all the other kids." As he said that, Rick noticed, in fact, they were the only ones outside. Behind them, there was a large, pure white building. Past the yellow building, or "school complex", there was a large, green sea of grass. To his side, across a wide dirt path, or road, however one looked at it, there were twin blue buildings, though the one farthest from the white building had pink stripes. With a more forced movement, the man shoved Alouis and Rick into the yellow building, where there was yet another man in a lab coat.

"I know this was put together by researchers, but really?" Rick commented, glancing at Alouis before the new man spoke.

"Well, aren't you two a bit slow! Anyways, welcome to the Draconia Research Center!" the man exclaimed. Out of the corner of his eye, Rick saw Alouis tense, though only for a split second, at the mention of the word 'Draconia'. At first, Rick thought that the frightened look in Alouis' eyes had been a trick of light, but after a few moments, Rick hardly doubted himself. But, then again, why would Alouis show fear now? Rick was snapped back to reality as the man continued. "This world is a world that was discovered with the remains of dragons. With new and improved technology, the researchers here at the Draconia Research Center have created a device that will allow you to turn into a dragon!" Upon saying that, the man held up a small, orange thread bracelet with an orange dragon-head shaped bead woven into it. Again, Rick swore that he saw Alouis tense again, and once more, only for a split second. "This is the device. It looks conspicuous, I know, but trust me, it works. The questionnaire you were given when you came in will allow us to find the correct dragon species to match you up with. Come along, now...we'll need to match you up with a teacher, also..." Upon saying that, the man turned and headed down a hallway. Rick and Alouis fell into step behind him.

"You okay? You seemed kinda...tense when he was talking." Rick said carefully, not knowing if he had touched some kind of nerve. At first, he thought that Alouis was going to ignore the question, but then he looked straight at Rick.

"It's nothing. Just...a few pains in my back I feel once in a while." he stated with a tone that told Rick to drop it. Rick wanted to keep asking, but he didn't want to poke the side of Alouis that came out when he was mad. After a few minutes, the man in the lab coat stopped outside a door and opened it, poking his head in. After some muted conversation, he brought his head back out and opened the door more for Rick and Alouis.

"This will be your classroom for the remainder of your time here before you go off to Draconia. Have fun!" With that, the man shoved the two boys into the classroom. There were other kids of both genders, all looking up at the newcomers. Instantly, Rick's instinct took over, and he looked down, his hat covering his red eye once more. However, after a few seconds, curiosity got the better of him, and he looked up once again. Past the rows and rows of seats, there was a teacher's desk, with, lo and behold, a man in a lab coat behind it.

"All the lab coats are getting annoying..." Alouis muttered to Rick under his breath before the new lab-coat man spoke.

"So, two tag-alongs, eh? Well, I'm Mr. Barin, but you can call me Mr. B. I see you already have the questionnaire." he commented, noting the paper in Alouis and Rick's hands.

"Yes, sir, but we don't have pencils." Rick replied. The class laughed slightly, and even Mr. Barin gave a small chuckle.

"Well, those are supplied, my friend. How about you two take a seat..." he broke off slightly as Alouis and Rick moved through the classroom to two empty seats situated next to each other. Mr. Barin came over with a pencil for each, and the two of them got to work. Rick looked down at the first question, feeling a slight twinge of doubt for the first time all day.


After what seemed like hours, Rick finally put his pencil down and stared down at the questionnaire one final time. He was as certain as he would ever be for the answers, and looked up to find the classroom completely empty expect for Mr. Barin, who was sitting at his desk, reading a large book.Carefully, Rick got up and out of his chair, walked over to the teacher's desk, and placed the questionnaire on the table. Mr. Barin looked up at him, then brought the paper to him before giving a small nod.

"We'll get this scanned tonight, and have your bracelets at your doorstep by tomorrow morning." he said, handing Rick a key. "You're friend talked me into you two sharing a dorm, when normally it went in order of who came up first, boys apart from girls, two to a dorm. I must admit, you've got a good friend." Rick swallowed slightly, nodding at the "teacher's" comment before turning and almost jogging out of the door and down the hallway, back into fresh air and clean sunlight.

"It's about time!" Rick turned to see Alouis leaning, relaxed, against the side of the "school complex." There was a large smile on his face as he stood straight and walked over to where Rick was. "Things went well, eh?"

"I suppose...though I wonder what....er...color I got." Rick replied, slightly uneasily, and even more so when he noted the flash that went through Alouis' eyes.

"I doubt it's anything to worry about." he said smoothly. "Come on-I've been up all day, and it'll be good to get some rest." With that, Alouis turned towards the solid blue building, Rick following closely, but lost in his own world. After watching Alouis' reactions throughout the day, there was only one conclusion that he could draw from his new-found friend; a friend, that after so long, had seen through the layers of dirt and grime that others had added to his name, almost if he felt the same way about himself.

Alouis was hiding something. Not only that, Rick thought silently to himself, looking at the cracked bracelet out of the corner of his eye, but hiding something about this center. This Draconia.