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Chapter Two:

Coming of Age

In my years I've grown to love different predictable traits of you humans. I've watched in dark corners as you beat each other senseless over a shared lover. You rally in the streets for embarrassed entertainers, but lift not a finger against the corrupt politician. I've sat and revelled with you the many years of decadent torture in the name of peace, protection, and God. I have smiled and enjoyed the human ways of aggression and battle, oh! I am so well versed in your primal needs of dominance and power. The most noble, and by far the most entertaining is the barbaric lengths you will go to in order to protect your young. You musn't mistake me, for even in our world a child is precious. A father, be h Dragon, human, or Suran will go to slaughter for his young, especially a daughter.

The passion of a father in the face of his daughter's danger is by far the strongest I have ever witnessed a human become. You could win wars, move mountains and challenge god himself with the power of love for a child. Alas, the noble fate of the Suran race was inescapable and once Midna and Ayana were chosen, Charner had no choice but to submit to the King's will. The immortal strength, the vicious writhing against the most heinous of forces, that indominable spirit within a father's heart would never serve Charner the man, nor the father. His daughter's lives were mere playthings of the noble master race of dragons and in the end all of his story time rantings were nothing but the last wimpers of a defeated man. When the two young girls were merely 8 years old; blinks of an eye to their father, they were claimed. Charner's surrogacy to the king's property had ended and in truth, there was never a more reluctant goodbye in Atrius.

While you've obviously collected that the Surans must send their children away to be enslaved, you must be wondering exactly what I mean, or why this has any importance... Well, I will keep this bit of history breif, for it bores me so. The Suran are occasionally chosen to be the proud parents of the King's stock. A blessed couple will receive their notice before the child is born and they could expect a lifetime of pride at the cost of their young. While Jurad's leniancy would allow residence with their parents for the youngest years, chosen children of the Suran must venture out on their 8th birthday to the capitol of Zaterius: The Great City Dercia, where they will live out their lives in service to the master race until the day they die. This walk was an unaccompanied and unaided 12 year journey. It was not only a test of stamina and endurance to ensure the healthiest of stock, it was the perfect way to train the Suran servants for their many duties.

Dragons are patient, human. Dragons are powerful, sturdy, well studied beings and our King demands his servants be as such. The greatest reward for the servitude of the Suran race is to be raised and taught as their dragon masters. It is a much deeper honor than you realize. The trial would begin on Midna and Ayana's 8th birthday and in 12 years time, if they had not reported to the Dercian palace, they would be hunted down and their bodies would be returned home and buried in whatever state they were found in. Hehe, yes human, even living. Consider us barbaric if you like, but our world functions solely on the whims of the Elders and while many of us take joy in the decimation of their every tradition, the importance of the Suran obediance was much too high to be overlooked.

This particular send off became quite the well known affair, and while I as surely as I lay before you, hadn't even been born yet, I must only tell you the story as i've received it. Fret not darling, my source is quite sure.

"You, who are about to be oh so blessed with the gift of his highness' favor. I ask you to step foreward and be counted!"

A lucky Suran twerp was elected once in a lifetime to be the messenger. He sat in a cushy life with all of the charms of a chosen, notifying the parents and sending off the chosen himself. They all looked alike. Imagine for yourself human... A tall green snakelike man. His shoulders weak, his posture disgusting, and his eyes bulging underneath the same orange scraggly hair as a wide mouth yelped out the words with such pride, such pleasure in knowing his life had been spared so long ago. It's fitting such creatures would be messengers. Dragons, noble and beautiful, have no place in our home for such whelps.

"Well?... Come come children! Step foreward and give your names!"

"Midna Caroll!" Ah, Our sweet, young heroine. In just 2 short years, she's grown another foot and begun to develop the crown of small horns that adourns the loveliest of Suran females. She would revel in admiration of all the town were she to grow up at home. She will surely be devined as a Royal Consort. It is the obvious choice for those with the traits of Suran beauties.

"Ashtin Markx!" A spike-tailed rascal who fought off small animals who would go after his dinner. He is of little importance to my tale to you, but a very proud warrior he became. A shaven head, scaled skull shimmering in the morning light he stood proud and willing to fight in his King's army. To thin to be Sentry, he would surley make a fine soldier.

"Rory Sturn!" Here is a name... A man of legend among the suran people. You will come to know it. The broader, stronger Suran qualifies for Sentry at such a young age. He would always be destined for greatness among his race.

"Luna Sturn!" Rory's twin sister. She was a blond suran, sweet and full of life. She astounded her friends in the village with her cooking and many an eye was won with her blonde hair and orange underbelly. She was a rarity who attracted many of the male surans in her class. Ah, young love is so heartwarming....I apologize, do allow my crass nature room to brathe. The truth is the darling girl was naïve... easily persuaded and abuse, and sad as It may be, it was this abuse that set right many wrongs in Atrius.

And lastly...

"Ayana Caroll!" Our other young heroine. She has grown as much as her sister. Her skin is much darker now and her hair down passed her tail. This fiery mane aided her favor for the first female Sentry in Suran history.

Each of these children were herded out like cattle beneath their towering homes to stand before the messenger, the sickly cad, and receive their farewell. As always, the sun shone beautifully through the palm trees of Astrius' morning sky. The waves crashed down behind the crowd as they faced in the direction of the thick forest that bordered them. The messenger stood smugly atop his platform glaring down at the children with obviosu disgust.

"I am so proud of all of you...You are embarking today on the greatest journey of your lives. Revel now in the pirvelage before your parents and loved ones, for it is this day you begin the road to glory for our Great King Jurad! Holder of the magic of the Firegod himself! With every breath I take today I will be speaking to you in the highest of respect and esteem."

This particular messnger was named Phako. A windbag of a man who, even as a messenger who never entered the city of Dercia himself, annoyed the King and tempted him to elect a new messenger frequently. The endless ceremonies and speeches were of Phako's own design and insulted the solemnity of the occasion.

"Now!, all of you, line up and I will direct you on your path to greatness! As you know, there are many paths to the Great City, and each of you will embark on your own, traveling to your various tutors and trainings!....Ashtin Markx: you will be traveling the path of the soldier, Congratulations, you will be a fine warrior in the King's Army!"

This was another sickening display of Phako's egotism. He had chosen for himself based on the childrens physical state, which path they should choose, instead of the divination assigned to him. This lethargy in all of it's disgusting humanistic glory, forgive the comparison, may have ended my world in it's single act.

"Rory Sturn, our own little warrior. You are to follow the path of the Sentry! You may accompany your friend Ashtin through his first school, but beyond that you will be alone. Congratulations!"

It's like watching to see which cow would be steak, which would be beef, and which would be ground up to feed the new cows. The Suran sendoff was bleak to be generous. Centuries of Draconic feasts and galas, even the club life of you humans, the comparison is laughable.

"Luna Sturn, you will travel the noble path of the home. To care for our King and his family as if they were your own! Congratulations and good luck!"

"Midna Caroll....Oh my.. You will be taking the path of the Royal Consort...ahem.. Congratulations, you will no doubt make your father proud...as for uh..Ayana Carrol!... Congratulations, you will be accompanying Rory through the path of the warrior! A rare sight, but a most deserved one!"

"no..."

"I'm sorry?"

"my sister cannot walk in the woods alone... I will accompany her..."

"Young lady!, you cannot overrule the will of the King with your pety concerns and wishes!"

"My sister...she can't travel the woods alone...I'm going with her"

One really must admire the aarogance and sheer bravery of a child willing to stand up to the word of a messenger. This was the girl who grew up waiting for the day she could serve the king with her sister, now blatantly defying his word to stay with her only family. How could Ayana know that the will of the messenger was not, in fact, the will of the King. That fact was only her amazing luck.

"umm...Mr Phako?... how can this be the will of the King when you wrote them last night?...I don't mean to bother, but ... I was there when you rehursed the speech remember?..."

This part of the story, human, I take great pleasure in telling you. For our kinds mutually share the detestment of those who prey on the young.. and as little Luna spoke out against the messenger, revealing not only his taste for twisting the King's wishes, but his taste for the company of young Luna, she ensured that no other group of children, nor any unsuspecting youn Suran, would ever have to endure another word. For as Midna and Ayana walked together upon her "chosen" path, the townspeople swarmed the podium and with hatred in their eyes and malice in their bloodthirsty claws, and lead by Luna's abhorrent parents, rended the filthy messenger limb from sickening limb.

Scaley flesh gripped by anger was pulled and stretched to its limits until the bones split and the muscle gave way to holes in the skin, spurting cold blood through the air as the shreiks and please of the messenger were suddenly silenced in a squelching pop... Forgive my graphic nature, but the thought pleases me. Would you not like to see the same fate of one so foul? It doesn't matter... The whelp is dead and with the sound of his body bursting apart echoing through the edge of the forest, the children set out on their journey to Dercia. Ashtin and Rory headed up a large mountain pass on the way to their first school. Luna followed closely, but forked off into a valley to her first tutor. Our young Suran sisters, guided by only instinct and the longing to serve their lord, headed straigiht into the forest, smiling and skipping for the first miles of their lifelong journey. Behind them layed the carnage and fury that was the execution Phako the Filth, as he came to be known, and a grateful Charner who stayed behind to see his daughters off one last time, smiling at their love for one another, their innocence. Hoping they would not lose either in their travels.