The Draconian - Prolouge
****Author's Notes****
This story is one that I was inspired to write by Chris Hvidsten's podiobook, Outcast (link at bottom). The first few chapters will be similar as a starting point as I am a relatively new writer. After I have a foundation set, I will be more able to write more obviously original content. As this is my first true story, there may be errors in spelling/usage and whatnot. Please let me know if you find any and if I can make it better in any way. All comments, as long as they are constructive, are welcome as they help me improve the content I can provide for you, the readers. All parts of "The Draconian" including, but not limited to, original characters, names, settings, etc. are owned by myself. Enjoy.
Prolouge
The crowd roared as the final blow was thrown and hit its mark on the muzzle of the large, gruesome looking black panther. The panther was Shao Kan, leader of the Black Fang clan, a group of solid black panthers in the kingdom of Dalaron. His opponent, my father, was Tai Dracon, an impressive looking Draconian figure standing at just under seven feet tall. His scales, just like mine, were a crimson red and covered our race's entire body. The uniforms that both combatants wore were traditional combat outfitings with spots for any weapons and devices needed by the wearers. My father's was bare from the beginning, seeing as the Draconia clan's fighting techniques were mostly hand-to-hand and close quarters combat. Shao's body lay motionless and bleeding from the numerous cuts sustained from my father's claw strikes while father slowly walked over to recieve his award for winning, stumbling due to the loss of blood from cuts obtained from the numerous bladed weapons that the Black Fang clan often used.
The prize for the annual tournament of skill in combat was the coveted Chalice of Drak'thul, something that the Black Fang Clan had held for the previous two decades. As my father approached the stage to accept the chalice, he fell to his knees and the medical unit and my family rushed over to his side to make sure he was alright while the Black Fang Clan lauged from their part of the stadium. The medical staff was from the peaceful and friendly Ridgefeather Clan, a group of avian beings from high in the mountains surrounding the kingdom. They have a very extensive and accurate medicinal knowledge database that many clan members have studied and their medical advice is more often than not heeded. Therefore, when the medics said that father needed to go to the hospital, we listened. Father instructed me to accept the chalice in his stead. He also told me how important it was for me to keep the chalice safe and ensure that it make the trip home.
"Ty, you must make sure that you get the chalice home. Take it straight home and do not tarry anywhere. There are those who do not wish our family to inherit the power that the chalice will give us. I'm trusting you with this. Do not fail me son." Those are the words that my father told me that night as he was carried away to the hospital by the Ridgefeather medics.
I did not understand why father said those words that night, but now I do. As I walked down the stairs after gathering my father's regular clothes and the chalice as well as the sword that he carried to signify himself as second in command of the Draconia Clan, I tapped a few buttons on my wrist communicator to call a shuttle to bring me home. As I waited for the shuttle, I heard a shuffling in the bushes a few yards down the way. As I turned to see what it was, there was a flash of light in front of me along with a loud explosion nearby. At that time, I knew what my father had meant and I turned and ran as hard as I could towards my family's estate. I immediately identified five sets of feet giving chase. I knew this path well and I was very much in shape from the vigorous training I undertook on a daily basis to follow in my father's footsteps as clan war master yet, the combination of running from certain death and the bag of items was distracting and burdensome and thus caused me to constantly stumble.
If only I had known then what I know now, I would have simply turned and jumped into the river that we were running by. Ah, the clarity of hindsight; though Draconians are not known for their ability to swim, however, most varieties of the species are excellent swimmers and even at my young age of 17 I could have out swam the five pursuers. As it turned out though, I did not jump into the river. Instead, I continued to run until I reached an open field marking the halfway point between the battle stadium and the estate where safety awaited me. I looked back to see how far away the pursuers were and at that moment, I lost my footing on the log I had just jumped over and fell, injuring my ankle. My pursuers took that moment and closed in on me in an instant, drawing weapons at the same time.
I turned and rose, quickly entering a battle stance my father taught me before all others, one that would allow me to defend myself regardless of most injuries. I knew that I would not be able to put much pressure on my foot so I sheilded it from my attackers, trying to appear as if I was uninjured and only favoring this side. In moments, however, I knew that they would not fall for this feint.
"Will you give us the chalice boy or will we have to dig it out ourselves?" asked the masked assailant I immediately recognized as Shao Kan's weapons master, Arkel Saskia. "Answer me boy, or do you want to die here?" Arkel swung her sword at me when all I did was stay tensed in my stance.
As she swung the sword, I struck out with a roundhouse kick aimed at my assailaints head. In my injured state I overcorrected as I narrowly missed her head and I fell to the ground. I felt the biting strikes of many blades cutting at my arms, legs, and back as the five attacked me. Though I was confused and injured, I found it strange how they did not kill me then and there that night. Maybe the gods have some sick sense of humor, or maybe they have a plan for me, who knows? All I know is that, as I lay on the ground, beaten and broken, the elite mercenary group of the Black Fang Clan took up the Chalice of Drak'thul that my father had trusted me to protect, the one that he had worked so very hard to obtain in the first place. I knew at that moment that I would die and be punished by the gods for failing to keep my promise and that father would regret entrusting his eldest son with something of such importance. And then the world was dark.
References:
Chris Hvidsten's Podiobooks Page: http://community.podiobooks.com/profile/ChrisHvidsten