Chapter 4) A New Year, a New Look, and a New Threat
#4 of Chronicles of Lamok
This is the fourth installment of a series about me, Lamok, a lone hermaphrodite opal dragon, how I came to be, and how I survive in a world that would have no objection to the extinction of all dragons everywhere.
Note: At the bottom is a glossary for various words present in this chapter.
Chronicles of Lamok
Chapter 4) A New Year, a New Look, and a New Threat
Change came with new air. Spring had come and faint traces of life filtered down to the cavern. But this is not the only change that had occurred, the wyrmlings have also changed. Their scales which had come in various shades of pink had withered away to reveal their true colors. Casturi, one of the females, now bore violet scales with a rosy belly. Hektari, one of the two submissive males, bore rusty brown scales with a tan belly. Niella, the other female, bore sea green scales with lime belly scales. Turalon, the other submissive male, bore indigo scales with turquoise belly scales. And Zeshen bore red scales with yellow belly scales. Mother was pleased with all of them, but more so with me for my scales of many colors - a rainbow as she called me.
"They are even more rare than drakonets," she said. "You will be the most prized among the dragons. Males and females alike will quest for your attention when it is time to mate."
"Soon you all will get to see the Upper World, my younglings," mother said, taking us all in.
"What is the Upper World like?" Casturi asked.
"It is big and beautiful, but also dangerous," mother replied. "There is life everywhere, all singing different songs. You could fly your whole life and see but a part of it."
"The dangers are many, but remember you are also dangerous. A dragon's strength lies in cunning. To know when to fight and when to flee. To fool the strong in thinking you are stronger, to fool the weak into thinking you are weaker. Let your prey think you are harmless, give those hunting you the impression you are going one place but be where they do not expect."
Her words only heightened my curiosity of the Upper World. I couldn't stop thinking about what it will be like seeing the world beyond these caves for the first time. I even thought myself ready for any danger that may appear before me.
***
I stalked the floor of the cave. I was getting more and more restless by the day. All this waiting was driving me up the walls...and down them too. I decided to go swimming through the underwater caves to burn off some of my extra energy. I dove into a submerged passage nearest the den and swam lap-after-lap through twisting and turning passages without once coming up for air. Good thing I could breath underwater.
I came up in the main chamber. Mother was sound asleep. And my siblings were absent, probably hunting.
Father came running in. "Lavisatie! Lavisatie! Wake up!"
His shouts caused mother to rise to attention. "Hm. What is it, Luscious?"
Father breathed heavily a few seconds then answered between breaths "Intruders. Slayers in the caves."
I heard my mother's voice in my head. "Run my younglings. Danger is a foot. You must hide." And with it came a mind-picture. An underwater passage leading to a river near a building of some kind. "The people residing at the Hijiri Monastery are loyal to your father. They will protect you."
In time I would obey her, but for now, I wanted to watch and see what would happen. I climbed up the wall and stopped a few feet above the water (just in case I needed to make a fast exit). The moment my claws touched the rock, my scales adopted the color and texture of the stone beneath them. The rest of me soon dawned the disguise as well - my fur, lying flat against my scales also dawned the disguise. I pressed my entire body against the cave wall and remained motionless.
"Very well then. Do not draw attention to yourself," mother said turning back to the main entrance into the den, awaiting the would-be assassins, father standing before her.
It seemed like hours later, thought it was only minutes, till the mercenaries appeared in the entrance way. A couple of them I recognized as human, there were also a few anthros present - a wolf, a tiger, a bear, and an ox. There was also a heavily armored figure present, I could not distinguish its breed or gender, but by the clomping of hooves could determine it was of the equine variety of anthro. All of them carried weapons - swords, spears, double-bladed axes.
My mouth watered at the memory of how horse meat tasted, but I quickly stifled the temptation. 'Such would get me killed.' I remained motionless, observing the scene before as it unfolded.
Father - sword and staff in hand - fought the two humans and the wolf while mother fought the rest. Father used his sword against the wolf while using his staff to fend off the two humans. Mother swept her tail across the ground, sending all but the armored equine and the tiger flying into the wall several feet above me and to the right. They fell to the ground stunned. Once they got their senses back they renewed their attack on mother. Luckily they were too busy with mother to notice me.
Mother chomped down on the tiger, biting him in half at the breast while the bear and attacked her Saa. The ox climbed her back and plunged his sword into a space between her scales deep enough to puncturing a lung.
Every muscle in my body ached to intervene but I remained motionless. To act against so many would be folly, resulting only in my own death. 'What good would I be to mother or the rest of the dragons if I were to be killed off by these barbaric creatures so soon from my egg?'
Father managed to kill one of the humans and maim the other.
It was then I noticed another figure at the chamber entrance. A male elf wielding a long bow. He drew the bow, aiming for father. I stifled a growl. Coward. How I wanted to tear him apart.
Father knocked his attackers away and, at that moment, the elf released a single arrow straight into father's chest.
"No!!! Father!" I roared in anger, revealing my position. The surviving invaders turned their attention to me, giving mother the opportunity to chomp down on the bears head, removing in one swift motion.
I leaped to the ground and ran for the elf, my eyes glowing an angry red. Unfortunately dragons were not built for running. The elf had all the time he needed to draw another arrow - this one aimed at me.
"No, Lamok. Run!" Mother's words snapped me out of it and I turned and back toward the water. The elf released his arrow and it plunged into my right thigh between the scales. The pain was immediate, but I ignored it and dove headfirst into the water.
The elf hadn't gotten another shot because I felt mother unleash her breath weapon - a blast of magical energy - to incinerate the elven murderer. This act was her last because as father fell to the cave floor, dieing choking on his own blood, mother collapsed, her hearts failing her.
I closed my eyes as I swam into the blackness of the underwater cave. I'd swam the caves enough that I knew by heart when to turn to avoid crashing into the rocks. 'I promise mother, I will live.' I vowed. 'I will not allow your sacrifice to be in vane.' I made my way to a fork in the caves. One leading deeper into another chamber of the above water caves, the other leading to an Upper World river. 'Your gem of hope will shine bright.' I thought choosing the river passage.
I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible.
I'm always open to constructive criticism, suggestions, or requests for future chapters.
Glossary: (Drakine)
Drakonet: Also referred to as a "Divine Mother". The term used for hermaphrodite dragons. Extremely rare and highly prized among any dragon breed. Supposedly possessing special powers no other dragon has been known to wield.
Saa: The rear legs of a dragon. The three rear true-toes are able to grip, but the fighting spur is little more than ornamental.
Sii: The front legs of a dragon. Five digit claws (similar to human hands) that are dexterous enough to grasp objects.
"True Color": The time in which an Opal Dragon ages to the point that it looses its pink scales and gains a pigment to match its personality.