Raya and the Dragons (RATLD Fan-fiction sequel) [IN DEVELOPMENT]

Raya I [1st chapter]

—That's when the Mighty Sisudatu, the last dragon, concentrated all her magic into a gem and blasted the Druun away. Everyone that was turned into stone came back! Except... the dragons. All that was left of Sisu was her gem. It should have been this big inspirational moment, where humanity united over her sacrifice. But instead... people being people... they all fought to possess the last remnant of dragon magic. Borders were drawn. Kumandra divided. We all became enemies, and the gem had to be hidden. But that's not how the world broke. That didn't truly happen until 500 years later... when I came into the story.

—Princess Raya...— a child raised his hand, interrupting the story. —My mother told me that dragons are divine creatures that bring us water. Is that true?

Raya turned her attention to the curious boy. He was small, with shiny brown skin, coal-black hair and dark amber eyes. He wore the aqua green garments of the Land of Heart, with some embroidery on the fabric in dark turquoise and gold colors that reflected the shapes of the dragons from the legends. But the most peculiar thing about the curious boy was his neck; he wore an aquamarine amulet with a necklace shaped like Sisu holding a bright, shimmery blue gem that represented the Dragon Gem.

—What's your name, little guy? — Raya asked.

—My name is Jelmy.

—I notice you have Sisu on your necklace... Do you like dragons? — she asked, and the boy nodded shyly. —Well, Jelmy... I'm not certain, but many legends say that dragons are magical creatures that come from the water, and they are as kind as they are wise and intelligent. Could you imagine talking to one?

—That would be great! But... I don't know any of them.

Raya felt the boy's sorrow. A heavy load of dreams and fantasies she knew would never be fulfilled. After taking a deep breath, she stood up, walked among the children to the back where Jelmy was, leaned on one of her knees, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

—And you'll do it, Jelmy... someday you will. I'm not gonna lie, I'm also a dragon superfan. — she said, mixing her voice with a fine, almost contained laugh. The boy smiled. The joy with which he had first asked the question had shone again like the sun after revealing itself from behind the clouds. Raya took both of the boy's hands and pulled him up to his feet, and together they walked over the cobblestones embedded in the manicured lawn until they came to a large block of quartz so white it reflected the sunlight, and they sat down to continue listening to the story. —Where did I get stuck? —Raya asked, while all the kids, including Jelmy, asked to her that tell the story after Sisu's sacrifice.

— Well... that was when Heart became the protector of the Dragon Gem. The years passed, generations continued, and as both parents, children and brothers, became his protectors. Since I was a little girl, Chief Benja trained me to be the next protector of the gem... but one day, I made the mistake of trusting someone I shouldn't have. My father and I tried to protect it, but there were too many for us to defend against. The gem was fractured, and all the protection it had given us against the Druun disappeared along with its last fragments. That day I managed to escape, but I had to leave my father behind. — All the children fell silent, their gazes focused on Raya. —Fortunately, legends say that when the Mighty Sisudatu blasted away all the Druun, her body fell into the water and floated down the river. The myth says that she lies sleeping at the river's end. Because of this, for six long years, I visited each river drawn on the map until, on a hot day in Tail, with the help of my friend Tuk Tuk, I found her asleep inside a shipwreck. She was a dragon light blue like the sky, as big and long as three horses, with a beautiful, majestic white mane brimming with locks of blue and purple colors. Waking her up wasn't easy, but when I did, I implored her to help solve humanity's problems, and she accepted. Together we began our mission of gathering all the gem pieces to unite them and eliminate the Druun once and for all. We crossed lakes, mountains, rivers and towns, and on the way, we met exceptional warriors. In Tail, we met Boun, a tough guy who knows how to prepare bad dishes to make his victims suffer. In Talon, we met a gang of heartless thieves who were as fast as they were dangerous. In Spine, we met Tong, a burly, crazy warrior with an eye patch and almost all of his teeth out of place. And finally, in Fang, we met a ruthless, agile and talented warrior named Namaari...