Raya and the last Dragon (Raya X Namaari)

Part 1 - Raya and the last Dragon

Raya

I know what you're thinking. A lone rider. A dystopian world. A land that's gone to waste. How did this world get so broken? Well, that all began 500 years ago. Kumandra. This is what we used to be. When our land was whole, and we lived harmoniously alongside...dragons. Magical creatures who brought us water and rain and peace. It was paradise. But then, the Druun came. A mindless plague that spread like wildfire, multiplying as they consumed life and turned everyone they touched into stone. The dragons fought for us the best they could, but it wasn't enough. 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 to 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.

Young Raya

I entered the Dragon Gem Chamber boldly and cleverly. "Hmm. Huh. Looks like someone's trying to be clever. All right, Tuk Tuk, let's show 'em what clever really looks like." I said. Tuk Tuk got distracted by a small bug that was fluttering on the ground. "Tuk Tuk! Come on! Focus! Thank you. Hey, bud, that was awesome. Give me some shell. I got ya." As Tuk Tuk rolled on his back, I flipped him back over. I removed my shoes and stepped into the room cautiously. "Whoa. Wait a second. This feels too easy. Chief Benja. I know it's your job to try and stop me, but you won't." My father smiled. "Don't mistake spirit for skill, young one. I promise you will not set foot on the Dragon Gem's inner circle. Not even a toe." "You might wanna take out that blade. You're gonna need it." I motioned to his sword. "Not today" We fought, until he cornered me. "Boop. Like I said, not one foot on the inner circle. You lost, Raya." He was really wrong, Nothing could beat me, really nothing. "Did I?" I said, looking at my foot, which touched the Dragon Gem's inner circle gently. "Raya...I probably should have said two feet." I smiled at this. "Hey, don't beat yourself up too much, Chief Benja. You gave it your best." My father looked really proud of me, "I won't. And it's either "Father" or "Ba" to you. You did good, dewdrop. You passed the test." He took me closer to the Dragon Gem, until I was inches away from the glowing orb. "Wow. The spirit of Sisu." "For generations, our family has sworn to protect the gem. Today, you will join that legacy. Raya, Princess of Heart, my daughter, you are now a Guardian of the Dragon Gem." My Ba explained. "Whoa. Ah..." He poured the ancient dewdrops on my head, and I was officially a guardian of the Dragon Gem. I can't believe it! We walked down the hallways of heart castle, until my father noticed how energetic I was. "Well, someone's excited." He said. "Well, yeah! I mean, anyone hoping to steal the Dragon Gem now has to face the fury of the two baddest blades in all the lands." Saying this, I smiled fiercely.  "I'm glad you feel prepared, dewdrop, because I have something important to tell you. The other lands, they're on their way here, as we speak." My dad said, making me look at him, puzzled. "They are? Uh... Okay. Okay, no, we can do this. I'm ready. I know exactly how we'll stop them." "Really? Tell me what you know about the other lands." I was excited to show off my knowledge. "First... Tail. A sweltering desert with sneaky mercenaries who fight dirty Second, Talon. A floating market famous for fast deals and fighters with even faster hands. Third, Spine. A frigid bamboo forest guarded by exceptionally large warriors, and their giant axes. Fourth, Fang. Our fiercest enemy. A nation protected by angry assassins, and their even angrier cats. Okay, so we're gonna need some crossbows and catapults and... Ooh! What about flaming catapults?" I thought about the weapons we'd need to fight them off..... "Or, how about shrimp paste from Tail. lemongrass from Talon, bamboo shoots from Spine, chilis from Fang and palm sugar from Heart?" My dad said, sprinkling the ingredients he just mentioned into the soup. I was still pretty confused, so I said, " We'll poison them?" My dad chuckled at this. "No, we're not going to poison them and we're not going to fight them. We're going to share a meal. with them." What!!! He didn't just say that.... "Wait, what?" "I invited them." I knew this was a bad idea. "But they're our enemies." My dad seemed so eager to do this, so I decided not to break it to him. "They're only our enemies because they think the Dragon Gem magically brings us prosperity." That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! "That's ridiculous. It doesn't do that." "They assume it does, just like we assume things about them. Raya, there's a reason why each land is named after a part of the dragon. We were once unified. Harmoniously as one. Kumandra." I'd heard about this, 'Kumandra' but I didn't believe in it. In fact, none of us did, except my dad. "That's ancient history, Ba." "But it doesn't have to be." He protested. "Listen, if we don't stop and learn to trust one another again, it's only a matter of time before we tear each other apart. This isn't the world I want you to live in. I believe that we can be Kumandra again. But someone has to take the first step. Trust me." I don't know about this.....

Pictures:

Tail: 

Spine:

Talon:

Fang:

Heart: