Mercenaries of the Gods: Chronicle One - Stories

The First Stone

My age was one-hundred seventy-two thousand years, give or take a millennium. My form was three removed from my birth form of a wiry, but agile, sand dragon. My evolutionary path took me from sand to sandstone then to a brief stint as an agate. While the power of the agate dragon is very high and its seismic breath attack is very fun, it wasn't my style. So, after only a thousand years in that form, I changed again. I was enjoying life as either a mighty pyroclastic flow dragon or a volcanic ash dragon depending on what scholar you ask. I prefer the name pyroclastic flow dragon myself. By this time, I was among the top thousand dragons in raw power on the whole of Gaia. Despite that fact, life was simple and rather peaceful. My home was a large cavern in the lava beds on what is now called Hawaii. I had two powerful neighbors; a mighty, and just a tad moody, jungle dragon named Kathshema and the noble and wise tsunami dragon named Mike.  

This was a marvelous time to be a dragon. The age of the oppressive and vile Horilporfs was over and the age of the Titans that gave rise to the age of Gods and humanity lay many millennia away. This, my friends, was the age of the Dragon! Here are some interesting facts about us dragons that I am sure you forgot. Three main groups of dragons exist. I am a member of the mighty Gaia dragons, dragons of the earth and nature. My neighbors Kathshema and Mike were as well. Closest to the Gaia dragons are the wise atmospheric dragons. Like the Gaia dragons, they come in a wide variety, but all are dragons of air and lower space. There is one exception to this standard. Dragons of storms are part of the Gaia dragons due to their part in the cycle of things, though many storm dragons transition to atmospheric dragons after a time rather than continue serving Gaia. The last and most powerful group are known as prime dragons. Of the original eleven clans, seven were still around at this time: the red dragons of fire, green dragons of acid, frosty blue dragons of ice, pure white dragons of energy, cosmic purple dragons of lightning, orange dragons of sound and the sinister silver dragons of metal and magic. The Gaia dragons did their best to keep the powers of their namesake, both creative and destructive, in balance. The atmospheric dragons desired to join the stars and left the affairs of the earth proceed without much care. The prime dragons desired only power, treasure and domination of life they deem lesser. Squabbles often erupted between different prime clans but often led to lots jawing and little fighting. That was how it was until the First Dragon War started. 

I know not if it was fate or simply happenstance, but my home is where the first shot of the war was fired. It was morning of an early summer day. Kathshema and I talked about the impending eruption of the volcano and the potential damage to her jungles. Mike warned the young coral reef and its residents about a possible destructive wave, even though riding a tsunami was something he enjoyed very much. Stopping in the middle of our conversation, the three of us look to the southwest at the same moment. Something was coming. Mike swims with great speed to that side of the island while Kathshema and I walk with haste to the beach. Once gathered, we peer out over the sparkling ocean. Coming in quite fast is young purple dragon chased by a much older, and larger, orange dragon. My eyes roll as my wings carry my might into the air. Mike prepares for idiocy and Kathshema moves back to her jungle. To me, Kathshema seemed somewhat overprotective of her jungles, but what are dragons if not a touch territorial. The orange dragon unleashes a sonic blast that rips into the water just a moment behind the speedy purple dragon. I start to move towards them. The purple one does a quick circle and turns its head before releasing a small stream of lighting. The stream of bluish purple strikes the orange menace on the left shoulder. The blast seems to enrage the orange dragon more than it harms it. A moment before the Orange one can retaliate; I fly between them. Staying in the air, we all pause. I feel Mike below me, waiting to assist if the chaos continues. 

My eyes move from one to the other. My size dwarfs both, so I hope my power will force peace between them. At least long enough for them to leave our territory. In Primal Dragon tongue, my voice booms with such power, the water below ripples. "You two dare squabble in our territory?" My eyes begin to glow with fire. "I demand you stop this idiocy at once or, at very least, continue your petty squabble elsewhere."