Before the capture of Danzi and Lu Yu, dragons lived freely with their Dragon Keepers, travelling between The Winter Haven in the south, and The Summer Haven in the north.
They earned their living and peace with the local populace by bringing rain where there was drought, spreading news from the Empire, and helping the villagers wherever they needed a hand or a talon.
Dragons and Dragon Keepers long shrugged their cloaks of imperial laws and abided by their own principles. They chose to not involve themselves in matters of war - or women.
This story takes place at the fall of the Qin dynasty in The Summer Haven - 68 years before the last Dragon Keeper would accompany the likes of Danzi and his son, Kai.
68 years before Huan Ping was the Imperial Dragon Keeper.
***
Many folk oft dreamed of flying on dragonback. For Yu Anh it was just part of his daily routine.
In the heart of the dragon haven, the young man sat upon the black dragon's back, gazing up at the sky, eyes fixed on the great beasts that soared above him. They were on top of a mountain overlooking a valley, surrounded by dragons of all shapes and sizes. They were his friends, his protectors, and his companions.
Anh's heart pounded with excitement. He could hear the other dragon's roars echoing through the mountains. He gazed down at his dragon - Hei Lei, The Black Thunder - a magnificent creature with polished black scales and bright yellow eyes. Hei Lei was waiting for him to make the call.
Let's go. Anh said to Hei Lei in his mind. The young man felt the dragon's muscles ripple beneath him as it stretched its wings and launched into the sky.
Let's go! Hei Lei chimed as they soared through the sky. As they flew over The Summer Haven - Long Gao Yuan, it was called in the local tongue - Anh marveled at the sight. It was a place of peace and one he had come to call home in the short time he had been here. To the east, was the entrance to a cave, its dark mouth gaping open like a portal to another world. The cave was where the dragons slept.
To the west, there was an adjoining, wooden courtyard and hut, nestled in a grove of trees. This was the home of the human caretakers - the Dragon Keepers - who tended to the dragons' needs, providing them with food, shelter, and care. The Haven's only companions were the mountains and a nearby lake, Dragon Lake.
Hei Lei soared through the air, his wings beating rhythmically as they twisted and turned through the sky and barrel rolled. It was one of their favourite tricks, along with loops and corkscrews. They had been practicing a new trick recently, however, and today they were going to show it to the leaders of the Haven: Lao Longzi, the Dragon Keeper's leader, and Lung Danzi, the leader of the dragons.
From high in the sky, Hei Lei spotted Danzi and Lao on a nearby slope. Perfect! He said.
Anh bit his lip to hold back his grin. He was looking forward to Lao's reaction. You know the drill.
They descended on the slope and landed in the small clearing where Lao and Danzi were reconvening. They were joined by Bai Xue, the white dragon, and her keeper, Minh Huyn, the blind elder.
Anh slid off Hei Lei's back and bid him off with a wink. "Morning gentlemen!" He chirped as Hei Lei disappeared down the slope. Bai Xue grumbled. "Er," Anh fumbled. And lady. He said to her in dragonspeech. She switched to making a tinkling noise as thanks.
Lao and Danzi were pouring over a scroll and a handful of yarrow sticks. They were reading the contents out loud to Minh Huyn and barely noticed Anh and Hei Lei's entrance.
YOU ARE READING
The Fall of Dragon Haven - A Dragonkeeper Fanfiction
Fanfiction"If it were the girl or the Haven," Hei Lei pondered. "Which would you choose?" "What kind of question is that?" "A rhetorical one I'd like to think." Anh sighed and began scratching Hei Lei under his chin. "It would never come to that." He whispere...
