Legend of Parocaav II: Against the Darkness (rough draft)

Chapter II: The Wayward Stone

All is quiet in the cottage on the border. Everyone is still in bed, except for Roku. She was not able to sleep, her mind could not get off of what is to come. All night long, she had been laying on Drayk's chest as he slept. The sound of his heartbeat is all that has kept her from going crazy and getting completely lost in her own thoughts. It is somehow soothing to her. Just before he wakes up, Roku relieves her fatigue. Drayk yawns and kisses her on the top of her head.

"Good morning Roku. Sleep well?" Drayk asks.

After a moment's hesitation, Roku replies with a smile on her face, "Yes. I did sleep well."

The two of them climb out of bed and walk down the short hallway. The front room is empty, so Drayk decides to start brewing a pot of tea. The fresh aroma of tea fills the cottage in a matter of minutes. Sammi walks into the room from outside with a smile on her face while sniffing the air. Once the tea is done, Drayk serves them. Almost ten minutes go by before Synn joins them.

"Mornin' all," Synn says to the Bringers of Hope, "I have decided how I can help you on your new quest."

"Oh? How so mother?" Roku inquires.

"I'll explain later. You three enjoy your tea, and I'll make us breakfast. I'm not sure when you'll be able to have a home cooked meal again after this morning," Synn speaks with a tranquil tone in her voice.

An hour later ~

Drayk and Sammi are at the sink doing dishes while Synn and Roku walk out to the front room. Synn gestures for her daughter to sit down while rummages through a box hidden in the corner of the room. She pulls out a small stone carved in the shape of the crest of the Wind Clan. She walks over and places the stone in Roku's hands, then sits beside her.

"This is what I can offer you," Synn tells her in a soft voice.

"Is this?" Roku wonders out loud.

"Yes," Synn explains, "This is a Wayward Stone. A stone from our ancestors time. It was used by Wind Mages to summon a legendary wind dragon."

"Vortex."

"Yes. Vortex. The dragon made out of the ancient winds of the past. The winds that will allow you to travel where ever you wish to go."

"How does it work?"

"Vortex will respond when you call his name. He only responds to those who can wield the winds."

"Thank you mother. You have no idea how much this will come in handy to have."

"Oh I do understand my child. You need go see Ryk as soon as possible. This is all that I can offer for now."

"It's more than enough, and it's greatly appreciated."

Synn just smiles at her daughter and walks out of the room just as Drayk and Sammi walk in. She smiles at them as they pass one another. Sammi is unsure why, but a strange feeling overcomes her as she makes eye contact with Synn. She brushes it off and decides to think nothing of it. If anything was wrong, Drayk would sense it. She has always admired her brother for that trait, and a little jealous of it as well. Roku stands up and shows them the smooth stone her mother had given her. She smiles real big while grabbing Drayk's arm and drags him outside.

"Where are we going?" Drayk asks.

"Just watch," Roku teases, "We'll be back Sammi!"

"Ok?" Sammi says rather puzzled as she watches them walk several feet away from the cottage.

Roku stops walking without warning, making Drayk stumble over his own feet. She holds out the stone into the air while still holding onto Drayk. The stone glows bright green and the winds blow strong. Roku begins to chant in a language Drayk believes to be an ancient Wind Clan dialect. The skies grow dark for a moment just before a long dragon descends from the skies. Its body is over two hundred feet long but it is rather slim and is as white as a cloud. It is like a snake with two arms several feet below its head and two legs about half way down its body. The dragon curls and lands in front of them. Its face is covered in wrinkles, almost as if its scale were cracking. A dragon almost as old as time itself. Vortex.

"It has been many years since I was last summoned," Vortex speaks in a booming voice as he looks down at them, "Ah. The Bringers of Hope. I knew that one day you would call upon me."

"You know of us?" Roku asks.

"I know all about you. Parocaav is trying to awaken the power of Gaia, is she not?" Vortex inquires.

"Yes. She begun drawing the power from the planet a few weeks ago," Drayk answers.

"You will only have a few months to find the key to defeating her," Vortex warns them, "Once she obtains the power of Gaia.... She will be invincible, as she is know in her state of absorption. Without her power, Gaia will die."

"If Gaia dies though, won't that end all life on the planet?!" Roku shouts.

"Yes," Vortex states, "It will."

"We cannot let that happen!" Drayk exclaims.

"Still as determined as ever I see, aren't you Drayk?" Vortex laughs.

"What do you mean?" Drayk asks him.

"Do not worry about it now. You'll know eventually," Vortex tells him.

"Sammi!" Drayk calls out, "Let's get going!"

"Coming!" Sammi yells as she starts running towards them.

Synn walks out of the cottage to see them off. She waves to them as they climb up onto the giant wind dragon. A gust of wind kicks up underneath Vortex and lifts it up into the air.

"Where is our first stop?" Vortex asks.

"We need to go to the Land of Storms to see Ryk," Roku replies.

"Ah. The Isle of Storms. It has been some time since I have been there or seen Ryk," Vortex says, "Better hold on tight."

The three Bringers of Hope grab a hold of a golden rope that is bound to Vortex's back. As soon as they do, the dragon ascends high into the sky, above the clouds. Just as they reach a high enough altitude, Vortex speeds off towards the south, faster than the speed of sound. No outsider has set foot on storm soil in generations. Storm Mages are the only people who have been affected by history's horrible past of war. With the current events unwinding, even they won't be safe. Drayk isn't sure how welcoming they will be towards them, but even they must know that the Bringers are the only chance for the world to know peace as they do.