The Ghost of A Dragon's Touch

The Tree Flowers Once More

Dragonoid: A creature of scale and tooth. They resemble an alligator mixed with a human and a wingless dragon. Very powerful beasts, most are intelligent to a certain point. About half of all Dragonoids can speak in a human language. Certain Dragonoids even work alongside humans in the southern-most villages of the Agaveto Mountains. Most docile Dragonoids wear clothing as well, fluently speaking with people as if it was an everyday thing.

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Ghost held his breath, the Dragonoid staring him straight in the eye. It stared at him with a docile gaze, its face pointed into a sharp beak. Rows of spikes ran down its back to its tail, disappearing under the pants, belts, and cloth it wore. On its arms it dawned two great gauntlets, each decorated with hammered symbols and designs. Ghost still felt in danger as he spotted the sword-sharp claws on each of the creature's fingers.

"Who are you, human?" it asked, its voice deep and rough.

Ghost stammered his reply, "M-my name... my name i-is Ghost..."

It scoffed at his answer, standing upright, "Ghost, eh? And what are you doing in my woods, hm?"

"I-I need to pass through... Nothing more."

The Dragonoid looked at him with a trained eye, nodding in approval.

"Alright, Ghost. You may pass, but you have to follow me out."

Ghost agreed, there was no arguing with a Dragonoid. Especially since it decided not to eat him. It lead him to an open glade with the river still running nearby. Remnants of a fire lay in a dusty ash heap in one corner of the glade, the Dragonoid moving to it and sitting with its legs crossed. It rested its hands on its thighs and sighed.

"Come, Ghost. Sit with me." it patted the spot beside it.

Ghost walked over cautiously, sitting the same way as he always did.

"I never caught your name, er..."

"Fjyoor. And I'm a male." he gave a chuckle, the piercings in his left ear jingling as he moved.

Ghost smiled, he was one of the kinder Dragonoids, then.

"It's an honor to meet you, Fjyoor."

Fyjoor nodded, "It's an honor to meet you, Ghost. I've heard stories about you." he reached under a log and pulled out a leather bag made from a deer hide, undoing the string and taking out a set of polished stones.

"Me? From where?" Ghost looked at him, interested in the stones.

Fyjoor poured the stones out onto the ground, "I've heard it from the skies. Your voice carries on thunder, you know. It has told me many things about you."

Ghost remembered his cry to the sky after Yuuval died. He should've known someone would hear him. He glanced at the stones, tearing his mind from the horrid and still-close memory.

"What are these?" he asked, Fyjoor pointing to each one.

"Fieoor, Agual, Terros, Aeroth, and Aetheria. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Aether. The Five Elements of the World."

Ghost nodded, listening intently.

"Each element belongs to an Ancient Dragon. And as each element is named in my tongue, Dragonoid, that is what their names are. Fieoor, Agual, Terros, Aeroth, and Aetheria."

Ghost shifted to get comfortable, imagining the image of five great dragons rested upon stone thrones, golden crowns of horns upon their heads.

"Fieoor is a cruel and ruthless killer, but only when he is stoked to flame. Agual is cool and calm, like a bubbling stream. But when angered, he sends great waves of fury upon his opponents. Terros sleeps underground, causing earth quakes when he rolls. Aeroth is a torrent of emotion, and she uses it to her best ability. Wind storms and season winds are hers.

"And finally, there's Aetheria. She is the kindest of all dragons. She created the others in an attempt to break from the Darkness and protect our world and others." Fyjoor mooved some of the stones around in the order he named them, a chunk of Amethyst in the center to show Earth.

"But in the midst of the other dragon's creation, she'd slipped." he placed a small piece of polished snowflake obsidian, "That slip caused Darkness to take a form. These creatures are known as Shadow Demons." he held it up, the setting sunlight falling onto the surface. Ghost swears he saw a glimpse of the creature he'd seen in trances.

Swallowing, he looked at Fyjoor.

"Have you seen these dragons?"

The Dragonoid smiled kindly, "No. They exist only in our dreams and legends." he began to put the stones away.

Ghost pondered, trying to think of a non-offensive reply, "Do you believe they're out there?"

"Oh, of course I do. How do you think the world works?"

Ghost nodded, looking up at the sky. Already, the clouds had turned pinks and oranges, the sun disappearing beneath the treeline. Fyjoor looked as well.

"Ah. Time to set up camp." he stood, his tail following his movements. Ghost stood as well, going to gather firewood.

"Be careful, my friend. There's still creatures whom wish to kill out there. Don't be going too far." Fyjoor warned, turning back to a pile of bags.

Ghost nodded in reply and kept a good pace, keeping an eye out for dead or fallen branches. He snatched larger ones off the ground and onto his shoulder, going back once his arms were full. With a heave, he chucked them onto the ground with the sound of wood striking wood.

Fyjoor looked back at him and smiled, "Good job, Ghost. I'm surprised in you."

"How so?" Ghost asked, dusting off his cloak.

"Most humans like yourself aren't strong enough to carry that much wood. Dead or not."

Ghost looked at the pile, it was smaller than what he wanted, but it was still a lot of wood.

"I see..." he said, Fyjoor clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, friend. I've also seen men turn to monsters beneath the moon. You aren't the first man I've met in these woods." he walked over to the pile and began to arrange the branches into a hut fit for a flame. Once he was done, he inhaled sharply. Ghost glanced over as Fyjoor released a ball of fire, making him jump.

Fyjoor laughed, standing upright, "Never seen a Dragonoid's flame?" he asked with a toothy grin.

Ghost only shook his head, taking a seat near the fire. The smoke had a sweet, cherry scent to it. Ghost closed his eyes and relaxed, taking in the crackling.

Fyjoor smiled and turned to his packs, pitching a deer-skin cloth above a branch and down the other side in a primitive tent. He lined the outside with bushes and insulated the drafts with moss bits. When he finished, he stood back and nodded, stashing his empty bags into one corner.

When he turned back to Ghost, he heard nothing but the crackle of the fire and the songs of the night creatures. Ghost hadn't moved.

Curious, he walked silently over, looking at him from across the fire. His eyes were closed, his face emotionless. The only signs of him living was a steady rise and fall of his shoulders. Fyjoor had never seen such a deep trance so quickly. He knew now that this boy was capable of things he never had witnessed.

Turning back to his food pouch, Fyjoor pulled out a small chunk of deer meat. He found a sturdy set of branches and set them into a rotisserie. He then stuck the center of the meat and set it on the rotisserie. He drew in a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the meat. He smiled, he was always one for cooking.

Suddenly, Ghost shuddered. Fyjoor looked over, Ghost's eyes now open but empty. He huffed, going over to him.

"Ghost." he tapped his shoulder, the boy lunging at him with his sword drawn. Fyjoor snarled, Ghost's light returning to his eyes as they softened. "You about sliced me!"

Ghost quickly sheathed his sword, turning away. "I-I'm sorry... I had a vision..."

Fyjoor relaxed, going back to his food, "Hungry?"

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