DragonTribes #1: RiverTribe

Chapter 1: Storyteller Nai (OG)

Alicia looked up at the moons, she and her friends were circled around a fire waiting for the Storyteller. Each of the guppies, what the RiverTribe calls children, sat criss-cross-applesauce.

A frail woman aproached them. She had a cane made of dragonbone. She wore skin from a bear and had a necklace which had a single purple-blue dragon scale on it. Alicia uncrossed her legs, excited for the the story.

Nai set her cane down and pulled up a wooden chair next to the guppies, "What story do we want to hear about today?"

Nate's mouth burst open, "THE FIRST RIVER CHIEFTAN!"

Alicia quietly disagreed, "I want to hear about The Great Dragon."

Nai smiled at Alicia, "You must speak up, darling, I can't hear you at this age."

"She wants you to tell us about The Great Dragon." Another said louder.

"Hmmm. Alright, which guppies want to hear about The First River Chieftan?" Nai spoke a little hoarsely.

Nate bounced up and held a hand in the air. He looked at the other guppies and plopped back down on the ground, upset no one agreed with him.

Alicia wiggled trying to contain her excitement. She had heard little of the Great Dragon.

Nai leaned in closer to the guppies. The fire gave her face an orange glow, "Long ago, before the Tribes, even before the world. A dragon, one which had all the powers of the tribes and more, flew in vast nothingness. She was called The Great Dragon. The Great Dragon first created the sun with her light powers. Then she created the stars with her night powers. The Great One then decided she needed to create a place for creatures. So, she created Earth. She shaped the world with her earth, water, nature, and seasons powers. She first created us, humans, because she wanted us to appreciate what she made for us. Then she created dragons, but not dragons like her; different kinds of dragons each containing one of her powers. She watched the dragons and humans create bonds, but it didn't go how she expected."

Alicia gasped. I thought we did what she told us!

Nai grinned and looked at the eager faces, "The humans created rivals between the different kinds of dragons. They seperated each other in different lands. Some say because we seperated ourselves, The Great Dragon died in disappointment. Others say because she did not create a dragon like her to keep her company, her life was shortened by loneliness. We can all agree that The Great Dragon died peering at us from outside the Earth and it resulted in her eyes becoming our two moons."

Nai lifted her withered, shaking finger towards the two shining white circles. The guppies looked up, mouths gaping in awe.

Alicia looked back down and studied Nai's cane. Three dragon bones tied together by some sort of leather aligned perfectly and created what looked like a dragon's leg.

"Curious one, aren't you?" Nai looked at Alicia and laid the cane in her lap.

The guppies moved their gaze from the moons to Alicia. She gulped, embarrassed.

"Ah, little one, do not be nervous. Do you want to know why I have these?" Nai held her necklace in one hand and stroked the cane in her lap.

The guppies returned their focus to Nai, "When I was younger, I had a dragon myself. I was actually the first young lady to not have an offspring of her parent's dragon. I was a daring, silly girl. I took the trail to the waterfall, a couple months after hatching week. Dragonlings were just about everywhere." Nai paused, sighed, and grinned, "but one specific one caught my eye. She was a beautiful purple and blue." Nai handed the necklace to Nate to pass it around, "She had been abandoned by her parents, probably because her scales did not blend in with the water. It was a birth defect. I kneeled down and let her slowly aproach me."

Alicia was handed the necklace. She stroked the scale with her thumb and stared in awe. It was beautiful. She stroked it a final time and handed it to the guppy next to her.

"I took care of her and named her Amethyst. I was a lucky girl, and grew a deep bond with her. Amethyst died an old dragon, perhaps the oldest. I did not cry as much I thought I would have. I knew she lived well, and because of me, lived long. That scale is from her forehead and this cane, her leg." Nai stroked the cane.

Alicia got up and hugged Nai.

Nai smiled and patted Alicia's arm, "Thank you, little one."

"Time for bed." Alicia's father scooped her up in her arms and walked towards their house.