*Soul of Tarnished Silver, An Iksar's Tale of Betrayals*

[Dree]

Here is the tale of my Iksar, Dreega Nalazine, starting soon after her hatching and explaining to a few why she is the way she is. It ends, currently, just before she is found and taken to the Isle of Refuge. If any interest is shown, I will continue the tale of her travels.

 

The setting sun illuminated the dead around them, and Dreega stood at her father's knees, dark eyes locked in horror at the crimson rivulets of blood trickling across the molding floorboards of their small abode. The male Iksar laughed, his brick colored scaled hide rippling with the sound. It had been the first death she had seen, being only three years of age.

 

The men that her father had slain so mercilessly?

 

Dark Elves sent by Lucan, demanding that his tribe join their forces in order to survive. "Look about, ssoftskinssss," he had said, gesturing to the seemingly flourishing life around him, "We Iksssar have no need of the aid of fleshies! We were meant to sssurvive in the wild, and sssurvive we have!"

 

But they had come at a bad time, when he was aggravated by the lack of food and the failure of crops needed to feed his people. So he had slain them, without a second thought after their death except to order for someone to clean it up and feed the scraps to the hounds.
~*~

 

After the Shattering, what little remained of her clan had all joined together under her cruel ancestor's dictate, following him to this distant land full of ruins, the stench of decay and unfertile land. His followers had been nervous, of course, when they realized they were settling upon the lands of the unburied dead. Skeletal remains could be seen jutting out from the ground...some from the poor souls who had been slaughtered by the events surrounding the Shattering.

 

And so in the footsteps of his fathers before him, Zzenikscal had taken to the seeming 'throne' of rule. It was merely a small makeshift city full of her Iksar brethren that Dreega called home at this tender age. It was all she knew, and many lessons of her people's attitudes and history were taught to her here.

 

Swimming lessons had come before talking, as it seemed to be with most of her kind. She took instinctively to the water, having no trouble with clarity nor keeping her breath held for lengths at a time. Her muscles improved, and as she came of age, the fins of her people sprouted from behind her eye ridges.

 

Her people spoke highly of her, though she remained mostly silent and alone in her youth. She had been born with the crest of the Dragon, highly unusual in her bloodline and a sign of great wisdom or importance. It seemed to them that things were going to be well, that Cazic-Thule had not yet abandoned them.

 

"Oh yesss," said they as she walked past, "There goes the daughter of Zzenikscal, and heir to the throne! She is dessstined for greatness! Her crest-that of the Dragon!"

 

They had attributed her silence to great knowledge or cunning. She's scheming, they thought, plotting the best way to slash a throat...concocting a lethal potion recipe in her mind. But Dreega had other things to dwell upon since the day those Teir'Dal had died, and death was not a part of those thoughts.

 

Nay, not death, but life!
~*~

 

Long were the hours she sat in silent reflection, gazing into the muddy waters that ran near her home and observing the movements of it as it flowed ever-onward over rocks and other obstacles. She marveled at the way beavers worked so diligently to dam up the stream and effectively trapped it behind wood.

 

From there sparked her interest in the woodlands of Norrath. She used her claws to dig into the moist soil, unearthing ancient relics of civilizations long destroyed by the Cataclysms. These meant little to her at the time, however, and were soon discarded or stolen by her kin. Dreega noted how the rocks at the bottom of the river where shaped and smooth, while those in the forests were rough and sharp.

 

The wind tickled her snout, teasingly ruffled her fins about. Her eyes widened in wonder as it blew ripples over the water, making it seem to flow faster. It was all connected, this she knew. But never had she dreamed of all the ways possible for the world to unite.

 

An untended fire wrecked several homes, and she stood nearby and watched the flames and the efforts of others to put it out. How they doused it with water to have the blazing beast die down...only to have a great gust of wind breathe life back into it, causing the Iksar to redouble their efforts. And afterwards she had dug through the ashes, noting the darkness of the burned soil, memorizing the charred scent of wood and flesh.

 

Air, Water, Earth, and Fire.

 

They conducted her and her people's way of life, this she knew, though she did not quite understand the how and why of it all. Secretly, she vowed to learn all she could about the world around them, taking an interest in the animals, but more for the way they fit into the world rather than their specific traits.
~*~

 

Proof-read.

Message Edited by Dreega on 05-05-2005 01:39 PM

[Dree]

Though always a bit malnourished, as were all her tribesfolk, Dreega flourished and grew into a fine speciman of her species, with a gleaming hide the color of dank swamp water. Soon she had reached the age where she would take an apprenticeship to her family's business, as would all the other Iksar her age.

 

Zzenikscal would have none of it, though, having already bourne the scars of one offspring who had attempted to slay him once he had learned all of the secrets of ruling the small clan and the heritage of his people. He had done his job well, poisoning his father's drink with his own potion that had no smell nor taste. But Zzenikscal was stronger than his son had ever thought, and had brandished his weapon as soon as the threat was detected.

 

Having been at his father's side for so long, Dreznedrac had memorized all of Zzenikscal's specialty attacks. The battle waged on for hours with the whole village looking on, and both of them sustained heavy injuries. Dreznedrac had youthfulness and a fresh outlook on life on his side, while Zzenikscal still had his trained strength and wisdom. It was not long before Dreznedrac made a mistake and his father's cold steel plunged into his chest so hard it pushed his heart out through the scales on his back.

 

Zzenikscal had never forgotten that betrayal, even though it was decades before Dreega's birth. He would not relinquish the throne until his death- let them squabble over the pickings after he perished, it mattered not to him. Besides, they were dying off and he knew it. His daughter, always quiet, did not seem to him one who would take the throne. He had watched her closely, though she did not know this, and he had seen the clouded over expression in her reptilian eyes- not that of a great thinker, but that of a great dreamer. But at least he had left her to her own devices- other than a few times his wrath came down upon her in the form of a backhanded slap that nearly blacked her out on many occasions.

 

If he cared too much, she might not have survived long enough to be picked up and sent to the Isle of Refuge.
~*~

 

It was a moonless night as Dreega sat in silence by the shores of the muddy river. Full knowing that her tough hide could protect her from the elements far better than anything else, Dreega wore only a threadbare tunic and a thin skirt as she sat outside the run-down wooden fences of her tribe's homelands. She had had another spat with her father, who-having been blinded in one eye by the fight with Dreznedrac long ago- had finally lost sight in the other one as well. But he was only more vicious than ever, a survivor to the very end. She had started to open up to him, telling him she wanted to apprentice with someone else- to become a student of the arcane arts...but he had been thrown into a rage, backhanding her hard across the face for showing such a disrespect of her family and their duties.

 

Only the sharp scales on the back of his hand had ever penetrated her dark flesh before. Often had she felt them, raking against her skin and jerking her head back so hard she thought she might break her neck. Just as often had she felt his claws raking over her when he was upset by some trivial matter or another. Her mother, Trezzikus, on the other hand, was a sullen creature, resigned to living by Zzenikscal's side because of the additional food and power it had brought her. She was kinder than he could ever possibly dream of being himself, and occassionally mixed remedies which quickly healed up the open wounds he had given to his daughter and to his wife so frequently.

 

If she had known that it would have been the last night she would have seen her tribe, would she have done things differently? Would she have told them she loved them? That she was sorry and out of line for even daring to think of taking an apprenticeship outside her family? Why, it was unheard of!

 

No, she decided, trembling clawed fingers stroking over a new row of scratches across her right cheek. She held no real love for them, for they would never understand her ways...could never understand her silence, nor her lack of want for battle or to spill blood. And she had only killed before in order to feed herself, not out of cruelty!
~*~

 

The maruaders came swiftly and in silence while the village slept. Too far off to hear the near inaudible crunch of dead leaves underfoot, Dreega was not much good to her clan on the night of their demise. The vengeance of the Teir'Dal was swift and merciless. Their blades shone like quicksilver in the dark as they sliced the throats of victims in their beds before they could wake up enough to make a noise other than a gurgle. They lit torches and spilt oils inside the small hutches and let the village go down in flames. Those who tried to flee, they picked off with throwing knives or arrows. Some even called down lightning from the skies to vanquish her Iksar brethren.

 

Not all of this went unnoticed by Dreega, for the remembered smell of charred flesh and smoke alerted her to the fact something was wrong. As she came upon the village and the dead and still-dying, she froze and crouched down among the bushes, her yellow-green hide blending her in fairly well to the surroundings as she held still, lucky not to have been seen.

 

Even as she watched into the wee hours of the day, the dark elves gathered up the bodies of the dead and not-yet-dead and piled them all together. Two or three of their kind, faces hidden underneath large dark hoods, walked amongst them and with a blinding light, seared the souls from their bodies. Some of the dead rose and walked yet as the unliving- soulless and foul with their burned skin already falling away to reveal crimson muscles beneath. Some were stolen, their essences taken from them for whatever foul purposes the Necromancers decided to use them for. Some were made into slaves instantly upon the spot, and left when the Teir'Dal did.
~*~

 

Dreega did not know hate before, but now she did. She understood. It was wrong for them to take the souls of the dead- no individual deserved that! It was unthinkable! And though she felt no true love for her people, Dreega walked amongst the corpses and wept freely at what she had lost. Nothing would ever be the same, and she knew now that she was truly alone. They had inhabited this far grove on the outskirts of a large swampland for as long as she could remember. She tried in vain to speak with the zombies of her kin and tribesman, but alas, they would not...could not...respond.

 

True horror gripped her, and she searched anew, digging through the piles of dead and seeking any who might still have within them the breath of life. But none could she find, and so it was she became as the living dead herself, pacing back and forth night after night as she grew thinner and thinner. There was no food but what she could catch or dig out of the rubbish left behind from the fires.
~*~

 

A week passed before Dreega could no longer hold onto her faint hope. It had been a long, trying period, in which she fought off predators lured by the smell of the rotting meat, searched vigilantly for anything to sustain her weakening body, attempted to communicate with the dead, and even to destroy those who walked amongst her as ghosts, skeletons, or zombies in the hopes of putting them at rest...or even just because she could not bear the indignity of watching her people walk about her, mere echoes of what they were in their past lives. And whenever the tell-tale features stood out amongst the decay to indicate which soulless body was someone she knew, she wept with renewed vigor.

 

But a week was too long, and she felt in the depths of her heart, for her mind would not function correctly yet, that it was time to move on. Whatever it meant to move on- in this case however, she was not quite sure. Her feet and her stomach, on the other hand, seemed to have somewhat of an idea, and so she decided to trust her body and hope for the best. Her last few minutes within the tribal village, she dug through some of the remaining ashes, hoping to maybe find some trinket or journal...something to remember her people by, anything!

 

Among the debris, one item did find it's way into her claws, a silver ring of two dragons intertwining about the other, a bright and slightly sparkling green gemstone in the middle, a sphere that seemed to trap some unnatural light. It had been a gift to her from a young male only a few years her senior. Though whether it was merely to make her believe he loved her in order to become part of the ruling family...or because his feelings were honest and true, she did not know for sure. All she knew was that she could not return the love of a creature who had taken an interest in setting traps upon everything, anywhere, just to gauge people's reactions to them. A few had even been fatal...

 

It had been a lovely gift, nonetheless, practical as well, for it gave her a bit more protection magically than she had on her own, just a touch. It also gave off a slight green light which enabled her to see better in the darkness of night, or the darkness of the woods. So she took it and placed it upon her finger, smiling weakly, for the pulling of her lips hurt the still-healing wounds upon her face. With her claws and a small broken knife, she engraved an ephitaph into the ruins of her village, so that all may see.

 

It read: "Here lies four score or more of my Iksar kin. Teir'Dal slayed them in the night. Fires burning, souls churning. One day, my people, I'll set things right." As an afterthought, she added. "Please release the souls of my brethren, for I am the last and have not the power to do so myself. Give them the peace that I could not- Dreega, daughter of Zzenikscal and Trezzikus."

 

And so it was that Dreega, more alone than she had ever been among her tribe, left the swamplands in search of a place to call home. A makeshift bag served to carry what few possessions she had gathered over the last seven days. The dragon ring, she wore, along with the ratty and dirty clothes she had been wearing the night of the fire. Some herbs she knew were good for curing small ailments, and the last bit of food she had rummaged out from the remains were a few other things she took.
~*~

Proof-Read.

Message Edited by Dreega on 05-05-2005 01:48 PM

[Dree]

The going was tough, her scaled, yet bare, feet protecting her from the ground her only comfort. She found soon she could not travel in the heat of the day, for her scales acted as an incubator, warming her to the point that she grew dizzy. Any intense cold also got to her and she would huddle for warmth against anything she could find.

 

Her body began to fade away on her as she became starved and restless. The slightest noise would wake her in her sleep these days, and she found only a handful of hours of rest each night. As she walked, she had a hard time keeping her eyes open, and found herself carrying on in an almost comatose state.

 

It was one of those dreary days that she stumbled upon something she had not expected. By this time, the moon had risen once more and fallen again, waning in the sky until it hung as a thin sickle of silver. Dreega found herself in a cave of unimaginable beauty, crystals adorning the walls, with gold and charred bones lying about. She recognized that smell immediately, and was suddenly awoken from her dreamlike state.

 

Her nostrils twitched and she found herself being led, as if by an unseen hand, deeper into the cave. The further she went, the more obvious became the riches of this place. Perhaps a long-forgotten castle that had fallen into ruins? Glowing weapons faintly flickered, still grasped by the sprawled out skeletons of creatures she had never seen before, their armor all but rotted away.

 

A low rumbling from within startled her suddenly, rattling the walls with the force of the noise and causing some dirt to fall down from the ceiling upon the Iksar. She quickly brushed the soil off of her and began to step slowly towards the source. Her curiousity had always been one of her major faults, and what did she possibly have to lose?
~*~

 

Rounding the corner, she was startled and slightly pertrubed by the sight that greeted her, the stare of blue unblinking eyes, ancient as time, seeming to float upon a sea of mist. Dreega cringed under the glare of those eyes, giving quick jerks of her head in order to see what this creature was.

 

No, not mist, she saw, but the silver hide of a large creature hidden in the smoke of the room. It took her a few sneak peeks, but suddenly the realization of what she was staring at dawned before her. Those eyes came closer and great gaping jaws opened to reveal rows of jagged teeth. An overwhelming scent eminated from them, not the expected smell of decay and rotten meat...but something akin to cinammon and silverberries, wildly exotic and delightful to the senses. It was then the great Dragon spoke.

 

"Come to take my clutch from me, have ye? Hoping to gain riches beyond your wildest dreams- hoping, mayhaps, to become a hero of your homeland? Well, I'll have none of it!" A thrash of its tail against the ground caused more rocks to fall from the cavern's ceiling and Dreega whimpered pitifully, ducking down under the wrath of this enormous best.

 

The Dragon's rage ceased suddenly, and it lowered its long snout to sniff lightly at the Iksar. "No, you are too frail and but a mere hatchling yourself to have come with the intent to do such a thing." Another snuff from the dragon and a slight nudge of the warm nose suddenly soothed Dreega and she looked up at the Dragon with wide eyes.

 

"Wha-what manner of creature are you?"
~*~

 

The Dragon blinked slowly, pulling back and staring down at this creature before great guffaws of laughter sent the cave a-rattling again escaped from its great jaws, sending Dreega into shivers again. "I, hatchling, am a DRAGON!" With that, the large head turned and from between the teeth spurted out large blue flames. Dreega's head was swirling now, she had learned a little about the Dragons from her tribe, knowing they were both revered and deadly beings.

 

"I...I have never seen a Dragon," she stammered, and the Dragon lowered itself again, reaching out with a humongous claw to herd the Iksar closer to it.

 

"I am a Dragon, one of the mighty daughters of Veeshan, Mother of All Wurms."  So there was a gender to this beast, Dreega thought, looking over it while she stood, spine tingling with the knowledge that those gleaming claws could rip her into shreds before she could even gasp. "I tell you this, hatchling, because I am lonely in my old age and I grow weary of those who would come to take what little I have left from me."

 

Dreega looked into those ancient eyes and nodded slowly in understanding, kneeling down upon the cavern floor and watching this creature. No longer angered, the Dragoness was indeed a beautiful sight, with scales that sparkled like moonlight on the water. Like quicksilver, she seemed, her grace belying great strength.

 

The Dragoness continued, "Give me your name, hatchling."

 

"I am...D-Dreega."

 

"And where do ye hail from?"

 

Dreega was gathering more confidence, having now realized that the Dragon did not wish to slay her on sight. At least, not at the moment. "I hail from the swamplands, were my people escaped to after the Shattering. Twas a small tribe, Lady Dragon."

 

Suddenly, the sapphire eyes blazed with mirth and light. "You may call me Nalazine. Yet, what is such a fledgling doing so far from her home?"

 

Here it was that Dreega told the tale of her people to the Dragoness, bothering not with too many of the details leading up to the fire and destruction brought on by the Dark Elves. She also spoke about what had transpired afterwards, and then finished up the tale with her aimless wanderings and ending with the current time. She had not realized a few hours had passed during the telling, and was yawning and almost dozing off as she sat before Nalazine.
~*~

 

"Ah, Dreega. I see ye are weary, and as these be unusual circumstances under unusual times, I will allow ye to stay with me for as long as ye wish. I have a clutch further in, and will spend the majority of my time in there until they hatch."

 

Dreega nodded, still more asleep than awake, and the Dragoness gently led her into the den. Once inside, the Iksar noticed the eggs gleaming in all hues, blues and greens, purples and reds, tans and yellows...it was beautiful...and quickly they vanished underneath the silver scales of Nalazine as she laid upon them, to keep them warm. Dreega stared about for a bit, not sure what to do and how not to anger the dragoness...then Nalazine gently herded the Iksar towards her with the use of her seemingly delicate wing. The scales upon it were soft, yet Dreega knew that they were tougher than they appeared- such was the same with her own hide.

 

Once settled against the side of the silver creature, warmed by the inner fire that heated Nalazine's scales, Dreega almost instantly drifted off into sleep. "We are so alike, youngling," Nalazine's velveteen voice echoed warmly in Dreega's mind, "ye are almost exactly like one of my young...Mayhaps ye can learn alongside my own, as ye've no one to teach ye the things ye must know any longer...Yes, that is what we shall do..."
~*~

 

A bond was forged between the two, that night, as they lay together and awoke at the same moment when a bit of sunlight filtered in through a hole in the cave's ceiling. Dreega was eager to learn, and Nalazine, like most of her kin, was inclined to teach. They turned the eggs together between studies, inspecting them for damage, and Nalazine taught Dreega how to listen for the faint heartbeats within.

 

Dreega was beginning to feel like she belonged here, as if it were her destiny to have been the sole survivor of her people so that she may come here and study under the ancient Dragoness. There was so much to learn! Nalazine spoke of the connections between creatures and the planet, how everything was intertwined in some way or another. She experimented with the elements, learning how each affected the other. Long were the nights when they sat in silence under the moonlight and gazed towards the heavens and the shattered moon of Luclin.

 

On one particularly warm night, Nalazine ventured to teach Dreega about her mother, Veeshan. In her studies among her people, she had learned a little about the fabled Mother of All Wurms, but she knew little of the tale. When she told Nalazine this, the Dragoness settled into a position that had become familiar to Dreega- it meant a long tale was coming and that the Dragoness was not merely repeating what she had learned from others or stories...but what she remembered....
~*~

Proof-Read.

Message Edited by Dreega on 05-05-2005 01:56 PM

[Dree]

"Veeshan, as ye know by now my youngling, is the Crystalline Dragon known as the Mother of All Wurms. Indeed, she was the mother of us all, the creator of our race. I am a descendant of one of the First Brood- the first Dragons born upon Norrath. Many ages ago, Norrath was an uninhabited place, ignored by the gods that many think no longer exist. At the time, Veeshan was wandering the universe, finding planets worthy of which she could deposit her young...just as I have done here with my own clutch. In one of her many travels, she came across Norrath, and deeming it well enough to place her young, she swiped her claws upon the planet and created what is now known as the Scars of Velious. Veeshan, Ruler of the Plane of Sky, had staked her claim to this promising new world, and Dragons roamed Norrath both on land and sky. Thus began the Age of Scale."

 

She settled again, her sapphire eyes darkening, "In time, the other gods grew jealous and came to place their own mark upon Norrath. Brell Serilis, Duke of the Underfoot, was the first to arrive by placing a magical portal deep in the belly of the planet. He placed his own creatures within and then returned home, sealing the portal away. When the other gods took interest, he approached them and convinced them all that they should form an alliance to keep an eye on the schemes of Dragonkind."

Dreega's eyes were wide as she leaned against her draconic friend, listening and trying to imagine a time when the gods had chosen this planet as their own...

 

"They were ignorant that the King of Thieves had already released some of his creations into the Underfoot of this new world. Brell created the Dwarves, stout and strong, Prexus the Oceanlord deposited the Kedge, hearty aquatic beings, in the depths of the ocean. Tunare made the Elves, creatures of limitless grace and beauty, who dwelled upon the surface of Norrath, and Rallos Zek created the fierce and formidable Giants..."

 

She trailed on, teaching of the battles of the Gods and the various races they created, and when Dreega was too tired to hear any more, she continued the lesson over the course of the following days.

 

Life was good, and Dreega was happy. She thought she would live dreamy days like this forever, though it was also not meant to be.
~*~

 

Near the hatching of her young, Nalazine left to go out hunting, and never returned. Dreega waited for days, which turned into weeks. A month passed, and the eggs were shaking now, trembling in anticipation of their escape. Small peeps could be heard from within, and occassionally Dreega would find a crack in a few of them. Nalazine had been gone for long periods of time before, though, and so Dreega kept practicing her studies, continued to watch the environment around her, still turned the eggs in preparation of the dragoness's return.

 

How could she have known what had befallen that ancient and glorious beast who had been like a mother to Dreega over the past few months? What way would she have been able to tell that a raid had joined against her and that she had finally fallen? Out in the secluded cavern, she knew nothing of this. Days still fell into night, and the sun still rose in the morning.

 

Raids had been formed before in order to bring down those of Veeshan's Brood. Centuries had passed, and Nalazine had easily thwarted all of them, but she had grown weary after the Shattering, unable to find any other Dragons but a few. She had laid her eggs after a brief encounter with a male of her species who had vanished long before their hatching day without warning. Nalazine, swift as quicksilver in both body and mind, had fallen with none to stand by her side.

 

Dreega learned all of this when a band of ruffians came to the cavern early one morning, stealing Nalazine's gems and taking for themselves the weapons still clasped in the hands of those who had not been so lucky. They spoke of their wounds inflicted by the dragoness, and how her silver hide would fetch a hefty price in the market. The horses they rode were black and their manes were drenched with unholy blood.

 

She spotted a few magic casters among the group, one of which was a necromancer, and her heart faltered in her chest as she worried that the same unnatural fate had consumed her dearest mentor. As they explored the depths of the caves, Dreega stealthily snuck into the back room and began to hastily move the eggs, two at a time, into a hidden niche only she knew of. Nalazine might have known of its location, but she had no reason for such a small space.

 

Footsteps echoed, drawing ever nearer, and Dreega thought her heart might break. Dozens of eggs still left, wriggling and softly meepling. She could not save them all, she knew. Gritting her teeth, she stashed as many away as she could. Nalazine had not been been able to stand up to these heartless brutes, how could she ever hope to? No- she was wiser now than she had ever been. When the sound of boots pounding on stone grew dangerously loud, she inhaled deeply and wriggled her way into the nearly full niche, wrapping herself protectively around the dozen or so eggs she had been able to store away.

 

The laughter of both men and women filled her head, and with the way she was jammed into the tight space, she could not see these defilers of Nalazine's home, but her hatred grew with every beat of her heart. They were taking the eggs, she could hear that much at least, shoving them into...into something...a few comments about the prices on the market and which colors would be best to sell. When they ran out of room, they smashed in the rest.

 

The frantic, helpless cries of the unhatched as they were slaughtered before they'd even had a chance to live was too much for Dreega to bear. She shut her eyes tight and shook with silent sobs, trying to block out the heart-wrenching noises coming from the cavern by placing her hands over her ears.
~*~

 

A few hours later, when it seemed they had taken all they could and had departed with no intent of returning that day, Dreega finally gathered up the courage to venture out of her small niche. Broken bodies scattered the floor of Nalazine's younglings, their stubby wings crushed as though they'd been trampled on, tongues lolling out and soft scales ripped open as they had not had enough time to fully develop. The home of Nalazine was tainted, and no longer would it be a safe place for Dreega to stay.

 

Each time she stepped on a fragment of shell, it crunched and she felt a pang of guilt overwhelm her. The array of colored shells and baby dragon corpses was all tinged with a horrible black tinted crimson as their blood began to dry. She could not leave them like this, it was indignant...just as it had been indignant for her tribesfolk to walk among the living though their souls had been ripped from their bodies.

 

She dug a grave, a deep grave that took her the better of two days to make, what between having to check on the eggs and feeding herself and looking out for any more thieves. Once it was done, she carried the lifeless forms of the baby dragons a few at a time, and set them into the hole. She also crushed the eggshells and sprinkled them atop the bodies, to keep anyone else from knowing what had transpired here.

 

When all were set within, she covered up the mass grave with dirt. "The earth is your home now, my little brothers and sisters. We will miss always the songs you might have sung, or the dreams you might have dreamed. Rest always on the wing." Bowing her head solemnly, she then set about to prepare for her final departure from this place.
~*~

[Dree]

Another day passed as she gathered enough material to sew, though crudely, some satchels by which she might carry the remaining eggs. Once she was set to go, she grabbed a few silver pieces missed by the raiders and placed them in the bags with the eggs. With about nine eggs, she walked out of Nalazine's chambers and glanced around, eyeing the forest about her.

Again, she carved an ephitaph into the rocks of the cavern entrance, the first and only tombstone for Nalazine, the Silver One.

 

It read: "Nalazine, Daughter of Veeshan, who took me in when I was lost. Who will sing to me now? Who will guide me? You taught so much, yet much was left unsaid. You lie dead where I cannot reach you, and your children lay buried here, they who never knew you. My dearest friend, go gently on the winds.-Your Adoring Pupil, Dreega."
~*~

 

The going was slow, taking even longer than before when Dreega was alone...for now she had to rest often due to the weight of the nearly-complete baby dragons she carried with her, and more and more now did she need to check on the condition of the eggs, turning them over and over and looking for damages as Nalazine had taught her.

 

Dreega did not know how or when she came across the sea, but the shock of seeing so much water all in once place both startled and pleased her. Her blood tingled at the thought of exploring those sparkling waters and their depth in anticipation. But at the same time, her mind was reeling. Almost a week of traveling had passed, and the eggs were going to hatch any day now.

As she saw it, she only had two options. The first being that she could turn around and head a different directiom. The second, and more appealing idea to her, was to cross this vast, watery beast. Though she had never been to sea before, she knew enough of how to make a raft that she was able to complete a makeshift one only half a day's hard work, with some constant checking to see if Nalazine's young were alright. It was swift going, and it felt good and right to be doing this.

 

Once the raft was finished, she used some vine to tie the stachels of eggs down onto the wooden logs of her craft and then she firmly pushed it out into the waters, wading in and bracing herself against the waves that attempted to shove her back to shore. Once the soft sand beneath her claws was no longer reachable, she kicked out a few times to give an extra boost to the vessel before clambering aboard it herself. She had made a crude oar as well, using some flat pieces of wood and tying them together.

 

With a sigh, she began to paddle out to sea, little knowing where her voyage might take her and hoping it would not lead to a grim death...
~*~

 

The sun had risen and set again three times since she had pushed off. Her aquatic vision, inherited from her people, allowed her to see the vicious brutes that swam beneath the waves and enabled her to find easy targets to fish and eat. The eggs trembled harder than ever, and at night she curled around them, as they were tied in the middle to help prevent losing one, in a vain attempt to keep them warm. She only prayed they would not venture out of their shells for just a while longer. Had she known the seas would be so rough and so wide, she might have never attempted such a passage...but wishful thinking would do her no good here.

 

Things seemed to be going well for a while, until one even she sensed a dampness in the air, a heavy, wet feeling that was different from the salty breeze she had grown accustomed to. As if in answer to her thoughts, thunder roared in the sky above her and she glanced up to see cracks of lightning zigzagging the sky here and there.

 

"Oh, my little brothers and sisters," she cried out softly to the eggs she now clenched around tight, "I do not think we are going to make it past this night." Only the shuddering of the eggs in the drenched satchels and the small meeps from within answered her. Alone and terrified, she held her breath as they neared the storm and the tumultuous seas...and prayed.
~*~

[Misseh]

I'm really looking forwards to your next installment. There are several ongoin tales I read regularly, but yours is the first I've every posted in... Mostly cause I read it last night during server down, and now I want more. MORE! :smileyvery-happy:

[Dree]

Wow, all these 5-stars AND someone demanding more?!

 

How can I refuse! *frills fan out in a pleased manner* By all means, I will get working on the next part right away!!

[Dree]

Hours passed, and Dreega found herself growing very tired. The storm had approached and seemed to hover ominously abover her before unleashing its assault of rain. Soaked through and shivering, she found her arms aching from her desperate clutching of vessel and satchels...she was determined not to give up hope. Veeshan had guided her to the sea since the death of her tribe, she knew it and believed it. But that did not prevent her from being afraid, nor from crying out everytime a looming wave collapsed atop her raft in a vicous attempt to sink it.

Salt-water filled her lungs, until she found it hard to even catch a breath of clean air before another wave sent her raft spinning along the ocean. The Iksar did not remember when or how she lost hold of her oar, but it was long gone. Not that it would have been much help, she pondered sourly, with the way the Mistress Ocean tossed her about-helpless as a sparrow in a hurricane. If it weren't for the fact she could see underwater, she would have found the burning of her eyes to be another pain added onto her difficulty in breathing.

Though at times she wished she had not been capable of seeing the large creatures she had no name for prowling about beneath her raft, with dark and merciless eyes...rows of serrated teeth...three times or more the size of her! Shadows, even darker beneath the churning seas moved and writhed below her in the murky depths, awaiting the time that she would spill off and be theirs.

Just as she attempted to secure the bags full of her mentor's children, a wall of water swelled above and behind her. Dreega saw the shadow upon the soaked wood and gave a soft wail of despair as it descended down upon her. And then her world turned a different shade of black...

~*~

It could have been hours, or even days later when the Iksar awoke. Her clothes had been replaced with some tattered rags that were, blessedly, dry. Her pale green eyes opened to find she was no longer upon the raft, though the scent of salt was heavy in her nostrils and she knew immediately she had not made it across the sea. With an aching head, she arose shakily from her small bedroll and to a door that was just to her right in the small and crowded room.

The blinding light of the sun greeted her and for a moment she could not see. A shadow approached, and she rapidly blinked the brightness away to find a human male, just a bit shorter than herself, standing before her. Eyeing him warily, for she had not seen any kindness from those who were without scales as of yet, she took a step back.

"Ahoy! 'Tis good to see you awake. Ya seem a little squiffy, least ya cheated death!" Said he.

"Where I am?" Spoke Dreega cautiously, too confused to really care any more and realizing that if he had meant to do away with her that she would be at his complete mercy...for indeed she was upon another sailing vessel with the open ocean all around.

He told her of the storm and how they had found her adrift and pulled her aboard. The whole while she listened intently and nodded, trying to digest the information he was trying to overload her brain with. The pangs were still making her skull throb and she knew then that she had forgotten something...

And then it hit her- the EGGS!

~*~

In a flurry, Dreega had rushed back to the small cabin, tail thrashing wildly back and forth in agitation as she serached the bedrolls and the few bags and chests that were nearby. Her claws ripped open the thin pillows, causing feathers to fly about, circling her moss-colored form and shielding her from view of the others. Then there it was, in a small chest besides her bedroll, wrapped in gentle fabrics and thankfully dry...was a single, emerald egg that glistened from the sunlight that poured from the bowl-sized window and trembled with an odd sense of alertness.

But there was one. And only one.

Dreega's heart sank, and she wept softly, lifting the egg in surprisingly delicate claws and clutching it to her chest. "Oh, my little one...you made it, you made it...I will never let you from my sights again. Veeshan help me, I could not save the others-but I WILL NOT lose you!"

The Captain waited patiently, for he had been unfortunate enough to have seen many similar scenes take place upon his ship. So it was that he gently explained her predicament and spoke of an Isle of Refuge where he would be taking her and the other poor souls aboard.

Seeing no other choice, Dreega merely nodded dumbly, still struck by the shock that she had once again seemed to fail. But never one to be in debt, she gratefully thanked the Captain for his kindness and took about helping him and his crew as was needed. She was even graced by the presence of one of the Drakota- a being that Nalazine had talked much of.

'Oh, if only you could lift me with those great wings and take me with you, my brother...' she wished silently and in vain towards the figure as it turned to but a speck in the distance and then vanished.

~*~

Time passed quickly from then on, and she found herself dazedly being told to pick a profession, to which she swiftly and without hesitation chose Mage. Many strange creatures did she meet, races she had not even heard of all gathered together on one Island. For many weeks, she thought simply that she was dreaming.

As she worked hard to insure she could feed herself as well as earn her keep in the eyes of those who seemed to run the Isle, she found herself given many odd tasks. One of which was to kill a feared Orc leader holed up in some cave. The poor lass didn't even know where to begin to look. Sneaking past the high chieftain's tree, she found, much to her surprise, an odd softskin wiping off some dirt from what appeared to be a wooden door.

Perhaps she had been staring, but the tan colored being turned towards her to reveal slightly pointed ears, hair of maroon and ebon wildly interspersed, and with more piercings than even the trolls that Dreega had encountered in her tribe!

"Hail," said the pierced one, whom Dreega could now identify as a female Half-Elf. It had been hard to tell the differences at first, but she was learning and that was what mattered.

"Greetings," replied Dreega, although still slighty in shock.

"Lookin' for the Orc?"

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"I'm Econia. Mage-in-training. Gotta help get rid of him myself, otherwise I don't get to eat tonight! Care to join me?"

Amazing how four little words can change your whole life...

~*~

Econia and Dreega became fast friends, helping one another learn and practice the fine arts of the arcane sorts and simply enjoying one another's company. Dreega had never really had a true friend before, and she soon grew a soft spot to this rude and arrogant femme who seemed full of fire, no matter how soft her skin was. It did not take long for them to begin doing everything together, until only when it was time to sleep did they part ways.

On the fateful day when her dragon egg trembled and cracked, Econia was there to help peel away the egg shards to reveal an adorable hatchling of green scales, much lighter than Dreega's- almost the color of spring grass...with lavender undertones upon his small and fragile wings, as well as a dark streak of purple in various patches on his stomach and feet. Dreega fell in love in an instant!

With the gentle lifting of a mother's arms, she embraced the newborn and said softly amongst his croonings, "You are the Last of Nalazine the Silversong. I vow always to protect you, and neither slayers nor dealers will take you from me. You are Thraenukral-the Beloved...and you are mine. My Thrae..." Here she wept for the mother and friend she had lost at the tragic death of Nalazine, and the dracling seemed to understand and pressed his scaled snout to hers and meepled his own sad song of mourning.

With his birth, Dreega found a new resolve to work harder so that she might keep her promise. Nalazine's teachings had been brushed away into the depths of her mind since she had arrived at the Isle of Refuge, but no more. She would prove herself to everyone, for she found very snide and cruel remarks thrown her way on an hourly basis.

~*~

When one comment from some Koada'Dal she had never met struck deep chords within her, she turned to her one and only friend on all of Norrath-Econia. Pulling her aside from their defense against the goblins, they went to the beach and sat down upon the rocks.

"Eco, everyone is so cruel here to me, and I do not quite understand. Have I...done something wrong? Perhaps I have insulted someone's customs?"

With fire in her eyes, Econia spat out quickly, "Don't listen to them, Dree. Especially those snobby high elves. No one can accept anybody, and they're all quick to judge. Look at me? Do you know what I am?"

Dreega gently shook her head but remained quiet, for it was obvious that her friend who was always so strong seemed to also have some sort of issues that the Iksar had never known about.

"I'm an Ayr'Dal, a Half Elf. It means 'misfit'. My old man was a human who fell in love with a Feir'Dal, those wood elves you see running around with their pointy ears and their dark skins. Now, Wood Elves are generally very accepting, and it happens all the time that they join up with humans and have children together. But those High Elves? Nah, they don't understand. They think we are ruining the bloodlines and that we shouldn't be anywhere near their precious selves OR even exist."

"I accept you, Econia..." The Iksar said softly and helplessly, knowing this was an age-old issue from the way her friend spoke and that there was nothing she could do but offer her own friendship and acceptance to help ease the pain.

Econia's tone also softened. "Look, Dreega. You're an Iksar, that's why everyone avoids you or seems out to hurt you. I'm sure you know, but centuries ago your race were a bunch of slavers who tried to take over Norrath. That tends to make people afraid. They don't understand that you're not out to slice their throats, or poison their drinks, or take away their freedom. I say who needs 'em? I've got you and you've got me, and to hell with the rest!"

A toothy grin formed across Dreega's features. "Yes, to hell with the rest!"

But that night as she lay in bed with Thraenukral curled up beside her, she found she could not find sleep. She had heard stories, of course, of the ancient empires of Sebalis and Cabalis, but nothing had ever seemed wrong about the way her people had ever lived. Sure, they were a vicous bunch, but had they truly left a mark of fear and hatred on the minds of everyone else?

Dreega was troubled...

~*~

[Misseh]

*Jumps up and down clapping*

I love these!! So well written and thought out, and worked into the story-line of the game flawlessly!

*Sits on the edge of seat, waiting to see what happens next*

[Lacieone]

Bravo!  More Please!  :smileyhappy:

Faren

 

 

 

 

[Dree]

It was not the sunlight that awoke the Iksar the next day, but rather the gentle nudging of her Half-Elven friend and the urgent but excited murmurings of those who shared the common bunk room. When she merely groaned and started to roll over, Econia elbowed her sharply in the ribs!

"Psst, scaley, wake up!"

"I'm up...I'm up..." stuttered Dreega as she sat up from her bedroll and gave a light flap of her ear-fins with a yawn. "What is it, what is everyone getting so antsy about?"

"Today is the day! We get to choose our new homes!"

Dreega's eyes widened. Finally, off the Island! She had been growing sick of the constant onslaught of the goblins, and even in her dreams the chittering voices of those foul critters could be heard.

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

"YOU!"

Amid their laughter, they pulled on their gear and grabbed their clubs. They could never be too sure what they might encounter along the way.

~*~

"Settle down, settle down! Ye've all done a fine job o'takin' care of the island an' ye've proven to us again an' again that ye cin take care of yerselves as well! So now be the time when you decide where it is ye want t'go and what ye want t'do in life. If ye head over t'the beach, ye'll find representatives of the fine cities of Qeynos an' Freeport t'tell ye a bit more about their homes....well, what're standin' around all slack-jawed like? Get movin'!" The dwarf laughed and Dreega and Econia laughed with him before waving a fond farewell and rushing to the beach house.

When they arrived, the representative from Qeynos did not wish to speak to Dreega at all, which confused the Iksar as she had just been told to go speak to them both.

"Stay away from me, I wish nothing to do with one such as you."

"But...I was told to come speak with the Ambassadors, miss..."

"I said I will have nothing to do with you, and neither will the fine city of Qeynos. We have no reason to trust you, you'll just have to go to Freeport or stay here. Now- out."

Before Dreega could utter another word, the guards stepped closer towards her. Properly intimidated, and thoroughly hurt by this prejudice, she cast a longing glance to Econia who merely replied gently. "You go speak with that guy from Freeport, I'll be there quick as I can and then we'll meet outside, alright Dree?"

With a slow nod, Dreega turned and left, her pride still stinging from the woman's sharp words.

~*~

 No Iksar allowed in Qeynos? This must be because of what Econia had told her last night. Of course her people seemed savage to these Elves. They had lived on in their precious forests while her ancestors had suffered years of humiliation and subserviance at the hands of the Shissar, another reptilian race of those who were more like serpents than lizards.

They had ruled over the heartless lands of Kunark when the greenmist had come and annihilated their captors. They had rebuilt and grown strong until it was only by the treachorous Dragon Trakanon that they again suffered. Much of this she had learned from Nalazine, in the history of the Dragons. The Dragons had seperated many ages ago and some had come to roost on Kunark where the Iksar had lived. The Council had decided not to interfere with the lives of their smaller, scaled neighbors, but Trakanon had betrayed them and began a fierce battle between the two peoples.

There was one thing that had sparked Dreega's interest though, in all of this, and that was the fact that the Dragons have even joined in mating with the Iksar and produced a race between the two, one that the silver Dragoness had called the "Sarnak" in order to aide the Iksar against the treachorous forces of Trakanon. With an odd longing, Dreega wished that she had some of that noble Draconic blood in her veins, and with a sympathy pang in remberance of her dearest friend and mentor, she knew that it did not matter what was in her blood-for she knew what was in her heart.

But perhaps that would explain why she held the Crest of the Dragon upon her head, as so few Iksar ever did...?

~*~

These thoughts stayed with her until a dark and baritone voice cut through them, causing her to shake in her scales.

"Have you come to learn of the Great City of Freeport, Dreega?" Said a male Dreega recognized as a Dark Elf, and she looked upon him curiously for a moment- she was still so stunned that there were so many different types of softskins running around!

"Yes, Ambassador...I went to speak with the represenative of Qeynos, but she..."

"Insulted you? Called you a monster? Yes, yes, those children of Tunare are like that, my friend. Don't listen to them, they believe themselves to be above all...you do not wish to be in a place where you will constantly be insulted and looked down upon, now do you? What about your fellow kinsman? Hmm? There is a nice place we built called Scale Yard, and it is just teeming with Iksar. You could go see them and be among your own kind. You know -they- would never betray you or cause you any intentional harm."

An odd sense of pride welled within her at the thought of seeing her own kind once more. There was something to be said for each specific race and the need to be with one another. It was built into each and every living thing. There had been rouch times in her tribe, of course. She had often felt the strong hand of Zzzenikscal wailing down upon her, the teasing taunts of her fellow playmates when they were but hatchlings...the weary voice of her mother warning her not to anger her father...but they were her people, her kinsfolk and her entire childhood life...and she alone had watched them fall into mindless slaves or pets of those Necromancers. She could not help but be wary of this Dark Elf...but she was not like most of her kind, perhaps he was the same?

And he HAD taken the time to talk with her, that could not be ignored. It was much more than that arrogant Elven wench had done.

"Yes, I would enjoy that. Just tell me everything I need to know..."

So he did.

~*~

Not half an hour later, Econia had finished speaking to both Ambassadors and meet with her friend who sat in the sand, watching the dorsal fin of Bladefin circling lazy among the ruins with a plethora of smaller sharks following in suit. At the almost silent sound of Econia approaching, Dreega turned to glance up at her companion and offered a firm, but nervous, smile.

"So how did it go?" She asked the Half Elf.

"Not bad, not bad. They both seemed really nice, even if that Dark Elf fellow was a bit too intent on his speeches about the 'glory of Freeport'." She rolled her eyes and cast an encouraging smile.

"I know, can you believe that they don't want me in Qeynos? I suppose we should have expected that. It ruined my day, though, I was looking forward to speaking with them both and choosing my home...but it looks like if I want to get out of here, I have to go to Freeport. It will be nice to be among my own kind again, but..."

"But what?" Econia asked.

"I'm not sure," the femme said truthfully. "Something just seems wrong. I don't like it, but I have no other choice." Her light eyes turned to Econia slowly, filled with sorrow. "I...understand if you want to go to Qeynos instead. I...don't even know what the place is like, it might be wonderful...but I will miss you, your friendship means so much to me..."

"Don't get soft on me now, scaley." She called the Iksar that out of affection, and Dreega knew that. She was the only one who could get away with it...these two had formed a bond that surpassed any phsyical prejudices and they felt like united misfits, wanted by no one. It made their friendship all the stronger. "Look, I'm not going to Qeynos. You won't be there, I'll be miserable. And all those Koada'Dal running all over the place, staring down their noses at me? It's not going to happen. You're stuck with me, deal with it. Besides, you want to learn to summon and so do I! We can learn. TOGETHER. And that's the way it's going to stay!"

Dreega was touched and nodded mutely, before, in a move that surprised both women, she grabbed Econia to her and hugged her tight. "You're my best and only friend in the world, Eco. I wouldn't dream of moving on without you by my side. You know so much about everything, and I know only what my people taught me...but let's get off this blasted Island and we'll make our own way once we get to the city. And [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] the rest," she spoke this last as a promise and held out her clawed hand.

"[expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] the rest!" Said Econia back eagerly, taking the offered hand without hesitation and giving it a firm shake.

~*~

[Dree]

Thanks for all the great feedback! I wrote the first parts of the story up until the boat that takes her to the Isle of Refuge a while back but no one seemed interested in it on other forums, then I "joined" up here and thought I might as well give it another go and if anyone liked her backstory, I would continue on with her tales of Norrath!

So you took interest and here I am, recalling my first levels of game play to entertain you! I hope you're enjoying them. Mos tof the information is true, with a few creative twists, of course! I know there's some grammatical mistakes and spelling and whatnot in a lot of these. I posted the first 4 or so installments after proof-reading (albeit not very well...) and have been making up the rest as I go.

Today I will go back through and edit the parts of the tale already posted. I will try to churn out at least one installment per day so you know that you can look forward to the next one quickly!

Econia was my first real friend in-game, and all the names and characters do portray my friends and our adventures, so I hope you enjoy!

PS: I think you all will -love- the part about betrayal which I will probably get to in one or two more posts, oh BOY what a nightmare that was!

Dreega!

[Misseh]

Awesome

I'll check back every day

I've betrayed both ways, so I can understand that whole mess, heh.

[Dree]

It did not take long for those who wished to board the ship to the city of Freeport to gather their meager belongings and souvenirs before gathering in a small huddle at the docks. There was little Dreega herself wished to take with her,

minus the small amount of silver she had made and, of course, Thraenukral.

 

The green and purple baby Dragon had grown much larger in the course of the past week, having gone from the mere size of a

kitten to his current height at Dreega's knees. She had noticed a spark of intelligence within his dark eyes that spoke great things of his mother and her heritage. He meant more to Dreega than anything else in the world, and the crafty creature knew it!

 

Upon meeting Econia, she inhaled deeply, her green scales shining healthily under the light of the setting sun. The past month or two had done wonders for her,having grown thin and sickly before ever reaching the Isle. The two cast each other meaningful glances as they waited in line to be taken aboard.

 

As they reached the loading ramp, a female Kerran told them to pull out their commerative Freeport coins-proof of their acceptance to the city via the Ambassador. Digging out her coin from a small bag some guy in a tower had given her for helping him do his chores, Dreega showed the Kerran and was allowed on deck, Thraenukral following quickly at her heels.

 

Econia was on a few minutes later and the two friends smiled at one another when they were assigned a cabin together. Taking another deep breath and softly stroking Thraenukral upon his scaled head, the Iksar spoke gently to her rebellious friend.

 

"Looks like we are finally going to find home."
~*~
 
The passage itself was a short journey, most of it was spent while the refugees slept soundly in their bunks. No storm

interrupted the peaceful voyage and to Dreega and Econia it seemed that perhaps their luck had taken a turn for the better.

 

It was morning when the vessel caught sites of Freeport and everyone hurried to gather their possessions and prepare for

docking. As they neared, the Kerran that had checked for their coins stood upon a secured crate and called everyone to

the deck.

 

"Listen up!" She called firmly, though a purring tilt was still evident in her tone. "We will be stopping at each city

district where you will all be staying until you prove yourself worthy of citizenship! You are to stay onboard until we reach your specific stop! Once you are let off, seek the Overseer for your respective districts, they will be awaiting you when we arrive."

 

A few soft murmurs acknowledged her speech and with a satisfied nod she hopped down and made preparations for the final dockings. At Beggar's Court, Econia was called off to the place of Half Elves and Humans. They had made a promise to meet as soon as they had settled in though, so as much as Dreega already missed her friend she knew it was not goodbye forever. Her own stop, that of Scale Yard, was one of the last stops and she found herself eager to set foot on dry land once more to greet her new home.

 

When she was allowed off, her Dragon trailed faithfully behind her and she took in the deep scent of her people, something she had not had the pleasure of experiencing in almost a year. The Overseer himself was a male Iksar and though she wished to speak to him, as any race longs for their own kind, she was not the only newly arrived and had to be content to keep quiet.

 

They were all sent to the nearby inn, and though she already did not like the innkeeper, it seemed a decent enough place. As she was led inside her room, she noticed a balding man gazing around the place. He was, she heard from the Innkeeper, the Slumlord.

 

Rude and obnoxious, he was, and Dreega found herself dubious of his intentions the way he kept slipping in subtle threats that she could not fully discern. In the end, though, she was able to get a few nice pieces of furniture to add to her room as well as information regarding how to get citizenship. But that was something she felt could wait until later.

 

With only a dirty bed roll, a chandelier that gave off hardly any light at all, a table, and a mirror...it was not a very nice house, but for a while it would be home and that was all that mattered. Exhausted, the hatchling Dragon moved over and curled up on her bedroll and fell promptly to sleep, making gentle snoring noises.

 

Dreega laughed and stroked over his fragile wings once, knowing that there was not enough room for both of them and she would end up on the floor until she found some decent furniture.
~*~

 

As the day was still young, Dreega spent her time going to all the shops and getting used to her new home. The Iksar there were very friendly, giving her greetings and sharing a tale or two about Cabalis, the old Iksar capitol. Dreega was enchanted by their courtesy and thought her heart would burst within her.

 

The Halasians, or Barbarians as they were more often called, were unlike anything she had ever encountered before. As tall or taller than she, with broad shoulders and covered in tattoos (she vaguely recalled someone referring to them as 'woads', but she could not be certain). They all found themselves very funny, it seemed, since they repeatedly called out:

 

"It seems that scales are tipped in my favor, har, har!" everytime she or her fellow Iksar passed by. She was glad to

know, though, that she was not the only one annoyed. There had never been real shops set up anywhere in her

village, so she seemed over enthusiastic to most passerbys as she googled over various weapons and armor for sale, and many were the hours she spent gazing longingly at the wares sold by the innkeep and the furniture merchant.

 

Eventually, she decided the day had gotten late enough and that she would need to go to the place the Slumlord had pointed out to pick up an application for citizenship. Suddenly, she felt very insignificant. The bustle of city life was passing on around her and she had not yet found her niche. They all cast her odd looks as she hurriedly filled out her application, and she knew some of those looks hid murderous intentions which made her shiver.

 

It was obvious to her that everyone in Scale Yard seemed bitter, but she was used to that from her people. It also did not help they were forced to share their home with the Barbarians who all her scaled fellows seemed to think were very stupid anddense.

 

But from what she had seen of them, she wondered if perhaps there was some truthful reasoning behind her people's malice...
~*~

[Dree]

The first week of life in Freeport passed quickly for Dreega and Econia. They spent the time scouting out the sunken city and walked cautiously through the graveyard- wary of the roaming undead. Dreega still could not stand the site of such horrid beings and they quickly moved on to investigate the barren deserts of the Commonlands.

It was a wretched place with hardly any tree or even shrub of green grass to be found, and although the heat was welcomed...it was too much for even Dreega and they found themselves waiting for dawn or dusk to venture out. They never got far, though, what with the roaming carrion hounds and the troops of orcs stationed around the "City of Free Men".

After a bit of waiting, Dreega finally got a notice from the innkeeper in Scale Yard, tacked crudely onto her door. It was from the citizenship committee, or whoever it was that allowed individuals entrance to the City Proper...her task was to venture down into the sewers to find five coins to prove herself. Yet another dull process of trying to prove her worth did not bode well with her, but she rolled up the parchment and with a sigh went to find Econia.

Apparently, her fellow mage and friend had gotten the same notice on her door the day before and had not yet found any coins herself.

~*~

"Have you even seen these sewers, Eco?" Dreega asked, looking at Econia's map of Beggar's Court and shaking her head, slowly. Scale Yard was about the only place she cared to learn her way around, especially after a few run-ins with some hungry trolls in Big Bend...and then even just KNOWING there were Dark Elves in Longshadow Alley was enough to keep her away from that area to begin with!

"Huh?" Econia looked up from the map, wriggling her lips and making the ring piercing glimmer silver in the light. "Oh, yea. Thieve's Way. Pretty nasty place, but if we want to become summoners, we need to get citizenship."

Dreega groaned, but gestured for her smaller companion to lead the way. They hesitated at the circular grate and with a deep breath, Dreega hoisted off the steel covering and almost immediately dropped it again! The stench was unbearable, especially to her sensitive nose. "UGH! We have to go down THERE!?"

With a similar grimace, Eco nodded. "Yep. Let's just get this over with, Dree..."

Bound and determined to keep what little dignity they had left, they clambered down the later and hesitantly made their way through the twisting turns of the Thieve's Way, mucking their way through the algae-infested shin-deep waters and gathering whatever coins they could find. It was not a very pleasant task, and the place was not very welcoming with its diseased Ratonga running about and chasing them back to the ladder any chance they caught. But soon it was done and they climbed upward, covered in sewage and soaked to teh bone, but with the five tokens in hand.

"I'll be glad to be done with this!" Eco said enthusiastically as she tried in vain to wipe some grime from the coins before giving up and mailing them in.

"Me too," groaned Dreega empathetically. She may have been born a creature of the swamplands, but she did NOT like being dirty in the least! Luckily, the slime fell away from her thick scales easily enough, and the two split up to go get cleaned up.

~*~

When they both finally received their acknowledgement, it did not take them long to head on over and see what had to be done to become full-fledged citizens. Their letters had been vague, telling them simply to meet a representative, and the time and place. As they arrived, Dreega was called in first. Econia just gave a thumbs-up for good luck and with renewed vigor, Dreega stepped into the office.

"Well, well, well. You're finally here, Dreega. Ready to prove your worth and obedience to our Overlord, Lucan D'lere?" The sharp nosed Teir'Dal asked, her long-nailed fingers tapping impatiently upon the flesh of her upper arm.

"Yes, ma'am! Ready and willing," the Iksar said proudly, determined to do this, if only because it meant she would have a true home at last.

"Then here is your task- Beyond me are several people who you will need to deal justice to. Some are traitors of the Overlord, and some are simply petty criminals in need of sentencing. This test will determine your worth and loyalty to the Lucan, so I suggest you chose your punishments wisely."

The task seemed simple enough, and Dreega moved farther back into the room, aware always of the Teir'Dal's eyes upon her. It made her nervous, and she began by first hailing a knight before her. He gave his tale of woe, and when asked if he had repented, he assured her he had...so, naturally, Dreega let him go, unknowing of the consequences.

~*~

"I am NOT amused!" The Dark Elf cried as she ordered for the Iksar to get out and only to return when she had grown a backbone. Dreega was confused by this, had she not done what she had been told? When she came out, Econia was nowhere to be found she wandered up and down the streets, gazing at the shops.

An hour or so later, her Half Elf friend emerged, casually wiping some blood from her hands onto her leather skirt. In hoping to clear her confusion, Dreega ran over to her and clasped her by the shoulders. "Well, did you do it? Did you get in?"

"Yea, I'm a citizen now. That wasn't so bad, why couldn't they have just had me do that on the Isle? Would have saved me a lot of trouble. You?"

"No!" Dreega cried, her eyes flashing in confusion. "I let some of them go, I was doing what she had said...delivering justice....but then she told me to get out. What did YOU do..?"

"Killed them."

"All of them?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?" Dreega was surprised.

"Yea...look, Dree, they were probably all liars anyway. Besides, a few less thugs on the streets is good news to me," here the Half Elf cast a firm glance up to her scaled friend, making the Iksar wince. A few days back, she had been jumped by a group of hungry trolls who had tried to, and almost succeeded!, to gnaw her arm off for their "halfling stew".

"I guess so, but I dun like it." Sighing, she scratched behind her left ear fin and then glanced up at the sky. "It's getting late, why don't you go on home, Econia, and I'll stay here and see if I can get a second chance." It was a subtle suggestion, but a suggestion nonetheless, that Eco get off the streets before the guards came through. They had been known to brutalize stray wanderers for no reason.

"Alright. But hey-"

"Yea?"

"Good luck." Econia gave her thumbs-up again and winked, Dreega offered a weak smile and then turned back to the door.

"Alright. I know I'm going to regret this..." she trailed off and raised a clawed hand to knock.

~*~

[Misseh]

>_> <_<

*sigh*

:smileywink:

[Darthco]

more please

[highf]

Wow Dreega........I cant even begin to tell you how much i have enjoyed this story!!!

I usually read stuff on these forums.....but had never been in this thread before.  As you can tell by my post count, i don't post all to much, but I felt that such a great story warrented appraisal.  After reading the first installment I was captivated, as much so when I read my first Drizzt book!!!!

Thank you for your wonderful tale.......and I can not wait to hear the rest of it :smileywink: 

[Markhe]

Finished reading through the whole thing, and looking forward to more!  Keep up the good work.

Message Edited by Markhera on 07-02-2005 12:17 AM

[Dree]

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! After the last installment, I got a new job and have been working very long times and, sad to say, have not had much time for writing! But I will indeed get back on this as soon as possible, even if it means posting shorter "chapters" but more often.

I really appreciate all the good things everyone has to say about my story! I really wanted to share Dreega's life with you all, and I just didn't have room to do it in-game.

[Markhe]

Thank goodness, had me worried that maybe you either stopped playing or stopped writing, or both.  Don't keep us waiting too long.

[tequiero]

 OMG i just finish reading the story it AWESOME. please keep it coming there is only 2 story i been readin and come only line to check for more, Yours and tale of the dragon forest both are great i hope to read more from you.

 

p.s

Do you play in a RP server?

 

thank you for the great read

[Mork19]

I wanna baby dragon!

But seriously, great work, this is a well done story.

Keep it up.

[Zah]

Great story, please keep writting i can't wait to read the rest.

[Markhe]

This is one that I've really been missing.