Kingdoms of Ohm: The Lonely Dragon #1 ✓

The Despair of Az'hark

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That night, the mountain reeked of misery.

    I smelled it in the breeze; wisps that slithered through the many tunnels of our massive kingdom, carrying secrets and whispers from beyond the grave to our frozen skies. I caught it against the blackened walls that trembled with the growls and hisses of angered dragons, displaying their hatred on humans. Even when I approached the watering hole, a special place for a storm dragon to think and savor his parched tongue, I tasted it — the salty remnants of aged draconic tears.

'Caramba'... I thought to myself, rearing my neck away from the bland new taste. Ez'kal's words really did make a mess of everything. I guess tomorrow will be no better.

Although the desire to eat was growing upon me, I figured a little wander around Az'hark could pull my mind off of these hearings, and my hunger. I'm certain you humans consider something similar, when life itself seems faint and broken.

Still, it only magnified the problem at bay.

Elders aplenty grumbled to themselves about the good ol' days, when the land was fresh, warm, and free from human rule (unlike now). Younger dragons were stunned by it all, contemplating their friends and families of the losses they bore witness to. And the hatchlings...

Well...

They didn't see much of a difference in anything put forth tonight. I was slightly amused that they weren't nearly as reactive as everyone else. Then again, what would one expect? They know no better! And had they known the truth of it all, the scarring would have been far worse.

And much harder to mend.

It wasn't long before I came across glowing cavern, carrying the warm, tasty scent of cooked meat upon a blue fire. The aroma made my jaws salivate over the promise of fresh meat, even if it wasn't mine to take. Nearby, a young dragon fiddled with a scroll of his own creation, jotting down notes and words that filled his little mind. His talons would dip into a pool of ink by his side, and upon the parchment he'd draw strange symbols that he'd find appealing. He was awfully quick to notice me walking by, and, no sooner than later, began to squirm with excitement.

"Vaanku!"

The dragon yipped, leaping toward me and wrapped his body (tail and all) around my armored forearm. I paused, looking down at the dragonet with surprise, then purred softly when his unique scent became noticeable.

"If it isn't the great dragonet of Az'hark!"

The youngster scoffed. "I'm not that great!"

"Sure you are!" I accuse amusingly, nuzzling the lavender-colored creature upon his rigid forehead. "It's good to see you again, Calisto. Flames! Every time I run into you, you get bigger!"

"Mother says the same thing. And, look! My horns are finally coming in! See?" he bowed, showing me the base of his noggin. I rumbled, examining the thin black points protruding from his scaled head and smiled like the proud 'father' that I was.

"I do see! This is impressive, I must say."

"Thanks! Father says they'll be just as big as yours are! Kantar knows I can't wait to grow up. I want to be just like you!"

I blinked once. "You... do?"

"Why not?" the little dragonet squealed, turning in a circle and wagged his tail. "You're so brave and smart, and you are super kind to everyone! I heard, from some other dragonets, that you even stopped three griffin single-clawed!"