Dracopical Isles: Rise of the Underground

Chapter 1

The scarlet setting sun sinks in the sky as a soft breeze blows by, rustling a light whisper amongst the branches. Late birdsong finishes its last chorus of the evening and small animals retreat to their burrows. Another lovely day has come to an end. The settling atmosphere is stirred by wingbeats flying over the treetops. A strong male dragon returns to his nest with his catch. He is a Sorcerant - a breed of magic and intelligence. His green scales glimmer in the warm light of dusk and his large wings carry him through the sky with grace. To a lonely tower he flies, a deer carcass in his mouth. He enters through a large, gaping window that is cracked and worn with age. Inside is his mate settled neatly on a soft nest woven with thread and cotton. She is a blue Sorcerant with beautiful sapphire-colored scales and silver hair. She lifts her head at his coming and smiles warmly.
"Welcome back Dear. Happy hunting?" She says.
The male dragon sets the deer down. "The deer are skinny this time of year, but I managed a doe." Noticing how firmly settled she is in the nest, it comes as a little suspicious. Her wings are resting, partially open on both her sides - is she hiding something? The male dragon cocks his head.
"Well a doe is better than no deer," His mate smiles. "Why don't you come give me a piece?"
The male dragon frowns. "Are you not feeling well?"
His mate gives her right wing a thoughtful look. "I'm fine, but I'd rather not leave this spot."
Her wing looks fine, the male dragon wonders. Why is she acting like this? At his mate's request, however, he carries the deer carcass over to share.
This mighty dragon goes by the name of Emeraldus. He is named after his handsome green scales that shine like the emeralds they are. Green is an uncommon color for a Sorcerant, but his uniqueness is no obstacle. His mate is Midna. Blue is a common coloring, but it doesn't change how beautiful she is in Emeraldus' eyes. The two of them have tried to conceive their first clutch of eggs ever since their union. Luck has not been so much, but everyday offers another chance.
Midna waits for Emeraldus to bring the carcass over before announcing some special news. He is about to tear off a patch of pelt when he hears his mate's words.
"Oh, but before we dig in, I got something to show you," Removing her right wing she exposes three, sparkling blue dragon eggs each dotted with a single gem.
Emeraldus' expression widens in shock. It has finally happened.
Midna gives him a loving look, "Guess whose these are." She sings.
Emeraldus' heart melts at his mate and their children, a paternal instinct warming him to the core. A smile stretches across his face and a joyful glint twinkles in his eye. He almost can't believe it. "No..." He awes happily.
Midna laughs and gives him a teasing nudge. "Looks like we got some little ones on the way."
Without a word, Emeraldus lets his mate have the first bite of deer.

When their bellies are filled and the carcass is no more, Midna looks thoughtfully at their eggs. It is a happy day, but also an anxious one. Now that eggs have finally arrived, a whole new chapter has begun. It's time for some change. Midna wonders about their future and the event of raising hatchlings. Will they all survive into adulthood, will they be able to continue the family bloodline? So many things to think about, but the most important thought was what to call their children by.
"Hmm, I wonder what names we'll give them," Midna thinks aloud.
Emeraldus turns from his magic studies to look at his mate. "Isn't it a bit early to decide yet?"
Midna gives him a teasing eye, "Hey, I can dream."
Turning back to his book, Emeraldus thinks. His mind is too busy to read and all he does is stare at the pages. "Well then.." He begins after some thought. "Maybe we name one after me? If they're a 'he' and the respective color, that is."
Midna smiles warmly. "Perhaps, especially given the type of dragon their father is."
An affectionate wink of her eye brings Emeraldus over to nuzzle her face.

Meanwhile, out in the darkened woods of the surrounding forest, a band of mischievous dragons prowl. Wings wrap around their heads like hoods, and sharp, erectile spikes lie neatly along their spine. Alchemy dragons, these guys are - sneaky little troublemakers with a knack for special magic. Some say that they can even make silver and gold out of dirt, and create chimeras with ease. They are a feared bunch, but scarcely seen rather.
Hearing the conversation inside the tower, the group stops. They all glance up at the old, weathered window to listen. It is a male and a female inside, and it sounds like they would be ideal for a little trick.
One Alchemy, a slinky adult male, smirks at what he hears. "Perfect," He growls. "It's a nest."
The leader of the group, an elder male, whacks his companion over the head to silence him. "Hush!" He hisses.
Skittering up the trees, the other two go to get a better look at this fortune. They rest on swaying branches and peer inside. The green, male Sorcerant and his blue mate exchange a few cuddles. Between them are the three little eggs, glossy and new. This is too good to ignore. The Alchemies exchange an amused glance at the thought of their findings and do not hesitate to climb down again to share the news. The elder uses a claw to draw out a map of their plan in the sand center of their circle. Pointing to each step in order, he gives them a general rundown of how it's to be executed.
"... We need to wait for one to leave the nest, then we abush them here," He explains pointing to a piece of his drawing. "Half of you are in charge of the human tools. The rest, you're with me."
The Alchemies nod their understanding.
"It'll teach those humans to mess with us. Nobody destroys our kind and gets away with it." One growls, curling his lip.
The leader nods back. "Then we'll act quickly. As soon as they nest in for the night, we strike."
The slinky male gives him a curious eye. "And..?" To which the leader returns his glance with an irritated frown.
"What do you mean 'and'? Our alpha went over it just an hour ago."
"Oh," The slinky male nods, trying to recall the memory, but only comes to realize how little he knew. "Wait, they did?"
Another loud whack over the head disturbs the quiet atmosphere of the night. In the nest, Emeraldus lifts his head to stare at the gaping window. Dozing nearby, Midna lifts her head too. "Dear..?"
With his attention fixed on what's outside, Emeraldus slowly rises to his feet and crawls over to have a look. He feels Midna's eyes follow him.
"I swore I heard something," He says to her.
Immediately upon noticing the green dragon, the Alchemies hide. Peeking through the underbrush, they watch him inspect the surrounding woods.
"It was probably just a branch falling," Midna says making herself more comfortable in the nest. "The wind sounds like it's picking up."
Still a bit suspicious, Emeraldus stays at his spot. Would a tree branch make a noise like that? The wind isn't yet strong enough to knock one down with a ton of force. After a couple minutes, nothing more seems to be stirring. Emeraldus turns and leaves the window.
"It's getting gray out. We should stay inside in case it rains." He says coming back over to his study desk in the corner.
Midna nods. "Good idea."
Poking their heads out of the foliage, the Alchemies all nod to each other in compliance of their plan.