DARGANAU: AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A DRAGON
THE FINAL EPISODE IS POSTED...
...but it's not the end of the story!
Read all 25 Episodes from the beginning! Start Here.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
AWAKENING
Awakening
By, Cathbad
I stir.
Something
has disturbed my long rest.
Someone
has intruded upon my sanctuary. I can
sense the intruder. Even in my
half-sleep I can smell her. I can feel
the stone’s light tremble as she walks tunnels long hidden from even the
dwarves. The heat from her body disturbs
the subterranean currents my body has become attuned to.
She is
but two levels from where I lay, encased in my solitude, ensconced in my tomb
of rock.
I hate
her.
I know
not how long my rest has been, but I know this awakening comes earlier than I
have intended! I know that this
interloper has destroyed the peaceful non-existence of my long slumber.
I expand
myself; feeling the resistance of the stone pressing in on me.
Loving
stone, how long you have caressed my body, protecting me from dangers I have
secluded myself from!
And now I
must break you. I must crack the shell
of my entombment, that I may deal with this fool, who dares to break in on my
peace. I must shatter the stone that
covers me.
My cocoon.
But I am
no fluttering butterfly, who’s anger is abated with a kiss of the wind. No, my friend, you have disturbed the slumber
of a monster; a beast who has no love for your – or any kind.
You have
brought your filthy body here, in the clothes of the pauper. Did you think to beg me for a boon?
Instead,
you shall face the wrath and retribution of one who hates you, almost as much
as he hates the sun, so blessedly long removed from his sight!
I stretch
my forearms, dismayed for their lack of strength… or their aesthetic charm.
Muscles
scream in protest. Pain racks my body,
but I do not scream out. I must not
alert the hated intruder to my whereabouts.
Not yet.
I dream
of tearing the elven criminal apart. I
revel in the image of tossing away her limbs, Ripping her torso asunder. Reveling in the image of her entrails
spilling upon the stone at my large feet.
I stretch
out one long, powerfull leg, causing the stone to crumble about it. I smile at the pain, knowing I will repay it
threefold on my victim, and I shall do it soon.
She is now
a single level above me, strolling nonchalantly through what was once and will
be again be my home. Waking on feet she
will not long now have. Breathing
through lungs that shall be my bread.
Out of a head that will adorn my mantle.
Arching
my back, and stone breaks with crackles and snaps. Stone falls about my self, and I imagine her
fear as she feels the tremors my awakening is causing. My smile, it is said, can ice the strongest
heart, weaken the bravest will. I feel
the rubble fall from my face as that smile stretches muscle and sinew.
My body
can now shift; to and fro I rock, loosening my hard blanket that time has
stiffened through the long, silent years against my leathery skin.
Hard is
my skin, but not cold. Even now, the
not-quite-dormant fire rekindles anew.
The heat begins to warm my innards, bringing me closer to full wakefulness. And with renewed flame comes renewed
strength.
I rock
harder against the walls of my self-imposed prison, built so long ago, to
escape – for but a while – a cold and hate-filled world.
I am sure
they have forgotten me. My name will be
but myth in their minds, old stories told by a generation older than the
survivors who will soon get to know me.
Soon my name shall leap from the pages of fairy tales and will once
again bring fear by its mere utterance!
I have
loved flesh, and soon I will taste it again.
Ahh, the feel of fresh meat being rend between my teeth. The gush of hot blood rushing down my
throat. The sheer pleasure of filling my
mouth with more and more!
With
renewed effort, I break hard stone. With
eyes now open, as capable of seeing in the dark as the abomination traversing
my sacred tunnels I watch the rubble fall away.
And knowing she can no longer escape me, I allow myself the release of a
great cry: A howl born of pain, hunger…
and new-found freedom!
I glory
in the knowledge of how my voice has sent a sword of fear piercing the chest of
this feminine fool. Run, my beauty; it
matters not. I am too close to freedom,
you too far from it.
My limbs
are now capable of stretching fully forth.
The air is now thick enough for me to take great gulps of it. Quickly, the walls of my boudoir begin to
crumble. A fury of falling rock, great
gusts of stone dust, and the moaning of the great mountain itself announce to
even the gods that the greatest of the Great Race has once again risen from his
tomb!
I scream
as the last remnants of the cocoon fall away. The force of my voice shatters the panels I
long ago set to block out the sun. And wide
shafts of light once again reveal my great and horrible lair! Again I cry out, against the pain of my
parched throat, out of the sheer anger and joy of freedom!
My wings,
unfolded once more, batter against the current in this underground
stronghold. My lungs fill with both air
and bile – the catalysts for my fires!
And my
senses fill with the recognition of… her.
There she
stands, in my very lair. Wielding a
sword birthed by the skills of her own people, in armor once worn as skin by my
own.
An Elven
Warrior revealed.
And all I can do is smile.
What a
glorious day! Awakened against my will,
yes, but to the glory and thrill of Battle, as well!
Let this
new age begin! I scream my desire to the
gods, and face my would-be assassin with a sneer of unadulterated pleasure.
Let the
New Age of Darganau begin!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Sunday, May 15, 2016
#VirtualFantasyCon2016
Virtual Fantasy Con (Oct 9-16) Author Spotlights
Assaph Mehr: http://
Barb Lieberman: http://
Ellen Mae Franklin: http://
Andy Peloquin (Character Interview): http://
Scarlett Van Dijk: http://
EllenMae Franklin (Character Interview): http://
Bryan Rainey: http://
Tom Fallwell: http://
Auden Johnson: http://
Nils Visser: http://
Bryan Rainey: http://
Tom Fallwell: http://
Auden Johnson: http://
Nils Visser: http://
Tracy Palmer: http://
Diane Riggins: http://
Debbie Manber Kupfer: http://
Andy Peloquin (Author Interview) http://
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
THE
IMPERIUM AT LAST
Commander Beingraul stood
abruptly. He began pacing up and down,
shaking his head in disbelief.
“No,” he spoke, seeming
to address no one in particular. “This cannot be those who defeated us so many
millennia ago!”
“They would seem quite
underdeveloped to have been capable of that feat,” Bastrach agreed.
“Could it be as Professor
Fernier theorized,” I asked, “that they have went through an upheaval, and are
only now reaching for the stars, again?”
The Commander nodded his
head. “Kell and I have been discussing
that possibility during the voyage here.”
First Officer Kell
cleared his throat. “It has been thirty-two millennia since the
humans left the Carmona Star System- “
“After they destroyed all
five planets!” Gerron, the Senior Medical Officer, interrupted.
“Yes, Master Gerron,”
Kell acknowledged. “After raping our
planets for every natural resource they had, after enslaving our people for
twelve millennia, they wanted to leave nothing behind as they left for more… fruitful systems.”
“In truth,” I pointed
out, “it was good strategy, not to leave potential enemies behind.”
“Well, they failed on that part, didn’t they!” Gerron nearly
shouted. “It may have taken us more than
sixty millennia, but we’re here, to exact our just revenge!”
“But these humans are
incapable of long range space travel,” I pointed out. “As our Science Officer has just informed us,
“ I gave the lovely Sheryllock a nod of my head, “There is absolutely no
references in Earth’s historical records to the Human Ordained Imperial
Dynasty. It is apparent that no one on
this planet knows of its own history.
“Their recorded history
only goes back about six thousand years, besides symbols on caves, which they
believe happened about forty thousand years ago. Odd they think they didn’t mature for another
twenty-thousand plus years.” I should
point out for future readers of this transcript, an earth year is only about 5%
less than our own, and their day is only about 15% shorter.
“They believe that,” Sheryllock
cut in. “because they are right.” All at the conference table expressed
surprise. The Science Officer continued
to explain, “Whatever happened to the humans, I believe it happened shortly after
they abandoned our system. It was so
devastating, that it nearly wiped out their entire race. I suspect a virus. That would explain why no humans have been
seen – by anyone – in so long!
“You recall the dispute
at the Ryland Symposium, concerning the time line of the disappearance of
humans? In all probability, the virus
probably spread later to the Ryland System, is all.
“The Rylanders also have
records of human versus human conflict near the end. That figures in with the psyche of
humans. Fearing the end, they began to
blame one another. Old allegiances wee resurrected,
and warring broke out among them.
“There are signs that
nuclear weapons have been used on earth within this very millennium. The old Imperials also had nukes. I suggest that they wiped each other
out. Destroyed every city. Few humans would have survived, and they
would have been reduced to mere animals.
“Or perhaps their DNA was
so damaged that they reverted to earlier stages, like Neanderthals, who could
more readily survive the harshest of conditions and challenges. Tens of thousands of years have buried the
secrets of the past.
“There are even hints of
cover-ups within this current civilization, when any such evidence has been found.”
“So, their ignorance is an
excuse?”
Gerron was incensed. “There will be no punishment for them?” He pounded his fist on the metal table,
leaving a dent. “The Draca only survived
by hiding in the caves and hiding in the crevices of the outer asteroid ring! We
were forced to live in caves! A handful
of survivors, remnants of the great Dracan race!”
“Gerron,” the Commander
spoke in a soothing voice, “nothing has been decided yet.”
“Did I say anything about
forgiving the humans?” Sheryllock sounded a bit incensed herself. “Did you not just here me say they have used
nuclear weapons within the past millennium?
In truth, it was only a century ago, they used the first one in war!”
She turned to the
Commander before continuing. “Commander,
it is my observation that this civilization of humans has no psychological difference
from the one that nearly wiped our civilization, as well as others, from existence. They war among themselves. They use up natural resources as though they
have a never-ending supply, then fight others over those resources.
“They are stretching
their hands spaceward once more. How
long before the Imperium – under a new guise, perhaps – returns?”
“We came here to do a
job, Commander,” Gerron spoke, “I only ask you to complete the mission.”
Commander Beingraul
pulled on his whiskers. I made a note to
myself to get him some Whiska-Stiff. If he couldn’t admit he was aging (and limp
whiskers were an obvious sign), well, maybe the gift would help.
“When we were assigned
this mission,” the Commander began, “It was to destroy the Imperium’s home
world. We had, we believed, developed our war technologies to the point we
could effectively engage the enemy. This
ship is the epitome of Dracan
technology, with a new weapon that assures us of success.
“But the Imperium no
longer exists. Below us is a planet no
more advanced than we were forty millennia ago.
It is within my power, and my discretion, to scrub the mission.” He held up his paw to quell the indignant replies. “BUT… But, I will neither continue with the
destruction of Planet Earth, nor scrub the mission, without your support.
“Further, I demand that
support be unanimous. We will take a
vote right away, to see where we stand.”
He stood, absent-mindedly smoothing his fur as he did. “So… may I see a show of paws for those who believe
we should complete the mission as we were originally assigned?”
Master Gerron’s hand was
up in a flash. I guess the Senior
Medical Officer’s hatred could be traced to his career training.
Not far behind was
Science Officer Sheryllock’s, raising her arm with more dignity.
Senior Engineer Torrin,
who was almost always silent at these meetings, shook his head, sighed, and raised
his paw.
First Officer Kell and
Chief of Security Bastrach put their paws in the air.
All eyes then fell on me.
“Chief Prell?” the
Commander asked when I hesitated, with my arm half the way up. “Which way is it for you? Don’t let the others pressure you.”
I breathed in a lungful
of air, then let it out slowly, in a long stream through pursed lips. “I was against this mission from the
beginning.” I ignored the exasperated
sig from the Doctor and continued, “I have believed from the start that Professor
Fernier’s postulation was correct. It
was the only thing that explained the long absence of humans.”
“Prell!” Gerron
protested, “Your degree is in Historical Research! Certainly- “
I raised a hand to quell
his further objection. As my rank was
the equivalent of the ship’s Commander, he wisely silenced himself. My assignment was to record this moment for
Historical Prosperity. But since no one
is assigned to a ship headed for war without being assigned a pertinent duty, I
was also assigned as Third Officer, otherwise called the Personnel Officer.
“Upon leaving Hanadron [my
home planet and where I had been briefed on the mission] I was convinced this
was an unjust mission, and that we were about to punish about seven billion
people for crimes they were unaware of.
"Now I have sat
through Officer Sheryllock’s report, and recalling the history the humans
themselves told us of. And I cannot help
but see the parallels.
“This incarnation of the
human race is following the same pattern of the previous. Sooner or later, they will reach the
stars. After the discovery of light
speed will come the realization that a new mode of travel – not greater speed – will allow them to
traverse the galaxy as easily as they once did.
“Sooner or later, the harbingers
of the Imperium will return to our quadrant of space. And with them, will come the attitudes of
superiority and supposed privilege they carry with them.
My arm slowly went up,
and I stretched out the fingers of my paw upward.
Three hours later. All equations
were satisfied, and the spot and power needed had been divined.
Before firing, the
Commander gave a speech, extolling the need and reasons to act, and exonerating
the crew for his decision.
On command, Officer Bastrach pushed his padded
finger against the FIRE button.
Three turrets on the
front side of the ship fired in unison.
Three brightly lit rays of energy shot forth, connecting at a point not
far from and directly ahead of the ship.
A half-second later, as I watched the view screen, it seemed that space
opened, at the convergence point of the three rays. From this, a rotating vortex of energy shot
forward toward the Planet Earth.
I wouldn’t call it ‘hitting’
the planet; more like, it went through
it! After it had done so, the planet
began to collapse. Literally. Great masses of land fell inward. Mountains fell. Instead of the expected tsunamis, the oceans
seemed to drain, as though someone had taken out a giant stopper.
I realized, as I watched
the horror, hat I was crying. I looked
about to see if anyone had seen – but everyone else, even the Commander, was
crying as well.
After the planet had succumbed,
and was nothing more than rubble floating in space, I asked to be
dismissed. The Commander gave me one
hour to compose myself, then to make myself available to anyone among the crew
who needed me.
I spent that hour
composing my Letter of Resignation and set it to send as soon as the local
connection was detected.
I will help the crew
members as I can, and perform my duties as well as I can. But in the moment of Earth’s destruction, I
realized the military was not for me. I’m
going home to start work on a new litter with my wife.
May God save our souls.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
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