This rare event originated above the typhoon, high above the clouds, among the stars. The quivering light from an abundance of stars burst into tiny fragments, no larger than a speck of sand. A gale, unlike any worldly gale lifted the grains and whirled them through space and time. The squall revolved into a compact cloud, shortly after its formation the cloud grew in density and sped towards its destination with a dazzling tail in its tracks.
A blazing ball of light came towards the earth and broke into three large pieces. No one saw them fall and those who felt the earth tremble as they slammed into the ground all contributed it to the typhoon. No one knew of the exceptional occurrence that had happened, no one except those who had arrived.
-xXx-
“I swear the Ig-y do this on purpose!” Zene seethed while he crawled out of the impact crater.
“We should have asked about the landings before we took the job,” Virrad said and brushed charred scales off his body.
“It doesn’t hurt much. Besides, we’d do it even if we knew how we’d land.” Jegho waded out of the shallow water where he landed and flapped his wings.
“Oh, my tail is scorched again!” Zene licked his tail and studied the injured area.
“Stop whining.” Jegho chucked him a vial. “We’re here, that’s what matters.”
“I’m not whining. I’m stating a fact,” Zene muttered while rubbing the elixir on his tail.
“Don’t use it all. I need some for my wing.” Virrat took the vial from Zene.
“We need to get going. The storm is dissolving.” Jehgo tasted the wind and studied the faint in the sky. “That way. If I’m not mistaken.”
The dragons spread their wings and let the wind carry them up. They soared above the clouds and headed east. The isles faded and the open sea spread its waves underneath them.
“It’s hard to believe it’s the same world,” said Virrat while tasting the air. “Not a trace of pollution.”
“Say what you want about the Ig-y. When they do something they do it properly.” Jegho whirled through a somersault and giggled with childish joy when the acrobatics tickled his inside.
“They didn’t have to demolish it all,” Zene grumbled. “I spent centuries filling my cave with those treasures.”
“Look at the bright side. Now you get to redecorate.” Jegho made another somersault and giggled.
“It won’t be the same. Nothing can replace the Amber Room. Nothing. Did you ever visit the reconstruction? Pathetic!”
“Did you take the Nazi gold too?” Zene asked.
“No.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Look!” Jegho hollered. “Whales! Snack time!” He plunged into the ocean and came back up with a humpback whale speared on his talons. “Come on! There are plenty of them!”
“We can’t stop. She’s waiting for us!” Zene hovered above Jegho while puffing up with authority.
“We’d better to eat while we can!” Virrat dove down into the ocean.
“Remember when we landed in the great famine in Suurpun?” Jehgo licked his talons clean. “We’ve never been so close to starving to death.”
Zene faltered for a moment and then he dove into the ocean. The dragon lords fed with frivolous joy and coloured the ocean red with whale blood, and forgot their mission until they were full.
“I love whales!” Jegho grinned and rubbed his belly. “They are the best food in this world.”
“You better keep your opinion to yourself,” Zene said. “Killing whales is a sensitive topic to the people here.”
“Was,” Virrat frowned. “The Ig-y overturned this world, remember? Those moronic dimwits are gone now.”
“They thought they were intelligent.” Jegho hid a grin.
“So does slugs. It’s still not true. Beings that can’t use magic can’t be intelligent. Every little fry knows that,” said Zene with indignation.
Jegho laughed heartily and tried to make another somersault, but failed. He flapped, groaned and fell out of control until he almost touched the water.
“Eat more and try again, I’d gladly watch you drown,” Zene grumbled since he had realised that Jegho made fun of him.
“We should call out and hear if she answers,” Virrat cut in to stop the fight before it began.
“You do it,” Jegho said while flapping vigorously to gain height again.
“Too fat to do it yourself?” Zene snapped his tail like a whip and hit Jegho’s leg.
“That hurt!” Jegho snapped back.
“Stop it!”
Virrat pushed himself between them and started to call for the queen with low frequent rumbling sounds only dragons can hear. They kept on flying and the ocean turned to fruitful green meadows, and then high tree covered mountains with deep lush river valleys. The answer they waited for came to them as they flew out over a vast steppe. The queen’s response lifted their spirits and Jegho laughed with joy.
“She’s here!” he cheered. “She’s truly here!”
“Of course she is,” Virrat said. “The Ig-y wouldn’t send us here otherwise.”
“I don’t trust the Ig-y. They deceived her, and us, in the past,” Zene frowned.
“I think they learned their lesson when she killed off some of them.” Jegho’s laugh had a hint of cruelty. “They still can’t believe she killed immortals. They will think twice before they deceive her again.”
“I still don’t trust them. They are pompous enough try again.” Zene wagged his tail frenetically.
“We’ll teach them another lesson if they try anything,” Virrat stretched his wings to push the two lords further apart. “Let’s hurry. She’s waiting for us.”
The sun started to set and coloured the steppe in golden and amber as they flew. Rivers danced, foamed and shimmered with silver and the leaves in the lush trees on the riverbanks shined like emeralds. The colours made the dragons hearts sing even though it was not real treasures.
“Wonderful!” Jegho swirled around to watch the sky. “I’ll decorate my first cave with gems in all these colours to honour our arrival.”
“An obsidian roof with diamond stars and a moon made from mother pearl.” Virrat dreamt on. “And rivers made from silver and sapphires.”
“If there are any,” Zene muttered. “The Ig-y might have buried all treasures so deep they can’t be harvested.”
The queen called for them and they turned south towards her voice while changing their size to the same as large birds. She led them to a canyon where she waited for them in a sheltered grove. They landed by her feet and bowed for her.
“We better skip the formalities for now, so you can shift to human form,” she said. “There are eyes and ears everywhere.”
The dragon lords swiftly changed form and put on the clothes she gave them.
“Jegho, green is not a human hair colour.” She stroked his hair and turned it black. “How did you get here?”
“The dazzling travel service of the Ig-y.” Jegho laughed and gave his hair a slight taint of blue while she corrected Zene’s shirt.
“I didn’t think they’d help us anymore.”
“The ruling power shifted when you killed the triad.” Virrat changed his length so he was the same height as the queen.
“Can we trust them?”
“Of course not.”
“Business as usual then. It wouldn’t be the same without it.” The queen laughed and shook her head. “The eggs are about to hatch. We need to move them to safety.”
“I love babies! Watching them take their first steps, teaching them to fly and hunt… It’s amazing!” Jegho took the queen in his arms and swirled around. “I’m so happy for you little mother.”
She laughed and kissed him. “Put me down! We need to go.”
“Have you found a cave large enough for a new hive?” Zene looked around.
“No. I’m the leader of four human tribes and we’re at war. There’s no time for me to wander about looking for a place to live. You’ll understand when you know them. Come on, it’s time for your introduction.”
She led them out of the canyon and into the steppe where the tribes had set camp. The situation felt familiar, they had started over many times before, but they were all eager to face the new world and the troubles in it.
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