Winark

After Arrival First Sun-Cycle

That sun-cycle, I was pleased to watch the Spirit Dragons pull the vessels to the small island with only a soft push off by us. They were exhausted when the last few tʃus arrived, but they did their part as I was confident they would.

We parted from the lava island and hoped the parting was not our last. We formed a clan of every dragonkind, the first in known history, and I hoped I had not damaged it already. I did not doubt it would in the end fail, but I sought to keep it for as long as possible.

We passed the island where the vessels sat … until needed. The island was bare. The soil was a dark, rich brown. It looked good for growing. We glimpsed a few caves as we flew by, and I was certain more waited to be discovered.

As we sped further north, the air cooled, and snow started falling. The sight of it raised the spirits of my kin. When we came to the island, it became apparent that it was quite large, and we could hear herd beasts. Food was something the clan needed. First, we flew around the mountains looking for one suitable enough to become our home.

As we searched, a sound came to us. A low tone reached us, and within it, the echo was welcoming, and soon the Water Dragons began singing a mournful song of goodbye. We discovered a mountain honeycombed with caves. After a brief rest, we hunted and filled our clan’s bellies.

We spent our first dark-cycle together in an enormous cavern in the center of the mountain. It later became our gathering hall. Many sleep there, and magnificent icy works are constructed there throughout history. Others found smaller caves where families grew again, though never as they once had. Even in our home, newlings came less often.

The sun-cycle started. It came with a large golden sun and a small red crystal a sun-moon. A visitor found his way to our mountain early.

“I am surprised to see you so soon,” I said to Adner that sun-peek.

“We have things to do before we become complacent,” he told me.

“What might that be?”

“The relics. They need to be together.”

“What do you mean, together?” I asked, staring at the petite dragon who showed us the path to safety.

“The bare island is meant to hold them. If we are to stay a clan, we must stay unified somehow and the relics are how.”

“Alright, we have followed you this far. Let us tell the others. You go talk to the Fire Dragons and I will talk to the Water Dragons.”

We went our separate ways. The Water Dragons dispersed into the overwhelming amount of water for them to swim. I had hoped they did not move far from the islands. It took me longer to locate them than it took Adner to get to the Fire Dragons. In my search, I discovered just how vast the area was between the four islands and agreed that if we did not have something to unify us, we would quickly become four separate clans again.

When the first Water Dragon surfaced, I got their attention.

“What have you done with your pearl?” I asked.

He stared at me blankly for a few beats. I sensed he did not know what I was speaking of.

“The pink pearl given to you by the Guardian. The relic?” I reminded him. “Find me a Water Dragon that does,” I growled.

Water Mother was the one that came to me.

“I placed it in a cave under the doorway,” she told me.

“Adner thinks we should keep them together.”

“Why should we do that? It will be safe where I put it?” she insisted.

“He thinks it will keep us unified, and if all our kinds are guarding them, they will be safer.”

She glared at me. I could tell she loathed the idea, which involved the dragon who pushed her through the doorway.

“I feel it is unnecessary. We can take care of our own relics,” I said, and hoped this would be enough for her to be all right with the idea.

“Fine, when should I bring it?” she asked.

“Adner requested them to be there at mid-sun.”

She made a sharp nod and was gone.

I flew to my island to collect our relic and to wait for mid-sun. The sun moves slower here; I thought mid-sun would never arrive. Getting used to the sun-cycle movement took more than a few beats.

Several of my kin came with me. As we arrived, we found that several of each kind of dragon traveled there, and all the Water Dragons swam nearby in the Red Sea.

The island’s soil was soft beneath our feet and felt as if something was waiting to spring forward. Grand rocks with specks that sparkled in the sun overhead adorned the caves. Adner appeared drawn to one which had the same rocks sitting just inside its mouth. The cave was close to the shore, and a shallow incline rose to one rim of the stone entrance. The incline appeared to be created for a Water Dragon.

Adner carried the Spirit Dragons’ relic into the cave and placed their opal on top of one rock. I carried our diamond next and set it on the rock beside the Spirit Dragon relic. The rock pillars curved from one wall of the cave to the other. There would be one with no relic. Flamnor was the next to step up and place their relic. Water Mother pushed her enormous body up the incline until her noble head came to the pillar closest to the sea. She gently placed the pearl that sheltered in her mouth onto the pillar.

A sound burst through the air when the pearl was placed. All the dragons looked around as we watched a bridge made of roots, vines, branches, and stone grow from the closest shore. The ones born with wings took flight and rose. We discovered a similar bridge growing out from the other side.

I looked at Adner.

“I do not doubt that the other islands will have bridges as well,” he declared. “No dragonkind will be cut off from another, and they will forever be bonded.”

For now, I thought.

Even though we had conquered challenges and won battles together, I was unable to shake the feeling we would part from one another in the end.