Elysia Valley Rising

There weren't always dragons in the valley. Hippogryphs, yes, but not dragons. The hippogryphs were a norm in Elysia Valley. Although they could be a bit intimidating when you first meet them. After you get to know them, you will find that they are very loving, loyal, and protective. But back to the dragons.

Whenever a dragon is flying nearby, creatures tend to be awestruck. They effortlessly glide in the air, turning up their noses to the tiny dots on the ground watching them. They are born in human form but can shift into their dragon form when they come of age at 18. That is the age of maturity for most if not all mystical beings. Their class level and kingdom determine what color their dragons will be. Their human form will also have that color somewhere on them, either their eyes, some or all of their hair or their fingernails. In rare occurrences, that color would show in two of the three areas. Even rarer still, it would be all three. The closer your blood relation to the royal family, the deeper and richer your dragon's color is. Also, all dragons in each kingdom are a different shade of whatever the royal family is. The color of the North Dragon Kingdom is blue, the South is red, the East is purple, and the West is golden orange.

Dragons are fearsome, loyal, and protective as well. But that usually is only extended to other dragons. While they are a powerful and beautiful force to be reckoned with, they don't see other species of creatures as on their level. No matter how much that irks all other mystical beings, they would prefer not being in the dragon's good graces instead of being on their bad side as an enemy. So, most creatures avoid them. But now they are coming to the valley. No one understood what it was, exactly, but something is definitely off.

Elysia Valley is sort of a utopian village where creatures great and small come to live out the rest of their days, or just to get away from the troubles they may have faced in their old homes. They come to forget some sort of dramatic pain they may have experienced, like losing a mate (by death or rejection) or being made an outcast by their own people. Some were orphaned at an early age and were brought here as an act of mercy because they couldn't be cared for. Others came here or were brought here because their powers or abilities were too powerful for their village leaders to contain, or they became a danger to their people.

(Elysia Valley has protective barriers around it for this very reason, as well as elders from a few realms of mystical beings to contain and train in the use of such powers properly.)

And still others came because their life had finally run its course and they wanted to rest peacefully until the end. So, this makes for a very mixed bunch of creatures coming together in one place.

Now the valley elders are concerned by the sudden appearance of dragons arriving to seek asylum. If the mighty dragon is coming here for peace and safety, that means something bigger will follow. But what are they running away from?

Something else has the valley elders thinking. Dragons are not the type to flee from battle or any kind of enemy. Besides their elevated levels of haughtiness, the dragons are known for another attribute that may make them come off as untrustworthy, their extreme secrecy. So, instead of wanting to run away from something, they may want to use Elysia Valley to hide something in plain sight. Something.... or someone. And what better place to do that than the melting pot of the mystical world.

Each month, the elders of Elysia Valley would open its borders, taking down its protective shield and allowing in the many souls that traveled there seeking a safe haven. However, not everyone was granted asylum. Each creature that arrived in the valley needed to get the approval for entry from the valley elders. And even with that, certain creatures were never allowed in. Demons to be exact.

The elders were from each of the groups of mystical creatures. The oldest and longest standing among them was Elder Errlania from the Fairy Kingdom, Elysium, hence the similarity in the name of the valley. She was the former Fairy Queen. Since her lineage continued to rule Elysium and would continue to do so for generations, she decided to break the mold of tradition and move out of Elysium and create a peaceful valley of her own. Her reign as queen allowed her to make connections with and gain the support of her fellow elders. They were all former rulers of their species. Elder Wade was the former Werewolf King. Elder Draco was the former Vampire King. Elder Siasa was the former Witch Coven Mother. Elder Zane was the former Werebear Leader. And Elder Odinis was the former Ruler of the Centaurs.

As was customary, the valley elders all arrived at the border by the main gate to greet and evaluate the creatures seeking entry. (The elders all wondered if more dragons would be coming, since last month three dragons from the south dragon kingdom and two from the west came to the valley.) Today was one of the rare days where the majority of them were allowed entry except a demon that tried to disguise herself as a werewolf. Unfortunately for her, the aura of Elder Wade revealed her true nature and before the demon could react, the strong aura blasted her hundreds of feet out of the border and the shield closed instantly.

As the new arrivals started to make their way to find out their housing assignments, the elders began to make their way back to the castle where they lived. A slight scent hit the nose of Elder Draco, causing him to stop and turn back toward the border where the barrier just closed. Elder Siasa noticed and watched him curiously. "What's the matter Draco?" she asked. Without turning around, he asked her, "Don't you smell that?" sniffing the air and slowly walking back towards a small berry bush that was just inside the barrier.

Soon, the other four elders noticed that Elder Draco and Elder Siasa were not behind them and turned to find out why. Elder Zane walked next to Elder Draco on high alert. But after he took a deep breath through his nose, his guard dropped a bit, and he placed a calm hand onto Elder Draco's shoulder and felt him ease a little. He then turned to Elder Errlania and said, "I only sense fear and sadness." Then turning back towards the bush, he said, "Come out, Little One. No harm will come to you here."

For a few moments, there was no movement as the elders watched the bush. But soon, a bag was tossed out from the bush, followed by a beautiful young woman with dark caramel colored skin and almost silvery white hair pulled back into a tight ballerina bun. As she crawled out from the bush and stood up, the elders all noticed how her hair reflected the sun, almost like she had crystals weaved into it, as it sparkled in the sun's rays. She stood at a little over five foot three with a near perfect hourglass figure. She picked up her bag and was holding it in front of her, grasping it as if someone would take it away. She kept her head down, staring at the grass.

Elder Draco went from being cautious to being pulled into her beauty. In a calm voice he asked, "Why were you hiding, Little One?" He took a couple small steps towards her, but when he noticed she backed up he stopped. "You don't have to be afraid." Elder Errlania said. "You can look at us young lady." The girl nodded slightly and put on glasses with dark lenses before looking up to the elders.

"What is your name, my dear?" asked Elder Wade with a smile and a calm voice. "My name is Heranne." she replied, slightly trembling. "Aww sweetie. You really don't have to be afraid. We don't bite." said Elder Siasa. Then she took a few steps closer, leaned towards Heranne and put her hand up to the side of her face as if to tell her a secret and whispered, "Well Maybe Zane, Draco or Wade. But the rest of us don't." then winked at Heranne as she snickered a little.

"Hey! I heard that!" Elder Wade chuckled.

"I only bite if I'm asked to." Elder Draco said with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow.

"And I only bite food, so you're good with me." Elder Zane said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I'm hungry now."

Elder Odinis laughed heartily, "You're always hungry, you big ol' bear!"

The playful banter between the elders started to put Heranne at ease. It was the first time she felt some safety in a long while. She watched as Elder Errlania addressed the other elders, "Ok you all. Please go help everyone get settled." She then turned to the young lady, "Heranne, please come with me. I think we need to chat." Heranne nodded her head as the other elders gave a slight bow to Elder Errlania and turned to head towards the main housing area.

Elder Errlania and Heranne walked in silence until they got to a small courtyard surrounded by flowers in all colors of the rainbow. Heranne got a little distracted as she noticed what looked like butterflies and bees busying themselves in the flower beds. But as she got closer, she realized they were actually tiny fairies tending to the flowers. Her eyes lit up a little as one of the butterfly fairies flew past her and waved.

In the middle and along the sides of the courtyard were some small benches and tables with umbrellas to give some shade. Elder Errlania sat at one of the tables near the flower bed and motioned for Heranne to join her. Heranne shyly walked over, sat across from the elder and put her bag on the table still clinging to it as she stared at her hands.

"I know what you are. And you don't have to worry, you're safe here." Elder Errlania said. Fortunately, the dark glasses prevented the elder from seeing Heranne's eyes almost pop out of their socket from what was just said. Her breath hitched and she tried to clear her throat. But before she could speak up, the elder continued, "I know you are a dragon. But what I'm having a tough time figuring out is what kingdom you are from and why you are here." Heranne slowly let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in. She was relieved that her secret was safe.... for now.

Elder Errlania noticed tense energy coming from Heranne, more so than their first meeting at the border gate. It was quite different from what she experienced with the other creatures that came to the valley. It made her want to know more about this young lady trembling before her and refusing to give eye contact. No, she NEEDED to know more.

Through her many years on this planet, she's had multiple dealings with dragons, but something was different about this one. Dragons usually held their head high and had an air about them that others were beneath them. But this girl was having a hard time even seeing anyone eye to eye. So Elder Errlania concluded that she was either scared, hurt or hiding something. Maybe a combination of all three. The elder decided to question the young dragon.

"What dragon kingdom are you from?" Elder Errlania asked.

Heranne raised her head slightly, but not enough for her to fully face the elder and almost whispered, "The North Kingdom."

"But I don't see any markings on you to confirm that. None in your hair or fingernails." said the elder. "Let me see your eyes." And before Heranne could object, Elder Errlania took her glasses off of her and tried to peer into her eyes. But Heranne had already closed her eyes and kept them tightly shut. With a trembling, heavy breath, she pleaded, "Please elder. I mean no disrespect. But my eyes are very sensitive, and the sunlight hurts them. If you must see them, please allow me to show you after sunset. I don't want any trouble."

In that instant, Elder Errlania regretted her quick action of taking her glasses. She did not want to scare the poor dragon more than she already was. It was just a highly unusual occurrence that a dragon was this afraid to look someone in the eye. Although she still wanted answers, she was never one to push too much and had no problem admitting when she was wrong. "My sincerest apologies, Little One." she said after a few minutes of silence. She handed the glasses back to Heranne and continued, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I will take you to your room so you can get settled."

As Elder Errlania stood up from the table, she softly smiled down at Heranne as she watched her quickly put her glasses back on. She thought to herself, "This poor child has been through something traumatic for her, a dragon, to behave this way." She patiently waited as the young dragon grabbed her bag and walked up to her side. Seeing that the girl was still a bit on edge, she placed her arm gently around her shoulder and said in a soft motherly voice, "Come. Let's find you a room so you can get comfortable. And again, I apologize for scaring you. That was not my intention." Heranne nodded and relaxed a little. Elder Errlania continued, "Do you need clothes or shoes? I can have that sent to you room if you would like." Heranne nodded again and answered, "Yes, please, to both. That would be nice." Elder Errlania smiled as her eyes glazed over for a moment as she mind-linked the fairy maids to send the things Heranne needed to her room.

After walking for what seemed like forever, passing many different buildings that housed most of the new arrivals to the valley, Elder Errlania and Heranne reached a tall building that looked very similar to the castle that the elder lived in. The main difference is that the windows and doors were all very tall and wide, as if they were made for something massive to come through them.

As they entered the building it was eerily quiet as there were only a couple voices heard echoing against the vaulted ceilings and walls. Heranne stopped in her tracks and looked up at Elder Errlania confused and a little nervous. Elder Errlania looked down at the young dragon with a motherly look and squeezed her shoulders a little to help ease her nervousness. She started to explain, "This valley is meant to house just about any and every creature who needs a safe place to live. My fellow elders and I tried to make sure that we had comfortable accommodations for everyone. We had the dragon tower built just in case of the possibility that one day dragons would need to seek asylum here. It has never been used until last month when the first dragons arrived. It may look large and cavernous in your human form, but this building was made to keep you comfortable in your dragon form as well."

Heranne looked around in awe at the beautiful stained-glass windows, mahogany doors with gold handles and black marble floors with a black carpet leading to four different colored carpet runners. They were the colors of the four dragon kingdoms, blue, red, purple, and golden orange.

Elder Errlania began leading Heranne down the hallway with the blue carpet. On their way to her room, they passed a modern kitchen, a family sized dining room, a library, a game room, and a mini movie theater. When they reached Heranne's room, there were two fairy maids waiting there with a cart each. One had food, towels, a robe, and slippers and the other had assorted items of clothing and shoes. As Elder Errlania and Heranne stopped in front of the room, the maids simultaneously bowed and greeted them both then they opened the doors to the room. The maids unpacked the items from the carts and put them where they needed to go, then lastly placed the food on a table and placed a chair next to it.

As the maids bowed and began to leave the room, a gurgled roar escaped from Heranne's belly causing the four ladies to giggle. With an embarrassed look on her face, Heranne said, "Sorry. I didn't realize how hungry I was until you put that food on the table and the aroma hit me." Elder Errlania chuckled and said, "No worries, my dear. It must have been a long day for you. I'll leave you to rest now. When you are finished with the food trays, you may leave them in the basket right outside your door and one of these young ladies will take care of it." Heranne nodded her head and thanked them all as they left the room and closed the door.

Heranne leaned on the door and listened as the footsteps of the maids and Elder Errlania faded away. She waited a few minutes more just to be sure that they were gone before she could finally start to relax. She sighed as she looked around the beautiful room she was given. Just like the main area of the tower, her room had very high, vaulted ceilings with tall and wide windows. The bedding, curtains and furniture were all blue, silver, and white, just like the kingdom she came from. There was a small vanity by the double doors that lead to the balcony. She had a king-sized bed with a canopy over it, a walk-in closet and an EnSuite bathroom. There was also a small couch with a table in front of it sitting across from an entertainment center with a nice sized tv. Basically, everything she needed to be comfortable.

The young dragon sighed as she sat at the vanity and looked at her reflection. The rays from the sunset shone on the side of her face and then into her eyes as she removed her glasses. She had beautiful silvery gray eyes that were so light that they almost seemed white. This was highly unusual for any dragon, especially one from the North Dragon Kingdom. But another unique feature showed in her eyes as the light reflected on them. With each gentle eye movement, a different color of the rainbow appeared. It was the same effect that you would see when you shine light through a prism. The same thing goes for her hair. As she undid her ballerina bun, her hair cascaded down her back almost to her waist. It reflected the sun's rays and created little rainbows that danced along the walls and ceiling of her room. She also had a layer in the middle that was completely iridescent, causing each movement to show a different color.

She ran her fingers through her hair and massaged the spot where the bun had been to soothe her scalp. She had been wearing that bun for days to keep other creatures from seeing her hair fully. She needed to keep her secret in order to keep herself safe. She was a special and extremely rare dragon. One that only made an appearance every 500 years. One that is also sought after and could potentially be used for negative means. That's why she came to Elysia Valley. She needed protection.

Heranne is a Luck Dragon. She is one that any, if not all species of mystical creatures would want at their disposal for many different reasons. Not only was she a beauty in human form, but her dragon was as well. It was silvery white just like her hair, with sparkling iridescent scales. When her powers were being used, rainbows would pulsate rhythmically across her scales. Her abilities were different from other dragons.

Whenever anyone thinks about a dragon, they think of beauty, strength and most of all, fire. And it is Heranne's fire that sets her apart from all other dragons. While it is common knowledge that dragon fire is the hottest fire on the planet and can burn anything to a crisp almost instantly, a Luck Dragon's fire has the complete opposite effect. Luck Dragons produce a whitish blue flame that heals you almost instantly and completely. It still has heat to it, but it feels more like a warm hug or wrapping yourself in a blanket fresh from the laundry. So now it could be understood why Heranne is so afraid of her true identity being revealed.

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An evil smile creeped across the face of a stranger as she watched Heranne walk into her bathroom and close the door. She snickered through her sharp teeth as she looked down into her goblet and began to speak into the black oozing liquid resting in its bottom. "I have found her my lord." she said in a raspy, wheezing breath. She glared and snarled at the barrier, then continued, "That blast from that elder mutt was all worth it. You were right that she would come here, Lord Erbeus."

The vile liquid in the goblet began to bubble and vibrate as a voice came forth from it, "Excellent work, Lady Ezalia. You keep a watchful eye on her for now. The time will come soon enough when I can claim my prize, and I can finally end those clueless elders!" The siblings began to laugh and cackle together as a soft breeze blew past them back towards the dragon tower. As Heranne came out of the bathroom from her shower, a small breeze hit her, causing the hair on her neck and arms to stand on end. What was this feeling of danger that suddenly clenched her chest? Was she really safe here?