Fantasy
The Ancient Game
There weren't always dragons in the valley. Certainly not during most of Leister Doyle's long life. Maybe even too long, some would add, who had met him in person on one of his rare visits to the village. He had always been a grumpy fellow but after his wife died twenty-three years ago he became especially resentful towards everything and everyone who dared to exist outside of his home.
By Moritz Bauer4 years ago in Fiction
The Wings of Nightmares
There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Quella guessed that technically, this was still true. She raised her arm to cover her eyes and surreptitiously wipe the sweat from her forehead. Even though there was no one around her, she felt embarrassed by how sweaty she was. The sun was heavy, glaring down at the Valley as if angered by the rolling mountains. And she had been under its fuming gaze for hours now.
By Helen Bates4 years ago in Fiction
Of Beldeg's Blood
There weren't always dragons in the valley. Our fathers said that, aforetime, dragons lived in the seas, far beyond the perils of man. To them, they were but legends, memories faded through the ages of time. In that day, I am sure that men lived without fear, without hunger, without despair. For thus the world has become, since the dragons donned wings, and filled the sky with ash and a harrowing darkness.
By Aaron Miller4 years ago in Fiction
The Coming
There weren't always dragons in the Valley. The great protectors of the cities were once thought to be extinct and hell was the world we knew, but, our story does not start there. There is much to be had before giants flew through the skies and protected us all from the nightmares in the darkness and daylight.
By Miranda Cerrone4 years ago in Fiction
Lalla Of The North
TW: blood, death, bullying There weren’t always dragons in the valley, the native fennec and boar had inhabited it long before even the old folk did. But now the fennec and boar have extra heads and mouths filled to the brim with black teeth. A tell-tale sign that you are in the presence of a skin-walking dragon, and not what it pretends to be.
By Safy Kezzim4 years ago in Fiction
The Burning Horizon
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. The miniature fire-breathing beasts were a recent development, a red herring to a season that was infinitely more terrifying than the fires the dragons lit. Truthfully, nobody quite recognized when they first manifested. Every late spring, when summer was hovering over the horizon, tiny beasts appeared like apparitions, wreaking havoc until cities were burnt to a crisp, leaving them in a state of famine, and the population dwindled once again. Each was no larger than a small dandelion, but they congregated in large swarms, the little puffs of fire catching onto one another’s until a roaring inferno remained of cities that once stood tall. All at once, they fled. When the leaves of the trees began to change, they began returning to wherever they came from, flying too far for any of the already scarce population of researchers to follow.
By Keelie Scholhamer4 years ago in Fiction
Twenty Fields of Stars
There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Mama said they were driven out of the South-Eastern lands by the monsoons and attracted to our Valley by the strength of the magic from the other folk there. Dragons were heat-seekers by nature, the sun fuelling their fire-breathing lungs and molten scales. But our Valley was cold, so far south in this world that the rivers ran with ice and the mountains were capped white, subduing the dragons.
By Pearl of Broome4 years ago in Fiction
Dragons of Oak Grove
“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. In fact, until a few weeks ago there weren’t dragons anywhere. Dragons were mythical creatures that you read about in story books. It wasn’t until a mysterious sinkhole opened up that the beasts flew out. My name is Cassandra Krett. I live in a small farming community called Oak Grove, affectionately referred to as the Valley by locals. Before the earthquake, it wasn’t uncommon to see deer lazily grazing among herds of cattle. Now, deer are scarce. The dragons have begun hunting the farmer’s animals. The cows, horses, sheep, and goats that once populated the Valley are now seldom seen. When you do see a herd of livestock allowed out in the pasture you see a farmer holding a gun and watching over his animals. The farmers have become trigger-happy. They have shot owls, eagles, bears, and even a large dog who they believed were dragons. They have shot many of the dragons as well, however, the bullets don’t seem to penetrate their scales. In town activists for the dragon can be seen rioting outside of local farm stores and places that sell ammunition. They say that the dragons have as much of a right to be here as the natural predators. Other people say that the dragons were made by the government to eradicate livestock. They say the sinkhole that opened up was a hoax. Then, the farmers, hunters, and worried townsfolk can be seen rushing around trying to stock up on anything that could protect their livestock. They are seen loading everything from barbed wire to fireworks into their car. There are even photographers, big game hunters, and news reporters coming from as far as across the globe to view these beasts. My once quiet town is now plagued with the feeling of fear and hatred. Large shadows are cast across the sky igniting panic. Some people are worried that the dragons may start hunting humans next. Some people are worried that they may reproduce and invade the entire globe. Some people are concerned that these creatures are going to push humanity towards extinction. So far, I have not seen any aggressive behavior from the dragons. They seem to be afraid of humans and especially cars, trains, and airplanes. Just yesterday I witnessed a small dragon investigating road kill on Highway 47. As I approached the creature in my truck it looked at me and made a sound similar to the yelp of a dog. It couldn’t get off of the ground and away from me fast enough. I am writing to you today to see if your facility would be willing to either assist in relocating these creatures out of the Valley or even consider housing them in captivity. I am worried that these dragons are going to be the end of my town. I am worried that the town will be the end of the dragons. From my observations, I do not believe these dragons are as bloodthirsty as the media claims. I believe that they are just large, apex, wild animals. Please get back to me as quickly as you can. For the dragons, and my town’s sake, I hope you can help me.”
By Tabitha Musich4 years ago in Fiction
