Fantasy

The Aftermath
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. The crackling and popping sounds coming from the corpse of the one at the feet of the three men was the second in as many weeks. Small flames and embers still licked the scaled flesh of the burnished red beast as it still cooked in its own fire, and the smell was something akin to a dead deer being cooked weeks after its death. Jory made hacking and coughing sounds again, as if he would empty his stomach a third time.
By Jay4 years ago in Fiction
A Valley Unfit For Dragons
There weren't always dragons in the Valley. In fact, there had never been even a single dragon in the Valley. Or anywhere near the Valley.
By Kojo Gyan4 years ago in Fiction
The Undying Eye
“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” Say’s a dark skinned older woman standing in the center of a circular stepped platform in a wintery garden. Beyond the garden are larger buildings that are part of a larger ancient sanctuary. Snow falls on the ancient one as she addresses a group of young adults in their late teens that wear heavy cloaks and have traveling packs next to them patiently sit circling its edge. They listen intently as the old woman continues, “This sanctuary has been here for centuries, long before the valley was littered with the bones of dragons. No one knows why they come here to die.” The old woman gestures to the edge of the garden where a large dragon skull rests partially covered in snow, she points at the circling youth’s saying, “Dragon’s are unique, like you, they are orphans. Born into a world where they have to learn to survive on their own. It is part of their evolution and like the dragon you too were left alone early in childhood.” Some of the teens are visibly affected when they hear the old woman’s words. The Old woman sees their fear but continues, “You started your journey in the streets of the city or in the forests surrounding villages and you learned to survive. You endured. You survived when many others did not. It was a time that you learned your perspective. You learned to feel fear and shame. You learned to feel anger and resentment. You learned to feel abandoned and hide. At some point you started to believe. You believed what others said about you. You learned to believe that there is a difference between self and others and to believe you are separate. You learned to believe the lies that others told you and the lies you told yourself and how to judge others and the worst of all how to judge yourself. You became your name and you learned suffering.”
By D Herron4 years ago in Fiction
The Trophy
There weren't always dragons in the Valley. And when they arrived, the Duke of Hungairn made it his personal responsibility to make them as extinct as they had ever been.
By Delaney Rietveld4 years ago in Fiction
Akkiia
There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. But no one alive knew that time, firsthand. Nor had anyone alive, known anyone alive, who knew of that time, firsthand. The generations passed and passed again, and finally, all that remained were the whispers of truth that persisted despite time, agony, terror, and despair. The truth that raises its head when a glimpse of hope survives despite its enemies. The truth that emerges in dreams, when consciousness is incarcerated so the freedom which sleeps in the hearts of humanity can dance. The truths of Truth, laden with the power of an unquenchable desire to be heard, to be known, to be real.
By E Michelle Ledder4 years ago in Fiction
Legend No More
There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Before the Great Awakening, only the very young, or very old, among the Dalr even believed in the dark, malevolent creatures that now soar freely through the ever-present gloom that has settled menacingly over my ill-fated kingdom. Thought to have been destroyed long ago, how fortunate must I be to be forever known as the ruler to discover the depths of our niavete? They were never slain, only confined deep in their misty mountain caves, bound there by those who came before. How I curse the day The Beggar rode into Konungdomr, once so prosperous, and brought forth this calamity upon us all.
By Sarah Beaumont4 years ago in Fiction
Lo Behold - Arrival Of The Dawn Of Peace
There weren't always dragons in the valley until Anicca made her debut as a killer murdering six people on that fateful full moon night. The same night Swami got kidnapped, and Aryan started getting his eyesight back.
By Anu Sundaram4 years ago in Fiction
The Dragon's Pet
There weren't always dragons in the Valley. That’s what mother used to say, anyway. As has now been explained to me, “always” is relative, and while it might be true in humanities terms that there weren’t “always” dragons in the Valley, the dragons themselves operated on more geological terms.
By Tyler Mickelson4 years ago in Fiction
The Lost Knight
There weren't always dragons in the Valley. There was a time when a knight saddled on a horse was the highest position a man could achieve without being a member of the nobility. Now there are rumours that dragons have been brought in from far across the seas. Every merchant has a different story to say, some say they are the size of a common house cat and others say small children can ride them as they do on sheep. Lords from across the realm have summoned retainers to seek out the truth behind these rumours.
By Attila Nagy4 years ago in Fiction
Archaic
“There weren’t always dragons in the valley,” an old man tells the barkeep as he hands him another mug of ale. Sitting at a table in a dimly lit corner of the Lucky Shoe, a young scholar named Eelia reads through a book titled Astral Alchemy. The Lucky Shoe is a dark, raggedy place, a no-good tavern located in a small village within Garnock Valley. It reeks of musty water and stale ale, and the floors squeak with every step. She hears the old man blabbering about how the dragons have ruined Garnock Valley.
By Justin Moyer4 years ago in Fiction
Unsettled Creatures
There weren't always dragons in the valley. Anyone would tell you that, on a Monday or a Friday or any day of the week, and it would be true. But no one would be able to tell you where they came from, or what they were doing here.
By Serenity Rowland4 years ago in Fiction
An Old Man Recalls
“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley,” said the old man. The little girl shot upright in bed, punched her pillows, and settled in.
By David Inge4 years ago in Fiction