The Oasis of Karshuul

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

At least that's what his mother always told him when questioned about the presence of the dragonkin that stalked amongst the wilds of the Oasis.

Her tale spoke of an apocalypse, eerily reminiscent of the Prophecies from the Books of Grimm. She would tell of how fire rained from the sky, setting the landscape alight, and purging all who fell under its flames. When the scant few survivors finally reemerged from their holes, after the heat from the skyfire had subsided, the only things that remained were ashes... and dragons.

The young man chuckled as he stalked among the underbrush, a bad habit for a hunter, to be sure, as he slowly stalked up to his prey. The beast he was hunting, however, didn't seem to notice the young man's folly as it stood there, nearly motionless as it lapped at the babbling stream at its feet. He hefted his spear, aiming towards the doe that would be his prize, frowning as he felt it resist against his movements. He looked down, cursing lightly as he saw the lower third of the haft engulfed in clutch of the thorny vines that made up his current hiding spot. He reached down and began the tedious process of disentangling his spear from its bristly grasp, all while keeping part of his attention on the, still, unaware creature. Making sure that his movements caused no unnatural noises that would startle the beast, his thoughts returned to his mother's story.

It truly was a fanciful tale. It explained most things about the circumstances of the Oasis. It did not, however, answer the most pressing question. A question that is, seemingly, always overlooked. Why did the dragons come here? Why were they among the ashes of the valley that became the Oasis? And, more importantly, did they cause it its immolation?

A slight pain shook him from his thoughts once more as he bit his lip to allow no noise that would startle his prey escape from his lungs. Looking up towards the doe, he saw it staring directly at thicket he was hiding in. He froze, trying to stop all movement of his body, suppressing even his breathing to the very minimum that he could bear. A difficult task when considering the adrenaline flooding his body. He watched as the doe slowly turned and once more began lapping at the water below. He released the breath that he barely knew he had been holding. It came out as a low hiss through his clenched teeth, barely audible over thrumming of his own heartbeat.

The doe bolted.

"Well, damn."

The young man sighed. His voice, baritone in timbre, flowed from his lips in a slow, smooth drawl. He emerged from from the brush, yanking himself free of its dagger-like thorns, without much care. Studying the doe's tracks and the direction it fled, he broke out into a light trot after the beast. Taking care to cause as minimal disturbance to the environment as to limit obstructions and hide himself from the perception of any other woodland creatures that would betray his presence to his prize.

This time, maintaining a bit more presence of mind at the task at hand, he, once more, turned his thoughts back to his draconic neighbors. He wondered where they came from. He knew where they came from of course. You cannot get into the Oasis without traversing the Spine of Karshuul after all. It surrounded the Oasis on all sides, except for the small stretch of coastline towards the east that bordered the Endless Sea. He wondered exactly where they came from. He dreamt of the lands that lay beyond the Spine. He dreamt of the people that called those lands home, and the beasts they hunted.

He caught up to the doe before too long, with it exhausting itself with its intense bouts of sprinting. It lay there in a clearing, panting as it rested. Crouching low, prowling through the brush he stalked closer to the beast. Just a little further and he wouldn't even need to throw the spear. What a story that would be to tell to the boys back in the village! He stalked closer, closing the gap between himself and his prize as his adrenaline began to slowly circulate throughout his body once more. Preparing him to land the blow needed to fell his prey. He slowly shuffled, one foot after the other. Fifteen feet... ten feet... seven feet. He crept closer. One more step and the beast would have no chance at escape. So he stepped forward, and his foot met nothing but air. He tumbled downward, darkness overtaking him.