Kiro

Kiro is one of the most imaginative dragons; the sort someone meets maybe once in a lifetime. His endless babbling sometimes turning into an exciting adventure or a mysterious ghost story. He has a very bad habit of suddenly veering offtrack during an intense tale and leaving the listening dragons to try and figure out how the story ends.

Somebody (with perhaps too much free time) has gone to the trouble of writing some of his stories down.

Once upon a time there were three creators, an oldest, a middle, and a youngest. Each one coming into the world every 10,000 years. All of them had the power to create beasts that took the shape of animals, sometimes crossbreeds. The oldest creator focused on creating beasts with great power, the second oldest focused on beauty, and the youngest was fascinated with insects. This is the tale of the great beasts made by the oldest and his kin.

The oldest's greatest beast
Now, the oldest creator came before the other creators, and was able to make peace in the world using his powerful beasts. Once that peace had been achieved,though, the Oldest felt he had no purpose. In a desperate attempt to recreate his old reason for creating he became corrupt and began to produce terrible creatures, each more ferocious than the last. Instead of seeking peace these creatures rampaged where ever they roamed and chaos began to creep back into the world.

His creatures began to grow in size, but as their size increased, so did the time it took to craft them. Soon, the oldest decided that instead of creating many, he would pour all of his energy into one great beast; Whom he named Haiska.

The biggest of all of his creations, Haiska walked on six massive legs with each foot large enough to pin an adult guardian. He had a tough hide the color of dark moss, and thick vines crept out of a crack that ran down the center of his back. Three-petaled flowers with paralyzing pollen occasionally hanging on the end of the vines. With every breath Haiska exhaled a deadly paralyzing fog, which billowed in great clouds that swirled around him. On his chest was three great sapphire gems that sparkled with electricity. With these Haiska was able release three great blasts of electricity, either directly or in an area around him. Finally, on the tip of his tail was a stinger like that of a scorpion, but with a venom far more deadly.

The Oldest had not intended, however, to endow Haiska with his deadliest asset. Haiska was an intelligent being, very different from the mindless creatures that had come before him. He was able to understand language and could work out problems, his vines being his main way of manipulating the world around him. When he examined his existance and asked himself why e had come to be, Haiska looked to his creator for answers, and soon realized he was being used.

The Oldest created Haiska as his greatest weapon and had been using him as such. He charged Haiska to rampage in nearby lands so that The Oldest would be feared, and able to take control them as soveriegn. Haiska became aware of his creators manipulation, and resented being used as a pawn. So he resolved that his creator had to be destroyed. The Oldest, having his beasts and his power to create, battled his greatest creation. In the end, however, Haiska outwitted him.

Now free of his master Haiska roamed the lands of his birthplace. All he knew was destruction and chaos, so that is what he spread. For ages, Haiska was known as the lone terror of the land, wandering where he pleased as an unstoppable force. That is, until the second creator came into being.

The second creator and his beauty
The Second was very different from his older ancestor. He saw the world around him as a blank slate, one that could hold endless beauty. From the moment he came into the world, he was producing fantastic beasts of all colors and patterns, shapes and sizes. He left a path of wonder in his wake. Many of his creations are said to be the mythical beasts of old.

Of his greatest creations was a great blue snake, that shined like a gemstone and had a crest of feathers like that of a coatl. He was known as Naga, and soon became known as the Blue Spirit. For he was rarely seen but brought luck to all who glimpsed his beauty. Naga was known to be followed by a many-tailed fox, which people referred to simply as Kitsune. She was extremely playful if you ever came across her. Although, it meant you had missed a chance to see the Blue Spirit.

The Second also created many beasts with intelligence, all of which he kept close at his side as companions and friends. All but a select few who wished to roam the land on their own were comrades to him. Naga is an example of this, as well as Kitsune. These few are, of course, how he learned of Haiska.

It was a normal day of creation for The Second when one of his beasts that had chosen to roam alone, an elegant jade bear, came limping out of the brush. He told the Second of a mighty beast he had encountered, one that surrounded itself in vines and breathed a numbing breath. The bear had stumbled across this beast while in search of berries, he had just spoken a few words of greeting when it yelled something incomprehensible at him and attacked. The bear had only been able to escape by running through thick brush into a swamp and burying himself in the muck.

Greatly troubled by this news, he called upon Naga to help him find this beast. From the bear's description, the Second decided that this beast could be intelligent, and could be reasoned with. With the bear as a guide he and Naga headed towards the direction the bear had come from.

It was in the middle of a large forest that they came upon him. He was prowling in a heavily bushed area, with surprising stealth for his size. The Second moved out into his path and greeted him, asking the creature for its name. It stopped and narrowed its eyes at the Second, in a deep coarse voice and using the language of the creator it growled, "I am Haiska, the one great power above all others. I came before, and I destroyed. I come now, and I destroy. He who tries to tame me shall perish, creator! I have not seen your kind for ages, and I do not wish to see it again!". With this, he lashed out at the Second, who was completely bewildered at hearing his own tongue spoken by someone other than himself.

Seeing Haiska lash out at The Second, Naga rushed out to push him out of the way. Haiska hesitated, and gave The Second time to call his companions to run. He had never encountered a beast with ruthless intent before. Much less one that could speak his tongue. The second knew nothing of fighting, his beasts even less. Where this beast- Haiska- came from was a mystery, but one that could be solved later for he was raging behind them.

In a flurry of magic the Second created a great bird out of a feather from Naga. By latching onto the bird as it took to the sky, they were able to get beyond Haiska's reach and escape. Once out of danger he began to warn his other beasts of this danger, and to stay far from it.

Haiska spoke of seeing his kind before, perhaps there was a creator that had come before him? This had never crossed the Second's mind as he had never seen a beast other than his own. If there was another creator where was he now? Surely there are other beasts that he had created other than Haiska; how could Haiska exist without beasts before him? One does not just create a beast like Haiska, the Second knew this for himself, for he had not yet created a beast that could equal Haiska in size.

Anyway it started, there was no way that Haiska could exist in this world with him and his beasts without some way of defending against him.

The Second's magic

Wary that Haiska might still have an encounter with one of his beasts, he began to grant them defenses against this great force; Naga, he gave fangs, and Kitsune, the power to create fire. His other beasts he gave the power to control other various elements, heal, and change forms among others. Satisfied with his work he began to watch his beasts experiment with their new powers, and thought about a way to stop Haiska's destruction.

As he continued to watch them, the beasts he had granted the power to shape-shift caught his attention by displaying something peculiar. As they experimented with their form, they maintained to still have a few features that revealed their true form. The beasts which had an elemental power as well, had trouble showing the true power of their element. A graceful hawk which he had given the power of the wind, could only manage to generate slight puff of air when it transformed into a man.

Perhaps this could help him stop Haiska. Pondering this, he looked next to him at an exquisitely colored lizard and attempted to transform him into a man. Blinking at the abrupt change, the lizard, now a man, examined his new body and looked at the Second with an unfazed expression. Changing the lizard back the Second continued to think. Haiska would never allow him to get close enough to change into a man.

If he gave this power to one of his beasts, they would be able to sneak up on Haiska and change him. The problem was none of his beasts could wield a power like this because it would destroy them in the same way they were created. Some powers of a creator cannot be passed to his beasts. Pushing this idea to the back of his mind he approached another.

If Haiska was crafted by a different creator, where are the beasts that came before him? If they could be found there was a chance that more answers about this creator could be answered. The Second resolved to send out his beasts in search of any remaining creations of the old creator. Naturally, Naga volunteered to go. As one of the Second's most intelligent beasts he would have the best chance of finding something.

Naga's Search, and Kitsune
Naga decided that the best place to look for any beasts made by Haiska's creator would be the lands that were far from where The Second roamed. They hadn't encountered any other than Haiska, so either they don't exist, or they are farther than they have roamed in this world so far.

Of course, as he headed out, Kitsune began tailing him. He wasn't quite sure why, but she seemed to have an attachment to him. One that was able to tear her from The Second's presence, to wander with him. At first he was almost unnerved by her, but after years of her company he had grown to enjoy having her with him.

There was quite a bit of lush land that The Second had nourished, much of which was inhabited my man and beast. Many of the villages knew of Naga and the people would often come into the forest to see if they could find him. He didn't mind this as he could usually drop a feather or a scale and they would run off with it ecstatically.

But, as Naga traveled farther from the lands he knew, he noticed a strange occurrence. The land seemed to become more desolate, and devoid of life, as if it was melting away into the earth. There were still small villages of men, but even they seemed strewn far apart, and struggling in the harsh landscape. Even weirder, was how every once in a while he would come across one that had been completely wiped out. Not even the buildings stood where they had been built, as the whole place had been leveled except for a few small sheds, that looked like they would fall to the ground any moment.

It was after moving through one of these desolate ruins and into a landscape of large rocky outcrops that Naga noticed Kitsune had fallen behind. She was usually pretty close behind him, but he could no longer see her familiar shape following close behind. Naga stopped, and took a second to wait watching the landscape behind him for any movement. None came. Slowly retracing his path he moved back in the way he came from. The land at this point was devoid from most plants, so he warily crept along as his scales softly brushed the sandy soil.

Naga turned a corner, and froze. Haiska stood, too close for comfort, in a wide sheltered place between two large ridges, and stared right at him. Kitsune frolicked about his feet, playfully chasing the vines that whipped and swirled around him in continuous motion. After a moment, Haiska emitted a low gurgling that almost sounded like a growl. Time seemed to slow down, and Naga couldn't seem to get his body to move. He couldn't break the intensness of Haiska's stare.

In slow motion, Haiska moved first. He took a step to the side as if to stare from a different angle, and Naga felt himself go rigid, bracing for any outcome. Kitsune seemed unaware of the impending danger, during the time Naga had been distracted she had somehow caught one of the flowers that sometimes tipped Haiska's vines, and it hung limply in her mouth. Haiska shifted his weight and Naga snapped his focus back on him, he took a last glance at Naga and turned, slowly walking away. He seemed to fade into the landscape as quickly as Naga had encountered him. Kitsune was left laying happily in the sandy dirt with the flower.

Haiska and Kitsune
Haiska had been following the feathered blue snake, known as Naga, for some time. He recognized it as one of the beasts this new creator was most fond of, and it intrigued him that it would purposefully seek out beasts from before its time. Haiska already knew most of the secrets of beasts brought into being, his creator taught him when he was still ignorant of the world around him. Perhaps this snake seeked them out, or perhaps, it was still ignorant of its potential.

It was when Haiska followed the snake past the ruins of a town he'd long since searched that it became aware of his presence. He was following closer than he usually did and the snakes companion, a many-tailed fox, found him. The thing didn't seem afraid of him and it quite quickly began amusing itself with his vines. He was deciding the best way to deal with her when the snake found them.

The snake feared Haiska, and he knew it. When it saw him it froze, and he watched it intently. Perhaps it would be a good idea to stop them here. No, he needed the snake, he would wait. Haiska took a step to leave and saw the snake bristle. It made him want to charge, it would be very easy to catch it as there was not much of a distance between them.

Haiska turned away, he would follow them until they found what they were looking for. Then, he would try to take them.

Haiska's Birthplace
The encounter with Haiska had shook Naga. He had assumed that they would not encounter Haiska, because they were far from where he was first sighted. And, Naga was not able to react in any way when he came face-to-face with Haiska, what could've he done? His security that he had felt before the encounter was gone, Haiska was nearby, and Naga didn't know where.

Naga remained fairly jumpy, and kept a close eye on Kitsune as they continued to look for any traces of a beast other than Haiska. She trotted alongside him now, the flower carefully placed like a clip next to her ear. They made their way through the empty landscape and passing through more of the ruins that were scattered sparsely in the lifeless place. Naga started to notice that every once in a while he would see figures moving among the rubble. They were always quite a distance away, and they hid when he tried to get close. They were probably just the few survivors in this desolate place, Naga dismissed their presence from his thoughts.

The sun began to fall, and Naga started over towards a rock structure in the distance. He had been careless with where they stayed the previous nights, and he had decided to seek out a more sheltered place. As it turned out, the structure had somewhat of a cave complex that intertwined through it, and provided a perfect place for them to rest. Naga chose to recline in one that was located high up on the side, where he was able to see any possible oncoming danger.

Morning came and Naga awoke to the feeling of Kitsune's fur on his nose. He shifted and tried to get his eyes to focus on her, but instead he was greeted by a strange rat-like creature. Alarmed, Naga threw the thing off his face and it screeched and turned to face him.

It arched its back and charged him, instinctively Naga struck out and sunk in his fangs. Dropping it he watched as it stumbled a few steps a way from him, and fell over, breathing hard. Upon closer examination it was definitely not a rat, more like a reptilian creature with a mane and teeth. It struck Naga that this could be what they were looking for, it was most likely not a normal creature and it was not one of the Second's creations.








WIP


Art by Ookamiotoko-Kurayami-Me

art by @Pique