The two Spirals sat close to their nest in the Scarred Wasteland.
It was the young couple's first clutch of eggs. Two translucent green eggs sat incubating in a cauldron of disease and rot, waiting for the right time to hatch into tiny Plague spirals. If they would both be Plague Spirals, that was. All throughout the month, each of the eleven flights
had experienced a boom in the magic within their territories. While the strength of the rot and disease in the Plaguebringer's realm had brought along giant tendrils to The Wandering Contagion, The Reedcleft Ascent had started to experience extreme winds and the occasional tornado.
Nobody was able to anticipate what would happen next.
It happened in an instant. A raging tornado was born in the Wind territory, and violently charged right for the Wandering Contagion.
"Funa..." Rasped the Spiral male, "There's a tornado headed right for us! Quick, we gotta grab the eggs and get them to safety!"
Funa's eyes grew wide as she heard her mate call out. "Masu! Where are we going to take them? It's charging at us faster than Stormcatcher's lightning!"
By the time the two had found a safe spot, and carefully hid one of their eggs in it, the ravenous tornado had already swallowed up the other egg.
"Masu! The Egg!" Wailed Funa, "Stay there, I have to do this..."
Funa jumped at the tornado frantically attempting to collect her egg from the monster. Debris was flinging around the spiral as violently as the destruction of the World Pillar. It was only a matter of time until the young dragon was hit directly in the skull by a heavy rock.
Letting out a pained screech, her limp body was hurled to the ground below...
"FUNA!" Shrieked Masu, holding back tears. He had lost his beautiful mate and a child. He felt empty.
The only thing he felt like doing now was to attempt to recover the egg.
He quickly rushed back to the protected egg. He knew that it would be safe until a scavenging team found it, or until it hatched and found its way to a caring clan.
"I'm sorry Funa..." He whimpered looking at the body of his mate, "And I am so sorry... Kajiki..."
He left his egg with a pile of insects for it to feed on once it hatched, before tackling the tornado to potentially save the life of the other one. Dodging dangerous debris left and right, he finally found his egg and grabbed it. Holding it tight into his chest, he allowed himself to be thrown from the tornado.
With a giant thud, he smashed down into the territory of Wind. The tornado had disappeared. He smiled, but not for long.
He was dying.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered to the egg, "I'm sorry that I never saved you in time..."
As he uttered the words, the slimy shell of the Plague egg morphed into that of a Wind egg.
Delighted at the sight of the egg being alive, he let out his final words...
"Please, stay alive... Fugu..."
He closed his eyes.
"IT'S A DRAGON!"
It was only seconds after hatching when Fugu heard a violent hiss. He squeaked in fear at a serpent like creating staring at him.
"W...Who are you?" He whimpered.
"Us?" The creature snarled, "We are Serthis. We are the creatures which YOUR kind have tortured and killed for many many years."
It looked at Fugu with a violent grin.
"I think that it's time WE got our revenge..."
Panicking, the young dragon squeaked in distress to alert his parents.
"What are you tryna' do?" The Serthis jeered, "Call for mommy? Well, I think you'll find she's dead, as is your father. Both of those fools decided to tackle a tornado to try and save your pathetic little hide. What a shame that both of their lives were cut short just so YOU can live, 'eh?"
The serthis pack were closing in on the hatchling.
Fugu's heart pounded, but he almost died of shock when he saw two giant monstrous creatures appear behind the ever growing pack. He closed his eyes to brace himself for his horrific death to them.
Except he was only greeted with the horrified screeches of the ones who had tried to kill him.
Opening his eyes with a jolt, he watched as carnage ensued. Each serthis was attacked, one after the other, each losing miserably to the giants as their bodies fell limp to the ground. It was not long before each and every one of them were dead.
The two giants turned to Fugu.
"Young one," One growled out, "What is your name?"
Terrified, Fugu let out a squeak.
"M...My name is Fugu..."
The giant grinned, showing off his sharp teeth.
"Well then, Fugu. My name is Squall. And this is my mate, Hoarfrost."
He turned to the other giant. This one was smaller and more tattered than the other, who Had icicles over his wings and antlers, and legs, which were also chained by rusted shackled which were long broken.
"I am guessing you are wondering what we are, young Spiral." Rasped Hoarfrost, "We are Imperial dragons, much larger than all other dragon breeds which are known as of now."
She turned to her mate.
"We are going to return to our lair now, but you must come with us. This is no place for a young dragon like you. It is unsafe." Said Squall.
Squall led the way, as hoarfrost gently picked up the hatchling and followed Squall back to their lair.
My name is Fugu.
That is all I remember of my parents.
I never got to meet them, I only heard their frantic cries as something terrible happened to them, how my father spoke to me my name before he died.
I don't even know if I have any siblings out there. If any of them survived that is. I remember my mother talking about how "Kajiki was safe". So it seems I had a brother, at least once.
When I hatched from my egg I felt... Different. Odd, strange, as if something had happened to me that changed everything. While in my egg, I felt contagion, disease and a fight for survival. Once I hatched, I felt as if I could manipulate the wind itself.
I was confused and disoriented, when a clan of Serthis tried to kill me. Turns out, them and dragons do not have a good history. If it wasn't for Hoarfrost and Squall, two Imperial dragons, I would have died within minutes of hatching.
That was a long time ago. I am now fully grown, and I serve as a warrior to my clan. Anybody who dares to trespass on our turf will meet me, and I will not be friendly.
Speaking of intruders, though...
I see a strange Spiral by our lair.
It's about time I teach them a lesson...
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