Maelrys

It was a dry, hot day, just like any in the great desert; the sun shone on the earth below, casting strong shadows from behind the ridges of stone and sand. A ridge stood out starkly against the harsh sky, rising above the surrounding desert like a great claw. A dragon appeared over the rocky ridge, brilliant red wings catching the sun’s rays and red silks blowing in the slight breeze. She had been walking for hours, and flying for nearly a day before that. But it would be all worth it, once she reached her destination: a temple, ancient and in the middle of the Shifting Expanse, that a fellow traveler and storyteller had told her about.

As she crested the ridge, the dragon – Maelrys – stopped at the sight that lay before her. It was exactly as described: the ruins of an ancient building, sun-bleached and half sticking out of the sand like so many jagged teeth. Harsh shadows stood behind the stone like silent sentinels.

Maelrys felt excitement well up within her. This was it! An ancient and mysterious temple, one that not even visiting light dragons could figure out the origins of. And it was standing directly in front of her. Energy filled the tundra’s veins, granting a spring to her step as she picked up her pace, nearly running now that she was almost there. She arrived at the entrance to the ruins in record time, slowing down as she approached. It was a fairly large temple, and was probably even larger underneath all the sand. Maelrys would have to contact one of the Ruins’ main excavation teams. A piece of history such as this deserved to be uncovered for all to see.

Stone pillars rose from the sand like trees, half an archway still hanging over the entrance. The walls of the temple were broken off in chunks, huge stone blocks laying scattered around both the inside and outside. It looked as if time had done quite a number on the building, Maelrys thought, gazing at the ruins around her. She walked through the pillars into the entrance to the temple. It was large and open, with openings that must have once been doorways posted at regular intervals and walls that towered over her in some spots and barely came up to her knees in others.

At the back of the temple stood an altar. It too was made of stone, and although it was as worn as the rest of the temple it seemed to be in decent enough condition. Maelrys took a rather indirect route toward it, walking close to the sides of the building so she could inspect the walls. They seemed to be made of sandstone and were a dark gray in color. Faint carvings were inscribed on the side, and Maelrys stopped in front of one to view it closer. It seemed to be a mural, and looked to depict a god of some sort – a guardian, rising up on spread wings with a halo of light surrounding the head. The dragon’s lower half was buried in the sand, but it was still beautiful.

Maelrys quickly got out her sketchbook and began to sketch what she could see of the carving. There was no way she was going to miss an opportunity like this. When she was finished with her drawing, the tundra slowly made her way to the back of the temple, stopping here and there to inspect other carvings and make more quick sketches. She would make a trip around the entrance and outside of the temple to sketch it in full later; for now, she was more curious as to what secrets the inside held. Not to mention she would have to visit the other three walls. But later. Right now, she wanted to see that altar.

As she approached the altar, Maelrys adjusted her glasses to better see. It sat off the ground on a stone platform, with uneven steps leading to it. It was simple and wind-worn; blocky in nature, with four short pillars holding up a rectangular table of sorts. The pillars and sides of the stone slab were made of the same sandstone as the rest of the temple, and carved with simple images of plants and animals, with a sun in the center. On top of the altar stood a statue of the same guardian from the mural, covered in stone silks and with a halo behind the head. It was old and cracked, with parts of the wings and tail chipped away, but still recognizable.

Her first thought had been correct, Maelrys thought; it was a god of some sort. Possibly one of the deities, possibly not; it was hard to tell. Maelrys made a few quick sketches of the altar, being sure to get it from as many angles as possible. She spent far more time on the statue, filling in the chipped spots as best as she could and making notes to the side of her drawing.

Probable god, she wrote underneath. Possibly one of the deities. Sun god, from the looks of the halo; could be the Lightweaver. It is not uncommon for dragons to change breeds, and it is possible that includes the deities. Although what would she have been doing here, in the Shifting Expanse? Can’t imagine the Stormcaller being all that happy about her presence. Maybe from before he settled here? Maybe I could get an audience and ask her next time I go back to the Ruins. She might not give me answers, though; she tends to let us Light dragons make our own discoveries.

Of course, this could very well just be a regular dragon that was deified. It’s been known to happen, especially if the dragon in question has been given a blessing. Hyperion and Erebus are good examples of that. Maybe I’ll ask them about their experiences next time I go home. Still, this is all just speculation. I of course don’t know what really went on here; no one does. Maybe one of the excavation teams will find something useful.

Maelrys frowned down at her paper. Was it just her, or was it getting darker? She looked up – and yep, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the inside of temple. She quickly put her book away. She would have to hurry, if she wanted to set up camp before it got dark. Somehow she had spent hours here without realizing it. No matter. She would just have to finish up here tomorrow, and then she could go home, with another story for the library and the hatchlings.

Maelrys held her breath in delight. What a rare find! A box of Centaur lore books– and in such good shape, too! She lifted the first out of the case, the sweet scent of ancient paper wafting up through the chill morning air. Gently, ever so gently, she opened to a random page and began to read.

The Desert Clan is an unusual tribe. Founded in the 9th century of the Third Age (Fourth to the Dragons), this clan split off from those who lived in the former Boreal Forest and migrated to the Deserts of Lor. It is the only known tribe to live ion such harsh conditions, where usually the Serthis reign supreme.

The tribe is known for its rather unorthodox method of fighting: Instead of using spears and bows like the rest of the centaur folk, they fight with sharpened knives thrown with great precision. The unique metal of the knives prevents glare, which reduces visibility of the knife until it is too late. Indeed, they are formidable foes, sneaking up on their unknowing targets and aiming with such precision that they rarely ever miss.

For more on Desert Centaur weaponry, see Chapter 17.

Maelrys finished reading the scroll with excitement. She had heard of the Desert Clan, of course – any historian worth their salt would have – but she had never read anything about the history of the reclusive Beastclan. As far as she knew, she was the first.

But hopefully, with a little luck and good connections, she would not be the last.