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« on: November 25, 2007, 04:55:02 PM »
Chapter One: Preparation
Argana flew into the hollow late next morning. Vylon was waiting for her.
"Do you have what I asked for, Argana?" said Vylon. "It will be necessary for our journey."
"I have exactly what you asked for. Six diamonds, along with the tools necessary to shape them. Why do you need them?" asked Argana.
"They are part of a puzzle for my pupils. They must be shaped in the correct way it to work."
Then Vylon entered the tree. When he returned, there was an ornate leather saddle in his hands. On it was a depiction of a vine that snaked all around the saddle.
"Why not the other saddle? We will need speed, not comfort." Commented Argana after seeing the saddle.
"I can't find the other saddle. Anyways, we need this saddle because of its compartments." Replied Vylon.
After this, Vylon began packing the saddle in silence. There was something about the elf that wasn't quite right. He was hiding something, and she was going to find out what.
"Who are the pupils? I feel that I should know who they are as well." Said Argana.
Vylon kept quiet. He knew better than to, but something was holding his tongue. It seemed as though he was withholding a terrible truth that would devastate Argana if she knew.
"What is the matter? Did you find them or not? Or are they unfit in your eyes for you to teach?" asked Argana mockingly.
"Give me a minute. I shall show you." Said Vylon after a long pause.
Vylon entered the tree. When he returned, he was holding the eggs and a bowl of water. He set the bowl on the ground in front of Argana. He then picked up one of the eggs. The next words had an ethereal tone to them. They were, "Draumr kopa." The surface turned black, and then an image appeared on the water.
On it was that of a creature with an elongated neck, like that of a dragon. The creature had red eyes, and the body was mainly tan, but with a dark brown line going down its back. Vylon let the image disappear, then grabbed a different egg. He spoke the words again, and this time a orange-yellow creature appeared on it. It had a single white horn at the tip of its snout, and a crown at the top of its head. Vylon again picked up a different egg, and this time, a light green creature appeared. It stood on two legs, unlike the other two, which stood on four legs. The head had a duck bill on it, and had a dark green line running down its back. The fourth creature had leathery wings, a beak, and was brown. It seemed very small relative to the four-legged creatures, but similar to the other two-legged creature in size. The fifth creature was green, and seemed to have a small set of plates protruding from its back. The end of the tail had a very small set of spikes.
Argana looked in disbelief. She could not contain her emotions.
"They aren't even human! How can they be destined to be Dragon Riders if they are not in the pact!" she exclaimed with anger.
"It seems as though I made a mistake, but I didn't. I found a way around this problem, as well. There is a certain spell that allows one to change their outer appearance. They can become elves on the outside, and that is all I need for them to fit the spell's requirements," replied Vylon calmingly. "They seem to know each other very well, which will make our job much easier. I will not have to get them to meet, and then get them to work as one unit."
"I want to know who they are as people. Let us hear what they are saying." Said Argana.
"As you wish." Said Vylon. He picked up all five of the eggs. He then intoned the words to hear what was being scried.
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Cera was sitting down. Her legs were tired from running around all day.
"Why must we keep running? Why not just sit down and talk?" she asked in a tired voice.
The rest of the gang decided that they should rest. They had been running to the valley's mouth to meet Littlefoot's dad. They had been running since dawn.
They sat in silence. The only sound was their panting. When Ducky had caught her breath, she said, "I know. Let us talk about our sleep stories!"
"I had this really weird one last night. There was this tall thing on the back of a long neck with wings. The tall thing said, 'Sleep well. I shall see you in the future.' " Said Cera.
"I had the exact same one!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
"I did too!" said Ducky.
"Me have same sleep story!" said Petrie excitedly.
"What about you Spike? Did you have that sleep story?" asked Littlefoot. Spike nodded.
"I wonder who that thing was? Was it even real?" asked Littlefoot.
"Don't ask us," responded Cera. "We are just as confused as you are!"
"Can we get back to running? We will have to be home before bedtime!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
"Oh, all right. But if the herd is not there we are heading home." Said Cera.
The group continued running to the valley entrance. None of them suspected that they were being watched.