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Stories / Stories / Hope L Bryant / Text 3 of 4 / Untitled

"Untitled" by Hope L Bryant

SciFi/Fantasy text 3 out of 4 by Hope L Bryant

A short clip opening to a greater Tale.

←- The Trinity Saga | A 'Tail' of Two Worlds -→

Delanrai sat before the wizened elder, his tail curled around in the manner of the student while the elder lounged comfortably upon her pillow-filled couch. The elder, Hamreis, watched her apt and studious pupil carefully. Slowly a smile spread over Hamreis’ muzzle. She looked around the cavern, got up to check the entryway to her rooms, and replaced her huge frame upon the couch once more, all in preparation of the story she was about to disclose. She grinned a michevious, toothy smile to Delanrai and the youth plopped down to the carpeted stone floor of the cavern. He sighed a breath of relief, and both the elder and student chuckled softly.

"I see," Hamreis whispered, "that you have easily escaped your father’s exacting standards once again. So what say you youth? Are you not ashamed of your lack in manners and honor?"

Delanrai mocked a look of hurt indignity, and both of the dragon-wolves laughed easily. Hamreis pat the younger dragon-wolf above his eye ridges, flattening his spiky mane. The youth gently, yet firmly, pushed his elder’s hand off his head. With a shake his blonde-red mane spiked back into its ragged-kept form.

"So Elder Hamreis, my Clan Scholar, what tales of History do you have to impart to thy humble student?"

The elder cocked back a chuckle, "Humble? You are about as humble as the Hero Daleni before he took the female Galis for his Life-mate."

She eyed the youth carefully, and sighed as he chuckled at the implied insult. Delanrai wasn’t very good at mincing words, nor was he capable of sincere, yet sarcastic, joking without loosing his form and poise. Hamreis just shook her mane roughly to loosen it a bit, the bones in her neck popping here and there. These signs of age worried the youth at times, even if his teacher looked younger then the 2000 years of Life that the elder proclaimed as her age. Delanrai wondered sometimes if she was actually much older then she admitted to, especially during the times when she sung Ancient Ballads that he too learned to sing.

"Master," the youth sighed, "which of the Tales will you tell this afternoon?"

Hamreis pondered for the moment, looking deep within the eyes of her charge. She wondered silently if his mind held the ability to tell the Tale she was about to impart. If he could not memorize it the first time around, if it did not imprint to his mind, she knew that this Tale was lost. He held the most sacred of Trusts, knew almost all of the Great Songs, and held within his mind three of the remaining 6 Ancient Tales. She sighed heavily, her demeanor changing as abruptly as a sudden winter storm. Delanrai felt this change as he watched his teacher's facial expression harden. A Sudden sense of seriousness filled the caverns of the Clan Scholar.

"The Great Allura, may she bless this next Tale with the power of Her grace, came to this world and saw nothing but a Void, a nothingness of such immensity and vast size that Her heart wept."

Delanrai nodded, repositioning his body into a more relaxed and comfortable lounge. He yawned greatly, stretching the muscles in his jaw and face. The meal his mother prepared earlier still had his face sore from chewing. He snapped his mouth shut with an audible clack, looking sheepishly at his elder. She raised an eye-ridge, but continued with her introductatory story.

"I have told you the Tale of Creation," the youth nodded, remembering, "as was handed down to us from Her. You also know that many of the Ancient Tales are lost to us, and even the great Council Bard cannot recall them from the Memories he holds."

Delanrai scratched at an itch, pondering why his teacher continued to press this issue. The position of Council Bard was an esteemed and highly sought after one, as only the most knowledgeable and wise of Dragons were allowed the privilege to duel for it. The depth to which any Dragon Scholar’s ability of reach into the Memories, to pull from them the experiences and tales shared by any single Clan was tested by the duels. For this reason alone the youth pondered why the Tri-Clan never held seat as the Council Bard.

"I am a mere Clan Scholar, but of the blood and lineage of the Tri-Clan Dragon-wolf. You too hold that honor, and it is more then an honor that you are chosen to carry on the legacy. One day you too will be a Clan Scholar, and perhaps given an opportunity to hold the Council Bard’s postion."

That thought made Delanrai’s scale-fur tingle, to have the opportunity, the minor chance at the Council seat set his mind awhirl.

"You must never accept the chance..," Delanrai bolted upright, his eyes wide with anger and confusion. Hamreis continued as if he had done nothing but scratch at an itch.

"The Tale I am about to tell you is the reason why it is a honor and privilege to never accept the seat of Bard. For fear of beginning another Great War, we of the Dragon-wolf Clan made a pact with the Great Allura Herself. It is by Her decree that we not use our abilities to either help or harm any of the Clans. The reasons for this are simple. We were given the greatest of gifts. It is through our blood that we know the routes of Life, Death, and Rebirth. We know when a King is born, and who has come back to live again as a dragon or servant. It is our Power, our gift that has kept our Clan safe no matter the state of affairs. This Gift, this power is the Tale of Nothing."

Delanrai sat down with a thump. How could a mere Tale and Ancient Memory be anything more then a History lesson? He pondered this for a moment, watching his teacher watch him. She carefully made note of his expression and body language. He had to be prepared for this next Tale. If not properly set, the Tale’s power would be forever lost. The youth sat in silence, a sad dejection slowly spreading across his features. He had dreamed and wished for the chance to battle in the duels ever since the Clan Patriarch chose him as the next Scholar.

"This Tale is one that must imprint upon your very soul young Scholar. You have done exceedingly well in most other aspects I taught you. Now is the time to see if your Pure Blood can hold the Power of Nothing."

The elder watched as Delanrai looked up slowly from his head-bowed sadness. A small spark of curiosity behind the depressive wall glazing his expressive eyes. She held a wing and hand out to him, thus signaling to her most loyal demi-human servant to close off these quarters to any intrusion. The miniscule anthropomorphic cat-woman raced off to close the curtains to her mistresses’ rooms. On punishment of death, this little creature knew, was her master to be disturbed.

Delanrai dejectedly moved to sit by his teacher’s side. The elder wrapped her wings around the youth and held him close, comforting and setting the mood for a very emotionally stressing, soul-deep Tale. The youth let himself slip into the embrace of the Tale-trance, as Hamreis whispered the opening blessing.

←- The Trinity Saga | A 'Tail' of Two Worlds -→

Date	Name	Comment
17 Apr 2003	Jason	Loading... I can't beleive that there is no comments, keep going because you are doing good.
29 Apr 2005	Beanz	Loading... very emotional. it is very easy to picture the emotional trauma that she is going throgh but it is a a bit obvious that she will surpas. it truly is a masterpiece of origanality. extremmly colourful as it portrays the heartache that she faces. full of nouns and verbs!!! I LIKE IT!!i like the way she looks at the universe it is very in-depth as it is so down to earth with all its adjetives and punctuation - so very metaphoric with the whole personification thing going on. the similes and repition are to die for and dont get me started on the budokai. it apeals to all the senses and the ending was v. dramatic overall it was a very satisfying seris. i'd chose it over the lord of the rings any day. Well Done!!!!!
6 May 2005	Mitzy	Loading... I totally agree with beanz with the whole nouns, verbs thing going on it is so cool.I would choose it over Harry Potter any day!!! from harrypfan#236

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About 'Untitled':

• Created by:

Hope L Bryant
• Copyright: ©Hope L Bryant. All rights reserved!

• Keywords: Dragon, Dragon-wolf, Stories, Fantasy
• Categories: Dragons, Drakes, Wyverns, etc, Magic and Sorcery, Spells, etc.
• Views: 125

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