Dragon Thieves: MiracleStar by child_dragon |  |
MiracleStar has always been and always will be an enigma. The only reason
I know anything about her is because I'm her pet. And even then everything I
know I learned from others or by keeping my ears open and inferring. She's rather
closemouthed about her past. What I do know I will put into writing here. I
haven't even told my siblings this, but we almost never had an owner.
She was virtually invisible in the snow. The only thing
visible against the blinding white was a bright red patch on her cloak, which
she kept mostly hidden with one hand. She climbed slowly, painfully, pausing
every now and then to catch her breath. The thin mountain air was made doubly
difficult to climb in from the deep wound in her side, the result of a earlier
fall. The teenage girl mentally berated herself for such stupidity. A wrong
step, and the snow had gone sliding under her feet. Not a full avalanche, but
enough to send her sliding too fast to stop, right into a small patch of trees,
where her momentum has slammed her into the jagged end of a fallen branch. But
from the gray and threatening sky, she knew there was no turning back. She was
too close to her goal, and moving too slow to make shelter at the bottom before
the storm hit. The most she could do is hope she made the cave entrance before
the storm hit. She paused, her eyes closed in exhaustion, took a couple ragged
breaths, and started walking again. She was small and skinny, but possessed
a will and stubbornness that made up for her diminutive frame. She had very
short brown hair and wore a white cloak to hide her against the snow. A single
dagger was held in a sheath at her belt. Her name was MiracleStar, and she was
a Neopian. She had no pets with her, she had not gotten any. She wasn't ready
yet. But after this…
She glanced up ahead, straining her eyes against
the brilliant snow. On one of her trips through Neopia Central she had come
across an old map showing the location of a dragon's den in the Terror Mountains.
And everyone knew that dragon's hoarded treasure, even more then the Snowager.
So she had packed up some supplies and started the trek up the mountain.
"I'm here," she murmured, gazing in awe at the
cave entrance up ahead.
She staggered the rest of the way through the
snow to the area surrounding the cave. She knelt and studied the ground, which
was devoid of snow and the dirt slightly blackened. The air smelt of sulphur.
She rose, swaying slightly, then walked stealthily into the cave entrance with
a grim resolve. She hugged the walls of the tunnel, noting with some dismay
that they were slightly warm. The tunnel suddenly widened into a massive stone
chamber, domed and with smooth gray walls. MiracleStar took a deep breath, calming
herself. The dragon lay on top of a massive pile of gems, artifacts, and coins.
It was a massive beast, green scaled with glistening ivory claws and horns.
It's leathery wings were closed tightly against it's sides, rising and falling
with it's deep rhythmic breathing. The girl smiled. It was asleep. She walked
into the chamber, her footsteps not making a noise. She was a thief, and knew
her business well. The constant acrid smell of the dragon's breath filled the
cavern, reminding her of the danger she was in. 'Grab an item, then leave',
she told herself. 'Preferably something that'll sell for something or a healing
item'. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, the persistent hurt in her
side a grim reminder of her predicament. She steeled herself and crept up to
the pile of treasure. With strained smile of triumph, she silently took the
first piece of treasure. And then everything exploded. With a horrible roar,
the dragon reared up, and MiracleStar was thrown backward by the mere force
of it's will. She lay on her back, eyes closed in pain, gasping in fear. The
dragon fell silent, it's breathing echoing across the room, and MiracleStar
slowly sat up, groaning. The dragon lay there, it's head raised up and peering
down at her. And as she gazed into it's eyes, a horrifying thought arose in
her mind. The dragon had not been asleep. It had been awake all along, watching
her, and waiting. She let out a shaky breath, knowing that this was it. She'd
aimed for a goal too high, and now…
*I do not tolerate thieves* the dragon said in
her mind, it's power tangible in the air.
She did not reply, but gazed at the floor, pale
and shaking. What could she say in her defence? The dragon looked at her long
and hard, then lowered his head to stare at her eye-level.
*You will not survive much longer* it said, not
a threat, but merely a statement of a fact.
MiracleStar hesitated, then nodded, somehow knowing
that the dragon referred to her injury and the storm rather than it's anger
at her attempted theft.
*There is something within you. You could be
powerful someday, a master thief. Perhaps even something more. I have a proposal*
She hesitated, then finally found her voice again.
"What is it?"
*I will heal you, and help you gain some pets.
In return, you will serve me*
"In what way?"
*If I require a task done, you shall do it for
me. There are many places a dragon cannot go, as you can easily imagine. It
will not be much, as I usually have little interest in Neopia outside of my
lair here*
"And if I refuse?"
*Than I am afraid you must leave my lair and
find your own way home. But I doubt you will last the night, with the blizzard
and all* he said casually.
MiracleStar stared at the ground, thinking. What
passed through her mind in those moments is something even I do not know. But
she eventually looked up, meeting the dragon's eyes, so ancient and full of
old lore and power, and nodded.
The dragon smiled slightly, and reached out with
one clawed hand. MiracleStar flinched, but he merely picked her up and held
her cupped in his hands.
"Ak'di sho ny'll akari," he chanted, and the
words seemed to echo in the air around them.
A blue glow surround MiracleStar, and she stared
in amazement as the wound in her side vanished. There was something else too,
some intangible bond connecting her to the dragon. She stared at the creature
in fear.
*You will learn* he merely said, setting her
back down. *Sleep now. I must work on some things for you in the morning*
MiracleStar nodded shakily, and staggered over
to the wall, amazed at this sudden turn fate had taken. She sank to the floor
and fell asleep instantly, exhausted.
The dragon watched the sleeping girl for a few
moments, then chuckled.
'A thief,' he thought to himself. 'Foolish,
but brave. Yes, she could be useful someday."
MiracleStar woke after a fitful sleep. She gazed
about her in some confusion, then remembered the events of the past night. The
girl stood, eyes on the dragon curled around his hoard of treasure before her.
The creature rose, towering above her, and turned to look her in the eyes.
*Come here and see* he ordered, and the human
obeyed.
The dragon indicated a small pile and she knelt
by it, surprised at just what it was. Four paint brushes, and a necklace. But
the paint brushes were not like any she had ever seen before. Two were fire,
one starry, and the fourth desert. But each of them had wings, like a faerie
paint brush, but the wings were reptilian, like the dragons, only the same colour
as the paint brush. She picked up the desert one in amazement. It felt warm
in her hand, and hummed softly.
*I have laid spells on each of these brushes.
You will need pets, pets with the ability to help you. The brush you hold contains
the power to read minds in it, but don't worry, the pet will not be able to
read yours or the other three that will be in your family* he said with a touch
of amusement.
"And the other three?"
*One of the fire brushes will turn the pet into
a powerful fighter, fast and strong. The other fire brush will give the pet
the ability to teleport short distances. And the last, the starry, is the most
powerful of all. But be warned, it is a difficult ability to control, and very
capricious. Though it works one minute, don't be sure it will work the next.
Choose your pets well, MiracleStar*
She nodded, gathering the brushes up and laying
them in her backpack.
"And the necklace?" she asked, lifting it up
with one hand. It was a plain silver starburst hanging on a stretch of black
velvet. Nothing special, apparently.
*That is yours. Don't ever take it off, it allows
me to keep track of you, and will grant you some protection if you are attacked*
"I don't think I want you watching me…" she
said with some doubt.
*You have no choice. Besides, we dragons rarely
interfere in Neopia. You will not find it a burden. Now come, I'll fly you to
the bottom of the mountain*
MiracleStar hesitated, the slipped the necklace
around her head. It fit snugly around her neck, hanging just between her collarbone,
bright against her shirt. She followed the dragon out into the morning sunlight,
glaring against the snow.
The girl walked through Neopia Central, lost
in her thoughts. All who saw her nodded sagely and whispered to their pets:
"Newbie. Probably going to get her first pet."
But MiracleStar was not what they thought. The
ride to the bottom of the mountain had been quick and terrifying. At the first
stomach-wrenching drop she had vowed she'd never fly again. The dragon had found
it quite amusing. She stood still for a second, debating. Then, with a shrug,
walked into the pound. It was time to choose her pets.
The End |
