Rise of Ages Past

Jiryn inspected the tiny creature and was absolutely thrilled.

To find not only an arcane anomaly that was worth studying, but potentially a whole new species.

The Knowledge Collective will be in awe when I bring this back to them. He thought to himself

This was the only thing he had discovered in the entirety of the area that seemed outwardly different. Within the ground lay another kind of mystery though. There was something strange about the way the arcane lines flowed. Perhaps these strange arcane occurrences had a direct link to this creature's existence. Perhaps it came about in the natural progression of life. Either way, he was fascinated.

The creature was more a chubby ball of flesh than anything else. There was little to no hair on its body and from what Jiryn could tell, It seemed to have absolutely zero defensive capabilities.

This was definitely an oddity. The land was more lush than ever these days, far more bountiful. Despite this, the creatures that inhabited it were usually hardened by having been evolved to survive the harsher and wilder conditions of the past.

Even more strangely, this creature had some kind of decorative covering hanging from its body. Jiryn couldn’t tell what it was made of, though he surmised that it was certainly some kind of decorative addition. From what he observed, it did not seem to be attached to the flesh in any areas. Perhaps it needed the covering to draw in a mate.

Bipedal, he noted to himself. Evidently some kind of primate. Prehensile hands, though its feet seem too unshapely to be deemed prehensile also.

Unsteady movement, he continued. It seemed as though the creature wasn't quite used to its own body. Perhaps a mutation due to the arcane anomaly had left the creature so incapable. Due to these deformities it may have been outcast by its social chain.

Jiryn watched as the strange creature moved awkwardly towards the nearby water source. Seeing as it hadn’t seemed to have noticed Jiryn lounging nearby, he surmised that its vision was substandard. Or perhaps it only had bad vision in low light conditions. The sky was in a state of twilight. The point of transition between when the waking world began to quiet, while the night awoke.

Aquatic? Jiryn questioned, as with no hesitation the creature stumbled into the shallows of the water and plopped down onto its rear. That may explain why it looks so peculiar. Surely something so defenceless will not survive long. He knew the predators that called the waters of this world their kingdom, and immediately doubted his own theory that it was in fact aquatic.

Jiryn‘s internal musings were interrupted by an unusual sound, one which he did not recognise. The sound was repeated over and over, like some kind of call. The creature turned its head and made a noise in response, though it didn’t move from its position. It seemed content to be sitting in the water and splashing its hands about. Jiryn noted that the creature also put every floating thing it could grasp to its mouth.

Primary sensory input may be central to the mouth, he theorized.

If this wasn’t some kind of singular mutation, and this creature was in fact one of many. Jiryn didn’t hold out too much hope for the species gaining a foothold in the future of this world. He considered that a shame. He found the small thing quite charming with the way it moved, and the curiosity it seemed to possess for anything within reach.

Jiryn’s attentions turned to the tree's edge as he heard movement. The kind of movement that was unrestrained held no care for whether it was heard or not. Within a moment another creature emerged forth from the tree line. Its eyes were wild and frantic, searching over the area and locking directly onto the creature he had been observing. It was the same kind as the smaller one, only larger, and clearly more confident in its own physical ability.

The larger creatures hands were more defined, its limbs more extended. It had longer hair which came from the top of its head and fell over its shoulders. This creature's body was similarly covered by strange materials of differing colors, and was carrying some kind of storage pouch that hung from a thick strap over its chest.

Jiryn also noted by the curvature of the chest that this new creature had mammaries beneath the unusual coverings.

It clicked with Jiryn then. No wonder this small fragile creature seemed so ill equipped to deal with the world, because it was. The creature he had been observing was a child. This was its mother.

Beyond that though.

Far more terrifying than that.

It was a human.

Jiryn was standing in an instant, he set his spirit to search the arcane lines, pulling the energy into himself. It pooled in his body, concentrating into his chest. He felt its warm and soothing power swirling within him, ready to be released in a devastating thrash.

The human, the mother, the woman, was midway through the clearing before she even realized that Jiryn was there. She only noticed him once he stood, and this action had made her freeze in her tracks. She looked between Jiryn and her child, the strange hair patches above her eyes slanting down towards the middle of her face.

Eye furs, Jiryn recalled to himself. His mentor Aegyl had once told him that was the name of the strange patches. He also told Jiryn that the purpose of these eye furs was for social communication through expression. Jiryn had noticed them in many of the illustrative depictions that were displayed in the Halls of Ages. There were many other human relics there also, open for dragon kind to observe.

He wondered what she had in the storage pack she carried. What human relic that might be able to be added to the hall. Nothing new had been added there in a long time. The world had long since been scoured over for all of humanity’s remnants

The mother took a slow step towards her child while watching Jiryn. This made Jiryn tense visibly and elicited a response from the mother that shocked him. She simply shook her head and took another slow step.

That gesture, he thought to himself. That gesture is of my kind, not hers. Isn't it? Did they both use the same gesture for the same meaning? Who did the gesture belong to first? Or was it a gesture that simply came to be, and spanned collective communication between their species.

That gesture to him, meant “no”. Did the context fit within the situation that was occurring? Was it a plea? No. Please don’t disintegrate my child and I from existence?

The woman continued to take slow steps towards the water’s edge. Eventually she was close enough and reached down, pulling the child into her arms. The child let out what seemed like a cry of frustration. It had clearly been enjoying its time in the water.

The mother held it to her chest closely and began stepping away from the water, much to the disappointment of the child. It struggled and flailed for a few moments before giving in and slumping against its mother.

The woman was even slower now, and more deliberate with her steps. She must have felt less urgency since she had her child in her arms once more. Jiryn noted the terror evident in her eyes as she looked at him. But what did she have to fear? If anything, Jiryn was the terrified one.

Here was the biggest threat dragon kind, his kind, had ever known. The tales of humans in the ages past depicted them as powerful and terrifying. Humans were responsible for the almost extinction of all dragons on the planet. Then a long time after, responsible for the collapse of the planet itself.

This mother though, with her child, she seemed anything but dangerous. She seemed terrified and ready to run. What if she did? What if she escaped and went back to her people and told them that dragons had returned to the world? Did her kind even remember dragons? Did this woman even know what he was?

I have to do something, he thought. The grim reality of the situation began to set in. I cannot let them go back to their people. They are too much of a threat.

Something had stopped her retreat though.

Jiryn followed the woman's gaze and could see that at the tree’s edge, prowled a pack of trask. They had likely been drawn in by all of the noise she had made while trying to find her child. As far as Jiryn had experienced, the trask kept their distance from his kind. They had learned early on that while they could best almost any other species that roamed the planet, dragons were not a part of their food chain.

Trask were ruthless hunters, Jiryn knew that if it were not for his own presence here, they would not be hesitating. Both mother and child would have already become dinner. Or more accurately, breakfast.

Trask were nocturnal predators that never came out in the daylight. Something about the sun's light caused them considerable pain. Jiryns kind had done some observational research of these creatures over the centuries. That research gave merit to the theory that the specific light from the sun actually blistered and burnt their skin when it shone on them directly.

The sharp guttural clacks of the trask sounded throughout the area. They were communicating. The trask could do so efficiently through a range of clacking and trilling noises which stemmed from deep within their throats. While not having a remarkably high level of intelligence, they were still an apex predator and could coordinate complicated pack maneuver to bring down their prey.

What if I just left? Jiryn thought. What if I just flew off into the sky and left them to the trask? He felt disgusted with himself the moment he thought it. Leaving them to the trask when he could at least offer them a quick death? They were intelligent and sentient beings, capable of thought and reason. Leaving them to have their entrails gnawed on did not particularly align with his moral designs.

The mother would not take another step and looked between both the trask and Jiryn, perhaps weighing her own options at that moment. Had she ever encountered the trask before? Had her kind? How many more humans were there?

Jiryn made his decision, at least for the moment. His thirst for knowledge was too tempting, too great. He would learn nothing by getting rid of them now. As it stood, they had no means to escape while the trask were prowling the perimeter. He had until morning at least.

Then Jiryn would have to truely decide.

For himself. For his kind.

Jiryn mustered every ounce of bravery that he had within him. While the humans seemed harmless on inspection, the stories he had been told as a whelpling were heavily ingrained in him. Stories of their power. Of their ability to handle the arcane energy in staggering quantities and manipulate it to their will. Stories of their deceit and betrayal.

Jiryn had mustered all of his bravery, and then he sat.

It was a gesture of good will, or at least of a temporary truce.

The gesture seemed as though it were taken as intended. The woman took another few moments. She looked to the forest's edge, to the glinting eyes and the deep shadows of the trask.

Then she sat too.

They both sat, observing each other for quite a time. Jiryn wondered if she were studying him for more sinister reasons than his own. Perhaps she was looking for a weakness in his physical form. The sky was dark, the smattering of stars and two of the planet's three moons being the only light sources they had.

The child, who had finally seemed to notice his existence, stared at Jiryn. Its eyes were wide, but held no fear, only curiosity. The child did not even have enough defensive sense to be fearful of its situation. Defenseless and absolutely senseless. It reached towards him and babbled something in human speech. Jiryn internally softened a little for the child. How could something that comes from this, turn out so dangerous.

Stop! Jiryn thought to himself. You know the stories. Do not let their harmless demeanor blind you from the damage they are capable of.

Jiryn re-steeled. He felt the arcane energy he held swelling inside of him. He had no intentions of using it just yet. However, the knowledge that it was there calmed him. It gave him a sense of power and safety.

After a time, the woman moved. She put her hand to her chest with her fingers splayed, and spoke a word.

“Shaya.”

She repeated it, slowing it down to the two most basic sounds.

“Shy-ah.”

It must be her name, Jiryn surmised. He maneuvered his tongue in his mouth, getting a feel for the sounds.

“Shaya,” Jiryn slowly repeated.

This was the first time she had heard him speak, her eyes widened but she nodded slowly.

A nod! He thought to himself with excitement. One more indication that they did in fact share gestures, for yes and no at least. The seeker in Jiryn was delighted and completely abounded with questions. He wanted to know more, and almost forgot about the gravity of the situation they were currently in.

Calm yourself, you fool. Gather knowledge, but do not forget about what they are.

The woman raised her eye furs and pointed a hand towards him, waiting.

A questioning gesture? He wondered. She must also want to know his name.

“Jiryn,” he said out loud.

He then imitated the process that she had done for him, breaking it down.

“Yi-rin,” he repeated slowly.

She tried to say it a few times but struggled. This gave him an excuse to shake his head no. She seemed to understand, and would try again. Another confirmation of his shared gesture theory.

After several more attempts and Jiryn having to repeat himself, she got it. Jiryn nodded and she bared her teeth. Jiryn wasn’t sure whether to take this as a threat or not. She seemed happy though, almost triumphant in the success of her efforts.

Humans are quite strange creatures indeed, he noted.

Shaya, as he now knew her name to be, was having trouble with the child. It wanted to get down, to get to Jiryn. It seemed even more fascinated with Jiryn after hearing him speak. The child squirmed and struggled, pushing away from its mother with a force that seemed impossible for its size.

In an effort to keep the child distracted, Jiryn reached within himself.

He touched the arcane energy that he held and manipulated it. He felt It alight in his body until small glowing flecks started floating around the humans.The child made gleeful sounds and squeals as it grabbed at the illusory lights.

Shaya however, had a much different response. Her eyes widened and she began hysterically shaking her head over and over. She scrambled backwards. Shrinking her body away from the flecks of light, pulling the child with her.

“Death death death,” she repeated aloud, her voice quavering.

Trask burst forth from the trees. The sudden movement had excited them. Their guttural clacks sounded as they began to spread out, racing towards the humans.

Shaya stood, the child in her arms. She was ready to flee. Whatever fear she had for the arcane lights was nothing compared to a full pack of trask barreling toward them.

Jiryn stood too. Several of the trask slowed, seeming apprehensive. The others continued their hunt with no pause.

Jiryn willed the arcane energy into his throat and let it free, directing it towards the largest one he could see. It hit. The trask fell. Its corpse was smoking and the rest of its pack fell away. They trilled a call of danger to one another, all of them retreating back to the tree line where they could skulk once more in shadow.

It had all happened so quickly. Shaya stood motionless for several minutes, holding her child to her.

After those minutes of silence, she began to do something that Jiryn could only interpret as singing. Shaya’s soft voice carried on the air, it sounded gentle and sweet.

Dragons had songs too, mostly about events in history and dreams of the future. He wondered what humans sang about. Was she singing to the child about dreams for the future? What did she think their future looked like? Was it acceptance and peace? A quiet existence? Was it power? Reclamation and reinstatement?

Jiryn listened for a while and watched as the child slowly drifted to sleep. Shaya continued her song and looked to Jiryn. She gestured towards the storage pouch she had at her side. Her eye furs raised once more. Another question.

Jiryn had completely forgotten about the storage pouch with everything that had been happening.

Jiryn nodded his head to give his consent, but watched closely. Who knew what she had in there, it could be some trick.

Shaya sat down again and pulled the long strap from her body and over the child. She moved slowly, cautiously. Jiryn wondered if she did that for his benefit, or whether she was retrieving something volatile in nature.

She pulled out a square of material that looked similar to their body coverings, only thicker. The square was folded over on itself. Shaya laid it on the ground and began to slowly open it up. It became larger and larger until it was fully unfolded. She lay the child on the thing and then folded the material back over its body, leaving its head exposed.

Jiryn hadn’t really taken the temperature into consideration. His kind never really had to. Humans however, had little hair to speak of, and not enough fat to keep them warm judging by Shaya. They probably used the coverings for warmth in place of a coat. This strange thing must be an extension of that. How clever, he mused.

Shaya crossed her legs over each other and then moved the sleeping child to her lap. It seemed to be deep in slumber. Shaya gestured once more to her storage pouch. Jiryn was less worried and more curious now. He nodded again and eagerly watched for what came next.

He was not disappointed.

Shaya slowly pulled out something that looked like a flat stone except that it was broken up into many thin surfaces.

A book! Jiryn thought. He had never seen one this pristine before. Humans used these to keep knowledge and records. He had known about them and had even observed some up close in the Halls of Ages. They were his favorite thing to see there.

He wondered whether Shaya was some kind of seeker, like himself. A collector of knowledge. Perhaps they were more alike than he initially considered them to be.

Next, Shaya produced a stick-like object. When she pressed it to the book's surface, it made marks. Jiryn was entranced. The first thing she did was put some large markings to the paper, then gesture at it, then to herself. And then said her name out loud. Jiryn understood that she had written her name.

“Jiryn” he said out loud.

He followed this with an approximation of what he thought it would be to raise his own eye furs, if he had any.

She bared her teeth again, then looked down. Her own eye furs creased and slanted downwards towards the middle of her face. After a moment she flipped the book to a new surface and put some large marks down on the paper turning it towards him so that he could see.

“Jiryn,” she said.

Jiryn had no idea whether it was correct or not, but felt an exorbitant excitement for having something of him put into a knowledge book.

They spent the next several hours trading words. Some came easily, others required physical actions to create context. Every word was meticulously noted down in the knowledge book by Shaya, using her marking stick.

Jiryn found himself very surprised that the child was able to sleep through the whole ordeal. He stayed sleeping, comfortably wrapped in what Jiryn had learnt was called a “blanket”.

Jiryn thought about the lifespans of humans, he knew they were much shorter than his own. There was no way that this woman, this mother, could have ever been directly a part of the betrayal of his kind or the collapse of the planet. It would have been at least a thousand generations for humans since they had even seen a dragon.

But how had they survived? He had determined that they must have survived. Shaya was intelligent, with an expansive vocabulary that included more complex concepts such as “safe” and "tired". She also had tools and material coverings which were intricate enough for Jiryn to deduce that knowledge had been passed on. He could not imagine a new species of humans to have any such capabilities. They would have had to re-discover everything.

“Death.” Shaya said, and gestured towards the trask corpse that laid stiff under the moons light.

This pulled Jiryn back from his thoughts.

Death. That was the word she used for the arcane lights he created. He had already learnt the name for trask in her tongue, and it was not “death”.

She was trying to convey something to him. Jiryn chided himself inwardly for not having pursued ancient languages as an area of knowledge. Though who knew what differences there might be within the human language now. These things were always shifting and changing with time.

Jiryn reached within himself and once more, tapped into the arcane. He created just a single glowing fleck this time. He noticed Shaya’s body tense as he did.

Jiryn used his foreclaws to mimic a human point and gestured towards the fleck.

“Death,” Jiryn said.

Shaya nodded.

Jiryn then directed his awkward point to the trask corpse.

“Death,” he repeated.

Shaya nodded once more.

It was evident that Shaya feared both the arcane light and the trask. Perhaps they were linked.

Was “death” their word for fear?

What reason would anyone have to fear the arcane though, it was the life force of the world. Every living thing on this planet relied on the arcane to keep things in balance.

And then he thought of the collapse.

The collapse had happened due to the planet not having enough arcane energy left to sustain itself. Dragon kind believed that while the last few of them slumbered, the humans extracted too much arcane from the world. By the time dragons woke again, there were no humans left to question.

A fitting end. Jiryn thought to himself. They betrayed us with the very power we taught them to use, and then destroyed the world by overusing that same power.

However, as he watched the child sleep. As he interacted with Shaya, he felt guilt for those thoughts. Surely not all humans were to blame for the betrayal. And surely not these humans.

Jiryn wanted to know how they had survived. He wanted to know what other forms of communication overlapped between their different species. Had humans changed? Had they learnt? He wished he could get a sense of what they were like now. Why were they afraid of the arcane? Did they fear the arcane itself, or just its use? Perhaps they feared that use of the arcane would bring about another collapse.

This damned communication gap. Jiryn thought to himself. I need more time.

There were too many questions. If he ended her now, ended the child. He would never have the answers. Even if he left them alive and went back to Drakhold, he would have to tell the ruling councils of his findings. They would immediately send a force to make sure every last one of the humans were exterminated.

Jiryn and Shaya got lost in their communicative endeavors. The world around them raced by. It wasn’t until they heard the trasks trilling their danger call that they took notice of the sky. The gray light of dawn had crept over the land. The trasks disappeared. They would slink back to their den cluster, hungry and unfulfilled after a night of waiting for a meal that never came.

The world was waking.

Other creatures emerged from their slumber. Jiryn took notice as a flickering skittered over a nearby rock. It took aim at a nearby tatterfly, then shot a tiny firepuff at the thing before snapping the insect up within its small jaws and skittering away again. A spittlespine clambered over the grass towards the water, Its quills folding down on itself as it began to drink. Life was emerging and beginning a new day.

This filled Jiryn with dread.

Jiiryn turned his attention back to Shaya, and flinched in surprise. She was closer to him now than she had ever been before. She stood before him, her hand extended and her eyes furs raised in question.

Jiryn didn’t know when it had happened, but at some point in that long night, he had begun to trust her.

So he nodded, and lowered his face to her hand.

Shaya stepped forward again, and touched him. She felt over the scales warily and seemed transfixed. Jiryn noticed then, that some kind of liquid was leaking from her eyes. This was shortly followed by something that sounded like a soft half choked cry.

Shaya pulled her hand back suddenly, unexpectedly, and wiped the liquid from her face. She looked back to her child, sleeping soundly in the grass a few steps behind her.

She gestured a finger towards her own chest as she looked back to Jiryn.

“Shaya.”

Then gestured to him

“Jiryn.”

She then pointed towards the ground.

Her? Me? Here? Jiryn translated. Is she asking to meet again?

Jiryn paused, this was the moment. He had to decide now.

Shaya noticed his hesitation and looked directly into his eyes.

“Safe.” She said, putting her hand on her chest.

Again, he trusted her.

Jiryn watched as Shaya lifted the sleeping child into her arms, blanket and all. She left her storage pouch where it lay, perhaps as a show of faith. As she walked away she turned and waved her hand.

Jiryn lifted his foreclaw and gave his best impression in response. Then watched her disappear into the trees.

All the while, wondering if he had just doomed his entire race.