The Valley Exodus

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. The area had once teamed with life, containing the Wirewood’s southern quarter, along with fertile farmland, dozens of villages, and even some cities. But the Zyvish were not content to suffer the wasteland of Zyvaden while Aewelon remained a paradise. Not with their favorite punching bag now living there. So the spiteful deities devised a plan to tip the scales.

While unable to fly over the Line like their forsaken brother Zyx, they didn’t need to wreak havoc themselves. Instead, they began an unnatural breeding experiment, mixing all manner of birds, beasts, and reptiles until finally birthing the first dragons a century later. They could have accomplished this much easier had they the power of their enviable Aewish sisters to the north. But the Zyvish could only manifest non-living matter.

Despite its limitations, this ability allowed the creatures to be infused with fire and outfitted with metallic claws and armor, maximizing their destructive power and invulnerability. Finally, after amassing two hundred dragons, the Zyvish unleashed their flying army on southern Aewelon in the year 876 AR.

The initial attack left behind absolute devastation, destroying entire villages and large swaths of the Wirewood while killing thousands. Humans were utterly helpless against such mighty foes, unable to penetrate them with swords, spears, or arrows before being totally incinerated.

Meanwhile, the Aewish attempted to repel the dragons with their mastery of the weather. But while extreme cold proved an effective measure, the required temperature would kill all other life in the vicinity. So, lacking better options, they enclosed the infestation in a mountain range, with frigid air and fierce winds forming an impenetrable barrier at its peaks. They named these the Dragonbacks, honoring the naming scheme followed by The Oversoul when creating the Ridgebacks and the Icebacks, which spanned Azoza’s two planet-wrapping continents.

While this stemmed the tide of destruction, the damage was already done. The land was overrun, forcing its prior occupants to flee northward or face certain death. This cruel reality led to the Valley of Death receiving its name, though most called it the Valley for short. Similarly, the fallout from the dragon invasion would go down in history as the Valley Exodus.

Beyond the Valley’s borders, the Dragonbacks encircled the planet just north of the Line, shielding the rest of Aewelon from dragons. The Wall, as it was dubbed by those who feared stating the D-word aloud, could only be breached by humans via narrow passageways. Named the Tunnels, these were meant to provide refugees a means of escape. And, were the Valley ever reclaimed, a way for them to return home.

To that end, Zyx battled the dragon scourge head-on, intent on defending his adopted homeland from the machinations of his oppressive brothers. Zyx needed to atone for his many sins, which rivaled even his father’s from long ago. Meanwhile, only his twin sister Trix supported him from among the Aewish. But despite her rebellious nature, she was no fighter.

Still, Trix was determined to help, taking it upon herself to bring cheer and hope to Aewelon’s displaced citizens. As it was, this proved more fruitful than anything Zyx accomplished.

Even with two thousand years of warrior training, Zyx only averaged a single dragon slain per month. With more crossing over from Zyvaden regularly, killing thirteen per year couldn’t prevent dragons from achieving total dominion over the Valley by 900 AR. In a single human generation, the once prosperous land was now a haven for its new permanent residents.

Aside from Zyx and the occasional knight with a death wish, only treasure hunters were brazen enough to travel the Tunnels. The Valley had been home to most of Aewelon’s nobility, whose abandoned mansions were positively ripe for looting in a lawless land. Even a single successful raid could provide years of comfort and luxury to all involved.

However, such pursuits came with great risk. Dragons were possessive creatures with a particular fondness for shiny things and massive lairs, even fighting one another for prime territory. While this did little to quell their numbers, their battles ensured such troves were guarded by only the fiercest dragons. Treasure hunting was borderline suicide, with survival rates for even the most organized raids averaging around ten percent.

Despite the odds, many were desperate enough to take their chances. While those north of the Wall were safe from dragon attacks, the population influx and lost land had far-reaching consequences. Food became more expensive, and there wasn’t enough wood to build homes for the refugees, especially with the Aewish discouraging further deforestation. This left many homeless or starving, and for them, a ten-percent chance at a better life was worth a ninety-percent chance of death.

Though many manors were successfully plundered over the years, the greatest prize remained unclaimed for over a century. Located in the ruins of the old Royal Palace, the legendary Royal Treasure was guarded by Avarus, the Dragon King. A title earned not only for his domain but for his merciless treatment of those who dared to cross him, be they human or dragon.

No man who entered the palace grounds ever returned alive. Avarus took no quarter, decorating his lair’s surroundings with the charred bodies of intruders. And for anyone hoping to sneak in while he was away, he offered no such opportunity. Hunting was beneath him, so he stayed put while his court of fledglings did his bidding. Only Zyx survived to share such details, but his attempts to dethrone the Dragon King were futile.

Before long, only suicidal fools sought the Royal Treasure. If such a monster was too much for a deity, what hope did a mere mortal have? And yet, it was a mortal woman named Rysk who ultimately bested Avarus. As a solo hunter, no less.

Far from seeking fame or fortune, Rysk did her adventuring privately, favoring a modest lifestyle out of the public eye. Only on her deathbed did she share the secret to her success and the location of her impossible haul. This precious knowledge went to Myst, her only child, along with a most ardent wish.

Rysk didn’t set out to enrich herself or her descendants. She desired only to aid those without means, wanting her stockpile of wealth to be put towards feeding the hungry and housing the homeless. It was a noble legacy, inspired by the generosity and tragedy of her family’s past five generations.

However, pure as Rysk’s intentions were, The Oversoul had other plans. For in 982 AR, just four months after her mother’s death, Myst carelessly allowed a suspicious merchant to follow her to the shack where the treasure was kept. With the location compromised, she tried bribing the man to secrecy. But neither gold nor backstory could stop the inevitable raid.

With the merchant’s betrayal, Myst had officially failed her mother. Worse, news of the Royal Treasure’s discovery became common knowledge within weeks, faster than the underground market could even process the stolen items. While Myst hadn’t divulged the secret of how her mother beat Avarus, she couldn’t stop the rumor mill. As a result, Rysk achieved legendary status throughout Aewelon, but for all the wrong reasons.

Cayt was only six when her grandmother died and her future inheritance was lost. But where Myst saw the silver lining that her daughter wouldn’t have to receive the troublesome burden, Cayt didn’t share her mother’s outlook. Cayt idolized Rysk and wanted nothing more than to learn the truth behind her heists. And someday, when her mother entrusted her with that secret, Cayt would take up her grandmother’s mantle. She would seek out and recover the remaining treasure from Avarus, then give it all away to those in need. This she swore.

But everything changed three years later when Myst died in a tragic accident. She was walking home after volunteering at a local soup kitchen when a starved carriage horse went wild and trampled her. Yet despite all evidence to the contrary, Cayt took personal responsibility for her mother’s death. She had been so eager to learn her grandmother’s secret that The Oversoul had seen fit to grant her misguided wish ahead of schedule.

Cayt was not supposed to lose her mother. Not at nine years old, before her mother could guide her into womanhood. Not before she accomplished what Rysk first set out to achieve so long ago. Only now, Cayt faced a future shrouded by grief and uncertainty. She finally knew the brilliant strategy behind her grandmother’s legend, and her mother had even imparted an unknown secret about their ancestry at the very end. But Cayt would have traded that knowledge in a heartbeat for a chance to restore something far more priceless. Her mother’s life.