The Valley Of Tarnisia

Prologue:

There weren't always dragons in the valley. However, upon their unprecedented arrival, they created a widespread pandemonium in the community of Tarnisians, as well as the scattered communities throughout the South Pacific. At that time panic ensued, claiming every stretch of territory. The people were calling out to their many gods and goddesses, doing whatever they could to scare them away.

Chapter 1: An Ancient Secret

The villagers cried out in insidious horror and scattered in every direction. The Watchmen blared their emergency horns and instructed everyone to flee to the safe-houses.

"Elijah! Grab your sister and head to the safe-house!" I shouted to my nephew.

The ground crumbled beneath us and shook violently. Fiery missiles launched from the valley and erupted, igniting a disastrous path before us. The heavy breath of the Gargantuan beast smelled of burning brimstone, with flames that emitted a petrol fume.

"Keep low and move quickly!" The Lead Watchman shouted to us through his tusk bullhorn.

The dragons had arrived. It was a day that many of the Soothsayers had prophesied about since the early draconian age. Yet this was not the first time they predicted this event. Once billions of centuries ago the dragons had been said to have gone extinct, after a horrific war with the tribal people left the village ravaged. Up until this day, It had been so long ago since we heard mention of the apocalypse. Many of us were too busy living our lives to think about the historic takeover. The victory helped to establish dominion over our territory, but the battle was not easily won.

Even after our province was reconstructed, we still had work to do to revive it to its once vibrant state. Not to mention the weather had not been kind to our region. Though many of us had pretty stable homes reinforced with pueblo style construction, and stone architecture, not all villagers could afford to buy the resources needed to build solid homes. These resources were governed by the Watchman. Standard homes within Tarnisia were huts that often needed to be rebuilt every 6-10 years due to the harsh outdoor elements.

Fortunately for us, the village Watchmen designed underground safe-houses... stone cottage shelters that were built within the mountains near the edge of the valley. These were for use for any resident in the village during catastrophic weather or other public safety needs.

So one must wonder, Why did the war occur in the first place? The relationship between dragon and man was not always volatile. Not when they had originally fell from the Northern lights in the sky to people's nearby dwellings. To explain how this chaos ensued, we would have to take a trip down memory lane...

Let me begin by telling you who we are. We are the Tarnisians... An indigenous people who reside in a remote village known as Tarnisia just outside of the valley 50 miles east of Peru. We are an eccentric community known for our outrageous customs and artwork. The Tarnisians had once been referenced as a gypsy people, like that of my birth parents, until they found a stretch of our territory where they eventually settled. This land is known as Tarnisia. A valley enriched with plentiful resources such as coal, water, and precious metals... luscious greenery, and tall mountains that stretched for miles. The ancestors were all buried here, and we were sure to keep our traditions to honor them.

Being that we were quite isolated from the rest of civilization it helped us to preserve these traditions, yet there was little to do for entertainment. This factor greatly influenced the adoption of our bizarre but intriguing cultural practices.

So you may be wondering just who exactly I am? Well, my name is Raquel... at least that's what the Watchmen named me. I'm a 24-year-old female who grew up in the village. I have dwelt within the village all my life, and have been on my own since I could walk. My family were nomads who abandoned me just short of the village of Tarnisia, leaving me and my sister to fend for ourselves in a foreign land. Tragically, I lost my sister at the age of 17... but I digress...

Since I had been here my whole life, I was embraced by the community as if I'd stemmed from one of its' many ancient tribes. Therefore, it was the only heritage I stood for. The religions that were incorporated into our way of life varied, and they were many. Nevertheless, despite our religious and spiritual differences, the village lived together harmoniously. Last but not least, I can't forget to mention the FOOD. An exotic, palatable fusion of Latin and Asian ethnic dishes that is both savory and nutrient dense. Although still a relatively primitive society, we managed to lay a foundational structure that allowed for any service or product demand to be accessed.

Now on to the branches of tribes...

Most clans were family bloodlines that were separated into tribes. The religion of each tribe was dependent upon their personal heritage and values. Though the true structure of the village itself is centered around the Kinship, which are the community leaders. The Kinship provided the system of the people in the form of enrichment and development of the community. There were a total of five main Kinship branches within the land of Tarnisia. These branches were representative of Tarnisia's form of government, but were not limited to officials. They also contained merchants, entertainers, and more. Anything that generated currency. They are as follows...

Phantoms- These are the entertainers and artists of the village. They contained the singers, dancers, jesters, and those who performed magic tricks and played instruments. They also happened to be the head leaders who put together the festivals and carnivals. Some had unusual talents or could craft items and art with great dexterity.

Nodens - These are the hunter-gatherers. They were skilled at weapon making and war. They are responsible for protecting the village, as well as providing the food source that was sold in the local markets. Some of the Noden clan were into masonry, and were responsible for constructing most of the architecture of Tarnisia.

Soothsayers- This clan was comprised of those villagers who possessed psychic gifts such as the Shamans and fortune tellers. They also had their own priests according to the many religions practiced within the village.

Druids- A branch that dealt in holistic healing, which are alchemists who provided miracle herbs and brews for healing.

Watchmen- Authoritative hierarchical figures such as politicians, police, and other officials who governed the land. They also governed the merchants who were categorized into this group, as any trade or market which generated revenue was carefully regulated.

Tribes were not always indicative of which families they were born into, but rather the skill-set or belief systems they were committed to adhering to. Though a family member had been born into one tribe, he/she could easily be initiated into a separate tribe with the blessing of their bloodline family (which was their birthright).

The village of Tarnisia served as the primary residential area for the tribes, with the Valley serving as land used for mining resources and farming. The village also had a headquarters, a centralized city which was slightly more modern in comparison to our village dwellings. The city was paved in stone and brick masonry, and contained Aztec pillars and monuments which paid tribute to our lineage. This was in the form of prestigious gods, goddesses, and even grotesque gargoyles all designed by the masonic phantoms. The city was a place of religious worship, as well as a location of the town hall in which the Watchmen would congregate for council. It provided the heartbeat of the Tarnisian Village, as well as the location where the Phantom hosted their live entertainment. The Watchmen would sound their bullhorn to alert the villagers of these festivities, as well as any other public service announcements.

One of the most distinctive practices the Tarnisans engaged in are the Lunar Star festivals, traditionally held at night. The Lunar Star festivals were held several times throughout the Spring season, as many times as the Phantoms chose to organize them. During the Lunar Star festivals, we wear intricate tribal face paintings, elaborate clothing, and carried unique lanterns that served as bright lights that emanated from colorful ornaments. These colored ornaments were hand crafted, and designed to cast a colorful glow into the night sky when they were lit with fire. The inside of the lanterns contained a candle wax from animal fat. The Phantom would also create a set of flying lanterns to release after the festival.

The purpose of this festival is to unite the tribes, enjoy the incredible light show and listen to the village music resound in the atmosphere. Men and women wore traditional, aberrant clothing that contained exquisite patterns. Phantom dancers waved around the colorful lanterns in an exuberant manner. They struck the tribal drums with precision, and played the flute and horns in a beguiling tune. Siren phantoms' (singers) melodically chanted, and citizens of the village cheered loudly in a heightened state of euphoria.

However, none of our carnivals or live forms of entertainment could quite top our circus. The Tarnisian Circus displayed a variety of divine species or rare creatures, and occasionally even humans with rare genetic anomalies. The Tarnisian circus was held annually, and the most popular, highly anticipated jubilee to take place locally. Even people from all walks of life would travel from all across the globe to see for themselves these real-life mystical creatures they thought to be myths. You never really knew what you would see, and that was the excitement that fueled it. Our circus turned skeptics into believers!

Most jamborees were held within the city, but our circus took place in the Tarnisian Valley on the outskirts of our village. This was to ensure the safe handling of these species, and to ensure we had enough room to execute the many stunts for the performance.

So now on to the backstory of man vs. dragon relations... Legend was that they arrived through a portal located in the middle of the Northern Lights, a gateway to their realm. They had originally come in search of a simpler way of life. Unbeknownst to them, their arrival would be widely unwelcome, with many townspeople and inhabitants of the region petrified by their very presence.

The citizens in the area grew so fearful that they began to launch arrows at them, and the witches and warlocks cast spells to enchant them and lead them to their demise. Seeing that they were causing such an uproar, the dragons realized they needed to migrate to a less populated area where they could dwell in peace going unnoticed. Stumbling upon the Valley of Tarnisia seemed to be the promised land for them. They had plenty of space to roam, with lush plant and wildlife to live comfortably under the radar.

Yet just when they thought they had reached their settlement in peace, some local villagers of the Tarnisian tribes were alerted of the very large guests within their enclave. Word quickly spread to the Watchmen, who took matters into their own hands. Through direct consultation via a Soothsayer who sought guidance with the help of a pendulum and a black cauldron used for scrying, The Watchman searched for answers about why the dragons had come in the first place. There was also an Oracle present, who would typically witness divination when there was a need to make detrimental decisions in regards to the village.

The revelation revealed was that the dragons were being hunted... That they come in peace... and that they found solitude in the serene valleys of Tarnisia. Through the Oracle's approbation, the Watchmen of Tarnisia agree to allow the mighty giants to thrive within their valley. After all, the valley was huge and they could go virtually undetectable. Especially from hunters who wanted to eradicate them, or slaughter them for their tough scales, (which were utilized for armor in times of war.)

However, the peace treaty came with one condition. The dragons would work in the village just like the rest of the tribes, and earn their keep sort of speak. That they would render services upon request. This meant using them as a resource, and essentially enslaving the dragon race. I had no clue what the umbrella term "services rendered" legally meant for these creatures. All I knew was that it wasn't good. It couldn't have been seeing as it resulted in an all-out war.

According to many within the kinship, after a thousand years in submission to the villagers, the dragons grew weary of being used for resources/services. The money-hungry Watchmen were possibly breeding dragon young to sell their scales to merchants for war gear. Or even utilizing them to attack human and non-human invaders. Whatever they could conjure up in their greedy minds. Whatever it had been...they were fed up with interacting with the humans altogether and wanted to be left alone in the valley...

I was just happy they were here no more.

I was gathering fruit from the garden behind my cottage when I overheard the announcement of tonight's circus. Every year there was something different presented. I was both excited and filled with the curiosity of a child, imagining every kind of species I could think of. Maybe we would see Bigfoot... maybe some gnomes,... or maybe we would finally get to see a real-life mermaid. Whatever they had up their sleeves, I was highly anticipating it. I was so ready for tonight...

The hours faded until finally, nightfall descended upon the Tarnisian village. We gathered along the designated area within the valley where the Phantom directed us. It was myself, my nephew Elijah, and my niece Anastasia. And of course... we can't forget the village people, and the hundreds upon thousands who could afford to come all the way here for this experience. Elijah and Anastasia's mother, (my sister) was not present. In fact, she was never able to attend the annual circus... as she had passed away years ago after severe complications giving birth to Anastasia. I promised her I would raise them as my very own. And that's exactly what I intended to keep on doing...

Suddenly, the Ringmaster appeared and shouted out through his horn. He was dressed in flamboyant Tarnisian circus attire, with it's peculiar embellishments. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Circus of Tarnisia's 5th annual celebration!"

The crowd's energy intensified and they cried out in elation. The ringmaster sounded a trumpet, the cue for the phantoms to start bringing in the caged beasts. We could see figures cloaked with animal hides so that you could not see what was inside of the cages. Then two Phantoms with ghoulish masks on removed the hide robes, unveiling two large Chimeras.

The Chimera was a horrifying creature with a lion's head, goat's body, and the tail of a dragon. We would see a lot of hybrid creatures at our circus, including those that were humanoid. The chimeras were led out of their cages, panting and prancing about using the power of their hind legs. The Phantom guided the chimeras in a circle, using his wand to taunt the beasts before directing them to sit beneath a huge object shaped like a ring. The huge circus ring was hand crafted by the masonic Nodens which was constructed from the ground up.

The ringleader then sounded his horn again and to our amazement, a group of female elves on pink and white unicorns joined the spectacle. They looked so very ethereal. Dewy ivory skin, long straight hair, and some even had freckles. Their emerald colored eyes sparkled like they had stars in them.

The Elves circled the chimeras whilst riding the unicorns for a moment before they got off of them. The unicorns were then led to sit in a cage for display. The female elves stood before us, eluding an aura of tranquility and grace. Just then the ringleader walked toward one the elves, and nodded to one with long golden hair. "Now for our main attraction!" Announced the ringleader.

The golden-haired Elf that was appointed by the ringleader then walked toward the crowd and spoke in an Elvish tongue. She waved her hand... Then suddenly...Just like a magic trick...a huge figure began to manifest out of thin air...

As the apparition began to take full form, what appeared before us nearly made my heart stop altogether. To my disbelief...standing right there in the flesh.... was... A two-headed dragon! The audience shuddered and stepped back in utter panic.

"I thought they were dead!" I heard one of the men in the valley audience shout.

I could overhear people screaming aloud. The dragon loomed over the massive multitude, towering over us at least 15 feet in height! The dragon then stretched out its' enlarged wings, staring at everyone with its scorching blood-moon colored eyes. The crowd looked on in terror and confusion. Upon the nod of the head of the Elf, the two-headed dragon appeared to enter into some type of trance. It suddenly appeared calmer, and was no longer paying attention to the crowd. Its eyes fixated on the beautiful elf as if mesmerized.

I could feel a dreadful knot in my stomach. I knew that something was not right when I set foot in the village. Something was in the air. Were the Watchmen that greedy that they would risk the livelihood of the village? Did they not learn from the mistakes of the Watchmen before them?

Just then one of the masked Phantoms walked over to the dragons and outstretched his hand making a gesture to the ring. As if snapping out of the trance, the dragon tilted his head back, and with a violent thrust jilted one of it's neck forward, aiming a fiery explosion at the ring. The ring instantly caught fire and seared. The spectators clapped loudly in amazement.

The ringleader then approached the two chimeras, and with a wave of his wand gestured him into the ring of fire. To my surprise, the chimeras cleared the ring of fire with grace and ease. The hind legs of the goat body seemingly helped the creature thrust itself in the air with impeccable force. More and more clapping from the onlookers emanated. After the chimeras performed all of their tricks, they were led over into a cage that was placed alongside the unicorns.

Before I could process what was going on, or what the next act was...In the blink of an eye, fairies about the size of the palm of my hand appeared before us. They were carrying small containers of food for the chimeras to feast on as a reward for their stunning stage act. Elijah nudged me. I bent down to get a better listen. "They sure are small, but very strong," he said in observation of the fairies. I nodded in agreement and fascination.

The chimeras gulped up the food at a second's notice, following up their meal with some water from the valley creek.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a very special announcement to make tonight!" The ringleader began. "We have an act that you have never in your life witnessed......"

Just then the spell that the two-headed dragon was placed under to restrain him appeared to lift. The dragon began to squirm as if in discomfort. An immense growl escaped him, and he began to stomp profusely. I felt Anastasia tug at my dress. "Is this part of the act?" Not knowing how to respond, I waited for the ringleader to finish his grand announcement. However, the sheer look of horror on his face told me everything that I needed to know. Right then and there, I felt the blood in my veins freeze cold. My heart began racing rapidly.

The female elf attempted to get the dragon spellbound once more, but her enchantment didn't seem to work this time around. I stood there among the crowded valley stiff as a board. I wanted to move, but I was in complete shock and disbelief. The two-headed dragon in an instance cocked both heads back this time, using the same stance as before when it had released hell's fury from its mouth.

"Oh, nooo!" I shouted. The people that were surrounding me began to cower away from the beast, and some even began to run. I grabbed my niece and nephew and propelled myself forward as fast as I could. However, my legs were so weak and shaky that I lost my footing and fell a few steps just short of the giant.

Egregious screams were overheard echoing throughout the village, and I noticed a few people tripping and falling over one another. I forced myself back up to my feet and spotted Anastasia and Elijah some feet away from me. They were so tiny that they breezed through the crowd with little difficulty.

I scrambled toward them as fast as I could, attempting to catch up with them as quickly as possible. Panic ensued in every direction and claimed every stretch of territory. The villagers screeched with insidious horror and scattered in every direction, pushing over each other, diving as fast as they could to seek refuge.

The Watchmen blared their emergency horns and instructed everyone to flee to the safe-houses.

"Elijah! Grab your sister and head to the safe-house!" I shouted to my nephew. I didn't want them to wait for me as I struggled to pull my trembling body up from the ground. I could feel the dragon's hot breath slowly breezing over my back. Realizing that I was two seconds short of becoming dragon grub, I snapped to my feet and trailed behind them, just about caught up now...

The ground crumbled beneath us and shook violently. Fiery missiles launched from the dragon's mouth and erupted in the valley, igniting a disastrous path before us. The heavy breath of the Gargantuan beast smelled of burning brimstone, with flames that emitted a petrol fume.

"Keep low and move quickly!" The Lead Watchman shouted to us through his horn. The fairies flew about throwing stones and shoving sticks in the dragon's eyes, which only managed to deter it long enough to help everyone gain some leeway in our escape.

It was difficult to see through the wilderness in the dead of night, but luckily the safe-houses were not far from the location where we were all gathered. As we got closer and closer to our oasis, the tip of the mountains that encompassed our shelters were set boldly within view. I let out a sigh of relief... but the gasps from behind us paralyzed me in that moment.

I turned around to discover what the loud gasping was all about, but I wish I hadn't. A few unlucky tourists had fallen prey to the dragon and fell to the ground to their demise. The dragon belched out another fiery missile, consuming the group of young tourists.

My heart dropped. "Keep your eyes forward. Don't look back!" I shouted aloud to everyone. The people scattered in different directions, diving head first into the safe-houses. Each shelter built within the confines of the mountains was deep and wide enough to hold at least 500 people each. It wasn't nearly enough to house everyone combined, but it was originally designed with just the villagers in mind. There were about 50 confines built, each with storage units that contained medicine, first aid kits, food, water, weapons, and ammunition. They also provided us with animal horns to call out to the Watchmen if we needed any assistance. I was hopeful that whoever didn't make it into one of the safe-houses would be able to find a place out of sight within all of the high mountain terrain.

I could still hear the thunderous stomping of the dragon just outside the shelter once we had entered... but we were completed hidden away now. Buried within the Earth beneath the anchor of the mountains. No soul within this safe-house uttered a word, and I knew that we all were just hoping... praying that the enormous monster would vanish and leave us be. Still, we could hear the explosions of fire just above our heads, and feel the heat of it's flame. We could hear the scratching and clawing of the animal's talons...

The next thing I heard was a heavy gust of wind and a deafening crash. After about 15 minutes, one of the head watchmen called out in announcement...

"The dragon has been slain! Everyone please exit the safe-houses with caution, as we have a public service announcement!"

Once we all evacuated from the asylums, we stood in the center of the Tarnisian Valley, and lo and behold, another otherworldly entity was standing before us. It was humanoid nevertheless, but still otherworldly. "No more circus!" I heard one of the tourists shout.

The thin but shapely humanoid male laughed in a gleeful manner and picked up a horn from the Watchmen. "I am no circus act... My name is Thalios. A Sprite from the planet Jupiter."

We all looked at each other completely perplexed.

"Like we said before. No more circus freaks!" Shouted the tourist again louder this time. "Yeah! Enough circus, escort us home!" Another tourist chimed in.

"I am no circus freak. I was sent to slay the two-headed beast who almost devoured all of you. I was sent to deliver an important announcement to the Earthly Tarnisian inhabitants." Thalios interceded.

The Sprite had a small frame, sandy brown hair, and frail-looking wings. His bright blue eyes were sober, and pierced into the crowd of people. He was not flying, but levitating slightly above the ground. He hovered closer to the crowd and began to tell us the most outrageous story we had ever heard in our lives.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the historic war. The battle of the Tarnisian village and the dragons. However, your people did not keep account the proper records of war, as they should have. And if you don't know your past, you're destined to repeat it."

He continued on in a solemn, monotone voice:

"Though you are aware that you once went into battle with the dragons, what you may not know is that your village didn't fight the dragons alone. "

"What do you mean?" I asked Thalios.

" Let me show you." said the Sprite.

He then opened up a celestial hologram that revealed a spiritual mirage like the Soothsayer's scrying device, but much clearer. Within the celestial window, I could see our village being attacked and torn into pieces. The cottages were lit on fire by tons of dragons. The villagers didn't seem to know what to do, and did not seem prepared for the time of catastrophe.

To my amazement, I witnessed some rather imp-like, hideous beasts jump at the dragons with all their might, causing the dragons to buckle. There were swarms upon swarms of these ghoulish-looking entities. I thought to myself, what are those sinister-looking beings?

Upon looking closer and more intently, what I saw was beyond what I could have ever thought was possible. Could it be? How could it be?

In re-evaluating the image, I beheld what appeared to be... Gargoyles! The very same Gargoyles that were etched within the pillars of the Tarnisian City! And they were attacking the dragon's full force. Yet how could this be?

I watched as they plunged at the dragons. Their stout bodies much smaller than the dragons, yet seemed to weigh heavy, and were of incredible strength. With each pouncing and banging the Gargoyles inflicted on the dragons, the impact of each blow was taking its toll on the behemoths. The battle was a struggle, but finally the Gargoyles conquered the dragons. The image then faded and the hologram vanished.

I had heard stories that the Gargoyles were living lifeforms, that they were watching over the Tarnisian civilization, but I had no clue that the particular legend held any merit. To my understanding it was falsified folklore used for entertaining bored villagers during camp fires.

"So as you can see..." Thalios began..."

Some of the villagers shook their heads, their hands raised to cover their mouths due to what they had just seen. "Yeah, we can see... that the Gargoyles are the ones who originally killed off the dragons...Not us." One of the Phantoms proclaimed.

"Well yes...but... not exactly." replied Thalios. "And they never really went extinct, as you found out tonight."

The Sprite dropped to the ground and walked toward us.

"See, your village has always been a sacred space. A holy ground of reverence for your ancestors. Though the Gargoyles were this village's watchtowers, your ancestor's love and protective spirits were what invoked them... compelling them to launch a war with the dragons."

"I don't know why the Watchmen here would have allowed these dragons back knowing the context of the history between you all. Maybe it was the greed of money... Maybe it was the assumption that you could make peace with them. Tame them in some way... Regardless of the reason, let this be a lesson to all Tarnisians, and especially the Watchmen of the land. As there are as many dragon kind here today as in the first war."

"They were never completely annihilated... just hiding... duplicating in numbers to prepare for a day of Vendetta. They want humans gone for good, but they know that this land will be difficult to seize because of your ancestors, and the Sprites who have a destiny to preserve the human race. So they are teaming up with highly advanced lifeforms of the Planet Acaeda."

" Acaedans are an extremely malevolent race. A hybrid dragon-human race derived from the interbreeding of dragons with warlocks and wizards. These magic practitioners joined DNA with the dragons to gain more power not only on this planet, but in Acaeda where they now reign. They are why the dragon did not perish in the first war, as they hid and protected them. Some of the Acadans are among us today... they may even be amongst your tribe."

I looked around and my eyes immediately diverted to the Watchmen. It all was coming together now. Is this why they couldn't seem to put an end to their dysfunctional dragon/human alliance?

"They look relatively human, except for the green scales that can be seen on the backs where the spine is located. Some even have lizard tails. The only way one would be able to see is if the person were de-throbbed. The dragon created these bloodlines to serve as the perfect vessel for the new era they wish to usher in. To rebuild this historical, nostalgic village, as a shrine that will conjure their old serpent god Gehvidri.

"They want to rid the Earth of humans and replace it with their kind and the hybrids. But have peace of mind knowing that your ancestors will not rest easy. They won't allow them to take the land without intervening.

The Land is theirs, and their blood runs deep in this soil... "