Thunder Legion

There weren't always dragons in the valley. They had moved here a couple thousand years ago when they built the patrol tower on the low mountain. The Thunder Legion were a group of dragon knights who protected the kingdom. A thousand years ago the last one was killed.

The wild dragons, indignant at their brethren allowing humans to ride them, attacked the kingdom to end what they claimed was persecution. After wiping out the knights, which often resulted in their mounts dying as well, and then decimating the capital. The wild dragons disappeared into the northern mountains.

A thousand years has passed since, and dragons have passed into more legend than fact. The only evidence that they ever existed for the people of the small farming village of Penketh is the inaccessible tower on the mountain overlook.

*******

Moving thru the underbrush with his bow knocked, Will tracked his prize thru the woods. He had been tracking a buck for the better part of the day now. The meat from this catch would provide meat for him, and his uncle thru the coming winter.

Moving forward he noted the tuft of hair stuck to a briar bush. Short and light brown likely from the buck he trailed. Following the game trail further he found fresh droppings still steaming in the cool fall air. The buck was close.

Painstakingly slow will inched forward thru the brush. Ahead he could see the break in the trees. Slowly approaching the edge he noted it was a sizable glade. Off to the left stood the buck pulling berries off a bush at the edge.

Will brought the bow up slowly, making sure not to make any movements that would startle the buck into movement. Steadily he drew the knocked arrow back til the fletching brushed lightly against the corner of his mouth.

Aiming for the heart he exhaled, and released. The arrow flew true, but something startled the buck at the moment of release. This caused him to drop marginally lower, causing the arrow to enter just above the heart.

At the shock of pain the buck took off uphill. Will groaned in annoyance. The shot had been perfect. Slinging his bow he stood, and proceeded to follow the buck. It wouldn't get far with that wound, and he wouldn't let it suffer any longer than necessary.

He followed the blood trail for almost a mile before finding the buck laying on its side struggling to draw air. Circling to approach from the bucks back, he pulled his hunting knife from the sheath strapped to his left calf. Kneeling next to the buck he slid the knife into the deers heart ending its pain.

After gutting the carcass Will began looking for some sturdy branches he could make a litter to drag it back home on. As he looked around he realized they had moved up the foothills high enough that the old watch tower was directly above him. Shuddering he remembered that he wasn't supposed to be this close. It was forbidden to approach any of the old Legion bases.

Moving quickly he wanted to find what he needed and leave. The boys in the village always told stories about how this area was haunted by strange, but deadly creatures. He didn't believe them he thought nervously, but no reason to chance it, right?

Finding a good sturdy branch he laid it out next to the deer. Looking around he didn't see anymore in or around the glade. Will was loath to try to cut a steady branch from a living tree, plus he didn't have an axe to use. He could use the short sword he carried at his right side he thought, but if his uncle found out Will would regret it for days.

Looking at the sky he gauged it to still be a hour or two before noon. It would take at least a couple hours to get back home dragging the carcass. Deciding that if he didn't find a branch before noon he would cut one with the short sword his uncle be damned.

Determined he set the position of the tower in his mind, and set off to the right of it. As he moved around the woods, and ranged further the ground slooped more towards the tower. Around an hour from starting out he found an area that was cleared from a landslide. It must have happened during the big storm just last week.

The area was stripped of all trees and grass for about twenty feet ahead of him and around fifty or sixty yards from up hill to down hill. At the bottom of the rift about 30 feet or so to his right was a large pile of dirt, trees, and woodland undergrowth.

Turning and heading down to the pile he searched for a sizable branch he could use. Quickly finding one thick enough he pulled hard, yet the detritus around it wouldn't yield the branch to him. Using his hunting knife as a shovel Will attempted to clear some of the dirt from around the branch. After a few inches he was able to wiggle the branch.

Sheathing the knife Will grabbed the branch in both hands. Proceeding to wiggle the branch until it felt loose enough, then pulling Will strained at the branch. Until with a lurch the branch pulled free of the ground, and Will fell backwards.

As he hit the ground Will get the soil give way, and he continued to fall into the ground itself. Tumbling down Will eventually came to a stop at the bottom of a slope. Catching his breath, Will checked himself over for injuries. Finding just a few scratches he looked around.

Soem light entered from the hole above, but the room had a light green ambience to it. As he moved around he saw the light came from a moss growing on the floor and walls. Scattered throughout the room was a bunch of oddly shaped objects. Moving to the closest one Will brushed his hand across it clearing a layer of dirt from it.

Underneath was what looked like the top of a chicken egg, but it was much larger coming up to knee height on Will. As he cleared the dirt he saw the egg had a swirl of red, yellow, and white over the entirety of the egg.

Moving around Will continued to wipe the dirt off the mounds. As he did he found that they were all different colors, sizes, and seemingly made of different materials. Some seemed made of rock, another of some squishy like material, another looked like a cloud, and was soft like downy.

In the center of the room was an egg that was almost as tall as Will's almost six foot frame. Clearing the dirt he saw it was a black egg with white shooting thru it like some marble. Will had seen a stone like it at one of the larger towns his uncle had taken him to when he was younger. Moving off he found a bunch more, one egg fit into his palm only a few inches high. He was astounded at the variety of different eggs. Were these dragon eggs? He wondered as he moved around.

As he neared the end of the room opposite where he fell in he cleared off another egg. Under the dirt the egg was a dark blue with yellow jagged lines spreading from the top down the sides to the bottom. As he touched the egg a sharp jolt spread up his arm. A warm tingling sensation spread around his arm in a spiral ending on his chest.

Looking down he saw a glowing mark spiraling up his arm. It had a scale like pattern, but overlayed with the same jagged marks that are on the egg. As he watched the pattern faded from his arm until it faded completely from sight. Confused Will looked around one more time. Seeing tunnel against the wall a few feet away he moved over to investigate.

Looking inside he saw the tunnel angled upward. It was dark inside apparently the moss didn't extend up thru the tunnel. Without a light source Will didn't dare to explore further. Moving back to the otherside of the room, will clambered back up the slope to the hole he fell in thru.

Grabbing the branch he broke free of the landslide, Will made his way back to the carcass of the deer. Will made a litter from the branches, and some rope he carried in his hunting pack. Then jamming it firmly under the back of the deer, Will grabbed the legs and rolled the carcass over onto the litter. Then he began the trek back home.

*******

Will arrived home a few hours before sundown. Pulling the carcass to the small barn they used for smoking meat, he then went in to let his uncle know of his success. After helping Will to skin, and quarter the carcass they salted a large portion of the meat, laying some out for smoking, and taking the rest inside to the basement larder.

That night they enjoyed a hearty stew. As they ate Will told his uncle of his hunt, leaving out the cave he had fell in. His uncle would not be happy to hear about that.

"How far up the mountain did you go?" His uncle asked suspicious of Wills story.

Sighing Will knew there was no use lying about it. "I was up to almost the base of the tower when I finally caught up to where it collapsed."

"You know we aren't supposed to be that close." His uncle said sternly. His uncle was an imposing man with a large frame. Solidly muscled from his time in the military, and then kept fit by the farm work.

Will's parents had caught a bad Flux that passed thru the village. Passing away they left Will with no other family. The village wives had passed him around for a couple of years until his uncle was drummed out of military after losing his leg below the left knee. He got around fine with a wooden peg below his knee. After some repairs to the farm he took in Will, and took up farming for a living.

He stared sternly at Will until he looked cowed enough. Then grinning he said "Eh it's not big deal." As he shrugged. "Just don't let anyone know you were that close. The patrol is serious about enforcing that law." Finishing his last few bites of stew he say back and sighed contentedly. "Besides having the meat was well worth the risk."  Patting his belly as he said so.

Will grinned, "I know uncle I won't tell anyone I was up that way."

"Good." Looking out the window he saw there was still some light left outside. "Why don't we go outside an practice your sword work, it has been awhile. Don't want you getting rusty."

His uncle was always paranoid that the orcs would make their way over the mountain range to attack. Never mind they hadn't been seen in our area for more than five decades. He wanted to be sure Will knew how to defend himself regardless if the situation ever rose up. Plus there were still the dangers of bandits that liked to make camps in the mountains from time to time.

Standing up they moved outside to practice. After Will obtained a few more bruises to go with the ones he gained in his tumble earlier, they turned in for the night.

*******

The next day Will finished his chores feeding the pigs, chickens, and milking their dairy cow around midday. Heading back inside Will found his Uncle. "I finished my chores, is it ok if I go exploring for the day? Maybe I can find some more likely hunting areas."

"Sure bud. The only other thing needs doing today is some repair to a section of the pastor fencing. Won't take me long, you go have some fun." He smiled. I hadn't had a lot of free time the last few weeks with our harvet, and helping some of the other farms out for some of their extra.

"Thanks," I said with a grin grabbing my pack, bow, and quiver from beside the door. Slinging all across my back I strapped my hunting knife to my left calf, and my short sword to my right thigh.

Heading out I went thru the woods towards my best friends house. Tuck has been Will's best friend since they were little. His mom had taken care of Will the most out of the village wives. Only living a couple of miles from each other they had often played together growing up. Will had to tell Tuck about the cave he had fell into yesterday. The loved to go adventuring around together so Tuck would definitely want to explore the rest of the cave.

As he arrived he noticed Tuck's mom out on the front yard hanging the laundry to dry. She was a nice and very pretty lady. She had dark nutmeg hair, with a tanned complexion. She was wearing her normal white with blue flowers house dress with a light pink apron.

"Hey Mrs. Chandler, is Tuck free today?" I asked as I walked up.

"Oh hey there son. Yes he should be around here somewhere. I'm sure his father doesn't have much for him to do. We are all caught up on the candle orders, we even have some extra already made."

"Thanks ma'am." I said waving as I jogged around to the back of the house. Tucks dad ran a candle making business. They weren't rich, but they were more well off than most in the village. Whenever the traveling merchants came to town once a month they always bought all of their candles, and placed new orders for more.

Looking into the building out back I saw Tuck and his dad working on one of the vats of melted wax. Most of the candles the family made were rendered from the fats provided by the village, however Tuck's dad made candles for the merchants from beeswax. The beeswax vats were kept separated with different scents added to each vat, while the animal fat was kept in one large vat.

Tuck was smaller than me. Not having to do as much hard manual labor he didn't attain the muscle me, and my uncle had. He did have a lean frame though, with wiry muscle from our hikes, and adventuring. He had a light brown complexion with curly black hair.

His father was also about the same height, but he had the dark brown complexion from his southern desert heritage. As long as Will had remembered he had kept his head shaved bald.

Knocking on the door frame Will spoke up, "Hey Mr. Chandler can Tuck go exploring today?"

Looking around Tucks face lit up with joy. He liked his dad's work, but the boys hadn't seen each in weeks. Smiling Tucks dad said, "I guess. I have worked him hard these last few weeks. You boys go have some fun." Whooping with joy, Tuck burst out of the workshop. Racing inside to grab his things, as his dad stepped out. "Where will you boys be off to today?"

Knowing better than to tell him about the cave Will said, " Oh just around the woods, and probably down to the creek." The creek where they normally explored was far from the tower, but it ran down from the mountain next to the tower too, so Will still wasn't telling a total lie, or so he reasoned.

"Well just be careful." He said concerned.

Turning as Tuck returned from the house with his own pack, and hunting knife. Waving to his parents we moved off thur the woods heading east. As we caught up about everything that had happened over the last few weeks I slowly angled us more north.

"So where are we headed?" Tuck asked as he noticed our change in direction. Will then filled him in on the experiences of the day before. "Good thing I keep a few candles in my pack." Tuck said with a big grin. "This is gonna be so cool!"

"I knew you would feel the same." Will said with a matching grin.

After a couple of hours they reached the cave. Carefully the boys slid down the slope to reach the cave floor. Tuck stood transfixed at the sight of the egg like objects scattered throughout the cave. Will moved up to his side breaking the trance. "Amazing huh?"

"Definitely," Tuck said, and look of awe on his face.

"Well let's go see what's up the tunnel." Will said moving away.

"Oh right," Tuck started. Moving forward the pulled his pack around, and digging into the side removed two candles from a perfectly shaped pocket. Then he pulled two holders, and some flint from the main compartment. Putting the candles on the small holders he lit one, then after handing it to Will he lit the second. The holder was little more than a wood handle with a small circular plate for the candle to sit on, and the wax to pool.

With a light source the two boys moved up to the tunnel. Yet Will stopped short. Something was wrong, he thought. As he looked around he noticed that one of the egg shaped objects was different. Moving over to examine it he saw it was the blue one from the day before, but the top third of it was gone. Pieces of it were scattered on the floor around it.

Peering into the top, all Will saw was a hollow interior. Could this really have been a dragon egg, He thought. Quickly he called for Tuck. Holding their candles over the open top they looked at each other.

"Well something must have come from the inside for the pieces to be on the ground around it." Will said.

"I get that, but do you think it will be dangerous?" Tuck asked, I could see the fear written across his body as he tried his best to look brave.

"I'm sure it will be fine." Will assured his friend. "It probably went out the hole looking for food. Even if it is still here it's a baby, newly hatched, how dangerous could it be?"

Visibly Tuck relaxed, "That's true." Together the boys moved up the tunnel. After a dozen feet the boys noticed an indent on the walls to both sides. Examining them they noticed a rock like object set into both indents. They were a smokey grey color, and smooth to touch.

As Will ran his right hand over the surface he felt it warm to his touch. Then, with a flash of the mark he had seen appear on his hand and arm the day before, the stone lit with a dim inner white light.

Tuck moved over examining the stone. "These are magelights!" Tuck said in wonder. "I've seen them in the capital. They work on magic, and are set in all the main guilds as well as alot of noble houses in the city. I though they could only be activated by a mage though." Tuck looked at Will in wonder. "What was that flash on your arm?"

"It was the mark I was telling you about. It came back up as I touched the stone." I looked at my hand in astonishment.

"Well that means we won't need these at least." Tuck blew out his candle, then reached for Will's.

"Wait, we should probably make sure it wasn't just dumb luck first." Walking further down the hall until he found another indent. Upon touching it, the mark flashed on his arm again, and the stone lit up with a gentle light.

Handing his candle to Tuck to put away, the pair moved along the tunnel. The tunnel itself headed upwards at a gradual slope, and maintained a constant curve to the right as they moved. Eventually the boys finally came to a room where the tunnel ended.

The room was fairly unimpressive. Just a circular space with the tunnel mouth on one side, and a pair of steel doors across from it. Looking around, yet seeing nothing else in the room, the two boys approached the doors. The doors were of a plain design, nothing but smooth slabs of metal with a vertical bar set on each door where they met, and set on hinges.

Tuck reached out to run his hands across the smooth cool exterior. After finding nothing but the handles he attempted to first push the doors then pull to no avail. Turning to Will he started to shrug in confusion, but stopped when he saw Will's look of astonishment. Turning back Tuck saw that words had appeared in a glowing white script on, or no floating just off the surface of the door.

The words were just nonsensical scribbles to the pair though. However as they looked the patterns shifted, and lines moved forming words from the common tongue they were taught by Tuck's father.

"Only those who possess the mark of a Dragon Knight of the Thunder Legion may open these doors." Tuck read aloud, then looked at Will. "Well you have that mark, maybe you should give it a try?"

Nodding Will stepped up, and placing his hands against the door gave a push. First there was a slight sense of resistance pushing against him, then a tingling sensation shot up his right arm. With a flash his whole arm lit up with his mark, and the doors glided silently open.

On the other side was a huge open cylindrical area. To the right of the doors they had just exited was an archway open to outside. Looking out the boys could see their village far below.

"We're in the lookout!" Exclaimed Tuck. "I never thought anyone would be able to get up here. This is so amazing!" He just stared out at the view in open fascination. It was impressive. Below them was the slope of the mountain, followed by the miles of forest. There was a break in the forest where an area had been cleared, and their small village was situated. After that the forest stretched for a large area until in the distance the boys could just see the large lake where the closest town was located.

It was an amazing sight. Turning back inside Will looked over the area. There were tapestries hanging on the walls that depicted battle scenes, and a couple of banners bearing the mark of the Thunder Legion. This was a silhouette of a Dragon holding lightning bolts in its front claws. It was situated on a dark blue field, with a gold border on the edges. At the far end of the are from the stone archway was two sets of curving stairs that led up into the floor above. Between the stairs though was a very large doorway that was definitely big enough for a dragon to move thru.

"I guess this was the landing area for the returning Knights." Will said, " Would explain why it's so open and empty in here." Looking at the walls he noticed that there were four more doors set into the wall around him as well. Two to his left, and two to the right. This confused him though. The tower was definitely only a single spire of stone coming up off the mountain. There weren't any halls or room set off the tower to explain the doors.

Moving over to the first one on his write he looked at the writing above it, but it was written in the same language that the glowing script originally showed up, and he was unable to read it. As he grabbed the handle he felt a tingling sensation, and upon pulling the door open there was a shimmer across the opening like a soap bubble. Thru opening though he could see an area with multiple tables with glassware spread out among them. There were also bookshelves lining all walls all around the room.

Turning Will called Tuck over. As he came even Will asked, "Do you have any idea what this room could be?"

Studying the room thru the doorway for a moment then answering "it looks like some sort of apothecary or alchemist lab." Turning he went to the next door, but when he opened it he was greeted with a stone wall. Groaning with frustration he closed it back and turned to Will. "Guess you're the only one who can open these doors too." Closing the first door back the boys made their way around the room opening the other three doors.

Thru the other doors was a library, a dining hall, and what looked like a training area with weapons, and wooden sparing poles. After looking thru the rooms that boys moved upstairs. There they found a communal sleeping area with twelve cots linning the wall, and a trunk at the foot of each. In the center of the room was a set of stairs leading up thru the ceiling to the next floor.

Up these stairs the boys found a small landing with a door set into the a wall. Above them was the tapering ceiling of the tower roof. In the center of the room was a pedestal with a book resting on it. Moving to the door Will attempted to open it, but it would not budge. Turning he saw Tuck standing at the pedestal. As he watched the other boy attempted to touch the book, but to no avail. It was like a bubble surrounded the top of the pedestal barring him access.

Moving over Will reached out to touch the invisible force. He felt resistance against his hand, but as his full palm rested against the surface there was a glow from his mark, and the bubble lit up in response glowing a light blue.

Then Will found himself standing in a black void. Spinning he looked in every direction, but could see nothing but the pitch black any where. Then a man stepped forward out of the darkness. He was a few inches taller than Will himself, but broader of shoulder. The man was clad in a set of intricate leather armor. The man himself was pale skinned with piercing blue eyes, and shoulder length brown hair. He looked human at first until Will noticed the six short hornlike protrusions above the man's eyes. As the man drew closer Will saw that the pupils were slitted like that of a cat. It was very unsettling.

"Hello, young one." The man spoke to Will. "Congratulations are in order it seems. You are the first to be bonded to a dragon since the fall of our order." Looking at Will quizzically he asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm s-seventeen," Will stammered out. Nervous about where he was, and what was happening.

"Hmmm older than those we normally take to be trained in my time, but that's probably for the best in the current age." He pondered out loud.

"Where am I, what's going on?" Will asked the older man.

"Ah yes sorry, right now your physical body is still standing in the room where you found the book. However we are conversing on a mental plane created by the spell I left around my final journal. Right now the magic is currently filling your mind with the knowledge you will need moving forward."

"What kind of knowledge are we talking about here?" Will asked in worry.

"Relax it's not a big deal. We would use this spell on all the new recruits. It just passes on all the knowledge we have about the various dragons, and how to care for them. Then it teaches you the language we of the Legion would use. Lastly it instills the knowledge of all the different weapons, and how to use them properly. For that last one you will still have to pick a weapon, and practice the forms diligently to instill the muscle memory to actually be effective with them though."

"OK well all of that sounds alright I guess. You mentioned magic though, does that mean I will be able to cast spells?"

"Well yes, and no. You see magic isn't that simple. Each knight had different magic they were able to use depending on their dragon, and their own affinities. For myself I had a normal Fire drake. This gave me easy access to using fire magic, however I also had an affinity for mind, and space magic. You will have to go thru the library to find the item we would use to determine the new knights affinities. It is a small orb, you should find sitting on a shelf behind the main desk. There will be a manual with it that will tell you how to read, and understand the readings it shows."

The two spent their time discussing various topics from here, mostly covering history, and how much time had passes since the fall of the knights. "Well our time is about at an end. My journal will explain what happened in the last couple of years before the knights fell. Read it, and stay safe. Our hopes for the knights to rise again rests with you. Do your best, and know I believe in you. You will find more by traveling to the various holds, and recovering the other journals I left." With these words the darkness closed in.