HOME | DD

Description

Horse Featured: A487 || SWS White Gold

Rider: Valerian Cross

Location: The Lost Kingdom

Dragon Type: Gemstone Dragon - Woods

Valerian Cross’s armor clinked. His mare was on edge, and he couldn’t blame her. They were heading to the Lost Kingdom to find a shard of Arcane magic to bring home. The small box against his left hip clicked against his dragon-scale tunic. He and his mare would have to get used to the sounds of their armor clinking and clanking as they moved through the task. Stealth was not an option here, sadly. Valerian grabbed his reins, and mounted up. He was careful to tuck his legs behind the mare’s white wings. They had to use the Goldenwing potion to get them to the Lost Kingdom. Once there, Valerian had a canteen of sugar water to remove the mare’s wings. She worked best on the ground, truth be told. So he knew that he’d have to prepare for her to do her best.

“Are you sure this is the best plan?” His beloved sighed, dark eyes wide as he watched Valerian mount up. The man shook his head, seeming worried and hesitant to let Valerian and Solas go. But the white mare was - quite literally - chewing at the bit to get going. And Valerian smiled, patting Arden’s hand, his gloved gauntlets preventing him from feeling Arden’s warm flesh against his fingertips. Arden worried so. And Valerian couldn’t blame him. The blonde knew he may not return from this journey, and he and his horse would have to fight hard if they wanted to return home to their stables and beloveds.

“Relax,” Valerian found himself saying. “I’ll be gone long enough to get the shard, and then I’ll return,” he promised. “It’s going to be okay,” he told Arden. Even if he didn’t exactly believe it, he had to make sure that Arden wouldn’t worry more than he already did. There was little to be done, now, but get going. Valerian looked down at the terrified Arden, and felt his heart lurch. The white mare he rode pawed at the ground, not wanting to wait any longer. But Valerian hesitated.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. With this, Valerian slammed his helmet’s visor down, and took the reins up in his hands. The man tapped his mare’s sides with his heels, and she flung herself into the air. Her powerful, white wings flapped, bringing them into the sky. It was time to fly to their destinies. Or their deaths. Whatever awaited them. Gulp.

The flight was a long one, and both horse and rider were beginning to grow weary when they finally stepped down onto the landscape of the Lost Kingdom. It was…something. Valerian loved the idea of exploring landscape, but he had to focus. In a flash, he dismounted and gave his mare her sugar water. Her wings shrank, and disappeared with a fluff of feathers. Clambering aboard again, Valerian holstered his canteen, and grabbed his reins. It was time to go looking for some arcane shards.

The horse and rider walked forward. The horse’s armor clanked; the rider’s armor clanked. Above them, the clouds roiled, threatening rain. Within minutes, the hiss of rain on the dead plains began. Drumming, thundering, rolling off them. The rain made it harder to see; it was suddenly dark. Horse and rider pressed on. The landscape was…evil. That was the only word for it. The plains hissed with purple Arcane magic. The ground itself was black with death; all the trees were bare, or if they had leaves, the leaves were blackened and dead. It was…terrible. Valerian was shaken. His mare seemed to be all right, though her ears were back, and her steps hesitant. Horse and rider continued on.
They were not sure where to find the Arcane shards. There was plenty of Arcane magic pulsing through the landscape, but no actual shards. Valerian grew frustrated. His mare could sense his irritation. She swished her tail, and champed at the bit. Together, horse and rider pressed on. They stepped between the crags of purple Arcane magic.

Suddenly, the earth before them rose up. A scream, terrible and echoing, filled the thunderous sky. A dragon! The creature had a tree on its back, marking it as a forest dragon. But the plants along its spine were dead and black. The tree on it glowed with Arcane infection. The creature’s eyes were purple and dazed. The dragon screamed again, clawing at the air as it fought to stand on its own four clawed feet.

“CRAP!” Yelled Valerian, above the rain, the thunder, the dragon’s cry. “C’mon, Girl, let’s do this!” He screamed. Drawing his sword, Valerian charged forward. In a moment, everything happened. The mare reared up, as the dragon reached out to strike at her. At the same time, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, exploding as it hit the earth. The moment was freeze-framed, as the dazzling light from the lightning strike blinded all three of them. As the glow faded, the horse shook herself free from the dazzlement. Her rider was still blinking away the brightness, as was the dragon. The horse charged to the side, as the dragon’s claws came down, where she’d been a moment only before. She had to avoid the gaps in the ground, where purple Arcane magic oozed. The man wielded his sword, as his vision cleared. The dragon whipped its tail about, and Solas barely dodged the blow. The horse and rider came up behind the dragon now, clambering on the wet stones. More lightning flashed in the sky. Thunder followed.

The mare took her shot. Working in tandem with her rider, she leaped forward, barely avoiding the Arcane-tainted tree branches. Valerian leaped from the saddle, his sword held in both hands. He stabbed downward, his sword entering the back of the dragon’s skull, and coming out through his mouth. The dragon fell. Immediately, the creature was gone.

Valerian yanked his sword free, wincing at the black blood that covered its blade. He’d have to clean that later. Shoving the sword back in its scabbard, he re-mounted the white and gold Nordanner mare’s back. He patted her neck, thanking her for saving his life, giving him an opportunity to save them both.

They still had to go find the shard…but…at least, maybe, they’d beaten the worst of it. Maybe.

Description

Horse Featured: A487 || SWS White Gold

Rider: Valerian Cross

Location: The Lost Kingdom

Dragon Type: Gemstone Dragon - Woods

Valerian Cross’s armor clinked. His mare was on edge, and he couldn’t blame her. They were heading to the Lost Kingdom to find a shard of Arcane magic to bring home. The small box against his left hip clicked against his dragon-scale tunic. He and his mare would have to get used to the sounds of their armor clinking and clanking as they moved through the task. Stealth was not an option here, sadly. Valerian grabbed his reins, and mounted up. He was careful to tuck his legs behind the mare’s white wings. They had to use the Goldenwing potion to get them to the Lost Kingdom. Once there, Valerian had a canteen of sugar water to remove the mare’s wings. She worked best on the ground, truth be told. So he knew that he’d have to prepare for her to do her best.

“Are you sure this is the best plan?” His beloved sighed, dark eyes wide as he watched Valerian mount up. The man shook his head, seeming worried and hesitant to let Valerian and Solas go. But the white mare was - quite literally - chewing at the bit to get going. And Valerian smiled, patting Arden’s hand, his gloved gauntlets preventing him from feeling Arden’s warm flesh against his fingertips. Arden worried so. And Valerian couldn’t blame him. The blonde knew he may not return from this journey, and he and his horse would have to fight hard if they wanted to return home to their stables and beloveds.

“Relax,” Valerian found himself saying. “I’ll be gone long enough to get the shard, and then I’ll return,” he promised. “It’s going to be okay,” he told Arden. Even if he didn’t exactly believe it, he had to make sure that Arden wouldn’t worry more than he already did. There was little to be done, now, but get going. Valerian looked down at the terrified Arden, and felt his heart lurch. The white mare he rode pawed at the ground, not wanting to wait any longer. But Valerian hesitated.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. With this, Valerian slammed his helmet’s visor down, and took the reins up in his hands. The man tapped his mare’s sides with his heels, and she flung herself into the air. Her powerful, white wings flapped, bringing them into the sky. It was time to fly to their destinies. Or their deaths. Whatever awaited them. Gulp.

The flight was a long one, and both horse and rider were beginning to grow weary when they finally stepped down onto the landscape of the Lost Kingdom. It was…something. Valerian loved the idea of exploring landscape, but he had to focus. In a flash, he dismounted and gave his mare her sugar water. Her wings shrank, and disappeared with a fluff of feathers. Clambering aboard again, Valerian holstered his canteen, and grabbed his reins. It was time to go looking for some arcane shards.

The horse and rider walked forward. The horse’s armor clanked; the rider’s armor clanked. Above them, the clouds roiled, threatening rain. Within minutes, the hiss of rain on the dead plains began. Drumming, thundering, rolling off them. The rain made it harder to see; it was suddenly dark. Horse and rider pressed on. The landscape was…evil. That was the only word for it. The plains hissed with purple Arcane magic. The ground itself was black with death; all the trees were bare, or if they had leaves, the leaves were blackened and dead. It was…terrible. Valerian was shaken. His mare seemed to be all right, though her ears were back, and her steps hesitant. Horse and rider continued on.
They were not sure where to find the Arcane shards. There was plenty of Arcane magic pulsing through the landscape, but no actual shards. Valerian grew frustrated. His mare could sense his irritation. She swished her tail, and champed at the bit. Together, horse and rider pressed on. They stepped between the crags of purple Arcane magic.

Suddenly, the earth before them rose up. A scream, terrible and echoing, filled the thunderous sky. A dragon! The creature had a tree on its back, marking it as a forest dragon. But the plants along its spine were dead and black. The tree on it glowed with Arcane infection. The creature’s eyes were purple and dazed. The dragon screamed again, clawing at the air as it fought to stand on its own four clawed feet.

“CRAP!” Yelled Valerian, above the rain, the thunder, the dragon’s cry. “C’mon, Girl, let’s do this!” He screamed. Drawing his sword, Valerian charged forward. In a moment, everything happened. The mare reared up, as the dragon reached out to strike at her. At the same time, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, exploding as it hit the earth. The moment was freeze-framed, as the dazzling light from the lightning strike blinded all three of them. As the glow faded, the horse shook herself free from the dazzlement. Her rider was still blinking away the brightness, as was the dragon. The horse charged to the side, as the dragon’s claws came down, where she’d been a moment only before. She had to avoid the gaps in the ground, where purple Arcane magic oozed. The man wielded his sword, as his vision cleared. The dragon whipped its tail about, and Solas barely dodged the blow. The horse and rider came up behind the dragon now, clambering on the wet stones. More lightning flashed in the sky. Thunder followed.

The mare took her shot. Working in tandem with her rider, she leaped forward, barely avoiding the Arcane-tainted tree branches. Valerian leaped from the saddle, his sword held in both hands. He stabbed downward, his sword entering the back of the dragon’s skull, and coming out through his mouth. The dragon fell. Immediately, the creature was gone.

Valerian yanked his sword free, wincing at the black blood that covered its blade. He’d have to clean that later. Shoving the sword back in its scabbard, he re-mounted the white and gold Nordanner mare’s back. He patted her neck, thanking her for saving his life, giving him an opportunity to save them both.

They still had to go find the shard…but…at least, maybe, they’d beaten the worst of it. Maybe.