Star Trader Update .042

042.01

Tal’on watched the green come and go as he finished up his meal. She dragged in numerous things that looked like their skins, but were in large squares. She spread one out on the stone beneath her feet and piled the others at her side. After making several trips she appeared to tire and sweat formed on her brow to dampened the fur that fell across it. Tal’on watched with horror, his mouth full of the last morsel off his platter, as she shed her outer skin and threw it to the ground. She proceeded to pull off another layer of her skin and wiped her face with it before she tossed it to the pile on the large skin. She now stood with only a layer of green around her chest and covering her legs. The rest of her, neck, shoulders, arms, appeared as her hands and face, pale and soft. Tal’on didn’t realize it, but his mouth was hanging open in surprise.

When Worlds Collide - The Book of Remy - Stalled

Dear Readers,

I am going to do something I have never done on this blog in the past twenty-plus years, I am going to stop a story before it is finished. Remy has found this recounting of his past very painful and is currently refusing to enumerate any further his earlier misdeeds.

His pact with Morrigan in order to be with Nithbeth, in his estimation, was the worst choice he ever made. It led to a series of events which bought vampires into existence and into our folklore. Even I do not know the details.

So, until our taciturn Willow Gate Keeper deems to talk to me, I am without recourse in the matter of listing his past achievements, good or bad.

I hope you will forgive Remy and me.

Until then, I give you a short story previously published in 2015, which some of you might have missed. And next week we will go off on another adventure with Yakov Hightower. The captain is always willing to chat with me about his exploits. Much like a dragon, he has a bit of an ego.

So on to, “Yakov Hightower and the Glitter of a Pirates Booty”.

A Gathering of Dragon - Chapter One

Queen Larkin, the ruler of Kerth, stood on the parapet, in the cool night air, awaiting the arrival of Farloft, the Dragon. Her guard rested close at hand, for no one, least of all the Queen, was safe since they learned of the threat from the neighboring Kingdom of Baldar.

“They surely will return soon,” Sarah, her sorceress assured her. “You should try to go back to bed. The night is cold.”

“I know… I know…” the Queen sighed.

She paced a bit away from her companions and strained her eyes in the hope she would glimpse Farloft and Adrian returning from their reconnaissance mission to the Kingdom of Baldar. She had awoken from a very vivid dream where Farloft called her name. The two had been gone for almost a full moon’s cycle. However, she had a very clear picture of them arriving tonight through the cool fall air. She wanted to be here to meet them. She pulled her fur cape up higher around her shoulders and leaned against the wall of the north tower behind her.

“Let’s wait just a little longer.”

Fur and Frost - A Dragon Love Story

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Welcome to My Worlds!

A Tale of Pirates and Sea Dragons

This in one of Farloft's tales during the time of his friendship with Thomas. Farloft details his life with Thomas in Book 6 of his Farloft Chronicles "Dragon Memories, Dreams & Reflection."

A Tale of Pirates and Sea Dragons

“My liege, if you could but consider loaning me the services of your dragon, I can prove to you that my trading vessel will work,” Captain Lea pleaded.

King Alfred shook his head. “I do not doubt that you can do as you say, Captain. I saw your impressive machine pull into the dock belching smoke like Farloft himself. But you see, he is not my dragon, as you put it. Farloft is very much his own commander. You would have to approach him directly.”

Hanging his head slightly and working his hat between his hands, the Captain confessed, “I must admit, though I have sailed the wildest seas, the idea of confronting a dragon seems a bit daunting, Sire.”

“I will send someone with you to make your ordeal a bit smoother.” The King smiled and waved the Captain aside in order for the next of his subjects to come forward with their appeal.

Isle of Mystery - Chapter 10

It was another five day’s trek before they saw the smoke billowing up from the forges of Lanis. Rugarth led the way, making sure he presented a powerful presence to the strong Lanis.

Paalsar was the leader of his people. He came out to meet them in his leather apron, his hammer still in one hand and the blade he was working on in the other. The man was built like a dragon without wings. His arms and legs were huge and muscular, and his chest a barrel which made his voice low and powerful. The muscles of his arms rippled as he placed the hammer and blade down on his anvil. A woman, Farloft later found out was Paalsar’s wife, Medeev, came to stand by his side. She rivaled her husband with her muscular arms as she folded them across her chest to listen in silence as Rugarth and Paalsar greeted each other.

Rugarth was the first to speak. “It is good to see you, my old friend.”

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 27 - The End

“There are a couple dozen of them setting up a perimeter around the entrance,” Jake announced as he and Arr hurried back up to us in the cavern. “They’re working up their courage to come in.”

I was standing beside Rudd’ard. “You should jump.” I said. “Get out of here and as far away as possible.”

“We won’t leave you.” Rudd’ard placed his hand on his Great and Graf’tal huffed an affirmation deep in his throat. “They killed your parents because of us. We will see you safely out of here or die trying.”

Graf’tal extended his paw toward Arr. “Give me the Sollen,” he ordered.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 25

“Tal’on could not stay away from Delevy,” Mul’drak said. He mantled his wings up over his head stretching them almost to the ceiling of the cave dome. He gave a big yawn, his large pink tongue rolling out its full length. The old dragon smiled wearily and shook his hand. “The young dragon’s bond was too strong. Over the next two years he ‘jumped’ to Delevy’s village often. The town grew to know him and though they did not understand his speech, they grew to enjoy the presence of the young dragon.”

“Delevy found she had extended family still living in the village,” Rudd’ard explained. “They and Tal’on helped her build a small home. They built a pole-barn nearby and Tal’on slept there, with Delevy at his side, on his visits during bad weather. But the Valdare’s world was changing. Even though their village was far away and they had kept to themselves, and hence out of the war between their people and the Sandcor, it eventually encroached on their world.”

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 24

I apologize for being late posting this installment. 

It is difficult at times to write the yearning of the heart and the sadness of parting.

Cras’mul and Haf’nad the two golden dragons who accompanied Graf’tal to retrieved Tal’on landed in the meadow joining the other four dragons and Delevy.

“There is a village ahead as Delevy indicated. It is perhaps one hundred wing strokes from here,” Cras’mul announced as he landed in front of the others with Haf’nad at his side.

“You’re sure they will accept you and give you shelter?” Graf’tal asked Delevy.

It had already been established that Delevy could understand them, but only Tal’on seemed to possess the power to understand her.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 23

Tal'on paced impatiently in the courtyard. He had not been able to share the cell with Delevy in months. He had grown too much to make it through the door and down the stairs. The Valdare staked him in the courtyard when he was home and brought Delevy up to him in order to keep him pacified and quiet during the days he was free from fighting their war or recovering from injuries inflicted by the same.

The jailer, who had become a friend of sorts, was fetching Delevy. Tal'on and Graf’tal landed in the courtyard. The rest of the dragons took up residence on the spires and wall of the building built around the yard. They caught the jailer on his way to take Delevy and his other prisoners dinner. He still did not speak Tal’on’s language, but he understood the young dragon’s demand for his companion. He also noticed right away Tal’on no longer wore the collar which kept him in a submissive state. The jailer hustled down the stairs to release Delevy.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 22

Tal’on was being assaulted from all sides on the battlefield. Sandcor troops surrounded him. They were doing their best to overwhelm the young dragon with numbers, because it was obvious their weapons were of little use to them. The ground shook beneath the dragon’s feet with the explosions of their extensive arsenal. Smoke and dirt was thick enough in the air it made it difficult to breathe.

Tal’on was fighting one of the most violent battles of his short career with the Valdare. The Sandcor were making a final stand in the valley before the canyon, which led into their capital. They were determined to stop the monster once and for all. They charged at Tal’on as he fought tooth and claw against them. A swipe of his paw and three men fell before him. A sweep of his wing and several more challengers were knocked to the ground. He was relentless as the Sandcor continued to pile up on him. They had formed a battle line against the Valdare, so they could not assist their ‘number one’ weapon, Tal’on.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 21

Tal’on lay on his belly with Delevy curled up against his chest in the crook of his front leg. She had finally fallen asleep.

After he surrendered in the stadium, the Prime revealed many things from the safety of his perch in the box overhead.  He explained that the collars they both wore had tracking devices built into them and if they were to try and remove them, they also had an explosive device in them that would be activated and no doubt decapitate them.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 19

“You will train the beast!” the Prime ordered. “If he did not come from the Sandcor then we shall turn him on them.”

“His is not a beast to be trained, my Prime,” Delevy tried to explain once again. “He is a thinking, reasoning being. Why would he fight on our side if he does not even come from here? He has no stake in our war.”

The Prime came from around his desk and grasp Delevy’s chin in his powerful hand. He raised her head so she could look into his angry, dark eyes.

“He has become quite close to you,” the Prime hissed.  “You will convince him to fight for us and we will see what he is worth.” 

He gave her chin a powerful squeeze which ground Delevy’s teeth together in her jaw. He dropped his hand. “You may pit him against the Sandcor prisoners. He will fight or he will die. Prepare him. I give you one full turn to make him ready.” The Prime swept back around his desk and flopped into his chair. “Go!”

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 18

“Let’s take a break,” Rudd’ard said. “Mul’drak and I will go get us all something to eat.”

Rudd’ard rose and swiftly mounted Mul’drak. He reached down and affectionately patted the larger dragon on the neck.

“We’ll be right back,” he assured us, and then promptly disappeared.

“Whoa,” Jake said with an exhale of breath. He looked toward Arr. “What are you getting out of this?”

“The non-verbal exchanges between the two seem to confirm what they are telling us,” Arr told his partner. He smiled in a conspiring fashion. “It will be interesting to see what they return with. I caught a glimpse of where they were going as they locked minds. I do love the sunglobes from Muldavian.”

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 17

Tal’on could hear Delevy’s voice. He felt a gentle touch stroking his ear and then a bit of a scratch that felt so good it made him drool in his sleep.

“Yuck, Tal’on,” Delevy wiped at her sleeve. “Have a heart,” she pleaded. “I have been sitting her for most of the night. You won’t let me go even to relieve myself. The least you could do is not make a further mess of me.”

“Hum?” Tal’on said, as he slowly began to come around.

It was as though someone or something had blown all the smoke and ash out of his way and he could see again. In his half-dream he was winging his way through the clouds. Yes, he was flying and there was a weight upon his back. Did he have his own charge? A companion to assist through the stasis as Graf’tal had assisted him? But no, Graf’tal wasn’t here. He couldn’t feel the elder dragon’s presence. Who was with him? He curled his neck up over his shoulder to see who was seated on his shoulders. He saw a booted foot and then a green leg. It was Delevy. His keeper was here in his dream and it seemed right, as though she belonged here with him.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 16

“Delevy told Tal’on later that she watched him from the safe place behind the bars of his prison as he seemed to crumple down over himself. She saw him quake and heard his moan as he drifted down into stasis. He collapsed over on his side and seemed to go into convulsions,” Rudd’ard explained. “That was when Delevy took the chance and went into see if she could help Tal’on.”

*****

He was so cold, his teeth were clacking together. Delevy could see he was unconscious. She took the chance she would be able to sense when to run and have the time to get away.  She pulled his blankets over his shivering body and when that wasn’t enough she fetched hers and more from storage to cover Aon. When she returned she could swear he was larger than when she left. His feet and hands stuck out from beneath the covers, but perhaps her mind was just playing tricks on her, or he had moved.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 15

The Prime had his guards escort Delevy to his chambers. She thought the ruler had heard about her caring for the beast and was going to punish her.

“Have a seat,” the Prime said and waved her to a chair in front of his desk.

Delevy had never been in the Prime’s office. In fact, she had never been in the assembly itself. She had been appointed keeper to the Sandcor by the head jailer based on her work, not by royal decree. She could feel the sweat trickle down her back as she took a seat on the most expensive looking chair she had ever seen. The cushion was red velvet with gold tassels. The chair itself was hand carved, by a talented artisan. It had the royal seal carved in its back. She tucked her booted feet under the chair and tried to make herself as small as possible. The Prime was all powerful. He could declare life or death for his subjects.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 14

     Tal’on watched the green come and go as he finished up his meal. She dragged in numerous things that looked like their skins, but were in large squares. She spread one out on the stone beneath her feet and piled the others at her side. After making several trips she appeared to tire and sweat formed on her brow to dampened the fur that fell across it. Tal’on watched with horror, his mouth full of the last morsel off his platter, as she shed her outer skin and threw it to the ground. She proceeded to pull off another layer of her skin and wiped her face with it before she tossed it to the pile on the large skin. She now stood with only a layer of green around her chest and covering her legs. The rest of her, neck, shoulders, arms, appeared as her hands and face, pale and soft. Tal’on didn’t realize it, but his mouth was hanging open in surprise.

Planet Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 13

Delevy pushed the platter, of what Tal’on could only assume was food, toward him with her handy broom handle. She had been in and out over the last few hours. The young dragon decided she had been assigned as his guard. She lengthened the chain that was attached to his neck by flipping a lever on the wall which allowed the ring in the floor to detach and rise up on its own length of chain. The young dragon could now stand and stretch his legs.

            Tal’on reached out and fingered the ‘food’ on the platter. It was some sort of vegetation – multiple colors and textures. There was no meat visible on the tray. Nothing that Tal’on would actually term as food. He pushed the stuff around with a claw. He was ravenous. He had no idea how long he had been without food…long enough to feel a bit dizzy when he stood…long enough that if he were home he could have eaten a full grown Crazar without difficulty all on his own. He looked up into the green’s smiling face. She encouraged him by signing an eating motion with hand-to-mouth.

Plant Designation 014.666.2460 - Chapter 12

            Tal’on landed on his feet without Graf’tal beneath him. That in itself was surprising enough, for he had just been astride the elder dragon seconds ago. Even more upsetting though was the fact that he was not anywhere he had ever seen in his lifetime of over one hundred years, and surrounded by beings totally alien to him. He recognized only those three facts before the intense vertigo he felt from the aborted Jump brought him down on all fours to steady himself on the unusually patterned rock surface below his feet.

            The beings were screaming and shouting. They were small, two legged creatures with pale, non-scaled skin from the neck up and on the hands. However, the rest of their bodies were all different colors. As many colors as Tal’on had seen in all his life and then some. No two appeared the same. On their heads they had fur like the beasts his kin hunted and ate at home. Some ran away from him, while others charged forward with metal sticks. When he raised his clawed paw to fend them off, they struck at him with the sticks. The weapons were charged with something which made the muscles in the area hit contract violently, causing great pain.