Night Runner loved his life. He had obtained his rulership from fighting in what he belived in.
He overthrew an evil ruler and he was hailed as a hero. From this he gained fame in all the land, but never once used it to his advantage. He was proud of himself but not the least bit snobby. All he cared about was ruling the land fair and keeping things in order. He really never had time for love and he had it that all the dragonesses of his land were not like him, none had his fire and the courage to take what they wanted, that was, until he met Mystic Shadows.
She was new to his land and the first time they met, she had threatened to end his life. Night had relived the moment again and again in his mind.
She had been taking a drink at a lake when he had spotted her from flying over head. He was somewhat drawn to this mighty creature who was drinking in one of his lakes. Night had landed behind her, checking her out and realizing that she was new to the land. He had been planning to introduce himself to her but as he walked up behind her, she attacked him.
She was about as massive as he was. Night had never seen such brawn, especially in a female. She turned on her heel and lunged at him. Night was so shocked by her attack that he didn't defend himself.
Her front talons gripped his neck and threw him to the ground, sprawling on his back. This hurt immensly but he still took no evasive. She released her grip only to press him down with her front talons pressing against his chest. Night locked eyes with the female, her eyes blazing and her teeth bared, she was ready to kill him. He couldn't belive this.
"You better have a good reason for sneaking up on me!" she hissed.
"What?" Night quickly defended. "Sneaking up on you? Milady I assure you that I was not. Now if you would please step off me, I will explain myself to you."
The dragoness blinked and her face relaxed. She paused for a moment and then jumped back, allowing him to roll over and get to his feet. He shook himself off and stared at her.
He looked her over and admired her before he started, "I was taken by your size so i thought i would introduce myself to you and welcome you to my land."
Mystic Shadows face was expressionless. "Your land?"
Night nodded. "Yes, I am Lord Night Runner, ruler of all you see here." He was rather surprised she had not heard of him. Everyone knew of Lord Night...except her.
"Aye, then forgive me my Lord," she replied with the same motionless tone.
Night shook his head and replied. "Honestly, I was rather impressed by your performance. You are one talented dragoness."
"I should be," she replied coldly.
"And why is that milady?" Night questioned.
Mystic Shadows looked him and down but never revelled her thoughts upon her motionless face. She met his gaze for a moment, holding it, then looked to the sky.
"I really must be on my way my Lord," she answered.
Night sucked in a breath and stepped up to her. Panic running through him as he realized she was leaving. He didn't want her to leave.
"How long will you be staying on my land milady?" Night asked, trying to keep her infront of him for as long as possible.
"Not long," she stated. "A few days, if that is right with you Lord Night."
"Of course, stay as long as you like," he said and thought to himself, that means I have a a few more chances to met with her. I have to see her again and talk with her.
Mystic Shadows turned and unfolded her wings. She walked away while he started after her in disbelief.
"Oh wait!" Night quickly cried as he realized what he still didn't know. "I don't even know your name Milady?"
Mystic Shadow paused and looked back at him. For the first time she showed expression at him aside from the fury when she had first saw him. She smiled and said, "Milady is good enough for now, Lord Night. Maybe I shall see you again."
Night was lost for words as he watched the dragoness spread her massive wings and take to the skies,
flapping as she got higher and higher, until she disappeared from Night's sight but leaving an aching need in his heart. This was the first dragoness he had ever been the least bit impressed with, much less had that feeling in his heart for.
That had been only a half a day before. Night Runner stayed up through the night and thought about who she could be, where she came from and how he was going to find her again. Night had sent his personal messenger, who was out already, to return to him as soon as possible. Night would speak to no one else about her. Mostly because he didn't want any body else finding out about this mighty dragoness, he wanted all chances with her to himself.
A small golden colour dragon stepped into his liar just as dawn was beginning to break.
"Ah, Dusk, come in I have a few questions for you and possible and assignment too," Night told the dragon.
Dusk walked up to him. "What do you wish of me, milord?"
Night walked out onto the ledge of his liar and looked towards the sky. He stared for a long time before he looked at Dusk, standing quietly at behind him, awaiting orders.
"There is a new dragoness visiting my island," he started.
"She is massive and when I went to introduce myself, she even attacked me thinking I was sneaking up on her. She was so, so, mysterious as I talked with her. She wouldn't even give me her name."
Dusk was nodding. "Aye, I know who that is. Don't worry about her sir, she is just passing through. She will be gone soon enough."
Night frowned. "You know about her, what is her name? Tell me about her."
Dusk had a troubled look as he said, "You mean, you don't know who she is my Lord?"
Night shook his head.
"Tis Goddess Mystic Shadows my Lord!!" Dusk said with worry.
Night still shook his head.
Dusk's mouth fell open in shock. "She was Goddess of a large island off the north coast."
"Was?" Night asked curiously.
Dusk swallowed. "Pardon my shock here my Lord but I wasn't aware that you didn't know about her, every dragon knows her story."
"Every dragon that is except me, however I get the feeling I am about to," Night answered.
Dusk nodded slowly and started, "Aye, she was the Goddess of a large island and a huge empire of both dragon and mythical creature. She was powerful ruler and all would obey her command. Mystic was mated with Lord Thorn Shadows, who had no right to her kingdom as long as she lived and he hated that. He, as the male, thought that he should be the ruler and his evil heart lead him to plotting and scheming that if he could not have her kingdom, then neither could she," Dusk paused and sighed. "In the end, he managed to have her subjects rebel against her and threatens on her life if she did not leave the kingdom. Lord Thorn had managed to turn her kingdom against her and they praised him."
Night was staring at Dusk, trying to absorb the story and believe it. He could not see how a dragon could be so cruel, so evil. Even the evilness he faced to take the island was not that bad compared to this Lord Thorn. "What happened to Mystic, did she just leave the island?"
Dusk shook his head. "Mystic is not like that. When she realized what her mate had done to her, she killed him in his sleep, ripped his heart out with her bare talon. That just made things worse for her ruler ship. Now, where her subjects just wanted her to step down from high praise, they claimed her of jealous murder and hated her. Mystic realized that she no longer had control and left her kingdom, which is now called the Isle of the Rouge Dragons."
Night nodded. "Now I have heard of that island but I had no idea how it came to be," Night sighed and looked to the sky. "That would explain her edginess and why she was so cold towards me. What else do you know about her Dusk, what does she do now?"
Dusk answered. "She has been flying from place to place for years now. All she ever wants is to rule again. I think she is looking for a place unruled so she can take over. It's her one dream in life sir, to be the way she was so long ago."
"Would she ever be mated again?" Night asked.
Dusk laughed. "Oh no my Lord, she hates the male kind and she is afraid of them. My Lord, you are not thinking that you, you are not interested in her are you? She is a rouge dragoness and has a black heart now, nothing can change that. She is a loss cause and hopeless now."
Night ignored Dusk's warnings. "I want you to find her and bring her to me, no questions, just do it and you better find her before she leaves my island!" Night roared.
Dusk sighed and spread his wings, jumping off the cliff and sore through the sky. Night watched him closely and smiled to himself. He would give Mystic what she wanted, he would change her and make her happy again, if it was the last thing he did.
Night Runner felt as if he had been waiting for hours in the dark, loneliness of his liar. He knew that Dusk would find her, he could find any one, but the question was, if Mystic would come back with him. Night Runner stiffed his weight and rolled to his back, staring up at the ceiling. He was feeling so odd and was not able to shake the feelings off but knew if he saw Mystic, it would go away.
He closed his eyes for a moment and picture her in his mind, the cold dark eyes staring at him or the bright shinny ones that had smiled at him. He could still hear the words of Dusk as he told her sad story and felt the twitch or sadness and compassion he had towards her, for all she had gone through, but most of all, she was like him. Until he had met her, he didn't know dragonesses could come like that. She was one in a million and he wanted her to be his, he wanted to make her happy.
Night Runner jumped to his feet and walked outside. He searched the skies, hoping to see Dusk being followed by Mystic but all he saw was a lone gryphon soaring the skies. Night Runner let his head fall and his body slump to the ground, he closed his eyes and prayed for her to come.
Mystic Shadows had been aware of the small golden dragon following her for quite sometime but she didn't let it show.
She wanted to know what he was up to before she attacked and questioned him. She stopped flying and landed on a large bolder over looking a large lake. She made it look like she was staring at the water but her eyes were on the dragon behind her. She saw him land and start coming up towards him. As she felt herself tense up and a snarl caress her lips, she heard him speak.
"Goddess Mystic Shadows?" he called.
Mystic whipped her body around and pounced on him. She grasped his neck and pulled his feet from the ground, holding him in the air. His eyes were ready to pop out of his head and he gasped for air.
"What did you call me?!!" Mystic growled.
"Forgive me Milady!" Dusk choked out. "I didn't mean to offended you, I am here from Lord Night Runner who has called you to his liar."
Mystic dropped the dragon and stared at him as he rubbed his neck and inhaled large breaths.
"Oh he has, has he," Mystic snarled.
"Please, he would like to speak with you your majesty," Dusk said.
Mystic snarled and brought her face to his. "Don't call me that!"
"Aye for give me Milady, I do not mean to disrespect," Dusk explained. "It's just that, you were, well....." Dusk trailed off and decided not to finish his sentence.
Mystic eyed the small golden dragon and then said, "So Lord Night Runner wishes to see me, for what?"
"I am not sure Mystic," Dusk replied.
Mystic sighed. "Lead the way then....."
"Dusk Milady," he replied happily and with pride. "Right hand dragon of Lord Night Runner."
Mystic nodded and spread her wings, following Dusk through the sky.
"Tis good to see you again Mystic," Night called to her as she landed with Dusk.
Mystic simply nodded.
"You can go now Dusk until I need of you again," Night told the dragon.
Dusk nodded and bowed to his Lord, then turned to Mystic and bowed. He jumped off the ledge and flew away.
Mystic stretched out on the ledge, making herself comfortable in front of Night. Her wings were folded against her and her feet under her. Mystic's spiked tail was curled around her body,
she looked quite content to Night, not afraid of him as she gazed up at him with what looked like curious eyes.
Night sat down in front of her, wings folded with his hind legs under him and his front holding him up straight, his tail was twitching slightly behind him, in a sweeping motion that showed relaxation. He lend his head down towards Mystic.
"I must apologize for my actions yesterday evening," he started. "I had not idea who you were and I was probably out of line a little. For that, I am sorry Mystic."
She laughed. "It would of been better if you never found out who I was. I like to keep a small profile my Lord. I don't want dragons to know who I am now a days. There are to many wild stories about me. Dragons like to gossip."
"I have never heard of such tales and I am sure if I had I would not have believed them," Night replied. "I know you, the real you. I can see it in your eyes and in your motions. You and I have a lot in common you know."
Mystic laughed again. "Why, have you killed your mate and lost your kingdom too Lord Night Runner?"
"No, can't say I have but I was not talking about that Goddess," he responded. "I am talking about what we want in life. I know what you want. You are a ruler and you want to rule over land and creatures. You want to become what your parents before you were. You don't want to shame the family name. You have pride and courage to take what you want but things are standing in your way, things that you can't help, well alone that is. No single dragon can take the world on alone you know. Everyone needs help now and then."
Mystic's face hardened as she realized what he was saying. "I will not be joined, especially not by the likes of you Lord Night Runner. You are wrong, I can do this alone and in fact, I know where I am heading to get my wish. I have been so many places, I have been off the islands and do you know what is there?"
Night shook his head.
"I new breed of race Lord Night Runner," she replied with glazed eyes. "They call themselves humans and no dragons live on the main land. It is my prefect opportunity to go there and rule. These creatures are simple minded, they will take right to me."
Night was frowning at her. "Surely Milady you have heard of these humans, the ones on the main land I mean. Do you know why there are no dragons there Mystic?"
"Does it matter?" she replied.
"There are no dragons there because the humans fear us and hunted all the dragons of the main land down, that is why we live on the islands," Night explained. "You can't possible be serious about going there, you will be killed!"
Mystic growled and stood. "You will not be the one to tell me what I can and can't do Lord Night, this is none of your business. Good day!"
With that, Mystic jumped from him and took to the skies,
without letting Night say another thing to her.
