Ashtar was a peaceful and docile world. Its lands were covered in rolling hills and green pastures, with crystal clear lakes dotting the valley. Ashtar was also a world of dragons who are the protectors and guardians of its skies.
When the dragons majestically flew above, Ashtarians clapped and cheered with great pride. The sounds of cheering traveled as high as the dragons’ wings as they showed off their acrobatic skill, the warm sun illuminating their jaw-dropping spectacle to everyone in the land.
One day, two of Ashtar’s mightiest dragons, Quintar, a red,and Sarz, a blue, were showing off their incredible acrobatic displays. They shot high up into the clouds and descended just as quickly, gliding across the green plains. People erupted in applause below, calling out their names with the utmost sense of respect as the sounds of their power were heard for miles.
“Hail the mighty Quintar! Hail the mighty Sarz!” a man shouted.
The two dragons sliced through the air, eventually alighting on two massive white rocks nearly touching the sky. Quintar perched himself upon one while Sarz gently landed upon the other. The two majestic dragons tilted their heads down and gazed across the lands of Ashtar, which stretched a long ways in all directions, covered with trees flourishing with the greenest leaves and lakes glistening in the illumination of the sun. Ashtar was, without a doubt, a place of immense beauty.
“Well, hello, Quintar., Sarz, another fine day as usual. You two always look magnificent. I sure hope you are staying out of trouble,.” Xavier called from below.
Xavier was a swordsman in training and already a great one at that. He was a young man, tall slender man with shoulder length black hair who could cut into a tree limb with ease and on occasion got carried away. His teacher and master was Wick who was as tiny as one’s pinky finger but nonetheless a wise and great wizard. You see, Wick was a grasshopper, but never let his small size fool you. He was very powerful and should never be taken for granted, even though Wick was a wizard of a good nature. He had not a single bit of evil in him.
“Ah, Quintar and Sarz. You two never disappoint with your eye-catching aerial acrobatics. Always a good show,” Wick said as he fluttered over then steadied himself, flapping his wings as he hovered in place.
“Master Wick, how about we practice some more of my sword wielding skills? Any day is a perfect day for that, don’t you agree?. I’ve been getting a hankering to show you how much I’ve improved. I think I’m ready to go into battle should the circumstance arise,” Xavier boasted.
Xavier was perhaps over-confident.
“Now, don’t get too worked up. I believe in you, but are you battle-ready? You have a ways to go, my young friend. Besides, we haven’t seen a fight on our soil in decades, as we know how to keep the peace here on Ashtar. It’s Dragonite which is an unsteady and ruthless land. Those Dragonites enjoy seeing the suffering of others and, as you know, the dragons there are merciless,” Wick said.
Dragonite was the land of evil dragons. Dragons who burn people to ash, who eat anything and anyone in their way. It was a land of darkness and dread. The Ashtarians feared it and never traveled beyond its borders.
“Oh, come on, Wick. I can slice up any one of those dragons should they ever cross into our sky. One quick flick of the wrist and my sword will cut into their flesh like butter,” Xavier said.
“You have much to learn yet, my young friend. Far too much to learn. Those dragons would crush you like a grape and they wouldn’t think twice about it,” Wick reminded him.
At this, the young Xavier gripped his sword tightly and swung into the air. He took the stance of a keen and ready swordsman, then made a quick thrust forward and to the side. Xavier swung his blade all around taking two or three steps ahead with bent knees, but his cockiness became apparent as he clumsily dropped his sword right after his advance.
“You must never lose focus,” Wick warned.
Xavier knelt down and picked up his sword, then turned it in the sun, looking at the shine. His reflection was cast onto the beauty of the blade.
“She sure is quite the looker, isn’t she Wick? A pristine finish and shiny as can be. A fine gift from my father, Alexander, before he was killed by the evil dragons. How I do miss him,” Xavier expressed with his head tilted downward.
“Do try not to think of such things, my young friend. That was long ago. I am sure your father is quite proud of you. He is looking down with a smile,” Wick assured.
Xavier sheathed his sword and sat on a mound near a tree. As Wick followed, a bizarre-looking animal appeared from behind near a small pond. The strange creature lowered its head and drank enthusiastically, sporadically looking up to scope its surroundings.
The unusual beast was bobrich, a cross between a bobcat and an ostrich, whose ears stand up to a point like a bobcat’s. The bobrich had two cat-like yellow eyes that stared with innocence, as they were very docile in nature. They ate and drank from a long and thick beak and was a swift animal who could run at a high rate of speed. They had two ostrich legs ending in sharp claws used for digging. Their body was wide and layered in feathers, a tall hefty creature.
“Looks like the bobrich are enjoying themselves,” Xavier remarked as a few others emerged into view.
“Yes, but something seems to be startling them. I can see it in their expression. Wait here, Xavier,.” Wick said.
Wick could sense an unknown presence among the bobriches.. An unknown presence but one he was certain was up to no good. Just then, a rustle in a thicket of bushes caught Wick’s immediate attention.
“Who’s there?” he called.
A silence fell over the land and an eerie feeling spilled over onto Wick. He fluttered carefully towards the bushes.
“Who is there? Come out and reveal yourself!” he demanded.
The bushes parted as a small, frail-looking old man emerged. He was no more than three feet tall.
“Who are you?” Wick asked.
“You should know or are you that stupid? Really now, Wick, you don’t know who I am?” the strange old man said.
As Wick tried to place him, the man’s demeanor went from innocent and elderly to sinister. The old man was not an old man at all. In fact, he wasn’t even human.
Orn was a shapeshifter and a terrible one at that. He was an evil troll who’d managed to slip into Ashtar. Of course, nobody suspected a fragile-looking old man to be a shape-shifting troll, so he walked right on in no questions asked. Orn was a thief who had taken something very precious to the Ashtarians. It was an object and that object was the glass ball.
A powerful and magical ball.
The glass ball held a power, unlike anything else It granted wishes to those who possessed it. It worked by the means of holding it and blowing on it before the person holding it tapped on it, ever so gently, four times before asking of it their wish.
Two things the wisher needed to keep in mind and take seriously: 1) if the glass ball sustained the slightest crack it would be rendered useless; and 2) it could not and would not grant wishes to kill or destroy anyone, even those who are bad. It only allowed wishes to come to light that were for doing a righteous deed.
Wick hovered, staring directly at the mysterious stranger. A peculiar feeling took him over and, in an instant, he knew who the old man was.
“Orn, of course. And what are you doing in these parts? Up to no good, I gather. Scum as yourself needs to stay put in Dragonite. You have no business here, ” Wick said
Orn’s expression transformed into a sinister one. His eyes grew cold and a dark aura shadowed him.
“You and the Ashtarians are nothing but mindless idiots. I’ve been watching you, every one of you, and with a hawk eye. Dragonite has something you all hold dear. A precious item you all love more than yourselves. Yes Wick, I have taken the glass ball from the belly of the golden dragon statue where it was kept safe. But you cannot keep it safe from me. It’s in the hands of our leader, the ferocious and cruel dragon, Karkus. There is nothing you can do to get it back!” Orn shouted.
Wick was stunned but held his composure as he was not one to erupt into an angry frenzy.
“Have you forgotten, Orn, that my magic far exceeds the power yours holds? You go and tell your so-called ‘fearless leader’ we will get the glass ball back,” Wick said, calmly.
“You and your weak powers can’t destroy me, you pathetic little bug. Karkus will turn this whole place into ash. There will be nothing left but a giant pile of gray dust. Oh, and those two dragons, Quintar and Sarz? They don’t stand a chance. They, too, will meet a fate that ends in their death. I bid you a farewell,” Orn snickered.
Just as Wick was about to respond, the vile Orn shape-shifted into a serpent and slithered away, far away back to the putrid land of Dragonite.
Meanwhile, Xavier had kept himself preoccupied carving an owl into a broken tree branch and had been oblivious to the presence of Orn. The carving was magnificent—a true liking to an owl.
“Is everything alright, Wick?” Xavier asked.
“I’m afraid not. The glass ball has been stolen from the belly of the golden dragon statue. It’s in the possession of Karkus. We must get it back,” Wick said.
Xavier could not believe what Wick had just told him. It was like having the very essence of his life being swiped from him. That was how precious the glass ball truly was.
“How can this be? How can we get it back, Wick?” Xavier questioned.
“Quintar and Sarz will travel into Dragonite. They can get the glass ball back. It’s far too dangerous for any Ashtarian to go retrieve it,” Wick said.
“But they will be killed. The dangers that lurk within that wretched place are far to great. Besides, Karkus is nothing to mess with. There has to be another way,” Xavier said with the utmost concern.
“Both Quintar and Sarz are sure to overcome the dangers. They are the greatest dragons Ashtar has ever seen,” Wick explained.
“I want to go with them. If there was ever a time when I stood against what you say, Wick, now is that time. I know I can help,” Xavier insisted.
“You are a brave soul, my young friend, and always have been. But I cannot risk the likelihood of something happening to you. No, you must stay here,” Wick said with authority.
“Please, Wick, I beg you. Let me go and prove that I can slay a dragon. My father will watch over me. He won’t let anything happen to me. Let me go along, Wick,” Xavier pleaded.
Wick thought hard for a moment.
“Alright, but I am coming too. There is indeed a warrior in you. One day, you will make a fine king. By the way, that is an excellent carving. Job well done,” Wick said.
“Thank you, Master Wick. If I had the glass ball I would wish for the owl to come to life. I would call him Woodwork. If only, though. If only,” Xavier said, peering down at the ground with his eyes shut.
Wick closed his eyes and spun around in a rapid motion. A blue cloud formed from around him and shot straight into the carving. Not but a second or two later, a wooden owl was perched on Xavier’s right shoulder. Woodwork rotated his head and flapped his wings, lifting himself up into the air several feet. Xavier was in awe. His creation had come to life and all thanks to Wick.
“Wick, you brought him to life! Amazing! You are undoubtedly the greatest wizard of all,” Xavier said. “Get down here, Woodwork, before you get yourself into trouble,” Xavier continued, laughing.
“We’ve had our bit of fun my young friend, but we must get to Dragonite. Time is crucial and in the hands of Karkus time spent can be disastrous,” Wick warned.
Quintar and Sarz were the most loyal of dragons and didn’t hesitate to make the journey into Dragonite to bring the glass ball back. Xavier proudly rode on the back of Quintar as Woodwork clenched on tightly to his shoulder during the flight. The powerful dragon raced graciously and swiftly into the sky. Wick was right behind and he, too, was speeding like a locomotive. Sarz kept up, side-by-side with Quintar.
Soon, the blue sky transitioned into a dark and cold atmosphere and a foul stench like that of a rotting wasteland wafted toward them. They had entered Dragonite and they would soon face its dangers.
Below was a murky pond. It was the pond of giant leeches who began to fire acid into the darkness above, using their mouths to spit the acid which could reach over two hundred feet in the air. A small drop hit Sarz on his wing, but its sting was like getting flicked on the snout by a child. He brushed it off and opened his mouth wide. A giant glowing trail of fire incinerated the leeches in an instant.
“Way to go, Sarz!” Xavier shouted.
Xavier looked down and saw smoke trickling up where the giant leeches had once thrived. Up ahead, about two hundred feet in front of them, a silhouette appeared in the mass of deep gray clouds. Quintar and Sarz slowed their pace in anticipation of the colossal mountain with dead sagging trees and leaves absent from its rotted branches emerging before them. Sickly-appearing birds cawed with ear-piercing screech as they stared at the visitors with a grotesque look.
“Use caution, Quintar and Sarz. Xavier I can feel Karkus is close. He knows we are here. Keep your guard up,” Wick cautioned.
As they approached, the mountain came into full view. Large black beetles scurried up the tree trunks and took refuge in moss-filled holes, a sight all Ashtarians would cringe at in disgust.
There was no sign of Karkus at first, but suddenly a thunderous roar rattled and echoed into the blackened sky. The dark gray clouds dispersed as if shaken by the monstrous sound.
“Wick, that has to be Karkus!” Xavier called.
“You’re right, Xavier. Now is the time to be ready. Karkus is here most definitely,” Wick for warned.
It was, in fact, Karkus and he was displeased, to say the least, to see intruders invading his territory. He raised his black head up from behind the mountain and expelled a massive roar that shook the area. He then arched his head back and stood up, thrusting forward releasing a smoldering fireball right toward both Quintar and Sarz. The two broke away and avoided being obliterated by the rolling ball of molten fire.
“Quintar, get close up to Karkus!” Xavier shouted.
Wick tried to stop Xavier but it was too late. Quintar glided quickly at Karkus as Xavier raised his sword up into the dark sky. Karkus glared with intensity at Xavier with his horrifying red eyes. He swiped his left claw at Quintar, but the mighty dragon was far too quick.
Quintar made a pass around Karkus as the terrible dragon continued swiping.
Wick hovered fluttering his wings as a white mist ascended from his tiny body that . It struck Karkus in the face just as the black dragon was momentarily immobilized.
Xavier seized his opportunity and drove his sword straight into the evil dragon’s throat. Karkus let out a shrieking cry and Quintar made another pass right as Xavier cut into the neck of the black dragon.
Karkus expelled one last cry and fell forward plummeting down the mountain to his doom.
“You did you it, Xavier!” Wick said proudly.
Dragonite’s leader has been killed, thanks to Xavier, and without the guidance of the cruel and dark-hearted Karkus, the world of Dragonite would ultimately crumble.
Quintar soared to the top of the mountain to find, sitting in the center of a wooden structure in the shape of a dragon’s claw, the glass ball. Xavier hopped off Quintar and carefully took the glass ball and placed it in a leather satchel. “Let’s get back to Ashtar. Our work is done here. The Ashtarians will be dancing and singing once they see the glass ball has been returned back to the belly of the golden dragon statue. Xavier, it is in your future that you will most certainly become a king,” Wick said.
“You are the true master, Wick. Your magic will never be outdone. And as for you Quintar and Sarz, you two are worthy of being kings yourselves. All hail the mighty Quintar and Sarz!” Xavier yelled raising his sword up high.
Woodwork released his grip on Xavier and took flight on his own. He sputtered for a brief moment, but soon took off like a bolt of lightning.
The glass ball was safe and the Ashtarians could breathe a sigh of relief knowing just that. Oh and by the way, Orn never made it back safely to Dragonite. While still in his serpent form, another dragon saw him as food and, well, you can guess what happened.
