Masokis and the Golden Dragon part 1
Draco Or
-Excerpts from the extended entry from Liber Taxonomica Algadonensis by Malakai of Atreides
Draco Or Magnus also known as the great golden dragon, is the largest and most powerful Draconic species on the continent of Algadon. The Golden Dragon dwells cheifly on mountain peaks or upon cloud islands. It is beleived that they sometimes seize the cloud islands from Sky Giants, and dwell in their castles thereon, for the Golden Dragon does not itself engage in construction or architecture. Golden Dragons' diet consists mostly of Sky Giants, giant mountain goats, young Rocs, gems and precious metals. They collect vast hoards of precious metals which serve as both beds and emergency food sources. Minerals and gold deposits find their way into the diamond hard scales of the creatures, which accounts for their color and the tremendous value of their hide. The highly magical nature of the golden dragon allow several magical items to be made from harvested parts, most notably the renowned Mask of Courage. Golden dragons can float like balloons or dart about like swallows. They are exceedingly intelligent, and many speak the tongues of man. They are capable of charming with their words, or even with their gaze alone. Only very powerful beings survive encounters with them, and even some of those end up enslaved, cursed, or insane.
--- I had only recently returned from the expedition hunting the Black Dragon,gotten a little rest and thenrecorded my experience on smooth vellum sheets. Just as I put the finishing seal upon the document, and rose from my chair to bring the scroll to the library vault, Our illustrious leader made another appearence. Once again I was startled at his sudden arrival, I swear I think he does it on purpose. It must amuse him.
"Well done, Malakai, Now prepare yourself for the next mission."
"Where am I off to this time Sire?"
"Both of us are going to visit the venerable Mage Masokis. Then you will act as an observer while he takes posession of a cloud castle that I desire as a summer retreat from its current resident."
"And whom, may I ask, is the current resident?" I said, knowing that I would not like the answer.
"A golden dragon. A most foul old wyrm. Its time has come, and Mage Masokis is just the hand for the deed."
"When will we be leaving?" I asked.
"Now." He said and gestured at the window. The great glass panes unbolted themselves and swung open. As I starred wide eyed at the window I felt strong hands grasp me by the elbows and lift me up. I felt myself lurch forward and I heard the rush of air under Hotfire's powerful wings as we surged through the open window out over the castle walls and the rocky sea cliffs far below. within seconds we were far out over the sea hurtling upwards towrds a string of puffy aclouds. Before too long we were amongst those clouds and I discovered that nestled between them was a smaller cloud fixed with a castle atop it. The castle had tall thin towers with arched bridges connecting them. Flying buttresses held up tall walls of great halls. It was a fairy tale castle, but built of cyclopean dimensions. I had learned from my recent studies that such huge castles in the clouds were the work of sky giants, but were coveted by both golden dragons and mages alike for their security and comfort.
We approached a balcony of a large tower which dominated the lesser structure around it. There was an entrace to the interior and we landed and passed through it. Some arcane rune etched secretly in the doorway glowed as we passed through, but Hotfire muttered a password and the rune did not fry us.
We entered a massive hall. It was sparsely furnished, yet what their was was all of excellent make and rare quality. There were tapestries with moving scenes of ancheint battles and hunts of mysterious monsters, a whale fur rug, and a number of gilt divans clustered around a huge fireplace. Only cold ashes were in the hearth, however, as the weather was fair.
Some yards off towards the center of the floor sat an ordinary looking man lazing in a golden throne. He had his feet propped up upon a jade coffer topped by a silken silver pillow. He wore a yellow silken tunic and blue denim pantaloons. On his feet were pink bunny slippers. I thought them mundane items until one of them blinked. He was smoking a fat cigar which gave off a delicious aroma, and I suspected that it contained some other rare herb in addition to tobacco. Before him was an enormous crystal ball, some four feet in diameter. Within its glass played a most curious scene. There was a stone arena of sorts, with a long rectangular field. Seated within the arena were hundreds of bronze skinned, scantily clothed people watching others run about the field below chasing a head sized ball. The people on the feild wore feathery costumes and would bounce the ball about with their hips and feet, trying to cause the ball to fly through stone hoops affixed to the narrow sides of the rectangular field. Some small groups of persons in very elaborate dress sat in boxes at these ends. watching the game with great enthusiasm.
"Malakai, Meet the esteemed Mage Sir Masokis of Atreides." Said Hotfire.
"My pleasure and honour, Sir Mage. May I ask . . . ?"
"Oh, I was just catching a game. Sacred Indian Football. Don't get too attached to a favorite team, though, they turn the losers into human sacrifices. "
"I have never seen people like that, their skin, their dress . . ."
"Oh, yeah. Aztecs. Live on a continent across the geat ocean. If you ever go to face a monster called Quetzalcoatl, you will find yourself in their land. Dont ask them for assistance though, they worship them."
"Thank you, I will remember that ."
"Allright them. Lets get down to business." He waved his hand and the crystal ball went blank. Then he kicked off the bunny slippers and they ran off to their closet.
"Me and Hotfire have to discuss some clan business, Hot here is gonna be away for a while. I'll have Dontello show you to your quarters and we will begin our little quest tommorow."
I just stood nodding in aknowledgement. This plain looking fellow had just referred to hunting a gold dragon as alittle quest.
"Where is that darn Imp? Dontello! DONATELLO!"
There was a puff of smoke and a two foot tall, devilish looking, bat winged, green skinned, fanged, drooling imp appeared before us
"You called Master" It said.
"Escort Malakai here safely to his assigned quarters, and have the kitchen send him up a suitable meal."
"Ah, the convert. We meet at last." Said the Imp
"Donatello, mind your manners. not all Orcs need be evil."
"Yes master"
I followed the Imp as the two powerful beings remained behind. As I left the room Hotfire was drawing out some map scroll and laying it out on a recently conjured table.
We went down a winding stair, each step three feet high. The Imp flew, appearing amused at my difficulty. We arrived in a long trophy hall with many solid doors along its lenghth. Passing many doors and many things, I saw there arks and chalices of gold, glittering robes hung on pegs, rare books and weapons of myriad kind. There was an old staff of the magi, left in the corner like it was a tattered, disused umbrella.
"Dontatello, Why do they call your master Masokis.?
"Tis not his true name, sure." The imp mused. "Dangerous it would be to let that out. But when he is wounded in battle, he laughs with glee, licks the blood and whatnot, and then redoubles his attack. He seems to enjoy the pain."
"Oh." Said I, still not understanding the reference. I decided to let it be.
Presently we came to a door, and the Imp let me in with a key. I was glad to be rid of him and closed the door behind me. The chamber was comfortable and the meal came quick. It was manflesh. I had not had it in some time. It was delicious, of course. Some one had scared this human good before slaying him, I could taste the fear. I appreciated the Imps joke. His master had said a "suitable" meal. But perhaps he should have been more specific. I just hoped it was a condemned criminal or something.
masokis and the golden dragon part2
Donatello fetched me back in the morning, luckily I did not have to climb that colossal stair again, but was led to a broad semicicular balconyon the east side of the castle overlooking a stunningly beautiful sunrise.
Masokis was there, looking quite different than he had the day before. He was clean shaven and had that disturbing glowy effect that the warrior angels like Hotfire and others have when they are angered or ready for battle. He wore magnificent robes and a myriad of various amulets and talismans. He was dripping with magic. He nodded at me breifly, gave a conspiratorial smile, turned towards the rising sun, raised his arms, and called a storm.
It came on fast, boiling up out of the sea borne upon a strong and steady wind out of the east. The clouds about us blew away and I could see the winds were carrying us further out to sea as the shoreline of Algadon's west coast faded into a limb and was gone.
It was several hours later when the winds died and we slowed. There was only our cloud alone in a vast blue sky. Masokis bid me to rise from the cyclopean chamber where we lounged as we waited and ate fine foods and sipped a blue wine. We went to the western balcony this time. Masokis worked another spell, calling the words out loudly, repeatedly, and there before my eyes, a veil of sorts parted, and another cloud island appeared. Its invisibility cloak dispelled, a hundred yards across a gaping divide which led all the way down to the tiny ripples of the waters below.
"Wait here, and keep your head low"
The dragon had roused itself when the invisibility spell went down. It was BIG. Its slow sinous roll and sudden flowing dashes through the air were mesmerizing. Masokis sprouted demon wings and engaged in aerial combat with it. He hit it with a spell called ice needle, which is not a fair description, for it should be called 'surging waves of thousands of five inch long ice daggers which can pierce a dragons scales and melt into acidic pain', but I guess that would be too windy. It was like watching a cockfight in a little village, but on a much grander scale. The Dragon was damaging the mage, it seemed like no human frame could withstand so much, but Masokis, true to the Imp Donatello's description, seemed to thrive on the hits he was taking. He crafitly led the beast back over its own cloud island. A couple of times as it swooped at him, and he would dart aside in a quick wingover manuever, and the dragon slammed into its own castle, damaging both itself and the castle. When it finally fell, it fell into the courtyard, rather than far below to be lost in the sea. In this way, the mighty mage insured that he could harvest its parts for valuable magical ingredients.
I was satisfied. I looked forward to another night in this comfortable castle and perhaps a little more manflesh for dinner. I would have to ask Donatello about it later.