Niikaluna Rising.....Chapter 1:Eclipse

Chapter one:Eclipse1

At the end of the ceremony, Niikaluna stepped off the abalone stone she'd been sitting on, and stepped gracefully into the dew soaked moss path. Her walk was elegant, and proud. Her curiosity was too much to have her sit out the rest of the Elders conversation, so she picked her self up and trotted up next to the new warrior. The young warrior dragon's iridescent black and silver scales, gave Niikaluna her identity, Eclipse, so that was the dragon's name. Even the sound of her name tasted sweet on Niikaluna's forked tongue. New moon had started, and war was falling upon them, they needed recruits and fast. Niikaluna, strutted on, her psychodelic streaked scales shone as she slowly approached the warrior.2

"Eclipse," Niikaluna said in her flute like voice.3

"ahh, yes, Miss Niikaluna, of the Liron mountains, I am pleased to meat you Mistess Niikaluna," Eclipse smiled gently, "Oh and how I've been itching to meet you too Warrior Eclipse," Niikaluna smiled gently back trying not to bare her large fangs.4

When the sun had set that night,Niikaluna awoke with the chill of the wind spilling over her, and on the wind she seemed to hear whispers, pulling her toward the Trynon forests. The young dragon lifted the upper part of her jaw and gently blew out a small blue flame that licked at the dry shrub she had picked. It threw out stray sparks that smiled at their freedom.She laid back down, the sparks danced around her, they turned the cool night warm with their brilliant heat. They soon engulfed Niikaluna's body within their flames, and all of a sudden the flames blue out. disapeared as suddenly as they had arrived, and along with Niikaluna too. The other dragons shifted in their sleep, and never noticed Niikaluna was missing. The fresh smell of smoke was carried on the wind straight to the warrior cave where Eclipse sat quietly waiting for sleep to come to her, gently,whispering to her in its silent language. But the fresh smell of smoke beat sleep to her and just before she was going to close her eyes, she smelt it, burning....she flashed back to when she was young. Burning...Burning.... so much bur- then she snapped out of her dream and stood up to take a look. She crept outside the cave and walked silently through camp and into Niikaluna's den.5

"Miss Niikaluna, are you here?" bewildered Eclipse quietly walked into Niikaluna's quarters and to her surprise Niikaluna wasn't there. Eclipse stumbled back in shock."Where are you?" she said to herself as she backed away from the cave entrance. As she went to turn around Rikunu, blocked her way out,"Where is Niikaluna? And why are you here?" he hissed silently.6

"I came here looking for Niikaluna, and when I got here she was gone!"7

"Than we need to alert the Elders! What told you she was gone?" The young male dragon's voice was like a melody of deep soft notes.8

"I smelt smoke from the Warrior's cave, the wind brought it to me," She stumbled again. "We must alert the Elders! they need to know the Mistress of magic has gone missing! we must hurry come on!" Rikunu, shoved her toward the cave entrance, but Eclipse stood firm. "I can't go, and warn those...bunch of gas bags that my mistress is missing! I'm going to find her myself! they are going to think this is all my fault!Ugh!" and she stormed off with out Rikunu. He stared at her as she trotted away, her dark scales, shimmered in the moonlight, reflecting her anger, as the scales on her back spiked out. "She's nuts! I'd better alert the Elders, thought they won't be pleased." And he came after her.9

Niikaluna, stood on the dew soaked grass and stared up at the sun. She had just crossed over into the,Caniisite (spirit world). She smiled it had been a long while since she'd seen her companion Bellesifur, and she was pleased to see him again. Once long ago, before Bellesifur had left her, she had fallen in love with him, with out telling. And now she had the chance to see and tell him her little secret she had been hiding for so long. Now Niikaluna was about, 200 years of age, she was young enough to find Bellesifur, and love him. But sadly there was one problem he was gone.10

"Hello,Luna, I haven't seen your pretty face in so long that I was afraid I would forget your little smile," he teased as she came to his feet, " Oh, you are too kind," she blushed,"Oh how I've missed you my companion," he said softly as he embraced her,"Please come, we must talk," he stated as he urged her on, toward the end of the flowery meadow. Niikaluna, stood up and trotted to his side. "Now, what trouble have you been in while I was gone?" She looked at him curiously, "Oh nothing, I've been good, Luna. What about you, I've heard you are the "Mistress of magic"?" he said licking her forehead affectionately, "I have mastered many magics, but I am not its master," She said staring blankly at the distance, " Well, I know, but you are very powerfu-" he was cut off, the entire sky turned dark in a flash. And lightning erupted from the clouds in silver strips,"What is this?" Bellesifur said reluctantly. And all of a sudden the earth cracked in half and blue flames shot out of the gap. Niikaluna,tamed the flames but for a short time before, the erupted in a blast of blue heat, "Ugh!" Niikaluna stumbled back stunned, numbed with the burn. When she finally awoke, she noticed the long jagged scar across her fore arm. "Niikaluna!" she heard Bellesifur's voice but could not see him over the smoke. "Bellesifur!" she roared, but he did not answer.'He can't be dead for he is already dead...' She thought but more grave answers started to pop into her head. Then....Blackout, she was hit by something in the head.11

Eclipse,paced back and forth infront of the warrior chamber, grumbling to herself, plotting to break out of this valley the other dragons call home. Rikunu, came up next to her,"What are you crazy? you can't break out of the valley its heavily guarded! and you would need an expert at breaking out like me to help you!" He pulled his head up straight and hesitantly, looked at her several times before she had made up her mind. "Rikunu, would you have the pleasure of coming with me?" She looked up at him expectantly,"Why...Of course Eclipse I would be honored, but first I need to tel-.... Um do something," and he licked her cheek and disappeared into the bramble to grab a few things before they left. Eclipse, stood there, her green eyes wide, stunned because she thought the world was spinning too fast for her, she couldn't catch up. "Rikunu, wait up!" she called after him.12

When Niikaluna awoke,all she could was blackness, nothing but darkness, but the first thing that caught her eye was Bellesifur. He was hanging from chains that wound arund his long clawed paws.13

"Bellesifur?" She asked hesitantly.14

"Ugh....Yes? Oh Niikaluna! are you okay?" His voice was hoarse and raspy.15

"Oh, I'm fine! are you okay?" she said sadly not noticing the blood dripping from her forehead.16

"No...Not exactly...Ugh! They were cutting my wings and slicing at my claws and before I knew it I was here looking for you," He stopped so suddenly that Niikaluna ran to him. And when he raised his head his eyes were bloodshot and he had a deep cut across his ears.17

"Um..Bellesifur," She said embarrased.18

"Yes, Luna?"19

"I know this may not be the right time or place but..." she trailed off.20

"You can tell me anything, any where Luna." He said raising his head reluctantly, and his eyes seemed to glitter with happiness for a moment.21

"Well....Um.. I love you, Bellesifur, And I want you to be free of this dreaded place so badly," I hurt to look at him in the state he was in. And because of it she began to weep, Bellesifur raised her chin with one of his golden claws and wiped away her misery filled tears that were stained black with the darkness.22

"I love you to, Luna, please don't cry, it hurts me on the inside to see your pretty little muzzle covered with the black tears and pain this place has brought you,"23

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry....." she said with her head bent.24

"Your nothing to do with this, and I will come back with you to the mortal world," he said smiling his sad desperate smile.25

"You will!?" Niikaluna's eyes lit up at that thought, until they heard another sound in the empty dark chamber,26

"Oh how lovely, the two 'love birds' are together at last" And out of the darkness came a tall gaunt looking figure in a long formal cape and dark purple tea dress. 27

"Who are you?" Niikaluna said distastefully, and the tall slender figure bent in close,"Your worst nightmare, dragon" and with a long nail, ripped open the deep wound in her head that had just healed.28

"UGH!" Niikaluna roared, as blood dripped off her chin.29

"Luna!" Bellesifur roared as seven men dragged him across the floor. And Niikaluna thought and hoped that Eclipse would find them.She knew all she could do was hope...30

End of chapter one