A Psalm of Dawns and Dragons

Chapter 1

When humans go bump in the night, the Morphs are the ones who bump back.

During a period of lastingness, a time before time, the Gods created the realms and all manner of creatures for themselves believing they could occupy the lands in their spiritual forms. They were wrong and would learn only physical bodies could survive the worlds they meticulously spawned.

The Gods decided they would manufacturer physical bodies for their spirits to possess. Their plans failed. Their spirits too powerful for the physical hosts so it was decided. If they could not possess the bodies, they would use a tiny portion of their light to give life.

Before their experiment began, they created great beast they called dragons that could wield the power of the four elements needed to maintain the realms. Before long, and after many failed attempts, life prevailed in the bodies they would call human mortals.

The Gods rushed the humans into existence. Truth be told, they got bored. Each of them wanted to out conceive the other. By their almighty accounts, the realms were their canvases and the humans their masterpieces. They should've just stopped at the dragons.

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The aroma of rotten flesh teased the Elemento Dragons that encased Kalera. Their wrath raging down on her like an avalanche of grey storms pounding her impenetrable shield. Flagon, the fire dragon erupted flames, magma, and ash while Drake, the water dragon spewed boiling water. Waygon, the air dragon opened his ferrous mouth releasing a powerful gust that the Morph queen continued to withstand.

They ceased attacks when Zarion, the earth dragon unleashed debris of soil and razor-sharp seeds that erupted into indestructible trees.

Kalera's shield, the core source of her power, forced Zarion to retreat when Cruor, Kalera's father's dragon attacked from within weakening her shield which brought her to her knees.

Her eyes bulged, and in agony, she turned towards the Morph generals who were finding amusement in her suffering. They twisted their aged necks, gazing into one another's cold black eyes. For the first time, Kalera saw smirks on their pale decrepit faces.

An intense light penetrated the stone floor when a portal opened; Boilos, the Morph king, drifted from inside.

"Enough Cruor! Your work is done for now. Take the Elementos and feed."

The general's faces were again frozen and lifeless as Kalera stood. Boilos' gaze was a clue and they exited the chamber straight away.

"You did well my child," Boilos said.

"You call that well Father? Cruor nearly killed me."

"Ha. Ha. He can't kill you."

"So say you."

Boilos took his daughter's hands into his, looked at them, and then into her longing eyes.

"The Goddess wants to meet with you."

"Why? What didn't I do this time?"

"She wouldn't share her purpose with me, but I'm guessing she wants you to be in attendance at the Bereft of Life Festival in the Zaylen Realm."

Kalera removes her hands from his and walked toward a window gazing out.

"I had plans in the coming lights. Neither included attending a human festival."