The Creature Refuge is a place rarely charted by any cartographer. It was set up by a woman called Indyana. To this day, she watches over the many mystical creatures there. It is home to such beings as dragons, griffins, and elves, among others. They live in harmony in that area, never attacking others and rarely showing extreme desires for power.
During the storm, the ship, Majestic, entered the outskirts of the Obsidian Sea. This area of the ocean is deep and full of life. Unfortunately, only the maps sporting the Creature Refuge mention this sea. Typically, our hapless seafarers have no maps upon their ship, and they now classify as being thoroughly lost.
"I'll just lower the anchor and we'll set to land," Clar says wearily. Darkness is approaching. The air is getting colder.
"It's so peaceful," Sandry observes. "Even more so than home."
"Home was not peaceful," Clar mutters upon his return.
"I thought it was."
"You lead a charmed life."
"Both of you be quiet; someone approaches!" Tren hisses. The pair of Weldoxians is soon silenced. They listen to discover what their Marian companion perceives.
Sandry notes that they are moored in a tunnel of sorts. It is dark, and water drips everywhere. Her eyes dart over the rocks, hoping they had not stumbled upon some dark force. Suddenly, she hears the voice.
Love's sweet call, like a bird in spring,
In my ears does ring.
Life, breath, dream, and beat,
Head, heart, claws, feet,
Season's gentle growl,
Hanging in the heavy air,
For she. . . for she. . .
The voice trails off, searching for words.
"Let's go," Sandry declares and dives into the water. Luckily, the pool is very deep despite its proximity to the shore. She swims to the other side and awaits the other two seafarers. She drips dry in the cool, moist air, certain she will catch a cold.
Tren and Clar join her, though in the rowboat. "Didn't you know that's what this was for?" Clar joked as he ties it to a stalagmite nearby.
On a second glance, Sandry notes that stalactites and stalagmites are everywhere, and giant stone structures, formed by eons of dripping water, tower over them. She looks around in awe.
Finally, curiosity gets the better of her. She shrugs and wanders into a nearby cave from which the voice seems to be coming. Clar and Tren follow, only after hearing the voice stop mumbling possibilities and begin to talk, seemingly in response to Sandry's presence.
*Hello, dear lady! Nice to see a visitor this deep in the caves!*
Clar and Tren turn to their left and look. They behold a dragon before them. He is small and bright blue, though probably a fully-grown adult.
*My name is Richard. Who are you, pray tell?* he projects again.
"I am Sandrylene, and these are my companions Tren and Clar." Tren makes a lavish bow and Clar nods, watching the dragon.
*Welcome,* Richard says. *I say,* he adds, *do you suppose you might help me?* He fixes the trio with a waiting gaze.
"It would be an honor to aid you," Tren replies.
*Well, I'm having a bit of trouble finishing this bit of poetry. Perhaps you might be able to find a word that could help.* He clears his throat and begins to quote his verse:
*Love's sweet call, like a bird in spring,
In my ears does ring.
Life, breath, dream, and beat,
Head, heart, claws, and feet,
Season's gentle growl, hanging in the heavy air,
For she. . . *
Richard stops. *That's where I'm stuck, I'm afraid. One last line. It must rhyme, of course. Can you think of anything?*
Tren begins to contemplate it all. He takes into consideration that, due to the rhyme scheme, the final word must rhyme with "air". Suddenly, he receives a bit of inspiration.
"How about 'for she, great love I bear'?" he suggests. Richard gasps.
*By Jove, that's it! Season's gentle growl, hanging in the heavy air, for she, great love I bear!* He smiles broadly, and Tren grins sheepishly. *You have been of great help. Are you, by chance, on the hunt from Bishen Realm?*
"The what?" Sandrylene interjects.
*You know naught of the Bishen Realm? You should visit Indyana, if you be new to this area. If you do decide to join the hunt, however, I shall reward you with a treasure.* He then directs the group towards a light in the opposite direction of the tunnel.
"Our ship..." Clar begins.
*It will be perfectly safe here.*
Clar nods and follows Sandry and Tren to the light.
The three enter into the main cabin at the Creature Refuge. They are completely unaware of where they are. Richard was not so kind as to tell them that. Clar looks around the front room. The wood floor, worn by years of traffic, is coated with a layer of dirt from outside. The wicker chairs, set haphazardly around the room, are in slightly better condition, and have been dusted off. The large, oak desk set at the front of the room is littered with papers, trinkets, and other assorted things.
The three look around, wondering what you to do next. Suddenly, a young woman enters the room from the back door behind the desk. She looks to be in her late twenties, but she has a quality that makes her seem a lot older. Her red hair shines despite the coat of dust covering her. A small lizard creature sails in the door after her and lands on the desk. It stares at the seafarers, chirping quietly to Indyana.
"Hello," she says, noticing them. Her arms are laden with chopped wood, which she unceremoniously dumps in back of the desk. "What can I do for you?"
"Umm," Sandry manages, unsure, and look to her for help.
"Oh, you must be new around here," she says. "My name's Indyana, and I run the Creature Refuge." She offers each a slightly dusty hand, but all shake it, not minding the dirt. "This place is basically a place for different animals to live in safety from the outside world. We have many creatures here that are rare and thought extinct or myths elsewhere."
"Oh," Sandry replies, wondering what sorts of creatures are there. She gives a nonchalant, though curious, glance to the creature near the woman. Indyana follows her gaze.
"That's Rhianna. She is a female Dream minidragon I bonded at the Fen Sands. She holds powers over dreams. I haven't had a bad dream since she hatched. She is also great for delivering messages to people far away with her powers."
The three nod and look at the amazing little minidragon.
"Dream dragons hate to be far away from their bondmates, so I'm making sure I spend a lot of time with Rhianna. I don't want her to feel neglected. Wherever I go, she goes on my shoulder."
"Wow," Sandry says, wondering what it would be like to have a constant companion other than Clar and Tren. She pauses her thoughts, and she looks to Indyana again.
"You're welcome to look around," Indyana says, as Rhianna hops onto her shoulder and curls around her neck. "There are paths through the different areas of the Refuge. It's fairly safe to explore on your own, as long as you don't try to harm anything. The only place I ask that you don't go alone is the desert. It gets very hot there, and it's easy to get lost. If you want to look around the desert, you can meet a tour guide at the group of large cacti on the edge."
"Thanks," Sandry says while the other two nod; she is flooded with too much information at once.
Noticing the girl's confusion, Indyana continues. "There are five different areas of the Refuge you can tour. I can tell you more about the Refuge, if you want, or, if you're looking for a specific inhabitant, look in the registry on the desk." She watches them, waiting for their decision.
"Actually, I was hoping you could tell us about the Bishen Realm. Or where we are. Either is fine. You see, we were blown of whatever course we had and we landed here. Our mast is badly damaged, and, even if we wanted to, we couldn't leave with it in such a condition.
"That can be fixed," Indyana states. "Why don't you all take a break. You must have been through a lot. Give me three days, and your ship will be fit to sail."
"That would be wonderful, m'lady," Tren replies, bowing.
"As for the Bishen Realm, it is the place from which dragons, called Bishen or Bishel Dragons, come. They hatch from eggs like many dragons, and come in three main colors: blue, green and red. They also sport three main attributes: air, earth, and water. We have representatives of the three staying with us here at the Refuge. Why don't you ask them for more information?"
"Okay," Sandry replies because neither of the boys decided to say anything in response. "Richard... the dragon in the cave... he said something about a quest."
"Ah! The quest! The Kailan, the oldest and wisest Bishen, is holding a competition. He has spread fourteen seals about the Refuge for adventurers to find. He who finds the fourteen seals and proves himself caring enough to nurture a young Bishen will be given an egg containing either a mutant (a dragon of a color other than the main three) or a hybrid (a dragon with a combination of elemental characteristics). Why don't you participate to pass the time?"
"I think we will. Thank you very much," Sandry replies.
"There are four areas of the grounds," Indyana adds. "It might be wise to split up." She shows them a vague map. "The areas can be reached easily by these portals." She points to a portal near the back of the room.
"I'll take the water. These gills do more than frame my neck," Tren volunteers.
"I'll take the woods and the caves, if that's alright," Clar adds.
"That leaves me with the desert and valley, I suppose," Sandry states. They nod there thanks to Indyana and set off, each to a different part of the Refuge.
To the desert with Sandrylene!
Skip the details! On with the story!
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