The Dragonadopters Story by Chronepsis


As you walk along your ordinary path, on an ordinary day, you suddenly feel a soft breeze blowing swiftly and constantly in the same direction. You stop, startled for no apparent reason, take a deep breath and quickly decide to continue on your way. But as you try to walk away, you realize that you are incapable of ignoring the call of the wind, and that you have already begun to follow its mysterious trail, as if spellbound.

As in a dream, you follow the whispering breeze, away from the road, through fields and paths unknown to you until you find yourself at the top of a hill, where the spell is lifted. The wind blows on the grass, gentle, and on a landscape you have no memory of.
As you wonder why you would visit such an odd place, you suddenly have the feeling you are being watched by eyes unseen, and judged.

You decide you have already had enough of this place, and are about to leave. But as you try to run down the hill, a powerful, roaring sound erupts from the ground. The earth shakes with unnatural fury; a huge crack opens at your feet, and as you fall down, darkness engulfs you.

You wake up at the sound of a distant, gentle voice.

“Fear not, human. No harm will be done to you.”

There is no pain, just an overwhelming sense of confusion, and the feeling of soft, cold sand against your skin. Slowly, you open your eyes and get up on your knees to look around. You are in the middle of a great cavern, of a somewhat circular shape. Everything is suffused with a soft, iridescent glow. Several small, smooth rocks are scattered all over the place. A web of light dances on the surface of the sand and on your skin, as if you had sunken in the depths of the seas. The rock around you forms several layers of natural terraces, all covered in sand, and, here and there, you notice tall, thick pillars of shining marble. You gaze up, and you open your mouth in wonder, as you notice that there is no ceiling above you: the pillars climb up and dive into a shimmering, reflecting surface, similar to water.

“Welcome, human, to the Rift…”

The voice speaks to you again, from above, gentle and reassuring.

“Fear not. I am one of the guardians of this place; we need your help.”

As you hear these words, a globe of golden light emerges from the shining, ethereal ceiling and slowly descends upon you in wide circles.



Illustration By Keira Harcourt - Click to enlarge - xeniss.deviantart.com/


“For countless years, our races have gone their separate ways. Long ago we left, only to return and ask for your help now. The fabric of our world is tearing apart; its very foundations may crumble. It is no longer a safe place to raise our children.”

As it speaks, the light dances around you, illuminating the rocks you had noticed, making you realize that they are, in fact eggs. Hundreds and hundreds of them, unattended, on the soft sand.

“It is not too late, and with time, my kind can repair this damage. But the world will be but an empty shell, without our offspring. That is why we sent them here, through this ancient portal: we need you, and every human who is willing, to raise them, keep them safe, and maybe, one day, return them to where they belong. Take one of them, be its guardian, give our world a future to believe in”.

Suddenly, it occurs to you that this might just be a dream. You are obviously still asleep, so why not enjoy yourself?
You stand up and follow the light, ready to pick up one of the eggs. There are many of them, different in shapes and colors. Once you have found one that you like, you carefully take it in your hands and show it to the guardian. The light shines brighter, and emanates a warm sense of joy and gratitude.

“You have my gratitude, human. We shall meet again; now it is time to return you to your world. Take care…”

A huge flash of joyful light blinds you, and you suddenly wake up in your bed. You rub your face and smirk, thinking of the awesome dream you have just had.

But as you stand up to prepare yourself, you notice that you are still holding a warm, round object in your hand.

Your life as a Dragon Adopter has begun.