[LeoEyes]

((Written chapter one, to keep you all entertained while Leo is being incredibly slow and taking a short break from updates. Due to extreme stress and injured hand. I have decided the comic will be back, just need to sort some stuff out... again. And working on building a buffer. Feel free to comment on the chapter!))

The light was dim; no sun shining down upon this hidden world but light was still present. It filtered down from the ceiling and walls covered with shiny crystals of different lights like so many stars of night. The light didn’t stop there; various fungi grew in abundance in the caverns. Many of which could create their own sources of light to attract various animal species in order to spread their spores. The caverns, so named Crystal Caverns, were centered around these pockets of crystal light.

In the dim light a young female Kendrith; a race of lizard like humanoids, bent down and plucked a turquoise colored mushroom with red spots from the rocky ground. Golden eyes examined the specimen carefully as she rotated the mushroom. With a nod of satisfaction she placed the fungi in a bag sitting next to her on the ground. Shifting her weight she reached over for another plant, this one long and hair like with yellow bulbs on the end of the strands. Smiling she stuffed those plants in her bag and looked up. Her golden eyes seemed to glow on their own, due to their sensitivity to dim light. She leaned back, her vest fluttering open over her light colored blouse. Long ears twitched as she listened to the breeze and sounds of the cavern.

As she watched one of the caverns other little miracles occurred, slowly large green pods that a moment ago had been still and silent. Their thick leaf like membranes curled tightly around itself opened up and a small light filtered out. Little white puffs drifted outward from the open pods to dance lazily in the air. They drifted outward, reflected in the small lights of the cavern.

“The mushroom pods are sending out their spores…” Rukel thought with a smile upon her snout.

Reaching out she let one of the spores land on her open hand, its soft light glinting across the scales of her hand. She contemplated the small little spore, admiring its soft fluffiness before another more disturbing thought occurred to her. If the mushroom pods were already sending out their spots then…

“It must be midday already… wait! Midday! Oh no I’m late!” the kendrith exclaimed while jumping up suddenly. She whirled around, tail whipping around which she twisted in search of her bag. Spotting it Rukel dived down and snatched the bag up, hurriedly buttoning it and swinging the strap over her shoulder. She ran across the rocky floor, her bare feet and claws kicking up bites of stone and dirt as she rushed through the cave system.

“Master Vignar needs these herbs and glow stones. Oh dear, I hope he won’t be too angry that I am late again…” Rukel’s mind raced as she splashed through a small flowing puddle.

Luckily Rukel took the direct route home, not only was it a bit faster but she was less likely to run into any dangerous predators as they favored the more secluded caverns. Rounded a corner she hoped down to a lower level of the cave ands curried through a tunnel until she came out upon a large cavernous opening. The town of Sharth sprawled out before her past the stone gates. It wasn’t a large city, more like a town carved directly out of the rocky walls and stalactites. As Rukel pasted the rocky gates she waved at the guards, one waved back at her cheerfully but the other seemed preoccupied. He was talking with someone cloaked in a dark blue black cloak that stood easily a foot over the guard.

Rukel glanced at the scene, slightly puzzled, “that’s odd, we don’t get too many strangers here, but there here to buy some of the stones…”

That made sense to the Kendrith as the particle stones were one of the few things that the mining town of Sharth sold. For some reason the stone and crystals were plentiful around here when they weren’t nearly as plentiful elsewhere. With a shrug Rukel walked on past the scene and made her way over to the stone city and its gleaming lights. The streets didn’t seem very busy this time of day and Rukel walked easily among the stone streets, watching the scenery as she quickly pasted by. A few Kendrith mingled among the streets friendly with each other, or worked in their little shops and homes. One person was sweeping the street outside her plant shop, her face illuminated by the blue crystal post. Most of the streets were lit in this manner, with light posts topped with glowing blue particle crystals. Rukel waved as she ran past and rounded a corner to spot a good sized tower like home in the distance.

She stopped outside the stony home and pushed on the door to open it, stepping inside she called out in the gloomy light, “Master Vignar? I’m back!”

Admittedly the inside of the home was what could only be described as a mess. Dust settled upon piled of books and scrolls, vials of strange liquids and candles. A few book cases had some of the loose novels stacked inside them and a crystal bowl rested on top of one. Cobwebs dangled from the uneven ceiling and between the rungs of the stone staircase that was carved out of a rocky stalactite. Rukel sighed; it seemed no matter how much she cleaned this place just seemed to attract clutter at a faster rate.

A young Kendrith, looking to be about thirteen looked up from a corner table and waved with a bright grin, he was wearing a shirt with some oil smears on it and a smear of oil was streaked across one cheek. The smear of oil contrasted with his dusty golden brown scales and blue eyes. A small horn sprouted from his nose and two more horns curled from above his ears. It was Brann, grandson of Master Vignar and one of his apprentices. One the table he was working at laid a strange mechanical object with various pieces and tools lying around it. A friendly little cave lizard sat upon the table, one of the tools clamped in his mouth. He curled his fluffy tail around his forepaws, the light glinting off his mechanical arm and metal plates down his back and wings.

“Oh hi Rukel!” Brann called, happy to see her, “Master Vignar is in the back room working on some new project…” he continued as he rolled his eyes.

Rukel peered down at the mechanical object on Brann’s desk with interest as he spoke. Gex chirped at her, his voice muffled by the tool in his mouth. Rukel stood up again with a grin and began to walk towards the back door that was located next to the staircase, “thanks Brann!”
Pushing the back door open a crack Rukel peered into the back room before fully opening the door. She stepped inside and blinked at the clutter that also dominated this room, sighing internally. Two bookcases were off to the side, their contents mostly books and scrolls with the occasionally odd object. These seemed to be stacked a bit more organized than the bookcases in the other rooms.

“Mast Vignar, I’m sorry I’m late…” Rukel began a bit hesitantly.

The Kendrith in question looked up from a desk, where he had been reading. He glanced over the spectacles that lay across his snout with his blue grey eyes. His scales were bleached of most color, a pale grey with hints of gold at the tips of them. Vignar blinked in confusion as Rukel spoke, “Hmm late for what?”

That made Rukel deflated a little, her ears drooping ever so slightly, “did he forget again?”

“Um you wanted me to get you some particle stones and moon mushrooms before the afternoon came…” she said evenly, one corner of her mouth twitching ever so slightly.

Master Vignar just sat there for a long moment with a blank expression over his face until finally his expression lifted and he jumped out of the chair, surprising nimble for his age, “Oh yes! Now I remember. Thank you Rukel, just set them on the table there…” he said cheerily.

She nodded and walked over to the table, pushing aside some books to set the bag down. Flipping over the lid of the bag she pulled out several turquoise lunar mushrooms and set them down on the dusty table. Reaching back into the bag she extracted several glowing blue crystals, a few individual ones and a small cluster of the precious minerals. Unlike the ones in the street or ones that lit up the room these had several other colors glowing inside their blue interior, reds or oranges, purples and greens.

Lifting a nice looking specimen she turned to Master Vignar and held it out for the aged Kendrith to inspect with squinting eyes through his gold colors spectacles, “Do you need anything else?” Rukel asked quietly with a smile.

“Hmm?” Vignar shifted his blue eyes upwards to look at Rukel, then said cheerily, “Oh! No not right now, Thank you Rukel.”

Dropping the crystal in the bleached hands of Vignar she smiled and turned away, heading to the door, “Well I’m going to go continue my studies then..”

Pushed the door behind her she leaned against it, furry tail tip twisting around her leg and she looked downward with a worried expression, “He forgot again… at least I didn’t get in trouble but…”

Her train of thought was interrupted by a rumbling sound and smoked billowing out of the door crack at her feet. Golden eyes shot wide open and she whirled around, kicking the door open in her panic. Blue grey smoke billowed out of the open door and forced Rukel to shield her mouth and nose from the soot. Coughing she stepped inside the room, unable to see a thing.

“Master Vignar!” she shouted, suppressing more coughing, “Are you alright!”

The sound of coughing from someone other than Rukel was heard in the fog, and as the smoke began to clear the outline of another Kendrith waving smoke away from his face materialized in the smog.

“Yes yes, I’m alright, the crystal didn’t seem to handle the enhancing liquid very well..” he muttered while whipping off his soot covered glasses, “what a bother.. look at this mess!” he exclaimed in irritation at the scene.

Letting out a long relieved sigh Rukel drooped slightly, ears hanging limply, “thank the stars…” but then further thought to Vignar’s exclamation, “mess? I thought it was a mess to start with…” of course she did not voice that particular statement.

Brann poked his head from around the door corner, wrinkling his nose at the smoke in the air, Gex upon his shoulder with tiny talons gripping into Brann’s clothing, “Everything okay?” Brann asked worriedly, Gex adding his own chirp of inquiry.

Master Vignar chuckled and waved his hand in a dismissive manner, the smoke finally mostly cleared away, “Quite, there’s nothing to worry about lad...”

Shaking her head Rukel looked around the room, books had been flung off the once cluttered desk and papers scattered about. Several stacks of scrolls and books near the bookcase had been toppled over and a few contraptions and odds and ends dotting the floor or laying in corners. What a mess that little experiment gone bad has caused Rukel thought to herself. Kneeling down she picked up several pieces of paper, being careful to not get sooty fingers on the cream colored pages. Stacking them she set them back on the bookcase. Grabbing a rag from her pocket she whipped the soot covered covers of several books before restacking them. Meanwhile Master Vignar watched his apprentice for a moment and then went back to the desk, leaning over to peer at the damage.

“That’s odd…” her mumbled to himself, placing a hand against his chin.

“Odd?” Rukel looked up, curious.

Carefully Vignar picked up a piece of the crystal that had caused all the fuss, shards of it were scattered around the desk and their bright glow now dim and black. Vignar glanced up at Rukel, holding out the crystal piece, “Yes, the crystal shattered, I thought perhaps I put too much enhancing liquid on it but I only put two drops of it and I hadn’t even charged the crystal yet…”

Standing up Rukel walked to the desk, laying a couple books upon it’s surface, “Perhaps it wasn’t strong enough or already had too much particle energy in it?”

Master Vignar frowned and scratched his chin then set the crystal down to start straightening up some papers on his desk, “you found it in the caves correct? It couldn’t have been at capacity then, so it must have just not been strong enough. Too bad, it was a lovely specimen.”

Rukel nodded, eyeing the broken crystal a few moment’s before turning away to straighten some bottles with odd liquids inside them, “At least no one was hurt…”

Vignar chuckled and nodded, “quite… now to clean up the rest of this mess…”

Rukel grimaced at the rest of the mess, and sighing to herself she continued to help clean up the clutter. Not that the organization would last for too long anyways. “When this is al done I think I’m going to take Yeni for a walk… and get a nap…” she thought quietly to herself.

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Above on the surface, not too far from the entrance to the crystal caves it was a lovely afternoon. The sun was dimly filtering through the heavy growth of the old forest, mist rising skyward to meet the sun above. There was green everywhere that contrasted in a pleasant way with the brown of rotting leaves and dirt below. Vines snaked up trees from heavy undergrowth below. The trees themselves weren’t the usual pleasant trees that dominated forests; instead these were strange, mysterious with snaking branches and hidden crevices in their trunks. The forest was calm, the occasional cries from the tree dwelling winged inhabitants.

Below some of the silence was broken by soft rustling through the thick brushes, then a scaled and clawed red Draknor foot stepped through the undergrowth. Soon followed by the rest of him. The Draknor, one of the second reptilian species with long horns, thicker scales, reptilian splayed feed and wings, stood there. His main scale color was a dusky red with gold tipped highlights. A pattern of dark maroon red stripped across the outside of his forearms, from of his thighs and calves and down his back and tail. He was wearing thick leather armor with metal bits sewn into it. A double belt wrapped around his middle and sewn together leather pants reached down to his knees where metal plate armor was strapped around his lower limps. A cloak was draped across his shoulders with a half moon crest buckling it.

Keen amber eyes watched the forest, with a clawed hand resting upon a sword hilt, his other arm was completely covered up with armor, only a metal glove wrapped around his hand. Lifting his scaled head he sniffed the air and then gestured with his right arm. Stepping forward Borrick watched as a handful of Draknor warriors came out of the brush with a scattering of human soldiers. Following them was a tall, silent cloaked figure and another Draknor warrior. This one was wearing armor of a commander with long impressive wings and horns. They arranged themselves in the forest clearing, alert for some sort of danger.

The black scaled commander spoke up, gruffly to Borrick, “How much farther till we get to this Kendrith village, scout?”

Borrick didn’t bother to turn around, his amber eyes scanning the tree tops carefully, grunting he answered, “Not much farther, a day’s walk at most…”

The commander nodded and turned away, walking towards the cloaked figure who was sitting atop a rock cross-legged. The cloak draped around her thin shoulders and obscured the view of her face. One pale hand was clasped around a pendent attached to a necklace at her throat. She shifted her head upwards slightly at the commander’s approach.

“What did he say?” the voice came smoothly, almost detached from the cloaked figure.

“That it won’t be much longer, a day at most,” the black scaled commander scowled, glancing around at his troops.

Borrick was still at it, scanning the forest and tree tops with keen eyes. Something was bothering him, the forest had suddenly gone silent and a heavy atmosphere was descending upon the clearing like someone’s last dying breath.

“This feeling…” Borrick thought to himself, tensing in the silence and then in an instant he understood.

Whirling slightly he yelled over his shoulder, “someone’s here, get ready!” his clawed hand gripped the hilt of his weapon and he yanked it out in one swift movement.

Warrior around the clearing jumped up or tensed, drawing their weapons out and scanning the forest line. One in particular yelled at Borrick in keen irritation and anger, “you said it was clear!”

Borrick gritted his teeth, eyes flashing angrily at the accusation, but now was not the time for a verbal sparring match, “I know… just get ready!”

The commander sidestepped in front of the emissary, hand upon the hilt of his broadsword. It was his duty to protect this emissary and make sure she fulfilled her mission. “What a time for an ambush, just as we almost arrived…” he gritted his teeth.

The silence in the forest was deafening like even the trees held their breath in fear. The mist grew thicker by the moment as if urged on by some magic spell. Then something snapped, as the warriors held their breath an outline slowly became visible in the forest gloom. It was a large creature of some sort, eyes alight with an unnatural fire. It snarled softly like the shifting of gravel and rocks. It opened its mouth, the outline of long teeth glinting dangerous through the gloom.

The emissary sucked in a startled breath, looking up fully to see the creature materializing out of the gloom, “Th..that’s…” her voice stuttered as her hand gripped the necklace tighter.

The creature growled again, lips curled back in a mocking grin as if it was laughing. Behind it several more unnatural lights appeared like twin eyes glowing through the gloom..