Sunlit Pearl and Dancing Mist

Sunlit Pearl frowned slightly and her oval eyes widened. "What do you mean I'm going on vacation? My next vacation year isn't for another year. Am I being... retired?"

The High Priestess shook her draconic head. "No, of course not. Your actions haven't merited retirement. We just want you to go and visit other places so that maybe by the time you get back you can appreciate diversity a bit. The way that you handled those embassadors from the water draces was totally inappropriate."

The High Priestess smiled and swished her tail around slightly. "Yes, I know what you mean but at least try to be a bit more tolerant. Why don't you go off to Lartanom for a year with your brother? Isn't he on his vacation now?"

Sunlit Pearl nodded a bit more cheerfully. "Yes he is. I think that Dancing Mist would enjoy a trip. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll be leaving now." Sunlit Pearl strode from the High Priestess' office and allowed herself to scowl. She thrashed her tail with irritation and flared her small nostrils a bit. How embarrasing! All the other priestesses would know the real reason why she was asked to take a vacation. When the water draces had come to the temple Sunlit Pearl had refused to let them in, shocked and in horror at their gills, long noses, and webbed hands and feet. Even their tails were all flat and webbed. They were disgusting. Sunlit Pearl headed over to the transporters.

The transporters were teleportation devices that led to the other drace cities on the west coast of Wencea. Sunlit Pearl stepped onto the one that would lead her to Marble City, the place where most draces on vacation would go. She was immediatly in the Temple of the Dragon Gods, a large temple dedicated to not one but both gods. Sunlit Pearl wove her way in and out of the draces and few foreigners and was soon on the streets of Marble City. It was beautiful, really. The buildings were all tall and winding and each of them was made of either white or soft pinkish marble.The only other species that could hope of building something this beautiful would be the elves, or so Sunlit Pearl thought. She quickened her pace so that she could find her brother and tell him the news.

When Sunlit Pearl had found Dancing Mist and explaned her situation to him he wasn't very surprised. As he flexed his long toes that were propped up on a chair he regarded her. "Now come on, sis. You had to know that they would bug you about it some time. You really shouldn't judge people so much on their appearances."

Sunlit Pearl scowled once more. The two of them were draces. A drace is a creature that originally originated from human and dragon crossbreedings. They were humanoid but with mostly draconic features such as wings, tails, and long snouts. Over the years as draces bred with draces they developed more refined features, softer and less looking like they were thrown randomly together. Sunlit Pearl and Dancing Mist could trace their family back through generations of draces. Dancing Mist didn't particularly care but Sunlit Pearl had an aversion to those with less pure pedigrees.

"Yeah, well the High Priestess says that we should go to Lartanom for a vacation. Why would anyone want to go there? It is infested with humans!" hissed Sunlit Pearl.

Dancing Mist once more regarded his flexing toes and then glanced up at Sunlit Pearl. "You know," he said slowly. "I heard that they have some very interesting architechture there. I mean, it is rumored that the Altair Dragons built some very impressive towers. But of course you wouldn't want to see those, now would you."

Sunlit Pearl grinned and shoved Dancing Mist's feet off the chair. "All right, you scamp. We'll go. Now just promise me not to go chasing Umbrakeon the Dark or anything while I am looking at those boring towers that you hate."

Dancing Mist grinned too. "You know, even if he is an evil dragon of death Umbrakeon is still a Dragonlord and part of our lord Dramenra. Just thank the gods that the bright Dragonlord hasn't gone insane."

Soon the two of them were off on one of the newest models of boats heading for the new continent. Sunlit Pearl was misreble, the boat was packed with foreigners headed home and the few draces weren't talking much. Dancing Mist, however, was soon involved in something called "gambling" and though Sunlit Pearl wasn't sure what he was doing he always came back with lots of gold. After about a week at sea they had arrived at a dry desert city.

Dancing Mist rubbed some sand out of his eyes and seat off of his face. "Whew, I didn't know it got this hot here. I vote that we make tracks for somewhere else. Though I guess we could see if we could check out the Shrine to Thunder while we are here."

The first ancient building of the Altair dragons that they had decided on visitng was one called Cy, the shining tower. With a light heart Sunlit Pearl walked up the path to Cy, and froze. "Do you sense anything?" she asked of Dancing Mist.

Sunlit Pearl sighed. "Stop shrugging, it makes you look human. And- What is that?" The flapping of leathery wings reached their ears and soon two dragons were cruising into view and landing in front of them. To Sunlit Pearl's surprise the riders were not humans, but other draces. "Who are you?" she yelled.

The two draces, one was black while the other was yellowish gold, stared at her. The black one grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "Actually I was about to ask you that. Who are you?"

Sunlit Pearl stood tall and stared at the distant drace. "I am Sunlit Pearl, a Priestess of the Temple of Dramensha. This is Dancing Mist, a Priest of the Remple of Dramenra. I ask again, who are you?"

Sunlit Pearl glanced at Whispering Leaf's rough features, such as the long nose and dragon-like hands. "Were you actually born of a dragon and a human?" she asked.

Whispering Leaf looked like she was about to do something violent but Silent Wind beat her to it. Reciting the words quickly, he cast a spell on both Sunlit Pearl and Dancing Mist. To Sunlit Pearl's horror they both were turning into...

Silent Wind smiled sardonicly. "Yes. Now you are even worse bred than both of us, eh? I don't know the counterspell so you two are going to be humans for a long time. Probably forever. Why don't you and your companion head on to Cy before I tell Dohosh to eat both of you."

One of the dragons growled and to Sunlit Pearl's further horror it turned out to have too many heads. Both her and Dancing Mist ran down the path until they arrived at a giant tower which spirled up extremly high. "So this is Cy," said Sunlit Pearl reverently.

"Actually it is called Cy Dragonstake." said a voice nearby. They looked over to see a human standing by one of the doors with his blue dragon. "I don't know who you are but would like to know whether you have any qualms about becoming candidates for bonding a dragon."