The Legend of OnADrac
**A rumble... a tremor... something ancient stirs...** Is that...? Could it be...?
In a realm threatened by darkness and chaos, Cardano emerged as the beacon of hope, shrouded in mystery 🌑 Whispers of prophecy foretold of a dragon, destined to carry its essence to celestial heights🐉✨
Watch the legend unfold @OnADracX
A brightened moon
And so we begin! 📖 But not with a flash or bang. No, it starts with Zedzum, who was vainly admiring his reflection – especially his glorious red mane – in a silvery liquid pool when he noticed a change. Could his golden horn seem even more beautiful than usual? 🦄
He turned his head up towards the sky and squinted. The moon seemed… brighter 🌕 His dark eyes widened with realization, and he almost tripped over himself (most un-unicorn-like) as he sprinted towards The Meadow💨
A change in the winds
⭐ Not too far away, deep in the jungle, Kiki sat bored. She started drifting into her mid-evening post-dinner pre-sleep nap when a cool breeze tickled her neck. 🍃 Eyelids still heavy, her thick fingernails reached up in an absent-minded scratch.
The breeze got stronger, turning into a steady westward wind, until it picked up a branch and rudely smacked into her forehead. 🫒 As she picked up the branch, ready to snap it in half, something whispered in the back of her mind. The hairs on her neck stood up. 🥶
The wind was blowing stronger now. 🌬️ Could it really be? She rubbed her chin, staring blankly. Slowly, she stood tall, and called out to her clan. It was time to gather the Apes. 🦍
An undeniable heartbeat
🌼 In the open grasslands, Axara waddled down a path, snacking on some foraged berries. A voice spoke suddenly: “Airdrop… airdrop… airdrop…” She halted, looking around her, and went up to a rock to give it a hard kick. 🪨 “Ow!” the rock yelped, and it started to morph.
It elongated, sprouting a tail, gills, hands, and finally out popped her brother’s face. 🪄 “A rock? You can do better than that,” said Axara. “Did you have to kick that hard?” Axillary winced, “Still compensating for getting cut from the bubble ball team?” ⚽
“You wouldn’t – wait, do you feel that?” Axara’s retort was cut short. 🤐 The axolotls, normally the chattiest creatures, were silent. 💗 The dragon heartbeat was undeniable.
The Unicorn Clan gathers
🦄 By the time Zedzum reached The Meadow, most of the Unicorn Clan had already arrived. “Great,” he thought, as he bowed to each one who had arrived before him. When he reached their lord, Pescetariat, he presented the gift of a single fish. 🐟
Unicorns don’t normally eat fish, but their leader was… strange. Pescetariat looked at the fish approvingly, then speared it with his horn before flipping it into his open mouth. “Zedzum! As our official scholar slash nerd, what say you?” 🤓
Zedzum bristled and stomped his right hoof. “Very authoritative,” he thought to himself before braying, “It’s unmistakable. The brightness. The blueness. The bigness.” Pescetariat looked at him inquisitively. “For the first time in 1000 years, a dragon egg has appeared.” 🐲
A flurry of murmurs and whinnies rose up from the group. The one named Seatriscuit shook his bleach white mane to steady himself. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I always thought the stories of dragons and riches were just Unipony tales.” 📚
Zedzum’s nostrils flared in annoyance at the question. He was the official Unicorn Clan Scholar Slash Nerd! The only thing dumber than Seatriscuit was his dumb luck.🍀 All unicorns were lucky, but Seatriscuit seemed to stumble upwards at every turn.
“It's real,” insisted Zedzum, “I spent an entire day reading about it.” The clan was impressed – no one could stand that much reading. 📖 A new wave of whinnies started and the clan began to gallop in circles in excitement.
Finally Pescetariat stood up on her hind legs and neighed loudly, ending the Unizoomies. “The first to reach the egg will control the dragon and its riches. 💰 No doubt the other clans will be looking too. Zedzum! Where is it?”
Zedzum stared blankly. He hadn't prepared for this, even though he really should have. He looked at Seatriscuit, who was fidgeting, clearly wanting to gallop. “We follow him!” Zedzum blurted, “and see where his luck takes us!”🍀
The Ape Clan disagrees
It took less than an hour for the ape clan to gather around Kiki. Normally filled with ennui, the apes now swung around excitedly as branches swayed in the gust of wind. There was a scent of something ancient and almost musical.🎵
“Listen,” growled the one named Aboo, “it sounds like the sea. If there is an egg, it will be somewhere out in the ocean.” A round of hoots rose up, but quickly died as another ape, Martel, shouted, “You just want an excuse to use the yacht!” ⛵
Martel swung around and landed facing Aboo. “The wind is telling us the egg lies in the heart of the jungle. In our jungle.” 🐒 Aboo snorted. “How typical,” he said, climbing to a higher branch, “Always picking the easiest option.”
As the two sized each other up, Kiki watched them impatiently. They needed to find the egg before anyone else, but the clan had their ways. She would have to let them fight it out, and the clan would follow the winner. 🏆
The two were evenly matched, and some of the younger apes started grooming and gossipping about who they thought would win. As clan leader, Kiki couldn’t publicly pick a side, but she secretly hoped for a reason to go yachting. 🙈⛵
The Axolotls pull a fast one
The axolotl twins Axara and Axillary ran quickly towards the sound of the dragon heartbeat, stopping every few minutes to listen and adjust course. “What would you do with a mountain of gold?” asked Axara. 🪙
“That’s not how it works,” hissed Axillary, “The dragon egg doesn’t come with a mountain of free gold.” Axara rolled her eyes. “Duh, but get the dragon and you’ll get the gold. It’s just fun to think about.”💭
The two axolotls stood bickering when they heard the sound of hooves in the distance. “Oh no, the Unicorns!” 🦄 groaned Axillary, “They’re so much faster than us.” He flopped down dramatically and looked at his sister, whose face had a wry smile.
“How long can you hold a larger form?” she asked him, “5 minutes?” He nodded and jumped to his feet. The unicorns were headed towards them and all seemed to be following the white one. They split up, each hiding a rock.🪨
Zedzum ran behind the group distractedly, his mind on the jewels and gold they would have to decorate their manes and hooves. He sighed happily, before noticing to his left that some of the unicorns had started running in another direction.💫
Zedzum looked his right and saw another group of unicorns had peeled off. “Seatriscuit!” he yelled, “Seatriscuit, stop!” Instead, Seatriscuit started to run faster, and Zedzum groaned. He started sprinting to catch up.💨
Annoyed, Zedzum lowered his horn as he approached so he could give Seatriscuit a good poke in the rear. Seatriscuit yelped, and then suddenly burst into a cloud of iridescent dust. The group of unicorns ground to a halt in confusion.⁉️
Axara stifled a laugh as she approached her brother, who was rubbing his butt where the dark unicorn had tagged him. Back in their axolotl forms, they slinked away quietly towards the dragon heartbeat as the Unicorns started to argue.🦄
The dragon emerges
As the sun broke through the dense canopy of the jungle, a single ray of light reached the egg. The egg stirred, glowing, its scaly exterior expanding. Suddenly, the wind quieted, and a large crack appeared on the surface.🥚
The trees watched silently, holding their breath in anticipation, as it watched the cracks on the blue egg multiply. With a final burst 🎇 the egg split open, and Drac cautiously peeked out. His azure scales reflected the morning light and he stretched out his wings
Not a lot was known about dragons. The legends and myths varied in where dragons came from (some said falling stars, others described intangible magic), but all described a linkage between dragons and unimaginable wealth.💎
Drac, blissfully unaware of any of this, crawled out of his egg and started to explore. He was looking for his first meal when a dark hole between two tree roots caught his eye. His wings flapped with curiosity as he approached.🕳️
He heard a loud crack behind him, and without looking, dove headfirst into the hole. “Huh…” he murmured, as he walked further into what appeared to be a tunnel under the jungle floor.
Martel led the apes through the jungle, with Aboo reluctantly bringing up the rear as the loser in their long fight. A blue shimmer 🔹 caught his eye, and as he swung down from a branch, he was suddenly knocked to the side.
“Back off, Apes!” shouted Pescetariat as she reared up, ready to give the ape another kick. Martel was about to throw some of his poo at the Unicorns 💩 when Kiki shouted, “The axolotls have the egg!”
Axara and Axillary froze. They were the first to reach the egg, but it was already too late. The dragon was gone. As they picked up a fragment, it disintegrated into a fine blue dust. The clans traded looks in silence. The hunt was on.
Drac's surprise encounter
Drac crept forward in the darkness of the tunnel until, suddenly, he hit a hard wall with his nose 💥 His sapphire eyes started to water, and he gave the wall a good shove in retaliation and it swung open, the light temporarily blinding him.
Drac rubbed his eyes and blinked. Looking back at him was what appeared to be… a startled group of dinner party guests. Their mouths hung agape in surprise until, finally, the host at the end of the table stood up.
“Welcome!” said the shiba inu, “I’m Doge! Glad you could join us.” Drac waved cautiously and entered the room. “I’m Drac,” he said, somehow already knowing his name despite just being born. “I’m new here.”
“Hi, Drac,” said the animals in unison. It was something of an eclectic group, and Doge went around the table introducing everyone. “That’s Snek,” he said, pointing to the snake 🐍 and “And Meta, the fox.”🦊
Across from the snake and frog sat two other dogs and a fox. “I’m Terrie,” barked the terrier, “I dug most of the tunnels here.” The third dog, a pitbull, waved a white paw, “I’m Pittie. I decorated the place!” 🐾
Doge looked at the baby dragon, who was staring at the food and beginning to drool. “Join us, won’t you?” he said, adding a chair to the table. Drac sat down and a small puff of smoke rose from his nostrils.💨
A plan is hatched
After dinner, Doge led the group to the next room, which had a floor made of soft pillows and blankets strewn around. A small fireplace in the back crackled, and as the group talked about the strange activity in the jungle, Drac nodded off.💤
🦊“It’s got to be related,” said Meta, her fluffy tail flicking upwards, “When was the last time you saw Unicorns here? In the jungle?” 🐍 Snek hissed in agreement, his beady eyes landing on Drac, now lightly snoring.
“He’s just a baby!” whispered Terrie. “What do you think would happen if they found him?” asked Pittie. Doge crossed his paws in thought. They all knew that dragons were connected to riches, but not sure how.🪙
“The Clans are the whole reason we have to live underground,” Snek bemoaned. “I don’t know how, but things would get even worse if they get to him. We have to throw them off his scent. Get them far away from here.”
Doge shuddered, but he knew what had to be done. He skulked through the winding tunnels and exited on the east side of the jungle. He started circling two dark trees, sniffing around and peeing a little🌳
“They better be here…” Doge thought as a dark shadow passed over him. “Hello, Doge,” a voice purred. Doge looked up into the branches and into the glint of two green eyes. “WOW,” barked Doge, “so cat.” 🐈
Kitty batted her eyelashes and dropped to the ground in front of Doge. “Yes,” she smiled, flashing her sharp teeth, “So cat. What can I do for you, Doge?” Doge put on his best derp face. “much trouble. halp.”
Doge widened his eyes. “baby dragon. very fast. such escape. wow.” Kitty tilted her head in interest. “Which way did it go?” she asked. “RIVER!” Doge barked, “PLAINS! omg. much directions. so confuse.”
Kitty started pacing. Those were two very opposite directions, but it would be useless to try and get more detail from the brute. “Why don’t you stay here?” she grinned, “And we’ll find the dragon for you.”
“wow. so thank. wow.” Doge watched as Kitty retreated up the tree to rally her army of Kitties for the search. Doge tried to look carefree as he bounded away, trusting that the Kitties would leak the intel to everyone.
Peace and quiet...
Doge’s plan worked. The next months were spent in a newfound bliss, and Drac and his friends were able to enjoy the jungle while The Clans and all their allies were away, looking in all the wrong places for him.
🦊Every now and then, they would find ways to draw attention away from the jungle. Meta would take one of Drac’s scales and deposit it up in the mountains, or Snek would make dragon-prints in the desert sand.🐍
At night, as everyone piled onto the floor to retire for the day, Drac would often dream the same dream. He was alone, surrounded in the darkness. He saw treasures with a hidden potential locked away. He always woke up frustrated.
One night, in this dream, he had an idea. Maybe some dragon fire could unlock the treasure’s mysteries. He carefully breathed on it, a blue flame surrounding the coin in his hand. “Fire…” said a distant voice🔥
“FIRE!!” Drac snapped awake, surrounded by chaos. Snek and Meta ran in with buckets of water, dousing the flames, while Terrie and Pittie used pillows to try and smother it. Doge was rolling on the ground, his tail singed🩹
“I’m so sorry!” cried Drac, “I didn’t mean to!” Doge winced, and put a paw on Drac’s foot. He was almost a year old and had grown quickly, almost to the point where he could no longer fit in the tunnels.
“Why don’t you wait outside while we clean up?” said Doge. “There’s not a lot of space to move around when we’re all together.” Drac wiped his face off with a claw and nodded, lumbering outside into the cold dawn🌠
Drac sat down on his favorite stump. Last week, he broke a chair just by sitting in it, and the week before, he almost stepped on Snek. Maybe it was time to find his own place. He glumly started into the sky when he felt a light tap.
Drac looked down and saw what appeared to be a sort of fish with legs and fuzzy fringes around its head. “Who…” he started, when suddenly a band of apes came crashing through the canopy above.🐒
He stood up, startled, and took a few steps backwards. “Watch out!” he heard, and as he turned around found himself facing a dark unicorn with a bright red mane. “Come with us, there’s no time to explain!”🦄
Before Drac could respond, an ape dropped down from a branch and grabbed his wing. “No way, the dragon comes with us!” The unicorn gripped Drac’s arm with his mouth and pulled with a furious neigh.
🐕”Drac, this way!” yelled Doge, who was standing next to… another Doge? Drac’s confusion was plainly laid out on his face. “Oh for fox’s sake, we can’t both be the shiba!” shouted one of the Doges.
“Let go of me!” Drac yelled, and breathed dragon fire around him🔥The unicorn and ape release their grips, but when the fire cleared, Drac saw that he was surrounded. For the first time in his young life, he felt real fear.
🦄Pescetariat slowly approached, smiling broadly. “Hey, buddy,” she cooed, “No need to be scared!” Kiki scoffed. “If you leave with them, you’re never coming back to the jungle. But not with us, we live here!”🐒
“I think I’d rather just stay where I am…” started Drac. “Yes, come with us!” said the two Doges in chorus. He opened his wings to fly, only for the apes and unicorns to grab hold again. Their arguing was deafened by a loud roar from above.
🐲A huge, red dragon landed next to them, almost crushing a few apes. “BE GONE!” it roared, and the group quickly scattered. Drac stared frozen in fear and awe, and watched as the dragon’s anger melted into a smile as she turned towards him.
“I’m Nostrah,” she said, stretching out her wings before folding them back. “I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, Drac.”
A whole new world
Drac looked up at Nostrah, trying to process everything that had happened. After the chaos, the jungle was strangely calm, and he could feel the morning sun warming his scales. “How do you know my name?” he asked.
"Ah,” said Nostrah, “I belong to the Guild of Farseers. A kind of prophet, if you will. Through my study of fire, I could see some things about you, like your name, but I could not see where you were.”
Another dragon! One who was part of a guild, which meant other dragons and other guilds! Drac’s heart skipped a beat in excitement. He had a thousand questions for her, but he hesitated. Was this another trick?
Nostrah’s red eyes peered into his own, and she continued, “I could also feel things, like your frustration with the treasure in your dreams.” Drac tried to hide his surprise without success. He had never told anyone about the dreams.
Drac and Nostrah discussed his dreams and the loneliness and darkness that always surrounded him in them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Doge, Pittie, Terrie, Meta, and Snek approach in a mixture of fear and awe.
🦊“We heard the Unicorns stampeding! We were so worried…” Meta trailed off as she looked up at Nostrah. None of them quite knew what to say, and Snek finally blurted, “Do all dragons get this big?!”🐍
Nostrah smiled. “I’m on the bigger side,” she said, before turning towards Drac. “You should come with me and see for yourself. We can work on understanding the meaning of your dreams and consult the other guilds.”
Drac looked over at his friends. “Could they come too?” he asked. 🐕 Doge’s ears perked up momentarily until Nostrah shook her head. “It’s impossible. Non-dragons aren’t allowed in our world. They haven’t been in over a millenia.”
“The infighting between the guilds have made us weak and open to exploitation,” she explained. “Our secrets were sold and our treasures stolen. Out of desperation, the guild leaders cut off contact with the outside world.”
“Then how are you here?” Doge asked. “It took a long time,” Nostrah responded, “I had to convince each of the guilds of my mission: the mission to find dragons born outside our world and bring them home.”
“But this is home,” said Drac, but as he said the words, he knew he would have to leave. He looked at his group of friends who had taken him in and taught him everything. “I’ll come back, you guys.”
Nostrah watched silently as the group exchanged tearful goodbyes. Finally, she gently put a claw on Drac’s shoulders. “We should go,” she said. Drac nodded in response. With a final farewell, they flew eastward over the glimmering sea and towards the World of Dragons.
