Galaxy 27: Dragons' Nest

The red peaks of Drakia are the drakes' launch pads. They take off in the morning, hunt all day, and come back gorged. You have arrived at hunting time.

Wings unfold on every peak. The drakes have seen their prey.

The wyverns of Wyvernia breathe fire as they dive. They strike from above, and burn everything in their path. There is no reaching them without bringing them down.

A whistle, then a trail of fire. The wyvern is already climbing again.

The dragon riders of Dragonnia are humans loyal to the dragons. They hold the passes with shield and spear, and do not fall back. They protect the nest as if it were their own.

A line of red shields bars the pass.

Ovaria is a field of dragon eggs, as big as boulders. Don't touch them. The whole galaxy defends them.

An egg cracks. Then another. What comes out already has fangs.

The ground of Escailla is made of scales shed over millennia. Every scale is a sheet of armour plating. The drakes roll in them to sharpen their claws.

The scales grate under your steps. Claws answer them.

Ancestralia is the nest of the oldest dragon in the universe. Its guardians are the strongest in the galaxy. They let no one near the master's slumber.

Drakes, wyverns and dragon riders form a circle. The nest lies behind them.

Draconis is the heart of the nest, and the Ancestral Dragon sleeps there. It was there before the stars, say the dragon riders. Its breath sets everything ablaze, and the burn never goes out. Its golden scales deflect blades and shots. Every dragon in the universe descends from it. Command wants the dragons' galaxy subdued, or its master slain. You will have to survive its breath and strike while it draws another.

The Ancestral Dragon opens one eye. Then the other.