Thanks Stardust! 

Ill start soonish guys, it’s just been a busy week with like dance and all. 

Sorry this is taking so long guys! My wifi's been iffy the past few days and Leagues are coming up so Im real busy! Give me like 20min and I'll have a small excerpt for yall.

*sorry it's a bit long y'all, just a bit of background, we'll call it our continued prologue*

The Legend of the Five Jewels.

Legend has it that long ago, our land was a land of murder, as animals would hunt another as prey, or kill for a mate. It was a dark time, with only very rare relationships outside of a species, or even family. It was a time of hunt or be hunted, of kill or die. It was what this land had always known. We were Outcasts to each other.

That was, until five beasts like no other were born. They say the creatures were made of invincible stone, hybrids of beauty and life all in itself, with powers no dragon had even thought of before. There was one of each biome, one for every animal. There was the Dimond Dragon, for the creatures with wings and scales and powerful talents. She slowly convinced her comrades to stop battling each other to the death, over simple things such as prey or lies, and with her scales made of sparkling gems, they envied her serenity, and so listened to her words. She gave her animals respect.

The Jade Wildcat was lushly green in a land of drought and death, and with her words of empathy, the creatures around her son realized that they didn't have to hoard water, or scavenge every morsel of prey, if they just shared with each other. She gave her animals life.

The Silver Wolf was born in a land of harsh winters and hot summers, in the mountains just below the tree line. He saw the world around him through a new perspective, and with his charming talk and glinting pelt, he convinced the animals of the mountains and freezing climates that prey did not have to be killed. He convinced the hunters to live in peace with the prey, as all could live on the nutrients of the tough, weathered greens and fuits. He gave his animals unity.

In the lush green jungles, the Rose Quartz elephant made his mark, with tusks that looked of sparkling pink flowers, he taught his creatures the importance of beauty. With his slow-moving trunk, he made art like no animal had seen before. He taught the animals the importance of the world around them, of the beauty within a drop of dew or a sparkling spider web. He gave his animals the gift of understanding and self-awareness.

And lastly, in the depths of the waters, the Amythest Dolphin made her mark. Glimmering purple in a pod of black dolphins, she showed the depths of the dimmest waters light beyond darkness. She gave her animals peace in the midst of uncertainty.

As one, each beast changed their world. But together, they could do so much more, for all of animal kind. Slowly, each beast came to this realization, and in almost an instinct-like way, each set out to meet in the Plains of Peace, territory bearly touched by any animal of any separate biome. Together they shared their accomplishments, and each influenced the others in such a way, that they planned to meet every new moon in the Plains of Peace. 

Before long, they had friends, or impactful animals come with, and it was agreed by all the animals that the bioms should be unified in the first Empire in history.

The Empire of Prosperity.

The news was exciting and thrilling to the leaders of change, and to most of the land's animals. The Beast's and their advisors all found it wise to make a Palace in the middle of the Valley of Peace, to symbolize each biom's accomplishments and the peace and unity of the land's animals.

So the Palace of the Five Beasts was created. Together the animals of each biom would send representatives or speakers of change to suggest things to their respected beast. Through this, the animals accomplished the idea of a common language shared by all. Feasts and fairs were held in the Valley of Peace around the Great Palace, each celebrating their own ideas or the beast's gifts.

Alas, in a time of prosperity and change such as this time, not all ideas were accepted. Not everyone agreed with one another. Not even the beasts could resist a good fight.

Even though they brought their gifts upon the other animals, tradition and instincts both forged a gap between the Five Beasts, as each thought it was superior to the others. Soon currency was created, which only gave curtain animals power and limited others, creating a system of hunter and prey so complex that no one could spot its key purpose. They demanded individuals pay them gifts for their good-doings, and when they didn't, they would be punished. Their freedom was stripped with rules so complex and penalties so high that no rebels could make a difference, new ideas were shunned, and no one could do anything but fall into this line of corrupt.

The Five Beasts even turned on each other. In the greatest battle anyone could remember, caused by a simple argument between the five rumored to have been over an unnamed offering to the most powerful beast, the Palace of the Five Beasts was demolished and the Valley of Peace turned to burnt earth. Each beast declared war on the others, and the Great Empire of Life was split into five. The Empire of Sand, the Empire of Rock, the Empire of Trees, the Empire of Sea, and the Empire of Sky. 

The war lastest so long that its start and finish was lost in time. It lasted five generations, rumor has it, the longest war in all of history. By this time the casualties were many, and the animals of each empire had had enough of the blood loss. The danger meant nothing to the beasts, they were immortal, and nothing could hurt them. By now they could care less what happened to their animals. Frustrated, rebel leaders of each empire met in secret to get the beasts to see what they have become, and how hypocritical their rule had been. They had violated every rule they had set, and lost the importance of the gifts they had offered the land. 

So a surrender plea was delivered to each of the Five Beasts. It said to meet at the Valley of Peace, where the Empires would then surrender to the rule of the other. Each self-righteous leader immediately journeyed to the Valley of Peace, congratulating themselves in their success.

But it wasn't a surrender pledge that was waiting for them. Face-to-face again, the Five Beasts were at first mad, then realized how much they had missed the presence of each other, and how power-hungry they had gone. With their loyalists hiding just beyond the borders, the Beasts pledged that they would never go power-hungry again, and to prove so, they decided that they should no longer have any power. 

And that was how the Jewels were born. Each turned itself into a stone to be sent away into a hidden location, never to be seen again, unless in a time of peril. And only in a time of peril. It was decided that only the most skilled animals would be able to find these hidden Jewels, and in order to do so, they must pass a series of tests and battles specific to the creature in question. They must also be bendable, empathetic creatures with hearts still pure, claws still sharp, and minds still curious. The exact age of the creatures was determined to be 16, where all of these qualities would still be at the height, but the animals would not be as naive and set to one specific way. So the Five Beasts disappeared into the new moon night, only leaving behind vague maps of their locations.

The loyalists were shocked and blamed the rebel group, who had taken charge after their disappearance, for the loss of their leaders. The rebel group was then banned to the outskirts of the empires, the barren wasteland of battle-scarred earth that had been the location of the war, and were named the Outcasts.

The Five Empires left that night with the maps to their respected beast, and to start rebuilding their homeland. Many rose up to become influential leaders that took charge in the healing of the Empires, while the loyalists tried to hunt down their Beast, most of which get lost, some not even returning. After a long time, the Empires slowly gave up on finding their beast, and respected the legend of their reasons, so a new Emporer was crowned by the animals. Trade soon picked up between the Empires, and each learned to live in peace with one another, have unity within itself, respect even the strangers on the streets, value every given moment of life, and share their wealth with one another.

The legend of the Five Jewels was a legend, and nothing more. 

The maps would only be used in a time of peril within the Empires, when the gifts were being ignored or forgotten. 

The Jewels were history, and nothing more. 

And after years of waiting…

(thanks guys lol I suck at starting these) 

~Eagna

In all my years, it has always been an honor to be invited into the presence of the Emperess. Even more so when she won the war and became Queen. But now, sitting in a room with one other dragoness my age, four stoney-faced guards, and the tapping of the Queen's dagger-like black talons, I sort of felt out of place.

The room itself was way too shiny and gem-y for my taste. Yes, every animal likes sparkly things, but this room was kinda over-the-top. The rosy-pink light of the fading dawn bounced through the five open corners of the room, making the polished marble sparkle. That itself wasn't so bad. But it also lit up the many sapphires and rose-quartz jungle animals, and sleek silver mountain peaks, and quartz clouds and jade desserts and purple waves, which reflected the light onto the dark oak table and off the thrones and into eyes. Especially my eyes. I don't know how the six other dragons in the room can stand it.

At least the sanded marble chair they had me sit in was cool and sort of comfortable. And I was sitting next to the Queen. In her big quartz chair and everything. On the other side of the large throne was the other Finder from the Empire of Sky. She was a very vibrant indigo, with golden talons and end of tail, like light itself was coming from the tips. She had remained very stoic this entire time, very patient, it seemed, as she waited for the Queen to give her any orders. I flicked my tail and subconsciously started fidgeting with the chair leg. It made a small scraping noise but I wasn't really paying attention to it.

I was now studying the four guards, two standing on either side of the door, stoic, gray, and almost like statues. If I wasn't myself a dragon, I would have thought they were statues. 

I now again became aware of the sounds of my tail scrapping against the leg of the chair and the tapping of the Queen's talons that had faded into the background. I stopped and sat still, worried I might be annoying the others. I was still for only a few seconds, but it felt like minutes had gone by before the Queen adjusted herself in her seat, looked behind her at the sunrise, and snorted a few blue sparks into the air.

The last of the dawn's light had gone, and the sky was a bright blue. I squinted down at the nearest window, wondering if I could see my cave from here. The room was pretty high up, on the tallest spire, the highest room in the castle, so visitors could get the whole feel of the Sky Empire. I think.

The Queen cleared her throat. "I'm sorry for the delay…" she started, looking down her snout at the two dragonets on either side of her. "Eagna…Ximena…looks like the rest of the finders will be arriving a bit late." With that she spread her midnight-black wings.

The silver and blue sapphire crown on her head caught the light in that moment in such a spectacular way that it drew the very breath away from me and the wind from my wings. "Would you like us to send a…" the largest guard started in a raspy sort of voice.

"Yes. At once." The Queen interrupted, casting a few looks down at her chosen Finders.

There was a sudden commotion behind the great oak doors carved with dragon wings and talons, and if I wasn't a dragon, I probably would have jumped. Probably.

It stopped as suddenly as it arrived, though, and a few painful heartbeats of curiosity went by before a strange knock echoed through the room. The Queen let out a relieved sigh, waved a wing, and sat back down in her glimmering throne. 

The door clicked and was swung open to reveal another guard, slightly larger than the others with large brown scales and thick silver horns, and behind him… "Altitude." The Queen's voice was almost so smooth that you couldn't detect the frustration underneath.

The dragon stepped out of the way of the large moose and the two following him as they entered the room. The rigid brown dragon nodded slightly at one of the four guards and took his place by the door.

It clicked shut behind the silver guard as he left. 

"Queen Illuminate." If the large moose said her name in distaste, he covered it well. I scowled. "I apologize for our tardiness."

I noted how he didn't care to give a reason. "Please take a seat." She waved a talon at the silver throne and the granite seats positioned on either side.

The large hooves of the moose clacked on the ground as he made his way to the throne. Only then did I notice how much smaller the four thrones were next to the Queen's.  

The Emporer sat in his throne, his matted brown fur swaying in the slight wind. Even though I knew that dragons had more elegant and powerful horns then a moose's, I couldn't help but admire the magnificence of Altitude's. I noted how he had weaved silver links in between all the different layers, and how there were charms of his empire's animals on every other link. 

I caught the eye of a wolf-like creature, one of the Finders of the Silver Wolf, and he gave me a sort of cocky smile. Almost…mockingly. Was this Stone Empire creature mocking me? I snorted and looked up to my Queen.

She seemed friendly almost, but there was a small scowl on her face as she watched Altitude settle himself. The other Finder, a bird of some-sort, ruffled his feathers and raised his chin up to the Queen. "Hello, Finders of the Dimond Dragon." Altitude rumbled in his warm but rough voice, seemingly unfazed by the Queen's lack of respect. "Welcome to the Diplomatic Room. I'm sure the Queen has already explained all of this, but it is an honor to be in your presence. I'm sure you will bring great things to our Empires." 

The other dragon Finder…I couldn't remember her name, looked shocked out of words, and bowed her head in return to the noble Emperor. I looked at my regal Queen, and raised my chin. "Thank you." I said simply, unsure of what else to say.

I was almost startled as something knocked loudly on the door. "I'm here." Hissed a deep female voice. "With two more sacrifices. Let's get this over with."

The guards looked startled as they exchanged glances with one another, then in unison, looked up at the Queen. She waved her talons in an unenthused way and rolled her eyes. The largest gray one opened the door. Just slightly at first, but as soon as it opened the creature on the other side barreled through. The guard scrambled out of the way of the large pacing cat, looking impatient and like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Following uneasily behind her was a large elk, and a smaller doe, who looked as if she could kill everyone in the room with just her eyes. 

I watched, perplexed, as she strode over to her throne and sat down without much of a glance at the others there. Her two Finders followed slower, as they took in the brightness of the room, going out of their way to stay away from the open corners. "Oh surprise." She hissed with a roll of her eyes and the tapping of her claws. "I'm not the last here. I herd Xerocole had another bombing yesterday night, she must be tending to the victims." She met the Queen's eyes with a snarl. "Better send a battalion to punish them."

The Queen's face went stoic, her fangs showing just a bit, and I sware a few sparks went up her wings. I exchanged a glance with the gray guard from across the room. "Empress Temperate." Altitude started slowly. "You do know this is for the greater good, right?" His brown eyes met hers, and then flicked up to the Queen. 

The Empress of the Trees sighed, her red and black fur rippling. "Yes. So she says."

Another knock on the door broke the tension in the room. The gray guard opened it to reveal a sleek, smaller dragon guard, sandy white in color and missing wings. He nodded at one of the other gray guards and took his place. Behind him stepped out a tired looking painted wolf, the jade tiara on her head tilted slightly, and her fur ruffled. She ushered the two small sand Finders into the room, before turning behind her. With a cold shiver, I realized there were about a dozen more guards behind her. She dismissed them and came to take her spot at the table. 

To be honest, I really wasn't involved in the war much when it was happening. I knew my parents died noble deaths serving dragon kind, but I wasn't one to fight in wars. I could serve my Empire in other ways, as like a weapon-creator or teacher.

"Xerocole." The fierce tiger got up to help the ruffled young-looking Empress to her throne. The wild dog smiled in a thankful way. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." She whispered. "It wasn't your fault." The tiger looked up and gave a look so sharp to the Queen that I almost winced. I mean I would have if I wasn't a dragon.

"Welcome, Finders of the Jade cat." The Queen roared, ignoring the disloyalty. "I'm very sorry you had to…witness the catastrophes of last night. Now you know what we're fighting for, and why this mission is so important."

Temperate looked up sharply, but help her tongue as she sat back down on her own throne. Xerocole shook her head and looked up at the Queen. "If you think this will help." Her voice cracked on the last word. "Then I have chosen the most qualified warriors for your cause." She shook her head. "For our sake, I hope they come back."

The room got still as every Finder came to the realization that no one has ever come back with the stone before, and the most recent ones haven't come back at all. I looked down at my talons, swallowed, and curled my tail around the chair legs, shuffling my wings slightly. 

"They will come back." The Queen bellowed, waving her talons at the eight finders. "My sage foretold it." I couldn't help noticing her glance to the door. 

The wild dog shook her head, the tiger looked down somberly at her claws, and the moose was looking out one of the windows. "For your sake, I hope she's right."  

At this point in time, the sun was almost right overhead, and was casting light over all the gathered animals, and making my blue scales glow. The Queen looked very irritated, and since she was irritated, I felt a little irritated myself. The Empire of Sea's throne and chairs were still empty. Was that what the Queen was irritated about? 

A few seconds turned to a few minutes as the Finders started talking among themselves and the Empresses of Trees and Sand began murmuring together. I sat as regally as I could, mimicking my Queen, who kept looking up at the sun. 

After what seemed like ages, there was a knock on the door. The guard opened it to reveal a wingless dragon, sea-green, with webs in between his claws. He muttered something to the gray guard, and they both glanced behind at the head of the stairwell, then back at the Queen. Finally, the guard stepped aside to reveal a huge crocodile. On his back was, what I thought was a scrap of fur at first, but realized was a small, possibly injured animal. 

He walked inside with a glance at the Queen, before waddling to his throne. "Cove." Queen Illuminate hissed. "You're very late." 

He bearly acknowledged her as he slid the animal off his back and placed her in the seat beside his purple throne. That's when I noticed the other Finder, waddling slowly behind him. He took a seat on the other chair, looked at the other animals, then proceded to stare blankly at the table.

It was silent for a few heartbeats. 

"Cove." The Queen said slowly, drawing herself up. "What is that?" She gestured at the half-awake frail…what looked to be an otter.

"This is Hazel. I chose her to be one of the Finders of the Amythest Dolphin." 

It was silent for another few heartbeats. 

"What's wrong with her?" Pipped up a voice from one of the jade chairs. 

"Are you sure she's fit for the journey?" Offered the other quickly, with a sharp look at the first. 

The other Sea Empire Finder looked unbothered by the sharp eyes of the Queen on him. "Are you wasting our time on purpose?" The Queen demanded, drawing her eyes away to look at Cove. "We need to get those Jewels and with these…things-"

"I thought you said it was foretold -set in stone- that we would get the Jewels? No matter what?" The crocodile's eyes were narrowed up at the Queen. 

She drew her head back. "And I stay true to my promise." She glared down at the sickly otter. "We will get those stones." Her piercing blue eyes turned to the murky green of the crocodiles. "Whatever it takes."

Woah… Ximena and I are both humbled by your writing, Great job, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

That was AMAZING!

Awe thanks guys! 

Sorry the next part is taking so long.

(someone over here is a procrastinator)  

Hey guys sorry this is taking so long!

I sorta skipped over some less important parts so we can get to the main story faster, sorry! Also I had no motivation to write them.  

~Xena

I shivered involuntarily as an ominous wind inforced the uneasiness in the room. The Queen chose that moment to spread her bluish black wings and readjust her position. "Shall we begin?" She surveyed the room with her cold blue eyes. I shivered again. I hated dragons as much as one would hate sand in their eyes. But not because of what they had done, something about them was just… creepy I guess.

I shuffled my paws. "We can begin with introductions." The Emperess boomed. "These two are Eagna and Ximena. I chose these strong individuals for their power, skills, and determination. I don't doubt for a second that they won't let anything get in their way of completing this mission."

The striking violet dragon with the golden claws and sharp eyes raised her head as if she was unused to compliments like this. The small blue one, on the other hand, looked like his ego might burst through the non-existent roof. 

The Empress of Sky flicked her wing and Empress Tempress cleared her throat. "Here we have Amistia and Everlast." The doe of the two looked over at Empress Illuminate with stone-cold eyes, like chips of frozen stone almost. The buck looked like he was stone. "I chose them for their intellect and logic, I believe with determination they will be able to solve the puzzles that they will have to endure to find the Rose Elephant."

I felt a sudden wave of nervousment as the Emperor of Sea cleared his throat. "Here we have Samuel and Hazel, as I've already introduced her." He gestured to the otter, who was blinking her eyes, as if her energy was slowly coming back to her as she rested from the probably long journey it took to get here. The duck-billed thing- Samuel didn't move as his name was called, heck he didn't even blink. "I believe they both have promising potential to fulfill this mission."

Empress Illuminate clicked her tongue against her teeth in silent fury. Emporer Altitude and Empress Tempress exchanged a worried glance as Empress Xerocole cleared her throat. "Here we have Xena and Revka. Small but mighty, I chose the fiercest to be apart of this mission." I shrivled away from the many pairs of eyes that had turned to me and my fellow Finder, Revka. "I hope very much that they will succeed, and that we aren't risking their lives for nothing." She cast a death-glare at Empress Illuminate. 

Who just simply clicked her tongue against her teeth again and turned to Emporer Altitude. "Here we have Peak and Sweep." They both seemed to hold themselves a little higher. "Exceptional navigators, they will be a key factor in the finding of all the Jewels, not just the Silver Wolf." 

I thought I caught the coyote-Sweep, cast a look over at Revka, who was staring at the table either pretending not to care or complaining to herself about something. She complained a lot on our way here. 

"Thank you. Nice to meet all of you." The dragoness cast a glance at Hazel. "Here I have supplies, water canteens, some food, and other necessities." 

As she continued talking, I saw Empress Xerocole pull a green-colored gravelly-smelling slate from a lemon-grass satchel across her shoulders with pearly white teeth. She glanced at us and I subconsciously turned as she whispered, "one of you two take this, you're going to need it." It looked as if Revka wasn't listening. 

"Um, I wi-" I nearly got the sentance out in a squeaky whisper before our Empress tapped Revka on the shoulder, whsipered something to her, and slid it into her paws. 

"Okay." I whispered to myself, sinking into my seat. "Not the first time." 

~Revka

The Empire of Sky was nothing like the warm sun-scorched sands of the desert. The winds blowing from various openings ruffled my fur to the point of me wanting to claw someone's face off. And the tower was so high up- and with the open corners, someone like -uh- the tiny fox over there could fall right out.

Not that I care or anything.

"We will start with the Dimond Dragon since it's the closest." The Dragon Empress was saying.

Claws and talons, I hated her. She looked like she thought she was just so…supiorior to the rest of us, with the smugness on her face as she ordered us to find her Jewel first. 

Actually…maybe that was her plan all along. To get the other Empires on her side thinking they were working together…when, in reality, she was just finding her Jewel to then kill the rest of us with her smug little dragon army…who could breathe fire and things…

I was suddenly aware of eyes burning through my fur. I looked around sharply, my ears flicking forwards, slightly confused, as I realized there was a lot more looking at me then I had thought, or liked for that matter. I saw the little blue dragon by the Queen's side roll his eyes and hide a snicker. I almost bearly managed to not claw the smugness right off his little blue face.

"The map, please," the Empress of Sky snorted impatiently. 

I looked down at my paws. The Empire of Sand's map was clenched between them. Emperess Xerocole had given it to me to hold as Empress Illuminate went over what we were supposed to do…or something. "Why?" I questioned so sharply that I shocked myself. "I-I mean," I stuttered quickly. "I thought I was supposed to hold onto it-"

"They will all be stored in the same bag, that Ximena will be carrying." Her claws tapped on the table impatiently, waiting for me to pass it to her.

"Oh. Right." I wondered who Ximena was as I passed the small slate map to the Coyote on my right. He smiled at me slightly as he grabbed it in his jaws and slid it across the table to Empress Illuminate.

Quickly, almost gracefully, she passed it to the eye-catching dragoness on her right, who smiled in her direction before picking the green-colored slate up and storing it in a leather satchel across one of her shoulders (and wing possibly? Dragons were weird).

"Now that everyone has been acquainted and set for the journey-" my mind went blank as I tried remembering when exactly that happened. I must have been too worried about the scheming plans of the two smug-snouted dragons over there to have paid attention to what was happening. "you can set off."

What about supplies? I thought instinctively, before realizing that they must have handed them out when I wasn't paying attention. The two Tree Empire deer-creatures had satchels along with the dragon and coyote. It didn't look like much- but since they had already gone over it I thought better to leave it be. "We will escort you to the beginning of the map. Then of which we have to leave you. I trust my dragons enough to be your guards." I saw the striking-violet-and-gold-colored one stand a little straighter and lift her chin a little higher. 

We don't need guards. What does she think we're going to do, run away with the Outcasts? Won't be able to defend ourselves? Likely story. Well except maybe the two Empire of Sea Finders. They might need a whole lot of gaurds. I could bearly hold back my snort of disgust. Empress Xerocole and Tempress exchanged a passive-aggressive glance, but held their tounges. They'd stepped out of line enough today, and they didn't want to put their Empires at risk. I knew that. Sometimes you have to hold back your opinion to ensure safety. 

"Come now." Empress Illuminate boomed suddenly, standing up and spreading her wings authoritivly. Almost instantly the great doors were opened by the variously colored guards and she led us down the great tower and to the start of the map to the Dimond Dragon.