From afar I could see the osprey, the Drakon, sharpening his claws high above the Castlemonastery. He had perched himself on the southwest corner tower, next to Da-Ren, to defend the sacred and the holy. I saw my friend standing tall on the battlements. From there he would be able to peer on both sides. The pirates approaching from the east, us disappearing in the west. Two shiny blades above his head formed a cross, calling the pirates, flashing the light of the sun before falling bravely at dusk.
I waved my last farewell standing on the stern next to the wood-carved swan. The defenders had lit the torches all along the parapets to lure the pirates away from our escaping ship. Fires everywhere. But it was the sun flashing on his two unsheathed swords, the last light that I was ever to see on that windswept rock, where the doomed and the faithful came to seek eternal life. It was, I know now, the only pure and holy light.
The previous afternoon, before the reading of the final chapter, we had searched every dungeon of the Castlemonastery. In the cell with the white bones of the deceased monks, we found a chainmail armor. It had a wide gaping hole on its right side leaving the ribs unprotected.
Armor. As soon as you put it on you hear the voices of the dead heroes. They sing to you from the stars, whisper how you’ll die, where the iron will pierce you.
“Armor! Like those of my enemies. I’ll wear it when the pirates are near,” Da-Ren said to me when he saw it.
Its right side tattered and rusty.
“You’ve never worn armor before, Da-Ren.”
He put it on.
“Death comes at twilight tomorrow. I want the blade to enter from the right, under the rib. Just like that evening under the oaks, when Zeria saved me from the poisoned arrow. And then maybe I’ll see the Forest again. In the end.”
His claws unhook from the battlements. The osprey spreads his wings and rips through the clear sky, swaying against the summer breeze. One of his eyes gold, peering high toward the sun. The other one watching down below. There.
Like the drakon of a mythical tale, he turns swiftly and dives into the blue.
Thank you, please review!
Thank you for following this story to the end. As an independent, debut writer, I rely on reviews. I hope you will find the time to rate and review the books online.
Till next time,
C.A.
About Drakon
Drakon is one completed story which consists of:
Drakon Book I: The Sieve
Drakon Book II: Uncarved
Drakon Book III: Firstblade
Drakon Book IV: Butterfly
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www.caskabel.com
journal.caskabel.com
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About the Author
C.A. Caskabel started writing Drakon in 2013 and completed the 380,000-word epic fantasy novel in 2017. He split Drakon into four books which are all released. C.A. is also the founder of an indie publisher of picture books and fantasy fiction. He is currently working on his next novel.
Before 2013, C.A. was a serial technology entrepreneur. He studied at Boston and Brown University. He calls Boston, New York, Providence, San Francisco, London, and Athens (and in general Planet Earth) home.
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I’d like to thank
Editing: Aliki, Chris, Nick, Cheryl, Pete, AK and Annie
Cover, Graphics: Chris and Dimitri
Website: Dimitri
Marketing: Constantine, Dimitri, and Mihalis
Production: Antonis and Dimitris
Everything: Liza
And many more friends and family for their support.
Drakon Book IV: Butterfly Page 33