“We don’t have time to rest. We must reach the ships. Bring Ellisar with us. We’ll give him a proper burial at sea. There’s no time to waste.”
Without another word, he turned away from all the pleading eyes and walked south.
THE END
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The Dragon Stone
Prologue
Year 428 D.A.
Galedar stood in the center of Meldakar. The wind blew furiously, tossing his long black hair behind him. A storm was approaching. The city was silent. All its occupants hid inside, afraid to come out. Galedar grinned. He touched his hand to his dragon, Noranda. They’d been persecuted for far too long. He wouldn’t run anymore. As far as he could tell, Noranda was now fully grown. And no one could stop them. But it wasn’t just that—it was the endless wars between the nations.
Meldakar and Melodramar were at war with each other. And they had been for hundreds of years. Galedar hadn’t wanted to be sent to war, but he’d been required to. Instead of fighting, he’d fled the war and stolen a ship with his friend Brom to escape the endless wars. They’d landed on an island full of dragons. Now, Brom was dead. But Galedar remained, and he had his own dragon. He wondered if all the beasts could be trained, if they could all be tamed. With dragons, the endless wars could be over.
Noranda raised her head and blew fire up into the sky. A silent chill went through the city. Curtains were closed at the sight of a dragon. Everyone was terrified. Galedar knew it wasn’t fear of him, or even his dragon. It was the fear of death that had everyone frightened, and it was because of the endless wars that that fear existed. He planned to end that.
“King Jordaekar!” Galedar yelled. “I wish to speak with you!”
The city remained silent. Galedar continued forward, his dragon by his side. They stopped when they stood before the castle, and he tried again.
“King Jordaekar! I wish to speak with you. I promise no harm will come to you. All I ask is you listen to my proposition.”
A man dressed in white appeared on the balcony of the castle. By his side, another man appeared, dressed in black, a sword at his hip.
“Who are you?” King Jordaekar asked.
“I am Galedar.”
“The traitor?”
Galedar clenched his teeth. He did not like the words that were being said about him throughout Kaeldroga, though it was the king himself who had given the order to capture Galedar. “I am no traitor.”
“You are a deserter.”
“I want no part of any war, nor have I ever. What I want is peace. Peace throughout all of Kaeldroga. We have warred with Melodramar for far too long. It is time we unite under one banner.”
“And whose banner shall that be?”
“Mine.”
“Yours? So, you wish to rule all of Kaeldroga?”
Galedar shook his head. “No. I wish to have peace through all of Kaeldroga, and it appears I’m alone in this, so I will do as I must.”
“There will be no peace with those vermin!”
“Do you see my dragon here?” Galedar asked.
“Where did you find such a creature?”
“I know where thousands of them are. There can be unlimited dragonriders, and with them, there can be peace. I need you to decide here and now, do you want peace? Or do you want an army of dragons to destroy your castle?”
“You can get more dragons?”
Galedar smiled. “I can get many more. But hear this, they will only answer to me. I will give dragons to both you and Melodramar, but you won’t control them. I will. And anyone who tries to resist will face me. Kaeldroga will no longer be a land of two nations. It will be a land of one nation, and anyone who resists will be destroyed.”
“There will be no alliance between me and Melodramar. You will find no one to join you here.” King Jordaekar scowled.
Galedar nodded.
His dragon leapt into the air, flapping his wings three times to reach the balcony. His claws wrapped around the king. After one giant roar, the dragon leapt off the balcony and landed next to Galedar, letting go of the king.
The king was visibly shaken, his body trembling. His long golden hair blew in the hard wind, and his hand went to the dagger at his waist. Galedar grabbed his wrist, stopping him from withdrawing his weapon.
“People of Meldakar, come out of your homes!” Galedar called.
After a few minutes, everyone nearby opened their doors. All of their faces were afraid, and many had tears falling down their faces.
“People of Meldakar. Your king wishes you to keep fighting against Melodramar. Sending your sons and daughters to die in battle. Allowing the raids to happen in the villages. He has refused to create peace, and because of that, he had failed you as a king.”
“Wait a—”
Galedar punched the king in the throat, stopping his objection and making him fall to his knees, gagging.
“I am asking for a better way. I want us to unite the lands together and stop anyone who gets in our way. Who here believes it is time for a new king?”
The people around him were silent.
“I said, who here believes it is time for a new king?” he repeated.
The dragon growled.
“I do,” someone said.
“I do,” the rest of the people repeated.
After a moment of silence, everyone began chanting, “New king. New king!”
“Well, Noranda, you heard them. They want a new king.”
Galedar stepped back, and Noranda opened her mouth. Flames blazed from the dragon’s throat, and the king’s cries shook the silent air. The screams lasted for less than a second, as the flesh and bones disintegrated, and all that remained was blackened chars on the ground.
“It is time for a new king,” Galedar said.
Everyone was silent once more, horrified at the sight they’d witnessed.
“What about you?” Galedar asked. “Do you believe we should unite the land?”
The man atop the balcony who had stood by the king twitched. His hand left the pommel of his sword, and his bulged eyes and his dropped jaw resettled on his face. He stood tall, his head straight and his chin up.
“I do.”
Galedar grinned. “Good. And what is your name?”
“Ellisar.”
Galedar nodded. “All hail King Ellisar.”
“All hail King Ellisar,” the crowd chanted.
1
Devarius stood in the center of Saefron. The red sun hung high in the air, while the orange sun was as small as one of the moons. Winter had just begun. Spring was arising. Each passing day, the orange sun would grow in size.
Saefron was abandoned. The city lay in ruins. The empire had indeed come back to finish it off once they’d regrouped. Devarius made sure the resistance wasn’t there. He walked around all the shops, salvaging anything he could, but most was either destroyed or stolen.
Ayla stepped by his side. Devarius smiled as he reached his hand out to touch her behind the ears. He scratched her favorite spot. A low rumbling came from her throat.
“We begin a new chapter,” he whispered. He brushed his hands through his short hair.
You can do this, Ayla said.
“I’m not a leader,” Devarius said.
You led all those people to the resistance. You led people into battle. With your leadership, the resistance defeated the empire twice.
Devarius shook his head. “That was a fluke. Both of those were small battles. What can I possibly do against the entire empire?”
It takes one step at a time. One battle at a time. But if anyone can do it, you can.
Devarius took one last glance at the city before leaving. He knew they’d never be able to come back. At least, not so long as the Dragonia Empire ruled
.
Devarius left the city, unsure if he’d ever return. He wandered south until he came to an unmarked grave. Devarius knelt and said a prayer to the creator. He may not have agreed with everything Ellisar stood for, but he was a good man, a man who wanted what was best for the people. A simple unmarked stone marked his grave. It wasn’t extravagant, but Devarius knew it well. Perhaps when it was all over, he could come back to give him a proper gravestone, but it would have to wait. He didn’t want the empire to tarnish his gravesite. It would be best if no one knew where Ellisar lay. Devarius reached into his pocket and withdrew a blue scale. He pressed it into the ground in front of the rock.
Heavy footsteps approached. Devarius paused, then looked behind him. Alora, Ellisar’s dragon, approached, sadness in her eyes as she looked at the grave.
“I am sorry for your loss,” Devarius said. “We are all saddened by his passing.”
Thank you, human.
Devarius studied the beautiful dragon. For the longest time, Devarius had thought there were only red dragons, and that it was only wyverns who had many colors. But Ellisar had hidden much from him. And seeing Alora stand in all of her glory in the red sunlight was a magnificent sight to behold.
Like Ayla, the dragon was a beautiful dark blue. Her blue scales glimmered as Devarius took all of her in. He found Ayla to be beautiful as well, but to see a blue dragon, all four legs, and the incredible size, there was no describing it. He wished he could find more dragons, dragons like Alora, who would fight against the empire instead of for it.
“We will fight back. And one day, we will defeat the empire. You have my word,” Devarius said.
Alora tilted her head and did what Devarius would consider a scoff. How do you plan to do so? It looks to me as if we barely survived that battle.
“The resistance has a long away to go, but we will get there. That I promise you.”
Alora shook her head. You may have to do so without me.
“Without you?” Devarius asked.
I have spent the last hundred years with Ellisar. I helped him through it all, and I did it all in secret. We knew revealing me would only stir trouble. I was kept in the shadows, and I was all alone, except for Ellisar. But, he is gone now. And I can no longer hide in the shadows.
“You don’t have to,” Devarius said. “There is no need for you to hide. You’re a part of us now, the resistance. I want you out there with the others, with the wyverns. There’s so much you can teach them.”
Alora shook her head again. No, I don’t belong here. I am not a wyvern. I am a dragon. I need to be with other dragons.
“Other dragons? All the other dragons are mindless beasts controlled by the emperor.”
Not all of them. Some of them have fled this land to find another, away from Galedar. I will find them.
“So, you’re going to abandon us?” Devarius asked.
I’m sorry. I cannot stay here. I have stayed for a hundred years because of Ellisar. All of this time I wondered where my kin went. It is time I went to find them.
Devarius closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “I’m frustrated with you, but I understand. I know it must be hard for you to be here all by yourself.”
Thank you for understanding. Perhaps, one day, we will meet again.
Devarius wanted to respond, but he didn’t really know how. After another moment though, it was too late. Alora spread her wings and jumped into the air. She flapped, and with each stroke of her large wings, the dragon elevated into the sky. Devarius watched her, his hands cupped over his eyes. He tilted his head as he saw her traveling east. There was nothing east of Saefron. At least, nothing known. It was only the vast sea.
He sighed, then knelt at the gravestone again. Like Alora, he would miss Ellisar, but it wasn’t for the same reasons. He didn’t have the same bond Ellisar and Alora shared. Devarius’ longing to have Ellisar back was because Devarius didn’t want to lead the resistance. He didn’t want the responsibility. He wanted to defeat the empire, but he didn’t want to have to lead the entire resistance to do it. Gulping, he touched the top of the unmarked rock above Ellisar’s body.
“Rest well, Ellisar,” Devarius whispered. “I will succeed. You can count on me.”
2
People wandered around the streets of the small city on Adeth Peak Isle. It was crowded now. Everyone from Saefron as well as several others who had joined in the last few months filled the streets. Devarius watched everyone. Now he understood the burden Ellisar had borne. He didn’t know who he could trust. There were so many new faces, and he feared a traitor. The resistance was too small to deal with a traitor. Devarius scratched his ear. The one good thing they had going for them was that the resistance was now based on an island. An island not easily left. If there was a traitor among them, Devarius could only hope they couldn’t get word out to the empire.
Wyverns flew in the sky in a beautiful display of their colors. He watched as they practiced their abilities. Hundreds of saddles had been made, and no longer did anyone bleed from riding. It still took a bit to get used to, and new riders would always blister, but that could be said when first riding a horse as well.
Ayla landed next to Devarius. He smiled as he reached to touch her nose.
Little one.
Devarius laughed. “I suppose I am little compared to you now. You’re nearly grown, Ayla.”
Pride swelled through their bond.
Aquila wishes to speak to you.
Devarius flushed, his cheeks darkening. “Where?”
By the Dragoman’s training.
He frowned.
I know you don’t agree with it, but it could be useful. It saved us last time.
“I know,” Devarius muttered. “But the last thing I want is to be siphoning all of the wyverns for oil. It will only create a weakness inside of the resistance to depend on such a substance. We need to find a better way. I fear if we depend too much on this, and if our stock gets low, men will crave more, and in their greed, enslave wyverns for it.”
That is a possible outcome. This is why it is so important for you to be involved with this. You need to keep them under control—you can’t let them lose control.
Devarius nodded. “I’ll go see Aquila.”
Devarius wandered to the west side of the island, behind one of the mountains, where the land opened up into a meadow. He saw the men and women training there. Their magic resembled every color the wyverns were: green, gold, silver, red, and blue. Devarius admitted the abilities they could perform while using the wyvern oil were spectacular. It was like they were walking dragons. The only one he’d forbidden completely was blood. He’d not allow them to drink dragon blood or wyvern blood like the empire did. Devarius needed to draw the line somewhere.
The problem with them ingesting the wyvern oil was it didn’t last. It gave them wyvern-like abilities for a full thirty-six-hour cycle, but after a full day, it rendered them useless. Not only useless, but it sent them into a coma state for a full thirty-six hours. If they ingested the wyvern oil at the wrong time, it could do more harm than good. Instead of fighting the battle, they could be sleeping during it if they drank the oil too soon.
And, they were addicted to it. Devarius had seen many drugs ruin the lives of men and women in poor villages. People mixed different herbs together to make them feel different, disconnected, and strange. Some of these herbs gave the user a high. Well, wyvern oil was just like that … except amplified. Devarius refused to try any of it, but when he questioned each user individually, he was able to gain that information. Wyvern oil seemed worse than any other drug. It was more than a craving. It almost became a necessity. Devarius worried what would happen if he forbade one of them from using it.
Aquila sat in the grass on the hill in front of him, her knees toward her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her long black hair fell against her back and the shimmering of sunlight against it brought warmth to Devarius’ soul. She turned to face him and smiled. Her bright whi
te teeth sparkled and her brown complexion glowed as she gazed back to him.
Devarius sat next to her. He wrapped his arm around her. She smiled as she leaned into him. Her touch soothed his mind. It didn’t matter how many burdens he faced, how many trials, as long as she was with him, he knew everything would be all right. A part of him wondered why he’d waited so long to accept her affection, but deep down he knew. He didn’t deserve her. She deserved someone so much better.
“Why here?” he asked.
“I know you’re against this, Devarius. But we need to talk about it.”
“What is there to say on the subject?”
“This could turn the tide of the war. With these abilities, we could defeat the empire.”
Devarius shook his head. “No, even this won’t be enough.”
“It will be a start,” Aquila said.
“The risk is too great.”
“What risk? The comas? They always come back.”
Devarius continued to shake his head. “Not just the comas. The withdrawals. Have you seen how they act when it’s been more than two days since they’ve used the oil?”
“A little,” she admitted. “They get agitated.”
“It’s more than that. Watch their eyes. I really wonder how far they would go to get more if we keep them from the oil longer than two days.”
“You really are worried, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Do it.”
“What?”
“Find three of them to isolate. Don’t let them have the wyvern oil for a week. Let’s see what happens.”
“It could be dangerous,” Devarius admitted.
“It could be more dangerous once the war starts. What if we can’t keep up the supply of wyvern oil when we’re at war? If you’re truly worried, we should know what it’ll be like for them now, while we’re safe.”
“You’re right, Aquila … as you always are.”
Dragonia- Dragonia Empire series Box Set Page 38