Child of Dragon’s Flame

Prologue
Adriana watched as the other moved around her moving joyfully, they were powerful and one day she hoped to be more powerful than all around her. Some in the kingdom of the dragons called her ambitious and arrogant, the Elder Dragon who wants only to help herself, but she saw what the future could hold, that was why she had worked so hard to help, for she knew, one day she would be able to help rule the entire planet. She had thought that at least before her mother learned of her sister’s power, the youngest daughter with power in her heart. “Oh look she brought your brother back, oh look at my little angel, dear one day you will have your place,” she thought mockingly unaware of Albrecht standing next to her.

“Adriana,” he eventually spoke looking up at her, she nearly jumped startled before she noticed it was him. “You should not think that way, they do not appreciate things like that.” “You know your mother still cares for you,” he added wrapping his wing around her shoulder.

”Yes, I know,” she said with a sigh. Albrecht was another example of one who had been overlooked, a telepath, a genius with a skill for prophecy. Despite his unique differences he and Adriana got along well, they had come to be known as an inseparable duo. Both overlooked but dangerous, occasionally they would act out against those who offended them but for the most part they were just there.

Albrecht smiled, “today could be a great day, your mother may be passing the throne now but you can still impress her, just show her your power, prove to her you are worth more than what she thinks,” he said.

And that was exactly what she did, just not how Albrecht had thought she would, she controlled those around her and had them rise up to convince her mother, then they found out what had happened, and soon Adriana was found missing, the story spread that her sister had defeated her before she destroyed the entire planet and shs eventually arose as queen when her mother was killed by some mysterious incident blamed on Adriana.

Chapter One- Evelyn
I stood in the middle of the smaller, stone building built on the side of our house. It was built more recently than the rest of the house added during my lifetime it contained the forge where my father, one of my younger twin brothers, Angus, and I worked, along with occasional help from Renato, the other twin. It was a happy place for me, a place that I could work out my anger, fear, and worry, and despite the sweltering heat of it, particularly in the summer, I always enjoyed being there. At this point in time I was attempting to make a sword, hitting the blade with strong and deliberate strokes focusing on hitting the correct spot and keeping the hammer in my grasp. With this effort I was working off my anger with Aiden. He is one of my closest friends, we may have even been closer than that even. If it were not for the fact that I knew he was going to be a warrior with his Fire Mage abilities and he was being overly optimistic about everything, a quality I detested about him in many occasions. He was especially excited about becoming one of the warriors that protected the island. Meanwhile I was realistic feeling that he should find a sorcerer and try to get them to change his ability, it was possible though they were rare and tended to live near the capital. But he was insistent, and still is, that he would be a good warrior and that the island needed them. Plus he’d kept adding that then he could afford more, I choked a bit at the thought nearly coughing as I inhaled a bit of smoke. He said it was for us, that conversation had happened a while back though, back when he had the nerve to ask me out on a date. I still try to convince him to try to go on a different path though despite his insistence. I have seen very few of the horrors that were the island’s main enemy, the three that had broken past the warriors that the guardians had killed and the one that a scientist had foolishly chosen to study, we were incredibly lucky that it had fought with the drake that lived a bit higher on the mountain just above Dawnpoint’s plateau. Each horror wa different the stuff of the nightmares, literally, beings created from the nightmares of the outside world’s Dreamers, the possessors of the ability to bring their dreams and nightmare to life.

The island rarely allows Dreamers to live, testing to see if they are trainable,  if not they are killed. It is done peacefully with purpose and the entire island mourns their loss but it still everyone that knew them is affected pretty badly. The outside world however does not have the island’s knowledge of and control over their abilities, they are too busy fighting all the monsters they are accidentally creating while we have already limited our monsters and used our abilities to thrive. However because of their lack of control their problems end up affecting us. Perhaps one day maybe even in our generation or the next there would be enough strong magicians that we would take the mainland back to peace and prosperity.

But that must make me sound contradictory, wanting warriors to fix the world but not wanting someone to become one. You may be able to understand it someday, if you ever have the bad luck to end up seeing a horror, it is not uncommon for someone to see one in their lifetime, after all, security is not perfect. It is likely impossible to make it perfect. Sailors saw them on most trips into the ocean even when they were close to the harbors, those who lived in the outskirts of the island and those in the outer colonies on the mainland see them in the air and in the water fighting the warriors. But then again those who lived in the mainland saw many things,  ghosts stealing books, people attempting to slay a dragon who the witnesses claimed was Aed or his wife Adara the Elder Dragons of Flame and Smoke. This was treason on the island, heresy, the mainlanders did not know this though, odds were that very few knew of even of the island. We had very few ever come to the island, most of which had managed to find a thriving colony during their journeying or by luck were picked up by a venturing guardian, the Guardians being the only warriors with drakes as mounts.

What did I know of mainlanders though, I had only ever seen one, a wild Flame Mage with long hair that appeared to seldom be cut for only the most special of occasions whatever those were on the mainland. Some said she was nice, others said she was rude and uncivilized leading to practically no knowledge over the truth.

I looked up after realizing the sword I had bent making had fallen apart completely and that the sky was about to lose all the blood red of dusk that signaled the start of night. The end of the sunset, the end of a rotation that happened constantly along the world’s trip around the sun, Divyesh’s Orb, as they called it in ceremony and at the Church.

The Church taught mostly about how different things resulted in life. They used death of warriors and guardians as a comparison to a fire in a forest saying that the deaths would one day lead to a stronger society, I see this as true but at the same point I had seen the few pictures from earlier wars before the new era began and the illusions created as copies of what warriors saw in more recent battles, the mangled corpses were terrifying, the time that they had managed to bring the scent and sound in was worse, the smell of burning flesh and sounds of crackling flames and the cries of injured were terrible and resulted in nightmares for weeks. Death was a good thing, but it and war were also terrible.

They told us the rewards for warriors and the money that they got, higher in rank then the craftsmen, merchants, workers and even lower nobility in our town with a larger amount of money. This alone made most of her classmates want to become warriors or even better guardians. This was even before it was mentioned that they often became nobility and council members. After that had been mentioned no one seemed to remember that most of them ended up dying on a mission in service to the island, some without even a proper burial or ceremony of death. The island must be protected though, that is why warriors were so important and why they were rewarded so much, the council knew this, the king and queen knew this, everyone just knew like it was something that had been known since the beginning of time.

I stood up seeing that the blood`red was now gone from the sky and father and younger brothers had already left the room, they were probably getting sleep for tomorrow that was what I should be doing right now, but I was sitting focused. The Trials didn't even matter to me, right, I found my ability, it was not one of those false powers that appeared then left it was real, it had been with me for three years now, way longer than the one year required to know if it was true. The same was true for my brothers. That was why I was never very interested in the Trials that everyone always focused on. I however still needed sleep for my health at least.

I walked back into the living room area of our obviously older house, built back when the ancient forms of what they called technology were still in use on the island, before they had stopped its use, long before the New Era began and long, long before we were having any of the issues we have now. Hence it was better designed as were most of the houses in the ancient town of Dawnpoint though even these older architect design, technology built houses had been mended several times over and changed to serve more to the purposes of those who dwelled there. The kingdom, we assume at least, would redesign houses of most of the island if they were not all so focused on getting better supplies than what we have access to now. I am optimistic though and based off of what I have heard and seen I am almost positive that would be soon though, they said that a few miners had discovered a new material on the island and are now trying to decipher where else it may be located. I really hope that happens soon even the best constructed of the older houses seemed to be falling apart at the seams. I walked through the house searched around for something for dinner, my mother was sitting on the couch. I smiled when I saw her there we looked so similar, the same dark brown hair, the same light pale skin, though my hair was much neater like my dad's and my eyes well they were blue a color that did not look to be in the gene pool but they set me apart from the rest of the family, made me feel like my own person something I felt was important.

My mother suddenly looked up at me with a smile, "hello Evelyn, dear," she said inviting me to sit next to her with a pat on the really new couch that did not fit the rest of the building. She then asked me the expected question, “are you prepared for tomorrow?”

I managed to put up a smile despite the emotions I really felt about the Trials, everyone was so obsessed with them. If I were to ask someone the answer to a math problem from a few minutes ago they oftentimes wouldn't know, if I asked how long till the day of the Trials though they would tell be the number of days and the history of it, it was like a reflex for them. But I always felt differently but I still answered, "of course I am, it is tomorrow afterall I am sure that everyone is preparing for it." Then I yawned trying to avoid the likely discussion over the founding of the Trials and such. The yawn seemed very realistic not surprisingly, I had been working on it for a while ever since I decided I was tired of my mother telling us about it, my brothers and my dad were too, but we were too nice to say anything, my mother had come from a noble family but had no powers so she was cast out. My father loves her, I love her too but there is only so much information on the Trials you can handle. I stood up and looked at my mother. “I probably should go get some sleep,” I said.

She nodded in response looking a bit upset, “oh, okay,” she said.

I hugged her and then I walked up to my room at the end of the hall deciding that I did not want dinner so much that I would go through that speech, I could get it later tonight after she had gone to sleep if I really wanted food. My room was refer to as the second best bedroom in the house. Or at least the one best suited for an older child. My brothers’ was fun when I was younger but as I got older things that you could do in there got boring or I grew too big to do. So I moved into my current room, it had books, a nice enough bed, a large window and a washroom that was attached to the T.W.M.T.P.W.P.U. or as they called it The Water Mage’s Transportation of Purified Water for Personal Use. The names were probably the reason the just called it the plumbing system, named after an ancient form of water transportation. I sat down in my bed and began to drift asleep my dreams drifting to thoughts of the future.

***

I woke with a start hearing my friends’ secret knock. Which one of them it was though, that was the question she and Aiden were fighting, Drake was out of town with his parents on some early travel to the palace and Thara was supposed to be gathering pearls for her merchant father’s shop, not that that would necessarily stop her Thara was free spirit and odds are despite her parent’s best intentions always would be.

I opened the window letting the knocker in, Thara, a small girl with muscular legs and arms of a swimmer, along her neck you could see the outline of where he gills formed whenever she went underwater, along her arms from wrist up to the elbow were the spiraling blue tattoos, along her body you could see scales slowly receding, the webbing and claws on her fingers already gone just leaving the dark haired dark skinned girl there laughing.

“I heard you got in a fight with Aiden,” she said sitting down on my bed thankfully not wet.

“It is fine, the same fight that always happens, we are friends it happens,” I said deeply annoyed with this, “why would she want to discuss this, why could she not wait till tomorrow, well actually the day after tomorrow is busy.”

“I know but, still, are you okay,” she asked sounding concerned.

“Like I said, I am fine, it is fine,” I said still deeply annoyed and not wanting to hear this. So I faked a yawn, “I am tired, I think I am going to go to sleep,” I said but her expression was firm.

“I know that trick,” she said watching me and I rolled my eyes. “If you want me to leave then just ask.

“Fine, can you please leave,” I said emphasizing the word please rudely. “I need to get sleep for tomorrow.

Thara rolled her eyes and chuckled, “anyone who has ever spent any time with you, other than you mom, knows you care nothing for the Trials.”

“Just leave,” I said walking to the window and pulling it open to let her out.

“Fine,” she said walking to it and quickly and gracefully pulling herself out and into the night. Then I closed the window, locked it and shut the curtains for good measure not wanting her to come back and ask more questions on what ha happened. I paced my room covering the flame in the lantern with my hand blocking of its oxygen, then I went to me bed cautiously and fell asleep.

Chapter Two- Evelyn
I stood in a large seemingly endless flat field, the wind blew the grass around me cooling my back and the sun shone bright in my eyes without a cloud, tree or in the case of Dawnpoint, mountain to block it out. In front of me stood a creature that appeared draconic, but it was like the Elder Dragons, not the small, fire breathing, monochromatic ones we saw all of the time. But the only problem with that theory was that it was not one that I recognized and I been told to know and memorize all of them since birth, as it was a requirement in the church and at home. The dragon was a large being with inky black eyes, dark almost black, blue violet talons, horns black and shiny as a piece of cut obsidian, deep indigo scales, spiraling scarlet clouds on its wings covering and mixing with the lighter indigo, its scales shone brightly in the light, surrounding it was a pale, thin but strong aura of pure gold. It watched we for a while wonderingly then it turned facing a horror, the creature’s nine long spider legs each tipped with metal spikes shaped like daggers and tipped with a sharp point. It had large skeletal wings with membranes barely clinging to the loose small bits of flesh still on the bones, a long black serpentine body and sharp fangs. The two looked at each other, the dragon then spoke. “Be gone,” it said in a deep, aggressive and gravelly voice, wings spreading out moving its head back appearing to be ready to release flames, its eyes shining in the light like obsidian or maybe black diamonds like those that adorned the queen’s crown. The horror dashed at it dodging back and forth in what appeared to be strategy, something I had never known horrors to have, the dragon glared at it hovering above still readying its flames, they should have come out by now based off of my knowledge of dragons though it was limited and all based off of school’s statistics. The horror jumped razor like legs clawing at the dragon, green venom dripping from its fangs as it tried to find a spot it could bite into. I found myself counting for what must have been 4 seconds then erupting from the dragon’s mouth was a long strike of bright, brilliant, blinding, electricity. The dragon flapped its wings ferociously, the wind around it moving faster and faster and faster. Then it shot the electricity at it again as it it just wanted to make a point, it probably did honestly, dragons were arrogant beings that did not not find being attacked amusing. By now the horror lay dead and charred on the ground. The dragon landed on the ground its forearms cut in multiple places by dagger like claws of the beast, falling from it was what looked like blood but darker likeit was from the voice it self. Then the dragon looked at me eyes watching me knowingly it’s eyes seemingly shifting colors to a light paler pupil then it switched again.

Then I awoke the dream sticking to me like sap that could not seem to wash off, above me stood my brother, Renato, his pale hand on my shoulder softly, his white scaled wings tucked closely to his side. He wore a white shirt a bit too loose for him, it must have been dad’s but his jeans fit well so they were probably recently bought by my mother for the occasion, in his hand he held a white dress I had to assume was for me as I was the only girl in the family other than my mother.

“Dad told me to bring this in to you,” he said his voice smooth and calm and his smile warm and sincere, he was only 12 but he was already developing a sense of maturity, unlike his twin, our younger brother, Angus, a strong intimidating hild, who still acted like a six year old for reasons unknown or at least unstated.

“I am assuming mother told him to do that,” I said with a chuckle getting up from my bed.

“That is always to be assumed when it has to do with Trials, she is more obsessed with them then the queen herself,” he said putting the dress down on the bed softly.

I looked up at him, “I honestly wouldn’t doubt that.”

“I wouldn’t either, that is why I said it.”

“I assumed that,” I said barely stopping myself from rolling my eyes at his statement. “Could you leave I need to get changed?”

“Oh yeah,” he said seeming to feel a bit awkward right now, though that was not surprising to me. He was my younger brother and despite his maturity and pride he could talk all day and often wanted to. He walked out and from what I could tell based off of the sounds of the talking outside went up to Angus

***

When I had gotten dressed I looked myself over wondering why my mother had us wearing white, it was a dangerous color to wear, difficult to clean, easy to get dirty. I would never had bought it if I were her, perhaps she just chose it with what color was in dad’s wardrobe. Jadira only knows why someone would wear such a color, but I would wear it for my mom just this once, there would be no arguing with her today.

I turned around and walked out of my room and into the main room watching my parents scramble around giving everyone their shoes that did not match their clothes but I decided not to discuss it and instead just followed them into our wagon for the long bumpy trip to the academy.

***

We entered the center of the island, the capital, Raven Spires, is about a half day’s ride away from our town of Dawnpoint. Built around the castle it is the most secure location in the world with wall towering over all who entered letting only the castle towers be seen. The walls were made of one sleek and solid piece of stone as if an army of earth mages had rose it from the earth. Come to think of it, that is probably exactly what happened. In the walls there were four gates each with equally long lines to get in.

Most of the people in line were from our generation, very few even had their parents there. I would worried that this would make us something to notice. However everyone I realized was focused on themselves and the line in front of them and when they would get inside, no one would possibly be focused on us.

Well except for Thara who managed to find us in a line of thousands, how she managed it, I had no clue, perhaps she heard about our family wearing matching white of all colors, I didn’t say this when my mother asked how she found us because arguing with your parents is not a good thing and the worthless Trials had made my mother’s mindset as immovable as the stone walls in front of us.

Thara just laughed off my mother’s question with no response then sat in front of me and my brothers. “So, how is everyone,” she asked looking between us.

“I am fine,” I said looking at everyone around me certain it would be similar responses and it was but my mother was still watching her a bit angrily, it made me uncomfortable though Thara seemed ignorant to this as usual.

Finally my mother spoke again voice firm and cold as ice, “Thara, how did you find us?” This was a bit strange to me, why would she care that Thara had found us in a giant line.

Thara looked at her innocently then held up a deep blue, completely spherical object.

“Where did you get this,” my mother asked looking at the orb a bit fearfully.

“Tell me why you want to know first,” she said her voice raising a bit. Thara had to know what this weird orb was if she had used it to find us, perhaps she wanted to know why mother feared it, I had been wondering a similar thing.

“I do not need to tell you,” she said angrily her eyes showing indomitable determination. She carefully pulled the orb out of Thara’s hands. “Come with me,” she then said looking at Thara. “Everyone else stay here we will be back in a minute.”

After mom and Thara were long out of sight I looked at father, “what was that orb that mom was so worried over,” I asked.

He looked at me and my brothers,  then he spoke his voice quivering a bit uncharacteristically, “I don’t know.”