Dragon Lords

CHAPTER 1

Sacrifice and Hope

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. They were believed to be created by an uncontrollable amount of dark magic, in the dark lands of Tenebris. Although their exact origins remain unknown, the dragons evolved into powerful and dangerous monsters. Once their resources were depleted and their appetite for power insatiable, they vacated Tenebris and attacked the nearest kingdom of Aeris. It was a large kingdom nestled in a beautiful valley, and the unexpected attack took hundreds of lives. The neighboring kingdoms of Dryadalis and Saxum came to the aid of Aeris by the thousands. Although they fought valiantly and heroically, sheer numbers alone could not ward off the beasts.

The burden of salvation rested on the shoulders of the champion and protector of the kingdom, the powerful sorceress Eldora. She used powerful magic to banish and imprison them to Tenebris. Her hope was the magic would keep them imprisoned long enough for them to become extinct.

For a time, there was a peace and prosperity in the land once more. After nearly two hundred years of peace, the darkness was once again stirring in Tenebris, and the dragons were able to finally break free from their prison.

Unfortunately, the power radiating from Tenebris had been keeping them alive all these years. The attack was swift and merciless. Just as before, the kingdom of Aeris was the first to experience the fire and destruction. However, this time the aid of the neighboring kingdoms was not given. Without the power of Eldora to protect them, they were unwilling to put their lives on the line in the face of certain death, and advised Aeris to surrender. With so many dying each day, there was no other option but to surrender the kingdom to the attackers.

The King, Queen, and their daughter Princess Alvina were banished from the castle. They now live among the rest of the kingdom’s people. The dragons quickly took up residency in the castle to rule over us.

With only two ways to exit the valley safely, the citizens of Aeris are trapped here without a means of escape. Since the attack, no communication has been received from the other kingdoms.

The leader of the Dragon Lords is Dreadir. A red scaled dragon with black spikes, black teeth, and black eyes with red vertical slits in the middle. His breath is rank with the smell of ashes and smoke. His stare so intense as to take your breath away.

Much has been learned about the dragons in these past few years that was not documented in legends and archives. They have the ability to transition from dragon to human form, but only when they have sacrificed the life of another human. They are less vulnerable in their human forms. In dragon form they are at the mercy of swords and other weapons. Their scales being thick, but not impenetrable. In their human forms, they are nearly indestructible as layer upon layer of their scales still exist under their human flesh. They are strong, fast, and breathe fire from their mouths. Their skin is flesh colored, but there are still faint outlines of scales across their entire bodies. Their fingers topped with black claws.

Each year as new dragons are born; they hold an annual selecting. Citizens are chosen as a sacrifice for the Dragon Lords who reign over the kingdom.

The selecting is an annual event where they choose young, healthy, and strong citizens to withstand the painful and agonizing ritual. The ritual…

I stopped reading there. My memory was drawn back to the present as I sat in my cottage. The parchment only went on to describe the ritual. I didn’t need to read about it when I had lived through it. It was an old report from a couple years after the initial attack. Eight more years had passed since then. A whole decade of dragon rule. This report was secretly distributed throughout the kingdom, and I kept one all these years for some reason. Maybe I expected to find something useful in there to help us. Maybe it was a way to remind myself of the horror and to keep the fight alive. To not conform. I don’t know why I bothered to keep it, it’s not like any of this information helped us. I crumbled it up and threw it across the room of my cottage.

The next round of selecting was tomorrow morning and this year was particularly worrisome because there were twice the number of dragons born. Usually, it was anywhere from three to five at most; however, this year there were rumored to be ten newborn dragons. I was not ready to hear and see the horrific sight of grief and anguish as families said goodbye to those selected.

Then each night following, the horrific screams as they performed the ritual. One sacrifice every night for each person called. The more people they selected the more days we had to hear their screams echo off the valley walls. They usually went in the order the victims’ names were called. The cries mirrored those of when I was fifteen and the dragons first attacked. Although ten years had passed since then, I remember the fire, the chaos, and the helplessness. Those visions appeared in my dreams from time to time. I pushed the memories away.

Secretly I hoped I am chosen. I don’t have any blood family here, and if it could save one more family from getting torn apart, I would gladly make the sacrifice. I was abandoned a few weeks after being born, and placed by the large front doors of the castle. The only thing with me was a small blanket with the name ‘Thomas’ stitched in a corner. It was the law of the kingdom of Aeris that any orphan should be taken care of by its citizens. Ten families were randomly assigned to care for me, and I was rotated between each household, never staying in the same place more than a few weeks at a time. There were only a few houses who treated me badly. I was mostly well taken care of and treated as an equal part of the family.

My favorite family growing up were the Elwood’s. I was treated so well by them, and I could tell they genuinely cared for me. I became like a brother to their son Will. So, I became Thomas Elwood. They would have kept me in their home permanently, if it wasn’t against the law to do so. It was required that the burden of the orphan child be shared. However, they kept me for longer periods of time when they could; having me stay with them for months rather than weeks. When I reached seventeen years of age, I was considered an adult and took an abandoned cottage near the woods. It was withdrawn far away enough from the kingdom to allow me some privacy.

I got a job working for the local woodworker, Mr. Carver, who took a liking to me during the time I was the ward of the kingdom. I slowly used my wages to make what repairs I could to my crumbling cottage. I wasn’t able to receive much pay, as times were hard in the kingdom. Food supplies were low, mostly because the dragons ate like scaly pigs. We weren’t able to trade with the other kingdoms, so our food supply and other essentials were limited.

Since the dragons took over the sun shines less as well. It was mostly cloudy, dreary, and cold. We frequently hoped for warm days of sun. Their evil influence seemed to spread not only over us, but also to the weather as well.

I could hear someone walking through the grass toward my cottage. I got up off my chair and walked towards the door and before I could open it, I heard a voice calling out

“Ohhhh Tommm!” It was my old friend, and adoptive brother, Will Elwood.

I opened the door and stepped outside; leaning on my door frame as he was approaching.

“Well look who decided to grace me with his presence.” I said shaking my head.

He walked over to me smiling and grabbed my forearm and he gave me a quick hug. I ushered him inside and he sat on the chair while I sat on my bed.

“I was beginning to think you forgot about your older brother” I said.

“First of all, I have been otherwise occupied. Second of all, you are only older by three months.” He said.

“Busy with Miss Balina no doubt.” I said.

“Alright, alright. I won’t deny it, but I won’t feel sorry about it either.” He said.

“Fair enough. If you're happy, I'm happy” I said with an amused smile.

He scoffed at my remark and continued with “I came by to fetch you to join us at our table tonight for dinner.”

Now it was my turn to scoff. “Is there any food left after all those dragon bastards took it?” I said. Nodding my head toward the castle.

Will waved a careless hand at them. “I know, but it’s tradition Tom. And it’s a way of saying goodbye in case those overgrown lizards decide to eat us.” He laughed a little and grinned.

I sighed and laughed a little as well. “I don’t think the dragons would like you, you would probably have a metallic taste.” I said and laughed. Will’s father was a blacksmith and he worked alongside him learning the trade.

“Oye, shut up! Like you would taste any better. Probably taste like wood chips and wood stain.” He said laughing.

I laughed and changed the subject. Even though we were joking the thought of it seemed too dark of a reality. “Will your lady friend the wonderful Miss Balina be there?” I pestered as I got up to wash my hands, scooping water from the bucket.

He rolled his eyes. “No she will not. She thought she should dine with her parents and brothers tonight.”

I nodded, scrubbing dirt off my hands. I longed for the days when I would dine with the Elwood’s and it wasn’t a solemn time where all we could think about was how much our kingdom had changed for the worst.

I dried my hands off on a cloth and I grabbed a box off of the shelf.

“Ready” I stated.

“Took you long enough, would you like to brush your hair before we head over to dinner.” He teased.

“And look tastier for our dragon friends? No thank you.” I said.

We walked outside laughing as I closed the door behind us.

The walk to Will’s house was relativity short. We passed by home after home all the windows were closed and the curtains drawn. Some of the houses you could hear crying inside.

The most unnerving part was walking by the Dragon Guard. They patrolled the kingdom, but there was a heavier patrol tonight. We walked by a few of them. You could tell them apart because they dressed differently than us. Their attire was more expensive and their skin paler. You were never supposed to look them in the eye, but I couldn’t help my curiosity. I have been caught looking them in the eye more than once, and it ended with a few good punches to the stomach or face every time. Their eyes mostly white, but with yellow vertical slits like lizards. I looked because I wanted to meet their eyes and not stare down in fear, but it did me no good to get roughed up every time I walked through the streets. So, I tried to keep my head down.

Once inside his house I was greeted with warm hugs. Marian, Will’s mother, was a kind woman, but fierce if you crossed her. Braun, Will’s father, was a broad-shouldered tall man, he always made me feel small when he hugged me. Anne, Will’s sister, was ten years of age, and she was definitely going to take after her mother, sweet but scrappy. Marian was pregnant with her when the initial attack happened.

After we greeted one another, we sat down to a dinner of bread, some cured meat, and hot broth for dipping. We ate silently and peacefully. Anne would occasionally look over at me and I would make a ridiculous face. She would laugh a little and continue eating. We finished eating and cleared our dishes.

“Thank you for having me tonight.” I said.

“No trouble at all” Marian said. “You are always welcome in our home.” she said with a smile as she sat back down.

“How is Mr. Carver?” Braun asked me.

“He is doing well. He sends his regards” I said. “I almost forgot…” I bent down and picked up the small box from under the table that I had brought with me. “Mr. Carver and I mended a chair today and we were paid with some sweets from the baker. I thought I would share.”

I opened the box to reveal some crispy bread in a circular shape with honey drizzled on the top. The honey soaked into the bread to make a honeycomb type texture. There were only four in the box.

“Oh, that is very kind of you!” Marian said.

I started the box around the table and everyone took one. They all savored it as it had been a long time since they probably had such a delicacy. Luxuries like these were hard to come by.

“What about you?” Will asked, halfway done with his sweet. “You didn’t get one.”

“I had one earlier” I lied. They didn’t need to know otherwise. It was the least I could do for this kind family who made me feel accepted and welcome in their home. Even when they had so little to share.

The sweetness of the treat seemed to brighten the room a little bit and we talked about old memories together and told stories of happier times. Anne got sleepy and Marian sent her to bed. I took this as an opportunity to take my leave.

Marian and Braun hugged me extra tight. I saw a few tears in both of their eyes and told them I would see them tomorrow. I walked home by the light of the almost full moon. I passed more Dragon Guard and tried to resist the urge to look them in the eye as I walked.

Once I reached my cottage. I sat down at my chair in the darkness. I sighed and felt the enormous weight of tomorrow already bleeding into this night. The sick nauseating feeling of dread. It was easy to push the feeling back when you could tell yourself it wasn’t tomorrow. Now it was impossible to say such a thing. It was tomorrow and there was no avoiding it. I got undressed and walked over to my bed and buried myself under the thin blanket. I wondered if this would be my last night sleeping. I lay awake looking into the dark void. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed some moon rays shining into the cottage. They were so still, pure, and innocent. It seemed so out of place for something so dreadful on the horizon.

I woke to the sound of birds chirping and singing outside. The sun was shining and lightened up the room. For some reason it was sunny on the selecting days. I don’t remember when I fell asleep, but I was grateful I did at some point. The sick feeling of the events of the day came rushing into my mind. I got dressed and sat down at my table. I never was hungry on days like these.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward the ceiling. I wished there was a way to free us from this. I wish there was a way to fight back. As I was finishing the thought, I heard the roar. We rarely heard it, but it was the roar of Dreadir, his human form still allowed him to belt his hideous roar. It was the call to come to the castle walls. It was the call to come be selected.

As I walked through the kingdom, I passed a lot of solemn and tired faces on their way to the castle. Most everyone stayed up the whole night. They would talk, share memories, and try to make a few more before it could all be over. I also saw the Dragon Guard walking from home to home to make sure everyone was attending. I arrived at the castle and I found Will and his family. Marian immediately saw me and walked over and gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. I hugged Braun, Will, and Anne as well. It was customary for everyone to say goodbye before anything was announced. The last hug was the most tragic. So, everyone took their time on the second to last one.

We all stood in front of the castle. Thousands and thousands of innocent people standing waiting to hear a verdict.

I noticed the King and Queen were present as well with their daughter the princess Alvina; they stood slightly separated from everyone else. Alvina looked worried, but she had no reason to be. The dragons promised to never touch the royal family for the selecting. Her kind heart must have been worried for everyone else. Even though they weren’t really royalty anymore they still wore nicer clothes and they didn’t interact much with everyone else. They also lived in a nicer manor away from the cottages of the kingdom as well.

The second roar of Dreadir made everyone grow quiet, and took my attention away from the royal family. Soon he emerged at the balcony which extended from the front of the castle. He looked as terrifying and awful as usual. His black eyes with red slit pupils visible even from this distance. He looked happy and joyful like it was some sort of holiday. His wife, Maldir, stood by his side. Her lips in the shape of an arrogant smirk. I wish I could smack those looks right off their faces. Their son also stood by their side, a vacant expression on his face. If the rumors were true he was a few years younger than me. Dreadir began to speak, his voice deep, but also with a layer of hissing intertwined in his words. It was a voice you can’t soon forget, and it made everyone recoil.

“People of the Kingdom of Aeris. We are pleased to have you here yet again. As you know we have come here to select a few of you to help our new dragons obtain bodies.”

Then why say it you daft bastard? I thought.

“This is for retribution. As we were imprisoned in the dark lands for so long, we seek for only justice to be served on our part. We look only to the hope one day we will be able to live together in peace. However, that day is not today. As I said, justice must be served and your sacrifices are appreciated. We give so much to you, and we only ask you allow us to live as you do. As humans and equals.”

He finished and I’m not sure what he expected us to do. Cheer? It was all a bunch of twisted philosophy he created to justify murdering innocent people. As if they weren’t the ones who started this war between us. They are the ones who chose violence against us hundreds of years ago. Maldir stepped forward and it was her turn to speak.

“Let the selection begin! We have been carefully observing you this past year, and we have been looking for the strong and healthy people who will be able to withstand the strains of the ritual.” She paused and it seemed like she expected an applause as well. It remained quiet.

“We have ten names for ten fortunate people who will be selected. The rules remain the same as past years. No one can take another’s place; you have all been hand selected for a reason. And immediately after your name is called you must come to the castle gate and stand with your fellow selectees. Let us begin” she said.

A sickening stillness washed over the crowd as everyone held their breath. A roaring silence. The waking nightmare once again occurring right in front of our eyes.

“Isabel Forest”

There was an immediate cry of anguish and grief to my left as I looked and saw Isabel hugging her parents’ goodbye. She was holding her mother tight and shaking. I looked away. Then I heard a commotion and saw the Dragon Guard dragging her toward the castle. I knew Isabel. Not well, only when she would stop by the shop sometimes. I knew she was a quiet girl and very polite. Her face now was made into a forever frown. I wish I could see her smile one more time. Her parents continued to sob. She was their only child.

“Dane Alden”

There was another cry of anguish to my right, as I watched him say goodbye to his parents. He was only fifteen and he lost his older brother to the selecting last year.

The selecting went on and on and the emotions got more and more intense with each passing person. Some I recognized and some I didn’t. Like everyone else I felt myself tearing up. The guards never silence the screams and cries. The dragons loved to hear our pain. With each new name called hearts grew heavier in the crowd. After nine names were read, everyone was nearly out of tears, and wanted it to be over.

“And finally, we have our tenth and last selectee, William Elwood!” Maldir chimed.

My heart sank. It felt like a nightmare where you are falling down, down, down. I was paralyzed. I looked over at Marian and Braun their tears already soaking their faces. As they embraced, my heart broke at the sight.

I couldn’t let this happen. I started to walk through the crowd to the front. The Aeris citizens knew me and they knew I wasn’t Will, hence all the stares and wide-eyes looking at me. However, they kept quiet and only watched me walk through. I pushed my way through the last row of people and started to walk toward the castle.

I was hoping the dragons wouldn’t notice a difference. As long as I was a body to sacrifice then why would they care.

Then the Dragon Guard started to walk toward me. They grabbed me and landed a huge punch to my stomach.

Nearly breathless, I said “What are you doing? I’m Will!” I yelled.

They struck me across the face, and with their increased strength they knocked me on the ground. I then saw Will appear by my side, and he helped me up off the ground. Then he hugged me tight.

“You’re their son too. Take care of them for me” he whispered in my ear. Then he let me go and walked toward the castle.

“NO!” I screamed and ran after him. One of the guards swiped at me with his claws leaving three bloody marks across the top of my forearm. They landed a few more powerful punches, knocking me to the ground. I tasted blood in my mouth. I looked up and saw them laughing at me. Their lips curled up in venomous smiles.

Braun was now by my side and helped me up. He put his arm around me and I leaned into him sobbing. He walked us back into the crowd, where Anne and Marian were standing. We gathered close together and looked toward the gates

“Well, that was exciting” Maldir said cheerfully. Then she started to say some finishing remarks, but I don’t remember what she said.

All I could do was look at Will standing there with the others and think of how unjust and awful this was. I felt a pain and sorrow in my chest I had never known. The gates of the castle opened and I saw them all walk in; my heart skipped a beat when they closed loudly behind them. Then all the dragons lifted their heads up and fire erupted from all of their mouths. It was over.

I had cried with Will’s family for hours and had nothing left to cry. They cleaned the blood off my face and bandaged my arm. They wanted me to stay a while, but I told them I needed some rest at home, and I would come by later. I gave them tight hugs and made my leave.

I got some nods from people on the way home. A silent sign of respect for at least being brave enough to try. It didn’t make me feel better. I hadn’t succeeded.

Back in my cottage, I stood in the middle of the room feeling numb. It should have been me. I wish it could have been me. Will could have still been with his family. I didn’t have blood family alive. I wasn’t needed here. I should have been the one to go. The last words from Will echoed in my brain. I looked at the chair he had sat on not a day earlier. My sorrow twisted into a fiery rage. I felt it growing inside of me and I wanted to let it out. I wanted to take down the dragons. I wanted them to pay for this; their cruelty and crimes. I grabbed the chair and threw it across the room and it broke into pieces. I screamed in rage and anger.

Then out of nowhere there was a blinding flash of light which came from the middle of my cottage and I was blown back onto the ground. I collected myself and sat up.

I was dazed and thought maybe I was feeling the repercussions from the blows I had taken earlier. I looked at where the blast came from and the only thing that lied there, was a small folded piece of parchment.

I walked over and slowly took it off the ground. I unfolded it and found a map of not only Aeris, but also the whole land of Gathedrial. It showed the forests of the Dryadalis kingdom, and large rocks and hills of the Saxum kingdom. It even included the dark lands of Tenebris. After examining it for a while, I flipped it over to see if there was anything on the back. There was only the seal of Aeris on the back of the map.

How did this get here? Why a map?

I examined it further and noticed something at the top written quickly:

For the Dragons:

She is the lock

The golden birds are the key

Inheritance the weapon

Unity the victory

It seemed like a riddle. Yet somehow, the words made me feel something. After a decade of darkness, this seemed like a small light of hope. Yes, that’s what it was, hope. If it said it was for the dragons, then this had to be a way to defeat them. I just needed to figure out what it all meant. Tonight was the first night of the ritual. This meant I had less than ten days to figure out the message and save Will, and hopefully the whole land of Gathedrial.