Dragonia: 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.