Throne Of The Dragon

Rain fell over the Kingdom of Dravaryn. It had been raining since dawn. From the highest towers of Valdris, the capital city, the kingdom appeared almost peaceful. Grey clouds hung over the mountains, the streets glistened beneath the rain, and the banners of House Dravaryn swayed heavily from the castle walls. But inside the royal palace, there was no peace. The bells began to ring. Once. Twice. Then a third time. Across the capital, people stopped what they were doing. Merchants stepped out of their shops. Knights looked toward the castle. Children were pulled indoors by their parents. Everyone knew what those bells meant. The Dragon King was dead. --- Deep within the royal castle, a group of knights stood silently outside the throne room. None of them spoke. The massive doors eventually opened. A royal servant stepped outside. His face was pale. "The king is gone." The words traveled through the corridor like a whisper. King Aldric Dravaryn, the twenty-third Dragon King, had ruled for thirty-two years. He had survived wars, rebellions, assassination attempts, and conflicts with creatures that most people only knew from legends. Now he was gone. Inside the throne room, five figures stood around the dead king. His children. The eldest son stood closest to the throne. Vaelor Dravaryn. He was tall, dressed in black and gold, with long dark hair and cold eyes. Beside him stood his younger brothers. Lucien and Caelan. Their sister, Seraphine, stood behind them. And farther away stood the king's stepson. He was the only one in the room who wasn't looking at the throne. He was looking at Aldric. For a moment, nobody moved. Then Vaelor stepped forward. He placed one hand upon the back of the Dragon Throne. "The kingdom needs a king." Lucien looked at him. "Our father isn't even buried yet." Vaelor turned. "Then mourn him after I am crowned." Seraphine's expression hardened. "You sound eager." Vaelor's eyes moved toward her. "I am the eldest son." "And?" Silence. Caelan stepped between them. "Enough." Vaelor slowly looked at his younger brother. "You should remember who you're speaking to." Caelan didn't answer. None of them did. Because everyone in the room knew the truth. Their father had been powerful. But Vaelor was something else entirely. His magical ability was considered extraordinary even among the royal family. And there was another reason nobody would challenge him. Outside the castle, two enormous silhouettes rested upon the mountains. Two dragons. The last dragons belonging to the Dragon King. And everyone knew they answered to Vaelor. --- Three days later, Vaelor Dravaryn was crowned. The ceremony lasted from sunrise until sunset. Thousands gathered outside the castle. Nobles filled the palace. Knights lined the streets. Elves watched from balconies. Beastfolk stood among the crowd. At the center of it all stood Vaelor. The crown was placed upon his head. The High Priest raised his hands. "Long live the Dragon King!" The crowd responded. "LONG LIVE THE DRAGON KING!" Vaelor looked over them. His expression remained emotionless. Then thunder shook the sky. A roar followed. Everyone looked upward. Two dragons descended from the mountains. One crimson. One silver. They circled above the capital before landing upon the castle towers. The crowd erupted in cheers. Vaelor smiled. For the first time that day. "The age of my father is over." He looked toward the kingdom below. "Now begins mine." --- Far from the capital, in a small village surrounded by green hills, a young girl was sitting on the roof of her home. She was seventeen years old. Her name was Elara Veyne. She held an old book in her hands. The pages were worn. Most of the illustrations had faded. But one remained remarkably clear. A dragon. Elara stared at it with fascination. "One day," she whispered, "I'm going to see one." A voice came from below. "Elara!" She froze. Her mother's voice. "Get down from there!" Elara closed the book. "Coming!" She carefully climbed down. Her mother stood outside their small house with her arms crossed. "You'll fall one of these days." "I didn't fall." "That isn't the point." Elara smiled. Her mother sighed. Then she noticed the book. "Dragons again?" Elara hugged it against her chest. "Of course." Her mother shook her head. "You've been obsessed with them since you were little." "They're amazing." "They're dangerous." "So are wolves." "Dragons aren't wolves." Elara grinned. "Exactly." Her mother couldn't help but smile. Then the smile disappeared. A distant bell began ringing. Elara turned toward the road. "What is that?" Her mother went silent. Another bell rang. Then another. Elara's expression changed. Everyone in the village knew those bells. News from the capital. Her mother whispered: "The old Dragon King is dead." Elara looked toward the distant mountains. "The king..." She remembered the stories. King Aldric had been respected across Dravaryn. But now his son had taken the throne. Elara had heard enough rumors to know what that meant. Vaelor was nothing like his father. And somewhere beyond the village, the kingdom was already changing. Elara looked down at the dragon book in her hands. She had always dreamed of seeing one. She had no idea that before her story was over... dragons would become the least mysterious thing in her life. The next morning, Elara woke before sunrise. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the old wooden chest beside her. Inside was everything she had prepared the night before. A spare shirt. A small pouch of coins. Her worn dragon book. And a short dagger her mother had given her. Elara closed the chest. Today was the day. She was joining the guild. --- The village was already awake when Elara stepped outside. Merchants were setting up their stalls. Farmers were preparing their carts, and several travelers were passing through the main road. Her mother stood by the doorway. "Are you sure about this?" Elara nodded. "I've made up my mind." "You know guild work isn't all adventure." "I know." "You'll be dealing with monsters." "I know." "Bandits." "I know." "People who may try to kill you." Elara paused. "...I know." Her mother sighed. Then she walked toward her and adjusted Elara's cloak. "You've always been stubborn." Elara smiled. "Thank you." "That wasn't a compliment." "I'll take it anyway." Her mother laughed softly. Then she pulled Elara into a hug. "Come home safely." Elara hugged her tightly. "I will." She stepped onto the road. For the first time, she was leaving home with a purpose of her own. --- The nearest guild was located in the town of Ravenford, roughly half a day's journey from the village. By midday, Elara could see its stone walls. Ravenford was considerably larger than her hometown. Its streets were filled with people from across Dravaryn. Humans. Elves. Beastfolk. Merchants. Knights. Travelers. And guild members wearing different colored insignias. Elara stared around in amazement. "So many people..." She nearly walked into someone. "Watch where you're going." Elara jumped. "Sorry!" The person she had bumped into was a large beastfolk man with brown fur covering his arms and neck. He looked down at her. Then at the dragon book sticking out of her bag. "Dragons?" Elara nodded. "Yeah." The beastfolk smiled. "Good taste." He walked away. Elara watched him disappear into the crowd. She grinned. Maybe joining the guild really was the right decision. --- The Silver Fang Guild stood at the center of Ravenford. It wasn't an impressive castle. It was a large stone building with several floors, wooden balconies, and a huge guild emblem above the entrance. A silver wolf biting the edge of a crescent moon. Elara stepped inside. The room was loud. Guild members were eating, drinking, arguing, laughing, repairing weapons, and discussing contracts. Nobody paid much attention to her. Elara approached the reception desk. A woman with short black hair looked up. "Can I help you?" "I want to join." The woman raised an eyebrow. "How old are you?" "Seventeen." "Any combat experience?" Elara hesitated. "...No." "Magic?" "No." The woman stared at her. "You've never used magic?" "No." "Ever fought a monster?" "No." "Bandit?" "No." The woman leaned back. "So why exactly do you want to join?" Elara smiled. "I want to see the world." The woman waited. "And?" Elara's eyes brightened. "I want to see a dragon." The receptionist stared at her. Then laughed. Several guild members nearby turned toward them. One of them shouted: "Another dragon fanatic!" Laughter filled the hall. Elara's face reddened. The receptionist shook her head. "You're serious?" "Completely." The woman sighed. "Fine. Name?" "Elara Veyne." She wrote it down. "Your first test is simple." The receptionist pointed toward a wooden door. "There's a training yard behind the building." Elara followed her outside. A dozen recruits were already waiting. The receptionist handed Elara a wooden sword. "Show us what you can do." Elara stared at it. "I don't know how to fight." "Then learn." --- Her first attempt was terrible. She was knocked onto her back within seconds. The recruits laughed. Elara got up. Again. She was knocked down. Again. She fell. Again. Her arms began hurting. Her breathing became heavy. But she kept getting back up. Eventually, one of the guild's senior members stepped forward. A young human man with dark hair and a scar running across his left eyebrow. "Stop." The instructor looked at him. "Why?" The man pointed toward Elara. "She's terrible." Elara frowned. "Thanks." He smirked. "But she keeps standing up." The yard became quiet. He looked toward the guild master. "That's useful." The guild master studied Elara for a moment. Then nodded. "Let her join." Elara's eyes widened. The recruits looked surprised. The guild master approached her. "You understand that joining doesn't mean you'll become some legendary adventurer overnight." "I know." "You'll start at the bottom." "I know." "You'll probably get hurt." "I know." The guild master smiled. "Then welcome to the Silver Fang Guild." Elara's face lit up. "Really?" "Really." She clenched her fist. "Yes!" Laughter spread through the yard. The young man with the scar walked past her. Elara turned. "What's your name?" He glanced back. "Aren." "Thank you, Aren." He shrugged. "Don't thank me yet." He continued walking. Elara smiled. For the first time in her life, she had stepped beyond the small world she knew. She had joined the guild. She had no magic. No noble blood. No legendary weapon. No reputation. Just a dream. To see the world. And somewhere beyond those distant mountains... A dragon was waiting.