Dragon Unleashed (Book 1 of the Dragon Mage Saga)

The Hero of Pharix

Laurel Crowe’s eyes, precisely the color of moist spring soil, gazed down on her. She was an angel, illuminated by the stars and moons that glittered in the inky sky. And the sword tucked at her waist…that had to be the Spirit Sword Darla and the gang were hunting for.

            It was absolutely breathtaking, the most magnificent thing Darla had ever seen. It wasn’t as much a sword as it was a piece of art. The base was golden and encrusted with shining jewels, glimmering brightly like a beacon of light. The blade itself was long, slender, and so sharp it could seamlessly slice through concrete as if it were butter. The color of the blade was a mix between a pale gold and a hazy white, glowing even in the nighttime.

            Darla’s breath caught in her throat as she reached out to brush a dirty, bruised finger against Laurel’s sleek, battle-ready silver armor. Just as she was about to make contact with the glossy metal, she felt her fingers slip through, as if Laurel was crafted from murky swamp fog. Darla gasped sharply. Was a ghost looming before her, the picture of radiance and purity? If so, that meant the one thing she and everyone in Pharix dreaded to here: that Laurel was dead, killed by the Shadow Master.

            “You died?” Darla whispered softly, her emerald eyes widening in fear. “Was it…was it the Shadow Master? How did he do it?”

            Laurel sat down on the grass next to the river bank, a small smile creasing across her soft, supple milky skin. She resembled something of a graceful gazelle with her straight-as-a-rod posture, willowy slim frame, and outrageously long legs that looked as if they were designed for jumping over hurdles. Darla faintly remembered the plain Jane etched on the portrait at the temple. Laurel was nothing extraordinary back when, but she was absolutely stunning now, so beautiful Darla felt as though she’d evaporate into a puddle by just being in her glorious presence.

            “I’m not dead, Darla,” Laurel murmured, her voice velvety smooth. “I’m very much alive. I’m the most powerful creature in all of Pharix-in all the universes and realms in existence. I’m merely astral projecting my essence to you.”

            Darla raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You can do that? I thought you needed to die to…you know, have your essence come out and everything.”

            Laurel chuckled. The sound was a light, pleasant rumble similar to a bleat of a trumpet or horn.

            “I can do things the Laws of Magic doesn’t permit. And so can you, my dear friend, if you only just try. Darla Rose Hawthorne, you are only barely beginning to understand the power you have inside of you, just sitting there dormant,” she began, staring deeply into Darla’s eyes as if reading her mind.

            Could she do that? Darla didn’t know. All she could manage was to stare in utter shock as the essence of the legendary warrior, the hero of Pharix, began to speak once more.

            “How much do you know about golden fire?” Laurel asked, tossing her flowing chestnut locks over a shoulder.

            “Um, it’s the most powerful of all the dragon fires, which are the sources of magic. No one used to be able to wield it because you had to be a righteous and of noble heart. Not even Queen Juliette or King Vince could touch it. But then, you came along,” Darla replied. “They say you-I mean, we’re-the incarnation of golden fire. That’s what we’re made of.”

            Laurel nodded brightly. “All very true. There is golden fire inside of the both of us, a raging volcano of it ready to burst. But you don’t know what golden fire can do, can you my precious Darla?”

            Darla shook her head meekly. “No, I was only at Dawn Academy for a week. We didn’t really learn that much stuff.”

            “Our power is limitless,” she said, her voice stern and commanding. Darla felt subdued next to her. “You know how every dragon has its own magical gift, whether that be breathing fire, controlling an element, and so on? Well, us Dragon Mages-we can do everything if we fully access all our power. Right now, you barely can control 1% of your magical capacity. As for me, I’m hardly up to 50. Imagine what we can do together, when we’re at 100 percent.”

            Darla stared at her in amazement. “We could do…anything.”

            Laurel grinned. “That’s very right.”

            Just then, Darla remembered something very important. “The Shadow Master! What do you know about it? My friends-we’re tracing your path to the Crystal Temples. I know all about the Final Fire and we have the last essence and we’re trying to get to the Spirit Sword.”

            “The Shadow Master has the sword,” Laurel replied sharply. She nodded towards the gleaming blade at her hip. “This isn’t the real deal-just an illusion. Darla, this is why I came to talk to you. The situation is dire. The Wreckers-and the captive, the Prophet’s Eye-are at the Temples, ready to battle you. I’m not sure where the Shadow Master is, but IT has all the other essences and is ready to begin the Final Fire tomorrow. I don’t think you can stop it.”

            “But…but that can’t be true! There has to be a way for the both of us to stop the Shadow Master! If it destroys Earth, it’ll only be mere days before Pharix is taken over!” Darla exclaimed. “And…I have a lot of friends with me-not just dragons, but a Pegasi princess, a griffon, a kitsune, and even a sphinx. And you can help us too!”

            Laurel smiled gently, her face softening. “I’m afraid that is not possible. I have other duties I must complete. I have faith in you, Darla-but I don’t think even you, with all our amazing power, can stop the Final Fire. It’s too late. The Wreckers will get to the last essence and the apocalypse will begin.”

            Darla’s stomach dropped. This couldn’t be true. No-they worked so hard. They fought off so many threats. Things couldn’t just end now, so abruptly. Darla thought about her family, who had hated her so much and ditched her to rot and whither at a mental hospital. They’d be burnt to ashes tomorrow, reduced to waste. She couldn’t let that happen. No, this Dragon Mage wasn’t backing down.

            “The Shadow Master can go screw itself!” Darla declared. Laurel flinched, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “I’m fighting, with or without you.”

            With that, Laurel nodded. A small smile appeared on her pretty, heart-shaped face. “I had a feeling you’d say that, my love. You remind me so much of myself when I was young, gearing up to defeat Kipsun, the devil king. Ah, how terrified I was-even when I had my Sword. Well, Darla, I have to say I am impressed. I hope someday we can fight side by side and lead Pharix into the light.”

            Darla nodded, smiling. “I hope so too.”

            With that, Laurel waved her hand, her warm brown eyes flickering before she disappeared in a flash of glittering gold light.