Dragon Scales

Book 2 (Dragon Fire) Chapter 1

Sinnek's eyes had tears in them. "Thon and Dion...they may be dead. I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid..." Sinnek aburbtly took a step back. "Goodbye, Aresa. Till the sun rises then."

"Goodbye." Aresa was still a bit dazed by the information, and as her horse started moving she glanced back at Sinnek.

He lifted his hand in farewell, and she did the same.

They left through the castle gates, and then into the city. Aresa didn't look at Denereth, her thoughts were still with what Grandfather had said.

The horses moved quickly, and they were soon outside the city.

Werlek, Grenin and Regorn sometimes cast side glances at Aresa who was sitting stiffly on her horse, her eyes staring of in the distance.

"If we keep up this pace we should be by Lake Reth before the boat arrives. I just hope not to many people want to go," Werlek's face was slightly worried. "And there is always the danger of running into hostile soldiers."

"See before you, Whitecrow!" Ymoriso's voice carried over the crowd, holding all the assembled
Dragon Hunter's attention.

"The only warrior alieve who will be able to take us over the ocean! She
is the one who freed us from the teacherous woman we called our queen!"

Silence from the crowd.

"The queen not only brought human slaves to tunnel beneath the woods Jua-ager to search for forbbiden artifacts lost in ancient times, she also tried to crush the Crimison Dragon Eye. Some of you may not know about this legendary power stone, but it is capable to give incomprehendable
power to those that have magic capability, but in the process it will waken ancient monsters. Whitecrow was able to stop the queen before she could crush the stone, but it still got cracked. You have all heard the rumours of the Wioths and Leapcats, they are true. But those two kinds of
creatures are minor monsters, and we can only conclude that more monsters will wake up. Most of those monsters may come from the two mountains Dragoor and Vedor, where a lot of caves hide unknown terrors."

Dragon Hunters looked at each other, murmering and muttering.

"Do you want to stay in this doomed continent, or do you want to sail with Whitecrow for our homeland over the ocean? Make your decicions!"

Ymoriso stepped down from the podium, Leiha following him. Her
heart beat quickly, still feeling the hundreds of eyes on her.

Tunrir, Inor, Thon and Dion came to walk beside her, and Leiha could feel how worried they were.

They were humans after all, and would have to await those ancient monsters that would probably
wake up.

Iaven, clothed in a dark cloak joined them as they stepped into the royal house that belonged to one of Ymoriso's fellow Ymin Court members.

"I need to talk to you, Ymoriso." Leiha didn't speak loudly, but she knew he heard her.

"Follow me." Ymoriso guestered with his hands to a big oaken door.

Leiha, followed by the rest entered the room, and closed the door behind them. The room was spacious and had couches and soft padded chairs.

Ymoriso slowly let himself down on a comfortable couch, and Leiha stopped in front of him.

"You plan on leaving with me and a few Dragon Hunters, and leaving the everything else to be destroyed by dragons and monsters?"

"It will be destroyed, no matter what." Ymoriso's sadly shook his head.

"There is nothing we can do."

"That can't be true," Tunrir couldn't help stepping forwad angrily.

"I have lived a very long life." Ymoriso's eyes settled on Tunrir. "I was a child when three Whitecrows, together with five-thousand of the best human and Dragon Hunter warriors sacrificed themselves to put the ancient monsters to sleep. The place the battle took place in is what is now called the Desolated Land. Magical energy still lingers there, and not of the good kind. My parents
died then, and I was left alone and weak. You do not know anything about the history, about those ancient monsters. Some of them were as big as mountains, others as small as a fingernails, but they were all deadly. Even if only a fraction of them awaken, there are no warriors left capable of killing them.” Ymoriso's eyes were filled sadness. “I have witnessed how the Dragon Hunters have become weaker and weaker, their physical and mental streangth draining away. How they became greedy, like the humans. Now, humans and Dragon Hunters aren't that different, except for their training. I can only coclude that it is this cursed continent, that is somehow draining away the power of my people. This continent is destined for fire, and I want no part of it.”

Hello everyone. Book 1 is finished, and I'm currently working on Book 2, but it may take a while. I really apreciate all votes, reads and comments! Thank you.