The Heart of Adarel

Prologue

Some people look to the future, but never forget their past.

They proceed through life making the best of what they have before them, but their childhood memories stay with them forever. These may be happy memories that they remain nostalgic about as they grow up, or they may be traumatic events that haunt their dreams and leave mental scars that never fade away.

Such are the memories of one unlikely heroine. A story which began twenty years ago.

~~~

Jenna Falkner stared out the window. Outside, the guards were carrying large piles of coins and jewels onto a platform in a large open part of the town. Her parents always told her to stay away from the windows every two weeks when this happens, but this curious five-year-old child had to know what it was all about.

"Jenna! Get away from there!"

Daisy Falkner called out to her daughter as she entered the room. A lovely woman, with dark curly hair and pale skin. Jenna loved her mother, but she was so overprotective. If she were not pregnant right now, she would probably be running about after her whenever she got in trouble.

Jenna turned to face her mother. "Mom, they're carrying money! Who are they giving it to?"

"Jenna," Daisy replied calmly, "you know that you're not allowed to see that. Please, keep away from the window."

"Why can't you just tell me? I hate staying in my room the whole time!"

"We're just trying to protect you, Jenna!"

"Protect me from what?" Jenna grew frustrated at her mother's vagueness. "You never let me look! All I ever hear is a big voice outside!"

Daisy knelt down and stroked Jenna's thick curly blonde hair. A calming gesture. Oh, if only she could explain to her daughter about how the voice she mentioned was from the dragon that threatened their town of Talvam. About how the money being carried is tribute the town offers to the dragon every two weeks so that it wouldn't burn the town to the ground. But Daisy couldn't tell her. This silence was for her own good.

"Jenna... I promise you. One day, I will tell you."

Although Jenna was still not satisfied, she toned her voice down. "Why not now, mom?"

"It's... well, you're just not ready for it yet. But soon you will be." Daisy quickly changed the subject to get Jenna's mind off of it. "Come on, let's go see what your father is doing." She picked Jenna up and walked over to the living room.

Brendan Falkner was talking to a bearded middle-aged man in noble's clothing. Jenna couldn't understand the big words they were using, nor did she particularly care. She just wanted all of this to be over so she could go back to playing outside.

Brendan turned to Daisy after a few seconds. "So, Daisy, we've got our share set aside already, right?"

"Of course. It should be in the chest next to the door."

"Very good," the other man replied in his usual raspy voice. "We have to do this right. I fear that he may have gotten... suspicious."

"What do you mean, Deo?" Brendan asked.

"Well..."

Daisy turned away as Deo Maxilian gave his explanation to prevent Jenna from listening. Not that she was either way. She had already tuned him out. She didn't know who this long-haired man was. Only that he worked directly with the royal family, visiting various towns and providing assistance, and that he was a friend of her parents. He often visited Talvam and helped arrange the biweekly tributes, carrying his ornate gold-tipped scepter around everywhere he went. His parents had told her that it was a gift from the king, but he never seemed to do anything with it.