Book 1. Genesis (North and South Ed.)

CHAPTER I. The Sankin Kotai

 For 25 years, Lord Adam shunned by his family, has stayed in Oxford with his wife never even once visiting Milton at the behest of his father who was very furious at his son's disobedience. His brothers had stopped communicating with him but, nothing could make him regret his choice. Queen Hannah knew well the value of a good emissary, and Lord Bell retained his position as the Southern Emissary of Milton.  When Lord Shaw left Milton seeking to change the Healing profession who at that time was monopolized by over-charging mages who cared more for the money they are being paid than the welfare of the patients under their care; he met  Lord Adam to seek his advice and counsel as the Milton Mage with the most knowledge of Southern ways. Although, Hannah did not completely agree with her younger brother's position, she knew his dissatisfaction with his profession and how it is practiced in Milton. She loved her brother; therefore, she allowed him to seek his own way and gave her blessings for his venture. Lord Adam's wife and their daughter Anne, helped Lord Shaw find a suitable place for the Healing Institute and even helped with administrative duties until the Institute could get off the ground.  Lord Shaw eventually fell in love with Anne, whom everyone thought was his concubine when in fact, she was his wife having married her in a private ceremony, officiated in the old rite, attended only by Lord and Lady Adam. They kept the marriage a secret so as not to distract his sister, the Queen, who at the time had her hands full consolidating her power in the seven realms and preparing to lead the fight against the Darkness.  After seven years of marriage, Lady Shaw gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter, Edith.  Soon thereafter, Lady Adam Bell grew suddenly and terribly ill and soon died. After 25 years of marriage, Lord Adam Bell was widowed and inconsolable.  He did not even notice that the Dark Wars are at their height and raging at full volume. The sisters decided that their father should remove to Helstone to live with Lady Mariah. Although, it is normally the older sister's duty to care for a parent, Lady Shaw was in no position to do so, with her husband recently recalled by the Queen to help with the war effort and with a young child to care for, she felt she could not also care for her grieving father when she herself is silently grieving and worrying about her deployed husband. And so it was, Lord Bell and his dragon, Maisie removed from Oxford and settled in Helstone in the loving cared of his daughter, Mariah and his grandchildren, Frederick and Margaret. 

In London (North of Helstone), Lord and Lady Shaw lived in comfort and peace with little to vex or trouble them. Lord Shaw, had always been ostracized by his people as the "black sheep." A righteous and dutiful mage, he felt that mage power, specially healing powers, is a gift that should be shared to all, not just mages and commoners who could afford it.  As such, he used all his private income to build a Healing Institute to develop healing advancements and technologies that will allow delivery of affordable medicines to all the 7 realms. His Institute even established a training program for common doctors to learn basic medicine and business skills to establish medical practices and clinics. He was very successful indeed.  Most of the medicinal advancements and new healing technologies he designed could be used by any common doctor with proper training - no mage power required - only pure applications of the natural sciences.  He was a prolific inventor with over 1,000 patents in his name and a growing pharmaceutical empire under his management. He had become very rich indeed and had afforded his wife and his young daughter, Edith, all the luxuries they could need.  He was content and happy to dote and spoil his wife and daughter.

All his felicity came to an end when his sister, Queen Hannah summoned him home to Milton to supervise the medical brigade (a mixed unit of mages and commoners) in preparation for the Last Stand.  Bound by duty, he left his young wife and very young child in London while he returned to Milton to serve in the war effort.  On this Last Stand, Lord Shaw and the rest of Milton led by the Queen and the Crown Prince; gave their full measure to the fight. 

The Army of the Light led by Hannah's noble warrior son, Prince John Thornton. (Lord Thornton to the others, who as the heir and first-born son bears his Clan Name.) At only 21 years old, he was already an experienced warrior and able general.  Lord Thornton's brilliant war stratagem fooled the dark into concentrating all their attack into Milton. When the Dark attacked, Lord Thornton used his troops to slowly lure the enemy into the center of a "camouflaged sink hole" and maneuvered his cavalry and foot soldiers to flanking positions to prevent escape or retreat by the enemy. When the enemy were properly "maneuvered" into the area. Lord Thornton, used his dragon infused mage power to cast a "consignment and sealing spell" to release the sink hole, sending the dark force into the deep and sealing them there to prevent their return. The forces of the Light were victorious but the victory came at a great cost.  The Dark, as a last effort, lashed out and cursed all of Milton with the taint of darkness which devastated all within the Milton Wall.  The dragons, creatures of the light, died, instantly. All Mages and Commoners in Milton became barren.  The land stopped yielding fruit.  All the animals and crops died. Nothing grew and no one begot.