The Fateful Flame (A Prelude to Empire of Dragons) by Rob May

Author:Rob May [May, Rob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Firebound Books
Published: 2016-03-30T22:00:00+00:00

*

Four years earlier; a hot, stuffy classroom.

Deros wasn’t interested in his lessons. He only spent one day a week at school now anyway; most of his time was spent out in the forests with his parents, learning his trade. The only reason he came here was on his mother’s insistence that he learn a little history, ‘Because the trees won’t teach you anything.’

That was the reason he came; the only reason he stayed was the girl sitting at the desk directly in front of him, scribbling in a notebook. Deros counted the freckles on Kal’s shoulders; he licked his lips as she ran her hands through her messy hair; it was like watching a beautiful landscape that would suddenly reshape and rearrange itself, giving him something familiar, yet brand new, to lose himself in for another few minutes.

Today, Deros resolved, after school he would ask Kal out on a proper date.

‘… watched the world being overrun by monsters, until it looked like humanity would be wiped out for good,’ the schoolmaster was saying. ‘And that’s when the gods finally decided to intervene.’

Deros started paying attention again. At last, the story had gotten around to the part he found interesting: the clash between gods and monsters some thousand years ago.

‘Banos, Arcus, Solas and nine other warrior gods resolved to step down from the safety of their home in Arkonia, atop the Improbable Mountain, and join the fight. They took up weapons forged from bloodsteel and called themselves the Knights of Arkonia. Nothing would stand against them – not goblins, trolls, ogres … not even dragons!’

The school master was throwing himself into the story now, as he always did. Mister Godsword was only in his mid-twenties, but knew more than anyone in the village about the exploits of the gods. As he talked, he waved his favourite prop around: a longsword with a bright, polished blade. The younger kids on the front row involuntarily ducked as the sword swooshed over their heads.

‘They were victorious, and with the dragons dead, the rest of the monsters – the goblins, trolls, ogres and their ilk – retreated back to their dark caves. Humanity had been saved. But does anyone know what happened next?’

Only one hand was raised.

‘Kal?’

‘They were cursed,’ Kal said. ‘The Dragon cursed the gods who had killed his children. He hunted them down and killed them one by one.’

Mister Godsword smiled at Kal with the kind of appreciation that made Deros scowl. ‘You’re right. For Banos and his brothers and sisters, there would be no long celebration of victory. In the depths of Vorpalore, The Dragon himself, the father of all dragons in the world, rose from his centuries-long slumber and wreaked havoc on the hall of the gods, before hunting down and killing the remaining knights wherever they were in the world.

‘So let us hope that dragons do not rise again in the world again any time soon. For without the gods in the world, who would save us this time? Who

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.