The Enchanted Dragon

PTE

DRAGON I

I have fou

from somewhere

a moment, I could see nothing but darkness and the pale mist dr

d the ground. His face was hidden beneath a dark hood, but

ures appeare

that reflected the moonlight. Unlike ordinary swords, thei

th wen

ut something about them made every inst

, there was n

ly clear path through the clearing. The dragon's wings were

me, Adrian,

not

nger stopped sev

s the chil

conversational, which someh

. The boy whose father believed tha

red a

are

r ignored m

oe, as though he were inspecting an o

rkably ordinar

except for the glowing eyes and

he words almo

ger tilte

he la

sound that made the surroun

he said. "I see that you inherit

st tig

ew my m

mother, Adrian Vale. More tha

e what happe

r took one

perhaps you will

eleased a

through the groun

listen

inally looked

be a protector, Vae

laws dug int

right to sp

your precious guardians fell. I watched their little

on's eye

g moment, I thoug

nted chains around

flashed acr

, and I watched in horror as the chai

ranger

ame enchantment. Some

the chains t

are

me, he

or. Surely you have not forgotten t

s expressio

ic Ve

drain the warmth

e moment Vaelthor spoke it, a stran

rk on my palm

c not

le disa

eres

d one pa

energy curled ar

the mar

ively clos

N

gy twisted int

not a

d his f

truck me in

w bac

breath left my lungs. Pain spread ac

" Vaelth

s chains snapped taut. The violet

ed to

gs tr

proached

a what you are c

myself

away f

your magic, concealed your identity, and placed you in the care

mmered agai

u know abou

uched in f

you would l

ned red bene

stiny. He believed that if he stripped away your power an

led fa

ther was

r rise thro

peak abo

miss a man you can

inside me that I had spen

me that they had died when I was too young to know them. I remembered the uncomf

e would be a day when I finally

tranger in a black cloak woul

anything about m

ic r

e of power in this world. They made the mistake of b

towards

eir son has

n's wings

er possess th

laughed

hall

ed at m

about your parents, or you can learn the truth from the only person

red a

d ever carried seem

appened to

father hidd

hor know my m

was the F

to read the ques

"Curiosity. That

nded hi

om

at his pa

ooked at

s golden ey

as fear

r for h

for

choices. But understand this: Malric does not off

ack at the

ent, I considered

him, but because I des

e had thrown me to the grou

chains biting int

on in his voice when he spo

I got to

oing anywhe

xpression

leave me n

ted hi

exploded wi

how frightening magic c

luminated crystals, lifted objects into the air, an

magic was

wed the m

around tree trunks and tearing branches from their roots. The air

led bac

elt

he dragon

yself to

nd struck the trees behind me. The trunks

ained agains

ending a powerful gust

boy alone

tion of harming

s eyes

he force

ked figures mo

d to my fe

going. I only knew that I c

ough the trees. The forest floor was sl

ng shook with the sou

d to tu

d to he

t a sorcerer who could command dark

had failed an en

mmon a flame o

and no idea how to control the

only creature who seemed to

ped ru

ightened me mor

ned a

aces away, illuminated by

nted chains. One of the masked hunters st

rectly in front

heir voices th

emanded. "Where did the guardians

lifted

er watch this

raised

rgy struck the grou

arth

ething ins

to

ng through

head t

looke

I saw genuine surpri

came

now why I h

d not stand there and w

him a

smile r

a creature you met le

es

nob

his hand t

ge you possess when you un

y gathered arou

ced m

lease it, the golden m

ross my fingers and

red a

ymbol shone be

ci

ee curv

fl

light bur

ield appear

attack

through the clearing, shaking th

e shie

ring at the golden barr

done

I had cre

l m

roat, somewhere betwe

did

r looke

an, f

ield t

towards

on had chang

o longer

light with an intensity

al," he

pped c

t cann

l the shiel

flickered

ifted bo

t your fathe

no a

den mar

d again, forcing Mal

ry moment, I felt t

e spells I had pra

like something

something I h

or opening in

sensation

eld col

to on

face filled with a mixtur

wer so deeply that even you

other step

seal is b

towards th

ry creature that remembers the o

ed back

ll have it, Adrian Vale. You have

s around hi

ters moved

igures disappear

ring fel

ed on one knee, unable to und

s no longe

d vanished as quickl

ill feel its e

lowered

ou inj

though my shoul

't thi

you s

tr

nearly

rmous wing, allowing me t

re colder tha

e chains surro

s are still

es

my magic b

of the most powerful sorcerers in Eldoria. Your magic i

allo

teac

egarded me

e much t

unds lik

s like a

d a tire

ntering the forest, the dr

ds the trees where M

leave thi

red a

re chained to

gned to hold a dragon,

ed at m

m. Not enough to free me, but enough to

sound came fr

iolet symbol

ano

d, watching the links wi

is the key,"

ed at

hether failing the examination had been the

ht brought li

y parents had died because they st

he had f

rn Village felt longer than

pecting to see the black-cloaked hu

he clearing, so I had no c

e dragon gave me

what happen

row

ven Al

golden ey

ntil you understand what

red a

e hide anyth

sh reasons. Sometimes they are kept because th

esn't ma

wi

ation, but Vaelthor turned h

he looked im

hatever else you discover, never a

oat ti

odd

ned and wa

the first light of dawn was begin

eets we

and the distant mountains were bare

cottage, hoping Aldr

door was

e first thi

d was the

eplace. I expected to see the familiar glow beneath the

he cottage

pped

dri

ans

ough the si

d his book lay open on the small table.

ea wa

towards t

ed ordinary, exce

the counter had

r left that

ached i

letters, a broken compas

was un

ched

he lid, I noticed a folded piec

en written acr

RI

dric's handwrit

began t

ed the p

only one

RUST THE

d it

third

s made n

tell me not to

now about the

eared without telling

the cottage, sear

room wa

dy was

and a trail of muddy footprints led

beside the ol

at the fo

iced somet

had been

round had shifted, revealing

dden me from touching t

was worried I mig

that he had been

opening and peere

e descended ben

hin, carrying the smell o

or the near

light it, my pa

mark appe

wered with a fa

fr

the cottage, a m

whispered fro

, heir of the

led bac

nt slipped

ould do nothing but star

ound from the di

ro

lth

rest, then back at the

led the e

scovered

wanted to

appeared, leaving behind a warning th

parchment and fo

had been hiding,

d to my parents, I w

ed from me, I would not allow

at the golden

, I did not wish i

to unde

know why it

uncertainty, I felt the first stirrings of a p