Foreword In the days of the Ancients there was a race like no other, for they were blessed with a unique gift of being able to speak and understand Dragon Tongue.
Rumors spread about these magical folk, penetrating right into the heart of the Evil Lord’s great fortress in the Dark Lands.
Evil Lord Malus Dominus heard of this race, and he became worried. All knew that dragons were a superior race that could be only be defeated by immortals. They were the strongest creatures alive. If these folk were to forge an alliance with the dragons he would surely perish.
Before dawn the next day, he had summoned his undead warriors. They had destroyed the race before daybreak … well that’s what they thought.
A few hours later some traders passed by the spot where the village had been and they heard a noise. When they went to investigate they found a child wrapped in a silk sheet just barely alive.
So they took the child and raised it as one of there own never knowing its secret.
Chapter 1 – The Truth Realized The merchant’s son Dazhrej was the finest archer in the Princedom of Vellant’im. His father Rovnir went to the inn every night and gloated.
The bandit had slain the guards surrounding the treasury and made off with the loot.
If Dazhrej had not had to fetch some more silk for his father he would not have seen the bandit making off with the Prince’s treasure covered in the blood of the Prince’s royal guards.
Dazhrej yelled for the man to stop. The bandit obliged, turned around and went for his barbed throwing knife. Before he had a chance to throw it he had an arrow in his arm pinning it to a tree. Before the fellow had a chance to take in the damage he had another arrow right between his eyes.
The Prince thanked Dazhrej for recovering his treasure and rewarded Dazhrej by offering to foster him until knighthood.
Dazhrej gladly accepted………..
Three years later
Dazhrej now excelled in swordplay, knife fighting and magic. “Dazhrej, have the horses been readied?” asked Prince Ronan.
“Yes, your highness,” Dazhrej replied.
“We leave at sunrise,” the Prince said.
“Ah, Prince Ronan, where are we going?” Dazhrej asked with curiosity.
“The Grand Congregation of course,” replied Prince Ronan. “Every Prince is going to be there. It’s where we draw up the trade laws, permits and settle disputes between the Princedoms.”
“Oh. Why did you not go last year or the year before?” enquired Dazhrej.
“Because the Grand Congregation is held every four years,” the prince replied.
As they crested the hill Dazhrej saw tents.
They were as far as the eye could see. The colors were amazing. Blue, red, yellow and his own princedoms’ black and silver.
Once everyone had had a few hours to settle in the proceedings began and Dazhrej accompanied his prince to the first meeting. This is what was said:
“Prince Ronan, I think everyone should have free access to your port,” declared Prince Carter. “Well Prince Carter, then I think everyone should have free passage across your borders and in to your markets,” reasoned Prince Ronan. “It is a deal Prince Ronan,” replied Prince Carter.
The parchment was signed and the deal was made.
Prince Ronan’s next meeting was with Prince Quarry of the Mountains Prince Quarry was the Dominant stone supplier to the whole continent and making a deal with him was a privilege prince Ronan entered the stone grey tent and saw the mighty Prince Quarry they sat down and the meeting began:
“Now Prince Ronan I have no time to waste so lets keep it short you Brew the finest Ale and I mine the best stone a direct swap twelve Kegs of Ale for twelve Cart loads of marble Prince Ronan pondered this and said calmly done”
Dazhrej accompanied Prince Ronan to his tent, and then he went to the inn and had a drink of ale. Then he went to bed.
Dazhrej woke and made sure that the princes’ morning meal was ready and then woke his prince up.
After his meal Prince Ronan had to go to another meeting with another prince. As he stepped through the door Prince Arsenal started talking. He said:
“Prince Ronan, we’re both busy men so I will keep this short. Currently I trade you a wagonload of my finest weapons and in return you send me a wagonload of gold. This is fine but if you were to send a wagon load of fish from you port then I would send a wagon load of my best armour…”
“It is a deal Prince Arsenal,” declared Prince Ronan. The deal was made and Dazhrej accompanied his Prince to his sleeping quarters then went to bed.
Dazhrej woke to the sound of screaming and burning. He ran outside and saw it glistening in the sun, a DRAGON! Flames spewed forth from its mouth and its wings beat like a hurricane. It was lifting people of the ground, decapitating them, and dropping then bodies. He said to a near by stable hand “I wish it would stop,” and as he said it the dragon hesitated before continuing its feast. He yelled out,
“STOP THIS NOW!” The dragon fluttered to the ground in front of him and bowed its head.
Dazhrej was shocked. He had just stopped the most dangerous creature on the continent and it was now bowing beside him.
The dragon sat up and asked him what his name was. To every one else it sounded like growling, but to Dazhrej it was speech. He said, “My name is Dazhrej”.
The dragon jolted then said, “My name is Azhwing, Princeling of the Dragons”.
“How can I understand you?” Dazhrej stammered.
“You are the last of an ancient race that speak our tongue,” said Azhwing miserably.
After a long silence Azhwing spoke he said “We have about 5 minutes”
Dazhrej replied “What happens then?”
Azhwing whispered “Until the shock wares off and the guards slay us both. Obviously me first because I can fly, and then you because you can talk to me”.
“I’d say that leaves us with two options escape or be slain,”
Azhwing said gravely.
Dazhrej asked inquiringly, “How would we escape Azhwing?”
“Well these might help,” said Azhwing as he moved his wings slightly.
“But wouldn’t they shoot you down?” Inquired Dazhrej.
“You really have lived a sheltered childhood haven’t you? Arrows don’t pierce dragon hide” said Azhwing pompously. “Escape it is then,” said Dazhrej with a gleam of Hope.
Azhwing beat his mighty wings and the circle of guards tumbled to the ground. Dazhrej jumped onto his back and experienced a sensation he never thought possible, Flight.
Azhwing flew across the landscape heading for the place he called home……………..
Chapter 2 – The Dragon’s Lair The mountain ranges to which Azhwing flew were riddled with caves and caverns.
In the caves too high for mankind to reach lived the dragons. All the different dragons from the flightless fire breathing kind to the great dragons whose wingspan is larger than 10ft.
The entrance to the lower levels was at the base of the mountain concealed against trespassers by powerful magic.
Azhwing squeezed into the lower chamber through the tiny opening in the rock into a cramped tunnel that led to the more comfortable chambers were he could raise his head.
He headed for the upper chambers were the elders are.
As he entered the chamber the elders stopped their activities and looked at him enraged by him bringing a human into the Dragon Lairs.
The head elder then Bellowed,
“What is the meaning of this atrocity you of all Dragons know our customs on humans in the lairs”
The dragon was approaching Azhwing with an angry gleam in its eye when Dazhrej leapt in front of him.
The dragon growled,
“Move human you’re obstructing Justice”
Dazhrej Replied,
“Am I this dragon saved my life so I’m not going to let you take his.”
The assembly gasped for this mere human was speaking dragon tongue could this be the last remnant of a thought extinct race.
The Head elder stumbled to a stop a few feet from the boy and asked what is your name child.
This was too much for the other elders some flew off one fainted and the head elder staggered a little, unknown to Dazhrej the son of the last king of the dragon tongues name was Dazhrej and the elders had put two and two together and had come to the conclusion that this was the very same boy.
The Head elder bellowed: “find the boy a room now this is our top priority”.
He then approached Azhwing and muttered a few words of astonishment at where he had found him then he turned to Dazhrej and said in what line of work were you with the humans.
“A Squire” he replied………..
“WHAT!!!” THE ELDER BOOMED “YOU WERE A LOWLY SQUIRE DO YOU NOT NOW WHO YOU ARE”
Ah, actually no Dazhrej replied.
The Elder then explained to Dazhrej that he was the son of the last king of his race this shocked him.
Months passed and Dazhrej learned a lot of dragon terms.
One day the hurricane strength wind that came with the larger dragons approaching whipped the mountains as Razor and Blade returned from their Outing.
Dragon outings can last for years
Dazhrej hid as they landed he had been met with hostility by some of the dragons who didn’t know who he was and hadn’t heard the elders warning that he was not to be attacked.
The Dragons looked both ways and saw no one Dazhrej was under their eye sight as they were looking for dragons only, They then resumed their conversation:
The Evil lord is sending an Assassin to the Meadows on the night of the Head elders Half annual feeding said Blade
Yeah I can’t wait till we take over said Blade as they walked away.
Dazhrej ran straight to the elder as was expected but the elder refused to believe him because Razor and Blade were his Favorites and they knew it.
Dazhrej pleaded with the Elder to send another dragon to the Meadow instead without telling anyone so they thought it was he and going the next day.
Reluctantly the Elder agreed but told Dazhrej that if he was wrong he would be expelled from the Lairs forever.
So the plan went into affect and the elder hid in his chamber while his look a like Jasper went to the meadow.
A few Hours later Jasper awkwardly flew lopsided back to the Mountain with Slash marks on his wings, back, chest and neck he collapsed on impact.
His recovery was slow but he worked up to the point were he could speak to told the elder what he had seen:
The boy was right the assassin was there and so were Razor and Blade they stood there and laughed as he slashed me.
Then let them die the elders word was Final the Next day at sunrise they were beheaded by the Great dragon they were not buried they were thrown from the Cliff top and forgotten.
Dazhrej on the other hand was the hero of the dragons the Head Elder declared him “Warlord of the Dragons”.
Chapter 3 – The Bigger they are the Harder they fall After waking from a good nights rest Dazhrej was summoned to the main court where the head elder awaited his arrival, The Elder leapt from his lofty seat and flew to the ground where he engaged Dazhrej in conversation,
For many Millennia our people have tried not to meddle in the affairs of other species and our lairs are high in the mountains where no creatures dare to venture, until now!
Our kin in the north have been laid to siege by Evil Forces and we have no battle experience, do you?
Dazhrej was stunned Dragons where under siege!
Head Elder how can it be that Dragons are under siege? Dazhrej Asked
Our Cousins cannot breath fire and when they get close enough to attack the Dragons Bane Takes Effect within days there assailants will gather up the courage and invade Apon our helpless kin.
Dragons Bane? Dazhrej enquired
Dragons Bane is a potion made by the evil warriors, if a dragon comes into contact with it then there strength will be sapped to the extent that they will fall from the sky.
Wow! Dazhrej exclaimed
Our scouts will return in a few days then we will begin our planning you are dismissed.
Dazhrej immediately went to his room and planned.
The Might of a full grown flying fire breathing dragon is Great but it is rumored that the evil that comes out of the shadows in the pits of the dark lords castle could rival them.
Dazhrej sought Azhwings council on the matter
“Dragons do not meddle in the affairs of others for just such a reason to the scholars we are but a Myth,
But now we have no choice our kin are in danger I suggest that you play off our strengths” Azhwing explained.
“What are your strengths Azhwing?” Dazhrej inquired
“Well, we can fly as you have seen first hand also we can breathe fire that rivals the heat of liquid magma and the oldest of our elders can shape the very Earth” Azhwing explained and Dazhrej Gaped in awe.
Days of Planning passed.
