Introduction

The hardest part of any tale is always how to begin. Some begin with, "Once upon a time...", but this tale begins at
the end of another.
There was a great king named Dagres. Dagres was the first Dragon; created by the gods as the most powerful
creature of flesh and magic to ever roam the lands. After a century of wandering, Dagres had asked the gods to bless
him with many offspring so he can teach them all he had learned. The gods then blessed him with eight stones, each a
different color. Each stone created a different baby dragon. Dagres took great care of each of his children, making sure
they learned and grew as he did.
He tried to instill his values in each one of them, but one would not conform. His name was Alek, the first red
Dragon, bringer of death and fire. His lust for death and destruction led Dagres to exile him from the Kingdom of Zion,
the city of the Dragons.
Meanwhile, Sheneka, the silver Dragon, bringer of life and hope, found all life to be sacred. She went on a quest to
find all forms of life and create a compendium of her knowledge. She traveled for fifteen years, and she came back to
Zion with hopes of creating peace with all other beings, but she found her father had fallen ill.
The Purple sister, Shilia, had tried a number of different spells to cure Dagres, but none had availed. Then, on a cold,
storming night, Alek returned from his long exile to make penance to his father. None of his siblings trusted him, but his
father did. Alek was allowed to return home, under the condition that he relinquish his title to the throne and give it to
Sheneka. Alek did, with disdain. His title had been given to his silver sister.
Several weeks later, the great king Dagres had died. Sheneka took her place on the throne, but Alek wanted it. His
plots began to unfold as he attempted to prove Sheneka an unwise choice of leadership. His plots had almost
succeeded, but one mistake led Sheneka to imprison her brother.
Before his sentence could be carried out, Alek challenged his sister to combat. The winner gets the throne, and the
looser would pay the ultimate price: their life. Before the combat, Shilia told Sheneka of her fate, one that could not be
avoided. She also told the queen of a spell that would spare her powers and give it to another. Both performed this
ritual and it created a bright, silver stone. Shilia then took the stone and flew to a previously unexplored area, called
Torahseth by the humans that lived there.
The combat began and Sheneka almost immediately lost, her power drained. After several minutes however, she got
the upper hand and beat Alek to the ground, shattering bones and crippling his right wing. Sheneka told him to leave
Zion, and that if he returned; he would die by her hand. She turned away, but Alek drew a dagger and stabbed his sister
in the back. Alek then took the throne and had Sheneka's body placed on the palace gates as a message.
At the moment of her death, the silver stone cracked and broke. Radiant, silver light flooded from the seams. Then, the
most unexpected creature immerged from the silver stone. One tiny, silver dragon lay amongst the shattered pieces.
Shilia named this baby, Ansalik, Lifebringer.
This is where one tale ends and the other begins. For this is the tale of Ansalik, and of a time known as: The
Dragonslayer Wars.
 Chapter One

The winter was cold, but Ansalik was used to it. The bone-biting winds whipped passed him as he flew high over his
home in western Torahseth, close to the great Western Ridge that was the boundary between the kingdom of Zion and
Torahseth. His mind flew with him, thinking about a number of random things. He enjoyed flying, the freedom it gives
along with the joy and fear it instills. He did a number of acrobatic tricks, including dives and twists.
He flew until the sun began to set, then he landed outside his house. It was smaller than him, build be hands that were
not his own. His body shifted, growing smaller and changing form. His once magnificent scales became normal flesh, his
sharp talons became normal hands, and his wings completely disappeared. He went from Dragon to Human.
In fact, the massive dragon is only one of many forms that Ansalik could turn into. He favored his true draconic form
along with that of the humans. The simple elegance of humanity was fascinating to him and he lived like them. He hardly
turned into his dragon form for fear of being discovered and killed.
He smiled as he entered his home. He called to his guardian, "Aunt Shilia. I'm back. I got some rabbits for dinner."
"Oh thank you, my boy." called this voice from the back room. "Put them in the pot, it is already on the fire."
Ansalik did as instructed, stripping the rabbits of flesh and bone before putting the meat into the pot. He smelled it as he
stirred, "Wow, this smells wonderful." His aunt walked into the room. She was a small woman with graying hair and a
purple gown. Her eyes reminded Ansalik of the silver pieces of his egg. They shined with life and fury.
She hugged her dear nephew like always. She smiled dearly as she finished dinner. The evening was basically standard
for them. They ate, tended to chores, and then went to bed. Ansalik believed that nothing would change. But a simple
dream would change his entire life; for better or worse.

ΩΩΩΩ

Alek destroyed the vase that was hand-crafted by his green brother, Mikath, who stood heart-broken, eyes looking at
the floor and not his brother. Alek had been king for almost nineteen years, and he is still never satisfied, his thirst for
battle and destruction was never quenched. His rage was only a small part of his dastardly intellect and lust for power.
He sputtered curses in his native draconic tongue as he flew off of his throne and landed near Mikath, who flinched.
"So, you are saying there is a child created from my dear departed sister?" Alek said, his voice hissed with tone that ran
down his brothers' spine like ice. "How is that even possible? She had no means to have a child. Where did you hear this
from?"
Mikath spoke softly, still looking toward his broken handiwork, "I heard this from Joseph, our spy in the town of
Quilar. He swears to the gods that the dragon is silver, just like Sheneka."
Alek smacked his brother in the face and sent him to the red marble floor. "Don't say her name in my kingdom, dear
brother, or you shall share the same fate as her." He looked around, as if someone else should have been there. "Where
is our Golden Brother?" When Mikath did not answer, Alek grabbed him and through him across the red marbled floor
and into the throne. "Where is Lemirek?"
"I do not know my king. We received your summons at the same time, for we were eating together in the dining hall.
He said he would meet me here." Mikath just kept his eyes away, for fear of angering his brother more. Mikath never
liked Alek, seeing as how his red brother never had liked the art that Mikath did. But seeing as how Alek was the rightful
king, he had no choice but to obey him.
"This is not good, my brother. If the prophecy I received is true, Lemirek will betray me. 'The Silver Son led by Golden
Flame.' I must find him. SCOUT!"
A human appeared in the doorway, his golden hair was a stark contrast to his red and black uniform. He bore twin
swords on his back and a number of knives on belts across his hips, arms, and legs. He walked up to the dragons with no
fear. His name is Makira, and he is the best tracker in Zion. He knelt down in front of the red dragon king, "My liege,
what is your desire?"
"My gold brother Lemirek has betrayed me. I need you to find him. If you see a silver dragon with him, kill him."
"Yes, My lord."
"Or, kill them both. And, before you go, make sure to bring back a piece of them both. Now be gone."
The assassin bowed once more and left his master and brother to their discussion.

Makira left the city of Zion with a smile and good feelings. He hated to work for the dragons, but it was his duty since
birth. His father sold him to Alek when he was but five. This has brought distain and hatred toward his father and Alek. It
isn't that he hates dragons, just one particular dragon.
The air was cold as he set off on his trusty horse, Mila. She was a white stallion, bred for battle, knowing no such
thing as fear. They have through a lot in the last five years, but the assassin had a feeling that this would be their last
adventure together. "Come, Mila. We have much to do and little time. As always, I will see to it you play a large roll."
Mila let out a happy whiney and galloped out the large stone and iron gates that led out of Zion.

His dream began as always, fire and brimstone lick the fields outside his home. Balls of fire rain from the sky as many
unknown creatures soar across the sky. These creatures seemed to be a cross between a horse, a lion, and an eagle.
Human riders were on their backs, holding spears and swords. They bore a golden symbol on their armor, a cross with a
circle at its connection.
Dragons, the brothers to Ansalik, were battling these creatures. The dragons seemed to be winning. This made
Ansalik feel good; that his brothers would fend off an invasion. But something didn't seem to be in the right place. It all
just seemed to be...wrong.
Knights in the same armor as the riders were also on the ground fighting off hordes of the undead. One seemed to
be the leader; his armor was heavier and his cape held the crest of an eagle holding three arrows in its talons. "Where is
he? Where is that cursed dragon, eh? We are in need of his help." He was talking to what appeared to be a scout of
some kind.
The scout replied timidly, "Sir, he has lost his mind. Grief has taken him, and he said he will not fight his own kind."
The leader turned toward the caves, "Then I shall talk sense into that beast."
The scene changed; what was once a battle field was now a graveyard. Bodies and weapons lay scattered across the
ruins of the once green port city. In the midst of this gruesome scene sat a man. He sat on his knees, weeping over one
particular body. She was beautiful, even in death. Her hair was the color of the finest gold and her eyes matched the
grey clouds above. She looked to be asleep, except for the crimson blood that flowed from the spear in her abdomen.
The man still wept for her as he held her hand. He kept repeating a name, but Ansalik could not hear it. All he could
make out was, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
The knight captain came into view and knelt beside him. He spoke in a tone that did not match his armor or
demeanor, "I am truly sorry for your loss, my friend. But we have more pressing matters to attend. Do not worry, when
we succeed, we shall give her a proper burial."
The weeping man said nothing but nodded once. The knight stood and looked into the clouded sky, fear and anger
in his face, "You see those clouds? They hold a knowledge we do not. The stars are so near to us but we cannot reach
them. We cannot capture a cloud either. Maybe this is the way the gods wanted it. Maybe they wanted us to live and
die.
"Or...maybe there are no gods, and we are here by mistake. I do not claim to know how the universe works my friend,
but I do know that she is still with us; maybe not in body, but in heart and mind. Keep her alive, and you will meet her
again, someday."
The man got up, releasing the hand of the woman, and began to walk, exchanging no more words between the
knight.
Before anything else could happen, Ansalik woke to the sound of thunder. He had not notices the storm clouds before,
but the rain hitting the thatched roof was unmistakable. He looked over and found his aunt sleeping soundly, as if no
sounds were outside at all. Ansalik could not help but smile, and he knew that as long as they were together, they were
both happy.
Then, he remembered his dream. It had happened before, but never with such detail. He felt as if it was a warning,
or a message; but a message from whom? Why was this dream coming to him? He lay back down, but could not fall back
into restful sleep.

ΩΩΩΩ

Alek paced around his throne, thinking about the prophecy. Just then, the door opened and a messenger entered.
Alek, turned with utter disapproval, "How many times have I told you that I do not like being disturbed?"
The messenger bowed deeply and replied, "Sorry Sire, it is just...Well you see...I wanted to say..."
Aleks' temper flared, "Out with it, or I shall feed you to the Lynx."
 The messenger bowed and said, "Sorry, Sire. I have never been good at speaking, but it's just our spies have
informed us that an Elf by the name of Bilthor is on his way to speak to you."
"An Elf, eh? We do not get many Elves upon our land. Make sure he gets here safely, will you?"
The red-robed messenger left, and Alek went back to his thinking. An Elf? The gods sure have blessed me today. He
walked over to a giant map covered in a pane of glass that hung on the rear wall of his throne room. This map was of the
Kingdom of Zion; the entire West in its entire splendor. A smaller map hung next to it, showing the Great Ridge and what
little of the neighboring kingdom called Torahseth that had been explored by the Dragons.
This little map brought back memories to Alek that he has tried to forget; him killing his Silver Sister. He
remembered her final words to him as she bled to death on his arena; "You shall fall, but not now. No blade, arrow, or
spear will destroy you. You shall destroy yourself." With that she fell dead.
Alek broke free of the memory and left the throne, and stood facing the window. The twin suns were set for the day
and clouds filled the skies over the lands he ruled. He sighed as his memories refused him and kept coming back. He
reared his hand back in frustration, and shattered the window five stories above the ground. He fell into a fit of rage and
began destroying anything he could touch.
After the event, the only thing left standing was him and his throne, which he never touched. His Green Brothers
sculptures and paintings were scattered and broken while he stood in the middle. Finally, his rage subdued and he began
to do a task which he has not done for almost twenty years; he began to cry.

Ansalik sat up when light flooded through the windows. His nightmare had left his mind, along with any negative
emotions it may have brought. Today will be the best yet. He thought to himself as he prepared to go to the market. He
was about to leave when his aunt called him. "Yes, Aunt Shilia?"
"Don't forget to buy some fruit, we are out. Also we need more butter and beans."
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh, do hug me before you go." She stepped out into the front room and embraced him. "Now run along and do be
careful."
"You do not have to worry about me. Worry about the first fool who thinks I am easy prey." They both smiled as he
left.

As the young man left for the day, his aunt recalled the fondest memories; him playing and laughing, scraping his knees,
learning to fly; all came back and she began to cry, the thought of never seeing him after today broke what heart she
had left. She never told him that she was also a dragon, and he would find out soon. But for now, she sat down and
waited for the one person she dreaded seeing.
She knew her last days were upon her, and she did not fight. She helped her sister escape death but there would be
no escape for her. She would die and old, scarred dragon with only one reminder of the past.
Not too long later, a voice came from behind her, "Does he know of his destiny, my lady?"
"No, Reigess. But he will in time, the one fight I dare not participate in. My time has come and so will his. His fate is
tied to others and there will be a long journey ahead for him. But all I ask is that you, the God of Destiny, look after him
and protect him, please."
"Yes, I shall see to it his fate go undisrupted."
"Thank you, Reigess. Now, I accept your touch."
A figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing a long, flowing black robe with a hood that hid his face. His hands
were hidden in the robes, but when he raised his right arm, it showed a skeletal hand with very little muscle. Bugs,
worms, and snakes crawled and slithered across his fingers as he reached for the old dragon...

"Yes. Fruit, butter, and beans are all we need." Ansalik smiled at the lady he was buying from. She was new in town and
he was being kind. She smiled back and gave him what he needed.
Ansalik browsed the stalls for things as he made his way toward his masters' house. His master was an old bag who
was often seen as a loon, but recent events made him quite popular, especially among the younger generation. Ansalik
trained in combat under him, learning how to fight with a number of different weapons and various hand-to-hand
techniques.
He approached the house, which was not at all small, because it was the main training hall for all of Master
Lemirek's students. But, when Ansalik entered, the main training hall was empty. This was strange to Ansalik for most of
the time, Lemirek would have it packed full of trainees. Ansalik removed his footwear and began to search for the
Master.
He found the old man sitting in his library. By no means was the library large but it held a good collection of rare
books and documents. Shelves lined one entire wall while smaller shelves lined the others. The old man may have been
blind but he had explained to Ansalik many months ago that he sees not like others. The young dragon did not know
what he meant by it but he had a feeling that he would soon learn.
Before Ansalik could say anything, the old man spoke, "Hello, my boy. Please sit. I shall be with you in a moment,
when I finish this book." Only then did Ansalik notice a blue leather covered book with silver binding and a silver symbol
which he could not see. In a silver script, similar to Basic; or human; were the words, The Seven Pillars of Magic.
Several minutes later, the old, blind man placed the book skillfully back into place without so much as feeling for the
slot. He went to a chair and sat in it, next to Ansalik. "So, you came to train today?"
"No, master," Ansalik replied, "I came to give you payment. I know you told me not to, but I had to. I can't just
accept your training without letting you know I appreciate it."
The old man smiled his usual radiant smile, "Kindness. The best trait you have was also your mothers'."

Mikath walked through the marble hallways quietly, not wanting to awake Aleks minions. He had transformed into a rat,
giving him size and stealth as a bonus to his usual quiet walking. He stalked the halls for about an hour before reaching
his destination. The secret room behind the pantry in the kitchen was not on any maps for it was built so they could
meet in total secret. They would be the brothers and sisters of Alek, those who were still loyal to the original king and
Sheneka. This would consist of Mikath, the green; Withari, the white; Lilia, the blue; and Kiltar, the black.
Mikath entered the chamber and morphed back into his human likeness. His white and blue sisters were already
there, waiting for him. Withari asked, "Where have you been, Mikath? We have waited for you for hours."
"Sorry, dear sisters. Alek has kept a close eye on me since he found out our golden brother has left. But, I made him
believe that Lemirek left shortly after being summoned. We all know how he stays in his chambers for weeks at a time."
"This is why we called this meeting," Said Lilia, "To discuss our next moves. If Alek finds out about our meetings, and
of Lemirek's disappearance from months ago, he will have us killed and placed upon the gates like Sheneka."
"Which is why, my sister, I vote to move along early. It risks exposure, but we need to hurry our plans."
"And I second his vote." Withari said in her usual quiet tone.
"And this is fine, but we need to discuss this with our other brother. Now, have you seen him of late, Mikath?"
"Unfortunately, I have not seen Kiltar in about a week. He said something about finding the best game. I assumed
this meant hunting, and so I did not ask."
"By the gods," Swore Lilia, "We need him."
With that, no one else spoke. Soon, they went back to their chambers, thinking about the events unfolding.