SWNOVELS Chapter Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns – Prologue
Year 425 D.A.
Stealing a small ship and deserting the war had seemed a good idea at the time, but now Galedar began to second-guess the decision. A strong wind grabbed the sails, pushing the small ship northwest. Galedar and Brom tried to move the tiller to redirect the rudder. They needed to change the direction of the ship, but as they used all of their strength, the tiller broke. Everything else from then on ended in failure. The wind thrashed against the sails, causing an accidental jibe, snapping the boom in half. Their course was set northwest, and there wasn’t anything they could do about it. Rain streaked down from the sky. Galedar had never seen such a storm. The two men dug their nails into the wooden mast, holding on for dear life.
Northwest of Kaeldroga, the direction the ship traveled, was mostly unexplored waters. Few ships had traveled this way and returned; the ones that did, returned with wild stories about dangerous exotic beasts. Galedar wasn’t thrilled to explore whether the rumors were true.
They found no sleep. The storm refused to let up, pushing them further out to sea and toward danger. Early the next morning, before the first sun rose in the sky, the ship thudded against something hard. It jarred both men from their stupor. They sat on the deck of the ship, clutching whatever they could. The men stared at each other. Another thud shook the ship. Galedar stood, careful to keep hold of the mast. The sky was dark, but as he focused, he saw a thin sliver of white sand glowing in the twilight. A grin spread across his face.
“Land!”
Brom’s eyes widened as he glanced to Galedar.
A large wave slammed against the ship. The impact knocked Galedar off his feet and over the rails onto the sandy beach. Galedar pushed himself up. The ship wavered, tipping over toward him. He tried to scramble out of the way, but he fell back onto the ground. Hands clamped onto his shoulders and he was dragged through the sand. He rolled over and saw the top of the ship slam onto the beach, shattering where he had just lain. Brom looked down at him, holding out his hand. Galedar accepted it.
“Thanks,” he croaked.
“Why did we sail north again?” Brom asked, pulling seaweed out of his red beard.
“We were supposed to travel south, around the war, until the wind swept our ship up here,” Galedar said.
Galedar helped Brom to his feet, and the two of them warily studied the land.
“Where are we?” Brom asked.
“I don’t know,” Galedar replied with a shaky voice.
“I never knew there was land north of Kaeldroga. How did we reach it in only one night?”
“The storm.”
Brom raised a brow.
“The wind was pushing us hard. I’ve never seen a ship travel that fast before. I’m surprised the sails didn’t rip.”
Brom’s hands began to sweat. He cleared his throat. “I don’t like the stories that come from this far north.”
Galedar laughed nervously. “You mean the monsters? Surely you don’t believe them.”
Brom shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe. Everyone who travels northwest by sea either disappears or returns crazed with tales of monsters.”
“Do you think this is where everyone disappears?”
Brom tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
Galedar raised his eyebrows. “What if there are other survivors like us here?”
Brom pressed his lips together tight. “What if they all sank to the bottom of the sea?”
“Possible,” Galedar said. “But we won’t know until we look.”
A pink haze began to fill the sky. The red sun was rising in the east.
Brom’s head shifted back and forth. “Why don’t we head to the forest?”
Galedar glanced to the trees at the edge of the sand. He smiled. “Nervous?”
“Cautious. We don’t know what’s on this land. It’d be best if we explore it … not let it explore us.”
Galedar laughed. He clapped his hand on his friend’s back, and the two of them walked to the cover of the forest.
Inside the protection of the trees, they found a log to sit on and rest. Each of them took off their leather boots and drained them of water. Then, they took off their scabbards and tossed them aside. They were still dressed for battle.
“I think we should have stayed and fought,” Brom mumbled.
“And miss this adventure?” Galedar laughed.
Brom glared at his friend.
“I agree. Desertion wasn’t the best idea. But our force was outnumbered ten to one. We’d be dead by now if we’d stayed.”
“We will probably die here,” Brom muttered.
Galedar smiled. “I’m glad you’re so optimistic.”
A loud roar diverted their attention.
“What was that?” Brom whispered.
Galedar glanced around. The first sun had fully risen, and light trickled through the trees. In each direction, Galedar saw only trees. Another roar broke the silence.
Brom quivered. Galedar tried to put on a brave face; he stood and walked toward the sound. Brom grabbed his arm.
“Where are you going?” Brom asked.
“To find out what that noise is.”
“Are you crazy?” Brom’s eyes were frantic. “Whatever it is, it sounds bigger than us.”
“How are we supposed to live here if we don’t know what we face?” Galedar asked.
“Hide?” Brom offered as a viable alternative.
Galedar shook his head and freed his arm from Brom.
Another roar shook the ground, and Galedar followed the sound. He weaved quietly through bushes and trees. Brom followed at his heels, an expression of horror on his face. Galedar wasn’t deterred when he glanced back to see Brom’s face. After fifteen minutes of searching, he stopped.
Brom bumped into him. “Wh—”
Galedar elbowed him, hard. He peered forward, eyes wide, mouth agape. Brom grabbed Galedar’s tricep and glanced over his shoulder. His expression matched Galedar’s.
In front of them, sitting on its hind legs, was a gigantic lizard the size of a barn, with wings curled around its back. Its scales were dark red, its eyes yellow, and its jaw was the size of their small ship.
“What is that?” Brom stuttered.
“A dragon,” Galedar breathed.
“Dragons are folklore. They don’t exist.”
Galedar turned his head to look at Brom. “Tell him that.”
Brom shook his head. He clutched Galedar’s arm and pulled it. Galedar went rigid. He wanted to stay; he wanted to watch the dragon.
Galedar took a step forward.
Brom’s grip tightened. “Are you crazy?”
“I’ve always wanted to see a dragon,” Galedar said.
“You are mad,” Brom said.
Galedar pulled away from Brom and stepped into the clearing. His eyes glistened with wonder as he slowly approached the dragon. He turned back to find Brom hiding behind a tree. Galedar paused for only a moment before continuing forward. He stopped when he stood fifteen feet away from the massive beast.
The dragon was cleaning its sharp, extended nails, first by licking them, then chewing on each one the same way a stray cat would, except a lot louder. The noise brought chills to Galedar’s spine. The creature peered up from its grooming to stare at Galedar. The dragon’s head tilted to one side. Its long neck stretched out toward Galedar. After a pause, the dragon sniffed him. Galedar trembled under the pressure of air blowing past him into the creature’s nostrils. Its nose was inches from his face. He’d never felt so exhilarated in his life.
Galedar reached forward, longing to touch the beautiful creature’s snout. A low rumble came from the dragon’s throat, causing Galedar to pause. The creature’s lips peeled back, revealing sharp teeth larger than Galedar’s hand. A slender V-shaped tongue slid out of its mouth. Galedar stepped backward. A shiver ran down his spine.
The dragon’s mouth opened wide, and it stretched forward even further. Galedar turned and ran. He felt the air behind him breeze as the sound of a jaw clamping shut echoed in his ear. Fear consumed him as he fled. He’d had no idea his legs could move so fast. Galedar dared not turn back. He bolted through the trees, passing a stunned Brom. Galedar did not see Brom, as everything around him was a blur.
“Wait!” Brom called.
Galedar didn’t turn around. He continued running. He had almost lost his life to the foolish dream of touching a dragon. He should have known better. Trees blurred into a green, menacing mass as he ran. He needed to find a safe place to hide.
A shriek snapped him from his stupor. He stopped and turned around.
“Galedar!” Brom yelled.
Galedar’s eyes bulged. Brom stood inches from the dragon. He stared at Galedar with wide eyes. The dragon blocked the path between the two. Sweat covered Brom’s features. Galedar wanted to go to him, wanted to save him … but what could he do? The dragon snarled, then dipped its head with its jaws open wide. Brom dove to the ground, rolling out of the way. The creature’s jaw clamped around dirt, which it spat out in disgust. It lunged a second time, and its jaws clamped over Brom’s abdomen. Brom screamed. Galedar had never heard any man scream so loud. He couldn’t imagine the pain Brom experienced as the dragon’s teeth sank into him. Brom continued to scream as the dragon repositioned its grip and clamped harder. After a few seconds, Brom fell silent. The dragon tilted its head back and swallowed Brom whole.
Galedar trembled. His hands were shaking out of control. He didn’t know what to do. The dragon appeared busy finishing Brom, and if he wanted to escape, he would have to do it soon. He clenched his shaking hands into fists, spun around, and ran. The forest became a blur again. He didn’t know which way he traveled, or for how long he ran, but his legs burned. The pain would not stop him. He continued to flee until his leg cramped. He stumbled, tripping over something hard, and crashed to the ground. He lay in a field of grass, wondering where the forest had gone. The grass stretched tall over his body, and he hoped it was enough to hide him from the dragon.
Galedar saw Brom’s shrieking face in his mind. He shook his head, trying to expel the horrid image. The sky above him was bright blue with large cumulus clouds floating by. He tried to concentrate on them, to see the beauty of nature and not the horrors he had just witnessed. His breathing slowed. He reached out his hands to stretch at his sides. His left hand slammed into something hard. He moved his hand back to it and felt something smooth. Turning his head, he saw a red oval rock. He picked it up. It wasn’t transparent like a ruby, but opaque like a pearl. He sat up, glanced around to make sure the dragon wasn’t nearby, and lifted the heavy stone with two hands onto his lap. It began to glow a brighter red. His hands twitched, and his heart rate sped back up.
The rock cracked. Galedar wanted to sling the stone away, to run away screaming, to jump into the sea and swim until he drowned, but his body failed him. His muscles were too weak. He tried to move his legs, but he could not. His hands refused to let go of the stone. Galedar sat, transfixed by the stone, afraid.
More cracks spread through the stone, and it vibrated in his grip. Pieces of the stone broke away from its center. A small creature poked its head out. It looked like a large lizard. Galedar’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the creature’s wings. It was a baby dragon. His hands trembled again as the small creature finished breaking away from its shell and shook. A thin layer of slime flung out from its body in droplets, covering Galedar’s face, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes, the small dragon stood on its four legs in Galedar’s hands, facing him.
Galedar froze. A bead of sweat dripped down his slimy face. He knew he was dead.
The creature’s body vibrated as a strange gurgling sound came from inside, reminding Galedar of a purring cat. Galedar bit his bottom lip. The dragon stood on its hind legs, rested its other two on Galedar’s chest, and moved its face close to Galedar’s. Galedar dared not move. The creature paused, tilting its head from side to side to look at Galedar with each red eye. It sniffed, dipped its head down, then licked Galedar from chin to forehead. Shivers formed across Galedar’s whole body. The dragon climbed onto Galedar’s shoulder, rubbed its snout against his cheek, curled into a ball, then began to snore.
Galedar closed his eyes and collapsed onto the ground.