The Dragon Guard: Fire and Shadow, page 1
The Dragon Guard:
Fire and Shadow
Sarah Hite
The Dragon Guard: Fire and Shadow
By Sarah Hite
Published by Bright Scale Publishing
Cover Design by Justin Klett, Justice Defender Designs
Interior Design by Bright Scale Publishing, LLC
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is merely coincidental.
© 2016 by Sarah Hite
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this
book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
ISBN-13: 978-1537623177 (paperback)
The Dragon Guard Series
Moons and Sons
Oceans and Pebbles
Upcoming Novels
The Dragon Guard: Mountain and Reign
Broken Healing
The Dragon Guard:
Fire and Shadow
Sarah Hite
Pronunciations
Dragons
Northern Kingdom
Alaeya-A- lay- a
Avalar Akku- Av-a- LarAuk- oo
Magrell-Ma- Grell
Phalen-Fay- Len
T’bora-T- Bore- a
Middle Kingdom
Chekal Ryou-Cheek- all Rye- oo
Dai Ryou-Dye Rye- oo
Ishtoba-Ish- Tobe- a
Jeseena Mangjul-Jess- E- na Man- jewel
Kaeldon Mangjul- Kale- don Man- jewel
Kangjoun Mangjul-Can- June Man- jewel
Katella-Cat- all- a
Kei- ata Lorbrein- Key- ata Lore-brain
Konjon Mangjul- Con- John Man- jewel
Kyeon Mangjul- Key- on Man- jewel
Kyran Ryou-Ky- ran Rye- oo
Kym Mangjul-Kim Man- jewel
Lyong Ryou-Lee- ong Rye- oo
Pai-Pie
Pycan-Pie- can
Shaelynn Ryou-Shey- lynn Rye- oo
Humans
Ania-A- nye- a
Cainen -Cane- en
Lukair- Luke- air
Madia-May- dia
Mychal-Mick- awl
Ryell-Rye- L
Silvrin-Silv- Ryn
Thorin-Thor- in
Places
Forest of Elbernez- For-est of El- ber-nez
Norena Peninsula-Nore- E- na Pen- in- sul- a
Valio Agren- Vail- E- O A- gren
Valio Carnen- Vail- E- O Car- nen
Character Descriptions
Dragons
Northern Kingdom
Alaeya-The shaman of the volcano clan, Valio Agren.
Avalar Akku- King of the Northern Kingdom.
Commander Myden-Lead Commander of Avalar Akku’s guards.
Daegren-Shaman Alaeya’s grandsire.
Izzara-The Head Shaman of the Northern Kingdom.
Magrell-T’bora’s friend.
Phalen-Alaeya’s friend and ally from Valio Carnen, a nearby volcano clan.
T’bora-The Chieftain of Valio Argren, and Alaeya’s half-brother.
Middle Kingdom
Akina Mangjul-The princess of the Middle Kingdom.
Kaeldon Mangjul- The king of the Middle Kingdom, and Kyeon’s grandsire.
Jeseena Mangjul-The queen of the Middle Kingdom and Kyeon’s grandmother.
Kangjoun Mangjul-The crown prince of the Middle Kingdom and Konjon’s brother.
Konjon Mangjul- The king of the Middle Kingdom before Kyeon. He was also Kyeon’s sire.
Kyeon Mangjul-The king of the Middle Kingdom, and the sire of four children: Torak, Akina, Kuda, and Mina.
Kym Mangjul-The queen of the Middle Kingdom, and the sire of four children: Torak, Akina, Kuda, and Mina.
Torak Mangjul- The crown prince of the Middle Kingdom.
Saydene “Moon” Mangjul Ryou- Kyeon Mangjul’s sister and the mother of Shaelynn and Sayden Ryou.
Chekal Ryou- A messenger for the Royal Council, and the son of Commander Lang Ryou.
Kyran Ryou-A leading character and a friend of Prince Kangjoun.
Lyong Ryou- The Chief General of the Middle Kingdom. He is also a member of the Royal Council, and the sire of Commanders Lang and Kwan Ryou.
Lang Ryou-A commander of the dragon warriors, the queen’s personal body guard, and the sire of Chekal Ryou.
Kwan Ryou-The mate of Princess Saydene Mangjul Ryou, a member of the Royal Council, and the sire of Shaelynn and Sayden Ryou.
Sayden Ryou-The son of Moon and Kwan Ryou.
Shaelynn Ryou-The daughter of Moon and Kwan Ryou.
Kei-ata Lorbrein-The Head Shaman of the Middle Kingdom, and a member of the Royal Council.
PaiLorbrein-A shaman serving in the city of Ciciana, and messenger for the Royal Councils of Ciciana and Dragons’ Keep.
Freya-a Clan elder of Elmwood.
Cora-The Head Shaman of the Middle Kingdom during Kaeldon’s reign.
Corren-The chief council member of Kaeldon’s royal council.
Ishtoba-The Chief General of Kaeldon’s army, and a member of the Royal Council.
Katella-A member of Kaeldon’s council and Ishtoba’s relative.
Lenna-A member of Kaeldon’s council.
Pycan-Kaeldon’s advisor and friend.
Humans
Ania-The king’s girlfriend and the ex-Dragon Guard Commander.
Cainen ‘Flame’ Evander-The king of the Alteran nation and ally of the dragon kingdoms.
Keira- The head of Ryell’s kitchen staff.
Lord Hendrik-The leader of the Zimri province.
Lord Kayton-The leader of the Keu province.
Lord Mychal-The leader of the Jehu province.
Lord Ryell-The leader of the Omri province.
Lukair-Ania’s childhood best friend and the Dragon Guard representative on King Cainen’s council.
Madia-Lukair’s mother and a member of the Dragon Guard.
Nealson-Thorin’s father and advisor in Guard affairs.
Silvrin-Lukair’s father and Thorin’s second in command.
Stone-Lukair’s younger sister, and Lord Ryell’s daughter- in- law.
Thorin-Ania’s father and the Commander of the Dragon Guard.
Places
Aretell- The capital city of Altera’s Omri Province.
Ciciana- The capital city of Alteran nation.
Dragons’ Keep- The capital of the Middle Kingdom.
Elmwood- the home clan of the Ryou family line.
Kintone- The capital city of Altera’s Arza province.
Mactell- The capital of Altera’s Keu province.
Norena Peninsula- The southern most region of the Middle Kingdom, located south of the Serpent Mountains
Restill- The capital city of Altera’s Omri province.
Sheadod- The capital city of Altera’s Jehu province.
Westwood- The capital of the Northern Kingdom
Valio Argren- Alaeya’s home clan, a semi-active volcano in the Northern Mountains, a small mountain range in the Northern Kingdom.
Valio Carnen- Phalen’s home clan, an in-active volcano near Valio Agren.
The Party
A young woman walked out into the hills beyond the city. She carried a large basket in which she placed the wild flowers she collected. A slight breeze rustled through the trees and blew her hair across her eyes. She pushed it back away from her face and looked around for more flowers. When she found no other flowers that would serve her purpose, she walked over to large shade tree and sat down by the trunk to rest. After a few minutes, she stood and looked over the fields beyond. The sun cast thin shadows underneath the foliage, marking the early afternoon hours. She noticed a yellow haze in the distance and went to investigate. What she found was a large field of sunflowers.
She smiled, and began to look them over. These will work great, she thought to herself. She carefully looked the plants over before selecting one; They were no more than twenty-four inches tall, and the flowers were not as large as those in her garden back home. She took a hunting knife out of the basket and cut down several of the flowers, leaving about eight inches of the stems. Once cut, she carefully placed the flowers in the basket. After cutting down a few more flowers, she slipped into thought, slowly reviewing the last few years. We’ve come so far since then.
It was summer, and would soon be the warmest time of year. In just a few short months, they would celebrate the anniversary of their journey. For almost four years ago, the small group of friends had willingly become outlaws in order to do what they, and their families knew was right. The race of dragons they shared the land with would not have taken the destruction of unhatched eggs lightly. If they had chosen to retaliate, the humans would have lost.
Duke Tollak Vidar ruled the land then. When his family overthrew the king, the family allowed the hunting of dragons, whom the king had thought of as friends. He also disbanded the Dragon Guard, a group of men who protected dragons. When Vidar stole a dragon egg, the Guard had banded together to save it. Now, the duke was no longer on the throne, and dragons were once again Altera’s allies.
The young woman looked up at the blue sky. The sun peeked out at her from behind a cloud. It had passed its zenith a while ago, marking the later afternoon hours. She picked a few handfuls of bluebells and wild violets before turning back to the city.
As she entered the gates, she looked
The dragons, their friends and allies, had hidden him away when Duke Tollak Vidar had threatened the lives of his family, as well as his own. They had kept him hidden for fifteen years, until most of his enemies had passed away and it was again safe to walk the streets.
A voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up and smiled. “Hi!”
The young man joined her and they made their way back to the upper level of the city. As they walked, the young man noticed her basket. “Sunflowers? I’m sure Ania will be delighted. What are you going to do with them?”
“The sunflowers are going to be the central part of the bouquet. The violets and bluebells are going to be arranged around them. I also found some lilacs and white cherry blossoms, but I’m not going to tell you what they’re going to be used for.”
“Oh, come on Sis. I won’t tell anyone.”
“No, Lukair. I refuse to ruin the surprise. Besides, if Mother found out I told you, she would be furious at both of us. I also don’t want to give Ania any more stress than she already has. If you haven’t noticed, she hasn’t left her home in a month. She’s tired of being asked questions that she can’t answer, not to mention that she’s still trying to adjust to not being in charge of the Guard.”
Lukair nodded, his smile fading a little. “I was wondering where she was. Flame’s worried; he hasn’t seen her either. I’ll see if he can ask the people to leave her alone.”
“I’m sure she would appreciate that. It doesn’t help that new dragon memories are popping up. Pia thinks there caused by the stress of the wedding. He left last week to get Moon. They should be arriving tomorrow morning.”
Lukair remained silent. He had not known that Ania was suffering from new memories. “How bad is it?”
Stone sighed, “Bad enough. If Moon can’t calm her mind, we may have to delay the wedding.”
“Ouch. Does Flame know?”
“Mother told him last night.” She looked up and saw Kiera coming toward them through the crowd. “I should go. We still have some work to do.” She started to walk away but turned back briefly. “Can you take care of Talia tonight? Doren had to return to Aretell for a few days, and he’s not expecting to be back until the wedding.” He nodded. It was not often that he got to see his niece.
The next day, as the afternoon hours began to wane, Lukair met Stone again. This time, their parents were with her. “Lukair! I was hoping to run into you before the party tonight. How’s the king faring these days?” their father asked.
“He’s been better. He’s nervous, and scared for Ania.” He turned to Stone. “Has she improved at all?”
“I don’t know. She left with Moon when she got here. She was so confused and disoriented that Shaelynn had to lead her outside. They haven’t returned yet, and I don’t know if they’ll be back before the party.”
The family was quiet as they went to the barn. They would take horses to a clearing they would decorate for the private party. They were concerned; it had been many years since young Akina had accidently transferred her ancestral memories to the infant she had saved. In fact, she had not even known she had done it. The memories typically did not affect her, and Ania could usually use them to her advantage. However, on occasion they would overwhelm the young woman, and she would get lost among them. They hoped that Moon would be able to sort them out, like she had before.
Unfortunately, as nightfall neared, they still had not returned; Lukair had the distinct displeasure of telling the king they may not make it. Flame just shook his head and sighed. “I just hope she’s alright. Did Shaelynn go with them? I haven’t seen her all day.”
Lukair nodded. “She helped Ania outside yesterday. Stone and I believe she did go with.” Flame nodded, but Lukair could tell he was very worried. He put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sure she’ll be fine. We both know she wouldn’t miss this. She might still be a little confused, but Moon will have her back before the party starts. If they can’t make the party, they’ll be back tomorrow.” Again, Flame nodded. In an attempt to cheer him up, he added, “Why don’t we head out? We should know by the time we get there.”
Lukair guided his horse down the thin path. He could hear the king’s horse crunching the ground behind him. He glanced back when he heard the horse stop; Flame was watching the beginning of the sunset. The sky was lit brilliantly with orange and pink hues that contrasted heavily against the pale blue sky. The air was cool and clear, perfect for an outdoor party.
Lukair turned his horse around and went to his king’s side. “Sire?” When his friend did not answer, he tried again. “Flame, are you alright?”
Flame lowered his eyes, but did not look at him. After a moment, he spoke quietly, “Am I doing the right thing, marrying Ania?”
The question stunned Lukair. He was not sure how to answer. He finally shook his head and said, “Flame, whether or not you want to admit it, Ania has been a part of your life since the day you met. You can’t get rid of her. You’re probably just getting cold feet, after all, the wedding is tomorrow.”
The king turned to look at him. “Maybe, but if the stress…”
Lukair cut him off. “The stress was not from you. You did not cause this last memory explosion. She was already stressed out from the process of handing the Guard Commander position over to Thorin. After that it was the villagers, they kept asking her questions she couldn’t answer.” He paused as a thought came to him, and he turned in the saddle to look Flame in the eye. “She’s really been stressed all year. She should have taken a long vacation away from everyone several months ago, but didn’t get the chance. This ‘attack’ has been building up for a while, and would have happened at any point. We really should watch out for this kind of thing. I doubt this will be the last one. We should keep an eye on her stress levels and make her rest until they go down.”
Flame slowly nodded, understanding his point. “Do you think she’ll come?”
Lukair sighed. “I think Moon will do her best to bring her back by the party. If not, she’ll probably send Shaelynn back to tell us when they’re coming. Either way, Shae should be there and we can ask her.” The king finally nodded and spurred his horse on.
They arrived at the clearing a few minutes later, and found everyone else already there, well, with the exception of Ania and the dragons. Silvrin welcomed them and took the reins while they dismounted. He led the horses to the small corral they had made, while they looked over the area. Streamers had been hung from the trees, odd shaped pieces of colorful glass had been hung up as well, reflecting light in little rainbows across the ground. There was even a fire pit dug in the center, the earth taken away. Lukair was sure a dragon had dug the pit, it was the only way it could have been finished so quickly. Their dinner was cooking over the fire, and already smelled delicious.
The sound of wing beats drew Lukair from his thoughts. He looked up as the royal council began their decent. Flame went to speak with Kyeon, the king, while the other dragons got settled. Lyong Ryou and Kwan settled at the edge of the clearing while Kei-ata Lorbrein and Elder sat on the other side, near the back. The queen tilted her head so she could watch the other three dragons land. The children landed at the edge of the clearing, between the shaman and the queen. Torak— the crown prince— went to join the kings. A little green female, and a forest dragon youth joined the rest. “How are the children today?” Madia asked.
