Part 1

Part 1: Birthright

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. They typically did not venture much farther than the misty peaks of their home, the Tel-Kam Mountains. The war was only just the beginning.

Tanner adjusted the weight on the balls of his feet while shifting his cloak to preserve some warmth. The biting chill of the Frost may be long gone, but the sun’s absence still produced a considerable chill. Finally, the sun began to crest the horizon and the Valley slowly filled with warmth and light.

Tanner, a young man no older than twenty, quietly stalked a deer, expertly perched on a tree branch a short distance away. He was an experienced hunter, having spent years living in the dense but small forests that dotted the Valley’s region alongside his parents. He had an agile frame and jet-black hair, which only enhanced his capabilities as a hunter. Jagged, uneven claw marks ran along his left forearm, a “souvenir” from a particularly nasty bear he ran afoul of less than a year ago.

A moment of silence passed as Tanner readied his bow. Just as he is about to release his shot, a branch snapped under his foot, sending the deer bolting towards an open field. Tanner prepared to chase after it, but before he could take a step forward, a dragon suddenly swooped in and snatched the deer midstride.

Its triumphant, bellowing roar could be heard from all around as it carried its prey off into the distance. Tanner cursed his luck as he slung his bow across his shoulder. Yet another deer carried off as he stood by, powerless to stop it.

The sudden appearance of dragons outside of Salona had some people worried, but not enough that anyone was actively investigating it. Some, very few, believed it was the starting of a long ancient prophecy that was lost to the passage of time. Most others presumed that it was just a consequence of the civil war that had engulfed Salona.

The whole of Calthonia was shocked when news of the war spread. It was widely known that it’s two rulers got along extremely well. For war to have broken out, something drastic must have taken place.

Whatever the true reason was, Tanner was not aware of it. All that mattered to him right now was trying to get a deer before a dragon got to it. Which seemed more and more unlikely with each passing day.

As the sun steadily climbed the cloudless blue sky, Tanner was presented with a choice: stay in the forest in the hopes of finding another deer or head back to his village, Leonis, checking his smaller traps along the way. Deciding it best to cut his losses, Tanner collected his things and started off towards Leonis.

My traps should be more than enough to sustain me for at least today, he thought. Provided they caught anything.

Tanner surveyed the area around him. The best way to get back to Leonis was to cross the field the deer ran into and head in the opposite direction of the sun. That will take directly to Leonis and the traps he had set up.

As Tanner was crossing the field, the earth began to shake and he could hear a rumbling coming from beneath him. Stumbling forward as best he could, he pressed onward hoping to quickly get back to Leonis. Before he could go any further, a gaping hole swallowed Tanner up.

After what seemed like an eternity while falling, Tanner hit the ground with a resounding thud. He attempted to pick himself up off the ground but was too weak to do so. Before he lost consciousness, these words echoed in his head:

“When two brothers fight

And dragons take flight

An ancient evil will awaken

And the world over will be taken

But Justice will not lie dormant

For those who suffer torment

As the symbol of Pride

Will turn the tide”