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The Chronicle of Talshar

The Age of the Silent Sky

By Briant LasloPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
3

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. There was a time when giants and demons walked the land, combining their might and ferocity to hunt the dragons to near extinction.

The inhabitants of T’arna, Efir, and Stromore, the three primary communities of the Valley, lived in fear during this time. The giants took whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, from whomever they wanted.

Even worse, while the giants were somewhat predictable as they seemed motivated chiefly by hunger or thirst or greed, the demons were driven by sheer malevolence. Nothing brought them more joy than pain and sadness.

Yes, there was a time when there were no dragons in the Valley… And it was a dark time known as The Age of the Silent Sky.

During this time the mere existence of dragons began moving into the realm of fiction. People were born who had never seen a dragon. It became unfathomable that a species had once existed which was born out of flame, frost, and lightning strikes.

Stories were passed down from grandparents to children about how the eggs of these dragons would mysteriously appear in the pyres of loved ones, or the trunk of a tree that had been shattered during a storm. Fantastic tales about how these eggs, when found and cared for properly, gave life to majestic dragons: creatures who could fly and fight, spread red hot retribution down upon their enemies, or freeze entire armies in moments.

Most unbelievably, according to these stories, were the dragons who watched over the Valley.

Children listened in awe how most dragons departed shortly after hatching, but there were always three that spent their entire life existing in unison with each of the communities, never straying more than a few miles from the Verge; the cliffs that defined the perimeter of the Valley.

However, as generation after generation passed with nothing but stories, history became anecdote, anecdote became legend, and legend became fantasy.

Of course, there were always a few believers here and there. People who insisted there was some remnant of truth hidden between the lines of the fables.

Talshar was one of these people.

Her earliest memories were of her grandmother talking to her about Alitrust, the last Guardian of Efir.

“But jeanma, if the stories are true,” she would ask, “then why has nobody found one of these eggs in so long? Why are there no more dragons to defend the Valley?”

“Because, Little One,” her jeanma would answer, “the demons have tricked so many people into believing the dragons are not real that they no longer even look for them. And those who dare to think that such a thing is possible are afraid that they will draw the attention of the giants and will lose their crops, livestock, or worse to the next feeding.”

Talshar could still remember her tiny little hand balling up into a fist.

“I’m not afraid of no stupid giant!”

“That’s right Tally! You hold on to that. You always trust your heart and believe in what it says. If you do, then you might have to deal with disappointment from time to time, but you’ll never be surprised when your dream starts coming true.”

She had been holding onto those words for the past 20 years.

Through ridicule and teasing at school. Through people pulling away from her when she didn’t ‘grow out of it.’ Through the loss of her parents when her father killed her mother and then himself after being driven mad by demons.

And now, after her jeanma had passed from natural causes and 95 years of life, those words were why there was not even a hint of surprise in Talshar when she saw what appeared to be a perfectly smooth stone in the embers of her grandmother’s Ascension Fire.

A perfectly smooth stone in the shape of an egg.

Tally just smiled. She knew this was the beginning of her dream transitioning into reality.

This is her story.

Fantasy
3

About the Creator

Briant Laslo

Briant has defied the odds for a long time. Born with MD, his parents were told he would be dead before he was 5. He turned 5 in 1977 and is still going strong. An avid reader, he is now seeking to bring his creations to a larger audience.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

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