The Dracori Prophecy

The Dracori Prophecy: Faeryvale

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. They had been consigned to ancient myths, legends, and superstitions for over fifteen hundred years – any truths about them had long been forgotten. No one knew why they had disappeared; no one knew why they chose to return a one hundred and fifty years ago. By the time I was born, it was as if they had never left, and life went on.

The dragons were the Draconi, shapeshifters from eons ago who rose up against their captors and ruled the land – this land. Although they weren’t immortal, they could live thousands of years. The Draconi kept to themselves, not venturing further than Craggy Pine, the closest village to the mountain lived upon – Mount Drurad and our valley, Drurad Valley at its base. The valley was immense and lush with forests, vegetation, and rolling hills that gave way to the mountain. Seven small villages populated the valley. Castle Dracor was high up on Mount Drurad and where the Draconi all dwelled and ruled from.

Faeryvale was the furthest from the mountain, named for the long-vanished faeries who once inhabited the area. I have lived in Faeryvale my entire life. It is also where my father’s family has lived for centuries. Fortuna was the closest village; my mother grew up there. It is about a week’s travel from Mount Drurad’s base to Faeryvale, though I have not traveled there so I could not honestly say. I have not traveled far outside of my village; venturing only as far as Fortuna. As such, I have never seen a full-blooded Draconi in person, and from the tales, it is best that I keep it this way. I have seen them flying high above on occasion, dipping in and out of the clouds.

Emissaries from the castle visited the village every quarter to manage the smaller squabbles and deal justice, but mostly their purpose was to collect taxes. The emissaries were not full-blooded Draconi and were unable to shift into their dragons. Thus, emissaries and the like were relegated to working for full-bloods. They were miserable sods; they were not the people to cross. Quick-tempered just like any other dragon but their inability to shift made it worse, forever angered because the full-bloods treated them as servants and not equals.

I made myself invisible, keeping out of sight of the emissaries by roaming the woods and hidden from view from most people. I was an orphan, though it had been some years since my parents’ death. All orphans were supposed to report to the castle to be provided a Draconi guardian. It did not matter whether we had extended family who could take us in. The ruling Draconi decreed all orphans would be under the protection of a Draconi family. Whispers passed through the villages the orphans were not protected at all, but treated little better than slaves, and in other cases, underwent experimentation. Young girls tended to vanish, ever to be seen again, rumored to be broodmares for the Draconi due to their women being sterile. This would not be my fate.

So I hid from the emissaries when they arrived two days after my parents’ funeral, tipped off by a Fortuna cousin they were searching for me. Being invisible wasn’t difficult for my average height and was thankful I didn’t inherit my paternal grandfather’s height like some of my cousins. I did, of course, inherit his unruly dark curly hair that shimmered like fire in the sunlight. It was easily hidden if not tamable. What did make me noticeable was the birthmark on my left wrist, an odd-shaped mark resembling a flame, reddish in color. My parents always had me wear leather cuffs to hide it, due to the superstitions of ignorant people. I still wear them out of fear.

Many so-called prophesies and conspiracies sprung up after the Draconi returned, along with superstitions. They all are nonsense, and none should be believed – except perhaps the one about my birthmark and the Draconi. And the real reason the emissaries were visiting the villages.