The Dragoncore

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.”

His voice was low and raspy, weathered by decades of smoke inhalation. To my father, this was a badge of honor. Evidence of the years he’d spent in service. But as I grew older, I came to understand the darker truth. An inevitability as sure as the East Wind chipping away at Mount Reissus – that with duty, there is always sacrifice. I didn’t realize until later that he had in fact had already paid the ultimate price.

Because this night would be his last...

All officers of the Dragoncore, even when out of uniform, were easily distinguishable from other Laoshian citizens. It was more than just tattered voices they shared. Before one could utter a single word, you would know a Coresman by his eyes. Ringed in an amber glow, it was as if the flame of a small candle flickered behind the iris. The effect was subtle, hypnotic even. For the past twenty years I had desperately tried to shake their power over me. But no matter how badly I wanted to, it was impossible to look away.

My father delighted in this and regularly used it to his advantage. Raising a daughter with a rebellious streak required extra measures. And it worked. When he spoke, he had my attention. By nature, to be a Coresman, demanded respect. With a wave of his hand, he motioned to me -- Lean in. So, I did...

“They arrived the day the Door appeared. The day... you were born”.

He was mistaken, obviously. I knew my dragon history well. It was true that the dragon princes, Tormel and Alexae, had come down from High Cartenia on that day. But the Dragoncore, which formed after their arrival, had been established a full year before I ever entered this world. He knew this. In fact, as captain of the Dragoncore, he would know this better than anyone. He’d been there that day. So why was he saying this now?

Suddenly, I was aware of where we were standing. We had been hiking for several hours now. When I had asked what we were doing, he had only grunted that I should grab my pack and follow him. I could see he was in a mood, so I did as I was told. Right away I knew something was strange. We avoided the common paths, crossing the forest while slowly ascending the rocky cliffside of Mount Jordeenn. At several points I had tried to stop to rest, but his pace was relentless. Like he had somewhere to be.

Now we were finally at Princes’ Landing, the peak of the mount. Thousands of feet above us, the princes were asleep, resting on their perches. Below them, and about several hundred units in front of us, was the Door. I’ve never understood exactly why we’ve called it a Door when it doesn’t even resemble one. Doors imply an opening, but the Door was actually more like a giant ball of flame hovering above the ground. For the past twenty years, it has been constantly swirling and spinning on its axis. He motioned again to me – Get down. So I crouched down with him, hiding behind a giant elderbramble bush.

He whispered -- “Em, listen to me. We don’t have much time, so I need you to understand. There are things I have wanted to tell you. Believe me, your mother and I agreed. It was for your own safety that we keep you in the dark.”

My mother? Now I was sure he had lost his mind. I had never met my mother and neither had he. At least, that’s what he had told me. According to his tale of my origin, I was what was known as a Child of the Path. It was common for mothers from the north who were not of means to bring their children to the Valley and leave them on the doorstep of the well-off.

“Dad? I don’t understand. What are we doing here? Please, you’re not making any sense.”

“The night the Door appeared, a woman came through it. Other than the Princes, I alone was there to witness this. In her arms, she carried a child. That child, Em, was you... You aren't from here. She was a high order mage from another world, and that you were a child of great importance. And that in her world, you were in danger. She entrusted me with your care. Told me she would send a signal on the day you should return."

He pulled out a glowing orb from his pocket. It pulsed with a purple light.

"The time has come..."