Dragon Champion – Prologue
Some people find it rather ironic how one event can change the course of an entire world. All it takes at times is one singular event to create a shockwave that can reverberate for generations to come. Five hundred years ago, the dragon shifters had one family that ruled the land. This family, born pure dragons, had passed their ways down and embraced the humanity around them. Each member of the family held power over one specific area, a king or queen who all reported one individual, The High King, who was a kind and gentle man that ruled with fairness and justice. He was the kind of man that many loved, and few hated. It was during the time of the Dragon Prime and the original elementals within the shifter clans. Back in a time when there were clear delineations between the colors.
Sebastian was his name. He was the only golden dragon in existence, and that alone made him special. He was also the oldest and wisest of all the dragons and had been elected to be the king, by the rest of his family. He was their oldest brother, and as such, they had felt the responsibility should fall to him as he was the wisest and fairest. He ruled the dragon shifter clans for several thousand years, but then five hundred years ago, everything changed.
Maximus, the first labeled traitor of the dragons, thought himself fit to rule. He felt that the current way the dragons were divided up was not working. See, Maximus wanted to divide the dragon world by the color of their scales. Depending upon their colors would determine where they fell within the ranking of their citizenships and their roles within society. Those the colors he felt were undesirable would be the lowest of the ranks. Maximus was not a fan of the idea that society was evenly divided based on skills. Not a level of wealth or by the color of their scales. Sebastian chose to allow the citizens to choose where they wanted to fit, from art to blacksmithing to carpentry. Everyone was equal within the work that they chose, and no one wanted for anything. Maximus wanted to change this, felt that those with the more metallic colors that bore their scales should be rich, as they were a more rare color. It was a vanity issue.
It was on this issue that Sebastian and Maximus disagreed. Sebastian had believed that every dragon should have the right to choose their role in life. From servant to the knight and beyond. It was also this belief that would tip the scales and turn the tide of the lives of the dragons. Equality was the way of the future, a way to have a peaceful existence between all the shifter clans. To Sebastian, peace was the ultimate goal. Peace would lead to successful and healthy lives, both inside and outside.
Being the oldest and wisest, Sebastian was also the strongest; to a point. Maximus had followers behind, and together they found a way to strike a fatal blow to the dragon king. As he lay dying at the hands of his brother, Sebastian laid out a prophecy. Through Maximus’ actions the world of the dragon shifters would change, but he would return. One day, a golden dragon would be born and only when paired with a human born of two dragon parents who did not know how to shift. This hybrid would bring out the golden dragon in the shifter that couldn’t change. Together they will rule and bring harmony back to the world of the dragon clans.
Maximus raged at the prophecy but knew that when Sebastian spoke like this, it would come true. Making a vow to himself, as his brother took his last breath, Maximus swore that he would destroy any child that was born to two dragon parents that did not become a dragon. No dragon would bear offspring that could not shift. These humans would earn the death penalty for not being strong enough to contain the blood of the dragons.
With the death of Sebastian, Maximus rose to power as the next High King. His rule would shift the dragon’s world into one of chaos, eventually becoming something every clan member would learn to deal with while secretly wishing it would change. Rumors of the prophecy spread through them, but no one dared to risk hoping that a new golden dragon would be born.
Wonderful beginning to what I hope become an epic novel.