Michael R. Robinson

Wings of Shadow, Drafted Prologue

Prologue Darkness, how he hated it, but now it was his ally as he soared the night sky westward above what the humans call the Sea of Wind. Trapped for so long, centuries have passed since he last spread his wings over this same sea. Trapped in a swirling gray realm, suspended so time would not fly by in a mere blink of an eye, no he watched and waited as the seasons slowly slid by him in his dark prison plane. Rygerri knew this day would come, though he hoped it would be under different circumstances.

His god banished him, and rightfully so, but unlike the others sent away for their betrayal, Eteliwyth gave him and his followers no chance at redemption. Somewhere in his soul, the ancient beast hoped that his god would finally see the error of his decision and free them, but that time had not come. No, a mortal slew his great god, the same mortal that inadvertently freed Rygerri, and left a void in the plane of shadow.

A space that needed filled, and Rygerri knew that he could take that step, ascend much like his god Eteliwyth did eons ago. First, he needed to clean up his old world, take control by becoming the Great King, and gather strength and worshipers. To succeed, he needed his old army, his battle companions. To free them, Rygerri had to acquire a book, an ancient tome that once belonged to Eteliwyth.

Looking down, he spied two ships sailing eastward to the city he had just left a few days ago. He drew in a breath taking everything in; he sensed the magic of the old world. It led him here, as a magnet would iron. Locking his gaze on the lead vessel, his vision focused to where he could see the larger ship clearly. That was when he sensed it; a scent that has come across is nostrils before.

Elfish blood, he thought, and not just elfish, but noble elfish blood. In another time, he has smelled and tasted it before. There was a Baelathkai below, not just one, but two. Oh, how he despised the Baelathkai bloodline. The self-righteous elfish kings and queens, it seems the bloodline has not fizzled away over the centuries, as he would hope. From what he gathered in his fact finding mission the last few days, there were no elves in power, but he was sure that the Baelathakai's were somehow behind the scenes manipulating current events to have a beneficial outcome for them.

He wished he had taken the time to evaluate the scene after the battle, to determine who was lurking in the corners. Nevertheless, the presence of the younger dragon, which smelled as a descendant of the former Great King, but he thought they were all removed. Despite that, he would need to deal with her in some way. Most importantly, he fled because of the man named Shadowgrass. Something about his scent was familiar, but Rygerri did not have time to place it. Then there was the sword. He knew that blade very well, some may think he fears it and rightly so. He needed a plan to handle Shadowgrass one way or the other.

Nearing the vessel, he started his spiral circle down, his intention was to shape change right before landing on the aft deck. He did not wish to sink the vessel, well not right away anyway, not until he retrieved the tome.

Wings of Shadow: Drafted snippit from Chapter 5

Norrelle was sitting in the king's chambers, Jason was to her left, Yassir right, with his knight captain Dajmal standing dutifully behind him. She admitted to herself that she was a tad bit nervous about the upcoming conversation. The king was rifling throughout reports given to him by various members of the city government, giving him sketchy details on what had transpired the last few weeks. Norrelle seen them all, and truly, it would only leave him far more confused than he already was.

The truth would be told, by those sitting here, and Norrelle concluded that it should be the truth in its entirety. Which included who she actually was and the part she had played and will be playing in the future. Unsure how he would react, she was thinking on the exact phrasing. Currently, nothing was coming to mind. She wished Ayrial were here with her, but the runners sent to the witch's lair had yet to return. She gripped Jason's hand, he though also knew the facts as they were, so some comfort sat with her.

Yassir's role was not yet totally determined. She was unaware of how much he knew. The elfin witches tended to be quite secretive about the actual facts. His older brother was unaware why he was sent to Islesen those many years ago, that is until Norrelle herself enlightened him. It was also known to her that Aerolyn Baelathkai, Yassir's mother, had her own agenda and always disagreed with Ayrial. As a mater of fact so did Eruni, the other sister, the self proclaimed queen of the elves. Norrelle understood that she was not in this alone, but right now, it sure as hell felt like it.

Tossing the papers to the desk, King Richmond looked up at the four of them. Shaking his head with disgust he laid his hands flat on the table. "Can anyone tell me the location of Lord Hardin as of now," was his first question.

"I've got people looking for him sir," Jason spoke up. "But he seems to have fled somewhere. I've got a few ideas and currently they are being looked into."

"Alive Shadowgrass," Richmond said, "I want him alive."

"Understood Sir," Jason replied. "My men have orders to acquire and then place him under surveillance until you decide the next move."

"Good," the king now looked at her. "Currently our six man council is down to three. Davon's dead, thanks to Lord Shadowgrass, Lord Parker was killed by Stephan's order, and Stephan himself is missing. The other three have given me these reports and are hiding in their homes for safety."

"Yes, milord," Norrelle nodded.

"Due to the current state of affairs, and the threat of this dragon, which we will discuss, I'm placing the city under martial law, temporarily suspending the rights of the council. This is a state of war, and I need guidance from those on the front line, not businessmen. Norrelle, do you agree," the king concluded.

Shifting in her seat, Norrelle sat as upright and straight as she could. Clearing her throat, covering her mouth with her hand, she thought the next few words through carefully. "My lord, I agree with you completely. However, there is much more to this than you realize."

The king shift, seemingly uneasy in his chair, looking at her, then Jason, followed by Yassir. "I thought so. Listen all of you, it's not everyday a wizard covers a part of the world with shadow. It's not a common occurrence for dragons to battle in my streets."

"I understand my lord," she replied, not sure where he was going with this.

"I can play the seer also Norrelle. I don't need the elves harping in my ear. I've read them, documents hand down through my family since Jeffrey founded this city two hundred and sixty years ago. I'm quite aware of a few things that you may not think I am."

"Is that so," Norrelle said, hoping the reply did not sound as smug to him as it did in her ears.

"Yes that is so. Your presence here has been a closely guarded secret ever since you arrived as a young-ling, Lady Norrelle. You and your guardians entrusted my ancestor with a great secret, it was his intentions to let the heirs know what Islesen was truly hiding."

This revelation surprised her, she did not know what to say. Playing the part all these years, thinking that no one was the wiser. She had to chuckle at the outcome. Her true allies were far greater than she originally ascertained. "So am I to believe you. . ."

"You are the last true heir to the dragons that once ruled this world? Yes. It was a vow given by my family to yours, to keep you safe until the time had come for you to reveal yourself my lady." Finishing this he stood abruptly, she stood, followed by Jason and Yassir. "Please, sit," the king told them as he went around his desk to the wall next to Jason.

His hand moved quickly over a section of the wall that looked no different then any other portion. A panel slid quietly up revealing a metal safe with a strange dial on it's face. The dial made quick clicking sounds as King Richmond spun it left and right a few times, stopping at the appropriate numbers. When a louder click resounded, he grabbed the small metal lever and turned it, the safe opened easily. Norrelle noticed Jason spying it with a rogue's curiosity.

Reaching his hand inside the large metallic box, Richmond said, "My entire family's history is stored in here. All from where we came from, past forms of identification, strange devices that I have no idea what they are for, historical texts from a strange land, written scrolls on Jeffery's first meetings with the great dragon king Ang’dra’aen, and this."

Turning his hands held a three inch trapezoidal black stone holding a large ruby in its center. She felt her chest, where the five sided black stone of Unity rested, the amulet that Jason stole back from Rygerri. She also knew that Rygerri held a similar stone, that of the dragons. The one King Richmond now slid into her hands was the human's rune stone. She took a deep breath as she felt it in her hands.

"This was said to be lost," she said looking up at him.