PROLOUGE

  “Nine months in my womb… and he looks just like his akel father…”

  The man coughed, “Hey now… He has your eyes! Fierce look and all!” The man stepped closer, peering at the child's face.

  “Haha, he does!” She laughed, eyeing the child. The child watched his father, scanning his face. “I have a feeling-” The child reached out, pulling his beard.

  “Ow-” The man exclaimed. The women laughed. “Hey he's got a strong grip!” The man added.

  “He might be the strongest baby!” The women joked.

  They both shared some laughs, and as things calmed, the man asked, “Have you thought of a name?”

  The woman shook her head. “I’ve none.”

  “I’ve one.”

  “What is it?”

  “I think, we name our son-”

  INTRO

  “Arkel Kalko!” A voice shouted from behind me. I turned, facing my aunt, “Get back inside young man! You’ll miss your cake!”

  “Coming Sarka!” I struck the dummy once more before sheathing my sword. I started towards the manor, but stopped, and glanced back at the dummy's. “I wonder how much a dummy of a dragon would cost…” I thought to myself. Sarka shouted again, and I ran to catch up with her. I followed her to the dining room, pushing the doors open ahead of her. Chairs and all but one table was pushed to the sides of the room. My parents stood by the center table. A modest cake rested atop the table. Along the back wall, a dozen warriors stood in line. Warm smiles eyed me, more than usual. I scanned the room again as I approached the cake, and asked, "Where's Tekav?”

  The warriors cleared, and revealed my cousin standing amongst them. Something was tarped behind him. “Arkel!” Tekav shouted, his arms opened wide. His face was hidden by his helmet, but I could tell he was smiling. “C’mere!”

  I approached him. My parents walked ahead of me and stood next to the tarp. Sarka flanked around my left. My father spoke first, "It's clear you’ve chosen the path of a warrior…”

  My mother continued, “So we’ve pooled our money together…”

  Tekav yanked the tarp, revealing a suit of shiny steel armor. It was meant for use, and lacked designs, but to me, it was beautiful. “We got this shipped from Nivelus! Should last you a couple years, assuming you don't grow too fast.” I smiled as I approached the armor. I rested a hand on the breastplate, feeling my warmth dissipate through the metal. I reached up, taking the enclosed helmet off of the mannequin. The inside had thick leather padding, and the steel was a bit thicker than normal. I placed it on my head. A bit large, but I’d soon grow into it. I held an unseen grin as I looked through the eye slit. I glanced at my cousin, who winked. He pulled some strings for me. I winked back. “Happy 14th birthday Arkel.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The next day, I set out. One of the warriors helped me put on my armor. I’d need to learn to self-equip eventually. I made my way into town, and walked straight into the local blacksmith. Metal jingled as I entered, and a large bearded man turned to face me from behind a counter. He looked me up and down. “Well clearly ye don need armor.” He leaned back, and placed his arms behind his head. “Whatcha here for kid? Rare seeing the Kalko prodigy out in town.”

  I spoke plainly. “I need a shield.” I opened my bag, and handed him a piece of parchment.

  The man leaned forward, “A shield? Usually you don need 'em with armor…” He scanned the paper, seeing my blueprint for the shield. I placed a gold coin on the table. He glanced at it, then back at the sheet. “Aluminum and leather ‘fore the steel… What are you planning with this thing?”

  “Can you make it?”

  The man scoffed. “I can make anything. But you’re armored. I don see what ye need a shield for, and why you’d want this desig-”

  “Am I paying you to ask questions?” I interrupted him.

  His eyes opened wide, as he scanned me. He then leaned back, and bellowed a laugh, “Ha! Ha! Ha! Yer right. Ye don.” He took the paper and gold coin. “Alright kid, come back in three days. It’ll be ready.”

  “Thank you”. I told him as I left.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The buildings got less dense as I traveled, reaching the outskirts. Up the hill ahead of me was a large farmhouse, with fields of wheat spreading out below it. I marched up the steep hill, my armor clanking loudly. It felt amazing to wear. I’m glad I trained with weights in preparation.

  Reaching the home, I knocked, and the door opened. “Arkel!” An enthusiastic woman opened the door, greeting me. Her red hair was a mess.

  “Keiva Kalko, how have you been?” I asked her as she hugged me. Surely the metal made hugs uncomfortable?

  She pulled away, “What makes you visit?”

  I pulled a gold coin from my bag. “Could you braid me a whip?”

  She raised an eyebrow, either at me or the coin, “I mean if your old one broke, sure, but I can just give you one of the few I’ve got lying around.” She gestured to a shed at the side of the house.

  I shook my head. “I need it specially made. Twice the thickness, double the length. Her eyes opened wide.

  “What do you need one like that for? You whipping dragons?” I didn’t answer. She sighed, “Knowing your obsession with them, probably.” She thought for a moment. “That’s why you're offering gold for it. Alright.” She took the coin. “Come back in three days.”

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  I nodded, and thanked her.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Next, I marched to the edge of the forest, to a couple small cabins. A tall lanky man sat on a log, adding fletching to arrows. He looked up at me as I approached.

  “Halt,” he told me. I obliged. “What do you want, Arkel?”

  “A longbow. Highest draw you have.”

  The man scoffed. “Have you spent years mastering the longbow?”

  “No. But I’ve spent two with a recurve. Thirty five pounds.”

  “Hm.” the man thought for a moment, pausing his fletching. “I've a sixty-pound recurve in the shed. String should be next to it. Five silver and you can keep it.”

  “Im asking for a longb-”

  “No.” The man interrupted me. I sighed, and tossed him the coins. I walked over to the shed, and spotted the bow in the back of the shed. It was covered in dust. The string hung separately next to it. I took both, and quickly stringed it. Stepping out, I went to ask the man for arrows, when he raised his hand and pointed to the side of a cabin. Quivers, twenty five arrows each rested on shelves. Prices were etched into the wood, two silver per metal tipped quiver. A wooden bowl sat on the side with a few silver coins in it. I grabbed one quiver, and tossed the coins in the bowl, and left.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Four days have passed. I’m ready. Yesterday I left for the northern forests. Today I’ve nearly found what I’m looking for.

  “It’s up that way sir! If it pleases you, I’d like to return now!” The boy guiding spoke nervously. I couldn't blame him.

  “You may.”

  He quickly jumped, and ran off, without saying a word. Ahead of me was a path winding through the forest. Following the path, I began to notice deep indentations in the dirt. Like something heavy had stepped there. I kept moving.

  Eventually, the smell of sulfur began to fill my noise. I was getting closer. I tightened the straps on my shield. I pulled my whip off of my belt, and held it in my left hand. I marched onward, until the smell got thicker.

  Soon, I could see the entrance of a cave. “Cil fi ty.” I told myself. I dropped my bag and left it outside the cave, in the middle of the road. With a deep breath, I marched inside.

  The cave was dry, and smelled of smoke and sulfur. The walls were charred. The light from outside began to fade as I reached a large inner chamber. In its midst, was the first dragon I've ever seen outside books. I couldn’t help but smile.

  Red scales glistened off the dim sunlight from the entrance. Vibrations shook my body, and I realized that was just its breath. Intricate dots and swirls decorated its wings, and its horns curved around themselves, seemingly pointing at its closed eyes. Any sane person would run. “It's asleep! I can escape!” They’d say. But that is why they’re weak. I Surged forward, dropping my whip and pulling my blade. The dragon's eyes opened as I charged, and began to rise. I slashed, the edge of my blade cutting its eye. It reeled back in pain, and stood on its back legs. Wyvern. Now that it stood, it must’ve been a younger adolescent. Its other eye, golden, locked onto me. It snarled, and swung at me with one of its wings. I jumped back, sheathing my blade and swooping up my whip. It brought one leg forward, and I readied the whip. The whip was twenty feet of thick leather. The air whistled as I pulled back. “BOOM!” I struck down, A boom echoed as the whip struck the dragon's face. It backed up, and roared. The stone shook around me, and I felt the base of its voice deep into my bones. I felt like running. Not yet. The dragon's head pulled back. The smell of sulfur strengthened. A glow emanated from behind its fangs. Now. I turned, and sprinted out of the cave. I felt the temperature rise. I leapt from the entrance, sliding down the dirt as flames roared above me. I turned, skidding in the dirt as the flames billowed and faded. Several trees ignited. Birds and squirrels fled. I heard thumps from within the cave. I dropped my whip, and pulled my bow. I notched an arrow. *THUMP* Each step boomed, shaking leaves off trees. The dragon emerged as I pulled back the string. Its scales shined even more vibrantly in direct sunlight. The blood from its eye flowed along the groves of its scales. I fired, targeting the wings. The arrow flew, lodging in the membrane of its wing. It hardly reacted to the single arrow as it locked onto me. A glow emanated from its mouth. I loosed another arrow as it thrust its neck forward. The glow intensified. One more arrow. Flames blinded me as they escaped from its belly. I dropped my bow, and brought up my shield. If my design failed, I would die here.

  The sound of fire was deafening, and it hadn’t even reached me. I braced. The flames impacted my shield, pushing me back. The force of the flames pushed me several feet. I planted my back foot, twisting, cancelling my movement. The flames parted around my shield. I couldn’t see anything other than fire. Even through my armor and padding, my skin began to heat up. The onslaught of flames continued to press onto me… but my shield was holding. I couldn't help but laugh. “Yes! It works!” I shouted, taunting the dragon that couldn't hear me. The force on my arm lessened, and the flames began to dissipate. I could finally witness the charred aftermath around me. Flames stuck to bushes and climbed up trees. My shield was glowing, and with a start, I realized it was melting off me. I quickly undid the strap, dropping the semi-molten steel to the ground. Ahead, the dragon twisted its head, seemingly shocked that I was still standing. “Suprised?” IT roared at me in response, but I felt no fear this time. I charged forward, stepping through the ashes of my whip and bow. The dragon spun, whipping its tail. I heard the air pop as its tail launched towards me. I leapt as it passed under me. I slid under the dragon's chest, striking up at its belly. My sword became lodged, forcing me to let go. It roared in pain, and dropped its body flat against the dirt. I surged to my feet and jumped away before being crushed. Blood flooded from its wound. It's not over yet. I grabbed its tail, and pulled myself up the dragons back. I grabbed the spikes going down its spine. The dragon quickly spun, flailing me as I held on. Its wings ripped from the ground as it thrashed. I held on for dear life. Closing my eyes I focused. I had only one way to finish this. I opened them, and peered dow-

  The dragon took off. In the matter of seconds, I was a hundred feet into the air. “Akel!” I shouted as I dangled off the dragon's body. I looked towards the wing which I had loosed several arrows into. I could see the points of the arrow jutting out. I pulled an arrow from the quiver still attached to me. I aimed, and I threw the arrow towards the wound. The arrow missed, flying off the side. I pulled another. I waited for the highpoint of its flap, and threw. It stuck into the same spot, making a semi circle of arrows. I need to make it as painful as possible while flying. I threw another, but missed. I cursed again, and took a handful of arrows into my hand. I waited, and threw, a dozen arrows sticking into the membrane of its wing. The beast roared, and angled downward, heading towards the ground. I held onto the spikes, and waited. *BOOM* We hit the ground hard, crashing like a meteor. The dragon's weight carried it forward, knocking trees down in its path. When it finally settled, I stood upon the dragon's back. It began to try to stand. Its neck lifted. I charged, sprinting up its neck. I gripped one of its horns, and pulled my dagger from my side. I held it in reverse, and began to stab its one good eye. The dragon thrashed blindly, panicking; but I held on. This is your end. I stabbed and stabbed, over and over, again and again.

  Until finally, the neck dropped to the ground. The dragon stopped fighting.

  It continued to breathe quick, labored breaths. I dismounted, and watched its face as it breathing lessened… until it stopped.

  The dragon was dead.