Dragon's Fire (Beating Back the Darkness Book 1)

by Tiger Hebert

  Lokar, the commander of the centaur who fell in the battle against the shadow drake, was honored by those in Jasprita.

  The surviving members of the Hand of Horus would take his remains back east to their home in the Ferrin Highlands, where they would bury him with their ancestors. There was also much work to do in Ferrin da’Dour, so they gathered supplies and warm clothes as they prepared to journey back east.

  Likewise, Ekrin would turn his gaze and his feet back toward his home. Karthusa and her inhabitants would need someone to guide them to a new future, or they would run the risk of the past repeating itself. It was time for change, a change that would hopefully return the city to her former glory. He dreamed that one day Karthusa would welcome the world’s travelers with open arms once more. So he returned to the ancient city with the good news of what Aneri’On had done for him and a hope for the future.

  The elven king’s story was far from over. King Tua’Liluon was not going back to the Shaillone Peninsula. He would not be focused on rebuilding Trellion, at least not yet. His eyes were fixed elsewhere—on his ancestral homeland back across the seas in the land of Antirri. Only a small group of elves had lived through it all, less than fifty in number, and together they would be leaving sometime next summer. King Nikolai graciously offered to aid the elves in their journey home. So he had the people of Jasprita build several seaworthy vessels for the elves. Soon they would leave behind the sandy shores and silver spires of Jasprita as they chased the sun across the sea on their way to Darnisi. While they waited for the journey, the elven king spent a great deal of time with people like Dominar, Duncan, and good ole Jonus Quillbearer the VII in order to learn as much as he possibly could about the Ancient One and the many prophecies that had just been fulfilled. Winter would pass, and eventually summer was upon them, and it was time to go home, but the next adventure in the elf king’s enduring legacy remains a tale for another time.

  Isiirial would not be leaving with her uncle, her king. His role in the death of Seratu had been exposed, and she struggled to forgive him for what he had done. She had never meant to fall in love, especially with a human, but she did, and now her heart lay in ruin because of him. She did not know what her future held, but she wanted to be as far from her uncle as possible. So for the time being, she decided to stay in Jasprita a bit longer to help with the rebuilding efforts.

  Grand Master Duncan would ultimately lead the survivors of the Unveiled Eye back to their home in Tempour once the weather allowed. Their journey would be shorter than anyone else’s, so they did not wait for winter to pass, just for clear skies. Tempour would not be a hidden city anymore, though; she had served her purpose in that capacity. Instead, they would work to carve out a series of roads through the jungles. It would take some time, but trade routes would eventually allow travel and trade to freely flow from Tempour to both Jasprita and Karthusa. Not all of the brotherhood would make the return to Tempour, though. A select few preferred the seaside offerings of Jasprita, such as one Jonus Quillbearer VII. The quirky historian decided he would set up shop there in Jasprita. He felt that the opportunity to have direct access to the trade ships from Antirri was too great to pass up. Mistress Kiriana also decided that she would not be returning to Tempour, at least not yet.

  The first ever female to earn the rank of master slayer was going to stay behind in Jasprita, at least until the thaw of spring. All she had ever known was life in the brotherhood, and she was ready to step beyond that. There were many stories of intrigue and possible adventure, but one in particular caught her interest. It was the story of an empire that suddenly disappeared. It was the story of Duroc’s Refuge.

  As a gift, King Nikolai offered the kingdom of Storm Vale to the orcs. Theros and many others agreed that it was a fine offer, and many of them would eventually call it their home while others preferred to return to the Agremnall Hills.

  The surviving humans from the plains of Nashia were to be left in the capable hands of young King Nal’drin, but after much contemplation, Nal’drin chose to give those loyal to, first, his father and now him the choice to return to Nashia and rebuild or to make a new life for themselves in the city upon the seashore. Many of the families decided that they wanted to stay and become grafted into the nation of Jasprita. A few families decide to settle elsewhere, but the numbers were few, so this left the young king without a kingdom to rule. Nikolai offered him a ranking role in the newly formed high court of Jasprita, but Nal’drin had other ambitions, ambitions with fiery red hair. He still struggled to take his mind or his eyes off her, and he was not willing to let her disappear from his life. So the king without a kingdom would also travel east to the halls of the dwarven king.

  The dwarven people should not be forgotten. Of course, they too helped out with the rebuilding efforts in Jasprita through the cold months of winter. Their help was greatly needed and appreciated too, perhaps more than any others. After all, no one does stonework like the dwarves. But this was truly not their home, and as dwarves so often do, they would retreat away to their own solitary refuge. The long journey home would begin in the spring when the weather better suited such a trek. Old Dominar enjoyed the slower pace of life now that the war was over and the threat was eliminated. He loved spending time with Gretchen and his two children, but something unsettling gnawed away inside of him, and Gretchen knew it. Dominar had spent a great deal of time with his old friend Theros these days, and something was stirring inside of him, and it stirred within his friend too.

  In the days following the events, Theros found himself with new battles to fight. He tried to set his sights on the dwarven tomb. After all, Kiriana was not the only one that was captivated by the mystery of the Duroc’s Refuge. He had also been in discussion with Kiriana, Sharka, and Nal’drin about the history of the lost dwarven empire and what might lay hidden within those abandoned halls. They would have to wait for the weather to clear of course, but soon all five would be heading east to descend into the halls of the fallen king. The tomb wasn’t the only thing that troubled him though.

  A few days had passed since the dragon’s defeat, and the pain of his brother’s death returned. For days it stole his peace, but one night he finally fell into a deep sleep. The weight of his brother’s death slipped from his grasp momentarily, and he rested in the still peace of utter darkness. His world was black. He was unaccompanied save for the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Then out of the darkness came the great and mighty Lion in an explosion of the purest cobalt flames. The king’s deafening roar rolled like thunder, jolting Theros awake. There he sat in the darkness, his breast heaving as he tried to catch his breath, and the spark of blue fire flashed in his eyes.

  Author’s Note

  Before we close the final chapter of Dragon’s Fire, I want to take a moment to say thank you. I understand that every time someone chooses to read one of my books that they’ve made a decision to make an investment of both their time and money. I do not take this lightly, especially when there are so many other things in life that are vying for them. For this, I am grateful, and I hope that you have found this book to be a worthy investment. If you’ve enjoyed Dragon’s Fire, please consider leaving a review.

  Want more? Did you know that there is a prequel to Dragon’s Fire? The Chronicles of Aurion is a journey into the world’s bloody and sorcerous past. Visit my website for more details on The Chronicles of Aurion and my other upcoming projects. Until then, good-bye friends. I will see you in The Halls of the Fallen King!

  Acknowledgments

  For a writer to admit that something cannot be well said with mere words is telling. Yet that is where I stand when I think about the people who made this book possible. So, in far too few words, thank you.

  Jamie, thank you for all your help. This manuscript was more of a disaster than I realized, and without you it still would be. Thanks for all your hard work.

  Darlene, from the very beginning you offered encouragement and praise, more than I was comfortable receivin
g. Thank you. Dad, you showed your faith in me every time you said “when” instead of “if.” Thank you.

  Marcus, I am grateful that you are my brother. You are a blessing to me. Your attention to detail and thoroughness in your critiques are priceless, but it is your friendship that is so much more important to me. Thank you.

  Mom, witnessing your enthusiasm about the book and the characters has been a joy to me, and it encouraged me to keep the story going. But my appreciation and love for you go far beyond books. Thank you.

  To my babies, Carina, Eli, and Isaac: I love you. I know that it is hard to understand why sometimes daddy can’t play, but someday you will understand. I hope when you are old enough to read the stories that you will find that it was worth it. Thank you.

  Alaina, my beautiful wife, when this first started, we had no idea what it was or what it might become. I know it wasn’t always easy or convenient, but you always encouraged me to believe and to keep going in the midst of our crazy life. Thank you.

  And last, but certainly not least, thank you God. Jesus, without you and the direction of Holy Spirit, I am nothing. Thank you for making everything possible, may it honor you.