The Wings of Dragons: Book One of the Dragoon Saga

by Josh VanBrakle

  Minawë replied, “Without Ziorsecth, the Kodamas would all perish. But Ziorsecth will outlive us all. True, the forest is one plant, but plants and animals are different. If you remove a limb from a tree, that tree will still grow. The same holds true for Ziorsecth. It will draw from its countless stems, and that energy will birth a new Heart of Ziorsecth.” She pointed to the crater’s center. “Look down there, if you doubt me.”

  Iren stared hard. At first he saw only brown earth, but then, at the center of the crater, he noticed a flash of green. A foot-tall seedling had sprouted from the soil.

  “Ziorsecth’s Heart is already reborn,” Minawë said, “and aided by the forest, it will grow rapidly. One day, this harsh scene will again become the glorious sacred grove of my people. Besides, it has more than just the forest to help it. Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

  Together the pair made their way into the crater until they stood beside the new Heart of Ziorsecth. Iren gasped. Next to the seedling lay the Chloryoblaka.

  “After the battle, Rondel wanted me to take Dendryl’s bow and become the Forest Dragon Knight. I refused. Mother didn’t want that power; she took it because she had no other choice. I want to honor her decision. Besides, with Feng defeated, the Kodamas don’t need a Forest Dragon Knight. Here, perhaps its magic will flow into the earth and aid the Heart of Ziorsecth’s growth. I hope it can remain here until the Heart’s trunk buries it, and it forever becomes part of the forest itself.”

  Iren knelt before the Chloryoblaka, honoring the sacrifices of those who had carried it into battle. After a moment, an idea came to him. Standing, he pulled the Muryozaki from his belt and laid it alongside the bow.

  “What are you doing?” Minawë asked.

  “You heard what Rondel said. This sword is useless to me now. Let it stay here too, and maybe it can also aid the Heart’s recovery.”

  Minawë hugged him. “Thank you, Iren.”

  The pair lingered beside the Heart for a few more minutes before making their way up the far side of the crater, Minawë helping Iren negotiate the steep slope. When they reached the top, they both collapsed from exhaustion on the rim, overlooking the Yuushin Sea.

  When they’d caught their breath, Minawë put her hands under her chin and said, “You know, my people call this place sacred, but I don’t see it that way. I feel no joy here, only sorrow and loneliness.”

  She peered over her shoulder at her parents’ graves in the distance. “We Kodamas have never been numerous, and Ziorsecth is vast. Defending its borders spreads us thin. Rarely do we gather, and when we do, it’s more often for grieving than for celebration. I never knew my father; he died in battle before I can remember. Mother, though, was always there for me. I never felt alone as long as I knew she was nearby. Now she’s dead, along with so many others, and you and everyone else are leaving too. I can’t bear the solitude.”

  With a long sigh, Iren asked, “What are you talking about, moron?”

  Minawë crossed her arms. “Who are you calling a moron, moron?”

  Iren rolled his eyes. “Who said I’m going anywhere?”

  She looked shocked. “Aren’t you going back to Lodia? To your home?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t have a home in Lodia. The only place I ever lived was the Tower of Divinion, and I don’t know if that still stands. Even if it does, I can’t call it a home. I hated every minute there. Frankly, nothing remains in Lodia for me. I’m not like Balear. I made no oaths to king and country.” He gave her a wry look. “Besides, I have a far more important promise to keep.”

  Minawë raised an incredulous eyebrow.

  “Don’t you remember?” he asked. “Just before the fight against Amroth, you called to me, ‘When we win this battle, let’s go home to Yuushingaral together!’”

  A wide grin filled her face, and joy enveloped her until her radiance surpassed any light Iren had created as the Holy Dragon Knight. Excitedly, she leapt to her feet, saying, “Iren, ever since you came here today, I’ve wanted to tell you something.” She held out her hand.

  “Welcome home, Iren Saitosan.”

  For a long time he couldn’t answer. His heart thudded as it never had before, even in the deepest, most desperate throes of battle. He breathed deeply, his lungs filling with the satisfying combination of loamy scent from the woods behind him and the salty air of the ocean waves breaking below him. At the last, he took Minawë’s hand, pulled himself to his feet, and kissed her softly. As they separated, he gazed deep into her emerald eyes and replied, “Yes, I am home.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Josh VanBrakle is an unrepentant lefty who is overjoyed to live in an age when authors can type their stories instead of handwriting them. His love of fantasy and science fiction, kindled by The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, led to a dream of publishing a novel that refused to let itself get pushed aside. A late-bloomer to writing professionally, Josh first trained in forestry and economics. In his day job, Josh works for an environmental non-profit promoting rural land conservation. Originally from Hershey, Chocolatetown USA, Josh now lives in the Catskills region of upstate New York with his wife Christine and their two ill-behaved cats.

  The Wings of Dragons is Josh’s first novel, so if you enjoyed reading this book, please leave a review wherever you purchased it! Share what you loved as well as what can be improved. Josh reads every review and strives to incorporate those comments to help him grow as an author and make his future books better.

  To stay up to date with the latest news about Josh’s upcoming titles in The Dragoon Saga, please visit www.joshvanbrakle.com.