The Quest For the Black Dragon
by D.E. Dunlop
Tinne is a disenchanted young Story Teller. He is thrust into the Quest for the Black Dragon (a lost magical stone whose power allows the Story Tellers to create the future) by the need to keep the stone from Katharine, the Story Teller Queen of Sitty, whose intentions for the Black Dragon are purely selfish and evil. His quest leads him through many turmoils including betrayal and war.The Black Dragon is a powerful magic stone, one in a set of three, which allows Story Tellers to create the future. The time for the Tellers to gather is close at hand and the stone is missing. The responsibility of recovering the Black Dragon falls into the hands of an unlikely candidate, Tinne. Tinne’s mentor abandons him half way through his Teller apprenticeship leaving him disenchanted and rejecting his heritage. Years later he realizes the truth of his training and that the future depends on him to find the stone before Katharine, the evil Queen of Sitty. Tinne and Ren, his best friend and partner in mischief, set out on their quest to find the last known location of the Black Dragon. They rescue a beautiful young woman from some of Katharine’s soldiers, but the woman is actually a witch who casts a spell on Tinne and traps the two over winter in the Forest of Sirens.More than a century before Tinne is born, Katharine (an ancient witch and veteran Story Teller) tries to steal the magic stones but her plan is foiled by Tinne’s mentor, resulting in the loss of the Black Dragon. Her Spirit Hunter spies have been searching for nearly one hundred and fifty years when Tinne’s interest in the stone catches Katharine’s attention. She then attacks Tinne’s home city of Bayfield, assuming, correctly, that the stone is there.Jessie is the Captain of the Royal Guard of Bayfield who tries to defend against Katharine. He is betrayed by his counterpart, Captain Maynard, who has been secretly courting Katharine’s great-granddaughter. Maynard commands his troops to surrender in order to assume power of the city. Jessie and his troops must flee with their families. In order to find them Maynard decides to torture the people who are left which include Angela, Jessie’s fiancé and future Queen of Bayfield.