The Dragons of Edon

It began with Dragons. In the deep, endless void of the cosmos, before time existed and all was naught but swirling gasses and cosmic energy; from the complexity of this wondrous collection a consciousness arose. Infinite yet indefinable, it sought to bring some order to the chaos of its being. For reasons no mortal can comprehend, utilizing the substance and energy of the cosmos itself, life was brought into the universe in the form of Dragons. Formed from the essence of the stars, and the primordial matter and energy that is at the heart of all life. Giant beings, there were only two in this beginning of time. As the essence of existence has two components, opposite yet complementary to one another, so were the Dragons made male and female, in order to maintain the balance that holds the fabric of reality together. Equal and opposite, yet incomplete without the other. An integral component of the emerging cosmos was the formation of planets. Worlds where the magnificent variety o

Randey woke with a start. His thoughts still held the lingering haze of a nightmare, though specific images eluded him now. He could recall only impressions of Goblins and other cruel, inhuman creatures, and that he and his family were threatened. Blinking to clear his vision, he focused on the reality of the room around him. Morning light warmed the space, while the familiar scents added to his sense of security and calm. Still, the dream was troubling. Clambering out of bed, he rapidly dressed. An urgent desire to see his mother drove him, and he nearly tripped on his way down the stairs. Damara greeted him with a warm smile. She was dressed in a simple house dress, her hair still ruffled from sleep, her feet bare. To Randey she appeared somehow vulnerable, despite the fact that he knew she was a more than capable fighter. She would not have been accepted into the ranks of the Grenyaar were it otherwise. He smiled at her in return. “Sit,” she said, “and I’ll bring you some break

Eodur was a disappointment. Randey had assumed that a village so close to the Capital would be more grand. The homes more stylish, the people sophisticated. It appeared to him, however, to be little different from his home village of Ghaeros. The homes were well kept, that was true, but were no fancier than many of the ones back home. There were a few he saw that were similar to his own, larger and sturdier, and he supposed that they, too, were home to Grenyaar who lived here. He had to admit that the local Inn was more than he had expected. It was a sturdy, three-story structure with a decorative stone wall at the base and colorful tiles on the roof. A stable boy of about Randey’s age guided their horses to the stables as Randey accompanied the Knights inside. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light, but he found himself in a large Great Room, with polished wood panels on the walls and decorative lanterns hanging from wrought iron hooks providing light. There were a doz

Sir Andric reined in his mount. Before him lay a wide plain, with forest beyond. The jagged line of the Ohresh Mountains cut across the sky beyond the forest, the slopes covered with the green extension of the forest. Not so imposing as the Erimanthe range, but ruggedly beautiful regardless. He took a moment to have a drink from his water skin, patting his horse’s neck appreciatively. “Not far now, Kyran.” He slung the skin back over the saddle and urged Kyran forward. The stallion moved briskly, eager to cross the plain and reach the forest. Andric kept him from going too fast; he didn’t wish to give the appearance of hostility, despite their need for alacrity. They had crossed the borders of the known lands of the Minotaurs the day before. So far they had yet to encounter any of the unusual beings, but Andric had no way to know if that was unusual. No Grenyaar had ventured to their lands for nearly a century. Sir Andric kept an eye out for any signs of habitation. Any community req

Keyla’s memory of her arrival at the Citadel was etched into her mind. After the harrowing few days spent on the run with her grandmother, it had been a haven unlike anything she had expected. Her grandmother’s endurance and skill had been remarkable, far beyond what she had expected. She had always considered her the quiet, gentle old woman who taught her some basic understanding of magic. Clearly there was much more to her than that. Their reception at the Citadel had proven as much. When they stumbled onto the grounds surrounding it, a small group of young women were working a vegetable garden just outside the low wall. They were very concerned about Keyla, given her age and travel-worn appearance, and gave equal attention to the elderly woman with her. Once they were assured that neither had suffered any injury, they escorted them to the Citadel. Keyla gazed at it with wide eyes. The structure was larger than she had imagined. A castle, really, with shimmering white marble wall