Omensent
Birth of a Dragon Lord
Book one of the Dragon Lord Series
by
Barry A. Gibbons II
Omensent
Birth of a Dragon Lord
Book one of the Dragon Lord Series
by
Barry a. Gibbons II
Copyright © 2005/2011 By Barry A. Gibbons II
License Notes
Omensent
The Dragon Lord Series
Omensent
Birth of a Dragon Lord
Book one of the Dragon Lord Series
****
Omensent
Rise of the Shadow Dragons
Book two of the Dragon Lord Series
****
Omensent
Wrath of a Dragon God
Book three of the Dragon Lord Series
****
Omensent
Revealing the Dragon
Book four of the Dragon Lord Series
****
Omensent
Princess of Dragons
Book five of the Dragon Lord Series
****
Omensent
Dragons Falling
Book six of the Dragon Lord Series
Prelude
The shadowy figure stood motionless in the darkness staring up into the night’s sky, contemplating the events that led up to this momentous night. He had spent the last two decades studying ancient texts, experimenting with rare and exotic magic long forgotten, and gathering the necessary ingredients to complete his masterful plan. It had taken several years of traveling to the most remote locations in the world, often placing himself in mortal danger to obtain his treasures, and many more years of trial and error to perfect his formula, and now, he finally stood on the brink of realizing his dreams!
After all had been prepared, and the necessary ingredients had been gathered, he and his half-wit servant, Drok, journeyed into the heart of the Godstear Mountains so he could complete his work, and take his rightful place as the most powerful sorcerer that had ever lived!
He now stood in the center of an open clearing patiently waiting for the moon to rise. His long black satin robe billowed and flapped in the brisk mountain breeze, revealing the pale, nearly colorless flesh that lay hidden beneath. His weathered face was expressionless, like a granite mask. His flowing black hair was tied back in a long ponytail that reached the middle of his back, blending almost perfectly with his soft satin robe.
He remained motionless; his dark, malevolent eyes stared unblinking as he gazed into the heavens. He was so entranced by the beauty of the glittering stars that he scarcely noticed as Drok hesitantly approached, not wishing to disturb his master as he prepared himself for the complex series of spells he intended to perform.
The sorcerer finally drew a deep breath, and then exhaled heavily. “It is time to begin.”
He slowly turned and walked over to a small wooden table that his servant had erected at his command and knelt down, carefully adjusting his robe so it wouldn’t wrinkle. He made a curt gesture to Drok, who quickly brought forth an elaborately engraved pewter bowl which he placed in the center of the table, and a black silk pouch that was tied shut with a thin red cord.
The sorcerer carefully untied the cord from the silk pouch and gently withdrew a glass vial that was filled with dark red dragon scales, a small bundle of Dragon’s Bane, a plant rumored to grow only upon the deathbed of a dragon, and a small flask of dragon’s blood, which he had obtained from the body of an ancient beast that had been slain by a group of mercenaries.
The sorcerer mumbled a short incantation, and the pewter bowl began to glow with an unearthly light, illuminating the small clearing.
Drok gasped in astonishment, drawing a snarl from his master for breaking the silence. For a moment, he feared he had displeased his master, whose patience was short, and who was quick to deal out punishment, but the sorcerer seemed to turn his attention back to the glowing bowl. He breathed a silent sigh relief, then froze in terror as his master suddenly spun in place and seized him by the throat. Wave upon wave of pure energy suddenly tore through Drok’s body, causing him to twitch and convulse in incomprehensible pain, until finally, mercifully, the darkness overtook him. When the sorcerer finally released him, all that remained of the apprentice was a charred and smoking husk.
The sorcerer turned back to the glowing bowl satisfied that he would not be disturbed any further. He could not afford to be interrupted once he began the complex series of spells that he was preparing to cast, and the loss of his idiot servant was a small price to pay if he was successful.
He gently opened the vial of dragon scales and examined each for imperfections or signs of scale rot, then once satisfied they were acceptable, he placed them in the glowing bowl. He then selected several leaves of Dragon’s Bane, tore them into tiny pieces, and sprinkled them over the dragon scales.
Opening his robe, he carefully withdrew an enormous, magnificently cut ruby from an interior pocket, and held it up to the moonlight. It was flawless, and sparkled with a brilliance rarely seen in a stone. He had searched for years to find a gem of such amazing quality before finally discovering the ruby in the lair of an ancient dragon. The creature was so old and decrepit that it didn’t notice the theft of its treasure until long after the sorcerer had fled.
With a trembling hand, he gently placed the ruby in the glowing bowl and carefully opened the flask of dragon’s blood. He paused momentarily to draw a deep calming breath. The next step was crucial, and there wasn’t any room for error. He carefully began to murmur the complex spell, quietly at first, and then slowly growing louder as he felt the magical energies build around him. As he neared the end of the complex spell, he slowly began to pour the dragon’s blood into the bowl. The blood hissed loudly, and then began to boil as it covered the bowl’s contents.
He finished the incantation that he had worked so long to perfect, then stepped back and watched in satisfaction as the bowl began to grow brighter and brighter until he was finally forced to shield his eyes to avoid being blinded.
A hush seemed to fall over the tiny valley, and even the wind blowing through the trees seemed to pause. Suddenly, an intense shaft of blinding light shot from the bowl and up into the sky, turning night into day. It could be seen for miles, and the entire mountain range seemed to fall eerily silent as the strange light began to pulsate with an almost hypnotic quality.
The sorcerer stared up at the sky with an exulted expression. “It has begun!” His triumphant laughter echoed throughout the otherwise silent mountain range.