Do you believe in fairytales? Do you believe in kingdoms ruled by strong and noble kings, evil witches that constantly scheme and plot against them, and noble knights that protect innocent princesses? Well if you don't, this story is most likely not for you, so if you would rather read about how Steve Jobs founded Apple or Nelson Mandela's twenty-seven years in prison, put this book back and forget about it.
But for those that do believe, and love a good story that you know couldn't possibly happen in real life, than this is the book for you. It's full of action, and peril; dangerous quests, and a legendary prophecy; noble knights, and a princess that is not all she seems.
It starts in the kingdom of Sciana; a big island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that no human has ever seen or touched or even heard about, due to the fact that it is protected by a magical barrier. This island is home to the Scianites, or what you may recognize as dragons. The kingdom is diverse, with dragons of each and every walk of life coming together in a single country.
The kingdom is ruled by the four members of the royal court, known collectively as 'The Crown'. It consists of the Oracle; the healer of ills and teller of the future, The Captain; the protector of the country and leader of the soldiers, The Peacekeeper; the creator of legends and songs—and as their name suggests, the keeper of peace—and The King; the ruler of Sciana, who makes the laws and judges the guilty for their crimes. Every other century, the heirs to the thrones of The Crown are announced, celebrated with a grand party and other festivities traditional to the Scianites. The next century is spent preparing the heirs for when they take the throne.
Today just so happened to be that day. The air was thick with the excited gossip of dragons as to who would be announced to be the heirs of the thrones and Scianites were decorating their homes in preparation and hanging prayer flags for the health of the kingdom. However, inside the castle of The Crown, the atmosphere was considerably calmer.
In the main chamber of the King's tower, a big black dragon was standing protectively over a small cradle. Despite his fierce, battle-ready posture, his orange eyes were filled with the purest of joy. Inside the cradle was not a chick or an egg as one might suspect, but rather a creature that was not commonly seen on the island: a baby girl.
Not a human one of course (Or, rather I should say, not entirely human); she had arms and legs and pink skin, but also horns and wings and a tail. The baby was cooing and playing with her tail, staring at it with the utmost of childish curiosity.
The door to the room suddenly opened and a lithe dragoness strode gracefully inside. She smiled at her fellow Scianite and then turned her attention to the baby. "Ignacius, how much longer are you going to be? The ceremony starts in two hours and you still haven't prepared a speech."
The black dragon looked at his visitor. "My apologies, Hydronia. I am just making sure she is alright."
Hydronia moved closer to the crib, examining the child as if it were some specimen she had never seen before. "I remember reading about Scale Children during my years as a Cleric, but I never really could imagine what they looked like until Kallan's birth. Each are precious, and nothing quite prepares you for their arrival."
Ignacius smiled, puffing his chest out with pride. "My daughter; half-human and half-dragon. She will usher in a new era for the denizens of Sciana."
Hydronia looked at Ignacius with worry. "Do you know how dangerous this is? Never before has a Scale Child been a part of The Crown, and now you're suggesting that the next generation is ruled by a court completely composed of them?"
"I am quite aware." Ignacius affirmed. "You foresaw it in one of your visions that this would come. It is not by chance that all of the members of The Crown conceived Scale Children, rather it is fate: destiny, even. At the ceremony, they shall be celebrated." Ignacius lowered his head, allowing his infant daughter to grab his nose playfully. "Peacetime is at it's best right now. It is the right time for the Scale Children to take their rightful place on the throne."
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Burning Hope
Fantasy[COMPLETED] The First book in The Legends of Sciana series. What if dragons existed? What if there was a magical island full of them in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that no one had ever heard of or seen before? What if there was such thing as ha...
