Dragon Guard (Prologue)

He flew over the land watching over the people of the village below. His wings casting a shadow across the ground beneath him.

Prologue

Ever since the Marhak the explorer found the cave of fire 100 years before and befriended the Dragon who lived there, Fern had watched over the people of Edville and defended the City from attack. The creature that was once only thought of as legend now cast a familiar shadow over the countryside as it flapped its great wings, patrolling the skies lest an invader enter his domain unaware.

Marntak looked up and saw the Dragon flying above. 'Fern,' he called watching as the Dragon started to descend towards him. Marntak was the grandson of Marhak the Dragon befriender and the only one the Dragon would let ride with him. Fern landed gracefully a few feet from where Marntak stood. Marntak walked over. Stopping next to him he ran his hand along the dragon's twelve-foot long body and down his tail feeling the cold multicolor scales that shimmered in the sunlight, before looking into his eyes to get permission to mount. Fern gently picked him up and placed him onto his neck just in front of his wings before lifting his body back off the ground and taking to the sky again.

As Fern flew over the City and towards the cave Marntark remembered the first time he had ridden on Fern's back. He had just turned ten and was sat on his granddad's knee as he was reciting the story of the Dragons who roamed the world in the time before Edville came to be. He had listened to is Granddad recite the story on many occasions but this time it was different, this time he recited the story of how he came upon the legendary cave in the mountains where the Dragons were reputed to live and how he came to befriend Fern the last Dragon. After Marhak finished his story he got up, walked to the door, looked up and called out 'Fern, Fern are you there.' The dragon who was a regular sight in the skies above appeared and circled down to the garden. Marhak called Marntak over then gestured for him to follow as he walked towards the Dragon. Marntak was a little reluctant at first, but after seeing his Granddad go up to the Dragon and run his hand along its side, he stepped out of the house and walked slowly towards them looking in amazement at the multicolored scales of the Dragon shimmering in the light from the two suns shining above.
'Fern this is my Grandson Marntak. I want you to extend him the same courtesies as you do to me and his father Marhak Jr,' Marhak said to the Dragon in a soft slow voice. 'When he is old enough I would like you to let him become your new rider and you must show him the world beyond the mountains.'

As Fern flew on towards there destination Marntak became aware of his surroundings once more. Looking down he saw the snow capped peaks of the inpassable mountains coming closer with every beat of the dragon's wings. Fern was taking him further than ever before. 'It must be time,' he thought. 'Time for me to see what Granddad had wanted Fern to show me.'
'It is time Marntak. Time for you to fulfill your destiny.'
Marntak startled by this unexpected voice looked around trying to figure out where it came from.
'Don't be alarmed it is me, Fern,' came the voice again.
'But how?'
'I have always been able to communicate with your kind but only a select few have ever heard me speak. Dragons have telepathic abilities and we can read the thoughts of those we become close to.'
It took Marntak a few moments to come to terms with the fact that Fern had spoken to him, then he replied 'My destiny what do you mean by that?'
'A millennia ago your ancestor King Marhak of Gerdan was at war with the people of Kandarc. King Marhak had ordered his army to assassinate his brother Mundark for treason. After their Kings assassination the army's of Mundark vowed revenge and a year later had reached Marhak's Castle and attacked with all they had. They killed most of his army and captured Marhak but they never found his wife who was believed to be carrying the heir to the throne.'
'Where do you fit in to all this?'
'Dragons are the guardians of all the living things on the Ketlibran.'
'Where?'
'The planet of the two suns. You live on what is known as a planet in orbit around the two suns. Millenia ago we came here to start a new life after we were hunted to near extinction on our home planet Earth as it became known by its human inhabitants. They misunderstood us, thinking we were dangerous. But it wasn't long before your people evolved and we hide from them but it was no use as all but I was slain by King Mundark. If it wasn't for Marhak the first I would have been slain as well.'
'So King Marhak saved you but what happened to him after he was captured?'
'I went to the city of Kandarc to try and rescue him but by the time I reached the castle I thought I was to late they had struck him down. I found his body laid in the ceremonial square. I waited till cover of night, swooped down and took his body to the lake below.'
Marntak looked down to see a large expanse of water surrounded by the mountains below. 'Where are we?' he asked Fern. By this time only one of Ketlibran's sun's was visible in the sky and the other was setting as well.
'The lake of life' fern replied as he started to descend towards it. 'It's water has the power to give life.'
'I thought that was just a legend.'
'As your Granddad did Dragons before he met me.' Fern replied as he landed gently on the lakes shore and laid down so Marntak could dismount. 'Go on it's safe.' he continued 'Take a drink from the lake it will give you the strength to forfill you task. We still have a long journey ahead of us and I still have lots more to explain to you.'
'There's more?'
'There's lot's more I have to tell you. Now go drink and I'll start a fire.'
Marntak walked to the waters edge, knelt down, scooped up some water into his hands and rubbed it over his face before taking another scoop and drinking from it. As he drank the water he felt a strange sensation running through him. It made him feel stronger than he had ever felt before. 'How could this water give King Marhak back his life?' Marntak enquired of Fern as he walked towards the fire that was burning brightly just a little way up the shore.
'Come, sit and I'll tell you.'
Marntak sat down in front of the fire and looked up at Fern who started to speak again.
'When my kind first came to this planet we found this lake and came to drink from it. We had traveled for a long time searching for a new home and Ketlibran was the first one we had found that was suitable to our needs.After circling for a time checking for dangers we landed in the crystal clear waters of the lake. As we did so we felt something happen. The water changed from the usual clear blue to a multicolor shimmer not unlike our scales before our eyes. If you look at the lake in full sun you can see the colors shimmering. We did not realize exactly what had happened at first, but after a short time we noticed that the fish were getting more and more abundant, bigger and stronger. They even seemed to be living longer. We realized that we had inadvertently changed the water into something more powerful.'
'So when you found his lifeless body you brought him here to bring him back to life? What happened to him after that?'
'Yes and after he regained conciseness and grew in strength I sat with him on this very spot and answered all his questions. Like I'm doing here now with you. I can still remember that time well.' Fern said as he brought old memories to the surface of his mind. 'I explained to him what had happened and that the water here was what saved him. He asked me if I knew if his wife Kendree had been killed and I told him she was safe and that she was due to give birth to their son any day.'
'Did they ever see each other again?' Marntak asked yawning
'You are tired I will continue the story tomorrow you must get some sleep.'
Marntak looked up at Fern with defiance before yawning again and lying down and going to sleep.