The Blackdragoness - Prologue

Prologue - On a tempestuous night

An enormous black cloud poured its tears for the third day over the town of Niptû. Wild white lightning flashed on the sky, cutting through the heavy clouds into a thousand pieces. On this night a foreign man arrived with a wrapped thing in his arms. He had companions but they stayed out of the town, not wanting to draw any attention; they continued their journey knowing that the man would join them soon. He arrived at a strange wooden house at the outskirts of the town. Its pillars were perfectly carved and a massive terrace spread on the top which was a perfect spot for looking at stars – of course not that night, but some time when the skies were clear.

The man knocked on the carve door then waited. For a few minutes there was no answer. Finally a figure, clothed in an old, shabby, gray cloak came out and invited the stranger in; as if he was just waiting for him. He had no idea that his actions in those next few hours would change his entire life forever.

Inside, he led his guest into the second room, right from the entrance where an incredibly huge library spreaded. Eventually, he took off the cloak so the stranger finally got the opportunity to observe him while they moved to the heart of the room. The foreign man saw many things in his long life. He met different races, alien to most people, but such a kind that his host was… he didn’t know. Just heard of – in old tales, filled with dragons, fairies and other fantastic creatures. Although, this was the reason he brought what he found to this short man. Because what he found – as they could clearly see when unwrapped – was a huge egg. That stranger knew that this is no bird’s egg – he bred pigeons long enough for that – but then what kind of creature would lay such an egg?

’ It is a dragon’s egg ’ stated the host quietly, who himself was a fantastic creature with his long and pointy ears and elegant, slender appearance. ’Still… not entirely’ he added, while running his long fingers through the egg’s purplish glared, night black shell.

’When I showed him… that grey… little man’ the stranger stopped, he was unsure how to name the other creature. The pointy eared remained silent. ’I was saying: he told me that you would know what to do with it. He also begged me to sell him the thing that it hides. He didn’t look very trustworthy. Thinking about his red glare still makes me shiver.’

’That was a dark elf. They arrived three years ago from the south; power hungry, greedy people, capable of everything just to get magical resources: be it an object or a living creature. Darker and more evil. Not like my kind. You’d better not make business with any of them. Clearly he sent you here only because he had no idea how to hatch the egg’

’And do you..?’

’It happens that I do. I know a woman’ he stopped for a moment to look deeply into the stranger’s eyes and raised his eyebrow to support his words. ’An elf. Not exactly like me. Different. She’s a dragonrider. She became one a long time ago. Back in the first war… Monstrous fights took over that time in the land; an alliance formed against the first Fallen King, Dolenreus, then his son, Disinor. Angels, elves, dwarves and men, evenmore, the people of the forest: nymphs, centaurs and fauns joined their forces against the Fallen. Then the alliance of the dragonriders was born in Thystonel, and it was led by her. We met in the capital city of the elves, where her dragon was still a hatchling and she was still under training. After a very long time she was the first dragon rider. Then later, when we defeated Disinor in the battle of the Seringherd plain and the fallen king fled, she became queen in Thystonel...’ He didn’t even realize how he was carried away by the stories of the past. The other man listened in awe, yet he stopped eventually. ’So it was her, who taught me about dragon magic and about dragons in general. It varies what makes them hatch; most of them need the fire of their mother’s body, others are heated by their mother’s fiery breath, and…’

’What does this one need?’ The elf put on an almost insulted face for his guest cut in his sentence.

’As you can see… I don’t have a mother dragon here. So fire is my only option. Stand back, please.’ The foreign man obeyed without a word and watched as the elf held the egg with one hand, and put his other hand on top of it. ’Mussat išre’ he shouted. Though he felt the egg flaming under his hand, it happened so fast that the stranger saw only a flash of red light from the entire process. After this, the elf carefully put the egg back on the fabric it was wrapped into before, then they waited. For a while nothing happened.

’Maybe you could take it to a dragon…’

’Shhh!’ He already heard the cracking of the shell. It began to fissure on many points but eventually it concentrated in one single point; which from – for both of their surprise – an infant’s hand broke out, a baby’s hand. ’This is no dragon,’ the elf stated the obvious.

’It’s a baby, a baby girl!’ The stranger instinctively began to free the child from the shell then wrapped her into the brown fabric under her.

’What are you planning to do with her?’ The elf asked.

’I-I think… I cannot bring her with me… maybe you could…?’ he asked, thinking about all of the uncertainty the road held for his companions and him. The face of the elf however, showed no emotions.

’There’s a young widow in the city. Lost her husband and their infant daughter to robbery. I think she would gladly take care of the child. Maybe she even has breast milk.’ he cut in, before the traveller could finish the sentence. And before he could answer, the elf added as he was reading his mind. ’You helped to bring a new life into this world. I’m sure your companions already miss you. Go, tomorrow morning I, myself, will take the girl to the widow.’

Sadness gleamed in the stranger’s eye while they were walking to the door, this all reminded him of something, of someone. Because of it he didn’t want to let go of the child but he knew this was for the best. Still, there was something strange in this feeling; something familiar and meaningful. Like he was touched by fate. His heart was heavy with the feelings, yet he knew he couldn’t have done anything else for the girl. He caressed her little face, smiling, then gave the baby to the elf and left the house. The elf watched for a while as the stranger was finally devoured by the rainy night, then closed the door and looked down at the little girl’s face. There was a force in her that reminded him of himself.

And the girl gazed into his eyes so deep, like she would’ve known that she will never forget those deep brown eyes.