Free Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere by Peter Koevari

the island of Trahoterra, and moved closer to reveal a dragon perched on one of its talon-like peaks.
    “We watched the world of Marithia be torn apart. The King felt that he had been betrayed and as a result, exiled anyone with magic. His queen argued with him tirelessly, saying that there should not be segregation and that they were punishing the innocent. She was determined to prove that magic was a force for good and publicly dethroned herself to join the ancients.”
    The smoke burst open and formed a castle, hills, and large congregations of ancients heading toward what appeared to be Mount Wayrin.
    “The queen lived comfortably in their community, and even managed to convince them to once again rise and protect the lands, in the event of a war of magic. Many humans travelled there to gather knowledge of these new powers. Some humans hungered to attain powers they hadn’t been born with. They discovered that to be a useless ambition.”
    The smoke again shifted to a laden treasure room.
    “There was a legendary magical stone. It was fiercely guarded by the ancients. Once the faction of humans that hungered for power had learned of its location, it was only a matter of time.”
    Figures of men burst into the room; one holding an ancient guard with a knife to his neck.
    “The queen’s heart had changed. She fell in love with an ancient master of magic. The stone was used by the king to cast devastating spells on his enemies. The ancients had no choice but to declare war on the king and succeeded in retrieving the stone, but not without a great cost. The king murdered the queen as she clutched the stone in her bare hands.”
    The smoke changed to show the king skewering his wife through her heart. She fell onto her stomach before her body was blown upward in a storm erupting from the stone.
    “The king was unaware of a dark curse within the stone. When the stone came into contact with innocent blood, it unleashed a spell which engulfed Marithia. A great plague came over the lands and most Marithians were killed by a devastating disease. This was the time when Shindar was sent by the gods as a force of good, to restore faith.”
    Vartan couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
    Shindar, the feared lord of the underworld, had been sent for a good purpose?
    He scrunched his eyebrows as he blurted his words. “Shindar was once a force for good?”
    “Yes, but that is a story for another day. Long after these events, and once Shindar had become the demon of the underworld, the first war with Shindar erupted and we returned once more to defend the realm, alongside the ancients. We won the war, barely, as most of you already know. But our debt can never be repaid. The ancients have an understanding with us. We will not cross into their realm, and they will never again be our masters. We were granted true freedom.”
    Karven ended his spell and, as if his shoulders were weighted down, he backed away from the circle. “I cannot break that agreement.”
    Everyone was silent, staring into thin air. After a moment, Vartan looked to the dragon king. He had a new understanding of the dragons, but he was also one of them. Their freedom was also his, and he wasn’t about to fear anyone taking that away from them.
    “This is indeed troubling history, but it’s all in the past. Things have changed. Look what we have achieved through unity. They must understand that. After all, they did build Talonsphere with the dragons, did they not?” Vartan said.
    “They did. They were also the ones who wrote the Talonsphere prophecy. But it has been such a long time and I do not know what welcome to expect or if they have forgiven us.”
    “Have you not done enough for their forgiveness? I don’t see the ancients here, defending Marithia. I see us. Without the dragons to assist, Marithia would have already fallen.” Vartan said.
    The prince looked around to see that the group was in agreement, nodding toward the dragon king.
    Karven