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  Dragon Sword

  The Dragon’s Call, Book 1

  Angelique Anderson

  Craig A. Price Jr.

  Edited by

  Monique Johnson

  Illustrated by

  Mihaela Voicu

  Craig Martelle, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska - 1st Edition, 2019

  Dragon Sword © 2019 Craig A. Price Jr. and Angelique Anderson

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Cover Design by Mihaela Voicu

  Editing by Monique Johnson @ https://www.fiverr.com/moniquenjohnson

  Published by Craig Martelle, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska - 1st Edition, 2019

  Formatting by Craig A. Price Jr.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. A Game of Apples

  2. Dragon Quest

  3. Palladin’s Request

  4. The Hunt

  5. Choice of Kingdoms

  6. Dragon Companions

  7. Departure

  8. Goats

  9. Sisters’ Goodbye

  10. Astrid

  11. Svana

  12. Hekla

  13. Astrid

  14. Svana

  15. Hekla

  16. Astrid

  17. Svana

  18. Hekla

  19. Astrid

  20. Svana

  21. Hekla

  22. Astrid

  23. Svana

  24. Hekla

  25. Astrid

  26. Svana

  27. Hekla

  28. Astrid

  29. Svana

  30. Hekla

  31. Astrid

  32. Svana

  33. Hekla

  34. Astrid

  35. Svana

  36. Hekla

  37. Astrid

  38. Svana

  39. Hekla

  40. Astrid

  41. Svana

  42. Hekla

  43. Astrid

  44. Svana

  45. Hekla

  46. Astrid

  47. Svana

  48. Hekla

  49. Astrid

  50. Svana

  51. Hekla

  52. Astrid

  53. Svana

  54. Hekla

  55. Astrid

  56. Svana

  Also by Angelique S. Anderson

  Also By Craig A. Price

  About Angelique Anderson

  About Craig A Price Jr

  1

  A Game of Apples

  The bond of a family is sacred. Unbreakable. And they're predictable. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, they'll always stand by your side. However, that is nothing compared to sisterhood. The bond of two sisters--or three sisters, is indescribable. There is nothing else quite like it in this life. The connection, and the love--it is strong. And I feel sorry for anyone who gets in the way of a sisterhood bond.

  King Rowan the Observant, First King of Telluris, 232 A.V.

  Svana crouched on the ground of the small hill, wind blowing across her silken red hair, creating tangles she couldn't handle. She reached up to brush her hair from her face as she watched the ground below. Her two sisters were standing by the large oak tree, its leaves gliding to the ground all around them. Svana grinned as she twirled the dagger in palm. She aimed her dagger, and threw it with all her strength.

  The dagger flashed between Svana's two sisters, Astrid and Hekla, cutting their conversation short. They recoiled, following the blade as it thudded home in the oak tree next to them. Astrid's face scrunched with mock disdain, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

  Svana burst out laughing.

  "Oh, is that so?" Hekla spoke up, running her hand through her long blue hair. She turned to the tree, reached high, and pulled the dagger free. "How about a friendly little game of fruit or foe?" She smiled at the two, her sapphire eyes blazing with mischief.

  "Hmmm... depends on what the stakes are, and I'm definitely not setting them up." Astrid tapped her foot, head up, arms still crossed. Her long green hair fell halfway into her face.

  "Oh, dear Astrid... surely you didn't take what I said earlier seriously. I was only jesting." Svana approached her sister, her head slightly down.

  "Oh no, dear Svana... I know you were jesting. Nevertheless, it's going to make it all the more sweet when I beat you!" Suddenly Astrid came alive with joy, running past her sister and leaping up the apple tree, she managed to gather an armful of the ripened fruit, before jumping from a branch to ground. "Look alive girls, whoever loses today must ..."

  "Make dinner!" Hekla suggested, before she took off running toward their practice arena.

  Their practice arena was nothing more than a clearing they'd made, with various stumps in place where they could arrange the apples and dash through, throwing their daggers at the fruit as quickly as possible. Whoever split the most won, extra points for aerial moves and how the dagger landed.

  "Fine, but extra points for ground moves today!" Svana yelled as she chased after her youngest sister.

  "I'm not giving you extra points for being able to run fast," Hekla called over her shoulder, her brilliant sky blue hair flying behind her.

  "Don't insult me sister... I can do cartwheels around you," Svana retorted.

  Hekla zipped past them both and came to a stop just a few feet from the first tree trunk.

  "No extra points for ground moves, you know that's not Hekla's strong point. She hasn't had enough time to practice." Astrid's motherly demeanor came naturally, no matter how hard she tried not to be so. The sisters had been on their own for a long time, but within the confines of their home, with others like them, situated between the three kingdoms of man.

  "Fine, Astrid. Your call. I'll set up the apples..." Svana dared not say another word, she knew her emerald haired sister meant well.

  "It's all right, now is as good a time as any to practice ground moves. I was just teasing before about not giving extra points." Hekla seemed to sense the change in the interaction between her two older sisters, and always the peace maker, she attempted to rein it in before it got out of hand.

  Astrid glanced at her younger sister, and her face remained stoic.

  "Everything all right?" Hekla's hands dropped to her side, as she watched the emotions fighting for dominance on Astrid's face. Svana too, found herself stopped short, wondering what her oldest sister was going to do next.

  "Yes, of course, everything is fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to turn so somber. The weight of war is heavy on my shoulders, do not take my seriousness as something directed at you. My heart is heavy with worry. Never mind that though. Dear Hekla, if you are ready for a ground attack, then I will allow it. That ought to up the stakes a bit." Astrid smiled big.

  Hekla's lips pressed tightly together. "We are all worried, beloved sister."

  Svana placed her hand on Astrid's shoulder with a wink and a grin. "But which one of us can gain another day by worrying?"

  "Ah
a, touché, sister. You are right as always. I will gather the practice blades and ready them. As for the two of you, I suggest you prepare yourselves!" Astrid winked back before running to gather the throwing knives.

  "The way she runs to gather those blades, you'd think it were a man she were after," Svana said.

  Svana and Hekla laughed uproariously at their inside joke.

  "With as bad as I'm going to beat you, you're going to wish I were chasing something other than you two," Astrid teased back. Then she was out of sight.

  The Volcano of Shadows was home to a massive caldera. Having lay dormant for many centuries, it was within the cone that lakes and islands had formed. It was there, upon one such island the three sisters resided. Lush with green overgrowth, and fertile land, their childhood had been a happy one.

  Beyond the Volcano of Shadows, within the three nations their existence was now threatened. Indeed, it was these three nations and the Volcano of Shadows that made up the entirety of Verdil. The threat of war that loomed over them was what drove the women to prepare for the battle they had no idea how to fight.

  Astrid brought the throwing weapons to their arena. The playful banter of earlier replaced by the task at hand. It may have been a game to them, but they all knew it for what it was: training.

  To each sister, four knives were placed in their hands, blades that had long since dulled from unending practice.

  "You still haven't sharpened them?" Svana said, her eyes raised as she ran her fingers along the edges. "These things couldn't cut through water."

  Hekla giggled. "That makes no sense, sister!"

  "Their dull blade makes for better practice. It means you must rely on the strength of the throw, and speed, in order to slice through the fruit, or to land a hit. It will make us all better in the long run," Astrid explained.

  "Interesting perspective, sister." Svana pulled her hair from her face while still holding the knives in the other hand. "Very well then, let us begin!"

  From the distance, a dark haired woman approached, her hair and clothing in stark contrast to the sisters. She wore a long robe, instead of the leather cuirass of the younger women, designed to protect their bodies, but leaving their limbs free for action.

  The woman's raven hair fell in waves over her shoulders and down her back. Though dark in contrast, her eyes held the sadness and wisdom of a thousand lives. She began her walk toward the sisters, studying their moves as they threw their daggers. Watching their form as they catapulted into the air, somersaulting off the tree stumps. The sight made her smile, though she would never tell them so. After some time, she clapped her hands to get their attention.

  "Time to train, although I'm pleased to see you are already practicing."

  They immediately stopped, Hekla alone seemed to be the only one surprised by the woman's sudden appearance.

  "Melifera, it's an honor. It's been a long time since you've come to see us," Svana said.

  "Yes, my dear, because the worlds of men are on fire, but don't stop on my account. Hekla, on your toes more, it will help with speed and when you land. Svana, keep your wrists loose. That's why you're not meeting the center. Astrid, great form, but your heart must be in it or you will miss when it is most important."

  The sisters continued practicing, incorporating their master's insight into their actions.

  "That's enough," Melifera said after a time, clapping for attention. "Come to me, we've much to discuss."

  Astrid, Svana, and Hekla snatched up their knives, jaws tight as their eyes met. Terse nods came from each of them, a silent congratulations at a job well done.

  "I couldn't be more proud, and I'm afraid the time has come for you to do more. You must put your skills to practical use. You must journey to the kingdoms and end the war before it starts."

  A collective gasp rose from the three.

  "Why on Verdil would we want to do that?" Astrid asked.

  "What would be the point? Are we to become vagrants... wandering this way and that?" Svana joined in.

  Melifera inhaled deeply, blew it out, and then inhaled again before answering. "No. The kingdoms of Sky, Land, and Sea are troubled. They have fractured and they fight. Verdil is under siege from within. The kingdoms of man have trampled the fields on their way to fight their brothers."

  "Why did we not know this?" Hekla wondered.

  "My dear Hekla, I see in your hearts the fear you have kept. I know the heaviness that weighs on you all. Do you not see you have already known what is to come? Has your sister Astrid not shared with you her worries of the impending war?" Melifera's face was grim, but curious.

  "Indeed, Melifera. I suppose I assumed that's all they were. Unfounded worries."

  "The truth, dear sisters, is it wasn't your time to know what you have no influence over. Do you know what worrying about that would do? Nothing. By not knowing, you did something. And now that you know, you will do something else. Each of you will go to a kingdom of man, and your goal is to stop the war."

  "Surely you mean together we will go from one kingdom to another," Svana said slowly, not believing her own words, but hoping she was right.

  "Had I meant that, I would have said it. If you go together, you may stop one side from fighting which would give the other two an advantage. We cannot allow any of that to happen. No, you must go alone, and you must all be successful. If one of you fails, you all fail."

  The sisters looked to each other for support, but they had their doubts. They were not used to fear. Melifera saw it on their faces, smiling close-lipped. "You will have help."

  The women perked up.

  "We'll have man servants?" Astrid asked, eyes gleaming with hope.

  "Exactly like that, except completely different." Melifera let that sink in for a moment before smiling. "You'll have Dragons."

  2

  Dragon Quest

  The wisdom of a dragon is unmatched by any man or woman. They can see beyond the reality of any other race. And while many believe the Caelestans rule the skies, they could not be more wrong. It is the dragons who rule the skies, and the heavens above.

  King Nicklaus the Brave, First King of Caelestis, 245 A.V.

  Astrid's eyes grew large with curiosity at the mention of dragons, and the collective clatter of their throwing knives could be heard as Svana and Hekla dropped theirs to the ground.

  "Dragons?" It was Hekla's turn to be curious. They had heard stories of dragons, even seen them darting across the sky a time or two.

  "Actual dragon servants?" Astrid echoed Hekla's curiosity. "Surely, you jest?"

  "Oh my dears, if only it were so. The tasks that lay before you are so much more than you could have ever imagined. Not only will it require everything you have, and everything you are, but the Unseen Ones have determined it cannot be completed without help. Without your help."

  Svana plopped on the ground, her legs crisscrossed, as she tried to internalize the news.

  "Dragons? I mean... I just... how is that possible?" Hekla's face had paled at the news.

  "Fear, Svana? Is that what I sense from you? Surely, of all of your sisters, you are not afraid of a little dragon?"

  "Dragon, little, and servant. None of these words fit together. Never in all of our lives have we heard tales of dragons serving humans. Aren't we more like a... a meal? You can't expect us to have an aide that will eat us. How in all the scrolls of the Unseen Ones, does that make sense? We'll die before we begin our journey," Hekla said, giving justification to her sister's fear.

  At Hekla's outburst, Melifera laughed and laughed.

  "Oh dear, dear, dear, Svana, no wonder the fear. Trust me, beloved Sister of the Faith, you've nothing to fear from these dragons. They'd no more snack on a human, than you would on slugs, or bees."

  Astrid shuddered. "Though we may be no more than insects to the dragons, if they can abide our presence without swatting us, then we may be able to make it work."

  "Astrid, calm yourself. I didn't say they would eat insects,
or that they don't eat humans. I'm just saying, it's most definitely not their meal of choice. That may not be true of all dragons, but it's certainly true of these."

  "With all due respect, Melifera, why dragons, why now? And why can't you come with us?"

  "One question at a time, dear one. First of all, these guides, these servants, are so much more than that. You will do well to be appreciative of the Unseen Ones wish to share them with you. Second, I am not as young as I once was. My time on Verdil will soon come to an end. You three alone must bear this burden."

  At the news, Hekla's eyes burned with tears, and she jumped to her feet.

  "No, Melifera, how can you say such a thing? Are you ill? Why would you want to leave us?" In uncharacteristic fashion, Hekla ran to Melifera, wrapping her arms around the woman tightly. "What ever will we do without you? How can you think of leaving? Where could you possibly go?"

  Melifera sighed heavily, patting the young woman on the back, before pushing her back and looking her directly in her eyes.

  "I didn't say I was leaving yet, I said my time here draws to a close. No one can stay forever, and someday, you three will also leave Verdil and join me in the realm of the Unseen Ones. It is where we are all destined to go, and it is a beautiful destiny. Do you understand?"