David Schwartz

Everard's Tale

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. This much Prince Haiden knew. For one, it was warmer than they preferred. The dragons were believed to spend the bulk of their time farther north near the Pruin Peaks. There, the fire that burned in their bellies and coursed through their veins was tempered by the frosted air; the combination was said to keep them at their most comfortable, and most alert. It was also believed that the Valley was confining for the dragons. An expanse of fields, marshes, and low forests surrounded steep slopes was like an enlarged arena –– and while no dragons alive today had ever been forced into combat for sport, they, like men, inherited the horror stories of their ancestors.