The Dragon Rider Vol.1 [PUBLISHED & AVAILABLE ON AUDIBLE]

Prologue

Please do not copy this story. All ideas, people, places and storyline are mine! This book is copyrighted, any form of copying will be dealt with.
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Centuries ago, dragons and their Riders were free from any battles. The lands on either side of the twelve apostles lived in perfect harmony and wealth, but all of that changed when a rare dragon egg from the sacred Cave of Noelle was stolen. The egg was the sole life-force that kept the dragons and their Riders connected in ways you could never imagine. The dragons once held great power that would often be channelled through to their Riders. The Riders were able to tap into their dragon's power, with some Riders being able to bend certain elements; but since the egg was stolen, their powers vanished with it.

They were unable to move for days on end as the power drained out of their body – nobody knew where the dragon egg had gone. King Albert from the land of Athena had sent his men on their horses to search all the villages, but nothing was ever found; the egg had simply vanished.

King Albert demanded the people to come forward if they knew anything and even placed coins up as a reward. Many people had come forward with things they had made up, apart from one. A fellow member of King Toban, the ruler of the Dark Mountains, had come forward saying it was the king's men who had carried off the egg.

King Albert immediately sent his men off to the Dark Mountains to confront King Toban, but on arrival for their meeting, they were ambushed. King Toban had sent the fellow member over to the land of Athena in hopes that King Albert would take the bait.

When the men had set foot into the Dark Mountains, they were set upon by rogues. The rogues had outnumbered King Albert's men, who sadly perished. Since then, a century has passed and the dragon egg has never been returned. Hopes of the dragons gaining back their powers had vanished, along with the hope of a mass dragon army.

Since the disappearance, the amount of Dragon Riders has fallen. Only a few Dragon Riders have been chosen over the past few years, and all men had to be trained in the event of an attack.

In the kingdom of Athena, a lone priest would write down each name of the men chosen by their egg to join the long list of Dragon Riders. Never has a dragon left their Rider's side. The men that are destined to become Dragon Riders are fierce men that are willing to risk their own life in order to protect the kingdom they serve under; but most of all their dragons. When a dragon is hurt, their Rider also feels the pain. They are connected in ways we mere humans do not understand.

My mother always told me that the dragons appear to the Riders in their dreams when they are young; but, of course, being a child you only think it is your imagination. All that changes on the day of your eighteenth birthday.

On the night of your eighteenth birthday an egg appears, and that egg is your dragon. Once that dragon has been found by its Rider, it will hatch and leave a marking on its Rider. No two markings have been found to be the same.

Mother always told me that the marking given by the dragon represents the dragon's inner power and ability that it could have had. I always wished I could be a Dragon Rider and often dreamed about serving the kingdom. When I told my mother about my dreams, she dismissed it, since a woman could never be a Dragon Rider. Only men have ever been chosen.

In the history of Dragon Riders, the priests have only ever written down men. People believed that the egg that had been stolen from the Cave of Noelle could have held the key for more Dragon Riders.

When women talked about wanting to be a Dragon Rider, they were mocked and sometimes tortured by their fellow villagers, with some men joining in. The Riders were all self-righteous men that thought too highly of themselves.

The role of a Dragon Rider is to protect the land of Athena and help those in need. It's their duty to be the first line of defence in a war, and they are trained harder than any soldier in the land. If a Dragon Rider fails to help, then the land is bound to perish.

When a Dragon Rider is found, they are put through various challenges to find out what category they fit in. There are two types of Dragon Rider Defence Teams. Fighter Type dragons are the ones that head straight into the battlefield. Strategic Type dragons are the type to fly around as they come up with a plan on how they can take out their enemy. Using these two types of Dragon Defence Teams has seen the kingdom of Athena succeed in many battles.

Men from each village would have the honour of being selected to become a Dragon Rider. The first and only from my village was my best friend, Markus. Our village sits on the side of a mountain, overseeing the River of Peace and the Kingdom. It's a hallowed ground filled with kind and loving people. The name for our village was given to us for our contribution to soldiers and the Dragon Riders. We help provide weaponry and food, and this is why we were given the name Village of Knights Edge.

When Markus was chosen as a Dragon Rider, our village celebrated for days on end. Everyone was so happy that a simple farming boy could be chosen. Markus was a mischievous thing. He was always getting into trouble with the women in the field, but he always had such a big heart. He always loved helping people, and would always help those in need.

Markus was a skinny boy with shoulder-length dark brown wavy hair. He had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. He was so kind to me and always treated me like a princess. When I found out he had been chosen as a Dragon Rider, it broke my heart. To know I was losing my best friend killed me; however, I had to be happy for him. He was perfect to be a Dragon Rider.

The night of his eighteenth birthday, he had been out in the field gazing at the moon when he noticed something shining in the tree-line. After closer inspection, he had found a green egg. The green egg had hatched at the slightest contact of his skin, leaving a marking on the base of his neck.

I hadn't found out about him being chosen until six dragons and their Riders landed in the fields just outside Knights Edge. As soon as I saw Markus walk towards the Dragon Riders, I knew I had lost him. Before he left, he vowed to return to me on the day of my eighteenth birthday, and as that day slowly approached, I grew more and more excited.

Mother had told me he might not remember the promise he made, but I knew he would. He never went against his word, and I knew he never would.