Dragonworld: The Will For Power

The Prologue

The Wall of Shanshara stood facing the Mountains of Wind. Its decrepit state pointed to an ancient origin. According to legend, it had been there since before the monsters came, dating to the age when gods walked the land.

In those ancient times, magic pervaded the world, allowing for the construction of such grand structures as the Wall. It is said the material used to create it came from the Crystal City of the Gods itself. Thus, its ultimate source were the heavens in the sky above.

Gazing upon it, Tamber Spilew recalled his childhood. His mind brought him back to the times when his grandfather would sit him on his knee and recount tales of times long past. In one of the stories, a lone dragon fought off a legion of monsters that came to destroy the Wall. 

In this day and age, no one knew whether this was just a child's tale, or something that really happened. Dragons had long ceased to ply the skies of the world, if they had ever even existed at all. However, the presence of destroyed, primordial ruins throughout the lands somehow gave credence to the stories.

Tamber held his breath for a second, awed by the grand structure spreading in front of him. It stretched on for miles. He had almost twisted his neck taking in the view.

He tried catching a glimpse of the flat edifices known as "dragon's landings", but to no avail. They must be located on the other side of the Wall, he thought to himself. In the tales, these served as the places where the dragon would sit down in order to rest between battles. As such, they are still said to carry the markings of the flying beast.

For a moment, he got lost in his thoughts, imagining how the view must have looked in the old days, when the Wall was serving its purpose, whatever it was. Then, reality came calling him back. The sight of a lone figure walking in his direction, snapped him out of his daydream. Leaving dust in his wake as his feet stomped on the powdery ground, the man seemed to be carrying a small pouch in his right hand.

Tamber Spinew recalled why he was there. He had traveled for many months from his home just to arrive at this very spot. He had crossed the Blue Sea, the ship he was on almost drowning in a storm. Debarking in a sleepy seaport on the coast, he then trekked many days to the small trading outpost that hugged the edge of the Wall.

He was a trader, plying his trade wherever a profit could be made. An opportunity brought him to this location. Tamber was about to make a deal, one that could prove to be the biggest of his lifetime.

He picked this exact spot for a meeting on purpose. In the middle of the flat, dusty plain with a view of the giant barrier, it gave him a good vantage point. It isn't that he were naturally distrustful. It is that he knew he couldn't trust anyone, especially here.

He could now clearly make out the figure approaching him. Dressed in grey clothes, with his hair covered by a scarf, the man was a miner from the area nearby. Getting closer, the local raised his right hand to show the pouch he was carrying.

"I see it. Come closer so I can inspect it," instructed Spinew. He too then raised up his right hand to show what he was carrying. "Here is half the money. The other half awaits you in the village. Together with the previously agreed upon case of wine!"

The local man handed Tamber the pouch. He opened it, revealing what he came for. Satisfied, he threw over the money.

The miner smiled and gestured for the trader to go with him to the outpost. In the distance, two groups of men were following them. One was composed of Tamber's companions, while the second was made up of local miners. Each group came to make sure there was no backstabbing from the other side.

That night, after the deal was done, Tamber made a stop at one of the local houses. With the pouch hidden under his clothes, he knocked at the door. An armed man, dressed in all black, opened it and motioned for him to come in.

Upon entering, he was faced with a steep staircase leading to the second floor. Another armed man escorted him up, where two more soldiers were standing guard in front of an entry. One of them swung the door ajar, revealing a room behind. The trader stepped inside. 

There, sat the real buyer, the man who contracted Spinew.

"Did you get it?" Asked the figure. Dressed in black, a giant hood covering the top part of his head, only a part of his face could be seen. His piercing eyes gave off a faint yellow glow, betraying who he was. A mage.

Tamber swallowed a small sliver of his own spit. His eyes darted nervously around the room, avoiding direct contact. His shoulders tensed, subtly pulling inward as if creating a protective barrier.

A forced smile played on his lips, but the fingers betrayed a nervous fidget. He was standing in front of a wielder of dark powers. The hooded man always made him feel a bit nauseous in the stomach.

"Yes, master. It is here," replied Tamber, handing the pouch over to the mage.

"Excellent. The reward is downstairs. You may go," directed the man in black. Not needing to be prodded, the trader quickly rushed down the stairs. The guards closed the door behind him.

Alone in his room, the mage turned to the contents of the pouch. As he opened it, a smile flashed across his face. The inside revealed a giant green crystal.

Taking it out, the mage held it up to the light. It gave off a faint glow. Examining it, he noticed a small sign in the shape of lightning at the bottom.

"Excellent," he repeated.

He placed the crystal on the table, next to a wooden box. Turning his attention to the box, his fingers pushed a button located on the lid. The top opened with a thump, revealing five other crystals inside: red, yellow, orange, white, and black.

A note lay next to them. A spell. By reciting the words, one could unleash the power of the crystals.

"Let's try," the dark mage said. He read it line by line, hoping he had found the key to unimaginable powers.

Nothing happened. Something was missing.

It wasn't hard to figure out what it was. The answer sat at the bottom of the paper. A drawing of a group of crystals. The same exact ones as in the box.

The mage counted seven of them: red, yellow, orange, white, black, green, and blue.

Blue. He was still missing the blue crystal. In order to unlock the spell, he needed to have the complete set.

"Blue," the mage mumbled. "I still need blue."

Mastery of the spell would give him immense powers. He would be able to unleash lightning, shooting down bolts of fire from the sky. No mage has had this ability for thousands of years.

He would be the first man to control lighting since the time the gods walked the lands. He only needed the blue crystal.