Prologue

Present

Cold sweat engulfs the boy's skin as he climbs up the mountain hill. With every step, he feels his heart pounding in his chest. He takes a deep breath, steadies his nerves, and continues his climb. When he reaches the top, he is greeted with a stunning view of the valley below.

The boy took out a map from his traveling bag and stadies He smiled, knowing he had reached his destination. He had finally found the hidden temple.

"I knew it...the legend was real."

He quickly marked the location on the map before tucking it back in his bag. His heart pounded as he stepped inside the temple, eager to explore the mysteries within.

Inside was pitch dark, no signs of life but pales of guard corpses and cobwebs everywhere. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, determined to uncover the secrets of the temple.

He slowly stepped inside, feeling the heavy temple silence. He knew that whatever awaited him was going to be dangerous, but he was determined to press on. He lit a torch and continued his journey into the depths of the temple.

He could feel the tension in the air as he carefully navigated the maze of passageways. He heard a noise in the distance and quickened his pace, his heart pounding with anticipation. He rounded a corner and his destiny was revealed.

As soon as he reached the end of the temple, he saw it. A large dragon slept on gold pales in silver chains. Under the red dragon's pawns was a glass staff with a yellow crystal fused to the edge.

"Oh my god, there it is!" The boy whispered. "The Arkena staff!"

He slowly approached the dragon, carefully avoiding making any noise. He held his breath as he reached out to grab the staff.

He pulled out a pocket knife from his pocket and started to cut away at the dragon's scales. The dragon stirred, but he remained calm and kept going. After a few minutes, the staff was in his hands.

He smiled in triumph as he wondered what he could do with the staff. He knew it would give him great power, but he also knew he had to use it wisely. He tucked it away in his pocket and set off on his journey.

Until he dropped his pocket knife and made a loud noise echo through the chambers.

Startled, he quickly grabbed his pocket knife and looked around. He was relieved to find that no one heard the noise. When the boy sighed deeply, the dragon suddenly sniffed his breath, waking him from his slumber.

The boy felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly backed away. He had no idea what kind of creature he had awakened to, but he knew he had to escape quickly.

He turned and ran, never looking back but only stopping when the dragon's tail blocked the entrance. He spun around and frantically searched for another way out, but there was none. Pulling out a pocket knife, he pieced the dragon's tail with it.

To his surprise, the dragon's tail didn't move. In fact, the red dragon didn't flinch when stabbed. Having run out of options, the boy decided to use the legendary staff.

He raised his staff and shouted. "Fire ball!"

Nothing happened, the dragon stared at the boy before his long neck leads in closer.

Panicked, the boy shouted another spell. "Lighten bolt!"

As before, no spell has triggered the staff

He was out of ideas, had no idea what to do next. He was lost and confused. The dragon is just a few inches away from him, and he can feel it..

"What the hell? Is this it for me? After all these years, I've found what I've been looking for. Why the hell is the staff working?" He said his last words.

He looked around desperately for some sort of help or solution, but nothing seemed to catch his eye. With a deep breath, he steeled himself and prepared to face his fate. He closed his eyes and waited for the dragon's attack.

"Who are you?"

As he opened his eyes, he saw the dragon staring at him with a serious expression. He slowly stood up and said, "My name is John. I am a knight. And I have taken the Arkena staff."

"You're a knight?" the dragon exclaimed. "You appear far too young to wield a sword."

John smiled and said, "I may look young but I have been trained to fight since I was a child. I have come here for the staff, and I will not leave without it."

A dragon asked, "What era am I in now?".

John replied, "You are in the 26th century, and I am here to reclaim what is rightfully mine."

The dragon was surprised and asked, "What do you mean?".

John replied, "I am here to claim the throne of my ancestors, which has been taken away from me by a powerful enemy."

He continued. "500 years ago, my family's kingdom was destroyed by people like you who called themselves Guardians," and I have been on a quest ever since to reclaim it!"

"What do you mean, boy?" the dragon asked.

"Don't act dumb! Your people and those behind them were the main reason my country was destroyed. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have been exiled here. Take a look at all of these history books!"

John roughly pulled out a stack of books from his bag. He flung them on the ground and pointed at them. "Uncover the facts of what happened!" he shouted.

The dragon leds in front of him stepped back in surprise. John's face was red with rage, and his eyes were blazing. The dragon slowly nodded, bowed, and started to read the books.

"Ah, I see, I remember," he replied. "Amazeing, I look so young in these old pictures."

The dragon looked up from the book smiling. "It's been centuries since I've seen this place, but I remember it like it was yesterday."

He closed the book and looked at John. "Tell me, John, who was the girl in a sunflower dress?"

John's eyes widen. "What? You forgot her name? One of the most powerful mages in the land, she changed history. Her name was Odette Miller."

"Odette Miller," the dragon muttered. "Odette...Odette...Odette."

The dragon blinked and looked up at John. "Yes, I remember now, Odette Miller. She was a remarkable woman."

"SHE WAS A MONSTER! SHE DESTROY MY LAND, MY FAMILY'S LAND!" John yelled.

The dragon sighed and bowed its head in agreement. "Yes, she was a monster. But she was more than that. She was a symbol of strength and courage for many. She was a reminder that we can always push forward in the face of adversity. She was a hero."

"A hero?" John asked. "How is she a hero? All the history books claim she is a wicked demon."

The dragon looked up at John and said, "Her story may have been twisted by time, but that doesn't mean she wasn't a hero. She fought for what was right, and that is a quality we should all strive for."

"Sit down boy, let me tell you the real story about Odette Miller." Dragon said.

As he was told, the boy lay on the cold floor while the dragon turned the first page in the history book.

"Before Odette came to Arkena, she was ordinary. She was just like anyone else, unaware of the hidden secrets of the world. But then she was on a trip with her family. She wore a sunflower dress. Yes, I remember her dress, her beautiful dress."

Chapter end