Prologue

Verenia looked down at the small child in her arms then out the large window toward the lights that flashed in the distance. Out there, her love Ele was fighting against impossible odds to buy her time to save their son. The day she had chosen to love Ele she knew this day would come. There was only one price for their crime and that was death. For the nobles and dragons of this world it was the largest taboo. It was thousands of years ago when it was breached the child of the two, harmony between human and dragon, that had nearly brought the world to ruin.

“All was well worth it,” Verenia said as she looked to the smiling baby in her arms.

Spirits of the world heed my call and answer my wish. As the words flowed from her mouth she felt the power rising through her body. Among the nobles she was one of the strongest in magical power but the amount flowing through her now was near her limit. Uncaring about her own safety she continued. Darkness and light answer me and build a path that none may follow.

Verenia felt the power course through her body as a small white swirling mass appeared before her. Placing her baby in a small basket she pushed it through and prayed that it would find happiness on the other side.

As the child disappeared and the gate blinked out of existence, Verenia collapsed on the ground bleeding from her eyes, nose, and ears. Her vision started to blur, looking back to where her love fought, she let out a strained smile as the last of her life force left her.

The light was waning and Neil knew that it would be nearly impossible to reach home before nightfall. Sighing inwardly he slightly raised himself in his seat to try and relieve some of the pain in his lower back when a loud roar echoed through the small valley as if lighting had struck.

Great gusts of wind suddenly attacked and Neil was forced to pull the wagon off the road. Getting down from the driver’s seat Neil moved a little way away from the wagon and sat in a small ditch to wait out the wind storm.

After a few seconds the wind died down and Neil was left baffled. Before he had a chance to sort out what had happened a loud crying noise could be heard. Following the noise Neil found a small child laying on the ground. “Now where did you come from,” Neil said with a smile as he lifted the child gently in his arms.

The child in his arms had strange blue eyes with slit pupils and his hair was a bright silver. Neil looked for the child’s parents but when he found none he decided that the child was a gift from the gods. He and his wife had been trying to have a child for years unsuccessfully, and now they had been granted their wish.