Story: The Dragon Lord - By Bo Jones

[HAL 9000]

The
Dragon Lord

Written by Bo Jones aka the Dragon Lord Xenocho

The story I'm about to tell, you wont find anywhere. It's a story of another world, filled with love and despair. We'll start at the beginning. Once there was a child who was apprentice to a blacksmith. The child's name was Xenocho and he was apprentice to the Land Master's blacksmith. He'd spend his days pounding, heating, and studying to be the best there was. One day, he returned from market to find his master was ill. At 10 years old, parents long gone, and master sick he feared his life would end in sadness. When the Land Master found out his blacksmith was sick, he took in the boy and trained him as a knight. Although he was becoming a knight, he was sad that his master couldn't finish his life's work, the Sword of Souls.

For 13 years, he studied swords play, fencing, as well as keeping the Land Masters blacksmith shop going. At 23 years of age, he was strong, could fight well, and make swords, daggers, shields, and armor for himself and all of the masters knights. One afternoon, Xenocho left for his blacksmiths shop. After working all day, he finally finished the magic Sword of Souls. The sword had a beautiful brown handle which had four rubies and a sapphire in it. The blade was wide, orange, and had a beautiful design on it.

That night, he was coming home after going to a restaurant and the market. As he approached the temple, he was confronted by the Captain of the guards.

"The Land Master requests your presents immediately," he said.

"My lord," said Xenocho, "what is it that you require of me?" The Land Master held out a note and to read it.

Land Master,

I am Seema, ruler of your east land. Recently, our villages and crops have turned up burned. We've reason to believe a dragon my have come from up north. Many knights have left to search but none have returned. Our greatest magicians, mages, and wizards have locked themselves in our village local inn and are planning. They say to send the best knight to meet their best wizard at Seemach River. There they will cast a spell that will help them once they enter the Inferno Forest and allow them to defeat the dragon. Please send help.

Signed,

Seeca of the East.

"I see. I would be honored to go to the east and defeat the monster," said Xenocho.

"Good luck. Leave tomorrow," said the Land Master.

That night, Xenocho slept, dreaming of his return after defeating the dragon.

The next day, Xenocho left for the east with his armor, sword, shield, and only very little money. He stopped by a small stream to rest and drink. The next day, he awoke to find himself surrounded by red, burning hellhounds. For three days he traveled, fighting off goblins, stone gnomes, and all sorts of monsters. On the third day, he reached the castle of Seema of the East. After a grand feast, Xenocho insisted on going to a local inn for the night where he slept well.

The next day, Xenocho left for the Inferno Forest. He took food given to him by Seema. As it grew late, he stopped by a stream where old, balding man in ragged robes was sitting. That night, Xenocho and the old man camped by the stream, Xenocho sharing some of the food he got from the castle in exchange for stories from days long in the past. Stories of when dragons were gently. Stories when the darkest star exploded and some dragons were turned to evil dragons. Both of them slept well that night.

The next day, Xenocho woke to find the old man gone and a note. He read:

Xenocho

Thank you for the food. I was the wizard you were supposed to meet. If you get in trouble, drink this and you'll be safe.

Old Man

That's when Xenocho noticed the small bottle sitting next to him. There was no label but, trusting the Old Man, put in his pack. Xenocho walked for hours. As he went, he noticed the sky started to darken. Trees were burned and bare. A great fear rose inside him as he went on. Finally, Xenocho reached the dragons cave in the Inferno Forest. As he readied himself to enter, dragon came out. Black scales, red eyes, spiked tail, wings spread 20 feet. Xenocho was ready to attack when the dragon bellowed huge flames. Xenocho put the Sword of Souls into the ground and pulled out the bottle the Old Man. He thought back to the night by the campfire and the stories that crazy wizard told him. He thought of his triumphant return to the Land Masters temple.

Without another thought, he drank the from bottle. He then pulled the Sword of Souls from the ground to attack. As he did, his body was engulfed in flames. He faint. When he awoke, the dragon was gone. His sword, shield, and armor had melted. He now wore his royal under clothing. He had wings, a tail, and when he went to the stream what he saw was worse. He had black scales instead of skin, claw-like talons instead of fingers, horns, and his once hazel eyes were now piercing, red, dragon eyes. When he coughed, flames spit from his mouth. He flew back to the Land Master to see if he could get help. The Land Master was terrified to see what happened to his best knight.

The temple mage said he was now half- dragon, half-human and could use powerful magic. Xenocho was given royal robes and the Land Master turned his power to him for fear of his great power. However, instead of Land Master, Xenocho said he was to be addressed as the Dragon Lord.

Eight years later...

For eight years, Xenocho ruled as the Dragon Lord. But he felt, uneasy and restless. The temple mage said it was the dragon inside him craving adventure and excitement. That night he dreamt of his master and the Sword of Souls. The next day he spoke with the temple mage and former Land Master. He said some things that would change his life more than it

"You two are my most loyal servants so I think it's important you know. You see, when I awoke after I fought the dragon, my armor, shield, and the Sword of Souls were gone. The armor and shield were destroyed but the sword wasn't. The Sword of Souls is out there and I know were. When the potion in the bottle fused us, it fused our bodes, but the dragons soul is still out there and it has the sword. If so, the Sword of Souls would have given the soul a body. I'm leaving to find it."

"But how will you find it?" asked the old Land Master.

"The dragon inside of me will find its soul and the sword. While i'm gone, you'll be in charge. As of now, you are once again Land Master. I'm leaving now. Good bye." And with that, Xenocho gathered his things, and left.

Xenocho listened to his dragon half. It told him to go West. He fought off anything in his way. He used magic on mages, slashed werewolves with his claws, sliced stone beasts with his tail blades, and breathed great flames at everything else in his way. One day, he was walking through a forest when something seemed familiar. The sky became slowly dark; trees were became burned and bare. That's when he heard it.

Xenocho ducked behind a large boulder and looked around it to see a large cave. Then he saw it, the dragon from eight years ago. Strapped around his wrist was the Sword of Souls. He pulled out a dead cockroach and said "faj hefdin dooc" and it turned into a full-size dead lion. He then rolled it out into view and ducked back behind the rock. The dragon immediately caught the smell and started toward. As soon as the dragon was eating, Xenocho pulled out some powder from a pouch and whispered "tu cust de lamorc" and the dragon slowly fell asleep.

Xenocho quickly went to work getting the Sword of Souls free. After many failed tries, he pulled a dagger from his belt and cut the sword free. He then walked around the dragon placing a quarter of a grapefruit every 2 feet. Then he whispered "bemcee mecna defay buac" and pillars of water sprayed up from the grapefruits. The dragon awoke with a start and tried to escape but the watery bars formed a cage that from which he couldn't escape.

Xenocho leapt into the air and put a slice in the dragon's head. The dragon roared out and tried to grab Xenocho but he ducked through the pillars. The dragon burst out his fiery breath. The fire burned a hole in the watery cage. The dragon rushed out only to be gabbed through the heart by the Sword of Souls. Xenocho whispered "Swentii oofnec Solmunie" and the gems on the sword released a powerful magic with infected the dragon. He pulled the Sword of Souls from the dragon.

Before leaving, Xenocho released a great breath of fire and burned the dragon and all evidence of the battle. The lion, the trees, the dragon, all were burned to nothing. Xenocho then pulled some powder made from sunflower seeds and sprinkled it on the ground. He then said "rebearth dai towbac nomvoy" and the ground slowly began to become green again.

"Now I am the Dragon Lord," he said and he then flew back to the temple. He never took control of the land again, but instead left on many adventures, met many creatures including dragons and was forever happy, human-half and dragon-half. A copy of the Sword of Souls was made and put on display in the castle museum. Xenocho took the real one on every adventure as the Dragon Lord.

The End