THE LOST ERA OF KYRETHRON
The green fields of Kyrethron stretched farther than the eye could see. There was a time, before the wars and the fragments, when the kingdom was nothing more than a thriving community where dragons and humans lived together in a fragile but powerful balance.
The sun shone in a clear sky as children ran between the villages, their laughter filling the air. Majestic dragons soared across the heavens, their shadows gliding over the crops while farmers worked side by side with them. The towers of the Eternal Temple, at the center of the kingdom, reflected the golden sunlight like beacons of hope and unity.
In one of those towers, Calessia, the first Dragon Master, was engaged in a secret meeting with a figure wrapped in shadows. Her steps echoed softly against the marble floor, each one accompanied by the faint chime of the golden chains that adorned her ceremonial robe. The figure before her remained still, its face hidden under a black hood that seemed to absorb the light around it.
"Why are you here?" Calessia asked, her tone neutral but layered with caution. "I did not expect to see you again after what happened in the Abyss of Lunqirest."
"Because the balance is in danger, Calessia," the figure replied, its voice deep and weighted with ancient wisdom. "What you built here is beautiful, but also fragile. A single spark could turn this harmony into ashes."
Calessia narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully. "Kyrethron is strong. We have worked for generations to build an alliance between humans and dragons. I will not allow anyone to destroy it—not even you."
The figure leaned slightly forward, and although its face remained hidden, the intensity of its presence filled the room. "It will not be by my hand, but by those who covet the power that resides here. The fragments… you know as well as I do what they could unleash if they fall into the wrong hands."
Calessia crossed her arms, turning her gaze toward a window overlooking the horizon. In the distance, dragons circled the mountains, training alongside aspiring Dragon Masters.
"Years ago, when we began working on this alliance, you told me the same thing," she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "You warned me about the fragments and the dangers they carry. And yet, you did nothing when Umbraek tried to unleash their power against us."
The figure lowered its head slightly, as if recalling something painful. "Umbraek was my responsibility, I know. I failed by underestimating him, by believing I could control him. But this is not about my past mistakes, Calessia. It is about your future. The fragments must not be reunited, and yet I see the first steps forming toward that destiny."
Calessia spun on her heels to face him. "And if they cannot be reunited, what do you suggest? Let them remain scattered, risking that someone like Umbraek finds them again?"
"It is better than what would happen if someone manages to fuse them again," he said firmly. "The whole crystal is a weapon no mortal— not even you—should possess."
Silence settled in the room. Calessia sighed and walked toward a pedestal at the center of the chamber. On it rested a crystal sphere surrounded by runes engraved with a faint blue glow.
"Then tell me, what is your plan?" she asked, brushing her fingers over the sphere's surface. "Because I cannot simply close my eyes and hope for the best. I must act."
The figure stepped forward, his cloak swaying lightly. "There is a dragon— one that has not yet fully awakened. Its power may be the key to maintaining the balance. But if someone else finds it before you, everything you have built will fall."
Calessia's eyes widened. "A dragon? Who are you talking about?"
"It is not a matter of who, but when," the figure answered, his voice turning even more mysterious. "The dragon is not bound to this time, but its arrival is intertwined with the fragments. When the last fragment is found, the dragon will awaken. That will be your only chance."
Calessia observed him quietly, her mind working rapidly to process his words. Finally, she nodded slowly.
"I will do whatever it takes to protect Kyrethron and its balance. But if you are lying to me—if this is another one of your manipulations—"
"My words do not need to be believed to be true, Calessia," the figure interrupted. "Just remember this: balance is not kept through strength, but through sacrifice. And when the moment comes, do not hesitate to give everything."
Before Calessia could reply, the figure turned and stepped into the nearest shadow. In a blink, he vanished, leaving the Dragon Master alone in the chamber with the softly glowing crystal sphere before her.
Outside, the dragons kept flying, the humans kept training, and Kyrethron breathed like a living organism. But inside that tower, Calessia knew something dark was approaching—something that would test everything they had built.
For the first time in years, Calessia felt a flicker of fear.
"Balance is not kept through strength, but through sacrifice," she repeated softly, as if the words were an ancient whisper resurfacing.
And as the stars began to shine in the night sky, the eternal flame of Kyrethron burned with less intensity, announcing a change no one could stop.
Night fell over Kyrethron, bringing with it a cold that seeped into the bones. Outside the Eternal Temple, a group of young aspiring Dragon Masters trained with their dragons under the guidance of the more experienced ones. Their laughter and cheers contrasted with the tension building inside Calessia as she descended the tower stairs, her mind still occupied by the mysterious visitor's warning.
As she walked forward, she was greeted by Kaelion, her most loyal advisor and leader of the temple's guardian dragons.
"Master Calessia, is everything alright?" Kaelion asked, bowing slightly as his dragon—an imposing copper-scaled beast named Therion—watched her with bright, alert eyes.
"Everything is fine, Kaelion… for now," she replied, attempting to conceal the weight pressing on her heart. "How are the trainings?"
"The aspirants are progressing, but some of them still lack the connection required with their dragons. It will take time, but I trust they'll be ready when the moment comes."
Calessia looked at the young trainees working tirelessly, learning to synchronize their movements with their dragons. There was something hopeful in their determination, but hope alone wouldn't be enough for what was coming.
"Kaelion, I need to speak with you in private," she finally said. "It's important."
In a smaller room of the temple, lit only by torches and the soft glow of a brazier in the center, Calessia and Kaelion sat face to face. Therion remained beside the entrance, his massive body blocking any possible intrusion.
"What is this about, Master?" Kaelion asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"I received an… unexpected visit today," Calessia began, her tone grave. "A figure from the past—someone I thought I would never see again."
Kaelion frowned, trying to guess who she meant. "Umbraek?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "But someone who knows Umbraek well… and the fragments. He warned me about a dragon that will awaken when the last fragment is found. According to him, this dragon will be the key to maintaining the balance… or destroying it."
Kaelion leaned back, arms crossed as he absorbed the information. "And do you believe him? After what happened the last time you trusted someone like that?"
Calessia sighed, staring into the flames for answers. "I don't know if I believe him, but I can't ignore the possibility. If there is even a fragment of truth in what he said, we must prepare. I cannot let Kyrethron fall because of my indecision."
Kaelion nodded slowly, understanding the weight of her words. "Then what do you want us to do?"
"I want to intensify the training," she said. "The aspirants must be ready for anything. And I need you and Therion to search for information about this dragon. If there is any record any hint of its location or how to awaken it we need it now."
Once Kaelion left, Calessia remained alone, her thoughts drifting back to when she herself had been a young aspirant. She remembered the teachings of her master, a wise man known simply as Eryndor, whose connection with dragons was so deep that many believed he could speak with them through dreams.
"Dragons are more than allies, Calessia," Eryndor had once said. "They are the guardians of the world's secrets the keepers of balance. If you ever find yourself lost, seek them for answers. But remember: not all answers are meant to be found."
Those words now echoed with renewed force.
Determined, Calessia left the room and made her way toward the ancient catacombs beneath the temple, where Kyrethron's oldest texts were preserved.
The catacombs were a maze of dark, dusty tunnels lit only by lanterns hanging from the walls. In the center of a circular chamber, a pedestal held a massive book covered in runes glowing faintly with blue light.
Calessia approached the book and opened it carefully. The pages were filled with drawings and writings in an ancient tongue only a handful could read. She ran her fingers along the words, searching for any mention of a dragon tied to the fragments.
At last, she found a passage that caught her attention:
"When the last fragment is gathered, the White Guardian shall awaken. Its fire will purify the world or reduce it to ashes. Its fate shall be decided by those who find it first."
Calessia's heart froze for a moment.
"The White Guardian…" she whispered. "So it's true."
As she closed the book, a chill ran down her spine. Something in the air had changed, as if the land itself was holding its breath.
"Balance is not kept through strength, but through sacrifice," she remembered.
And in that moment, Calessia knew the sacrifice ahead would be greater than anything she had ever imagined.
"The guardians of the past do not always seek the truth, but the truth always finds the guardians. Seek the White Guardian, but fear the sacrifice it will bring."
TO BE CONTINUED…