Prologue

Gene Tersa developed a headache within the Dragon Fighter Temple. A blonde-haired woman with wisps of gray pointed at a large, muscular man. “Riccar Quake’s actions started the civil war,” she ranted. “His house does not deserve, nor have any right, to Ares Castle. My son Jaan has that right, being Mirce’s son as well. I plead with –”

“Enough, Jine,” King Hnrique Xié interrupted sitting in his chair. “I did not invite everyone here to rehash old arguments. This is to end the arguing and restore peace within our country. And if memory serves me correctly, you threatened to declare war on House Quake, which caused the Dragon Council to disband from this very temple.”

Hnrique hunched over to Jine and spoke, “In my mind, this is where the war started, and here is where it will end. Now, does anyone have anything new to say before naming our nominations for Mustar’s new Guardian?”

“I would like to propose something, Your Grace,” announced a man who sat next to Gene. “Appointing a new Guardian has always been an internal matter for each kingdom. This decision should be left up to me.”

“Under normal conditions, you are right, King Iiko,” Hnrique stated. “Traditionally, Mustar’s Guardians have been the Dragon Fighter of Fire, which members of House Bojan have been a part of for centuries. Mirce chose to train Diel because he did not expect to have another child with Jine. With Diel presumed dead, both houses that have legal claim to this position, and Dragon Fighter Fire Crystal is missing, so no new Fire Dragon Fighter can be named. These circumstances are not normal.”

“Excuse me, Your Grace,” Gene uttered. The whole room turned their attention to him. “I consider Diel missing, not dead. You stated his crystal is missing, and we don’t know what happened to him. Diel might still be alive with his crystal in his possession.”

Riccar Quake took several steps forward to Gene. “Prince Gene,” he began. “I appreciate your kind words, but I doubt my son would abandon everyone he loves for this long. Even if he is alive, we need to move on and make decisions without him.”

“Riccar is right,” Iiko pointed out, “and since this decision will affect my kingdom, I should have a majority vote.”

“I agree,” a harsh voice spoke from across the room. Gene gazed at a young blonde-haired girl wearing a golden tiara with a sapphire in the center.

“Queen Andrej,” Hnrique addressed to the young queen. “Does your father agree with you?” Andrej angrily frowned at him.

“Are you mocking me, King Hnrique?” she sassed at him. Gene remained silent. Andrej ascended to the Rayian throne after her mother’s death during a battle near Hirsch Village a few years ago. Her father, Prince Bartek, counseled her during her reign.

“I meant no offense, Your Majesty” Hnrique clarified. “I want to make sure all sixteen of us agrees to this.”

Queen Andrej Delidae rose from her seat, walking to the room’s center. “As you said, this is not normal circumstances, but our decision will affect Mustar’s future more than ours. If I was in King Iiko’s position, I would ask for a majority vote as well.”

Hnrique turned to his wife Queen Eryca, Quin Chow, and Yo Chow to discuss Iiko’s proposal. “We will give six voting coins to use during your vote,” he countered.

Iiko pondered for a minute with his eyes gazing at everyone in the room, before he answered, “That will be sufficient.”

“Excellent,” Hnrique smiled. “Do we have a nomination?”

“Drond Alum,” Iiko boomed. “He has served as Ares’ steward for the past nine years. My people trust him, and we should officially make him Guardian.”

“Diem Quake,” Riccar called out. “He is a tested battle commander in Blackstone’s army, has been its Guardian for nine years, and defeated other Dragon Fighters, several who are more experience than he was.”

“I OBJECT TO HIS NOMINATION!!!” Jine shouted. “According to our laws, a Guardian’s responsibility is to only one kingdom. Diem is already Blackstone’s Guardian, so he cannot be Mustar’s Guardian. Even if he is relieved from his position, I don’t trust that Diem would act in Mustar’s sole benefit. Which is why I nominate, Jaan Hydra. He is Mirce Bojan’s true-born son, his father trained him alongside Diel Quake, and is the only choice for Guardianship.”

King Iiko stood from his chair to respond to Jine’s objection. “I named my nomination because he and his family lived in Ares for their entire lives. The others have loyalties to other kingdoms. If you’re going to object Diem’s nomination than your son is included in that objection as well. I do not wish for any conflict of interest with other kingdoms.”

“Pardon my intrusion, Your Grace” apologized a man with a mixture of white and gray hair. “I might have a solution to this problem.”

“What is it, Quin Chow?” Iiko asked.

“We could ban all Dragon Fighters, current and former, from politics,” Quin suggested. “As a former Dragon Fighter myself, I think it would be much easier for us and every kingdom.” Riccar and Jine screamed their displeasure as soon as he stopped speaking.

“QUIET!!!” Iiko yelled. Riccar, Jine, and Quin stopped their squabbling to listen. “Three former Dragon Fighters who brought an end to Jakub Piotrek’s invasion are behaving like entitled brats.”

Iiko breathed in slowly before continuing. “If we ban the Dragon Fighters from our politics, we will also have to replace them as Natoma’s peace keepers. Otherwise, criminals can flee to another kingdom and escape justice without prosecution.”

A low cough echoed through the chamber. Everyone turned to face King Julian, standing with the former Dragon Fighters. “We can use the border patrol to check everyone who enters our borders,” he surmised. “Anyone who wishes to travel outside our kingdoms can pay us for a traveling license. If someone does not have a license, then the border patrol can arrest them.”

“You can’t do this,” Jine groaned. “It has been the Dragon Fighters duty to be peace keepers for thousands of years.”

Iiko grew angry with her defiance. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have started a war,” he argued back at her. “If you don’t withdraw your objection, than your son will be ineligible as well. Otherwise, we’re going to add these conditions into our treaty.”

Jine’s eyes squinted in anger while glancing at everyone. She stopped to stare at Riccar for a moment before looking back at Iiko and said, “I withdraw my objection.” Jine sulked back into her chair.

“All in favor to ban the Dragon Fighters from politics and have the border patrol,” Hnrique motioned. Gene and his father were first to raise their hands. Eight other members voted for the motion as well. “All oppose.” Six members raised their hands, including Riccar, Jine, and Diem.

“Then, from this day forward, all Dragon Fighters are banned from our politics and anyone who travels outside their kingdoms without proper documentation will be arrested,” Hnrique declared. “Are there any other nominations?” Gene scanned every person within the room. It became eerily silent after hours of debating.

“With no more nominations and all trade negotiations finalized,” Hnrique boosted, “I will end this session and implore everyone to reflect on who you’ll be electing as Mustar’s Guardian.”

Everyone left the Dragon Council Temple with them going their separate ways. Gene followed his father outside and breathed in some fresh air. A small, thick cloud blocked the moonlight in the evening sky. They walked toward two of his guards manned outside Iiko’s tent, displaying the Cardinal Sigil of House Tersa. “That woman needs to move on,” Iiko stated.

“Jine lost her husband, father,” Gene reminded him before entering his father’s tent. “Perhaps you should be more emphatic for her. How would you react to someone who killed mother?”

“I would morn her,” his father responded, “but what Jine is doing is letting her grief rule her actions and decisions. I pray her daughter isn’t holding a grudge. I noticed how you were looking at Sanna Hydra in the chamber during the trade negotiations. If you intend to–”

“I guess Drond will become Guardian with your majority vote,” Gene interrupted his father changing the discussion.

Iiko remained silent, contemplating his next response. “I am not sure he is going to become Guardian. You are planning on voting for him, right?”

“Yes,” Gene grunted. “Shall I repeat your statements when you nominated him?”

“I wanted to be sure,” Iiko affirmed. “With my calculations, Drond Alum is tied with Jaan. Unfortunately, I’m not sure which way King Hnrique and Queen Eryca will vote, but they will decide who will win.”

Gene thought about who would vote for whom. Riccar and his son were obviously going to vote for Diem. King Julian, his daughter Leerah, and his son Bonarc have always supported Riccar. All members from Houses Chow, Hydra, and Delidae are voting for Jaan. “Based on my count, Drond and Jaan will have seven votes while Diem has five,” Gene noted.

“We need both Hnrique and Eryca to secure Drond for Guardianship,” his father stressed.

“I’m sure they will,” Gene assured. “After I retook Vallenta from Sanna, Hnrique and Erica stopped supporting Jine. They also have no interest in Diem becoming our Guardian.” he straightened his back as he began to imitate Hnrique, “It’s not financially beneficial for us.”

Iiko chuckled. “I wasn’t surprised when he sued for peace seven months later. And it created wedge between their kingdoms. Maybe I can use that to secure their votes?”

“It appears you have some work to do,” Gene smirked. “Good night, father.”

“Night,” Iiko said as Gene went outside.

A gentle wind brushed against Gene’s skin as he approached two more guards outside another tent displaying his sigil. “Men,” he greeted them. “Secure the tent flaps. I would like to enjoy the summer breeze.”

“Right away,” they sang in unison, pulling each side of his tent back.

Gene entered with little light to show him to his desk. He raised his right fist away from him. As Gene extended his fingers, a flame appeared in the center of his hand and illuminated the dark tent. He lit several candles near him when a guard spoke, “A scroll was delivered to you when you were in the temple, my Prince. I put it on your desk.”

“Thank you,” Gene answered. “You may return to your post.” The guard gave a small nod, going outside with the other guard. Gene curled his fingers to extinguish his flame while grabbing a candle with his hand. A sealed scroll marked with the High Mystic emblem laid on his desk.

“The Identity Ritual,” Gene muttered to himself. “It was earlier this week.” The Dragon Spirit would be reincarnated in the Mustar Kingdom, but The Five Great Spirits had not divulged her mortal identity for over twenty-six years. Gene broke the seal, unrolled the scroll, and scanned it quickly. He upsettingly tossed the scroll back on his desk.

“Excuse me, my Prince,” announced the other guard outside his tent. “Diem Quake is here to speak with you.”

“Let him in,” he ordered.

Diem strolled in with a small grin on his face. “Do you have a moment, your Grace?”

“I do. Please, sit with me.”

“Thank you,” he replied as they sat at Gene’s desk. “I was hoping I might convince you to vote for me.”

Gene should have guessed Diem might persuaded him to change his vote. “If I vote for you, I’d be going against my father’s wishes,” he argued. “Tell me why I should do that. Despite having the title of Guardian, you’ve never served as one until the fighting stopped. My father’s nomination or Jaan are better candidates than you are.”

Diem took a deep breathe. “You knew my brother and I never agreed on anything as children,” he admitted. “I wish to honor him by serving your kingdom in his place.”

“That is a sweet sentiment to have,” Gene complimented. “Regrettably, sentiment is not a good reason to vote for you.”

“From what I’ve heard, your people loved Diel,” Diem declared. “They talked about him as a single individual. The only reason people talk about me in Blackstone is because I am my father’s son. If I was born to a commoner, no one would care about me. I want to become someone who has a purpose other than being born into a noble family, and I won’t get a real chance in Blackstone.”

“And you think my people will accept you?” Gene asked.

Diem paused for a moment. “At best I have a familiar face to them,” he joked while looking down at Gene’s desk. “Is that the seal from the High Mystics?”

“It is,” Gene confirmed. “I forgotten the Identity Ritual was several days ago.”

“Do we have to wait another year to know who the Dragon Spirit is?” Diem sneered.

“I’m afraid so,” Gene admitted as he handed Diem the scroll. “I’m sure you received one as well.”

“You’d be wrong,” he retorted. Gene stared at him in confusion. “My father is the one who receives those messages from Blackstone’s Mystic Temple, not me.”

“It’s your responsibility to guard and train the new Dragon Spirit, not your father,” Gene reminded him. “Therefore, you should be the one to receive those messages.”

“You’re right,” Diem acknowledged, “but my father asked Julian to send any word about the new Dragon Spirit to him.”

“It sounds like Riccar has too much influence over King Julian,” Gene noted.

“That’s why I need to leave Blackstone,” Diem confessed. “It will always be my home, but I want something better for myself.”

“And does Riccar want this for you as well?” Gene asked.

“He agrees that my talents would be suited somewhere else,” he mocked Riccar, changing his voice to imitate his father.

“You gave me something to think about,” Gene surmised. “I wish you well, Diem.”

“Thank you, your Grace,” Diem responded as he bowed his head before exiting the tent. Gene fantasied Sanna would enter in his tent with her flowing blonde hair to convince him to vote for her brother, but no one from House Hydra attempted to change his mind. Instead, the night grew late and cold when Gene ordered his guards to close the tent flaps. He got into his bed, blew out his candle, and tried to fall asleep.

As Gene stared at the ceiling, Riccar’s words continued to rang in his mind. “I doubt my son would abandon everyone he loves for this long.” Nothing would have kept Diel away for three years from his home or his wife. Gene’s mind told him that his friend was dead, but his gut snarled in disagreement. He turned onto his side and drifted away into a dream.

The next morning, Gene climbed the steps into the Dragon Fighter Temple. Everyone stood in three small, separate groups, talking among themselves. Iiko was talking with Hnrique and Eryca, which gave Gene the impression his father convinced them to vote for Drond. “Good luck, Iiko,” Eyca wished as she and her husband walked away.

“How did it go?” Gene asked his father when they were on their own.

“Unsure,” he replied. “Come now, it’s about to begin.” They walked to their seats as the groups broke apart.

“Good Morning, everyone,” King Hnrique announced once everyone was settled in their seats. “I know this past week has been hard on everyone, but we are almost done. If no one has anything new to add, let us –”

“There is one thing we haven’t discussed,” Gene interrupted. Several people exhaled in annoyance as everyone faced him. “Riccar made his point across yesterday in regards to Diel’s disappearance. But even if there is a small chance he is alive, I think we should reinstate him as Mustar’s Guardian.”

The chamber was quiet as everyone mulled over Gene’s statement. “Son,” King Iiko concernedly whispered to him.

Gene was about to argue with his father until a voice from the opposite side of the chamber spoke, “I agree with Gene’s proposal.” Gene turned to see Diem standing tall. “There is no evidence to suggest he is gone. And if my brother is alive, then he should be able to return home to his life, his family, and his people.”

Queen Andrej raised her hand to support Gene’s proposal; Prince Bartek threw his hand up quickly after his daughter. Queen Eryca, Quin Chow, and Jaan Hydra approved the idea as well. King Julian Diehli placed his hand in the air. Gene looked over at his father who remained motionless in his seat.

“Riccar, do you approve this proposal?” King Hnrique asked. Riccar seemed unsettled with his son’s actions. His eyes refused to move off from Diem. “Riccar?!” Hnrique asked again.

“Yeah, um,” he answered. “Your Grace, I do not want false hope of my son returning. On the chance Diel does resurface . . .” Riccar paused for a moment to stare at Diem. “Then he should be allowed to return to his life.”

“Excellent,” Hnrique praised. “This condition will be added to our treaty. Let us move onto voting for Mustar’s Guardian. We have a set of voting coins for each nominee. If you wish to vote for Drond Alum, place a pentagon coin in the jar. For Jaan Hydra, use a circle coin. And use the square coin to vote for Diem. Good luck to all of them.”

Several servants went to each voting member, handing out the three coins. “Two jars are being placed at the center of the room,” Hnrique continued. “The jar on your right is where you will cast your vote. The one on the left is where you will discard your remaining coins.”

A young girl in a light, violet silk dress approached Gene avoiding eye contact with him. “Thank you,” he uttered as he collected the coins from her hand. She gave a small bow before moving on to King Iiko and handing him three small pouches. He opened the first one and immediately handed it back to her; no doubt looking for the pentagon coins. Iiko thanked the girl while she gave another small bow to him.

All sixteen members formed a line in front of the two jars. They appeared to have decided who their choice was because the line was quickly shrinking. Gene approached the two jars with Drond’s coin in his right hand. He dropped the coin in the right jar and discarded Diem and Jaan’s coins into the left.

King Iiko was last in line to make his choice. Gene watched his father remove the jar’s lid and dumped all of his six coins into it. Iiko returned to his seat as a servant took the voting jar to Hnrique. He dug his hand into the jar and began to tally the coins. Three piles were stacked up, but Gene could not tell which pile was for either nominee. They seemed to be even from his perspective.

King Hnrique stopped stacking coins and closely examined them. Gene held his breathe as he leaned in from his chair. “We have a winner,” Hnrique exclaimed. “Diem Quake will be Mustar’s new Guardian.”

“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!!!” Jine shrieked. “I DEMAND TO SEE . . .”

“Are you calling me a liar?” growled Hnrique as he held a circle coin “Your son received six votes. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.” He threw the coins back into the jar. “Drond received seven.” Hnrique counted the pentagon coins and threw them with the circle coins. “Now, let’s count how many votes Diem has. One, two three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.”

Hnrique threw them back in the jar before standing to confront Jine. “For a week we endured your constant bickering about Riccar and Diem,” he lectured. “I, for one, am tired of it. The war is over. Go back to Raya and deal with it.”

Gene leaned toward his father and asked, “I thought you said Jaan would get seven votes.”

“I did,” Iiko replied. “Someone must have changed their mind, but it doesn’t matter. Diem is our new Guardian.”

“What’s going to happen to Drond?”

“I will appoint him to another position that needs filling,” Iiko retorted. “It might not be Guardianship, but the job will be suited for someone of Drond’s experience.”