The Dragon's Tome, An Original Fantasy Story Options

[Zalphon]

Prologue

They called me the Prince of All that is wrong in this world. In Mathoc. The land of magick and wonder. The frozen north known as the Frostblood Tundra. The southern deserts of Sunskar. The eastern jungles of Sythariss. The western mountains of Star-Reach. The Ocean of Souls and the Sea of Arcana... The Northeastern bogs and swamps of the Black Marsh. The Northwestern Forests of Dragonwood. The Southeastern plains of Shadow's Meadow. The Southwestern Deadlands of the Dread Plains...

They say I am all that is foul in the world... They called me a being of the Abyss itself. They called me the Lord of Unlife, the Master of Necromancy, the King of the Undead... They were right... My name is Zalphon Shadowheart Broodikus, Emperor of Mathoc... I am the Arch-Lich and the God of Necromancy and Unlife. I rule over the lands with an iron fist.

My empire is strong and built of the dead. Unlike previous liches and necromancers, those ressurected by me or students of the New Ways of Necromancy retain their intelligence if we so-choose. Mathoc is ruled by the living dead, for the living dead. Our foes are the paladins of Lightius Star, the Arch-Angel and Queen of Skyhaven, Realm of the Angels...

We constantly fight to conquer all who oppose us. The only threat to us, was the dragons... The Guardians of Mathoc, they called themselves. And their immortal followers (ageless), the Order of the Dragon. I once was a member, but after I learned the truth about what power they hid from us, it began...

If you've picked up this tome, you must be expecting a story... My story... My name is Emperor Zalphon Broodikus, and it begins thousands of years ago, during the Era of the Everlight Kingdom. My father's kingdom...

[Zalphon]

Chapter Six: The Duel

Ten years passed while I studied. The longest ten years of my life were in that tower. Rnfiavenblood appeared behind me, oncemore. I had aged, I was slightly taller, much more muscular, and wiser. "It's time for the Trials of the Dragon," He stated sternly. "You have been under my watch for ten years, it's time for us to return to the Plane of Mortals and you to take the test."

"I will not fail you, Milord," I responded. "I shall succeed and be named Knight of the Dragon." My voice dripped with confidence. I had become more than I ever thought possible during my training in the Elemental Plane.

We both walked to the top of the tower and into the portal. This time I was in some quarters. On the bed was a suit of Drako-Steel Armor with a note on it. The armor was silvery and a tabard of the Dragon was next to it. The note read, "Zalphon, this is your new armor wear it proudly. Your sword will be the one you're knighted with. Drakos himself enchanted it to always be sharp, never to break, and to destroy your enemies with it's elemental power. ~Lord Ravenblood."

The armor felt light, weightless even. I donned the tabard and walked into the Ceremony Room. At each side were hundreds, if not thousands of spectators. Drakos stood on the stage with a sword. I whispered a spell and saw runes engraved in the blade.

As I reached the steps, I grinned. I kneeled when I was on the stage and with the flat end of the blade, I was knighted. Ravenblood stood nearby and I had to take an oath. "I swear, to always uphold the code and the Order's honor. To not lie, cheat, steal, or use poisons. This, I swear." An applause echoed through the huge room.

I stood up and he handed me my blade. I shoved it in the scabbard and took off my gauntlet. I threw it at the ground by Lord Ravenblood. "There can only be one champion," he stated. "And I have no intentions of stepping down, Knight." He bent over and lifted the gauntlet.

Gasps filled the room, I had just challenged the Champion of the Order to a duel. "What're your conditions, Zalphon?" Drakos asked.

"A duel to the death, no use of shadow-melding and invisibility," I blurted.

"Zalphon, do you know what you've just done?" Ravenblood asked. "You've just challenged a demi-god to a duel to the death."

"Obviously," I responded. "However, Lord Ravenblood you seem to be forgetting. You taught me all of your tricks, spells, and abilities."

He pulled his sword out of the scabbard and sighed deeply, "This will be quick, brother. I will be quite saddened by your death."

I pulled my sword out as well. Drakos and the other Council Members left the stage. He slashed at me, but I parried with draconic haste. Ravenblood tried to mutter a spell called, "The Dragon's Breath," but I counter-spelled it. "You've learned," he commented as we slashed at one-another.

"I did learn from the best," I responded. "Good thing I am about to be the best." I thrusted my blade into his chest.

"Indeed you are," he struggled to say. "Goodbye, Prince Zalphon of Everlight."

With extreme rage I turned around, "Prince Zalphon?" Drakos frowned, as did the other Council Members. His frown showed me the words of Ravenblood were true.

"Yes, King Alu'kar is your father," Drakos stated. "You're rightfully entitled to the Kingdom."

In rage, I burst out the doors to the portal room. I was going to Sythariss to find Lord Vayris and train under him. If the Order lied about this, they surely had lied about him as well. Who knows what else they lied about...

Fifteen minutes later in the Council Room...

"I have failed," Drakos stated. "I have failed."

"Indeed you have," a hissing voice came. "Indeed you have."

"Fenix, my brother?" The Dragon-God called out. "What're you doing here?"

"Ensuring Zalphon's rise to power," Fenix hissed. He thrust a sword into Drakos' heart and the deity fell. The Dragon-God was dead.

"Farewell," The God of Manipulation called out as he entered a portal. "This is just the beginning of his rise to power. In a decade or so, he'll bring this kingdom, the most powerful kingdom in Mathoc. The only one, in fact to its knees. And eventually the gods to their knees..."