“According to legend the world was created by three ancient dragons, each representing a different element of reality. The earth dragon Seb carved the surface with his claws, the Sea dragon Tiamat flooded the craters her brother had created. The air dragon Aether created the winds. Life sprouted in the land crafted by the dragons and soon the world was teeming with creatures of every shape and size. However, Tiamat became furious with her younger brothers for not listening to her warnings. She hatched a plot against all who lived, excluding her brothers, to flood the world with salt water so that she could live in peace with her brothers. Her brothers heard of her plan and cast a spell that rendered them all dormant, so that beings who resided on the lands they had made could thrive. The world and life upon it continued unabated, and soon mankind began to take root.” This is the tale of how our world began.

This is the tale the storyteller Nessira often told the children of our town. This was a tale I frequently heard. She continued with the final part of the story.

“Prophecy states that there will come a time when Tiamat would wake from her slumber and attempt to flood the world once more. At that time, a champion of immense power will fight Tiamat and defeat her for all time.”

“That is ridiculous. Dragons do not exit, and the world was not created by them. Science has proven that much. Humans also can’t have ‘immense’ power, it just does not make sense.” A young boy with black hair said.

He was my younger brother Collin Silverwood. He believed everything could be explained through science and research. We were the opposite of each other. I did believe in the dragons and powers, but I had to agree with him. It did not seem likely to be true. He looked up and saw me, I simply waved and continued home.

The Silverwood family was held in high regards due to their wealth and political influence. My father was the head of our family and a well-respected man. As the oldest son, I was to inherit his title. I approached our house that stood tall, its imposing facade a testament to the era's love of opulence. Steeply pitched roofs seemed to stretch towards the sky. Wall of stone were accented with delicate stonework, ornate wood trims and intricate carvings. Tall narrow windows allowed sunlight to dance across the interior. I walked into our home greeted by a sweeping staircase and ornate double doors, that welcomed visitors to the lavish interior. Inside, rich wood paneling, intricate moldings, and ornate plaster work adorned the walls and ceilings. The overall effect was one of grandeur, elegance and a sense of history. I entered the loft and walked to my father’s office.

“Good day father, I trust you are doing well.”

“Good day to you too Adam, I am however, not well. Scouts keep bringing in reports about the rotting of the crops.” He said in a sombre tone.

“Have you discovered the cause yet father?” I asked carefully.

“No, I have not. The king has asked for my report by the end of the week.”

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Just as my father finished his sentence a soldier knocked on the door and entered the study.

“Good day to you Earl Silverwood. We have found the cause of the rotting crops.” The soldier said with confidence.

“Well then, spit it out!” my father replied.

“The rivers are filled with salt, Sir. When the cattle went down to the river they died shortly after drinking the waters, Sir.” After hearing this my father slumped into his chair and was silence for a while before speaking.

“This must be the work of Dragonsbane. They always resented us for the prosperous nation we are and want to snuff out our wealth.”

The soldier seemed to think of how to reply before finally saying, “Sir, shall we ask them about the poisoning?” My father waved away his question.

“There is no point in asking, they will deny it.” He said with a sigh.

“Father, I will scout out the river, see if I can find the source of the poisoning.”

My father simply nodded and pointed to the door. “Do as you please Adam, just deliver your report to me.”

“Yes father.” I turned and left the study.

I went to the stables and saddled my horse Arion. He was a white stallion. His hooves resembled polished silver. His mane and hide were as white as freshly fallen snow. I climbed onto my saddle and set off with Arion. Something was still bothering me. The poisoning of the river sounded like the legend they told in our town. The dragon was dormant and might not have enough strength to flood the world but slowly poison it. I shook these thought away as we approached the river.

The appearance of the river was the still the same. The water was clear and bright, the only difference was that the fish of the river were floating on top. The grass around the riverbed had withered and died. There was also a distinct smell of salt. I hopped off my saddle and walked towards the river. I cupped my hands in the water and took a sip. I spat out the water as soon as I tasted it. The water had turned salty. This explained why the fish and crops had died. They needed fresh water to live. The cattle had died due to dehydration. This did not seem right, even if Dragonsbane had added the salt they did not possess enough resources to completely poison the river. Salt was extremely rare and could not be purchased in bulk. Someone, or something, was to blame.

Dark clouds filled the sky and it started to rain. I ran to Arion and hopped on. We galloped through the rain looking for shelter. We came across a cave sunk into the side of a cliff. I tied Arion to a large rock in the cave and sat down next to him. After I sat down, I tried to piece together what I knew about the river, but there were too many blanks. Who poisoned the river? How did they obtain that amount of salt? What were their motives?

I noticed a breeze coming from the back of the cave, so I got up and walked towards it. There was luminous moss covering a tunnel wall, emitting soft blue and green light. I followed the moss into an open cavern. The cavern was vast and had a crystal-clear lake in the center. The walls were covered in precious gems, ranging from diamonds to ruby and sapphire creating a kaleidoscope of colors across the lake.

The back of the cavern was covered in an enormous pile of gold. I walked closer and noticed the size of the gold pile, it was easily three stories tall. The pile, glittering in the light, looked to be comprised of large, fist sized coins, and had magnificent golden drapes over the sides. The only strange thing was, that the gold was moving, it looked like the gold was breathing. I stopped in my tracks noticing a giant closed eyelid among the gold. I took a step back and stepped on some pebbles. The eyelid slowly opened revealing a glittering blue eye. The eye resembled a diamond, it was beautiful but hard, and devoid of emotions. It was a dragon.