Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5) Read online

  Omensent

  Princess of Dragons

  Book Five of the Dragon Lord Series

  By Barry Gibbons

  Omensent

  Princess of Dragons

  Book five of the Dragon Lord Series

  By

  Barry A. Gibbons II

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  Omensent

  The Dragon Lord Series

  Omensent

  Birth of a Dragon Lord

  Book one of the Dragon Lord Series

  *****

  Omensent

  Rise of the Shadow Dragons

  Book two of the Dragon Lord Series

  *****

  Omensent

  Wrath of the Dragon God

  Book three of the Dragon Lord Series

  *****

  Omensent

  Revealing the Dragon

  Book four of the Dragon Lord Series

  *****

  Omensent

  Princess of Dragons

  Book five of the Dragon Lord Series

  Prelude

  The tall slender elf hurried along the dark avenue that led through the large elven city, making an effort to keep to the shadows to avoid being seen. He slowed as he approached a set of crossroads which had been illuminated by torches, then boldly stepped into the light, revealing an aged face framed by shoulder length silver hair.

  He paused for a moment, and looked back and forth along the cross street to make sure that the coast was clear. It would not be good for him to be discovered. If it were revealed that he had violated his exile and returned to his homeland, all of his careful planning would be for nothing.

  It had been over a century since he had been forced to leave his beloved island for attempting to start a rebellion against the throne, and he had seen much during his travels among the lesser races. Most elves never left their sacred island, and lived their entire lives without ever meeting someone from another race. But he had traveled abroad during his exile, living among the lesser races, both human and dwarven, and had learned much during that time.

  At first, he had been miserable. Being forced to associate with members of the lesser races was a huge insult to his pride, and he had found life extremely difficult. But after several decades of drifting from place to place, observing the various races as they hurried about their short, seemingly pointless lives, he began to realize that some few of them had somehow managed to beseech their various gods into granting them powers that raised them above others of their kind. Priests and clerics blessed with the power of healing, wizards and sorcerers capable of wielding great magic, witches and warlocks able to delve into the deepest regions of the netherworld, all powers granted to them by their various gods and goddesses. A plan quickly began to formulate a plan in his mind. A plan that would enable him to return to his beloved island, and seize control of the throne of his ancestors.

  Even though he had spent his many centuries of life worshipping Petra, the Goddess of Fertility and Nature, he knew that some few elves had given themselves over to Hetris, the God of Strife and Deception. His followers were the darkest of elves, many of them murderers and assassins, who chose to forsake their families, friends, and loved ones to give themselves over to Hetris, who expected only the vilest of deeds to be carried out by His chosen people. The worship of Hetris had long been outlawed among the elves, forcing His followers to hide their allegiance, and hold their vile rituals in secret, or risk being put to death.

  He remembered that as a child, his father would regale him with the stories of those few who still sought out Hetris despite the risks, and were rewarded with tremendous powers that enabled them to accomplish incredible feats and unbelievable atrocities. Elves with the ability to become a part of the shadows themselves, control the various elements, or change their appearances with only a moment's thought. Legendary figures whose exploits resounded throughout the ages.

  He immediately knew what needed to be done. The goddess Petra had never done anything for him, even though he had been a devout follower of Her teachings for many centuries, so it was an easy thing for him to turn his back upon Her, and seek out the dark god Hetris.

  Now, after a century of exile, he had finally returned to his homeland, ready to take his revenge upon those who cast him out among the lesser races.

  He hurried through the crossroads and back into the shadows, then quickly made his way through the darkness until he arrived at a deserted plaza near the edge of town. He slowed as he reached the large ornate fountain in the center of the plaza, then stopped as a second figure appeared from the darkness nearby.

  "What news have you?" The shadowy figure asked in a hoarse whisper. The dark figure wore a long hooded robe that cast their face shadow, concealing their features from any who happened to be watching.

  "Recruitment among the young has been quite successful, just as you said it would be." The silver haired elf answered quietly. "There were many who seemed quite taken with the old stories, and were eager to jump at the chance to gain powers of their own. A number of them have already performed the ancient rite. Entire families have been wiped out this night."

  "That is good. Hetris will be pleased. He may even grant some of their wishes." The hooded figure looked around to make certain that they were alone. "And?"

  "And everything is going exactly as planned." The silver haired elf murmured. "Petra's followers have grown so frightened that something will have to be done."

  "Very good." The hooded figure murmured in approval. "The slaughter tonight may be the push that they need to force them into calling upon the Dragon Lord for aid. The Alena has already suggested the idea several times now, though many have objected to bringing in an outsider for aid. However, after tonight, I think that they'll have little choice but to send a messenger to seek out the Dragon Lord and ask for his help."

  "Does the Alena suspect anything?"

  "Of course not." The hooded figure whispered with a snort of derision. "He is far more concerned with trying to convince anyone who'll listen that it would be beneficial for the elves to open up relations with the lesser races. He has no idea of our plans."

  "The Alena were never the most intelligent of creatures." The silver haired elf sniffed disdainfully. "It's almost an insult to call them our cousins." He gave the hooded figure a curious look. "What is our next step?"

  "We wait." The harsh voice informed him from the shadows cast by the dark hood. "If the stories about the Dragon Lord are true, he will answer Petra's followers' plea for aid, and hurry here to our beloved island."

  "But why bring the Dragon Lord here?" The silver haired elf asked in a confused tone. "What good can come of luring an outsider to our island?"

  "That does not concern you." The hooded figure snapped impatiently. "You need to keep your mind on the task given to you by our god, and let me worry about the task He has given to me."

  "I just thought that I might be able to aid you." The silver haired elf frowned darkly. "What do you wish me to do, then?"

  "Continue to convert as many of our people as you can to our cause. Our lord needs more followers so His powers continue to grow, and we'll need every elf that we can gather if we want our plans to succeed."

  "I hope you know what you're doing." The silv
er haired elf murmured in a dubious tone. "The stories of the Dragon Lord all say that he is a fearsome warrior, and a sorcerer with incredible powers. He could be a dangerous person to deal with."

  "So can I." The hooded figure growled grimly. "Besides, he is only a human."

  "But this is a human who has fought dragons and lived to tell the tale." The silver haired elf pointed out in a doubtful tone. "Any human who can face one of the great serpents and survive must be formidable."

  "Are you saying that you fear this human?" The harsh voice had a slightly mocking tone that caused the silver haired elf blush in humiliation. "Do you tremble at the thought of the Dragon Lord coming to our island? Are you afraid that he may release his tame dragons upon you?"

  "No human is a match for one of Hetris's faithful." The silver haired man sneered, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "And the Dragon Lord isn't even human, at least, not entirely. He has the blood of dragons in his veins, which makes him more beast than anything. And there has yet to be a beast discovered that can best one of Hetris's children."

  "That's what I wanted to hear. I..." The hooded figure stopped as a pair of sentries carrying torches appeared in the distance. "I must go. I must not be caught speaking with you, or all of our plans may be destroyed."

  "I must not be seen as well." The silver haired elf murmured. "If my return from exile were discovered, the entire island would be in an uproar."

  "Continue with the plans as you were instructed." The hooded figure hissed, stepping back into the shadows. "Hetris shall let you know when the time has come to finally strike.

  "

  "It shall be as you say." The silver haired elf nodded, then, before the hooded figure could disappear into the darkness, he took it's hand softly in his own. "Stay safe, dear one." He murmured in a voice throbbing with love.

  The hooded figure didn't reply, but merely disappeared into the darkness without another sound.

  The silver haired elf stared into the shadows where the figure disappeared for several moments, turned and hurried back the way he came, eager to report their progress to his brothers.

  Chapter 1

  "You need to concentrate, Leia." Damion said as he watched his daughter with a disapproving expression. "Concentration is the key to everything when it comes to focusing your magic."

  "I am concentrating!" The young girl snapped, brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes in irritation. "I'm just getting tired. We've been at this for hours now."

  "And we're going be here for several more hours if you don't start focusing."

  The young girl gave her father a sour look, then began to stare at the apple that he had placed on the table before her. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and the apple slowly floated up off of the table. "I'm getting a little sick of making apples float around the room for your amusement." She said in a waspish tone. "There are other things that we could be doing right now."

  "You need to learn how to control your magic, and this exercise will help."

  "I already know how to control my magic." She told him defensively, taking her gaze off of the hovering apple, which immediately dropped to the floor and rolled away.

  "Sure you do." A scruffy looking man agreed blandly as he lounged lazily on a nearby bench. "That's why you set your bedroom curtains on fire." He grinned at her tauntingly "Again." He added with a laugh.

  "Shut up, Sly." The young girl growled, fixing the scruffy little man with a dangerous look.

  "He's right." Damion told her in an unyielding tone. "You could have accidentally hurt someone."

  "It wasn't my fault!" The young girl objected with a scowl. "I was having a nightmare! I can't control what happens when I'm sleeping!"

  "You're still having nightmares?"

  The young girl nodded. "They're happening almost every night now."

  "Do you remember what the dream is about?"

  "It's the same dream every night." Leia nodded again. "It starts out with me staring out of my bedroom window at the city below, then there's an explosion in the distance that shakes the entire castle to its foundations, and knocks me from my feet. When I reach the window again, Sevria is in ruins. There are bodies scattered everywhere, and everything is on fire. That's when the dragons begin dropping lifelessly from the sky." She shuddered. "It's quite disturbing."

  "How long have you been having these nightmares?" The huge warrior asked, his expression growing concerned.

  "They started a couple of weeks after the battle in Sierra," She told him. "but they've been happening more often in the last few months."

  The Battle of Sierra had taken place six years earlier, when Etaz, the God of the Underworld, gathered His people to renew His quest to bring the world beneath His dominion. Nearly every able bodied man on the southern continent had gathered in the huge seaport city of Sierra to repel the dread god's army. The Etazk vastly outnumbered the defenders, but the people of the southern continent, led by Leia's father, the Dragon Lord, Damion Omensent, managed to repel and defeat the invading army, though not without taking dreadful losses.

  "I'm not surprised that you're having nightmares after everything that you have been through in the last few years." Sly commented, taking a long drink from his tankard. "You've been abducted, dragged across the world to be handed over to the Dragon God, rescued, and then discovered that an entirely new species of dragon had been created from your essence. That would be enough to give anyone nightmares!"

  It had been over ten years since Leia had been abducted from her crib by a Highland witch, who took had taken across the sea to the eastern continent to be surrendered to the Dragon God, Draco. It was only after her father, who had followed her abductor's trail to the other side of the world, confronted the Dragon God that she was finally returned to her parents, but a terrible price was paid. The Dragon God, angered beyond all reason, took a direct hand against her father, violating the Pact of the Gods, which allowed all of the gods that once walked the lands to return once again, and renew the wars that once threatened to destroy the world.

  "I've gotten rather used to the idea that the veiled dragons were created from my blood." The young girl commented thoughtfully. "They're quite affectionate, and would do anything I asked of them. The link that we share causes them to look upon me as their mother, which is kind of true, in an odd sort of way."

  "Which reminds me," Damion frowned. "I would appreciate it if you would remind Xaxis not to leave his leftovers in the courtyard. The castle servants are refusing to clean up after him anymore."

  "I'll remind him." Leia promised. "He forgets sometimes. He can be a little flighty now and then."

  "He's still young. He's only around ten years old. Considering the fact that dragons live for thousands of years, he's really not much more than a hatchling."

  "That one big hatchling." Sly snorted sarcastically. "He left a pile of dung the size of a wagon in the center of town yesterday. It took four men over an hour to haul it all away."

  "I've asked him not to do that." Leia sighed wearily. "At least it didn't land on anyone this time."

  "Captain Repheth didn't know what hit him!" The scruffy little man pounded his knee in glee. "You should have seen the look on his face when he realized what just landed on him! I thought he was going to skin Xaxis alive!"

  "He didn't have to yell at Xaxis like that, though." The young girl said, jumping to the huge serpent's defense. "It's not like he meant for it to happen."

  "Nevertheless," Damion chuckled. "He can't continue living in the castle courtyard. It's time that he found himself a nice cavern in which to settle."

  "I can't make him leave!" Leia objected. "He'd be crushed! He loves it here! Besides, the people love him! They all come up to the courtyard to see him, and he adores all of the attention! I can't take that away from him!"

  "There's really no other choice, Leia." Damion held his hands out helplessly. "He doesn't belong in the city. He belongs in the wild with the rest of the dragons, free to go wherever he pleases. He
can't do that as long as you continue to coddle him."

  But I don't want him to go!" Leia whined, her lower lip protruding slightly. "He's my best friend!"

  "You just like having him around so you can sneak off for your nightly flights through the mountains." The huge warrior murmured with a knowing grin.

  Leia's jaw dropped open in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

  "You're joking, right?" Sly laughed again. "Your mother makes your father and Snowfeather follow you every night."

  "What?" The young girl turned and stared at her father in disbelief. "You follow me every night?"

  "Of course." Damion laughed at the look of outrage on his daughter's face. "Your mother had a fit when she found out that you were sneaking off, and it was the only way that I could convince her to let you have your fun."

  "Really?" Leia asked in surprise. "You convinced her to let me go flying with Xaxis?"

  Damion nodded. "I knew that he would keep you safe, but your mother wouldn't even consider letting you go off on your own. It took quite a bit of convincing before she finally agreed to let you enjoy your flights, and that was only if I followed along to make certain that nothing happened."

  "I can't believe you've been following me all of this time!" Leia sounded outraged.

  "You should have known that you wouldn't be able to sneak off without your father finding out." Sly told her with an amused expression. "Damion has eyes everywhere."

  "How were you able to follow me without me seeing you?" Leia asked in confusion.

  "It wasn't really that difficult." The huge warrior explained with a shrug. "I always shift into the form of an owl, and make sure to keep my distance. You're always too engrossed in your flights to even notice me."

  "And here I thought that I was actually getting away with something." The young girl muttered dispiritedly.