Prologue

"Your highness!" a young guard comes charging into the throne room, forging past everyone and everything before dropping into a bow at King Agnigar's feet.

"And what is so important that you must charge in here?" The King questions sharply, with all the coldness in his heart.

"There are humans, your highness."

"And what news is this? Humans have been around for centuries! This is nothing new."

"But, my lord, they're on your land; armed."

The king stares at the knight as he bows on the floor, undoubtedly wishing he could slip through it or at least become invisible. The king settles, letting a cold calmness come over him as he prepares for what's to come.

"It's a small group of three, maybe four."

Agnigars calm words are as sharp as a needlepoint. "Maybe, you're that unsure?"

"Three, it's definitely three!"

"That is better," he says, rising from his throne. Agnigar grasps his crown, lifting it off his head of black hair, leaving it on his throne, as he prepares to leave the room.

"That is not all, my King." The guard says in a softer, warmer tone.

Agnigar looks at him, his brilliant green eyes focused on him through their iris slits. "What more have you forgotten to add? Are they carrying weapons forged with magic? Are they the kings of their kind?"

"No, it's your sister, Princess Jaswell."

At the mention of her name, Agnigar became noticeably worried. "What about her?" he said, without the usual stiff demanding quality but rather impatient and concerned.

"The egg has hatched, my King, and it's a beautiful baby boy."

You could almost feel the relief ripple through the room as the king began to smile wholeheartedly. "And what about Desmeos? Does he know?"

The guard nods; he is happy to deliver better news.

"Good, I'm glad. Then, it appears that I will be going alone." Agnigar says, turning back to the door. The guard is quick to fall into step, testing his own luck with the coldhearted king.

"But Sir!"

He turns, staring at the guard once again with that ridged stern look, absent of all the affection it had only a moment ago. "I am Agnigar Fetol, the King of all dragons and the keeper of the heart. I do not need your help, or anyone's to deal with a few straggling humans, rats, let alone an army! Remember your place!"

Shaken, the guard falls in line quickly and hopes not to upset the ruler further. "What can I do, my lord?" he says, feeling relatively small and timid.

"Alert Desmeos of my leave, and tell him not to worry." The king looked to the window with a distant expression before softening again briefly. "I'll be back soon to give my blessing to my nephew."

The guard bows, respectfully, before helping Agnigar remove his cloak before he plummets into the sky through the open window. He's quick to transform, losing his human skin and gaining thousands of impenetrable scales. He was large even by dragon standards. Indeed, a dominating presence as he sore through the sky like a blackened shadow ripping his way through the clouds. Agnigar always was at home in the clouds, flying over the fields and forest of his kingdom, scouring the land and making sure that everything was in check.

It wasn't too long before he found them, the humans, and as the guard had said, there were no more than three. They were armed but weren't a threat by far. Without their magic weapons, they'd have no chance to harm him, even in human form. He just wouldn't let them, but as he got closer, he realized something off, something peculiar.

It was a scent, so sickly sweet. It seemed to take over Agnigar, as he lost all senses. The closer he got, the more he had to fight not to give in. He'd heard about such things, but it was a mere legend among dragons. Could it be? His match?

He flew to them, shifting as he landed but still keeping his guard up. Even if she was there, he couldn't just give in; he had no idea what she wanted or who she even was. However, the sent still reared its unwanted pull as he came face to face with them: the three humans.

She was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen, with her long wavy hair and her hazel eyes, just verging on what could be considered green. The power she had over him drew so much of his attention that he hardly noticed her other companions, two males; he knew that much. A protective sense came over him as envy and jealousy took root. Most likely, the heart's doing.

"What are you doing here, on my land?" He roared, still trying to keep his act together despite every nerve in his body, every sense in his mind, wanting to give in at this moment.

"We're here for The Heart." One of them said, acting confident.

"The Heart?" Agnigar muttered.

The other male, a redhead, stuck his spear into the ground, making a stance, before confirming Agnigar's worst fears. "Yes, The Heart of Magic. We know you have it!" He said.

Agnigar pulled his gaze away from his match to look them all over. A laugh rumbled from his belly, echoing in the forest behind them. "You want The Heart of Magic?! You'll never find it."

Her hazel eyes stared him down as if they were piercing daggers; he approved of her ferocity. She said, "We know your secret, Dragon," with a rich voice that stopped his senses.

"Oh really, and what is that?"

"That you," she took a step forward, closer to him. "King Agnigar Fetol are the key." She continued.

His heart plummeted knowing the truth. Suddenly feeling weak in his half-transformed state, lacking the majority of his scales, spawned the urge to back away. But, he knew it was too late as he felt her arms wrap around him, and he could feel the cool metal of the blade pointing into his back.

"You'll remember my name," she said as he fell back to the ground, her pinning him down. "Dayla Kinsmen. For I am your killer, king of Dragons."

Rage filled Agnigar, he already knew he'd lost everything, but still, the thoughts flooded his body of what might have been if only they met differently. With the last of his strength, he reached for her. Out of surprise at his action lacking malice, she let their lips connect, but only just before, he left her with the same kindness.

"But for you, Dayla Kinsmen, I both bless and curse you with the knowledge..."

The kiss itself was beautiful, lacking the passion that it should've contained, but that was quick to change as the bond connected in full, with them emanating the golden glow of magic.

"That you killed your own match..." Agnigar finished.

Dayla grasped for more, fighting her earlier words as the realization finally came into play. Her eyes softened as she held him in her arms. "No, no, no... I- No," she managed to say, trying to help with his wound that she caused. Tears were quick to prick her eyes, streaming down her cheeks in a ferry.

Her companions were uncertain what to do as they stood beside her, but in the end, felt nothing as she lay there with Agnigar's blood on her hands.

This was the start of everything, a day filled with a tragedy that should've never been that caused only more bloodshed on both sides. War was soon to follow, for even the heart, in the end, was stolen, even though Dayla only further regretted that day. She lived her life outside of the war, trying to be someone else entirely, but in the end, she could never erase her deeds.

Dragons, along the way, with the missing Heart of Magic, became weak and vulnerable as the humans only grew in strength. But as the war came to an end, it wasn't just lives that were lost; they both lost the connection to magic that they once had, letting time wash over everything morphing from history to legend.