Dragonslayer

Prologue

Thunder blared in Lord Huwcyn's ears, even as sun rays shone through the windows of the manor to illuminate his three eldest sons.

"What do you mean he's gone?"

Glyn stared at the ground, hands clasped in front of him. His older brother Huw stepped forward, knocking him with one shoulder. His face was solemn but he was unable to hide the sparkle of amusement in his eyes as he addressed Lord Huwcyn.

"Empty bed this morning. Little bugger's gone traipsing off with dragon sympathisers."

"Huw!" Glyn hissed.

Huw rolled his shoulders and Lord Huwcyn rose from his seat, striding forward. Rage rode through him, thick and fast and uncontrollable. Those two words grated at his soul, tearing his heart. Dragon sympathisers. After everything he had worked for, all he had lost – he still couldn't save his family from dragons.

He stopped eye to eye with his eldest son and watched the boy's humour trickle away. He thought this was funny?

"Explain."

Spittle landed on Huw's eyebrow and he flinched, but was man enough not to look away.

"He went out last night, to one of the alehouses," he said in a quieter tone. "One of the guards said he thought he saw him leaving with a northerner."

"Leaving with a northerner doesn't mean anything!" said Glyn.

Their other brother, Floyd, snorted.

"And why did this guard not stop him leaving?" Lord Huwcyn asked, his nose barely an inch away from Huw's.

"Uh... he is not sure it definitely was him. And he is your son; a guard cannot challenge a Dunslade."

Huw's eyes finally darted away in a moment of nerves and Lord Huwcyn shoved him hard.

"Out!"

"Father, I am sure Corran's has a good reason if he did go with dragon sympathisers. He wanted to catch one, to–"

"Do my instructions not apply to you, Glyndon? Get out of my sight!"

Lord Huwcyn marched to his desk, slamming down into the chair as the door clicked shut. Corran was missing. Little pathetic weakling Corran, obsessed with horses, but still his youngest son. Siana would be furious. She'd say he'd driven the boy away – right into the hands of his enemies.

Images rose that refused to leave him. Death, destruction, fire. A familiar, wrenching scream echoed across the room and his eyes flashed open, banishing the ghost.

Dragons were gone. The skull on his gates was a welcome reminder every time he passed it. He had nothing to fear from them; they had feared him by the end. But that tiny bundle of nerves in his stomach tightened at the thought of Corran with those people.

Would dragons never stop haunting him?

Dragonslayer is the prequel novella to my fantasy novel Kindling Ashes. You don't need to have read the novel to read this and vice versa - they're standalone stories about twenty years apart (with the exception of this prologue). Bear in mind this is the tale of an antagonist. Dragonslayer does not equal hero - you have been warned!

Cover stock - Resurgere/parabaleein & Grimolfr-Stock from dA