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The Rise of the Dragon King PDF Contents Author Bio Author Interview Chapters 1-4 Reader Reviews
Author Bio Hi, I’m Christy Bower. Thanks for your interest in my Dragon Hollow books. I’ve been named Writer of the Year in 2007 and 2010 by American Christian Writers Association. Now I'm writing youth fantasy fiction. Thanks for reading and I'll see you around the dragon's lair.
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Author Interview The Rise of the Dragon King is the final book in the trilogy. Tell us how it wraps up the story.
At the end of book 2, The Secret of the Sword, Peter had become king and at his coronation ball, Grudge the dragon attacked. When he breathed fire into the ballroom, Alexandra was severely burned. So that’s where we begin book 3. King Peter is stuck making boring decisions about the kingdom’s financial disaster, Sebastian is in Knight School to become a knight, and Alexandra is coming to grips with her scarred appearance. Things get interesting when Alexandra runs away, Lucas the Magician brings word of a barbarian horde headed for Mirabeau, and Peter’s ally, King Arthur of Cadence, sent for help because Grudge attacked his kingdom. If Peter can navigate these situations, he will gain the confidence of the people.
What about the dragons? Are there more dragons in this book? There certainly are. The geckos had been
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multiplying like rabbits so all of the eggs hatched into geckos until the castle was infested with them. King Peter ordered them all gathered up in cages. Later, in a moment of crisis, Peter took them to the river and threw them in. Suddenly, Peter had more than thirty dragons. It’s all good fun until they run off to test their wings instead of fighting in battle.
Donkey Oatie is always a favorite character for readers. What can you tell us about his role in this book?
Donkey Oatie practically writes these books. His role is so easy and the absurd things he comes up with are so funny that I don’t have to think very hard to know what he’s going to do in any given situation. In this book, he goes looking for Alexandra, but he also helps with a vital rescue and provides an unexpected secret weapon in battle. And not to give away too much, but wait until you see the scene with the trampoline. Donkey Oatie is hilarious and he loves food so I gave him permission to start working on his own cookbook. Keep an eye out for it in the future.
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Are you planning on writing more books in this series?
I concluded the story in terms of Peter becoming king. But at the end of The Rise of the Dragon King, I opened up a larger role for the young people as protectors of the realm. I could certainly write another trilogy. Or I’ve considered writing three solo books featuring each of the main characters in his or her own adventure. I do adore these characters and it would be fun to work with them again. If readers are interested in more, I would be happy to continue. The Rise of the Dragon King is available in print or Kindle versions. Order your copy now:
Buy on Amazon Dragon Hollow Trilogy The Legend of Dragon Hollow The Secret of the Sword The Rise of the Dragon King
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The contents of this book are flammable. That is, if you consider fire-breathing dragons a threat. Still, no animals were hurt in the making of this book, although a few were hurt in the story. But don’t worry: I made it all up so the people and events depicted in this story are a mere whim of my imagination.
To Caleb and Nathan: Let your imagination loose and then run around like crazy until you catch it.
The Rise of the Dragon King © 2013 by Christy Bower www.DragonHollowBooks.com ISBN-13: 978-1492726524 ISBN-10: 1492726524 Cover image © iStockphoto.com / Elenarts
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Table of Contents 1 – A Bad Grudge 2 – Knight School 3 – The Tournament 4 – King of the Castle 5 – Healing Lessons 6 – The Brig 7 – Friends and Allies 8 – Mind Your Business 9 – A Wonky Donkey 10 – Brutes and Bruises 11 – The Donkey Distraction 12 – Backtracking 13 – Searching for Answers 14 – Preparing for War 15 – Gecko Baptism 16 – No Rest for the Weary 17 – A Secret Passage 18 – Look What the Scout Brought Home 19 – Donkey Oatie’s Secret Weapon 20 – Bouncing off the Walls 21 – Getting Rid of a Grudge 22 – Deep Wounds 23 – Dragon Auction Blooper Reel and Outtakes
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Chapter 1 A Bad Grudge Without warning, something blotted out the sun and a rush of wind made ladies hold on to their hats. Thinking a storm had moved in, people looked up to see a huge dragon hovering above them. The people at the Midsummer’s Eve Festival in The Magic Kingdom knocked down displays and trampled over puppet stands, trying to get out of the way. The dragon snorted and let out a fiery blast that ignited a large red and yellow striped tent. More screaming filled the air. The sounds of panic and terror were covered by a terrifying roar from the dragon. He swooped down over the crowd and breathed fire on another colorful tent. By now, soldiers began to run into the festival grounds. They were armed with swords and shields. One soldier said to
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another, “What good are swords and shields going to do against a fire-breathing dragon?” “You’re right. They seem woefully inadequate.” The dragon snorted and lit up another tent with his fiery breath. Then he swooped down low over the crowd, first one direction and then the other, to watch the people run back and forth. Mounted troops emerged from the castle to try to protect the citizens. Another festival tent burst into flames as the dragon snorted and looked around to see the reaction. People were clearing out and the soldiers were forming a perimeter around him. King Arthur entered the courtyard and brushed past some soldiers to get into the open. Several men tried to stop the king. “It’s too dangerous. Get back!” But King Arthur was quite familiar with the dangers of dragons. He had spent years defending the kingdom against Snuff the Magic Dragon. King Arthur said, “Grudge! I know who you are and what you’ve done in the past. King Peter will not be pleased when he finds out what you’ve been doing.” Grudge snorted and laughed. “I hope you’re right.” King Arthur raised his right arm and lowered it. Then his archers opened fire on the enormous dragon but their arrows
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bounced off the tough dragon scales. Grudge had achieved his purpose so he flew away. “Well, so much for the Midsummer’s Eve Festival,” said King Arthur as he surveyed the destruction done in a few minutes. He motioned for one of his soldiers as he watched the festival tents burn. “Yes, sir,” said the young man. “I need you to travel to Mirabeau. Tell King Peter that Grudge has attacked The Magic Kingdom and I request his immediate assistance.”
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Chapter 2 Knight School Two swords clashed and the swordsmen held the position, pressing their swords against each other in a defensive standoff. They stared at each other through the slits in their helmets. In a screech of metal, their swords slid against each other. Then the swordsmen stepped sideways in a circle like a slow, menacing dance. Maynard, the larger one, said, “You don’t deserve to be a knight, Sebastian. Knighthood was given to you because you’re a friend of the king and now you’re in makeup training. Look at you! You’re getting schooled by a bunch of squires. We’re training and doing the work to earn the right to become knights. Knighthood is earned and you haven’t earned it.” Then the big bully pushed against Sebastian’s sword and knocked him backward.
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“Finish the match, you two!” yelled Sir Cumference. Squire Maynard dropped his sword, took a flying leap, and wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s waist. They crashed to the ground with their armor clanging. After tumbling and rolling over each other, Squire Maynard landed on top of Sir Sebastian. He straddled Sebastian and struck him with his metal-clad fists in blow after blow. Sebastian could hear a bell ringing to end the match and then everything went black. Then, Sebastian found himself back on the day he asked Sir Cumference about becoming a knight. “At the coronation ceremony, King Peter made me a knight, but I have no training as a knight. What kind of training do I need?” “Most knights begin their training at the age of seven as a page.” Sir Cumference smiled and said, “But I think you could skip the first seven years where little ones practice riding pigs and learn to maintain their balance on a moving animal while fighting with blunt sticks.” Sebastian laughed. “Thank you. I might have a hard time riding a pig at my size.” “At the age of seven they become squires and spend the next seven years in Knight School. But I think we can give you three years of credit for your life experiences. I’m sure you could master the necessary skills in four years of Knight School.” “What do I have to learn that takes so
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long?” asked Sebastian. “Plenty! You’ll need to be proficient in horsemanship, the two-handed sword, battle axe, mace, dagger, and lance. You’ll also need experience in throwing stones and javelins, climbing, swimming, crossbow, archery, and wrestling. You’ll need to learn about siege warfare and the tactics for attacking or defending a castle. And, of course, there is the code of chivalry to learn, for it is important to be honorable and not just brave or skilled.” “I had no idea there was so much involved in being a knight. Do you think I can do it?” “King Peter believes in you so, yes, I’m sure you’ll do fine in Knight School.” Sebastian felt disoriented and then he realized he was waiting for the joust to begin. His lance was upright and he leaned over to lick it because it was a giant peppermint candy stick. He looked down and realized he was riding a giant blue poodle. This is embarrassing, he thought, until he looked across the stadium and saw his opponent on a giant pink poodle. At least my poodle isn’t pink. Then he took a closer look at his shield. It was a huge, fluffy pancake. He took a bite of it and said, “I want maple syrup.” Then he heard a voice somewhere. It was a long way away, calling his name, “Sir Sebastian! Sebastian! Hey, Sebastian! Are you okay?”
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Sebastian opened his eyes and saw the big round face of Sir Cumference looking down at him. Sebastian started to sit up but everything started spinning. “Whoa! Take it easy, Sebastian. Squire Maynard really rang your bell before we could get him off you, so take it slowly.” After a medical exam to make sure he was healthy enough to resume training, Sebastian ate a hearty meal. He had time to take a short nap and then he was ready to practice fighting with the mace, a metaltipped club. Some were spiked, but for training they used blunt clubs. He went to the training tent to see the list of matchups. He would face Squires Howard and Thomas in the first two matches. If he won, he would likely face Maynard again. In the first match, Sebastian faced Squire Howard. A match consisted of ten blows to the shield, so whoever got the most hits out of ten would win the match. Sir Sebastian fought well and won the first match, 7-3 against Squire Howard. Squire Thomas entered the ring and the flag dropped. The two began to circle around each other seeking an opportunity for a strike against the opponent. It was challenging to get close enough to strike the opponent’s shield without being struck by the opponent. Thomas landed the first blow, but Sebastian responded with two blows of his
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own. And so it went for several minutes. But this time Thomas won, 6-4. Squire Thomas would fight another opponent, giving Sebastian a brief break before he faced Squire Maynard. Sebastian was getting tired from fighting and the hot sun was baking him in his armor. His head was throbbing—probably from the blow he took that morning. He took off his helmet and poured some water over his head, letting it run down his neck and back to cool him off. Then he took a long drink of water. It was warm, but refreshing. Squire Maynard stepped into the ring and Sebastian put on his helmet and entered the ring, too. He knew this would be a difficult fight, not only because Maynard disliked him but also because Maynard was much larger than him. When the flag dropped, Squire Maynard landed a direct blow on Sebastian’s shield without hesitation. Sebastian took a swing and missed. Maynard landed a second blow on his shield. With each blow of Maynard’s mace, Sebastian feared his arm would break on impact. Oh, I forgot, thought Sebastian. My instructor taught me to angle my shield to create a glancing blow rather than a direct hit. The next blow from Maynard glanced off his shield and was much less painful. Sebastian landed some direct blows on
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Maynard’s shield, too, and the remaining blows from Maynard were less jolting. The final blow was delivered by Maynard, who won, 6-4. Squire Maynard took off his helmet and chest bumped Sebastian. “You’re never going to be good enough! You don’t belong here!” “Knock it off, squire! The match is over,” said Sir Cumference with a stern voice. “I won’t have you take things too far like you did this morning. Now leave the ring.” Squire Maynard grunted, waved his arm, and left.
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Chapter 3 The Tournament From early in the morning, vendors and entertainers of all sorts began setting up their big, colorful, striped tents, with bright flags on the top and colorful flag banners all around. Donkey Oatie watched this process with great fascination as bursts of color seemed to appear one after another. He trotted around from tent to tent to see what secrets these portable houses held. He couldn’t imagine why the courtyard wasn’t decorated with colorful tents all the time. At the appointed time, King Peter stepped onto the platform, raised his arms, and announced: “Welcome, one and all, to the King’s Annual Festival on Midsummer’s Eve. Let the festivities begin! And to those in the tournament, may the best knight win!” A flurry of activity ensued as if the start of a race had officially begun and entertainers simultaneously competed for attention.
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Vendors began calling out to passersby, trying to highlight their best offer on merchandise you could only purchase from them—until you saw the same product at the next vendor’s tent. King Peter escorted Alexandra through the crowd. This was the most joy and wonder he had seen on her face since they went to The Magic Kingdom. And it was the most she had smiled since she had been burned in the dragon attack. He was glad to see her getting back to herself again. They paused to watch the jugglers perform and strolled by some poets and musicians spreading fancy words of wisdom and enchanted tunes. Peter was aware that some onlookers stared at Alexandra as they walked by, but she didn’t seem to notice. What Peter didn’t notice was a man in a leather hat and animal skin clothes slinking along behind the tents, all the while keeping an eye on Peter’s movements. On one of several side stages, there was a play being performed by actors wearing colorful costumes and flamboyant masks. Some actors took off one mask to put on another as they performed more than one character. Alexandra was delighted in the show and didn’t seem to notice that people whispered about her appearance, with burn scars visible on her face. Then, there was a curtained booth with a
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puppet show. Alexandra stopped to watch and she giggled at the silly characters and absurd little story. Peter watched her with a certain joy of his own for, until now, he didn’t realize how much he had missed hearing her joyful giggle. If Donkey Oatie had been fascinated by the tent setup, he was even more fascinated now that the tents were occupied. He went from tent to tent to explore what was inside. He smelled food and followed his nose in that direction. “What are you making?” he asked one vendor. “Elephant ears,” said the large man. “Elephant ears? Where did you get elephant ears? We don’t have any elephants around here.” The large man laughed so hard his belly shook like jelly. “They aren’t made out of elephant ears. They look like elephant ears because they are a large fried pastry covered in cinnamon-sugar.” “Do you sell any donkey ears?” “Nope. Just elephant ears.” “That’s a relief. I didn’t really want people chomping on my ears.” “Would you like an elephant ear?” “I’m afraid I don’t have any pockets full of money.” “True. That does pose a problem. How about this? I’ll give you an elephant ear if you tell five other people how good it is so they’ll come buy from me—Eli’s Elephant
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Ears.” “Deal.” Eli put an elephant ear on the ground for Donkey Oatie, who sniffed it, licked it, and then gobbled it up. It was the best thing he had eaten since that last best thing he had eaten. “Mmm. Melemant mears mar monderful,” he said with his mouth full. Eli laughed with delight. While Peter and Alexandra were watching the puppet show, Donkey Oatie came trotting over to them. King Peter said, “What is that all over your face?” “I just ate an elephant,” said Donkey Oatie. “Why does that not surprise me?” said King Peter, looking at Alexandra while they both laughed. “An elephant?” asked Alexandra. “Oh, yes, they have very tasty ears, especially when they’re covered in cinnamon-sugar.” “You mean you had a deep-fried pastry?” “He called it an elephant ear and it was big like an elephant ear. If it was a pastry, it was the biggest pastry I’ve ever seen and eaten.” Donkey Oatie led them over to the elephant ear tent and Peter purchased one to share with Alexandra. “You’re right, Donkey Oatie. These elephants have tasty ears,” said Alexandra with a slight giggle.
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“I’m just glad he doesn’t sell donkey ears,” said Donkey Oatie. In early afternoon, Peter and Alexandra were headed to the stadium for the jousting tournament. Alexandra saw her brother nearby. “Sebastian! Sebastian!” He stopped and turned toward her voice. “How are your competitions going?” she asked. “I scored well enough in the sword and mace. Now it all depends on the jousting competition, which is the main event, as you know. Let’s hope I can do well enough not to embarrass myself.” “You’ll do fine,” said Peter, slapping his friend on the shoulder in a vote of confidence. Peter looked around, feeling as if he were being watched, but saw nothing unusual. He never noticed the man dressed in animal skins lurking in the shadows. As King Peter escorted Alexandra into the stadium seats to watch the jousting, he could hear the murmurs in the crowd. He looked at Alexandra and smiled. Donkey Oatie followed behind them. Normally a donkey wouldn’t be allowed in the seating area, but if the king said so, it was so. Then someone yelled, “King Peter could have the most beautiful girl in the land, but he chose the ugliest.” Peter turned and pointed at the man: “Guards, remove that man!” Four guards scrambled to that position and forcibly removed him from the event. Peter put a
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protective arm around Alexandra and they took their seats. “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded but said nothing. While the crowd was waiting for the jousting tournament to begin, another voice cried out: “Look! King Peter and his ass are here!” Peter was going to let that go because, even though it was disrespectful, he could see the humor in it. But then another voice yelled, “That’s not his ass. That’s his girlfriend!” Again Peter called for the guards: “Remove those men!” And the guards made haste to remove the troublemakers. “Don’t take offense, Alex,” he said. “They’re trying to make me mad.” She said nothing and nodded again. The tournament began and there were several jousting matches before it was Sebastian’s turn. He would be facing Squire Maynard in his first match. Sebastian appeared in full protective armor, riding up on a brown horse. He held his lance and waited for the starting flag. Then, he kicked his horse and it lunged forward. Sir Sebastian leveled his lance and braced it in the crook of his elbow. The two riders sped toward one another with only a low fence between them. Then Sebastian’s lance crashed into his opponent’s shield. Sir Sebastian scored the first point. They took their positions again and waited for the starting flag. Each rider lunged forward as his horse kicked up clods
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of dirt behind him. Then lances crashed into armor again. His opponent, Squire Maynard, took the point this time. Once again, they waited for the flag. Sir Sebastian felt a little beat up from that last blow. He tried to take some slow, deep breaths to slow his racing heart. The flag fell and they were off. In a matter of seconds it was over. Squire Maynard knocked Sir Sebastian off his horse and won the match. Sebastian was out of the tournament. The man dressed in animal skins had seen enough. He left the city to report his findings about the vulnerability of the king and the easy target of Mirabeau.
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Chapter 4 King of the Castle There was no moon so the blanket of darkness allowed the figure in the long, hooded, black cloak to creep from place to place unnoticed. Still, at each corner, the hooded one paused to look around, making sure no one was watching. The robed figure crossed the street to the stable and began looking for a suitable horse. The mysterious one bridled the horse as quietly as possible, softly shushing the animal to keep it quiet. A night watchman tried to stop the person, but after a few whispered words he backed away. Without taking time to saddle the animal, the hooded figure slipped onto the horse’s back and nudged it out of the stable. To avoid the clip-clop of hooves on the cobblestones, the rider turned right, up the alley and along the stream. After cutting
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across the residential area of Mirabeau, it followed the wall down to the Farmer’s Gate. The gate keeper woke at the sound of hooves, but returned to his dreams because he was more concerned with who might enter the city at night than who might leave it. Now the mystery rider dug heels into the horse and slipped away under cover of darkness and disguise. King Peter sat down at the table in his council room and waited for servants to bring his breakfast. A servant entered the room with his hand wrapped around the belly of a gecko. He bowed for a moment before addressing the king: “My lord, I’m sorry to bother you with this, but the castle is being overrun by these geckos. What can be done about this infestation?” “Gather them up in cages, but see to it they are unharmed. I will take them to a safe place to release them. But I will deal with them personally. They are my personal pets so they are my responsibility.” “Yes, my lord. I will try to catch them for you, but these buggers move fast.” Peter laughed. “I know they do. Good luck with that.” Several advisors now stood before King Peter and his food was on the table before him. He poked at his breakfast, taking a bite now and then, while the morning briefing took place.
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“The workers building the road to The Magic Kingdom still haven’t been paid. I don’t know how long they will continue to work without pay,” said Hitchcock, the finance officer. “The fact that they continue to work is a mystery to me, Hitchcock. Apparently they are content to be fed daily, given the financial distress of the kingdom,” said King Peter. “The knights have not been paid in weeks, my lord,” said Orion. “Where can we come up with the money to pay them?” “Orion, I spend many sleepless nights looking at the stars, wondering how to fix the great devastation brought on by attacking armies and a dragon seeking revenge. Speaking of the dragon, has anyone heard any reports about the whereabouts of the dragon, Grudge?” he asked. The men looked at the floor in silence. Peter sighed. Being a king is boring and tiresome, he thought. “Very well, that will be all, gentlemen. Thank you.” As the sun lifted its head above the ridge, the dark rider stopped to let the horse drink in a small creek but the rider did not dismount. The hooded head of the mysterious rider turned in all directions to survey the landscape and check for danger. Once the horse was satisfied, the rider nudged it forward at a leisurely pace to
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allow the horse to rest. They followed the creek bed across the full length of the meadow until it reached the tree line. If anyone was following them, the creek would wash away the hoof prints. A servant entered and said, “King Peter, you have a visitor. Lucas the Magician is here to see you.” The king smiled for the first time all morning. “Show him in.” Peter rose from his seat and walked across the room to greet his old friend. “Lucas! I’m so glad you’ve come. You missed the festival yesterday. You would have enjoyed seeing Sebastian joust in the tournament.” Lucas smiled and embraced Peter. “Yes, Peter, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it, but I have traveled two nights and a day to bring you urgent news. And you might ask your advisors to stay. They need to hear this, too.” King Peter said, “Whoa, gentlemen. Stick around, if you will. Lucas the Magician wishes to address us all.” Then turning to Lucas, he asked, “What is it? Do you bring news of Grudge?” “Trouble is on the horizon, Peter, if it is not already here. A hostile force is gathering strength in the West. They roam the coastal lands, destroying everything in their path.” Peter gestured to a servant. “Bring our guest some breakfast.” The servant nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Then to
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Lucas he said, “I was just finishing breakfast, let’s eat together while you tell me more.” They both took a seat at the table while the others gathered around to listen. Lucas continued: “Tales of old describe tribes of barbarians, in lands far from this realm, who brutally attacked the civilized kingdoms nearby. They were known for their brute strength and their war elephants, which dominated and destroyed their opponents on horseback. Moreover, these savages were not content to kill soldiers. They killed all people and destroyed all homes and buildings because they were enemies of civilization itself. Their barbaric ways became the stuff of legends, but the tribe has not been heard of in three generations.” “Until now,” suggested King Peter. “Until now,” agreed Lucas, nodding his head. “Who are they?” asked Peter. “They are the Vandals, led by King Hilderic. The rumors have been spreading of brutes with elephants on the move in outlying lands. Their methods are similar to the legends of old. Whenever they attack, you can be sure it will be a death match. Be warned, King Peter. And be prepared.” There was silence in the room for a moment and then Hitchcock said, “These Vandals have some gall.” Lucas spoke again. “To be frank, they are
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filling their sacks as they roam and gaining strength and momentum with each victory. King Hilderic believes his men are unstoppable. But the coastal towns and villages are easy targets. I suspect the Vandals are on their way for a meaningful conquest in our lands. In fact, my sources say they have already sent spies our direction.” “That is grave news, Lucas,” said King Peter. Murmuring broke out among the men. A servant approached King Peter: “My lord, a night watchman from the royal stable says he has an urgent message for you.” “Show him in.” The tall, lanky man had to be persuaded to approach the king to deliver his message. “Last night, during my watch, someone in a dark, hooded cloak entered the stable, selected a horse, and began to bridle it.” “Horse thieves are not my concern. Contact the local sheriff,” said King Peter. “But, sir, I approached the thief and tried to stop him from taking the horse, but . . .” “What is it? Spit it out,” said King Peter. “The cloaked thief said it was an urgent matter for the king. I caught a glimpse under the hood and it was the young girl, badly burned.” “Alexandra!” “Yes, my lord. I didn’t dare stop her. She bore the king’s ring. But I thought you
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should know.” “When did this happen? How long ago?” “Six hours ago. Maybe seven.” “Thank you. You did the right thing. That will be all.” Then, turning to Lucas and his advisors, he said, “Excuse me a moment, gentlemen.” As the night watchman exited through one door, King Peter ran out another door. He ran down the long corridor to Alexandra’s room and entered without knocking. There was no one there. Peter paused to look around. Nothing seemed unusual. Her bed was unmade. Her book was still open on the table. For all he could tell, she could have just gone to bathe herself. And then he noticed her bow and quiver were not leaning in the corner. Peter’s heart raced so he ran down the hall to Sebastian’s room and blurted out, “Sebastian, Alexandra is not in her room. Have you seen her this morning?” “No.” Peter walked closer to his friend and said, “A night watchman reported that she took a horse from the stable and rode off about six or seven hours ago.” “I know.” “What?” “She slipped this under my door in the night. I found it a few minutes ago.” Sebastian handed the note to Peter. Sebastian watched his friend’s face twitch with emotion as he read the note.
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Dear Sebastian, My burns have left me scarred and disfigured. I can’t bear to see the frightened looks when people see me. I feel like a hideous monster now. Everyone stares at me or taunts me with words because I’m so ugly. Sebastian, I’m leaving to spend the rest of my life in exile. Peter will want to come after me. Try to stop him. I need to bear the pain of my misfortune alone. Tell Peter goodbye for me. Always your loving sister, Alex “We have to go find Alex,” said Peter. “Of course,” said Sebastian. He took a moment to dress in his traveling clothes and grabbed his sword and shield. They returned to the council chambers where Lucas and the others were discussing the situation. Peter told a servant: “Summon my knights. Have them meet me at the royal stable, prepared to travel.” Lucas stood. “Peter, I know you are concerned about Alexandra, but you have much greater concerns facing your kingdom.” “King Peter! King Peter!” yelled a young squire trying to catch Peter before he left. “I
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have an urgent message for you from King Arthur.” “Go ahead.” “The Magic Kingdom has been attacked by the dragon, Grudge. King Arthur is requesting your immediate assistance.” Peter looked at Sebastian, uncertain what to do. “Sebastian, I desperately want to go after Alexandra. But I need to put a stop to Grudge, if I can. Will you go in my place? Lead a party of loyal men to search for Alexandra.” Sebastian nodded. Peter said, “Bring her home, Sebastian. Good luck.” “Wait! Peter, think a moment,” urged Lucas. “I will see to Alexandra. I can do that for you. You need to focus your men on defending the kingdom. And, if you choose to do so, send a detachment to fight the dragon, Grudge.” “You’ll go after Alexandra?” “You have my word. I’ll look after her,” said the magician. “Then I’ll send one-third of our forces to fight the dragon at The Magic Kingdom and order the other two-thirds to prepare our defenses here while I am away.” Peter met the knights in the royal stable. After explaining the situation, he said, “Sir Cumference, I want you to lead the defenses at home. Sir Sebastian and Sir Loin, you are with me. The rest of you, divide yourselves into two groups—one-third of
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you with me and two-thirds of you with Sir Cumference.” Then Peter’s group mounted up and headed for The Magic Kingdom to find Grudge, the dragon who had caused so much pain and suffering when he attacked the coronation ball a few months ago. Back at the royal stable, Donkey Oatie overheard that Alexandra had run away. “Is that where Peter and the army went?” he asked. “No, the army went to The Magic Kingdom to confront Grudge,” explained Odibrand, the stable manager. “Is Alexandra at The Magic Kingdom?” “No, Donkey Oatie. No one knows where she went. She took a horse from here under cover of darkness last night. She slipped out of town before anyone realized she was gone.” “Isn’t anyone going to look for her?” asked Donkey Oatie. “I don’t know. I would think so, but I don’t know.” “Someone has to do something. She’s out there all alone,” said Donkey Oatie. He hung his head and walked out of the stable. For the first time in his life he didn’t feel like singing, dancing, or telling dumb jokes. “If no one else will search for Alexandra, I will.” He plodded his way to the city gate and looked around, “But which way did she go?”
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The story continues in . . .
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If you’ve read this far, you know you want it. The Rise of the Dragon King is available in print or Kindle versions. Order now:
Buy on Amazon Here’s what people like you are saying: “This book provides a new, lighthearted twist on the idea of having to kill a dragon.” - KM “When I read your books, I started giggling and wiggling; it was so funny. I almost laughed to the moon!” – AE “My favorite part of this book is the humorous dialogue and silly songs.” CM “. . . enjoyable and exciting . . .” – DA
If you've read one of my books, I hope you'll take time to write a two sentence review. It's not to boost my ego, but to help readers like you make their purchase decisions.
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