A Journey of Dragons
Reader-Supported Fiction

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A Journey of Dragons is first in a series of original, reader-supported novels, written and published by myself. It's set in the land of Syraqua, where dragons have settled and humanity is nearly extinct, where dwarves delve into dark secrets of the past, and iguana-like reptilians seek a future of their own making. Human civilization has risen and fallen twice before; it now rises again, facing challenges from both within and without.

This book opens as a massive cataclysm casts Kaylen Thyr ashore in the strange, wild lands of Syraqua. Snatched from the jaws of death by an angry and curious dragon, Kaylen finds new allies: a dwarven explorer, a scholarly lizard, and a mysterious woman from a hidden human enclave. The few survivors of his homeland are scattered, confused, and far from united — and when faced with imminent destruction, they can only be saved by a dragon who must forgive an ancient wrong.

A Journey of Dragons is the first in a series of novels about Syraqua and its peoples. The second novel is scheduled for publication in late 2010.

From the story:

Symurall frolicked along the fringes of ashen storms, swooping, diving, rolling, hour after hour, exploring thermals, skirting the edges of towering thunderheads, gliding on shifting winds. He relished the cool fluidity of the wind, the subtle movements of tail and wing.

It was a good day to be a dragon.

Earlier, he'd discovered young members of Kyazura's brood, playing along the western edges of the clouds. Their gyrations slowed as he approached, awed that an elder was joining their games. Quick, blue, and nervous, the children silently drifted for a few moments, not knowing what to expect; then the sky rumbled with their laughter, as their sinuous green uncle performed pirouettes and spins and loops. He stayed with them for a while, teaching, encouraging — then he flew away, to the east, toward home, and wondered what they would tell their mother, his sister dragon. Weaving slowly, Symurall watched as the sun painted orange, magenta, and purple against the horizon and across the waves. It reminded him of Kahshiki.

A dark shape separated from the vast northern cloud bank.

"Good evening," Symurall said as he slowed, allowing the other dragon to turn alongside. He spoke a language constructed from subsonics and complex layers, its sounds and cadences a fitting accompaniment to the storms. The newcomer was Sytherek, a great dark grey beast, stocky, heavily muscled, his spine and head lined with spikes tipped in brilliant, glowing purple. Along his left side, the scales twisted chaotically beneath and around the wing, a long scar that ran deeper than flesh. Symurall was a lithe, smooth creature, his back adorned with bright blue frills, his scales ranging from dark emerald green to turquoise. It was not obvious that they were brothers, and their contrasts and similarities ran far deeper than appearances.

"Greetings," Sytherek rumbled. "The planet has done what we would not." He spat a ball of smoke downward. "I flew over the greatest human cities, finding only corpses, mud, and fire. Be happy, brother! You, of all dragon-kind, should rejoice in their demise. They are gone."

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