The Book of Ominiue: Starborn by D.M. Barnham Page A

have been south to Banadama, and I have fought in Daleflan over the Wayel-Éaa confrontation, there are many territorial disputes in the South, Ta’Orian Bardas fight over their lands as children over their toys, but most of it is stable. There are only a few places that are dangerous, and that is not as common as one would think.’
    ‘You have sung about Banadama, why is it important?’ Shayne looked to Kíe.
    ‘It is the coast where dragons last stood before they left to fight the raiders of the southern continent.’
    ‘And Anótole lead them,’ Shayne replied. Kíe was pleased to hear that Shayne paid attention to the stories and songs. ‘What happened to them? If there were dragons as you say, how could anyone fight against them, would they not just breathe fire on everything?’
    ‘Breathe fire?’ Madan’rah snorted as he laughed, ‘Of all strange things to say!”
    ‘No dragon breathed fire, Afra’hama, and it is not as simple as that,’ Pan’arden frowned.
    ‘It was the beginning of the downfall of the Great Ones ,’ Kíe replied. ‘They fought their enemies until there were no enemies left.’
    ‘You mean the dragons?’ Shayne replied.
    ‘Yes, they were part of the failing.’
    ‘I do not understand. If all your enemies were subdued would that not imply that the great ones you talked about could prosper?’
    Kíe faltered for a moment as he contemplated the question and then he carefully and slowly spoke, ‘the Great Ones were connected, many were one and the same, and one was usually linked to the other. Many Afradians were also Dragonriders, they usually had a Karamara Dragon companion and Karamara Dragonriders were also wizards. You see the connection, no?’
    Shayne pondered on that for a moment, ‘Afradians were Dragonriders and Dragonriders were wizards? But surely there would be those left behind, those that did not fight?’
    ‘Indeed there were. Marakite of Markees was left behind, along with what was left of his kin and there were those of the other Afradian Houses that remained. Marakite watched as Anótole rode off with the host, and many Afradians and wizards stood beside him on that day. He was the one who wrote most of the chronicles concerning Anótole.’
    ‘What happened to them?’
    ‘The Afradians lost the will to live. Most of their kin had gone, never to return. They faded into the shadows and became nothing but legend. Nobody knows what really happened to the masters of magic, they seemed to have dwindled in power over the years. The knowledge to perform miracles was lost over generations, until nothing but the theory remained.’
    ‘The theory?’
    ‘Yes, all scholars are taught the theory, in case someone is to return, or a secret rediscovered by a descendant who might have the gift to perform them.’ 
    ‘Are you a descendant?’
    ‘Far from it,’ Kíe laughed. ‘No Fa’Orians that I know of possessed the gift aside from dragon influence. The Dragon-Wizards and Law-Wizards were not the exactly the same, they drew their knowledge from different sources and I am no such descendant, no great blood flows through my veins.’
    ‘Are many descendants of the great ones known?’ Shayne inquired.
    ‘Many are proud of their heritage, though not many Fa’Orians admit it. Madan’rah,’ Kíe looked to the Captain and Shayne also turned to look back at him, ‘comes from a line of Marhardra Dragons. No doubt he and his parents would be Dragonriders if they were still around.’ Madan’rah pretended he did not hear them. ‘His family heritage is larger than most. One of his ancestors is very famous.’
    Shayne continued to look at the lionman warrior. He held little interest in the Kushnalor, he found Pan’arden intriguing. Shayne thought if the dragons were as grand as they were made out to be then they would only choose the best to ride them. He had heard Kíe tell tales of Dragonriders, they were brave, intelligent and overly obsessed with justice and peace.