Unleash the Storm by Annette Marie Page A

great waste of allowing it to fade with him. So in a final act, he called the tiny dragons to him and invited the boldest and bravest to step forward. Those few he imbued with his power. The dragonets evolved in the forges of the king’s power into draconians.
    “Each newly born draconian bore a flame of the king’s black fire within him, and the king bid the draconians to share their gifts with their dragonet brothers and sisters. To the strongest of the new draconians, the one who contained the greatest flame and greatest power, the king said, ‘You who bear the heart flame of my magic, I call on you to protect and nurture the fires of your kin. Be their shield, their taroth , and protect them until the day I awaken once again.’ And then the king’s eyes closed and he slept the silent slumber of the deepest night.
    “The draconian who bore the king’s heart flame then took Taroth as his name, so never would he or his descendants forget that they were the shields of their people, the guardians of draconians and dragonets. He led them from the king’s sleeping place and out into the world where they too soared through the clouds, their chosen dragonet companions beside them, with whom they could share their flame and imbue the dragonets with a touch of the dragon king’s spirit.”
    “And his size,” Raisa explained to Piper in a whisper, “so they can get bigger.”
    Shona cleared her throat. “And the draconians flew through the skies of their world, each generation led by, and protected by, a Taroth who carried the king’s heart flame within him. Some say the king slipped into the deep, forever sleep of death. Others say he slumbers beneath the earth even now, recovering his strength and spirit until the distant future dawn when he will call the Taroth back to him and reclaim his heart flame so he may once again soar across the skies of a thousand worlds with his silver sister of the seas.”
    Her final words rang through the clearing. The quiet night pressed down on the group as they all contemplated the story, their thoughts private and unspoken.
    “Ash?”
    The small, sweet voice barely penetrated the silence. Piper looked around in bewilderment, having no clue whom the voice belonged to. Everyone was staring at Netia, the second youngest girl, sitting beside Denna with her hands clasped in her lap as she looked intently at Ash.
    “Yes, Netia?” he replied bemusedly.
    Netia’s gaze became even more intent. “Why haven’t you had a baby?”
    Piper’s mouth fell open. Coby choked on a stifled snort.
    “A baby?” Ash repeated, sounding remarkably composed.
    “You need to have a baby,” Netia said seriously. “Like Raum had Yana. You need to have a Taroth baby. If you die, the dragon king can’t get his heart flame back when he wakes up.”
    “The dragon king’s heart flame is very precious,” Ash responded gravely. “I will protect it carefully until I can give it to the next Taroth.”
    “Don’t die first.”
    “I will do my best.”
    The little girl gave a satisfied nod and leaned her head on Denna’s arm. Denna patted the child’s head, her face contorted with the effort not to laugh.
    Coby let out a loud exhale as though expelling all the laughter she’d suppressed. “Nice retelling, Shona. Though the bit about the ley lines always makes me snort. Our legends are rather pretentious, aren’t they?”
    “Just a bit,” the older woman replied with a smile. “That’s my favorite version. I’m less fond of the versions where the dragon king will eventually awaken and take all his magic back from all draconians, destroying us, or the one where he rises again to rule us as our immortal god.”
    “Or everyone’s least favorite,” Coby said, “the one where the draconians actually stole the dragon king’s magic and on the darkest nights of each year, he hunts the skies for draconians from whom he can rip the magic out.”
    “I like Shona’s version the best too,” Piper said