The Guardians: The Warlock's Child Book Six

By Paul Collins and Sean Mcmullen

The final installment in the exciting fantasy series by two of Australia's popular fantasy authors, Paul Collins and Sean McMullen.
Calbaras has knowledge that the dragons of Dracondas desperately want. As payment, they are willing to grant him his wish to become the greatest warlock of all time.
But can Calbaras handle this power? Or will it ultimately destroy him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781925272345

Book preview

The Guardians

Paul Collins is the author of 140 books, including fantasy series The Jelindel Chronicles, The Quentaris Chronicles and The World of  Grrym (in collaboration with Danny Willis).

Sean  McMullen  is the  author  of  over a hundred fantasy and science fiction novels and stories, including  Souls  in the Great Machine and Voyage of  the Shadowmoon. He was runner up for the Hugo Award in 2011.

 Also by Paul Collins

The Jelindel Chronicles

The Quentaris Chronicles

The World of  Grrym (with Danny Willis)

The Earthborn Wars

The Maximus Black Files

Also by Sean McMullen

Before the Storm 

Changing Yesterday 

The Ancient Hero

Souls in the Great Machine

Glass Dragons

Voyage of  the Shadowmoon

THE GUARDIANS

Paul Collins and Sean McMullen

 First  published by Ford  Street Publishing, an imprint of

Hybrid Publishers, PO Box 52, Ormond VIC 3204

Melbourne Victoria Australia hybridpublishers.com.au

This publication is copyright. Apart  from  any  use

as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968,  no part  may be reproduced by any  process without 

prior written permission from  the publisher. Requests and  enquiries concerning reproduction 

should be addressed to Ford  Street Publishing Pty Ltd,  162 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford, Vic 3067,  

Australia. www.fordstreetpublishing.com

First  published 2015

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Creator:  Collins, Paul,  1954– author.

Title:   The Guardians / Paul Collins, Sean  McMullen.

eISBN: 978-1-925272-34-5

Series: Warlock’s child: bk 6.

Target Audience: For primary school age.

Subjects: Fantasy fiction. Other  Creators/Contributors:

McMullen, Sean,  1948– author.

© Paul Collins  and  Sean  McMullen

© Cover  design: Grant Gittus

© Cover  illustration Marc McBride

Editor: Gemma  Dean-Furlong

To Barbara Braxton, supporter of the cause

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Contents

THE GUARDIANS

DRAGONS

DANTAR

VELZA

DANTAR

DANTAR

VELZA

DANTAR

VELZA

DANTAR

DRAGONS

DANTAR

VELZA

DANTAR

VELZA

DANTAR

VELZA

GERVANI

DRAGONS

There were very few humans left in the world who could call themselves Dracondians. Some of them lived on the island of Morticas, which was once a Dracondian colony, while others had taken refuge in the mountains of Savaria and Dravinia. Although the revolt of the dragons against their human creators had been three thousand years earlier, the descendants of the Dracondians on Morticas were well prepared in case the dragons ever returned.

Now the dragons really were back, but the Dracondians of the Invisible Temple were ready for them. The temple was not actually invisible, but it was much, much more than a ruin.

The dragon Stormvaud tore off the main roof, then the Dragon Inquisitor landed beside him, reached in and seized one of the fleeing priests.

Other priests dived through stone trapdoors and slammed them shut. By the time the Dragon Inquisitor lost his temper and poured a torrent of green flames down on his captive, the refuges of the temple were safely sealed from the fire. The priests and their guests, Marko and Arrissa, became uncomfortably hot, but they remained well and truly alive.

DANTAR

Something very important to remember about magic is that it is not all-powerful. If magic could do anything, everything would be possible and the world would be a very boring place. Dantar had been the most unmagical of youths, and for most of his fourteen years had wished he could work any sort of spell, no matter how minor. His wish had been granted when he discovered that he could shapeshift into a dragon. He looked like a dragon, his breath was forge- hot, and he could fly; yet he was much, much smaller than other dragons. He could fly carrying one person, but that was his limit. Magic could squirm around some laws of aerodynamics, but not all of them.

Dantar had snatched his father Calbaras from in front of the Invisible Temple and slowly ascended into the sky, holding the warlock by one arm. Behind them was Avantar, a creature conjured by Calbaras in the image of Dantar, an evil servant of the warlock that could also shapeshift into dragon form.

Burdened by Calbaras, Dantar could only climb slowly. Avantar was carrying nothing, but he had been struck by a large number of crossbow bolts the day before, and even dragons need time to recover from injuries. He flew after Dantar and Calbaras as fast as he could, yet he was still not fully healed, and could not close with them fast enough as they rose toward the clouds in a wide spiral.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Calbaras shouted, once he had overcome his initial fright. ‘Your friends will die for this.’

‘My friends have escaped you,’ Dantar replied in dragons’ mindspeak.

‘I’ll kill every filthy, ragged priest in that temple for releasing them from their chains.’

‘The priests did not help them. Remember, Arrissa once worked in a carnival, doing tricks like opening locks and escaping shackles.’

Calbaras hurriedly thought about this. His only real hold over Dantar had been to threaten his son’s friends. Now that they were safely out of his reach, the warlock was forced to negotiate.

‘So what do you want?’ he demanded as they rose through fluffy white clouds. ‘A