Rebirth: Legion Of Dragons, #1

By RC Drake

Our world is facing possible annihilation after a catastrophic event of monumental proportions has occurred. We are given a gift with the potential of returning the pulse beat of life back to our dying planet. Our survival depends solely on the life giving qualities that can be acquired through this gift. The only demand made upon mankind is that we are to do all in our power to protect what we receive, without exception. Are we capable of doing this? Can we learn from our mistakes and protect what we are given without question? We must in order to survive. Only time will tell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RC Drake
• Release date: Jun 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781545126882

RC Drake

Biography RC Drake is from a small town in Southeast Texas where she operates an online jewelry business. She is married with two fine sons, two beautiful granddaughters and a wonderful grandson.Follow the author for updates on her upcoming releases: http://www.myblingforyou.weebly.com  www.authorsden.com/rcdrake   

Book preview

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 - THE PROJECT

CHAPTER 2 – IT BEGINS

CHAPTER 3 - THE LAIR

CHAPTER 4 - THE MYSTERY

CHAPTER 5 – PHASE ONE

CHAPTER 6 - THE MEETING

CHAPTER 7 - BONDING

CHAPTER 8 - MEMORIES

CHAPTER 9 - TIME PASSAGE

CHAPTER 10 – THE CHILDREN

CHAPTER 11 – BUMBLE

CHAPTER 12 – REBUILDING

CHAPTER 13 – THE ORB

CHAPTER 14 – THE BALCONY

CHAPTER 15 – SHARING

CHAPTER 16 – PROTECTION

CHAPTER 17 –THE PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 18 – THE AWAKENING

CHAPTER 19 – THE PLAN

CHAPTER 20 – DEAD ZONE

CHAPTER 21 – THE UNKNOWN

CHAPTER 22 - THE RETURN

COPYRIGHT 2010

ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the owner. A reviewer may quote excerpts in brief passages in a review for printing in a newspaper, magazine, or journal. All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to any real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

PROLOGUE

HUMANKIND HAS OVERSTEPPED the boundaries necessary for global balance. This horrific mistake has set into motion a catastrophic event of monumental proportions. Through research and experimentation, The Project is conceived. This development is anticipated by many to fail, thereby setting it up for sabotage. The debacle that is to follow will cause a cataclysmic chain of events that will change everything as we know it.

CHAPTER 1

THE PROJECT

I WAS TEACHING AT A small college in Stirling, Scotland when the project was first conceived. I never dreamed that one day I would have the task of saving the universe.

For many years, we had abused our natural resources. Our atmosphere had suffered through more negligence than it was capable of handling. Through time, this extreme misuse by humanity had slowly degraded our ozone layer. When the actual degree of damage was finally apparent, and the public was made fully aware, it became ominously evident to everyone that something had to change. A solution to the problem became imperative. There were many suggestions made for a resolution to the issue, but no real answer was forthcoming. The ozone thinning had reached a point of peril. It was now critical that something change. All other scientific climate work was put on hold at that time, placing primary focus toward a solution to the problem. Government grants for the development of a reversal to the problem came pouring in. My college accepted the challenge to find a solution, as many did, and applied for a grant. Once our request became sanctioned, my science department set about working on a possible solution to the problem.

I was excited when I first developed the nanorobots. After almost a year of dedicated work, I finally achieved my goal. The Official Commission acknowledged my idea as the top-rated development for The Project.

I never dreamed that I would be the one to discover the compound that could save our planet.

After receiving approval, more funding became available for the expansion of my original discovery. The government relocated me to a military base outfitted with a state of the art lab. There, I was to mass-produce my compound to a quantity capable of equipping one hundred capsules that could release upon command. That meant I would require assistance.

To meet the expectations of my benefactors, I enlisted three of my co-workers from my hometown college to join my team: Reese, Malcolm, and Harry. Once they joined me at the base, we began our work to mass develop my nanorobots.

Once the expansion phase of the project was completed, several more scientists from around the world joined our team to help us expedite the development phase more efficiently. The Project quickly became an enormous undertaking.

When the day finally came, and we were ready to announce to the world, the development phase was complete, we were thrilled.

Well, Protecus, Harry said as he approached me on the day we finished the capsules, you should be proud of your accomplishment.

I am proud, Harry, but you should be saying we, because it was a group effort, and I’m proud of all of us.

Well, you can share the glory if you feel it’s necessary, Protecus, but as far as I’m concerned, and I think everyone here would agree with me, this baby is all yours.

Several other team members had joined us in the lab by that time, and they all began to clap. It was an extraordinary event, which gave me a real sense of pride. I could see Malcolm, standing across the room from me. He was smiling from ear to ear and clapping as well. Another one of my partners in development, William, began to pat me on the back while at the same time saying, "Being the person that initially discovered the nanorobots, I think perhaps it should be named after you Protecus. It should be The Magannis Project.

That was a good thought, but I knew that would never happen. It was an honor, just the same, to have been a part of something so noble and to have the admiration of my friends and colleagues, as well.

After finishing the development phase, we began the production phase. It also proved to be a massive endeavor. My fellow professors were sent home at that time, but being the head of the department, I had to stay until the project's completion. I missed my co-workers, and in a way, I wished that I had left with them, but I wanted to make sure that everything was handled appropriately at the base.

My nanorobots were to be retrofitted inside rockets and then launched to an appointed destination in the atmosphere for release. With my nanorobots finished, my part of The Project was complete, so I was then allowed to return home to Scotland.

After returning home, it was hard for me to get enthusiastic over the upcoming launch because while I was away working on The Project for almost five years, marauders ransacked my family farm, and murdered both of my brothers.  I had lost both of my parents many years earlier in a deadly car accident, which left me alone. While I worked to salvage what I could of the family farm, I began to hear rumors of threats made against the launch.

For the duration of my work, I had to remain at the base, and while I was inside the station, I was not aware of any threats against the participating nations involved in The Project.  Our local newspaper printed some slight references about the threats, but it was all played down, so I blew it off as radicalism and the drama they enacted, but nothing more. I patiently waited after that to hear that the rockets were ready for launch and their launch date set. 

Top scientists from around the world all agreed that with the continued thinning of the ozone, the nanorobots were our best shot at halting the destruction. However, with the threats continuing, and seemingly spreading, it seemed that more and more radical groups were joining in the protest against the launch. Many individuals felt that once we stopped polluting the atmosphere, it would cleanse itself through the natural process. They felt that if given time, nature would heal itself. However, that had not happened, and it had been several years since the enactment of the worldwide DESIST LAW. All businesses were required to have zero emissions and stop contaminating the air, or they were closed down by government edict. It was now more evident than ever that the wait and see method had not worked, and our abuse of our natural resources had finally caught up with us.

Conversely, one faction, in particular, had disproved all efforts toward interfering with the natural process, protesting the fact very audaciously. Their group was highly suspicious of all actions aimed at altering anything in nature. They had vociferously verbalized multiple threats against our base station, where the rocket development process was now in full production. They wanted the entire project to be canceled and had promised dire consequences would befall the base otherwise.

When launch day arrived, true to their convictions, the group followed through with their threats. They sabotaged the mission. Not only were the rockets carrying the nanorobots targeted, but the base station from where they launched, as well. Complete chaos ensued. By the time everyone realized what was happening, it was too late. The project was doomed.  What was designed to be our knight in shining armor and save us all, would, in reality, be the cause of our ultimate annihilation.

CHAPTER 2

IT BEGINS

IT HAS NOW BEEN SIX years since The Great Disaster, which is what that ill-fated launch day is known as by the remaining survivors. On that day, millions died, and millions more perished in the aftermath of the poisonous gases released within the fallout. Few survived, and now those few are living on a thread and facing imminent danger around every corner.

A miracle must occur soon, or not only Earth, but the entire universe may be changed forever, and humankind will no longer be a part of it.

Adolla awakens from her long sleep. The great dragon hears her summons. Her rider, Harwin, is calling her, and she rises to the call. She slowly spreads her enormous wings to shake herself from the lethargic state she had been in for a very long time. Adolla must now prepare for the long journey ahead of her. She knows what she must do and does not hesitate. Harwin also knows what is about to unfold, but he does not relish the upcoming task.

When Adolla arrives at Harwin’s side, she immediately senses his dread. After he places the harness on Adolla’s back, where he is to ride, he straps a small basket on the harness that they must deliver. Their journey will take a long time, for their destination is far away. After securing the precious delivery, Harwin climbs onto the great dragons back, and then he mentally gives Adolla the command to fly.

Once Adolla was near to their destination, she began her descent. As she passed over the town of Sirus, the smell of death permeated the air from the remains of all that had perished there. Scavengers had long since picked apart everything else after the initial onslaught of destruction and, the fires devoured the rest. The winds of time then slowly swept through the once-thriving little town, reducing it to rubble. 

Greystone Manor was Adolla’s intended destination, and it was now in sight. As Adolla drew nearer to her final destination, she took in her surroundings. Nothing could be seen below her for miles except devastation. Everything was dead or dying. Nothing of substance was evident. The scene before her was most foreboding. Adolla had witnessed death and destruction many times during her long lifetime, so this was not new to her. What she was now seeing, however, was somehow different, harsher, and much more definitive in its scope.

Somehow the Manor had remained intact, to a degree anyway, possibly due to its remoteness. The air seemed to clear somewhat as Adolla drew nearer to it, but she knew that it wouldn’t be long before the totality of destruction would soon bear down on this place as well. Soon, nothing would be safe, not even this little haven.

The hour was early, a time when the sun should have been bright, waking up the day with its warmth. It was now, however, a dull grey, as if the clouds had decided to take up permanent residence and shadow everything with their gloomy presence. There was an ominous chill that seemed to be hanging over everything.

As Adolla leveled out for her landing, the only sound heard was the whisper of her great wings, as she raised and lowered them. Harwin gazed down at the desolation below them, and thought to himself, how cold and dreary this place is, only serving to make his task even grimmer. His mission was not a difficult one, physically, but the emotional enormity of his duty would take every ounce of strength he could muster to complete. He would finish his mission, no matter the adversity, and do what he must.

As Adolla landed, placing her large clawed feet upon the brittle landscape, she quickly took in the harshness of the terrain. Few living things were visible for miles, only a few splotches of green dotted the ground here and there. No trees, no flowers, absolutely nothing of substance was visible. There was just devastation. The air was thin and difficult to breathe. The sky was dull and a lifeless greyish-purple hue, making it appear bruised like it had fought a difficult battle and lost. It was apparent that earth was no longer capable of replenishing itself and was now slowly dissolving into dust and taking everything in its path with it. Adolla let out a long, haggard breath.

I know, girl, Harwin said. They’re in desperate need of help, and we are the only ones that can provide it. He slowly reached inside the pouch that was strapped to the great dragons back and retrieved the small basket that was resting there. Turning once more toward the crumbling gates at the front of the degrading stone wall, Harwin gently placed the little basket that he was charged to deliver in front of the gates. He then grasped the precious sword which lay in its sheath at Adolla’s side. Once Harwin thrust the sword into the hard ground beside the basket, a loud humming reverberation began to resound throughout the entire area. He fought back all emotion as he climbed upon the dragons back. Harwin dared not look at the basket, lying so alone on the ground because he knew that it would only weaken his resolve to do what he must.

Adolla was anxious to complete her task as she stood, waiting for her rider. She, too, was feeling pangs of remorse for what they must do, but she knew the necessity of their task.

Harwin turned, and Adolla knew that it was time for them to leave. She bowed low for him to climb on. As soon as Harwin was upon the dragon’s back, Adolla looked upward and lifted the two of them in a burst of brilliant light. They were totally out of sight within seconds with only a whisper of a sound.

Something jolted Protecus awake that morning. He was unsure if his vivid dream was the cause of his awakening so abruptly or if something else had all but shook him out of bed. He checked to see if his wife, Devant, had been awakened as well. She was still sleeping, snoring in fact, rather loudly. He slowly crept out of his bed to make sure that everything was as it should be. The upstairs area seemed fine, so he decided to go downstairs and check there as well. The staircase was in an extreme state of degradation, so it loudly creaked as he descended, but Protecus had to make sure that everything was okay downstairs, so he continued onward. As he proceeded down the stairs, he recalled his dream from the night before. That dream recurred several times, and it had frightened him, but at the same time, it had given him hope because it had seemed so real.

Protecus could see nothing awry downstairs, but he still sensed something was not right. He slowly proceeded outside to check the ground floor, as well. Everything was quiet on the ground floor, so he stepped out into the courtyard to check there. As he surveyed the fenced area, he could see no one up and about. Multiple tents dotted the grounds forming the temporary housing for the many homeless that Protecus had provided refuge. It seemed the noise he had heard hadn’t awakened any of the residents. Everything was quiet on the grounds, so he decided to look outside the gates to check further. As he opened the massive gates that led outside the courtyard, there was a dreadfully loud creak.

The iron gates that had stood for so long, protecting the Manor wobbled on their hinges. The rusty, worn-out hinges that had held the gates for so many years gave way. They both fell to the ground with a mighty thud. When the dust finally settled, and the noise subsided, Protecus cringed as he thought he heard what sounded like a baby whimpering. He then noticed the small basket lying on the ground beside the fallen gates. One of the gates had barely missed landing on the basket. As he approached, Protecus quickly realized that the sound he had heard was coming from inside the basket. He cautiously reached for the basket, unsure of what he might find inside. There he found the most striking gold and silver cloth he had ever seen. Protecus slowly began to peel away the layers of fabric to reveal what lay inside. He was amazed at what he found. Inside the basket, wrapped in the cloth, was an infant.

As Protecus gazed down at the baby, he recalled his perpetual dream from the last few weeks. He could remember it vividly. In his dream, which was always the same, he was to receive a most precious gift. He was to treat this unique gift as if it were the most precious treasure one could ever receive. As Protecus lifted the baby from the basket, he immediately noticed the beautiful chain wrapped around its little neck. Suspended from the chain was a large medallion and emblazoned on the front of it was the symbol of a golden sphere. He read the words engraved upon it:  Let there be light.

Since the day of The Great Disaster, Protecus prayed for help, as had all the people under his care. He knew that a miracle was needed to save them, for nothing less would do. Their food supply was becoming increasingly scarce, and with the slow fading of the sun’s life-giving rays, his seeds were no longer able to thrive in the soil outdoors. The only food that Protecus was now able to grow was in his hydroponics herb gardens he had built upstairs in the Manor. It was quite evident that if something miraculous didn’t happen, and soon, they were all going to starve.

Protecus looked down again at the tiny infant in his arms, and a slow smile upturned the corners of the older man’s face. Was it possible that this child could be the answer to all of their prayers? What could an infant possibly do to help with the Earth's current degrading state?

At that instant, the baby let out a little giggle that snapped Protecus back to the here and now. Protecus must get the baby indoors quickly because this was not the right place to be asking questions. The baby was probably cold and hungry. He was uncertain how long it had been exposed to the elements, possibly all night. He gently laid the baby back inside the basket and was about to grab the handle to carry it inside, when he began to hear a loud, humming sound. To his amazement, there, on the ground near the infant’s basket, was a sword stuck in the dirt. He hadn’t noticed it before. It made him catch his breath when he looked at it, as he had never seen anything so unusual. He pulled it from the ground, and the humming ceased immediately. Protecus then checked on the baby, and it was fast asleep. He looked back at the sword and was in awe of its magnificence. It was encrusted with jewels of spectacular color. There were Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires’ inlaid across the handle.

The blade itself was so bright that he could see his reflection in it. The edge of the sword had an inscription on it, but the print on it was small and hard to read. It appeared to be in Latin. His language skills were not as honed as they once were, and neither were his eyes. Protecus knew that soon everyone would be waking up, and he wanted his discovery of this sword to remain private, at least for now. He held onto the sword as he lifted the basket with the baby still peacefully sleeping inside, then carefully carried both of them around the broken gates and into the confines of the courtyard. As Protecus moved the infant inside the Manor, he began to think that perhaps this was quite possibly his dream come to life. In his dream, his impetus for receiving the gift was that it would bring light and life to a darkening world. He alone was to be responsible for the guidance and direction of the treasure that he would soon receive. The recurring dream had confused him, but now, he felt that he was beginning to understand. This child must be the gift that he was to receive.

Once he was inside, Protecus went straight to the great room. Then he placed the basket on the sofa that was in the middle of the room. After checking to make sure that the baby was asleep, he hid the sword behind a group of loosened stones in the wall that he had found the day before. He felt that it must have been fate that he had happened upon those loose stones, or maybe it was a sign of what was to come. He was at a loss as to what to do with the infant, though. As he pondered over his options, he was in deep thought when he was startled by Devant’s sudden entrance. She burst into the room with her usual dramatic flair. She was an enormous woman, excessively loud, and incredibly pretentious. Husband, where on earth did you find it? I waited in my bed this morning for you to bring me something to eat, but you never returned, so I decided to come looking for you.

Devant never let Protecus out of her sight for long. She was very possessive of him and extremely jealous. She monitored his every move. Entering into the room in her usual ostentatious manner, she made so much noise that she startled the baby. The infant woke and began to cry. Devant turned toward the sound and Protecus could have sworn for an instant he saw a smile cross her hardened features. It was fleeting, so he assumed he must have been confused. The two of them had no children, of which Protecus was glad. He didn’t think that Devant was the mothering kind anyway.

As the baby lay helpless before Devant’s probing eyes, her outward demeanor quickly changed. She turned on her husband like a viper and began pointing her finger at him and loudly accusing him of bringing home yet another stray cat, as she called any newcomer to the Manor.

Not another mouth to feed! she shouted. Protecus, what were you thinking? She then wheeled to face the infant, as she continued to rant and throw

Reviews for Rebirth

[mypennameonly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t really like reading historical fiction, it’s not that I don’t like the genre; it’s because I usually wind up spending a good deal of time trying to find and then reading about the history that the book I’m about to read/review has been based on.The only real person in this story is Elizabeth Bathory who is often compared to Vlad III the Impaler of Wallachia, the individual that is the basis for Count Dracula. This caused her to be nicknamed The Blood Countess and Countess Dracula.Katrine, the female protagonist in this book has no idea of her actual lineage, especially about Elizabeth, her grandmother; that is until three witches take her and her “mother” to her real family. The woman who she has always thought has been her mother is actually a maid for the Bathory family, who had been paid for take care of her, since Katrine had been an illegitimate child.The spell Katrine’s mother, Anastasia was trying to do when wrong, turning Anastasia into a beast. Known as a werewolf. This left Katrine to continue to her grandmother’s home with one of the three witches, but arriving there she finds that Elizabeth has been placed under house arrest.Luckily Katrine is able to meet up with others who can understand the changes she’s going through and try to make her feel comfortable is getting to know her new situation and feelings. As can be expected in circumstances like this, usually there has to be some sort of an ultimate confrontation, which is the case here.For having given me a historical fiction reading experience fraught with elements of magic, paranormal, vampire and witches; I’m giving Ms. Maurice 5 STARS for her endeavor here.I’ve received a Mobi.file copy of this book from the author through an internet giveaway she had, and the above has been my honest opinion.