Dragon Time

By John Doyal

It started as a war between wizards on the planet Hector. Tulles wants change at all costs, and the Council of Wizards wants peace and stability. Add in two teenaged dragons stranded in world that they do not know and a group of orphans displaying signs of magic, and what do you have? The first war between nations in over two hundred years and the first war between dragons that this world has ever known.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503575585

John Doyal

John Doyal, Creator and Writer/Author of Book Series & "The Magus Council", has worked for major companies, providing computer expertise and financial analysis. He has been in love with the best of science fiction/fantasy since being introduced to Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny while in undergraduate school.

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Copyright © 2015 by John Doyal.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 06/29/2015

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Contents

Preface

Chapter 1:  When Jason Learned to Fly

Chapter 2:  Jason in Class

Chapter 3:  The Courtship of Tulles and Zab

Chapter 4:  Fred’s Diary

Chapter 5:  Jason and the Imprinter

Chapter 6:  Fred — Stirring the Pot

Chapter 7:  Rosa — Time to Wake Up

Chapter 8:  Rubert — Meeting at Debin

Chapter 9:  Fred — Fun and Games

Chapter 10:  Gavin’s Story

Chapter 11:  Fred — And They All Go Boom

Chapter 12:  Graduation

Chapter 13:  Jason Meets a Dragon

Chapter 14:  Jason Talks to the Dragon

Chapter 15:  Jason’s Life as a Goatherd

Chapter 16:  The Dragon’s Story

Chapter 17:  Magda’s Domestic Problem

Chapter 18:  Magda finds a Thief

Chapter 19:  Magda’s Flight

Chapter 20:  Gavin’s wakeup call

Chapter 21:  Jason Flies on a Dragon

Chapter 22:  Nicolas and the New People

Chapter 23:  Groose Moves in for Easy Picking

Chapter 24:  Jason’s First Quest

Chapter 25:  Nicolas — Starting Out

Chapter 26:  Jason at the Welcome Back Inn

Chapter 27:  Jason Watches a Watcher

Chapter 28:  Magda’s Night Chat

Chapter 29:  Nicolas — On the Road Again

Chapter 30:  Jason — We’re Being Followed

Chapter 31:  Joseph - - The Chase

Chapter 32:  Nicolas — We’re Off to See the Wizard

Chapter 33:  Jason — Home Time

Chapter 34:  Lucy — Wizard’s Isle

Chapter 35:  Jason — The Aftermath

Chapter 36:  Magda Tells Jason about the Grambles Return

Chapter 37:  Jason — Dragon’s and Wizards Don’t Mix

Chapter 38:  Lucy Sees the Devil in the Details

Chapter 39:  Brandon Asks Why

Chapter 40:  Jason’s Quiet Dip in the Lake

Chapter 41:  Nicolas’ Prep Work

Chapter 42:  Nicolas Getting Down To Work

Chapter 43:  Jason Introduces the Battle Game

Chapter 44:  Brandon at the Fall of Westin Castle

Chapter 45:  Nicolas — Thinning the Herd

Chapter 46:  Tulles at the Gates of Lemont

Chapter 47:  Tulles and the Battle at Ravine Lake

Chapter 48:  Jason - - Where Two Armies Meet

Chapter 49:  Lucy - - Wrapping Things Up

Appendix:  Fun Words

To Irene, my wife, without whom this book would be unreadable

Preface

(Twenty-six Years Prior to this Story)

A wizard spent a week on Wizard’s Isle telling the students studying there about his experiences on a different world. He spoke of a world with a massive population, with more people in its largest cities than the total population of the known world. Earth was a world with massive bodies of land called continents, but minimal magic. The man had spent fourteen years on this place called Earth, before he was able to muster enough magic to return home. He talked of great wars: battling ideologies, battling religions, and battling economies. But he also talked about a world where things changed, where technologies were constantly being developed that let everyone do things that even Hector’s wizards would find hard to do. Technologies that let you ride in a wagon that didn’t need to be pulled; technologies that let you fly from city to city; technologies that healed diseases. And glorious schools where anyone smart enough could learn not only how to read and write, but about how the world works.

Why don’t we have these things, the younger wizard apprentice asked. The man thought for a few minutes and finally said, Part of it is our smaller population, but I think the biggest part is that we use magic to control things. We don’t allow religious squabbles or philosophical squabbles to lead to wars, because wizards step in and calm things down. We don’t need to figure out how to fight each disease, because wizard healers fix it. If a city is too hard on its poor, wizards step in. So you see, we wizards do a lot of important work, but sometimes it hides the need to change.

This is something I could change, thought Tulles.

_________________________________________________

(Ten Years Prior to this Story)

It was dusk in the mountains east of the Kingdom. The mountains were tall and craggy with snow covered peaks jumping toward the sky. Suddenly a circle of light broke the gloom. As it solidified, sunny blue sky peeked out through the hole. A red dragon streaked out of the hole, followed by a larger grey dragon, followed by an explosion of fire. As the hole in the sky winked out, the large dragon screeched while sending a ball of flame streaking across the night.

Since no one reported seeing this occur, the only observers of this entrance were the two dragons.

At first not knowing what they would do or how they would live was intimidating even for Zab the large grey dragon, and Magda the red dragon. However, after about three hours of flying around the mountains, they had changed from apprehensive to ecstatic. They were free of parents, always looking over their shoulders. Free of rules, too! Over the next three weeks, they explored the mountains, finding paradise. Plenty to eat for those who can fly, great caverns to live in, even one that was heated by a hot spring. But too much playing around without a chaperone can lead to children. It led to three eggs in the warm sand next to the hot springs.

Chapter 1

When Jason Learned to Fly

This was the closest to flying that Jason had ever experienced: being flung twenty feet through the air, over the surrounding crowd and then smashing into a wall. His arm had been ripped out of its socket, and while he was able to protect his head, he might have a broken rib, and a badly bruised hip. But that didn’t matter; it was his part in today’s activities.

Jason had no memories of his parents. For him life consisted of charity and petty theft. Being part of a gang was not an option; it was the only way to survive, other than being rounded up and sold to a farm as little better than slave laborer.

Neither liked nor disliked by the other members of the gang, Jason was just there, a part of the group, always in the background. Jason planning and scheming but never trying to lead, never trying to get the members of the gang to follow him, never making himself the target, this is how he had lived to the ripe old age of nine. He used subtle questions and posturing to get the group leader to implement his plans, but never took offense when his plans were ignored. Life, right?

George, the leader of his gang, put up with Jason because he was smart, quiet and posed no threat. But Jason had one major flaw stopping George from liking or trusting him; Jason was too healthy. Gang members were always getting hit, banged up, or thrashed. Everyone was damaged in one way or the other. Somehow Jason was always healthier than anyone else.

George had picked this location carefully. It was on a busy street but one used to go other places… no inns, no big stores, no police. The time was late afternoon. People were on their way home, or to an inn or tavern. They were flowing way too fast for the gang to pick their pockets. What George wanted was a distraction. That day, Jason’s assignment was to be beat up by some passerby.

Jason remembered how the confrontation started, as if it had been in slow motion. Three-year-old Joey was trying to reach into the man’s pocket. He should have known better. Pickpocketing was only for the older kids. Any of the older kids would have known better than to try picking the pocket of someone built like an ox.

One second Joey was reaching for the man’s pocket. The next moment the man’s hand was grabbing the boy. Jason ran to them screaming stop that, he’s just a baby. That’s when Jason learned to fly. The man grabbed Jason by the arm and threw him twenty feet over the heads of some of the crowd developing around their encounter.

Jason didn’t know if he broke his arm or just dislocated it. Undoubtedly, it would have done major damage when he smashed into the wall. Fortunately for Jason, his arm was being healed as he rebounded.

The worst part was that Jason couldn’t stay down. He could feel the man turning back towards Joey. Pulling himself up from the pavement Jason said, So now you want to hurt a baby.

By this time everyone for blocks around was staring at their confrontation and no doubt George and the rest of the kids were stealing them blind. What Jason was trying to do was to make it too embarrassing for the man to hurt Joey. If he could throw Jason that far, he could break Joey like a toy. The man dropped Joey and charged toward Jason. He was yelling something as he charged, and the crowd parted to avoid being trampled.

When the man was three feet away from Jason, charging like a rhino, he suddenly stopped in midflight.

Move along folks. This is a wizard matter, said a tall man flanked by two well-dressed teenagers.

What happened next was interesting from two points: most of the people disappeared in seconds, but about twenty people remained—rooted to the street with panic showing in their eyes. None of them spoke.

Jason’s first view of Gavin undoubtedly was tainted by Jason being a small eight-year-old, and Gavin pacing through the remaining people dispensing his justice. To Jason he looked like a king. Not because of how he dressed; this consisted of an uninspiring brown coat and light brown pants. Nor was it his height; tall – say six feet or so – but a few of those around him were taller, and many were bigger around. What made him majestic was his air of command.

First, he went up to the man frozen in mid-attack. The man easily outweighed Gavin by a hundred pounds, but Gavin grabbed his right shoulder and spun him around. As Gavin talked, his hands wove invisible bonds around the man You are a bully. From this day forward, when you hurt someone you will feel the pain, too. With that his hand made as if he were tying a knot and broke the invisible thread. Now, be gone!

The man staggered, evidently released when the magic thread was broken. He straightened as if he might make an issue with Gavin. But when Gavin just stood there, looking him in the eye, he slowly looked away and slunk off.

Gavin then turned to a man dressed like a merchant. What happened to your money?

The merchant blinked, confused, like he was waking from sleep. My money? Then he felt into his coat. It’s gone.

At which point Gavin turned to one of Jason’s gang and held out his hand. The boy handed over the moneybag without comment.

Turning back to the merchant, he asked, What’s the wizard’s price?

The merchant paled. I didn’t ask for a wizard.

What is the wizard’s price?

Grudgingly, the merchant said, ten percent.

Yes said Gavin as he poured out about a tenth of the purse and handed the merchant what was left. Now go.

One by one Gavin went through the remaining bystanders returning the stolen items while extracting a fee for anything of much value. Most of the items were of little value so he just returned them to the marks. He ended each by breaking the thread that bound the bystanders and sent them scurrying away.

Finally he pulled on the remaining threads, pulling Jason’s gang forward. Looking at George, Gavin said, You are an idiot. You were in charge. The child would have broken like a toy, and our hero over there could have been killed with one blow. There is no fixing that.

Glancing at Jason, he said, I’m keeping the boy and gave George a stack of coins, probably half of what he had extracted from the gang’s prey. I’m not the police, but I suggest that you all leave rapidly. With that he broke the rest of the threads and the boys scattered.

Then he turned to Jason and said, Come on boy, you’re a wizard’s apprentice now. And that is how Jason met a wizard and learned how to fly all in one day.

In later years, when asked Why didn’t you run?

Gavin didn’t know those people. He hadn’t made connections. It was me; my threads that Gavin used to control the people. I felt it, as he was doing each spell… Up until he broke the threads… Only when they were broken did I stop feeling what he was doing to each person. He could have just as easily used my own power to control me. I had to learn how to use my threads and he was the only one offering to teach me, Jason replied.

Chapter 2

Jason in Class

Gavin watched his apprentices. Fred was carefully floating a feather. First he held it stationary three feet in front of him, then had the feather fly in intricate but controlled patterns. He was getting much better at controlling the little bits of magic he called up, but he still needed to get better at gathering the magic to him.

Gan was juggling five pieces of fruit. This was much better than last week. He no longer was using his magic to control the flight of the fruit. Instead he was mentally catching and throwing the fruit back up in the air. That’s how he went from juggling three pieces to five.

Jason was stirring dust around his desk. The other two periodically looked over at him and dismissed his attempts at moving objects. They still resented the fact that Gavin had found him in the streets of Debin and had chosen him as an apprentice. Fred’s and Gan’s parents were paying the wizard to train their sons, and that, only after they had proved that they had enough control over magic to make it worth his while training them. Jason still had not earned their friendship. Instead he just made sure that he didn’t do anything that would make the others jealous. He even let them banish him to the attic for sleeping.

Gavin hadn’t stepped in because he felt that Jason needed to be able to manage his relationships with others, but he wasn’t happy. Rather than learning faster with the help of the others, Jason pretended to learn little, to do next to nothing. When Gavin was Jason’s age, he had lots of friends… almost everyone liked him. Not Jason.

Gavin surreptitiously watched this boy raised in the streets by a gang of bullies. He watched as thousands of dust particles danced in the boy’s mental games.

Fred: nice control. Gan: I like where you’re going with this. Next time are you going to add more objects, or go for heavier items. Jason: I want to talk to you in my office.

Fred and Gannon smirked as they left the room, while Jason sat squirming in his chair. Gavin sat there looking at Jason for a couple minutes, then rose and went to his office. Jason meekly followed.

Jason didn’t know what to expect because he had never been to Gavin’s office. The office was small, approximately 8’ x 10’. There were built-in shelves on all walls and a large wooden desk in the middle. Stacks of papers were strewn on the desk, punctuated with various writing implements. Across from the desk was one chair where Jason was told to sit.

Gavin once again sat staring at Jason. What could he do to change what was going on? Jason sat there and fidgeted.

Gavin said, while getting up and slowly pacing around the room. What we were trying to learn here this month is to be able to gather magic, focus it on an object and practice making it move. But another aspect of this training is to enhance your focus to get used to controlling bigger and bigger objects; bigger and bigger flows of magic.

"Fred and Gan never knew how to gather magic when they came to study with me. When they worked minor magic it was more or less by accident. Fred will never be able to focus large streams of magic, but he is gaining a good grasp of how to use the magic he has. Gan has a lot more magic and was demonstrating a reasonable amount of control. You, of course, gathered large flows