Prophecy of the Dragon's Blood Sword

By Jaymi Mizuno

The dragon's blood sword is a weapon reserved for the elite guard. Infused with magic and forged using the blood of the rare beasts, it is a death sentence for any commoner who touches it.

But it does not kill Kraodora.

It marks her. Helps her.

And sends her on a strange quest that will cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her past, and the prince she’s sworn her life to protect.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jaymi Mizuno
• Release date: Jun 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215998632

Jaymi Mizuno

Jaymi Mizuno writes stories of fantasy and light science fiction, with some mushy romance stuff thrown in on occasion. Originally from Pearl City, Hawaii, she now lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with her husband, a hyperactive Lab-mix puppy, and two very talkative cats.To receive notifications of her new releases, please sign up for her newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/00/721262800.htm

Book preview

Chapter

One

Kraodora drew the hood of her cloak forward, shielding her face from her fellow soldiers.

Her appearance was too shocking. Too distracting. And everyone needed to keep their focus on their preparations for the upcoming battle.

Not because she was a woman. No. That wouldn’t have merited much more than a second glance, even if her armor had not been an effective disguise of the few distinctly feminine traits of her figure. Every child of a warrior family was trained to fight, and more than a few families were especially known for the excellence of their female fighters.

Hers had been one of them. On her mother’s side, at least. On her father’s…

She didn’t want to think about that, for the same reasons she needed to hide her appearance. It only brought up questions that couldn’t be answered. Something as simple as her bloodline—where she came from and what she was—had always been a mystery.

Off in the distance, the war drums sounded. Unexpected. The ritual belonged to an older time, and normally done between two regular armies. During wars between countries.

Not something like this.

They are coming. Finish preparing yourselves, and we will fight.

The beating drums grew louder, and she realized the sound came from the front ranks of her own side. Not the queen’s forces. They would not have done that anyway, unwilling to risk doing anything that would make the prince’s followers seem legitimate. Like a proper army rather than a group of ‘traitors.’

Funny thing for them to be considered, and inaccurate, when one considered the history leading up to this moment. King Rainerus declared his son by an unknown mistress to be his heir. The exact circumstances of his birth and arrival in his father’s court were rather mysterious, but if the late monarch had been certain the child was his, then it was not the place of anyone, not even the queen’s, to question him.

The queen bore only a single daughter for her husband. That child had not survived her infanthood, which might account for the bitterness the mother held against her ‘stepson.’ And perhaps it was at least part of the reason the queen claimed the throne for herself, within hours of her husband’s death.

Raised her army to support her claim, even before his funeral.

The prince’s illegitimate birth shouldn’t have been enough reason for others to take her side.

No. Not at all.

Prince Jarrah was hardly the first bastard to be named heir to the throne. Or to anything else. Though such births were considered scandalous, they were not uncommon. Even among many of those ‘fine and noble’ families who showed outrage over his ascension.

No. It had everything to do with who he was. Or rather, who his mother had been.

She was said to be a fae. Not a human.

And that was the true grievance in the eyes of the nobles, who adhered to the rights granted by the purity of blood above everything else. None of them would consider wedding someone from outside the country or even of another class, much less consort with someone of another species.

The upper classes considered it more than outrageous.

A child produced from such a union was nothing less than a crime against nature.

Just as she was.

Kraodora, like the prince, was not entirely human. But unlike the royal, she could not claim fae blood.

Or any bloodline at all.

Her family had not told her anything about the past. Her father had never been a part of her life. She did not know who—or what—he was.

She pulled on her leather gloves, then strapped on her gauntlets. It was still early in the morning, but already quite hot for this time of the year. More like the middle of summer than early spring. A drastic change from just two days ago, when snow covered the ground up past her ankles.

But the gloves were not meant to protect against the cold. Some of the elite Dragon Guard soldiers wore similar garments under a second pair, which would be made of a mix of metal plate and chain-link. They served as padding. Protection from the metal.

In her case, they made it easier for her to grip her weapons, especially once blood flowed on the battlefield. Whether from enemies or herself, the stuff was slippery, and would affect her ability to fight.

She took her expected position among the ranks, among the more common soldiers who carried weapons similar to hers. Simple axes, spears, or basic swords. Her sword was not quite basic, but was not new either.

Her mother had carried the weapon into battle during her service to the late king. Some of the engraved metalwork was wearing off at the base of the handle, but the blade itself had always been lovingly maintained.

She had no reason to doubt it would serve her well.

Her heart beat to the rhythm of the drums of war, and heat rushed through her veins. Not from fear, or in anticipation. It was a strange sensation that she had experienced many times throughout her life, without understanding what caused it.

Just a part of what made her strange, she supposed. Not that she never been close enough to anyone to confide in them. To be able to ask what would be normal.

Not about this. Or anything else.

The battle commenced. They were outnumbered. As expected. A large segment of the army remained loyal to the queen. Some no doubt served her because of their allegiance to certain nobles. A noble family dictated who lived, and who made a living, upon their lands. With little interference from the crown.

And as for the rest?

Hard to say. But it didn’t matter.

At first, it looked as if they could fend off the larger force. But more and more of the enemy continued to come, continued to march on, and some soldiers around her wavered and fled.

Not once was she tempted