�I prefer �father,�� interrupted the king. And for the first time Ian began to understand that he was part of a family. It was something he never even hoped for. He may never understand how he became part of this family, and he was certain he would never understand how the king could love one such as himself. But he was beginning to understand that those questions didn�t really matter; he now had a home. The king embraced Ian, and the sounds of the throne room changed yet again. They grew louder and more frequent. Ian turned to look around, and he realized they were not alone. He watched in wonder as the sounds were made by creatures that surrounded the throne room. All of them were different, and yet they were the same. They were noble creatures, but they appeared to be frightfully powerful. Their appearance, like their call, seemed to stir every emotion within Ian.
�They are the Aodh,� said the king, �Every one of them is a piece of me. They accompany my children wherever they go especially on every journey they may make, sometimes guiding them, and at other more trying to times they comfort my children.� Ian watched as one of them stepped forward on the eve. There was a great pillar that held a large, potted plant in the creature�s path, and he watched in amazement as the creature passed through it, spreading its massive wings and gliding gracefully to the floor of the throne room. It was a magnificent creature with an appearance resembling that of the griphons of legend. It�s powerful, cat-like legs alone were nearly as high as Ian�s head, and it had a gold colored head, much like an eagle�s. It appeared that it could easily have carried Ian on its back, but Ian would never think of it. It�s very appearance to him commanded a great deal of respect because there immediately seemed something familiar about it. When he looked at its face, something in him knew he was looking into the eyes of the king. �This is Aldara,� said the king, �He will be with you wherever you go, but you will not always be able to see him with your eyes. His language will be a mystery to you in the beginning, but we will teach you how to listen and see correctly what is real. I have always asked that my children go on a journey to wherever I might lead them. The choice has always been up to them as it will be for you, but there is much work to be done in the kingdom. You should know of what line you are now a part of,� and the king proceeded to explain.
�Long ago there was a time when the villages all lived in peace. When I visited them, it was always a time of joy for myself and the people. And there was one other servant in my court. He was the most trusted and strongest of them, and I loved him dearly. He was a great warrior, and he was well known among the people. His name was Apostrefo.
Unfortunately, Apostrefo was also a traitor. He began feeding the people lies. He took up collections in my name, among other things, convincing the people that I had changed, but instead of coming to me to confirm these rumors, the people believed him. Eventually, Apostrefo left my court, taking a group of conspirators with him, to lead a rebellion against �my tyranny.� He convinced the people they needed a powerful ally to fight me.
You see, dragons are among the most magnificent of the beasts that inhabit the land, but they are rarely seen. They can sometimes be seen in the highest of mountains where people rarely trod, but sometimes they spend a great deal of time in the forests often watching travelers as they pass by, but they can disappear into their surroundings so easily, it is rare anyone realizes they are being watched. Normally, they would never have attacked people, but they are very pliable creatures. Apostrefo convinced the people they could be trained; he might�ve even believed it himself. And he used the light of the sword I had given him when he was my servant to find a great red dragon. He killed the poor, trusting, creature and stole its eggs, carrying them to a mountain the people allowed him to use near the center of Calleen. He raised the hatchlings in his newfound image, corrupting them, and it wasn�t long before people began to disappear around the villages and cities of Calleen. By the time the people realized what was happening, it was too late. Apostrefo had raised three red dragons that even he did not have complete control over. The dragons considered him their father, but they would attack devour anyone else at will. And they were growing. Aside from their fire, their breath was a poisonous fume that, depending on how thick it was at the time, could usually cause a man to faint in seconds, and if left alone, death would soon follow. Apastrefo eventually left the people to die by the dragons they helped create. By the very laws I had written, I was to let them do so. Traitors to the crown are to be killed, and once the dragons had eaten them all, the dragons would soon become weak and die of starvation. The people cried out to me for aid, but my laws did not allow me to aid traitors. I told them if they could rid themselves of the abominations they had created, they could once again live in harmony with me. So the people searched among themselves for one who could do so, but no one could even make their way up to the mountainside without fainting from the dragon�s breath. My son came to me one day, and asked that he be allowed to go. My laws prevented me from it, but they did not say anything about the prince. So my Arene, the crown prince over all of Calleen went to slay the three red dragons alone. Everyday and night he hunted by the light of his sword, Alitheia, until eventually that mountain was rid of them.