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1: The Protector’s Perspective

The following is chapter one of The Dragon Protector.  It picks up at the end of The Dragon Hunter, telling some of the final scenes of that book from differing perspectives.

The lights from the freshly activated portal that connected the city of Nahat in Keckrick to the city of Japheth in Zandador faded as Taliya wove her way through the crowd searching for Javan.  He should have returned by now, and she was hoping he had snuck his way through the portal along with the soldier who had just arrived from Zandador.

She was too short to see the soldier over the heads of the sweaty folks around her, but she could hear his haughty speech to the people of Keckrick.  “King Omri is pleased with the super flowers you’ve been sending, but he wants more.  I am here to oversee these valuable shipments and make sure none get left behind.”

“Those are my flowers,” she muttered between clinched jaws.  She had planted them with her grandmother shortly after her arrival in Keckrick fifteen years earlier.  After her grandmother had died in a sudden volcanic eruption, those fields and fields of humminglo flowers had allowed Taliya to feel connected to her grandmother long after her passing.  Now those fields had been decimated because of King Omri’s greed.

The thought of her precious flowers sitting in storage shelters waiting to be dissected by his physicians made her blood boil.  She wanted to stick every one of his soldiers milling around the city of Nahat with her poison-tipped darts to keep them from taking any more of her humminglos.  She started to pull one from her hip pouch when she spotted Javan.

“Javan!”  Taliya grabbed Javan’s hand and pulled him out of the crowd to a quiet spot under the dock.  “What happened in Zandador?”

“Micah hasn’t told you yet?”

“No.  He said he would make an announcement after he brought Mertzer back.  He was looking for you, too.  He won’t tell us anything without you present.  I was worried when I didn’t see you return with Micah.”

“I got hung up but found someone willing to help me return.”

“So what happened?  Micah said Omri was willing to negotiate.  Is that true?”

“Yes, but things are more complicated than Micah realizes.  I need to talk to him before he makes that announcement.  Where’s Varjiek?”

“I don’t know.  I haven’t seen him.”

Javan cocked his head and squinted his eyes.  That’s the look he got when he was listening to his dragon’s thoughts.  She envied that ability.

“Varjiek?”  Javan ran out from under the dock and looked around.  “Where are you?”

The Noon Stalker must have made himself invisible and answered because Javan glanced up to the top of the building attached to the dock they stood beside.  Without a goodbye or word of explanation to her, he took off toward the building.

He didn’t offer her an invitation, but she followed him anyway.

 

◊          ◊          ◊

 

Although it required serious upper body strength, Javan pulled himself onto the roof from the handrail of the dock.  He lay in a heap on the hot mud roof and addressed his invisible dragon through strained breaths.  “Thanks for the help, buddy.”

You didn’t need my help traveling to Zandador.  You shouldn’t need my help to climb on a roof.

“That’s why you’re upset?  Because I went to Zandador without you?”

You are my responsibility.  I cannot keep you safe if I do not know where you are.

“I thought you were my responsibility.”

Nonsense.  I became responsible for you the moment you landed on my back.  That’s what makes our relationship work.  It does not work when you disappear without telling me where you are going.

“Ah.  Okay.”  Javan stood and brushed the dirt off his clothes.  Varjiek felt left out.  Javan could fix that.  “Sorry I took off without you.  I would have told you, but you weren’t back from eating.  I saw an opportunity to follow Micah, and I had to take it at that moment.”

Varjiek snorted.

“It’s a good thing I went.”  Javan didn’t like arguing with an invisible dragon.  He couldn’t tell if Varjiek was still upset.  Since he wasn’t responding, Javan kept talking.  “I learned some things I need to tell Micah about.  We need to go find him before he finds us.”

Too late.

“Too late?  What do you mean?”

I mean he is here.

“Javan!”

Javan turned to find Micah yelling for him atop the bridge.  He was sitting on Mertzer, his Dusk Stalker, and demanded the hushed attention of everyone in the vicinity.  “Javan, stay right there.  I have news for you and the people of Keckrick from the King of Zandador!”

Before Javan had a chance to respond, Mertzer sped down the bridge.

 

◊          ◊          ◊

 

The speeding Mertzer stole Taliya’s attention from the edge of the roof that she couldn’t quite reach from her precarious perch atop the rail of the dock.  The sleek white Dusk Stalker moved with ease through the crowd and delivered his rider to Javan by allowing Micah to jump straight from the dragon’s back to the rooftop where Javan stood.

She had had a chance to ride Mertzer with Micah halfway across Keckrick and had gained a new appreciation for the word “fast.”  Even though the dragon didn’t have wings, it felt like he flew over the land, and she was sure his claws spent more time in the air than they did touching the ground.

She just wished she had been there to protect him from Micah’s sword back in Zandador.  Then Mertzer wouldn’t be missing half his tail, and he wouldn’t have to live as a slave to Micah the Dragon Hunter for the rest of his life.

“I have spoken with King Omri on your behalf.”  Micah’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and a hush fell over the crowd.  She found her own breathing had stopped in anticipation of his next words.  Had he been able to convince his father to spare the people of Keckrick?

She started to feel a bit lightheaded from the lack of breathing when he finally announced, “He is pleased with the super flowers!”

Taliya let herself breathe again and jumped down from the railing.  That didn’t prevent her from keeping her ears tuned to the conversation between Micah and Javan.

“Micah,” Javan said, “before you say anything else, we need to talk.”

“No,” Micah said, keeping his voice low.  “I found a way to spare Keckrick.  If that is what you truly want, you need go along with whatever I say.”

“You don’t know the whole story.  Your father–”

“My father,” Micah said, raising his voice to address the crowd, “has agreed to spare the lives of all of Keckrick!”

That brought wild yells and shrieks of relief from the people in the streets of Nahat.  She wanted to dance and celebrate with them until she heard Micah’s next sentence spoken quietly to Javan.  “He only asks for one life in return.”

The sound of a steel blade sliding out of its sheath stole the joy from Taliya’s soul.  She had grown to trust Micah, and now he was about to kill her Javan!

“No!”  Taliya screamed from the dock and climbed back onto the railing.  She hadn’t been able to protect Mertzer, but she could certainly protect the Dragon Collector.  The only problem was that she was still an arm’s length shy of the edge of the roof.

If she didn’t find a way to grow in the next ten seconds, she would never be able to scramble her way onto the roof in time.

 

The story continues with The Bloodlines Unite.

Taliya’s First Friend

The rush of heat from the dragon’s breath of fire passed over Taliya’s back in less than two seconds.  Nevertheless, she waited another minute before moving just to make sure the dragon was done trying to kill her.  When she felt safe, she stood from her crouched position.  She couldn’t see the dragon anymore, but she could still hear him breathing.

“That was mean!  I’m sorry I stepped on your tail and all, but you were invisible.  How was I supposed to know your tail was in my way?”  Taliya wanted to reach out and touch the dragon, but she might not be able to duck fast enough if he decided to blow fire at her again.  Instead, she put her hands on her hips and continued her one-sided conversation.

“I know you’re still here.  I also know you don’t really want to hurt me or I wouldn’t still be here.”  Taliya ducked and waited for more fire to come her way.  When nothing happened, she stood tall, crossed her arms over her chest, and spoke with a confidence she didn’t feel.  “I came a long way today to meet a dragon.  I don’t want to hunt you or collect you or destroy you.  I just want to say hi and be your friend.  So you need to let me see you.”

She kept her arms crossed and stared at where she thought the dragon’s head should be.  Five minutes passed.  Ten.  Fifteen.  Her muscles wanted her to move, but her determination made her remain stationary.  She began to wonder if she was staring at air when the biggest creature she had ever seen appeared in front of her.

“Whoa.”  She found herself situated between a long white tail and a claw bigger than her entire body.  “You’re like a mini mountain, and you’re not even standing up.”  Taliya walked around the long dragon, marveling at its strong muscles and bright white skin, skin covered not with scales but with dozens of deep red scratches.

“You’re hurt,” Taliya said, approaching the dragon’s head.

The dragon offered a slight nod, and she could see the pain in his eyes.

“You must have just shed your scales.  I read that happens to dragons every ten years.  Some animals must have attacked you after you lost your scales.”

Another nod.

“If the books I’ve read about making medicine from plants is true, I think I can help you.  Will you let me?”

The dragon lowered his head and sniffed Taliya with nostrils that were as tall as her.  She must have passed his test because he snorted, laid his head on the ground, and slid his injured front leg toward her.

“Good.”  So much for returning home by dark when the city gates would open again to let in the supplies from Japheth.  “I’ll figure out how to heal these cuts, and I’ll stay with you to protect you until your scales grow back.”

The city gates would remain closed until next Saturday, anyway.  She just hoped she could survive until then.  If the dragon didn’t decide to eat her, would she be able to find food, water, and a safe place to sleep?

Rather than cower in fear, she smiled.  Life was finally becoming the grand adventure she had always wanted it to be.

Taliya Steps on a Dragon

The trees seemed to grow bigger and taller and wider and greener as she approached the edge of Noon Stalker Territory.  The excitement of exploring the wonders the jungle held helped her forget how thirsty and hungry she was becoming.

It had taken her longer to get across the meadow than she expected, and her legs were growing itchy from walking through the long grass under the hot sun.  The boring brown dress she and all the girls in Zandador had to wear hung just past her knees, and that left the bottom of her legs exposed to the grass.  Had she been smart, she would have snagged a pair of pants from the wagon full of uniforms she had escaped Oer in.

Next time.  Next time she would be smart enough to bring water, food, and pants with her.  For now, she would deal with being thirsty, hungry, and itchy.  That was better than being stuck in her room with nothing to do but read about the place she could now touch and smell.

Before progressing into the jungle, Taliya looked to her left.  She could still see the city she had escaped from, but she was certain no one there could see her.  She was too small and too far away.  Plus, no one would be looking for her.  If her parents ever bothered to discover she was gone, they would probably be happy they didn’t have to deal with her today.

“Well, I’m happy I don’t have to deal with them.”  Taliya smiled and studied the trees in front of her.  In a few steps, she would be standing in the jungle where Noon Stalkers lived.  “Time to find me a dragon.”

With her mind now focused on dragons, she trudged forward between two giant trees that had leaves bigger than her head.  She had no trail to follow, so she carefully weaved her way between trees and ferns and shrubs and flowers.  Wanting to keep the place as pristine as possible and keep from disturbing any creatures who lived on the plants, she found herself ducking under branches and dodging leaves in an attempt to touch nothing.  Being short finally gave her an advantage in life!

Everything around her smelled fresh and alive.  Colorful birds sang lovely songs above her.  Other animals she couldn’t see chirped and whistled.

This.  This felt like home.  This felt like a place where she belonged.  Maybe she would stay here.  Maybe she would never go back to Oer.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she had yet to eat today.  Maybe staying here wasn’t such a great idea, at least not until she figured out how to find food and water.  And a place to sleep.  She did like having a bed and a roof over her head.

She looked up at a bright red bird with a long black feather for a tail.  “I’ll go just a little bit farther, then turn back.  Even if I didn’t get to see a dragon, at least I got to meet you.”

The bird cocked its head, let out a high-pitched wail, then flew away.

“Fine,” Taliya yelled at the departing bird.  “I didn’t want to be your friend, either.” 

More birds fluttered through the trees, and she could hear animals on the ground around her scurrying in every direction.

“What is going on?  Do I smell weird?”

Confused and a little hurt by the sudden departure of all living things, she trudged forward.  That’s when she stepped on what felt like the root of a giant tree.  Only it wasn’t a root.  Or a tree.  It was the tip of a tail of a giant dragon, a dragon that became visible to her the second she came in contact with its tail.

She screamed and ducked just in time to avoid a flash of fire from the dragon’s mouth.

A Whole New World

“Uh oh.”  Taliya’s giggles turned to worry as she realized what she had done.  She had made it outside the city gates for the first time in her young life, but she was in the back of a moving wagon filled with clothes that she couldn’t stop or reach the top of to climb out.  The plan was to explore the land around her hometown of Oer, not travel all the way to the city of Japheth in the wagon!

She sat cross-legged in the middle of the long wagon and considered her options.  Should she yell for help?  She could tell the soldier driving the wagon that she just happened to fall in as he drove by, but then she would end up right back in the city.  Her boring parents wouldn’t even try to listen to her explanation, and she would probably have to endure some sort of unpleasant punishment.

What if she started throwing all the uniform pants that surrounded her out of the wagon?  That would get the driver to stop for sure.  Too bad she would still be stuck inside the wagon for the guy to find her and take her back home.  She was not going home until she had a chance to do some exploring.

The wagon hit a big bump and sent her flying face first into a pair of pants.  As she sat back up and brushed the lint off her tongue, she got an idea.  She just needed to act quickly, before the wagon picked up too much speed.

From her knees, Taliya began pushing the clothes toward the back of the wagon.  She stacked pair after pair of pants on top of each other until the pile nearly reached the top.  “That should do it.”  She nodded at her pile and began climbing. 

She made it halfway to the top when the wagon hit a rough patch of road and jostled her backwards.  Once the road smoothed out, she began her ascent again.  At the top, she could barely make out the city of Oer.  If she didn’t get out soon, she may not make it back to Oer by dark. 

Then the wagon began traveling faster.  Jumping out at this speed was going to hurt.  Did she want a few bruises, or did she want to get caught by the soldiers in Japheth? 

Bruises.  Definitely bruises. 

Taliya bit her bottom lip, closed her eyes, and jumped, curling herself into a tiny ball before smacking into the ground on her right side.

She grunted on contact and rolled several feet along the dirt road.  She waited a minute before attempting to move.  The sounds of the wagons faded away, and a breeze blew dust in her face.  She coughed, opened her eyes, and tested her limbs by extending them one by one.

Right leg.  Stinging, but okay.

Left leg.  All good.

Right arm.  Scraped up, but working.

Left arm.  Just fine.

“I did it.”  Taliya rose to her feet and gazed at her surroundings.  Nothing but beautiful green meadows stretched out on either side of the road in front of her, and the same meadows led to the speck of the city of Oer behind her.  “I really did it.  I’m free!”

She ran into the waist-high grass and laughed as she twirled with her arms wide open and her face toward the sky.  She twirled until she got too dizzy to keep twirling, then plopped onto the softest grass she had ever touched.

When her head stopped spinning enough for her to focus, she cocked her head, squinted her eyes, and studied the landscape to the right of Oer.  “There it is.” 

Her jaw dropped at the sight of the vibrant green plants and spectacularly tall trees in the distance that marked the edge of Noon Stalker Territory. 

She picked herself up and brushed herself off.  She had some exploring to do.  It might take her all day, but she wasn’t going home until she met a dragon.

Taliya Escapes

 Pine needles from the branch above her poked her back.  Taliya didn’t mind.  The open wagon full of uniforms from the factory where her mother worked would be driving by any time.  Once she jumped in, the pine needles wouldn’t bother her any more.

 In all her six years, Taliya had never been beyond the row of pine trees that divided the living quarters of the city from the government headquarters.  She could see the lake and trees and flowers as well as the beautiful buildings and cobblestone street that surrounded the lake from her perch in the tree, but no commoner like herself was allowed past the pine tree line.

 She didn’t think that was fair.  Why did she have to stay stuck in the part of the city that had no grass or trees or flowers, where row after row of identically built square houses separated by narrow dirt roads made her feel trapped and invisible?  She wanted to go beyond the tree line.  Beyond the cobblestone streets.  Beyond the city gates.

For the past two years, she had spent her days and nights reading about the world beyond the gates.  Glorious things awaited her in this Land of Zandador, and she was done reading about them.  She wanted to explore the world for herself.  She knew she was still too little to survive on her own, though, so she would just escape for the day. 

The western gates always opened at dawn on Saturday to send the uniforms produced in the factories that week to the capital of Japheth, and they always opened again at dusk to let in the shipment of food from Japheth.  She figured she could leave with the clothes and return with the food.  Her parents would never even miss her.

A whining mule captured her attention.  To her right, five wagons each pulled by two mules and driven by one soldier headed her way. 

She held her breath as they approached on the dirt road that led under her branch.  One by one, they plodded by.  The drivers stared ahead of them, so no one noticed when she let go of her branch and dropped into the last wagon in line. 

A giggle escaped from her lips as she buried herself under the clothes.  A tiny little girl had outsmarted a bunch of mean, stern grownups.  Now she was about to experience the best day of her life.

Too bad she would never be able to tell anyone about it.

Taliya’s First Crisis

“I had to glue her mouth shut again.”

At the sound of her mother Lily’s voice, Taliya jerked to attention from her hidden spot in the loft that overlooked the common room of the small home.  Her parents didn’t often say much to each other.  Her mother liked to sleep a lot while her father sat quietly in his chair by the fire reading book after book.  So when they did talk, she paid attention, especially when they were talking about her.

Her father Hizel sighed.  “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to do that anymore.”

“I had a headache and couldn’t bear listening to one more of her relentless questions.”

Taliya licked her lips.  They were still raw from the sticky goo her mother had put on them earlier, but she had used her tongue and spit to free her lips hours ago.  Maybe if someone would answer her questions, she wouldn’t keep asking them.

Why couldn’t she play outside?  When could they take a trip beyond the city walls?  Why was the city surrounded by walls and guards anyway? 

And what about dragons?  Would she ever get to see one?  Did their scales really change colors when they got hungry?  What Bloodline was she from?  Would she ever find her own dragon to take care of?  Could she enter the Battle of the Throne one day? 

Taliya crawled on the splintery wood floor to the edge of the loft and watched her tall, muscular father shrug his shoulders and sit in his rocking chair by the fireplace.  “She’s only four, Lily.  She’s curious.”

“She’s exhausting.”  Her mother’s tan cheeks were turning red as she marched across the room to stand in front of her father.  She was barely taller than him even though he was sitting down.  Taliya hoped that someday she would be as tall as her father, not as short as her mother. 

“By the time I was her age,” Lily continued, “I had learned to keep my mouth closed and do what I was told.  But your child is asking about traveling and dragons and what Bloodline she’s from and if she can compete in the Battle of the Throne.  Those are dangerous questions to be asking!”

Hizel stopped rocking and stared at Lily.  “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.  Of course I told her nothing.”  She crossed her arms over her chest.  “I can’t handle her anymore.  I want to give her to the King’s Workhouse.”

“No!”  Taliya bumped her forehead on the railing, ignored the pain, and scrambled down the ladder.  “Don’t send me away.  Please.  I’ll be quiet.  I’ll be good.  I promise.”  She wanted to explore new places, but going to the King’s Workhouse did not sound like a good idea.

“This is what I’m talking about.”  Lily stared at Hizel but pointed at Taliya.  “She can’t even sleep when she is supposed to.  I have to listen to noise all day long in the factory.  I need quiet when I come home.  I want her gone.”

Hizel stood and loomed over Lily.  “But she’s your child.” 

Taliya looked at her mother, then her father.  Neither one of them looked at her.  Her heart began to beat faster to keep up with her speeding mind.  How could she convince them to keep her?  What could she do to make them want her?  She liked them.  Why didn’t they like her?

“No,” Lily said.  “She’s your child.  You’re the one who requested the license to have a child.  I simply complied when the license was granted.  That’s what I do because I’m a good citizen.  I comply.  Taliya doesn’t.  The only way for her to learn compliance is to give her to the King’s Workhouse.”

Learn.  Books.  Taliya’s bright blue eyes flew to the stack of books piled beside her father’s chair.  “That’s it!”  Taliya pushed her way through her parents and picked up a thick red book with large black letters.  “I’ll read these books and learn how to be that comply thing you want.  I’ll be quiet just like father when I read.  Please don’t send me away.  This is home.  I like it here.”

Lily rolled her eyes and took the book away from Taliya.  “You’re too young to read.”

“I disagree.”  Hizel picked Taliya up.  “She’s smart.  I can teach her.”

“No,” Lily said.  “You trying to teach her how to read is only going to make more noise around here.”

“We can go outside,” Taliya said.

Her mother shook her head.  “People will see you and wonder why you are trying to get a head start on your education.  I don’t want to do anything that might cause people to doubt our loyalty to the king and his laws.”

“What about your loyalty to your family?”  Hizel took the book back from Lily.  “We’ll begin our lessons right here in the common room after you go to bed.  Until then, Taliya will sit quietly alone in her loft to give you your space.”

Taliya let a little bit of excitement creep into her next question.  “Does that mean I don’t have to go away?”

“That’s exactly what that means,” Hizel said.  “But it also means you have to promise to be quiet around your mother.  No more talking, and no more questions.”  Taliya bit her lower lip and nodded.  “Okay, Father.  I promise.”  Not asking questions would be hard because she had so many things she wanted answers to, but she would just have to learn to find those answers in books.    

Land of Zandador

The Great Rift is the dimension God created after the flood to preserve the animals who wouldn’t be able to survive earth’s post-flood atmosphere, such as dragons.  It is an odd-shaped island in the midst of red and purple seas that is roughly the width and length of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is comprised of seven distinct regions, one of which is Zandador.

The Land of Zandador is in the middle of the Great Rift.  The weather is near perfect all year, and the land is the most habitable in the entire Rift.  The river that runs through the middle of Zandador breaks off into various streams, allowing people to set up cities and villages all over the land.

North Zandador is hilly and mountainous.  South Zandador is swamp land along the river, then turns into rolling meadows and farmland.  Dragon Stalkers share Zandador with humans but have their own distinct territories in the outer corners of the land. 

Those who live in Zandador are direct descendants of Javan, one of the original 49 human settlers of the Great Rift.   They have tan skin and dark, red or blonde hair.  They’re also the only ones with the ability to communicate telepathically with the dragons. 

They believed man should work with the dragons and that the dragons were able to thrive when given a purpose:  to serve and protect man.  Riding dragons and thus gaining their loyalty gave the dragons that purpose without the dragons having to lose their free will.

As a result of these beliefs, they became known as the Collector Bloodline.

When they won the first Battle for the Throne, they claimed the Land of Zandador as their own. 

To find out more about the dragons, Bloodlines and the regions of the Great Rift, check out The Dragon Collector.

The Land of No Return

The Great Rift is the dimension God created after the flood to preserve the animals who wouldn’t be able to survive earth’s post-flood atmosphere, such as dragons.  It is an odd-shaped island in the midst of red and purple seas that is roughly the width and length of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is comprised of seven distinct regions, one of which is The Land of No Return.

The Land of No Return is southernmost region of the Great Rift; a Y-shaped canyon separates it from Keckrick and Varzack to the north. 

Like its counterpart Xyies at the northern tip of the Great Rift, the Land of No Return is cold and barren.  But unlike Xyies, there are no underground caves to provide a safe haven from the below freezing temperatures or the wind, snow and ice storms that constantly sweep across the land. 

Because of its uninhabitable nature, the Dark King uses the Zandadorian Portal to banish lawbreakers and traitors to this region. 

No one who has been banished to the Land of No Return has ever returned.

To find out more about the regions of the Great Rift, check out The Dragon Collector. ffffff

Varzack

The Great Rift is the dimension God created after the flood to preserve the animals who wouldn’t be able to survive earth’s post-flood atmosphere, such as dragons.  It is an odd-shaped island in the midst of red and purple seas that is roughly the width and length of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is comprised of seven distinct regions, one of which is Varzack.

Varzack is the region below the southeast half of Zandador.  It is bordered by Keckrick to the west, the purple ocean to the east and the Land of No Return to the south.  A desert separates it from Zandador, and a Y-shaped canyon separates it from its other neighboring regions.

Varzack itself is a mountainous and rocky region.  The trees in the mountains grow tall, thick and fast; they reach their full height within a year of being planted.  The rocks and stones come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  The wood, rocks and stones are used all over the Great Rift in the construction of homes and buildings.

Those who live in Varzack are dark-skinned people and descendants of Gomer, one of the original 49 human settlers of the Great Rift.  They developed an insatiable thirst for power and control once they discovered that a dragon would become subservient to anyone who cut off the tip of its tail.

They believed dragons were to be used, not be useful.  Their goal was to enslave all dragons, and use those dragons as tools to gain power over man.

As a result of these beliefs, they became known as the Hunter Bloodline.

When they lost the first Battle for the Throne to the Collector Bloodline, they retreated from the Land of Zandador and moved south to Varzack.  There they learned the art of building and became master artisans in the use of both stone and wood.

To find out more about the dragons, Bloodlines and the regions of the Great Rift, check out The Dragon Collector.

Keckrick

The Great Rift is the dimension God created after the flood to preserve the animals who wouldn’t be able to survive earth’s post-flood atmosphere, such as dragons.  It is an odd-shaped island in the midst of red and purple seas that is roughly the width and length of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is comprised of seven distinct regions, one of which is Keckrick.

Keckrick is the region below the southwest half of Zandador.  It is bordered by Varzack to the east, the red ocean to the west and the Land of No Return to the south.  A desert separates it from Zandador, and a Y-shaped canyon separates it from its other neighboring regions.

Keckrick itself is a lush rain forest.  An array of plants, trees and flowers grow in this region and are used in many foods and medicines all over the Great Rift. 

Those who live in Keckrick are brown-skinned people with black hair and are descendants of Tiras, one of the original 49 human settlers of the Great Rift.  They believed that dragons should be free to live how they please without any interference from man.  They also believed man should protect the dragons, not require dragons to protect or serve man. 

As a result of these beliefs, they become known as the Protector Bloodline.

When they lost the first Battle for the Throne to the Collector Bloodline, they retreated from the Land of Zandador and moved south to Keckrick.  To protect the plants and animals of the rain forest, they spread out and set up small communities all over the region.  That way they only had to clear tiny sections of land here and there to build their homes.

They are a peaceful people who keep to themselves but won’t hesitate to fight to protect Dragon Stalkers from harm.

To find out more about the dragons, Bloodlines and the regions of the Great Rift, check out The Dragon Collector.

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