Meet Omri, one of the characters in The Dragon Hunter.  He is the King of Zandador and has retained the throne for nearly 500 years.  But he is in danger of losing his crown if Javan collects all four Dragon Stalkers by the end of the current year.  Omri’s son Micah is thus fighting against Javan to ensure Omri remains in power.  Here is Omri’s brief profile:

Birthdate:   February 6 in the Zandadorian year of 3504

Current Age:  696

Appearance:  6’4”, black skin, dark brown eyes, black hair worn in short, tight braids, broad shoulders

Rank:  King of Zandador 

Family:  Two brothers; twelve wives, thirteen sons (including Micah), twenty-eight daughters

Personality:  Arrogant, Manipulative, Ruthless

Biggest Fear:  Losing control of Zandador

Unique Fact:  Born in Varzack and trained to be a blacksmith rather than a Dragon Hunter like his two older brothers.  When he attempted to leave Varzack and enter the Battle of the Throne in 3600, his older brother turned him in.  Omri was thus imprisoned for ten years.  Upon his release, he vowed to never be controlled by anyone again.  He dedicated himself to learning everything he could about Dragon Hunting, escaped Varzack and won the Battle for the Throne in 3700.  500000

Meet Shara, one of the characters in The Dragon Hunter.    She is the 301^st person to take over as Captain of the Dawn Justice Unit during Omri’s reign (the Dawn Stalker Dahlia is temperamental and has a tendency to maim captains who displease her).  Shara quickly learned how to play to Dahlia’s pride and is thus beginning her ninth year as Dahlia’s captain, making her the longest running Dawn Stalker Captain to date.  Here is her brief profile:

Birthdate:   April 4 in the Zandadorian year of 3848

Current Age:  352

Appearance:  5’7”, slender, shoulder-length wavy brown hair, blue eyes

Rank:  Captain of the Dawn Justice Unit 

Family:  Husband Cory, a farmer; daughter Renaha, age 34

Personality:  Insecure, Kind, Compliant

Biggest Fear:  Upsetting Dahlia, the Dawn Stalker she is responsible for

Unique Fact:  Omri appointed her as Captain because of her beauty, not her leadership skills or talent.  Her unit is thus the weakest, most incompetent unit in the army. ffffffffff

Meet Phalloz, one of the characters in The Dragon Hunter.  He is an excellent boxer, and the only person who has ever beaten him in a boxing match is Micah.  Here is his brief profile:

Birthdate:  June 4 in the Zandadorian year of 3714

Current Age:  486

Appearance:  6’1”, wiry, black skin, bushy black beard, shaved head

Rank:  Captain of the Noon Justice Unit 

Family:  Younger brother Jelea; all other family is deceased; single, never married

Personality:  Arrogant, Devious, Grudge-holder

Biggest Fear:  Losing his rank as Captain of the Noon Justice Unit

Unique Fact:  To prove his loyalty to Omri and earn the rank of Captain, he turned his brother in for plotting to kill the king.  Although Jelea was innocent of all charges, Omri believed Phalloz and sent Jelea to the Land of No Return. x

Meet Galiron, one of the characters in The Dragon Hunter.  He is a master swordsman who trained all of Omri’s children—including Micah—how to fight with a sword.  Here is his brief profile:

Birthdate:  December 3 in the Zandadorian year of 3413

Current Age:  786

Appearance:  6’4”, muscular, wide chest, red hair and bushy red beard; talks with a deep voice

Rank:  Captain of the Midnight Justice Unit 

Family:  Married to Bilha; son Mark and daughter Jehtie

Personality:  Decisive, Sensitive, Lonely

Biggest Fear:  Making a decision Omri doesn’t agree with; he knows displeasing the King leads to severe punishment

Unique Fact:  He is the only person to have served as a Captain of a Justice Unit during the entire reign of Omri; Omri recruited him because of his sword fighting skills.  At first, he turned down Omri’s invitation.  Then Omri threatened to kill his wife and children.  To keep them alive, he accepted the appointment as Captain of the Justice Unit.  He is not allowed to have any contact with his family but knows they are protected as long as he remains loyal to the King. ff

Six months in the dungeon wearing a spiked collar around his neck and chains around his wrists left fourteen-year-old Micah physically weak when he finally emerged from the dark, damp space below the castle.

Mentally, however, he had become tougher than ever.  His father had shown him what no mercy looked like by sentencing him to the time in the dungeon.  He decided he wanted to be just like his father and trained himself to think the way his father did. 

No mercy.  Dragons are slaves.  People obey me.  I always win.  No mercy.

He repeated that mantra to himself day after day, week after week, month after month.  He let those words hijack his conscience and take over the core of his character.  So even though he could barely walk into the throne room without stumbling on his weak legs to face his father on his day of release, the power of those words gave Micah the strength to look Omri directly in the eye and say with confidence, “I learned my lesson, Father.  I’m ready to resume my Hunter training.”

“You are weak and unfit.”  Omri walked down from his throne, inspected Micah and spit in his face.  “You would make a mockery of the Dragon Hunter tradition if you even tried to lift a sword right now.”

“Perhaps.”  The spit bothered Micah, but he didn’t bother to wipe it off his face.  “I may be weak, but I understand the mindset of a Dragon Hunter.  No mercy.  Dragons are slaves.  People obey me.  I always win.  No mercy.”

Omri crossed his arms and studied Micah’s eyes.  Micah stared back, refusing to blink.

“Finally.  I have a son who understands me and the value of the Dragon Hunter Bloodline.  Guards!”  Omri clapped his hands, and the two guards who had escorted Micah up from the dungeon entered the room.  “Take him to his room.  Get him cleaned up.  Feed him well.  He resume his training in the morning.”

Then without so much as a pat on the back, Omri returned to his seat on the throne.

Micah shook it off.  He didn’t need a show of affection.  He just needed the opportunity to live out his mantra.  His father was giving him that opportunity.

As Micah poured his heart, soul and mind into his training over the next few decades, he made sure to meditate on his mantra and stay true to his values.

No mercy.  Dragons are slaves.  People obey me.  I always win.  No mercy. 45006e007400

At age thirteen, Micah hated his life.  Ever since he got his father’s approval and moved into the castle three years ago, all he did was train, eat and sleep.  He never got to see his mother, his father, his brothers, his sisters or any other kids his age.   His life consisted only of sword training, exercising and reading about sword training, Dragon Hunting or the laws of Zandador.

He wanted more adventure.  More excitement.  And more attention from his father.  But Omri was an elusive, powerful man.  Micah was only able to catch glimpses of him now and then.  When he did see him, Micah noted how he walked, how he talked and how the people around him catered to his every demand.  Someday he was going to be just like his Dad.

Today, though, he wanted to escape the confines of the castle.  He was supposed to return to the training room after dinner.  Instead, he walked right past the room, down the stairs and snuck out one of the back doors of the castle.

He breathed in the evening air, took a stroll through the woods, climbed a few trees and tossed some rocks into the lake.  He really should come outside more often.  This was much more fun than spending his life in that damp, dark, windowless training room.

The sound of a twig snapping behind him caused him to turn around.  A dragon stood ten feet away, and his colorful scales indicated he was a hungry Dusk Stalker in search of food.  Micah gulped.  This was why he wasn’t supposed to exit the castle through the back.  He had walked right into the feeding grounds of his father’s four dragons.

“You must be Eli,” Micah said, trying to sound calm and confident.  He found himself fascinated by the ten-foot high, wingless, beautiful creature.  The dragon stood his ground while Micah took a step closer.  “My father is your master, so you aren’t allowed to eat me.”

The dragon nodded as though he understood, and Micah walked even closer.  He was only an arms-length away now and noticed the dragon had a collar with spikes protruding into his scales wrapped around the base of his neck. 

“Why do you have this on?  That must make eating painful.  Bend down and I’ll take it off for you.”

Eli complied with Micah’s instructions.  Micah unlatched the heavy collar and freed it from the dragon’s neck.  As soon as he took it off, Eli nudged Micah’s shoulder as if to say thanks and sprinted away.

“What do you think you are doing?”  Omri’s booming voice startled Micah, and he dropped the collar, cutting his leg with one of the spikes in the process.

“I was helping the dragon.  He looked sad and hurt.”

“You are never to help the dragons, especially that one.  They deserve no mercy and are to be treated like the slaves they are.  If you cannot understand that, you will never be a Dragon Hunter.”

“No mercy.  I understand now, sir.”

“I don’t think you do, but you will.”

Omri was right.  After spending the next six months in the dungeon wearing a collar like the one he took off of Eli, Micah understood the meaning of no mercy.  And he vowed to never again treat any dragon as anything other than a mindless slave.

Micah stood in front of the double wooden doors of the throne room.  His freshly shaved head barely reached the dragon-shaped handles, and for the first time in his ten years of life, he felt nervous.  Uncertain.  Scared.

His father, the great King Omri, occupied the room on the other side of those doors.  They would meet for the first time today, and Omri would determine if Micah would begin his training as a Dragon Hunter or be relegated to a life of servitude in the castle.

Seven of his twelve older brothers had passed Omri’s inspection on their tenth birthdays; only nine of his twenty-two older sisters made the cut. 

“Enter!”  The booming voice from behind the doors caused Micah to jump.  That was his father.  His father was talking to him!

Micah shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.  He had no reason to worry.  His mother had assured him he was smarter, stronger and just plain better than any of his other siblings from any of Omri’s other wives. 

“You can do this, Micah.”  His mother bent down and looked him in the eyes.  “You can impress the King, begin your training and become the best Dragon Hunter the Land of Zandador has ever seen.  Now go.”

Micah gulped, nodded and opened the doors.  His crisp new blue shirt and sleek black pants swished as he walked across the marble floors toward the stage at the other end of the massive room.  Life-sized statues of the four types of Dragon Stalkers—minus the tips of their tails–occupied each corner. 

The tails of the real dragons Omri had hunted were bronzed and displayed on a pillar in front of each dragon.  A statue of Omri holding four dragon tails in one hand and a sword in the other stood between the Midnight and Dawn Stalkers on the left side of the room.

Micah smiled in amazement.  Someday he would be able to cut off a dragon’s tail, too.

“Stop gawking and get up here.”

Micah turned his attention to the man who spoke at the other end of the room.  The powerful man in red wore a jeweled crown and sat on a golden throne on a stage in front of a wall of windows.  With the way the sun glimmered off the jewels, the man—his father—looked as if he glowed.

“Yes, sir.”  Micah picked up his pace and bowed when he reached the steps to the stage.  “Honored to meet you, Father.”

“Don’t call me your father yet.  I haven’t decided if I want to claim you as my son.”

Micah flinched at Omri’s harsh words but made himself stand as he could, stick his chin in the air and say, “You will.”

“Hmm.  I’m not so sure.”  Omri got up, walked down the steps and circled Micah.  “You’re cocky.  I don’t like that.  You’re skinny and weak.  I don’t like that.   And you’re ugly.  I don’t like that.  Call me King, not your Father.  Get out of my throne room.”

Omri waved him away and walked back up to his throne.  When he sat down, he looked at Micah.  “Why are you still here?  Get out of my sight!”

Micah hung his head and began his retreat.  Skinny?  Weak?  Ugly?  He might be a little on the skinny side, but he was just a child.  He was supposed to be skinny.  Being skinny didn’t make him weak.  Or ugly.  How dare Omri call him ugly!  Micah was the best-looking person he knew.

His anger grew with every step, and then he caught a glimpse of the statue of Omri.  “Weak?  You think I’m weak?  I’ll show you how weak I am!”  He charged the statue, ripped the steel sword out of the stone hand and sliced off what was left of the Midnight Stalker’s stone tail. 

And that was the moment he became King Omri’s favorite son. f

For the first ten years of his life, Micah lived a secluded life with his mother and three servants in a cottage on the castle grounds.  He was not allowed to enter the castle or meet his father; that was a right he had to earn by excelling in his studies.  (He once tried to sneak into the castle to catch a glimpse of his father at age seven but was discovered by one of his sisters and beaten for breaking the rules.)

In addition to learning the basics of reading, writing, math and science, he had to memorize the history, geography and laws of Zandador.  But the most important aspect of his education was his mental programming. 

He learned his father was the ultimate authority, and everything he did should be done to please his father.  If he pleased his father, he would be able to move into the castle and begin his training as a Dragon Hunter.

He also learned he was superior to everyone but his father and that people were weak and needed to be controlled.  He could thus give orders and expect to be obeyed, even by his mother.

By the age of ten, his mindset was established.  He believed himself to be brilliant, special and untouchable, and he idolized his father.  As a result, he was allowed to meet Omri for the first time on his tenth birthday.

Birthdate:  June 9 in the Zandadorian year of 4123

Current Age:  77 (would look 17 in earth years)

Appearance:  6’3” muscular black man with brown eyes and dreadlocks that cascade past his shoulders

Heritage:  Hunter Bloodline; 13^th son of Omri, current King of Zandador, and Viviana, Omri’s twelfth wife

Siblings:  one older brother, 11 older half-brothers; 22 older half-sisters

Personality:  Cocky, Arrogant, Selfish

Biggest Fear:  Disappointing his father

Unique Fact:  Omri did not introduce Micah to the people of Zandador until he was 50 and had proven himself to be a strong warrior in his private training sessions.  But Omri still worried the people would see Micah as a weak child, so he added one hundred years to Micah’s age.  Everyone thus believes Micah is a century older than he is. 

Javan hung his head as he walked out of the locker room following the final game of his freshman football season.  Two plays.  He only got in one football game to run two plays all season.  He didn’t even get to show off his arm since the coach had him hand the ball off both times. 

How was he supposed to impress Julianne if he couldn’t play or throw the ball when he did get his chance?

How was he supposed to believe in himself if he never had a chance to test his talents?

He had worked twice as hard as Gavin in every practice all season, but the coach didn’t seem to notice.  He kept letting Gavin lead the offense as the quarterback no matter how lazy he was or how many mistakes he made.

Javan couldn’t go through another season like this.  Although he loved the game and wanted to be a great quarterback, his dream had proven hopeless.  He was never going to be the best, and he was never going to win Julianne.

This goal had consumed him for years.  He thought he had found the one thing he could be great at.  He thought he had discovered the one place he could belong.

But he wasn’t a great quarterback, and he didn’t belong on the football team.  He didn’t belong anywhere.

Javan pushed his way through the gym doors and into the cold night air.  Unfortunately Gavin and several other players—along with Julianne—were standing in a circle right outside the door.  Javan tried to pass them without being seen, but his plan failed.

“Yo, Javan,” Gavin yelled, “great job watching me from the sidelines all year.  Maybe you’ll actually get to play when I move up to varsity next year, but you’re so puny I doubt that will ever happen.”

While the guys all laughed, Julianne playfully slapped Gavin’s arm.  “That’s mean.”

Gavin shrugged and smiled.  “It’s true.”

Although his blood was boiling, Javan bit his lip and walked away.  Fighting with Gavin right now wouldn’t solve anything; destroying him on the football field was all the revenge Javan needed.  That was the only way he would be able to shut Gavin up.

So much for giving up on football.  He may never win Julianne, but he was going to do whatever it took to be a better quarterback than Gavin.

What he didn’t know was that he would never have that opportunity.  Because before the next season began, he would find himself in another dimension on a quest to collect dragons. fffffff