A short story from the time of the Empire…
Elgid Denadian seeks his destiny at sea, but when his elder brother dies, the emperor summons him home. But the capital is no home for Elgid. Rank with avarice and cruelty, the noble ways of his youth sicken him, and the demands of his new governorship drag at his heels.
Elgid stays for love of his family and people, but there is greater suffering at the hands of the emperor than he realized. For the silent Sun Dragons—aberrations of the glorious true dragons that grace the seas and mountains—also serve, burning their light until nothing remains. Horrified, Elgid faces a terrible choice, and yet, it feels like no choice at all.
“Is it dead, Captain?”
Elgid turned the small dragon over. Perhaps not as glorious as a dragon of the other elements, but beautiful in its own way. Mossy skin, deceptively smooth like the algae-laden carvings of the Bitter Tern. Eyes yellow like the morning sun, talons piercing as a cat’s and wings thin as myr vellum. He had once owned one much like it.
This story is part of the anthology Reign of Dragons.
A Short Story of Midgate
