A Fool's Errand

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. However after the Source was uncovered they materialized from various elements and terrains. Along with the scaly creatures, magic came into the world. When precious metals became scarce, many kingdoms made tenuous agreements of peace. They would rather work together, however little they enjoyed it, rather than seeing their kingdoms fall to poverty. In their digging for metal they found what is now called the Source, a giant opal buried far beneath the surface of the earth, right in the middle of the Valley. Further digging around the Source revealed caves that held mass tombs and etchings on the walls depicting humanoid figures shooting fire and lighting from their hands, seemingly calling rain down from the sky, raising plants from the ground, and changing their physical appearance to gain muscle mass. At the time it was considered the creation story of some previously undiscovered ancient civilization, that is, until a year later, when what was depicted on those walls began to happen to citizens all over the Realm.

It’s not hard to imagine that the introduction of dragons and magic into the world upended the natural order of things. Some of the kingdoms that had made peace treaties forgot all about them and started wars with their new found power. People went missing more frequently, presumably dying due to not knowing how to control their magic. Some even started murder sprees, becoming obsessed with their own abilities. On a lighter note, those with kind hearts used their magic to help society prosper. Jobs that once took days to complete could now be completed in hours thanks to the various forms of magic. When droughts occurred some people were able to guide river water to farms using magic. Some people even gained healing abilities far beyond the capabilities of an everyday doctor.

The dragons were a whole other story. The only reason we realized they existed in the first place is because they were visible flying in the distance. Humanity soon learned that the dragons formed in distant places far from civilization. Volcanoes, mountains, caves, large forests, and large isolated bodies of water are some of the spots where the majestic beasts have been sighted. In the first year after the unearthing of the Source hundreds of people left home in search of the dragons and out of these hundreds of people, four groups emerged. Whether or not those groups were malicious varied.

Some people wanted to hunt the dragon for their scales, claws, and teeth, these people were collectively referred to as Chasers as they would chase the dragons relentlessly. Others wanted to study the dragons for academic purposes. How intelligent were they? Could they communicate? Were they hostile or gentle creatures? They would attempt to research the dragons from afar, not really wanting to find out a dragon's temperament while within biting range. This group was called the Learners. Then you have the worst group of the four, the Slavers. The Slavers wanted to subjugate dragons and have them fight for them in their wars or sell them on the black market. That group is unfortunately the largest. Lastly, you had the Fools. This name wasn’t taken willingly like Chasers or Learners, though it stuck because that’s what everyone calls us. We’d rather be called Admirers or Dreamers. Honestly though, the name is fair, the Fools goal is to befriend dragons after all. Get close enough to talk to them if possible, work with these new powerful forces for the benefit of all humanity. Some Fools even want to keep a dragon as a companion, like one would keep a dog or cat, though if the dragons are intelligent enough then that may be difficult.

Alas, I believe it’s time I introduce myself, though if you’re reading this book you might’ve seen my name on the cover. My name is Isaiah Tell, and in these pages I hope to keep an account of my journey to become the world’s biggest and most famous Fool. If you’re reading this, that means I’ve succeeded in publishing my story at the very least. If you’re not reading this… well then I might’ve been eaten at some point but we won’t think about that. My ultimate goal is to become close enough with a dragon that I can refer to them as a friend, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll let me fly with them. Now wouldn’t that be something, soaring through the air on the back of a dragon.

I will apologize now for the distractedness that will appear in my story. As you may have guessed I am fond of dragons and sometimes I can’t help myself and I end up rambling on and on about them. Either way my story begins in the town of Eldria, in a pub I probably shouldn’t have even been near to begin with. I’m not so full of myself to admit that I was in a fight and was losing pretty badly.