Dragon Rider Academy Book 1

Prologue: Science Parents. Fantasy Child

Mike Lyson was born in Brooklyn, New York to Sally and Grant Lyson. Sally and Grant met when they were students at one of the many private schools in the city. The both of them were born with genius level intellects. Graduating top of their class, they were both offered full scholarships to Harvard University and graduated with the highest honors. They were offered jobs as top scientists at Hudson University in Manhattan. They're entire lives have been dedicated to using science to help benefit the world. Until their son Micheal was born. At first, Sally and Grant took time off their jobs to raise their son. They loved Mike like any good parents should. At 3 years old, Mike began to show early signs of intelligence, such as coloring inside the lines and solving grade school level puzzles. From then on, Sally and Grant started doing everything they could to have their son follow in their footsteps. As he grew, Mike's parents enrolled him in advanced courses in school. Always giving him puzzles to solve, educational toys to play with and only having him watch educational children's programs.

At 10 years old, when he was watching television, he came across a show that absolutely nothing to do with science. Something he never encountered before. It was a show about dragons, knights, wizards and magic. Mike was completely fascinated. Everything about it had Mike want to know more. He did some research and discovered that this was a genre of entertainment called "fantasy". Fantasy was one of the most popular genres of entertainment that was more popular than science. It was about things that involved things that took place in legends where science doesn't exist. Millions of books, shows, movies and other things were about fantasy. It astounded Mike that something like this existed and he was just now learned about it.

Micheal told his parents on what he discovered. When he did, his parents got angry. They told him to never bring up anything that involves fantasy ever again and to forget it exists. Micheal asked why his parents were so against him knowing about fantasy. They just told him to focus on things that were real. Micheal tried to do what his parents asked, but he was just to amazed with fantasy that he decided to continue his interest without his parents knowledge.

For the next 5 years, Micheal continued to fool his parents about abandoning his love for fantasy, when in truth, he was watching fantasy shows and movies, reading fantasy novels and collecting fantasy items. One day, Micheal and his parents were taking a walk through Central Park. Trying to spend some family time together. As they were turning the corner of the pathway, a man stepped out in front of them, pointing a gun them. He demanded that his parents hand over their money and their valuables. His parents did what they asked and handed over everything of value they had.

However, the man with the gun didn't stop. He started beating his parents with the butt of his gun and his fists. For some reason, the man didn't ever hit Micheal, but Micheal wasn't going to let this man attack his parents. Micheal remembered all the fighting scenes he studied while watching and reading fantasy. Micheal picked up a tree branch the size of a long sword. He swung the branch at the mans hand causing him to drop the gun. The man tried to throw punches at Micheal, but Micheal used the branch to block the mans punches and countered each punch with a strike to the mans body.

With a spinning swing to the legs, Micheal tripped the man and swung the tree branch on his stomach, knocking him out. Micheal threw the tree branch away and made sure his parents were okay. Other than a few bruises, both of his parents were fine. When they asked him where he learned to use a tree branch like that, he told them he learned it from studying knights while watching fantasy. He and his parents were smiling at each other, when they hear a gunshot.

Micheal looked down to see his chest was covered in blood. Micheal collapsed, struggling to breathe. His parents looked up to see the man Micheal beat pulled out another gun and shot him. Micheal's father screamed and charged at the man. Before the man could get off another shot, Micheal's father swatted the gun out of the mans hand and started to beat on him. Micheal's father kept punching the mans face until his face was bloody and swollen. Micheal's father ran back to him and knelt next to him while his mother was holding his body.

Micheal could feel his life draining from his body. He could see his parents crying and calling his name. They were telling him to hold on. That everything will be fine. Micheal was smart enough to know that wasn't true. He knew this was the end. He was happy to know that he did something to return his parents love for him. The last thing he did before his life ended was look at his parents and tell them, "I love you".