The Best Man: The Good Man Series Book Three (Wattpad Preview)

Chapter One: Aria Island

A cool, gentle ocean breeze blew across the hardened, weathered face of Morek Alden. The young man turned twice war hero sat on the salt-soaked rocks of the Aria Island coastline. The mainland was just in sight across the sea. The Empire stretched from North to South. To the East lay the Dwarf Empire in the Northeast and the Elf Empire in the Southeast. South of the three great empires was the Orclands where the remnants of the defeated Orc Empire that Morek and his friend Steris had helped to destroy.

They had to retrieve a crystal to heal his father, and they succeeded at their mission. Morek and Steris, after losing their Dwarf friend Durfur, took their win home to Morek's hometown of Harthwait in the North Region. Along the way, Morek took his fiance, Cherise, home with him. When they made it back, they healed his father, but then something happened.

Morek broke the crystal and a giant being rose out and dragged Steris, Cherise, and himself into a black hole in the sky. Once again, Morek was amongst war and, in the end, he won and returned home a hero in the eyes of the Eternity Beings that made his race and the people of The Empire. Steris had been lost in the fight, so Morek took her position as the trainer of the new Guardians. Guardians were people with enhanced fighting, strength, and magic abilities that had defeated the Orcs when they ruled over the land. Now, Aria Island was their training ground, and Morek trained them.

Casaris came to his side, silently steeping across the rocks. His brother's long, brown hair blew in the wind. Casaris had become Morek's partner in training the young Guardians. Even though he was not trained in magic, Casaris was very skilled when it came to strength and fighting.

Aria Island was home to human, Dwarf, and Elf Guardians that were housed in tents and small cabins. The wooded island was the perfect training ground for Morek's group. A small cave sat in the North that no one had disturbed quite yet. Morek loved the island.

A small Elf boy in his teens sprinted across the field behind the brothers. The dirty blond, 15 year old Nomes Augden came to a stop on the rocks.

"Well hello Nomes," Morek said.

Nomes stood bent over, panting. He held up a finger indicating that he need a minute. Morek handed the boy his flask of water. Nomes drank and handed it back, thanking him.

"I-I found something," Nomes told them. "In the North Cave."

"Something?" Casaris asked.

"A creature," Nomes explained. "Come on."

Nomes turned back and began running. The brothers followed, unveiling their weapons. Casaris pulled a short sword from his sheath on his belt. Morek pulled a small, metal tube from his belt and pressed a button. The tube expanded, opening into a bow. He received the weapon from the beings of the other realm. It generated it's own arrows when pulled back. He also could switch to the metal arrows he was given. He had begun to use the weapon after his blade had split in two during one of his battles. The sword, Dawnbreaker, now hung on his wall. They ran after Nomes, past the camp where Guardians waved at them. Echnis and Somian, Elfs, came to the brother's sides.

"What has he gotten himself into this time?" Echnis asked.

"Found something in a cave," Morek told him.

The four continued to give chase to Nomes as their treck continued to the North shores of Aria Island. They ran through the fields and forests until they came to a small hill of rocks protruding from the bed of the great forest. A hole opened into a dark unknown where Nomes sat, awaiting the others.

"What took you so long?" panted Nomes with a grin.

"Pardon our tardiness," Casaris joked.

The group laughed.

"Echnis and Somian," Morek said. "Lead the way."

The Elfs pulled their swords out, both which had swords inscribed with Guardian writing and script. The inscriptions glowed when in the hand of a Guardian, providing for a sustainable lights source. The Guardians moved into the cave followed by Morek, Casaris, and Nomes. It sloped down for a little then leveled out, finally opening into a larger cavern.

Echnis and Somian gasped and pointed.

Casaris tapped Morek on the shoulder. "Are those-?"

"Dragons," Morek said, finishing his brother's thought.

Dozens of large, black figures dotted the cavern. Most sighed heavily, in a deep sleep.

"They must have been hibernating underground for years," Echnis explained. "I read that dragons could sleep for hundreds and even thousands of years. They all distapeared after the Dragon Age, and everyone assumed they had all died off, but they are here."

Morek reached down, examined a small gem stone, picked it up and stuck it in his pocket.

"All right," he said. "Well let us allow them to continue to sleep. Move out."

The group moved quietly out of the cave. They began their long walk back to camp.

"Do not say anything about this to anyone," Casaris warned.

The group nodded and agreed not to tell. They came back into camp at sundown. The fire in the center of camp had already begun to burn. Morek went to his cabin followed by Echnis and Casaris. Somian took Nomes to the dinner with the rest of the Guardians. They followed him inside the cabin. A brick fireplace sat at one end of the one room house. A bed sat nearby with a dresser close by. A wooden table and chairs sat in the middle of the room. At the other end of the cabin rested a wooden desk with a chair behind it and two other chairs in front. The window behind the desk allowed the dusk sun to paint a beautiful picture and two window on the front of the house allowed views of the camp. Morek sat down behind the desk. Casaris and Echnis sat at the two chairs in front of him.

"I like the additions," Casaris said pointing at the two pieces of blades on either side of the window behind Morek.

Morek looked longingly at the blade that had gotten him through so many things.

"I think it looks nice as well," came an aged voice from the door.

Three heads turned to the elderly Frajan Alden, his limited hair grayed and his beard stretched to his chest. He wore the robes of one of the emperor's councilmen, a position his father held in high regard.

"Father," Morek said with joy, running to him. "I did not expect you home so soon."

They embraced as Casaris came and did the same. Echnis half bowed.

"Lord Frajan," he said in regard.

Frajan nodded back. "I do hate being the bearer of bad news on my first day back," said the councilman.

"What is it Father?" Casaris asked.

"The emperor has disregarded the Council's advice and declared war against the Elf Empire," Frajan told them.

"What?" Echnis gasped. "How can he do that?"

"He cannot," Morek said. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Frajan told his son. "I am returning to Voriontu in two days to plead with him one last time before I am forced to sign my resignation."

"Forced to?" Casaris asked.

"Borious is ridding his Empire of a council but privately," Frajan explained. "If we do not resign, we will be tried for treason."

They shook their heads in disbelief. Their was silence a moment until Casaris spoke up.

"Let that not stop us from enjoying our time with Father," he said. "Let us go to dinner."

Casaris put his arm around his father and led him out the door. Morek and Echnis followed until Morek stopped, his pocket suddenly heavier. He pulled out the gem he found and saw it was bigger. Echnis turned and saw it.

"Morek!" he exclaimed. "You took a dragon egg?"

"I thought it was just a stone," Morek said.

"They disguise their eggs as stones," Echnis told him.

"Well, I will just kill it when it hatches," Morek said, placing it on his desk.

They walked out of the cabin leaving behind the egg, cracking open.