The Dragon Stone

Prologue

            The lightning was fierce this evening, it lit up the walkways throughout the dungeons every few seconds. The guards were all sleeping which made the King even more upset this evening. He would yell at each sleeping guard he came upon. He was going deeper and deeper into the dungeon. He was going to see the worst of the worst criminals in his kingdom. He had an escort of five of his finest knights, not that they would help him with this criminal.

The King reaches the deepest depths of the dungeons. This is where they keep the most dangerous of all criminals, usually before the King condemns them to death and they are executed shortly thereafter. All the dungeons stank of sweat, pee, excrement, and rotting food. But here there was something more that hung in the air, death. It was not uncommon for these criminals to die or even kill themselves.

The King halts the party in front of the cell he wanted to visit. The head guard banged on the door and yelled "Wake up filth!" He placed the large key in the key hole and unlocked the door. The cell was kept in constant darkness. A guard stepped into the cell and lit a torch on one of the side walls. The King could barely see the person on the far wall. The criminal was chained to the wall, the King knew the chains were a waste of time, this criminal was not a physical threat but a whole different kind of threat.

The King tells his knights and the guards to wait outside, and he enters the cell by himself. He cannot have anyone hearing what he and the criminal are going to speak of. The King kneeled in front of the chained man. King Ned looked into the man's eyes and said "You are going to talk to me and I am going to listen to you, but if you shout, I shall stab you in the face with this dagger." Showing the man a jewel encrusted dagger.

King Ned knew that the true danger of this man was not his hands or feet but his mouth. A prophet's true danger is the things he tells a man and then the things that man does with that knowledge. This same prophet has caused a battle just a few leagues away. Telling the Lord there that during the next new moon, the Lord would be killed by one of his guards. The Lord hired swords and killed all of his guards. It was a messing battle with hundreds of men being killed. The Lord was then killed by the hired swords but before he died he told them that he did all of it because of what the Prophet had told him. The mercenaries claimed the castle for theirs and their first act was to arrest the Prophet and ship him off to Morne, for their dungeon was not adequate for storing a prophet. Luckily they were smart enough to bind his mouth shut.

This of course made the King go to war with the "new Lord" for the castle they took. He lost dozens of his own men. He hated this man but he also needed the Prophet's help.

"I have a few questions for you and I want you to tell me what you know." The King said to the Prophet.

"What is in it for me?" Asked the Prophet, while stretching his jaws.

"You get to make up for what you have done and it will go a long way to getting you some freedom."

The Prophet smirked, "It will only help me if you like what I have to say, if it is not favorable to you then, I would be punished more."

The King stood straight and said "I always keep my promises, you shall have freedom regardless if I like what you tell me or not."

The prophet peered into the Kings eyes and waited before he spoke, "Ask your questions."

The King stood straight and thought carefully, now that the time had come he was not quite sure he wanted to know what he was about to ask. "My wife, the Queen" King Ned started, "she is ill."

"Everyone knows this" said the Prophet. "And that is no question."

King Ned tightened his grip on the dagger restraining himself, "The Healer said that if we get The Stone of Eldine, it can cure her sickness. Will she survive her illness?" The King braced himself for an answer he was not wanting to hear.

The Prophet thought for a moment then spoke quietly. "I have seen a vision regarding the Queen, and I can answer your question." He paused for a moment, "She survives her illness when you give her the Stone of Eldine."

The King smiled and felt a huge relief of pressure. "I can say that makes me so happy, not that you care." King Ned paces back in forth in-front of the Prophet. "When does she recover? How many more days?"

The Prophet smiled back at the joyous king, "She will be fully recovered by the next full moon."

"Really?? I will have my fastest riders go and retrieve the Stone of Eldine from the Castle at Eldine Rock." King Ned said with almost glee. His wife had been ill for more than a year and was near death said the healers.

"Yes, she will be fully recovered," the Prophet said with excitement.

The King turned away from the Prophet and that is when he saw the Kings expression. He know then that he would never leave this dungeon cell. "The Dragon Stones has been found, beware of the battle of the Red Keep, it will be your family's demise."

This took the King's breath away. He was shocked by the comment from the Prophet. He thought of his son Dorian. Does this mean he will become king? "Why would there be a battle at the Red Keep?" the King asked.

"Because of the heir," the Prophet answered.

King Ned then thought of his brother Shutu and his son Dorian. Why would his son make his own family die? Then, he thought about the throne, what if he wants it? Would he kill his own father to get it or his brother? He thought.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it." the Prophet told him.

"Fine, I will be going now." the King said walking out. "Kill him." He told the guards as he walked back up the stairs. The guards took aim with their bows and before they let their arrows fly. The Prophet yelled "Your family and your death is nigh." The guards killed him as the king planned. "I will do anything to stop my death, anything." He said to himself.