Battle for Dragon Isle by Steve Stephenson
Join the exciting battle between good and evil in this third volume of the dynamic War of the Staffs trilogy. The wizard Celedant, Prince Tarquin, and friends battle their nemesis Warlock Vampire Taza who seeks to join the Staff of Adois that he holds with the Staff of Adaman in Celedant’s possession in order to rule the world.
Tarquin and a devoted group of adventurers support Celedant against Taza’s army of creatures, some called from the void. Using magic and minions, Taza heads for Dragon Isle, bent on stealing the Staff of Adaman and destroying both the dragons and wizards of light.
Celedant must destroy both Staffs while avoiding their seductive power that could overcome his spirit with evil.
Celedant, Tarquin, and friends fight their way to the Dragon’s Tear where the ultimate struggle will decide if good or evil will win.
Targeted Age Group:: All Audiences
Heat/Violence Level: Heat Level 2 – PG
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
This is the final chapter from a paper I wrote in a creative writing class in high school. After weaving different pathways of the characters through the first two books this is the climatic ending for which I was hoping for.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I basically thought up the characters as I wrote. They created themselves as I typed. One of my favorite characters is Botreg the ex-assassin. Throughout the series he must battle between being good or evil.
Book Sample
Melgor the red had been watching the events unfold between Celedant the wizard, his group of adventures, and the army of undead led by the evil and deformed Emperor of Zeiglon. Millennia ago he was cursed with bulbous and putrid open wounds all about his body and what was left of his humanity burned never to heal. Melgor, a warlock, sat on his chimera from the safety of one of the few remaining walls still standing of the Palace of Zeiglon. To remain unseen, he had cast an invisibility spell on himself and his mount a giant chimera its three heads watching the battle below too. Melgor watched the epic battle unfold and saw Tarquin fall down the cliff suddenly jerked painfully to a stop by a rope tied around his waist.
Then the monstrosity that was Zackary climbed down the sheer cliff face his spider like claws, finding purchase where their looked to be none, and then he battled the dangling boy. It was during this fight that he saw Tarquin wrench the mythril Staff of Adaman from the monster and toss it to Celedant the wizard. Then from nowhere a huge golden dragon appeared to grasp Zachary and took the monster out to sea.
But Melgor was unperturbed about the dragon, the warlock, had kept his eyes on the boy and saw his frantic movements trying to climb the rope so he cast a simple spell. The spell increased his vision and he zoomed in on the rope seeing it beginning to fray under the boy’s weight just out of reach of Tarquin.
That was the deciding moment in Melgor’s life as he urged his mount down off the wall flying at breakneck speed towards the boy. The rope finally broke and Tarquin was falling down towards the jagged rocks and sea at the cliff’s bottom. Melgor pressed his head to the chimera’s neck concentrating on the boy as he fell. At the last moment he dropped the invisibility spell reaching out to grasp the boy’s arm. Instead of swinging the body, of what he thought of as a boy, up onto the Chimera it turned out to be the body of a grown man. His muscles strained as he brought Tarquin to slap against his mount’s side. Then he used all his strength to pull Tarquin up to the saddle. His mount lifted so fast that the prince started to slide from his perch. It was all Melgor could do to hold his burden steady.
The chimera kept gaining altitude and Tarquin slipped off the saddle thousands of feet in the air. The warlock with a long stretch he reached out and caught Tarquin’s belt. The warlock felt the body slam against the side of his mount. The chimera spouted flame in objection to the blow to its side.
Then the warlock quickly cast a binding spell that kept Tarquin pinned against the Chimera’s side afterwards it was a quick spell of invisibility and Melgor was off into the sky unseen by those below him.
Tarquin struggled trapped to the Chimera’s side and Melgor called to him over the rushing wind, “Stop that Tarquin. I just saved your life. Could you do me the pleasure as to remain still.”
Tarquin did as requested as he watched the ground disappear as the Chimera climbed past the darken clouds that hovered perpetually over the city of Zeiglon. Melgor worried about being tracked by the dragon that he had seen, but as many times as he looked back he never saw it. Deep over the desert his steed flew faster, belying its other worldly nature, then ever the warlock had asked of it.
When Melgor was half way across the desert he gently let up on his mental reins and steered the chimera down in a slow curve to soft landing on a huge dune. The chimera’s legs sank to its haunches in the fine sand. Night had fallen and there was a chill in the air. He summoned water and fed each head of his mount a haunch of venison that he had kept fresh with his magic. He saved the best food for his mount just in case it got jealous of Melgor’s own fare. He’d rather not face the fires of the beast.
Only then did he turn to Tarquin still adhered to the chimera and said, “I’ll let you go but please don’t try to run from me we’re in the middle of the desert. Besides, I’m headed for the mountains surrounding Southgard anyway. The way you ultimately want to go.”
Then he released Tarquin from the binding spell and he fell to the sand quickly untying the frayed rope from his waist. Slowly he massaged his midsection so abused by the rope all the while studying his captor or savior. He was unsure as to which it was.
He had not figured that quit out yet, “So, I guess I owe you some debt of gratitude for saving me. Though I don’t know your name?”
The chimera’s rider gave a mock bow and introduced himself, “I am Melgor the red of the Warlock Council.”
He saw Tarquin’s muscles tighten his hand twitched towards his sword hilt and quickly added, “I am not here on their business. I am here to speak privately with you. I could not reach Celedant but beside we would have probably ended up fighting.”
At that time the chimera gave a short snort and a spout of flame, shot out into the night’s air, from the middle head. Melgor motioned to her and said. “She voices her opinion of the meal. I wish I knew exactly if that meant she liked it or didn’t. Come.”
The warlock cast a simple spell and a fire appeared that burned blue in the desert night’s air. “Sit and eat. I fear my fare is rather tasteless. I must save the best for the beast. But it will do in a pinch.”
Tarquin sat across from the warlock chewing on some sort of preserved meat and a large chunk of bread, and said, “I never imagined I would be this close to the man that has daunted my every step and not try to kill him.”
Melgor laughed, “These are strange times and strange alliances might be in store. I offer you help in defeating Taza. I despise this vampire business as much as you do. I will swear on my own life that I will stop dogging your steps and turn my attention towards Taza. Only if you and Celedant will allow me some peace to conduct my business. I assure you that I am easily expendable in Taza’s undead eyes.”
Tarquin nodded chewing the toughen food, “I’m still listening.”
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