Amansun the Dragon Prince - Vol. 1
Young Adult Fantasy / Mythical
Date Published: February 17, 2023
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
High up in the Smoky Black Mountains, Amansun and his family live among the great colony of dragons who call the steep and jagged mountain range home. Though Amansun is the eldest of his dragon clutch, he often feels like an outcast, and he spends most of his time venturing to the Great Forest up North, where he finds peace and solitude. His life is one dreary day after another—until one day when he sets into motion something that impacts the entire colony, putting him and his family at odds with the rest of the dragons.
The elders of the colony decide to send Amansun on a perilous quest to remedy his mistake, but there is little hope he will succeed. Along the way, he encounters elves, dwarves, stone trolls, and centaurs, all of whom choose to either help or hinder in his quest; he travels farther than he thought possible, across the Barren Plains, past the Old Great Forest, and to a mysterious and dark final destination; and he faces questions about his morals and his place in the world.
All mysteries will be answered along the way, and a prophecy of old may even prove to be true. Only time will tell.
EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1
Long ago in a far-away land there lived a colony of dragons
whose home was amidst the steep and jagged cliffs of the Smoky Black Mountains.
These mountains could be seen from far away, and few if any ever traveled near,
because of the reputation of the dragons that lived there as being ruthless
killers who would sweep down out of the sky and burn alive or carry off any
unfortunate travelers who happened to get caught out in the open. The lands
leading up to the base of the mountains were black and barren from years of
being scorched by the young dragons who spent their days learning how to ambush
prey, breathing searing hot dragon’s breath onto the few bushes and shrubs that
clung to life in this hostile land, and scouting for the occasional rabbit,
wolf or wild boar that was foolish enough to be following the rutted, worn
cobblestone road that slowly meandered from the woods up north down through the
lower plains leading down to the great river.
The colony was made up of many families of dragons, ranging
from the smaller brown and black variety normally found in the low lying hills
and plains of the west up to the mighty copper and bronze colored dragons who
came from far up north back when the lands were younger. Finally there were
three families of large and rare golden skinned dragons who originated from the
oldest line of dragons from the distant east, and from whom all other dragon
lines had come. This large gathering of dragons had taken over these lands many
decades past, when the area had been a thriving trading outpost for the wild
men of this part of the world. The combination of flat, fertile plains and
valley floor coupled with the mighty river that flowed from north to south had
made this a flourishing town once upon a time, until the dragons learned of the
plentiful food to be had along with the welcoming collection of caves and
nesting sites scattered throughout the mountain range just above the town’s
edges.
When the great beasts had started arriving in the area,
there had been many great battles, and many legions of soldiers from far-away
lands were sent in to dispatch the monstrous invaders in the hopes the trading
outpost could be saved. All the brave souls that were sent here eventually met
their end, either defending the last remnants of the town and the surrounding
farmlands or while helplessly trying to escape back to the woods of the north
or along the river heading south. Over time the farmlands were laid to waste,
the livestock were scattered far and wide across the plains, the animals all
eventually made their way into the caves of the dragons as food, and the
building sites and homes of the men smoldered and decayed into a mere shadow of
what once was.
Over time the dragons were bothered less and less, as the
great caravans of men trying to move their trade up and down the old roads
along the mountain range stopped coming. Even when protected by large garrisons
of heavily armored soldiers, these trade caravans were no match for the now
densely populated dragon colony, and word soon spread that only fools and death
seekers would be foolish enough to venture into these parts. Along the old road
that passed through the valley there could be found bent iron wagon wheels,
blackened suits of armor, and weapons of every shape, size and style left lying
on the earth where their keepers had fallen in battle. Anything of value had
long been collected and taken back to the various caves and tunnels of the
dragons in the mountains, as they were fond of anything shiny and colorful such
as the decorated swords and sheaths of the soldiers and the chests of gold and
silver coin, along with other precious items like jeweled cups and plates,
bronze-plated armor pieces, and brightly decorated shields painted with
depictions of the lands they were carried in from.
With no one left to fight, the dragons soon settled into a
peaceful, lethargic lifestyle, largely made up of sleeping for long lengths of
time disturbed only occasionally by hunting raids into the surrounding lands in
search of livestock and other prey to feed the colony as needed. The eldest of
the dragons gathered on occasion to discuss matters while the young were left
to play, hunt, and develop their own skills to become proper dragon warriors.
This is how the years passed for a very long spell, and this part of the land
became a quiet and somewhat peaceful area once again. The individual families
of dragons became more and more suspicious of each other over time, since they
had no outside matters of consequence to deal with. Each pair of adult dragons
watched over their broods and encouraged them to be aggressive and competitive
in nature, so that they could establish themselves within the colony. Apart
from size and genealogy, the most important traits for these youngsters now
became their ability to fly, hunt, scorch and provide food to the colony, and
there were fierce competitions held each year so that the youngsters had an
opportunity to show their worth. These competitions and skills helped to
determine a family’s rank within the colony’s hierarchy, and every set of
adults wished to be considered as one of the reigning families.
About the Author
Vince Robinson grew up in a small sugar cane plantation village called Makaweli (Pakala to the locals) on the island of Kauai. When he wasn't surfing or hiking in the great outdoors, he spent his time reading and re-reading The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other fantasy classics. This love of fantasy stayed with him as he grew up, and it is what inspired him to write high fantasy novels like Amansun the Dragon Prince today. Vince has since moved to Arizona with his wife, Ji, and small dog, Tipsy, where they can be closer to all their children and grandchildren. He receives inspiration for his stories from going outdoors, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
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