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truth, he could damage little. His chamber had little adornment: a hard
bed with three discarded blankets and a dresser with the few outfits
he’d fished from the trash. The only object of merit was a large
painting hung on the wall beside the dresser. As if guided by fate, the
rock struck its frame, and the artwork clattered to the floor.
The
harsh sound yanked Iren from his temper. He knelt and retrieved both
the stone and the fallen painting. They were his finest treasures. The
stone, little more than a black pebble, had come from the ocean. The
surf had tossed it until it had worn perfectly smooth. Years ago, one of
the castle children had brought it home, but his mother had commanded
him to get rid of it. Iren swiped it that night, his only possession
that had ever touched the sea.
As
for the painting, while he couldn’t truly claim to own it, he still
considered it his. It had hung in this tower since long before he
arrived, yet it apparently held such low value that no one bothered to
remove it when he took up residence. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a
deep attachment to it, the only thing in his room he hadn’t stolen or
pulled from the garbage.
Iren surveyed it closely. “No harm done,” he whispered with relief.
Returning
the painting to the wall, Iren stepped back and took in its splendid
image: a serpentine dragon. Though unsigned, the painting’s remarkable
realism made the great beast almost come alive. Blue streaks and hairs
off its spine accentuated its gleaming white body. Its wings stretched
beyond the painting’s borders, so that they appeared to extend forever
to the heavens. Though its mouth opened wide in a silent roar, its
expression invoked not terror but majesty.
The
painting’s frame held a small plaque that read, “Divinion, the Holy
Dragon.” Iren smiled, proud of his unshared knowledge. It gave him a
small satisfaction, knowing something the vast majority of the populace
did not. Though everyone called Haldessa’s tallest spire the Tower of
Divinion, few understood the name’s origin. Growing up, Iren overheard
mothers tell their children that long ago, the tower served as a temple
to worship dragons, sacred creatures that brought balance to the world.
Of
course, no one used it for that purpose now. Nobody believed in the
dragons anymore. Most had forgotten that they even had names, let alone
what those names were.
As
Iren looked at the dragon’s face in the artwork, though, for a moment
he saw more than a painting. The creature stared out at the room with
sky blue eyes, eyes that eerily matched Iren’s. Their gaze bored through
his body, and a sudden hopelessness washed over him. Barely conscious
of his actions, Iren backed away from the painting and collapsed on his
bed, burying his head in his hands.
From
fantasy author Josh VanBrakle comes an epic new trilogy of friendship,
betrayal, and explosive magic. Lefthanded teenager Iren Saitosan must
uncover a forgotten history, confront monsters inspired by Japanese
mythology, and master a serpentine dragon imprisoned inside a katana to
stop a revenge one thousand years in the making.
Lodian
culture declares lefthanded people dangerous and devil-spawned, and for
Iren, the kingdom's only known Left, that's meant a life of social
isolation. To pass the time and get a little attention, he plays pranks
on the residents of Haldessa Castle. It's harmless fun, until one of his
stunts nearly kills Lodia's charismatic heir to the throne. Now to
avoid execution for his crime, Iren must join a covert team and
assassinate a bandit lord. It's a suicide mission, and Iren's chances
aren't helped when he learns that his new katana contains a dragon's
spirit, one with a magic so powerful it can sink continents and
transform Iren into a raging beast.
Adding
to his problems, someone on Iren's team is plotting treason. When a
former ally launches a brutal plan to avenge the Lefts, Iren finds
himself trapped between competing loyalties. He needs to figure out who -
and how - to trust, and the fates of two nations depend on his choice.
"A fast-paced adventure...led by a compelling cast of characters. Josh VanBrakle keeps the mysteries going." - ForeWord Reviews
Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – YA epic fantasy
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Josh VanBrakle on Twitter
Website www.joshvanbrakle.com
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