Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga) Read Online Free

afford to
spend money on such luxuries. In the end, though, my parents had
little choice. Just a few years later, Vosper took the throne and
the countryside was no longer safe. My parents felt that they could
not send me to train in Aonach—they were terrified of the Emperor
and his increasing powers. My mother’s premonition was correct. The
following year, Emperor Vosper took the throne after assassinating
his own father.”
    “What happened after Vosper took the
throne?” asked Elias. “Was there a war?”
    “Not at first. Vosper was ruthless, but
shrewd. He never declared war against anyone. He used assassins and
dark magic to secure his position. First, he slaughtered his four
brothers. Not all at once—but they all died under suspicious
circumstances. Then, Vosper took control of Aonach Tower, under the
guise that he was ‘protecting’ the mages. He killed any
spellcasters who refused to serve him, branding them as traitors.
Then he sent soldiers out to scour the countryside for any other
mageborns—even children. All mages were sent to the palace under
guard. They were forced to pledge fealty to the emperor, or they
were executed. Vosper transferred the most powerful mages to his
palace, and refocused all their magical training on his own
defense.”
    “How did you escape?”
    “Many of the weaker spellcasters escaped
detection. The emperor subjugated the strongest mages when he
stormed Aonach, but more than a few of us escaped enslavement. My
magical gifts are limited, so I never arose any suspicion. Some
mages can only cast a few spells—enough to survive. The mageborn
gift is passed through the mother, and as long as there are those
who carry the trait, there will always be new mages born. There
will always be spellcasters—it’s impossible to eradicate us
all.
    “I was one of the fortunate ones. I was
still young, and not many people knew about my gift. Keeping me
hidden saved my life. We fled the city and changed our family name.
Luckily, father had saved some money. Those were difficult
times.”
    “If you fled the city, how did you receive
your training?” asked Elias.
    “My parents risked everything to send me to
Miklagard, the last outpost of the free mages. Miklagard was a poor
substitute for Aonach Tower. Only a handful of Masters escaped;
those who were traveling away from Aonach during the emperor’s
attack. I only trained at Miklagard for five years. Where before,
parents had received a mage dowry for their children; now mages
were forced to charge fees for training. There are many mageborns
who are more powerful than I, but could not afford to train.”
    “What did you learn in Miklagard?”
    “I learned herb-lore, and how to read simple
spells. The Masters discovered early that I had a gift for healing.
I also learned how to hide my gift. Most people just assume that
I’m an excellent midwife. Those who suspect rarely ask questions. A
few times, though, I got careless and my magical gift was exposed.
Twice, I have had to leave a village because I feared that I would
be reported to the emperor. It’s hard to believe that Vosper would
be interested in a feeble mage like me, but you never know. It pays
to be cautious. It’s a mistake to underestimate the treachery and
greed of your neighbors.”
    It was rare for Carina to reveal so much
family history at once, and it was obvious that she struggled with
the memories, still so painful after all these years.
    “I am thankful for my gift and my teaching.
It has allowed me to earn a living while so many others have
starved. After the destruction of the Temple, most believed that
the emperor was satisfied. But Vosper had much higher aspirations
than just controlling the mages of Durn. Two years later, he
assassinated the Five Kings, charging them all with high treason.
Everyone knew that it was a ploy for Vosper to take control of the
entire continent.”
    “Grandmother, I thought one of the kings
survived,” said Elias. “What about