Chapter 3

The dragon was ancient. Some thought she was the first of her kind. If she was not, then she was one of the first. FireQueen (whose ancient name was Serafanyelle) was a huge beast, even for a dragon. She was over seventy-five feet long with a matching wingspan. Like all females, she mirrored the sunset, her colors being red and gold. She was red for the most part but her scales were highlighted with gold and she had a golden underbelly. Her eyes and horns were also gold. Only a unicorn could vie with a dragon for its beauty; few could surpass its magical ability and none could match the dragon for the terror it could instill.

FireQueen had lived under the Towers for more than five hundred years. The dragon had secured an arrangement with the High Witch at the time, Qhen Ennyjhenne (Qhen was a title attributed to a High Witch after her passing). Dragons were being fervently hunted and their numbers diminished terribly. In exchange for her occult knowledge and assistance when called upon, the witches would provide her with the cavern as shelter and the treasures confiscated from the StoneWood Wars. Although saddened by the separation from others of her kind, FireQueen's sacrifice enabled her to enhance her power through the treasures. A dragon's affinity for treasure was well known. The reasons were not. Dragons were alchemists of a sort. They were able to transmute, to an extent, the energy from precious metals and stones into energy they could wield. For over five hundred years she had amassed energy from the jewels, weapons and armor. She had become the most powerful dragon alive.

During FireQueen's time with the witches, she had been rarely visited and only on a few occasions were her services ever required. She preferred solitude and let it be known. Humans and dragons typically did not have healthy relationships. Usually one or both turned up dead. More so humans than dragons. However, the dragons did tolerate the witches and wizards (when there used to be wizards). That was due to the common bond of magic they shared. Dragons were, after all, powerful magic-users.