Drakoria; kingdom of the dragon king Xu Kai, the aged king, stood at the edge of his throne room, his sharp, calculating eyes staring at the crimson sunset over the vast eastern lands of Demkas where he reigned. The colours of the sky mirrored the turmoil inside him, a storm that had been long dormant- until a month ago. The report had arrived in the hands of a trembling messenger, and even now, the words echoed in Xu Kai’s mind like a distant roar. ‘She’s alive.’ The words hit harder than any weapon ever could. His Goddess, his queen, the woman he had lost so long ago, was not dead as he had believed. For years, he had cursed the fate that had taken her from him. Not the human her personally, but the firebird- his equal. His mate. The news of the death of the fire goddess had harden

