The view from where Lang stood was breathtaking. Moonlight bathed the village below in a silvery glow, stirring something deep within him.
This was his world. Small—but fulfilling. And in a week, greedy officials planned to steal it away.
"They'll destroy this place," he whispered, the words laced with bitterness and resolve.
He didn't believe their sweet, rehearsed promises about developing the land for prosperity. What they really meant was tearing down the trees for farmland, enslaving the people who had lived there for generations.
Lang turned away, spine straightening. His eyes found the massive cave hidden behind the trees—a place villagers avoided, a place only the desperate dared approach.
He started walking.
If he had been summoned to the top, it could only mean one thing. The dragon had lost its patience.
