Worldbuilding Wednesday: The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars

Welcome to another Worldbuilding Wednesday. I’ve spent these last few Wednesdays looking at the Midland Wars – links to these posts can be found at the end of this post. Just because things has been happening in the Midlands, doesn’t mean the rest of the kingdoms and stories of Airthai has stood still, though. So, this week I’m looking at what happened to the Dragon Keepers and the dragons while the Midland Wars were raging.

The Midland Wars (Part 4) – The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars

While war ravaged the Midlands of the Continent, the Dragon Guardians of Reiaghy faced a difficult choice. After the attack on the dragons, told of in the story called “The Price of Freedom”, all eyes were on the dragons and their Guardians. Memories of the night in which the dragons had attacked the city twelve years before were still well remembered and another night of fire was feared even after the Guardians assured the people of the city that the dragons would not attack.

The eggs which had been stowed away by the Guardians were returned to the dragons’ nests and the bodies of the slain dragons and guardians were given proper burials. Much had been lost, but the Guardians also realised the grave danger that they had been in and were thankful that so many had been spared. Even so, much had changed between the Guardians and the City Elders. Where once the Guardians were the pride of the city and held in high esteem, they now were more feared than before and looked down upon by City Elders and common citizens alike.

Rumours began to spread – first within the city and then beyond – that the Guardians used dark magic to control the dragons and not their Talent and the tongue gifted to them by the Light. Many of these rumours were purported to have been started by the Guardians whose dragons had shunned them after they had turning from the light.

Soon the Guardians realised that they were no longer safe or welcome in their city and even some of the ships ventured into the ocean without a dragon escort. Many were attacked by the sea dragons and many lives were lost without reason. Dragon Guardians, walking alone in the city were also attacked and two were killed. Their murderers were not found and soon, not only the Guardians, but also the dragons themselves were demanding justice to be done and their safety to be guaranteed. Dragons remained at the House of the Guardians to keep the house safe from attack and during this time an even greater bond was formed between the dragons and their guardians.

 At last the Dragon Elder Lasnith decided that they could wait no longer. He sent for Caythan, the captain of the merchant ship Dragon Claw and chose four of the Guardians to go to the greatest of the Western Isles where the Green Dragons lived and to request lands for the Dragon Guardians and the dragons of the Southern Lands.

Links to previous Midland Wars posts:
Part 1: First Strike
Part 2: Sanctuaries
Part 3: The Rise of the Fáll

To read more about Nasja and the other Guardians, read “A Dragon’s Freedom” or “The Price of Freedom” by clicking on the links. Enjoy!

For those readers who can understand Afrikaans – check out today’s post at Kammastories, or click here for the English version.

Photo: "Ocean" Courtesy of Timobalk at http://www.sxc.hu