Read Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken for Free Online

The name didn’t alleviate the fears of the people but it felt right to Encer. The people that had followed him frequently looked to the skies expecting a flight of ravenous dragons would fall on them. So far the dragons had seemed to ignore them thus increasing Encer’s belief that the dragons didn’t consider the tiny settlement a threat and were content to ignore them.
    Today the clouds hung just above the valley casting everything in a gray light. Encer returned to work peeling a log. The walls were finished and a ridge beam was needed. There were already several thin poles that would support the roof once the ridge beam had been muscled in place. This house was among the last to be finished. The winter snows were threatening and so Encer helped finish making it habitable.
    The pole was almost peeled when a sharp eyed villager screamed out the warning. Looking to the sky Encer’s heart skipped a beat. Five dragons were circling lower and lower beneath the clouds. The plan was that should there be a dragon attack that everyone was supposed to barricade themselves inside the dugout. It was a hole that had been dug in the ground and logs had been laid over the top. The dirt from the hole had been dumped on the top and packed. It had a stairway that descended to the entrance. It was not much defense against a determined dragon but it was fire proof and the best that they had.
    The dragons were nearly upon them when the last villager rushed through the door. Encer slammed it shut behind the man and slid the beam into place. Now he waited and pondered his hubris. He had thought that he understood the dragons enough that he would be safe on their doorstep. Now several hungry dragons circled overhead and the lives of all the people that had trusted him were in danger. Flint flashed and a torch flickered to life. Everyone huddled in terrified silence awaiting the inevitable scratching sound from the ceiling. This was expected to be followed by the sound of wood crunching under stark talons. A hole would appear and… Encer shook his head in an attempt to stop the terrifying scenario from playing out in his head.
    When the dreaded sound never came Encer began to gain a little courage. It was entirely possible that the creatures were simply waiting outside for the tender morsels to come out. It was also possible that the dragons were only curious and had flown away after the first cursory glance. Several young men offered to come with him as he slid the beam off the door. A couple were armed with farm implements but most had nothing like the sword that hung at Encer’s side.
    The door released an ear splitting, or so everyone thought, squeal as it slowly opened. Encer stood ready to throw his weight against it should an angry dragon head appear outside. When nothing happened he cautiously stuck his head outside and looked around. The view afforded by the stairwell wasn’t enough to convince Encer of the safety of the village. Only by climbing the stairs and peeking out the top could that be ascertained.
    Encer took the dangerous assignment and waved the man back inside. The stairway seemed to stretch on endlessly as he crawled up. The widening piece of sky didn’t give any indications of the dragons and no sound reached his ears. Finally reaching the top Encer looked first one way then back the other way. Nothing threatening met his eyes. The hard packed ground was bare as far as he could see. Accept for a large pile of skins that Encer assumed had been dropped by a villager. He was about to begin scouting out the village for hidden dragons when he heard a child cry out.
    Encer assumed that the child had been forgotten in the mad rush to the dugout. He was mildly surprised that he hadn’t been accosted by frantic parents long before this point. With sword drawn and at the ready he advanced towards the cry. He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the top of the stairs. A set of large dragon prints surrounded the pile of