Dragon Binder: Book One of the Dragonblood Priestess Series (First Draft)

End of a Emperor (Bonus Scene)

A scene that takes place during Dragon Binder but is separate from the main story line.  This character will be important eventually, but I feel that I need to add this.  It will be coming soon!!!! 

The fortress of Rak, nearly impenetrable from the outside.  It was carved straight from the mountain wall.  Sharp towers rose up from the base of the fortress like stalactites reaching for the sky.  Dragon's flew around at least two dozen guarding the sky.  It was midday, the sun hanging directly above the crater in which the fortress sat.  

Strolling in the front gates soldiers saluted the man, others bowing in respect.  The man wore simple yet elagant clothes.  Black leather pants, and a red silken shirt with several swirling designs in black here and there.  He had spiky platinum hair, his blue eyes drastically standing out.  A single sword hung at his hip.  

Memories flared up as we walked, of a time when he played as a child.  His father being a senior officer in the previous Emperor's reign.  Shaking his head the memories vanished as his hands clenched tight anger flashing across his face.  A wisp of blackish red smoke left that hand but faded almost as fast as it appeared.  

The fortress was a maze of halls caved into the stone, many ending in dead ends that had pit traps.  It was created to be pure death if anyone who did not belong made it inside.  Sadly in Rak those who are true threats are always from within.  What would they expect when the entire empire is based on power.  To move up you have fight to the death, it only cared about one thing and that was power.  

A hour later the man came to a set of very thick metal doors with two guards outside.  As soon as he was seen they crossed the spears in front of the door.  "You do not have permission to be here."  They both were clad in metal armor, something that only Rak could do with its overflowing supply of metal.  

"O, trust me I know."  Was all the man stated as he continued to walk forward.  

The guards rushed forward, their orders to kill any who try to get through the doors regardless of who they actually are.  For someone deamed the most powerful man of the empire, the emperor sure seemed scared of intruders.  

That same blackish red smoke appeared around the man's hands as he spun towards the guard dodging past the spear thrust.  Slamming his hand into the man's metal armor it started to quickly disintegrate away leaving nothing but flesh.  Pulling back his first hand he slammed the other hand with great force at the spot directly above the guards heart.  The flesh vanished even faster then the metal as his hand destroyed the guards heart.  

Ducking quickly the other spear clanged off the guards armor.  The attacker gripped the shaft of the spear and watched as it fell in two the smoke eating it in half.  Wasting not time he grabbed the guards by the throat relishing the feeling of metal and flesh dissolving under his grip quickly killing the guard.  

"What a bore."  The assailant stated as he placed both hands on the door as a large amount of the smoke rushed out of his hands reducing a large part of the door to nothing.  "Metal cannot stop me."  He hissed stepping through the door.  

Four more guards rushed to meet the man, even with the higher numbers they stood little to no chance to the man's magic.  Smoothing out his clothes he pushed through the last door in his way.  Sunlight blinding him for a moment as he came to the throne room.

It was in the middle of the fortress hanging above a deep hole.  A huge chasm cut the back of the fortress away.  Here was the hardest place to reach without a dragon, but that would be suicide.  A long stone bridge stretched out leading to wear a lone man sat on his throne.