The Last Dragonpire (Book 1 of the Burmia Series)

Prologue

In a world that is stretched out in the open vast seas, there lives a city named Claybourne; which was built atop the crowns of majestic hills and is truly an ancient metropolis. Its charm is matched by the backdrop of green, fertile fields which have helped shape the city to what it is today.

The resources these fields brought were of great importance, but they were also influential when it came to architectural designs, as the vast majority of buildings are slim and tall, which mimics the grasses and openness of the fields around them.

The skyline is riddled with unique skyscrapers and many show their age and a rich history. Technology is thriving in Claybourne and it has attracted a lot of attention. A few new cultures have left their mark not just on business, but also upon the city's identity. What historically was a city of no variation has grown into a fusion of everything and it's this that unites the 6 million people to this day.

It's this multicultural identity that has truly left its mark. Hundreds of bars, take-outs and clubs offer a plethora of culinary choices and those who feel hungry for something else can enjoy adventure sports, clubs, arcades or one of the many other recreational venues.

But not all of Claybourne is as it seems. In some parts of the city, there were places not even the homeless would get to, if need be. For deep into the most abandoned places, deep underground, there was set a lab of misfortune and terror. Belonging to a large tall mansion that has been set up as a trap for many years, there resides a barrier that keeps intruders out and patients in. It was said that this mansion held a laboratory underneath it, starting from the basement, and leading itself onwards towards the facility. This place was called Alpine Industries.

In this laboratory, there are many scientists and surgeons who work day and night to create immortal beings from animals or humans they have captured. It was illegal in Claybourne to do this, so they were all risking their lives, just for science! The hallways were brightly colored with blue lights lining the dim grey walls, while the floors took on hard marble, that gave an echo effect of anyone walking through.

There was a meeting being held in one of the office buildings on the 10th floor down below. A room filled with a long black table and wheeled chairs, many members sitting around it, discussing their recent projects. All of their bodies were shrouded in darkness, as a presentation was being given. A monitor sat on the wall, facing the group that gave off an eerie blue glow, as the one standing took their time to show off the red and green dots of the places they have already visited.

"And as you can see here, in the Zion Woods, we have scavenged most of the area, and have only found a couple deer and two bears roaming since last month. We have to slow our processes in order to obtain more samples and fabricate more specimens. Anyone have any clues on what areas we haven't thoroughly looked through yet?"

The room hustled with answers, as they all started putting ideas together, while the one standing watched with a pleased expression on his face. It was hard to keep a team of members who knew what they were doing. All the chatter stopped momentarily as the door was flung open.

A tall thin figure walked in with a book in his hand. He had long blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, a normal physique, and wore his lab coat accordingly. Pulling on his pair of glasses, he stood at the end of the table, and produced a book that had many kinds of different species in them.

"Ladies, Gents, and Lab Rats," he greets with a smirk. "I may have an answer you most definitely can't refuse."

All of the members look towards the young man who opens up the book, which gives off the stench of it being ancient and unused in a long time.

"I want you all to look through this book, and give me your answers as to which creature you would like to experiment on. For a price, of course, I will make sure it is promptly given to you. I'm not cheap either, so you can assure that it will be delivered unharmed and untamed. Who would like to go first?"