Ashes, Whiskers, & Oaths

For centuries, the dragon Vyranthrax the Cataclysm was the ending of all stories. Kingdoms fell beneath his wings, cities burned at his whim, and even the gods learned not to speak his name aloud. He was immortal, invincible, and gloriously cruel.  Until he wasn’t.  In a desperate final gambit, a conclave of the most powerful mages ever assembled binds Vyranthrax with an ancient spell—one that does not kill him, but reshapes him. His colossal form is shattered and remade into that of a small, black, unmistakably ordinary cat. To ensure the safety of the world, the mages bind him with a geas: he must aid those in need, prevent harm where he can, and act—however reluctantly—for the good of others.  Vyranthrax retains his memories, his intellect, his ability to speak… and fragments of his former power. Fire smolders behind his eyes. Magic still clings to his claws. And his ego remains very much intact.  Now trapped in a fragile body, forced into heroism, and surrounded by mortals he once considered insects, the former dragon must navigate a world that no longer fears him—while finding loopholes in his binding, indulging in sarcasm, and causing just enough mischief to stay sane.  But the world has changed in the centuries he slept in flame. Old enemies stir. New evils rise. And some believe the dragon’s punishment was not nearly cruel enough.  In helping others, Vyranthrax may discover something far more dangerous than magic: the possibility that he no longer wants the world to burn.