Richard Cates - DragonSlayer

Book 1 Synopsis – The Dragon Slayer’s Awakening In the educated city of Revenhold, young Richard Cates dreams of becoming a master smith like his father. At thirteen, he crafts a simple seashell pendant and gives it to a mysterious girl from the agrarian city of Pollux named Gemini, never imagining how that small gift will one day bind their fates.When Richard’s father is brutally murdered by a shapeshifting killer who steals a commissioned blade and flies away into the night, Richard’s world shatters. His mother, in a rage, vanishes—Richard believes she was taken by the same monster. Weeks later, the ancient and powerful Thomas, patron of Revenhold and a figure of legend, arrives to take the grieving boy under his wing. Though reluctant, Richard begins rigorous training alongside loyal Kael and opportunistic Soren, slowly uncovering his own latent power: a fluid, ever-shifting magic that adapts to whatever the moment demands.As Richard grows stronger and more isolated, he hears scattered rumors of rebels fighting shadowy “lords” across the twelve zodiac cities. Years later, after discovering a hidden forge chamber containing ancient armor, a helm of true sight, and a sword deadly to dragons, Richard confronts a massive, mad dragon in a cavern—only to realize too late that it is his long-lost mother. In the tragic climax of their battle, she recognizes him and whispers his name with her dying breath.Devastated, Richard tracks down and slays the killer, Antilys, a resurrected monster tied to the ancient Purge. In the aftermath, he discovers dragon-like scales along his own spine and learns that the world he thought he knew is ruled by hidden “embered” beings called Shepherds who pose as lords and enforce absolute secrecy through ruthless Silencers. Any who glimpse forbidden magic—or worse, the ability to see the future—are hunted and killed, regardless of alignment.At the end of his long quest, Richard spots a wanted poster in Revenhold’s market: an older, battle-hardened woman leading rebels against the lords. She wears his childhood pendant and fights with a graceful, versatile style that feels hauntingly familiar. The drawing shows no magic, only raw skill—the kind the world dismisses as “her thing.” But Richard knows the truth.The girl from Pollux has become something far more dangerous.And the dragon slayer’s path has only just begun.