The Magical World of Terry Bolryder: A Reading Guide Page 7

  Dragon heart- A special woman who has risked great personal peril (examples involve jumping into a dam, stopping human trafficking, saving someone from being pushed onto the subway rails, etc). Dragon hearts are special because when a pair of double dragons mates one, that woman might receive one of six unique dragon powers, along with the eternal life offered by mating a dragon and sharing their lifespan.

  Drakkaris- A distant planet inhabited by dragons, as well as other creatures. It is unsure if earth dragons share similar blood with dragons from Drakkaris or not, but long ago the two worlds were connected by a portal, which was closed to prevent hostilities between the two worlds.

  With the appearance of the Dragon Guard of Drakkaris on earth, and the knowledge that the metal poisons in the bloodstream might be fatal to their society and culture, a handful of Drakkaris dragons were permitted to stay on earth and fight for good.

  Drakkaris society is monarchal, with the most powerful dragons overseeing the many populations that inhabit the otherworldly landscape. The Zinc Dragon is next in line for the throne, though for now he is content to be on earth with his mate, Leanne.

  E

  F

  Fae- A wholly new type of magical being that has been seen in increasing numbers recently. Little is known about their society, culture, and even the extent of their powers. We do know that far come from another world, connected to ours by The Blur (See: Blur, The). Fae tend to gravitate toward one side or the other:Chaos, and Order. Fae social heirarchy is unique in that a single fae prince serves as both lord and protector of a massive number of smaller-weaker fae, termed “serfs”. The larger a fae prince’s dominion, the more powerful the fae.

  It is a generally considered fact that fae princes are more powerful than most dragons, in some cases by several degrees of magnitude, though there are very few data points to prove or disprove this assertion.

  Fae are also know to “duel”, and even wield magic wands, though little is known about this practice or their reasons for it.

  Fated Mate- A man or woman’s one true partner for life. Called “fated” because many people describe not knowing how or why they know that someone is meant to be theirs for life. However, all agree that the special bond between two people can transcend time, space, or logic.

  G

  Gold Dragon-A type of double dragon, characterized by their generally-larger size and durability (rivaled only by red dragons), as well as the ability to create impenetrable gold shields around large and small spaces to protect people of importance. For this reason, gold dragons are generally paired with the purple dragon in an area in order to prosecute their leader.

  Grizzly Bear-A type of bear shifter, characterized by their large size, brown fur, and incredible strength.

  H

  I

  J

  K

  L

  Lion Shifter- A type of big cat shifter. Unique in that they predominantly live on a small, invisible continent called “Pride Island”. The largest and strongest of big cat shifters, many lions consider themselves royalty among shifter, which has led to divisions among lions about humankind and if they should be protected or exterminated. Of note, the Lion royal family also works directly with the oracle to help influence affairs on the earth for good.

  Lord of Winter- The best and coolest of all dragons

  Lynx Shifter-A type of big cat shifter. Insular, smaller, and rarely seen outside of their insular enclaves, lynxes are dangerous to humans, but not many other shifters.

  M

  Mate- A shifter’s romantic partner, generally committed to each other for life.

  Metal Dragon-A type of dragon hailing from the north, these dragons are particularly loyal to each other, with unique powers never before seen in other types of awakened dragons. Like awakened dragons, they are monogamous. A unique aspect of them is that they have magical weapons they can summon at will, and these weapons are known to even fight autonomously to defend the dragon’s mate.

  Mountain Lion-A type of big cat shifter. Generally friendly, they are also stealth and deadly dangerous. Usually found in remote or mountainous areas, and have been known to be solitary, or live in small villages with other mountain lions.

  N

  Nightmare Dragon- A unique type of dragon of unknown origin. Too little is known about these creatures, requiring further observation and documentation. What we do know is that they are monogamous, and extremely powerful, possessing abilities entirely unfamiliar to typical dragon shifters.

  O

  Oracle- A unique, powerful woman whose age and exact powers are unknown. However, she is responsible for unity and peace amongst shifters and between shifters and humans. She fights to maintain this peace by working with lions, double dragons, awakened dragons, and all who fight for justice and good.

  She first appeared in King of Rock, aiding the lion princes in their journey. Since then, she has personally overseen the awakened dragons program, as well as led the other many dragons that have since come forth.

  P

  Pack- A group of tight-knit shifters, usually wolves. Many packs live together for protection and to defend their territory, while others live in family units amongst humans calling their close friends their “pack”.

  Pack’s Promise- A promise one wolf shifter makes that is utterly unbreakable, literally swearing on their own pack to never break that promise.

  Pheromones-Unique scents that shifters, usually wolves, give off to communicate with each other. Pheromones play a particularly important role between alpha males and females, and alpha females have strong pheromones that attract wolf shifters from far distances.

  Polar Bear- A rare type of bear shifter. Though from frigid climates, like polar bears in captivity, polar bear shifters can adapt to much warmer climates as needed. Arguably the most dangerous of bear shifters, like their natural counterparts, polar bear shifters have an affinity to water, and are incredibly large.

  Precious Metal Dragon-Though thought to be enemies of the metal dragons, precious metal dragons share a common ancestry with the awakened metal dragons. Descended from royalty, they are known for their pride, but also their loyalty and kindness. They have unique powers that involve their type of metal, and also use weapon like the metal dragons to do hand-to-hand combat. Known for clashing with, and, defeating the Mercury dragon.

  Pride Island-A small island, hidden by magic from the known world, inhabited solely by lion shifters. Though there has been political strife in the past generations, a new dawn of peace has been ushered in by the crowning of the new king.

  Purple Dragon-One of the six enforcer dragon types. The leader of every pair of six dragons, the purple usually pairs with the gold dragon for protection, though some exceptions exist. The purple dragon’s main function is to receive information and missions for the dragons in his area through visions, dreams, and premonitions. These can take an intense mental strain on the purple dragon, and some purple dragons have been known to be driven mad by these visions. However, when controlled, they provide vital data that allows the dragons operating under the purple dragon to save countless lives and prevent disaster.

  Q

  R

  Red Dragon- The strongest and most durable of the dragon enforcers, red dragons have been maligned in the past for their talents in physical combat. Also the largest of dragons, red dragons are fiercely protective and can often be overly aggressive. To offset this, red dragons are usually paired with the intelligent, masterminding silver dragon.

  Resonance- A term that only a fae could properly define, it has something to do with two people being drawn to each other. Further data is required.

  S

  Scent- In the shifter world, all shifters have unique scents, allowing shifters to identify each other even when in human form (the exception to this rule are cats, who have no scent, making them indiscernible between shifters and humans to other shifters). Also used as a sort of “finger print”, every person’s unique scent allows
them to be tracked, particularly by loved ones or those familiar with the scent.

  Sea Dragon-A unique breed of dragon unto themselves, they are the only known dragons who inhabit the sea primarily. Also, these three awakened dragons are siblings, and one of them is a woman (also an incredibly rare occurrence for dragons). Long ago, these dragons controlled the weather, helping humans and fighting off marine monstrosities that once existed (like the kraken). However, they awoke in the human world with no knowledge of modern technology or customs, and struggled a bit before finally acclimating and joining the other dragons in their fight for justice.

  Shifter- Referring to any of the many species of humans that can change shape into something else.

  Silver Dragon-One of the six enforcer dragons, characterized by a general lack of affect and cool demeanor, in part due to their high intelligence. Silver dragons also have the ability to move objets with their mind (telekinesis), as well as other abilities, such as being able to hear thoughts for much longer distances, as well as broadcasting their own thoughts far. Generally paired with the red dragon, though this can lead to infighting at times due to their stubborn personalities.

  T

  Throwback Mutation-Any reference to when a shifter expresses traits of a much older kind of animal. Dire wolves and bears are thought to be a throwback mutation to when shifters were larger. There have also been reports of two dragons with a similar mutation, resulting in a “giga dragon” of extreme size and power.

  Tiger-A type of cat shifter, though only three are known to exist. Not a naturally-occurring shifter like cougars or lions, tigers were bred for a specific purpose, and possess incredible skills in combat, tracking, and body guarding. One of them, Kel, is a white tiger, though the secret of him and his brother’s origin is known to only them and a select few.

  Triad- A completed, mated threesome of two enforcer double dragons and their mate. When joined, they are all bound to each other equally, sharing a lifespan and watching out for each other at all times.

  Tribunal-The wolf organization that once oversaw affairs of all wolves. Though never officially recognized as the leaders of the shifter world, through sheer ruthlessness and the control of precious alpha wolf females, they rose to power as an unstoppable organization. Through the efforts of a handful of brave wolves, though, the Tribunal is all bu at an end.

  Twin Dragon-Referring to the unique case where two red dragons, twins, were born together at the same time, living in exile for fear of discovery due to the unique nature of their existence.

  U

  Unawakened/Unaware Shifter- Well-documented cases of shifters being born with no knowledge of being a shifter have existed over time. Often, a baby may be born to two parents, with one of them being a shifter or even both. But if the knowledge of this is carefully kept from the child, they often are able to grow up normal and human, with only a slight sense of discomfort feeling out of place as any indicator that they are not fully human.

  Exposure to other shifters often can lead to these unawakened shifters being able to harness the animal inside them and finally shift.

  V

  W

  Wolf hybrid- Any type of wolf shifter that has mixed DNA with another type of shifter. Other hybrids exist, though they are rare and undocumented.

  Wolf Shifter-

  Wyvern- A creature created through the introduction of dragon blood (even a tiny amount) to a natural shifter’s blood. Though this is usually done with wolves, others may exist as well. (See Desired by Dragons, Destined Dragons).

  Wyverns are characterized by gray-brown, leathery skin and glowing red eyes. They have wings for arms, allowing them to fly, and elongated necks. Essentially a horrible, miniature version of a dragon, wyverns are the anti-dragon, with poisonous venom that is lethal to dragons but not humans.

  The concentration of dragon blood has been known to affect the “quality” of wyvern. Some wyverns can change form from human to wyvern like typical shifters, while others has devolved into nothing more than shrieking, violent beasts that serve their masters in their desire for conquest and evil.

  However, over time it has been revealed that not every wyvern is evil, as the mutation can be forced onto a person against their will (to great personal distress). Thankfully, recent advances have created a cure for wyvern venom, and with the destruction of evil people and organizations who were responsible for the creation of these foul beasts, their numbers have dwindled to almost nothing.

  X

  Y

  Z

  Email from Chadwick about the Fae

  Warning: This note is just a fun little treat for Terry’s long-time readers, and references several long-running characters, plot points and even possible spoilers.

  To: Attached Recipients

  Reply: Fae Report 2.34

  Date: REMOVED

  Fae Approval Status: ACCEPTED

  Fae Transfer Date: IMMEDIATELY

  FINAL UPDATE:

  This is Chadwick,

  The past few weeks have gone by without further incident, thankfully (see previously filed reports for further information), and I believe the fae are prepared to be integrated into human society.

  For anyone who hasn’t been keeping up or who have been away on business (glad to hear you’re back safe, Mercury and Marina. Congratulations, by the way) here is a summary of the four fae that have been living with Trevor and I, along with any extra information that might be helpful should you run into them.

  Flint- A fire fae, definitely the most outwardly friendly of the bunch and most easily acclimated to human customs. Though the extent of his powers is unknown to me, it seems the other fae—particularly Boreas—hold him in lesser regard for some reason. However, they have yet to reveal why to me, and since it is not part of our agreement that the fae divulge their cultural norms beyond what they’re comfortable, I have not pressed the issue further.

  With the help of my new mate, Bella (Thank you for the flowers and well wishes, everyone. And Aegis/Emerald, please do not send more cookies) Flint was able to recover from his wound quickly and without permanent harm. This leads me to believe the fae are very capable of handling themselves out in the human world without the help of our intervention.

  Boreas- I know many of you have been asking questions about Boreas, and I can say he is still as stubborn as ever. However, he has been able to learn human customs well enough, and with his suppressor on I believe he can pass for human. Honestly, the more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I realize that his disdain for humans doesn’t come from a lack of empathy. In fact, I percieve all of the fae to be extremely empathetic. I believe it is his strong sense of morality that leads him to act out or say things that seem hyperbolic.

  Exposure to the human world has shifted his perception over time, and I think further exposure will only help him further understand the very gray world that we all live in. Whether his black and white thinking can change, I’m not entirely sure…

  Tynan- Tynan is a very interesting fae. Along with Flint, he seems the most eager to get into the human world and experience it. However, unlike Flint, Tynan seems to have a dark side, too. He was the first to react to the chaos fae situation (see report 1.53), and he is fiercely protective of the other fae. Personally, I believe that leaving the mansion will do him well, as he can blend into social situations with relative ease, without being bothered by human norms.

  BTW I’ve received the email from the Lancaster brothers, and yes, I do think there’s a possible association, given the unique nature of their powers. What it is, I can only guess at this point. Further observation is required (at a distance).

  Ivar- Of all the fae, I believe Ivar might be hiding something. Nothing bad, mind you. Ironically, he is the first to explain fae customs when asked about them. However, he often ends up telling only half of the truth, keeping further information in reserve. I learned early on to not press for more, because fae in general have a very high level of integrity. In my opinion, they
might see oversharing information as being disloyal to their native customs and secrets, things which might be “wrong” to share.

  My hope is that Ivar finds what he’s looking for here. Though Boreas is generally regarded as the “highest ranked” of the four fae, there’s a certain silence that settles over the room if anyone brings up the power Ivar wields, (Opal/Emerald, can you forward this to Citrine so I can get his thoughts on this? He’s the only dragon I know of with power remotely similar to his).

  As mentioned in my last few reports, the expression of fae power in my mate, Bella, absolutely gives credence to the assertion that other fae are out there in the world, living among us. However, I’m also certain that with our current technology/magic, we are unequipped to find them.

  On the other hand, I have personally seen the fae princes be able to search out and locate other fae, and I think they’re perfect for a job we cannot yet do.

  Also, with the further incursion of chaos fae, I believe the deployment of our four fae princes will be our first and best defense against a world with powers we have only barely begun to understand. I’m in communication with the oracle and other entities on how we can try to prevent more chaos fae from coming to our world (Could someone here get me in touch with Van or Rainier? I desperately would like to speak to them on this subject), but preliminary reports suggest that our world could already be harboring fae of unknown origins already. The fact of the matter is, their ability to conceal themselves to our current methods of detection means we only have one real option.

  With the permission of the council, I would like to move for the immediate transfer of the fae to their assigned station/s. And with that, the period of close observation on the part of my team here comes to close. However, I have the double dragon enforcers in my area, along with the twin giga-dragons and the dragon-fae hybrid, Taylor, ready at a moments notice should anything bad happen (which I have not foreseen).