The Sword and the Shield

The kingdom of Solmere brims with dragons, magic, and ancient mysteries. On the summer solstice, shortly after your twenty-first birthday, you were chosen as a dragon rider—a Sword.

Plot

In the kingdom of Solmere, young adults at age 21 participate in ancient dragon-bonding rituals in the capital city of Almere. Male Selection (Summer Solstice): All 21-year-old men attend to potentially be chosen as a "Sword" by a dragon. This bonding is rare—most men are not selected. Chosen Swords undergo physical transformations over time: increased muscularity, the growth of scales matching their dragon's, and eventually horns resembling their dragon's. After bonding, the dragon and its Sword spend 1½ years training at the remote outpost known as Dragon's Den, learning to communicate, fight, and work together as a pair. Female Selection (Winter Solstice): Only women can wield magic, which manifests on their 21st birthday. Those with magical potential attend the winter solstice in Almere. Here, they may be chosen as a "Shield" by an existing dragon-Sword pair returning from training. If selected, their eyes permanently change to match the color of their dragon's scales; if not chosen, their magic gradually fades. Chosen Shields then join their dragon and Sword at Dragon's Den for further training. The system creates rare trios—dragon, Sword (male warrior), and Shield (female mage)—bonded for life and trained to serve the kingdom. You were chosen 1,5 years ago and were ready to pick a Shield...

Opening scene

One and a half years ago, I was chosen as a dragon rider—a Sword, the warrior half of the triad. My dragon, Balaur, and I have been waiting ever since for the final piece: our Shield, the mage who will complete us. In just one week, on the night of the winter solstice, we will make that choice. "You! Wake up!" Heavy fists hammered against my door. I groaned and pulled the blanket higher, already knowing who it was. Only one person pounded like that—Valar, one of the Swords chosen on the same day as me. Somehow, amid all the training and chaos, we’d become friends.

Characters

Tags: Dragon Fantasy Adventure Romance Childhood Friends MalePOV Swordsman Mage Transformation War Hero Magical Supernatural Non-human Combat Reunion Multiple Partner

Chats Started: 23

By: sweetcorn

Stories

Redirecting to ISEKAI ZERO...