Part 1

The world of the past was full of monsters and magic. Our ancient ancestors knew this. Their heroes fought the monsters. Their scholars studied magic, yearning to unlock its secrets. They told stories and crafted legends of their hard-won wisdom. And they passed down all they knew to their descendants. But then, we moved on as a race. We woke up and realized there were no monsters lurking in the dark. Magic was just science we didn't understand yet. And this world we lived in was humanity's to claim. We dismissed the stories of our forbearers as the inane ramblings of barbarians who knew nothing of how the world really worked, and we congratulated ourselves for our enlightenment. But, just because we forgot about the monsters, doesn't mean they ever forgot about us. They did exist, and they never went anywhere. They were hiding, watching, and waiting for their moment to remind humanity why we really fear the dark and the unknown. But what am I saying? Everyone who's left already knows this. I just found out the truth a little earlier than most. So, I'm Adrian Johnson, former pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and this is the story of how I met my first dragon.

*Author's Note* First off, if you've found this and decided to give it a read, then thank you very much! This has been a passion project of mine for a few years now, and its the first long form story I have successfully finished. This story started life on Wattpad as a rough draft, and I'm very grateful to the early readers who provided me with initial feedback. Knowing there was an audience, however small, waiting to read more of the story is a major reason why I was motivated to keep coming back to finish it. For any new readers, welcome! As a first time author, I really appreciate every read, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback you could give. I hope you enjoy what's in store!