Magmus Murcul, the Earth Prince of Galaton, let out a hot breath that steamed in the cold air of the snow-capped forest. His fur cape wrapped around his shoulders and clasped at the neck with a silver dragon pin in the shape of the crest of his family. It was a dragon, curled around a tree in a symbol of the Earth Lands.

He lifted his sword, moving on silent feet through the snowy forest. These were his lands. His family had ruled here for ten million years. However, every five thousand years, when the female dragons began to die out, the males of Galaton revolted against their princes.

The dukes and earls of the Earth Lands were the most aggressive in their revolt. Magmus had been forced to participate in battles nearly every day for years now. He longed for the end of this blood rite, when he could finally settle down with his bride and his heirs.

He stepped across the snow, his laser sword gripped in his hands. He knew the other dragons were around here somewhere, lurking, ready to strike. He could smell them; could sense their subtle movements behind the tall trunks of the evergreen trees.

He stepped around a tree trunk, his sword aloft, his eyes scanning, his ears pricked. A slight movement caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He swung his sword and pivoted, slicing his assailant across the arm.

The duke of the south of the Earth Lands gritted his teeth at the sting of the slice. Magmus sidestepped and avoided the duke’s attack. Swinging behind the other dragon shifter, Magmus sliced the duke through the kidneys. A huge gush of blood streamed down his side. The man fell to his knees, groaning in pain. Magmus lifted his sword and pointed it at the fallen man's neck.

“Do you yield?” Magmus asked.

"We will fight until the end," the duke spit out.

Magmus sighed and slid his laser sword across the man's neck, opening a huge gash of blood. The man gurgled and fell forward onto the snow, his red blood seeping into the white frozen ground.

Magmus walked away, sickened by what he’d had to do. He wanted this baseless violence to end. He stepped out into the snow and retracted his sword and clothes. Jumping into the air, Magmus shifted into the form of his dragon.

Enormous and a beautiful gradient of different shades of green, the dragon pumped his wings over the snowy forest. He ascended and flew higher into the sky. This was enough death for today. He could not stomach taking the life of another of his men.

The princes of Galaton had agreed that the four of them would ensure they had heirs to their thrones before opening the Mating Lottery to the rest of the dragons of Galaton. It had made perfect sense in the beginning. They’d even sent their semen in a hyper speed vessel that could travel much faster than any humanoid transport ship, all the way from Galaton to Earth. Magmus was still waiting for his bride, but the males had grown more hostile with each passing day.

Magmus pumped his massive wings as he flew over the Earth Lands. A few miles from home, he heard his holocom ping. When he finally made it to his fortress, he landed gracefully on the landing deck. The Stone Fortress was built into the side of a mountain. Huge pillars reached high into the mountain and stood at the grand entrance. The pillars were carved statues of Earth Dragons: massive, bold and strong.

Magmus shifted into his humanoid form, flicked on his clothing, and strode through the entryway of his fortress. In the hall that reached high into the mountain, the roof barely visible in his tiny humanoid form, he was met by his right hand man, Admiral Saka.

"You have left the sparring grounds already?" Admiral Saka asked.

"I cannot take any more today, Saka," Magmus admitted. "The brutality must end. I will consult with the other princes and implore that they open the lottery to the rest of the dragons."

"What about your heir?" Admiral Saka asked as they walked through the Stone Fortress.

They moved deeper into the mountain cavern. Elaborate torches of fire and light brightened the depths of the cavern fortress. Under the illumination, vines and flowers covered the walls and pillars that rose up to the stone roof of each chamber. Magmus turned into his apartments and bid Saka farewell. He let out a deep sigh, happy to be home.

His furniture was made of twisted vine and strong hardwood, mixed with stone and metal. Everything was sturdy and bold, as was the style of the Earth Lands. The sturdy style was mixed with the delicacy of tender buds and sweetly scented flowers. He sat on his couch, covered in furs, and checked his holocom. What he saw on the screen demanded his full attention.

"Congratulations, the Draconian Mating Lottery has found you a bride."

Magmus’s heart jumped as he clicked on the picture of the woman. Her name was Cora Brighton. She had long reddish brown hair and bright green eyes that shone like the depths of the rainforests of the south. She was a beauty beyond compare and his inner dragon immediately growled with desire for her. Her bride ship would take at least a year to arrive on Galaton from Earth.

In that time, his dragon would push him further into the mating thrall the more he thought of her. He gazed at her picture a moment longer and then read her brief profile.

His inner dragon purred and he flicked off his wrist holocom, knowing that any further attention on her would only enrage his dragon. He couldn't afford for the thrall to overcome him. She had still not accepted her invitation to be his bride. Until she was impregnated with his seed, the knowledge of her existence would drive him closer and closer to the brink of madness. He rose from his chair and crossed the room, activating his AI system with a word.

"Call the princes.”

He turned to a holographic screen that showcased a classic Draconian painting. The painting dissolved and the faces of the other princes materialized out of the fading blackness.

"My bride has been found," Magmus said.

"That is good," said Salvatt, the prince of the Fire Lands.

"That is the last of us," said Elait, the Prince of the Air Lands.

“Now that all of our mates have been found, I implore you all to allow the lottery to be opened to the rest of the males,” Magmus said.

“It’s not possible,” said Shay, the water prince. “My heir has not arrived yet.”

“The dukes and earls of the Earth Lands are attacking every day. I battle without rest. We must bring an end to the bloodshed.”

“I agree with Shay,” said Salvatt. “We must ensure our thrones. All of us have had to battle our men for years, Magmus. Do you grow weary?”

Salvatt’s tone sliced through Magmus’s gut. He knew what the Fire Prince was implying. The dragons of Galaton lived by the sword. They had a long standing tradition of winning dominance in battle. If Magmus refused to fight, he rightfully forfeited his kingdom.

“I grow weary of butchering my own men,” Magmus said. “But if we cannot agree to open the lottery to the rest of the dragons, the fight will continue.”

Magmus bid the other princes farewell and turned off the holocom. The painting reappeared on the screen and Magmus turned away, walking toward the deck that looked out onto the inner world of the Stone Fortress.

The glowing holographic lights illuminated the deep caverns. Stacked stone buildings spread out before him under the roof of the great cavern. Greenery grew in the courtyard below his patio. Full grown trees and gardens overflowed under the bright artificial lights of his Stone Fortress.

He had lived in this place all his several hundred years of life and he intended to keep it in his family line. The words of Prince Salvatt still stung. He did grow weary of the fight.

Years of battling and killing his own men was changing him. Because he was in fact stronger than a dozen lords of the Earth Lands put together, he felt the moral sting of the blood on his hands. It wasn’t even a fair fight. But that didn’t stop his lords from fighting him.

The madness that came from the lack of females was affecting them all. And now that Magmus had looked upon the face of his own bride, his inner dragon had already begun spiraling into rage.

He could feel the psychotic pull of the thrall overtaking the deep corners of his brain. The image of Cora’s face filled his mind, and he had to push it aside. As beautiful as she was, and no matter how much he longed for her, the only way to ensure the best future for everyone was to forget about her.