Dark Fire (The Last Dragon Chronicles)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | July 2, 2009 |
| Founder | Chris d'Lacey |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States |
| Products | Novel |
Dark Fire represents the fifth installment in The Last Dragon Chronicles authored by Chris d'Lacey. It debuted in the United Kingdom on 2 July 2009 and was later released in the United States on 1 May 2010.
Plot
Following a message from Gadzooks containing the cryptic term "Scuffenbury"—a barrow reputed to house dragons—three young adults, Arthur, Lucy, and Elizabeth, set out to meet Rupert Steiner. Meanwhile, back in Wayward Crescent, David questions his partner Zanna about Gwilanna, who threatens to surrender the Dark Fire Tear to IX. Under duress, Gwilanna summons a darkling rather than sacrificing her spouse.
Their neighbor Henry Bacon suffers a stroke and subsequently passes away; his will bequeaths $50,000 to Liz and Lucy, Arctic artifacts to David, and his residence to Zanna. Henry’s sister Agatha, a formidable sibyl, instructs Zanna in healing magic and encourages her to reconcile with David.
After opening a shop, Zanna is attacked by semi-Darklings but is saved by Tam with assistance from the spirit Kailar. David discovers that Rupert Steiner holds knowledge regarding Dragontongue translations linked to a Glacier expedition. Upon receiving an email from Sophie to Lucy, David travels to Africa only to find Sophie’s wildlife sanctuary engulfed in flames. Sophie has been killed along with her fiancé Pieter, who falls victim to a semi-Darkling intent on reversing Grace’s Fire Tear to produce dark fire. David captures this darkling and sends it back to IX with a warning. He retrieves Grace’s stone form while Groyne claims her Fire Tear.
David reveals that Alexa is an angelic figure serving as a bridge between dragons and humans, foreseeing widespread public fascination once dragons become known. He also explains that people will journey to Ki:mera, the home world of the Fain.
Within the Dragon's Den, David attempts to neutralize dark fire using Gollygosh, Groyne, and G'reth. However, Gollygosh briefly succumbs to corruption and prematurely releases dark fire that infiltrates Liz and her infant, rendering Liz unconscious. Lucy and Tam are dispatched to Scuffenbury as Gwillan drains Grace’s auma.
At Scuffenbury, Lucy and Tam lodge at a guesthouse managed by Hannah and Clive alongside visitor Mrs Gee. They ascend Glissington Tor—the resting place of a dragon—where Lucy dreams of a cat delivering a semi-darkling.
Back in Wayward Crescent, Liz remains unconscious but stable. Melanie Cartwright arrives accompanied by her mother Rachel and their dragon Glade, who senses emotional states. Gretel induces sleep among the humans while Glade inspects Liz and the baby; she discovers the infant’s body preserved in stasis with its auma transferred to Gwillan. David informs G'Oreal that Grockle is eliminating semi-Darklings.
Tam and Lucy climb Scuffenbury Hill where cairn stones rise revealing chalk engravings resembling a unicorn’s horn. Mrs Gee has reconstructed the cairn intending to awaken both unicorn and dragon; however, Hannah warns that only a red-haired girl touched by dragon spirit can accomplish this. The dormant dragon is identified as Gawaine, who once sought healing from unicorn Teramelle for childbirth and offers assistance in exchange for one of his scales.
Gwendolen uncovers that the magical cat is actually Bella transformed by Mrs Gee. News reports reveal dragons being liberated worldwide; Hannah informs Lucy she must touch and sing beneath the cairn’s tunnels to rouse the dragon.
Zanna notes emails Lucy receives from other daughters of Guinevere; David explains that Gawaine was chosen by the new Wearle to combat IX by leading them into self-sacrifice through the Fire Eternal.
As Tam and Lucy enter tunnels aiming to awaken Gawaine, Hannah betrays them: Tam becomes trapped underground while Lucy is captured by Mrs Gee but escapes with Bella's aid. The guesthouse collapses amid the dragon's awakening. Melanie and Rachel are attacked by the last semi-Darkling which wounds them before abducting Glade; Glade sends a distress signal intercepted by Gwillan.
Lucy calls David for aid; Grockle arrives as Lucy places tears within Glissington cairn reflecting moonlight onto the unicorn's horn, reviving it and freeing Gawaine. However, due to prior betrayal by a disguised sibyl, Gawaine attacks Lucy until David intervenes.
The surviving semi-Darkling absorbs the auma from Lucy’s tears, regenerates itself, and spawns four Darklings. David provides Lucy with a narwhal tusk talisman—actually Gwillan in disguise—to transport her home; however, she only moves across the valley.
Gawaine battles Darklings alongside G'lant (the fusion of David and Grockle). Despite injuries inflicted on Gawaine, Tam destroys one attacking Lucy and Bella. Zane contacts Agatha Bacon but instead Gwilanna arrives at Wayward Crescent; Zanna departs for Scuffenbury intending to heal severely wounded Gawaine using Teramelle’s aid before an imminent portal opens.
Gwilanna ensnares Arthur through magic while extracting dark fire from Liz’s child’s auma using Gawain’s iscoscele; dark fire kills her then travels toward Scuffenbury. Alexa develops wings and is taken there by G'Oreal of the New Wearle.
At Scuffenbury, G'lant confronts remaining Darklings; Gwillan purifies one into a neutralized dragon threat. IX empowers another Darkling which overwhelms G'lant until Gawaine sacrifices herself by dragging it into the Fire Eternal alongside Teramelle.
Amidst turmoil caused by dark fire, David, Zanna, Alexa, and Gadzooks unite as Gadzooks writes "sometimes." David reassures Zanna that although transformations are ahead, all will ultimately be well before he, Lucy, Tam, Zanna, Bella, and dragons vanish from sight.
Humans
- David Rain – An author who spent five years in Ki:mera, the realm of the Fain, and is ultimately revealed to be a Fain himself. Originally meant to be born to Liz and Arthur, his existence was instead brought about through Gwilanna's interference. When merged with Grockle, he is known as G'lant. Though believed to have been slain by an ice spear, he also possesses the ability to transform into a polar bear named Ingavar. David commands four dragons: Gadzooks, Gollygosh, Groyne, and G'reth.
- Zanna Martindale – A sibyl gifted with healing abilities, mother of Alexa and engaged to David. She operates a shop specializing in natural remedies. Her dragon companion is Gretel.
- Alexa – The daughter of Zanna and David, she serves as an 'angel' connecting humans and dragons. Alexa magically conjures a horse that transforms into a unicorn.
- Elizabeth (Liz) Pennykettle – Guinevere’s daughter who brings dragons to life from clay using Ice Fire obtained from Thoran. During the events of the Fire Eternal and Dark Fire, she becomes pregnant with Joseph Henry but falls into a coma due to the dark fire’s impact on her womb. All dragons respond to her commands.
- Lucy Pennykettle – Liz’s daughter who awakens the dragon Gawaine. She holds admiration for David and affection for Tam. Her dragon is named Gwendolen.
- Arthur Merriman – A physics professor and partner to Liz, as well as father to Joseph Henry. He loses his sight following an encounter with the Ix and possesses a claw from Gwilanna inscribed with infinity ink.
- Tam Farrell – A reporter working for The National Endeavor who shares the aumas of Kailar and Avrel. He has the power to freeze objects by turning them into ice.
- Joseph Henry – The unborn son of Liz who transfers his auma to Gwilanna and places his own body in stasis. He demonstrates extraordinary power by converting a darkling into a dragon.
- Gwilanna – A sibyl striving for illumination in dragon form; she is killed by Dark Fire. She masquerades as Agatha Bacon to deceive the Pennykettles.
- Rupert Steiner – A colleague of Arthur’s who deciphers Dragontongue from images taken during the Hella glacier expedition.
- Melanie Cartwright – Lucy’s friend whose dragon is Glade.
- Rachel Cartwright – Melanie’s mother who suffers injury when a semi-darkling captures Glade.
- Sophie Prentice – David’s former girlfriend who dies in a sanctuary fire caused by semi-darklings; her dragon is Grace.
- Pieter – Sophie’s fiancé who is killed while avenging her death.
- Mutu – A coworker of Sophie.
- Henry Bacon – Neighbor to the Pennykettles who dies early in the storyline, leaving his home to Zanna.
- Agatha Bacon – Henry’s sister and a powerful sibyl assisting Zanna; later revealed to be Gwilanna in disguise.
- Bella – Guinevere’s daughter transformed into a cat by Ms. Gee; she possesses knowledge about Gawaine’s legend and tries to prevent Lucy from awakening the vengeful dragon.
- Ms. Gee – A sibyl who journeys to Scuffenbury with Bella intending to claim Gawaine; she is killed during Gawaine’s awakening by Hannah’s ancestor using dragon urine.
- Hannah – A believer in dragons aware of how to awaken Gawaine; she betrays Lucy to Ms. Gee and dies during the dragon’s awakening.
- Clive – Supports Hannah at the hotel but is killed by Ms. Gee during Gawaine’s awakening.
- Teramelle – A unicorn attempting to heal Gawaine; she enters stasis alongside the dragon and is also known as the Scuffenbury Horse.
The IX
- The semi-darklings - A group of eleven hybrids combining darkling and raven traits, created by Gwilanna to serve the Ix; Grockle hunts down and eliminates all but one.
- The darklings - Descendants from the final semi-darkling, these creatures are employed by the Ix in an attempt to oppose Gawaine and G'lant, though their efforts ultimately prove unsuccessful.
Dragons
- The Old Wearle - The final twelve dragons from the preceding Dragon Age, including notable members such as Galen, Gessine, G'larne, Gyrrhon, and Gawaine.
- Gawaine - The dragon matriarch selected by the Old Wearle to eradicate the Ix; she enters a state of stasis after childbirth and perishes while destroying the Ix upon awakening.
- Gawain - Offspring of Gawaine and a direct ancestor to Liz and Lucy.
- The New Wearle - A newly formed assembly of dragons supported by the Fain, comprising G'Oreal, David, Grockle (also known as G'lant), along with several unidentified dragons.
- G'Oreal - The appointed leader of the New Wearle.
- Grockle - A dragon born at the conclusion of Icefire, who is illuminated alongside David under the name G'lant.
- Godith - The divine creator deity responsible for all dragons and the cosmos.
- The Pennykettle dragons:
- Gwillan - The house dragon whose Fire Tear produces dark fire; resurrected by Joseph Henry, he displays his strength by converting a darkling into a dragon.
- Gollygosh Golightly - A healing dragon crafted by David; emits dark fire that enters Liz's infant.
- Gorin - An enigmatic dragon immune to fire that catches flames without harm.
- Groyne - David’s dragon with the ability to become invisible or transform into a narwhal tusk talisman.
- Gadzooks - A dark matter dragon controlled by David that manipulates writing, serving under G'Oreal during this time.
- G'reth - A wishing dragon created by Lucy Pennykettle for David.
- Grace - Sophie’s listener dragon who loses her Fire Tear following Sophie’s death; later revived by David after an unsuccessful attempt to raise Gwillan.
- Glade - Melanie Cartwright’s mood-responsive dragon; captured and wounded by the last semi-darklings.
- Gretel - Zanna’s potion-making dragon, originally created by Liz but once owned by Gwilanna.
- Gwendolen - Lucy’s IT dragon that connects directly with her computer systems.
- Guinevere - Liz’s dragon that aids in kilning Pennykettle dragons.
- Gawain - Liz’s dragon modeled after the original namesake; present at every Pennykettle dragon kilning.