“Little Keeley, you weren’t there when Adlin cast me out. She said I couldn’t be trusted, that I had proven to be a threat to all other dragons. I would have shown her how much of a threat I really was if that big oaf Azal hadn’t been right there to protect her. They sent me aboveground where the dragon hunters dwell. They took my treasures away and collapsed my lair.” Grimjaw’s voice raised to a roar that shook the caverns. “And the moment they did that, their words and their laws stopped meaning anything to me!”

Of all the dragons Sarah met on her original journey to Greystone Valley, Grimjaw was the only one who proved himself a traitor. The house-sized, crocodile-mouthed dragon betrayed the girl and her companions, making a deal with the treacherous warlord Baelan.

Dragons have a very strict code of honor. Even though Grimjaw was very careful to stick to the letter of that code, Adlin the Dragon Queen determined that he had violated its spirit. She banished him, forcing him out of the safety of Greystone Valley’s mountain caves and sending him to live among lesser creatures.

For several months, Grimjaw traveled Greystone Valley in secret. He moved carefully, flying only at night so as to avoid humans and beast-men that might hunt a lone dragon. Finally, he came to a series of tunnels that ran beneath the Great City itself. There he made his new home.

Carving out a place for himself was not easy for Grimjaw. He fought against the dwarves and gremlins of the underground, finally overcoming their numbers with his raw power to claim his lair. Once he earned his territory, the dragon crept into the surrounding countryside over days and weeks, robbing travelers and rebuilding his hoard.

A creature of Grimjaw’s size can’t stay hidden forever, though. Melania, the mysterious woman who had conquered Greystone Valley, followed rumors of a dragon to their source and confronted Grimjaw. The dragon initially attacked, confident that his power could overcome anybody. But when he bit down on Melania, his jaws closed around nothing but shadow.

Melania couldn’t overcome Grimjaw, but her illusions and shadow magic kept the dragon from causing her any harm. In the end, the two called a truce and reached an agreement: Grimjaw would guard the passageways leading to the Great City, and Melania would provide him with gold and jewels from the city’s treasury.

Grimjaw has done his job well in the past few months, making sure that nobody enters the Great City without Melania’s knowledge. However, there is one important detail that he doesn’t know: like many others, Melania has warped his memories, causing him to forget the times that Sarah and her mom previously visited the valley.

Grimjaw is one of the deadliest opponents that Sarah and her friends have to face upon their return to Greystone Valley. But face him they must, if they wish to free the valley from Melania’s control. How will they fare? Check out Conquest of Greystone Valley to find out!

Image: SylviaP_Design