~~~ONC 2024 Shortlist~~~ ~~~ Alaric, the King of Silmarea, recently married to his beloved husband, needs an heir of his own blood to secure the throne. With the help of Emrys, his court magician and best friend, he recalls and discovers a daughter he once had with a woman he had loved in The World Beyond The Stones (our world). He sends an unlikely but trusted trio on a quest to find her and bring her home-a dragon shifter who owes him a favor, an elf whom he loves like the son he never had, and a dwarf, the elf's best friend. Alaric, one of the very last scions of the old gods, weary of ruling the country and ready to retire and enjoy his love life, doesn't know that this quest will bring much more than he ever bargained for, setting in motion events that will challenge his kingdom and legacy. ~~~ My ONC 2024 entry inspired by prompt 21: A dragon, an elf, and a dwarf embark on a quest to find the lost heir to the kingdom.