PART ONE: TENSION AND FIRST SPARK.The mountains didn't shake for earthquake It shook because Kaelen was awake,Elena felt it through the soles of her boots as she climbed the last switch back of the ember ridge.The part was narrow the drop on her left a sheer of fall into mist that never lifted not even in high summer.Below the village of Thornevale looked like scattered embers against the pine.Above the peak of darkmere loomed black against a sky the color of bruised fruit.Stupid she muttered to herself "All of it stupid" Her sister had called it a death wish, The council had called it heresay. The old priestess had just looked at her with wet eyes and said "Then go If the dragon takes you at least it will be quick." That was three days ago, Today was choosing Every forthy years Thornevale sent a tribute to the dragon of darkmere,not gold,not goats, not persons. The bargain was very much old - older than the stone walls of the village.the dragon stays in it's lair,it didn't burn the valley, it didn't take what it wanted from the fields and the beds at night.In return it got one life, one willing life." Willing "was the part they never talked about at the festival.Elena wasn't willing, she was furious.Her name had been drawn,the lots were rigged,she knew it.Her brother had spoken out against the council,if she didn't go,they take him instead.He was seventeen, all elbow and defiance and no sense of self preservation. She'd been climbing mountains since she was ten.So here she was,The cave's mouth was bigger than a house,heat rolled out if it like a living thing, carrying the small sulfur and old smoke.scorched marks blackened the rocks around the entrance, no bones the dragon was tidy."Kaelen" she calls,her voice bouncing back at her too small "I'm here." You can come out.Silent. Then a sound like a landslide,slow and deliberate He stepped into the lights.Dragons in the old stories were beasts, wings like torns snails, eyes like molten gold, teeth like knives, But Kaelen wasn't as such.He was a man.Tall enough that she had to tilt her head back to see his face,scales ran down his forearm s a d collarbones in patches of obsidian and ember-red, fading into human skin at his throat and jaw.Horns curved back from his brow,not for show- she could see the muscles that moved them.His eyes were gold,yes,but slit-puplied and intelligent,and they were studying her like she was a problem to be solved.He wore nothing but a length of dark clothes around his hips, Modesty wasn't for humans apparently."You're late" he said,his voice was low,reasonant,the kind of voice that made the stone under your feet vibrate."I had to walk," Elena said,she hadn't planned to be snarky,it just happened when she was terrified,"Your driver counceled." One dark eye brow arched."You have humor,Good,the last one wept for six hours." "Us that supposed to make me feel better?" "No," he took a step forward,the hear intensified,"You're the tribute?" "I'm the idiot they sent to keep my brother alive,yes." "Then we have a problem."Elena braced herself,this was it,The fire,the claws,the end."I don't eat people," Kaelen said,"I haven't eaten a person in four hundred years," The bargain was made with my grand father, he's dead,I don't care for it."Elena blinked" So can.....can I go home?"" No,"He moved closer and now she could see the faint glow under his skin,like embers under ash." Because you're mated to me." "What?" Mating, draconic bond,Rare. Happens in a generation if we're lucky,"He gestured at her,as if that explained everything." Your scent changed the moment you came within a mile of the peak, it's in your blood,I felt it."Elena looked down at herself,she smelled like sweat, pine resin and fear." That's ridiculous "she said," I don't even know you." "You don't need to,the bond does," he reached out,and she flinched.He stopped,his hand hovering an inch from her cheek,"it's in the blood,when a dragon finds it's mate,the bond ignites. it's.....inconvinient, painful, irresistible."" Try inconvinient "she said, stepping back." I have a life,A family,I don't want to be bonded to a dragon,who lives in a cave and speaks in riddles."Kaelen's jaw tightened,The scales on his forearms shifted, darkening," You think I wanted this?"I've spent four centuries alone,I don't take mates,Mates takes you."The ground trembles again,not the mountains this time,"Her" Something under the skin felt hot,like she'd swallowed a coal,it wasn't fair.It was recognition,a pull,low in her guts, towards him,"stupid animal." She hated immediately."If I stay,she said carefully," What happens to Thornevale?"" The bargain ends,"Kaelen said." With me,I don't want tribute,I don't want fear,I want the valley to forget that I exists."" And if I leave?"" Then the bond will frey,it will hurt, for both of us,He exhaled,and the air shimmered with heat ," And the council will send someone..

part 1TENSION AND FIRST PARK. The mountains didn't shake for earthquake It shook because Kaelen was awakeElena felt it through the soles of her boots as she climbed the last switch back of the ember ridge. The part was narrow, the drop on her left a sheer fall into the mist that never lifted not even in high summer. Below the village of Thornevale looked like scattered embers against the pine. Above the peak of dark mere loomed black against a sky, the color of bruised fruit. "Stupid " she muttered to herself, "all of it , stupid"Her sister had called it a death wish, the council had called it heresay. The old priestess had just looked at her, with wet eyes and said"Then go if the dragon takes you, at least it'll be quick." That was three days ago, Today was choosing. Every forty years, Thornevale sent a tribute to the dragon if dark mere, not gold, not goats, not persons. The bargain was very much old-older than stone walls of the village. The dragon stays in it's lair it didn't burn the valley, it didn't take what it wanted from the fields and the beds at night. In return it got one life, one willing life"willing" was the part they never talked at the festival. Elena wasn't willing she was furious. Her name had been drawn, the lots were rigged -she knew it. Her brother had spoken out against the council last winter and now the family paid. If she didn't go, they take him instead. He was seventeen, all elbow and defiance and no sense of self preservation, she has been climbing mountains since she was tenso here she was, The cave mouth was bigger than a house, heat rolled out of it like a living thing, carrying the smell if sulfur and old smoke.scorch marks blackened the rocks around the entrance, no bones, the dragon was tidy. "Kaelen " she called, her voice bouncing back at her, too small "I'm here, you can come out." Silent, then a sound like a land slide slow and deliberate He stepped into the lights. Dragons in the old stories were beasts , wings like torn snails, eyes like molten gold, teeth like knives, but Kaelen wasn't as such. He was a man. Talk enough that he had to tilt her head back to see his face, scales ran down his forearms and collar bones in patches of obsidian and ember- red, fading into human skin at his throat and jaw. Horns curved back from his brow, not for show-she could see the muscle that moved them......

SCENE ONE;ST JOHN'S HOSTEL(lights on the three witches discussing)JUNE; I'm waiting for the day I'll squeeze that Wendy, I swear, she'll regret ever been in this campus. APRIL;You see that her group, they thought they have sense but they're naughty(mtchew)JUNE; Especially that Wendy, ah! she's so annoying ehn MAY;girls, you know exactly my target (laughs sarcastically)JUNE;I. t. k(the girls laughs sarcastically)BLESSING;Ruth and Esther are just my target, you see the four of them(pointing fingers) they'll die one after the other in this school, and their parents will come to take their corpse to mortuary. JUNE; exactly what I'm saying, most especially that stupid Wendy, I don't just know why I so much detest that girl. (moans in fury)APRIL;But.... how do we get them now? BLESSING; That's the same question I've been asking myself before I could speak up. JUNE;Well... Girls!!! (chorus)Yes our chair lady!! JUNE;We must get them!!!! (GIRLS IN UNISON CHORUSED)So be it!!! Black out. Bell rings thriceA VOICE; Students come and have your launch it is ready ooo!!! (music)MAY; What's even today's date? BLESSING;(laughs)So you mean you've forgotten today's date? MAY;Tell me something abeg ahh!! JUNE;I think it's fifteen, abii(looking at the girls for confirmation)MAY; There's no more time ohhAPRIL; Let's go and eat our food first before any other thing JUNE;I know you're hungry, so let's go. (the girls exit) IN THE REFECTORY The girls are widely shown eating their food respectively, Wendy came towards them soon with her own portion of food.WENDY;Hey girls(she waves)JUNE;You fellow who sent you?APRIL;aIf you love your life respect your self and go back from where you're coming from.JUNE;I guess you heard her,right?WENDY;You girls are so meanJUNE;Are you just finding out today?(licking her spoon)MAY; Better go back to your table,else whatever you see you accept your fate. (Wendy returns to join her friends, sobbing)BIANCA;So you insisted to go after I warned you. WENDY;Can you believe that these girls really hate us? BIANCA;Were we ever friends with them? WENDY;(paused)they said we're useless BIANCA;Are we? WENDY;No, no, we're not. BIANCA;So what's your point now? WENDY;Never mindESTHER;If I say that I hate those witches you'll say I should not hate anyone, it made me a murderer, but you see? hope you're seeing them ohh? BIANCA;Are you trying to compare yourself with them? ESTHER;Not really I'm just making a.... never mind thoRUTH;Girls you're not hungry, because if you're truly hungry you'll not be wasting your time and energy talking about those girls that'll soon turn to chaff one day. BIANCA;She made sense(pointing at Ruth) Black out! SCENE TWO; ST. MONICA'S HOSTELWENDY;I don't know what we've done to June and her friends, they really hate us so badESTHER;Were we ever friends with them? BIANCA;I don't know why you're so bothered about them WENDY; I'm only trying to confirm my dream last night, I saw it yes... I knew it. these girls are after our lives and we need to act fast. I saw them attacked us in my dream and say they'll separate us. BIANCA;My problem with you is that you know the bible yet you don't really believe what it can doWENDY;I do, but you know there's this strange force controlling them and they're operating within a strange environment and some dark powers. RUTH;Are you being serious? ESTHER;You don't mean it(she fold her arms)BIANCA; You're just realizing today? I've known since. WENDY;And you kept quiet all these while? BIANCA; They're some things we leave untold till we confirm the reality. I needed to confirm from any of you before I publish my observations, it's not bad tho ... I didn't tell you girls but you've find out already, so there's no problem with that. RUTH;Hmm! so we're living together with marine girls without knowing all these while. ahh!!! BIANCA; That's the reason why your spiritual eyes need to be opened and your antenna standing at alert to what next. WENDY;God is with usBIANCA;Yes my dear. ESTHER; I'll just set trap for them, assuming gun is allowed in this school we would have shot them dead by now, let me know if they'll wake up to fight. RUTH;(laughs)ESTHER; What's funny? I'm serious Ruth. please!!! RUTH;But made you think it's gun we'll need in fighting witches(laughs again)ESTHER; It's fine. BIANCA; Haven't you heard that we fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers?RUTH; Nawow ohh, ask herWENDY; Where's it again in the bible sef?.. which scripture nah? BIANCA;I think, is it Romans abii Corinthians? or which one I don't even remember, but we need to find it (Everybody started flipping through their bibles to find out where it is written.)WENDY; I've found it BIANCA; Where's it? WENDY; Ephesians chapter six from verse ten to seventeen RUTH;Ok we want to read bible, abii