Dragon Legacy

Inhaling a deep breath, I open my eyes slowly. Seeing only bleary shapes, I blink a couple of times. Each time my eyes come into focus a little more. As my sight clears, I wish I could go back to not being able to see anything much. Carnage, rubble, smoke rising slowly from a pillar. These parts of my home that I could see, now nothing more than a ruin. I lie back and close my eyes, seeing everything happen again, reliving the terror. Earlier... Jerking awake as screams rent the air, I bolt up in my bed. There is chaos all around me, people screaming out in fear or pain, I can't fathom which, these sounds collide with battle-cries flying from the mouths of those who are sworn to protect us, with a ferocity that alarms me. I cannot even begin to think or visualize what is happening. Lifting the covers, I jump off my bed and run to the window, wanting to see what is going on, my long plait of bright red hair swinging as I stop. There, far below, I can see a rush of figures that have invaded our castle and are fighting our soldiers. I see a flash of purple fire shooting past my window as one of my brothers jumps from his window, throwing another flame just before he changes into a dragon. If my brothers are going to help in dragon form, then it must indeed be a great threat that breached our gates. As I turn to go to my mother and sisters’ aid, a bright glint in the dark catches my eye. Turning back to the window I see a large arrow flying towards my brother and before I can do more than draw a short breath, I see that the arrow has hit home, right in my brother's chest. I see him falling out of the sky as though in slow motion, only to land in a heap on the ground with a dull thud. I see him shimmer and change back to human form as turn towards my door intent on going to see if he still lives, grabbing my coat and blades on my way out. “He has to be okay,” I whisper as I move, knowing that I need to get to him before any of the raiders can. As dragons, we can heal from near fatal wounds, but if our throats are slit and our bodies burned, our dragon fire leaves us and then we die. Leaving my room behind, I see that there are already people in the castle. I see one of my ladies in waiting being cut down at the end of the passage and stifle a cry in my hand. Celia, dearest Celia, my heart cries as tears run down my cheek. Turning into a nook by the window, I hide behind the curtain, hoping to remain undetected. I hear someone run past my hiding place and wait another minute before I peek out. I see nothing and move ahead slowly. Although I have basic training in combat, my father has told us girls to always use combat as a last resort. We should use our stealth training and our ingenuity to outsmart anyone who would be foolish enough to mess with us. Though, no-one has ever really known us girls, we have not been to court, as we are all too young to be looking for a mate. I am the oldest of us girls and I am only a year away from being introduced into society. No man, other than my father and our brothers, and the odd male servant, has seen us. My greatest concern now is to find out what has happened to my brother and then look for my mother and sisters. Strapping on my blades and shucking on my coat while running is not easy. Hearing a thunderous roar resonating through the castle that could only be my father, I know that he had changed and is fighting. Maybe he has seen what happened to my brother and is with him. I can see purple flames belching through the air onto the attacking party, and I freeze as I see that a large arrow is protruding from my father's chest. No! It can’t be! This can’t be happening to us. The tears I shed for the loss of my maid in waiting double as I know that both my father and one of my brothers is hurt. Thinking that I should get to my mother and sisters first, my feet fly as I move towards my mother's room to see whether my sisters have gotten there yet. I hear sobbing as I open the door and realize that they had seen our father hit, but do they know our brother's fate yet? “Mother! What is happening?” I ask her out of breath. “I do not know who ordered the attack, but I think they know how to kill us,” she hisses angrily. We have guarded this secret close to our hearts, letting the rumor spread that we cannot be killed. It can only be one of our own who would do this, someone who wants to take the kingdom for themselves. “But why? We have done nothing to warrant such an attack. We have only ever done good things for the people,” I say sadly. “I think that humans want to take over and have bought a dragon to give them all of our secrets,” she replies, not quite meeting my eyes. "Who would do such a thing? Unless it is a dragon that wants to take over our lands?” I reason. “That is all I can possibly think, but there are only two other dragon families left and we have no quarrel with them. They intended to come to your introduction party this year and see if you would suit one of their sons. It cannot be them!” she says vehemently. “Then it must be one of our own family,” I say with regret. Hating to confirm that in our own family there could possibly be a traitor. “I think you need to leave now and fly to your uncle. He is the only one that we will be able to trust, maybe there is another dragon family that we are unaware of, that has been hiding,” she says. “I cannot leave all of you mother!” I say shocked. “You might be our only hope, your uncle and his sons could possibly save the day,” she whispers, as we hear heavy footfalls in the corridor. "You will have to hide while I am gone, promise me that you will go into the secret chamber and stay there?” I say to my mother. “Be safe, my child and fly swiftly. Run beyond the fight before you change, so that they do not see you and stay low, go out through the kitchens,” she says hugging me tightly. “If something happens to us, you need to hide your dragon fire and get to your uncle on foot.” “I will be back before dawn with uncle and the cousins. I will move into the clouds once I am away, it will be faster that way and less tiring if I ride the air currents,” I reassure her. As I walk from the room I hear my mother whisper, “Stay safe, my Evelyn.” Wiping a tear from my cheek, I resolve that I must stay strong and make sure that I get the help that we need.