The sun illuminates the forest, causing the dragon's incandescent blue scales to glitter and reflect the sun light. The dragon yawns and stretches like a cat. She blinks repeatedly before stretching her wings. Then she jumps. She brings her wings down, hard again and again, until she flies out of the hollow she slept in and clears the treetops. She soars over the rippling leaves, lazily drifting from updraft to updraft, her sinewy length glinting like a treasure trove of jewels. The trees pass beneath like an emerald sea, waving and rippling as one.
As she draws near the castle, warning horns wind, echoing through the mountains and and forest. She roars in reply. She was coming closer and closer, her incandescent scales blinding the soldiers. Archers send volley after volley of arrows but none could pierce the dragons impenetrable sapphire scales. Suddenly white hot flames burst forth out of her mouth. Defenders are quickly consumed by fire. Many men turn and flee towards the keep, screaming as they run.
"Princess Michelle where are you? Its time to come out and play!"The beast bellows in a malicious tone.
Then at that moment the wind changes. Her sensitive nose catches a whiff of the princess. "I'll be back" the dragon threatens
"I'll be back." Then she turns and follows the scent of the princess.
"I am going to get you Princess Michelle. You can't run forever!" She calls to the princess.
"And I will kill you"
Sunday 11 May 2014
Thursday 8 May 2014
The Dragon (Prologue)
I push the door open and tiptoe gingerly down the stairs. I walk into the courtyard. A fire blazes in the blackened brazier. A man steps out of the shadows. He asks
"Are you ready?"
"Yes" I reply
"Then lets ride." I mount my charger and we slip away into the forest. Pink flowers bloom despite the auburn leaves adorning the trees. And we ride. We pass through a village in which we can hear beautiful music filling the air. I long to stop and listen but we need to keep going.
I am exhausted but we keep climbing orange sandstone stairs. We stop. I lean against my horse and whisper into his mane
"We made it."
Then we walk into the fortress.
Old houses surround us as we head toward the keep. Pale faces peep at us as walk past, scrutinising the strangers.When we enter the keep, stable-hands take our horses. The lord bursts through a huge pair of doors. A boom echoes through the high ceilinged entrance hall. A relived look passes briefly across his face.
"Good. You made it. I trust that no harm fell across the princess?"
"No m'lord" The man replies looking down. Then I realize that the man that I rode here is nothing more than a servant. It was a bit of a shame really, as I had taken a liking to him.
"Excellent. Come this way princess Michelle, a feast awaits you." I follow him to the dining hall. Then my eyes fall upon the banquet. There is whole boar and whole deer, cakes galore and soups of every kind. Almost every type of mouth-watering food, you name it, it was there. I make polite conversation between mouthfuls, but I don't say more than I need to say. When the feast is finished I am escorted to my quarters. I washed the dust and dirt from body and sleep long and deep, safe in the fortress.
I splash through the creek just outside the fortress under the leafy expanse of the forest, deep in thought when alarm horns break the silence. A roar replies. Oh no I think dread filling my body. How did it find me here? This is the most isolated, allied, fortress I could find in the kingdom. All these thoughts come rushing through my brain at a million miles an hour. I start to run.
The Dragon is here.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes" I reply
"Then lets ride." I mount my charger and we slip away into the forest. Pink flowers bloom despite the auburn leaves adorning the trees. And we ride. We pass through a village in which we can hear beautiful music filling the air. I long to stop and listen but we need to keep going.
I am exhausted but we keep climbing orange sandstone stairs. We stop. I lean against my horse and whisper into his mane
"We made it."
Then we walk into the fortress.
Old houses surround us as we head toward the keep. Pale faces peep at us as walk past, scrutinising the strangers.When we enter the keep, stable-hands take our horses. The lord bursts through a huge pair of doors. A boom echoes through the high ceilinged entrance hall. A relived look passes briefly across his face.
"Good. You made it. I trust that no harm fell across the princess?"
"No m'lord" The man replies looking down. Then I realize that the man that I rode here is nothing more than a servant. It was a bit of a shame really, as I had taken a liking to him.
"Excellent. Come this way princess Michelle, a feast awaits you." I follow him to the dining hall. Then my eyes fall upon the banquet. There is whole boar and whole deer, cakes galore and soups of every kind. Almost every type of mouth-watering food, you name it, it was there. I make polite conversation between mouthfuls, but I don't say more than I need to say. When the feast is finished I am escorted to my quarters. I washed the dust and dirt from body and sleep long and deep, safe in the fortress.
I splash through the creek just outside the fortress under the leafy expanse of the forest, deep in thought when alarm horns break the silence. A roar replies. Oh no I think dread filling my body. How did it find me here? This is the most isolated, allied, fortress I could find in the kingdom. All these thoughts come rushing through my brain at a million miles an hour. I start to run.
The Dragon is here.
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