*Note*

This story has not been edited.  It's my first rough draft that I am putting out there.  It is also my first short story that I have ever done.  Enjoy!



Dragon-born

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and heat; a smell that I had begun to think of as home instead of wood smoke, straw and scratchy linens.  For a while the change had been unbearable.  Sure, I may have been a monster that people feared, but that didn't mean I didn't like the outside world as much as the next person.  I missed fresh air, the smell of the trees budding in the spring, the wet earth after a heavy rain and the biting chill of frost on my body after waking in the morning.  Down here, it was sweltering,  the air close and hard to breathe but my body adapted to it.  It had to.

It's strange the things you do for your own safety.

King Juvius had come into the throne, the potentious little bastard that he was, and had made dragon hunting an official sport.  Just like every species of animal, humanity included, there is the good with the bad and he didn't see us trying to actively seek him out to chomp into his frail little body no matter how much we wanted to.  No.  Instead we had gone into hiding.  I lost my mother and my father years ago and I hoped they were safe but to be honest, I knew I'd never see them again.  Same with my little sister and little brother.  They were in hiding and that's how they needed to stay if they expected to survive.

King Juvius wasn't ready to rule, that much was obvious from the stink of the towns that were filling with corpses of the townspeople that were going without food and proper healer care.  All he cared about was himself.  Most of the money that the Royal Dragons had found him in the mountains and mines was already spent leaving him ridiculously in debt to other kingdoms.  

Fear was a mephitis, much like the swamps, as soon as you came to the kingdom.  It made hearts pound and my heat glands burn, ready to protect myself at a moments notice.  My flesh would crawl, ready to burst open into my true form, ready for anything that might attack.
It wasn't safe for me to be a part of that kingdom anymore, so I fled.  I packed up what I needed to get away and left the rest behind to the neighbor family that would need the house and supplies inside more than I would.  The round eyes of the children and the tears of the mother in thanks was enough to know I was doing the right thing.  I even had hopes that they wouldn't believe the lies being spread about dragons, even if I had never showed my true self. Mother and father had left the kingdom long ago, taking the rest of my family with them, begging me to go with.  Foolish of me, I thought things would change.  Or at least someone would kill the little shit before he actually made it to the throne.  If there was ever a mercy killing needed...

The caves I discovered on my journey wasn't too far from the kingdom, in the woods and away from civilization.  Most people wouldn't be able to get this close to the heat without their skin melting off.  For me, it was just a touch warm but it was better than the alternative.  I made the best out of the situation and let me tell you, sleeping on a bed of rocks wasn't as fun as it sounded.  Nothing could stay in the heat for long without bursting into flame so bringing in any personal belongings was out of the question.

At night, I'd crawl out of the depths and go searching for wild game that dared come close to my scent and feast before using a bush and going back into hiding.  Sometimes I would stretch my wings that stayed hidden beneath the human form I tended to stay in.  My scales itched to be released but if I was discovered, nobody would think twice before shooting me with an iron arrow and dragging my hide back to the kingdom like a trophy instead of a mindless slaughter.
All because of a prophecy.

I didn't believe in prophecies but it was clear King Juvius did.  If I behaved like him and a prophetess came forward claiming fire and brimstone was coming for me, I'd be scared shitless too.  Too bad he wasn't smart about it.

It was common knowledge that there was something King Juvius was frightened of, but we never knew what the specifics were.  He didn't want whatever was coming after him to get cocky and get ideas for any usurpers.  True, eventually word did get out about his demise but not the specifics.  Personally, I believed in true prophecies but it was hard to find someone who was legit.  It was unknown what happened to the woman that had the prophecy, I hoped she ran fast and far away, but nobody had come forward and admitted to saying it.

With all prophecy, a person had their own decisions to make and change the course of their life.  If King Juvius truly was frightened about what his future held, he should have changed what he was doing for the better.  Making sure his kingdom was healthy, happy and safe.
Instead he was stripping all of humanity and the like down to bare bones so he could hide behind his big castle and the flurry of women who pretended to worship the ground he walked on.  Maybe he knew they were pretending to stay protected away from what waited for them on the other side of the walls or maybe he was that ostentatious.  If anyone ever said anything good about him you knew there were spies nearby that were listening in and you had to keep biting remarks to yourself.

Tonight, after crawling out of the hole and finding the extra clothes I hid as near as I could, I began to walk the woods.  Summer was just getting started and the rotten flesh from the kingdom could be smelled on the breeze.  It would be hard to find food tonight.  The smell scared off the animals which meant more traveling for me.  I didn't want to bring out my true form but if I wanted to eat tonight I might have to.  It had been a few days since I had last eaten and the beast I had devoured had my energy on low.

Fighting my way across the bumpy and dry terrain the sound of pounding hooves hit the ground.  I ducked behind a tree and waited.  The weight in the earth was too big to be a herd of deer so my chances of finding someone on horseback were high.  It had been a few months since anyone had travelled this far and I was instantly alert.

In a few moments, a caravan of horses came up over the hill, spit and foam flying from the horses mouths as the riders pulled on their bridles to get them to stop.  

"We stop here for the night!  Everyone unload and keep alert!" the knight at the front of the riding party yelled.  King Juvius's banners flapped in the night.  For anyone else, it would have been hard to make out the colors but my eyes picked them out easily as if it were noon.

What was he doing sending that many people out this far?  The boarder of his kingdom was a few miles from here, back toward my new home, and I was uneasy about their sudden appearance.  Was it possible they were after me?  How would they know how to find me?  I didn't set out to find this place, I just happened upon it.  Hell, I wasn't even sure which direction I was going to take off at when I left in the middle of the night.  Let alone that anyone really did know my true form and that I wasn't human.

A commotion echoed across the valley while they set up tents on the top of the hill.  A few of the men made their way toward me to relieve themselves in the bushes, their body odor strong on the breeze and revolted my strong senses.  The scent of campfire flared up and ale floated on the breeze.

I didn't move, for fear that they'd hear the slight rustle of tree branches and leaves.  I could walk quietly but when they were so close to me, any movement would be heard over the sound of their pissing and shitting.  It was going to be a long night if they didn't move away from me and I was stuck here.  Thankfully, they moved away from the tree line and helped set up their camp with their fellow group.

Curious as to why they were here, I made my way quietly through the brush, careful to keep my feet light on the fallen sticks hidden under the soggy leaves.  A lot of the men were more concerned on getting drunk and guzzling down as much ale as possible than spilling the beans that I was looking for.  If I needed to get away, at least I'd know which way to go to get away from their hunting party because they were so intoxicated they wouldn't be able to run after me.

"Oi, Barty!  You ready to do this tomorrow?  We're getting close!" someone boistered loudly.  Hoots and hollors met his call.

Sir Bartholemew.

The King's right hand man.


Of course he'd be with this party.

My wings itched to be released as my fight or flight instincts coursed through me.

"We should be there in a day's ride and then we figure out the plan from there," his deep voice growled over the whooping of the men.

"What exactly is this mission that you've got us on, anyway?" someone else called.
King Juvius didn't even tell them what they were out here doing?  Dragons were considered to be dangerous, walking among humans was something we could do.  We shape shifted to survive.  If King Juvius wasn't telling the people he was sending on the mission than he knew it was dangerous.  Did he think I was dangerous?  I had never attacked anyone, neither had mother or father and my siblings were too small to harm anything other than bugs that they'd watch for hours in the dirt in front of the hut.

Something different was going on.  They weren't here for me.  Most men in the village thought hunting dragons was fun and they'd jump at the opportunity to go off for a king's mission that interested them.  The adrenaline would be pumping, they'd use it to their advantage in the pubs to woo the available tavern maidens for a night of pleasure without the commitment.  Unfortunately, the people that they normally brought it weren't dragons at all but suspicious humans or humans that had become problematic.

Curiosity definitely piqued I settled in.

"We're far enough away from home that it's probably fine if share the news.  His Royal Highness is ready to wed," the arrogant knight declared around the campfire.  He hadn't even taken off his armor yet.  Of course he'd stay in his mail overnight.  Comfort didn't matter to him as long as everyone and anyone around knew who King Juvius trusted and used as his right hand man.  Sleeping on the ground was bad enough but add in the digging metal?  Forget it.  He wasn't going to be getting any sleep.

Everyone settled in and I bit back a snort at how much they reminded me of the pre-pubescent girls readying to hear some juicy gossip.  I waited for someone to say something about someone agreeing to marry King Juvius's ugly mug.  Secrets had gotten out about his fetish's in the bedroom and only a few women would willingly go to him.  The rest spent days recooperating and trying to get back on their feet.

I was a dragon but King Juvius was a monster.

"Who's agreed to marry our King?" someone asked, much more politey than I thought possible.

"It's not so much as who agreed to as much as who he has his mind set on," Sir Bartholemew suggested.

Silence immediately fell over the settlement when they figured out what he was implying.

My stomach dropped.

The only kingdom near here that had a daughter worth marrying age was Princess Emora who just celebrated her sixteenth birthday a moon ago and there was no way that her father would agree to a union between his only daughter and a beast like King Juvius.

"We're going to sneak in and grab her, bring her back here and have the union completed before her father figures out who took her and why," he explained.  Everyone was quiet as his words sunk in.  My mouth flamed with the fire that wanted to burst out.  Leanna was the same age as Princess Emora and the thought of someone stealing her out of our home so they could force her into a marriage and get her pregnant before anyone could stop her or protect her made the dragon inside of me rage.

The rest of the night was spent with forced cheerfulness.  It was reassuring to know that the rest of King Juvius's knights weren't as thrilled about the idea of stealing a young woman out from the home of her father and putting her in bed with King Juvius and I didn't hate them when none of them stood up to stop it from happening.  Many of them had families of their own back home and no doubt were worried something would happen to them if there was an uprising in the ranks.  There was only about twenty men here and there were much more back home defending the castle walls from infiltrators.

The sun crested over the hill but nobody got any sleep.  Sir Bartholemew had rested his back up against his horse and kept an eye out for any deserters that were going to sneak out of the job that they agreed to do.

My inner conscious was battling itself and I had long ago gotten over the stiffness of keeping myself quiet in the dark.  I was downwind from the horses but even if they could smell me, the sulfur from the mountain that I was staying in would cover my scent.  Spooked horses were a dead giveaway that something wasn't right and the men would be searching the surrounding area to figure out what was out there.  Finding a dragon on this quest would only add to the bragging factors.  Court jesters would sing songs for years to come once the stories spread.
When the men got up at first light, they began taking down their tens and somberly got on their horses.  The head knight wore a smirk as he urged his horse on, waving the banners of King Juviun.  If they didn't want to be spotted it was foolish of them to carry the banners.  Then again, I'm sure that he had a back up plan and it was necessary that he carried them with him.
Thinking on my feet, I hurried after them, never letting them out of my sight.  My endurance was much more than a horse, so following after them wasn't too difficult.  My wings spread out every once in a while to cover more ground when the trees were spaced apart.  The men were riding out in the open, stupidly and confidently, just begging for unwanted attention.  Sir Bartholemew was up to something.

I figured there wasn't much I would be able to do.  Not just King Juvius was leary of dragons.  We were the most understood creatures out there.  Some of my kind had given us a bad name, believing that we were superior to humans and needed to control them like a herd of cattle.  I never thought that way.  I was raised with elected officials and I chose to respect them even if I didn't agree with them.  But when the time came and it was them versus me, I chose myself.  Going to King Aella's kingdom wouldn't be smart if I was recognized as a dragon.  If anyone bumped into me they'd be able to tell from my hot skin that I wasn't human and if they got close to my eyes they'd see the slant instead of round in my coloring.  A traveller wouldn't be looked upon too much, there were a lot of those, but following in the knights from another kingdom would look suspicious.

We reached the kingdom by sun fall, the sun would be down completely in an hour or so, and I was pleasantly surprised by the smells of baking bread and meat instead of decaying flesh that coudn't be buried or burned, hearing the sounds of laughter and singing instead of soft crying or moaning from either sex or dispair.  People came and went through the gates of their own accord, protected by the knights standing guard to the kingdom and weren't harrassing the women as they left on their own carrying buckets to the river down the hill.

Shocked, I froze in the cover of the trees, watching.  Sir Bartholemew had stopped everyone about two miles back but my eyes had been drifted toward the kingdom and I couldn't stop myself from going further.  The idea of going to a new kingdom had been alluring at first but I didn't want to chance my luck.  I had gotten away from King Juvius's before people realized that there was a family of dragons living right next door but there was no garauntee that it would happen again.

A visit wouldn't hurt, though.

While waiting and watching the path leading to the wall and gate that protected the kingdom I waited for a group of people that I'd be able to sneak in with.  If I looked like I was part of the group maybe I wouldn't be looked at too closely.  I had managed to look innocent and like I wasn't hiding a huge secret all of my life.  From the time I could understand what I was compared to other people my parents worked hard at making sure our secret was safe.

The rocky path crunched under our feet as we made our way into the darkened area behind the wall; the light was blocked out by the enormous wall.  It wasn't as tall as the one in King Juvius's kingdom, but it was large enough to protect the citizens inside when they closed them for the night and when in battle.  The good smells of businesses making food and selling them in booths on the side of the strets flooded my senses.  Children were still racing up and down the streets, shouting after each other and playing games that only made sense to children.  Parents watched out their hut windows affectionately and protectively while they finished off the chores for the night.  Drying laundry hung on strings between houses, shared between neighbors.
Compared to King Juvius's kingdom, this was a whole other culture.  Back home it was quiet, everyone kept to themselves, nobody would dare share things with their neighbors and they certainely wouldn't be out after dark, especially the vendors.  They especially had a higher risk of being mugged or beaten in the dark alleys while they were bringing their product home.  Hard times had fallen on that kindgom and the people that were struggling to get by every day.  If only they knew that there was this gold mine only two days ride from where they were there would be more people that would willingly leave for something better.

Letting my feet carry me around, I took in all of the sights.  Some of the vendors were inside buildings, offering seating and hospitality to those that came in and enjoyed a meal.  Fabrics, food, perfumes, jewelry, weapons and candles were all in shops instead of being sold on the street for added business competition.  And people were friendly about it!  Nobody called others names when they walked by and went somewhere else, people knew each others names and had a smile instead of shoulders stooped and brows furrowed in suspicion.  Children would run up and get a sweet treat for free and run off to tell their parents about how delicious things were.
Trumpets blasted and everyone whirled around.  Curious, I followed the crowd to he main entryway and was shocked to discover the King Aella himself was riding his horse and waving in greeting as his fellow people.

"Pleasant evening, everyone!  I wish to extend my royal invitation to everyone here to Princess Emora's Sixteenth Name Day tomorrow evening.  My servants have been planning a great feast in her honor and it would do us proud to have our people join us in celebration!" he called out, his brown, trimmed beard laying against his broad chest.  He wasn't in armor but in a long robe that flashed color and the sigil of his family crest.

Shouts of happiness rose in the crowds but my eyes were averted to the castle tower.  Golden light spilled out of the windows of the castle, flickering from the candles, but a figure was standing alone midway up.  My eyes enhanced the figure and I saw a young woman staring down at King Aella.  She had golden hair that curled down past her shoulders and kept going past the view of the window.  She was very pretty and well taken care of, that much was obvious, but she looked so sad.  There was something about her that caused me grief; I wanted nothing more than to see a smile come across her face.

Princess Emora was beautiful.

King Aella finished his rounds and his people let him go back to the castle without holding him hostage.  Even the soldiers and knights that were stationed around the courtyard didn't step forward to hold them off.  These people actually respected their king.  If King Juvius came out of the castle like that, people would hide in fear for their lives and worry about getting harrassed or that someone was going to get strung up in the courtyard to keep the fear alive.
Civilians rushed back to their homes to get ready for the ball tomorrow night, vendors closed down to prepare for the next day as well.  Shops filled up with gossip to see if someone saw something else or heard something else that they could use to their advantage.  Gossip was rampant.

I made my way around the courtyard to see if I could catch another glimpse of the princess, but I didn't want to anger the knights that were sworn to protect the castle doorways and barriers.  Bells chimed a curfew and lights went out; I snuck in the shadows to keep an eye on anyone out and about that could turn me in.

The idea of meeting the princess one on one was terrifying.  What would I say to her?  Did I really think if I did see her and managed to speak to her she'd be happy about it?  I was just a peasant.  A dragon pretending to be a peasant, actually.  She'd scream, I'd be captured, I'd be hung up in the courtyard and made an example of.

But I knew something they didn't.  I didn't know if they'd believe me if I told them about King Juvius's plans.  Would the king send out his best troops and hide his daughter until they were dispersed and ran fleeing?  Or would they laugh me out of court?  

If King Juvius thought right now was a great time to kidnap King Aella's daughter and wed her, he was sorely mistaken.  She was having a ball tomorrow night!  She'd be busy being pampered and dressed, no handmaiden would leave her to herself.  Unless if they were planning on taking her tomorrow night after the ball when the King is busy getting the kingdom back together.  It was spring time, things needed to be repaired after the harsh winter that we had had.  Maybe there were some dead that still needed to be buried.  That is, if he oversaw the services and laid everyone to rest.  King Juvius didn't do that but his father had done it for years.

Then again, things might be a lot different around here.  It was clear that I wasn't used to things-

There she was!  She was out on a balcony overlooking a small spot on the wall where it didn't reach.  For anyone else, it seemed a long ways up, but not for a dragon.  She was in no way frail, but I still wanted to protect her.  She radiated peace and hope.  Whoever was betrothed to her in the future was very lucky indeed.  King Juvius wouldn't treat her right.

That's when it hit me.

King Juvius wanted to join their kingdoms so he could take over both.  King Aella wasn't old by any means but Bartholemew was a vicious mountain that had never been beaten.  King Aella hadn't had a sword on him when he came down earlier and the gates were still open.  He was vulnerable.  Inside his protected castle he might be even more relaxed, especially in his chambers.


Without thinking of what I was doing, I unfurled my wings and flew up to the balcony, gripping onto the side.  Looking around to make sure there wasn't anyone else in the room she had come out of watching her on the balcony, I flew over the railing and grabbed her in my arms.

Surprisingly, she didn't scream like I anticipated but by the time she had realized what was happening we were already over the wall, my wings fully unfurled for the first time in what felt like years, even though it had only been weeks.  It felt amazing to feel the cool air on them as we soared over the forest on the other side of the hill.  Each pump pushed us higher and further away from unwanted attention.  I could see the tents that Bartholemew had set up two miles away on the edge of the forest but Princess Emora couldn't.  I didn't want to bring her that close for fear I'd be spotted with her.  I wouldn't care if I was spotted, I could go into hiding easily, but Princes Emora needed to know what was going to happen to her.

We soared over the trees while my sharp eyes looked for a place to land.  Princess Emora kept her eyes on me and I couldn't find the courage to look at her.  If she was smart she'd already have figured out what I was.  Not just anyone had wings that could sprout out of their back and keep her warm up this high in the wind.  Her pulse was racing so I knew she wasn't completely oblivious to her fear and surroundings, but why she didn't fight back or scream for attention was worrysome.

Finally finding a ledge on the side of a cliff that would protect us from the wind and searching eyes, I landed and set her down, quickly backing away as far as I could to give her some space.  She held her ground, turning to me.  Her eyes questioning everything about me as she looked me from head to toe.  I left my wings out for a heartbeat more before tucking them away back where they belonged, hidden away from the world.  It was bad enough I let a royal see them in a world that was prejudiced against my kind.

"Well?" she asked, her voice strong and demanding.

"Uhhh," I stammered and rubbed my head.  I hadn't thought about how I was going to tell her this.  It's not like she'd believe me anyway.  I wasn't even sure what I was doing or what I would say to convince her of what was going on.  King Juvius hadn't had anything to do with her father's kindgom since he got the crown and I doubted if she knew anything about the way he had treated his kingdom.  Princesses weren't involved in kingdom matters.  They were married off, joining territories, creating peace and bearing children.  Their existance was almost as unbearable as a life of a dragon in hiding.

"If you've taken me for a reason it had better be a good one.  I have a ball tomorrow, I hope you know.  It's very important that I be there and if you can't even have the courage to tell me why you stole me away from my father, than you can bring me back right this instant," she demanded.  Her golden hair was long, loose curls flowed all the way down to her waist accented by the red velvet gown she was wearing.

"I'm not going to keep you away from your ball," I said. 

"Then what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Someone is after you.  I...I doubt you'll believe me, especially after my actions and for what I am, but I had to get you to safety.  King Juvius has his horrible knight two miles from your kingdom with twenty or so men with him and their plan is to steal you away from your father, forcing you into a union with King Juvius before your father knows who stole you away," I explained as fast as I could. 

That was a really stupid plan.  Why didn't I try to speak to her father first?  What if he would have been willing to speak to me and instead I stole his daughter from him.  I was going to end up in the dungeon to rot for this.

"Don't be daft; King Juvius doesn't have the ambition to steal me away," she scoffed.
"You would think so but it seems having someone else do his dirty work for him is enticing.  If he has someone willing to do it, he's unstoppable.  He also wants you with child before the new moon," I said softly.  I heard her hiss in a breath at that thought.  I didn't blame her.  Just thinking about it myself made me boil with rage.

"He wouldn't dare.  You're wrong," she whispered.

"If I am, than no foul.  I promise I won't hurt you, I was simply trying to get you away from a dangerous situation.  If you'd like, I could fly you over to the camp set up by the Knight Bartholemew, however I wouldn't like to get you that close," I offered.  If she wanted to see them for herself, of course I'd bring her there, but I didn't want them to catch me.  As of right now, they didn't know I was here and I would like to keep it that way.

"I'd like to see them," she commanded.  Her chin was held up parallel to the ground and her shoulders were back.  I took a deep breath and knew that she would want to see them.  But if that's what she needed to see the truth, than so be it.  I wasn't an evil creature and I had done what I had set out to do.

"Do you believe me?" I asked.

"I will when I am safely back home and no harm has been done to me.  And when I see this camp you have spoken about," she said.

I nodded.  This young woman was stronger than she looked.  There was still a hint of sadness on her but there wasn't anything I could do about that.  Her happiness was out of my control.  Some would say that my involvement this way was uncalled for.  I even thought it was uncalled for.  

With a sigh I walked toward her again and offered her my arms to carry her back.  Surprising me, she stepped forward and allowed me to touch her after she touched me first.  She didn't seem afraid of me in the sense that I would breathe fire on her or eat her, not that dragons ate people.  There were some that had turned away from our morals, but we were protectors, or had been, to people.  Harming them was a monstrous act and against everything we had believed in but King Juvius spread fear to everyone and brainwashed them into thinking we were mindless beasts that were constantly hunting for more food.

Personally, I enjoyed a nice slab of beef, roasted to perfection.

When my wings unfurled, I heard her suck in a breath that held in her chest as we dipped off of the cliff.  She was light in my arms, barely there but her arms wrapped around my neck were comforting.  The stars twinkled brightly and the clouds were wisps as we soared across the sky.  The moon would be full the night of the ball, it's glow reaching across the darkened land.
We went back over the forest, circling the way that I originally came to follow King Juvius's party.

"Just over the trees you'll see them.  I'm going to go a bit higher up; I don't want them to discover us," I said quietly.  She nodded and began searching the ground for any sign of them.
Angling my wings and pushing us up higher, I had to remember that my eyes were different than hers.  I could see the mice that were running around underfoot whereas she could hardly see the shapes of the trees underneath us.  We came over the hill and I heard her breath catch when she discovered the dark shapes of the horses.  Tents were popped up but there were no camp fires to signal that they were there.  They were trying to be as stealthy as possible, their voices more of a hushed whisper than their boisterous attitudes from the night before.  Ale was being drank just as quickly but for courage to do the job that they set out to do instead of being happy and on a quest.

The only person that seemed smug was the knight himself.  Again, he had set up a spot away from the others, keeping an eye on them.  He wasn't drinking and he was chewing on some dried jerky.  Again, he was strapped into his armor, ready for anything to happen.  His sword was taken out, a sharpening stone lying next to him.

"Please bring me back home," she said and then she did something that surprised me more than her willingly going into my arms.

She nestled her head into my shoulder and neck groove.

The castle was quiet when I brought her back to the balcony.  It was polar opposite on how King Juvius ran his kingdom.  There were always soldiers marching in front of every entrance.  Paranoia ran rampant there and was treated like a God.

Remembering which balcony I had snatched her off of, we landed gently and I tucked my wings back in.  Funny thing about paranoia, it grows on you like a second skin.

But it leaves you blind to what is actually going on versus what might happen.

Men jumped out at me from every angle, nets and swords drawn and held at my throat, stomach and back.  I froze instantly and Princess Emora was pulled away from me.  I wanted to fight out to protect her, which surprised the hell out of me, but I couldn't move.  The iron burned my throat and I could hear the hissing of my human flesh against the harsh metal.
Then, through the chaos, I realized what had happened.

King Aella had realized his daughter was missing and had gone into a full lock down on the kingdom until she was found or someone was found who saw something suspicious.  As it turns out, I wasn't as inconspicuous as I had thought when I flew off of the balcony.

"A dragon has infiltrated my kingdom, I see," his voice that I had first thought as kind and jovial was now harsh and low.  "Back away from the creature."



The swords were dropped and I was left tangled in the netting that had been thrown over me.  Metal armor clanked against itself as bodies shifted and made way for the king to approach me.
"I must say that I never once believed the lies spewing out of King Juvius's mouth about dragons, but here I have proof.  Who do you think you are to come and snatch my daughter up?" he spat.  He had a sword attached at his hip now and under his robe he was wearing just as much armor as his knights.

"I was trying to protect her," I said.  My heart was beating furiously in my chest.  How was I going to get out of this?  He was going to turn me in or kill me.  I'd rather be killed than turned back to King Juvius.  Did he even know that I ran away from that kingdom?  It's not like there was anything but heresay that I had lived there but I knew as well as the next, when someone called smoke another would swear they saw fire.

The king scoffed.  "Protect her?  Do you believe me and my knights to not be doing a good enough job?"

"I didn't mean to imply that at all.  You won't believe this but-"

"You're right!  I don't believe you!  What kind of idiot would kidnap a princess and then bring her back?  Did she fight you?  Make you bend to her will?  What kind of coward are you, boy?"

My face flamed with what they probably thought embarrassment but it was anger.  I could taste the heat in the back of my throat but I swallowed it down.  Attacking with fire and shredding my human skin to my true self would not win over anybody.

"Father, please, let him speak," Princess Emora's soft voice said from the back of the room.  King Aella spun around, his robe snapping.

"I'll deal with you later!  Take her away!" he demanded.

Princess Emora tried to protest but he wouldn't hear of it and a handful of knights picked her up by her arms and dragged her from the room.  I didn't struggle against the nets that were still over, hoping that they'd find me submissive and wouldn't havev any reason to strike against me.  I had to make him understand that his daughter was in danger.  I never thought that he wouldn't listen to his daughter.  He had seemed so levelheaded and calm.  Now, this man in front of me was nothing like the man who had invited his kingdom to the ball.  I never should have taken Princess Emora and shown her; I should have appealed to the king.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I knew it was wrong when I was doing it, so why did I follow through?  

"You will go to the dungeon until I'm sure of what I want done with you. Take him," King Aella said.  Hands gripped my arms and began to drag me away.

"Princess Emora is in danger!  King Juvius has a plot in motion to steal her away from you!  His knights are only a few miles from here, hidden by trees, lying in wait!  You have to believe me!  That's why I took her!  To show her!  Please, you have to believe me!" I yelled before I lost sight of him.  My shouts echoed down the halls and I hoped he heard me or that Princess Emora had seen enough to show him the truth.

The dungeon was dark and dank and I surprised myself in missing the cave that I had called home.  At least that was warm and dry.  I hated wet places.  The dripping was driving me crazy and the smell was rancid.  There weren't any other prisoners down here but there had been.  Their filth still sat in puddles and buckets, never cleaned out.  Rats scattered here and there, looking for food remains, or any remains, for them to feast on.

King Aella may not have publicly shamed dragons or any other creature, but he sure took precautions on keeping them locked up.  The bars were made out of steal, iron and silver, all melted and molded together.  I couldn't break through even if I wanted to.  Yes, I was trapped.  Yes, I made a stupid mistake and shouldn't have taken Princess Emora off on her own like that.  No, I was not going to try to break out.  I wanted the king to take me seriously and if I escaped, I would look guilty.  I wasn't guilty.  Well, maybe I was guilty of being an idiot but I had good intentions!  Surely he woud see that!

I lost count of how many drips went by, trying to figure out how much time that amounted to, but there weren't any windows or any way to get fresh air down here.  I was completely alone.  Even the torches ran out.  After a while, I heard many footfalls signaling people arriving.  The ball was close to starting.  The flurry of activity was easy to follow.

Then came the screams and the running.

Instantly I was alert and focusing my ears more than I had ever focused them.  I needed to know what was going on.  Was Princess Emora alright?  Had Sir Bartholemew shown up and taken her?  Were they attacking everyone at the ball with so few numbers on their side?  Damn it!

Ignoring the pain in my hands I gripped the bars and pulled on them.  They wouldn't budge and soon my hands were a bistered mess and wouldn't grip anything anymore.

"Find her!  Where is she!  I'll have their heads!" I heard King Aella's booming voice roar.  I heard a distant scream that made my heart rip into a thousand pieces.

Princess Emora had been taken.

With a fierce roar and a desperation, I shredded my human skin, becoming my true form.  My claws scraped on the ground, my wings unfurling and crowding the tiny cell.  Immediately I felt the fire that had been pent up in me burst out of my mouth and I aimed it at the bars, hoping to melt some of the metal down.  Fire didn't hurt me and neither did anything extremely warm.
I wrapped my hands around the metal and pulled them apart, ignoring the fresh wounds on my true form.  The cell was no longer a cell, more like a melted shell that was beginning to collapse around me.  Not thinking about the consequences, only her, I charged down the winding halls and up to the main floor.  When I burst through the doorway, screams met me.  More chaos erupted at my size and my appearance but I ignored it.

The ball had been going, happily it seemed, when King Aella realized his daughter hadn't shown up.  Thinking just a fit, he went up to bring her down to the party that he was throwing in her honor.  Her handmaidens had been beaten over the head into unconsciousness and she was gone.

Sir Bartholemew had broken into the castle and stolen her before the ball.  Either the man was an idiot who didn't know that the ball was happening and it was the worst time to steal a princess, or he was insane.  King Aella wanted blood and with my warning, he knew who had stolen her.  He was searching for them but soon he'd be making his way to that castle. 
And who knew if she'd be alright by the time he did manage to get her.  Sir Bartholemew would twist the story, creating a war between the kingdoms and King Juvius was insane.  If she wasn't with child by the next full moon, who knew what he would do to her to make a point to King Aella?

Breaking down the main door, I charged outside, my roar echoing through the buildings until I was airborn and circling the castle.  It was strange and exhilorating being in my true form again, especially not caring at this point if people saw me.  The only thing that mattered was getting Princess Emora back.

And I was going to.

I knew where Sir Bartholemew was going so it was only a matter of finding which path he had taken.  The trampled grass from the horse hooves was easy to spot out, leading away from the forest.  It would have been an easy guess to think he would want the foliage for cover and that's what King Aella would do.  Instead, they were chancing going through the river to keep their footfalls out of trackers and dogs scenses.  It was smart and dangerous.

My sharp eyes instantly found them, Princess Emora on Sir Bartholemews horse, hog tired across his lap.  He seemed smug and wasn't keeping his hands to himself on the journey home.  He was leading the pack so nobody was seeing his assault on the princess.  A new rage formed inside of me and I pushed my wings faster to catch up with them.  My wings were huge and it wasn't long until I was circling over them.

Sir Bartholemew halted the party, his attention now focused on me.  The gleam in his eye thought I was easy prey; just a stupid animal.

He didn't realize he was already toast.

I blew fire down to the ground, circling the men and horses inside.  Unfortunately the princess was trapped inside too.  The circle was big enough for me to fit and I landed heavily, the ground shaking under my feet.  

"Give me the princess.  Now," I demanded.  Speaking in this form wasn't easy but it was manageable.

"Why?  What would a beast like yourself want with her?" Sir Bartholemew asked, working hard to keep his horse under control.  The heat and the smoke was making the horses hysterical, their large eyes rolling, their whinies screaming for help.  I felt bad for trapping the horses inside but there was no going back now.  These men needed to be punished for what they allowed their king to do.

"That's for me to know.  Sort of hypocritical for you to call me a beast and not your king," I snapped.  Princess Emora wasn't fairing too well on the horse.  Between the way she was tied and laid down, the heat and the smoke, she was going to pass out soon if I didn't get her away from him.

"To King Juvius!  The Tamer of Beasts!" one of the men called out.

"Idiot," I responded.


I was done speaking.  I wanted the girl and I was going to get her.  My long tail lashed out and knocked half of the men off of their horses and onto the ground.  Sir Bartholemew unsheathed his sword and charged at me.

This was too easy.

It was sad, also. 

So many generations of dragons before me had fought to live peaceful lives, and here I was, doing exactly what King Juvius had spread in propoganda.  I was fighting off his knights, killing them and innocent animals.  This wasn't going to be good for the remaining dragon population that were looking for a home.

Once I had Princess Emora untied and on my back, those thoughts didn't matter anymore.  She was safe.  That's all that mattered.  Yes, to King Juvius what I was doing would look monstrous but in the end would it really matter?  I set out to protect this young woman from the evil hands of King Juvius and I was following through with that. 

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," I promised to her.

"I know you won't," she said confidently.  I pushed us off of the ground, her hands held tightly around my serpentine neck and I brought us back to her home.

Chaos was still going and there was a hunting party heading this way to investigate the fire that I had caused.  If anything, it had shown them where Princess Emora was but I wasn't going to let her leave with them.  I wanted her safe in her fathers care, no matter what he did to me.
"Hang on!" I called to her.  Her grip tightened as we descended into the courtyard that had people still frantically running around.  That was one thing I never understood about humans in frightening situations.  What did they think running around was going to accomplish?  They were just getting in each others way.


A few screams rang out at my arrival but a sudden hush rose over the crowd when they realized their princess was riding on the back of a dragon.  Something that had never been done or seen before.  Even to my knowledge.  Dragons hadn't necessarily hidden themselves away from who they were but they didn't like showing their true selves and being treated like an animal when we were a hybrid.

"Emora!" King Aella finally called through the crowd.  The people shifted and Princess Emora slid off of my back, my hand helping her down so she wouldn't hurt herself in her long gown.  I settled down onto my back haunches to prepare for the worst.  I probably should have changed back to my human form, but being nude in front of all of these people was way more vulnerable than I was willing to be.

"Father!" she cried back and rushed into his open arms.  The people closest to them were teary eyed from the reunion but the people closest to me were still leary.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he said.

"Maybe you should have listened to the dragon instead of pushing your weight around," she scolded back.  He chuckled softly to himself.

"You're right.  He was right.  I'm so thankful that you were there to save my daughter.  I am eternally grateful," he said and looked up at me.  Surprise flooded my veins.  I thought I was going to be punished again but here I was, being thanked.

"What's your name, dragon born?" the king asked.

"Lorian," I said.  My first name wasn't common but I wasn't about to give him my last name.  If my family was safe in another kingdom I didn't want them to be targeted for my transgressions.

"To Lorian, Protector of the Relm!" the king cried out.  Cheers and shouts of joy followed, proclaiming me the protector of the relm.  I was stunned.

Princess Emora met my eye and she gave me the first big smile I had seen her wear.  Then she rushed at me and embraced me in a hug as best as she could compared to my huge form.
After that, everything was a blur.  King Aella sent a message to King Juvius about his men dying in a tragic fire while his knight was protecting his daughter.  From the way it sounded, people were fleeing King Juvius's kingdom under cover of night to come to King Aella's.  It was known that he would accept any refugee coming from King Juvius's kingdom into his own, as long as they were willing to work hard, swear fealty to him and reject the idea that dragons were dangerous.

Because Princess Emora's knight was a dragon and I protected her night and day, creating a motion for dragons to find a save haven and use their abilities for something useful.

Which was perfect timing when King Juvius declared war on King Aella's kingdom.