Spirit Fire

By Megakidmata

Started on 4/15/14

Chapter one: The Red Egg

Baron's sister was crying again. She had woken him up again. From the same recurring dream. For the fifth time in a row.

Baron calmed her down, soothing her with soft calming whispers. This was the last hiding place he could find, and if anyone found him and his two year old sister, they would likely be split up. Or worse. Baron could not let that happen. He had promised his mother before she disappeared that he would be strong. He had already almost lost his sister once, and he was not going to let it happen again. Maria was just too precious, and he did not break promises.

His stomach growled, reminding him of how starved they were. In this season, there were little to no crops, and all of the villagers had next to nothing to spare. Baron hated stealing, but it looked like he had no choice. But not, he reminded himself, from the villagers. There was a Rider outpost right outside the village, and it was extremely likely to have a large amount of food stored for the riders and their dragons that stayed there. It was extremely dangerous, and if he was caught he would probably be imprisoned. If he was caught, no one would be able to look after Maria, and much less be able to feed her. For most of the villagers, it was family or nothing. So it was either starvation or separation for the two of them. He quietly snuck away from their hiding place, and made sure that the outside was hidden from view. He nearly tiptoed to the out-skirts of the village in fear of being heard or seen.

Within ten minutes he arrived at the front of the huge stone doors of the Rider outpost. They were built for dragons, and it would be impossible for him to push through them given their weight. He stood there for a moment, swearing in despair at the now very apparent impossibility for him to get through. Then he noticed the small human sized doors. He nearly laughed at his own ignorance. The doors for the dragons were so large, he was completely distracted from the human ones. Baron opened the door, flinching when it creaked and scratched against the stone. If he was caught, he could be killed by a dragon, rotted away in a prison, or forced to tell his hiding place, which would lead people to Maria.

He had heard that there were only for sections of a rider outpost. The hall, food storage, sleeping quarters, and the "Outhouse". The food storage area was likely at the back. Baron went as silently as he could to the back.

He was right. There was a huge amount of bread and meat, and all of it was fresh. Baron took as much as he could carry and put it in his bag. He was just leaving when-

Wait. Don't go.

Baron jumped, looking for where the voice came from. It was young, sounding around ten years old. Don't leave me here… He heard the voice again. "W-who's there?" Baron whispered fearfully. A sudden urge pulled his eyes towards a small, plain, wooden door at the back of the room. He tiptoed towards it. He opened the door and almost gasped.

The room was filled with dragon eggs.

Barons eyes fell on the red egg that he saw so often in the village, when they brought the eggs out and tested people to be riders. They always take me away before I can even meet you, the voice said, so I have never got to hatch. Uh-oh, He's coming. "Who's coming?" asked Baron. When he got no answer, he put the egg in his bag, turned around, and tiptoed…

And stepped right into the face of a dragon.