Dragon Fire Prologue
"Open your eyes."
Crystal blinked herself awake. A servant was opening the windows, and letting the outside air in. As though that did any good anymore. As though some sunshine, and the smell of the emerald green grass could chase away the significance of today.
"That's better. I left your armor by the day-stand. The Elder Council came less than an hour ago. Your father is talking to them now I do believe." Continuing, the older maid made her way around the room, discreetly dusting the hanging cobwebs and dust bunnies in an attempt to clean the filthy bedroom suite. It was once beautiful, with vaulted ceilings and a shimmering chandelier, but that was before the incident.
"Please leave. Collect your compensation with my father when I'm gone." Crystal said monotone.
She walked quickly out of the room after receiving a further piercing glare from Crystal. Few could stomach to be around her anyways, let alone for longer than a minute or two. Her father was forced to hire new servants after more than half of them quit.
It's not like she needed help getting into her armor. She did that often enough.
Walking down the stairs, Crystal came upon her mother and sister having a heated discussion. It probably had to do with her. Oh well.
Crystal set her face, and brushed past them. Continuing, she came upon her father looking like he was about to burst apart at the seams at any moment, which was frighteningly unlike him.
"The Elder Council is waiting at the gate." Her father murmured.
No other words were spoken between them. They both knew what was to come next, as it had been explained a thousand times by the council.
Walking quietly along the stone paved path to the forest clearing, they came upon the hill on which sat the gate. The portal to Earth.
Crystal had been told in fables and childhood storybooks about the planet with the humans. About how scary they were, and how they had no magick, but were so desperate to create their own that they made 'human magick'. She had heard about the sticks that spouted smoke, and the carts without horses. She was going there, and it terrified her. She never would show it though. She wouldn't give reason to her fathers courtiers to oust her of the throne in her absence.
The head chieftain of the Council greeted her with a sinister smile. "How fares the princess today?"
Crystal faced his grey eyed stare with one of her own.
"Is the princess going to cry? Why dear! True dragons don't cry. See I am telling you Aldric, you should rethink your position about not naming your other daughter as successor. After all, Crystal here is going to be gone for quite a while."
"You know my feelings on that. Don't make me state them again." Aldric himself said. "And besides, No daughter of mine cries."
It was true. Crystal hadn't cried since her first kill. Growing up the high king's firstborn daughter left few opportunities for emotions. There was that one other time with the boy...she would rather forget that.
Pasting back on a smile, the chieftain turned back to the circle of Elder's and the looming portal. "We all know why we are gathered here today. I shall read the charges henceforth. One count of treason against the crown, and subsequently its people. Fifteen counts of murder. Two counts of civil disobedience. And finally…" pausing for dramatic effect, "One count of dismemberment."
Unrest stirred the council members. Some even had the gall to spit upon the ground in disgust.
"Normally, this would be a cut and dry case, and you would be on a pyre, but fortunately for you, Crystal Dominic, you're royal. Therefore, you get to go on a reprieve, a chance to forget your sins if you will. The humans will show you how good you have it here, and you'll come back here to lead…if you're deemed fit."
The chieftain then walked to the gate, and spun the dial until the symbol for the sun aligned with where it was in the sky. In a great rush, swirling light burst forth from the gate, and contracted into a pulsating sphere.
"Come my dear. Look at the lonely planet they call Earth."
Crystal stepped forth timid about the swirling winds that circled the portal, as though beckoning her towards her doom. Looking into the light, she could see through it, like a window into another galaxy. Inside, there was a green, and blue ball, small, and covered with clouds. A moon made of grey chunks, and cold rock circled the planet forlornly, as though wishing to reach it, but it was never meant to be.
"You're the first dragon we've sent in over five hundred years. You should almost be proud. Almost." The chieftain turned back to her father. "Everything has been arranged as you requested. She will have no memory, and will be growing up with a small family outside those cesspools the human's call 'cities'. She will be well taken care of, and returned to you when she dies a natural human death."
"Good. I couldn't wish for anything more."Aldric put his hand on the back of Crystal's head.
"You be good now, if not for me, for the good of our people?"
Crystal looked up, and wasn't surprised to see her father's eyes flickering different shades of green. He rarely expressed anything beyond stoicism, but she knew when it was the worst for him. If only I thought of this sooner, if only I stopped myself.
The chieftain, came up behind Crystal. "You realize of course that you are also there to observe them. It will be your first decree as queen, whether to spare them, or destroy them."
"I understand." There was no trace of emotion in this statement, just a cold agreement that rang out with its decisiveness.
"Good. Send her in."
Letting go of her, he stepped back as Crystal walked forward.
The trees shook with an ominous wind, sweeping down and lighting upon Crystal's light red hair. Just as soon as she reached the edge of the portal, the ground shook with a mighty weight colliding with the delicate shale ground. This was unexpected.
One look behind her gave her reason why. A giant, black-as-night dragon looked back at her with even blacker eyes as large as the shields she carried into battle.
Pandemonium broke out among the council. They were all older men and women as the name 'Elder Council" suggested. They were in no way prepared to fight such a beast. The fortunate ones hid behind trees, and the unfortunate had only a cliff face behind them. There were those screaming, and running in confusion. There was no hiding from it either way. It's dark flames roasted them alive.
However, before the entire forest was overtaken in chaos, her father revealed himself. A great dragon, green of scale, swooped down between her, and the black dragon.
"Go Crystal. I will take care of this creature."
Running by now, her father's voice sounded clear in her mind. She longed to reveal her dragon form too, but it was useless. She was useless. The council had long ago stripped her of any magick energy. If only I hadn't killed that boy. Better yet, if only he wasn't my betrothed.
Picking up speed, she raced to the portal with determination. She would not let her father risk himself for nothing. It was too late though. The black dragon had her in its sight.
"I see you little infidel. I see your corrupted soul. So much like…my own."
She paused as the words seemed to sear her insides. That was all it took. The dragon was upon her, thrashing and clawing at her, seemingly unable to actually touch her.
Crystal remembered then, there were protection spells in place for this. Seizing her chance, she broke away from the entrapment of a handful of large talons, running again towards the portal. This time, nothing stopped her.
As she was pulled into the closing portal, her memories were stripped away bit by bit. She forgot who she was, what she was, until she became Sarah Landen, the long awaited daughter of Mary Landen who lived in a little backwoods town of Texas, on a highway that would soon be quite busy with a speeding car on the way to the Prenatal Unit of the hospital 20 miles away.
Well then! That is my prologue for the new story I am working on. :) I hope you guys like it. I really want feedback because I am nervous about it. I am normally confident, but after writing this particular story for so long, it is nerve wracking to actually go ahead, and publish it. Thanks for reading!
