Dragon Masters
A/N: I know this is kind of short, but the chapters get longer as they go. R&R!
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Chapter 1: Royal Summons
Tamara awoke to the sound of birds. She always got up with the birds, but lately she was feeling funny. Not like she was ill, but a bubbling, growing feeling in the pit if her stomach. That wasn't all that was happening.
Suddenly, Tamara started. "Who's there?" she called to the wall. The voices were there in her head again, as clear as day, as well as she could hear the birds. They seemed to be calling to her, warning of something yet to come. This had been happening for some time now. She debated on whether or not she should tell anyone. No. she thought. Hearing voices good in any sense. They might lock me up if the priests thought I was inhabited by evil spirits or worse. No. Shaking the thought from her head, she went to get ready for the day.
Coming into the kitchen, Caroline, her mother, turned with a smile and said, "Happy birthday, dear." This statement struck Tamara, but slowly broke upon her like a wave upon a beach. She had forgotten her own birthday. The voices must have driven that thought out of her mind.
As she came around from this thought she realized her mother was speaking again. "You know this doesn't mean you get out of chores. Everyone must help, especially now that you're older." Tamara didn't care. She was now 15 and was going to go to a class to learn how to read and write. She was thrilled. This would be the only schooling she had ever had, and she was lucky to have it. Many people didn't have any schooling; that was saved for the rich. But when she was young, she showed great potential for becoming a scribe. If she succeeded, she would be the first woman scribe in the history of Culhaven.
She was rudely distracted from this thought as well by her mother. "Tamara, come and help me make breakfast will you? And clean that smudge off your forehead, you look silly." Following her mothers orders, Tamara went outside to the water bank. Looking at her reflection, she found that there was a mark on her forehead shaped like a teardrop with a star in the middle. "Well that's certainly strange." She said trying to wash it off. Looking again at her reflection, she found that the mark had not faded at all, and, if anything, had become clearer.
Straightening up and turning around to go back inside, she found a soldier at her back and started. "Can I help you, sir?" she said not looking up. "I am Captain Zacharia, and I am looking for a girl called Tamara. Do you know where I can find her?" he asked in a straight-forward, but not unfriendly manner. "I...I am Tamara." She answered feebly looking up into his face. He was young, no older than 17, tall, and handsome. "Good. You are to come with me to see the King."