Okay, in this chapter there's a dragon… in most of my stories dragons are the coolest things and not horrible at all. However, the dragon is a different in this one. But that doesn't mean that I have anything against dragons! Dragons are awesome! Okay, just read and please review!!!
Near our farm was Fairy Cliff, and below that was the Kyrrian Ocean. In a cave along the shores was Dragon Cove. Father ordered us never to go too close to Fairy Cliff, or a dragon could get us. This was when we first understood our curse.
Emma and I weren't that close to Dragon Cove, since the curse wouldn't let us, well, okay, we were both seeing how far exactly the curse would let us go, since Father hadn't been too specific. Anyway, all of the sudden, a dragon flew overhead and dropped down in a flurry of wings and scales, making the earth quiver under its feet in fear.
Emma and I had never seen anything so horrible and strikingly beautiful in our whole lives. The red flaming eyes, the brown and green scales shimmering in the light, the powerful hindquarters and shoulders, the great, arched neck, the enormous wings, folded gently over the back, and the terrible face made every hair on the backs of our necks stand on end in fright. We couldn't even scream because we were so frightened.
It looked us straight in the eyes, drilling into our heads and understanding our curse. He snorted, with a puff of smoke, and said in a deep, rasping voice that sent a chill down our spine, "Well, this is easy. I'm not in the mood to eat little six-year-old girls right now, but I would like a horse. Both of you, get me a horse each, but don't tell anyone about me. Quickly!"
As ordered, we started to walk towards the barn. We tried not to, but then the pain came. The blinding white light in our eyes, the pounding of a hammer in our heads, the sick feeling in our stomach and feeling that we were being stabbed everywhere with needles began. We had to keep walking.
Lou unhitched two horses (thinking we were going to ride a little since we knew how to) and looked questioningly at our pale faces. We quickly took the horses to the dragon, who was waiting for us hiding behind the town-owned apple orchard (it is very hard for a dragon to hide being so big, but the apple trees were very tall).
"Take off the reins and the saddles." He ordered haughtily. I almost thought he was enjoying this.
We did so, dazed and under the dragon's power against our will.
"Give the horses to me."
We started to, and then, I remembered my diamond necklace that Flora had given me for my birthday. She said to hold it when I in trouble and a peace would come over me. Then she ordered me to keep it hidden under my dress or whatever I was wearing at the time, just to make sure that no one saw it.
I quickly took it out for comfort and the dragon saw it, a reflection to his hideous face. There was a piercing scream that came up the dragon's throat, and it echoed throughout our bodies. With that, he took off, a shadow over Kent.
But there was a problem. There he left us, but since he ordered us to give him the horses, we had to follow.
We started running with the horses trotting behind. Then a voice said, "Stop!"
Thankfully we stopped. It was Lou.
"What in all of Kyrria do you think you're doing?" Lou asked. "We could've lost you!"
"What's goin' on, Lou?" Gilbert and Peter, two farm boys, came running.
"Tell us what happened," Lou ordered, for he knew about the curse.
We told them.
"That's the craziest story I have ever heard," Peter scoffed. "Dragons aren't even afraid of ogres but afraid of diamonds? Humph!"
He grunted and went off. Gilbert shrugged, amazed at our story but left us and followed Peter.
"But it's the truth!" Emma exclaimed impatiently. "Besides, it wasn't the diamond that he was afraid of, it was his reflection!"
"I know, but they don't know about the curse," Lou said, and we followed him to the house.
Father was furious and ordered us never to go away from the farm or the house without an escort (he lifted this order when we were twelve, because then he decided that we were old enough to keep ourselves out of trouble). Mother was just thankful that we were alive.
That was our dragon experience and ever since then we talked of our curse about if we were free and despised it more than anything.
Years went by, and we lived in some sort of peace. We were taught to take care of the animals. After our twelfth birthday Father and Mother ordered us to work in the farm. So we did.
After a month Emma begged to work with Flora at cleaning, cooking and sewing. For, she had declared, at least she could wear a suitable dress then. So Mother ordered her to help Flora around the house.
I, on the other hand, loved working at the farm, for I hated wearing stuffy dresses, and I loved the animals just as much as they loved me.
Flora told me that she thought I had some magic about me with the animals. I was glad. That meant that they really and truly loved me.
After three months of working at the farm, I received the most wonderful gift a farm girl could have. A horse. My own precious horse. Father allowed me to pick one of the following horses (except for Ginger; Emma picked her): Elfian, a horse with very long pointy ears and a gentle, comforting air about him, Luke, a black horse born to race, or a milky white horse, much taller than the other two, that had a smooth, milky white mane and tail. I choose him.
"He's half unicorn," Father said. This was one rare moment with my father, and I was at a loss of words. So I did a horrible curtsy for him (Emma and I aren't very good at those).
"And he's yours, too." Father added. "I realize you are trying to say thank you. You are welcome."
With that, he left me in the barn alone with my new horse. I named him Moonlight.
"Emma! Emma! Come look at my new horse! His name is Moonlight. Isn't he gorgeous?" I lead Moonlight to Emma, who was stroking Ginger's chestnut colored neck.
Emma looked up into Moonlight's golden eyes and smiled. "You've chosen well. He's beautiful!"
After a while I learned to ride Moonlight with a saddle and without one. I also learned that Moonlight absolutely hated saddles, so most of the time I rode him bareback. I loved riding bareback better, anyway, because I felt so much closer to my horse. I thought life would continue like this and the curse wouldn't hurt me a bit through life. I was wrong. Oh, was I wrong!