The Silver Dragon
Chapter one-Events that change lives forever.
Bang, bang, bang. BANG!
Usagi blearily opened her eyes and groggily looked around for the source of the noise; her attic windows were wide open and banging against the stonewalls. She groaned loudly and trudged across the cold hardwood floor to the large windows.
The one good thing about such large windows was that they had a cushy window seat; Usagi loved to sleep on it in the summer time when it was very hot. As she pulled the stubborn windows closed she froze. All of Terra was covered in an enveloping blanket of snow that stretched as far as the eye could see. A few determined citizens were already trudging around to work and to beginning their daily chores.
Usagi quickly pulled open the bottom drawers of her Oak dresser and pulled out her favourite winter clothes: thick leather gloves, black riding pants, knee high walking boots and a black cloak with small pewter fastenings. She put up her blonde hair into a messy plait and ran downstairs.
Usagi looked around in shock; she'd beaten everyone but her mother getting up.
"Mama?" Ilene turned around and smiled at her youngest daughter.
"Usagi what are you doing up so early? It's a Saturday; the only day off you get! I thought you'd still be sleeping."
"I would be Mama," Usagi replied. "But it snowed last night and I want to go out and have some fun in the snow. So may I please have breakfast early? Please?"
Ilene nodded her head, never able to resist her youngest daughter's puppy dog eyes. She poured some hot porridge into a bowl and put bread on the side, and to Usagi's delight, she added some honey to give it a sweeter taste. Usagi quickly ate up watching her mother tidy the inn and prepare everything for the early eaters and the visitors that lodged upstairs. As she sat she thought of visiting a small stream in the woods that was good for ice-skating, if the water was frozen. There was a small waterfall that she could slide down and if she was quiet hear the water running underneath it like an underground spring.
Her musings were shattered by the sound of heavy footfalls. Usagi looked up curious as to who would also be awake this early and saw a tall imposing man stride with authority down the stairs. He had thick shaggy black hair cut to his shoulders and deep piercing steel grey eyes. A deep, badly healed scar slashed from his left eye to his right cheek giving him a dangerous rugged appearance. Usagi quickly turned back around to her breakfast so as not to offend the man by openly staring at him, he might complain to her mother and then she'd be in trouble. Because she was facing the fire she didn't see the man look at her with a thoughtful expression on his face for an entire minute; as though studying her before finally turning away and going to sit in a dark corner booth.
After Usagi finished her quick breakfast she left for the forest, taking a small picnic with her. She didn't want to have to go back too early for food. Just as she walked out Beryl sauntered down the stairs wearing yet another sin to mankind dress that should most definitely have been torched upon creation. Beryl shot Usagi a 'what are you doing up' look but stayed silent, conscious of their mothers presence in the room. Usagi just ignored her catty sister and walked out of the door straight into the crisp morning air. She kicked up some snow for the fun of it and watched in a trance as it fell to the ground marring her ebony black winter cloak.
As Usagi headed to the wood Ilene stuck her head outside the door and hollered.
"Usagi don't go too far! If it snows again you might get lost!"
"Ok Mama. I won't wander too far." Usagi answered to reassure her mother.
After an hour of walking, Usagi reached the stream that she liked to play in in hot weather, and skate on in cold weather, when it was frozen over. Usagi tentatively placed a foot on the innocent looking ice and, when she was sure that it wouldn't crack, she slipped and slid across the ice to an overhanging willow tree on the other side of the stream.
Usagi sat down and started to eat the warm bread that she had brought with her. As she ate, savouring the taste, she thought she heard a soft crying sound; like a whimpering coming from behind the tree. Intrigued she crawled behind the thick fir tree on her hands and knees and finally found the source of the disturbance. In a hollow under the tree, made by some animal possibly a badger, fox or rabbit, was a silver egg around the size of Usagi's head. As Usagi watched, puzzled, the egg glowed silver and shook slightly. Several piteous cries sounded from the egg drawing Usagi to pick the egg up. The egg felt warm to the touch and hard like metal.
Usagi knocked on the shell and concluded that it was hollow. That meant that there must be an animal inside. What kind of animal she didn't know but it certainly ignited her curiosity to find out.
Being careful Usagi wrapped the egg inside a woollen scarf and placed it carefully in her knapsack. She knew that she must keep the egg secret from her sisters, who would try and take the egg, or make her sell the egg for money. None of which she planned to do in all truth. Usagi wanted to find out what animal the egg contained and maybe keep the animal as a pet, if she could persuade her mother that the animal wouldn't cause any trouble with the customers.
Usagi arrived back home at the busiest time of the day. Everyone was finishing work and they all were coming into the Hawk Mountain Inn for a drink. She weaved expertly through the rampant crowds, avoiding the hands of several well-known village perverts.
Usagi took the stairs two at a time and managed to hide her precious egg under her pillow before Beryl showed up in another revealing bright pink outfit, demanding her presence in the kitchen to wash the dishes. Usagi went without argument, as she was too deep in thought. She couldn't wait for the egg to hatch, but the only difficult thing would be keeping the egg secret and then persuading her mother that she was responsible enough to look after a pet.
Usagi was the youngest and as such, was viewed as the baby of the family. She was constantly trying to change everyone's view and prove that she could be just as responsible as all of her older siblings, but it never seemed to work out like that and Beryl's track record with animals of any kind was horrible. She hated anything with scales, more than four legs, wings, stingers, claws, teeth and anything bigger, wider or longer than a horse. Usagi could still remember Saran the poor unfortunate frog and its encounter with Beryl…
Flashback
Usagi carefully placed the large frog in a goblet of water near the fire so that it could keep warm, she didn't want Saran to die of cold. Usagi had found Saran jumping one of the village paths practically waiting to get run over by a rider or horse cart, so she brought him home but kept the frog secret from her mother and siblings.
"Usagi… Usagi, come here I need you to hold the chair steady whilst I get the good plates down." Setsuna hollered from the kitchen.
Usagi stood up and walked obediently to the kitchen to help her older sister, not noticing Beryl watching her from the staircase with a greedy look in her eyes. As soon as Usagi disappeared into the loud kitchen Beryl swiftly ran across the floor and knelt on the hearth looking at the goblet curiously. She wondered why her sister would place it near the fire.
"Who cares? It must taste good or else why would she try to hide it?" And with that she lifted the goblet to her lips and drank as though she had been in a desert. Usagi walked in just as Beryl was wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
"Beryl! I can't believe you ate Saran, you beast! He was only an innocent frog and it's just gross why would you want to eat a frog!" Usagi screamed, switching between glaring at Beryl and staring at the goblet in horror. Beryl's dirty red eyes widened in shock. She then looked at the goblet and at the very bottom sat Saran, who chose that precise moment to jump onto Beryl's chest. The whole house shook with the strength of Beryl's scream.
Rei, Hotaru, Haruka, Minako and Makato found the incident to be absolutely hysterical. Minako didn't stop laughing for fifteen minutes and every time Makato stopped laughing she took one look at Beryl's face and started laughing again. Their mother had banned pets in the house ever since, as the scream had caused Setsuna to drop the best china, Michiru to spill ink all over her work and Ami to get locked in the cellar, as the trapdoor fell shut and became jammed they had to fetch Haruka to unscrew it. The poor Saran however, got flung by Beryl into a wall and sadly never got back up again.
End flashback
Usagi blinked in her daze. She had automatically washed and dried all of the dishes and mopped and dried the kitchen floor. Usagi's sweat dropped, she really needed to get a life. If she wasn't careful she'd still be doing this when she was twenty.
A mental image of a very old her, mopping the floor flashed across her mind and she shuddered.
The creaking of the kitchen door alerted Usagi to a presence. She looked up and saw a much-harried looking Hotaru, with a look of terror fixed upon her face. She gulped in air and gasped out.
"Usagi. Go upstairs, put on your travelling clothes, pack a bag and hurry back downstairs as quickly as you can!"
Usagi stood there on the spot; a confused expression on her face, wondering what on Terra was going on. Hotaru however, wasn't in the mood for answering questions, as before Usagi could ask her any, she bellowed, "Now Usagi I'm not kidding around."
Usagi ran for the stairs and bounded up them like the hounds of Metallia were at her heels. She stuffed on her winter and bad terrain clothes and packed a leather satchel with her possessions, which wasn't much. She packed her dragon legends book, a pewter comb and mirror set, a small jewellery box and the egg, which she wrapped up in three of her warmest scarves to keep it toasty and safe. Usagi then dashed back downstairs to an eerily quiet inn.
Haruka, her sisters and mother were all talking in hushed tones near the kitchen table; they all had satchels and were dressed for travelling. As she entered the room, all talk stopped. Usagi inwardly fumed and knew they were hiding things from her again. They probably thought she was still too young to understand or that she would burst into tears, but in the silence the screams and shouts could clearly be heard.
Her mother came forward and announced in a final tone.
"Usagi sweetheart, don't be scared but Metallia's raiders have been sighted coming into the valley. They're burning and looting everything. We're going to leave and make a run for the mountain edge. Hopefully we can loose them in the forest or maybe not even be sighted by them." But even as Ilene uttered the hopeful words they all heard the front door splinter and give way. Ilene looked at them and told them to run before any of them could open their mouths. She answered their unspoken questions.
"I will distract them whilst you all escape. Don't protest you are my children, my life. I'm not asking you to run for it, I'm telling you to run for it and that's final."
Everyone looked at her and then wielding a large pan like a battleaxe, Ilene ran into the front room screaming wars cry of "die you invading bastards."
Setsuna took charge and, with Haruka and Michiru's help, she hurried everyone out of the door. Usagi was the last one to exit she heard the men laughing at her mother and she silently made an oath that she would avenge her mother's death and stop the death of others. Metallia's reign of oppression had gone on too long.
In one night Usagi had lost her mother, her home, her life and her innocence. She never thought that Metallias raiders would bother with their small mountain village, which never did anything to anger her at all.
As they ran together for the woods and the mountain beyond the little egg rocked again and a small squeak answered Usagi's silent vow.
A vow that would change all of Terra with its strength.
"Usagi, help me with the fire please." Setsuna begged in a tired voice.
It had been a week since the attack on their village and everyone was feeling depressed and angry. After their escape into the dense forest that bordered the village, they'd met up with others that had escaped the attack. A few village men and some of the village elders who had been on retreat in the mountains, praying and mediating. There had been a large debate on what they should do next.
Setsuna and a few of the elders thought they should start anew in another village and pray for safety; but they were outvoted by many of the village men and some of the younger girls. They all wanted to join the rebels and get revenge on Metallia and her lackeys for what happened to their families and homes, so that was where they were heading; to join the rebellion. The mood, however, was not good. Everyone was depressed, cold, homesick and tired. All of the men had been staging watches ever since the attack, due mainly to fear and nervousness. They were all well aware that they could be re-attacked at any second without any warning at all.
Usagi hurried over to Setsuna and helped her pile the few pieces of dry wood they had found in the soaking woods onto the fire. Large pine trees now sheltered them, but water still dripped through making the ground damp and slushy. Setsuna lit the fire with some sharp stones and a knife, the dancing red and yellow flames illuminated Setsuna's face and an earthly glow outlined the tired and worn face. Her long, hunter green hair was matted and dirty, and the bottom layers were stuck together with dried mud and twigs her bright Magenta eyes were dimmed as she felt the weight of being headwomen directly on her shoulders. Everyone looked to her for motherly comfort and support so she had to be strong for everyone's sake. After helping, Usagi retreated back to her rock and held her egg close.
Several worrying eyes watched her from afar. Over a very short period of time Usagi had become withdrawn and kept very much to herself. She hadn't even cried at her mother's death.
Her sisters feared that she was bottling her pain and hurt at her mother's abrupt death in such a manner. Minako crawled over to Makato, cringing at the squelching noise her best dress made in the sloppy mud. She shook Makato into awareness and then jerked her head in Usagi's direction, hoping that Makato would get her drift. Makato looked up and then followed Minako's gaze to Usagi. A frown overtook her face.
"She looks so solemn and lonely over there all by herself. She just hasn't socialised since… Well you know, the raid." Makato whispered, as though she was afraid Usagi would inadvertently hear them. Minako nodded her head and replied.
"She's always hugging her bag close to her. Do you think she's gotten herself another pet? I mean, it has been a while since the whole frog incident. Maybe we should look in her bag for her own safety… It could be dangerous, like a poisonous snake or a scorpion. You know how Beryl is with pets…" Minako looked hesitantly to Makato for approval. Makato looked over at her younger sister and watched as Usagi stroked something inside the bag, as though to reassure it. She turned to Minako and nodded.
"But we have to get Hotaru and Rei to help, in case the snake is poisonous and to help identify the snake. We don't want to get ourselves bitten," she cautioned. Minako nodded and replied in a whisper.
"We'll have to do this at night when she's asleep. You know how Setsuna gets about respecting other peoples property and privacy!"
Plumes of smoke rose in thin lines upwards into the darkening sky. The charred ground hummed with activity as soldiers searched through the rubble for the desired object.
"You worthless dogs! You couldn't find water if you fell out of a boat." The tall blonde man paused for emphasis before grinding out in a cold hard voice, "find that egg before I start killing you all one by one!"
He then turned away and stalked back to his tent in a fury.
The man picked up a blood red crystal ball and placed it on an imposing stand. The stand was a demons hand, with upward pointing claws wrapped around the ball the murky smoke in the ball started to weave with darker black strands. A faceless person appeared in the ball and looked at Julian with what appeared to be distaste.
"Julian have you found the egg yet? Empress Metallia is impatient. She wants that egg destroyed before the rebels find it. Shinigami and Apollo have already trashed a supply train earlier this morning taking some of the better food stuffs."
There was a long pause as the figure conversed with someone near them; when the general replied it was in a calmer voice.
"If they get that egg along with the other dragons that they have, it will be even more difficult to stop them and Metallia will have your head." Julian nodded in acknowledgement but showed no emotion. He waved his hand over the ball and it returned to its blood red state.
Julian sighed in frustration. The rebel group Gundam had been a thorn in Metallia's side for some time now, and now that they had ten male dragons and a female dragon, they had a good chance of taking on Metallia's grey dragon legion in a fight. Doctor J, one of the rebel scientists, had been captured quite recently and was undergoing a strict torture regime, which Julian was eager to return to. He hated the rebels with a fierce vengeance and he most especially hated Doctor J.
Even as he thought of the arrogant know it all doctor, his blood boiled and sung in his ears. Sung of rivers of blood and the pleasure that creating pain gave. He looked down when he felt something splash onto his pant leg. The crystal goblet that had held his wine had shattered into shards by the angered force of his bare hands. He watched fascinated as the red liquid dripped and slithered from his palm, very much like a river of blood. He clenched his hand together drawing actual blood and looking upwards to the mountains and made his vow.
"As long as I draw breath into my body and wake every dawn I will hunt down those who dare to defy the wishes of Metallia. I will create a story of blood. Any that stand in my way must die."
Usagi woke with a start. Trembling fiercely and sweating, like she'd run all the way up Hawk Mountain. She had dreamt of a dark figure vowing to kill all those that opposed Metallia. Usagi wanted to dismiss the dream, as not enough sleep but couldn't. There was something very sinister about the dream and the person inside of it.
'Take a deep breath Usagi it's just a dream nothing to get upset about. I bet a lot of us are having nightmares that involve shadowy people out for revenge,' she mentally told herself. Usagi took a deep breath and laid back down, snuggling into her patchwork lilac and silver blanket, but shot back up again as a twig snapped in the trees near her. She peered into the trees looking for a face, but all she saw was night and shadow, yet she still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she was being watched by someone.
Usagi reached out for the comforting reassurance that her egg gave and was disappointed her satchel was missing, the egg along with it. Terrified she scrambled around on her hands, searching desperately for her egg. Nearly crying; the egg was her reason to go on. She had a sudden thought, 'would someone take my egg to spite me? Beryl would most definitely take it and try and sell it for some trinket or dress…'
Usagi stood and had marched halfway to Beryl's sleeping area when she saw some figures huddled over a bundle. She was about to ignore them until she heard a squeak; a squeak that most definitely came from the little egg. Usagi stalked over to the group, being careful not to make too much noise. As she got closer, she recognised them as her sisters: Rei, Hotaru, Minako and Makato. They were all watching the violently rocking egg and Usagi listened closely to their conversation.
"Well I don't think that it's a snake. It's far too big and snakes couldn't squeak nor shake an egg this violently." Rei commented in a bossy tone. The others looked at her and then looked back to the egg. Minako prodded the egg with a stick and received more squeaks and a slight crack in the egg's outer shell for her effort.
"Its cracking!" she squealed in excitement and fear. The girls moved back and watched as the cracks widened, until the shell looked like an oddly shaped jigsaw puzzle.
Usagi had had enough and walked over to stand behind Minako. Smirking, Usagi asked.
"What are you guys doing in the middle of the night with my egg?"
All of the girls jumped in the air at the voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. Usagi just stood there grinning like mad in her cotton nightgown. She looked rather pale in the moonlight and for a split second her sisters thought her a ghost. But then she repeated her question.
"What are you doing with my egg?" Hotaru looked at her for a few seconds before recognising her and she shakily asked, "Usa-chan is that you?"
Usagi sighed impatiently stealing a glance at her rocking egg.
"No, its Lady Selene. Who do you think it is? Of course it's me." Usagi paused for a second and then added, "Why have you guys stolen my egg?"
Simultaneously the girls looked at each other, then to Usagi, and then to the egg. Every one of them seemed at a loss for what to say to her in way of explanation, as to why they'd invaded her privacy and a legitimate reason at that. Makato decided to try and explain in a way that wouldn't make her little sister angry or defensive.
"Usagi, we wanted to make sure that you didn't have a poisonous snake or some other deadly pet, but now we see that you have," Makato gestured to the rock. "This …this well what is it?"
Usagi just looked them all dead on and replied in an excited tone.
"I have absolutely no idea! Isn't it exciting not knowing what will be born from the egg? I'm sure that I can look after whatever it is." She finished her eyes practically pleading for understanding. Minako, Hotaru and Makato all nodded in agreement, which probably meant that she could keep whatever was going to hatch as long as it wasn't dangerous to them or the others in camp. Rei however was giving her the look, so Usagi turned up the puppy dog eyes to break down Rei's walls. At first, Rei just sat there with a sceptical look on her face but, after four minutes of silence and Usagi and the others looking at her, she cracked and was defeated. "Fine you can keep it as long as it's not dangerous or really, really annoying."
Usagi beamed in triumph at her sisters and then turned her attention to the violently rocking egg. Entranced, they all formed a loose circle around the egg, curiosity getting the better of them all. As the atmosphere of excitement escalated, the egg toppled on its side and smashed open releasing its occupant to the bare earth. Minako screamed in shock as they all fell back slightly for the creature lying on the grass was no snake.
It was, in fact, a tiny silver dragon. The dragon was around the length of a large mans forearm, from longest finger to the top of the shoulder. The dragon struggled to get up, the sticky fluids from inside the egg weighing it down. No one moved. They were all shocked and trying to tell themselves that they were having a rare case of mass hallucinations; like people were rumoured to have in the hot eastern sand plains. Their loud screams had roused attention from their older sisters Setsuna, Michiru and Ami, who thought that the camp was under attack. They all looked expectantly towards the source of the disturbance. The only thing they saw was their younger sisters surrounding something on the ground.
The dragon looked around with its wedge shaped head looking at the faces surrounding it. Its whirling silvery blue eyes searching for someone. It passed Rei flicking its tail as though she was unimportant; it did the same to Makato and Hotaru. The small dragon stopped when its eyes rested on Minako. Minako held her breath under the soul searching multi-coloured stare, but the dragonet once again dismissed her with a wave of its whip like tail. The elegant head then swivelled left to look straight at Usagi.
Usagi couldn't even breathe as she lost herself in the swirling depths of the small dragonets luminescent eyes. The noises around her faded into the background as though they were not important, and then as though it had always been there, a lilting voice entered her mind.
"Usagi I'm hungry please feed me who are all these other people?"
The voice wisped around her, spreading warmth and comfort.
Usagi didn't think it was strange or creepy at all. To her, having this other presence so close to her was soothing and very reassuring. She lifted her hand and lovingly caressed the little silver dragon's eye ridges and out loud replied, "I'll feed you Amaranth. These are my family and friends; they're not going to hurt you whilst I'm here."
Minako's mouth was touching the floor as she watched her younger sister take part in one of the most sacred and rare events on Terra; impressing a dragon for life. Before her very eyes Usagi seemed to change. Her cerulean blue eyes seemed flecked with tints of silver and her hair seemed paler, like it was dipped in moonlight and shaded with stars.
Everyone knew of dragon partnership rituals from the old tales that mother, elders and the travelling bards told, and the old books that could be bought at certain stalls. It was usually a greatly celebrated event, and many people and candidates for the dragonet were invited to attend just like in the old stories of the impression of the great Silver queen dragon, Moon. Dragon hatchlings were said to be very picky when it came to choosing a partner, especially silver dragons as they were the highest ranking females and as such, needed strong willed partners.
Minako let out a gasp and looked at Rei in shock as she heard Usagi address the dragonet by the name Amaranth. Usagi had most definitely impressed the graceful dragon hatchling. Minako could now only wonder how this event would change Usagi as a person. It was said that impressing changes a person, not just mentally, but physically. They become stronger, faster, more agile and more flexible. Their looks were also said to change slightly to impersonate their dragons.
Minako felt a twinge of jealously that her sister was chosen over her, but as soon as it came it was gone. Usagi had always had the dream of impressing at the back of her heart and soul and now that dream was being fulfilled. She looked at the others and saw that they had also reached the same conclusion and were all either smiling or looking on in awe.
"Girls what on Terra is going on here? Why aren't you all asleep and what are you doing out of bed in the first place you really sho…"
The words died on Ami's lips as she took in the sight of Usagi and her new partner, Amaranth. The spell over everyone was broken as they all turned to look at the intruder upon the perfect scene. Usagi seemed dazed as she turned away from Amaranth, to look at Ami. She didn't even seem aware; there was just an expression of deep happiness and the feeling of being complete written clearly all over her face.
"Ami I've finally gotten my wish! Amaranth is my partner now. I always wanted to be someone who could make a difference in the world." She whispered, yet her voice seemed to be carried on the very wind itself.
Amaranth curled up on Usagi's lap, snuggling into her pale nightgown that was now stained with grass and mud from the slippery earth.
By now, many others had been woken by the noise and had come to see what the problem was. They were all shocked by the sight of Usagi and Amaranth just sitting together on the floor.
Ami ran over to Setsuna, Michiru, Haruka and a few of the elders, who were all conversing rapidly whilst shooting glances at the pair as discreetly as they could.
"Where on Terra could the child have gotten a dragon from? They're extinct. Many don't even believe in them anymore." Purim questioned in a croaky voice that was stained with sleep.
"I've no idea. I mean, Usagi used to go off exploring the woods for hours on end some days. Maybe she found it then and didn't tell us about it because of the Saran incident with Beryl…" Setsuna volunteered.
"That dragon could be why the village was raided you know." Haruka said in a low voice. The others turned to look at her with incredulous expressions on their faces. Haruka looked back at them.
"Think about it. A silver dragon queen. Imagine the damage that a queen could cause to Metallia's army. They're the best breeders, best female fighters and the fastest. They would want the queen to be impressed by someone close to Metallia or at least apart of her armies. So that they could defeat the rebels."
There was a silence before Tantalus spoke.
"We cannot let Metallia get her hands on Usagi or the queen dragon. We must now more than ever reach the rebels a queen would greatly help the rebellion."
Everyone nodded in agreement and then split up the sun was rising over the tip of Hawk Mountain; dawn meant that the group should get moving.
The journey to the rebel base was far around the base of Hawk Mountain, through the Decries swamp and then through Harpspell forest. But as everyone knows things are never that easy….
Yes finally I've finished the second chapter. Extra long because of the wait you all had to endure.
Thanks to those who decided to review your support was greatly appreciated.
So thanks to-
SerenaLupin-Potter- Thank you for being the first person to review hugs and kisses
Tsuki no Echo- thanks for the review. I hope I answered your question with this chapter.
Anim8ted-No I didn't think of it as a flame. I think of it as constructive criticism, Thank you for the help and I'll remember to take your advice so I can make the story more enjoyable for my readers.
Also big thanks to my best friend in the universe Joanne Hill for going over this chapter and sorting out my punctuation. I don't know what I would do without her Thanks Jo