So I was about six….
Anne Boonchuy was running around the homestead. She was waving her stick around like sword beating back her imaginary dragons and Core Soldiers.
"Hiyah! I got you evil dragon." Anne smacked her stick against the tree stump. She looked on in triumphant. She protected her family.
She looked up into the sky and saw that the sky was turning pink. She raced through the fields to her parents. Her father was working with the horses while her mother tended to the garden.
"Momma! Momma! I beat up a dragon." Anne ran to her mother, arms wide open. Her mother laughed.
"Did you now? Looks like you protected the farm from those mean old lizards." Her mom poked her nose, leaving a little bit of dirt. "Our little savior."
"What's this I hear about a dragon?" Her father came up.
"I beat up a dragon dad."
"That's my girl. My little monster slayer." Her father picked her up and swung her around in his arms. She laughed as she was spun around.
Anne loved her parents. They were awesome and so sweet. Everyone in the village loved her parents. They helped people in need considering they had once been in the same situation. They had moved from their land in the East to have a better life for themselves and their daughter. Anne remembered little of her time in her homeland. All she could remember was that they had stowed away in a boat with little belongings on them. She heard the East had eventually fallen to something evil. That's what her parents and everyone told her. The rumors said the same thing, only a demon had conquered it.
"Think I could eventually become a knight?" Anne sat at the dinner table as her mother prepared the food.
"I'm sure you could sweetheart. You will be the best dang knight out there." Her father ruffled her head.
"Boonchuys! Boonchuys! You in there?" Anne heard an inhuman shriek in the background. Both her parents looked up in alarm.
Someone banged on the door to their home. Her father got up and opened the door. It was the village mayor. He was clenching his shirt tightly. He was paled. Anne felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the sight.
"Anne. Grab some water." Her father was helping the man sit down. Anne noticed the large cut that covered most of his back. Blood dripped down his back. Her father grimaced at the sight.
"You have to run. Go. Those things are coming for us. They know where it is at." He shuddered before collapsing onto the table.
"What thing is he talking about papa?" Anne was scared. "Momma, is he?"
"Come on sweetie. Let's go."
"Go where?" Anne was picked up by her mother. Her father was quickly grabbing items and stuffing them into a bag. "Where are we going?"
Anne heard another shriek only closer. She felt chills run up her arms. She tighten her arms around her mother's neck. Her mother grabbed a small pouch in the dresser of Anne's room and shoved it into her arms.
"You hang on to this as tight as possible. Got it?"
"Come on Oum. We don't have much time. They are getting closer. Grab it and let's go."
"I know Bee. I got it. Let's go."
They ran. Anne never had been far from her village when they arrived. Now she could hear the screams and smell the fire. Someone had torched the village. Anne snuggled into her mother's arms as she tired to shield herself from the sounds. Something was following them. She could hear it moving in the forest.
Soon, her father had yelled at them to keep moving. Anne screamed for her father and saw one of the Core Soldiers appear. Her mother forced her head down as she heard her father fight the soldier. She looked up in time to see him drop to the forest floor. She sobbed in her mother's shoulders. Her mother suddenly stopped and set her down onto the forest floor. She gripped Anne's shoulders.
"Anne honey. I need to run. Run as far away as you can. Protect that pouch at all cost. Protect yourself. I love you and remember I will always be with you." Her mother cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead before pushing her away. She pointed towards the forest line. "Now go!"
Anne stood still. She kept looking back at her mother. She didn't want to leave her mother alone. Not with those things still out. She didn't want her mother gone. Like her father.
"Momma. We can still run together. Come on. Please don't go. Don't l me."
"Anne Boonchuy. You are this land's future. Go. I will stop them. Then I promise we will be together."
"You promise?"
"Yes. Now go!"
Anne ran. She hopped over fallen tree trunks and pushed through bushes to make her escape. She stopped when she heard the scream of her mother. Birds flew from the tree tops. Anne felt the hot tears stream down her face as she leaned against a tree branch. She fumbled the pouch and dropped it. A Core Soldier ran down the road, pausing when it caught sight of Anne. Anne felt terror grip her heart as she stared at it. She imagined them once before in her childlike fantasy and imagined beating them to a pulp. Now, the thing was bigger then her and could slice her into ribbons.
"Momma. Momma. Where are you?" Anne backed further in the tree trunk. It made clicking noises as it approached Anne. She eyed the bushes, hoping that her mother or father would appear and save her. "Momma. You promised. You promised you would come for me."
No one was coming though. She was alone. She screamed, covering her eyes with her arms, as the Core Solider lifted it's bloody blade up. Anne heard the sounds of a large animal snarling. She glanced up to see the large feline with blue fur and white tuffs surrounding it's legs and along the shoulder. It's white wings fanned out as it growled. The soldier clicked before charging at the feline. The feline sunk it's teeth into the soldier, crushing bone.
"Run Heart! Run!" Anne looked at the creature. It had a man's voice but it didn't sound like her father. Who was heart?
"Run Heart! Now. I'll make sure you get away safe." The feline turned it's head to her and smiled the best it could. "I'll be with you shortly. I promise."
Anne ran as fast as her little legs could. She ran till she was sure her lungs would burst but she didn't stop. She continued on. She ignored the twigs snapped against her cheeks and scratching her legs up. She stumbled till she tripped over a branch and collided into the ground. She huddled into herself as she cried.
"There you are. I was worried about you." Anne looked up to see the feline. It looked down at her and smiled. She noticed a small blue gem in the middle of the forehead. "I took care of the few following you but you need to be somewhere safer."
"They are dead." It was a statement more then a question. The feline went silent. It nodded it's head at her.
"Yes they are. I'm sorry. I should of been there. I vowed to protect you and them. It seems I failed on that. But you are alive and I won't fail on you. Stay by my side."
The strange cat bent it's body down to allow Anne to hop onto back. Anne did just that. She snuggled her face into it's soft fur.
"I hope you can forgive me Heart. You will eventually learn what is suspected of you."
She soon fall asleep, feeling warm. Once she woke up the morning sun beating down on her face. She was alone. The giant cat was gone, leaving only a little blue gem next to her head. She looked around her. There was no one around. She pulled the pouch that her mother told her to protect and opened it. She found nothing in there which was odd. She remembered her mother saying to protect a thing. She looked down at the gem and slipped it into the pouch. Anne pressed her legs up against her chest and sobbed.
She could hear clicking noise and a shriek echoing all around the forest. She started to run again. The clicking was getting closer. She ran into the road hoping that someone would stop. She was begging for help. She collapsed into the middle of the road. A horse neighed. She looked up and saw a large black horse pulling a carriage. An older man hopped down and ran to her.
"Darling, are you hurt?" He approached her cautiously. "What's your name? Where are you parents?"
Anne broke down.
"They…th…. Hic…they are….gone."
"Your parents?" Anne nodded her head. He sighed and held his arms open. "Come on darling. Let's let get you out of the woods. It ain't safe for you here."
The older man set her onto his carriage. Something popped out of the forest. It was the Core Soldier that was following her. Anne screamed in terror. She wanted to run away from it. She had seen what it could do. She couldn't let this man get hurt because of her. The older man pulled out a spear from his carriage. It came running at the man. She watched as he held his spear and side stepped. He plunged the spear into it's chest, killing it. Once it flopped to the floor, the older man wiped his spear and set it back into the carriage. He walked over to her.
"Are you hurt little lady?" He seemed so nice and sincere.
"No."
"What's your name?" He hopped up onto the carriage and grabbed the reins. He urged his horse to go.
"Anne Boonchuy."
"I'm Hopediah Planter. But you can call me Hop Pop. Do you have a family?"
"No. They killed them." Anne pointed her finger at the dead Core Solider.
"They are truly terrible creatures. At least I didn't have to fight a dragon. Now those are some fearsome beast." She turned her head to him. She had heard stories from her homeland about the dragons there. They were powerful creatures.
"You have dragons here as well?"
"Oh yes. They are terrible creatures. They can even disguise themselves as us."
"Oh wow. They didn't have that ability in my home."
She remained silent as the carriage rolled down the road. She honestly didn't know where she was. She didn't know much from the lands outside of her destroyed home. She needed to figure out where she was and what to do next.
Then the realization dawned on her. She was lonely now. She had no family now and even the cat was gone. She was all alone in this world.
"Well Anne, we are almost to my home." The older man paused. "Would you like to stay with us? It's not much but it's a home considering you just lost your family."
Anne looked up at him. She wanted to cry.
"I can stay with you?" Her lips trembled. She hoped she heard right.
"Sure you can. My daughter and her husband would adore you."
"Would they accept me?"
"I know they would. They have so much love to give. They will willingly give you their love."
"Okay. I'll stay with you."
A blonde woman stared at Anne while Hop Pop was getting dinner ready for them. Anne felt like she was being under examination. Which she was, because the woman was tilting her head to the sides to examine her scratch marks on her cheeks. The woman sighed before patting Anne's head.
"She looks fine pa. A few scratches but nothing that won't heal. She just needs a good bath and then some food. And probably some new clothes. This one is filled with dirt. What's your name little one?"
"Anne Boonchuy."
"A pleasure to meet you Anne. I'm Leif Planter."
"Hey Leif. I'm home." Anne noticed a man with red hair and a straw hat come in the house. He paused when he noticed Anne. She hid into herself by curling her knees into her chest. He observed her a bit before bending down to her eye level. He tipped his hat towards her. "Hello little lady."
"Hello." Anne squeaked out.
"John, may I speak to you alone?" Leif tapped the man's shoulder.
"Sure honey."
Anne watched as they talked in hush tones and would occasionally point at Anne. Anne was beginning to think that they would not like her around their home. Seems like they would kick her out. Where would she go from here? Finally the two stopped talking. The man and woman came over to her. They got down to their knees and took her hands.
"So Anne, my wife here told me what had happen to you. I'm sorry to hear about your parents and village. But you are safe now. Me and Leif were talking. If you would want, we would like to adopt you. You need a home and it wouldn't sit right with me if you were out there all alone."
"I can stay here? With you? You are fine with me living with you?"
"Oh yes honey. We would love to have you. Would you like to stay here?"
Leif reached over and brushed her hair out of her eyes. It was so tender and motherly. Anne looked at the both of them. The man and woman smiled at her so sweetly. Anne started to sob. The two were quick to wrap their arms around her and pulled her close.
"I want to stay. I promise I'll be a good little helper. I won't be a burden to you."
"Oh sweetie. That shouldn't be a concern for you. Just be a child. That's all we ask."
Anne was soon tucked into a spare bed by Leif and John. They both kissed her head. Anne cried herself to sleep that night. She missed her parents. She cried out for them.
Anne felt Sasha and Marcy grip her hands as she finished. She could feel her own tears on her cheeks. While she would have nightmares about that night, she had attempted to push most of it to the back of her head. She had even forgotten about the strange feline till just now. She wondered if she had imagined it all.
"Wow Anne. You went through a lot." Marcy said. "I'm sorry about your parents. It must of have been so terrible to see your parents die and then be left alone with those creatures. And is up with that cat that appeared."
"Yeah I don't know about that. I think I may have imagined it in my grief. I doubt an actual giant cat with wings just appeared out of nowhere and saved me."
"Your birth parents were killed by a bunch of Core Soldiers." Sasha sounded small. "I'm sorry."
"What are Core Soldiers?" Anne asked. Wartwood had many theories about it but no one could agree on it. She figured Sasha had some idea.
"Demons that are spawned from hatred." Sasha growled a bit, smoke coming from her mouth. "A terrifying demon controls them. No one knows much about the thing. All we dragons know that it is insanely power and killed a dragon. Do you know how hard it is to kill us? It's hard. It's why humans fear us and this thing just killed him."
"Dragons are nearly indestructible." Marcy whispered. "I've heard a few things from Newtopia. There aren't many books about dragons there. They are almost all banned."
"A Core Soldier is a demon? Kind of suspected that was the case. There was no way it was human."
"They were once." Sasha turned her head towards Anne. "They were human once. Hatred, war, and blacken hearts turned them into the monsters you see today."
"That's even creepier now to know that they were human. Don't know if I deal with seeing one again." Anne shivered. Sasha wrapped her arm around her tighter.
"Any humanity that they had once is gone. They aren't human anymore. Don't think about it anymore Anne. They are demons now. Gone from this world. We dragons have a saying about it."
"What's the saying?" Anne looked up at Sasha. Sasha cracked a small smile.
"Dragons are the protectors of magic. We vow to defeat any creature that wants to destroy that. Grime use to tell me every day."
The girls' attention went to the fire in the middle. It was a quiet night. Not even Marcy was writing in her journal. The warmth of the dragon was enough to fend off any chill from the night. Anne knew she should go to bed but she was curious about her new friends.
"So Marcy." Sasha looked at the dark haired girl. "Anne told us her past. You mentioned that Yunan wasn't your birth mother. What's your story?"
"It ain't much really. I don't remember much about my prior life before Yunan and her wife adopted me. I was really young though. Only three. I wandered into their camp on accident covered in blood. No one came looking for me and they decided it was best to take me back to Newtopia."
"Whoa Marcy. That is wild. You don't remember how you got blood on you? Was it yours?" Sasha asked.
"Nope. After they washed me, they didn't find any scratches or cuts on me. It definitely wasn't mine, that's for sure. Yunan suspect it may have been my parents but I don't know. So, I told my story. What's your story Sasha?"
"Ha. I'm in the same boat as you Mars." Marcy let out a small audible gasp at the nickname. "I was still an egg when I found by Grime. I was the sole survivor of an attack on my clan. He took my egg in. He was the first person I saw when I hatched and I latched onto him. He raised me."
"Funny how we all have similar backstories. Lost our real parents and then adopted by complete strangers. It's almost like we were meant to find each other."
Marcy scooted closer to Sasha. Anne did the same. They were just trying to absorb the dragon's heat. They soon grew silent. Anne looked up at the night sky. Marcy finally broke the silence.
"Hey Sasha, do dragons have their own constellations and stories?"
"Oh yeah. See that one." Sasha pointed to the brightest star. "That's Draco, the first dragon. He fought against a mighty demon and won. He did lose his life that demon though. However, his death brought forth magic into the world. We celebrate his sacrifice every year on the winter solstice. Rumor has that he and two other powerful beings created three gems of magic then scattered them across the world."
"What other constellations do you dragons have?" Anne leaned her head against Sasha's shoulders.
Sasha and Marcy switched back and forth with their stories about the different constellations that they knew till Marcy soon fell asleep. Sasha carried Marcy to her tent before coming back to the fire and plopped down next to Anne.
"We should get you to bed as well. It's getting late for you." Sasha grabbed Anne and pulled her up into a standing position. Anne giggled a bit. Sasha did a small bow towards Anne before kissing her hand like some princess. "Sleep well Anne Planter."
"Sleep well Sasha Waybright."
Anne leaned forward and pecked the dragon on the cheek. Anne quickly walked away from Sasha with a blush on her cheeks. She slide into her tent and stared at her family. Anne smiled at them before slipping into her bedroll. She wrapped her arms around Sprig and Polly. She soon fell into a dream.
