The Ender Princess: Awakened -ON HOLD-

Lights of Fireflies

I ran up to Hydrinn as we neared the edge of a slightly smaller forest. It was late afternoon so we still had time to travel. The little dragon sped behind me, still repeating 'wake' over and over again.

"Will you shut that thing up?" Hydrinn growled at me.

"I'm sorry that his learning is an inconvenience to you." I mumbled.

The trees casted long shadows over the grass and dirt. The wind shook their tops as it whipped at the earth. My mind drifted like water down a stream. A lullaby my mom would sing to me floated through the air in my own little world. My little world didn't have Endermen or people; Just me.

How I longed to be home, yet I didn't want to go back. I've wanted to explore for as long as I could remember. I want to go on an adventure like the one my mom had gone on. Dragons, monsters, friends and family. Something amazing.

Smoke rising into the sky caught mine and Hydrinn's eyes. The flat landscape definitely showed that a village couldn't be too far off. Maybe even a small home could be out here.

"Great." Hydrinn sighed in relief.

I rolled my eyes and started walking faster. The little dragon started running ahead of us, his wings spread apart and flapping a little as he tried to fly.

"Wake! Wake! Wake! Wrrrrake!" he growled in his high-pitched voice.

He lifted higher off the ground with every bound. His blue frills flexed with anticipation. His tail was a rudder, helping keep balance and change direction. The beast's wings turned upward as a gust of wind created a tailwind and up he went. The dragon glided above the ground ahead of us.

"Well, would you look at that." I smirked. He never ceases to amaze me.

"Be careful. He might fly away if you don't watch him." growled Hydrinn with a smirk. I scowled at the thought. "As if." I snapped.

As we neared the cloud of smoke the smell of burning wood grew stronger. The trees' shadows cooled the earth tremendously. Mushrooms grew in the shade and spiders lurked in the darkness. The dark, dank air was muggy and cool. Something didn't feel right.

I gripped the halter of the Obsidian Ender Blade as we trekked over the blanket of podzol on the ground. The wind didn't touch the forest floor; only the treetops.

A small hut appeared through the trees. A small stream created a shaky semi-circle around the side of the dark log house. Flies and moths danced about the sunlit clearing as if performing a ballet. A rotting fence guarded an overgrown garden of sugar cane, pumpkins, and watermelon.

I shuffled my feet uneasily as I looked at the shack. The dragon made clicking sounds accompanied by whiny whistles as he slowly walked over to me.

"Come on. Maybe they might have some advice. You know," Hydrinn's gaze moved over to the black figure by my feet.

I sort of laughed as I rolled my eyes. "You think they'll help us? Nobody's seen an actual dragon in well, like," I sighed uneasily as I moved into the sunlight more. "Look, no one's going to help us. I think it's best to just keep moving." I suggested as I started back towards the way we came.

The door to the house slammed and I whipped my head around. A cloaked figure hobbled over to the obsolete fence and swung the door open. It was short and stout with a hunched back. The pointed hat suggested that he, or she, was a witch or warlock.

Hydrinn and I stood there in silence, hoping we wouldn't be seen. Pollen and dust floated around the air turning the sunlight to a milky yellow. The little dragon exhaled only to inhale quite loudly before sneezing.