Abby and the Mad Prince's Son. The Outpost: Episode One

Chapter One

Tears ran down Abby's face as she fumbled down the stairs, her hands shaking, clutching her hastily packed belongings.

'I don't want to go,' she cried. 'I can stay and fight with you and mother.'

Helping with her wooden chest, a look of dread on his thin tired face, her father responded, 'You are too young to fight.'

'But you were fourteen when you signed up for the king's army and fought in your first battle. And I don't have to fight. I can help in other ways. I can join the city's potion brewers in finding a cure.'

'Please, let's not argue. Your mother and I would feel better if you evacuated the city with all the other younglings. Do it for us.'

Eyes now swollen and her vision a blur, Abby replied, 'But I may never see you again. You can't make me go.'

'Don't talk like that, my little one. We'll see each other again. We'll defeat the Mad Prince's plague, and you'll return home. Things will go back to normal, and you'll finally be able to go to potions' school.'

Potions' school? For Abby that felt like a dream now, another life, yet it was only two weeks ago that she was packing her chest with books and equipment, ready to board at the School for Potion Makers. Then everything, everyone's lives turned upside down. The plague was swift.

Looking down his crooked nose, a battlefield injury, Abby's father repeated, 'We'll see each other again. You just need to leave.'

'But leave where?' Abby asked. 'Do you know where they're taking us?'

'I wasn't privy to such information. Only the people who needed to know were told.'

'Why?'

'Just in case the memories remain after infection, but where you're going is somewhere far from here. Somewhere safer. Far from . . . everything.'

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Abby saw her mother. She too was crying as she held open the front door, revealing a waiting carriage outside pulled by a scaly green wingless dragon. Scared children and older younglings from the neighborhood were scrambling to get on, their parents clambering to lend a hand.

Suddenly, a loud groan followed by a ripping roar thundered down the street, making Abby, her parents and everyone outside pause to wail in response.

'That sounded close,' blubbered Abby, her legs turning to mush for the umpteenth time since the plague broke out. 'Do you think they've broken through the barricades?'

Her father and mother didn't respond but the old gray man perched on top of the carriage bellowed, 'Hurry up. I can't wait around forever. We are running well behind the others, half a day at least.'

'Quick,' Abby's mother cried out, grabbing a purple robe from a coat rack and wrapping it around her daughter, 'this could be the last transport.'

The three jostled out of the front door. And as they got to the carriage, the wooden chest was tossed onto the back and tied down with the other belongings.

'Now, get on,' said Abby's father.

Abby looked longingly at her parents and sniffled, 'Please don't make me. I want to stay with you. I won't get in anyone's way I promise. I'll be a good daughter.'

Her father cupped her cheeks and wiped away a tear. 'You already are a good daughter. No, a beautiful, smart, wonderful daughter. A daughter any father would be overjoyed to have.' He then said sternly, 'But do it now. Get on the carriage.'

Abby launched her arms around her parents, gave them both blubbering kisses before hesitantly jumping on, the carriage bursting to overflowing. And with no seat for her to sit, she crouched on the floor beside a young boy from across the street. His name was Jacob and he looked terrified like everyone else.