Tierra: The Shadow War [Book One]

Chapter III

Rena's eyes slowly fluttered open and she cast her eyes around. She was still in Sazohr's hut but now she was laying on his sofa. Sensiil looked down at her with a confused look and Sazohr was pacing. She let out a groan as her head started to hurt, "What happened?" She asked, sitting up.

Sazohr turned to face her and rushed to her side, "Princess...er...Rena, you're awake. Are you okay?"

"My head hurts but what happened? Where is the Shadow?" Rena asked again.

"The Shadow...oh right. Well, it sorta attacked you. I was able to free you from it and then it disappeared into the forest. I'll get something for your head," He explained before leaving the room.

Rena was sitting up fully now, and looked around. The creature that was made to help Tierrians, attacked her? That didn't make sense of to why it attacked. But now something else worried her.

When Sazohr came back with a special brew for the pain Rena quickly asked him, "Did you make any more of those Shadows before today?"

"Um...yeah I did. They also disappeared though...oh. Oh no."

Rena looked at him then looked at the small table where Sazohr had placed the vial with the strange Shadow liquid. But, to her surprise, it was gone. She stood up and looked around on the floor, "The vial, where is it?"

Sazohr stood up and looked around as well, "Oh no."

"Oh! I know where it is!" Sensiil piped up, "I saw the Shadow take it before he left!"

"And you let it take it?" Sazhor glared at the red dragon with annoyance and anger.

"This is bad," Rena said as she ran out of the hut. Sensiil and Sazohr followed after her as she ran into the forest.

"You won't find it!" Sazohr called after her as she ran deeper in.

Rena stopped and looked around for any sign of the strange creature. She quickly walked deeper in, leaving Sazohr and Sensiil behind even more. She ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to come up with a plan. How could she let this happen?

There was no way she could live up to her parents' footsteps if the Shadow creature were to attack Tierra. And now that it had the vial, it could make more. It could make a army and cause a war.

It would be the first war in thousands of years. And some how, Rena felt the blame for it. She knew about the creature and could have stopped it. She could have asked Sazhor to get rid of it after she saw it.

But no, the creature was loose and could easily kill. An enemy that you couldn't see. But wait.

What if Sazohr made that creature on purpose? That wizard was very powerful, but there were others with magic. He would surely loose on his own...unless he used an army of shadows.

Rena heard Sazohr get closer and she took off running. What if he had the creature attack her? But then 'saved' her so he would look innocent. She kept running until her legs hurt just as much as her head.

She stopped to rest, she listened for the sound of feet, but there was nothing. But she knew she wasn't completely safe now. Something felt off. Like she was being watched.

She slowly turned around and saw a face of a dragon. She screamed and tripped over a root. She landed hard on the ground and couldn't stop starring at the green dragon that looked right back at her.

She knew dragons were peaceful with Tierra, but the sight of one still frightened Tierrians because of their unpredictable behaviour. She heard stories from the Other World about dragons kidnapping princesses.