The Dragon Queen

3.

Eight years later.

I look out my balcony towards the village was one one day going to be mine as it burns with fire. A loud roar echoes through the castle and village waking everyone up. Being 15 years old you don't understand what is going on and why everyone is running around. The look on my father's face as he runs into my room lifting me away from my window and out my bedroom in the middle of the night, I knew it was serious.

The castle guards all run down the opposite way we run towards and my father hands me to a guard before rushing in front of us putting his armour on as he runs. We run towards the back of the castle and through the bridge with large glass windows on each side.

"Where is Melinda?!" I look around confused looking for my stepmother. My father looks at me and shakes his head ignoring my question, He continues to rush through the castle with me in his arms.

He opens a fireplace and reveals a secret passageway leading down into the sewers. "I need you to be brave for me Ashley." I shake my head and hold onto his arm "what? No I am not leaving you!" I cling onto my father's arm but he just looks at me and nods "you have to get as far away from here as you can!"

Another loud roar echoes through the castle "and you and Melinda will join me?" He nods agreeing as he kisses her forehead "as soon as the monster is killed." My father hands me a backpack and nods "take this as far away as you can." I nod agreeing and place it around my back without even looking inside.

My father hugs me tightly and kisses my head "I love you." I hug him and wipe a tear from my eye "I love you more and will be reunited soon." Still hugging my father a blaze of fire coming through the window forcing us apart from each other.

I get blasted out the window still holding onto the backpack and fall into the water below. I quickly swim to land and look towards the castle as it burns to the ground "Dad?!" I place my head into my hands as tears run down my face.

After a few minutes I look at the woods and nod "I can get to the safe house myself and hopefully meet them there." I take my soaking dressing gown off as it was making it so much harder to stand. I put it to the side of the water and stick the backpack on my back before heading into the woods.