Dragons of Alaevia

Chapter 1: Gisaea

   Name pronunciation: JIS-AYA

The little girl let her feet take her along the path, allowing them to steer her into a place not yet known to her eyes. Further and further into the woods she bounded---until the very moment she could no longer take it. Halting for breath, she let her pounding heart slow.

As the fresh forest breeze replenished Gisaea's lungs, she took in the surrounding world of nature—trailing her eyes over the brilliant green grass that tickled her ankles, and the leaves of many shapes that grew along the path. The sun shone lustrously through the trees, illuminating the forest life and enriching her heart with a peculiar sort of bliss.

The moment she inhaled deeply, breathing it all in—the air, the trees, the plants, the life—It was like her spirit was finally able to rest. Because the woods...the woods was home.
       
And there was nowhere else she would rather be.
       
Gisaea strolled along the path in the woods until she came upon a clear stream. The sound of its gentle running water tickled her ears as she reached her tiny hand into the cool water, letting it gently run over her fingers. She watched as a group of tiny orange fish swam past, their little bodies drifting along with the current. She attempted to snatch a fish, but it slipped right through her grasp.
        
Gisaea sighed in irritation, eyeing the water for more fish—when a sudden, strange sound came from across the stream. She froze, snapping her eyes towards the bushes across the creek, where the noise had originated.

One of the bushes rustled suspiciously.

Gisaea's heart pounded as she narrowed her eyes, observing the bush closely. Then, gradually coming to a stand, she kept her eyes on the rustling bush as she tip-toed across the wet rocks, and—
          
Slipped.

"Ouch!" She gasped out in pain as her knee scraped across something sharp in the water.

Slowly, she crawled back into the grass and examined her knee. The skin was cut and had a thick stream of blood running down it. She brought a finger to the wound and was met with a stinging pain. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision as she swallowed down a lump in her throat. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't—

She flinched as the bush behind her rustled in a way that certainly wasn't the wind. Starting to panic, she wondered what kind of horrible monster awaited her beyond those leaves. Presumably an awful, terrifyingly huge—

...baby dragon?

Gisaea stared in shock at the little creature that'd popped its head out of the bush. A harmless, tiny dragon.
            
Phew.
          
The little dragon made a soft, subtle noise, tilting his head at her in curiosity. Though the moment he tilted his little head, his whole body lurched along with it—sending him staggering to the side as he fought to catch his balance. It seemed his pointy fluffed ears were much too big—and with them, he couldn't quite seem to keep himself steady.
         
When the little guy finally managed to still himself with immense concentration, Gisaea took in his appearance. She took in the white scales that beautifully reflected the sun's rays, and the golden scales that completely embellished his chest. His wings were a gradient golden array of feathers that matched identical feathers poofed at the end of his long tail, and an extensive array of golden-gradient spikes gathered at his head and ran down his back. His eyes were a soft but radiant blue, a stunning color—glittering as they studied Gisaea.

It was a baby dragon. A baby dragon!
           
Who, seeming unafraid, ran his head against her hand—and she giggled. He nuzzled his snout along her palm.

"What are you doing all alone in the woods, little guy?" She wondered, and at the sound of her voice, the dragon's eyes flicked to hers as he tilted his head once more in curiosity. She giggled again, watching his big blue eyes glitter in the sunlight.
           
Then his eyes snapped to her leg as he noticed the blood running down her knee. He glanced at her with concern, then sniffed the scraped injury. She winced as his nose slightly grazed the wound, and as, without warning, the dragon touched his forehead to her knee and started to...

Glow?
           
Were dragons supposed to do that?

She averted her eyes as the dragon grew brighter, and as a sudden tingly warmth washed over her skin. It felt so lovely that the moment the tingling went away, Gisaea found herself slightly disappointed.

Then she saw her knee, and the disappointment vanished completely.
           
The cut was gone. Fully gone. No blood. Nothing. She examined the dragon in awe as he settled in her lap.

"How did you do that?" She questioned him. But he only yawned sleepily in reply, as if nothing had ever happened.
           
"I think...i'll name you Jisu." She determined right then. She didn't know why she liked the name or how it had come to her; she just knew it was right.
           
Jisu's ears perked up, and Gisaea giggled. Jisu...she thought. It was the perfect name. Jisu flew to her head, nuzzling his nose into her strawberry blond curls. She laughed, then grabbed Jisu and held him up in the air. "I'm going to keep you forever, little dragon." She promised him. Jisu stared into her eyes, flapping his wings enthusiastically as she brought him to her chest, hugging him tightly.
           
"Forever and ever."
                                               
                          —————————
            
Gisaea LeClaire woke to the sound of singing birds and the warm feeling of sun on her skin. She lay against Jisu as she stared up into the vast blue sky, reminiscing about the moment she'd encountered her little companion all those years ago. In the dream, she'd been only eight. Nine years ago, to be exact.

The days of being a child---carefree, full of pleasure...always brought her solace when she thought about them.    

Gisaea sat up, stretched out her arms, and breathed in the fresh, crisp air of the morning.
            
There was nothing like a good nap.