The Dragon Heirs

A Boy and a Beginning

I was perched in a tree when I heard the light crunch of snow underfoot. I turned my head ever so slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the person approaching. I hoped my hood was covering my bright red-orange hair, my most noticeable feature. As the footsteps grew closer I listened and gained some information from the distinct sounds. My the heaviness of the steps it had to be a man and by the nearly silent but heavy breathing, he was obviously chasing something but well trained for this job. The sounds grew quieter and then faded completely. I relaxed and began to climb toward the nest once more.

The nest sat atop one of the highest branches, but was big enough to hold me. Definitely large enough to hold a dragon's egg. But when I reached the nest, the eggs inside were only those of a hopping ostrich. I swore. The hopping ostrich was one of the most deadly animals in the kingdom. I hoped the mother of the eggs didn't come back before I climbed down.

"What are you doing?" asked a haughty voice from below.

I jumped and most people know it's not a good idea to scare someone who is in a tree. When the voice startled me, I let go of my branch and my feet slipped. I went crashing through the tree and fell on top of the speaker.

The voice I'd heard started speaking again though it was a string of unintelligible swearing. Then two harsh words.

"Get off!"

The fall had knocked the wind out of me and while I could think that I wanted to get off, my body wouldn't respond. It was using all of its strength to just draw a breath.

I felt the owner of the voice twist beneath me and then shove me off of them with a lot more swearing.

I watched, still struggling to breathe as the owner of the voice stood and gave me my first clear look at him. He had a flop of shaggy black hair and he was thin but muscular. He had beautiful pale skin and wore clothes in shades of blue of gray, identifying him as a Crystalline. But when I looked into his piercing eyes, there was a light in them that I'd been taught Crystallines didn't have. That light was a sign of emotion and Crystallines were only ice cold killing machines. They didn't have emotions. All they could feel was anger, hate, and pain. Maybe this was a Ustrinan in disguise. And if he was Ustrinan then he would recognize me as his princess and help me to a place where I could rest.

"Are you alright?" he asked in the clipped accent of Crystallos.

If he was one of my father's spies, he was a good one. My breath was returning slowly, but I nodded instead of answering.

"Now, what were you doing all alone in the woods? Did you lose your escort?"

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Your escort. You should know it is improper for a young woman to be unaccompanied outside of her home."

Definitely not Ustrinan. In Ustrina we value women greatly and unless she is royal, a woman has all the rights of a man.

"I do not have an escort. I am on my prophecy quest."

"Prophecy? I know nothing of any prophecy. Wait," he said. "Superstitious, red hair, alone, drawling words...you're Ustrinan!"

"Oh yes, and let me see," I said in a mocking tone. "Sickeningly pale, tall, grotesquely thin, dead-eyed, vacant expression, you must be Crystalline!"

"If you knew who I was you wouldn't dare mock me as you do you little Ustrinan wretch!"

"I doubt that greatly. If you knew who I was you would know that I do whatever the hell I like and no ones does a thing about it."

"What are you then? The daughter of some wealthy little lord or duke? Or maybe a princess's favorite handmaiden?"