Scorched

Chapter 1

Gwen stared up at the flashy, brightly coloured wings of the Wyverns. Reds, greens and blues were among the predominant colours. The large dragon-like creatures slithered through the air like it was water, men in crimson uniforms perched proudly astride their backs. The bodies of the beasts were long like snakes, but large enough to hold a person. Their majestic wings were thin and leathery and were twice the length of the creatures themselves. The Wyverns circled the perimeter of the city, dutifully watching over the walls for any threats. Gwen squinted up into the bright sky, searching for the bright white coats of a Pegasus, or the feathery wings of a Gryphon.

She sighed longingly at the thought of a coveted spot on the King's Guard. She imagined herself high above the city, gazing down at the tall towers of the castle far below her. Gwen could almost feel the wind whipping through her dark hair and the sting of the cold air on her face, as she flew through the clouds.

The scream of a Wyvern pulled her back to reality; she shook her head at herself with a small laugh. When they were younger, neither of Gwen's parents had qualified for a beast. It was very difficult for a woman to earn a spot on the Guard, though not impossible. The qualifying trials were only triumphed by the most elite, athletic soldiers. Both of Gwen's parents had attempted and failed.

Gwen looked up to where she heard the scream. Two Wyverns were clashing in mid air, one visibly holding the upper hand. Gwen gasped as a green Wyvern took a swipe at the deep blue one. The Wyvern's wing tore, and with a great howl from the beast, it started spiralling downwards. She followed the path of the creature with her eyes, watching it land not too far away in a field. Gwen frantically slid down the roof of her small house where she liked to watch the guard from, and took off towards the beast.

The thought of the rider didn't even reach her mind until she skidded to a halt in front of the Wyvern. She gasped. The man was half concealed under the flank of the beast, and he was gasping for air. A large gash was evident on his forehead, blood flowing down over his already pale face. She stood there taking in the scene for a moment, too stunned to do anything. She had never been so close to a Wyvern before. They were supposed to be vicious and dangerous, only obeying the command of their rider.

"A little help here?" coughed out a weak voice.

Gwen jumped, startled by the noise. She rushed over, careful to stay clear of the Wyvern's gaze. Gwen grabbed the man's outstretched arm and started tugging. He winced at every yank and she mumbled out an apology as she pulled. As she pulled one last time, her hand slipped out of the rider's and she went tumbling backwards.

Gwen froze, feeling the leathery skin and realising she had landed on the Wyvern's injured wing. There was a moment of silence before the animal reared up, screeching in pain. Gwen scrambled back, panic seeping into her, her whole body paralyzed. The Wyvern turned towards her, eyes angry and teeth bared.

It was just about to lunge at her when a low voice commanded, "Stop."

The Wyvern halted, it's big head swung around to glare at the man pulling himself to his feet. He limped over, not putting weight on his left foot, and pushed himself between Gwen and the Wyvern. He stood there, staring down the beast until it turned away with an angry huff.

Gwen shuddered with relief, she sunk to the ground, shaking violently. She had seen her fair share of people attacked by creatures. Gwen's family and neighbors, none of whom had scored high enough on the trials to receive a beast, all lived in bad conditions. The kingdom didn't spare many guards to protect the outer village. It was much safer to live within the protection of the city.

Gwen's father had a fairly good job as a stable hand in the castle, but others weren't so lucky. They often had to stoop as low as thievery, although it was usually a lost cause; almost all thieves were caught.

If you were skilled enough and scored high on the trials, you automatically received a sum of money from the kingdom. Not a lot, but enough to live comfortably. These people became guards, although not the most elite. Special privileges were reserved for the King's Guard. If you won a spot on the guard you were guaranteed a large house on the grounds of the castle. There were thirteen houses there, one for each member of the guard. These thirteen guards were always near the king, which is why they were permitted to live near the castle.

Each year, two members of the guard were replaced. Anyone who passed the trials in the last five years could compete for a spot, which keeps the elite force young and able. When a guard was replaced from the King's guard they were moved back to the barracks and out of the luxury houses. No guard usually lasted more than four years before they were replaced.

Gwen's mind went back to when she was young and her family was struggling. Her older brother Kai, about 10 years old at the time, had watched her swipe a loaf of bread off a stand at the market. One of the patrolling soldiers noticed, and paraded over proudly on his Gryphon. He smirked at the two children with a mean sparkle in his eyes.

"Naughty, naughty," the man snickered, glowering at the children. "I think someone needs to be taught a lesson."

Kai yanked the bread out of his younger sister's hands, and held it out in front of him as an offering.

"Please," he begged desperately, fully aware of what the guard could do to them.

The guard scoffed and nudged his steed forward. The Gryphon reared up, bringing it's sharp talon down Kai's face, leaving a long cut down the entire left side of the young boy's face. He cried out, and ran, pulling Gwen behind him.

"Hey!" a voice jolted Gwen out of her memories.

She looked up and found a concerned face looking down on her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, perplexed.

Gwen pushed herself off the ground, willing her body to stop shaking. This was no way for a seventeen year old girl to act, she scolded herself. She wasn't even the one who fell out of the sky.

"I'm fine," she muttered, then noticed the blood still dripping down his face. "Oh! Come on, you need to come back to my house, it's not far. We can get you cleaned up."

"No, I'm fine," he almost growled at her.

Gwen looked up, startled at his change of attitude. He rolled his eyes and wiped blood out of his eyes.

"At least tell me your name?" Gwen almost begged him. She knew the names of all the Guards, but she didn't recognize this one, and he seemed younger than the rest.

The man paused for a moment and seemed to consider something, before shaking his head and muttering, "Xander."

Gwen frowned. There were only thirteen members of the Guard at a time. This man, boy almost, must have just joined the Guard.

Gwen pulled a tissue out of her pocket and approached him slowly. She reached up tentatively and pressed the tissue against the cut on his head. He flinched away from her touch and she dropped her hand.

"I'm Gwen," she said softly, meeting his blue eyes for the first time.

Xander turned his back and walked over to the injured Wyvern, swearing under his breath as he examined the tear in the wing. Gwen knew there was no way the Wyvern would be able to fly back to the castle. The only way was to walk.

"I'll help you get it back to the castle," Gwen offered eagerly, gazing at the Wyvern longingly. Xander looked at the injured creature and huffed.

"Fine, but we can't be seen," Xander muttered, looking at her distrustfully.

Gwen frowned at him. He was a member of the guard, what did he have to fear? She glanced up, remembering how the Wyvern was knocked out of the sky. She gaped at him, had he somehow stolen the Wyvern from the castle? Gwen quickly counted the Wyverns in the sky. There were five. The Guard always consisted of five Wyverns and four Gryphons and Pegasi. Gwen knew almost every bit of trivia one could know about the Guard, and from what she could tell, this Wyvern was not a part of the guard.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, any comments or votes would be so incredibly helpful, and thank you so much to those who have. I hope you continue to read and enjoyed the story so far.

xoxo Emma