Dragon Ties

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

“My lady, the dragons are ready” a voice screamed from behind me, trying to be heard among the crowd. The wind was picking up and it made my men grow nervous, even still, we stood strong. We WOULD win this war. For the last few days it had been nothing but; the clanking of metal as we forged our weapons,  the weeping of women and the crying of babies as men backed up and set out for base camp, and the fierce roar of our dragons as we prepared then to show no mercy for our enemies. We had lost too many already along the way. Too much blood has been shed, too must guilt now rests upon my shoulders. It couldn’t have been for nothing! 

I take a moment to collect my thoughts, the calm before the storm. They are awaiting my command, and then the slaughter will begin. 

“Is this what my mother would have wanted of me” I ponder, but I already know the answer. Yes. 

I rise to my feet where I had been kneeling before the girl’s body, but I have no more tears. What once was emptiness, darkness, sadness, has been replaced with rage. The man responsible must pay. 

The sky is grey and threatening to shower us in rain. Wind whips at my hair and stings my eyes as I climb the small grassy hill of the open field. The shiny glint of metal is the first thing to catch my eye and I look down with pride at my army standing before me. Rows upon rows of men, all aligned waiting to be united with their fore fathers, ready to die for our cause. It is the moment we have been waiting for. 

“People of StormCastle, I call upon you to help me fight!” I cry as loudly as I can. In response the mass of soldiers raise their swords and cheer. 

“Too long have we hidden. Too long have we cowered from the truth, the truth that was right in front of us. They may call us rebellions, they may cal us whatever the hell they like but we know in our hearts that we are saviors. We tried to reason but they did not listen. Now, he will hear our cry, he will feel our  wrath! Loyal people of Stormcastle, take up your weapons and summon the dragons for TODAY we change the course of history!” I yell trying to be heard so that every brave men that have chosen to trust in me today can hear. I know this is what Nate would have wanted. 

Up in the sky figures dance in the clouds, tails flapping in the breeze, and wings soaring triumphantly. Months ago I might have mistaken them for majestic birds but now I know the truth, I have tasted the real power of a dragon. I look down once more at the sooty faces that stare up at me. Fear, sadness, anger, pride. The only noise that can be heard now is the flapping of wings far off above. As I turn my back to look across the open field I can see the ennemy line. They are waiting for my call as well. 

I know now I  am not afraid as I mount my horse. Pulling my sword from my hilt I point it at the sky and scream so loud to the dragons up above “ ATTACK!!!”. 

I start running, my heart is pounding away. I can hear the footsteps behind me. I see the soldiers from across the field take off as well. As quickly as it had started we meet in the middle and my sword hits metal. I stare into the eyes of the first soldier to cross my path and plunge my sword into his gut. 

“This is war.” I say to myself. “ This is the war of Dragon Ties”. 

                                                                     4 MONTHS EARLIER

I was use to being the new girl. Ever since I can remember, my mum and I have moved around for the majority of my life. We never seemed to stay in one spot for more than a year or maybe if I was lucky two before we’d pack up and move to a different part of the globe practically. Before this move we’d been all the way in Salt lake City, and before that Victoria. My mum sure does get around with her work but it pays the bills and frankly as long as I have her she’s all I need. Well, really she’s all I have.

My mum, Laura Railsa Summer, always tells me the story of how my father left us when I wasn’t even born and how at that time she had no where to go but home. Her parents-Gram and Gramps Summer- never approved of the love between my parents she’d told me and so when she came to them for help they had simply said “We told you so” and kicked her out. I don’t know how my mum did it. Somehow she got herself to Kansas, got herself a job and well, had me. However it couldn’t have been more than two months after that before we were already moving.

I’m ok with all this traveling, I guess. I mean, I’m never in a place long enough really to appreciate it. I’ve been to so many different places and made a lot of friends which I loose contact with and never see again. Not to mention the fact that I’m an only child doesn’t help. I find myself alone a lot of the time when I’m not with mum, but that time is filled by drawing, my favourite thing to do.

When we first arrived in Lockhart Alabama I was surprised. This is by far the smallest place we have ever moved to. The population here is 2000 people. I had more people than that in one high school I went to. Somehow though this place seems different, a good different. Calm and reassuring. There is something about the way the sunset rises up warming yellow and orange behind my house hugging the precipices that are surrounded by the crags. The steep rocky cliffs that look like melting glaciers in a foggy rain storm from far away, add a flavor to my neighborhood, a peaceful atmosphere. Of coarse the land leading from our tiny house on Ranburne Crescent out to the crags is all fields with crops. There are lots of peach trees like the tall one on our front lawn and the farmers that we have come to know as our cheerful neighbors pick them all day long.

Tomorrow is my first day at Brownridge High School and as usual I know no one. I know no one here is Alabama except for my mother and the brown packing boxes that sit staring at me in my room upstairs like unwanted puppies. It won’t be long before Laura is hollering at me to unpack them bringing fresh tears to my eyes as I have to flip through pictures of my old friends, houses and lives. Out of everything the worst part about moving is the fact that everyone you once knew is going on with their lives and you with yours. Who knows if they miss you or talk about you or cry when someone mentions your name. In any case there is no way to be with them, to have another sleep-over, a weekend trip to the mall, a school dance together. The memories were in the past and yet even now they still seemed so present or at least they always would be in my many albums. It feels good to get through a box and I feel that with each box I am closer to getting on with my new “normal life”. Except something in the air seems to tell me that in Alabama I won’t find living a normal life easy, not matter how much I try to start over fresh. But I’ll try anyways. Starting now, Hi, My name is Malia Summer.