The Dragon Prince

the begining of an adventure

PGreen, sticky and wet! That's what the dragon's belly was like. I remember looking at light for the first time after being stuck in that beasts belly for hours , maybe even a whole day. I had never cherished sunlight much before that day. Whilst inside the dragon light was what I missed most, I missed the feeling of the morning sun touching my skin as I took my first steps outside each day. I missed how the light would flood into my room and swallow me whole when my mother pulled open my curtains. Yet everything that happened before the dragon swallowed me now felt like a distant memory. One that I would never experience again.

The dragon attack destroyed everything I had ever known and loved. The little cottage with a leaky straw thatched roof and a baby blue door that I had called home, gone. Even the vast sunflower field where I had received my first kiss had been torched to ashes. Five of the huge, terrifying beasts swooped into town last night, the night of our spring harvest festival. Within seconds what was laughing and singing turned into screams and cries for help. The people of our village ran helplessly into the fields desperately trying to reach the forest for cover but the dragons ambushed them and torched more than half of them to death, some made it into the forest but there is no way of me telling who, especially not in my current position. In all honesty my current position wasn't that uncomfortable. I had plenty of room to stretch my arms out but didn't dare try in fear of poking the beast.

I wonder if my mother survived. All I have to hold on to is the hope that she escaped and is safe right now. If I was to see her, just one last time, I'd apologise for the fight we had. I wish I hadn't taken all she'd done for me for granted. Arguing over something as stupid as where she met my father. I felt terrible. But what was I to do about it now. I guess you never really know what you have until it's gone.

Out of the blue I felt a force rumbling beneath my feet. Surprised I slowly stood up being carful not to touch any more of the dragon than was necessary. I was suddenly jolted side wards, slamming into the wall of the dragons stomach. The rumbling got louder and stronger and before I knew it I was going  back up the dragons throat, taking my first glimpse of day light in what seemed like forever.

I landed hard on my elbow when I hit the ground but none the less I stood up with my blurred vision and ran as fast as my weary legs could take me. I was not wasting what would probably be the only chance I had to escape. The wind echoed in my ears and the sun warmed my gooey wet skin. I got no father that a few hundred metres before a gush of wind, followed by a tail sent me flying backwards. My back met the ground so hard it felt as if all my bones had shattered into pieces.  I stood up once again ignoring the agonising pain and turned to run once again. As I turned my eyes met with another eye as big as a human head, as green as moss and as deep as the ocean. I turned around to run in the opposite direction but a massive tail curled around me knocking me back once again with such I force I passed out.

When I came to I wasn't in the field anymore, I was in what seemed to be cave. The floor I was lying on was cold, hard and sparkled slightly. The walls and roof of the cave seemed to be made of the same material as the floor. "Finally awake are we," spoke a deep voice coming from the opposite end of the cave. The voice looked to belong to a clump of large boulders sat in the shadowy corner of the cave, the dragon.

"Where have you taken me," I ask with a nervous shiver. That same shiver ran down my spine as I stood up. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a pile of bright blue rocks that gave off a radiant glow, this seemed to be the only light source in the cave. Although the glow didn't light the entire cave it still gave off enough to allow me to see around. Now standing, I was able to see more of the cave. It was a great deal bigger than I expected, bigger than any cave I had ever seen. But of course it would've  had to of been to harbour a dragon. I could've mistaken the cave as beautiful with its glowing rocks and sparkling walls if I hadn't been kidnapped and trapped here against my will. Not paying attention to where I was walking, I tripped over my own feet having to grab onto the nearest wall to stop myself from falling. I turned around and slouched my back against it and slowly lowering myself to the floor. My shirt rose slightly as I did so and my back grazed against the rock like material. At that moment the pain I felt in the field came back to me and I ached all over. Suddenly I heard the same deep voice that had spoken before finally reply to my question, "We are in the Sapphire Mountains on the side of the Forbidden Forest opposite to your home town".

"Wow," I say with a slight chuckle, "I didn't expect you to tell me. Normally when you've kidnapped a person you don't tell them where you've taken them."

"Well I'm sorry I don't meet your standards" the dragon replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "kidnapped," he chuckled softly. I nearly let out a loud laugh at his I previous competent but then I remembered whom I would be laughing at. "You do know why I have taken you here, don't you?"

"I haven't the slightest idea why I am here, but I suppose you wouldn't mind informing me."

"As you wish although I'd of thought you'd already know. During the attack on your village I received a message of help from a member of the Renigma family".

"Who is the Renigma family?"

The dragon seemed surprised at my question but answered it none the less," The Renigmas are singularly the most powerful family in the dragon clan rulers, they rule nearly every single dragon clan across Mercemdi."

"Why?"

Clearly frustrated the dragon sighed then replied to my question, "Most of the time  dragons are reckless, so it was decided hundreds of years ago that our kind would last longer under the rule of humans. The Renigmas were the first family to have their blood infused with dragon blood, many others followed after that, one family to rule all clans in their appointed area. As the first the Renigmas receieved the largest portion of land. There is only one known Renigma left and he is the most respected and powerful clan ruler alive. He is considered a king."

"Thanks for the history lesson but I don't see how you being contacted by a Renigma guy has anything at all to do with me."

"Hasn't the slightest thing to do with you? Boy it has everything to do with you. The request I received didn't come from a clan ruler it came from you child. You spoke my name in dragon tongue summoning me. Stop this silliness and tell me why I was summoned" as he spoke his voice started to raise clearly frustrated.

"Firstly I don't speak dragon and second I don't even know your name. All I know is that I just saw people die, people I had known since I was a child yet I am still alive here in a cave with a dragon," I squeeze my eyes shut forcing myself not to think about what may have happened to my mother. "Please Damonreen let me leave I need to," I stop mid-sentence after realising what I had just said. A confused look finds its way onto my face. "I swear I didn't know your name, I, I, I," I stutter, trailing off. Things went quiet for a while and all I could hear was the faint sound of water dripping. When he finally replied he said the words I least expected to hear, "I believe you," he paused, "but if not on purpose then your mother must have kept it a secret from you."

"My mother wouldn't keep anything a secret from me."

"Where is your father, are you two close?"

"I don't have I father," I start to say.

"Everyone has a father," Damonreen chuckles interrupting me.

"I know but I don't know mine my mother met him whilst traveling throw the Azilmian Mountains, he was going to come to our village with her but," I trailed off again not sure why I was explaining myself to a dragon.

"He had other commitments," Damonreen adds as a possible end to my sentence.

"Yes, something like that, but what does my father have anything to do with this?"I question.

"I believe your father has everything to do with this, Stephen Renigma is your father."

"Wait, Renigma like dragon clan rulers Renigma. That doesn't make any...but...what," I start to stumble over my own words. Recently all everything I've been saying has turned into word vomit.

He sighed, "It makes every last bit of sense how else would you've been able to call me."

"So you're telling me my father is some kind of dragon king. Making me what a dragon prince?"