Dragon Wing

Prologue

"Catch me if you can!" I ran through the house, giggling.
My mom laughed. "You'll never escape me!"

We chased each other around the house for what seemed like hours. My dad had died the day after I was born, so it was just me and my mom after that. But we were happy that way.

Being the daughter of a not-so-rich family, we had to make do with what we had. Tomatoes and other plants grew from old shoes. But the main thing you noticed were the books stacked along the wall.

We had tons of books. We bought one every time we scraped up enough extra money. My mom loved to read, and apparently, so did my dad.

My mom was in the middle of reading me one when we heard the first scream. It was still ringing in my ears when my mom scooped me up and burst outside. Strange people were capturing the other members of my village. I was petrified.

"Momma, what are those guys doing?" I managed to squeak out.

"They're from another village, Kaylie, and they want something we've got," she replied sadly.

"But we don't have anything!"

My mom just stayed silent as we continued to run. We weaved in and out of the shadows, trying to stay hidden. Who are those guys? What are they doing? What do they want? A million thoughts raced through my head. That's when I saw my best friend, her hands shackled, a cut above her eye.

"STELLA!!!" I screamed.

"Hush, Kaylie!" But my mom was too late. The invaders saw us. My mom muttered a word I hadn't heard before and resorted to just running straight towards the forest. I screwed my eyes shut.

I heard a whistle and a soft thud. My mom gasped and stumbled, but kept running.

I must've fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes, the noise from the village was distant. My mom's breathing was heavy and labored. We entered a clearing filled with colorful round rocks. My mom set me down in the middle, then collapsed.

"Momma!" I scrambled over, despite my exhaustion. An arrow was buried in her back. I gasped "Momma, are you ok?! Momma, you gotta wake up! Please don't leave me alone! Daddy's already gone, don't leave me alone!" Tears spilled down my face. Momma gently brushed them away.

"Don't cry, Kaylie. I know someone who will take good care of you. Her name is Magnali. And remember," she placed her hand on my chest. "I'll always be right here..."

Her hand started to fall. "No, Momma, please!!!" But it was too late. Her eyes glazed over. She was gone. I clutched on to her, as if that could bring her back, but it was no use. I lay down next to her, crying myself to sleep.

The next day, I heard a great booming sound. No! They found me! I thought. That's when I saw it.

"M-Magnali...?"