The Quest For Hope

Dragon's Gate: Chapter One

The snow slushed beneath their leather soles, the slightest of movements disturbing the silence of the night as they approached the top of the hill. Sir Grant Hawthorne, the leader of the expedition, raised his hand sharply, and the rest of the team stopped. He crept stealthily forward. The men watched as his cloak disappeared over the hill in front of him, melting into the mist.

The men huddled together, watching for a sign of their leader's return. The air's biting chill clung to them. Their toes froze, saturated with the melting snow and red mud of the northern lands. Orange torchlight radiated through the fog, a dim beacon signalling their location.

This mission seemed straightforward. By order of the king, they were to head north, track the dragons, and scavenge any fallen scales. The increasing rarity of dragons had caused the value of their magical, impenetrable scaled to soar, making this adventure worth the risk. Sir Hawthorne jumped at the opportunity: it would bring him the king's favour.

The men hunched low, backs together, waiting for movement to clear the mist. A quick slushing sound signalled Sir Hawthorne's return. His blue eyes shone.

"It's even better than we could imagine. We're getting more than scales. The dragon's are here," he paused, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "And so are their eggs."

Sir Hawthorne looked into his men's eyes and smiled. They stood to gain a fortune from the bounty on the dragons, their scales, and especially their eggs. The men's faces gleamed under the torchlight, exchanging sideways glances, trying to keep their enthusiasm contained. Greed replaced their fear.

"So, what do we do?" One of the knights piped up, rubbing his hands together.

"Men, we need to execute this carefully. If we succeed, history will remember our names in songs of triumph and bravery." He clapped the shoulders of the closest men and joked, "They might even make me a Lord."

"You, a Lord," they snickered.

"Shhh," Sire Hawthorne said, peeking over his shoulders before silencing the men with a glance. He lowered his voice. "We will need to be careful when we get close to the eggs. The ground is covered by thick mist, and the darkness is disorienting. A small trail winds up the mountain. The eggs are nestled into the side of it. We should e able to grab them without waking the two dragons." His eyes twinkled. "The blue dragon is at the top of Dragon's Ridge, sleeping above the eggs, and the silver dragon lies in the flats below. We need to sneak between the two, capture the eggs, and retreat to the kingdom. we'll be long gone before they notice. Imagine the glory when we return.

Step by step they crept up the path, one by one behind their leader.The brisk air brushed against them as they climbed the hill. When they reached the top, their eyes grew. Below them, cloaked in the mist and the serene stillness of the night, lay the sleeping dragons, their magic dormant but ready to awaken.

Sir Hawthorne and his men moved down the hill toward the eggs, careful to keep their feet from slipping. They eyes the dragons, aware of the crunching sound each step made. The closer they got, the more they noticed the subtle changes in the mist. It seemed to reflect the scales of the dragons. A gentle glow pulsated around each, mimicking the rhythm of its heartbeat. Slow and steady white mist surrounded the dragon below. A faster flashing dark blue mist bordered the guardian above, and a softer green mist flickered around the collection of eggs. The men's eyes targeted the eggs immediately, mesmerised by the opalescent sheen.

Tip-toeing up, they held their breath, afraid of even the tiniest whisper. With wide eyes and trembling hands, they snuck up the narrow path between the dragons.

Sir Hawthorne ran ahead, his greed over=powering his fear. standing in front of the eggs, he reached out with a crooked grin. A spark leaped out towards him. He swore as his body lurched back, jolted by the shock. A protective spell!

His men watched, fear registering in their faces as their eyes darted between the dragons on either side. Their legs froze as they watched their leader fumble with the eggs. Sir Hawthorne's hands slipped off the surface, and his eyes shot open as terror ran through him. Panic grabbed hold as he looked frantically between the shining orbs in front of him and the dragons stirring below.

"Run!" He yelled at his men. They baked up, watching the eyes of the sleeping dragons. A silver eye opened slowly and focused on them. Her claws unfurled and broke the brittle rock in front of her. She jumped defensively over her eggs and landed with a crash, twisting her neck in a loud guttural cry.

"Run!" Sir Hawthorne screamed, scrambling away as the air warmed with steam around him.

The blue dragon awoke and took flight, the rush of wind thundering around them as its wings flapped with force. Hawthorne's men ran, weaving in and out of trees, racing to the boundary of the forest. The green dragon followed on the ground, stomping clumsily after the men, her body less agile in mimicking their twists and turns. Flames shot out, melting the snow in waves. The exposed ground squished into mud beneath her. Her steps shook the ground, forcing underground tunnels to give way. A howl ripped through the air as her feet struck in the muck. Fire spewed from her mouth, and she writhed in anguish. Flames leaped at the retreating men, but they escaped its reach.

The blue dragon roared, looking between his struggling mate and the backs of the men disappearing into the forest. Smoke covered the mountain as he jumped into action. His wings whooshed through the air. His sleek body undulated through the sky, its blue scales reflecting the flames below. He swept through the trees, chasing the men through the forest toward the kingdom of Arendelle.

"Men, branch out!" Sire Hawthorne yelled between the bursts of flame. "I will get his attention, you surround and attack. We may have lost the eggs, but we can still bring riches and victory to Arendelle!"

The silver dragon thrashed on the ground trying to free herself from the collapsed earth around her legs. Deep cries of anguish rang out as she looked back towards the mountain. Her eggs were gone and an archway stood in their place.