Cursed

Dragon Eyes

"Just leave me alone, Trace," I tried to sound threatening, but my voice betrayed me.

I came out sounding small and scared. Trace was the ape that the Chief called son. His brown hair was pushed behind his ears. It let me see his eyes. That was what really scared me. They were cold, menacing, and looked at me hungrily. They were looking at me like I was prey that had just placed myself in the lions mouth. Needless, to say I didn't want to be here. My back was pressed firmly against the wall of in the alley. Trace smirked, his lips lifting up in an arrogant twist.

"Aw, come on, Emmy. You've got nowhere to be," he said, taking another step toward me.

I hated the way my name said when it came out of his mouth. I had a knife tucked into my belt, but it would do me little good. I couldn't use it. It would be like trying to fight with a fork.

"Trace, I need to go home. Please."

He closed the distance between us in one stride.

"I don't think you're going anywhere," he whispered.

It was like a blur against after that. His lips crashed against mine roughly. He forced his tongue into my mouth, and I got mad. For the first time, I was really, and truly mad. With some unknown strength, I shoved him away from me. He stumbled back and wiped his mouth, looking very angry. So was I. I was ready to fight, if it came to that. My blood was pounding. I locked eyes with his, and that's when his jaw went slack. His eyes were no longer angry. They were more terrified than anything. His voice came out as a gasp.

"Y-Your eyes!"

Confusion momentarily dissolved my anger. I glanced down at a large, clear puddle that had formed since the last rain. I saw golden eyes that seemed to hold the sun burning within them. What surprised me the most was that the eyes belonged to me. Trace seemed to regain his senses then.

"Dragonian! Immortal! For the love of God, help!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Dragonians were a legend that everyone knew about. Part dragon, part human and extinct for hundreds of year. Pure shock washed over me. I stumbled back to the wall to lean against it.

"I-I'm not Dragonian!" I cried as the first person to hear Trace's cries came running.

I recognized him automatically as Herald, the village blacksmith, skidded to a stop when his eyes landed on me.

"What are you going on about now?" he asked, annoyed , to Trace.

"H-Her eyes! T-They were dragon eyes. She's Dragonian, I swear!" he stammered.

Herald looked at me curiously.

"Her eyes look the same to me," he said calmly.

I had been named for my eyes. They had been a striking emerald green since I had been a baby.

"I know what I saw. She's Immortal, or part anyway. Now who are you going to believe, me or the girl that arrived here one month after she was born?" Trace asked coldly.

The blacksmith froze, realizing what Trace's words meant. He was giving Herald an ultimatum. Either believe the Chief's beloved, first born son, or believe me. The little orphan girl that held no status and risk his name, family, job, and safety.

"Please," was the only word I was capable of making, as I stared at Herald helplessly.

He looked so forlorn that my heart got a little heavier looking at him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as more people surrounded us. He voice broke as he spoke up to let the others.

"I s-saw it too! She's Dragonian!"

A collective gasp went through the crowd. A cry escaped my lips.

"What?" I whispered to no one in particular.

People began to talk and get louder and louder. I felt like an animal pressed into the corner. My stomach was in my throat, and my palms were sweating. What was worse, was that they were right. I had seen my eyes. If I tried to deny it, I would be lying. I had no say in whatever happened next. I had to rely on the belief that some of the citizens would fight for me. I looked at each face in the crowd. The people who had all become my adoptive family. Some of the stared back at me, some of them looked suspicious, and some of them stared at their feet. None of them were stepping up to defend me. I swallowed when I saw the Chief shove through the crowd.

"What's going on here?" his voice boomed.

The chief was built like his son. A bushy, red beard adorned his hard face as he looked between his son and me.

"She's Dragonian. Ask anybody here," Trace spoke up.

"That's a serious offense. Are you sure Trace?" his voice was low, and he didn't bother consulting me.

"Of course. She is Immortal," his voice was so sure that even I believed him.

The chief turned to the crowd, "And are all of you in agreement with Trace?"

There was a hesitate mummer of agreement. That was it. That was the only trial I would get. My life as I knew it was over. My breath caught in my throat, and I was fairly sure that my heart had stopped beating.

"Emerald James, you are hereby declared to have been associated with Immortals. Death is the normal sentence for such crimes."