The DRAG

Chapter 1.

Before I begin, let me clarify something. The Dragon Riders are patriarchal. In their eyes, women are unfit to be Dragon Riders even if they can bond with a dragon. Now that that's outta the way, let's begin.
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Our story begins in a small village by the name of Arojar, a town hidden between a mountain range known as The Dragon's Talons, and a forest known as The Lost Woods. On a hill, nearby the town, our protagonist, Kathryn Latham, works on her family's farm, unknowing of the adventure that lies ahead of her....

"Kathryn! I need you to head into town to get some feed for the cows!" My father calls.

"Of course, Father! I'll do it right away!" I call back, while heading inside to change. I take off my work clothes, and put on my nicer, less dirt covered, casual clothes.

As I walk into town, I feel a hand grab my rear. I almost slap the person until I hear their voice.

"You know, Kathryn, it's dangerous to walk around the town alone, with a body such as yours. Someone might, take advantage of you." Samuel. The town pervert. Of course it'd be him that groped me.

"Why do you insist on repeating the same mistakes, Samuel?" I sigh before I turn and punch him.

He laughs it off, and stands back up. His face shows no mirth, though. He grabs my arm.

"If it weren't for your father preventing anyone from asking your hand in marriage, I swear, it'd be me you'd be marrying." It was not questionable. While he was a pervert, he was the most wealthy person in the village.

A voice cuts through my mind, and I clutch my head.

Kathryn, come find me, why don't you?, the voice says in a smooth, feminine way.

The voice fades, and I remember why I came into town in the first place. Feed for the cows. I wrench my arm from Samuel, and continue towards the general store. When I reach it, the shopkeeper, Maria, greets me as she always does.

"Kathryn! Dragon's peace be with you, I presume?"

"If you call having to punch Samuel peace, than yes." My usual response.

"Let me guess, he groped you again?"

"It's starting to piss me off."

I pay for the feed, and Maria stops me before I leave. She makes sure no one is around, and pulls a cloth covered object from behind the counter. She slowly unwraps it, and reveals an egg. Yet not one of a bird, but rather, a massive reptile.

My eyes gleam when I realize what the egg is.

"Go on, take it. You look as if you'd steal it otherwise."

I offer a questioning glance before going back to the egg.

"You're sure? Free of charge?"

"Absolutely. Now go on back home, your father's probably wondering where you are."

I wrap the egg back up in it's cloth, and carry both it and the feed back home, almost running. Closing the door behind me, I place the feed next to the empty bags, and bring the egg to my room, and place it on the bench I made three years before today. The day before my thirteenth birthday. Now I'm a day away from being sixteen. I do as I once read in a book, and cast a tendril of thought towards the egg. Once again, an voice cuts into my head.

Hello.

I stare in shock at the egg.

Hello? Anyone there?

The voice pulls me from my stupor, and I answer.

Hello.

Ah, good. I'd thought that woman had given me to a mute.

The voice is the exact same as the one I heard in town. A smooth, feminine voice.

Hey! I know you can hear me!

Huh? Sorry. I was thinking about the fact I recognized your voice.

Yes, I was just thinking the same. I spoke to you when you were dealing with that creep.

"Kathryn! Come out here, please!" My father beckons.

"Right away, Father!"

Hey! Take me with you!

"Okay, okay."

I pick up the egg, and leave the house, returning to where I was working earlier. Standing there is my father, and three men who I don't recognize. The shortest man, the middle one, step forward and speaks.

"Kathryn Latham?" He says to me.

"Yes."

He looks toward the egg in my arms. "Arias?"

It's Arian.

"She said her name's Arian, not Arias."

He nods. "Arian."

Yeees?

"Under the order of The Dragon Riding Academy of Grayscale's Magic Council, we hereby order you, Kathryn Latham, to relinquish the egg of the dragon Arian. As a woman, you are unfit to be a Dragon Rider, and Arian is unfit to be ridden."

"Says who?! According to what I read in a book, by a Dragon Rider, and I quote, 'Any dragon whose voice reaches a human, is, by all definition, bonded with the human.' So yeah, fuck your law." I glare at him.

He frowns.

"And here's the thing. By following Magic Law, you're breaking Dragon Law. And remind me, where does magic come from?"

"Dragons." He scowls, obviously knowing where this is going.

"So, if I'm on the right train of thought, dragons are the ones who choose who the Riders are. Not the Magic Council." I finish.

The tallest man speaks in place of the shortest one.

"You know not of what you speak, girl."

I grimace, and yell at the three men.

"I don't care! You're not taking Arian! I won't let you!"

I turn, and with Arian in my arms, run off.

Hey! Hey! DAMMIT KATHRYN, LISTEN TO ME!

Arian's voice drives a dagger into my thoughts, stopping me in my tracks. She thinks for a minute before she speaks again.

I think I have an idea.