Imperial

Prologue

• Twenty years earlier •

Screams pierced the air.

Her breath caught as her heart skipped a beat. She did not need to look up to know that a massive gold and brown dragon circled the city, searching for her. It would only be a matter of time before he found her.

Desperate, she struggled against the chains holding her back. She could not let him find her - or her hatchlings! He'd kill them, she knew he would, if she did not get away.

Frenzied footsteps hurried towards her. Humans had never been quiet creatures, but at this point of time, she just wanted to be free of the chains holding her back! With a frustrated snarl, she tried yet again to break free of the human metal.

"Hey! Stop that!" The human appeared in front of her, his normally soft face scowling at her angrily. For a human, he was rather tall. But compared to her, he was tiny. How easy it would be, to accidentally squish him! "Look, I can't get those chains off you if you keep wriggling around like that!"

She froze, staring at the human in shock. Had he just declared that he was removing her chains? Allowing her to go? That would mean that she was free. No longer slave to the humans, in this impossibly glorious city.

Suddenly hopeful, she searched his warm, brown eyes for an answer.

The human drew closer, and she flinched when she felt his small hands rubbing against a few of her pale silver and metallic grey scales. Had he not been reaching for the chain, she would have growled at him.

Much to her frustration, the clinking of metal echoed around the room, seeming to draw on forever. She could feel the humans' warm breath against her flank; could feel him rub against her scales every so often. Tensing, her nostrils flared as she felt cold metal slide across her.

And then it was gone. All of it. No more chains.

She blinked, barely able to believe herself. Free. She was free, at last! Free to leave, and escape the dragon who she knew was searching for her.

Flaring her wings, she was almost overwhelmed with relief as she stretched them them further and further - much further than what the chains had allowed. Her excitement had to have been obvious; they were still more than capable of flight! Blinking, she payed no heed to the humans as she raced around, her talons reaching for her two hatchlings.

"Ack!" The human hissed, still holding her chains.

Glaring at him, she narrowed her eyes. Why couldn't he understand that she needed to get away? Did he want her to hurt him? After all, now that she was no longer bound by chains, there was nothing stopping her from attacking him.

Nothing except for the fact that she owed him. After all, he had freed her.

Reluctantly, she gave him her full attention.

The human merely pointed at the dragon circling ahead. "Fight him."

Fear surged through her veins, and her thundering heart started to beat faster. Surely not! She would die! She would die, and her hatchlings would -

"Fight him!" The human barked, repeating the command.

Her heart fell. She had been wrong. Too hopeful. He had not freed her - why would he do that? The only reason he'd taken her chains off was so that she could fight the other dragon. A dragon that they deemed a threat to the city.

"I'll die!" She roared at him furiously, hoping that this one time, he would understand her. But just like always, he didn't. His brown eyes were fixated on her, quickly filling with anger and impatience.

Realising that she had no choice, she stepped backwards. A lump in her throat, she glanced towards her hatchlings - a small silver dragoness, and a slightly bigger black drake. Both had warm amber eyes that watched her with a mix of fear and curiousity. They had sensed her distress.

Pain filled her heart as she stared at them for the last time. If only she could flee, and take them with her!

But she couldn't. She'd been sentenced to die, instead.

The human hollered at her angrily. For a split second, she glared at him furiously.

Before he could protest again, she launched into the sky, rapidly rising above the sandy-coloured buildings around her. Humans cheered triumphantly as they watched her climb higher and higher into the air.

Her gut clenched. They thought she'd win! 

If only she could.

A rumbling roar shook the air as the gold and bronze drake spotted her. Fear shot through her as she whipped her head towards his approaching silhouette - he was bigger than she had thought. So much bigger than she was.

"You know the drill," the gold and brown drake rumbled, his green eyes flashing dangerously, as though countless stars were glaring at her through them. "Join me - or die."