The Dragon's Legend

Chapter I

No matter what you heard about me I am not a monster, I am not the killer, and I am not the villain in my time. I am not the beast that mothers read to their children in storybooks. At least, I hope Im not. My name is Eleanor Thiel, and what you are about to read is what happened to me. It is my tale, it is my legend.

The winter in Heronsburgh was brutal, it always has been. We have severe snowstorms and hail, but the worst thing is the ice. Every year the ice covers the roads for miles, making trade and travel impossible. Slaves were bought to clear the roads with wooden shovels and pickaxes, they are called Ice Breakers. They are bought for little, however, because there is a great chance they would die out in the cold. I am an Ice Breaker. Most of them were prisoners of war, some were sold into slavery from other countries, but I, however, am neither. I sold myself into the Ice Breaking business, it was the only way me and my little brother, Philip could survive the ghastly winter. The slaves had a small tent, which was hardly a good shelter, but it kept us warm.

Crime also went up in the small village, thieving became a necessity for many because of how brutally the winter hit them. By now, you must be thinking Heronsburgh is a wreck, with all the slavery, and crime, but you are wrong. The King had made the small village his capital for reasons unknown to me. Heronsburgh had some law and order still, every winter it became necessary for the punishments to get more cruel and terrible. The miserable wealthy members of the Village enjoyed the torture, they loved to throw rotten fruits, or even dull stones into the faces of whoever was unlucky enough to get ruined by the winter. For in Heronsburgh it is not about riches, or nobility, it is about luck. Even the family members cannot afford to help their brother or sister in the wake of the winter. It would leave the unlucky with no other choice but to steal just for a way to live. In Heronsburgh, it is every man, even every child, for himself.

There were public torture sessions nearly every day, in which the crowd decided the thiefs fate. It never ended well. The crowd never chose something like the guillotine, which was swift and over suddenly. They enjoyed things like the stretching rack, which would stretch your limbs until they were ripped from your body. Sometimes it took over an hour, which the crowds loved.

The slaves were always showed to the torture stand, to see what happened to the unlucky one that stole from the local granary. No one trusted us, they expected us to break out into a riot and revolt against the Royal Guard. Why wouldnt they? It happened many times before. I knew it would be suicide to try something like that, but the others didnt. I was usually the one that helped the Royal Guards to take down the head rioters. It helped with payment. It might not be fair to take away the little hope the slaves had, but in Heronsburgh it is foolish to be fair. In Heronsburgh, it is foolish to hope.

Philip and I were in our small slaves tent when a Royal Guard threw open the flap and ordered us to go to the center of the Ice Breaking dwelling. It was where a Royal Guard would read off a list of names to be executed for evil actions. I looked at Philip, he looked sickly and pale, but he stared at me determinedly. I knew he was near his breaking point, but he acted strong for me. I always think that I am the one protecting him, but without him I would be lost long, long ago.

"Alright," I said, trying to sound firmer than I felt. "Lets go, Philip". I took his hand and walked him out of our small tent, and the Royal Guard closed the flap behind us. I looked around me, there were tents in a giant square, each facing the center. Each slave was part of a small slave community, where we all lived near another, and share what work we had to do. More tents were added to the Ice Breaking community every day as more and more people flooded in. Only the strongest were sorted into Ice Breaking, making all the slaves taller and buffer than I was.

In the center of the Ice Breaker dwelling, some of the other slaves were already gathered. Bruno, the chef that stole from the royal kitchens but had enough money to spare his life. James, the mute pirate captured in a battle from many years ago and sold as a slave. I didnt know anything about Justin, he kept to himself at all times, but I knew he used to be a great fighter from a distant land. Of course there was Gill, the giant, I am fairly certain they loaded him into catapults to destroy enemy castles, it would explain his face. Gill was convinced that he would kill the King one day, and I didnt doubt it, you could just launch Gill at whatever building the King was in and the King would be gone for good. I dont care much for Gills backstory, all I knew is that he was a drunk from a place where seven feet tall men were short.