The Dragon by The Shore

Chapter 1

    The crackling of fire and the screams of villagers startles the young Vecorian Uriah awake from deep sleep. Hot embers fall from the thatch roof above. Uriah frantically rolls out of his bed just as the ceiling above it collapses pouring smoke and fire into the small structure. He stumbles to his feet, the smoke filling his lungs as he struggles to take a breath, and burning his eyes as he stumbles through the house. Frantically rubbing his eyes to clear them Uriah can barely hear himself think over the ever-hastening beating of his heart. He finally reaches the old oak door of the shack and shoves it open, the gust of fresh air fans the fire in the home causing an explosive back flash that launches him into the nearby street.

   Uriah stammers to his feet, his ears ringing and his eyes clouded red from the smoke. As his sense's clear, he sees the village ablaze, the villagers frantically fighting both the fires and the band of pirates that lit them. "Mother! Father!" Uriah yells. The young lad of hardly fifteen runs to the nearby blacksmith shop where his father worked and grabs one of the swords on display, he rushes back to the street just as one of the pirates turns the corner. Seeing the boy the pirate smirks and unsheathes his blade.

   "Come to play hero ah boy? Well, let me show you how we handle hero's!"The Pirate charges at Uriah who dodges the first strike and blocks the second only to be knocked to the ground by the pirate landing a hard kick to his chest. "a brave lad you are but bravery only serves to get you killed!"The Pirate says in a ruff voice as he raises his blade only to have one thrust through his back. "No, Messing with my boy is what gets you killed!" Uriah's father, a towering man of nearly seven feet tall and muscular from many years of smithing stands behind the pirate and kicks him off his blade.

   "Father!"Uriah yells in relief." Where's mother?

   "I thought she was with you" Come we need to keep moving .she is not here, and we mustn't stay in one spot for too long ."His father says as he picks his son up from the ground."We really must work on you're swordsmanship son, but that will be for another time. Come follow me."

   The father and son duo rushes to the town square to find the town hall  ravaged by the pirates."Stay out here! If anything happens to me, run to the northern hills. You will be safe there ."Uriah's father says as he rushes into the building.

   Uriah looks around frantically and off behind a building he sees three of the pirates dragging some of the villages behind them bound and gagged. He recognized the raven hair of one of the captives. "Mother!"He yells in both relief to know she is alive as well as terror to see her being led in the direction of the docks. He looks back at the town hall to find his father, but to his dismay, he had already interred the hall. "There's no time !" Uriah says as he reveals his blade and charges to the direction his mother was being taken. As he rounds the corner, he is roughly grabbed by his collar and thrown to the ground."Get away, fiend!" He yells at the figure that grabbed him.

   "Calm your self-led it's just ole Rob. Where be you're father?" the figure steps out of the shadows into the orange light of the fires to reveal an older man with a battle-hardened face and a scar across his left eye.

   Uriah stands to his feet."Father is facing the pirates in the hall, but mother has been taken captive! We have to go rescue her!"

   Rob sighs."Uriah, you be only a lad. Let the men handle this. Your father can handle himself. I'll go get your mother!"

   Uriah growls."But I can fight!"

   "No doubt about that boy, but you lack the experience to survive the fight, and I can't be distracted having to keep my good eye on you and the other on the battle, now get to the hills. Your parents, and I will be there looking for you by mornings light."The old warrior pats Uriah on the head before heading off to find the boys mother.