Dragon Rider Trilogy Flames

Chapter One

1

THE EXTINCTION

I COULD HEAR the wind blowing past my ears. My hair was all over my face. I didn't come here as often as I did in the past. My eyes were closed as I concentrated on my balance. It was the edge of a cliff, beside a waterfall and surrounded by trees. So beautiful, I called it my hide out. The place gave me peace and helped me when I needed to think. The one thing that seemed to puzzle me the most about life was the stories we were always told. About the dragons that once roamed our planet. I couldn't seem to understand what about them fascinated me so much. But it made me think, helping me relax.

"Lexi, Lexi!" I still had my eyes closed but I was distracted by the calls from my sister, using my wretched nickname. I opened my eyes and turned to walk towards her. "There you are, I've been looking everywhere, I thought you stopped coming here?" Hannah was always worried about me; I could see it in her pale blue eyes.

"I'm fine you know, I just wanted some peace." Her wavy auburn hair blew in the wind. Her hair was longer than mine and less red.

"You should have told me. You never know who could be out here!" She sounded as if she was my mother.

"I know I'm sorry." Normally I would have argued but it was a waste of time.

"It's okay, let's go, we better get back." I followed as she walked ahead towards the village were we lived.

WHEN WE got back the fire was already on, which meant we would have dinner soon.

"Can't I go hunt for something?" I asked.

"It's not safe, I don't want you to." She replied quickly.

"I know you're older than me and all, but I'm almost sixteen, can you at least give me a chance?" I tried hard to persuade my sister. She paused, looking at me.

"Not now, it's too late" she decided and I gave in. There was silence. "Why do you always wear that vest?" She changed the subject. Hannah didn't like my leather vest at all. She thought it was ugly. I looked at my clothes; I was wearing the vest with a green long sleeved top and brown track pants.

"Because I like wearing it."

THE LIGHT shone into my room. I rolled over on the small mattress I slept on. Then suddenly woke up. It was dead silent, that meant that Hannah wasn't up yet and I could sneak out to hunt. I enjoyed the freedom. The village was guarded by the bandits who had taken over the village and liked to cause trouble. They were real bullies. I grabbed my bow and put my quiver on my back. My father had always said that I was a natural archer. But he had been taken away to join the army when I was six years old. He'd given me his dagger so that I could hunt for my mother and sister, but they hadn't liked the idea of letting me hunt alone.

After my father died my mother couldn't stop grieving and I had to hunt to help out. But then she died from a sickness that we didn't know how to heal. Hannah was eight at the time and took over responsibility for me. She tried to stop me from hunting entirely but I was too sneaky. She got used to it. But even now she locked the door and hid the key in different places. I slipped my dagger into my belt and found the key. Slowly opening the door I creped out, I had to be careful because Hannah was a light sleeper. But when I got back she'd be awake cooking my yesterday's catch.