the dragon's prince

Charly

The dragons scales quiver in anticipation as he lay there waiting for his prey to enter. He smelled a human and metal and he assumed it was a knight, again. He loved the thrill of fighting the knights, the taste of metal in flesh grinding against his large, yellowed teeth.

He was never afraid of course, for the small humans were no match for a creature of his size. His bones were made of iron cast beams, his skin a diamond plate and his teeth sharper than the most finely sharpened sword. It really was just a quick snack for him.

He heard the necklaces shift as the knight moved across them, he could smell the sweat dripping off of him. The dragon shifts under his hoard, now facing the valiant hero who came to slay him.

SWITCH POV

"Charly" a woman calls from the middle of a field of white tulips.

"Mum?" I stare in disbelief at the woman in front of me.

She smiles at me before turning her back and running, my eyes widen in fear. A fear of her leaving again. A fear that I'll never see her again. I start to chase after her but a hard jolt sends me back into reality.

"Charly wake up" a gruff bear like voice grumbles.

A man stands over my bed, a beard the size of a small child, full of crumbs and dirt. The smell of tobacco wafting off of him in waves.

"What're ya doin son? Get on up now" He offers a callus covered hand to me, his beard spilling some of its contents.

I grab his hand gladly, pulling myself out of the hard, stained bed. I lead myself down the small, rundown halls and into the washroom. I proceeded to the toilet where I contemplated how I ended up here.

It was almost seven years ago that it happened, the Great War. You see, elves didn't exactly fancy humans, especially when we took the eastern forest. That was the last hit that broke the rock, and all hell broke loose. The elves started by attacking kellsmith, and slowly working their way inward. We were the second town they got, nobody was shown mercy, only the force of an elven blade.

Mother hid me under the floorboards, locking it before I knew what happened. I begged her to come stay with me, banging until I got splinters. She hushed me, of course, telling me that it was all going to be fine. I knew though, what was going to happen to her, what might happen to me if I didn't listen.

So I cried, I cried lakes, rivers, some could even compare it to an ocean. But always silently, so her work wouldn't go to waste.

I wash my hands, letting out a long, tired sigh.

I now live with a dwarf by the name of Olaf, he sold and sharpened weapons to knights. He found me in the cellar, as he was passing through our village, hearing my, now, sobs. He took pity on me, taking me to his hometown in the mountains of the north, where I am now.

I look at myself in the "mirror" (although it looked more like a kaleidoscope when looked at directly)

Taking in the only thing I got of my mother's when she died. My curly black hair reminded me of my father but my icy blue eyes and charcoal smeared freckles, definitely hers. I had high cheekbones, which were accentuated by my lack of weight. Don t get me wrong though, I wasn't total skin and bones, at least some of my body weight consisted of muscle.

"Charly!" Yelled Olaf from another room "get yur lazy arse up!"

I close my eyes for a second, preparing myself for another day.

"Coming!" I yelled back, hurrying to the front of the small weapons shop.

Once I arrived there was quite a puzzling sight waiting for me, Olaf, on the ground, packing crates. I furrow my eyebrows in distaste.

"Are we going there again?" I ask bitterly.

Olaf sighs, his shoulders dropping dramatically, he looks over to me, pity in his eyes.

"Look..." he heaves himself off the ground, walking towards me. " I know its hard fer ya son, but we're just passin through" he puts a hand on my shoulder "ok?"

"Ok."

"Ok then!" he yells, back to his usual self again.

Olaf leads me over to the back of the shop where a large long crate sits under 12 longswords.

"You know what to do!" he says cheerily while patting my shoulder.

..........................................

I'd just loaded everything into the cart, with the help of Olaf of course.

"I think that's it" he smiles brightly at our work, he almost reminds me of a child, the way he smiles.

"Time to go then?" he nods to me and I climb beside him in the coach.

I watch as the town I had lived in for the past three years whizzes past me. I hadn't really met anyone here, only a few hello's here and there to strangers. It still felt like home though, warm, comfy, home.

I knew we were going to be back within the next year but it was still disheartening, a year was such a long time to be away.

I looked back at the horses, suddenly interested in how the feet work.

It took almost two days to get to the next town, that is, after we pass earl. Apparently a dragon was terrorizing the town and stealing women, I hear they have a fee on it now. But who would be crazy enough to challenge a dragon anyways? "Heroes" apparently, knights and such.

I roll my eyes at even the thought of it, a ginormous dragon against a tiny human wrapped in tin foil. It was humorous, really.

..........................................................

I look at the sun, it had just grazed the grass of a far off hill, its fiery colors stretching across the skies and into the ground. I look on the other side of the mountain, there sat the moon, its cold colors are more reserved, shy even. They stay close and huddled to their moon but its light chills everything it touches to the core, the skies seem to freeze and the stars following its footsteps.

I sit silent for a second, admiring the moon and all of its twinkling children. My eyes start to feel heavy, I lean back looking at the divide between warmth and cool.

I don't know when I fell asleep but when I awoke we were in earl; the place was a ghost town. It was so different from when I was a child, the bustling town I had once thrived in was now populated with bones. The bones of my mother, my friends, and my childhood all lie here, overgrown with weeds.

I spotted my home as we rode along the warn cobblestone path.

"Olaf" I say, barely above a whisper.

He hums at me in reply.

"Stop here." I hop off of the carriage as it halts to a stop, walking inside attentively. The place looked like a dump, chairs knocked over, vases missing...and my mother's bones scattered. I looked at her, horrified, I never thought I would see a dead man's bones. I quickly go back to the carriage, shivering and a little nauseous.

"Are ya ok son?" Olaf's tone shows that of concern.

"Y-yes" I stutter, climbing onto the carriage "Get some rest, ok? I'll take it from here." I grab the rains from Olaf's hands, hoping that it will distract me.

He looks at me a little longer before agreeing and leaning back into the unpolished wood.

..........................................

It had already been a day and I was still thinking about her: What would she think of me now? Would she have been alive if I coaxed her into the cellar with me? If I wasn't such a coward?

I sigh deeply, returning to those thoughts, wondering if I could've done better, if I could've saved her.

But alas, as a child I could have done nothing. I focus back on the road, noticing the small buildings ahead of me. That was kellsmith, a small town, populated with the wealthy.

I continue on, peeking over at Olaf, who was now awake, for assurance. I had never really been in a wealthy town before and I felt quite out of place. (We usually took the woods but it was far too muddy this time of year)