The stillness of the night was unusual. The usual chirps from the crickets and the eerie song of the aquatic and forest sprites were silenced. Curiously, I stood post, watching, listening, and waiting. Something had caused this insecure behavior to fall on the forest and I was dying to know what. Though, I had an idea.
Lately, there had been talk in town about sightings of an ancient beast that legend says will return to seek its revenge for the fallen. The fallen being the kin of the avenger who'd been slaughtered at the sword and magic of our kind. The legend says the beast would go into hiding for many centuries, possibly millennia's, and then spontaneously awaken to conquer the selfish breed that destroyed the dragons.
So here I stood, at the foot of a weeping willow patiently observing the edge of the forest that surrounded my little village. The night was particularly dark with it being a new moon and all, so I strained my eyes to the best of their ability to zero in on any sort of movement or activity that got my attention. Unfortunately, I had yet to reach the age of acceptance to the evolution festival and I doubted my ability would be enhanced sight.
This festival was a monthly celebration of our kind gaining their spiritual power. At a certain age, we would gather with others our age and all have a public ceremony in which we kneel before the stone of enlightenment and it would grant us the abilities our soul has matured to handle. Some people got stuck with basic things like: the ability to bend water or to accent plant growth; however, some people were blessed with the responsibility to control light or the elements themselves.
A sigh escaped my lips. I had always been overly eager to know what my magic would be. Desperation ached in my chest and the desire to prove myself motivated my reason for coming to this willow tree. The dragon. If it was really awakened and if the legends were true, I would find the majestic beast and save the town from devastation and slavery from its revenge. I would gain the most impressive powers and finally I would obtain respect.
A twig snapped to my right and I leaped up and perched on a flexible branch, my eyes attentively locked in the direction of the noise. It had been the first solid noise all night and I could feel the anxiety creeping over my body.
Minutes passed. And more. And more. And even more. Finally, after what felt like eternity, I decided nothing was here. It had grown too late for my reflexes and senses to be 100% alert and I began to settle with the idea of sleep. I thudded to the ground and rose to my feet preparing for the long trek across the seemingly endless field toward the village.
Just as I went to take my first step a low growl rumbled from the woods almost shaking the earth itself in the process. Every hair on my body rose in reaction to the intimidating snarl and I spun on my heels to face the forest once more. More destructive noises snaked through the trees and reached my ears but nothing seemed to move in response. Finally, I saw a glimmer of something and then the usual noises of the forest returned.
For the next several minutes I stood frozen in terror and confusion and was slightly convinced I had soiled my brown leather shorts. I caught my breath and began to shiver in fear as I slowly backed away. I don't know if I had been as prepared as I had made myself out to be.
"No really! I heard something."
"Of course you heard something!"
"The big bad dragon!"
Hands grabbed my shoulders, "Roar!" someone yelled in my ear. They teased and taunted and all I could do was take it for what it was. Maybe I was imagining things and perhaps I was just crazy.
"I really heard something and some unusual things happened." I tried to explain once more to the group of teens my age. We were all seventeen waiting for eighteen to strike so we could really be considered one of the officials: people who had exemplary powers.
"Freya look...we don't have time to get involved in your fantasies. Lets face it, dragons aren't real and never were." The worst of them all, Coen, spoke. He was rude and overly confident. His narcissistic attitude had a way of attracting women for some odd reason. He'd manage to seduce most girls but since I never followed the bandwagon he had a personal vendetta for me regardless if I was talking insanity or if I was minding my own business.
"Hush Coen." I snapped, "Your voice lowers my IQ."
"Wouldn't have very far to drop." He smirked and the few friends around laughed at his remark. I couldn't take this anymore. Screw trying to save this town, when the dragon came I would let it burn.
Irritated, I stomped away. Pouting was not something they needed to see so I'd do it elsewhere. The town's forgery was abandoned and had been for years since there were little to no need of them and I often would seek shelter in the dusty remains of what was once a belly of a dragon itself.
The door had been blocked off but on the far left side of the wall there was a broken piece of wall I could slide through easily due to my slender figure. Sneaking into the forgery was no problem, it was staying hidden that was the true challenge. In this dimly lit area I could barely see where I was going until my eyes adjusted. This was a noise hazard because there were random metal items scattered about and crashing into them would cause such a clash I would no doubt be busted.
I wormed my way through the ovens and tables and fallen props and found my safe corner. It was attached to an oven and had a great angle to where no one could see it until you were right upon the random peculiar section. It was coated with soft dirt that was beginning to grow lovely moss and the wooden walls had been completely boarded up so I had no worries of anyone peeking in through a mysterious hole in the wall. Bliss fell on me as I sat down comfortably in the moss.
A throb of stress constricted my gut and I let out a shaky sigh. I needed someone to be there for me more than anything in this moment. I had no friends even though I tried so hard to successfully socialize and my family thought of me as that embarrassing conspiracy theorist. I mean, I understand where they are all coming from. If I thought someone only rambled on and on about insanity and nonsense I would probably avoid them at all cost too.
But my rambles weren't insanity and nonsense. They were real! Dragons would return and sooner than we think. I know I heard on in the forest the previous night and it was just a matter of time before it would strike. We needed to brace ourselves, strengthen our warriors, and prepare for a fight of a lifetime. However, instead everyone believed I was out of my mind. Maybe I was, I mean, guess if I was truly crazy I wouldn't know I was hence the term crazy.
"Come with me." I heard a hushed voice outside the wall and a creak from the pressure of a body leaning up against the forgery's wooden wall. A giggle responded and the sound of footsteps danced around outside. "Be quiet, I need to tell you something." A masculine voice spoke anxiously.
"Tell me anything baby." A flirty voice responded.
"I need you to go to Harrison, tell him tonight we explore. We need to locate this dragon before the public realizes that Freya's insanity is actually the cold reality."
"Travis... do you really think..."
"Yes I do, now go. I've seen this thing with my own two eyes. It's powerful. Hurry!" he snapped.
"I better get some affection later in return." The woman hollered back at him as she jogged away.
The man sighed and left the wall leaving me alone with my thoughts. It was then I realized an excited grin had conquered my face and my heart was racing. I was right! I wasn't crazy. I knew there was something out there. And I was going to beat them to it.
