The Sky Lands: Cursed

Chapter 1: First Day

  All of her life, she did what she was told. Every. Single. Day. She listened to her mother and father, her older brother and sister, and even her little sister. From the day she hatched. That streak wasn't ending today. 

  As Dragon Schooling went, Amber, as ten years old, was to begin her learning. Quartz and Topaz had been going to school for five years. It was Amber's first day. 

  "Topaz! Where did you put my piece of the hawk? Mom said to bring it to school today!" Quartz yelled, stepping into the main cave. Her pure white scales shimmered in the light of the lantern. 

  "Quartz, I told you, I didn't take it out yet! You know that's Amber's job!" Topaz said, stepping out from his tunnel. He was blue, with wings and a tail that faded to yellow, then green, then orange. It was a soft orange, like Amber's, but lighter. 

  It's always my job. Amber thought. But I always do it. Amber made her way to the storage room, where they kept their meats. Amber opened a door to a room with hanging icicles to stop the food from going bad. She found a box labeled Quartz and took a large piece of hawk out of it, then placed it in a smaller container for her older sister. She knew that Topaz preferred Cow, so instead of taking only hawk out of her brother's box, she took a small piece of cow. 

  And just to make them happy, she slipped in a tiny box with a bit of honeycomb. 

  "Amber, hurry up!" Topaz shouted. Amber finished packing her own lunch, including her own piece of honeycomb and carried all three boxes to the main cave. 

  "Finally!" Quartz groaned. She shoved her books and box into her bag, cursing at Amber. 

  "Quartz, it's not her fault. She needed to pack all three of our lunches!" Topaz replied. 

  "She could've started earlier!" Quartz countered.

  "We only just woke up!"

  "She could've woken up earlier!"

  "It's her first day of school!" 

  "She's not half as important as we are!" 

  "She is important! Tell her, Amber!" Topaz said, his voice nearly as loud as a shout. Amber opened her jaws to reply, but Quartz beat her to it. 

  "Amber, shut your mouth." Her commanding voice filled the cave. 

  "You three! What is going on?" Said their mother. She stood at the start of a tunnel that led to her room.

  "Amber hit me!" Quartz whined. 

  "No, she didn't!" Topaz cried. 

  "Amber, tell Quartz you are sorry. Now." Mother growled. But I didn't hit her! Amber wanted to say. Instead, she just said, "Sorry."

  "Now you three, get off to school. Jewel dragons are never late." Mother ordered.

  "Yes, Mother." The three of them sighed. Amber grabbed her empty bag and carefully placed her lunch box inside. Her brother opened the door and Quartz flew off, and Amber flew out after her, Topaz following out last. The three flew in silence as the sun rose. Finally, Amber saw a large cave in the mountains, with dragons flying in. 

  "Amber, remember, make sure that you don't make friends with anyone you know has Curse of the Skies." Topaz reminded Amber and they turned to circle around and land. "And, there are phoenixes at this school. They're in a different wing of the caves, but stay away." He warned. Amber nodded. 

  "Hello! Are you a new student? Asked a blue dragon. She looked ten years old, the same age as Amber. 

  "You look new." The blue dragon said as Amber landed. She nodded at her. "I'm new too. Well, to the school and learning. My mom's in charge, so I know the layout like I know the underwater kingdom. Well, I know the school better. How about... I know the school as well as I know my necklace." The blue dragon lifted her necklace to show a single piece of coral, still bright pink, unlike many corals that turn white when they were removed.