Of Dragons And Demigods.

Prologue

  Run. That's all she could think about. She didn't care about the storm that raged around her, she didn't care about the mud that stuck to her tiny feet, and she certainly didn't care to where she was running to. Only what she was running from.

She was running from the people who would hurt her in the name of their cause. They didn't care about the fact that she was a five-year-old girl. In fact, they didn't see her as a person. Only a number that was tattooed on her arm. 013. And that was what she was called.

She knew that if she was caught, her punishment would be worse than what the men in white coats would do to her. So she continued running, even though her legs felt like jelly and her lungs felt as if they were going to explode. She had to continue on for her own sake.

"There she is! Get her!" Voices called from behind her through the trees of the forest. 013 knew that she couldn't outrun them for long. She had to hide. She glanced around, hoping to find something to hide in. She saw a small hole under the roots of a large tree and immediately ran for it.

She ran inside and curled up into a ball, hoping she wouldn't be seen. 013 heard the heavy footsteps of the men come close and fade away. For a moment, she had hope that they wouldn't find her, but that hope was short lived.

"There you are, you little twerp." She was suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged out of the hole and into the pouring rain. She screamed and cried, trying to wriggle her way out of his hard grasp, but to no avail.

"When we get back, you'll wish that you had never tried to escape in the first place." The man growled. 013 continued to scream for help, hoping for someone, anyone to save her. The rest of the hunting party laughed at her fear and continued to describe what her punishments would be. That is until they heard a twig snap.

They all grew quiet in an instant. They drew their guns up and looked around, searching for what made the sound. "Spread out. Leave no witnesses." The commander ordered, tightening his grip on the girls arm.

The crew did as ordered and spread out. At first, it was silent. The only sounds to be heard was the thunder and the rain. Then there was a snap. And another. And another. Their uneasiness grew as they continued to hear the rustling of trees and the snapped of branches surrounding them.

Then, one by one, each man disappeared with a fearful cry that was cut short. The commander aimed his gun at the trees, fear coursing through him as he kept a tight grip on 013. "Where the hell are you?!" He called out into the wilderness. His question was answered when he was suddenly thrown back by some invisible force, causing him to let go of the little girl.

Sprawled on his back and his gun a few feet away from him, the commander made a mad scramble for his gun when he felt an incredible weight slam on his arm, forcing a scream of pain from his chest. He looked at his arm to see a large green paw on it. He felt a puff of hot air come from above him followed by a low growl.

His eyes followed up the paw, to the leg, and onward until he saw glowing orange eyes glaring at him. His heart stopped at the sight of the large beast. A dragon. He shook his head in disbelief and tried to squirm away, letting out a scream. The beast growled loudly before letting out a roar in the man's face and biting down on him.

The beast bit down once again and shook the man's body like a rag doll before flinging it away in the trees. The dragon breathed heavily before turning to the little girl who was frozen with fear, tears streaming down her little face.

The dragon tilted his head at the girl. He'd encountered children before, when they got lost in the woods and needed help getting back, but they never looked like this little girl did.

She wore only a thin white gown that was a few sizes too big that was stained by the mud. Her head was shaved, but little sprouts of red hair could be seen. Here eyes were different colors. One was a bright forest green while the other was an icy blue. The pale skin on her arms and back were covered in scars.

The dragon sensed the little girl's fear and lowered himself until he was laying down in front of her, his head resting on his paws. His pupils dilated to make his appearance seem less frightening to the girl.

013 was still afraid of the green beast, but was slowly making her way closer to its snout. She raised a shaking hand toward the creature and touched its wet nose. The dragon's nose twitched, causing it to raise its head and sneeze.  Making 013 laugh a little.

The dragon smiled at the girl and nudged her with his head, making her laugh some more. He stood up to his full height and offered a large green paw out to her. She touched the soft fur and watched as his fur changed from a dull green to a bright, vibrant green.

The dragon was amazed. No other child that had touched him was ever able to do that. He knew that this child was special and that he needed to protect her. He offered his paw out once again and gestured with his head to climb on.

013 nodded her head before clambering on. The dragon carefully brought the girl to his chest as he spread his wings and began flapping. The dragon lifted off the ground and into the sky, he turned towards North and began flying.

After an hour or so of flying, the two reached a cozy cave that lay under the roots of a large tree. The dragon carefully ducked under the roots and settled back into his home. He set the girl down in front of him and used his tail to sweep up some twigs into a pile before lightning it on fire with his breath.

The dragon sighed contentely and nudged the girl to his chest with his head. 013 snuggled up to the warm dragon's fur and began to doze off. The dragon carefully curled up around her and began to purr.

Safety and warmth had always been something that was foreign to 013. She had longed to know what comfort felt like. And now that she had it, she was never letting go. And she now had another thing she had always wanted, a friend.