How to Become a Teenage Dragon

Chapter 1 - The Storm

Dark grey storm clouds swiftly shift into view and a bolt of lightning shoots through the sky. Unlike a storm that gradually gets heavier and wetter, buckets of rain begin to pour from the evil looking fluff above. Waves stretch themselves as high as they could, apparently trying to deluge the hill that they slap against. The robust winds that rage look as if they want to blow away the magnificent palace sitting upon that hill, the place that I call home.

The idea of going outside right now to experience the turbulence firsthand somehow appeals to me so I stuff my feet into my leather shoes and don my coat lined with fox fur, which happen to have been hunted by yours truly, and I walk out onto the expansive balcony. I would soon find out that it was not the best decision on my part to do this.

I am not even outside for half a minute before I feel as if an ocean has somehow opened up in the sky and poured all of its water out onto me. I could have been inside my wonderful castle, watching the furious storm while sitting on the silk sofa and drinking hot tea. But no, I am an adventurous and curious type of boy. When something peculiar happens, yet seeming to me exciting and terrifying at the same time, I just have to go out and explore it.

Thunder booms so loud, I think the world might just be exploding. I step closer to the exquisitely designed railing, carved with lions and flowers, and I glance down to see the courtyard in front of the palace. There is so much water that a little pond has formed on the ground. As I am looking down I notice that my surroundings have become even darker. I raise my eyes upwards and I do not even have time to register what I have seen because suddenly a blast of fire is sent towards me. I feel my self being thrown through the air and pain searing through the skin of my right arm. The last thing I see is a red scaly, what looks like a wing flapping through the air, and a drop of blood somehow flies into my mouth. I taste the bitter blood and everything goes black.

The sky is dark. Clouds float all around me obscuring my view. Wind whips at my sides and in front of me causing my eyes to tear. I flap my wings vigorously driving all the energy out of my body. I hover lower to get a better view of the earth down below.

Candle light glistens everywhere and I can see coaches and wagons rolling on the roads. All of a sudden I hear a piercing scream from one of the humans down on earth. There is a woman pointing an accusing finger at me. A crowd of people begin to gather around the area. Suddenly I feel three arrows pierce through my hide and the pain is not too bad. For some reason this rude gesture of welcome angers me though and I cannot find any way to control this rage, so I do the first thing that I can think of to defend myself. I feel the hot fire rising through my throat; I open my mouth and incinerate the people who shot the arrows. The group of people begin to yell "Monster, monster!" Suddenly the realization hits me that I have just murdered three people. I must be a monster. How could I do such a thing?! I turn myself around and fly away as fast as my wings can take me.

And suddenly I wake up in a cold sweat.