.Elementals.

-31-

"This battle she'll need to lead alone, only she can save herself now."

I sat up in my bed blinking, not remembering my weird dream other then that sentence from someone I never heard in my life.

"Dragon come down and help!" I heard my mom yell my nickname.

"Coming coming, I am up!" I yelled with a frown as I got up and still in the dark I walked to my dresser, knowing the lay out of my room by heart and tied up my shoulder length hair in a pony tail before opening the shutters and letting the light and cold in, it was not yet winter but the cold was coming.

I pulled on my brown trousers with dark green tunic and brown leather boots before jogging down into the kitchen and living room area, it was a small house but we made do as all houses were similar anyway.

"Well you are up." Mom said. "Your father is waiting for you to help with the cattle."

"Right right on it don't push me." I sighed as I picked up my sword and tied the belt around my waist.

"I know you learnt how to use a sword and all but must you carry it everywhere?"

"Of course, how else would I be noticed by the king and given a place in the guard?"

"Ah such dreams you have, you could stay here and protect the village."

"If I don't get found out I will mom I will now I gotta go."

"Have fun Dragon."

I jogged down the dirt roads, they called me Dragon because I had red scales on my cheeks, torso and the back of my hands.
It was a curse passed down in my family and just came out on me as I was the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter in my family, being the youngest at eighteen, the rest either moved away or unfortunately died in the harsh winters so only I remained in my home town.

I waved at people who greeted as I made my way to the pasture where the men were trying to herd the cows, sheep and pigs towards the barns.

A woman didn't usually do this kind of job but my curse made me a literal beast in strength plus my people didn't degrade and hate me like my mom told me tales of cursed people to explain why I was hidden inside all the time.

We had a small community and rarely accepted outsiders but we were good like this.

"Dad!" I yelled with a laugh as he tried to pull a bull with three men but couldn't move it.

"Dragon help us out here, this stubborn ass won't move."

"Right right." I walked over, grabbing the horns and slowly helping them move the bull that weighed tons.

We worked all morning and lunch until the other women came to get their men to eat.

I shoved the last resisting cow in and closed the doors of the barn before jogging to join my dad and mom to eat.

"Don't you feel like there is something off?" I asked my best friend as we both were fishing in the river near our town.

"What do you mean Dra?" She asked, her haired golden yellow and eyes a blue, I had fallen for her charms long ago but didn't dare to say anything as I knew she had eyes for a boy.

"Well I just have the feeling something is just.... off."

"hmmm.... Well winter is approaching faster then normal and the animals seem unsettled so their emotions might affect yours."

"I don't know." I pulled my fishing line back and unhooked the small fish I caught, dropping it in the bucket we had with us. "I feel like something is missing."

"Well you have your sword so that's not it, maybe you lost something?"

"Yeah thanks bitch if I knew what it was it would help wouldn't it?" She started laughing and soon I was too.

"Lets get going we have enough fish for both our families by now."

"Righty lets go, the sun is setting anyway, we should have enough time to get back to the village."

We walked chatting, she carried the fishing canes and I the fish bucket, we laughed and joked.

"I...gotta tell you something before it is too late." I said, stopping.

"Yes? What is it?"

"You might hate me for this after."

"I would never hate you."

I grabbed her chin and kissed her, a second or two before pulling back, she was shocked.

"I always liked you and I just.... If you are going with Tibor I needed to get this off my chest."

"Dra..."

"I am so sorry I-" "Dra you idiot." She laughed and I was surprised.

"What?"

"I like you too, might think you are discreet but you sure aren't, Tibor agreed to help me get you jealous to see if you'd act."

"You bitch!" I punched her shoulder with a laugh from both of us as we hugged.

I heard cracking of leaves and pulled away to see huge black wolves almost shadowy in appearance with red eyes.

"Dra...." She looked around scared.

"Run!!" I yelled, grabbing her arm and running as fast as my curse let me, not fast enough to loose the wolves tho.

"Fuck we were lost!" She yelled in fear as a stone wall blocked out way and the way out was guarded by the hungry beasts.

"Stay away!" I yelled, stepping in front of her, waving my sword, trying to scare the beast.

It didn't work.

A beast jumped at me and sent me to the ground.

"Ariana!!" I yelled as I heard her screams, fighting a beast myself. "No!! You monsters!!" I threw it off me and grabbed my sword, plunging it in its chest and looked in horror at the body of my would be girlfriend.

I screamed in pain of her lost as I shook my head, ignoring the beast around me, my brown hair hanging in my face, free from its tie.

Wait.

I reached up for my hair, looking at it.

Wasn't it.....

Silver?