The Bonded

Dedicated to ShootForTheSky for the cover :)

Chapter 1 

"You can't pay for this, so get out." The shopkeeper told me as I walked into his store. I frowned, and stepped further inside. That was me; Reaya the orphan that everyone already seemed to know wasn't good for coins. Even if someone didn't know me, they seemed to figure out my position in life pretty quickly. It probably didn't help that I didn't wear dresses like the women who could afford that finery. Instead, I wore a dirty tunic over dirty riding breeches. That style definitely didn't help my case at all. 

"How do you know that? I may be a rich explorer and you may have just turned down a very wealthy customer." I said rudely, watching his reaction. It was a relatively new village and he might not know everything about me yet. Although, I highly doubted it. He pointed back out the door. 

"Will you at least tell me where I can find some food pretty cheap? I don't have a lot of coins but I've got to eat." I asked, trying to find some help. At the moment, I was pretty broke. I had a few coins, but only a few. Barely enough for any kind of meal. I would have some more coins in a few more days when I escorted Chieftain Reagen's daughter Mein to the next village. That's normally how I got my money, by escorting people. I didn't look very threatening, being a girl only in her eight and tenth year, but I knew how to wield a sword well. I had to, when that was my only chance at survival. People didn't care about whether you needed help anymore, not like they used to. They only cared if you could help them in some way, and I could only do that if I could help myself. 

"Go down the path, and you may find some soul who takes enough pity on you." The man said, again pointing me out the door. I nodded and turned around, one hand on my sword. It was an old sword, hardly terrifying because of all of the rust it accumulated. But it had been my fathers, and I had no coins to buy another even if I wanted to. 

I did as I had been told, walking down the path in the village, asking every shopkeeper who sold food if I could buy some of their wares. I only needed enough to feed myself for a small meal, I would say. Every time though, they would refuse and force me to go on. I kept going for a small distance longer, then I gave up. I decided that I would just go to the forest and hunt for myself a meal. I could do it, it would just take some time with my sword as my only weapon. I might even make myself a wooden spear, it might work better to kill small game. 

I followed a path out of the village, and into the surrounding forest. I stayed clear of the traveling path, and instead went into the dense undergrowth. I had much more chance of finding smaller game there, without the added noise of people traveling to and from the village. 

I walked slowly and quietly, trying to find something to eat. I knew all of the edible plants in the area, so I was also trying to forage. I would be content with anything I could find to eat. I hadn't ate a true meal in days. I had been eating whatever I could scrounge up, and I had just finished the last of my biscuits and jerky the day before. 

I was slowly stalking a rabbit, trying to figure out how to kill it without the risk of it getting away, when it started to downpour. I ran quickly under a large tree, trying to get out of the rain. It's leaves weren't very thick at all, so I was still getting soaked. I cursed loudly; that rain was the last thing I needed on top of being so hungry. 

However, I could just barely see a cave in the distance. Although there may have been some vile creature like a bear or ogre in it, I had to take the chance. It was a cold rain coming down on me, and it was hitting so hard it hurt. I couldn't last under it very long. Not without getting myself sick, and then not being able to escort Mein in a few days. I needed that job, because I needed those coins badly. 

So, I made my way to the cave, holding my sword aloft in front of me. I would carefully check it for other beings before I settled down inside to wait out the storm. I walked slowly into the cave, amazed at how much better I felt away from the rain. I hoped that I could stay in the cave, away from the horrible rain. With my current luck though, that might not be happening. 

The cave wasn't very dark, due to the light coming in from the wide opening. It wasn't very large either, it would probably fit two of the village houses inside. Village houses weren't very large either. The walls, ceiling and floor were all stone, which was to be expected. There were only two big things about the cave, which I noticed as I was walking around it to check for any surprises. The first thing I noticed was a large, shiny white rock, about twice the size of my head. It was pretty, but I thought nothing of it. Why would a rock matter? It was very pretty, but nothing else. 

Of course, then I found the real feature of the cave. It was a beautiful steel long-sword embedded in the rocky floor of the cave. The sword itself was made of the normal steel, although not rusted like my own was. The hilt was the impressive part; it was bejeweled with different kinds of gems. I noticed diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. They were beautiful, and as I watched, the light struck them and sent glittering shapes all over the cave walls. 

I looked from the sword to my own. It was a very stark contrast, and I frowned. It would be wrong to take the sword, I knew that, because someone who owned it might come looking for it. I needed it though, it might help me when I escorted Mein. Mine was so dull and rusty, it might not even be of any use if I needed it. I decided that I needed the sword, although it did pain me to get rid of my father's sword. After he died, it was all that I had left of him. I knew that he would understand though, since I'm sure he would rather me have a much better weapon. 

A though crossed my mind about selling the sword, or at least its gems, but it was quickly dismissed. I couldn't bear to destroy such a sword, or let it fall into the wrong hands. Although my hands might not be the right hands, they definitely weren't the wrong hands. At least, I hoped not. 

With that decision in mind, I strode over to the sword and lay a hand on the hilt. I rubbed an emerald that sat near the top, smiling a bit at the feeling. I had never touched anything like a gem in my entire life. I had never had any kind of finery, of course, but especially not a gem. I had never even come this close to a gem, except for when someone I was escorting had one.  

I quickly wrapped my hands around the hilt, and before I could change my mind, I pulled up as hard as I could, feeling the sword slip out of the stone quickly. As I stood there, staring at the beautiful sword in my hands, I heard a cracking noise from behind me. I whipped around, holding the sword high in my hands for safety. 

My gaze was drawn to the large rock, which now had a crack running right down the middle. As I watched, the cracks spread out quickly, spanning the entire rock. Then, the cracked stopped spreading just as quickly as they had began. I stood in silence for a moment, my new sword still pointing at the rock. I didn't know what to expect, but I just knew that it wasn't over yet. 

Then, a piece of the rock popped off, like what happens when a baby bird hatches. It hit me right then. It wasn't a rock, it was a giant egg. I moved back a few steps, hitting the cave wall. I didn't leave, I was much too curious to find out what was hatching. It was a once in a life time opportunity to see something that large hatching, how could I miss it? 

Another piece popped off, then another. And then, the entire shell hit the floor and in its place was a little white dragon. I stared at it in shock, my mouth dropped wide open. It was small, and chubby. It had tiny white wings that were folded against its' back, and the brightest blue cat-eyes I had ever seen. It also had a small white tail with a barbed end, with small white fins going down the middle. Those fins came up to meet identical ones that went up the small dragons back and to the top of its' head. The dragon had pointed white ears, which were turned toward me inquisitively. Its' four powerful little legs were holding it up as it stared back at me.  

I continued to stare at it, completely in shock. I had just inadvertently hatched a baby dragon. Not only that, but I, Reaya of Minosis, an orphan girl no one cared about, had become the first human of Grælin to actually do it.