Chapter 1
I don’t remember when I started sneaking out as a child, just that I got really good at it. Always gently pull the covers back, do not wake up my siblings who all sleep in the same bed.
Simple but a challenge for a clumsy girl. Thankfully no one has ever snitched. But how can they? I’m the oldest and drove fear to them. Something I regret I did as a small child.
But I always go out when the moon is round and full. This time of year is when the dragons migrate from the Death Caverns to the heart of our world Earth. We don’t know where exactly the heart is, all we know is what the vampires, our protectors from the dragons tell us.
All of earth submits to the Empire. They didn’t even give it a clever name, your expected to know “There is one and only one Holy Empire.”
After a nuclear war on Earth centuries ago things have changed. One of them is it awoken the dragons from the deep of the earth.
What was once called dinosaurs, were an evolving speices of dragons that did not surivive.
I creep out of the window of the small hut my family lived in. I leave the window open like every night because you can only have so many creaks and groans from a window still. If Jeriamiah, a light sleeper wakes up, he’ll surely tell mom.
Annoying little pesky boy. At three years old he is speaking fluent in the common tongue and the Empires mother tongue, native to the vampires.
I don’t have to walk far to look up. In sky thousands upon thousands of dragons fly above me, twisting and turning beautifully. Their wings shimmer in the moons light. For Earth has many moons now.
I race into the field like I’ve always done like a child. It was the only time I could feel a sense of freedom from everything. Life, the crops we sow for the empire, and family matters.
Great winds take over the fields as my dance with the dragons continue. Nineteen years I’ve done with under the protection of the magical dome.
The dome we are forbidden to cross unless we want to be eaten from something, like dragons.
“Radiation is a son of a bitch.” My best friend, whose graduated from the academy use to say. I just dance harder trying to forget the pain she is no longer here.
I only see dragons as little specs in the sky. They always fly high. But tonight the air feels too windy. A roar rushes into my ears, making me fall face flat.
When I look up I see a great gray fly across our dome. My heart races wildly. The Great Grays are famous in our textbooks for causing mass destruction to our domes. For the Grays have powers even unknown to the vampires.
We’re supposed to fear them. But unlike anyone in my village I stare in awe at it’s sword like tail whip lashes the dome violently.
The sky lights up with flames but as always the dome protects us. My joints and bones relax a bit, as I stand up to take a better look.
It’s circling our domed villiage as if looking for something. We keep our cattle in barns so I chuckle.
It’s head snaps toward. Yellow eyes gazing at my partially opened mouth. It saw me.
I can’t help but stare back. We are warned to never to look a dragon directly in the eyes. They never tell us why.
It’s so beautiful. I wonder it’s name. The great dragon flutters it’s wings for landing by the edge of the dome. It’s neck craning toward me like a snake, inspecting it’s meal.
The pupils in it’s eyes dilate wide matching my own saucers. My heart pounds faster. Why is this monster so beautiful to me? I’ve never found men attractive. The boys in the villiage have only hurt me because of my beauty.
I can’t help but enjoy this creature’s attention. I want more. My own thoughts are scaring me and I look away.
The dragon lowly growls which makes me look up to see the large snout blowing smoke pressing onto the dome.
I want to pet him. Shakily I push myself to the very edge to the dome.
I’m so dumb. Beautiful but a fucking idiot sometimes. Pushing myself to the to face the dragon gives me an adrenaline rush.
They tell us we die.
They tell us as soon as we pass the dome we die.
If a dragon has captured our attention, we certainly die even by eye contact we’re dead.
Yet here I am. Perhaps it’s better to acknowlege I’m dead at this point. It feels as if I can feel his very soul.
Shivers run up and down my spine. My hand reaches through the dome.
Those who pass the dome never return. But when I quickly pull my hand back into the safetiness of the dome it’s still intact.
He didn’t bite my hand off. Only watch my curiousity. The dragon lowers his face to reach mine. It’s mouth sealed shut as if trying not to frighten me.
My hand reaches out again, and touches his warm scales their hot to the touch but not a burning sensation.
I recoil quickly fearing for my life. I take a few steps back before it roars. It’s a loud and aggressive cry. One I’ve never heard from a dragon.
It’s calling me back?
I turn around cautiously to see it mocking a dog by wagging it’s tail. I can tell it’s being saracastic by it’s facial expression. I can’t help but laughing.
Right now it could be seducing me to my death but to be honest after this past year suicide by a dragon doesn’t seem a bad Idea.
I step out of the dome.
