Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Soft lips suddenly touched mine they were as cold as ice but yet so gentle. A warm fluid then flowed into my mouth and down my throat, the metallic taste was nauseating.
What's happening?
Where am I?
All I could recall was being violently knocked to the ground after trying to-
Escape!
It all came back to me, the sudden recollection of thoughts caused me to jolt upwards and then I was met with those piercing blue eyes once again.
The chilling yet exhilarating feeling I got from just staring into them returned.
I know who this is and I know what this is.
The stories I've learned as a child, the stories I've been trying to avoid all my life has finally creeped up on me.
The stories of the Dragon King
As if he read my mind his previous nonchalant gazed morphed into a blood curling smirk.
"Hello. Mate" he mocked
Those were the first words ever uttered to me by the Dragon King.
How did I end up here you may ask?
*2 Days Ago*
My name is Räine Miller, I've always been one to bend the rules, being a woman in the 18th century was, well, difficult.
I lived in a small town called Lanteglos, not very far from Lancaster City.
The largest city in the Human Realm, Lanteglos was a very lovely place, predominantly, middle class folks lived here.
Hence, the houses weren't very small but not very large either, sons of the families that lived here were groomed to be noblemen, to pursue their lives in Lancaster City and hopefully provide their families here with wealthier lives.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for women, we are nurtured into being housewives and maids. When we refuse or defy the men, we are either beaten or sold to be slaves of the Dragon King.
Who is the Dragon King you may ask? You'll soon find out.
In this town, men believed that women were nothing but tools to be used and manipulated by them , I mean all men.
Even my father....
I lived in a very cozy house with my father, the walls were plastered in a pastel blue paint and the furniture was well kept.
Of course, this house has only managed to stay habitable because of me.
At the moment, I sat at the dining table waiting for my father to finish his meal, he had this rather odd rule, which is, 'I can't eat, until he finishes eating".
"Räine this is too salty!! How would you feed your husband, this is garbage!" my father shouted as he swatted the plate away, making it shatter on the tiled floor
I rolled my eyes, ensuring he did not see, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, he just insists on finding new ways to exploit me.
My father was a tall, slender man, nowhere near ugly, he had olive skin, a chiseled jawline, scruffy grey beard and short black hair that has visible greying.
Of course, his beauty did not reflect his heart. He loved to treat me like dirt, I was conceived when he raped my mother.
My mother was a very beautiful woman, she had dozens of suitors, but my father specifically, was very fond of her and when he didn't get his way.
He...raped her.
At least that's what she's told me.
Likewise, I'm the splitting image of her, I have her long ginger curls, violet eyes, dark, mocha toned skin and freckles that spotted my face.
My appearance was quite odd to a lot of people, we have seen creatures from the Supernatural Realm both big and small pass through the Human Realm from time to time, but it's not everyday you see a black girl with naturally ginger hair and violet eyes, a human one at that.
However, it didn't stop women from being envious and men from being lustful.
I have many suitors, as soon as I came of age men from all over, both young and old came with proposals.
Of course I refused them all, because, once I'm married off to them, I'll be nothing more than a girl that births their offspring and maid to them, just like my mother...
Where's my mother now?
I have no idea, she went missing when I was only twelve years old and I'm twenty one now.
Of course after nine years, people have presumed that she is dead, but I refused to believe that.
"Räine, clean that up, and this place better be spick and span when I'm back from work, there are some important people coming over and ensure you wear your finest dress" he scowled
By 'important' he meant his comrades, whom he brings over to 'advertise' his goods, the goods being me.
Disgusting.
His job is simply buying women then reselling them to the highest bidder.
A swindler.
It's been slow for him these past few days so he's been using me as his 'most rarest product", to him, I'm not even a human being.
Whilst he's gone, I use this time to look after the town kids with my best friend Noah Adams, it's how I make some money around here and also get out the house.
I wore a simple, ankle length green dress and my white sleeveless tunic, along with my worn out, brown flats.
I grabbed my canvas bag and filled them with a few story books. I opened the front door and Noah stood there with a grin.
Noah's very handsome, he had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, ivory skin and was at most 6'0, so, he didn't exactly towered over my 5'8 body but I still had to look up to him. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember.
Unlike the other men in this town, Noah was very kind and respectful towards the women here. He's always willing to lend a helping hand.
If I can marry him I would, but I can only ever see him as a brother, nothing more, nothing less and I'm pretty sure the feelings mutual.
"Are you ready?" He asks
"I sure am" I responded cheerily.
I closed the door behind me and begun to stroll the street with Noah.
"Apparently, today is quite busy so we have a little more than a dozen kids to watch, we have to go to the market and get them, think you can handle it Miller?" he chimed.
"Pfftt, can I handle it? I should be asking you the same!" I chuckled.
He then bursted out with a fit of laughter.
"But why's today busy?" I questioned
He looked at me and raised his brow.
"Have you forgotten? Dragon king? The List?" he reminded as he waved his hand in my face.
I looked to my feet as I furrowed my brows. Every time I made a mistake, whether it's an incy, wincy, spec of dust in the cupboard or a single grain of rice on the floor, my father had always threatened to put me on the The List for it.
The List is where girls, twenty one years of age are placed by their families or husbands to be sold off and enslaved by the Dragon King. No one knows why the Dragon King created this horrendous custom, but to him, we are powerless humans, and there's nothing we can do to stop it.
Ha...I wouldn't be surprised if my father placed my name on The List, but honestly I'd rather be sold off to one of his comrades than that ruthless Dragon King.
"Right, how can I forget..." I murmured
"You okay there Miller?" Noah comforted as he rubbed my shoulder.
I nodded my head unable to find the words to respond.
I then caught sight of Miss Esme and Miss Gracie in a bit of a pickle with the town kids, they were running in circles and being very rowdy.
Esme and Gracie are two maids Noah and I befriended since we started looking after the kids.
"Miss Esme, Miss Gracie!" Noah and I both shouted in unison.
They both gave us a cheerful smile, Miss Esme and Miss Gracie were both very old and have probably been maids almost their entire lives.
Miss Esme has shoulder length, grey hair which she kept in two pigtails and wore with a linen cap, she had ivory skin and dark brown, monolid shaped eyes and just about my height.
Miss Gracie has honey toned skinned, short black Afro hair, which she wraps in a turban, she also had dark brown eyes and was a little shorter than me.
The kids ran up to Noah and I, and embraced us in their tiny hugs.
"LOOOKKK GUYS ITS THE VAMPIRE AND THE GOOD WITCH" they all shouted
The kids gave us these silly nicknames because according to them 'we're to beautiful to be human'.
Very amusing aren't they?
"Noah, Räine, you're finally here, the kids heard you were coming and got so excited" Miss Esme chirped
"Esme here couldn't wait for your arrival and get the kids off her hands" Gracie inputed sarcastically
"We understand, you ladies aren't getting any younger, but, somehow you don't look a day over thirty" Noah flattered
I rolled my eyes.
"Oh stop flattering us, Noah" Miss Esme giggles as she batted her eyelashes.
"Okayyyy, let's take the kids now shall we Noah?" I urged not being able to bear the flirtation.
"Yeah, yeah" Noah sighed.
We waved goodbye to Miss Esme and Miss Gracie as we walked off with the kids in single file.
"Are we going to the hideout again?!" the blonde headed girl asked in anticipation.
"Of course!" I exclaimed.
The hideout is a small cabin Noah and I found in the woods when we were little, no one seemed to use it and I've always been scared to go there, the townspeople would tell us these scary stories of these despicable little beings called duendes residing there.
Now, of course, I'm no longer scared, that cabin is more like a get away from everything than a scary place from childhood stories, don't get me wrong, the duendes probably live there but we've never seen them nor have they harassed us. After all, not much supernaturals reside in the human realm. We've only gotten a few passerby's.
Luckily, the cabin isn't too deep in the woods so it's safe enough for the kids. The cabin was neat, brick made and covered in vines from ageing and low maintenance but yet it still had a comforting and homey feel to it.
As we stepped in the wood creaked and the smell of pinewood engulfed my nostrils.
"Oh how I've missed this place" Noah grunted as he sat on the floor, all the kids did the same, making a semi circle around him.
Noah patted the space next to him signalling me to sit, I sat down and took my books out the bag. The books belonged to my mother, they contained the stories of all the creatures that roamed the world.
"Can you tell us the story of the Dragon King and the Realms Raine?" A curly headed child asked as he sucked his thumb.
"YEAH RAINE!" All the kids agreed
"DRA-GON KING! DRA-GON KING!" they all started chanting with Noah waving his fingers like an orchestra conductor.
I gently tapped on his shoulders and signalled the kids to quiet down.
"Okay I'll read the Dragon King book" I laughed
"YAYYY!" they exclaimed and I begun,
"Thousands of years ago, a man with the power to control dragons was born, he had increased strength, controlled the weather and never gets injured, he was so powerful, that he was named, The Dragon King...."
"Scarrryyy" Noah whispered
I rolled my eyes and continued,
"All the creatures of the Four realms were afraid of him, the Celestial Realm where the Dragon King resides, The Water Realm, where the water creatures resides, the Dark Realm where the evil ones reside and finally the Human Realm, where we live"
"What about the Astraaaal Realm?" one of the kids inputed
I smiled.
"Ah yes, the realm that's not a realm, a space created by The Oracle for their personal use" I responded
All the kids looked at me in awe, I saw Noah take out his pocket watch to check the time and he proceeded to say,
"It's time to get back to the town kids"
"What?! But we just got here Noahhh" one of the kids exasperated.
They all let out a heavy sigh, I'm a little sad they have to go so soon too.
When we arrived back at the town, Miss Esme and Miss Gracie were already waiting, Noah crouched down to the kids level and gave them a goodbye hug.
"I'm gonna miss you guys" Noah sobbed.
"It's not a goodbye forever Noah" I laughed
The kids then came up to me and gave me a group hug.
So precious.
"We love you Räine and and you're stories are amazing and I hope that you and Noah get married some day and that the Dragon King doesn't take you away" the blonde haired girl proclaimed
I got a bit flustered by that last part but quickly regained my composure.
"Okay there sweetie, go to Miss Esme and Miss Gracie now" I said
I heard Noah let out a snicker and I glared at him.
"She's just a kid Räine don't take it to heart, plus you're not quite my type" he stated
I gave him an evil smirk.
"No, no, no, no, no, don't say it, don't you dare Räine" he begged through gritted teeth
"IS IT BECAUSE I'M A NEGRO!" I shouted, that caused everyone to turn around and stare at us wide eyed.
"You're such an attention seeker Räine" Noah groaned.
I let out a laugh and then realised I need to get home.
"Well I've got to go Noah, see you tomorrow?" I said.
"See you tomorrow Miller" Noah responded with a smile.
I then ran back to my house and upon arriving, a few men stood outside wearing the finest silk, they all
looked similar in terms of their clothing, full-skirted blue knee length coats, linen white shirts with frills and black tricon hats lined with gold.
Noblemen?
No.
I noticed they had swords at their sides and a dragon symbol embellished on a monogram at their chest.
Wait....could it be....?
"Rääääine, you're finally here" my father greeted as he came through the front door with two large pouches filled with gold coins swinging on either side of his waist as the coins clinked.
"What's going on father?" I asked through gritted teeth, my hands fisted at my side and my fingernails digging into my palm.
He laughed at my question.
"I thought you were smarter than this Räine? Don't you see... I placed your name on The List and now you belong to the Dragon King. SURPRISE!" He chuckled and broke out in a fit of laughter.
I'm tired of putting up with his nonsense, I stepped forward but two of the men held me back, so I spat on him.
His laughter turned to rage as he wiped it off, he came up to me and slapped me in the face.
"You ungrateful little wench! You're lucky I didn't rape you like I did to your slutty mother, but the Dragon King may do all that and more to you won't he?" he spat and his words laced with venom.
I bit my tongue trying to prevent the tears from falling and then one of the men cleared his throat.
"Are you done sir?" He asked my father
"Take her away" my father responded with a snarl.
I tried to get out of their grasps but my struggle was all in vain as they placed shackles on my hands and feet.
"Those aren't that ordinary shackles Miss, they're made from witch's magic, a restraining spell, the more you struggle the tighter they become, unless you want your bones crush heed this warning" one of the men explained.
I nodded my head in compliance, I no longer had the strength to fight back.
It's over.
They walked me over to a bunch of other girls, both unfamiliar and familiar faces but we all had one similarity.
Hopelessness.
A crowd of townspeople gathered to see all the girls that's been chosen this year and I spotted Noah in the crowd, he was angry, I could see it. He came up to the front and said the most unexpected thing,
"I'd like to buy the ginger haired girl" he proclaimed with a serious face, not a hint of humour.
"I'm afraid you can't do that sir" one of the guards responded.
The bickering between Noah and the guards was drowned out by my thoughts. I've always dreaded something like this would happen, I've replayed it over and over in my head for years.
But yet still, I'm shaking like a leaf, unable to protect myself, unable to do anything....
Like a wimp.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, I was no longer surrounded by people, but by forest.
Teleportation?
"Ahh shit, we teleported to the wrong location!" One of the guards shouted, but just then, over a dozen large wolf like creatures, came out of the bushes, their mouths gaped open as they salivated.
"Ahhh shit! We got some rogue wolves Captain!" the guard that stood next to me shouted.
Werewolves.
The girls started screaming both from their fear of dying and their bones breaking due to their struggle.
I heard the cracking of bones, but this time it wasn't from the girls, but from the guards, their shoulders and legs dislocated and their hands grew claws as fur grew on their bodies.
They were no longer human but a frightful apparition of a Black Wolf with blazing red eyes.
It all made sense now, the guards were, Gwyllgis.
The first 'rogue wolf' launched at one of the Gywllgis and the battle begun, the girls were far too scared to even process what's going on around them some were already on the ground in pain from broken bones.
I realised that my restraints were broken, I didn't have time to think about how they broke, but, I did the only thing I can do,
Run.
I ran as far as my feet can take me, I tore the bottom of my dress to prevent tripping on the hem of it.
I then heard loud thuds behind me and howling.
Don't look back Räine, Don't look back.
I didn't look back, maybe I'm going to die here, but I'll keep running till the very last breath, but, as I anticipated I was tackled to the ground by one of the wolves. I covered my face using my forearms as a shield to avoid being mauled face first.
The wolf bit down into my forearm making me let out a squeal of pain.
Why do I feel lightheaded? I can hear the sound of my heartbeat.
Shit. Werewolf venom.
I can feel myself slowly losing consciousness, all I saw was the wolf being pried off me and beautiful, piercing blue eyes stared right into my soul, giving me a chilling yet exhilarating feeling.
I then lost consciousness,
Is this how I die?
A/N
Chapter 1 Creature Report
Duendes: A three foot tall, elf/goblin like being. Very mischievous, isn't good nor bad, akin to woodland spirits, usually lives deep in forests or caves.
Abilities: Can make thunder or lightning
Gwyllgis: A frightful apparition of a Mastiff or Black Wolf with blazing red eyes.
Abilities: Teleportation, shapeshifts between human and Gwyllgis form, can paralyse their victims, can travel through shadows.
Werewolves: Indistinguishable from ordinary wolves, but a lot larger in size.(it's pretty much common knowledge)
Abilities: a human that can shapeshift into a wolf, night vision,agility, increased healing
Hiiii so this is the first chapter of the Fate Trilogy, I really hoped everyone liked this Chapter so far.😊
Updates will be made one or twice per week🥰
See you in the next Chapter of Shackles of Fate, to see the outcome of Räine's deadly encounter! 🐺
