Chapter 1
“Find that thief! I want that necklace returned to me!” The King’s enraged voice echoed through the castle as guards rushed around the castle in attempts to catch the intruder. A cloaked figure ducked down an empty corridor to evade the king’s soldiers. The sound of their armored boots hitting the floor in unison could be heard throughout the castle, a signal to where they were. The thief skidded to a stop in front of a group of soldiers reorganizing their efforts. Zie took off in the other direction as the soldiers noticed and began to chase after the figure.
“Split up! Cut the thief off!” A general yelled out orders as they tried to apprehend the intruder. The thief ran up a spiral staircase that lead to the outside wall path. Zie glanced behind them to see the soldiers close behind. The figure ran to the top of a lookout tower where the outside was lit only by the few lanterns and the moon.
“Stop in the name of the King!” The thief was trapped, there was only one door to this tower and it was now blocked by the soldiers. The thief ran to the crenels, climbed up onto one and observed the surroundings of the tower. The soldiers got in formation and kept their weapons up as they slowly approached the figure. There was just enough light to make out the silhouette of the cloak.
“Where is the necklace?” The general demanded. He stood behind the front line and raised his sword at the thief.
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that. I have lots of necklaces.” Many soldiers were surprised to hear a woman’s voice come from under the black hood. She turned around with a small swish of the cloak, the hood created a shadow so none could see her face. The cloak went down to her feet and was kept closed by a series of clasps.
“Where is the Dragon’s Breath?” The general demanded again.
“Oh, do you mean this necklace?” She pulled out a silver choker with intricate designs of leaves and thorns on top. The necklace reflected the moonlight and accentuated parts of the design. Some had speculated that if one was to look close enough, they could make out twin dragons in the design. It was a treasure itself but the real value was in the jewel, a large stone displayed in the front that was a mix of reds, blues, and purples. It mesmerized everyone who saw it and was rumored to contain some sort of magic. As she held it up the stone seemed to glow brighter.
“You see, this is a... family heirloom and well, you humans stole it, I intend to take it back.” The soldiers readjusted their weapons. “It’s lost some of its design after being here for so long,” she said. She inspected the necklace, running her fingers over the intricate silver and the stone. “I can fix that.” She continued to feel the design and her fingers began to glow a dangerous red, the same color as the fire of a forge. It continued through her hand as she held the silver. The soldiers could feel the heat emanating from her hand and were petrified. Slowly, red lines appeared on the necklace, like veins they twisted through the silver. The figure took away her hand and the heat faded.
“Ah, back to its former glory.” She smirked and looked up, through the darkness of the hood, her eyes glowed a bright red, her pupils in slits. The necklace itself was now mixed with red and silver accenting different areas throughout it. Twin dragons appeared on the side, leaves became scales, thorns became horns and talons. Hidden rubies became the eyes that glowed almost as bright as the stone.
“Witch!” A soldier shouted. She chuckled in response and the necklace disappeared into the cloak.
“Not quite,” A purple smoke began to emerge from under her cloak, the soldiers backed up in fear. “Dragon.” She smirked and fell backwards off of the crenels, the purple smoke surrounded her and a loud roar shook the castle. A gust of wind knocked the soldiers down as she flew up past the tower. Her purple scales glowed in the moonlight and her bat like wings seemed to extend more than a hundred feet. She circled the castle as if she was contemplating whether to leave them alive. She ran a talon against the sides of the tower, which left large claw marks in the stone, to taunt the soldiers who were frozen in fear and awe. She circled the castle one more time before she flew into the darkness, where a second roar pierced through the night.
