Raenair Trilogy: Book One

The wind whipped past my face so fast that it stung my plump cheeks. My eyes watered and my chest shook with fear as I gazed out towards the country line of our kingdom. My big hazel eyes were blown wide as I watched the silhouettes of dragons and big men draw nearer. The tiny knuckles that dug into my mother's cloak were as pale as her face. My mother, eyes of gold and hair like russet silk, gawked at my father like a beautiful fish. She clung to my body for life, keeping me pinned to her bosom. My father stood proud and strong, facing the intruders, worry lines creasing in his firm expression. I was too small to have any powers yet, still just a child, however, that didn't hinder me from feeling the static pop and cackle in the air as father readied himself to protect his kingdom.

"Is it the barbarians?" My mother asked in a whisper as if the invaders would hear her ask such a question.

My father turned his gaze to us, his dark, rock-like brown eyes flickered with the magic he wielded. He placed a strong hand on my mother's face and pulled her in for a kiss so passionate that it embarrassed me, causing me to shield my face so I wouldn't intrude on their intimate moment.

"The rumors of their new king being a dragon shifter must be true" Father replied, confirming my mother's fears.

"What of the rumors of bloodshed, do they ring any truth?" She asked, hugging me tighter.

Father looked at me, relaxing his face. I would never fear my father, he was a kind king, committed to his wife, daughter, and people. I wanted this moment to go away, I didn't want to be here looking out on our doom, I wanted to be in the garden twirling and dancing with father as mother sewed crystals into a new dress. It wasn't polite to eavesdrop, though it was something I did often. I've heard the rumors of a dragon king killing off kingdoms in a single night, leaving only a few behind who would soon come to follow him, for they had nowhere else to go. I pictured my home burning, the lush green forests and colorful little houses reduced to nothing but cinder. A lump worked itself up into my throat and I wanted to cry. Father smoothed his large hand over my head and pulled me from my mother's arms, wrapping me in his embrace. He smelled like crisp clean air, the kind that you would cherish on a mountain or perhaps the tallest tree.

"They have come for us as well, the last village of mages were taken out in less than a single night," father said grievously "I can't let them just take our home so easily, they will have to fight for it."

Sobs racked my poor mother's body, she threw herself into both of us, taking me from father and curling me back into her arms once more.

"Now is not the time my love, Chiara, you must flee with our daughter to the next kingdom over, warn them of what's to come, and evacuate. We both have signed a treaty with the elves, they should house us mages for the time being."

A swirling vortex opened behind us, one of father's men mustering up all of his energy to open it. Its deep inky pools swirled about in the air, it looked uninviting, and I did not want to leave my father. A dragon's roar erupted over the land and then all hell broke loose on my home. The vortex dissipated as quickly as it formed, the man working the magic brought to his knees by an intense shock wave that blasted throughout our castle. We've wasted too much time, my mother's hesitation cost us precious moments that we could have used to escape, not that I blamed her, I didn't want to leave my father either. Father opened his mouth to issue another command, taking off his silk midnight cloak to engage in battle. Small spell books and charms dangled non-threateningly by his leather belt, fooling the ignorant eye. The words never made it past his lips as another rumble shook our home. A giant clawed foot rested on our balcony, then another landed firmly on the window. By the multiple shakes, we could only assume we were being surrounded by dragons. I was horrified beyond any means, my emotions daring to spill out at any second. To my complete surprise, I was astonished by how beautiful the scales on the beast were. Its talons were long, giant, and dangerously sharp, yet its foot shone bright red and glistened orange as the light hit it, much like a flame would. The clawed appendage morphed and cracked as a human man slowly took the place of the beast. My heart slowed its pace, not that the man was any less frightening than the beast itself. He stood at a height that towered over my father, whom I considered up until this point to be a really large man. He wore no shirt, letting the cords of muscle that adorned his body be exposed freely. Deep, pink scars littered his skin, and he wore them proudly. He smiled, flashing his fanged teeth, which were as sharp as his still taloned nails. His ruby eyes shined with a knowing glint, it didn't matter that he wasn't on his land, he had the upper hand here. He stalked towards us much like a lion would stalk its prey, the bones that decorated his necklace clanged and rattled around.

"Lord Yathais, how wonderful to meet you" he nearly growled out, the deep rumble of his voice causing me to melt further into my mother.

"Dragon king" my father spat, his words dripping with venom.

"Don't be so excited, I'm not here to kill you" the king laughed as if he was telling some tale "I am here to negotiate with you, and then if you disagree, kill you."

Father ushered mother and me behind him, standing firm, strong eyes locked onto the king's sinister ones. He rested his hand on his belt, preparing to fight.

"What is it that you want?" Father finally broke the silence, his voice far more smooth and pleasant than the brutes before us.

"Your kingdom and people" Replied the king flippantly "I heard the news that not too long ago your wife bared a child, of course, this was all anyone could go on about, the daughter of the most powerful mage born to his beautiful maiden of a wife."

My small body shook, not understanding what he wanted with me or my mother, was he going to kill us and take our kingdom? Would he kill father and take us both? Would he make father a slave to his people? All the possibilities ran through my head and I felt that I would soon fall ill if I did not stop.

"I have a son, not too much older than her" he continued, not waiting for my father to answer him "I request that when they come of age, they marry, joining our kingdoms under their rule."

Father's eyes grew wide as the king made his proposition.

"Why my kingdom, why my daughter" he sputtered, fear finally taking over him.

"No other mage or human is as worthy as you are, Yathais, the fabled lightning God." The king spoke, his grin etching itself wider on his face "Say yes and we won't obliterate your people where they stand, say no, and well, you aren't dense are you?"

"What age would you take her," my father asked, fear jolting through me.

I didn't know much about marriage, but I knew my father and mother were deeply in love. I knew how father lost himself in her eyes as they danced by the bay windows after dinner. I knew that he'd hold her hand just because he missed her touch. I knew that he trusted her with all of his secrets and held her advice close to his heart. My stomach twisted at the thought of a clawed hand, soaked in blood, clutching harshly onto mine.

"The year eighteen, we may be barbarians, but we are not monsters, Lord Yathias."

"My lord!" My mother cried out, her honey voice now shrill with terror "you wouldn't give her away, not to them, she's our only daughter!"

I failed to notice how hard my mother was sobbing, I was too numb to process anything of the sort. The only thing that struck me at that moment was the single large tear that swept down my father's pink cheek and rested on his clean chin. A vein protruded on his temple and his body quivered as he stared down the crimson-haired beast in front of him. The air around us grew thick and I couldn't decipher if it was with magic or raw tension.

"I will agree to this, in exchange that you leave our people and land until then, as long as they continue to live happy, peaceful lives, I will make this sacrifice." My father choked his words out through a sob.

The king seemed pleased with this decision, uttering something in a language that I did not understand. It must have been a command because as soon as he finished speaking, the castle shook once more, and the dragons flew off into the distance. My mother dropped to her knees, the weight of the situation being more than she could humanly handle. Her arms trembled, fighting to keep me supported against her. Though the dragon king had left, in his place was the ghost of his proposition and I had a feeling it would always haunt me until the faithful day that the dragons took me away. The sound of a heavy thud ricocheted throughout the space, my father had fallen to his knees, his hands clasped on my mother's shoulders. He allowed himself a few seconds to sob freely as he looked upon my face. I reached out to touch him, smoothing my hand over his cheek to wipe the fat tears away. I couldn't help myself but cry with him, I didn't understand much of what was going on, other than I had to be married one day. That scared me, but they didn't kill us! We should have been celebrating! My dad steeled himself, breathing through his nose as if in that single breath, he sealed away all the sorrow that just poured out.

"Forgive me, my sweet young girl," He said as he kissed my forehead.

"Father, are we safe?" I asked him, eyes searching for any hint of a smile.

He offered me one and it failed to comfort me. The way his lips stretched across his face was forged, plastered on with sheer willpower, there was no happiness or relief. My mother's sobs slowed into silent sniffles, her chest still shaking against me.

"Yes," He barely whispered, "Yes, we are, now let's go to sleep, sweet girl."