Sneak peek

 All right. Today I have something special for you guys. My friend Alice Salvage (you've already seen one of her stories) has a story, but she needs some feedback on it. She's given me the first chapter to post and hopefully get thoughts and critique. We also do this amongst ourselves (meaning the Scribblers) but it's helpful to get outside thoughts as well. Without further ado, 

Dragon 

Chapter 1

I ran through the halls of the abbey, my heart pounding, my bare feet cold on the smooth marble. My breath came is short, sharp gasps.

The creature behind me ran silently, though I knew he was there. He darted from shadow to shadow, the chase more a game to him. Dragons loved to play with their prey.

When I glanced over my shoulder, his forest green eyes glowed. They were all I could make out in the darkness, though imagination and rumor filled in the rest of his majestic body. Even terrified as I was, I couldn't deny the inherent beauty of the Iridescent dragon. 

That moment caused me to lose my step on the slick floor, falling heavily onto my right shoulder. 

"Please, Prince Scalar," I cried out, pushing myself away as the dragon came closer. "Please don't hurt me."

"Princess, wake up! Please, Princess."

I sat bolt upright, my chest heaving in fear. "It was him, Kata," I whispered, shaking. "The prince. He was there again."

"It's all right, Princess. He's not here. Prince Scalar is in Solaria. I assume you won't be sleeping again tonight?"

"No. If anyone asks for me, I will be on the west wall." 

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, Kata. Get some sleep. Maybe have a tray with tea sent up at dawn."

"Of course, milady. I will prepare it myself." She tried to hide a yawn, and I smiled.

"Get some rest."

"Of course, milady." 

I noticed how she waited until the door closed behind me before moving.

All my dresses, and even my nightgowns, had long sleeves, but I still tugged on the left one before making my way down the hall toward the set of stairs that led to the wall. 

Two guards fell into step behind me. "Please not today, Kyler," I said, speaking to the one who was always on my right.

"Milady, I have orders directly from the Regent. We will be with you, but we'll remain at a distance. Is that acceptable?"

I nodded, too tired to argue. Too often, my sleep was disturbed by the same nightmare. This exchange had almost become habit. 

On the wall, I walked out to the center, enjoying the fresh sea breeze. Ever since coming to the abbey, this had been my favorite place.  Many of the nuns were afraid of the sea, and they were all too busy with their tasks.

I enjoyed it most now, when the entire abbey was asleep, save for me and my guards.

The nuns would be up with the sun, saying their prayers to Aarush, the king of the dragons. Once that was finished, they'd go about their daily tasks, sewing, gardening, cleaning and cooking, each according to her talents. 

Closing my eyes, I allowed my mind to drift, though not too far. If I gave myself the freedom, all I would think about was the day that my life changed.

Not for the first time, I wondered why Prince Scalar was the dragon I saw. He hadn't even been there that day, though no one believed me on that count. Mathis said that it was because I'd wake in the night, screaming about green dragons and horror. Father's generals, acting as a ruling council until Mathis was old enough to take over as regent, had taken that as enough proof to go to war, the same war we'd been fighting for ten years. They'd started a war that had claimed thousands of lives from both sides based on the nightmares of a girl who'd had horrors come to life.

Despite all my efforts not to, my thoughts circled back to the event, the single most defining day of my life. I hardly noticed when the sun rose, turning the spray of the waves crashing against the cliff rose and gold hues. Normally, that transformation from mundane water to thousands of jewels being launched into the air was what I came to the walls to see, but I stayed locked in my memories.

"Princess." The Abbess's quiet voice behind me was what finally broke the spell of the past. She was standing behind me, holding a tray with tea and bright yellow sunberries. Her enormous dog, Kaspar, stood by her side, a position he rarely left. "What were you thinking about?" A nod of her head, and my guards carried two chairs and a small table, setting them where we could see over the low safety railing.

"Not much," I replied, taking a seat.

"Don't lie to me, Lia. I've talked with you almost every morning for ten years. I can tell when you aren't telling me the whole truth." She handed me a small cup with fragrant tea. 

I wrapped my hands around it, letting the warmth sink into me and drive away the dark thoughts that came with the night. "The nightmare again."

"With the dragon?"

"Yes," my voice was barely audible, even in my own ears. "Though my dragon never appeared."

"Small mercies, at least."

We sat in silence for several minutes as I tried to frame my next question. "Mother Abbess," I finally began, looking into her face. At first, I'd been scared of her, especially because of her left eye, which had been torn out in some accident she never shared. Of course, she wore an eye patch, and gradually her jokes about being a pirate forced to masquerade as the head nun won me over.

"What, Lia?" 

"Why do I always see Prince Scalar? Why is he the one chasing me in my dreams, and not my parents' killer?"

"The mind is a strange and wondrous thing, Princess. Our dreams are a mix of our thoughts, fears and wishes. You fear Prince Scalar, so he is the one you see."

"But, Mother..."

She shook her head. "I will argue about the significance of dreams with you some other time, Lia. For now, I have news from your brother."

"Mathis?" I felt my heart sink. My brother only ever wrote me when he wanted to convince me to return to the palace. I always refused.

"Yes. Apparently, he's managed to catch his prize, the prince of Solaria."

"Prince Denyl?"

"No, Lia. Prince Scalar. The regent wants you to be present when he passes judgement."

"Tell him I'm not going."

She looked sympathetic for a moment, then hardened. "Princess, you cannot stay here. Not any longer."

I could only gape at her, unable to find my words.

"This abbey is meant to be a place of healing, not a place to hide from your fears. I've allowed you to stay this long because you were not ready, but I now believe that I've helped you as much as I can. Until you face your fears, you'll never know if you can conquer them."

"Mother Abbess," I whispered. "Please. Don't throw me out."

"It's for your own good, Princess. You have duties that you must assume. You've been of age to rule for three years now, and have made no move to claim the throne from your brother. It's time for you to reappear to our people, and another opportunity like this one will not come for a while. You need to return."

Now I nodded, though tears streamed down my face. She was right. I had to return to the palace so I could face the demons that haunted my nightmares.

That's the end of Chapter 1! Thanks for reading all the way to here, and please leave a comment so that Alice can improve the story. Please keep in mind that this is a second draft, so there are likely to be rather minor spelling and grammar mistakes.

Next week I'll be posting a chapter from one of Jack Glisson's stories (another Scribbler). If you're into sci-fi, it's definitely worth checking out!

Thanks and have a good week!