The Sword of the Dragon - Chapter 1

In the very East of Sapphashire there was a tiny, secret village called Little Budding. It was a strange village because its occupants did not live in houses, they lived in trees. They lived in Eidew trees. These trees are so wide and so tall that their insides can be carved out to make little but cosy rooms. These trees are very rare and only survive under the villagers devoted care. Up above in the branches grow Eidew nuts that hold great nourishment and the villagers harvest the nuts every summer.1

……………….2

In the centre of the village, in one of the tallest trees, a skinny 13 year old girl was still asleep in her bed even though it was mid morning.3

“Tiarana? Come on, don’t you think you should get up now?” her mother yelled from below.4

Tia rolled over and hid in her bed covers.5

“Can’t be bothered,” she muttered into her pillow. Her mother had gone.6

Her mother was quite short and slim with a shock of ginger wavy hair and she was very kind-natured. Tia’s father was a sturdy and strong with a firm but fair personality yet he never told Tia off.7

Tia thought about other families. Most parents shout at their children to get up instead of asking them, but her parents always seemed to suggest rather than demand her to do things. She was sure if it hadn’t been for Eireaf she would be very spoilt. Her family seemed to treat her differently, it was like that at family gatherings as well. Her cousins always whispered and giggled behind her back and the adults would say things like “How are you?” and “Oh my, you’ve grown!” (and Tia was always sure she hadn’t) but they wouldn’t talk to her properly, not like family. Her aunt Kanna did, when she was around, but she was quite strange and mysterious and nobody knew anything about her so that didn’t make Tia feel any better. Now Tia thought about it she couldn’t think of any relatives that actually looked like her, she could easily imagine herself not part of the Dracoman family. Why was she so different? 8

Don’t worry, you have me said a familiar voice in her head. She opened her eyes.9

Sat in front of her was a beautiful, sparkling faerie dragon. His scales were royal blue and he had lovely multi-coloured butterfly wings protruding from his back. It was Eireaf, Tia’s best (and only) friend. Tia was the only human who could talk to him and understand him. They were never seen apart.10

Tia sat up and pushed her blanket away. She got up and pulled on her loose blouse and breeches.11

Come on, it’s harvest time!!! Eireaf was excitedly whizzing round the room.12

“You and your stomach!” Tia laughed watching the little dragon making her dizzy.13

He flew over and sat on her shoulder looking rather hurt. Well, my stomach isn’t half as big as yours.14

“Yes but I am 10 times bigger than you,” she replied pulling a brush through her dark brown hair.15

She crawled through the doorway that led to the living area and kitchen. She grabbed a few Eidew nuts and went to the door and started climbing down the rope ladder that lead to the ground. Eireaf kept chirping and Tia told him, mentally, to shut up.16

She reached the ground and crept away from the tree, as soon as she reached the next tree she ran with Eireaf flying behind her.17

Why are we running away?18

“Because harvest time is boring,” she said and stopped running.19

Oh, but the nuts are yummy and I’m hungry!20

Tia grinned and passed him a nut to chew on as he sat on her shoulder, he chirped happily.21

“Where shall we go? I want to explore,”22

Tia we have explored everywhere there is to explore in this little village.23

“Grumpy dragon!”24

I’m just stating the truth.25

Tia decided to head for the pond and have a little paddle and to hide from her parents. As they approached Tia realised that Merden, the village leader’s son, was there also hiding from the harvest. He was kicking something on the ground. As they got closer Tia realised he was beating a poor helpless duck. She ran over outraged at his cruelty.26

“Stop it, leave it alone!” she demanded.27

“No, it’s not dead yet,” he sneered nastily.28

Great anger boiled inside Tia, she fought to keep it under control but she couldn’t. She felt a tingling feeling run down her arms and into her hands. It was magic, Tia threw all her energy into holding it under control but her anger won. Balls of silvery blue magic swirled in her hands, to Tia it felt as though hours had passed but it had been only a few seconds. She lost her grip on her magic and blue silvery streaks shot through the air throwing her and Merden to the ground in an explosion of silver.29

Merden stumbled to his feet and glared at Tia who was still lying on the ground.30

“Witch! Witch scum like you are executed! I’m going to tell my father!”31

“No please M-Merden don’t,”32

He ran off back towards the centre of the village.33

Tia decided she didn’t care and fainted.34

Tia awoke a few minutes later, on the ground, with Eireaf peering down her nose. He looked angry. Tia painfully sat up and rubbed her aching head.35

What did you do that for?36

“I-I couldn’t help it. It just happened,”37

You must control your magic! If he says anything you could be dead by next week.38

“He wouldn’t tell would he? I mean no one would believe him, surely?”39

Well it’s your word against his so if he did say anything they probably wouldn’t believe a scoundrel like him.40

Tia shakily got to her feet and started to walk away from the pond and the village.41

Where are you going?42

“To that tree, over there,”43

But you must go and tell your parents what happened!44

“No, I’ll just have to do the harvesting if I go back,” she said sadly.45

Why is that such a bad thing?46

“I don’t know. I love Little Budding and everything, but I just wish something would happen. My life just seems so….boring. I want to go on an adventure!”47

Oh yeah, well …erm…why did you want to go to that tree? 48

Tia had a feeling he was trying to change the subject.49

“I’m hungry!”50

Eireaf chirped and Tia grinned at her little friend.51

The Eidew tree towered above them and its trunk was metres wide. No one lived in it as it was quite far from the village. There were lots of branches jutting out all over the place so it was easy to climb. Tia leapt up and began to scramble up the branches. Eireaf excitedly hovered beside her.52

A while later Tia had got about half way up the tree when she found a nice big branch to sit on. Eireaf crouched beside her. Even though they were only half way up the tree they were still quite high up. They could see the entire village of Little Budding set out before them.53

“Ah, it’s so nice and peaceful up here,” Tia murmured.54

I thought we came up here for food!55

Tia laughed and gave Eireaf all the nuts in her pocket. She then reached up and picked some for herself. The two friends sat and munched on the Eidew nuts and looked over the village.56

When Tia had finished she looked up at the sky. In the distance she could see a dark blob heading for the village. She presumed it was just a bird but it looked quite big.57

She continued to watch it as it approached; it now looked like it had bat wings. It got closer and closer and it appeared to be red with yellow wings. It was definitely too big for a bird. Tia gasped. It couldn’t be a dragon surely?58

“Eireaf what is that …thing?”59

It looks like a dragon with those wings. It even has a long tail.60

Tia jumped off the branch and scrambled down the tree as quickly as she could.61

Tia had always loved dragons. She had always gazed at paintings and drawings of them wondering what it would be like to actually see one. They looked magnificent. Tia wouldn’t bear it if she missed seeing this one up close.62

Once down from the tree she sprinted towards the centre of the village and Eireaf struggled to keep up with her. 63

By the time the pair of them arrived at the village the dragon had landed and was standing calmly outside one of the Eidew trees. Tia went up to it in excitement.64

This dragon was about the size of a horse. He was covered in blood red scales that almost glistened in the midday sunshine. His large, golden wings were folded neatly on its back. Long green spikes ran along the dragon’s neck, spine and tail except in front of its wings where a small yakling leather saddle was placed. He had long curved claws coming from his feet and two large fangs protruding from his snout. He stood obediently waiting for his master to come back. He had one eye closed and the other was lazily following Eireaf as he whizzed around. It completely ignored Tia.65

“What breed do you think this is then?” she asked Eireaf.66

Er…a Green-Spiked Redback perhaps? Looks familiar.67

“Be serious,”68

I was! I am a dragon y’know!69

“Only really important people have dragons. I wonder why they’re here?”70

The dragon made a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like laughing.71

In Tia’s excitement she hadn’t noticed that the dragon was standing outside her Eidew tree. Her home.72