If I Were You, I'd Run

Chapter One

Two months later

"Ash, you need to get back to your family! They've been in the old Gialdanann kingdom for two whole months now! You need to get them outta there!" The young squire, Gina, exclaimed, throwing down her  currycomb and stomping her foot.

"I know. It's just-" I sighed. "It's complicated. I don't even know if they're alive or dead!" Lie. They were both dead. I saw their blood water the ground, allowing the bones to dance once more. 

There was a rule in the royal family. We must never bleed, or else the bones will dance. And when they do, it will release the floods of evil that threatened our kingdom in the past.

I had been hiding in the queendom of Tiglars, trying to think of a way to restore my homeland to it's former peace.

"If you don't know, then go and find out!" Gina argued.

"I can't! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME IF I STEP EVEN ONE TOE INTO THE KINGDOM!!!"

Gina stumbled back a step. "And why is that?" she asked softly.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry, I really am! But if I do, I'm putting everyone in danger."

She turned and ran towards the cliffside manor, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.

"Gina! Wait!" I shouted. I ran after her,  trying to grab her sleeve and pull her back.

I stripped over a vine that had annoyingly grown across the path, and ended up sprawled over the dusty earth.

I groaned, and tried to stand up, but tripped over the vines again and started rolling down the hill towards the edge of the cliff. 

I shot off the edge and began to fall, almost seeing my body bashed and broken on the ground in the ravine below.

 _~*~_

I kept on falling, through the ground, somehow managing to twist out of the way of the rocks around me.

Somehow, I survived. 

Somehow, I got through unscathed. And somehow, through all of the bushes that were lying in wait, I managed to land. 

In the middle of a giant lake on a tiny island.

Surrounded by dragons.

Who each had a rider.

Who were each holding a longbow, with an arrow nocked and aimed at me.

Somehow, I managed not to scream, but slowly stood up, and raised my hand up above my head.

"Kilamatanas nay siamanta!" A rider on the back of one of the largest dragons, a majestic orange beast, yelled at me.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand you!" I called back, hoping they wouldn't kill me for talking back.

"I said, stay in the centre!" The rider shouted, swooping closer.

I shuffled towards the middle of the island, seeing it slowly sinking into the black water.

The speaker motioned to a pair of riders on a two-headed, bright purple dragon, who soared over and grabbed my arms and hoisted me onto their dragon.