The Door to the Dragon's Mouth

Prologue

     I sat in the room. It was damp and had a musky, sweet smell. All I could see was blackness, not a single thing telling me where I was. Although I already knew. I was in my stone bedroom. With a messed up bed in the far right corning, a dresser with the top drawer opened in the far left corner and a wooden chair in the center. This is my bedroom. It has always been like this, since I was a child.

     The chair I sat on was cold and splintery. The wood was starting to rot away from underneath me. I knew my subjects, my people where dying in my rein. My father had gone out to war and he was still in another country leaving me, his only daughter, a blind girl in complete control of his country he so dearly loved. I knew I was not ready to lead yet, but I wasn't going to let him know.

     A knock sounded hollow on the wooden door. It came from behind me but the hollow song echoed throughout the room. "M'lady? It's Sir. Alberono."

     "Come in," I tried to sound strong. Sir. Alberono was my father's right hand man. I heard the old door creak open. The sound of metal clicked on the old planked ground. I held out my hand and his cold metal gotlet gripped my hand. His lips softly kissed the back of me hand. "Are the Rebels still attacking?

     "Unfortunately. We're losing men by the minute." I heard his metal move as he titled his head up. I clenched my jaw but tried to keep my cool. "What are you going to do?"

     "I honestly don't know. But I'm not going to let them destroy my kingdom." I gazed up at nothing slightly hoping that my mother was looking down. I knew if she could see me she would give me something, or at least I hoped she would. I sighed and turned back to him. "Do you have any suggestions?"

     "I suppose we could continue fighting. Maybe train in the day and fight at night?"

     "That would make sense. Send a few scouts if possible too. Please."

     "Of course M'lady. I'll send a servant up here to tell you about the progress."

      "You're too kind Sir. Alberono." I curtsied politely and heard him bow in return.

     "I'll get right on it than, good day." He left the room, his metal shoes clicking on the ground. The door creaked open slowly and slammed shut as the wind blew it closed.

     I turned to the right and slowly progressed down my room. I reached out my hand and it brushed the rough edges of the brick wall that built up my room. I glazed my hand over the corner and edge of each brick. One shifted under my hand and I shifted my hand with it to press down with the bottom of my palm. The brick gave away and the wall followed it to make a secret passage. My hand followed the edge of the doorway down the wall of the steps.

     The soothing brick wall turned into a rough, old stone wall. It was so old it was probably chipped away by stone tools. Not as straight or as precise as the stone walls we have no but rough and calming. Along with the rough walls the stairs creaked and rotted away as time gnawed it away. I followed the creaky steps and the rough wall until it exploded into a quiet room. It was small and smelt like the dusky basement. Not bad though, a soft calming scent that made you happy when u were sad.

     The room was imprinted in my mind. When I was young I was always looked down on or babied because I was blind. The servants had been ordered to watch me like a hawk. when I turned 7 they started to give me space. I had turned like a dragon than. I had become cold to the world. Lashing my tongue at anyone who tried to baby me. Once they had locked me in my room. I was crying for so long I had no tears left. I started to explore the halls, dreaming of an escape. Day after day I searched the castle hoping there was some sort of passage to freedom. Away from all responsibility. Once I started to search through what seemed to be an empty knights costume. Something then landed on my arm. It had sharp claws that poked my skin but not yet making me bleed. I looked at it, having no idea what it looked like. It wrapped it's tail around me and lead me down the hall. It was small but I somehow managed to follow it. It lead me to my room and lead my hand to the brick. The brick gave away under neath my hand and the wall gave away. At that moment I was just so happy. I couldn't help but give a childish, toothy smile.

     I knew every inch of this place. Which wasn't very hard. The walls were all the same, crooked and jagged with horrible stone tools that chipped away at the walls. The ground was the same and in the very center was a old wooden table. It was splintery and had about 3 pots on top of it. Each had a set of two two-foot tall flowers. I did some research on it and apparently there's only one type of flower that grows without sunlight. The kingdom had called in a Moon Flower. If even the slightest drop of sunlight touches it, it will shrivel up and die. Although the light of the moon actually makes it stronger. According to the book it actually gives off a soft glow. I water them whenever I can but they don't need much anyway.

     In front of the pots was an old leather book. It was written in braille as if it was written for me. It was all about some man who tamed a dragon called "Door to the Dragon's Mouth". It was quite interesting especially for someone who was blind. I brushed my hand over the cover and felt the series of bumps that made up the title. I reached the edge of the cover and flipped until I found the folded corner of the page I was on.

     Jonathon walked through the forest. His dragon was somewhere, he knew it. He pushed through the undergrowth until he found the largest clearing he ever found. It was filled with beautiful white daisies and tall grass. He walked into the center of the field and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful sky blue with pure, fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky. Birds called "hello" as they passed through the sky. Jonathon smiled warmly and continued exploring. He had seen a dragon crash somewhere around here just the other day.

     I folded the corner of the page and sat down at the single chair that was beside the table. It was cold but comforting, as if I could sit in this place for hours on end. I closed my eyes and daydreamed about taming my own dragon. Imagine.