Dragon Rider (#Wattys2016)

The Beginning

~~Theas POV~~

I ran with the people, but I was not screaming I just focused on putting as much distance between me and what had just happened. I spotted a dark alleyway and entered it, I quickly scaled a cold stone wall and jumped down the other side. I found my house, which I shared with my brothers and my Father. I entered the house and went into the attic and looked out the dark window, I thought about what had just happened.

I had been watching the magicians and Dragon riders look for new recruits. When I saw my eldest brother, Tom do something. Tom was part of the rebellion that Magicians and Dragon Riders shouldn't be the ones in charge of our kingdom. Then Tom had thrown something which wasn't that unusual the Magicians always had a shield up. But what Tom had thrown was a fog bomb, when it hit something hard, it stuck and fog escaped and everything became smoking. But other members of the rebellion had also thrown some and some people had lit small fires. Soon everyone was running a panic and trying to escape. The Dragon Riders were laughing as if this was funny and the Magicians were getting angry. That's why most people ran off because when Magicians, they might accidentally kill someone.

I jerked myself back to reality I turned around and saw Tom grinning behind me. "Wasn't I great?" He asked me holding his arms out for a hug I looked at him angrily.

"What happens if someone gets hurt? Or worse dead? It will be all your fault did you think of that?" I asked, I pushed past him and headed downstairs, "anyone else back yet?"

"No," came the answer I could hear the hurt in my voice, but I didn't care I was right. I looked at the door and I saw Tony come with Andrew, Andrew was the

second youngest and older then me. He was as pale as a corpse, Tony set him down in the small couch we had, I rushed over to him.

"Andrew?"

"They saw me lighting a fire and," he was interrupted by a racking cough, I held his hand tightly. "They shot at me, I saw the light flow from their fingers, they almost hit the little boy in front of me." He coughed again, and Tom joined Tony and me and watched Andrew. "I love you all, you know that right?" We all nodded, and I kissed him on the cheek, and I squeezed his hand tightly and I felt his heartbeat slow down and knew his life was gone.

I turned to Tom angrily and I could see sadness on his face, "look what you've done!" I shouted at him, "it's your fault he's dead," I turned and ran, I don't know where I was going, I just ran so I was outside the city. I turned and entered the forest, I made my way up a tree. I was soon up near the top of the branches, I sat in a fork and looked up at the sky. I looked down and spotted a steel grey stone poking out of the trees roots.

I climbed down the tree and unburied the stone, it was large and heavy. I held it up to the sun, I saw a shape in the stone, it must be an Egg I thought. I grabbed the egg and took it to a small den thing in a boulder, I grabbed some prickly branches and covered the entrance. By the time I had finished my hands were cut and bleeding, I washed them in a near by stream and headed home.

When I reached home I entered through the back entrance and headed up to the attic. I stared through the window, I heard my brothers and father came home. I didn't go down though. My family of five was now four, Tom, Tony, Me, Father now Andrew was gone, hopefully Mum looked after him wherever he went. I knew they had gone to get rid of Andrew's body, tomorrow he would have a small funeral. With just family and friends but for now, we would just think of happy memories. I heard Tony come up, and Tom call up but I didn't turn or call back. After a while they all left again, I could feel the sobs racking my body. I felt the tears trickle down my face, but I didn't make a noise. Hours later I fell asleep, my head against the window watching the moon.