Chapter One

The wind blew across the fields whipping up small dust clouds, the workers relished its cool touch on their sweat drenched skin, a young man straightened his back in the field and leaned on the long handle of his spade and squinted up at the sky, through the dust he could make out silhouettes against the sun, he wiped the back of his hand over his eyes, he had to be wrong, because what he saw made no sense, he was sure he had just seen a dragon. But that isn't possible he told himself, the dragons are extinct here in Rupa, they had all be hunted down and killed on Kings Rohnans orders.

What surprised him even more was that there had been a rider on the dragon. The cold wind died down and the dust slowly cleared, the young man scanned the skies again but the dragon was nowhere in sight, maybe he had hallucinated the whole thing? He looked around himself, the other workers kept working no one looked as if they had just seen a dragon.

"OI! You!" The young man spun to face the overseer who was a few feet from him. "Back to work!"

"But sir-" He began to say but as he looked at the woman working next to him she subtly shook her head as if to say; don't tell pretend you didn't see anything.

"But what?" The overseer snapped loosening the whip at his belt, the young mans eyes widened in fear, he had barely healed from his last punishment.

"Nothing sir." He whispered, the overseer smirked.

"I thought so." The overseer said, then he backhanded the young man in the face, he fell to the ground blood running down the right side of his face from above his eyebrow where the overseers ring had torn his skin. The overseer walked away and the woman quickly helped the young man to his feet before going back to work, he picked up his spade from where it had fallen and continued his work. But he didn't forget what he had seen, he didn't forget the beatings the overseers had given him, rage grew inside him, his blood slowly trickled down the side of his neck, he bared his teeth. Enough was enough.

The overseer turned as someone tapped him on his shoulder he saw the young man's bloody face snarling at him, then the spade connected with the overseers head and the man fell onto the dry, cracked soil, the young man drew the unconscious overseers sword and with a war cry he plunged it into the man's heart.

21 years later:

Yuana Greygol strode into the inn of the four cows and slid into a seat near the door. A tall man in a cloak entered, he glanced around then headed for her table.

"Are you Yuana?" He asked, his hood covered most of his face, he had a scar on his lower lip. She didn't recognize him.

"Who asks?" Yuana said, he sounded like he was from Rupa but his accent was somehow off.

"I'm Oscar", he said. "Risun sent me to find you, we sent a messenger dragon to you, Resina is missing, we suspect she was taken by the dragon riders!"

Yuana was confused, she wasn't aware that there was anyone new in the resistance against the riders, but then again she had been in Emiris for the past three months on a mission for Risun.

"We should leave, it's not safe to talk here". She eyed the innkeeper suspiciously, he had been lingering at a table a few meters away.

"Are you not going to eat?" The innkeeper exclaimed.

Yuana shook her head, on second thought she would rather make her own food, Sovaisa was known for bad food and food poisonings.

"Follow me," Oscar said and walked out of the inn, Yuana slung her bow over her shoulder and glanced round as she walked out to make sure they weren't being followed. They trudged through the streets, the shouts and cries of sales men growing quieter as they headed away from the market place. Soon they arrived outside an old warehouse, Oscar took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the gates.

"Ladies first," He said holding one of the gates open for her, she frowned as she walked in, it was filthy inside there, was dust everywhere.

She heard a quiet click, she spun round drawing her throwing dagger and hurled it at Oscar, he wasn't expecting it and it hit him with a dull THUD.

"Who are you really?" Yuana demanded her eyes narrowed.

Oscar gave a gurgling laugh, a blood bubble grew then burst on the corner or his mouth and trickled down his chin.

"You are better trained than he thought!" He coughed, blood splattered her face she ignored it and held her second dagger to his throat.

"Who?" She hissed, but his eyes rolled back into his head, he lost consciousness, she let him drop to the floor as she had been holding him up slightly and sighed, she pulled the dagger out his chest, she couldn't save him anyway she thought as she slit his throat, this was mercy, she had made it quick instead of letting him bleed out.

Yuana wondered if he had a family and it they would miss him. You're an assassin! You don't think about stuff like that! She told herself. An assassin, well that was a bit of an overstatement, she was an assassin in training she still had three years of training left.

She stood but not before wiping her dagger on Oscar's shirt. She walked away from Oscar's body and began to search the warehouse, she didn't find anything noteworthy until she reached the first floor, there she found copper cages and shackles, this worried her because if a shape shifter was in copper shackles for example, they are unable to use their magical abilities. She had to report this to Risun.

Yuana walked back to where Oscar lay and picked up the key he had dropped, she stepped back out into the midday sun and locked the warehouse gates and threw the key away, Oscar wouldn't need them any more.

She headed north towards the stable where she had left Maddie, her horse.

As she walked she noticed people looking at her and then glazing away once they saw her looking. They wore vambraces made of a strange leather, the leather was black and it seemed to swallow the light of the listening sun. Dragon riders! She thought, she quickened her pace. Their vambraces and the armor they sometimes wore was made out of dragon hide, the higher ranking dragon riders armor was often made out of dragon scales

Once she arrived at the stables she was almost running, she slowed at she entered the cool barn. Yuana walked down the stalls filled with horses, mules and beasts, the beasts turned their greenish-grey horn tipped triangular heads to follow her movements as she walked by.

She finally reached the stall where Maddie stood, Yuana slung herself into the saddle and rode out of the barn, an old man stood outside with his hand stretched out expectantly, Yuana rolled her eyes and tossed him a silver coin, the man smiled letting his rotting teeth show as she galloped off.

Yuana gave a whoop of joy as soon as she was out if the city, she headed for the grasslands outside Sovaisa, the grasslands were dangerous and easy to get lost in but she knew the way and it was the fastest one to Risun.

Just as she was about to enter the two meter tall grass she heard the sound she was dreading, the whisper of wind on dragon wings.

"Lets get out of here Maddie," she said and they cantered off into the tall swaying grass.

Yuana knew she wouldn't be able to out run the dragons, they knew she was here. She urged Maddie on toward a clearing she knew was near. At almost the same moment she got there the dragons flew into sight there where eleven of them, she noticed one of the dragons didn't have to rider, Oscar's dragon then. The light caught on the dragon scales making them sparkle and shimmer, all except on of the dragons the one without a rider, its scales were such a dark green that they seemed nearly black, the sun didn't seem reach the scales they stayed matt, the dragon landed with a thud that made the ground shake.

Yuana notched an arrow into her bow and slid off Maddies back. She slapped Maddies thigh, the horse reared slightly and galloped off into the tall grass. The lead dragon landed on the other side of the clearing with another ground shaking thud, a rider jumped off its back.

"We know you killed Oscar!" He said, as the other dragons and their riders landed around her, one dragon stayed in the sky and circled the small clearing.

She glanced at the lead riders dragon, she knew he was the leader as his arm guards were made of scales, his dragon was a young turquoise dragon, it's eyes where a beautiful deep gold.

"So what if I did!" Yuana hissed, she lifted her bow slightly adjusting her grip.

"Come willingly and we won't hurt you." The rider said, his voice was soft and dangerous, she laughed, they couldn't seriously think she would fall for that! She raised her bow and an arrow embedded itself in the ground a hairsbreadth from his black boot.

The rider narrowed his eyes and made a hand motion, the last thing Yuana remembered was a loud CRACK as the dragons tail collided with her head, a searing pain and then everything went black.

A.N. Don't be shy to reach out to me, I love to hear from you guys! You can reach me on Discord @Yazzy15#2757. Or on Wattpad @dragonheart209

Hope you hear from you soon! Almira Skylark<3