"Sorry, allow me to introduce you," Uncle Jacob said. "This is Prince Arthur and Princess Daisy, son and daughter to Prince Robert, the heir to the Western Principality. They've just moved here a couple of weeks ago to finish their schooling in Furnace."
"Just call me Daisy," Daisy said with a smile. "Princess sounds funny."
"So you will rule the West after your father?" Crystal asked Arthur. She had a very limited knowledge of any of the ruling classes outside her home in the Southern Principality. Being related to the prince who ruled the Southern Principality, albeit not a close relation, she found it hard to get excited about members of the other royal families.
Arthur shook his head. "No, I'm the second born; we have an older brother, Gerald, although he's second-in-line, as it is my grandfather who is the current ruler."
"Gerald's the only one of us who is allowed to wear a crown," Daisy explained. "He doesn't wear it though, as he says it looks silly. He's three years older than us and he went to school here as well, and is still here. He finished school a year ago, but decided to stay for a couple of years. He's looking after us while we're at school."
Arthur looked slightly irritated. "I wouldn't say looking after us; just providing us with somewhere to stay and showing us around."
Daisy put her hand to her mouth. "Sorry, I forgot you don't like me saying that. Well, he's looking after me anyway. Arthur doesn't need looking after, but Mother and Father wanted them both to keep an eye on me. It's quite exciting being here, as I didn't get to go out of the palace much back home. Not without a little army of guards anyway."
Daisy spoke quickly and nervously, and Crystal warmed to her immediately.
"How nice," Jenna commented. "If you ever feel like a break from babysitting, Arthur, feel free to pay me a visit. I expect I can show you more of Furnace than your brother can."
Daisy coloured at the slight, and Arthur frowned slightly, showing his displeasure. "Thank you, although I never get tired of my sister's company. Twins have that bond."
Jenna coloured herself. "Of course. I'd be happy to show you both around Furnace."
Daisy brightened. "That would be lovely. We have a few days before school starts. Perhaps we could meet up tomorrow?"
Crystal smiled sympathetically. Daisy would be so easy for Jenna to manipulate, and probably wouldn't even realise it was happening.
"Hello Crystal," a familiar voice called from behind her. "Did you have a nice sleep?" She turned about to face her father, Lord Robert, who was beaming at her. He couldn't have looked more different to his brother-in-law if he had tried. He was dressed formally, in his military uniform, and looked very elegant.
"Father!" she said, giving him a big hug. "I wasn't expecting you till later! When did you arrive in Furnace?"
"Just moments ago," he replied. "I had to see my birthday girl."
"It's not my birthday till tomorrow," she protested.
"Probably," Jenna observed. "Of course it could be today as far as you know."
Crystal glared at her angrily. She hated being reminded that she was adopted, despite having done the same to her mother only hours earlier.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked; her innocent face full of confusion.
Her father saved her from this unwelcome conversation. "I've invited a few of your new classmates," her father said, gesturing to a group of children behind him that Crystal hadn't noticed before. "This is Seth. He's from Furnace and he's the great grandson of King James VI, which makes you how many in line to the throne?" King James VI was the father of the current ruler, King Henry III, and had died just a couple of years ago. Having married three times and leaving behind many children, Furnace was probably not short of his descendants.
"About one hundredth I imagine," Seth said with a smile. "And I'm a distant relative to all of you of course. Pleased to meet you Crystal. The princess isn't wrong about your hair, it's stunning." Seth was a pleasant-looking young man with an athletic build and a friendly, handsome face. "And you must be Jenna," he said, extending his hand.
"I must be," she agreed coldly, taking his hand. She looked a little put out, probably because Crystal was the centre of attention.
"This is Kal Greytower, from the eastern principality," her father said, introducing her to a tall, muscular boy with a disdainful air. "His uncle, Lord Greytower, is a colleague of mine on the military council, and his family make up much of the military in both the eastern principality and in Furnace."
"The command, not the low soldiers, of course," Kal corrected. He appeared to be looking down his nose at Crystal, and she had the distinct feeling that he didn't like her very much.
"And this is Amber, another of Furnace's students who will be in your class. Amber's father is a financial advisor to the King, as well as owning much of East Furnace."
"An empire built up over many generations," Amber announced proudly. Their school was established for the children of the nobility, but those of exceptional wealth were also welcomed, especially those whose wealth had bought significant influence. Amber was a pretty girl, although not beautiful, and had long curly hair, and intense eyes that seemed to bore into your head. "Pleased to meet you, Crystal. I'm sure we'll be best of friends."
"Pleased to meet you too, Amber," Crystal replied, a little unsure of how to respond.
"And finally, this is John, who will be attending your school on a scholarship, working for the Keeper of Records," he said casually, gesturing to a young man who was standing in the shadows, standing apart from the group while observing them all quietly. The Keeper of Records was a member of the military council, although he wasn't much more than a librarian as far as Crystal could tell. He managed the Royal Military Library, the largest library in the country and a place so incredibly dull that Crystal had begged her father never to drag her there again.
The young man stepped forwards from the shadows and offered his hand to Crystal. "How do you do?" he asked formally, without a hint of a smile.
Crystal's jaw dropped, for as he came into the light, she could see that his hair was golden, almost the same colour as hers. Everyone else was silent, just as surprised as she was. Despite having spent her whole life looking at her own golden hair, on someone else it looked alien and unnatural. She knew that there had been other Red Dragons with golden hair; her mother had told her about one who died some years before Crystal was born. She was the beautiful daughter of some rich lord from the east, born with golden hair just like her own, and had set a trend for young women dying their own hair to match hers. Many people assumed that Crystal was doing the same, but that was long ago and she was unaware of anyone else alive having her hair colour. Immediately, looking at John, she could tell that his hair wasn't dyed. If John was surprised at Crystal's own golden hair, he didn't show it; his face was an unreadable mask. Even Jenna was dumbstruck.
"Well, well," her father commented. "Aren't you going to say hello, Crystal?"
Crystal snapped out of her stupor and took John's hand. "Pleased to meet you," she said formally, without a trace of warmth. His hand was cold and clammy and repelled her. She shuddered as she pulled away.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you," John added. "I've heard a lot about you."
Crystal bridled at this comment. What could he possibly know about her? "What have you heard then?" She glared at him angrily.
John hesitated, not expecting this coldness. "A conversation for another time, perhaps. Please, enjoy your party. I need to speak to your mother." With that, John turned around and left the room.
Crystal was furious. How dare he refuse to answer his question, and what business did he have with her mother? She started to follow him, but her father placed one hand on her shoulder to restrain her and took her to the side to speak to her.
"Why are you so angry, Crystal? I thought you'd be pleased to meet him."
"Because he has my hair colour?" she whispered the question to him, but her voice was angry. "That means nothing to me. It shoul
dn't mean anything to anyone. And what's he speaking to mother for?"
"I couldn't tell you," her father replied. "He didn't mention to me that he wanted to speak to her."
"Well he shouldn't! I don't know him, and he means nothing to me. He shouldn't presume that we have any link."
Her father sighed. "I invited him because he will be in your class and because he's new to Furnace and doesn't know anyone, which is what you two have in common, well, other than you knowing your cousin. I really don't know why he annoyed you so much, but I'm sorry if I've spoiled your party. Please, go back to your friends. Jenna will cheer you up. Next time I'll ask before inviting people to your party."
Crystal nodded and walked back to join the others. She knew that she had overreacted to John, but didn't really believe her father; she was sure that he had assumed that she would want to meet this boy because of his hair. As if she wanted to be reminded that she was different.
When she reached Jenna, she found that her cousin was flirting shamelessly with Prince Arthur as his sister was talking with her Uncle. It occurred to her that transforming into a dragon probably affected Jenna's thinking more than most, seeing how obsessed she was with boys. She didn't see John again at the party and quickly put him out of her mind, hoping that she wouldn't have to see him at school and could forget him completely.
Chapter 3: Perak
Perak stood up and turned to face his men. Two of them were sat leaning against tree trunks, their legs sprawled in front of them staring into space. The other four all sat along a fallen branch, looking tired but alert. He knew the names of just two of them, Ivan and Eric, and didn't care to know the names of the others. Ivan and Eric were the veterans of the group, experienced Flight Leaders who were likely to return, but the others... well, if he lost one it would spoil his record but he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. His superiors would consider it a success if he returned with three, but he couldn't treat their lives with the same disregard that the other officers did. Not because he had any affection for them, but as they were valuable resources; highly trained Blue Dragon warriors, vital in their fight against the Reds.
The men all looked up at him, waiting for his command, but had the sense to remain silent until he was ready for them to leave. He nodded, and they all rose to their feet quickly and lined up in front of him for his inspection.
"You," he hissed quietly at the nearest man, "fix your hat." A lock of blue hair was poking out, and the young man mumbled an apology as he fumbled with his hat, trying to push the offending hairs back underneath.
"Silence!" Perak spat. "I care nothing for your apologies. Do it properly." He snatched the hat off the young soldier, revealing long curly hair that tumbled to the man's shoulders. The man quickly tied up his hair before replacing his hat and standing to attention.
"That's your first warning," Perak growled at him. "The next time it happens - for any of you," he added for the benefit of the others, "I'll shave your head. Using my sword." He turned to the blushing offender and said, "Your hair is too long. Next break, trim it. Your vanity is putting us all at risk."
He glared at the men, and then nodded again before turning towards the path and starting a slow jog. His men fell in behind him, moving noiselessly through the forest. This route was a reliable one, and they were unlikely to meet anyone, but Perak didn't like taking chances and forbid any talking while they ran. He encouraged them to concentrate on pacing lightly, so even their footsteps were hard to hear.
It was their fifth and final day of travelling by foot - something he hated - but he had no one but himself to blame for this. The operation, and the approach taken by this operation and all the previous operations this year, were being run according to a proposal he himself had put forward. Two years ago, General Zygar had selected him as part of an elite group tasked with thinking of innovative ways to attack their enemies, the Red and Brown Dragons. This had been his suggestion, which was instrumental in his fast progression up the ranks. But the jogging didn't bother Perak. He was tall and athletically built, and could maintain this pace all day. If his men found the pace challenging, they knew better than to show it. Perak had made it very clear what he thought of those who showed any weakness.
Their target was a small village with twenty or thirty inhabitants, probably all associated with the lumber trade. Perak had selected the village himself, having carefully made this journey alone just three weeks ago, and had spent two days carefully observing the village. No other squadron commander invested as much effort in researching their missions as he did, which explained both why so few enjoyed as much success as he did, and why he had such a promising career ahead of him.
The path opened into a sunny clearing, and too late to stop, Perak found himself face to face with three men that were sat down on a log, finishing their lunch. They looked as surprised to see the seven joggers as Perak was to see the three men.
"Why, hello," the nearer of the three men said. "What are you all doing out here?"
For a second, Perak froze, staring at the man in shock. The one who had addressed him looked quite old, probably fifty or sixty years old at least. The other two men were much younger, and judging by their facial features, could have been his children. All three had bright red hair.
"Um, well, what are you doing out here?" one of the two younger men asked, repeating the older man's question.
Perak shook himself, remembering that his men wouldn't say anything unless instructed to by him. He prayed that he could pull off the accent.
"Sorry," he said, "just trying to catch my breath." He smiled. "We're just passing through. We've been camping, in the valleys to the south."
The men exchanged glances. "Can't say we get many people camping around here," the third man in the group observed.
"You'd think there would be more," the older man countered proudly. "Most beautiful place in the kingdom," he claimed. "Our little secret," he added with a smile.
"It is beautiful," Perak agreed. "The last valley, with the small lake, that was truly something."
"Ah, that's my favourite," the older man exclaimed. "If you'd visited earlier in the year, you would have been amazed by the flowers that grow there."
The second man who had spoken frowned. "But why are you walking? It must have taken two days to get here on foot."
"Not so long," Perak replied. "It's good for you to travel by foot sometimes. You'll live longer."
"Say, if you don't mind me observing, you have an unusual accent. Where did you say you came from?"
Perak hesitated; he was hoping to avoid this subject. "I didn't, and that would be a hard question to answer, as I have moved around a lot."
"Your friends don't talk much," the third man observed. "Are you their spokesman?"
"Now, now," the older man objected, "don't pry." He turned to Perak. "Well, we're about finished here, so we should get back to work..." his voice trailed off, and he was staring hard at one of Perak's men. Perak turned to see what he was looking at, and he froze when he saw that the same idiot he had warned before had given them away. A lock of blue hair had fallen from his hat, and was dangling against his cheek. How had he not felt it there and concealed it? Perak turned back to the old man, whose face had turned white.
"What is it, Uncle?" one of the two younger men asked. Perak saw his uncle turn to him and mouth the words "blue hair" before he ripped off his shirt and began to transform, with his nephew following closely behind.
"Change!" Perak ordered, before quickly drawing a knife and throwing it at the nearest young man. The knife struck his neck, sinking deep into his throat, and the man fell to the ground, clutching the knife and blood pouring from the wound. Perak's second knife hit the neck of the third man, but was deflected by the thick scales that had already formed. He dropped the third knife he had already drawn, and began his own transformation, shifting shape as fast he could. He was fast, and was safely transformed before - the first burst of flames struck, causing some pain - as the Re
ds had hotter flames than they did - but no real damage. Two Red Dragons now stood opposite them, glaring at them with hatred. Perak cursed his luck; they should have been able to avoid any confrontation in these uninhabited forests.
Eric, Ivan! he commanded, silently communicating his thoughts telepathically. Form two groups and try and split them up.
Before Ivan and Eric could react, one of the youngsters in his group decided to take the initiative and charged, screaming like a fool. The lad sent a fireball at the Red Dragon to the left, which Perak assumed was the nephew, before springing to attack him. The Red Dragon appeared to be unfazed by the fireball, and swung a massive claw at the youngster's head as he neared. The young Blue Dragon was fast, and managed to duck underneath the attack, swiping back as he passed by his opponent and raking the Red Dragon's shoulder with his own claws. The scratches drew blood, but the Red Dragon hardly noticed, the thick scales on his shoulder preventing any real damage. The young Blue Dragon was fast and skilful, but he was playing a deadly game. The Red Dragon turned and lunged at him, slashing again with his claws, and yet again the young Blue dodged and managed to land a blow on the Red Dragon's other shoulder. He danced around him, growing in confidence as he continued to evade the stronger, but slower dragon's attacks. The Red Dragon lunged at him yet again, determined to catch him with his powerful claws and once more he dodged, but instead of retreating he then leapt forwards, jaws aimed at the Red Dragon's throat, moving for a swift kill. He was so focused on the first dragon that he never saw the attack coming from the second. The second Red Dragon had been hanging back and carefully studying the young Blue's movements, and when he saw him moving in for the kill, struck with jaw agape, seizing him by the throat. Perak had seen comrades caught in the jaws of Red Dragons once before, and knew the outcome immediately. The Red Dragon pulled his long neck and head back and upwards, lifting the young Blue Dragon clear from the ground before shaking his head violently from side to side and then tossing him forwards to land between the two groups of dragons, where he landed sprawled on his back, motionless. The younger Red Dragon stepped forwards and slashed his razor sharp claws along his exposed belly, opening a terrible wound, but it was a futile move, as the young Blue was already dead, his throat wide open and gushing bright red blood.
Becoming a Dragon Page 2