by Amari A
Chapter 3
I lay in my bed and think about what my parents just told me. How could I be the chosen one? I just knew that this was some kind of sick joke and any minute they were going to tell me just that. But the more I think on it, the more I realize that it’s probably true. My dad was the 100th king and I was his first born daughter. In fact, I was his only child. This meant that he shouldn’t want to send me into danger! He should want to protect me at all costs! What kind of dad was he to send his only heir to the throne into danger? I’ll tell you what kind…not a good kind. That’s for sure.
I look at my wall and there are nothing but pictures of me and my mom or Brenden and me. I didn’t have any friends because we moved around so much and my dad was always on king duty, so there was really none of me with him. I look at all of the books that explain legends and all of the heroes. They all seemed brave and that they didn’t take anything from anybody. Could I be like them? Could I push aside my insecurities and be the heroine that my dad needed me to be? Dragons were supposed to be fearless and, as a princess, I was supposed to be a great leader one day. But I was so engrossed in my own issues that I never really gave anything about the kingdom much thought.
I sigh and begin to pack my clothes. I also pack my knife, some of the snacks I kept hidden in my room, a hat, and the legend book. I pull on my black t-shirt, black sweat pants, and my black boots. There was no need to wait two weeks for something that could be done right now. I grab my backpack and peek out of the room and it seems as if my parents are still asleep. I walk into the kitchen and grab the pen and pad off of the fridge to write my parents a note so they wouldn’t worry too much. I sit at the table and think about what to say.
Mom and Dad. I’ve gone off to be the heroine that everyone needs me to be. If things are already happening, then I don’t think that I can just sit around and let things keep happening. I am a princess and eventually I have to learn to stand up for my kingdom and I think that time is now. I know you may not agree, but this is something that I must do and I know that I can do it. So many heroes got their start young and I don’t have to be any different. I love you, mom and dad, and I promise to take care of myself. Semaj.
I place the note on the fridge and I walk out of the door and down the street to the park. The voodoo store is closed, so I know that I will have to pull up a portal there. I conjure one up in a secluded part of the park so I don’t draw attention to myself and step through it and I’m back in my natural habitat. I start to walk towards Brenden’s house because there is no way in the world I’m going on this journey without him. And his house is a short distance from where the portal took me to. I walk to the side of his house his window is on and I throw a rock. A short while later his window opens and he looks down at me.
“You do know that normal dragons sleep every once in a while don’t you?” he asks.
“Yeah, well, I’m not normal. Come down here,” I say as I place my backpack down on the ground.
He climbs to the window sill and jumps down. I roll my eyes because I know I know that he’s showing off and we really didn’t have time for that right now.
“What’s with the backpack?” he asks.
“I ran away because I’m going to save the dragon world,” I say.
He raises his brow. “From what?”
“I don’t know yet, but apparently I’m the chosen one.”
“But we haven’t been under attack in hundreds of years.”
“I know, but apparently strange things have been going on and it’s linked to whatever I’m supposed to do. So I need to get a jump on things.”
“What exactly are you supposed to do?”
“Save the world! Keep up Brenden!” I yell at him getting frustrated. He was acting like he just didn’t get it when I was laying it out for him plain as day. Although I had to admit I really didn’t know what I was doing either, but, I mean, how hard could it be to spot something weird?
“So how exactly are you going to save the world?” he asks.
“I don’t know, but I do know that I need your help.”
“So you want me to run away to?”
“Duh! Dragon runaway gang!”
He burst out laughing. “Okay, I’ll come with you but we are definitely not calling ourselves that.”
I roll my eyes. He was such a hater. “Fine. Whatever. Just come on.”
“Hold on. I have to pack a few things.” He changes his hands into claws and climbs back into the window as I pick my backpack back up. After a few moments, a backpack lands beside me and Brenden follows.
“What are you trying to do? Kill me?” I yell at him.
A confused expression crosses his face. “How?”
“Attack of the flying backpack!”
“My bad.”
“Okay, now come on. I’m technically missing so I know my dad probably will be sending the dragons from the palace to come find me pretty soon and I want to at least accomplish something on this mission.”
“Okay so where are we going to go?”
“To our secret spot. They won’t find us there. At least I’m hoping they won’t but since they’ve never found us out there before. I’m pretty sure we’re covered.”
“Alright come on.”
We head into the forest and make it to our spot in record time. I lay a blanket down on the ground and take a drink of bottled water and grab some chips. Brenden just lies down on the ground and stares at the sky.
“You do know that if we stay out here you’re going to have to learn how to survive off of the land.”
“And you’re trying to say I can’t?”
“I was just saying.”
“Mm hmm.”
“So you have no idea what’s going on and what we’re supposed to be looking for?”
“No, all my dad said was that strange things have been happening.”
“Well…that is true,” says Brenden.
I raise my brow. “Okay, so what’s been going on?”
“Dragons have been all of a sudden been getting stuck in their dragon form. Like they can be walking on the streets and then they’re their full dragon.”
“Wow! I haven’t seen anything like that going on.”
“Your dad cleans it up pretty fast. He has guards take them back to the castle. I don’t understand why we can’t be in our dragon form full-time anyway.”
“He says that it’s because that if people stumble across a place that they know dragons roam they will want to capture us and things like that. History and movies doesn’t give us a good track record you know.”
“Yeah I know. We’re either destroying towns, killing knights, guarding princesses in castles, or something else crazy.”
“Yep, it’s crazy, but that is the perception that people have of us.”
“So do we have a plan on figuring out what we’re going to do?”
I shake my head. “Nope we’ll figure it out in the morning. I’m tired.”
He laughs. “Good night, Semaj.”
“Good night Brenden.”