A story about Sang, the first ever female to receive the mark of a dragon. Entering a world where males reign supreme, she struggles to prove that a woman has what it takes to be a great rider. Even if the dragon she's paired with is stubborn, moody...
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Sang
After dropping off the handpicked berries to Miss Veronica's bakery, I eventually made my way to the woods to go on a stroll. The weather was average, not too hot and not too cold, so it allowed me to stay dressed in my customary black pants and t-shirt. I woke up with a bizarre feeling in my chest that was leading me out here and oddly enough, that feeling was leading me west.
If I traveled far enough, it would lead me to Xynnar Forest, a place where few in my village dared to enter. Those who did hardly ever made it out alive. If they came out alive, they were always in a poor physical state and sometimes wished they never made it.
The Xynnar forest was reserved for the wraiths, evil beings that fed on the stench of fear and helplessness in other beings. They were practically the personal guards to the gateway to hell itself. No one knew why they stayed in their own forest and never left, but whispers stated that they were cursed to live out their lives secluded from the rest of the world by the elves. Just thinking of stepping foot inside the barrier sent a chill down my spine.
The closer I got, the warm pull in my chest went at war with a deep sense of foreboding. As hard as I tried to turn around, my body refused to accommodate. It was as if I were being controlled by another being. As my journey continued, everything faded away. No longer were there sweet smelling flowers, or dew-covered grass, everything turned drab and grey. The birds no longer whistled my favorite tunes. The only thing I heard aside from my quiet footsteps was eerie silence.
I tried to remember everything I learned over the years about wraiths. Unlike the shadows, they didn't feed off of souls. They were cruel, vile creatures that killed mercilessly. They had no access to magic but they had heightened senses, along with bonus strength and speed. I never learned anything about them being able to lure humans in by taking control over one's body, so if they weren't to blame for this, what was happening to me? Did an elf or witch entrap me? I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my neck.
As I went further, I unsheathed my sword and continued through the pines and shrub, trying to ignore my shaking form. Now was not the time to be weak. Because of the giant trees and dense canopy, it was beginning to get darker as I went, making it more difficult to travel without making a sound. The warm feeling in my chest started to burn hotter and I could only assume that whatever was causing this was close by. Before I could ponder more on that theory, I heard the distinct sound of a twig snapping behind me.
My entire frame tensed. Right as the air shifted behind me, I was pushed roughly to the ground. Black spots filled my vision after my head connected with a sharp rock. I could feel something sticky and wet trickle down the side of my face.
Before my attacker could lay another hand on me, I quickly rolled to the side and jumped to my feet. The move made me nauseous, but I couldn't let my attacker gain more advantage over me so I pushed it down. With my free hand, I grabbed one of the hidden knives in my left boot and spun around to face my opponent.
