P R O L O G U E
The ancient runes say it's been like this for as long as history goes. Women are the wise- they guide us and are said to be born with knowledge beyond reason. This knowledge surfaces at the age of fifteen, which is when they become scribes of history and teachers of math, literature and fine arts. Their all like our royalty, and their memory is preserved in their daughters. Every girl's middle name is her mothers first name, and a girl is forbidden to change her last name.
Men are the warriors. Th strong and sturdy. They protect the weonen and children over whatever dares threaten us. They guard our gates, protect livestock, but they can also be our biggest threat.
Here, in the city of Brachia, which literally means golden stone, all may be peaceful, but just beyond the borders there's a never ending war, always there, always bloody and always full of action. Why? One small reason- the Modus Stone. It is said that the holder of the stone is in ultimate power; able to control the entire human race. But if held by no one, the stone will change color, and depending on it's color it will effect a persons mood. We fight for that, because Brachia is the last place it was, but we don't even know where it is anymore. Obviously, no one believes us. So we fight.
But our warriors are not alone. On his fifteenth birthday, every boy travels to Hydra Island, where their soul dragon will come to them. But they always have to go there the day before and hide until exactly one minute before midnight. On every citizens fifteenth birthday, they go into a coma of some sort. The only way to be released is if your anima creatura, your soul creature, bonds with you. Some people have stayed in their coma for their whole lives, waiting fir their anima creatura.
Like I mentioned before, boys get dragons. Girls, however, are placed in a clear dome so massive you can't even see the ends. There is exactly one of every animal in there (besides dragons, of course). Girls will sit and wait in their coma until their soul creature is drawn to her essence.
Me?
My name is Roxanne Crescent.
Daughter of Violet Crescent.
Granddaughter of Melanie Crescent.
And I'll be fifteen tomorrow.
Gee, can't wait.
C H A P T E R 1
Is it just me, or has something gone horribly wrong?
"Roxanne! Were late!" I could hear my mother calling me, could hear her shoes loud as they ran down the spiral staircase of stone. Her fat old cat that had bonded with her in soul when she was fifteen stumbled down the stairs. His dark red tabby pelt was well groomed but he was no longer the slim tom he was when I was young. His name was Rasp, a name thats fits much more now than it did ten years ago.
"I've been ready for hours!" I growled at her as I waited by the glass door to our house, watching her cone down.
She hit close and held my shoulders in a firm grip. "I want you to know it's going to be alright," she fretted, her dark read and orange wrap and dress flowing in the slight draft. Her dark brown hair was pulled in a tight ponytail, accept for one faint curl on the edge of her forehead.
I shrugged her off and swept back my own golden hair, not done up in any way whatsoever. I tried to hide my fear. Midnight on my fifteenth birthday was mere minutes away and we hadn't even left for the creature dome, where my soul creature would awaken me from the coma I'd go into at midnight. "I'm fine. Let's go."
My mother grasped my hand tight and walked out the double doors.
Her shoes clicked on the cobblestone leading to the dome. We walked in silence. I was thinking we should have left eons earlier when the dome came into view. I breathed a sigh of relief, though it didn't last long when I heard the gong of the clock tower in the city. Midnight. Before I could say a word, my whole world went black.
* * *
Apparently a lot had happened while I was in my coma, though it didn't last long. I can imagine my mother shouting for me to come to, I can imagine her regretting leaving so late. I can imagine a crowd gathering under the dark golden sky of dawn reflecting off the dark red stones on the streets. But the most amazing thing happened when I finally awoke.
I felt like I had been struck by lightning for five minutes straight, then as if my blood had been turned to sand and was sliding through my veins. I held back a scream, though Im positive that even if I wanted to I couldnt, because my voice was paralized. I woke up to see my mother hovering over me and a crowd of shocked looking citezens standing so far away i wondered momentarily if they were even gathered around me. I propped myself on my elbow and my other hand flew to my dazed head. After a moment, I asked, how long has it been?"
"About half an hour," my mother said gently.
"How... Im not in the dome... Wheres my creature, how am I awake?" I studdered, confused as I remembered the only reason Id be able to wake up from my coma.
I froze when a strong wind blew onto my neck. But no, this was no wind. It felt more like... breath. I scrambled to my feet and turned to face the source. I almost leapt ten feet backwards when I saw him- a dragon, staring directly at me. All at once, tons of thoughts popped into my head. But as I calmed down, I noticed, the dragon was calm, his long ears folded back submissively and his green eyes tired-looking and gentle. He was definately a young one. I could tell by the shine of his scales and how clear his eyes were.
"Is he... Mine?" I gasped. My mother nodded and I became so confused. I took a step forward and outstretched my hand, touching him slightly on the nose. He pressed his muzzle into my hand and his eyes lit up. I smiled.
"Hurry dear, you must name him," My mother pressed.
I stopped and studied my new dragon. He had a long, thin body, short legs, and a pointy snout. He was black and his belly was a pale, stormy gray-blue. For the first time, I noticed his wings and tail were on fire, and I didnt feel any heat. The fire what white and clear. I studied my dragon and he wiggled his wings, which were very intimidating, pointy and massive. But he looked as though he was covered in ash. And the bushes I thought had been around here were now piles of ashes. I noticed my mother had backed up, her face red. I noticed the citezens were fanning themselves and sweating. Maybe the white fire was so intense to others, accept me and him. Any closer the people would be reduced to ashes as well.
Suddenly I knew just what to name him and I smiled, laughing to myself. "His names Asher."
