The day I was tasked with the job of watching the princess was my first day out in the real world. You see, us dragons stay out of the harsh realities until we turn 233 years old. Before we are old enough we go to Dragon schools and learn to live life outside of the confines of our Dragon Holds, but with all that schooling we never really learn to control ourselves until something gets broken. Sure, we may be adolescent crazy creatures of burning inferno but that doesn’t mean we can’t be serious every once in a while, sure we may play pranks on the elders, race through the caves, or set the Hold on fire over a dare; but that doesn’t mean we don’t learn our lesson in the end.  I guess you can say young Dragons are too dangerous to venture out into the world, but once we become that rightful age; something changes within our hearts; we are no longer the troublesome teens we used to be, we are now ready to receive tasks from rich warlords and Kings, and we become smart enough to outrun the Dragon Hunters.  In all my years learning about the outside world I prepared myself for any situation that I would be bound to come across and yet I never seemed learned about how to deal with the task that I would soon come to receive.

The day I turned of age I immediately left the compounds of the Dragon Hold and took my long journey over the volcanoes and mountains of old before I came across human settlements. The settlements were far larger than I'd ever imagined, and the people, fair tinier than the settlements. I flew overhead and watched the people who I had learned about for so long before taking a rest at the ocean’s edge. 

It was there that a man approached me, he was a bit hesitant and skittish but with an air of importance. He crossed the rocks to where I lay; under the lip of a massive cave; and there I was tasked with my first quest of my Dragon life. 

He described a small castle high up on the mountain, overlooking the 'Kingdom' as he called it. He told me the extent of my quest. He told me I was to live in the largest tower in the castle, guarding his most precious item, keeping everyone but himself away. Not knowing the true extent of men I agreed to his quest and flew to the Castle where I would reside until my quest was completed.

Not two days after my arrival the man appeared with a child. She was no more than 5 years of age, a cloak covering her face, the only part visible were her hands, gripped tight on a toy dragon. I watched silently as he led the girl to the tallest tower, which was on the opposite side of compound, far from my tower and there he said his goodbyes and left the child.

Before leaving the castle he came to me, telling me that the child is his most valued treasure. Confused, I blew a few words over the wind towards him and he turned; a small smile on his face. He solemnly told me that she cannot live in the Kingdom because of a terrible curse a witch had cast on her. Not needing any more explanation I vowed to watch the child until the day she died, my quest having been complete, and start on a new quest. Little did I know that this would be my first and last Dragon Quest that I would ever receive.

© 2015 Amber Steinbeigle. All Rights Reserved