Avalon pulled her travel cloak tighter making her way towards the tavern she works at since she was able to when she was a young girl of sixteen years.
Her bright ember eyes scanned around her small village seeing the rich deep red cobblestone homes awaken in the early light of day, feeling the cold air breeze through her thin cloak, making haste towards the taverns warmth.
Entering the local tavern, the warmth from the open fireplace warmed her slim, petite frame. Shaking off the coldness from being outside, Avalon headed towards behind the bar to start her shift placing her cloak and small bag hidden underneath away from prying eyes. “Hello, Ava.” Avalon looked up briefly giving a small smile to her only friend Jaylen. “Hello, Jaylen. How was your night?” Jaylen smiled with a sparkle shinning in her bright eyes when they both heard a sound from near the entrance of the tavern, seeing many folks enter and taking their seats laughing and enjoying themselves.
“Oh, my night was great, especially when Fredrick told me he heard from his neighbour that the royal king was searching each village for people who bare the dragons marking.” Jaylen whispered, leaning towards Avalon who gave her a worried look knowing she, herself bares a dragon marking.
Avalon shook her head gently pushing her friend and told her to get back to work watching Jaylen laugh and taking orders from the men and woman who entered the tavern. “Hello, can we get a few pints of ale?” Avalon nodded and started on making the drinks, passing them to the man who asked her, and taking the gold coins from the patron, placing them into the jar under the bar.
The evening was getting busy with many more folks walking in and taking a rest from the cold evening air. She was washing the glasses behind the bar when the doors of the tavern opened and the room became silent when everyone saw four men enter, wearing dark armor clothing with dark chain mail underneath. She knew who these knights were, and she prayed they are only here to rest before heading off towards Valerius Kingdom.
“Hello? How can I help you gentlemen?” Avalon softly spoke out, placing the rag over her shoulder facing them with interest and worry in her eyes.
“We are looking for Lady Avalon Kingsley.” Avalon stared them all in the eyes, wondering what they want from her and why they were here all sudden.
Her eyes widen slightly, wondering if Jaylen’s friend was right and the king sent his men out to search for those who bares the dragon markings.
“May I ask why you wish to speak with her?” Avalon’s voice was steady wishing her heart to slow down and not give herself away.
“A woman from the local orphanage told us about Avalon and that she bares the markings. Our king wishes to speak with the young woman, and he sent us to retrieve her.” Avalon shook her head sighing with agitation, cursing the old hag at the orphanage telling this men her business.
“Well, if the king wishes to speak with her, then he must head east of this village and head towards the old roads leading towards the outskirts where a small cottage resides. She will be there tomorrow waiting.” Avalon strongly told them, watching them leave with grace knowing these men could have used their dragon magic and forced her to go with them.
She let out a heavy sigh, wondering if she was right to allow the king to her home she built with the resources of the forest around her home.
“Ava, are you alright?” Avalon jumped slightly, startled from Jaylen’s worried filled voice.
“Yes, I am alright.” Avalon said, giving her friend a tight smile, hiding what she truly felt about tomorrows problem with the royal king himself.
An hour later, Avalon left in the middle of night puling her hood of her travel cloak over her head, hiding herself encase the dragon knights were to follow her back to her cottage and away from the village folk.
She took the long way to her cottage away from the main road that leads to the outskirts of her village. She felt relieved to see her home up ahead, and with a wave of her hand she was able to defrost the snow from her porch.
She pulled her hood down, showing her soft feminine features with her wild long auburn hair held back by a ribbon to keep her hair away from her face while she worked.
She carefully, scanned around her surroundings, sensing the area for any magic nearby. When nothing came back, she entered her home, wordlessly setting the protection barrier with a wave of her hand, settling down in her bedroom after changing into a long night gown, reaching below her knees, and brushing her wild hair for her nighttime routine.
Laying and tucked into bed, Avalon closes her eyes to see the only beautiful thing her heart yearns for ever since he came into her dreams as a child, feeling alone in the orphanage knowing she was different from the rest of the children with untapped dragon magic she learned to control over the years.
Avalon was startled awake from a loud banging noise coming from the front door. She placed her hand above her racing heart, getting out of bed with her eyes closed, spreading out her senses, when she felt a few strong presence outside.
She jumped slightly from hearing the loud noise once again, and she quickly dressed into a warm pair of brown trousers and a white long sleeve tunic hiding her sliver dragon marking on her right arm.
“Lady Kingsley?” a loud male voice spoke from behind the wooden door, Avalon was briskly making her way to open the door slightly to see a tall gentlemen staring down at her with narrow pale blue eyes wearing the regal royal clothing of Valerius.
She blinked her eyes slowly staring at the man who was giving her soft smile with happy creases in the corners of his eyes, telling her he was happy.
“Are you lady Kingsley?” Avalon opened her door wider letting the man enter while his knights all stood outside keeping anyone from entering.
“Yes, my name is Avalon Kingsley, you’re majesty.” Avalon softly said, showing the young king towards her sitting room. “Please have a seat, and I will be back with some refreshments.” Avalon left the room to make some tea for her guest.
She came back carrying the tray of tea with two teacups with milk and sugar cubes, placing the tray down onto the table she began to make the tea and hand over a teacup towards the king himself.
“Ah, thank-you Avalon.” The young king softly thanked her taking a sip of his tea black. “Now, Avalon. I want you to be honest with me, do you bare a dragon’s marking?” Avalon stared the young king in the face, knowing she will have to trust him with her secret.
“I do.” Garrison stared at the young woman before him with dragons magic surrounding her and he can sense she would be a formidable opponent within the Dragon Knighthood of his kingdom.
“Well, my dear. What do you know of your dragon magic?” He calmly stated, watching her with a curious look, wondering what she can do with her magic.
Avalon sighed behind her teacup, taking a small sip before she raised her hand palm opened and letting her senses take effect, showing a bit of what she can do with her magic. “Inhale deeply my heart, and exhale slowly and let the cold take form.” Avalon did exactly what her male companion whispered in her mind, and she took a deep breath in and slowly letting it out her cool breath turning cold, showing the bits of frost on the tips of her fingers.
Garrison watched with amazement, seeing her freeze her hand with the touch of her breath and he knew right away this young woman wielded the powers of an ice dragon. “Well, my dear. Seems to me you are the wielder of a very power dragon indeed.” Avalon shook her hand to rid it from the cold frost, knowing this already.
“Seems lady Kingsley, it would be best for you to come with me back to castle and start your training right away.” Avalon tilted her head back and forth wondering if it would be good for her to join the ranks of the dragon knighthood. “My heart, we will meet soon. Go with the king and learn all you can. The moment we will meet, we will be as one, my heart.” Avalon listened to the strong voice she grew to love over the years, knowing this man was her better half and her dragon counterpart.
“Alright, I will go pack what I can, and I will meet with you outside, your majesty.” Garrison smiled feeling joyful, knowing he was able to convince the young ice warrior to join the ranks of his warriors.
Stepping outside Garrison watched his fellow knights knowing each of these men are soul bonded with there dragon-shifters.
“My Lord, are we leaving?” Garrison smiled at the knight who spoke to him, feeling the giddiness of what is to come with the ice wielder. “Ah, yes we will be leaving shortly with lady Kingsley.” Garrison chirped out happily, watching his knights call forth their dragons to help take them back to the kingdom.
Avalon stepped out with a small travel bag attached to her belt with her travel cloak wrapped around her, when she gasped seeing four very powerful dragons of different colour land before everyone.
They were all very majestically beautiful, and she felt excited to start her knew journey to understanding who she is as dragon knight and finding out the truth of her past and about who her birth parents were and why they had abandoned her all those years ago.
She carefully climbed behind the one of the dragon knights who helped her to sit correctly with her arms tightly wrapped around their waist with one final roar from the dragon they took flight heading towards her new destiny and life within the walls of Valerius.
Sienna Redstone
