Chapter 1: The Rain

Tucked away in the corner of her house, Ariella peeked out of her window to watch the light drizzle of rain, a rare moment where she lived. The sky was always filled with dark clouds since the day she was born and even far before, a phenomenon only possible because of the Dragon who governed their region.

Some called them Gods, but Ariella found that hard to believe. To her, they were a nuisance. Beings who paraded as God and lived out their endless lives tormenting the humans who lived underneath them. For Ariella, it was an endless supply of rain, while the region down south dealt with a sun so bright it changed the landscape to that of a desert. Some regions had it better than others, but everyone was suffering under their rule.

“Mom!” Ariella yelled out.

“What is it, sweetie?” She responded from the kitchen. “I have dinner to make.”

“What would happen if a Dragon died?”

Wide-eyed and mouth agape, Ariella’s mom looked around the house, making sure no one heard the blasphemy that came out of her child’s mouth. Then, after making sure no one was outside, she rushed over to Ariella’s room. “Never ask that question again.” Her voice was stern and as heavy as a rock. “Do you understand?”

“But why?” Ariella asked innocently.

“Listen, Ariella. You may not believe it, but the rain to everyone else is a blessing. Something to worship. So hoping or even wondering what would happen if Leviathan died isn’t a question the townsfolk would appreciate. Do you understand?”

Ariella nodded her head not because she understood, but because if she didn’t, her mother wouldn’t let her go until she did. “I get it.”

Her mother sighed. “You’re blunt and say the things that come to your mind, but you’re a smart cookie, Ari. I’m not asking you to agree with what the other adults say, but words like that are taboo. It’s alright to have these thoughts, just never speak them out loud. Alright?”

“So keep them to myself?”

“Exactly,” she said with a smile. “Now then, why don’t you help me with dinner? Your father should be home any minute now, and I’m sure he’ll want a warm meal when he gets back.”

The village the family lived in was on the outskirts of the royal capital. It wasn’t large by any means, but it was positioned in the perfect location for it to be quiet enough and safe. There were rarely any monsters they had to deal with outside of the lost goblin or two every so often. However, there was an event that happened once a year that was both celebrated and scorned, and for the village Ariella lived in, it wasn’t looked upon too kindly.

“Honey,” the mother said with a smile as she looked up. “What’s wrong?” She asked, her face turning into a frown.

“They’re here,” he said, with eyes filled with worry. “And they’re asking for Ariella.”

Ariella looked from one parent to another. “What’s happening? Who’s here?” She asked.

Ariella’s mother bit her lip. “It’s too late to hide her. They’ll turn the house upside down.”

“So you’re saying we should allow them to take Ari?”

“What can we do?”

“Run away.”

Ariella’s eyes followed the conversation, but her mind couldn’t keep up. She always knew they liked to keep stuff from her, and she could only guess whatever they were talking about was one of those things. It was a pet-peeve she hated the most. She was young, but she was smart enough to catch on.

“Why run?” Ariella interrupted the argument.

“Honey,” Ariella’s dad kneeled, meeting Ariella at eye level. “Sweetie, do you remember the stories about evil people in armor taking kids away?”

Ariella nodded. “When it’s that time of year, we hide away in the house until it’s over! Is it that time of year?”

“Right,” he smiled. “It is, but this year is a little different. Do you remember the age they look for?”

“Eight!” Ariella said proudly. She had heard the story so much for as long as she could remember that she could easily recite the whole thing from start to finish.

“Yes, and how old are you?”

"Eight.”

“Cyrus,” Ariella’s mom hissed. “What do you think you’re telling her?”

“She has a right to know,” Cyrus said. “If it’s too late to hide, then it’s better she knows what’s going to happen.”

“But you make it sound like it’s the end of the world.”

“Because it is!” Cyrus snapped. “The kids they take have never returned.”

“It’s for a good cause,” she pleaded. “It’s not like I want to give up our child. That’s why I was willing to hide her, but it’s not the end.”

“The village you came from might have seen it differently, but here, not a single one has returned. They call it a draft, but we all know that’s not the case.”

“Well, what if she doesn’t get picked? We’ll be fine.”

Cyrus laughed. “She will.” His voice was filled with certainty. “You and I know that better than anyone else. Ariella is special. Not only does she by far pass any other kid in strength and speed alone, she most likely can use magic too. They might not take everyone, but they sure will take Ariella.”

“She might be better than the other kids, but it’s not by much.” Her words grew frantic as she spoke.

“Lyla,” Cyrus said in disbelief. “You know that’s not true.”

A knock at the door caused the two of them to jump just as Ariella was about to open her mouth to speak. While she appreciated how much they were talking about her, she was completely clueless what they were getting at. Sure, she was faster than Oliver and stronger than Jacob, but that was nothing to write home about.

“Is Ms. Lyla or Mr. Cyrus there? We’re here for the evaluation of Ariella.”

“What do we do?” Lyla whispered, her eyes darting to the windows, looking for an escape.

“What happened to allowing them to take Ariella?” Cyrus angrily whispered back.

“I don’t want them to take our baby,” she hissed.

“Hello! Anyone home?” The knight knocked again.

As the two of them continued to argue, Ariella quietly walked over to the door and opened it. Cyrus and Lyla snapped their heads toward the knight in horror.

Grasping the type of people the two parents were after watching them look at him in horror, the knight crouched down and, with a smile, spoke. “Are you Ariella?”

“Yes,” she responded. “Are you looking for me?”