The Dragon's Keeper [PART ONE]

....THE DRAGONS KEEPER PART ONE.....

It was cold and windy, what perfect weather for a school trip, a nice long boring bus ride to the middle of nowhere. A bunch of school children slowly started to get off the bus into a large green open field, in the back of which was a stone building with a very large stone tower.

The Students milled around, as the cold wind lashed against them most of them kept together but a few like Taylor and Alex kept to themselves. Taylor and Alex almost looked like twins the same blue and white school uniform the same long blond hair with the exact same pink clip to the side, the only thing distinguishing them was Taylor had green eye and Alex had blue. Last off the bus was the teacher, he wore his brown suit lazily his dark hair tussled around as if he has just gotten out of bed.

‘Find your groups Max! Corey! Stop pulling up the grass this isn’t preschool,’ grumbled Mr Fadden brushing past Taylor and Alex ushered them to the middle of the field with the rest of the students.

Taylor lent over to Alex and hissed softly, ‘Old buildings like this scare the hell out of me Alex!’ Both of the girls jumped when a hand was clamped on their shoulders, ‘Just stay away from the dudgeon there’s been many...,...... gruesome stories! Like the mysteries missing maidens!’ Matt laughed at the two girls as Alex hit his side snarling, ‘Shut it idiot we don’t believe you! So just shut the hell up.’

The two girls shuffled away from Matt and watched as Mr Fadden handed out pieces of paper to everyone. ‘Don’t forget we are here for school we want you to jot down anything you notice about the building that is relevant to our studies in class please follow the guide and keep to yourselves ok!’ Mr Fadden straighten his jacket and smoothed his hair as he watched a red haired female walk over to the students. She was wearing a white top and grey pants with big boots on.

‘Lovely. This is the group?’ She asked looking towards Mr Fadden, he just gave her a nod he looked as interested as the students, ‘Well I’m Stella don’t be afraid to ask anything along the way!’ She smiled and began to lead the group towards the building across the clean cut green grass.

The students followed Stella, Taylor and Alex milled around the back of the group with their arms linked. Taylor squeezed Alex’s arm tightly, ‘Man that building looks spooky!’ She muffled as Alex looked towards her with a giggle, ‘That tower looks scarier imagine having to walk up all those steps!’ She started laughing and squeezed Taylors arm gently as they approached the stone cold building. It was hard to tell exactly what the building was it just seemed like an old pile of rocks that opened out into an old courtyard and the large stone tower which reminded the girls of an industrial chimney.

‘Now I’m sure you all know about the stories of this building?” begin their guide “When the King of this land was convinced that there were Dragons! So at the base of the mountain he set up the training camp to which this building belonged. It was said that the King started to get more and more paranoid as strange unexplained things began to happen like the maidens that disappeared or the library killings, all of these chilling stories were thought to be because of the dragons curse, they say the King used to look over old documents written so small that they could only be seen with a magnifying glass to help because he was so paranoid about people reading about the Dragons curse’ as the guide spoke Taylor grumbled and looked towards the open courtyard at a red painted arrow that pointed towards the long dim hall way they were all walking down. Some students murmured as the guide talked and others like Taylor and Alex clinged tightly together feeling the chills of the story.

‘Do you recon that those stories are true?’ shivered Taylor gripping Alex who was busily looking at Matt with a happy sigh, ‘Ah he’s so...um no Taylor!’ she giggled, ‘I think it was just a crazy King we have heard stories of leaders going mad and this whole Dragon curse thing is just that now relax and take in the building.’ Alex continued to walk dragging Taylor along who really didn’t want to keep walking.

They entered a small room which had rows and rows of books piled on top of each other. The smell of musty books hit their noses, Taylor stayed at the back of the room as the guide said they could take a look around before the rest of the tour giving the students time to jot down what they had thought about the buildings.

‘You don’t really believe these stories do you Taylor? Normally you’re the logical one.’ Blinked Alex looking towards Matt again with a happy sigh as Taylor went off topic, ‘You’re a stalker you know that right?’ she laughed at Alex before a page caught her eye from an old book. She slowly crouched down grabbing the yellow piece of paper that was wedged under a book with a Native American tepee on the cover Taylor laughed slightly since Native Americans would have been in the wrong area and the wrong time for this building. She picked up the piece of paper and frowned as she read it.

‘Dragon of might dragon of beauty the curse will live on this the cruelty of the pendent.’

Taylor raised an eye brow whispering ‘Does that even rhyme?’ she quickly stood up as the guide stood behind her, ‘Does what Rhyme?’ she asked, ‘Aum nothing!’ smiled Taylor as she followed the group out of the room.

They walked into the courtyard towards the large tower more red arrows leading them away from the hallway. The group stopped and looked up at the looming tower. ‘Amazing isn’t it?’ asked Taylor with a soft sigh as she watched Alex who was still ogling over Mat so Taylor just talked to herself.

The group was ushered into the foyer of the tower. The guide went on about another boring story about the loopy king but Taylor was too distracted by the stairs leading under the tower. Taylor looked towards the piece of paper hanging out of her pocket, she shoved it in deeper as the guide started to walk up the stairs.

Taylor milled around as Mr Fadden and Alex pushed past her, ‘Ahm I’m feeling a little sick I might stay down here.’ She said softly, Mr Fadden nodded, Alex was already trailing behind Matt. Taylor snuck down the stairs slowly. Her heart raced, she took each step carefully as it disappeared into the dim darkness of the walls. She pressed her lips together feeling her heart race faster looking back up at the Towers foyer before she finally made it down into a large dim room.

She squinted into the darkness barely able to see anything but something pulled her along even though she wanted to scream and run up the stairs. She stopped as something caught her eye a gently glinting light towards the side of the large dark room. She slowly walked over and crouched down looking though a key hole she saw a soft glinting. With her heart racing a million miles an hour she slowly tried to open the door but it was locked. She sighed softly and stood back up walking slowly over towards the stairs before a silver shine caught her eye again. She squinted her eyes slightly walking over and scooping up the pendent looking a glinting green emblem of a dragons face carved onto it, it even looked as if the dragon had Scales on its face it was so detailed. She stood up quickly shoving the pendent in her pocket and rushing back up the stairs as her name was called. She managed to get to the landing just as the group was walking down.

‘Come on Taylor it’s time to leave.’ Smiled Alex as she grabbed Taylors arm, she was staying quiet being lead away from the tower as Alex went on about the room at the top for the tower and how it reminded her of Rapunzel. Alex continued to talk but Taylor was off in her own little world. As they approached the bus everyone began handing there pages to Mr Fadden and they piled back on the bus for the rest of the trip home. Taylor stayed quiet thinking about the necklace in her pocket.

DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Taylor woke up the next day to the buzzing of her phone vibrating against the wood floor. Lazily she slumped over the edge of her bed and looked down at the name on her phone, she picked it up sleepily, ‘Hey Alex,’ She yawned

‘Taylor! Are you still asleep you haven’t forgotten about the park day have you!’ Squealed Alex on the other end of the phone as Taylor spoke quietly, ‘What? Oh yea how could I forget my mum has been going on about since last month.’

‘Right well get your ass down here I’ll meet you by the fountain.’ The line went dead as Alex hung up and Taylor groaned, rubbing her eyes tiredly she slumped out of bed and threw on her clothes, lazily slipping her belt though her jeans, she skipped down the stairs holding onto the rail before she paused slightly. She walked into the lounge room as something jumped out at her screaming, ‘BOGGITY BOO!’ Taylor fell backwards screaming before she realized it was just her little brother Damien in a stupid scary mask that mother had obviously thrown on him, ‘God Damien your suck an annoying little brat!’ She growled and got up off the floor walking into the laundry watching her mother loading up the washing machine,

‘Oh Taylor do you mind taking Damien down to the park to meet his friends for the festival?’ She asked loading in Taylors uniform Taylor squealed grabbing her skirt out of her mother’s hands and took the pendent out of the pocket but forgot about the paper.

‘Uh yea sure!’ She quickly darted out of the laundry shoving the pendent and her phone into her back pocket and walking out into the lounge room grabbing Damien’s arm and tugging him along with a grumble as she left the house listening to Damien drain on and on about the stupid festival.

‘And hey did you know that the festival brings in people for all over the world!’

‘Yes Damien I know! I’ve been to this festival way more times than you have it’s just a stupid bunch of people dressed up as even more stupid dragon costumes and even more stupid events from back in the ages,’ Taylor sighed and continued to walk towards the busy park the loud music.

Damien ran off over the bridge towards the moving mass of people laughing and sitting on the grass with their picnics. Taylor slowly walked over to the middle of the arched bridge and lent her elbows on the wood rails pulling the pendent out of her pocket and twirled it around in her fingers before she felt something nudge her side and she jumped slightly dropping the necklace into the water she squealed listening to the water splash.

‘Hey It’s just me’ Laughed a voice behind her and Taylor recognised it as Alex, she turned around and wrapped her arms around Alex’s shoulders in a tight hugs, ‘Heya! Sorry I didn’t see you coming I just dropped a...rock’ She paused a little and watched Alex’s confused expression, ‘I thought we were going to meet at the fountain?’ Grumbled Alex

‘Yea sorry I got distracted by Damien,’ She laughed as she was tugged along by Alex towards a patch of grass, a bunch of people started dancing around in brightly coloured dragons masks and costumes, Taylor thought it reminded her of Chinese new year.

The two girls sat down under a tall tree leaning against the trunk as they watched all the people dancing around in silly costumes,

‘Hey do you remember that History excursion?’ Asked Taylor looking up at the sky though the trees branches as a soft wind made the clouds pass by quickly.

‘What? Oh yea that was just yesterday remember, god I love Fridays’ said Alex as she looked into the crowd of people trying to pick out a guy she thought looked hot. ‘Why do you bring it up?’ Asked Alex as she finally spotted a guy before drawing her eyes away and looking at Taylor who was mindlessly gazing up at the sky,

‘Nothing, forget about it, hey do you think that cloud looks like a pyramid?’ laughed Taylor as Alex stood up brushing the back off her dress off she dragged Taylor around behind her and she walked though he crowd of people looking at each of the street performers that were set up on the grass. people huddled around them in circles throwing coins at them,

‘Lets go see my sister!’ laughed Alex as they barged though a group of people looking at a tall man wearing jeans and a top holding a bow and arrow in his hand looking at a girl with an apple balancing on her head the girl was dressed up like a show girl.

‘Oh my god that’s not....your sister is insane.’ Laughed Taylor looking at Alex who had her eyes glued on her sister. The archer took his aim, pulling the bow back he quickly let go sending the arrow spike into the apple and straight off the woman’s head. She turned to the crowd and took a bow starting to set up for their second act pulling out a jacket with padlocks and chains on it.

Alex cheered out her sisters name, ‘Go Ariana you’re the best!’ She laughed but Taylor was off in her own world staring at a few people dancing around in the long green sparkling dragons costume, before she could turn around Taylor saw a big black shadow behind her she almost screamed but then she realized it was one of the dancers. The person in the costume swayed around Taylor as she stayed quiet watching him before the mask spoke,

‘I think you dropped something in the pond girly!’ he pulled out the necklace placing it in Taylors palm she looked at it dripping in her hand before it dried off right in front of her eyes, ‘It looks special you might not want to lose it’ Before Taylor could open her mouth to speak the dragon masked person danced away. Taylor slowly turned around and looked at Alex who finally gave her some attention,

‘Hey what..’ She was quickly cut off by Taylor,

‘No it’s ok!’ she giggled as the two walked around for the rest of the day looking at all the stalls. The two girls finally made it out of the park walking back to Taylor’s house. Alex went on about something stupid and Taylor zone out. Alex continued to walked along playing with a pin wheel she had bought at the fair she gave Taylor a hug and left her at her house, ‘I’ll text you later I have to go help dad out with his stupid car thing hey what are you going to do with Damien?’ she started laughing thinking Taylor completely forget about Damien but Taylor just smiled,

‘He’s staying at a friend’s,’ Taylor yawned but she had so much in her mind thinking about the random guy who gave the pendent back to her. She walked back into her house and upstairs to her room rushing over to her desk and clicking her computer on. She held the pendent in her hand twirling it in her fingers with a frown as she opened up a new internet window typing before she stumbled across the page

‘1922 Dragon pendent’

Taylor blinked slightly and read on,

‘The rumours about the dragon pendent are that the troubled king at the time admitted to thinking the pendent had a control over dragons and kept it locked up trying to destroy it.’

Taylor paused slightly and looked down at the pendent in her hand hearing her door creek open,

‘Taylor?’ Her mother poked her head into her door and Taylor quickly slipped the necklace into her lap and closed the internet window she looked back smiling, ‘Ah hey what’s up?’ She asked tucking the necklace away and getting up from her desk, ‘I was wondering if you were hungry,’ She asked softly before Taylor fell on her bed closing her eyes tightly, ‘No I was thinking about getting some sleep long day.’ She smiled and rolled over falling asleep.