Articulon's story: prologue

I was just a lad when this happened 14 years ago on the year 2051 but I remember it like yesterday. I was asleep in my bed one night when I woke to our door getting kicked down by bandits. I heard my dad get up to take care of them and got out of bed to help him though I couldn't do much I could try. I went into the den where I saw an overturned couch and my dad fighting the bandits but as soon as went into the room a bag went over my head and I couldn't see anything but I heard my dad yell, "No not my son you motherfuckers take me," before I heard a couple of gun shots and something slump to the floor.

The bag was taken off my head and I saw my dad laying on the floor dying. "Dad!" I yelled as I ran up to him.
"Son, come closer," he wheezed and I leaned closer to him hugging his bloody body.
"Yes father?" I asked him.
"When the first chance to run comes, take it,"
"Why father?" I asked him.

"Because I gave my life for yours but now you have to become a bandit," he said with his dying breath before his head fell backwards over my arm dead. Then the bandits took me away from my home as I cried, "Father!" along the whole way. They threw me on the ground when they arrived at their camp and they gestured for me to sleep before they went to sleep themselves. I was frightened by their silent nature that I woke up in the middle of the night and tried to run away but I was caught by one I didn't hear wake up.

The bandit drew his knife and wagged in front of face as in uh-uh and I punched him in the face causing him to drop me on the ground. I took off running into the woods and saw the bandit gave chase. I found a big stick on the ground that was shaped like a club just the right size for me. I picked it up and hid in a tree waiting for the bandit to come by and sure enough he did.

I jumped from my hiding place with the club in both of my hands and swung downwards at his head. I hit my mark right between his eyes. "Argh!" he yelled as he fell to the ground.I lifted the club above my head and smashed his head in sending blood and brains allover me and some of the surrounding brush and debris. I took off running cause I wouldn't doubt that the others heard him and come see what happened.

I was running in the woods when I saw the bark from a nearby tree was blown off and I realized I was being followed by the others. I looked behind me and sure enough they were there, then suddenly I tripped over a tree root I didn't see and landed on my face. I rollover to get up and they were upon me beating, kicking, and even cutting me. Suddenly a roar went over the entire woods and the bandits dispersed like ants.

All I heard was their screaming as I smelled something like burnt flesh as I saw a dragon emerge form the brush and give me a frightened and concerned look like a mother would give to a hurt child. The dragon walked up to me and sniffed me a few times before asking me a question.
"Are you alright?" The dragon asked and by its voice I could tell it was female.
"No, I'm not alright," I groan weakly to her.

She looked around and said, "Sorry I have to do this for in case I have to fight," before she started scooping me in her mouth. I felt her warm breath on my face as she closed her mouth and gently swallowed me whole. I landed in her stomach thirty seconds later and just laid there for I was to weak from that beating to fight back and I closed my eyes. I woke the next morning hurting, a little wet, but okay and I saw some kind of salve smeared on my wounds as I tried to get up but a voice told me to lay back down and rest.

I complied and laid back down and look to my right to see the dragon curled up next to me gently but firmly around me. "My names Michelle," she said,"What's yours?"
"My names Articulon but I'm called Atri for short,"
"Well nice to meet you Arti. And the reason why I told you not to get up was that the salve I smeared on your wounds will heal you but you can't be active for it to work," she told me.
"Alright," I complained to her.
"Just go back to sleep,"she replied to my complain and I reluctantly did.

Back to now, the door slams open disturbing me from my memory as a squire tells me I'm needed in the throne room."Alright, tell the king to hold his horses," I told him as I rose up from my bed and went into the hall.