Chapter 1: The Missing Flame

Elara's Pov

“Be careful, girl,” hissed Master Rolan, the head steward, his face always frowning. “That’s not just any burn mark; it’s from his claws. Handle it with care.”

The Kingdom of Emberfire buzzed with light and sound as the annual Dragon Festival kicked off. Bright banners hung from the city streets, colorful flames lit up the sky, and dragons of all sizes flew gracefully above. But inside the royal palace, I focused on scrubbing the last burn mark from the floor near Ignis’s enclosure, my back sore from all the work.

I held back a response and kept scrubbing. Ignis, the royal dragon, was the king’s pride, symbolizing Emberfire’s strength and unity. However, to me, he was a cranky creature who always craved attention and cooked meat. Even though I secretly liked him, I still didn’t enjoy cleaning up after him.

Once the floor was clean, I straightened up, my hands red and sore. A low growl came from Ignis’s chamber. I looked back at the heavy iron gate. Dragons were meant to be loyal, but Ignis often got into trouble, even as a royal dragon.

“Stay out of trouble, okay?” I whispered as I set aside my cleaning tools.

As night fell, I headed to my small room. The festival sounds echoed faintly through the stone walls, reminding me of a world I could only watch from afar. As a maid for the royalty, I saw the palace's beauty but never truly belonged.

A sudden, distant roar made me stop.

My stomach tightened. Dragons could be loud, but this roar was different—wild, feral, and completely wrong. I dashed down the slick floors. The roar came again, louder and sharper. It came from Ignis’s chamber.

When I arrived, chaos was everywhere. Guards were gathered near the enclosure, shouting and pointing at the wide open iron gate. Inside, the chamber was empty. Ignis was gone.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice shaky.

Master Rolan’s face was pale. “He’s gone,” he stammered. “The beast has vanished. This is treason.”

I stepped into the enclosure, looking at the mess. Deep claw marks were carved into the stone floor, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Something shiny at the back of the chamber caught my eye. I crouched down and picked up a dragon scale, shiny and colorful, but not like Ignis’s deep red color.

“What’s this?” I asked softly, holding it up.

Rolan took it from me quickly, narrowing his eyes. “This doesn’t belong here.”

“It’s not Ignis’s,” I said. “But how—”

Before I could finish, the sound of armored boots echoed down the hallway. King Alden appeared, his green cloak flowing behind him. His presence hushed the room. Young, stern, and commanding, Alden was exactly the ruler his kingdom needed, yet I noticed a hint of doubt in his eyes.

“What’s going on, what did you do?” he asked, his voice colder than a winter night.

“Your Majesty,” Master Rolan bowed, stuttering, “Ignis... has been stolen. We are still figuring out the details...”

“Stolen? From this palace?” Alden’s eyes narrowed. “How could a dragon like Ignis disappear from the heart of the palace without anyone noticing?”

Rolan stumbled over his words. Holding the cleaning rag tightly, I took a step forward before I thought better of it.

“I found this,” I said, showing the scale.

Alden quickly looked at her, clearly evaluating. He took the scale, his fingers lightly touching mine, which sent a shock through me, but his face showed no emotion.

"This isn't Ignis's," he said, turning the scale in his hand. "Whose is it?" Before anyone could respond, a guard rushed into the room.

"Your Majesty, we found tracks leading to the eastern gate. They were burned away, but not perfectly." Alden tensed. "Burned away? Someone tried to hide their escape." He looked at Rolan. "Increase the guards at every entrance. Lock down the palace. No one leaves until we find Ignis."

"Yes, Your Majesty." As the guards began to follow orders, Alden looked at me again. "You," he said.

My breath caught. "Me?"

"You were here last. Did you notice anything?" "No, Your Majesty. I finished cleaning and left." He examined me for a moment more, then nodded. "You’ll come with me tomorrow to inspect these tracks." "Me?" I said, surprised.

"You found this scale," he said, holding it up. "That makes you part of this now."

Before I could argue, he left the room, his cloak a blur of green and gold. The room emptied quickly, leaving me alone in the wreckage of Ignis's chamber. My heart raced as I looked at the empty spot where the dragon should be. Suddenly, the scale in my hand started to glow softly, a gentle hum coming from it. I froze. The sound was only loud enough for me, deep in my chest like a call. Before I could think more, a chilling voice echoed from the shadows.

As I turned to leave, something cold rushed past me, even though the chamber had no windows. The torches flickered, and for a moment, I thought I heard a voice calling my name.

"Elara." "You shouldn’t have seen that."

That was all I caught as I tried to move toward the exit, my heart pounding loudly. I rushed into the corridor, desperate for light and safety from the guards. But the corridor felt like a wall, just as I was about to shout for a guard. But I was hit with something I can't seem to describe.I felt a sudden pain at the back of my head and then blacked out.