Dragon's Tears
Chapter 1

Serenica slowly opened her eyes and looked around her bedroom. Everything was the same as it had been in dream. The only difference was the small wooden bed on the adjacent wall. Glancing in that direction, she heard the even breaths of her sixteen-year-old sister, Adrianna, as she slept peacefully.

Exhaling in confusion, Serenica understood that it was just a dream, and shook the cloudiness out of her wearied mind. This childhood dream continued to visit her more and more and she was perplexed as to why she kept reliving the same scenario night after night, as if it were stuck on repeat. The memory was just a simple kid’s tale her mother had told her and her sister many times, one story of many. There was nothing special about it, so why is she reliving it more and more lately?

A yawn escaped her lips as she looked out the nearby window. The sun had not risen yet, and darkness still concealed everything around her. The crackling of the fireplace in the next room filled her ears, and the slight smell of the smoke emitting from it burned her nostrils. Sighing deeply, she adjusted her pillow, and threw her arm over her eyes in frustration. She knew she needed to get back to sleep and prepare herself for the new day. The thought of the upcoming day caused a wide smile to fill her face, and her body trembled in anticipation. Today was the day of the Harvest Moon Celebration, an annual village festival that paid tribute to the God Adros. Each year, they performed prayers and tasks in an attempt to appease the God and ensure successful harvests for the following year. Her heart raced, and she found herself suppressing a scream of excitement for the festival that was to come. This year, Serenica played a main part in the events, and she couldn’t wait to begin the day.

Repressing her enthusiasm, Serenica attempted to calm herself down, then slammed her eyes closed to go back to sleep. However, her adrenaline had other ideas, and she opened her eyes and began to scan the shadowy world outside her bedroom window. In the cool night wind, the black trees in the distance were blowing. The swaying leaves emitted a subtle sound that helped sooth and calm the overwhelming anticipation that filled her. The fragrance of her mother’s flower garden filled the room, and it was a comforting scent that reminded her of the same evening she dreamed about in her childhood. Slowly, her eyes narrowed, and her eyelids became heavier as she endeavored to fall back to sleep. The eager thoughts of hunting the game they would use for the evening’s festival filled her head as sleep befell her.

* * *

“Serenica, you need to wake up! The hunters are here and waiting for you to hunt the food for the festival.” The voice of her mother broke her dreams as she felt her body being lightly rattled.

Serenica peered through her partially opened eyes and yawned loudly. The sunlight filled up her small bedroom, infusing color and life into the same scenery she looked at just hours ago. She rolled onto her side and stretched her tense muscles.

The woman before her looked almost ethereal, with her long black hair contrasting with her long white dress. Serenica’s mother, Aranayia Lockwood, was an oracle; she would have visions that would predict future events. Throughout her Serenica’s life, she had only seen her mother devote her skills to improving Aihorane and the lifestyles of its people. Ahoraine had been Aranayia’s home sine she had fallen in love with a farmer named Norman Lockwood; the two of them had married and moved to the small country village of Ashbourne. There, they had two children, Serenica Marie and Adrianna Rylin.

Her mother’s words, now fully registered in her mind, caused her breath to buckle in her throat. Butterflies filled her chest as anxiety filled her at the thought of being late for the hunt. Serenica jumped out of bed so fast that she missed her footing and collapsed into a heap on the floor. She scrambled off the floor, put on her leather pants and white tunic, and quickly pulled her long brown hair into a bun. Groans of impatience filled her body as she swiftly put on her boots and leather vest. Once dressed, she hurriedly attempted to leave the room when she was stopped by her mother who blocked the doorway.

“Mom, I’m going to be later than I already am if you don’t move out of my way!” Serenica grumbled impatiently as she threw her hands on her hips, opened her mouth to say something, as she observed at her mother.

Aranayia just stood and grinned at her daughter, as she stood there impatiently with her hands on her hips, her face turning red with anger. A few minutes into their stalemate, a strange feeling filled Serenica’s body as she looked carefully at her mother. Aranayia stood in the doorway her mouth twitching and her body shook as she attempted to suppress her laughter. Serenica sucked in her breath, closed her mouth, and a blush of embarrassment coated her face when she finally understood that her mother had been deceiving her.

“They aren’t here yet, are they?” Serenica asked through gritted teeth as she eyed her mother’s facial expression suspiciously.

Aranayia finally released the laugh that she had been holding in. Tears fell from her eyes through the giggles as she gripped her sides to contain the pain of laughing so hard.

Serenica paled and stared at her mother with her mouth agape in disbelief, she sat there dumbfounded staring at her mother who was giggling like a child. Closing her mouth, Serenica stood there with a stern expression. But, no matter how hard she tried to remain firm in her stance, she ultimately couldn’t resist her mother’s laugh and eventually joined in with her. “No, they are not here yet, but breakfast is ready, and I’d like you to eat before you leave in a little while,” Aranayia answered through her giggling.

Serenica nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. She wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulder, and they left the bedroom, entering the small family kitchen. The smell of eggs filled her nostrils, and she looked around at her comfortable home. Aranayia had done everything she could to make the small, four-room house homely for the four of them. The kitchen had a small fire pit in the back, and on the small grate that stood over the fire, a kettle of water boiled. A loud hiss filed the air as the steam began to evacuate through the small hole, causing Aranayia to hurriedly remove it. Next to the stove lay a few buckets of fruits and vegetables lay upon a small counter space they used for meal preparation. Located in the center of the room sat a small wooden square table covered with four settings of fruit. One of the seats was currently occupied by her father, Norman Lockwood.

“Serenica,” Norman said in a stern tone. His brown eyes looked at her, and he seemed to be trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

Serenica looked over at her father, the tone he used was enough to make her nervous. She gulped nervously then took a seat at the table across from him. Saying nothing, she stared at him and carefully viewed his features. Norman had tanned skin, and wrinkles lined his face due to his long hours in the sun. His hands were coarse and full of callouses. He had his long brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail. An old brown hat covered the top of his head, and it complemented his loose-fitting brown tunic and pants. Clothing that was comfortable, perfect for any farmer.

“Yes, Dad?”

Norman cleared his throat and looked at her with an impassive expression. Serenica became more anxious at his posture, thinking she had done something that warranted a lecture. She continued to stare at him wondering what she had done when he surprised her by unexpectedly smiling from ear to ear.

“Good luck on the hunt today. I’m extremely proud of you, and I am sure you will accomplish everything you have set out to do. You have worked so hard to hone your hunting skills, and it has paid off. Today, you will get to prove yourself even more, with being chosen Shikari and all. You are a hard worker and determined, which will help you ensure your success tonight.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she said in a relaxed tone. She grabbed her fork and took a few bites of her food, suddenly a knock on the door drew her attention.

Aranayia answered it and smiled widely at the man standing on the other side. The blonde hair and blue eyes of Serenica’s best friend, Tristan Whitlock, ignored Aranayia and stared at Serenica with a calm demeanor. The four of them stood there silently for a few minutes until Tristan eventually realized that he had ignored her parents. Embarrassed, the red shade he turned contrasted with his hair, and he cleared his throat.

“Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood. Happy Harvest Moon celebration.” Smiling, he gave them a slight bow.

“Good Morning Tristan, I see you are becoming more familiar with the customs of Ashbourne. I’m glad to see you stayed around after the girls nursed you back to health,” Norman replied with a proud nod.

An uncomfortable blush filled his cheeks as his mind though about the past three years that he has been living in Ashbourne. Serenica had found him injured in the woods, brought him back to her house and her family had nursed him back to health. He broke his thought and nodded at Norman. “Thank you Mr. Lockwood, I am glad I did as well. I really like it here.” He turned to face Serenica who was shoving eggs and fruit in her mouth as fast as she could chew, and chuckled. “Are you ready to leave Serenica? The hunters are waiting for us.”

Serenica nodded, shoved one more bite of food in her mouth, jumped up, and grabbed her bow and quiver. She kissed her parents on the cheek and ran out the door.

With a slight chuckle, Tristan turned and faced her parents. “Have a great day today. I will see you this evening at the celebration,” he stated with a nod as he left the house and shut the door behind him. Bringing his pace to a light jog, Tristan managed to catch Serenica. Together they followed the group of hunters who entered the woods in search for the feast they would consume during the celebration.

“We have our work cut out for us today, we have to fill the tables for everyone including guests who are here for the celebration. We really should focus on killing a few different types of game,” Serenica stated as she looked at the nine men and women who surrounded her waiting for their orders.

“Ok, the group splitting up would be in our best interests. There are ten of us. How about we do three groups of two and one group of four?” Tristan suggested.

The Hunters agreed with the suggestion and the ten of them split into smaller groups. The larger group would be responsible for killing any larger game, while the smaller groups would kill deer or rabbit. With their mission in mind, the groups of hunters disappeared into the woods, leaving Tristan and Serenica alone.

“Shall we get going, My Lady?” He asked jokingly as he bowed to her.

Serenica rolled her eyes at his cheesiness and chuckled. “We shall,” she said as she walked towards the woods.

Serenica couldn’t help but admire the scenery as she walked through the woods. The green leaves flowed with the wind, and the limbs blew in the breeze. The smell of pine infiltrated their noses the deeper they got into the woods, giving it a very peaceful and relaxing feeling. They slowly walked as they looked on the ground for any potential trails of smaller game, such as deer or rabbits.

Kneeling down, Serenica looked at a potential rabbit hole and frowned, it may have been a rabbit’s home once, but not any longer. She looked around and saw nothing else of interest. Standing to her feet she looked over at Tristan. His blue eyes were furrowed in confusion as if he had a lot going through his mind which baffled her. He was usually reserved with his feelings, but she could normally figure out what he was thinking. However, today she couldn’t understand what was bothering him.

“You ok?” She asked.

His head nodded yes, but his eyes told her there was something on his mind, something that he wasn’t ready to talk about. She tensed a little thinking maybe he was going to leave Ashbourne, but dismissed the thought. The two of them had grown close in the past three years since she had found him and nursed him back to health. She knew she was in love with him, and she thought he felt the same way.

Shaking off the feelings, she figured it was best to let him work through whatever he was internally struggling with as she hiked deeper into the woods. Suddenly she jerked back and was spun to face Tristan. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, wrapping her arms around him she returned his kiss until he pulled away.

“Well, that was unexpected,” she said with a smirk. He gave her a small smile, took a deep breath, then grabbed her hands. Tristan cleared his throat and looked at her with an unreadable expression. His cheeks were red, and sweat beaded down his forehead.

She looked down at their interlocking fingers, suddenly, a small dip in the dirt caught her eye. She brushed past him with her eyes firmly on the ground as she studied the potential prints in the dirt. “A deer trail,” she pointed out with excitement in her voice. Jumping to her feet, she headed in the direction of the hoof prints. Tristan’s lips tightened into a thin line as he disappointedly followed her with his eyes, shook his head in exasperation, then followed her deeper into the woods.

The two continued to follow the trail for what seemed like forever until they finally reached a small clearing. Stopping in her tracks, she appreciated the fact that they were down wind as she looked straight across from her. “Shhh,” she whispered as she motioned to him with her finger over her mouth. She quietly pointed across the woods to a few deer drinking from a stream.

“I take the left one, and you take the right?” Tristan whispered as he pulled his bow off his shoulder.

She nodded in agreement, took her bow, and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. She lined up the shot and nodded her readiness.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Shoot,” Tristan whispered as they both released their arrows. The two held their breath as their arrows charged through the air at their targets. Both of their shots hit their targets, but only Serenica’s kill fell to the ground and died instantly.

“Nice shot,” she chuckled as she looked at the spot where his wounded deer ran into the woods.

Tristan blushed in embarrassment and took off toward the woods following the blood trail that his deer left behind. “I’ll be back. Work on your kill,” he ordered as he ran out of her view.

Serenica chuckled at his awkwardness, then walked over to the deer she had killed. She yanked the arrow out of its head and took a deep breath. She reached into her pack, pulled out a large rope, tied the deer’s legs up, and threw the rope’s end over a sturdy branch. Grunting, she struggled, but she pulled the deer off the ground. She tied the rope to a nearby tree and took a second to catch her breath. Then she got to work removing the entrails of her kill.

While she was yanking the fur off the dead deer, the sounds of incoming footsteps caught her attention. A heavily breathing Tristan walked up with his deer over his shoulders, the arrow still lodged in its gut. His cheeks were red and fatigue filled his eyes, he had an annoyed expression his face that caused Serenica to giggle. “You know you could have asked for help in carrying it back, you don’t have to be so stubborn.” She acknowledged as she rolled her eyes.

Tristan threw the deer to the ground by a different tree and collapsed to catch his breath. “If you want to help so bad, feel free to skin this one,” he retorted sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

“I’ve got my own deer to skin, but I will help you when I have wrapped up here,” she countered.

After the redness faded from his cheeks, and his breathing steadied, Tristan finally stood and lifted the deer by its hind legs the same way Serenica had. He carefully began to remove the skin and the insides as she focused on chopping her deer up, throwing the meat into a sack.

“Are you ready for tonight oh great Shikari? It’s not every day you get to show off your archery skills for the entire town, determine if they will live in luxury or starvation the following year,” he joked.

“I hope I’m ready, it is a lot to live up to, I just hope I don’t choke,” she replied.

Tristan chuckled quietly. “You won’t, you are one of the best shots in this village and I’m pretty sure you could light the fireworks with your eyes closed.”

Rolling her eyes, Serenica stopped cutting the meat off the ribs and looked towards the sky blankly.“I hope you are right,” she mumbled so quietly he couldn’t hear her.With a deep sigh, she continued to remove the remaining meat from the bones, tossing it into a sack. Once her deer was complete, she threw the fur into a different sack and turned to help Tristan. Together, they worked efficiently as they finished preparing his deer to take back to the village so they can be used for the festivities.

Tristan looked up at the sky and back to Serenica. “We should head back; the villagers will need time to cook this meat.”

“Agreed, let’s head back, dusk will be here before we know it,” she answered.

The two of them picked up their sacks and tossed them over their shoulders and strolled back in the direction of Ashbourne.

“What are you going to do the rest of the evening.?” Tristan asked her.

Serenica shrugged her shoulders and looked at the setting sun. “I think I’ll take a bath and a nap before the ceremony,” she answered calmly.

They exited the woods and looked at the town, ribbons were now tied to the trees, torches were set up around the makeshift stage, and the tables were set up filled to the brim with breads, fruits, and wine with goblets set up for ease of drinking. A scent filled her nostrils as she turned and noticed a pig rotating on a spit nearby. The two of them tossed their bags of meat on the table in the area that the villagers were cooking, and tossed the bag of skins on the ground next to the table.

Serenica looked around until the sound of her stomach rumbling in hunger caught her attention. Grabbing an apple off the nearby table, she took a bite and then turned to the man who was staring at her with a blank expression.

“Ok seriously, what’s going on with you today?” She asked in concern.

“Nothing, I’m good. I’ll see you later on tonight though,” he smiled at her and turned abruptly away from her as he jogged towards his house.

Serenica watched him as he walked away in wonder. He was extremely distant throughout the day. It almost seemed as if he was worried about something, and that was not like him. However, she couldn’t worry about that now. She had an important part to play at the festival tonight, so she needed to bathe and rest before then.