The Dragon's Master (extract)
Briar glides over the forest floor, fingers catching green shrubbery and tree branches, searching for signs of a particular creature. She knows the forest like the back of her hand. No one knows the Forest like she does…
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Except maybe Estella.
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The Sherwood Forest is a region to the South of the Magi Kingdom, one of the few places untouched by the nearing war, once guarded by its High Witch, Estella Tweed. There’s no other biome like it in the world, with native Drawcab trees that sprout leaves from the roots then grow up. The wildlife is even more unique, with creatures like the Cotter, a feline-like aquatic animal, and the Pugbee, a small black and yellow bee with the face of a dog.
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These are not the most incredible creatures hidden in this forest, once believed to be the home of all things magical from Periwinkle Pixies and the rarely spotted Sun Snail, whose slime is said to give immortality if eaten daily.
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The tales of these creatures remain in the background of many Sherwood villager’s’ lives, but the focus is now on the nearing forces of the Numah, persecutors of the Magi. Whispers around Sherwood Village speak of the impending collapse of the border as Numah attack in their never-ending droves.
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Many refuse to enter Sherwood Forest for fears of death if or when the Numah arrive.
Except for Briar.
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Slinking around a century-old Drawcab tree, Briar finds exactly what she’s spent all morning looking for.
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In the drying tree bark, the soft hum of Periwinkle Pixie wings. Briar silently drops her hands to her waist, loosening the twine to release the small glass jar from her belt.
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What would Estella think?
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Briar shakes the thought from her mind, throat stinging for the briefest moment as she twists the lid.
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Estella abandoned the Forest too.
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Regret is wiped from her mind, just in time for the small shaking spider-arm of a Pixie to poke out from the bark. With less than a second to act, Briar’s fingers snap to the Pixie legs, pulling it out of its hiding spot.
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She lets the small humanoid creature hang in front of her, its four arms swing around aimlessly hoping to grab onto something, anything, that could get it out of her grip.
She’s seen it countless times before. The same stomach-twisting feeling hits her each time, but the Pixies sell well. Realistically, it’ll be resold to some travelling circus hoping to add that extra bit of magic. It certainly isn’t the worst fate.
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Lifting up her jar, she places the pixie neatly in the middle, fingers quickly working to pull the lid back in place. The commotion ends in the blink of an eye. The pixie thumps on the glass, but it’s barely loud enough for the trained ear.
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A dark shadow flies overhead, landing on Briar’s head before she can react. The shadow’s claws dig into her shoulders, Briar is too busy shaking it off to notice her jar has smashed to the ground, releasing an angry pixie back into the wild.
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A single, sharp bite to her thumb tightens her muscles, fingers no longer bending to her command. Unable to keep herself upright, Briar’s body leans forward. The fall to earth is so slow Briar wonders if she’s hallucinating, but the soft thump-thump of wings in the air tells her otherwise.
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By the time her head makes contact with the ground, Briar is knocked out.
When Briar comes too, the morning dawn has already settled over the forest, flowers halfway through their routine unfolding to catch the few rays of sunlight that peek through the Drawcab leaves. She’s on her back, head pounding like she’s downed a bottle of Amme’s special mix.
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“Great.”
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Briar makes an attempt to stand up, heart stopping when a soft growl echoes through the clearing. Fear inches up her spine, eyes trailing to the small leafy bush on the other side of the clearing.
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A green lizard stares directly at her, its snarling face oddly adorable for its size.
It’s only a lizard, what’s it going to do?
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Briar mutters a curse under her dry lips when her heavy legs refuse to bend to her will. Her shaking arms barely get into eye-sight before they flop back down.
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“Guess I have no choice then.”
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Retreating back to her lying position, Briar closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. The growling hushes to a whisper. The clearing became quiet, except for the few bird-flies that swoop in and out of earshot.