Apprentice Book One of The Dragon Queen Series

Chapter 1

I'm sitting here in the most boring class of everything.

It's called history in case you were wondering.

I twist my bracelet around my wrist and stare out the window.

I blink, and suddenly I'm on a field, and the sun is beating down my back. My bracelet is cold as ice, and someone, no, something is behind me.

I slowly turn, and see a pale blue dragon rising above the clouds.

"Caitlyn! CAITLYN!" My teacher, Mrs. Britt yells.

I rub my eyes and suddenly, I'm back at school, with every single head turned toward me.

"Greece." I say, convinced she asked me a question. Last time I was paying attention, we were talking about Greek mythology. Emma Jenson, the most popular girl in the seventh grade, smirked at me.

"Don't pretend you know what I said. You will write me a 5-page essay on Decorum, or for people as disrespectful as you, rudeness. I expect it to be turned in on Monday."

Great. I thought, Just the thing I need, to be grounded all weekend... I could do something so my mom forgets about it... But what to do that wouldn't make my mom call the FBI...

Easy! One part of me said. Just take the long way home!

NO!!! The other part scolded, The long way home is through the woods! You can't go in THERE!!! One, it's too dark, and two, there are like, raccoons and no food, and...

You have a flashlight, dumbhead- The other half started.

And did I mention NO BOOKS!? And reason three hundred thousand, six hundred thirty four, YOU'LL BE THERE BY YOURSELF, WITH NO FOOD, WATER, OR BOOKS!!!!! The other half said.

Oh, shut up. I really don't need to hear three hundred thousand, six hundred thirty FIVE reasons why not to go in the woods. I already decided. We're going the long way home. Then, I'll make some of that yummy banana bread we like. Deal? The other side bribed.

FINE. Hmph. We can go the long way home, JUST THIS ONCE!!!

While I was walking through the woods, I suddenly remembered something.

"I can't believe you never told me!" I hear my mom shout.

"Well, it's not like you told me you're a..." My dad goes quiet, and I don't know what he says. I try to remember what this is from.

Then it hits me. This is the argument that made my parents get divorced.

I guess if you are going to read this, you should know more about me. My name is Caitlyn Brooke Pierce. My parents are divorced, and I live with my mom and her boyfriend, Robert Thomas, but I call him Bob. My dad now lives in Africa. So I'm told.

That's weird. I don't remember what their argument was even about. I try to find more information.

"What, you thought I would just be all like la da da, I'm a-" Mom screams. Something smashes against the wall, hiding her last word. I peek into the room and see Dad's family heirloom, a vase covered with gold and silver shavings, in pieces on the floor, water pooling everywhere, purple, blue and pink flowers in a heap on the floor.

"WHAT THE HECK? Well fine. I'm leaving." Dad says, gathering up the pieces and putting them in a bag as he storms off. "CAIT-" he starts to yell.

"NO! You are NOT going to take MY daughter and just LEAVE. CAITLYN IS STAYING WITH ME!" Mom yells at Dad. I was only two years old at the time, so I didn't know what was happening.

In my head, I remember dad taking a baby with him.

Huh. I don't remember having a little sibling.

Later I asked Mom, "Where Daddy go?"

She responded, "Daddy had to leave." Just then I started realizing that Dad wasn't coming home... ever.

"Rawrr?" A noise startles me out of the flashback. I aim my flashlight everywhere but see nothing but bushes and tree trunks.

"Who's there? I-I have a, um," I grabbed a stick, brandishing it like a sword, "a, uh, stick."

A brilliant blue creature with scales comes out of the bushes. WAIT SCALES? IS IT A GIANT LIZARD?

"Rwarr" It hissed, spewing a spurt of frosty mist.

"AHHH!" I screamed.

It wasn't a lizard, it was a...dragon? Ha, ha, ha. What was it really? I looked for it's control panel. There it was, a snowflake shaped piece of, scaly... SKIN! It was... NOPE. NOT REAL.

IT'S DEFINITELY REAL!!!! Wait, it wasn't attacking. I noticed a rope- a rope?- tied around its neck. There was a piece of paper attached, and it said-

Dear Caitlyn,

My name is Lily. I, as Mother has probably told you, am your sister. This is Snowflake, your dragon. Me and Father are in the world Sonyestra, where I go, and you will soon go to0, Dragon Academy for Magically Gifted Students, but everyone just calls it DA or Dragon Academy. You are an ice apprentice. I am an earth apprentice. We are witches, and boys are wizards, without wands of course but we can still create magical curses and charms with a flick of a finger, and the legendary Riders. Only some of us go on to become Riders, but our family has always been Rider material. There is one of each element, Earth, Wind, Moon, Sun, Fire, Ice, Storm, Water, and Poison for the Rider group. It is the Rider's job to protect the Academy, and the city of Squana from the evil ruler Morofran. Morofran rules the planet of Baarlia. We have element stones that protect us, but they have vanished. We need help. Morofran is organizing an attack. Did I mention he's our Uncle? He doesn't care about me, but he won't stop until he gets you, even if he has to destroy Earth to do it. You need to get off of Earth and get to DA and train so you can fight Uncle Morofran. Please come, we need your help. You are our only chance of survival. But be careful, he can control both of us at any time, and you can become SUPER dangerous if he controls you.

Your sister,

Lily