The Hidden Ones

Chapter 1

    I put on my polar bear skin cloak and headed towards Camelot. As I trudged through the snow, my Clydesdale, Scotch, galloped up to me, his white socks covered in snow.

    "Hey Scotch." I said, mounting him. I kick his side twice, causing him to gallop. I looked at the winter formed forest that I went through to get to Camelot at the end of hunting season. When we approached Camelot's gates, I took off my bear head hood to my cloak.

    "Greetings Tymber." kindly said the guards as they signaled the guards inside to open the gate for me.

    "Thank you." I said as Scotch trotted into Camelot. The few people that were in the streets gave me a quick smile and went on their way. I passed five little shops, a black smithery, and a bakery on my way to the trader's shop. I dismounted scotch, attached his reins to the post, grabbed my skins that I was trading, and went into the trader's shop.

    "Hoy, Tymber! What grand skins do you have to trade this season?" asked trader William, the owner of the shop, his eyes glaring joyfully at my bundle of skins I gathered over hunting season.

    "I do not know. Do I have enough for that sword?" I told him, pointing at the Obsidian bladed sword someone traded him last season.

    "I will only take the best skins for that there sword." he said. William took the sword of off the wall and put it on the counter, slightly pulling it out of its scabbard.

    "How about three mountain lion skins-"

    "Bah! I see plenty of those." he said, interrupting me.

    "I wasn't finished, and a true Basilisk skin. I had to go through hell and back to get it." I handed him the basilisk skin for him to examine further. He closely looked at the skin, seeing no tears or sewing lines to make sure I wasn't lying, then handed me the sword, not even looking up.

    "I thought Basilisk can only be killed by a Dragon. I seen hunters come and go trying' to get one of these. How did you kill it?" he questioned curiously, lookeing up at me to stare at me with one eyebrow raised.

    "I snatched it off of a dead man." I muttered. I attached the sword to my side and left. Scotch wasn't there though, his reins had been cut.

    "Get her!" yelled a guard. I took off running. There had to be at least 10 guards chasing me. I saw an opening in one of the gates so I saw my chances and took it, I slid under the gate before the guards could close it. I dived into snow, I polar bear cloak only showing. One of the archer's arrows pierced my back so I jolted up and sprinted deeper into the forest. I stop to turn around to face the guards.

    "What is you guys' problem anyways?" I questioned, staring at the guards as they start to surround me.

    "Why, we know your secret, Great Hunter, Tymber." said a voice coming from behind the guards. King Arthur walked past the guards to stand infront of me.

    "Secret, my lord?" I question stupidly, "And where the hell is my damn horse?" I yell, still wondering what he meant by my 'secret' before I blurted anything out. He leaned in over to my right ear.

    "You are a Dragon Shifter hiding in my city. But the question I have for you is, Where are the rest? And what do you call yourselves?" He then stood straight, face to face with me.

    "What makes you think that I am a traitor to Camelot?" I question, befuddled that he actually knew. I could hear a slight movement behind me, so I whizzed around to snatch a dagger out of a guard's hand and throw it into his skull.

    "Now that you've killed a guard-"

    "Shit!" I cursed, cutting off King Arthur. I pushed past two guards, only to get caught by two more.

    "You are a traitor, so, tell me, where are the rest? Oh, and I want you to show me that you are a Dragon Shifter so I can slay you in dragon form." The Dragon Slayer snickers. I glare at him.

    "Ok." I quickly respond. I do a back flip out of the guards arms and run, my body shifting as I run. I threw off my cloak to reveal two large black feathered wings with a dark red webbed layer after the end of the feathers. My arms form into my wings, allowing them to shift to where my arms once were, then, my body and legs form dark red scales, pitch black plating, and obsidian talons; I then grew a long tail while my head shifts to the shape of a hawk with dark red scales and a black and white beak, my eyes turn ink black with a white slit as my pupil, I finally grow large obsidian horns and a dark black, triple row of feathers from my head to the middle of my tail. The Dragon Slayer and his guards all looked up at me, getting their swords and bows ready. I dived down, landing with enough force to render The Dragon Slayer and his men unconscious. I quickly snatch up my sword in my beak and fly away.