Dragon Skin

        Cedric was a boy with no hopes of a family and no way of living. As the rain tapped softly on the market in the Kingdom of Warwick which was housed by a King named Baldor and his fair lady Queen Maria. Cedric's belly grumbled quit emphatic as the boy snatched a loaf of fine bread inconspicuously from under everyone's noses. The boy ran from the scene and nested on a rooftop looking over the walls surrounding the town. His gaze focused mostly on the old relinquished Castle that sat on top of a mountain not that far from there. He remembered the story of a raging Dragon that hectored the kingdom. Legend says the bravest of warriors tried destroying the creature but no one succeeded without death. Until a warrior from the east named Doron ventured his was to the top of the peak with a mythical sword and slayed the beast with one hit. He was greatly rewarded with the kings daughter but unlike what everyone thought the dragon came back and destroyed the remains of the castle and just when Doron was ready to descend to death the dragon took him far away. No one know to this day if the dragon was slain or Doron was eaten alive. The remaining people of the kingdom were terrified that the dragon would return for them so they left everything and traveled south splitting off to different kingdoms and towns. Cedric finished another bite of the stolen bread before placing it into his pouch that was strapped around his side. He swiftly leaped from rooftop to rooftop and found an emptied crate to sleep in for the night using a few bits of cloth for warmth. When the night was over he awoke at the coming of dawn and found that a prince had journeyed to the castle to set a deal with the king and marry his daughter princess Elyn. Everyone in the town was over the moon about his coming arrival. When the prince who went by the name of Terrowin stepped foot in the walls music played and others offered their food, handing him flowers and showing utter bliss that the two kingdom would no longer be in a quarrel over money. As Cedric squeezed his way through the crowds of people all watched as a carriage pulled by pure white horses slowly moved through the stone pathways and into the castle courtyard. Cedric being the curious boy that he is was able to go inside the castle walls without being noticed and hid in the shadows as the prince and his guards left the carriage un protected. The child never once thought of stealing more than food before, he would sell it to the highest bidder and no longer be penniless. As the thought dawned on his brain he approached the carriage looking around first making sure no one else was present. Cedric felt a sense of adrenaline as he opened the door and saw a white sword. The swords essence almost seemed unreal as if he was holding light trapped in a glorious weapon. He stepped out with the sword in hand and ran to the large wooden door that was covered by a gate which led back into the market. He tried to push it open but caught on that it was sealed tight and that another exit would have to be endowed for his escape. The boy would have to be brisk and wraith like if to ever leave these walls and succeed in his plan. He took a deep breath and moved around the courtyard gardens trying to find a way to open the gate. When seeing the levers up top the walls he darted his way over to one and used all of his might moving one complete around opening the gate halfway. Cedric prompted a nearby stick in the lever so it would stay in place. The child had never felt so much hope before in his life time as he was about to leave the castle walls. The wood door in front of him was the only thing stopping him from leaving. He tried to push it open but it was stone solid, there was no way of moving it from its position without turning the other lever. When he took hold of the other lever and began to turn it he found him self seized by a knight who grasped his hand tightly on his collar. Cedric kicked and screamed swinging the sword around like a manic hoping he would escape and get the chance to run for his dear life. But alas it was no use and he was being dragged to the king for his sentence. Cedric's tears ran down his cheeks cleaning the dirt and ash to resemble his facial features as he trembled under the knights hand.

     As King Baldor stood tall over the boy he snatched the sword from his sticky fingers and leaned over Cedric as he lay there in a puddle of tears. Baldor couldn't let the prince know of this for their arrangements could come to an end. The theft could steal from them again and Baldor would not stand for that. The idea of sending him to the dungeon was not enough, if the boy escaped he would be ruined. When the king looked out the window behind his thrown the clouds concealing his thoughts were swept away as his eyes set on the Castle of Tannin that rest on the top of the mountain peak. Baldor sent the boy along with a small party of knights to the castle so they could lock up Cedric and be rid of him once and for all.

     The burnt crumbling walls of the Tannin castle still smelt of flesh from the dragon's wrath. The four knights brought Cedric along in chains and tugged him along the halls till they came upon the gold room. Piles of gold trinkets, coins, and fine jewels were scattered along the floor. They placed Cedric on the pile of gold and nailed his chains to the stone wall. There was no way he would be getting out of there. After they grabbed handfuls of the gold coins and such they left him alone with each torch lit in the room knowing he would die from starvation.

     Hours passed as the boy began to grow hungry, he would of tried to reach his pouch and get the bread but the guards had taken it with them. The only thing that was small enough to eat was the gold coins in front of him. He leaned forward enough to be able to get some coins in him mouth. It was hard to swallow and hurt him every time it moved down and splash in his stomach. It hurt like hell and Cedric wanted to die right then and there but he still continued to eat it and feel the pain as it hit his stomach unnaturally. Cedric's body hurt all over and the pain began to grow with every breath. A loud scream echoed through the halls of the castle as he felt his skin tear away like a snake sheds its skin. His eyes resembled a reptile and horns pocked out from the skin along his back. He let out a belch of fire as he yanked the chains off the walls. His whole body lighting up like a ball fire as the chains melted off of his now scaly hard skin. Razor sharp claws pocked out from his nails and sharp teeth shot through his gums. He felt every bone in his body break and reform into different shapes. Cedric clasped his hands on his face and ripped away the remaining skin reveling a dragon's snout grow outwards. He landed on his four legs as all of his clothes were burned off by the amount of heat that was radiating off on him. Smoke seeped from his nostrils and a tail shot out from his backside. He let out a horrendous roar as everything went black and he fell unconscious.