Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

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'Tis another day for fifteen-year-old Conner Bailey.

Another ordinary day on the ordinary Isle of Laftor with the oh-so-ordinary attacks from dragons and the cataclysmic destruction that followed.

"Get down!" a man hollered and shoved Conner's head. The strawberry-blond boy grunted and ducked, and a fireball passed above his head.

"You should go back to the workshop," the man advised as he slammed his axe at a snarling dragon. His steely eyes glinted in the firelight.

Conner groaned, rolling his bright blue eyes. "But Jack-"

"No buts," another voice quipped in, and a shadow zoomed past Conner and Jack, her blonde hair flying in the breeze. It was Goldilocks, Jack's battle partner and wife. "Why are you out? Get back immediately."

"Fine," Conner grumbled, wincing as another fireball incinerated a house. "I was just trying to help."

Jack and Goldilocks had already sprinted into battle with matching war cries. Axe and sword in hand respectively, they cornered a Heartless Hood. Conner knew it had no chance of survival.

With wooden pillars and planks disintegrating around him, Conner slunk back home, ducking and hiding whenever possible. Fireballs exploded in the inky sky and he could smell the sweat and blood of his people. His slippery fingers loosely held on to his latest, unused invention, a new dagger/arrow hybrid.

"Watch it!" a woman yelled as Conner nearly crashed into her.

"Sorry!" Conner cried, spinning his head to look at the woman, but accidentally smashed into another person. Conner was unceremoniously knocked to the ground.

"Oof!"

It was a high-pitched, female voice.

Conner's face brightened up upon recognizing said voice. "Hey, Alex! How's it going?"

Alex's hair was wound into a tight braid. She wore her typical green and white robes with ancient runes stitched onto them. Her grim expression was replaced by one of worry when she caught sight of her twin. She dug her staff into the dirt and pulled Conner up. "You should be at the craftsman's workshop with Froggy," she accused.

Conner was getting tired of the constant reminders. "Yeeeeah, I'm going."

Alex nodded curtly. "Good." She peered up at the sky, the shadows of dragons flying past. Her eyes narrowed. "It's about time."

It didn't matter how many times Alex did it. Conner was still and would be fascinated by her, the melodic words, the powerful swish of a staff, and the magical light.

The gem on top of Alex's specially crafted staff glowed blue, and Alex muttered a few ancient words, sounding beautiful yet dangerous, foreign yet familiar. The girl swung the staff around to accumulate power, and finally thrust it upwards.

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