Dragon Exiles: Part One

Written by: Caesara

Thwack! Karla landed with a loud thump. Crack! The tree branch she had been sitting on fell down on her head. Karla shook it off her head, then grabbed it, and whacked it against the tree. It broke in two with a satisfying snap. Grumbling to herself, Karla felt the back of her head to see if there was a lump. There wasn't, so she sighed and started her trek back to the village.

The dirt path she was following was worn. It was difficult to see in the dim light of the evening, but Karla knew the way well enough that she didn't have to use it. In her boredom of walking, her memory drew her back to the stories the village Elders always used to tell the children. They didn't anymore of course; the new laws that were set in place by the Emperor forbade "Stories of Myth". This meant pretty much anything that was halfway interesting - dragons, gryphons, elves, the whole like were forbidden. The legends were that the mythical beasts of the world all resided in the woods of Conlad. Many had tried to find them, but only a select few actually had. Those few were considered heroes. Or, they had been. The Emperor had forbidden those along with the "Myths".

In Karla's mind dragons, at least, still existed. She wasn't sure about gryphons or elves, but dragons for sure still existed. They lived for thousands of years each, and were extremely difficult to kill, so therefore they were still alive. There was plenty of food in Conlad, so they wouldn't have died of starvation. One feeding lasted them a few months, anyway. It was her dream to find a dragon, and possibly avoid getting eaten by it.

It would never happen, of course. She would have to get permission from her village leader to leave the village for a while, and he would never in a million years let her do something halfway fun. Nonel hated Karla with a vengeance. She couldn't figure out why, though. Karla did all her chores, eventually. It wasn't her fault if she preferred sitting in a tree over sweeping her cabin room. The only way she would even get a chance to go beyond the village limits was if she was outcast.

Being outcast was not a very desirable fate though, and even Karla didn't want that. It meant that you were not allowed in any village in the country, and were forced to live on your own. Communication was limited to those who were outcast along with you, and no one with any sense of dignity would talk to you. Nonel always threatened her that he would outcast her if she didn't start doing her work, but Karla didn't believe him. He was much too soft hearted.

As the walls of the village came into sight, Karla snapped out of her daydreaming faze. The huge overlooming trees were above her, their branches swaying gently in the wind. They had been planted by the Emperor when he had first come into reign ten years ago and had been influenced by magic to make them grow. They looked like they had been there for hundreds of years, and that was the effect the Emperor wanted. It helped to frighten his subjects into obedience.

Reaching the main gates, Karla knocked five times in a bouncing pattern; the signal that she was a villager. Every village had a different pattern, so you couldn't get into another village. The gates creaked open slowly - one of them almost whapping her in the face. She stepped back then walked through, waving to the gatekeeper, Tarnel. He waved back and grinned mischievously.

"Forgot to do your chores again, eh, Karla? Nonel's looking for you again, better run!"

Karla laughed at him but followed his advice and broke into a run. Nonel was likely to be very, very mad with her. She had been on stable duty, with a few other people and an inspector had been coming to inspect them today. Without her help, they surely wouldn't have finished them in time. Oh, yes, she was in loads of trouble.

Karla rounded a corner and dashed through the door of a building, startling a few women cooking. They scowled at her, but she kept running to the back and out another door, then over a large patch of grass to a small hut. It wasn't hers, but she knew the person who lived there and he would hide her. When she got inside he was home, and glanced up at her. Seeing that she had been running, he motioned for her to hide, which she gladly did. She dived under the bed and used the overhanging bed covers to hide herself just in time.

Nonel walked in, looking angry. He scowled, "Dinton, I know she's in here. I saw her run in. Don't bother with hiding her anymore."

Karla gulped, peeking out from a corner; hopefully where Nonel couldn't see her. What was Nonel planning? Surely he wasn't going to kick her out.

"Karla, come out, wherever you're hiding this time. Under the bed, under the table, in the closet, I know you're in here. So GET OUT." His roar made Karla jump, and she meekly crawled out from under the bed. Nonel grabbed the back of her shirt, forcing her to stand up.

"This is the last straw, missy. You're finished." He pulled her by her arm after him, as he stalked out of the hut. Dinton gave her a sorrowful look, wishing he could help, but unable.

Karla was dragged across the village to the council room. Were they meeting now, because of her? If so, she was in more trouble than she could ever expect. Nonel dragged her in, and practically tossed her to the end of the table she was facing. The full, entire council was there, and all eyes were on her. Karla gulped, and looked down. The council only met for very special circumstances.

"She was hiding with Dinton, again. You've all had time to decide, so what's your decision on her fate?"

The three head-council leaders whispered for a moment, then looked up again.

"Our decision is exile on the circumstances of lying, shirking, and stealing. Get her out."

Nonel grabbed her arm again, and pulled her back out, while she stuttered in protest.

"They can't do this to me! I haven't stolen anything!"

Nonel snorted. "You haven't stolen, but you've shirked and lied! Here are your provisions. You have five minutes to get out of the village. You know the rules."

Nonel shoved a standard pack in her arms, and shoved her towards the gates. She glared at him, and rubbed her wrist where his hand had left a mark from his grip. Karla, now scowling at the ground, stalked out of the village. How could they do this to her? She'd have no human contact ever again! She didn't mind being kicked out all that much; it saved her from doing work. But she didn't like not having anyone but herself to talk to. With a sigh, Karla started walking on the path she had been using originally.

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