This is a story I've been working on that is not on penana. It takes place in Medieval times, and is also a realm where mythological creatures exist. This is just the first chapter, but I want to see if it is good or not, so please send feedback!!! :)581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGJhbfCBP8
THE DRAGON'S LEGEND581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUKWBlZ6Rg
No matter what you heard about me I am not a monster, I am not the killer, and I am not the evil one in my time. I am not the beast that mothers read to their children in storybooks. At least, I hope I’m not. My name is Eleanor Thiel, and what you are about to read is what happened to me. It is my tale, it is my legend. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblOP1SUFuh
The winter in Heronsburgh was brutal, it always has been. We have severe snowstorms and hail, but the worst thing is the ice. Every year the ice covers the roads for miles, making trade and travel impossible. Slaves were bought to clear the roads with wooden shovels and pickaxes, they are called Ice Breakers. They are bought for little, however, because there is a great chance they would die out in the cold. I am an Ice Breaker. Most of them were prisoners of war, some were sold into slavery from other countries, but I, however, am neither. I sold myself into the Ice Breaking business, it was the only way me and my little brother, Philip could survive the ghastly winter. The slaves had a small tent, which was hardly a good shelter, but it kept us warm.
Crime also went up in the small village, thieving became a necessity for many because of how brutally the winter hit them. By now, you must be thinking Heronsburgh is a wreck, with all the slavery, and crime, but you are wrong. The King had made the small village his capital for reasons unknown to me. Heronsburgh had some law and order still, every winter it became necessary for the punishments to get more cruel and terrible. The miserable wealthy members of the Village enjoyed the torture, they loved to throw rotten fruits, or even dull stones into the faces of whoever was unlucky enough to get ruined by the winter. For in Heronsburgh it is not about riches, or nobility, it is about luck. Even the family members cannot afford to help their brother or sister in the wake of the winter. It would leave the unlucky with no other choice but to steal just for a way to live. In Heronsburgh, it is every man, even every child, for himself.
There were public torture sessions nearly every day, in which the crowd decided the thief’s fate. It never ended well. The crowd never chose something like the guillotine, which was swift and over suddenly. They enjoyed things like the stretching rack, which would stretch your limbs until they were ripped from your body. Sometimes it took over an hour, which the crowds loved.
The slaves were always showed to the torture stand, to see what happened to the unlucky one that stole from the local granary. No one trusted us, they expected us to break out into a riot and revolt against the Royal Guard. Why wouldn’t they? It happened many times before. I knew it would be suicide to try something like that, but the others didn’t. I was usually the one that helped the Royal Guards to take down the head rioters. It helped with payment. It might not be fair to take away the little hope the slaves had, but in Heronsburgh it is foolish to be fair. In Heronsburgh, it is foolish to hope.
Philip and I were in our small slaves tent when a Royal Guard threw open the flap and ordered us to go to the center of the Ice Breaking dwelling. It was where a Royal Guard would read off a list of names to be executed for evil actions. I looked at Philip, he looked sickly and pale, but he stared at me determinedly. I knew he was near his breaking point, but he acted strong for me. I always think that I am the one protecting him, but without him I would be lost long, long ago.
“Alright,” I said, trying to sound firmer than I felt. “Let’s go, Philip.” I took his hand and walked him out of our small tent, and the Royal Guard closed the flap behind us. I looked around me, there were tents in a giant square, each facing the center. Each slave was part of a small slave community, where we all lived near another, and share what work we had to do. More tents were added to the Ice Breaking community every day as more and more people flooded in. Only the strongest were sorted into Ice Breaking, making all the slaves taller and buffer than I was.
In the center of the Ice Breaker dwelling, some of the other slaves were already gathered. Bruno, the chef that stole from the royal kitchens but had enough money to spare his life. James, the mute pirate captured in a battle from many years ago and sold as a slave. I didn’t know anything about Justin, he kept to himself at all times, but I knew he used to be a great fighter from a distant land. Of course there was Gill, the giant, I am fairly certain they loaded him into catapults to destroy enemy castles, it would explain his face. Gill was convinced that he would kill the King one day, and I didn’t doubt it, you could just launch Gill at whatever building the King was in and the King would be gone for good. I don’t care much for Gill’s backstory, all I knew is that he was a drunk from a place where seven feet tall men were short.
“If it isn’t miss ratty.” Gill said, flashing his orange shaded teeth. Ratty was a name Gill liked to call me because I “Ratted” to the Royal Guards that Gill and his eight feet tall master in crime, Buck were going to rob the local treasury. I don’t care Gill called me, ratting on him and Buck was worth it in the reward I was payed. Why wasn’t Buck still around? Buck was caught by the Royal Guard and tortured and eventually killed at the torture stand. I am pretty sure that after the King, I am next on Gill’s to kill list.
I ignored him and looked around, Royal Guards were everywhere. I sighed in relief. As long as there were Royal Guards around, Gill wouldn’t try anything.
Soon the other slaves came pouring in, bumping into each other and rubbing their eyes groggily. I could tell they were recently assigned, no old slave would arrive that late if they knew what was good for them. Philip and I had been up since the crack of dawn, preparing ourselves for the weary day ahead. The normal day consisted of morning recall, the executions, and then working our backsides off shoveling and cracking the ice. We would finish well after midnight, and the local herbalists and healers would come to tend to injuries and fatalities. I have been working on the ice for over three years now, and every day there were always at least a dozen severe wounds. Hypothermia was a common disease as well, when someone was suspected to have Hypothermia the herbalist would come and give them a portion of bitter wine, and maybe keep them indoors for days at a time. The nobles and guards complained of the cost to treat someone like a slave for hypothermia, but the local herbalists always treated it, they knew how terrible a death by Hypothermia can be.
After all the slaves had gathered, a Royal Guard walked onto a wooden platform and opened up a scroll, he read, “Listen up, ya’ sloven pigs! Quiet, please.” The Royal Guard took a deep breath then screamed, “Quiet! We have some reports of slaves slipping away from work and joining a murder group called the Night Thieves.” I knew all about the Night Thieves, they stay in cities and villages like rats in a kitchen. Unlike rats, however, the Night Thieves know when to strike. They come when villages are weakest and start recruiting men angry at the King or the government. They are called Night Thieves because they come at night and rob everything off the village, leaving it in the wake of the winter. I heard they killed off two whole cities so far, calling them a murder group wound be an understatement. Every year the Royal Guards have to track down and dispatch the Night Thieves group, but every year it was a gamble witch side will come out victorious. If slaves were joining the Night Thieves’ cause, the Night Thieves could actually harm the village severely, I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and listened to what the Royal Guard had to say. But why did I care if Heronsburgh was subject to death? One, I lived in Heronsburgh, and two, would you rather have a government run by cruelty and a King, or cruelty and murderers? It is a hard call, but I would have to say I’d rather Heronsburgh kept itself up and running.
“I will read a list of names that are rumored to be a part of the murder group. If your name is called, please step forward to be questioned. If one was to put up a fight or not answer he shall be executed without questioning.” He looked around at the slaves, “Do you understand?”
No one answered, but everyone looked around, hoping they wouldn’t be called on. They wouldn’t call many names, but no matter who you are, any slave could have ratted or lied about you. I was just as anxious as the rest. I didn’t have many friends among the slaves, and in fact, I was probably a least favorite. They were all sold into slavery unwillingly, but I just sold myself into the business. By the time the Royal Guard started reading the names, I was convinced that I was going to be questioned, which probably meant executed.
The Royal Guard cleared his throat and said the first name, “Gill Hanks.” I found it very relieving that Gill was the first name said, it made me feel much better about myself. The Royal Guard said many more names until he said, “Nova Blanks.” I looked up suddenly, I had known Nova, she worked as an Ice Breaker in a different section of Heronsburgh. We used to both work as servants in the Royal Kitchen, but when Bruno the Chef had stolen from it, it had closed down leaving both of us jobless and homeless. Oh well, if she was being questioned, there wasn’t anything I could do for her. There was a very slim chance the Royal Guards would deem her innocent.
“That is all I have on my list.” The Royal Guard said, and I let out a long sigh of relief. I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath for so long.
I scanned the crowd, looking for Gill, I wanted to see his face. I found much pleasure that he was the first name called, I wanted to see his reaction. He wasn’t hard to find, considering he was eight feet tall, but he had already found me. He was glaring at me with so much hate, and I felt like I could hear him say, “You’re next, Eleanor Thiel, you’re next.”581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Fz4CGKvQ
581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LDcCGDAMC
