Chapter 4

Crystal woke up the next morning. At first, she didn't know where she was for she was expecting the cold cell she was calling her home for the past seven years.

Looking around Crystal realized today was the day she would meet her dragon. Crystal wondered if she would meet the elders as well. She missed the Evergreen elder named Forest.

The last time she saw him was just before the elders disappeared and shortly after Ray, the Evergreen forest keeper died. Crystal knew that she should have told the riders she was Princess Jelena Salvera's daughter but the truth was she didn't know her mom at all.

What she remembered were her mother's kind and loving ways. She would have preferred to remember her mother that way.

Her blond hair and green eyes full of life was something Crystal would never forget about her mother. Crystal stood up and started to prepare for the day.

She found it funny, for seven years she did nothing but dream of the day she would meet her dragon but now that the day has come she was nervous. "I wonder if all dragons riders get's this nervous when they meet their dragons for the first time," Crystal spoke out loud.

"I heard it is natural two get nervous," Sophie answered. Sophie was the Crystal palace keeper. It was the keeper's jobs the greet, any dragons and their riders if they visit the dragon's homes.

All through the keepers are only found where the elders call a place home. "I hope so, I've dreamed so many times of meeting my dragon the funny thing is, it's probably what kept me going all those years being locked up."

Sophie hugged Crystal and said, "your journey just started but you have a long way to go," She said. Crystal gave a small smile and walked towards the entrance of the cave.

"I somehow expected more dragon's but there seemed to me almost non here," Cyrstal replied. "That's because of the war with the Dark dragons, wild dragons, and dragons, as well as their riders, have been affected almost half the dragon population is completely gone," Sophie replied.

"I didn't know, I am sorry they didn't tell me anything when I was locked up but where were the elders weren't they supposed to help the riders," Crystal asked. "We do not know? They disappeared seven years ago and no one has seen them since." Sophie answered

"I wonder if Forest is still alive," Cyrstal asked. "I think so, but all the keepers know was that one day they were gone." Crystal sat down at an old wooden table and looked at the food on the table.

It was mostly fruit's and nuts found in the area and on rare occasions meat was available but that's if the elders are willing to share their food with the keepers. "Sorry, I only have fruit's and nuts for breakfast" Sophie replied.

"It's okay it's more then I got to eat the past seven years." Crystal replied. After breakfast Crystal followed Sophie to another cave this time it was sealed with two big oak doors.

The locks were made of iron and you could see the floor covered in ice. Sophie opened the big doors and said, "Follow me," Crystal followed Sophie to a single oak door with cast iron locks and replied, "go inside find your dragon egg and bring it out, if you do not find a dragon egg it means your not a dragon rider and that your dragon didn't make it." Sophie replied.

Crystal was suddenly nervous thinking she might have come all this way for nothing. She slowly opened the door and went inside. Once inside she looked around and saw many dragons eggs.

There were dragons eggs of all shapes and sizes and all of them are waiting to hatch for a rider. Crystal looked at every egg and admired their beauty but she felt a pull to a particular dragon egg.

It was hidden at the back of the room where no one would even start to look. It was ice blue with gemstones decorated all around it and it looked like the aurora was dancing off the ice blue colour of the egg.

Crystal also spotted a similar symbol like her dragon rider tattoo. Crystal picked up the dragon egg and went back to the door where Sophie was waiting. She smiled when she saw the egg and replied, "follow me," Crystal followed Sophie to a big room and inside she saw Forest the Evergreen elder waiting for her.

"Forest, I missed you?" Crystal replied. "and so have I missed you, Crystal, what has it been seven years since I last saw you?" Forest asked. Crystal gave a small smile trying to hide the tears.

"Yes its been seven years shortly after you left Ray died and Avalon's guards left me at a border village where a group of dragon riders from Avalon freed me but then we were ambushed and well I ran but I think I ran more from the truth then the riders them selfs they were so disgusted with me," Crystal said.

"That is why I came to you Crystal, the elders are in hiding preparing for a war that is coming and I am here to warn you to be careful, you and your dragon."

Crystal looked at Forest and asked, "What war?" Forest took a deep breath and said, "Come ill help you hatch your dragon egg and tell you not only about your family but also about what had started this coming war in the first place."

Forest guided Crystal to a small dragon nest made from hay. Crystal placed the egg on the straw and sat close to the egg. "When will the egg hatch?" Crystal asked. Forest looked at the egg and said, "soon" she was still looking at the egg when Forest spoke.

The first thing you need to know is that your birth didn't start this war but it will end it depending on what you decide what to do. Your dragon is a direct descendant from the Crystal elder and both of your parents are members of the royal family's and to win this war we need both of you.

"I am royalty now?" Crystal asked. "Yes but I promised your mother ill tell if I think the time is right and I think that time is now for I will need to leave soon and then it will be only you and your dragon," Forest replied.

"Is it the war?" Crystal asked. "yes it is, you see Crystal your mother Princess Jolena Savera was Avalons second princess before she married the King of Ashmire your father was the banished prince Alan Rosetti.

You see your father was banished from the kingdom of Avigalla for trying to protect an elder dragon named Snow. She is known as an ice dragon but after getting injured in a fight against a dark dragon she lost and well those that lost is controlled by the dark dragons but for some reason, the dark dragons couldn't control her and your grandfather the king of Avigalla couldn't see that so in anger banished your father and ordered the elder's death" Forest stopped to look at the dragon egg.

"The king of Avalon took in your father and soon made him a knight and he became one of the most powerful dragon riders in Avalon. He and your mother soon fell in love and with the king's permission they got married but then the dark dragons appeared" Forest said and continued to speak.

"A wizard named Erion broke a sacred promise to never tamper with the seal that keeps the dark dragons from destroying all life on this land and in doing so he broke the seal freeing all the dark dragons to the world. The first kingdom to fall was Girith were the dark dragons was sealed away the second kingdom was the kingdom of Ashmire and soon Avalon followed" Forest said.

"The dark dragons made the queen your grandmother really sick and she soon died. The King in his moment of grieve banished all dragon riders and baned your mom and dad from ever seeing each other again but when your father had already left your mom found out she was expecting you." Forest said.

"Then what happened? " Crystal asked. "Your mother came to the Evergreen forest and asked me for help before the year ended you were born. Your mother stayed with you for the first two years and then she went back to the palace but she came to visit as often as she could. Your father was never told of your birth and there was no way to tell him at that time, Forest said looking at the Crystal.

"Then as soon as you turned ten the war with the dark dragons got really bad and many dragons died but sadly it wasn't the only event that happened. Your grandfather married your mother off to the king of Ashmire and in celebration of the event a lot of dragons and their riders was killed your mother was powerless to stop it from happening and the only thing she could do was to let the guards take you to one of the border villages in order to keep you alive, for if your grandfather found you the worst might have happened?"