The Mark of the Chosen

Eira stood at the edge of the forest, her hands shaking. Tonight was the Hunt of Offering, a test where young people had to kill a beast to prove their worth. If she failed, the village would cast her out and leave her to survive alone.

The wind was cold against her skin as she gripped her small dagger her only weapon. Deep inside, fear crept through her chest, but she couldn't turn back now.

A sharp sound broke the silence a twig snapping behind her. She froze. Something was watching her.

Suddenly, a Virelith jumped out of the shadows. It was a terrifying beast with sharp claws and blackened skin, created by dark magic long ago. The creature snarled and lunged at her.

Eira barely had time to move. The force of the beast knocked her to the ground, pain shooting through her shoulder as its claws cut deep. She struggled to lift her dagger and stabbed the creature's side, but it barely flinched.

A normal blade wasn't enough to kill a creature born from magic.

The Virelith raised its claws for the final strike. Eira's heart pounded. Was this how she would die?

Suddenly, a burning heat spread from her wrist. It grew stronger like fire was flowing through her veins. Without thinking, she raised her hand. A golden light burst from her palm, hitting the Virelith in the chest.

The beast shrieked in pain as the golden flames wrapped around it. Within seconds, the creature was reduced to nothing but ash.

Eira stared at her trembling hands. What just happened?

A voice came from behind her. "You… used dragonfire."

She turned to see Kael, the village's Dragon Knight apprentice. Dragon Knights were warriors who once protected both humans and dragons, though few remained. His silver armor gleamed in the moonlight, but his face showed disbelief.

"That's impossible," he said, stepping closer. "Only the Chosen can use dragonfire."

Eira's heart sank. The Chosen were powerful beings marked by the lost kingdom of Drakos, a kingdom destroyed long ago in a terrible war. People feared anyone connected to that magic.

"I don't know how I did it," she whispered.

Kael's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "If the village finds out… they'll be afraid of you. And if the Malrith learn about your power, they'll come for you."

The Malrith were dark sorcerers who had once tried to control the dragons and nearly destroyed the world. If they knew Eira had dragonfire, they would never stop hunting her.

A horn sounded in the distance the signal that the Hunt was over. But Eira knew this was just the beginning.

Her life would never be the same again.