1 Captured By A Dragon!

"Your Highness, the palace grounds are now swarming with knights sworn to Princess Athena. Time is dwindling rapidly; a decision must be made with utmost urgency."

Princess Lucia, locked in a bitter contest for the crown, faced her defeat to her sister, Princess Athena. Athena's superior intellect, strategy, and alliances had always overshadowed Lucia, whose claim to the throne was bolstered mainly by their father's favoritism.

In a dimly lit chamber, Lucia, draped in a large black cloak, addressed the shadowy figure before her. "Eva, must I really resort to such drastic measures? Is there truly no other way to flee the capital without succumbing to your dark enchantment and transforming into a dragon?"

Eva, the court's dark sorceress, clad in midnight fabrics that whispered secrets with every movement, responded with a grave nod. "Highness, without access to a teleportation array or magical scrolls, and considering your need for self-protection once we escape, only accepting my curse to become a dragon remains our most potent option."

Lucia's purple-gold eyes shimmered with conflict as her fingers brushed against her lips, a gesture of deep contemplation. "And wings alone wouldn't suffice?"

"To merely grant you wings would be insufficient, Highness. The full might of a dragon is what will ensure your safety and deter your enemies."

With a heavy heart, Lucia acquiesced. The formidable guise of a dragon would indeed shield her from many perils.

"Very well, Eva. Proceed with the incantation."

Without hesitation, Eva lifted her wand, its tip aglow with an ominous light. She began the spell, her voice echoing through the stone chamber, weaving a curse of transformation.

With a resounding boom, the very foundation of Princess Lucia's quarters trembled and shattered, reducing the grand architecture to rubble. From the debris arose an amethyst-scaled dragon, its eyes glinting with royal resolve. The encircling knights, startled by the sudden transformation, instinctively braced for conflict.

"Now, Your Highness! Spread your wings and soar!" Eva shouted over the clamor, her voice a ecoed amidst the chaos.

As Lucia caught the sound of Eva's voice calling out to her, a surge of adrenaline sparked within her. Instinctively, her dragon wings unfurled, thrashing powerfully as she lifted into the air with a clumsy grace.

"Eva, transform and flee the imperial capital with me!" Lucia's voice boomed from above, her figure a shimmering silhouette of amethyst against the sun.

Eva, standing firm on the cobblestones, gave Lucia a regretful smile. Her gaze drifted past her friend to where Princess Athena, surrounded by her royal knights, stood observing the scene.

"Your Highness Athena, I surrender," Eva declared with a serene smile, her decision ringing clear across the bustling square.

Lucia, now fully morphed into her majestic amethyst dragon form, nearly lost her balance in midair upon hearing Eva's words.

Her heart sank as her most faithful companion surrendered. Below, confusion stirred among the onlookers.

"That colossal amethyst dragon soaring above... Is that my mischievously defeated royal sister?" Princess Athena inquired with a raised brow.

"It's Her Royal Highness, Lucia," one of the knights corrected softly.

"And how did she transform into a dragon?" the princess continued, her curiosity piqued.

"I may have had a hand in that," Eva confessed with a wry twist of her lips. "It's a shame, really. After orchestrating a daring escape for my beloved, defeated princess, it appears she's still not out of reach."

Princess Athena smirked at the unfolding drama, "The mighty griffons of our knights are fearless against such a young dragon. Indeed, people and creatures alike evolve."

With a flourish, she signaled, and the air filled with the thunderous beats of griffon wings as the knights ascended towards Lucia.

"Eva, you may remain loyal to Athena," Lucia called down, her voice tinged with betrayal and resolve.

"Cursed Athena, this isn't the end! I will return, I vow it!" Lucia roared defiantly, her voice echoing off the city walls as she prepared to leave the imperial airspace.

But just as she maneuvered to escape, a massive shadow loomed over her. Before she could even react, a dizzying force yanked at her dragon tail. Hoisted up, she came face to face with a menacing black dragon.

"Help!" Lucia's cry pierced the sky. "Why is there a black dragon in the imperial skies?!"

On the ground, amidst the chaos, Lance watched in awe. Never had he imagined that this young amethyst dragon, now entangled in a royal conflict and targeted by human army, would dare such a bold incursion into the human empire's heart to rescue a princess. His eyes remained glued to the sky, where the scene of griffins chasing after him unfolded.

Had he not chanced upon this scene on his return journey, the amethyst-scaled young dragon might have met a dire fate. The youth, naive to the perils of the world, was ensnared, its brilliant scales shimmering in distress.

He, a towering figure of onyx scales and ancient might, belonged to the noble dragon clan. Rescuing one of his own was not just an act of loyalty but a rite of passage. An adult black dragon, he held the power of tempests and shadows within his mighty form.

For him, liberating the besieged amethyst dragon from the clutches of the human griffon knights was no formidable task. There was no need for grand gestures or intricate plans; a swift dive from the skies, a firm grasp on the fledgling's tail, and they would be airborne, away from danger.

He held a faint nostalgia for his past human life, which stayed his wrath against the griffon knights. His mere presence was a threat enough. A mere flick of his mighty tail could fell a griffin, and his roar, a sound both ferocious and bone-chilling, could send the noble creatures scrambling in terror.

"Evil dragon! The evil dragon has seized Her Highness!" cried Eva, a dark wizard and confidant to Lucia, stunned by the sudden appearance of the black dragon above the imperial capital. It had swooped down without warning, capturing Princess Lucia, now transformed into her amethyst dragon form.

It happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Eva processed the scene, the 'evil' dragon was already soaring away with the transformed royal in his clutches.

"Gryphon Knights, stop that vile beast!" Princess Athena commanded, her voice echoing with urgency. Despite her title as the 'evil' princess and her occasional foolishness, her determination was fierce. She couldn't merely spectate as her sister was whisked away by this unexpected foe.

As more griffon knights took to the skies, not to restrain Lucia but to pursue her captor, the black dragon, named Lance, unleashed a ferocious roar. The sound overwhelmed the well-trained griffins, throwing them into disarray. Some lost their bearings entirely, their wings beating in futile panic.

From the ground, Athena and Eva could only watch helplessly as the mighty dragon, Lance, carved through the skies with Lucia. The suddenness of his assault left them unprepared, revealing the underlying fear that even the bravest griffins harbored against a true dragon.

Among the knights, whispers spread quickly, their tones mixed with awe and fear. "It's a real dragon, that black dragon is not just any lesser breed!"

"A real dragon? You mean to say he's a pure-blooded black dragon?"

"Yes."

"That settles it, then. I fear the princess we knew may never return," one knight muttered, a sense of finality in his voice.

Lucia's heart hammered against her chest, her breath catching in her throat as fear gripped her. It was a nightmare come to life, captured by a malevolent dragon, the very beast of legend she thought only existed in stories to scare children.

To her dismay, the dragon had whisked her away to a remote island, stripping her of any hope for escape. Alone and isolated, she felt the weight of despair pressing down on her.

"Of all the rotten luck," she muttered to herself, staring into the expanse of the sea that imprisoned her. "First, I lose the throne to that conniving princess, and now, abducted by a dragon right out of the imperial capital's darkest tales?"

She paced the rocky shore, her voice tinged with panic. "Will that princess even bother to save me? Where are the knights in shining armor, the heroes of old, anyone help?"

Lucia's thoughts spiraled as she considered her grim fate. "Legends say these dragons devour humans... but now I'm more dragon than human, aren't I? Surely, dragons don't eat their own kind?"

Her mind raced, grappling with her twisted fortune. "Wait, there's a tale of the dragon falling ill after consuming one with tainted blood. If I'm part dragon from transformation, could my mixed heritage be my salvation? Or will it deem me an unworthy meal?"

Fear clawed at her resolve. She was only fifteen, her life barely begun, unacquainted with love, yet to pledge loyalty to a knight, never having met a noble suitor. The thought of her adventure ending in the belly of a beast was too cruel.

Frantic, she cried out to the looming figure above her, "Please, don't eat me! I swear, I'm not delicious at all, my meat taste sour, really, and absolutely dreadful tasting. I've never experienced love, and I'm far too young to die, let alone be eaten!"

Confusion flickered in the dragon's ancient eyes as it tilted its head, considering her plea.