He had finished storing away the wheat to dry the day before, but he still needed to bundle and transport it all to the wheat grinder. Wheat was fine and all, but it was flour that the lord needed. Graith had a large barn where he stored the wheat to dry, with distinct locations for each field harvested, as well as a place to bundle it and then pack the bundles onto his wagon.
He grabbed his ledger then headed to the barn. He thought this year might make his top five largest harvests, but he wouldn’t know for sure until he had finished bundling the wheat.
He fed his chickens as he crossed his small fenced yard. He carefully set his ledger aside and pumped water for his horse and cow who both were roaming the small paddock. Picking the ledger back up he resumed his walk. He thought about riding his horse to the barn but decided the walk would help clear his head.
He could see his barn, which resided on the north side of his property, well before he reached it. While not situated for the easiest access from his home, it was centered between his best fields. It also was in the direction of town. A dark mahogany from age, the barn was two stories tall, and had large, sliding doors on both ends, and windows propped open along the sides high above. A normal sized door was inset within the larger locked sliding door which Graith opened to enter the barn.
Inside Graith turned to his immediate left, towards his small office he’d built for the exclusive purpose of keeping his past ledgers, and his small safe, which contained his life savings. The barn was dark, with no lanterns to possibly set his precious harvest on fire, but Graith didn’t need a lantern as he maneuvered around his office to open the shuttered window. His office faced away from the rising sun, but the window provided enough light for him to see by to unlock the nearest set of large sliding doors.
He lifted the iron latch and started to slide the door open. As he did so, he heard a slithering sound behind him. Having gotten the door open about two feet wide, he turned to look around his feet for a snake, annoyed. Sometimes they were able to get in from under the floor. He’d tried to have the barn build as securely as possible, for rodents eating away at his harvest was bad for his profits. Unable to find a snake, though surely, he knew what he’d heard - he turned back to the large doors. Now too far apart to push from the middle he grabbed the left door and pulled it open.
As he headed to the right door, he heard the slithering sound again, but this time it was accompanied by a sharp tapping noise. Stopping again, he turned to investigate the now illuminated barn. There was nothing on the first floor, but the sound, still audible, was coming from above.
Damn snakes, he thought as he went to the nearest ladder and started climbing to the loft. Focused on the rungs before him, he did not immediately see the source of the sound. But as he reached the second floor and stood upright, he saw it.
It was quite hard to miss, as it was the midnight blue dragon from his dreams the night before.
CHAPTER TWO
Nerie
Nerie and Raana raced through the streets, headed to the royal hatching ceremony. Young girls from the middle district, they were well dressed just for the special occasion. Raana wore a burgundy dress, while Nerie wore a navy vest over a white shirt and a long navy skirt. Both laughed in excitement as vendors sold colorful candies, and savory treats. On any other day they would have stopped to sample the wares, but not today. They were on their way to the palace.
It was an exciting time for everyone in the country. All across the city of Roria, golden and navy banners hung from every window. Flowers laid in baskets waiting to be thrown into the air. The market bustled as the kingdom waited with bated breath to celebrate. As the girls wove their way to the palace, they discovered line after line nearly backed up to the lower district.
“This way!” Raana said as she pulled Nerie through streets she hadn’t even known existed. Raana had told Nerie the night before that she had a friend in the palace that said that he could get the girls inside to actually see the hatching.
As they made their way from crowded street to crowded street, Nerie felt lost. But Raana was confidently leading them from one turn to the next. When she brought Nerie to a small back door on the far side of the palace, Nerie held her breath anxiously. She’d never been inside the palace before. Not many commoners had, as it was only opened for the hatching ceremony and for coronations - neither of which had ever occurred in her lifetime.
Raana knocked sharply twice before a handsome young man with dark hair and dark eyes pulled it open. She leapt into his arms and started kissing him. Nerie was shocked, as she’d had no idea that her friend had such a friend.
“Raana! What would your mother say!” Nerie asked with a giggle, as Raana and the man separated.
Raana just rolled her eyes.
“I’m Zaid. And I intend to find out what her mother has to say as soon as I save up enough to ask for her hand in marriage,” Zaid said with a wink, then led them inside.
It turned out that the back door lead to the nearly sweltering kitchens. Zaid grabbed two aprons and handed them to the girls.
“I couldn’t just get you in for free. We need more hands than we have here in the kitchens today. Just
