Chapter One

Lots of things can affect the future. In this case, it's a chubby little three year old with an interest in shiny things. Somehow, little Emma Wright managed to change my life so drastically.

     I pushed to the front of the crowd as a Hunter held a knife to a Mage’s throat. Magic crackled along the Mage’s skin, blue sparks lighting up the semi-darkened playground. I pulled Emma closer to me, keeping her away from the magical freak. Mages were dangerous. Their powers ran rampant with their emotions, risking human lives every day.

“Time to pay the price, monster.” The Hunter spat, digging the blade into the Mage’s skin. Red blood bloomed on the knife, dripping onto the ground. I covered Emma’s eyes with my hands, turning away from the gory sight. The Hunters had no problems with killing Mages in front of people. With their silver masks and black hood, their identities were completely hidden from the world. You had no idea who was a Hunter and who was a Mage until someone let their magic out.

“C’mon Emma, your mom will be home soon.” I said, pulling the little girl away from the scene.

“But I wanna play!” She whined, fighting against my grip.

“Maybe later, okay?” I offered, glancing back at the Hunter and the Mage. The Mage had gone pale and was slack in the Hunter’s grip. The Hunter, on the other hand, was smiling creepily as blood collected at the Mage’s feet. I turned Emma away, pushing her away and towards her house. “First, let’s go home.”

“Look! It’s so pretty!” She said, kneeling down and picking up a small golden ring.

“You’re right. Let’s go home and show your mom!” I told her, pointing to her house, just across the street.

“Yeah!” She said, running ahead. I followed her, not bothering to look behind me at what might be happening to the Mage. I caught up to Emma, pulling the house key out of my pocket. I opened the door, locking it behind us.

“Let me put your coat up.” I said, kneeling down and pulling the thick jacket off of her chubby little arms.

“Here!” She said, putting the ring in my hand. “For you! The bestest babysitter ever!” She told me. I smiled, putting the ring on my finger.

“I love it.” I said, holding it out for her to see. “Now, how ‘bout a board game?” I offered.

“Yay!” The little girl cried, running back to her room where the sound of boxes falling made it apparent that she was eager to play. I stood up, glancing at the ring that was now sitting on my finger. It was gold and looked like a miniature dragon crawling around my finger. Huh, that was weird. I was certain that the dragon’s head had been facing the other way when Emma had placed it on my finger. Another crash echoed through the house, causing me to forget about the ring. I walked down to Emma’s bedroom and peeked inside. She had gotten down Chutes & Ladders, along with half the other board games that were housed in her bedroom. After picking up the mess, we set up the game, both of us already forgetting the little incident in the park. We were about to begin when the front door opened and Emma’s mother, Ms. Wright, called out for us.

“Emma? Jeannie?” She asked, unsure if we were here or at the park.

“We’re in Emma’s room.” I said, beginning to pack it up. Emma pouted, unhappy that our little game would have to wait. Ms. Wright came in, her business suit a stark contrast in comparison to her daughter’s princess themed bedroom. She bent down to give her daughter a hug, smiling at me as she does so.

“So, how was the park?” She asked, fishing through her purse to find the money to pay me.

“It was fun, but we had to leave early. A Mage showed up.” I told her, shivering at the thought of that magic-infested freak. Mages were cold-blooded killers who used their supernatural powers to get their way with things. They were greedy too. The government has supplied them with the Mage District, a neighborhood exclusively made for them, but they still came out and wandered around our homes.

“Are you both okay?” Ms. Wright asked worriedly, glancing up at Emma and then me.

“We’re fine. A Hunter showed up and took care of it. I brought Em home before anything went too far, though.” I reassured her. Any sane parent wouldn’t want their three-year old child to watch someone get killed, even if it is one of those dirty Mages.

“That’s good.” She said, pulling fifteen dollars out of her purse and handing it to me.

“But I only asked for ten.” I said. Ever since Emma’s father left, I had been babysitting for less and less. I had watched her for three hours today and offered to do it for five, but Ms. Wright insisted on ten. I couldn’t take any more. She needed the money more than I needed a new book.

“For the Mage issue.” She insisted, practically pushing me out of the door before I could argue.

“Alright.” I caved, shoving the money in my pocket. “Wait, Emma!” I said, whirling around just as I leaving. The blonde-haired, green-eyed girl looked up at me from her mother’s side. “We can play a game next time, I promise.” I told her.

“Okay.” She said quietly, hugging me one last time before I left. With that, I began the walk back to my house. It was only a few blocks, leading by some woods with a little stream that I loved to stop at. I came upon the stream soon, leaning over the railing of the bridge. A bright flash knocked me backwards, causing me to land on the ground with a thud. I stood up once the stars disappeared, but all I could do was stare. This couldn’t be possible. This had to be a dream, unless I was really a Mage and my entire life had been a lie. Because this shouldn’t have been possible for me to do. It wasn’t possible for any human, only Mages could do this. I looked around, for once hoping that some Mage was nearby, but there wasn’t. I was all alone and I was controlling the water.

Author's Note

So, first chapter. Sets up the universe a bit, introduces the narrator/main character, as well as a couple of side characters. So, questions, comments, and tips are greatly appreciated, I hope you liked it!

Reviews

[Zero300]

Nice first chapter. The book title says Dragon Spirits, so I'm guessing the magic the MC has is related to dragons? Also, will the MC only know water magic? Or is she an all-rounder?

[Jenn E.]

Well, the second chapter will go more in depth with the powers, courtesy of a little dragon named Po.