Project Crown Teaser (Patreon)

  My first memory is of me falling off the side of his castle. Watching everything fall apart around me as flames and rubble fell along beside me. I watched him drop his sword and reach out for me, calling my name in desperation. Caren. But who was he? I can see his graying blonde hair and dulling blue eyes so clearly. His fully white beard and even the red scar under his left eye. But every time I relive this memory, every time it fills my dreams, I can hear my voice calling back in the same sense of desperation. But every time I try and make out what I say, there are no words for me to hear. Just my voice echoing before the memory ends. I can’t even recall how long ago that was. After that, I remember waking up in a stable on a pile of hay, bandages covering my stomach and melon-sized breasts. My black hair was soaked in blood when I pulled it from under my back, and my hands were bruised as well. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing had come out at first. Everything was silent other than the animals around me. Why can’t I speak? What happened to my voice? Trying to bring myself to my feet, I push myself forward off the ground and bend my knees to help balance myself, but I instantly fall on my face. My muscles must’ve withered away while I was asleep. The noise wakes one of the nearby horses and startles it. I open my mouth to try and speak, and finally get a result. “Shhh. Shhh, girl. No need to be alarmed.” Wait… How did I know it was a female horse? I can’t remember gaining any knowledge of them. “Mom! That woman is scaring the horses!!” A child’s voice screams from outside the stable. I turn to see just who exactly the child was only to see a little boy with burn scars on his face. One of which covered the entirety of his right eye. It’s too dark out to see his hair or eyes. Though, his non-burned one was a glowing red hue. “Who… Who are-” “Dylan! What are you talking about so late?! She’s not even awake! She shouldn’t be for another week…” I watched what I assumed to be the boy’s mother rush over to him and smack the back of his head as she screamed at him. Though, the moment she saw me, I watched the color drain from her face like she saw a ghost. “Caren…? Caren! You're awake! Oh, thank Zan!” “Zan…? Who is Zan? And before that, who are you? Why am I wrapped in bandages? Where are my clothes?!” I shout in her direction, putting my hand to my stomach to indicate my current attire. “What do you mean I wasn’t supposed to wake up for another week? Just...what is going on?” She stepped into the light, making her way closer to me but staying back just far enough for me to not be able to reach her. “My name is Azaylia. This is my son, Dylan. He’s your nephew.” “My nephew? Does that...make you my sister?” “No. I was married to your brother, Lord Anton.” Her face contorted slightly into one of pain. “There was an attack on the castle a month ago. Everyone in the Kingdom thinks you two are dead.” A castle? It would make sense for my own brother to call out for me if I fell… This… just doesn’t make any sense… Shaking my head, I slap my cheeks a few times and hear my stomach growl. A red tint quickly surfaces to my cheeks.“Do you have anything to eat? I’ll finish asking my questions as we eat.” Azaylia nodded and turned around, to face away from me. “I just finished cooking some beef stew. It was Anton’s favorite. Come on into the house and I’ll make you a plate.” I watched her walk to her child, Dylan. My so-called nephew. She lead him to the house and something about her flicked through the air. I couldn’t see it clearly, but I felt like it was a tail. Just what is with these two? Glowing cat-like eyes? A possible tail? Are they part animal somehow? “Well? Caren?! Are you coming inside?” Her voice yanks me from from my thoughts and I rush over to where I hear her calling from. I can see her red hair in the light and a moment later, a shooting pain forms in my head. I drop to the ground, clutching the sides of my head in a feeble attempt to dull the pain. “AHHH! WHAT IS THIS?!” A flash. My vision begins tunneling in on her running towards me before the tunnel fades into nothingness. I don’t even have time to open my eyes and begin to try and figure out what happened before I hear a familiar voice calling me from behind. “Caren! Hurry up before Anton gets home!” That’s that woman’s voice. Azaylia... But, something is different about her voice. It seems...younger. It takes a moment, but an open field forms around me. In the distance in front of me, trees, bushes, and a few fences can be seen. Behind me is a small wooden fence, with that woman sitting on it. Her hands are circled around her mouth like she’s trying to be louder. “Azayl, you know how he feels about us eating without him when he’s shopping.” It...It’s me… But why? Is my mind making this up to fill in for my missing memories? Either way, my focus shifted to the direction I heard my voice coming from. There I was, standing in the field with a sword pointed downward in my hands as a ring of blue flames surrounded my feet before swarming up the blade to the hilt. The instant the flames wrapped around the hilt and, in turn, my hands, my black hair flared up from off my back as if wind was blowing through it. I began glowing blue and my hair gained a blue tint. Even my clothing was affected by the flames. The dark red dress was engulfed in flames, burning away into smoke just to be replaced by a purple just as dark. “Wow! You’re definitely getting better, Caren!” Azaylia called out from her position on the fence. I didn’t seem fazed by it though as a thin, black dragon’s tail flopped out from my clothing, resting on the ground with the fire encircling me. “Gods of Fire, hear my plea. Grant me the power to vanquish those who oppose me!” A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, the resulting crack of thunder sounding off the instant the flames began to engulf my entire body. And there I stood, unfazed by it all with dancing blue flames surrounding my body and weapon. “To all who oppose me! I am Caren Angora, Queen of the Drakenkin! And I will defend my land to my last breath!” I raise my blade from its downward position and up to my shoulder as black wings sprout from my shoulder blades, tearing through my clothing and leaving my torso bare. “Aren’t you being a bit overdramatic, Caren…?” I could hear the fear in Azaylia’s voice as she spoke. Just as quickly as the memory began, it was over. I slowly open my eyes and see nothing but blurry figures. I hear her voice again. She’s calling out to someone, but I can’t tell who. After a moment, the blurry vision fades and I can see Azaylia was kneeling beside me with her hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t recognize the words she was saying, but she clearly looked distressed. “Azayl… I remember a field, flames…” I manage to say, averting my eyes from her. “What? What do you mean?” “Something about Drakenkin… Me being queen…” That distressed looks quickly shifts into one of worry. As if she knew I was going to say something like that. “Come on. Let’s get you inside and rest. You can eat when you’re ready. We have a lot to talk about.”