It was his last chance to finally make his father proud. Since he could shoot a bow his father had pestered him, pushed him to be the best. Entering him in every bow and arrow contest, and yet here he was in one yet again. In the stands sat the king, in his mighty throne which gave him all the power. Adelard glanced at his father then at the announcer, he gave a slight nod and put the arrow in the bow. Taking slight breaths he waited for the signal, the bell rang and he let the arrow fly, it hit the target directly in the middle! Adelard let out a sigh of relief, putting in another arrow he pulled it back, angled it at the second target and waited for the signal. His piercing on his right ear seemed to be the only thing moving, the tooth from his first dragon that he hunted. The bell rang and the third arrow flew, direct hit! Right in the center! //one left... Get it in the middle to tie it or you go home....// putting in his arrow the bell rang, he let it fly with out a moment to spare. It was the quick round, he wasnt ready and had let it fly unexpectedly. The arrow fly towards the target, but was a few inches short and missed the target completely. Adelard's eyes grew wide and his mouth opened in disbelief. The king stood up abruptly and made his way down the stands, anger coursing through his veins and face. Adelard looked at his rival who had gotten the trophy. He made his way to his horse and untied the reins from the wooden stake, getting on his horse he saw his father approaching on his own horse, a completely white stallion with a additude. "what in blazes do you call that Adelard?! I trained you to be the best and you fail!" Adelard sighed,
"I call that my best! Alright?! I'm sorry I'm not some champion! But I hope you know I probably never will be!" he kicked his horse and took off towards the forest, the king was furious, he yelled after Adelard,
"your a disgrace to this kingdom! Get back here right now!" But Adelard ignored him and rode further into the forest. (cont...)

As he got farther away he slowed the horse to a trot, "he gets on my nerves!" the horse knickered and pawed the ground in agreement. "I know I know!" when he got to his favorite clearing something was off, there was hill surrounded by a stone wall. On top of that small hill was a small house built out of stone. "they are on kingdom property aren't they.... Better get them off..." he gave the horse a small kick and went up the way to the small house. When he got there, he got off and grabbed his sword, unsheathing it.
"what are you doing on my property?" Adelard turned around and around so he could figure out where it was coming from when he turned towards the doorway there stood a tall beautiful woman with blonde hair, the tips dyed red, and her top lip curled.
"your on the majulian empire territory I need to leave please!" the woman chuckled "I just got here! You expect me to just get up an leave? I'm sorry I can't!" before he could get another word in she took a step forward towards the horse "this is a great horse, it would be a shame if something were to happen to him?" Adelard looked at the black stallion and sighed, he was strong and very fast and smart. He was his first friend and only friend, he was told that if that horse got a special bond with someone he would live for a long time. The stallion stood there like a newborn foal. He looked back at the woman and poked her arm with the tip of his sword, "get going! Don't touch my horse either!" the woman chuckled again and that's when the horse went crazy, bucking, neighing as if it were wild. (cont...)

Adelard let go of the reins in his other hand and watched as his horse took off towards the forest. In front of Adelard sat a small green and yellow cobra hissing. "oh dear one come to mother." the woman sat her hand on the ground the palm facing upwards. The snake slithered over to her hand and sat on it facing Adelard. He gripped his sword with both hands and pointed it at the woman holding the snake. "let me show you why I can't leave alright Adelard?"
"I don't remember ever telling you my name...." the woman walked into the house and gestured for him to follow her inside. When he got into the house he pointed his sword quickly at a giant snake sitting on a bed.
"don't worry he won't hurt you....unless I say otherwise" she looked over her shoulder and winked at him. He still pointed his sword at the snake who eyed him and growled. She snapped her finger "light the fire please best to move adelard" he moved a bit and watched as the giant snake took in a breath and breathed out a large stream of fire at the fireplace. The fire was blue not red which puzzled Adelard. He looked at the woman who had sat the small cobra on a table in the corner. He put his sword away when she handed him and small cup of tea. "now Adelard you don't like the royal life do you?" he took a sip of tea then immediately regretted it. He sat the cup aside and nodded slightly, "yes I don't like it much how did you know?"

The woman took a sip and smiled "well there's a lot I know about you dear one, your mother died from cancer, your father is strict, you love the horse who just took off. You hate royal life." Adelard's eyes widened and he took in a deep breath. "how do you know so much through?...." she smiled and took a small bottle off the shelf and held it in her hand "ill show you how..." (cont in a bit....)

(continuing.)
She held the bottle and smiled, "in everyone one of these bottles is a strand of hair." on the shelves sat bottle after bottle full with strands of hair. She threw the bottle into the flames, and they grew in size. After a few minutes a small snake came out and hissed. "seeing the snake I can see your past, your greatest fears and your biggest dreams." she turned towards Adelard and spoke calmly, while the snake went over to the table and up the leg. Sitting on the table was the green and yellow cobra. "your dream is to get out of the kingdom, to be on your own.... I can do that for you, I can't give you your dream..." Adelard sat back a bit and smiled.... He did want that dream. The woman looked at the table and saw the new snake and the cobra in a battle, angry and out for revenge. She raised her hand and lighting shot out to strike the new snake but instead it hit the cobra. She screamed and ran towards the table swiping the new snake of the table with a swipe. She picked up the cobra and hummed a song, the cobra coiled and then turned to stone. She sighed "sometimes accidents happen" she turned back towards Adelard who was backing up slowly "your a witch!" (cont..)

The woman poked a hole through a part of the snake and brought a piece of rope through. She smiled and sat the necklace on the shelf. She walked back to Adelard and pulled a piece of hair off of him and threw it into the fire, out came a red snake with spike's down it's back, its eyes were a ember like color and it had spikes on its tail. It snapped at the woman when she tried to pick him up. It growled and even the giant snake by the bed who had lit the fire growled. She picked it up and handed it to Adelard, "take care of it and bring it back in three days. Only then will I make your dream come true." she handed him a pouch to put the snake in. She pushed him towards the door and said again "remember bring him back in three days!" and she shut the door.

Three days later:

Adelard didn't want to take the snake home in the first place but he had and he grew close to it. The snake was coiled around his wrist as he made his way through the forest on a palace horse. His stallion hadn't been found yet. When he got back to the small house he knocked on the door and opened it, inside the snake lit the fire and the woman sat at the table thumbing the necklace that used to be a snake. She held out her hand and he handed her the red snake, who he had named ember for his eyes. The snake growled and snapped at her, she stroke his back once then looked at Adelard, "you two are close... Do you have a name for him?" he nodded his head and spoke "ember because of his eyes" she nodded her head and picked up the snake and sat him in his palm. "be ready this will hurt...." Adelard looked at the snake and gave a small chuckle, "I'm going to be turned into a snake?" the woman grabbed the snake necklace and turned towards Adelard and smiled "yep"

The woman placed the necklace around the snakes head and grabbed a small bracelet and tied it around his wrist. "these two things will link you together for it to go through, your memory of me and this process will be erased and everything you ever did will all the memories will be the same but replaced with a snakes eyes, your father will be a dragon. Not in real life, but in your memory he will be. You will not be able to change back to a human after this is over with. You will be bigger then my own snake the one by the bed you will be about twenty feet tall and thirteen feet long. This snake chose to be a digger, meaning you will be able to dig underground and stay under there for quite a while. Do you want to still go through with this?" Adelard backed up a bit and took it all in... Did he want this? Would it be easier being the predator? He asked a question first "will I be called ember?" the woman nodded "you will be know by the name ember, however your fathers name, sebastion, will stay the same. You will also be transported to a realm called the land of dreams." Adelard nodded his head, he wasnt fit for royalty, although all of this sounded crazy he knew the answer. "yes" he said calmly "I would like to go through with it"

It was painful and ember didn't like it and neither did Adelard. When it was over, there sat a giant red snake, with two teeth and a additude. The woman hit the snake with a chair to make it move, when it looked at her she snapped her finger and he was transported to the land of dreams. He appeared in front of a carriage being pulled by two horses one white and one black. The white horse looked brand new, only about three years old. The other one was older, and worn out, the snake starred at that black horse, it seemed so familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it, it was as if it was from a past life. He turned his head and the black stopped the carriage the white horse however was going crazy, bucking and neighing. "yin! yang! Quit it right now!" the black horse snorted and ember nodded his head and growled "I agree I bet he gets on your nerves" the horse's ears perked up, he had found his lost master. Ember starred at the horse as it began to neigh and buck. When it got free it ran over to the giant snake and rested its head on his right shoulder. Its when the horse rests its head on your shoulder that you know the bond is strong and real.

That's a neat story, great job! The first half reminds me of the movie Brave. XD

Ember's story is really cool. .o.
You did an awesome job writing it!

Re: Haha, crazy coincidence, huh? XD Don't worry, I trust that you didn't copy it. He's got an epic story!

Re: Yeah, I noticed that! Totally ironic, if I say so myself! XD I wonder if Adelard will ever regain his memories...?