Julia

  An uproar went through the crowd as Julia aer stepped out of the house.

  Many elves had gathered outside and handed each other shovels and rakes. They were ready to defend their vilge. Others looked at Julia with pity or tried to leave the vilge in vain.

  "Shall we tie them up directly?", an elf asked. She held two ropes in her hands. "The elder wants us to tie her up and lock her in one of the rger vegetable boxes."

  "No", the elf with the brown hair shook her head. "She wants to talk to the elder. After that, we still lock them up!"

  "Clear the way!", demahe elf who had ehe house with her, pushing a few elves aside. "Go. Out of the way! Let us through to the elder."

  The crowd cleared the way for them. Julia saw in their faces that they were afraid. Some even demahat she aer be locked up directly, instead of talking to the elder. Others angrily tradicted them. But no oood in their way. Their friends, Leo and his family followed them at a distance.

  Finally, they reached the elder on the small, clear vilge square.

  The elf seemed annoyed. With him stood two elves with a toddler. A small elf with pink dragonfly wings. Julia couldn't believe her eyes. It was the child from her vision.

  "What does that mean?", the angry voice of the vilge elder boomed across the vilge square. Julia almost flinched, his voice was so loud.

  "She wants to talk to you!", the elf with the brown hair decred, giving Julia o venomous look before stepping aside. Peter stood protectively o his sister and ighe elf who tried to hold him back. Peter resolutely pushed him away from him.

  "No, thank you. I don't know you. I don't cuddle with strangers!", he whispered to the irritated elf.

  "What?", he mumbled and took a step back. "Uh. What?"

  The eldest did not pay attention to the two. He looked at Julia, who examined him thhly. He looked tired. His clothes were crumbled and his hair was disheveled. "That's how you want to front soldiers?", she asked with a furrowed brow. What had her mother told her? A queen needs power. She hought that this terrible advice might help her one day. Julia had seen her and her friends flee in her vision. She knew she could do it. "You look like a peasant who wants to oppose an army." Some voices could be heard from the elven crowd agreeing with her. They wao leave the vilge.

  "What?" A blush of anger rose to the elf's face. "That's what you want? Make fun of me?"

  "You're doing that alht now! You don’t need my help."

  Peter drew in a sharp breath and looked at her with wide eyes. Julia paid no attention to him. Her gaze was fully on the elf. "You don't stand a ce. Even if you use me aer. It won't do you any good. Go ahead. Lock us up. No one in this vilge will survive your heroic deed." She gave the two elves with the toddler a quice. They were dirty. Soot stuck to their bodies. "Ask the two elves. They will tell you the same if they haven't already. If you want to save your vilge, run. Running away is the only way."

  Now the elf blinked. His gaze wao the two elves with the toddler. He chewed uainly on his lower lip. "And? Defending our vilge is a matter of honor. Dignity. We've already lost too much!"

  The two elves gave him pleading looks. "Please!", whispered one of them. "They burhing down!"

  Julia smiled. "Honor? Dignity? No one take that away from you. So? What will you choose? Insanity? Or will you e to your senses?"

  "We have o go", he finally murmured. At st, he listeo her. "We've lived here for turies. The oldest of us remember how this vilge was built. It was supposed to be a city... But soldiers took everything from us. Our children, our harvest. Where should we go? We only fight. I 't give up all this here!"

  "But you build a new home." Julia noroached him. The sharpness had disappeared from her voice. "What is more important? A few houses? Or those who live in the houses?"

  "And where should we go?", he asked.

  "Behind the border. The steppe of the taurs. That's where we escape." She looked at the refugees. "Whehe soldiers at your home?"

  "Yesterday. Before the storm came. We are the only ones...", one of the two elves replied and began to sob. "We came here to... There were many and they were fast. They took the children with them."

  The eldest sighed. "There is nothing we do for the lost children. They all might wear a binding spell by now. Why else would these monsters have taken them? You had a vision, girl? I heard that seers ge the future."

  "That's what I'm trying to do. That's what I tried from the moment I stood in your living room. Flee before the soldiers arrive. So that no one falls victim to them."

  Finally, the elder agreed. "Ok. We listen to the girl! Pack provisions quickly. Only the bare ies and then we leave the vilge. Get your children. We are fleeing!" Then he looked at the refugees. "Do you need anything? Provisions?"

  The reas of the crowd varied. A few elves, less than Julia had suspected, protested, while the others seemed relieved. One elf even thanked Julia. Most of them rushed away to pack their things ahe children. Only a few still demahat Julia be locked up. But those were just empty words.

  "I'll give something to them!", Flora spoke up and stood with the refugees. "e, you poor things. I'll pack you something!" She beed the two with the toddler to her. Nodding, the two elves went to Flora. The little girl looked at Julia with big, sad eyes. Julia followed them.

  "That was impressive, little sister", Peter whispered to her. "You looked like mom."

  "Really?" Julia grinned.

  "She always scolded me like this when I did something as a child. Really scary!" Peter shook his head. "She would be proud of you."

  "I don't think so. After all, I help 'the enemy' instead of letting her save me." Julia rolled her eyes. "But I don't need our mother's pride. Here is my pot with mom in the castle, or at the academy. Although it might be useful if I could master my magic better. I don't belong in her castle."

  "No, I don't think so!", tradicted Peter. "You looked like a queen. Now your pce may be here, but not forever. Maybe you'll ki's ass someday. She deserved it. Unfortunately."

  Julia ed her arms around him. "She was he mother we needed."

  "Our father didn't do much better either..." Peter kissed Julia's hair. "We're better off without them."

  Around them, the vilgers rushed to their houses, or to one of the sheds, ached their children. Julia aer followed Flora and the others bato the house. Ohere, Leo pulled Julia to him.

  "You did it!", he murmured and kissed her hair. "You really did it."

  "I hope it wasn't too te. We have to hurry!", shouted Hanno to them.

  Flave the two elves and the child something to drink and fruit from the breakfast table.

  Meanwhile, the little girl whimpered softly.

  "That must have been terrible", Flora turo them. "Which vilge are you from?"

  "At the edge of the forest. Not far from the city", said one of the two elves. "I'm Gisele. This is my girlfriend Lavinia. The little one is her sister Maleen. We were just able to grab her and ran away."

  Flora handed everyone a cloth for provisions and they packed as much breakfast as they could take with them. Leopold came back with several warm jackets and scarves and distributed them.

  Marko ed a particurly warm scarf around Finn's ned kissed his cheek before taking a scarf for himself. They quickly put on their jackets, then they were ready to go.

  "Shall we go?", asked Hanno.

  "Of course! What is the point of the question? Quick, quick!", snorted Flora. "This is not a family outing!"

  "They've been banned for a few years now!", murmured Leo, reag for Julia's hand.

  "I don't like this!", murmured Peter. "Not at all."

  "Nobody likes it!", replied Finn. "But at least we're all together!"

  "e now", Flora shouted and the group left the house. In the meantime, all the elves gathered again on the vilge square. They were all ready for the long, arduous journey.

  But before they could leave, one of the houses was on fire.

  "Magic!", excimed an elf, and panic broke out. Now the many riders could also be heard. Marko turned into a wolf and nudged Finn with his muzzle to climb on his back. Frightened elves ran around in fusion. Julia turned pale. It all seemed familiar to her. She had seen it.

  "Get out of here!"

  "Run!"

  They were all screaming in fusion. Leopold grabbed Julia's hand and they ran after Hanno and Flora. In the dire of the forest. Burning arrows shot past them. Houses went up in fmes. Cries. A tornado, created by magic, appeared in front of them and they had to take a different path. Peter cursed loudly.

  Julia could hardly keep an eye on her friends, no, her family. Then she heard Peter scream. She stopped and forced Leopold to stop as well. Peter had fallen to his knees and an arrow was stu his back. Luckily not a burning one, but it didn't look good. Without thinking about it, Julia and Leopold grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. Peter groaned weakly as they dragged him further toward the forest.

  I was too te. I didn't make it! Tears rolled down Julia's cheeks. She kept hearing screams, but she didn't turn around. Until she heard a very loud, strange scream. Or was it a roar? Shortly thereafter, a huge, bck dragon shot past them and spit fire. Josef? They ran all the faster. Soon another dragon flew over them. But they kept running until they heard no more screams and no more horses.

  They were in the middle of the forest. A small, scattered group. Julia saw Marko and Finn. Flora and Hanno. The two elves with the toddler and a few others. How mahere? Twenty? Thirty? And how many hadn't made it?

  She and Leopold carefully id Peter on the floor. He had lost sciousness.

  "What shall we do?", cried Julia in panic.

  " you cure him?" Leopold shook Peter, but he did not wake up.

  "I try!", she said, pulling the arrow. He was deep inside her brother. She suppressed a sob and focused on what she had learned about healing. Meanwhile, Marko and Finn were also croug with her. She felt her hands getting warmer, but the wound hardly improved. "It doesn't work. I don't know enough about sujuries!", she whispered. "He's going to die. I 't do anything!" She pulled her brother to her.

  "No..." Finn shook his head. "No." He leaned against Marko.

  Leopold stroked her hair.

  "I help!", she suddenly heard another voice. Fiete came running towards her. Josefine followed him, but she seemed unresponsive and growled softly.

  "You help him?" Julia kissed Peter's cheek while the drago beside her.

  "I do that. Please let go of him. Put him back down. Fast. He's already lost a lot of blood."

  Julia nodded and id her unscious brother ba the forest floor. His blood was on her jacket.

  The dragon put his hand oer's heart instead of the wound, and his eyes began to glow even more than before. Julia drew in a sharp breath. Peter's wound healed. Faster than she had seen before. All that remained was a scar and the torn fabric. Then, finally, Peter regained sciousness.

  "What?", he murmured, looking around in fusion. "Do I look so good that you all have to stare at me?"

  Relieved, Julia threw herself at him. "You're alive!"

  "Ouch!", protested her brother. "If you throw yourself at me like that, I won’t stay alive way longer. What happened?"

  "An arrow hit you. I saved your life", replied Fiete, who was now back with his niece. Josefiared at Peter and Julia with an expressionless face.

  "Oh." Peter blinked and pushed Julia away. "Yes. An arrow. Um. How nice of you. Thank you."

  But as soon as he sat up, Finn hugged him. And then Marko and Leo.

  Julia smiled at the dragon. "Thank you. Is Josefine all right?" The girl seemed aggressive. She had her trembling hands ched into fists.

  "She's doing wonderfully. I think... Presumably, she will calm down soon. I hope so. And, you’re wele. We'd better apany you to the steppe." Fiete sighed. "And. Well. I'm sorry."

  "What are you sorry for?", asked Flora. "Are the soldiers still after us?"

  Fiete shook his head. "No. Josefine burhem all. And all that was left of your vilge. heless, we should go further. If one has escaped, he will soon pursue you. Or worse." He stroked his niece's head. She did not respond.

  Leo helped Peter to his feet and the small group set off. The few elves followed them silently. Everyone was still in shock.

  Cleo

  Slowly she crawled out from uhe burning wood that had fallen on her. Her arm was broken and blood was flowing down her forehead. Only slowly did she free herself and escape the fmes. She stood up with difficulty. Everything was burning around her. But one of the horses had survived and ran past her. ao stop and calm the panicked animal. Then she climbed on the horse's ba pain.

  She had failed.

  Dragons. She hadn't expected dragons. Especially not a be. She could not fet the shape of the monster. A dark body. Bd grey scales. On the head and legs, the animal also had e scales and white, feathered wings.

  A half-breed? The dragon had been young, a he had takehing from her. Her shadows, her soldiers, and her siblings.

  She had seen her sister and half-brother briefly before they disappeared into the crowd. She searched the burning debris and bodies as far as she could fns of her siblings, but she found nothing. They had fled with the elves into the forest. But alone and injured, Cleo could not follow them.

  Cursing, she made her way back.

  I failed.