MagiStream

Dragonkeeper series
Chapter 1; The Hidden Garden

Hi, my name is Clover. My parents just decided to move, so we went to a cottage in the woods. At first, I thought it would be quite a boring place. I decided to take a walk in the woods.
“Be back by dawn, Clover.” Her mother mewed. “We don’t want you getting hurt!” Clover rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Mom!” She meowed.
She padded out of the cottage, and followed one of the paths. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side. She hissed in pain, turning around to see what happened. “Stupid thorns.” She muttered.
She kept on walking, before noticing the ivy-covered stone pathway under her paws. “What’s this?” She asked.
She shrugged. Probably just some old walkway. But where to? She wondered.
She followed the winding path, only to find a rusty metal gate. Clover tipped her head to one side. “Intriguing.” She voiced her thoughts out loud.
She gripped onto the handles, and the gate squeaked on it’s hinges as it swung open. Clover jumped back in surprise. She padded forward. She noticed a lot of ivy and flowers. It’s a hidden garden! She was astonished, and curious. Clover’s heart nearly stopped when she saw a white flash through the corner of her eye.
She slowly turned around, only to see nothing there. She sighed a breath of relief. Clover’s eyes opened wide when they saw two sapphire-blue eyes staring at her from a bush. The eyes blinked, then disappeared.
I was so scared, I decided to leave right then, and not tell anyone what I had just seen. I came back, and when it was time for dinner, I just had a plum. I sat on my bed, drawing what I thought might be the creature behind those eyes.
Her mother poked her head inside of her room. “Everything okay?” She asked.
“Yeah.” Clover responded, not looking up from her notebook.
“What are you drawing there?” Her mother questioned.
“Stuff.” Clover replied irritably.
Her mother took it as a sign to leave, and walked away.
Maybe this is it.
She looked at her drawing of a large black snake. She shook her head.
There’s no way to tell.
Clover looked at the rest of her drawings. A fox, a bear, and a bird. Maybe..
She drew a picture of a black dragon.
For some reason, this seems closer..
She made the eyes look like the ones she saw earlier.
Blue. It’s hard to imagine a creature like that having blue eyes.
She put her notebook down and slept.
When Clover woke up the next morning, the first thought that had crossed her mind was going back to the secret garden.
“Clover! Breakfast is ready!” Her father called.
“Coming!”
She grabbed her backpack and stuffed her notebook in it as she ran down the stairs. When she arrived at the table, it was perfectly set up and there were pancakes on her plate. Clover poured some maple syrup, then ate hurriedly.
“What’s the rush, honey?” Her father asked.
“I want to get to the forest.” Clover replied.
“Why?” Her mother asked.
“Because I like getting stung by bees.” Clover snorted sarcastically.
Can’t they just mind their own business?
She finished her pancakes, and grabbed her backpack. She raced out the door, going on the same path that she was on yesterday. She sprinted along the path, leaping through the gate.
“Alright, creature! Show yourself!” Clover shouted.
The only response she got was a flock of birds flying off. She sat down, pulling out her notebook. She felt a large gust of wind flow through her fur. She put her head up defiantly.
That wind’s not going to blow me away!
She heard a distant-sounding snarling noise. Clover stood up and turned around slowly. She cautiously looked up, and she saw a 4-foot white dragon with pale silver lines on it, black claws, silver spines running down it’s back, and two gray horns. It’s tail was lashing, and teeth were bared.
Blue eyes.
Clover’s mouth dropped open.
I. Am. Dead. Meat.
Clover took one paw step back, only to earn another snarl from the dragon. Clover gulped. The dragon stopped snarling, and it’s tail stopped lashing.
It looked deep into Clover’s eyes, like it was staring into her soul. Clover barely dared to breath. It snorted and walked away, it’s steps so light they didn’t make a sound.
“W-what’s your n-name?” Clover stuttered.
The dragon stopped, and turned back. It looked at her for a little bit, then walked away.
Okay then..
Clover picked up her notebook, and put the notebook into her backpack and padded out of the garden.
Why didn’t it attack me? Oh well.
She shrugged. I better go back home, maybe I can think of some theories.
Clover sat on the couch, carefully mimicking every detail about the dragon she remembered.
“Wow, usually you’re only that good when you actually see it!” Came the shrill voice of her little sister, Cheetah.
Clover twitched as she noticed the yellow-spotted she-cat looking over her shoulder.
“Can you stop peeking over my shoulder? It’s distracting.” Clover mewed, a hint of a growl in her voice.
Cheetah either didn’t understand it, or didn’t care.
“I told you, stop looking over my shoulder!” Clover snarled, whipping her head around to glare at her sister. Cheetah frowned.
“You’re no fun.” She said.
Clover grumbled.
“I’m doing something important.” She muttered.
“Yeah? And you call drawing dragons important?” Cheetah retorted. Clover snarled. “It’s more important than you think, and will ever know.” She growled.
“Pssh. Yeah, right.” Cheetah hissed. “If it’s oh so important, then why don’t you tell me?” She asked.
Clover just ignored her, continuing to draw. Cheetah grabbed her favorite pencil, and was about to scribble on Clover’s notebook when Clover reached back, grabbed the pencil, and chucked it under the table.
“Never mess with my drawings! It’s more important than you know!“ Clover hissed at Cheetah as she went to retrieve her pencil.
“You’re mean!” Cheetah wailed.
Clover shrugged.
“Hey, I didn’t break it now, did I? I could have.” She said nonchalantly.
“Mom! Clover was being mean to me!” Cheetah called, with no answer.
“Mom and Dad left Cheetah, they went shopping.” Clover said.
“Well, see you.” She mewed, heading to the door.
Cheetah blocked her way.
“Wait a minute. Where are you going? Is it a secret place?” Cheetah asked suspiciously.
Clover rolled her eyes.
“No. Follow me secretly if you want. You won’t find anything.” She meowed, pushing Cheetah away and opening the door.
Then she padded out, and Cheetah followed her. Clover followed a dirt path through the woods, and came to an open clearing. In the middle was a large cherry tree, and both Cheetah and Clover gasped. Clover walked up to the tree and clawed her way up it. She climbed into a large knot in the tree, and removed her backpack from her shoulders. She got back to drawing, and she was very good at drawing.
Fighting with my sister was probably the most normal thing that happened once we moved.

Chapter 2; Unsolved Mysteries
Clover climbed out of the knot in the tree, and popped and cherry into her mouth. She leaped down and poked Cheetah to wake her up.
“What is it?” Cheetah asked sleepily.
“We better get home. Mom and Dad will be worried sick.” Clover said.
Cheetah grumbled and heaved herself up, padding down the path. Clover followed after, and soon they were at the house. They opened the door. Their parents came rushing to greet them.
“Where have you been? We thought you were attacked by a badger!” Their mother exclaimed.
Clover rolled her eyes.
‘There are much worse things than badgers, Mom.’ She wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Where were you?” Their father demanded.
“We were just at a new place we found. It was a cherry tree.” Cheetah said, rolling her eyes.
“Besides, it’s going to be HOURS until dusk, Mom.” Clover said, removing her backpack from her shoulders. She dropped it on the couch and grabbed her notebook from it. She started writing down theories about the dragon.
“Hey, Mom, Dad?” Clover asked.
“Yes?” They replied.
“Can I go out again? I need to-er, do something.” Clover mewed. Her parents nodded.
“Thanks!” She meowed, grabbing a nearby plastic bag.
She stuffed her notebook and bag into her backpack and slipped out the door. She rushed down the path that headed to the garden.
“Stop!” Cheetah called, causing Clover to skid to a stop.
Clover licked her paws, and said, “What was that for, Cheetah?! My paws are burning!” Clover hissed.
“Where are you going?” Cheetah demanded.
“Do you really need to know? I mean, for all you know, I could be building a fort!” Clover growled.
“Oh yeah? So about you show me this amazing place of yours?” Cheetah asked, smirking.
Clover gulped.
“Y-you sure you want to go? It’s really not safe..” She mewed quietly, looking at her paws.
“If it’s so dangerous, why do you go?” Cheetah asked.
Clover snarled and hissed, “Fine. But remember, be careful.”
Cheetah smirked at her as Clover whipped around and walked down the path. A few minutes later, Clover came up to where the entrance was.
Wha-?
It was gone!
That’s actually kind of relieving. Kind of.
Clover’s mouth gaped open.
Where’d it go?! WHERE’D IT GO?!
She shook her head and walked the opposite way.
“Where are you going? CLOVER!!” Cheetah yowled. Cheetah ran up and bowled Clover over.
“Where do you think you’re going? You have to show me!” She hissed.
“I can’t!” Clover yowled. “It’s GONE!”
Cheetah just growled.
“That’s the worst excuse ever! Where is it?!” She snarled.
“I DON’T KNOW!” Clover yelled, shoving Cheetah off of her.
Clover got up and shook her fur. She glared back at her sister.
“You’d better not try that again, Cheetah.” She snarled.
Then she followed the path, and went onto the path heading towards the cherry tree.
“Why are you going to the cherry tree?” Cheetah asked.
“Why are you?” Clover retorted.
When they reached the cherry tree, Clover clawed her way up it and started picking cherries and putting them into a bag. Cheetah joined her, and after fifteen minutes, they had collected enough to fill the bag.
“So, why are we picking these?” Cheetah questioned.
“One, they taste delicious. And two, maybe Mom will make some cherry pie.” Clover mewed, pulling off the stem of a cherry and popping it into her mouth.
“I like your thinking..” Cheetah said, nodding.
They both leaped down from the tree, and sprinted along the path that led home. Clover stumbled on a root, and hissed in pain.
“Cheetah. get me one of those vines please.” She whimpered through gritted teeth.
Cheetah looked sympathetic, and she grabbed a soft vine and dropped it right next to Clover. Clover picked it up, and wrapped it around her ankle.
“Is there any lamb’s ear around here?” She mewed.
Cheetah plucked some leaves of lamb’s ear and handed them to Clover, who then used them as padding by putting them in between the vine and her fur. She heaved herself up, and limped along the trail. Cheetah stood on her side, keeping her upright. About seven minutes later they arrived at the cottage. Cheetah pushed open the door, and they padded through.
“Clover! What happened to you?” Their father asked.
“I tripped over a tree root..” Clover muttered.
“Let’s take off those vines and put on some bandages!” Their mother exclaimed. She disappeared and reappeared with bandages and wrapped them around Clover’s paw.
“Thanks.” Clover mumbled.
She picked up her backpack and walked up the stairs to her room.
“That’s a good idea, you should get some rest.” Her father observed.
“Rest? Oh, yeah, rest..” Clover uttered.
She hobbled up the stairs and opened the door to her room, and climbed into bed. She unzipped her purple backpack and removed her notebook from it, setting it on her lap.
“Hmm..”
The door to her room suddenly started creaking open, and Clover looked up to inspect it.
Her sister’s head poked out of it.
“Can I come in?” Cheetah questioned.
“Uh, sure.” Clover responded, closing her notebook.
“What are you writing?” Cheetah inquired, starting to open her sketchbook. Clover quickly slapped the pages together
“Nothing.” She meowed quickly, avoiding Cheetah’s gaze.
“There’s something fishy going on with you...” Cheetah muttered.
“Oh, hey, look at the horizon!” Clover exclaimed, eager to change the subject.
Cheetah narrowed her eyes, then looked at the sunset. “It’s beautiful.” She declared with awe.
Clover sighed with relief.
“What was the place I demanded you take me to earlier?” Cheetah asked, turning away from the window.
“Uh...” Clover looked from side to side, not knowing what to say.
“Show me it tomorrow!” Cheetah demanded.
“I can’t.” Clover explained.
“Why can’t you?” Cheetah asked suspiciously.
“I don’t know.” Clover replied honestly.
Cheetah hissed at her.
“You can’t keep on pretending you don’t know where it is!” She growled.
“I’m not pretending.” Clover snarled, pushing Cheetah off the bed.
“Ow!” She complained, rubbing her head.
Clover mumbled and put her head on her pillow, yawning. As darkness closed around her senses, she had one last thought before falling asleep.
I wonder who that dragon is.