Chapter 1

"Come on Tynan, you're going have to be faster than that." I taunted as I raced to the house.

"You're too fast Keir, slow down." I heard Tynan whine as we neared or home.

"Come on Tynan we're almost home." I said racing for the front door.

Once I reached the door, I opened it and held it open for my brother. Once we were inside our parents scolded us for being out close to sunset. We had heard the stories since we were young children, but never believed them. The stories of the witch Kerry who stole the hearts of children and devoured the life force within. Tynan and I always found them to be fascinating stories but nothing more than that, stories.

Tynan and I went to bed that night telling each other our scariest stories. Tynan fell asleep before I had a chance to finish mine, but I didn't mind. I pulled his blanket over him and brushed his auburn bangs out of his face.

"Good night little brother." I whispered.

I went to sleep that night with an uneasy feeling in my chest. But as I shut my eyes, the feeling became nothing more than just an afterthought. I was awakened by the sound of a woman singing. It was almost hypnotic. But a chilling thought snapped me out of my thoughts. Tynan wasn't in his bed.

I ran outside to look for him and found him nowhere in the yard. I then noticed a pillar of smoke rising from deep within the forest. I got the uneasy feeling again. I ran into the forest hoping with everything I am that my brother wasn't there. The deeper I ran the rougher the terrain got. I finally came to a shack with a cloaked figure dancing in front of it and the one it was dancing around was my little brother.

I gasped and ran to grab him, but the cloaked figure grabbed me by the throat and lifted me off the ground.

"So the brother comes. I was thinking of saving you for later but it seems I may not have to wait so long after all." A female voice sounded from beneath the shroud.

I saw spots swimming in front of my eyes. The woman let me go and I collapsed on the ground heaving each breath.

"Once I have your brother's heart, you will be next." She cackled.

"I will never let you harm my brother." I coughed getting to my feet and making a grab for her, but all she did was tap my arm and I couldn't move.

"You certainly are a fighter, but even that won't be enough to save your brother." She said walking over to Tynan.

Tynan didn't even move, he was completely under the witch's control. I cried for him, begging him to run, to get away, but my cries went unanswered and I could only watch helplessly as the witch reached into his chest and tore out his heart. I could hear the sound of it beating and saw it glowing bright red.

I struggled to gain control of myself again, but the spell held firm. I could only watch as she breathed in the life that was in Tynan's heart and the light leave his emerald eyes. As I watched this, I felt myself die with him. I had failed to save the one had mattered to me most.

At last the witch released me. "Now, back to where we started. Once I have your heart, I shall be alive and young forever."

"You hag," I spat "There is not enough power in the world to make you young and beautiful."

"Well then, if that's what you think, let's see how ugly you think I am once no one will ever lay eyes on you again." She cackled.

All at once, I was frozen again, completely paralyzed. I fought for control, but the spell held firm. But it was what the witch said next that made my heart freeze.

"Twist the bones and bend the back, trim him of his baby fat, give him scales black as black just like this." She chanted.

Suddenly, my whole body started to burn and twist. I could feel my bones snapping and rearranging, new muscles growing and attaching. I fought to keep myself conscious. Once the pain was over, I feared to look at myself. But the witch gave me no chose as she showed me a mirror and I saw what she changed me into.

I was a dragon and now I could never go home. My family would undoubtly chase me away and I held no hope of anyone seeing me at night. What the witch had done was absolute. I couldn't show myself to anyone without being killed and no one would ever be able to see at night.

I let out a cry of dismay and turned on the hag. She had no time to react. I pinned her to the ground and I felt something ignite in my throat. I didn't care what it was, I let it loose and the next thing I knew, the witch was gone, as well as any chance had of ever being changed back. I whimpered and turned to my brother's lifeless form.

I may not be able to return home, but I can at least return my brother's body to our family. I draped his body over my back and trudged through the forest back to our home. Once there, I leaped through the window and let his body lay on his bed as if he were merely sleeping. I pulled the blankets over him one last time and nudged his hand in good bye.

I leapt out the window and ran back into the forest. I looked back one last time at the home I could never return to and ran back to the witch's home. I had to destroy that wretched place so no one could ever go through what I had. When I made it back, I felt the burning in the back of my throat again and let it loose.

Within seconds, the house was gone and nothing remained of the hag who had destroyed everything I loved. I didn't know what to do then except find somewhere to try and learn how to use my new wings. I had a new life ahead of me now and I might as well face the way my brother would have wanted me to. With determination and courage. I was going to keep fighting for him, I had to.