I started life as a simple farm girl and spent my childhood feeding pigs and cows and cleaning up horrendous amounts of poo. I lived in a small village called Grenville in the kingdom of Emerald. I did not know much about the kingdom, just that it was run by King Percy and Queen Lilly and her son Prince Terryn.

As the years went by, the kingdom became dark and the beautiful Emerald lands became dry and rivers had begun to dry up. The beautiful creatures of the kingdom became dark and the Emerald fairies were seldom seen.

I was out picking berries in the woods as my family were starving and the farm was not doing so well.

This is when I ran into him, a man dressed in fancy armour with the Emerald crest on his chest, carrying a staff that had an axe on the top and a large spike on the end. I giggled at him a little as I always expected a knight to be carrying a sword and a shield, not a great big staff.

When I ran into him he dropped the staff. I picked it up and when I did an Emerald green glowing light ran up my arms and the staff vibrated.

He snatched it out of my hand and said:

“Give that back, woman, only a prince of the Emerald kingdom can wield this staff.” But he looked shocked and said: “It only glows when held by pure-blood.”

I scowled at him and told him: “I am no woman, sir, I am a lady and my name is Lara and who may you be?” He looked at me with his eyes squint and a grimace on his face: “You are no lady, a lady dresses better than you. I am Prince Terryn and I am taking you to the king and he can decide what and who you are.”

He grabbed me and flung me over the back of his horse and rode off. I begged him to stop and put me down.

“Put me down,” I screamed. “My family needs me.”

The journey was long so I was told to shut up and just accept it.

He said: “The King will decide what to do to help your family, you belong to us now.” I tried many times to run away but never managed to get past him.

One day we were passing a cave and heard a roar and smoke coming out of the cave. He told me that a Dragon lived inside, which was why he was out here in the first place to kill the dragons that had put a curse on the land. He tied me to a tree and told me: “I will be back soon and I will be back victorious, holding the head of the Dragon.”

I spent the next few hours trying to undo the knot, my wrists were bleeding when I finally freed myself.

That’s when it happened... he came running out of the cave in flames, I have

never heard a man scream like that. I saw pure fear and pain in his eyes. The staff dropped at my feet and he was dead. Only ash and the smell of burning flesh was left of Prince Terryn.

I only had a few seconds to pick up the staff before the dragon was upon me. I held the staff tight in my hand and Emerald green light spread across my body and my tattered clothes turned into armour, I felt my body become strong, I felt myself change and I knew what I had to do.

I could see the great big green dragon puffing itself up with smoke, its eyes glowing with a dangerous green light, I leapt into the air and chopped off its head.

The dragon’s head flew into the air and landed with a mighty bang on top of what remained of Prince Terryn and I landed smoothly next to the dragon’s large headless body.

This was the first dragon I slew, but not the last.

This was the moment I became the Emerald Sorcerer and this is where my story started.