The White Dragon of Windvale

Chapter 1: The Whisper in the Mountain

In the quiet village of Windvale, nestled between two silver-capped mountains and surrounded by whispering pines, there lived children who believed in magic. Grown-ups did not. They said magic was only in stories and dreams. But the children of Windvale knew better. Especially a curious, freckle-faced girl named Elia.

Elia had heard the stories since she could walk. Her grandmother, who smelled of cinnamon and lavender, used to tell her about a dragon – not just any dragon, but a white dragon, whose wings could stir the wind and whose eyes held the shimmer of the moon. It was said that the White Dragon lived far above the clouds, in a hidden cave at the peak of Mount Solara, the tallest and quietest mountain in the land.

Every night before bed, Elia would sit by the window and whisper, “White Dragon of Windvale, are you real?” And sometimes, when the stars sparkled just right and the wind curled gently through the trees, it felt like something whispered back.

No one else in Windvale believed the White Dragon was real. Not her teacher, Miss Thomblin, who always rolled her eyes when Elia drew dragons instead of doing sums. Not even her best friend Ben, who liked maps and bugs more than fairy tales. But Elia believed. Deep in her heart, she believed. One morning, the village woke to a strange sight. A soft, white mist had rolled down from the mountain, blanketing Windvale in a fog so thick you couldn’t see your own boots. It was unlike any fog the village had seen before. It sparkled like snowflakes and smelled faintly of peppermint. The grown-ups grumbled. “Just weather,” they muttered.

But Elia felt something different. As she walked to school, she noticed the birds were quiet. The usual chatter of blue jays and crows had vanished. The trees didn’t rustle. Everything was hushed, as if the world was holding its breath.

Then she saw it.

High above, far beyond the rooftops and chimney smoke, a shadow moved in the sky. It wasn’t a bird – it was too big, and it didn’t flap. It glided like silk across the sky, then disappeared into the clouds. Her heart skipped. Her breath caught. She had seen it. She was sure of it.

“Elia!” Ben called, catching up to her. “Did you see that?”

She turned, eyes wide. “You saw it too?”