Chapter 13: Dragons

 

 

 

Chapter 13: Dragons

 

FIVE days had passed since Kirion first called me his Bondmate, during which he grew increasingly more forward with me, to Ray’s exasperation, and I found myself growing more and more exhausted as time wore on.

On the sixth day, Prince Dario decided to take the Princess to observe the knights’ training.

The training field was a massive plot of land situated right beside the castle. According to the Prince, the royal knights came here for combat training every day. This was no ordinary practice, mind you; as Dragonkin, the knights of Vaxwald would shift into their dragon forms and take to the skies to spar.

We had occasionally overheard distant roars during our stay thus far, but Patricia’s quarters were located on the opposite side of the castle, and we couldn’t see the training field from her window. But she caught sight of a dragon yesterday while on a walk around the castle, and she was so enthralled that she insisted Prince Dario let her get a closer look. He was hesitant at first, but eventually conceded.

“I should’ve said this sooner, but...I’m sorry for making these demands of you, Your Highness,” Patricia told Dario as they walked side by side down the corridor. “It was my first time seeing a dragon, and I was ever so excited... If this is against the rules, let me know and I’ll go back to my quarters.”

“It’s not against the rules...” he trailed off. It was unlike him to be so hesitant and indirect.

I observed them from behind. Patricia had explicitly invited me to tag along, and I had taken her up on the offer. Behind me followed Patricia’s bodyguards, and naturally, Ray was among them. As for Kirion, he had declined the offer, stating he wasn’t interested—and personally, I couldn’t have been more grateful. The last thing I wanted was to increase the amount of time he and Ray spent in each other’s presence.

“Yesterday I was reluctant because...I was worried you’d start to fear dragons and Dragonkin alike, myself included,” Dario admitted. “Our dragon forms aren’t small and cute like a dog or cat—we’re enormous and fierce—and some humans find it creepy that we can transform.”

He glanced nervously at her as he spoke; he clearly cared a great deal about his future bride’s opinion of him. And as it turned out, I wasn’t the only one amused to see this.

“I would never find you creepy,” Patricia declared with a sweet smile. “On the contrary, I’d love to see your dragon form. I’m told it’s quite awe-inspiring, with shiny silver scales.”

“Well...if you find you’re not afraid of the dragons at the training field, then perhaps...”

In contrast with Patricia’s open-minded stance, Dario’s uncertainty was downright adorable.

I slowed my pace to walk in step with Ray. “You have a dragon form, too, don’t you?” I asked.

“Of course. All Dragonkin have one,” he replied.

“I must say, I can’t really picture what you’d look like. Are you taking part in today’s combat training?”

“No, I’m not. I wouldn’t want to scare either of you.”

“You’re not going to scare me.”

“You don’t know that. This is your first time seeing Dragonkin transform. In fact, maybe it’d be better if you returned to your quarters instead. I can relate to how His Highness is feeling right now... The second you see it, you’ll realize we’re monsters, and you’ll never look at us the same way again.”

“I’m not going to see you as a monster,” I insisted. What is he so afraid of?

We arrived at the training field, where a large group of knights in humanoid form were staring up at the sky. Above them clashed three pairs of dragons. The sound was tremendous—threatening growls, the flapping of heavy wings, labored breathing. It was overwhelming, to say the least. Their sharp fangs...and those claws...

I sensed Ray looking at me and hastily wiped any trace of surprise off my face.

“Time’s up!”

At the senior officer’s command, the six dragons flew down to the ground and morphed back into humanoids in knight armor. I was puzzled as to where their clothes had gone while they were dragons. Perhaps that was part of the magic.

Another group of six shifted into dragon form and took flight.

“How are you feeling?” Dario asked Patricia.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Patricia answered with a confident smile.

From this distance, I couldn’t quite gauge the dragons’ exact size, but they were almost certainly larger than a carriage at the very least. I could see how they’d make fearsome enemies, but I didn’t feel like I was in danger, and thus I really wasn’t afraid of them.

I heard Patricia making idle comments like “The scales are so pretty!” and “Everyone has their own unique color!” She didn’t sound frightened in the least.

Then, about ten minutes later:

“I’m simply not afraid, Your Highness. Now will you show me your dragon form?”

“Hmmm... Well, all right. In that case, I suppose I’ll go and join the training. I haven’t gotten much exercise as of late.”

Emboldened by Patricia’s request, Dario strode off toward the center of the training field...but moments later came to a stop, peering up at the sky. “What’s the matter with him?” he asked no one in particular.

I noticed Ray staring dubiously up at the sky as well, so I followed suit.

Above us, three pairs of dragons battled at the forefront of a bright blue sky...but one of them, a copper-colored dragon, was clutching his head and shaking it. Did he have a headache or something? He looked to be in pain.

“Is he okay?” I asked Ray.

“I’m not sure... He’s acting strange. Stay back, ladies.” As he spoke, Ray stepped forward to shield me and Patricia—and in that instant, the writhing dragon’s head swiveled around, pointing a vicious, bloodshot glare squarely in our direction.

A split second later, he bared his fangs and came barreling right for us.

He was nearly upon us by the time I realized his target was Patricia beside me.

She screamed. I pulled her into my arms, turned, and shielded her with my body. A token gesture at this point.

If that dragon struck us at full speed, surely neither of us would survive. A chill ran down my spine, sending goosebumps pricking up my arms. I squeezed my eyes shut. We’re going to die.

But then a roar erupted just behind me. I turned to look.

The copper-colored dragon was now physically restrained in midair by three other dragons. Between them and us stood four more dragons—Dario, Ray, and the other bodyguards, perhaps?—acting as a defensive barrier to protect us. At first the copper dragon struggled to free himself, but over time his movements grew sluggish, until suddenly he morphed back to his humanoid form...unconscious.

“What was that about...?” Patricia whispered blankly.

The silver dragon in front of us turned back and looked at her anxiously.

“Prince Dario...?” she ventured.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you all right?” he asked in a deeper, rumbling voice.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine. Thank you for protecting me.” Still trembling, Patricia tottered over to dragon-Dario at once—and the Prince himself looked quite relieved to see she harbored no fear toward him.

Meanwhile, a flamboyant gold dragon stepped away from the commotion and trotted up to me. “What about you, Mayna? Are you hurt?”

“Is that you, Ray?”

The voice certainly sounded like his, though deeper.

“...Are you frightened?” the dragon asked, somewhat timidly.

“No, I’m not,” I answered. “Because I know who you are, and no matter what form you take, you’re not a monster.”

At my reply, Ray smiled slightly (if you could call turned up lips on a dragon a smile), then shifted back to his humanoid form and jogged over to the unconscious knight. Around me, the other dragons were shifting back, too.

Dario turned from Patricia to Ray. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure.”

“It looked like he was trying to attack the Princess.”

“Agreed.”

More knights ran over from the opposite end of the training field. “Prince Dario! Princess Patricia! Are you unharmed?!”

“Not to worry; we’re fine. Now then, we need to wake this fellow up, because I mean to interrogate him. We’re very fortunate Her Highness didn’t suffer any injuries—if she had, we would’ve had a diplomatic scandal on our hands. The whole wedding might’ve been called off!”

At Dario’s request, the senior officer began to shake the unconscious man. “Ian! Wake up, Ian!”

With one hand clutching his head, Ian pushed himself into a sitting position, groaning in pain.

“Are you aware of what it is you’ve done?!” the officer roared furiously.

For a moment Ian stared back blankly. Then he searched his memory...and, at last, all the color drained from his face. “W-Wait! I never wanted to attack Her Highness! Please, you have to believe me!”

He explained that he’d heard an ear-piercing screech partway through his practice duel, and for some reason, the thought crossed his mind that he needed to kill Patricia.

“It was completely against my will, I swear it!”

“I understand where you’re coming from, and I want to trust you...but for now, I’m going to need to place you under arrest.”

“I understand, Your Highness...”

Ian didn’t protest as the other knights led him away. Dario and Ray watched him go, then turned to the senior officer and started asking questions about him.

“It’s been five years now since Ian joined the knight order. He’s a good man with a reputable background... I haven’t noticed any suspicious behavior from him, either.”

Even the senior officer could scarcely believe what had happened.

Ray paused to think, then asked, “How did he feel about the Princess? Did he mention whether he’d bought into the rumors about her?”

“He never brought them up in conversation. Didn’t seem too bothered by her presence in the castle, never made any personal comments about her. And once the engagement was made official, he celebrated it right along with the rest of us.”

“I see.”

Ray fell silent once more, his gaze focused not on the man before him, but the castle in the distance behind him. I followed suit to see if I could spot anything unusual, but came up short.

“Is it possible he was manipulated by a magic spell?” Ray speculated, his eyes still fixed on the castle. Then, finally, he turned back to Prince Dario, who furrowed his brow.

“I can’t rule it out, but...who could manage such a thing? I daresay there isn’t a Dragonkin alive who could perform such advanced magic.”

Evidently Dragonkin were no better mages than Flowerfolk. Generally they were inclined to be physical fighters, so perhaps they only really needed to use mana for form shifting.

“That may be true of Dragonkin, but...well, I’ll look into it,” Ray replied sternly.

“Please do. Ian didn’t appear to be lying, but we can’t know for sure. Continue the investigation and surveillance,” the Prince commanded. Then he turned to Patricia. “Let’s go back to your quarters. I’ll walk you there.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she responded.

And so he put an arm around her shoulder and guided her away with him.

I had expected her to be a little more shaken up, considering she was very nearly attacked by a dragon, but she didn’t seem troubled at all. Instead, she was blushing and fawning over Dario’s kind gesture as if it were any other day. Perhaps that arm around her shoulder was more of a big deal in her eyes... I started after her—

“Mayna,” Ray called.

I stopped short and turned.

He looked at me with his honey-hued eyes and declared, “Whatever you do, keep an eye on Kirion.”

“What? Why?”

“Like I said, I think it’s possible Ian was being controlled via magic.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And I think Kirion’s the culprit.”

I quirked a brow. “Well, this is sudden. What makes you suspect him?”

“Because I saw him walking down the corridor just now.” Ray indicated the castle. “He was in a position where he could see the training field. You notice how that third-floor window is the only one open? It looked as though he’d just left that area.”

“Sorry, what? Which window are you talking about? And for that matter, how can you tell who exactly is walking down the corridor from this distance?”

“I guess you Flowerfolk only have human-level eyesight,” he mused. “Listen—when I saw Kirion, he wasn’t looking in our direction. He was facing forward as if he were merely going about his business. Of course, this means there’s a chance he was just innocently passing by.”

“Right. I mean, how could Kirion use high-level magic, anyway? Surely his capabilities are no better than any other Dragonkin.”

“Do you really think he’s a Dragonkin?”

“Yeah...isn’t he?”

I pictured Kirion in my mind. Back in Myulan, my mental image of Dragonkin on the whole was typically stocky or muscular, but once I experienced Vaxwald firsthand, I learned the tribe had a whole range of diverse body types. For example, Ray was fairly slender, while Mona was short and curvy. Yes, they were generally more muscular than humans on average—but even then, Kirion’s thin and petite frame didn’t strike me as particularly unusual.

Though his quarry was long gone by now, Ray continued to stare off at the distant castle.

“It’s hard to explain. He just doesn’t...feel like one of us. But perhaps that’s simply because I have trouble tolerating him. Perhaps it all boils down to my own personal dislike. Still...” He turned to face me. “His hairstyle is nothing like a Dragonkin’s. Granted, I never used to pay attention to people’s hair until I met you...but I have to say, the average Dragonkin man would never grow his hair out to that length.”

Even I couldn’t deny that Kirion’s hair was exceptionally long. I put a hand on my chin in contemplation. “Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen another Dragonkin man with hair as long as his. Generally you all seem to keep it closely cropped. But it’s not like it’s against the law, right? Surely you can’t determine his heritage based on that alone.”

“In Vaxwald culture, short hair is seen as masculine. I imagine this is a common view in many countries, but Vaxwald in particular is fairly strict about it. Take my hair, for example—you wouldn’t believe how frequently other men tell me I should get it cut.”

“But it’s not even that long!”

“True, but the norm here is a lot shorter. The guys all want me to shave this lower part around here so I can look more like a real man,” Ray explained, lifting half of his shaggy locks to indicate the back and sides of his head.

I laughed. “I guess long-haired guys really aren’t as common here as they are in Myulan. The Dragonkin women all seem to have long hair, though. Perhaps hair length is tied more closely to gender expression here in Vaxwald.”

“It is. As it stands now, the average Dragonkin would think Kirion was trying to look like a woman on purpose. At first I didn’t think too hard about it—told myself maybe all hairstylists grow their hair out—but now that I’m questioning his heritage, everything about him strikes me as suspect. Anyway, I plan to go and speak to Torpan, since she hired him. She told us he used to work for a merchant, and he came with a letter of recommendation, but we can’t say for certain it wasn’t fabricated... I want firsthand confirmation.” He paused, a hard look on his face, and finished, “This may well be my own paranoia speaking, but...until I can be sure he’s not dangerous, I want you to make sure you’re never caught alone in a room with him.”

“That’s kind of a tall order, Ray. He’s my apprentice.”

“I’m begging you, Mayna. I’ll keep my eye on him as much as I can, but I still have other duties to attend to. I need you to stay on guard whenever I’m not around,” he pleaded. He gently reached out and touched my whiteshell hair accessory—the one I was positive he had given to me as a gift.

Once again, it seemed as though he was deeply, sincerely concerned for me, and yet I knew if I asked him directly, he’d probably just ignore the question altogether. Personally, I got the sense that Kirion wasn’t the only one with something to hide...and no matter what I did, I most likely wasn’t going to find out what that something was.

“Fine. I’ll be as careful as I can,” I sighed. “There’s something about him... I just don’t know what.”

But I was forced to break this promise a mere five minutes later.

❀❀❀

IT was just after Ray and I had gone our separate ways after returning to the castle. I was walking down a deserted hallway—and there he was. Kirion.

“Miss Mayna!” he called as he approached, a bright smile on his lips.

After that conversation with Ray, I couldn’t help but reflexively take a step back. Then it occurred to me: why am I taking Ray’s side against Kirion? Sure, he had an air of mystery that made it difficult to fully trust him...but Ray was hardly worth my trust either, considering he’d named me his Bondmate only to change his mind a few days later.

They were both equally confusing in behavior. For that matter, it was possible Ray was badmouthing Kirion purely to ruin his reputation. But ever since I arrived in Vaxwald, my opinion of Ray had slowly changed. His softer side was peeking through again, reminiscent of those days in Myulan, and it was hard to imagine the fleeting smiles and tenderhearted concern was all one big act.

“Miss Mayna? What’s wrong?” Kirion asked, still smiling.

“N-Nothing.”

“...Did Sir Ray say something about me?”

It felt as though he’d read my mind, and I flinched. At this, Kirion smirked and turned his gaze to the windows.

“I thought I saw him looking over at me from the training field. And then I saw him start talking to you.”

“You were watching us?”

“I happened to catch sight of the training field while I was walking down the hall. And with you back so soon, I’m guessing the session wrapped up a bit earlier than usual. Was there a problem?” he asked, innocently tilting his head. To me, it genuinely seemed as though he had no idea...but I kept my guard up nonetheless. How could he have seen us talking, but not the commotion?

“What were you doing in this part of the castle, Kirion?”

“Like I said, I was just passing through. I’m not barred from this wing of the castle, am I? I was just looking for a friend of mine—one of the servants.”

“Okay then, why didn’t you come to observe the knights’ training? At the time you told us you weren’t interested, but the way I see you, you’ve always been the type to tag along out of pure curiosity.”

“Sure, maybe that’s how you see me. But I’m a Dragonkin, and to me, turning into a dragon is an ordinary part of life. I’m not enthralled by it like you Myulan folk. So knight training has nothing of interest to me.”

Just then, an idea struck me.

“Right, you can turn into a dragon! Well, let’s see it, then!”

“What, right here?”

“Sure! There’s plenty of space here in this corridor. Besides, no one else is around.” Time to find out if Kirion’s really a Dragonkin. I grinned smugly. “You can transform, can’t you?”

Kirion hesitated...then sighed. “All right. I’ll do it.”

“What?” I blinked in surprise. “You will?”

“Here I go, okay? Back up a bit.”

Concentrating hard, Kirion closed his eyes and put both hands over his face. Then his knees buckled and he pitched forward—and in the next moment when he straightened up, he was undeniably a dragon. His scales were jet-black, and as with his humanoid form, he was on the smaller side.

“Happy now?”

“Y-Yeah... Thank you...” I muttered awkwardly. All in all, I felt pretty stupid for suspecting him.

After Kirion had shifted back, he pouted. “I just know Sir Ray’s trying to turn you against me. What exactly did he say? That I’m lying about my race?”

“I’m sorry for doubting you, but”—I looked directly into his eyes—“I just don’t fully trust you yet.”

“How can you say that when you’re wearing my gift?” he asked, a sorrowful expression on his face as he touched my whiteshell accessory.

“Because I’m pretty sure it was Ray who gave this to me, not you,” I stated without hesitation. “I could tell from the look in his eyes when he first saw me wearing it. Besides, you’d never leave someone a gift outside their door. You’d march right up to them and hand it over face to face.”

“Once again, that’s just your view of me. Besides, at no point has Sir Ray ever said the gift was from him—but I have. Why won’t you just believe me?”

“Well...because...Ray was the only one in the store with me when I first saw it...” I mumbled uncertainly. I had other reasons, of course, but they were less concrete and thus harder to express.

“Miss Mayna, please... You’re breaking my heart...” Kirion whispered, his brow furrowed. By all accounts, he looked sincerely crestfallen. “Don’t act like you trust Sir Ray over me. He led you to believe you were his Bondmate, then changed his mind about you on a whim, remember?”

“Well, yes, but...”

“I would never do that.” He moved close and pulled me into his arms. “Can’t you see how crazy I am about you?”

“Let go of me, Kirion.”

“I don’t want to.” As I tried to pull away, his arms tightened around me. “I could make you so happy if you would just let me. I’ll buy you as many hair ornaments as you like. All the other women will be jealous of how much I spoil you. I’ll cherish you, Miss Mayna. All you have to do is love me back.”

He loosened his grip, and I stepped back slightly—but then he cupped my cheek and leaned in like he was going to kiss me.

“We’re Bondmates. It’s destiny.”

But before our lips could meet, I quickly put my hand over his mouth.

“What is a Bondmate to you?” I questioned.

He frowned as though he didn’t see the point of the question.

“A Bondmate is much like a soulmate, right? You find yourself drawn to them without really knowing why. A feeling so powerful, ‘love at first sight’ doesn’t begin to cover it. They consume your every waking thought, and you yearn to spend the rest of your life at their side. Their personality is a perfect match for yours, and so you get along perfectly.”

“Yes, and? I don’t need you to explain the concept to me, Miss Mayna. I already feel that way about you. I want to be with you always.”

He reached out and took my hand...but I pulled it away.

“I get the sense that you’re very self-centered, Kirion. But according to what I’ve been told, having a Bondmate isn’t about selfish desires. You see, Mona has a Bondmate too, and she was telling me all about it.”

Being Bondmates isn’t about flirting all the time. The love you have for your Bondmate runs deeper than that. You always want to put their happiness first, no matter what...and as long as they’re happy, then your own happiness doesn’t matter.

Frustrated, I stared at the floor. “I don’t get it... Why does Ray’s behavior feel more ‘loving’ than my supposed Bondmate’s?”

Not only that, but I was dying to run off and go find him—right this second, if such a thing were possible. I wanted him to hold me, not Kirion.

“Miss Mayna...”

His voice sounded weak and forlorn. But when I looked up, for the briefest of moments, his expression didn’t quite seem to match—and then a split second later, he was back to making puppy-dog eyes at me.

“I don’t know what Mona told you, but are you sure she’s actually found her Bondmate? Because the love between real Bondmates—”

“Kirion!”

At the sudden voice, I looked over and spotted Sari rushing down the hall toward us. At first she looked happy to see him, but then she saw me, and instantly her expression soured like milk in the sun.

“What are you two doing together?” she asked, fixing me with an accusatory glare.

Her open hostility aside, I was quite glad she had turned up.

“Nothing, really,” I answered. And with Kirion now in Sari’s capable hands, I hurried off down the hall.

At one point I shot a glance over my shoulder just to be safe, but neither of them had decided to give chase.