Chapter Text
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Chapter One
Life at the Keep
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Lune watched the clouds roll lazily across the sky. The once lovely scent of spring grass and summer fields was starting to tinge with the far-off scent of ice. It was not yet winter, but the leaves were beginning to change colour and the sun no longer reached down quite as warmly. Lune didn’t mind. He was a Kagame dragon. His scales were a strange and lovely iridescent white and silver. His species was quite used to the snow and the cold. In snow Lune could become invisible. He didn’t know if the lovely ice crystals would fall here at the stronghold, but he hoped they did. He had not yet lived here for an entire year.
Life for the little white dragon had taken a very strange turn. He had lived his entire youth in the harem of dragons owned by his father, deep in the heart of the enormous snowy Kaempe Stor Mountain Range. Just as Lune came of age, an unknown male had challenged his father for the rights to the harem. The fight had been violent and deadly. Those thundering roars and flashing talons still occasionally echoed in Lune’s nightmares. Lune’s father had been slain and the victor was not interested in any young males loitering about. Lune had fled with many of his half siblings to escape the wrath of his childhood harem’s new alpha.
From there his troubles had only just began. He had been caught in a storm and pulled even further from his old home. Battered and injured, Lune had been found by the human rider, Jason, and his powerful ebony Yoru dragon, Damon. It had not been much of a fight, especially as all human riders could use the ancient magic that allowed them to steal a dragon’s fire. Captured and taken to the stronghold of the Sun King, Lune had been subjected to the human’s training.
This had been met with… questionable results.
Much had occurred in the long seven months since Lune’s arrival. Lune had arrived, injured and wild. He had sworn to hate humans, to escape and return to the mountain, but the longer he stayed with Jason and Damon, the more attached he became to them. The stall he shared with Damon had a floor of heated bamboo mats. He had begun to love curling up against the powerful Yoru at night. Whilst Lune missed hunting in the rivers and streams every day, being fed cooked meals and getting scrub baths of hot sand was almost as good. Despite his pampering, Lune might still have wanted to leave if not for one thing.
During his capture, Lune had been collared.
These collars were worn by all tamed dragons and controlled a dragon’s own magic. They were awful things and meant that even an escaped dragon could never truly be wild again with a collar about their throat. This practice might have continued for good if not for a sudden and violent attack from another human kingdom, the Kingdom of the Storm.
Many riders and dragons were killed that day and for the first time, the Sun King had been faced with the decision to uncollar the dragons and set them free or leave them as imprisoned slaves to their human masters. Many beasts, like Lune, had become attached to their riders and fellow dragons. Uncollared, they chose to stay and protect the humans that had raised and cared for them. Others had taken to the skies as soon as their collars had been cut off. Riders who tried to control their animals with cruelty and brutality lost their dragons.
Just like that, the Kingdom of the Sun had changed overnight, but not necessarily all for the better. Whilst the dragons were free, there were far fewer than before, leaving the kingdom vulnerable. Though Jason had tried to minimize how much Lune was involved, Lune had heard that there had been several attacks on different town and hamlets. News had spread that the Sun King’s knight were spread thin and ill-minded people were taking advantage. Already, new squires were being trained to replace those knights who had fallen but a lifetime of experience could not be acquired in a single year. The question from many of the humans that walked about the stronghold was the same.
How were they to get new dragons?
The best and arguably least harmful option would be to breed the captive dragons here. The eggs that hatched could be raised alongside the young squires and bonded with them. The problem was that even though most riders bonded and held multiple dragons, that did not necessarily mean that each dragon could be bred. Some were too young, others too old, and some were just incompatible with other dragon species.
Amphion, the dragon paired with the leader of Jason’s squad, Logan, was an enormous titan class earth dragon. He easily towered over every other beast in the stable. There was no other like him. To breed, the huge male would need to leave and find a suitable mate in the wilds. Unfortunately, there was no way that the Sun King would allow the largest and one of the most powerful dragons to leave his stable whilst they were still recovering from the last battle. Lune could sympathise with the humans’ predicament, but he did not agree to the conclusion the knights had come to.
‘There’s no other way around it,’ Jason sighed as he entered the stall. Lune stood and stretched, his lovely scales catching the sunlight.
‘I’m just sick of sitting through the same meeting every week,’ Damon grumbled. Lune felt Jason’s own magic call to him, allowing Lune to take a human form. This was also new to the Kagame. At first, he had absolutely hated the shift from beast to man. Whilst he still didn’t exactly enjoy the experience, it was more tolerable now. As a human, Lune had long white hair. His lilac eyes were just as bright, but he was much shorter than both Damon and Jason. Jason held out a loose tunic which he wrapped around Lune’s shoulders. Dragons could regulate their heat even as humans, but for whatever reason, Jason didn’t like Lune walking around with no clothing on. Humans were a bit off that way. Lune padded over to Damon, who crushed him in a hug, making him squeak.
‘Don’t squish him, Damon,’ Jason chided lightly. Damon snorted.
‘So, the king is still set on sending the knights out to capture more dragons?’ Lune asked unhappily.
Jason let out a great sigh. ‘Yes. We can’t see another way around it. We need fresh blood for the stable. The dragons will be captured and held for a year. If they have not been tamed within a year, they will be set free again.’
‘What does that even mean!? Tamed how? And what’s to stop them from being tortured this time? Prison is prison,’ Lune argued. It was the same argument they had been having for the past week. Unfortunately, as a dragon, Lune’s opinions didn’t seem to mean much to the humans in charge. He might be free to leave, but Lune was still very much a second-class citizen, and he didn’t like it.
‘The process of dragon training will be closely monitored by the senior knights. Those who lost their dragons will not be given the opportunity to train others. I know it’s not ideal, Lune, but it’s the only option that makes sense. No wild dragon would bond with a human out of the kindness of its own heart.’
‘Maybe there’s a reason for that,’ Lune grumbled.
Jason smiled gently. ‘I know love. I’m sorry.’
Lune deflated in Damon’s arms. ‘It’s not your fault. I just wish there was another way.’ Calloused fingers slid into Lune’s hair, stroking it gently back from his face. The gesture made the little dragon’s heart thaw. If only more humans could be like Jason and the gruff forge master, Gabe.
Speaking of which...
‘Well, ain’t you lot a sight for old eyes,’ Gabe grunted. The trio turned round. He was standing by the stall door, his grey shaggy hair tied back in a rough ponytail atop his head. His beard was thick but neatly trimmed. Lune always struggled with age in humans. Humans who used magic often had their lives extended as a result. There was a rumour that the Sun King himself was several hundred years old. Even Jason didn’t know his true age. Gabe had been a dragon rider for most of his life. He had shown a gift for magic as a child and just like Jason had, he had been brought on as a squire to learn how to tame and ride dragons.
Skirmishes had come and gone, and Gabe had lost his beloved filly dragon in one such battle. Her death had turned him cold to owning another dragon. Given his age and experience there were many who were shocked that the king would allow Gabe to leave the knight’s fold, but leave he did. He was now the stronghold’s forgemaster. He designed much of the riding equipment and armour used by the stables. Lune recently learnt that Gabe also had a hand in training the young squires to control their magic.
Lune liked Gabe very much. The old man had a kind soul. He also brought Lune sugar cubes and often came to see him just to sit and be still. He was both friend and teacher to Jason and liked to tell long stories about Jason’s father, who had also been a dragon rider. Lune beamed up at him. ‘Good morning!’
‘Nice and chirpy this morning, aren’t you?’ Gabe said affectionately.
‘He is now you’re here,’ Jason grumbled. Damon gave a snort of amusement that earnt him a glare from his auburn-haired rider.
‘Come, if you lot haven’t had a proper meal yet, eat with me. I have something I want to discuss.’
‘That sounds ominous,’ Damon chuckled. Gabe chuckled but led the way out of the stall. Lune followed right behind him, which meant Damon and their rider had to go too. With the collar no longer controlling the dragons, there was an uneasy peace that had yet to settle into any real steady rhythm. For thousands of years, humans had conquered the lands by conquering dragons. A free dragon was a dangerous creature and Lune often caught the human servants giving him fearful or distrustful looks as they went about their chores.
Again, Lune could understand, even if it still rattled him. He had been the one who had been stolen from his beautiful country, had been kept prisoner, made to wear a saddle and bridle. Heshould be the one afraid and distrustful. But… Perhaps that was why so many humans were scared, frightened of the retribution their slaves might finally be able to exact.
Lune.
The sound of Jason’s thoughts inside his own head startled him. He glanced over his shoulder. This telepathic link was created when a knight tamed a dragon and formed a bond.
Your thoughts are getting dark again, said Jason in the privacy of their own minds.
Perhaps you shouldn’t be listening in, thought Lune in response. Jason sped up his pace so he could walk beside Lune. The rider’s smile was gentle as he reached out and took Lune’s hand. Jason’s handsome face looked so much younger when he smiled. It sent little fluttering fireflies through Lune’s belly every time he saw it.
I never want you to feel scared or alone, thought Jason.
Lune gave the hand a squeeze. I don’t. Not anymore.
The stronghold was both fascinating and ancient. The original castle had been cut deep into the side of an enormous mountain. Several smaller buildings of stone and marble had sprung up around it over the millennia. The stronghold had slowly but surely consumed them like a growing tumor enveloping everything in its path. The hallways could abruptly change from one type of stone to another, the ceilings going from high to low to high again. There was a strange beauty in the twisted artful mess, a sculptural representation of architectural change and advancement.
Lune liked the strange shift in his new home. It was like seeing a glimpse into many worlds, past, present, and future. Since the battle with the Kingdom of the Storm, the stronghold had taken damage. Many of the immense walls were now being rebuilt from the jagged holes that had blown through them. The new patches would add yet more depth and history to the ever-evolving stronghold.
They came to a stop outside Gabe’s own quarters. He opened the heavy wooden door and gestured for them to enter. To their surprise, there were already people in there.
A tall, broad-shouldered woman was seated at a heavy oak table, a blue-haired young lady at her side. Lune recognized the knight, Amara, as one of the painfully few female knights in the Sun King’s court. The blue-haired female at her side was her Lapis filly dragon. Lune had attended a few council meetings and seen the filly before, though he didn’t know her by name. He wasn’t left guessing for long.
Gabe shoved them into the room. At the sight of Lune, the filly jumped up and bounced over to him. Damon gave a low growl. Jason abrupted elbowed him in the ribs. Lune heard a faint hiss of ‘Be nice.’
‘I am called Cherith,’ said the filly happily, invading Lune’s personal space. As a human girl, she was quite as pretty as she was as a dragon. Her hair was a vibrant blue and her eyes were large and glittering. She looked to be roughly the same age as Lune, though it was always difficult to tell.
‘Hello,’ said Lune with a nervous laugh.
‘Oh, she’s harmless. Coffee?’ Amara said brusquely as she stood to greet them.
‘Sure. What’s this all about?’ Jason asked.
Amara and Gabe exchange a swift look.
‘Have you had a private council with the king recently?’ Gabe asked.
‘Your hair is so long and pretty!’ cooed Cherith, who apparently didn’t care much for what her rider was engaged with. Lune flushed, stammering an awkward thank you.
‘No, I haven’t. Everyone has been so busy with the repairs and patrolling. He hasn’t asked to see me,’ said Jason, accepting a mug of coffee from Amara.
‘He hasn’t summoned anyone in nearly a fortnight,’ she said.
This made Jason pause. ‘Anyone? Are you sure?’
‘Reasonably. He’s been sending instructions through Prius and a few of his other seniors advisors, but he hasn’t been seen directly outside of the court meetings.’
‘Is that something to be overly concerned about?’ Jason asked. Damon sat himself down at the table, grabbing himself a mug and looking amusedly at Cherith, who was now trying to braid Lune’s hair.
‘Maybe not. The battle was fierce. There’s a possibility that the battle took more out of him than we first thought. He may just be taking the time to recover his strength. I also think the betrayal of Kyril weighed more heavily on the king’s mind than showed.’ Gabe shrugged his massive shoulders.
‘Both very possible. So where do I come in to all this?’ Jason asked slowly.
‘We know you have had… relations with the Sun King in the past,’ Amara began. Jason raised an eyebrow. Amara was not the type of woman to blush like a virgin maiden. She was just as scarred, battle worn and calloused as the men she flew alongside of. Even so, the statement couldn’t have been more loaded if she tried.
‘Relations…’ Jason said, rolling the word around.
Gabe snorted. ‘We know he’s always had a soft spot for you. We just want to make sure the man is still in his right head. He certainly won’t talk to any of us, but you…’
‘Let me get this straight. You want me to present myself to the king in hopes that he doesn’t just rip my throat out for intruding to make sure he’s well?’ Jason asked flatly.
‘Basically,’ Amara said with a haughty sniff.
’The Kingdom needs its king, lad. Especially now. The Stronghold is in shambles, the neighboring towns are getting picked at by thieving gangs and winter is coming in early this year. The crop yields will soon start to rot. The little folk are nervous, Jason. They need to see the Sun King, know that they still have his protection,′ Gabe said wisely.
Jason sighed. ‘I don’t really have much choice in this, do I?’
Damon chuckled. ‘You’re really in the thick of it now,’ he sniggered. His laughter caught in his throat as Jason turned burning mischievous eyes on him.
‘I don’t know why you’re laughing. You and Lune are coming with me.’
Lune’s mouth fell open and Damon began to splutter. ‘Wait, what?’
Jason ignored him and turned back to Gabe. ‘We’ll go tonight.’
‘Good oh. See that you do. Now let’s see about ordering that breakfast.’
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END
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