Chapter 12

Casmir watched the sun set with Springroll.  The ball of fire dipped below the horizon, taking all its warmth and light with it.  Blue and purple replaced coral pink and orange, wispy white clouds grew dark, stars flickered into existence.  The moon rose, shining so bright it could rival Springroll’s fire blasts.

 

He decided that this sunset was even better than the first one he saw in Drakania.

 

As the sunlight died away, he took out his map, the one that Amber had drawn up for him.  He quickly marked up the cardinal directions and looked around again.  As if sensing he needed light, Springroll curled up by him, his maw glowing with white fire.

 

The entrance to the Drakanian City had several boulders and crystals piled around the opening.  The mountain itself sat within a cliff face, and it was surrounded by forests, with the entrance to the cave facing a wide stretch of grass that acted as a clearing.  He knew that without a map similar to the one he held, or without prior experience in navigating this land, it would be near impossible to locate and find the City.

 

Springroll was sleeping, having moved away and curled up beneath a tree, his back rising and falling.  Casmir felt his own sleepiness creep in and he walked in his dragon’s direction.  Carefully curling up under Springroll’s folded wing, Casmir tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in.  After shifting around, and almost waking Springroll, he resorted to using his bag as a pillow and his dark blue coat as a blanket.  Not the most comfortable position, but it was better than nothing.

 

He had no idea how Amber managed to do this for four years and not complain once about a sore neck or back.

 

Sometime in the middle of the night, he was partially woken up by the sound of footsteps crunching over dried leaves and stone.  It was followed by soft whispers and growls.

 

He tried to close his eyes tighter as a light shone almost directly in his face.  He pulled his coat over his shoulder and tried to block out any outside noise.

 

Let me sleep, damn it, he thought drowsily as he tried to wave a hand at whatever it was in front of him.  He could’ve sworn he heard Springroll say :He’s sleeping:, and he could’ve sworn he felt someone rest their hand on his shoulder, but it might’ve been his imagination.

 

Maybe I’m having a lucid dream, he thought as sleep overtook him once more.

 

He awoke inside an arching stone cave with patches of calcite and clusters of amethysts and prasiolite growing from the walls.  There were several that were glowing, making the cave bright as day.  He sighed, sitting up and grabbing his coat.  He had no idea how Amber managed to drag him through the Drakanian City, through her supposedly complicated and twisting series of tunnels, and then drop him off in a cave without waking him up.

 

He slipped into the tunnels, carrying his lantern with him.  The fire had all but died out and he was hoping to find a dragon that could maybe relight it for him.  He’d used the last of his matches on his way to Drakania.  It wasn’t the smartest decision, and he should’ve gotten extra supplies before rushing off like he tended to do.

 

Casmir felt foolish as he took random turns at forks, running blindly down paths, thinking that he had the tunnel systems memorized even though he didn’t.  More than once, he ran into dead ends and had to turn around.  It was when he’d passed the same cluster of amethysts and lapis lazuli for the third time did he stop and force himself to acknowledge that he was lost.

 

He sat down, leaning back against the cool stone.  He’ll admit, it was calm without the dragons around.  He could take the time to think, to plan for the supposed mission he was on.

 

Step one, he thought with sarcasm as he swung his lantern around on a finger.  Find Amber and ask her to get me out of this maze of tunnels.

 

Step two, his thoughts became sluggish as sleep threatened to overtake him.  He pinched himself in an attempt to stay awake.  Step two is to figure out a loophole.  Figure out how to satisfy the Regias’ demands but also keep Amber safe.

 

Step three, he thought as he slumped against the stone wall.  He could barely keep his eyes open, his eyelids becoming heavier by the second until they fluttered shut.

 

The lantern clattered to the ground, glass shattering, melted lumps of wax spilling across the stone.

 

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He could feel himself being carried, the rhythm of footsteps suggesting that he was draped across a dragon’s back.  The smooth and sleek touch of scales told him that it was Springroll.

 

“I don’t know why he was there,” he could hear Amber say.  Her voice sounded clear.

 

There was a pause and she continued, “Yes, I’ll clean up the glass.”

 

Another pause.  “I’ll have to get him a new one.”

 

Casmir forced his eyes open and saw gray stone and rainbow scales.  He blinked, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes.

 

“You’re awake,” Amber said.

 

He felt Springroll stop moving and almost slid off.  He caught himself at the last second and managed to sit up.  “What’s happening?” he asked, feeling a stab of relief when he didn’t slur his words.  “Where are we?”

 

“Lapis found you passed out in one of the tunnels,” she said.  “She noticed that your lips were turning blue.”

 

“It wasn’t cold!” Casmir protested, trying to recall if he felt any chills while he was wandering around the tunnels.  “I had my coat—”

 

“Your coat did little to protect you from the cold,” she said.  “And it didn’t help that your lantern shattered, either.”

 

“Amber, where are we?” he asked again.  The tunnel was still a gray stone, there were still crystals dotting the sides.  It looked exactly like the countless other tunnels he’d passed.

 

“Lapis said to take you to the healer’s caves.”  Amber motioned for Springroll to start walking again.  “She said that even if you weren’t going to die, you should still go.”

 

“But I feel fine,” he said.

 

“Yes,” she said.  “Because Ametrine already made sure you weren't going to die.”  She sped up her pace.  “So we’re heading back to my cave, and you can get your things, then you can go.  It’s daytime.”

 

Casmir almost protested that he didn’t want to leave, then he remembered that he was supposed to be on his mission to capture Amber, and that he was supposed to report back whenever something of interest came up.  He knew that being in the City was interesting enough, but he wanted to wait and see if anything else came up.

 

He remained silent as Springroll padded into Amber’s cave, as he quickly gathered his things and left the cave.  Even as he climbed onto Springroll’s back once more, the dragon shooting through the City at a blinding speed, he still didn’t say a word.

 

Springroll seemed reluctant to leave, though Casmir assured him that he wasn’t going to.  And that if he was, he’d be back to visit.

 

“I wouldn’t leave,” he said, lightly stroking his dragon’s head.  “Even if I wanted to.  But I have to go.”

 

:It’s because you like the dragons, right?: Springroll asked, completely ignoring the leaving part.  He chirped with pride and said, :Us dragons are very amazing and regal creatures:  As if to prove his point, he spun in a circle, causing light to reflect off his scales, casting a rainbow over the grass and stone around them.

 

“Partially,” Casmir said.  He lifted his head, his smile growing when he spotted the beautiful sunrise, painting the sky bright pink and orange.  “But it’s because I—”  He found his throat closing up as he tried to explain the real reason for him being in Drakania.  “Because…”

 

:Oh, I know!: Springroll said suddenly.  He sounded so sure of himself that his tone made Casmir panic for a good five minutes.  :It’s because of Amber, right?:

 

“Well—”

 

:It’s not?:

 

“I never said that,” Casmir laughed nervously.  “I mean, sure, Amber’s my best friend, so yes, I’d stay to help her.”

 

:But it’s not because of that, right?:

 

He decided to provide a bit of insight as to why he was here.  “Springroll, does Lapis ever get dragons to go out into the world and complete missions for her?” he asked, watching as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky.  “Like, does she get her soldiers to patrol the kingdom or…?”

 

:Yes: Springroll said without hesitation.  :The wind dragons, led by Zephyr, often leave the City to make sure we’re all safe:  His green eyes lit up with curiosity.  :Is that what you’re doing?:

 

Casmir nodded, relieved that he didn’t have to explain more.  “Yes,” he said.  “I’m making sure we’re all safe.”

 

It was peaceful and quiet for the next few minutes before the eager multicolored dragon spoke up again.

 

:Casmir: Springroll suddenly jumped up from his spot in the shade.  :If you want, we can go flying:

 

“Will flying help me figure out a way to… keep us safe, so to speak?” Casmir asked, referring to his mission, but Springroll didn’t know that.

 

:We can find Zephyr and we can ask him questions:

 

It was a good idea.  A smart one, even.  Maybe it’ll help him figure out that loophole that he was so stuck on.  He nodded, climbing onto Springroll’s back, bracing himself for another near-death experience that was flying.  

 

He kept his eyes squeezed shut until he heard Springroll say :We’re gliding now:, and only then did he open his eyes.

 

Casmir slowly opened his eyes and managed to get a somewhat secure hold on his dragon’s sleek scales.  He sat up and spotted several dark green dragons flying over his head, spinning and twirling, churning the clouds into miniature whirlwinds that died out after a few seconds.

 

He continued to watch, captivated by the dance-like movements the dragons exhibited.  The leading dragon — the largest one, with scales protruding from its body in armor-like patterns — suddenly dove down, disappearing beneath the cloud banks.  Then it burst out from the clouds, flapping its wings as it hovered in front of them.  Its intelligent-looking eyes, swirling like dark storm clouds, bore into his own.  He suddenly felt insignificant and small, literally and figuratively, in the presence of this dragon.

 

Casmir felt the wind blow wildy around him, tousling his hair and sending longer strands flying into his face.  He tightened his grip on Springroll’s neck, doing anything he could to not fall because he knew it would only result in his death.

 

“Who is that?” he whispered to Springroll.  The multicolored dragon was unfazed, and was more cheerful than ever as he replied, :That’s Zephyr!:

 

Based on his dragon’s brief introduction, and the way he watched the wind dragon tear through the skies, Casmir thought that this dark green dragon was the perfect image of a warrior.

 

Up close, the overlapping plates of metallic scales looked even more like armor.  Pale gray horns that extended from the crown of Zephyr’s head bore resemblance to a helm that the Diavian soldiers in the past were required to wear, minus the horns of course.  Wisps of green mist, or maybe it was some energy or ability the wind dragons had, trailed from the tips of Zephyr’s wings, his tail, and his legs.  His dark gray eyes glinted, even if his back was facing the sun.

 

The Protector of Drakania growled, baring his teeth either in warning or in greeting.

 

:He says, “What is this human doing?”: Springroll said helpfully.  The words themselves weren’t as helpful as his dragon might’ve believed.

 

“Can you ask him if I can ask questions?” Casmir asked, hoping that luck would be on his side today.

 

Springroll passed the message onto Zephyr, who tilted his head to the side, but gave a single nod.

 

:He says, go ahead and ask:

 

Casmir realized that he forgot all the questions he wanted to ask, and ended up saying, “What’s your job?”  Springroll might’ve facepalmed if he could.

 

After some quick translations, Springroll said, :Zephyr’s job is to protect Drakania:, but Casmir already knew that based on what his dragon had told him earlier.  He decided to ask another question: how did Zephyr know if he was doing a good job of protecting the kingdom?  He felt like that might give him the answers he seeked.  And it did.

 

Thanks to Springroll’s translations, Casmir found that Zephyr had many ways of knowing whether or not he did a good job with protecting the kingdom.

 

:He makes sure that there are no repeats of the Crimson incident: Springroll said, shortly after the question was asked.  :He is very good at listening to Lapis.  He says that Lapis knows the best because she is the queen: 

 

Casmir knew that he couldn’t apply the same logic to his mission.  He knew more than Regia Liavis, and he always gave less information than he really knew in his reports.  Because unlike Zephyr, who clearly gave off the impression that he’d willingly provide any information to Lapis simply for the fact that she was the Queen, Casmir couldn’t.  That would only result in some full scale invasion on Drakania, leading to another war between the dragons and humans.  He knew the last time such a war took place, Serena Heidurn was still alive and she had been the cause of it.  He didn’t want to be the cause of another war.

 

:Zephyr also says that he asks the other dragons: Springroll said.  He sounded proud, leading Casmir to believe that Zephyr had asked his dragon some things.  :He asks them how he should make changes to the way he’s protecting Drakania so he can do it better!  Do you do that?:

 

Casmir shook his head no.  Going around and asking people for their opinion wasn’t his job.  That’s what the various city ambassadors appointed by Regia Diavum do.

 

“But I do patrol around the city, sometimes all the way to the borders between Drakania and Diavum,” he offered.  Springroll relayed the response to Zephyr.

 

“And that’s usually when I meet up with Amber,” he added.

 

:Zephyr says that he patrols too: Springroll said.  :He’s on patrol right now and said that he should keep doing that:

 

As if on cue, the great wind dragon flapped his wings once, sending a strong breeze in Casmir’s direction.  He nodded his head in farewell and spiraled beneath the cloud banks, following the other dragons.

 

:Was that helpful?: Springroll asked.  :It was helpful, right?:

 

“Yes,” Casmir said, though he still didn’t really have much of an answer.  He still didn’t know how to satisfy the expectations for his mission and keep Amber safe at the same time.  “I mean, I still need to know how to keep the fact that Amber’s the Unlocked a secret.” Even though people already know that there’s an Unlocked, he added silently.

 

:Oh, so it is because of her:  The light dragon sounded so smug when he spoke.  :I knew it.  And I didn’t read your mind even though I could because we’re Bonded.  Reading minds isn’t fun:

 

“Of course you did,” his voice was sarcastic.  “But seriously though, how do I do that?”

 

:Zephyr sometimes carves slabs for Lapis when he finds interesting things: Springroll said.  :Do you carve slabs for the other humans?:

 

“Uh… slabs?”

 

:Yes, like information slabs:

 

“I do,” Casmir said.  “Except humans write on paper and this specific type of ‘information slabs’ are called reports.”

 

:Just don’t talk about Amber in those paper slabs:

 

“I already do that though,” he said.  “But there are some people who know that she is the Unlocked.”

 

:Like you?:

 

“Not just me,” Casmir thought about his father, and how many other people he might’ve told.  Then he remembered Amber’s sister, and how he had promised the younger girl to keep Amber safe.  “Amber has a sister.  She knows.”

 

:In my experience, sisters don’t give away each other’s secrets: Springroll said.  :I mean, I don’t have siblings, but other dragons do and they’re very loyal to each other:

 

“It’s not her sister I’m worried about,” Casmir said quietly.  “It’s the other people…”

 

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He slid off his dragon’s back, giving Springroll a gentle pat before quickly crossing the borders.  To his surprise, he found his father waiting near the city entrance as he neared.  Based on his posture, Casmir assumed that his father had been waiting for quite a while.

 

The first words he exchanged with his father weren’t ones of greeting, but rather a question.

 

“Did you find A—the Unlocked?” his father asked.  For a moment, Casmir felt some sort of relief that his father caught himself before he said the name.

 

“I…” he looked around, making sure no one was listening in on a conversation between the Captain and his son.  “I did.”

 

“And?”

 

“Nothing happened,” Casmir took out the paper he’d been writing on occasionally during his visit.  “I barely saw her, if I could recall correctly.”

 

That technically wasn’t a lie.  He spent most of his time in Drakania getting lost in tunnels and almost dying of hypothermia.  He was also only there for a day, and Amber had been somewhere else during that time.

 

His father sighed, an air of disappointment hanging around him as his eyes skimmed over the paper.  The contents were extremely similar to his recent reports.  It was mostly details on Drakania and places he’d seen.  And as a last minute touch, a brief note about probably seeing the Unlocked at some point was hastily scribbled in at the end.  This time, he’d written about seeing a burst of green energy, one that could’ve easily been a dragon’s fire blast.

 

“I’ve been covering for you at Regia Diavum since you told me about her,” he said.  “They’re getting impatient and they expect a proper update—” his father made air quotations as he said ‘proper’, “—by the end of next month at the latest.  Otherwise, they’ll take matters into their own hands.”

 

“An update on…?”

 

“They expect to know who the Unlocked is, along with where they go frequently.”

 

“Father, I can’t,” Casmir said firmly.  “You know why and—”

 

“It’s your duty,” his father said with exasperation.  “This has been going on for too long, Casmir.”

 

“It’s only been two years!” he protested.  “Don’t the Regias sometimes have issues that take far longer to solve?”

 

His father didn’t say anything.  He just gazed at him with the slightly disappointed but also encouraging expression he’d been wearing all too often recently.  The expression that told him to just follow along with what’s being said because it was for his own good.

 

Then came the words he dreaded to hear.  He expected them, but it still was a blow to whatever hope he had left that maybe he could let the situation fade away on its own.  

 

“You can’t let your own personal feelings get in the way of what you’re supposed to do.”

 

He didn’t want to admit it, but his father was right.  He was letting his personal life slowly get tangled up in this mess and that was exactly what he didn’t want.

 

“I’ll…”  He chose his next words carefully.  “I’ll think of something.”

 

Casmir made a point to end the conversation by quickly making his way into the city.  There were fewer people in the streets, not that it surprised him.  Before he left, there was a public announcement about the Unlocked and no doubt people were overthinking and panicking.

 

Still, he thought it was strange.  Maybe something had happened while he was gone, even though it had only been a day.  He wasn’t about to ask his father though.  It was likely that they’ll be having another conversation about duty, which would go around in circles until he finally agreed.  He could ask his friends, but they were probably already busy with that new training schedule they were given and he wasn’t about to pull them away from what they’re supposed to be doing.

 

Which meant that he was going to mull over his thoughts alone, as usual.  He didn’t mind it.  It allowed him to think more clearly, to come up with ideas and strategies he wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.  In this case, he could probably come up with a solution to the dilemma that’s been plaguing his mind for the past two years.  It was probably for the better.  If the wrong person found out that he had been withholding information — important information — they’d report it to Regia Liavis in a heartbeat and he would be faced with outcomes that he didn’t want to think about.

 

Instead of heading to his house like he usually did after one of his “adventures in Drakania”, Casmir headed to the library.  He hoped that, with the whole Serena Heidurn incident a century ago, there would be some sort of information for him to figure out a semi-decent plan.

 

The library was brightly lit, the cheery atmosphere contrasting greatly with his current mood.  He just wanted to find the information he wanted and then come up with his plan to fulfill both of his goals with the least amount of conflict.

 

He started at the uppermost floor, knowing that most of the books on the Unlocked, on Drakania, and on any other related topics were located there.  They’d all been put up there by the librarians after the ruler claimed that the books would only give people ideas.  Ideas about what, the ruler never specified, but the librarians knew better than to question such a direct order.

 

After a few minutes of scanning through shelves, Casmir found the first book.  The title claimed that this was on the Unlocked, and it was ridiculously small when compared to the other, more heavier tomes that were shelved beside it.  It made sense, as no one in the city (or the kingdom for that matter) bothered to try and find an Unlocked.  To them, the Unlocked were dangerous and would eventually go crazy like Serena Heidurn, and that was all people thought they needed to know.

 

He flipped it open, half expecting the book to be mostly blank save for a few sentences.  He wasn’t prepared for it to be filled with an elegant, handwritten script accompanied by quick sketches.  This looked more like someone’s journal, not a published book meant for everyone to read.

 

For a moment, he didn’t want to read it and closed the cover, since it seemed like there might be some more personal entries in this book.  But one part of him argued that whoever wrote this must be alright with other people reading it, as it was in the library.  He eventually decided he couldn’t argue with that logic and sat down after gathering a few more books to read.

 

The first few pages definitely were parts of someone’s journal.  It was written in mostly first person point of view, and there were moments where Casmir felt like the author was writing whatever came to their mind first.  He’ll be honest and say that the book was interesting.  Even though there weren’t many mentions of Drakania or the Unlocked, it was still fun to read something new.

 

There were a few entries on the dragon kingdom, but it was mostly descriptions of mountains, of the forests and the almost unnatural beauty the landscape held.  There wasn’t never any mention of dragons or Unlocked yet.

 

He flipped a page and had to take a second look, because almost in the middle of the paper, were drawings of a red oval stone from different angles.  There were bright, metallic swirls along the entire stone and a small ring attaching the pendant to a golden chain.  It was so realistically rendered that he nearly thought it was an actual object and tried to pick it up before he remembered that it was only a drawing.  There was also a small signature along the edge of the drawing, but it was too small and faded for him to make out what the name was.

 

Then he read the caption and that was what piqued his interest.

 

[It was a red stone; jasper, maybe, with bits of purple throughout.  Veins of gold woven within the stone, much like the power that now coursed through my body.  I should’ve known better than to take this, but it called to me, reached for me.  They’re going to be furious.  I know I should return it, but I cannot.  The power…  it was affecting me.  One of my eyes had gone dark purple, not that it was too noticeable.  They’re already dark as it is.]

 

He sucked in a breath and glanced around.  He was still alone on the top floor of the library.  He looked at the page again and let the thought sink in.

 

Whoever wrote this book was clearly an Unlocked themselves.  And it was likely that they were no longer around.  In the one hundred years after Serena Heidurn’s disappearance, the ruler had ordered a mass search for any remaining Unlocked and most, if not all were caught.  They had all disappeared and no one saw them again.  He didn’t know if any escaped, but if they did, they were doing a really good job at keeping their heads down.

 

Casmir slowly closed the book, not wanting to keep reading, but his curiosity burned even more than before.  That page had hooked him, and for a moment, it was no longer about researching the Unlocked, it was about finding out what happened to the owner of this book.

 

For hours, he sat at that table on the top floor.  It was tucked away near a corner, and he could hide there for days if he wanted to.  The book was held in his hands and he didn’t move except to turn the page or to look at something from a different angle.  Sometimes, he took out his own journal and took notes.  Anything remotely interesting he wrote down, and by that, it meant he wrote down pretty much everything in the book after the page with the red stone drawing.

 

Page after page of words and pictures followed.  Descriptions of the powers, of the dragons, of every single thought that ran through this person’s head.  Thoughts on how to get closer to a dragon to study it, thoughts on how to call upon their powers, how to train themselves to use it flawlessly.

 

Then there were records of the powers.  Detailed and organized entries on what they were able to do, what they had accomplished since picking up the stone.  Things such as being able to lift a larger object than before, being able to lift multiple objects, being able to run while keeping said objects floating in mid-air.  Then being able to lift themselves into the air.

 

He always took note of the captions, of the little blurb-like entry written beside each picture.  Sometimes they were long, taking up the entire page.  Sometimes, they were only a single sentence.  His mind painted images of a figure surrounded by extraordinary power, facing off against those who stood in their way.  Maybe some of his previous lessons also played a part in it because he started to imagine the figure in battle, with dragons flying by their side and—

 

He reached the end of the book.

 

There weren’t any closing statements, as he would’ve expected.  Instead, there were a few sentences hastily scrawled in the middle of the page.  It was a large contrast to the previously neat and detailed writing.

 

[they’re coming, i can hear them closing in.  i’ll try and hold them off, but in the end, only one can remain.  i can only hope that it’s me]

 

The slightly depressing sentences weren’t what made Casmir hesitate before closing the book.  It was the signature at the bottom right corner of the page.

 

With the wheels turning in his mind, he quickly shoved the book, along with the others he didn’t get to read, into his bag and left.