Chapter 7
Casmir almost didn’t believe Amber when she started explaining what being Bonded to a dragon meant. To put it in simplest terms, Bonding to a dragon just meant that they shared a telepathic connection and they could communicate more easily. The idea itself seemed surreal, and when paired with his status as a Regia Liavis soldier, it was almost ironic.
“Wait, wait, wait!” He waved his hands, cutting Amber off in the middle of her explanations on ways to communicate with a Bonded dragon. It was the fifth conversation about it this week, and he was still confused. “Back up a bit.” When he was sure she paused and was listening to him, he continued. “So you’re saying that I have a dragon—”
“Yes.”
“—and that I can communicate with him with my mind.”
“Yes.” she laughed as they walked into the cave, past several dragon statues. She stopped in front of a blue one and gazed up at it, as she had many times in the past few days.
These statues were something she told him about, how each one represents a past or present ruler of Drakania. He knew that during the week they remained by the City entrance alone, he’d learned a lot of things that might not have even been taught at Autarcus. In return, he sparred with Amber, teaching her techniques that she didn’t know herself, even encouraging her to try and use her powers to further enhance her attacks. She did, and ended up flinging three knives, all wreathed in green energy, at a tree. It had burned through the trunk and crashed to the ground.
He also provided a possible explanation for the blackstone cuffs. In classes taught at Autarcus, he learned that black or dark colors absorb more light and heat up quicker. It was likely the same principle applied to blackstone.
When she heard this, Amber scoffed and took out the cuff again, glaring at it while studying it when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“Okay,” Casmir looked back at the multicoloured dragon; Springroll was sitting by another statue, waiting for him to say something. He decided to give Amber’s advice a shot because what’s the worst that could happen?
Hello Springroll, he tried to say with his mind. Can you hear me?
:By the dragons, you can talk!: Springroll exclaimed, bouncing around with excitement. :What’s being a human like? Who’s the other human? How did you end up befriending the exiled Princess?:
“The exiled Princess?” he asked, partially awed by the successful communication and then was immediately intrigued by the multicoloured dragon’s words.
Springroll said :Crimson: just as Amber pointed to her dragon. The red dragon growled angrily though she was more focused on the blue dragon statue.
“And why is Crimson the exiled Princess?”
:Something about killing other dragons: Springroll said with the same amount of enthusiasm as before, even though he was talking about murder. :I don’t really know, I don’t pay attention to that—:
Crimson growled louder, hissing and snarling at the multicoloured dragon, who wasn’t fazed at all. Even when Crimson’s maw started to glow as she charged up a fire blast, he still remained as happy and upbeat as he always was. However, Casmir looked closer and saw that Springroll’s bright green eyes seemed to grow darker with annoyance.
:Crimson just told me to shut up otherwise she’ll bite my head off: he said to Casmir, who was rendered more confused, partially by his dragon’s happy tone of voice and by what was said. :But that’s something Crimson says often so it’s no big deal:
“Okay?”
“Casmir, you coming or what?” Amber called. She had moved up further and was by more statues, these ones made of dark glassy rock. “The City is just through these tunnels over here.”
“Yeah, I’ll catch up,” he said. “I want to talk to Springroll for a bit.”
“Suit yourself,” she said and disappeared into the darkness.
:I sense you’re very curious: Springroll said as he and Casmir walked through the tunnels, albeit slower than Amber and Crimson. :It’s okay though. Bonding with a human is really new to most dragons: He spun in a circle, letting the crystal light reflect off his scales and light up the tunnel for a few seconds. :But this is exciting, right?:
“Tell me about it,” Casmir muttered. He took out the blue gemstone from earlier, realizing that it was glowing, with the light growing brighter the more he ventured into the caves. “Do all gemstones glow?”
:Most of them glow: Springroll said. :Because we breathe fire a lot, the crystals have been affected by the fire. Lapis knows more about this, and Crimson, surprisingly:
“And Amber’s stone,” he continued. “I know the formation process is similar but—”
:Who’s Amber?:
“She’s…the other human,” Casmir said, the words feeling strange coming from him. “Uh, she also has a stone, but it gives her powers.”
:Oh, she’s the Dragonborn that the other dragons were going crazy about:
“Sure.”
:Eh, those stones are made from the bones of dead lacerti: Springroll eyed Casmir’s face, noticing the slight change in expression. :Humans have different names for these, don’t they?:
“I…” It was at this moment when Casmir wished he had paid more attention in the classes at Autarcus. “Humans call those with powers “the Unlocked” because—” As he racked his brain for what information he’d retained after lessons and the discussions with Amber, Springroll decided to voice his own thoughts.
:They’ve unlocked powers?:
“Yes,” he cracked a smile. “Very creative, right?” He moved ahead, looking up at the glassy statues that Amber stood by only moments earlier. “Who are these dragons?”
:Oh them, they’re the Erythrean dragons: Springroll said, a hint of fear evident in his voice. :They’re really scary: He gave Casmir a worried look. :Your human friend is Bonded to one. The last one, actually:
“Crimson’s an Erythrean dragon?”
:Yes, so either your friend is crazy like Crimson, or she’s just ignorant:
Casmir frowned at his dragon’s words. “Amber’s not crazy,” he said. He glanced at the statues again, noting the expressions of each sculpted dragon. He could feel the air of proudness, even arrogance, around the statues despite them being inanimate objects. He decided that he didn’t like the vibe the carved dragons gave off. “We should catch up to them.”
:Ooh, yes: Springroll jumped around with excitement again. :Get on my back and we’ll fly:
He stared at the dragon, whose body was covered in tiny scales, resulting in a sleek and aerodynamic look. There were no protruding spikes or larger scales for him to hold onto, but he still followed his dragon’s instructions. Climbing onto the dragon’s back, he decided to just hold onto Springroll’s neck really tightly. The dragon himself didn’t wait long for Casmir to find his balance before he took off through the caves at a blinding speed. The glowing crystals became blurs and flashes of bright colours that gradually faded away until the tunnel was pitch black. Only the faint and subtle glow coming from Springroll’s scales - though now it was extremely visible in the dark - lit up the caves.
Slowly, the walls of the caves grew lighter until it opened up into an even more spacious cave than the one he was in minutes earlier. Springroll stopped immediately and sat down, barely out of breath. Casmir slid off his back, trying to catch his breath as he took in the sight around him.
Amber hadn’t mentioned the giant cave full of dragons of every kind, nor did she mention the raised stone platform at the bottom of the cave where a blue dragon sat. Amber hadn’t mentioned the spiralling path that wrapped around the perimeter of the City either. Her words had been “There’s a lot of dragons, so don’t get too excited” before she strode into the tunnels.
“Wow,” he said, looking around and then laughing with delight. “This place is amazing!”
:See the blue dragon at the bottom?: Springroll asked, nudging him to a slanted pathway that spiralled down the sides of the cave. He would quickly sprint down the path, only to run back and nudge Casmir along. :That’s Lapis. She’s the Queen:
“Amber never mentioned a dragon queen!” Casmir whispered as he and Springroll passed a level of the City where curious dragons were peering out of their own caves. He waved at them, and they disappeared back into their homes. “Amber never mentioned the multi-level cave that looks like it was built by professional builders!”
:I overheard Crimson say that she did something that made the human not say anything about the City: Springroll said. :I know that the Erythrean dragons have a nasty habit of using mind control:
Casmir whipped his head around, shooting an incredulous look at his dragon. “What?” he hissed.
:Those who could use it used it a lot:
“Was that supposed to make me feel better?” he asked, noticing that they were nearing the lowest level of the City, and in turn, Queen Lapis. “We’re going to meet the queen!” he added in a whisper-shout.
:Of course we’re talking to Lapis: Springroll snorted with amusement. :Anyone who comes into the City must greet the Queen. It’s good manners. You know how to greet the Queen, right?:
“No.”
:That’s alright, just watch what your friend did:
Sure enough, Amber and Crimson were in front of the raised slab, the former still remaining standing while the latter had lowered her head. Then Crimson hit Amber with her tail and she quickly bowed as well.
:Actually that’s a bad example: Springroll commented. :Just treat the queen as you would any member of royalty. You’ve met royalty before, right?:
Casmir thought back to the one time he accompanied his father to Regia Diavum and was in the presence of the ruler, whose throne was cast in shadows even with all the candles lit up around the room. He’d just bowed and then moved out of the way while his father discussed the training schedules or whatever it was. He decided to just do that when he was introduced to Lapis.
“Yes,” he said in response to Springroll’s question. “I’ve met royalty before.”
He kept the fact that he hardly counted the ruler of Regia Diavum royalty to himself and focused on the last few steps on the pathway.
When he laid eyes on the blue dragon, Casmir decided that there wasn’t any other dragon that was as beautiful or intimidating as her. Beside him, Springroll already bowed his head and he quickly followed suit. He also placed the blue gemstone by the base of the slab as a peace offering.
“This place is amazing!” he exclaimed once he rose.
Lapis growled lightly and Springroll translated. :She says that you’re like Amber. Also, she says thank you for the stone:
“You’re welcome,” he said. Then he registered the rest of what Lapis said, her comment about Amber taking him by more surprise than the fact that she understood him. “Trust me, I’m nothing like her.” he added quickly, realizing that the words could be taken the wrong way if heard out of context. Knowing the implications his words carried, he reworded his sentence. “I mean, I’m…not her.” He decided it was slightly better than his first attempt.
Lapis growled again, this time looking to her left, where Casmir saw a red tail disappearing into a tunnel.
:She said that if you want to catch up to your friend, you should follow them: Springroll sounded like he was hiding something else that he didn’t want anyone to know.
“Uh…okay,” Casmir quickly bowed again. “It was great meeting you, Your Majesty!”
A loud shriek came from the tunnel and he hurried after Springroll. When he rounded a few corners, he found his dragon screeching at Crimson. Amber stood to the side, her face blank and expressionless as she watched the two dragons bicker. He ducked under several glowing white and green bursts of fire and came to a stop beside his best friend.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, flinching when another burst of fire came dangerously close to his face. “Hey, be careful!”
“They’re arguing,” Amber said. “Isn’t it obvious?” He was taken back by how nonchalant she sounded. When she turned to him he was both amazed and frightened. One of her eyes was bright purple while the other was green. She faced the arguing dragons again and said, “Crimson, stop,” in a firm voice.
Crimson immediately stopped breathing fire and sat down, her eyes glinting with the same purple light that shone in Amber’s.
“Springroll, what’s going on?” Casmir asked, giving his dragon a scratch under his chin. “Why’re you fighting? Crimson’s our friend.” I think, he added silently.
He swore Crimson became more smug when he said that.
:She tried to use her mind control on me!: Springroll protested, though he calmed rather quickly.
“She’s just very wary of others,” Amber said. “Give her time, she’ll warm up to you.” Casmir noticed her eyes returning to their normal blue-purple colour as she gestured to the rest of the caves. “Shall we continue with the tour?”
The tour was uneventful for the most part. There were many caves with pretty crystals, lots of dragons, things that he’d expected to see in a dragon city, but it didn’t make a lasting impact on him as he already saw how majestic the City entrance was. He knew that few things could come close to the beauty of that cavern, and though he hated to think it, he knew the actual City fell short.
Crimson and Springroll didn’t fight like before, and instead, behaved well and acted like close friends that’d known each other since birth. It almost made Casmir believe that the scuffle in the tunnel was only a part of his imagination. Almost.
There was something about it that seemed too real. The fire blasts that nearly took his head off definitely looked real. And he was pretty sure that Amber’s glowing eyes weren’t something he imagined either. He saw something similar when he spotted her in the clearing only days ago, when she expelled that circle of green energy outward.
He really wished he had paid more attention in the Diavian history classes and then he wouldn’t be as lost. Then he’d at least have some insight and might be prepared for anything that came his way, both literally and figuratively.
Now he was flying across the skies on Springroll’s back, following Amber back to wherever she decided to stay while she explored. He was clinging to his dragon’s back and neck, struggling to hold onto the slippery scales. He could see Amber, seeming at ease on Crimson’s back. He added another item to the list of questions and things to learn more about; how to not fall off a dragon’s back when they’re zipping through the air.
He could hear her talking as well, though her words were lost over the roaring wind and he only caught bits and pieces of her sentence.
“—flying— at the sunset!” he was able to make out when Amber got Crimson to hover beside him and Springroll. She was pointing to somewhere to his left and after steeling his nerves, he risked a glance in the direction she was pointing at.
His jaw dropped and he had to cling tighter to his dragon so he didn’t accidentally fall off.
The sunset was beautiful. A mix of bright pink and yellow followed the sun as it went down, with hints of blue and purple that signified the coming night, accompanied by the first few stars and the barest visible outline of the moon. It was so different from the standard orange and yellow sunsets that could be viewed in Liavis, and he knew immediately that he wouldn’t be tired of it anytime soon.
Somehow, he managed to sit upright, sort of, and was able to watch the sunset more clearly. Amber was still beside him, smiling and waiting for his reaction. He didn’t disappoint her.
“It’s beautiful,” he said, wishing that all nights in Liavis could be spent like this. “All the colours, the lights, everything.”
“I know,” she said. “This is my favourite part of the day. Or night, depending on how you look at it.” She whispered something into Crimson’s ear and the dark red dragon folded her wings and dove down, nearly breaking through the treetops if she didn’t open her wings again at the last second.
“Uh, Springroll,” he gently patted his dragon’s neck. “Want to try that, or—”
Springroll dove down, mimicking Crimson’s actions. Wind rushed through his hair, his clothes, and stung his skin, but he paid no mind to that. He will admit that the descent was thrilling, but unlike Amber, who had been cheering with delight and exhilaration as her dragon spiralled to the ground, Casmir had his eyes squeezed shut and didn’t open them until he felt a hand on his.
Forcing one eye open, he saw Amber, grinning from ear to ear as she half dragged and half carried him off his dragon. She let him lay on the grass to catch his breath while facing the sky, which had slowly started transitioning from light to dark.
He felt the air still as the dragons around him calmed and padded around to find comfortable places to sleep in. He wasn’t calm at all, and didn’t know how Amber managed to stay calm after a death drop on a dragon’s back. He was nearly hyperventilating when Springroll landed and couldn’t even dismount without help while his best friend slid off her dragon’s back with ease and was more excited than ever.
“So?” she prompted, poking at his shoulder. “What’d you think of the death drop?”
“You are absolutely crazy,” he groaned, letting one arm flop over his eyes. “Who does that willingly?”
Amber moved his arm away from his face. “Me.” she said. “I do that willingly.”
“Yeah, besides you and your dragon.”
“I-I actually don’t know,” she said, sitting back on her heels. “I think Crimson mentioned something about wind dragons, but that’s all I know.”
Casmir pushed himself up with his arms and stared into the trees. “I’m probably not going to do that again,” he said. He met her eyes and continued in the most serious tone he could manage. “Ever.”
A knowing smile tugged at her lips and a laugh managed to escape before she smothered them. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”
Casmir decided to leave Drakania the following morning. It wasn’t because he wanted to, the opposite in fact. He knew his absence at Regia Liavis was surely to be noticed, and he wanted to start brushing up on Diavian and Drakanian history. He wanted the next conversation he had with Amber, if he were to see her again in the future, to not be him asking her questions about the dragons and Unlocked, but rather them discussing these topics.
While he could probably ask the dragons or Amber herself, they were only three voices out of the hundreds that had written the history books. He wanted more concrete information before he dared to return to Drakania again. He really should’ve thought further ahead when he discretely followed Amber to make sure she didn’t get lost in the Regia Liavis tunnel systems.
Oh shush, he silently chided himself. You didn’t know you were going to see the mythical Dragon City. You didn’t know your best friend befriended a dragon. You didn’t know your best friend is actually the Unlocked and she was responsible for blowing up the fountain.
He glanced at Crimson now. She was sleeping. It seemed like every time he looked her way, she was sleeping, or doing some mundane dragon task that seemed normal for dragon standards. And he saw Amber, who was fussing over her dragon and making sure there was enough salmon for her when she woke up. It was so different from the Amber he knew from home.
He mentally slapped himself. What was he talking about? Amber’s still herself, even if she was the Unlocked and had bonded with a dragon.
“Want Springroll to drop you off by the border?” Amber asked when he told her he was going back to Liavis. She was leaning by a large, wooden, triangular-shaped building that she’d definitely made herself and there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. No doubt she was remembering his reaction to the “death drop” descent from the previous night. “The drop won’t be as high this time.”
“You’re hilarious,” he said flatly, though he did smile as well. “I’ll just walk.”
“It’s a three hour walk back to the borders.”
“Then walk with me,” he offered. “Or have one of the dragons walk with me. I might as well enjoy the scenery and the good company while I still can, right?” He gave his dragon a gentle pat, saying a silent goodbye. Springroll seemed to sense what was happening and whimpered sadly. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to—”
“Return to your supposed mission of catching the Unlocked?” Though her words sounded lighthearted, her expression certainly wasn’t. He could almost feel her rebuilding the walls around her heart as fast as she could and returning to that silent, contemplative girl he talked to in the cell beneath Regia Liavis.
That was only a week ago, he realized. It had felt like he spent several months in the Drakanian City, based on how much time it took Amber and Crimson to show him around. It had felt like he knew Springroll for years rather than days and the thought of leaving both his dragon and his best friend upsetted him.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll let you get back to that as soon as possible.” she said, making a point to not meet his eyes.
Casmir reached out, taking her hand in his and she looked up fast to meet his gaze, like he knew she would. “I was going to say,” he started, but faltered at the look she was giving him. It was unlike her usual glares and teasing smiles. It was… he decided it was unreadable after mulling over it for a few seconds and continued with what he wanted to say. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to see y—Drakania again.”
Again, her expression conflicted with the way her words sounded. “So you’ll miss the dragons,” she said. “Based on what I’ve seen, not a big surprise that—”
“I’ll miss you too,” he cut in before he could forget or lose the courage to say it; the words he’d longed to say when he found out she was leaving to “explore” but didn’t because there were other people around them.
He knew that he wouldn’t be able to forget the look of shock and disbelief on her face; the way her face seemed to shift between masks of confusion and surprise and acceptance, all within the span of a few seconds.
“I—” Amber struggled to speak, her mouth moving but no sound came out.
“Just wanted to let you know,” he said lightly.
That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in and she nodded too quickly. “Okay,” she said, also speaking faster than normal. She forced a laugh as she looked up at the sky. “We better get going then. It’ll be dark soon.”
Without letting go of his hand, she pulled him into the forests, whistling sharply for the dragons to follow. When they didn’t, she shrugged and continued on her way.
Casmir let her lead the way, since she probably knew the surrounding area better than he ever would and did his best to engrave every moment of the walk into memory. He never wanted to forget it; the feeling of being at ease, the feeling of having someone and knowing that they were there and they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Because what he told her wasn’t a lie.
He didn’t know if…no, when he’ll see her again.
When they arrived at the borders, the sky was almost completely dark save for a few glittering stars. It was quiet; more quiet than it would ever be if he had been awake during this time in Liavis. He looked to the side and found Amber staring wistfully in the direction of the city. He could tell she missed home as well.
“You miss home,” he said, voicing his thoughts and noticing her stiffening beside him.
“I do not.” Her reply was fast, though her tone was cold. “My home is here. In Drakania.”
“Come back with me,” he offered, half hoping that she’d agree. “Just for a day.”
Amber turned her piercing gaze to him. “I can’t,” she said. He noticed that she was speaking with more emotion than before. “You know why, I know why.”
“And I told you that doesn’t matter to me—”
“What about your other friends?” she asked, letting go of his hand and backing away slowly. “They work for Regia Liavis, maybe even Regia Diavum. It’ll matter to them.”
She’d disappeared into the darkness before Casmir could think of something to say.
With an unpleasant, burning sensation within his chest, he stepped over the borders and continued his way home.
