The only time Xavier had lost interest in learning was when he first took on human form, fourteen years earlier. The change had happened suddenly, not like other dragon children who grew into their dragon forms a little at a time. He had been with Aaron and Zach in the great hall, both in their human forms as they discussed a matter of clan business – a conversation that held little interest for the thirteen-year-old. Instead, he had been contemplating Aaron and Zach’s pathetic human frames when in a flash of light he changed into human form himself. He’d fallen to the floor – confused and unaware, at first, of what just happened – while Aaron and Zach both turned to stare at him, surprise written across their faces.
Xavier had pushed himself to his feet, wondering how humans managed to stand on such thin and puny limbs. “Good lord, look at that hair,” Zach said. Xavier touched his skull tentatively, the lack of scales disconcerting, and pulled a hank of hair forward, grimacing at the resulting tug. He stared at the silvery white strands for a moment, then looked back at his uncle with a grin.
“Doesn’t someone with white hair need to be respected, Zach?”
Zach’s response was to cuff him playfully. Of course, all the family had been delighted with his change, but Xavier found his new body uncomfortable and unsettling. He was relieved to discover that he could still have his wings in this new form, a steadying counterbalance to his strange dimensions.
It had taken a number of years for him to fully adapt to his human shape; his sharpened dragon senses overwhelmed his human form, while the restrictions of his human body chafed him. Even now, so many years later, he would rather soar over the mountains than walk as a man in the village.
As Xavier grew through his teenage years, he had become more aware of his growing power. He had not forgotten his oath ceremony, and as he matured he began to understand that one day Aaron would bow to him. Only once had he ever pitted himself against Aaron, curious to see how his grandfather would react. It had been over some piddling matter – Xavier had wanted to explore the mountains beyond the limits set for him, and Aaron refused him permission. In a fit of temper, Xavier wrapped his mind around the bond that tied them and gave it a sharp tug.
“Tell me that I can go further than before,” Xavier demanded. Aaron remained silent, his expression furious, but when Xavier yanked even harder, he’d dropped his gaze.
“You may go as far as you wish,” Aaron said, his voice trembling with anger as he said the words Xavier wanted to hear. He smiled triumphantly as he dropped the bond and soared out the window, heading towards the distant mountains – but the further he flew from Storbrook, the more hollow the victory became. Aaron had always encouraged and supported him, and Xavier had twisted their bond into something unpleasant. By the time the sun was dropping in the sky, he was back at Storbrook, his eyes downcast as he apologized to Aaron.
“You are growing more powerful each day, lad,” Aaron had said, “but you still have much to learn. Now that you know you can force me against my will, will you submit to me and allow me to continue training you?”
“Yes, Master,” Xavier replied.
“Good. The time will come when you need to exercise your power against other dragons, but it will be over far more important matters.”
“I understand.”
“I think your grandmother asked Cook to make some sticky buns. Perhaps we should have some before they grow cold.”
Relief had flooded the young dragon. “I think we should.”
Xavier crept his flames up the walls of the cave as the memory flitted through his mind. He had been eager to assume mastery over Aaron at the time, but becoming master over the clan had never appealed to him. He knew how much time Aaron spent on clan matters, and how frequently it took him away from Keira. Xavier had no interest in finding a mate, but the demands of the clan would deny him the peace and solitude that he craved. As long as Aaron was healthy and well, however, Xavier could continue to live as he pleased. The time would come soon enough when he would need to take his place at the head of the clan. He pushed thoughts of leadership from his mind and welcomed the emptiness as he drifted on the air, swaying and moving with air currents that swirled into the cave from the mountains beyond.
He lost all notion of time, as he always did like this, and it was early morning when he felt a tug at his mind. He ignored it, but a moment later it came again, pricking him back into full consciousness. His master was calling him, and if he didn’t respond, Aaron would track him down. Slowly, one tendril at a time, he pulled himself back together into his dragon frame. He felt weak, as he always did after embracing the flames. He would need to hunt on his way back to Storbrook. The fire he had lain upon was now just a few flickering embers, and he whacked out the last of the flames with his tail. The ash stained his white hide, and he sent a burst of flame over himself, burning away the soot.
He soared through the mouth of the cave a few moments later into the bright morning sky. Anyone standing below would have been hard-pressed to make out the white form that shot from the cave, but few ventured this deep into the mountains. Something rustled in the trees below him, and dropping lower he cruised over the branches until he saw a large stag bounding through the forest. He waited for it to reach a clearing, then dived, plunging his talons into the pulsing neck of the creature as he slammed into his prey. His long jaws ripped the flesh and clamped over the fountain of blood before it spilt to the ground. His strength returned as the blood weaved through his massive form and the meat filled his belly, nourishing him.
Like his father, Xavier had never eaten human flesh, and Aaron surmised that as Lleland’s son, Xavier had a latent wellspring of humanity. Unlike other dragons, Lleland was not born but created, and his humanity was strong enough that he did not need human flesh to sustain it. As for himself, it was ironic, Xavier thought with a snort, that humanity prevented him needing human flesh, since he was the least human of all the dragons.
He had just finished his meal when Aaron yanked their connection once more. Xavier growled in frustration, an emotion he was sure Aaron would feel, and headed to the swollen river to wash himself in the cool current. It rushed over him, cleaning the blood from his snout, and he lowered his head into the stream and drank deeply, laughing to himself when he saw some fish darting away in haste. He was the ultimate predator, and he felt a certain satisfaction that other creatures ran for cover when he approached.
Water streamed from his back and sides as he lifted himself into the air and headed towards Storbrook. The castle sparkled in the distance, the light yellow stone a sentinel to all who dared to cross the mountains. To Xavier’s knowledge, the only one who had been foolish enough to try had been his father, when he was still human.
Aaron was standing at his chamber window as Xavier approached Storbrook. He flew through and landed on the hard stone floor a few feet from Aaron.
“It’s been a week since I last saw you, lad,” Aaron said. “I hope you enjoyed your time roaming the mountains.”
“Of course.”
“Good, because it may be the last time you get to do so for a while.”
Xavier cocked his head at Aaron, his bony eyebrows pulling together in a frown. “Why?”
“It’s time to get used to your human form, Xavier. We’re going to the city.”
Chapter 2
Xavier stared at Aaron as flames roiled through his belly, spilling through his pores and leaking around his scales. Surely he had not heard Aaron correctly.
“You are going to the city,” Xavier clarified.
Aaron smiled wryly. “Your grandmother and I are going, and you are coming with us.”
“But …”
Aaron lifted his hand. “I know how much you dislike being amongst people, especially large crowds, but the time has come for you to start showing yourself to the clan.”
“The clan doesn’t meet in the city.”
“True. But some troubling rumors have been circulating around Civitas recently, and couple
d with other recent events, it bears some investigation. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about clan matters and become acquainted with dragons who live within the city walls.”
Xavier released a stream of flame. In all his years he had never been to the city. The closest he’d ever gone was to Drake Manor, the home of Aaron’s cousin, Favian. The thought of being amongst so many people, crowded together in a small space, made him shudder. Being in such close quarters would make it impossible to change form; even beyond the city walls, Zach had told him, crowds of people traveled around the countryside, making transforming difficult. He glanced at Aaron to see that he was being watched closely.
“You think the clan will be ready to accept me?”
Aaron began pacing the room. The circumstances around Xavier’s birth were mystifying, to say the least. Since the beginning of time, dragons had lived under a curse; not only did they need human flesh to survive, but dragon women were unable to bear children. Xavier was the exception to both of these rules, the only one in all dragon history: not only could he survive without human flesh, but he’d been born to a dragon mother. The clan elders were aware of Xavier’s parentage, but knew little about the circumstances of his birth, and they were certainly not aware that Lleland, Xavier’s father, had once been human.
It wasn’t until Xavier had taken on human form that he attended his first clan meeting, a dozen years earlier. Although Aaron had readily claimed Xavier as his grandson, most in the clan assumed that his father was Zach while his mother was an unknown human, a rumor that Aaron did little to dispel.
“We will tell them the truth,” Aaron finally said.
“That I was hatched from an egg? An egg laid by Lydia?”
“Yes. There are enough who know the circumstances of your birth to verify the details. Apart from your parents, Zach, Max and Anna all know the truth. And the clan knows I have no reason to lie.”
“They may suspect you of attempting a family succession. They will wonder why you did not tell them the truth from the start.”
“Yes, there will be skeptics, but your power is clearly evident, and once you’re Master the clan will recognize you as their leader. Of course, anyone may challenge you for mastership, and some will be foolish enough to try, but you will deal with them easily.”
“And will you tell them about Father?”
That was the real rub – a subject that Aaron was reluctant to share with any except his closest friends. From the few snatches Xavier had overheard over the years, it was clear that Lleland’s turning and subsequent marriage to Lydia had caused some friction between Aaron and Favian, his closest friend and cousin. The fact that Lleland had once been a dragon hunter, determined to kill all dragons, had been a sore point for Favian.
Lleland had not chosen his life as a dragon, however. As a child he saw his father killed and devoured by Black Jack, a dragon turned rogue, who had subsequently given the child some of his blood, bonding the young mind to his. The bond broke when Jack was killed by Aaron, leaving the boy with a hatred for all dragons.
Unknown to Lleland, however, the presence of Jack’s blood in his young veins began a transformation that was completed when Lydia gave him blood to save his life, turning him into the beast he hated most. It was this fact – that a human, born with no dragon blood, had become a dragon – that was the cause for concern. Aaron’s biggest fear, should this be revealed, was that other dragons would attempt to replicate the circumstances of Lleland’s turning, begun when he was just a child.
“Lleland’s changing must remain a secret,” Aaron finally said. “The knowledge is too dangerous to be shared. The clan already believe he came from beyond our borders, and we will not tell them anything different.” He stopped his pacing and turned to Xavier. “Be ready to leave in the morning. And make sure you pack some clothes, including a pair of boots.” He gave Xavier a pointed look before striding from the chamber.
Xavier turned back to the window, eager to escape the suddenly airless room, but before he could launch himself through the window the door opened once more, and the smell of his grandmother wafted through the air. He turned to see Keira standing at the door, carrying a pile of clothes with a satchel on top.
“May I come in?” she asked.
“Of course,” Xavier replied. Of all the humans Xavier knew – which he admitted was not very many – Keira was his favorite. She was of an age when most humans would already be old and gray, but her face was still unlined and she walked with a spring in her step. She stepped into the room.
“I’ve readied some clothing for the trip. I knew the day would come when you would need more than the simple attire you prefer, so I put together a few items.” She laid the pile on the bed. “You’ve never been to Civitas before. How do you feel?”
“Perhaps if I ate human flesh it would be more appealing,” he said dryly.
Keira frowned. “Is it really so terrible to be human?”
“It’s not being human that bothers me as much as not being able to escape. You know how I dislike going into the village. Knowing that I cannot change when I want to makes me feel trapped. A human body is weak and insignificant, and I am a dragon!”
“Certainly, but being human allows you to experience things you cannot as a dragon.”
“Such as?”
“Walking through the market, enjoying the sights and smells. Watching a play. Holding a girl in your arms.”
“None of those tempt me. I’m perfectly content soaring above the mountains and living in my cave.”
“Perhaps if you gave them a chance –”
“Well, it would seem I have no choice but to do so,” he cut in.
“There’s always a choice, Xavier. You are choosing to submit to Aaron, even though you don’t have to.”
He glanced out the window again, taking in the spreading vista. “From the time I was a mere pup, I’ve been told that I have a destiny. I was given no choice in the matter – it was thrust upon me without my consent. I can choose to refuse Aaron, but sooner or later my destiny will catch up with me, whether I want it to or not.”
“You are different from every other dragon, it is true. Your grandfather says that the power within you is so strong it shines with a blinding light, no matter what form you take. I do not know what you will be faced with in the future, nor what choices lie before you, but until you choose, your destiny still lies within your hands. You can embrace it or reject it. But because of who you are, whatever choice you make will have repercussions that will impact all dragons.”
“So not much of a choice, then.”
“Still a choice.” Keira’s tone was earnest. “You may not even recognize the impact of your choice at the time. Perhaps it will creep up on you, and you will do what is right without thinking.”
Xavier snorted. “I’m not sure whether that is an encouragement or not.”
“I’m just saying, sweet boy, that you should not concern yourself with your destiny. You will make the right choices when you need to. Now, are you going to join us for dinner?”
“I’ve already eaten. But I’ll join you at the table and show you how human I can be.”
Keira smiled. “Excellent.”
Xavier drew in a deep breath as she exited the chamber, then pushed away the light that filled him, driving it past his scales and hide and into the room beyond. He threw back his head as he exploded with brilliance, then coalesced into human form. It had been a week since his last transformation, and he stumbled as he sought to gain his new center of balance, leaning against the wall for support. He closed his eyes against the swaying floor, then reopened them when the buzzing in his head subsided. He was dwarfed by the huge chamber, and even the window ledge seemed inordinately high compared to his human frame. He pushed himself from the wall and took a few tentative steps forward. Walking on two feet instead of four was disconcerting, and he thrust out his wings to aid his balance. He straightened his back gradually, then lifted his head to loo
k at the ceiling which now seemed so far away. He took another cautious step forward and was relieved to find that he was regaining his equilibrium.
Heading to the large bed where Keira had laid his clothes, he pulled on a pair of pants, grimacing at the unfamiliar feel of cloth against his skin, then muttered a curse when the sleeves of his tunic twisted, making it impossible to get the garment over his head. A second attempt was more successful, until the tunic caught on his still-outstretched wings. With a growl of frustration he yanked his wings into his back and the tunic finally slid over his torso. The doublet was easier to don, but by the time he was done, he was silently regretting his promise to Keira to join them for supper. His sleek silver hair hung to his shoulders, and he pulled it roughly behind his neck and secured it with a leather thong as he made his way downstairs.
The noise in the great hall ceased when Xavier entered a few moments later; he could smell the curiosity of the staff as he crossed the floor and headed to the main table. His absences were often noticed, and they wondered where he disappeared to. As he passed one of the tables the girls smiled at him. He could not immediately recall their names, but knew them by their scents. He flashed them a quick smile that sent them into giggles.
Dragon Redeemed Page 2