Dragonbound: Blue Dragon

by Rebecca Shelley

  He'd wanted to ask Parmver what was done to those others like Kanvar, but he hadn't been able to get the courage to do it. He feared the answer. And here he was alive. Not discarded. His father had kept him.

  Kanvar slammed the book closed. No. His father had taken Devaj and abandoned him. Though his father claimed it was because Kanvar was stronger than his brother, what Kanvar had seen in Parmver's mind spoke otherwise. He'd been right all along. The king could not risk having a crippled son in line for the throne.

  I need to get out of here, he thought. But, if he left, he would die because he couldn't bond. If he wanted to survive, he would have to trust that they would let him choose a dragon to bond with like they claimed they would.

  Aadi appeared in the entryway. "May I come in, your highness?"

  "Don't call me that." He'd spent too long as Chandran's servant to accept such a title.

  Aadi winced and drew away at his outburst.

  "Of course you can come in," Kanvar said a little more pleasantly when he saw Aadi reaction. He hadn't meant to scare the boy.

  Aadi inched into the room. "I'm supposed to help you wash and dress for the Choosing Ceremony."

  "I don't need help. Do I look like an infant to you?" There he was, still snapping at Aadi. "Sorry," he said. "I don't mean to be rude. I just . . . I'm fine. Thank you."

  Aadi shrugged, but looked even more nervous. "There's a bath just in here." He pulled aside a curtain in the corner of the room, and Kanvar saw another smaller room just beyond. A great round tub sat in the center of it. "Of course we don't have anything like this back in the village. At first I thought it was magic." He turned a knob and a stream of steaming water poured out of a faucet. "Then Parmver showed me a great big cauldron heating over a fire downstairs, and a device he created to pump the water up to the rooms."

  Kanvar stepped into the room and watched the hot water spill into the tub. Aadi turned another knob, and a flow of cold water fell down to join it.

  "Of course you always want to test the temperature first," Aadi said, sticking his hand into the filling tub. "You could scald your skin right off if you hopped in when the water is boiling hot. Gotta get it just right."

  Kanvar stared at the flowing water in wonder. His father was right; so much had been lost when Stonefountain fell. But . . . the starving people in the streets. Those enslaved to dig and grow and build for the benefit of only a few. Even the Great Blue dragons in service to the Great Golds, subjugated by their powers. So many marvels lost and only freedom to show for it. Kanvar decided he'd choose freedom any day.

  Aadi turned off the water. "All ready for you. I'll go lay out some clothes while you wash. Here is some soap, a cloth to wash with, and another cloth to dry off." He retreated to the main room, and Kanvar slid into the water. It felt chilly against his fevered skin, though he knew it had been heated.

  He scrubbed down with the soap, noting the scaly white rash had started to spread down his legs. As the soap washed off the ointment, Kanvar felt pressure settle into his chest again along with the sensation of drowning. Gasping for breath, he pulled himself out of the water, dried off, and hurried back to the table where Parmver had left the ointment.

  Aadi had a shimmering golden robe laid out on the bed for him. It reminded him of the robe Khalid had worn in Parmver's memories. Aadi lifted it as if to help Kanvar put it on.

  "I can dress myself. And I'm not wearing that pompous garment." Kanvar grabbed his armor and underclothes.

  Color rose into Aadi's cheeks. "But you can't wear those, they're filthy, and torn, and . . . ugly."

  "I'll wear whatever I want, and if you don't like it, you can get out," Kanvar wheezed. He'd meant to shout, but couldn't draw in enough air for that.

  Aadi glanced at the fancy robe in his hands and back at Kanvar. "Please."

  "Out!" Kanvar managed better volume that time, but it left him coughing.

  Aadi set the robe on the bed. "I'm going to tell Parmver you're being unreasonable." He lifted his chin and marched out of the room.

  Kanvar snatched up the tin of ointment and spread what was left across his chest. The sudden stab of hot and cold set him shaking again. He threw himself on the bed, and waited for the convulsions to stop. It took longer than before and left him gasping and shivering. At least he could breathe. He was glad Aadi had left. He didn't want the other boy to have seen him so helpless.

  After the ointment had done its job, Kanvar dressed. He put on the clean undergarments Aadi had set out with the robe. In the chest at the foot of the bed, he found his father's dragon hunter armor. Beautiful shades of glittering green. Smooth scales. Without all the jagged seams Kanvar had put in his to hold all the scraps together.

  His father's armor was perfect, and far too big for Kanvar in height and width across the shoulders. As well as the problem with the left sleeve that Kanvar faced with all clothing.

  Kanvar set it aside, but kept the soft linen shirt and underbreeches. They were thinner than cotton and softer, and had been woven loose enough to breathe in the hot jungles. Of course he had to cut the left sleeve in half and shorten the legs. He didn't do too clean a job of it since all he could find to cut with was the knife his father had used to cut the bandage off his leg.

  The whole time he worked, he worried that Parmver or his father would come back and chastise him for booting Aadi out and not wearing the robe.

  He got all the underclothes on, but Aadi was right. His armor was dirty and torn. Ugly he could stand, but not dirty and torn. He got the wet cloth from the tub and cleaned the sludge from the river out from between the scales and buffed them up to a shine. But the cut in the leg from his father's sword would not be so easily mended. He need tools and dried kitrat gut string to do it. Gritting his teeth, he started to pull on the dragonhide breaches anyway. It was that or the robe. He'd rather wear the torn armor than the shimmering gold.

  As he sat on the bed to pull the breeches on, his father walked into the room, carrying a leather kit. He set it on the beside table, flopped it open, pulled out the awl and stone, and handed them to Kanvar.

  "You've upset poor Aadi terribly."

  Kanvar took the tools from his father. "How did you know?"

  The shield around Kanvar's mind pulsed, and Kanvar realized his father was not only blocking Kanvar from Dharanidhar but also very aware of everything Kanvar saw, heard, and thought.

  Kanvar winced. He hadn't realized his father had been watching his thoughts so closely. Sliding down to the floor, he set to work. He put the edge of the cut on the stone and used the awl to drill a small hole through the scales and heavy leather. His father watched him work without comment. Kanvar felt like there was something he should say to his father, but couldn't think what. With his father's mind wrapped around his own, his father would know what he meant to say long before it worked its way out of his mouth.

  When he had a row of holes on either side of the cut, his father handed him the kitrat gut string to work through the holes and bind the armor back together. When he'd finished, Kanvar slid into his armor and pulled on his boots.

  He looked over to see his father sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at him with a grim look. "It's a ceremony, Kanvar. It should be done the right way. The robe is customary. Rajahansa is not pleased."

  Kanvar picked up his crossbow, memories of the horrors at Stonefountain crowded into his mind. Horrors caused by King Khalid and his dragon. "Do you think I care?"

  His father's eyes flashed, and he rose to stand over Kanvar. "Parmver should not have shown you that."

  "Why?" Kanvar shrugged into the leather harness and secured the crossbow on his back, checking to be sure the remaining three bolts were tightly in place. "Because you don't want me to know the truth?"

  "The truth as Parmver remembers it, and only a little sliver of truth." He rested a firm hand on Kanvar's shoulder. "Parmver didn't show you all the good the kings did for the world. The generations of peace and prosperity for everyone. Your great-
grandfather made some very bad choices, did some things that I'm not proud of, but I'm not Khalid and Rajahansa is not Sukhderean. We've been working hard to correct the mistakes of the past."

  Kanvar looked down at the robe and shuddered. "I-I can't wear it. I just can't."

  "At least leave the crossbow here. Gold dragons abhor killing."

  Kanvar reached up and ran his hand along the crossbow's stalk. "I thought the point of the Choosing Ceremony was for the dragons and I to look into each others hearts and see who we truly are. This is who I am. I'm a dragon hunter. I kill. That's what I do. I was born into the dragon hunter jati and never wanted to be anything else. If you didn't want that, you shouldn't have married my mother."

  "Don't." His father clenched his hand into a fist and looked for a moment like he might strike Kanvar. Then he lowered the fist to his side. "Don't make this any harder than it already is, Kanvar. I'm doing everything I can to try to save your life. Please, please attempt to get along with at least one of the dragons."

  Kanvar lowered his head. "I'll try. But first, will you take the shield from my mind? It hurts me. I can't breathe with it there. I have learned to shield myself."

  "I'm sorry, Kanvar, but no. Not until you've bonded. We can't chance Dharanidhar interfering with the ceremony. Come." His father strode out of the room, motioning for Kanvar to follow. Kanvar came along behind. At least his father hadn't forced him to leave the crossbow.

  Chapter Ten

  Kanvar followed his father down the vast halls that circled the mountain and connected the great windowed chambers.

  His father led him to a chamber that had four great arched windows overlooking the jungle. A golden sunburst accented the center of the floor. Two lines of columns held up the domed roof far above Kanvar.

  Rajahansa, waited at the center of the chamber along with four young gold dragons. Parmver and Aadi stepped into the room from another hall at the same time that Kanvar and his father arrived.

  "Only four?" Aadi burst out. "Why—" Parmver dug a hand into Aadi's shoulder, cutting him off.

  Rajahansa spread one of his great wings and bowed to Kanvar. "Come forward Prince Kanvar. Your time has come. Test the hearts of those who have gathered. Choose the dragon who will be your companion in life and in death."

  At the mention of death, Kanvar sensed a ripple of fear from the four young dragons. The closest one tightened his wings against his sides. The second one's eyes widened ever so slightly. The third, shuffled back a step. The fourth drew itself up, then bowed slowly and precisely to Kanvar.

  "Go to them," Kanvar's father whispered. "Greet each one in turn. You will know the one that is right for you."

  Kanvar gritted his teeth and limped forward. For the last five years he'd feared the fever that would come. Known he would have to bond with a dragon or die. Known and been afraid he would not find a dragon in time, and feared even more that he would. He'd been frightened of what the bond would do to him, terrified of what creature he might become. All across the world the Nagas were hated and feared, considered the embodiment of all evil. Even his own mother had begged him to drink the poison and die rather than become an abomination. Now he knew why. He'd seen in Parmver's mind the cause of so much fear and hatred.

  Each step he took toward the young dragons, his heart became more troubled. He sensed their fear and magnified it back ten times brighter. But he had no choice. He would bond or die, and he'd made his decision long ago. The moment the poison had slipped through his fingers, his path had been set to this end.

  The length of the chamber stretched out in front of him. He moved his good foot forward, stepped down, and dragged his left leg to catch up. Then repeated the process again. The sound of his dragonscale boot scraping across the floor filled the nervous silence. Step, scratch. Step scratch.

  He reached Rajahansa who stepped aside and motioned Kanvar onward. So close to the Great Gold dragon, the smell of molten metal filled the air. A wave of grave concern spread from Rajahansa's mind.

  Kanvar stopped and stared up at the towering gold dragon. That the young ones were nervous made sense, but if this was supposed to be such a beautiful ceremony, why would Rajahansa be troubled? Perhaps because Kanvar had not worn the proper attire.

  Rajahansa lowered a clawed hand and nudged Kanvar toward the other dragons.

  Kanvar came even with the first young dragon. Its head barely came to Rajahansa's knees. And yet it still dwarfed Kanvar. It bowed in a graceful motion, lowering its head to Kanvar's height.

  Kanvar reached out to touch the stone in its forehead like the boy in the picture. A strange foreboding stayed his hand. Something felt wrong. The room. The young dragons' fear. The tenseness of the adults. Kanvar reached out his mind to try and understand what the adults were thinking. He came up against a heavy shield around all three minds, his father's, Parmver's, and Rajahansa's. Kanvar turned his thoughts to Aadi's mind, but found it blocked by Parmver.

  He remember Aadi's outburst and how quickly Parmver had silenced it. Only four dragons. Why? Aadi had obviously been expecting quite a few more. But the chamber only contained four very frightened young dragons.

  Kanvar lowered his right hand and lifted his crippled left hand toward the proffered dragonstone. The dragon bolted backwards, revulsion rolling from its mind.

  Rajahansa growled and the young gold inched back in place in front of Kanvar.

  Kanvar lowered his hand. He found he didn't need to touch the dragonstone to see into the dragon's mind. Its name was Bellori, and it was a shepherd that guarded the Gold dragon's flocks. It raised them, butchered them, cut the hides away, cooked them in a big oven, and then carried the food to the Great Ones' tables. Kanvar almost laughed. The gold dragons needed meat to survive just like any other dragon, but they hated killing enough they couldn't even bring themselves to kill their own dinner. This young dragon and his family filled that duty.

  Kanvar remembered his own angry words to his father. I'm a dragon hunter. I kill. That's what I do. But his father already knew that. He and Rajahansa had searched for and found this young dragon who understood the need to kill and had experience doing it. But Bellori feared Kanvar, and not because he'd killed a Great Green dragon. For some other reason. And Kanvar needed to understand what.

  He probed a little deeper into Bellori's mind, burrowing, trying to understand. He found a shield in Bellori's mind around the thoughts at the root of his fear. A flickering weak shield, as if Bellori knew he was to keep this secret, but the intensity of fear threatened to break through.

  Sorry, Kanvar muttered, and swatted the shield aside.

  A clear image of the gold dragon writhing in pain, sprang into Kanvar's mind. As he watched, the dragon's left arm and wing shortened and withered. Its left leg twisted into a hideous shape, leaving Bellori unable to walk or fly.

  Kanvar gasped. He understood. And the understanding terrified him. When Devaj's dragon had been struck by Dharanidhar, the dragon's wounds appeared on Devaj. A fully bound Naga and dragon not only felt each other's infirmities the way Kanvar had felt Darahnidhar's broken wing, they actually shared the wound physically. Kanvar was crippled, and the dragons feared that if they bonded with him, they would become crippled as well.

  Kanvar blinked moisture from his eyes and stepped back. Despite the possible consequences of bonding with Kanvar, these four dragons had agreed to present themselves as a possible companion for him. Four dragons carefully picked by his father and Rajahansa because they might somehow be compatible with Kanvar's personality.

  Bellori, the shepherd.

  Kanvar cast his mind to the other two.

  Fulkshema, in training as jungle tracker.

  Jaymon, the son of a royal guard.

  And Bensharie, Rajahansa's youngest son, fulfilling his duty to bond with the royal line as all his predecessors had done before him.

  Sweat streamed down Kanvar's face and back. He started shaking and couldn't stop. For him to live, he had to be willing to cripple a
nother creature.

  "We don't know that for sure." Kanvar's father strode to his side. "It's never been tried. Most likely there will be no ill effects at all."

  Kanvar stumbled backward, shaking his head. "That's why they killed all the crippled babies? Of course. I should have known." Pain spread across his chest, and it became hard for him to breathe once more.

  "Kanvar, please." His father cried. "They have all come here willingly. They have agreed to the possible consequences if it will save your life. Just choose one. Choose now, before it is too late." His father held out his hands, and the golden sword and chalice appeared in them.

  Bansharie padded forward. The others are too frightened. I am not. I will fulfill the role I was born to, if you will but have me. He held out his forearm.

  Amar pulled the sword from its sheath.

  "No," Kanvar said. "I will not be the cause of someone else's suffering. I will not curse anyone with the infirmities I bear."

  His father opened his mouth one more time to urge Kanvar to make the bond that would save his life. But a mature gold dragon flew through one of the windows and crashed onto the floor, skidding in a circle and coming to a stop in front of Rajahansa. A great gash was torn in his right side, and his wings sliced in several places.

  Ihakiron, what has happened? Rajahansa set to work licking the wounds closed.

  Ihakiron panted in pain, reluctant to answer.

  "Did the blues do this?" Amar said, setting aside the sword and chalice and hurrying to the fallen dragon. Kanvar realized this must be the dragon his father had sent to negotiate for Devaj's return.

  Ihakiron nodded. Abhavasimha . . . he said . . . Ihakiron sucked in pained breaths and hid his head beneath his wing as if frightened to speak.

  "It's all right." Amar stroked Ihakiron's leg. "Just tell us what he said. We know it's not coming from you."

  Abhavasimha says he will only return Devaj if you surrender the palace and turn supreme rule of all the dragons over to him.

  "What?" Amar shouted. Rajahansa let out a bellowing roar. Ihakiron winced but continued speaking, letting the rest out in a hurried rush. He says if you don't surrender the palace and kingship, he will torture Devaj to death. And if any of us tries to come for him, he'll kill him instantly.