by Nira Steele
“Then why did you go to Lunaris?” she asked quietly.
“I became desperate. I had been living in isolation for weeks,” he admitted with a little frown. “I just kept moving from cave to cave until I finally travelled here. In the end I felt so empty, almost as if I was going to disappear.” His voice grew even softer as his eyes wandered up towards the ceiling. “When I went outside I could detect this awful scent - just tiny motes of foulness floating upon the air. It reminded me of my House, well what was left of it anyway.”
Andie could only imagine how frightening such an experience would be.
“I think I understand. Can you still smell it now?”
“No,” he responded with a small shake of his head. “If it hadn’t disappeared I would have never considered going near Lunaris.” Frowning again his eyes dropped to the ground. “It felt like such a mistake when I found myself sitting in their cave. But then you appeared. Somebody like me, someone from the outside.”
“I saw you fly over in the forest and I just knew I had to find you,” she revealed.
Looking back up at her Darius began to smile.
“I am very glad you did.” Leaning forward he reached out and gently took one of her hands.
His fingers felt so warm against her chilled skin. She looked up into his face - right into his eyes this time. They were golden like the sun, just like they were in his dragon form. Now for some reason she could clearly see his features, almost as if they had been obscured before. She saw his resemblance to a Native of the Americas with his deep and intensely brooding eyes.
It suddenly struck Andie he actually had a very attractive face. In fact, he was rather beautiful in the way some men possessed. Those high set cheekbones and perfectly formed jawline….
Feeling her cheeks warming she broke from his gaze.
“You can see me properly now can’t you,” Darius said softly. “Do not be alarmed as I just didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
Andie pursed her lips slightly. It seemed he had an ego to match his looks.
“I must warn you the world you have entered is a dangerous one. Be careful who you choose to trust among my kind. Nobody from House Lunaris must know we have met like this.”
“Why?” she muttered as she turned back to him.
“Any human who discovers the secrets of the Draconarid is usually executed,” he responded with a hard stare.
“Oh.”
Leaning in close he gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’m deadly serious. A great many of your people have perished because of this rule.”
The memories of Andie’s arrival quickly flooded her mind. She remembered everyone’s reactions, especially Tessa’s in particular. She looked so anxious when her father declared he would be reporting Andie’s presence. Then Andie realised - Tessa must have known about this.
“You are only alive because of your aunt,” Darius said quietly. “If you weren’t carrying her Eye stone then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Releasing her hand he sat back and regarded her. “Having said this I don’t believe they will harm you in any way.”
“I hope so,” Andie muttered.
“You’re just a tool to them, something to access me. They are looking for answers and I’m the only one they can ask.”
Taking a slow deep breath Andie tried to focus her thoughts again. Pondering quietly she considered what he had just said.
“So why is it you won’t speak to them? I mean, I know you don’t trust them but wouldn’t it be easier to say as much?”
Frowning, he turned away from her.
“I’ve nothing to tell them. I wasn’t there when the attack happened,” he murmured. “When I returned from a hunting trip the damage was already done. Everyone had fled and there was nothing left but death and ashes.”
Andie nodded her head as she realised just how lucky he had been. Then she saw him twitch, the movement so violent she almost jolted in response.
“I cannot describe what I found. It can’t be put into words,” Darius muttered. “To this day I do not know if my family is alive. I spent the first three weeks searching for anyone who survived.”
Silence hung in the air between them. Then Darius took a deep breath and gave his head a quick shake.
“Let’s not talk of this any further. We need to start making some plans.”
Darius then proposed they continue their flights as usual. He believed it would not be long until House Lunaris gave up on them. Then Andie remembered she had only been given a week to stay.
“Excellent,” he declared with a smile. “They must think it is enough time for a trial of you. In another two days they will probably send you home.”
“But what about you?”
“Well, he isn’t going to kill me or he would have done it by now. That pompous prick would have slaughtered me before I even touched the ground.”
“Which prick would that be?” Andie responded with a quizzical frown.
“The white streak of shit,” he answered with a sneer. “Are you aware of whom he actually is?”
It wasn’t hard to guess who Darius was referring to.
“Lord Laurentius?” Andie offered meekly.
“I’m not referring to the Overlord. The old bastard never leaves his palace.”
Andie slid her eyes sideways to the wall. She had no idea why he disliked the Lunarians or how he would know of their habits. Maybe he had been to House Lunaris before? Or perhaps their well-worn gossip trail extended beyond the House’s shields?
“But I am forgetting myself. You have no blood ties with those people,” Darius declared. Smiling warmly he seemed to soften again. As his eyes wandered over to the fire he asked a surprising question.
“So tell me. Why did you follow me into the forest?”
Andie’s mouth fell open. This was not a subject she had any intention of raising.
“You’ll probably get upset if I tell you,” she muttered.
“Okay, now you have me completely intrigued,” he declared with an arch of one eyebrow.
Andie winced as she kept her eyes glued to the wall. Was this really worth mentioning right now? The last thing she wanted to do was to provoke his anger.
“People seem to get really bothered when I talk about this,” she admitted.
“I promise I shall do no such thing,” Darius stated as he leaned forward.
“Alright. First of all it’s about baby dragons. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, so please proceed,” he replied in a furtive tone.
Still looking away from him, Andie decided to just let it out in one long sentence.
“When I was a little girl I found a baby dragon in the forest so I took it back to my aunt’s house and put it in a basket but by the morning it had taken off,” she rattled off.
Glancing towards Darius, Andie expected to see an angry frown. She almost gasped when she saw the large smirk stretching across his face.
“Baby dragons don’t exist!” he declared with a chuckle. “My people give birth like humans do. We never stay in our dragon forms for an extended time.”
“But you have,” Andie observed with a small pout.
“Only for the time I’ve been in Lunaris. It’s not wise to remain in our scales for too long,” he explained. “We start losing our ability to think like a human. My lack of clothing when I transformed is an example of this.”
Hanging her head Andie released a heavy sigh. It seemed her childhood memory could be just a fantasy.
“Do not despair - you would never have seen the infant. Your human eyes cannot perceive the form of a dragon. The ability hide ourselves is innate for my people. Even as a child I could not be detected by many creatures. Your aunt’s Eye stone is the only reason you can see us.”
Abruptly Andie gasped as she realised something.
“The Dragon’s Eye was sitting in the grass nearby!” she exclaimed. “It’s the only reason I even found the baby!”
Darius’s jaw nearly hit the ground.
“Amazing!” he exclaimed with a huge smile. “You really might have found a scaly infant!” Sitting back he rubbed a thumb across his chin. “I wonder why anyone would choose to do it. Perhaps you stumbled upon someone’s bastard child?”
Andie smacked a hand over her mouth.
“Don’t be too shocked. My people are not supposed to have children outside of wedlock you see.”
“What about the baby?” she murmured between her fingers.
“Oh, it would be fine,” he declared with a dismissive wave. “The infant was probably collected by someone. I’d wager your aunt was involved in the process.”
Dropping her hand Andie considered his words. Then an extraordinary idea jumped into her head.
“You know this definitely sounds like something my aunt would do. She goes out of her way to help people all the time.”
“It wouldn’t be the strangest thing a Merchant has done,” he replied. “Plus your aunt is the first female we’ve ever had.”
“Really?” she replied with a little frown.
“Travelling used to be extremely hazardous for a lone woman.”
“Oh yeah, I guess that’s true,” she admitted as she turned towards the fire. It was so easy to forget how different the world used to be.
Drawing in a long breath, Darius’s smile morphed into a lopsided grin.
“So did you think I was the infant you found?”
“Well, yes but I didn’t know anything back then,” she murmured.
He emitted a deep chuckle before rising to his feet. Making a little bow he then extended one hand towards her.
“It’s been wonderful to have this conversation but we really should start heading back. Our extended absence is sure to have been noticed by someone.” Then a beguiling smile spread across his handsome face. “Let me assist you my lady,” he said smoothly.
“Hardly,” she muttered with an eye roll. Reaching up she let him take her hand.
Andie had no doubt he could probably charm the pants off anyone he wanted. She was no fool though as he was not the first lothario she had encountered in her time. Three years of college life had taught her some harsh truths about men.
Pulling her upright he gave her hand a squeeze.
“You must never let anyone know you are aware of the truth. Our meeting must stay a secret for both our sakes.”
“I understand,” she responded quietly. Casting her eyes towards the large saddle Andie released a tired sigh.
“We’ve got bigger problems right now, like how I’m going to manage to get that back onto you. It takes two people to lift the damn thing up.”
Smiling, he released her hand.
“This probably won’t impress you but I can put it on myself.”
“What!?” she gasped.
✽✽✽
The return flight to Lunaris was a quiet one.
Consumed in thought Andie barely noticed where they were going. There were so many things whirling through her head it was all a bit overwhelming.
Her most astounding discovery was sitting beneath her right now. Who would imagine what this dragon actually was? A shapeshifter who could transform with the power of his mind.
Andie felt numb. The fact she had been living amongst a thousand of these beings was almost incomprehensible.
Then there were the revelations about their history. Wars, coups… what kind of a people lived like that? The whole concept was practically medieval. This was the sobering reality though as many of them had existed since the Middle Ages.
The last and final shock was the threat to her life. Had she really come so close to being executed? And what about her little angel-faced friend? Did Tessa realise what she was risking when she brought Andie into Lunaris?
How on earth was she going to cope with all this? Everything was still too fresh - it all seemed too unreal. She knew it was going to be hard to conceal how shaken she actually was.
Andie had managed to concoct a plan however. Upon her return she was going to reveal the trip to her aunt’s home. Before anyone reacted she would declare one of the animals had died. It was her fault so consequently she was feeling very down. Hopefully this tale would buy her some time alone this evening.
At least she would look genuinely depressed tonight.
There was no denying she had been horrified by some of Darius’s admissions. However if she wanted to stay in Lunaris then she would have to accept these things. Could she do it though, could she take this all in her stride?
Andie’s concerns weighed heavily upon her as she slumped forward in the saddle.
They were rising up the sheer cliffs now as they approached the end of their flight. When the platform burst into view she barely batted an eyelid at it.
Darius landed in his usual manner and brought them to an abrupt stop on the tiles. His passenger did not say a single word this time and just sat silently on his back. He seemed to sense her troubled mood and waddled promptly into his cave.
Eventually Andie was compelled to dismount by his persistent bouncing. Sliding numbly out of the saddle she hardly noticed as a wing came up next to her. This time she made no protests and allowed herself to be herded off to one side. It was only when she fell into the hay that she snapped back to reality.
She was surrounded by a deep rumbling sound. Looking up she realised Darius was curling right around her. He extended a vast leathery wing and began covering her over.
“Oh please Dar, I mean grumpy face….”
Andie was on the verge of tears now. Desperate to distract herself she scrambled through the thick yellow straw. Reaching for the base of a horn she started to rub his favourite spot.
His gurgling brought her instant relief.
“Take care of yourself,” she whispered. “Stay warm and rest. I’ll see you again really soon.”
Then a familiar voice called out.
“Are ye in there lass?”
It was Marcellus, the handler who had been assigned to assist her. He was a thick set man with a mane of curly dark blonde hair. Easy going and cheerful he had a very different demeanour to the other Draconarid. His accent and language was unusual too - very much more of an old English style. He was the only person apart from Andie who could interact easily with Darius.
As a consequence he had been tasked with taking care of Darius’s daily needs. Skilled in leatherwork and animal management he really was an ideal fit for the role.
“Yes I’m fine,” Andie answered in a slightly strained tone.
“I see he’s finally managed to get his way,” Marcellus joked. “Would ye mind moving him so I can take his saddle off?”
“Sure, just let me get him out of the hay.” Putting on a brave smile, Andie climbed out over Darius’s tail. Moving to the centre of the cave she extended her arms out towards him. He uncurled from the straw and moved towards her with a surprisingly smooth gait.
“There’s my good boy,” she murmured as his muzzle came to rest on the tips of her fingers.
“Ye really do have a way with him,” Marcellus declared with a smirk. Moving over to Darius he then attempted to unfasten the saddle strap. He then began frowning at Andie as he pointed towards the buckle. “See what the big fella’s doing? He’s holding his breath so I can’t get the damn thing off.”
“I wouldn’t take it personally. I think he just likes girls,” she professed with a little grin.
Marcellus let out a hoot as he patted a thick armoured shoulder.
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit,” he declared. Together they managed to unstrap the saddle before carrying it over to its stand.
“Ye can head off now lass. I’ll get his dinner ready,” Marcellus advised her.
Andie never hung around for Darius’s meal time. The sight of his food was a bit too much for her. Goodness only knew how many animals were going into his huge feeding trough. Now she knew what he actually was she could not comprehend how he managed to consume it.
“Nice goggles by the way. Ye look the part now,” Marcellus commented.
Andie had not realised she was still wearing them.
“Thanks,” she responded as she hooked them up onto her forehead. Giving Darius a quick wave she then went to fetch her cloak from its peg. Resisting the urge to look directly at him she quickly left the cave. Behind her she could hear the sound of staccato grunting echoing around.
Making her way across the platform she briskly approached the stairs. Taking a deep breath she stopped before her descent into the labyrinth below.
The first of the evening stars were now dotting the sky. Dropping her gaze Andie took in the view of the Lunarian township. Grand public buildings dotted the landscape with their towering glass domes gleaming in the twilight. In the centre sat the town’s amphitheatre filled with flowering terraces of muted colour.
Sitting beyond them was the royal enclave glowing eerily in the evening light. In the distance loomed the palace’s towers contrasting starkly against the sky.
This was just one of the settlements of the mysterious Draconarid. Or dragons, depending on when you met them.
She just needed to make it to her room….
Chapter 7 - Breathless
Andie stood silently at the door.
She had finally managed to sneak back to Tessa’s place. It was a slow trip as she had to duck into a few alcoves along the way. Still, it was worth it to avoid running into any of the dragons….
Shaking her head Andie quickly dismissed that thought from her mind. Then she held her breath as she gingerly pressed one palm against the door’s activation stone. Tensing every muscle she prepared to sprint to her room.
It proved unnecessary. When the large panel slid open she was greeted with shadows. All she found inside was the dull gloom of approaching twilight. Creeping into the living room she scoured the area with her eyes. Intently she listened out but everything around her was silent.
“Yes,” she hissed.
Then she barrelled straight down a corridor. Reaching her room she immediately began stripping off her flight gear. In a flurry she opened her cupboard and sought an outfit to match her mood. Lost in a blur, she grabbed a long black dress and proceeded to yank it hastily over her head. Losing her balance she then began stumbling backwards across the floor.