It was by the biggest of these ships that I saw a man calling out to passersby.
“Treasures! Treasures! Treasures from all over the world! Paintings, swords, gems, jewels and gold! Come one, come all!” The man shouted.
This was it. This was the place.
“Let’s go there,” I pointed to the man, who was directing people into the ship.
Solra clasped her hands in delight. Irikai didn’t budge.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“We don’t need to go in there,” He avoided my eyes. “Usually, all these ships sell the same thing.”
“It can’t hurt to look,” Solra offered, taking his hand. “C’mon.”
Reluctantly, Irikai followed us to the boat.
The vessel, Kaikaze, was fierce, reminding me of a dragon. It was black and sleek, with four levels above water, judging from the windows. Long silver prongs protruded from the hull, just beneath where a mermaid was carved.
Inside was more impressive than outside. We entered into a huge display area. Rare books, paintings and even swords lined the eggshell-colored walls. Different treasures were displayed on pedestals, with spotlights on them—I saw a crown glistening with emeralds, a string of pearls, a sword with a gem studded hilt, and heaps and heaps of loose jewels. It felt like we had walked into a treasure chest.
My skin was tingling. Solra mirrored my fascination, her eyes wide.
Irikai looked like he would’ve preferred to be anywhere else.
“We won’t be long,” I said.
He put his hands in his pocket, stalking away to stare out a window.
The ship was mostly empty, save for people who were dressed just like the man who had been calling out on the dock. They were probably deckhands meant to keep an eye out for thieves.
It was all so surreal.
During my childhood, my mother had a huge jewelry box that I only ever got to open on special occasions. She had gems of every color, pearls and lots of gold. The thrill I was feeling brought me back to that time—eight years old, without the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I strolled through the aisles, examining everything I saw. Each piece was more magnificent than the first, seemingly glowing under the lights.
That’s when I saw it—a thin gold chain-link belt. It glistened brilliantly, like a fire at night. Translucent red stones hug from every other link, the perfect contrast to Ignimitra’s ivory color. It looked adjustable, perfect for her future growth.
It looked to be a human belt, but for her it would be a bracelet.
“Like what you see?” A voice startled me.
The man appeared out of nowhere, but one look and I knew he was this ship’s captain.
He was tall and thin-bodied, dressed in a thick blue jacket with padded shoulders and gold seamed pants. He had a hat tucked under his arm. Thick gold chains adorned the jacket, fastening it shut. His head was mostly bald, save for a top knot of black hair that danced as he spoke.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, how much is it?”
“Ten gold coins,” He said with a grin. “But for you darling, eight.”
A chill snaked up the back of my neck, but I shook it off.
“I only have six.” I sighed, defeated,
“I’ll give you the other two,” Irikai’s voice came from behind me.
I turned around to thank him, but my words were evaporated by the look on his face. At first, I thought it was me. But he was staring down the captain.
“Irikai,” The man said, chuckling.
“Dad.”
THEIR RESEMBLANCE WAS uncanny. They were the same height, with the same black hair and dark brown eyes. The only thing, his father’s face had more sun lines.
This was Irikai’s dad, and their reunion seemed anything but friendly.
Solra, seeing the standoff scurried over.
“I see you’ve made friends at the Academy,” the man said, smiling. But it was different from the one he had given me earlier. This one was more subdued. “I’m Kai, Irikai’s father.”
Solra hid her shock better than I expected her to. “I’m Solra.”
“I’m Kaos.”
We took turns shaking his hand.
“What are you doing here?” Irikai’s voice was sharp.
His father didn’t seem bristled by his coarseness.
“Selling our wares, of course!” He exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips.
Irikai didn’t seem to buy it.
The awkward silence was thick, and I exchanged glances with Solra. Whatever was happening here, we didn’t even know half of it.
Just then, a deckhand approached. He seemed no older than us.
“We’re ready for the expedition, sir!” He said brightly.
If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead from the glare Kai shot him. The deckhand slinked away, mumbling an apology.
“Expedition? That’s what you’re calling it now?” Irikai folded his hands, scowling. “What are you here to take? I should let mother know though—”
A hand flew over Irikai’s mouth.
“Boy, must you do this now?” He whispered harshly. “I’ll tell you, but you will keep your mouth.” He turned to Solra and I. “You each can take one thing from this vessel if this conversation dies here.”
I didn’t fully understand, but getting the bracelet for free was enough to buy my silence. We nodded, then Irikai nodded as well. He released his mouth.
“Let’s take this conversation somewhere more private.”
Kai led us through a nearby hall and to a solid iron door, which led us to the captain’s quarters. The room was big, with a large desk and leather chair in the center. To one end was a navigation table, and a row of bookshelves filled with books on the other. A hearth smoldered in the corner behind his desk.
He closed the door behind us.
“The expedition is to Firesabre Peaks,” he said, walking over to his table. He produced a map, which I recognized to be where we were, the Isle of Un.
He pointed to a depiction of some mountains in the northwestern part of the island. A town labeled as Dry Town was nearby.
“What’s in the mountains?” Irikai asked.
His father smiled wide. “Wild dragons.”
Solra gasped, while I couldn’t help the incredulous look, I gave him. Irikai’s face was mostly expressionless. He watched his father carefully.
Kai seemed spurred on by our reactions. He picked up a book from the desk, already open to the page he wanted to show us.
We crowded around him to see.
It was a depiction of a dragon more vicious than I’d ever seen, sharp tines jutted from every inch of its body. It had long fangs, and smoke smoldered from its nostrils. I had never been afraid of dragons, but just a picture of this one made my heart race.
“There aren’t any wild dragons...” Solra said in disbelief, her voice weak.
“That’s what the Fire Drakken wants you to believe,” Kai laughed heartily. “Don’t believe everything you hear. All dragons were wild at some point. But the Firesabres, they were the ones we failed to domesticate. They were too fierce.”
His words seemed almost unreal. Wild dragons as fierce as this existed in Pyralis? What had been keeping them from attacking us?
“What do you want with them?” Irikai’s jaw was set.
“Oh, nothing with these big ones. Just an egg, or two.” His father laughed again. “These eggs are priceless. A buyer wants to try domesticating them once more.”
The look of contempt on Irikai’s face made my stomach churn. His father was going to steal a dragon to sell on the black market, much like what I had planned to do when I first met Ignimitra. It was a good thing I hadn’t told them.
Still, it didn’t feel exactly comparable. With full-grown dragons as fierce as that in those mountains, they’d be lucky if they even found a dragon nest, much less an egg.
“Good luck,” Irikai’s tone negated his words. His father didn’t seem to
notice.
“Thanks, son!” Kai slapped his son on the shoulders. “So, how are things at the Academy?”
“I’ll write you.”
I felt his hand on my wrist, and before I realized it he was pulling Solra and I out of the room. He barely gave us the chance to grab the items we wanted from the vessel. When we were out on the dock again, he let us go and started to storm off.
“Irikai, wait!” Solra, called running after him.
I followed, “Irikai, hold on!”
Finally, he stopped.
He looked at us both, and I saw the pain in his eyes.
“Talking about it will help,” Solra said. He nodded reluctantly.
We found a bench on the dock. Irikai sat between us, staring into the water.
“I have seven sisters,” his voice was low. “I grew up thinking my dad was a merchant, and I wanted to take over the family business someday.”
He sucked in a breath. Solra rubbed circles into his back.
“When I found out that he was actually stealing, sometimes killing for the treasures he sold, he forced me not to tell anyone in our family.” His head was in his hands. “He might seem like he takes nothing seriously, but he has plenty of influence. Becoming a Dragon Guard soldier was the only way I could get away from him. It was the only place where I didn’t have to worry about him forcing me to do what he wanted..”
At that moment, I realized that we all had more in common than just the Academy. Maybe the scarlet thread of fate had joined us together too—three teenagers desperate to change their lives.
Chapter 10
Memories of our trip to Port-of-Pyr had been my only consolation for the past two weeks. Things had gotten so difficult that I spent my nights sleeping with Ignimitra in her cave—just for the comfort of being with someone who understood.
We were barely making it through the Academy.
All the other dragons had grown enough to be fitted for their saddles, something that the more complex aerial combat classes required. Ignimitra on the other hand was still growing at an alarming rate, despite the fact that she was still one of the smallest dragons. Because of this, we were falling behind, struggling to keep up without a saddle.
My only consolation? The Headmaster had been called away on important business with the Fire Drakken, so at least he couldn’t pop up in our class and have us “removed.”
Despite her slow growth, Ignimitra was still very different from the dragonling that I had found in the Forbidden Ruins last month. Her horns were now fully protruded, extending from the back of her head, forming an equilateral circular frame around her face.. The horns at the peak of her head were longest, ending in a deathly sharp point.
I was curled up in the crook of her forepaw when someone called out to us.
“Miss Kressin?”
I stumbled to my feet; knife outstretched. Ignimitra startled at his presence, slithering forward to bare her teeth.
It was a young boy, no more than ten. He was dressed in a pair of overalls and a cap, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. If the boy was intimidated, it didn’t show.
His mouth was open, eyes glued to the beast towered stories over him.
“Yes,” I walked over to him cagily.
Now that I slept with Ignimitra, I tried to make it back to my room for a shower before seeing anyone. I was still wearing my uniform from the day before, all I could think of was how bad I smelled.
“A letter came for you,” He said. “The mail master asked that I find you.”
He held out a parchment-colored envelope. I took it at arm’s length.
The mail boy stayed a few heartbeats longer, enamored by Ignimitra. Then he left as silently as he had come. Ignimitra craned her neck over my shoulder, big nostrils sniffing the air.
“It’s from Hakan,” I told her, immediately recognizing his scrawl.
A pang of guilt cut my heart. I still hadn’t read the other letter he had given me.
At the sound of his name—for I had told her many stories about Hakan at night while we trained—she yipped, her tail swishing about excitedly. It had only been a few weeks, but our time apart felt like years.
There was so much I wanted to tell Hakan, and so much I wanted to know. How had he been faring without me there to make him breakfast? Who did he send on missions now? Now that I wasn’t there to go to the grocers for him, did he always forget the milk?
I tore open the letter, my fingers trembling. My heart was in my ears as I sped through the sentences:
Kaos,
I hope this letter finds you in good spirits.
At the time of writing, it has been three weeks without you. Things aren’t the same (and I’m not just saying this because I no longer wake up to overcooked potatoes anymore.)
When I took you in, I desired to shine light into your life. As it turned out, you became my light. Things seem dark now, but I am persevering. You were called to something greater, though it was sooner than I liked.
I smiled through the tears burning my eyes. Hakan was never this sentimental, but it warmed my insides to know that this was how he had thought of me all this time. And my potatoes were never that bad.
It wasn’t a matter of if this moment would come, it was when. I always knew this would happen, so I’m writing to you in hopes that we can start a conversation about something that has far more implications than you think.
I know you well enough to know you haven’t read the letter I gave you. It took you almost four months to read the one I gave you when you graduated Finishing School. Please read it—now. It’s not what you think it is. Perhaps I should have told you more about it.
We will meet once you have done so. Continue on your father’s path of excellence and bravery. Hug Ignimitra for me.
H.
Hakan’s letter was confusing. He wrote me another letter to tell me to read the first letter he gave me? How did he love writing this much? It’s not what you think it is. His words had a sense of foreboding that added to the nervousness I felt.
Ignimitra just stared at me.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said, already sprinting out of the cave.
I ran to my room and back, as hard as I could. The letter felt like lead in my hands. Opening it with Ignimitra seemed like the right thing to do.
“Hakan told me to read this letter,” I was panting. “I want to open it with you.”
Ignimitra moved to my side, cushioning me with her huge body. I collapsed into her side, suddenly aware of how hot the cave felt and how loud my heartbeat was.
The folded piece of paper inside the envelope looked like it had seen many years. It was dried and tattered. My confusion deepened.
My name was written on the outside in a familiar scrawl.
My darling Kaos,
If you’re reading this, it means that my worst fear has been realized.
Everything was white, save for the words on the page.
I recognized the handwriting. It was the same from the picture I’d found in Betheka’s book. This was a letter from my father! Heat bloomed in my chest—why had Hakan hidden this from me? Why did he wait until I couldn’t look him in the face to give it to me? It was dated a few months before my father had died.
I’ve put off writing this letter for weeks. A part of me wishes you will never have to read it. But as I’ll explain, things are dire now. I’ve chosen a path that could very well lead to my death. You must be made aware of a few things, because I may not be there to tell you them myself.
My lungs felt like they were filled with soot. The world was falling away from around me.
I can just imagine the woman you’ve grown into Kaos. You came into this world screaming at the top of your lungs, fighting your way out of the midwife’s hands. It was only when your mother sang to you that you calmed. That was why she called you Kaos Gali.
Since then, your inner fire has only grown brighter. While I’m writing this, you’re asleep in your mother’s lap, tired from
a day of combat practice. You always want to do better than the day before, and you often do.
Wanting to be the best is part of your personality. At first, it scared me, the thought of my only child venturing into the dangerous world I am a part of. Now, I couldn’t be happier. If you’ve been allowed to read this, it means that you have taken the step, on your own, to pursue this life. In that case, there are things you must know.
In the centuries since its inception, the Dragon Guard has strayed from its initial purpose. Before the Great Dragon War, Dragon Guard soldiers and their dragons were instruments of change, meant to keep the peace among all the nations of New Terra. Somewhere along the line after the War, that changed.
When you make it to the Academy, you’ll realize this. Currently, my name is shortlisted as a candidate to replace the current Headmaster. Many people aren’t happy with this. I expect things to get worse in the coming weeks, for me, and for us as a family. That is why I’ve asked for Hakan’s help.
He is one of the few people who knows exactly what is happening. I trust him with my life, and I trust him with you. I don’t know what will happen to me, and your mother may be caught in the blowback from all of this. But you must survive.
I know this letter is confusing, darling. However, I imagine that when you get to the Dragon Academy it will start to make sense. Keep your eyes open. Find the truth. But, be careful.
When the time comes, you will know what to do and there will be people to help you.
With all my love,
B. K.
My fingers were trembling.
The heaviness began in my stomach, seeping into my blood until my entire body felt flooded with this hot, suffocating feeling.
It all felt surreal, like I was trapped in a dream, floating above my body watching all of this unfold. There was so much to think about. The thought of my father writing such a somber letter to his then ten-year-old daughter had my stomach in knots. Who was my father up against that made him so sure he would die?
The thought that my mother’s disappearance could be linked to my father’s not-so-accidental death made my head spin. All this time, I believed that she had chosen to abandon me, not wanting the stigma of raising a child all on her own. But what if she had been forced to? To keep me safe?
Dragon Academy Page 12
