Dragonkin

by Crymsyn Hart

  Kestrel stopped at the section they had for maps. It’s been right in front of my nose for centuries. I’ve never even considered it. She pulled out the newest map she could find and rolled it along the table. Five territories surrounded the Athenaeum. Mountains encircled them on all sides on the outer edges of the dominion. In between them were the lush lands they lived in. Beyond the western mountain range was a vast wasteland that nomads traveled to the sea. Two great and perilous rivers split the dominions into quarters. Both rivers started in the high Northern Mountains where the peaks were snowcapped and the dragons originated from. That’s where I have to go. The highest peak had a dragon head drawn on it. There were no roads to the mountain. If the oldest dragons still exist, then I have to plead my case. Maybe they can tell me exactly what Cas did to me. Spellcasters can channel dragon fire for a few minutes, but we can’t hold the power. Oh, Cas, what gift did you give me?

  She rolled the map up and tucked it under her arm. The couple dozen spellcasters were all staring at her. Kestrel met their gazes, but didn’t care what they thought. The only one who had authority over her was the council. As she wove through the halls, her pulse pounded in her ears. Council chambers were directly before her. The doors were open, which meant they were not in session. She gazed around the large room. The long, curved tabled where the five members of the council sat was pristine. The high-backed seats behind it were empty. Nearly hidden away in the corner was another open door. She walked over and knocked.

  “Come in.”

  She drew in a deep breath and walked inside. A fire crackled in the fireplace. The council was replaced every twenty-five years to keep things fresh. Each was chosen by the lords of the other territories and sent to the Athenaeum. Simeon had been there for a year as council leader. They had only spoken once before and not up close. It had been a custom for her to go before the council and introduce herself so they would know who she was.

  “Simeon, do you have a moment?”

  He turned slowly. His black hair was cut close to his head. His heavy brows scrunched above his blue eyes. When he laid his gaze on her, his expression darkened. Simeon tried to keep his face straight, but the frown started at his eyes and turned down the corners of his mouth. The look elongated his face. His black robes swished as he laid the scroll on his desk. A thick gold band on his right hand glinted in the firelight.

  “Kestrel, what brings you to my office? Aren’t you supposed to be in the library categorizing? I think that was the task the last council gave you.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Yes, it was. I’ve been cataloguing the library for years now.”

  “Is there a problem? Did you come upon some material that needs my attention?”

  “No. Nothing like that.”

  “Then what is it you want? I’m busy.”

  “I’m here to request a leave.” Her heart thundered against her rib cage. Her nerves made her light-headed. You would think I was a novice confronting my dragon for the first time.

  He ran his hand over a pile of books. “Why would you want to leave? Where would you go? You have no dragon. None of the other territories will take you in. Besides, you’re our most powerful spellcaster. What would we do without you?” The sarcasm dripped off his words. A slight sneer turned up his lips, causing a dimple in his chin.

  “You don’t need me here. We’re not at war. All of the territories have been peaceful for years. We search and delve into learning. I’m tired of being stuck in the library. The only reason the council keeps me under their nose is because you don’t know what else to do with me. A special decree keeps me from approaching another dragon. Why don’t you let me go?”

  Simeon clutched one of the books. She had hit a nerve. His face flushed. A small vein pulsated in his forehead. “From what I’ve read, it wasn’t the council’s decision. This came all the way from the king of the dragons. Once the decision was made, it was transmitted to all of the dragons, even the hatchlings. Unless you plan on going all the way to Blaze Mountain, it’s best if you stay here.”

  She stuck her chin out. If the dragon king did make the decision, then I have to go to him. “Fine. I’ll go.”

  “Do what you wish. The library will be here when you get back. If you get back. If you get close to the peak, the other dragons won’t let you get near the king. You’ll probably become someone’s dinner. But I wish you luck.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

  Kestrel gritted her teeth. How can he say that to me? The heat inside of her rose. It tingled along her arms and fingers. Her temper flared and ignited the fire over her robes. She didn’t know why it didn’t burn her clothes. Flames danced over her fingers before she flung them at the stones of the hearth. The rocks charred. The flash spread out along the walls and dissipated. They were spelled against dragon fire. A blast of heat rebounded against her. Closing her eyes, she pulled back her anger, and the power receded.

  “Better now?” He raised a dark eyebrow at the display.

  “I don’t need you to mock me. I’m nothing more than a piece of furniture to the council. I still hear the murmurs behind my back. All of you think I was reckless. Now I’ve become a pariah. Do you know how that feels? I endure every day with an open wound in my soul.”

  Simeon slammed down the book he was looking at. “Why do you think we all stay away from you? We look at you and see a freak. It’s easier for all of us to turn a cold shoulder. Assigning you to the library was the only useful task the council could agree on for you. So if you feel you must go, then go. None of us has the power to keep you here. This is the only home you’ve ever had. Wherever you go, you’ll never be welcome. Good luck on your trek. You have our leave.” He returned to the column of books by his desk.

  Kestrel left and let his words sink in. It didn’t matter what he said. She would find a way to the Northern Mountains and the dragon king.

  Chapter Three

  She stared at the map on her bed. If she were to ride, the journey would take her three months or longer. After that, there was no telling how she would get to Blaze Mountain. There are no discernable roads to the mountain. The best way to get there is to fly. Which means I need a dragon. The one person she could think to ask was Dathan. They hadn’t spoken since Castigan had died. What she remembered of their last conversation, they had gotten into a screaming match. They ran into one another in the halls now and again, but they never spoke. He won’t want to see me, but he still owes me for saving his ass during the wars. It’s the least he can do.

  The wind caught a few strands of her hair while she peered out her window. Her view consisted of the massive aerie that had been built ages ago by the first spellcasters. It rose above the Athenaeum, a mini-mountain, and the hill it was built into was honeycombed with caves where the dragons resided.

  Castigan had enjoyed staying deep underground, where it was hot. She never liked his small cave due to the heat, but she spent time with him wherever he was. Kestrel wrapped her arms around herself. He’s not coming back. I’m always going to be alone. This journey is probably a waste of time. I have to try. I can’t keep rotting in the library. Dathan’s going to take me whether he likes it or not.

  Kestrel walked out of her room and headed toward the aerie. The last time she had set foot in it was to gather her belongings from Castigan’s cave. As far as she knew, no one else had occupied it since. She walked through the heavy iron gates and made her way up the path that wound along the side of the aerie until she got to a side entrance. The heat of the place hit her immediately. Small windows dotted the walls and ceiling to let in the air. The musky scent of the dragons filled her nose. The ground rumbled underneath her from the dragons moving about. She grabbed the wall to steady herself. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Once they did, she walked up to the upper levels where Dathan and his dragon roosted. The wooden door was partially open into Pena’s nook. She watched them through the crack. Dathan’s back was toward her. His copper hair was cropped sh
ort. Wide shoulders showed his solid frame.

  His dragon, Pena, slept curled up in the corner. Small tendrils of smoke trailed from her nostrils. He stood by her side and petted her emerald scales. A pang of jealousy shot through her. The door creaked on its hinges when she opened it.

  Dathan turned.

  “By the dragon’s tail, what are you doing in here? I thought you were banned from the aerie.”

  She gave him a small smile. “Not from the aerie itself. The dragons want nothing to do with me, so I stay away.”

  “So what are you doing here when you have no dragon?”

  “I need to ask you a favor.”

  Dathan chuckled. His laughter started off soft, and then it bellowed through the nook. Pena opened her eyes and peered at them. The dragon’s presence played against her mind. Another gift Cas had given her was the ability to communicate with all dragons, when normally a spellcaster could only hear his or her own dragon.

  “You’re coming to me after you did this!” He gestured to his scarred face. The left side of his head was a mass of twisted flesh. Half of his ear was missing. His eye was white from blindness. The hair didn’t grow on that part of his scalp. The marks extended down to his torso. He had limited movement in his left arm. Before the accident, he had been one of the most handsome men she had known. Women had hung onto his arm wherever he went. Now she didn’t know if he was with anyone.

  She bowed her head. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was mad with grief and had no idea what I was doing. Cas had just died. I don’t know how many times I have to apologize. Please, for old times’ sake? Hear me out.”

  “Fine.”

  “I need someone to fly me to the Northern Mountains. To Blaze Mountain in particular.”

  “The dragon seat of power? What do you expect to do? Offer yourself up for lunch? Those dragons are wild and don’t bond with spellcasters. Or are you looking to approach the dragon king? No spellcaster has ventured there in who knows how long.”

  “I know, but I need to try and see him. Figure out what Castigan did to me. Why I can contain the dragon fire. It’ll take me months if I ride there. If I fly—”

  “If you fly, it’ll take you days. So you come to your old pal and want a ride?”

  She nodded. “Please. You owe me.”

  “I don’t owe you anything!”

  “All those times I saved your ass in the wars.”

  “Ha! Those times are in the past. Do you know I’ve practically been retired because of the injury you caused me? I do nothing now except instruct the novices on basic dragon care and dragon studies.”

  “At least you have a purpose. I’m sorry I asked.” She started to leave, but turned back around and saw his head resting against Pena’s. The scene brought back too many memories. “Dathan, it was good to see you after all this time,” she whispered.

  Kestrel left the aerie and headed toward the stables. The Athenaeum always kept a few horses in case anyone wanted to ride. Then she would need supplies for her journey. Her mind started to sort things into lists of what she would need. In the Northern Mountains were untamed dragons. Many called them wild because they chose to live among other dragons and didn’t bother with spellcasters. Castigan used to tell her stories that the wild dragons were of a different ilk than the others, but he never elaborated. The older volumes she came across in the library had some ancient legends about a certain race of dragons who called themselves dragonkin because they were said to have two shapes. Although she never believed the stories.

  Once she secured a horse, she went to her room and began to gather what she would require. She ran her hands over the heavy cloak that she had spelled against aging. The cloak was trimmed with fur from a wolf that had tried to attack her. Castigan killed the animal. She didn’t get very chilly due to the dragon fire, but going north, she wasn’t sure how cold it would become. However, she didn’t want to take too much with her. Kestrel dug in her wardrobe and pulled out a knapsack. Underneath all her clothes were her spell book and the notes she had taken on the experiments she had conducted on herself and her magic. The early pages contained her simple spells. The later works were more complicated. After Castigan died, they were gibberish. She trailed her fingers over the loopy script and wished she had kept it together.

  It’s understandable I lost it. Everyone said it. After the initial awe wore off, they all vanished, and I became this. If I can change the dragon king’s mind, then maybe he’ll let me approach another dragon. A knock sounded on the door. She stopped stuffing her things into her sack and turned to see Dathan in the doorway. In the shadows, his wounds didn’t seem so severe.

  “Fine. We leave in the morning at first light. We’ll take you there and drop you off, but don’t expect a ride back.”

  She started to rush to him to thank him, but he was already gone. Now she had a chance to regain her life. For the rest of the night, she arranged the things she was going to take with her. Her thoughts raced over every possibility of what would occur. A sliver of hope was born inside her heart.

  * * * *

  Dathan banged on her door the next morning. Kestrel had her cloak on and all the belongings she would take with her. Sleep eluded her most of the night. She had wanted to be ready and not give him any excuse to refuse her.

  He eyed her and then left. She closed the door and hurried after him. They walked quickly away from the Athenaeum. Pena waited for them in a clearing. The dragon’s emerald scales shone in the coming dawn. She marveled at the beauty of the dragon. It was almost as if she was seeing one for the first time. The experience formed a lump of emotion in her throat. A tear slipped down her cheek. All her thoughts of Castigan came rushing back.

  “Don’t stand there gawking. Are we going or not?”

  She nodded, wiping away the tear. “Yes. Sorry. Thank you for doing this for me.”

  He snorted. “Don’t thank me. Thank Pena. I was against it. She told me I was being unreasonable.” He climbed onto the dragon.

  Kestrel settled behind him, trying to find her seat on the supple leather saddle fitted on the dragon. Once she did, she laid her hand on Pena’s back and reached her mind to the dragon’s. “Thank you for this. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “You’re welcome. Cas was my friend, too, and what he gave you was a gift. Hopefully you’ll be able to find some answers with the wild dragons.” With that, the dragon took to the skies.

  Chapter Four

  They flew for five days and covered hundreds of miles. Dathan hardly spoke to her unless it was for very basic things. Kestrel spent most of her time talking to Pena. Dathan didn’t like that she was able communicate with his dragon, but she figured it was because he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Kestrel soon got up to speed on the latest gossip. The closer the mountains got, the more the fear uncoiled in her gut. Her dread made her uneasy. Thoughts of turning back rattled her mind. It would be easier to give up than to face the dragon king. But she’d never been afraid to face anything before. If she returned to the Athenaeum, it would show she was a failure.

  There was no way. She had to press on. Finally they were deep in the mountains, and Blaze Mountain lay before them. Pena settled down in a basin in the shadow of the mount. She stared at the snowcapped peaks around her. They were magnificent and cast shadows in the valley. A massive archway was carved within the stone of Blaze Mountain. Other beings flew near large outcroppings of rock, but she couldn’t see the top of the peak. She slid off the dragon and patted her side.

  “I can’t say that it’s been fun,” Dathan said.

  “Dathan, if everything works out here, I’ll see if there’s any way to heal you.”

  He snorted. “No one can heal me. Not even these dragons. I can only assume that you’ll end up dinner for one of them.”

  Kestrel ran her hand over the dragon’s snout. “Thank you for bringing me here. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

  Pena bumped her lightly with her nose. “Y
ou’re welcome. I don’t know much about the dragons here, but they say they’re different than others of my race. Cas was of their line. I don’t think he ever told you. Maybe you can use that to your advantage. You’ve been hiding in that library too long. Don’t let them give you any lip. I remember the feisty spellcaster you were during the wars.”

  Kestrel shook her head. “She’s the one who got me into this mess in the first place.”

  Pena knocked her again. “Forget about the librarian. Be who you were. Show them you deserve another dragon. If you allow them to look into your heart, they’ll see. All of the idiots at the Athenaeum, human and dragon alike, didn’t think of that. If they had, then your soul would’ve been healed a long time ago. I know you can do it.”

  “Thanks.”

  She backed away far enough to be out of Pena’s wingspan. Her powerful wings lifted off, and soon they were no more than a small speck against the sun. Once they were completely out of sight, she stared at the mountain before her. It was wider than the others and the color of soot.

  Shapes flew around the top of the peak before it went up into the clouds. Kestrel hefted her belongings on her shoulder. She opened her senses and took in the life around her. Hundreds of dragons lived in the neighboring mountains around her, and the one before her was full of them.

  She breathed in a small sigh. That part Castigan gave her made her feel completely at home.

  It would be nice to have the option of bonding with another dragon, but all I really want is forgiveness. I hope the dragon king will see that. If he doesn’t, then at least I tried.

  She took one more gaze at the mountain and began her long trek up the slope toward the opening, hoping she could gain an audience with the dragon king. After walking a couple of hours and watching the sun climbing higher and the trees thinning out, Kestrel stopped to catch her breath. While she sat, she heard rustling in the underbrush a few feet from her.