The Keeper of Dragons: The Prince Returns

by J. A. Culican

  “Use your instincts. I am.”

  I lowered my head and rested it on Eva’s forehead; her eyes fluttered shut, mine followed. I blocked out the fight that raged around us and focused all my energy on the farros. All I could feel were Eva’s hands clasped with mine, and her soft breath every time she exhaled, I felt and heard nothing else. My focus was completely on the farros. A vibration started at my toes, it crept through until my entire body pulsed with a new energy. A light shot from the tips of my fingers and separated into tiny strings. Each string attached itself to a farro. By now, each fairy had taken flight and was suspended in air. I yanked my hands back, pulling the tilium out of each farro. When the tilium was completely sucked out, the strings released, and, quite amused, I watched as each farro dropped to the ground.

  When the light went out, my body began to tremor. My breaths became strenuous. My body hit the ground hard as the tremors continued. I could hear Eva saying my name, the panic evident in her voice. Moments later the quakes stopped, I could finally take a breath. I opened my eyes to see Eva as she gazed down at me with a look of terror.

  “Cole, what happened? Are you alright?” She stammered.

  I attempted to sit, “I...don't know what just happened.” I said with confusion.

  As I looked around, I noticed all the Wolands had shifted back into their human forms, and most of the farros were rigid on the ground. Even as humans, the Wolands towered over the farros. They looked different, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was that made them appear dissimilar to their previous characteristics.

  Jericho and Cairo had Queen Tana cornered between them. They looked ready to stomp her out. She turned to me.

  “What did you do to me? Just wait until my tilium returns!” She shouted.

  “Awful courageous words for someone in your position Tana. I do wonder what your fate will be.” Jericho stated with a smirk. He looked my way, “My Prince, are you okay?”

  “Yea, I think so.” I answered, as I took stock of how I felt. I had an increased amount of energy zipping through my body, it was different than the mahier I was used to when I shifted into my dragon. I had no idea what it was.

  “It’s tilium.” Zane answered my thoughts. “You stole all the farro’s tilium with that little trick you just did, it now lives in you. You are very powerful, more so than I gave you credit for.” Zane finished with what sounded like pride.

  “Give it back, it’s not yours to take. You’re breaking the rules of our treaty! Tana roared.

  “You broke that treaty the night you killed my brother. It has taken me over two hundred years to fulfill my brother’s promise. It seems bittersweet that the new Prince of Ochana was the one who defeated you. It is how Jago would have liked it.” Zane turned to me. “It has cemented your right as the Prince, Keeper of Dragons.” Zane bowed to me, the rest of the Wolands followed.

  “What about the rest?” Eva pointed to the farros. “What are we supposed to do with them?”

  It was a good point. Even without their tilium we couldn’t leave them here. They could always figure out how to get more or recreate it or, worse, come up with something stronger. And they couldn’t come back to Ochana with us. I looked over to Jericho and Cairo for an answer. Neither said a word.

  “The decision is Prince Colton’s.” Zane answered. “He speaks for the King when the King is not present.”

  “Me? Why not you, you are also a Prince.” I asked.

  “You rank higher than me, you are the King’s successor. Not to mention the Keeper of Dragons.” Zane explained. “And let’s be honest, not many dragons trust me these days.” He winced.

  “Zane is right My Prince, the choice is yours.” Jericho stated. “As for you,” he looked to Zane. “You have earned quite a bit of trust back; however, you will have a lot of explaining to do when we get back to Ochana.” He stated sternly.

  I felt a hand in mine and turned to see Eva. In silence, she squeezed my hand to show her support in whatever choice I made. I turned towards the Woland, all of their attention was on me, awaiting a decision. I was about to ask for suggestions when I noticed what looked like a herd of butterflies in the horizon. I squinted as I tried to make out what was there. The Woland turned around and followed my line of sight.

  “Is that...”

  “The fairies.” Zane finished Jericho’s thought.

  Fairies, I prayed they were nothing like the farros. None of the Woland moved or shifted into their dragons. I took that as a sign of comfort, maybe they were here to help? As the fairies came closer I noticed the similarities between them and the farros. Their size was the same, and so was the stiff platinum hair and spastic silvery wings. Now that I thought about it, that’s what was different about the farros. Their wings weren’t flapping around in rage; however, that is where the similarities ended. The fairies’ eyes were full and bright, each a different neon color, and their smiles flaunted straight teeth and dimples. The fairies landed with gentle grace around us.

  “My Prince,” the fairy bowed. “I am Queen Annabelle, Queen of the fairies.”

  “Annabelle, you have perfect timing.” Zane acknowledged.

  “I see that. I pray none of your dragons were hurt?” She questioned.

  “No, my highness, all are fine.” Zane smiled towards Annabelle.

  “What is your plan with the farros?” She inquired as she gaped at Tana.

  “We haven’t decided yet.” I responded. “They cannot come back to Ochana with us and I don’t feel comfortable leaving them

  “I see. May I offer a suggestion, Prince Colton?” She asked.

  “Of course.”

  “It is more of a request, truly.” Her round eyes widened as she spoke. The farros are ancestors of the fairies. Over the years, we have tried many times to stop the hateful transgressions they have committed. Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful. I ask that you give the farros over to us, so we can make right on our name and end the farros for good.”

  I thought about what she requested. If I handed over the farros to the fairies it would solve the problem, and I wouldn’t need to make any further decisions on the matter. Even with all their wrongdoings, I felt I couldn’t be responsible in deciding their fate, not with the little knowledge I had. And technically, the farros were the fairies’ responsibility; they were the ones who expelled them in the beginning. I looked to Eva and she nodded with my decision.

  “I grant your request, Queen Annabelle. The farros are your responsibility, and I will put their fate in your hands.” I nodded towards the farros.

  “Thank you Prince Colton, Keeper of Dragons.” She bowed her head and made a hand gesture to the other fairies. “We will take them back to our home, I will send word to King Rylan when a judgment has been made for their fate.”

  I nodded in consent as I watched the fairies grab on to the farros with invisible ropes, which seemed to come from their fingers. The farros flailed their scrawny bodies around and shouted to no avail. Tana looked furious as Queen Annabelle grabbed hold of her and flew off. Once the fairies were out of sight, I turned back to the dragons.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “Now we go home My Prince, you have a coronation to attend.” Zane replied as he shifted into his dragon.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hours later, we arrived at Ochana. My first inbound glimpse of the magical kingdom was the stunning waterfall, which greeted us with luminous charm as we soared in. I managed to land gracefully in the center of Ochana, the castle lay to my right while the mountains peaked straight ahead. Quickly, dragons from every direction headed over to welcome us back. Some dragons flew in, while others had waited nearby for our entry. The trip home was uneventful; no one spoke much on the way, completely lost in thought about what we witnessed. The biggest surprise of the night had been my Uncle Zane. I was full of curiosity and anticipation for the story he would have to tell soon. My uncle had waited two hundred years for the events that happened mere hours ago to finally
unfold.

  Rylan and Sila were front and center as I landed. They both rushed over to me. Sila enveloped me in a hug; something I hadn’t expected from her, while Rylan gave me a firm pat on the back; a huge beam spread across his face. He walked over to Zane and Jericho while Sila stuck around to greet Eva.

  “I am eager to hear everything that happened with Queen Tana and the farros. Come let’s gather in the council room. We will have time to celebrate later!” Rylan exclaimed.

  Along with the council and a few extra dragons, we began to follow Rylan to the council room. We stepped through the waterfall, and, for the first time since arriving at Ochana, I allowed my senses to enjoy my surroundings; I marveled at the flowing waterfall, and the blue, now cloudless sky that lay overhead. As we stepped into the council room, I realized it looked exactly the same as it did last time I was here, the night the council voted for the destiny of Eva and me. It seemed like so long ago, but in fact it was only last night. I took my assigned seat and waited as everyone shuffled in and got comfortable. I waited with bated breath to hear the story Zane was about to share.

  “Everyone find a seat, we have much to discuss.” Rylan turned to Zane. “Let’s start from the beginning. The floor is yours brother.”

  Zane nodded and stood, he started to pace from one end of the room to the other. He fought to find the words to start, he looked up from the ground and his eyes began to wander around the room. Finally, he took a deep breath, and exhaled.

  “It all began the night of Jago’s death.” His eyes stopped on Rylan’s. “He was murdered, by the farros.”

  “How do you know this? The healers they said his mahier was drained?” Rylan sounded skeptic.

  “It was. The farros used their tilium to do exactly that. They wanted us to think we were being punished. They used our absence to the outside world to their advantage.” Zane pulled at his hair. “They hadn’t expected a Woland as strong as Jago, it was dumb luck for the farros to be able to get their hands on the Prince, alone.” He paused, “I was with him, but I was too slow to keep up. If he had waited just a few seconds for me…” He trailed off as he looked back to the ground.

  “You’d be dead as well.” Jericho stated. “The farros would have gotten their hands on two Princes and we would have been none the wiser.”

  “Why didn't he call for backup when he saw the farros?” Rylan asked.

  “He didn't know. We saw a boat out in the sea. We figured some humans were lost or hurt. You knew Jago.” Zane shook his head. “He would give his life for the humans. He didn't even stop to question it, just flew off to help them.” Zane looked back up. “By the time I got there, the farros were gone and Jago was barely alive.”

  “Why didn't you tell us all this the night it happened? So much would have been different.” Rylan interrupted as he glared at Zane.

  “Jago, he made me promise. He didn't want the farros to know he had survived for even a second. If either of us had told you that night, you would have declared war and flown off to battle.” Zane glared right back at Rylan. “Right?”

  “Of course I’d have. It would have been the right decision.”

  “No. Jago knew we’d been ignoring our duties as protectors. He wanted his death to mean something, something more than war. He wanted us to remember who we were.” He pointed to himself as his voice started to rise, “We are dragons, protectors of all that is true.” He paused to let his words sink in to all that were listening. “We had forgotten our responsibilities, our obligations to all. He knew what was happening to him and he knew the conclusion our healers would come to.”

  “It's been two hundred years Zane.” Rylan shouted. “Look at the sacrifices our dragons have made.” His arms went wide. “All over a lie.”

  “He was right, it was the only way. If we’d been doing our jobs we would have seen the farros coming a mile away. Instead we were living in our bubble, ignoring all that was going wrong with the world. Think of all the tragedies we could have prevented.” He shook his head and sat back in his chair.

  “What happened next? After his death you kept your distance from everyone. You were seen leaving Ochana at odd hours? There were many rumors.” Rylan asked.

  “I started forming relationships with many ill-fated creatures. My goal was to befriend the farros, and convince them I wanted to destroy the dragons as vengeance for the way I was being treated.” He laughed, “It was easy to come up with a plausible story. And of course they bought it. It took many years, but eventually I was brought into their inner fold, let in on many secrets.” He turned to Jericho, “You need to get the Woland guard ready. The farros were able to create many allies. Once these creatures get wind of the farros fate, they will come after us and fight in their place.”

  “Wait.” Rylan interrupted. “Why did it take so long? You must have been given many opportunities to end them.”

  “I did. But one thing led to another. The information they were able to get their hands on was staggering. Every time a situation arose where I could finish them, something would happen. A different creature would approach them, asking to help them in their war. Creatures I thought long extinct were coming out of the woodworks.”

  “The Carnites?” Rylan asked.

  “Were only one of many. We had our guard down for too long, it gave them time to hide, find new homes and make new friends.” Zane exhaled loudly before he continued. “We are sitting in the middle of a war. A war none of you knew was even going on.”

  “Must not be much of a war if we know nothing of it.” Rylan stated.

  “That's because the war is against you. How many years before Jago’s death did we keep our heads in the sand?” Zane asked. “Around a hundred. A hundred years these creatures were building an army, an army to defeat us. The farros may have started it all, but they had just a small part in the grand scheme.”

  “Where were these creatures tonight? The farro knew we were coming?” Jericho asked. “Their army should’ve been raring to go.”

  “Some were there, the Carnites and the eldens.” He ticked them off his fingers as gasps went off around the table. “Remember the farros weren't expecting me to turn on them.” He paused. “My guess, they saw what our Keeper of Dragons did to the farros and took off.”

  “Eldens? Are you sure?” Jules whispered, clearly startled by the news.

  “Positive. I spoke with King Eldrick myself. They are very much involved in this war.” Zane affirmed.

  “What happened to the farros?” Rylan asked. “How were you able to defeat them?” He turned my way with an expectant look.

  “I don't really know. Somehow I was able to steal their tilium from them.” I looked over to Eva, she gestured for me to continue. “I can still feel it running through my body.”

  “With your mahier?” Rylan asked.

  “I don't know.” I mean I haven't even mastered opening doors. But somehow I was able to suck all the tilium out of the farros.

  “I’ve tried many times to do what Prince Colton did. I was unsuccessful every time. Even when the farros transferred some of their tilium to me I wasn't able to do much with it. All it did was make my mahier stronger.” Zane added.

  “I would bet it has something to do with the pair of them.” Allas pointed to Eva and I. “Being the Keeper of Dragons and all. There is much we don't understand about them. I will have to speak to Meka again, see if the prophecy says anything about their powers.”

  “They are another reason my plans were put off.” Zane nodded towards us. “Somehow the farros figured out who they were. Tana attempted to explain it to me; she said they were drawn to them, the power within them. She had a constant watch on them for the last eight years. The farros were waiting until they fully came into their powers, then they planned on turning the Prince and golden dragon against you to aid them in their war.” Zane explained.

  “That would’ve never happened. We would have never trusted them.” Eva stated with conviction.

  “Dark cr
eatures have a way with persuasion.” Sila added quietly.

  “The sun has already rose, you must all get some sleep. Rest and relax, it sounds like we won't have much time in the future for either.” Rylan gestured for everyone to stand.

  A few murmurs sounded in the council room as everyone filed out. Eva and I waited by the door for Rylan and Sila. My mind raced with the future. More creatures were coming our way, all with the same goal. Defeat the dragons and take control.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Eva stated. “We were able to defeat the farros, I have confidence we will be successful again.”

  “I’m glad you have so much faith in us. Maybe it was dumb luck? We had no idea what we were doing.” I stammered.

  “You will train.” Jericho interrupted. “We have a program for all new dragons when they return to Ochana. Of course they are usually placed in one course based on their founder. Seeing how you take after all four, we’ll have to combine the four courses just for you.” He paused, “Well the two of you.”

  Rylan and Sila walked up beside Jericho, the five of us turned and walked towards the caves that would lead us to the castle. There was one question that still bothered me. Zane had told a story about my grandparents to the farros, it couldn’t be true, could it?

  “What story is that, my son?” Sila asked.

  I turned to Rylan, who stood in close proximity to Sila. “Zane said you banished them from Ochana after the death of Jago. That it was your first ruling as King.” I explained.

  Rylan chuckled, “Part of that story is true. I did take over as King after Jago’s death. But as for your grandparents, they are still here, in Ochana. I believe the human term is retired. After Jago’s death, your grandfather stepped down. He held immense guilt for his death.”

  “Wait, Zane also said something about a coronation, which I needed to get back to Ochana for. You’re not stepping down, are you?” There was no way I was ready to be King, Rylan could retire in say five hundred years, I might be ready then. Maybe.

  “No, son. But we will be holding a coronation for you, in two days’ time. You will be the first Prince to have one. It will be your formal introduction to the dragons here on Ochana.” He paused as we stepped into the castle. “The preparations for your return have been going on for a few years now. I expect it will be one of the grandest events ever to be held here.”