Kaden gave him a shocked look and said, “I’m sorry, you want me to what?”

“Prove to me that you’ve been blessed,” he challenged as he crossed his arms. “I don’t believe it.”

The ornately dressed magistrate stood far taller than both his father and him. The way he looked down his pointed nose at them just made Kaden dislike him. He acted as if they were beneath him. He came around every season and talked down to his father. Now here Kaden was, blessed with more power than the magistrate would ever know himself, and the man had the audacity to look down on them still.

“It literally just happened. I don’t know how to use it. What do you want me to do to prove it?”

The magistrate rolled his eyes and dug into his pockets. He pulled out a small dull crystal. There was nothing special about the thing, it was just a hard stone. Reaching out with his long arm, he pressed it against Kaden’s forehead, refusing to take the few steps closer to make the interaction less awkward.

The stone was cold on his skin. Pushing it hard against his head, the magistrate scoffed at the result. Which wasn’t anything. The stone laid inert. Kaden didn’t know if he was supposed to do anything.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to focus his thoughts into the stone, like he did to Zuma. To his surprise, as well as theirs, the stone started to glow. Quickly, it grew brighter and brighter. He had to squint his eyes a bit to block out the light it was generating. He could feel it warming on his forehead, getting hotter.

The magistrate pulled it back from him, still holding it out. It continued to glow brighter. Whatever magic he pushed into it was still reacting inside the stone. He knew it had to be getting too hot to hold. Dropping it to the ground, the magistrate let out curses as it sizzled against the discarded hay that littered the ground.

Smoke bloomed out from the contact. A small fire ignited. He couldn’t let a fire start and sweep away his family’s buildings. Putting his hand out, he willed the mists to come forth and extinguish the flame. A small jet pulled in from the air and formed a stream, extinguishing the flame before it really got much life. A sizzle and pop echoed between them as cool water splashed against the stone.

The glowing faded once more, and the magistrate looked at Kaden with glaring eyes. “You didn’t just get blessed. That was too much power for a newly blessed person.”

“I promise you it happened just this morning,” he said as he felt exhaustion creep in already. He wasn’t used to magic, and it was taking a toll on his body. He had used it several times since he had been healed. His body wasn’t used to doing so, and it was taking a toll.

The magistrate crossed his arms again and asked how it happened. Kaden tried to explain how he goes out hunting for wild game for the skins and meat to help support the family. The Magistrate scoffed at this. His attitude continued to irk Kaden.

“I came across a dragon who was trapped,” he said.

“Trapped? How does a dragon get trapped?”

Kaden’s father finally spoke up. “This is what is concerning, sir. Please listen.”

The man straightened his back again and squared his shoulders. He nodded for Kaden to continue, giving them a little more attention and respect.

“It was a rune trap. Not just a rune trap, it wasn’t one that just trapped its paw or anything. This trap was big enough to cover the entire dragon.”

The magistrate bunched his lips together in thought. “How big was this dragon?”

“Larger than a full-grown stallion. Incredible wingspan to hold it up.”

Kaden could see the thoughts mulling around in the magistrates’ head. He didn’t speak and just motioned for Kaden to continue.

“It was doing some serious damage to the dragon. A sparking, lighting-like magic was shocking and burning into it if it got near the barrier it created. The dragon had been crying out in pain. That’s why I was pulled to it. I heard its pleas.”

“I couldn’t take seeing such a regal creature being in such a state. So I worked all night and was able to get the dragon out of the trap, but it was injured. I stayed with it for a while, trying my best to help it out. There wasn’t much I could do for the creature. I don’t know anything about healing dragon hide.”

“It is quite tough. And where in this did you meet a matriarch to be blessed then?”

Kaden twisted his hands up in a motion to question the magistrate, wanting him to just give him time to explain.

“So while waiting, eventually I heard a large echoing noise and a crash not too far away. Before I knew it, a matriarch was looking at us. She must have heard its cries too from wherever she comes from and came to save it. I’m sure if I hadn’t been there, she would have been able to save it. I just happened upon it first.”

“Because of this, I guess she deemed my act to be noble. That I spent so much time trying to get the dragon free and then had been staying with it while it tried to get some healing done was enough for her. Next thing I knew, she was pushing magic down on me and well, here we are.”

The magistrate squinted his eyes and said, “You’re saying a wild matriarch just happened upon the two of you and deemed you worthy right then and there? You do realize it usually takes a week long ceremony before a matriarch blesses someone, correct?”

“I did not know that, no.”

“And she just blessed you in what? Five minutes?”

“Yes, sir.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He squinted again. “I would have thought you made it up had the stone not just glowed. There are no wild matriarchs. Or…”

“There are none you knew about,” Kaden finished.

That glare stared into Kaden’s soul. “I find it awfully convenient how your family is struggling to pay their taxes and you suddenly happen upon not only a wild dragon, but a matriarch, and get yourself blessed.”

“Are you suggesting I intentionally hunted one down?”

“Who goes out and hunts these days when so many have livestock for hides and meat?”

Kaden let out an exasperated breath and said, “People who can’t afford livestock that give hides and meat.”

“I don’t like it. You just did this to get out of having to pay taxes,” he said with a look of disgust across his face.

He frowned. “Is this a common thing that happens? Do people regularly go out and intentionally get blessed?”

“Well,” he stammered. “No. Not usually.”

“Then what is the issue here? I told you what happened. Why would I make that up? You should be focusing on the more important part of my tale.”

The magistrate crossed his arms and said, “and what part was that?”

His father’s voice was more defensive when he said, “that you’ve got someone out there trapping dragons. My son is right. Don’t you think that is just slightly concerning?”

“It’s impossible. No one would willingly trap a dragon. It must have been for some other creature,” he tried to wave the topic away.

Raising his eyebrow, Kaden felt a little spunky when he said, “that big? Nothing out there comes even close to the size of a dragon. No trap that big is intended for anything other than a dragon. You’ve got some high-class people out here trapping dragons. I think you should let the king’s vassals know. Unless you’re okay with people violating the most fundamental law there is in the kingdom?”

The Magistrate pursed his lips together, his top lip curling up as he did so. “I will notify those who need to be notified. Guardians will to come get you and take you away from this hovel of a farm in a few days’ time.”

He spun on his heel and marched away. They let out a deep breath that they were both holding in. His dad had his back. For all the differences he had with his family, he still knew that no matter what, they would be there for him when he needed them.

Anton came around the corner, having heard the entire exchange. “You’ve got to get rid of the dragon.”

Kaden sighed and nodded. He knew they were right. Taking the dragon along wasn't an option. He needed to learn about the water magic he had been blessed with before he would even let them know he had bonded with a dragon. It saddened part of him.

There was a connection between the two of them. He couldn’t explain it. Even where they were standing now, he felt like he could sense Zuma’s presence. Every breath he now took, every steady beat of his heart, he took for the both of them. Telling them to leave was going to be hard.

All he really wanted to do was curl up with Zuma and take a nap in the windmill. He didn’t know why he had the urge to just lay on them, but it was there. He didn’t know if his time standing on the platform, being healed by the magic together, was what sealed their fates together, or if Zuma just really liked him.

Maybe the fact the Azure clan had chosen him to represent them in the human realm was what connected them. As far as he knew, he could have a connection to every Azure dragon that existed. Not enough time passed with the blessing for him to know.

His father went to explain the situation to his family. Kaden left them laughing at the Magistrate to rejoin his sister Prema and the dragon she tended to. For all he knew, this was going to be the last time he’d see any of them for years. He didn’t know how long it would be for training or what it even consisted of.

Representing the Water Nation was an entire other problem for him. Kaden didn’t even know that much about his own nation and they expected him to show others how great it was? He shook his head at the thought.

Opening the heavy windmill doors, Zuma’s head popped up quickly, scaring Prema. She had been sitting next to Zuma, rubbing them down with a brush that happened to be left there. Zuma could tell he was tense about something, as their body language got more rigid when he let out a deep sigh.

“They like to be brushed,” Prema stated with confidence.

Kaden laughed and shook his head. He told Prema what happened with the magistrate and she laughed just like the rest of his family had. They were all amused that the magistrate would rather think he faked the blessing or went out of his way for it just to avoid paying their taxes.

“Well, I mean, it is quite convenient that we don’t have to pay taxes anymore.”

He picked up the brush and started polishing Zuma’s scales, helping them shine more brightly. “Yeah. I mean, it’s an exciting outcome for the farm. We won’t have to give away all our harvests and wool. We’ll be able to thrive instead of just survive.”

“Don’t they send us money, too?”

Laughing, he said, “they send mom and dad money. You guys don’t get a thing. The fact that we have farm land will probably be used in our favor. They probably will have to help more so because it takes so much for the upkeep of such a place.”

With the words catching in her throat, she said, “I don’t want you to leave.”

Kaden patted her shoulder and said, “I know. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. If anything, I need to learn how to use this gift.”

He looked down at his hands, tracing the lightning scars with his eyes. He reached out and touched one of Zuma’s own scars and said, “it would be disrespectful to not honor what they gave me.”

She smiled and leaned her head on him before saying, “of my brothers, I didn’t expect you to be the one to get the blessing.”

“Honestly,” he snickered, “me either.”

The next few days went by slowly for Kaden. He tried to spend as much time as he could laughing and enjoying his family’s company. If he wasn’t going to be able to see them for years, he didn’t want to have his last memories with them to be stressful. He wanted to be happy.

What wasn’t making him happy was trying to convince Zuma to leave. They had taken up residence in the windmill, claiming it for their own. His father wasn’t too happy about the space being taken over, but he respected the dragon’s wishes.

Anton would not leave Zuma alone. He was always coming around, trying to get them to do something. He got sprayed with water several times before he stopped poking them. Kaden didn’t know what got into his brother. He needed to be kinder to them. They were a dragon, after all.

“Zuma,” he said, pushing his feeling of uncertainty toward them. “I appreciate that you’ve stayed here with me, but they’re about to take me away.”

They let out a defensive huff, ready to protect him if needed.

“I don’t know what they’d do to you if they knew we were close.”

Another huff, this time combined with a billow of fog. He had learned in those few days that fog meant extreme displeasure. There was a difference between mist and fog. The fog was thick and he couldn’t see far through it. Mist was just a bit of water in the air when they had opinions, and Zuma had a lot of opinions.

He was pacing back and forth as he tried to explain once again, “You can’t come with me and you can’t stay here.”

Another huff of fog wafted over toward him. They were pouting.

“I would take you if I knew it was safe, but I don’t,” he tried to explain.

They cut their eyes back toward him, still pouting.

“I will come back for you,” he admitted. “Our bond won’t ever go away. I just can’t see you hurt again. I am not strong enough to defend you, not yet anyway.”

Letting out a sigh, Zuma moved their head over toward him and nudged his hand. They knew he wasn’t making it up, his words were truthful.

A shout was heard outside, and his heart dropped. They were here. They were already here and Zuma hadn’t left yet.

Panic flashed across his face. He told Zuma to stay before he whipped the door open, attempting to run back toward the silos. Pulling the door opened revealed a person standing there.

She was short with dark hair. Bright blue and white robes with elaborate gold stitching made her stick out like a sore thumb in the farmlands. A magic user.

Grinning, she said, “Whatcha got in here?”