Novels2Search

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Only a few weeks had passed since the conversation between Astrius and Aaron, and the boy had settled down a bit, in a way. He wasn’t trying to escape the temple anymore, however he obviously was struggling internally with the idea of having to learn combat. None of the priests and acolytes had any experience, so the day after their evening conversation, Astrius had used a communication orb to locate an old friend of theirs.

This dragon was not one to stay put but instead was traveling to continue expanding his knowledge. The only time he had ever returned was when Ra was hatched, so he could teach that child of Io their powers, just as he had done for every other sibling. Now it was Aaron’s turn.

The dragon in question had been given a gift from Io for his many years of service. He had requested not to be given immortality, but instead to simply be given a longer life. He was still youthful in looks, even if he was already well past the prime of a normal dragon. His bronze scales still glimmered in the light and he walked upright whereas most dragons his age may have already had a staff to help with mobility.

Many dragons bowed respectfully as he passed them, not knowing why he had returned to Ophicys,simply recognizing his years of service to the children of Io. Making his way through the city, it would not take him long to make his way through the crowds to the temple. He continued making his way through to the back rooms where the priests were allowed, knowing the guards would not bother to stop him as he headed towards the High Priest's office.

Astrius happened to be there at that time, reading over reports from the Emperor about the incoming refugees and current locations of Blythe, the closest Titan of concern. With his door open, he heard their guest come in and immediately lifted his head from the scrolls. Smiling weakly, clearly exhausted, he stood to greet this old friend.

“Tairhn, it’s so wonderful to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

Tairhn raised his clawed hand gently. “A child of Io is always a wondrous circumstance, regardless of what else ails the world.” He moved closer, hugging Astrius tightly before going to sit across from him.

Astrius stepped out his door briefly to have a guard go and fetch Aaron, but joined Tairhn shortly after, sighing as he sat down again. “This child has so much energy and the will to adventure. It’s clear he is unhappy being so secluded, but we cannot risk losing him.”

“This is true, but there are ways we can allow him to feel as though he is getting to explore. Has he spread his wings yet?”

“No, I have not taken him out of the city yet to learn to fly, it’s felt too risky,” Astrius said with a shake of his head, “I know we must, but I wished he could be a bit older and more able to defend himself, should one of Blythe’s minions find him.”

“Well, while the Titans are a looming threat, it is still necessary to find a way to allow everyday life to continue, including teaching the next generation. I am happy to be here to support Aaron while he is growing, but I do believe it is important for him to experience things naturally as any child would.”

“I wish it was that easy…” Astrius trailed off as they heard footsteps coming from the hallway, Tairhn turning his head to also glance at the door, seeing the guard returning with Aaron. The young boy shuffled nervously, as he did not often get to meet new people. Astrius smiled gently at him, motioning for him to come inside. “Come on in, please, shut the door behind you. We have much to discuss.”

Aaron stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, still standing a bit awkwardly. Tairhn smiled softly, motioning to the seat next to him. “Come along, little one, no need to be shy. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together.”

“Aaron, do you remember when I mentioned reaching out to an acquaintance of mine for your training?” Astrius asked as Aaron took his seat. When Aaron nodded, he continued, “This is Tairhn. He has helped with raising and training most of your siblings, so he is here as well to do the same for you. With his expertise, he will be leading your studies so you can become the champion we know you can be.”

“Oh come now Astrius, there’s no need for the formalities. We will get to know each other a little bit before we begin focusing on such serious matters. After all, how can he trust me if I’m still a stranger to him?” Tairhn smiled gently down at Aaron, who smiled back, feeling a bit more confident knowing Astrius trusted this dragon.

Astrius knew Tairhn has his own way of doing things, and that he was fully qualified to teach Aaron, but he worried with the severity of the situation that Tairhn was taking things too casually. But Lady Io trusted him, and he had to place his own trust in both of them that they knew the best for Aaron.

“Aaron, Tairhn is going to be staying in the temple for the foreseeable future to continue your studies. I expect you to listen to him better than you listen to me. That means no mischief. You’ve been much better since we discussed your future, but we still must keep you safe.”

“Astrius, don’t chastise the boy. If he sees me as some stern, overbearing figure, we won’t have a relationship where he can trust me.” Tairhn sat back casually looking back to Aaron. “Why don’t we spend the next few days getting to know each other before we start discussing learning plans, combat practice, and all that? How does that sound, little one?”

Stolen novel; please report.

Aaron nodded gently, still silent. He hadn’t exactly met anyone new, so even with his adventurous attitude he was exceptionally shy.

Astrius scowled mildly at being implied as a stern, overbearing figure, but he understood what Tairhn had meant. “Very well, I’ll leave you two at it and continue to focus on the temple duties. You will be solely responsible for him, but I do hope we can begin making progress soon.” He stood, along with Tairhn, bowing gently. Aaron hopped up as well to bow goodbye to the priest, and Tairhn put his clawed hand on the young child’s back, leading him back out into the hallway.

“Why don’t we go to the gardens? It’s quite peaceful and we can discuss things together, begin to learn more about each other.” Tairhn glanced down at Aaron softly, not happy with how timid Aaron seemed. The temple had sheltered him, understandably so, but he shouldn’t be this hesitant to speak to those he was introduced to. Of course, with the threat of the Titans looming, it made sense that everyone was afraid of losing him, but it sounded like the priests had taken it overboard with the fear-inducing commentary.

Making their way through to the back of the temple where the gardens were hidden away, Tairhn led Aaron to a semi-secluded corner, under a willow tree. The willow was littered with blossoms from the season, but they were not in bloom during the day, instead simply closed and blowing gently in the light breeze flowing through.

Tairhn sat in the grass beneath the tree, crossing his legs and letting his tail curl slightly around him. Aaron mimicked him, looking up expectantly.

“So little one, do you have any questions for me?” Tairhn asked gently, needing to gauge where to start with Aaron.

“High Priest Astrius said you raised my siblings too. Were any of them like me?”

Tairhn chuckled gently, shaking his head, “No, they may have had the same mother as you, however each child is unique in their own way. There could be none like you in this world. Astrius mentioned your father was a great powerful demon, and they live on the Infernal Plane of existence. Your siblings have immortality from your mother, as she is a goddess, but your demonic heritage makes you quite special.” He gently lifted Aaron's chin looking into his blue eyes, the black sclera surrounding them proof of his demonic blood. “From what I heard, your father defeated a Titan himself, which just goes to show what power you will be capable of. But that is for a later time. For now, I think it is important we see each other as friends. Not as teacher and disciple. I want you to feel comfortable coming to me about anything, and I know it must be hard being the only child in this temple.”

Aaron looked partially shocked to hear those words, and Tairhn could easily see tears welling up. He knew the child had to have felt lonely.

“It’s alright, little one. You won’t be lonely for long. I know it must be hard for you.”

“I hear the children playing in the streets outside of the walls… But I understand now why Father Astrius has been strict about me leaving the temple… I just wish that I could go outside.”

“Don’t fret, child. You will be allowed outside of these walls. I will be sure of it. We may not be allowed to let you interact with others yet, not until this Titan business has been resolved. But first things first, we need to teach you your own body and how to use it to your advantage.”

Aaron blinked, quite confused, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well, for example, I would like to teach you to fly. We also need to teach you your inner flame and how to summon it. Then we can begin working on combat techniques that use a variety of those tools and any weaponry you may show interest in.”

“I get to learn how to fly?? Father Astrius told me I had to wait-”

Tairhn interrupted him gently with a smile, “Of course you get to learn how, you should already be learning, but Astrius has been… struggling, I suppose is the best way to put it, with finding the way to do so without drawing attention to yourself. But that’s for another day, we will make plans to leave the city and teach you away from prying eyes and closer to the ground. Most hatchlings go below to the lakes to learn to fly. The water hurts less than the ground when crash landing, but it’s dangerous to go alone. If you are not careful with your wings, the water can weigh you down, so it is important you only go out for lessons with me so I can help you if you run into trouble. Can you promise me that?” Making a promise with the child to let them outside the walls would definitely help the trust gain, and learning to fly while seeing the outside world was quite the prize.

Aaron nodded vigorously, much more excited than he had seemed earlier. “I promise, I won’t leave the temple without you.”

Tairhn could already feel the tension leaving Aaron, touching his shoulder gently. “I appreciate that very much. It is best we do not keep things from each other, if you have any concerns, I ask you to come to me directly. I will never lie to you, Aaron, and I hope that you will do the same. There might be some things we don’t have to tell Astrius, but we should always be open with one another.”

Aaron giggled softly at the idea of them keeping secrets from Astrius, feeling much more relaxed than he had been in the office. Tairhn looked up to the sky above, watching the clouds rolling by.

“Aaron, it’s a dragon's right to be one with the sky. Once I teach you to fly, however, we will have to keep your flight lessons private, so if you ever feel the need to stretch your wings, simply come to me so we can schedule some time. We cannot risk someone seeing you fly, so it’s best that we work together to keep you safe, but also give you freedom. You are not a captive after all, and you should be allowed to have some semblance of a childhood.” Tairhn placed a hand on one of his knees as he forced himself back up, standing straight and spreading his wings. “Can you spread your wings for me?”

Aaron scrambled to his feet, spreading his wings as wide as he could, clearly straining to try and make them look as big as Tairhn’s. Tairhn chuckled, looking at the wingspan.

“Yes, your wings are quite developed enough, flight should be relatively easy for you to grasp. There are some techniques you will need to wait until your wings are fully grown, but for basic flight, you are definitely ready. I will speak to Astrius to begin preparations to take you out for your first flying lesson, hopefully within a few days. For now, why don’t we get some tea? I could use a sweet cake. Have you had a rock cake before?”

Aaron shook his head, having only eaten what the priests provided and they did not often have sweets.

“Well then, why don’t you go to your quarters, and I’ll head out to the market. I’ll bring back some delicious rock cakes and join you for tea in your room.”

Aaron bowed respectfully, and bounced off excitedly. Teatime was something he was used to, but he was always stuck with small sandwiches, so having a sweet for the first time was an exciting moment. Tairhn chuckled to himself, looking up to the sky once more.

“I will do my utmost to protect this child, my Lady. Not only from the evils in this world, but from those that would clip his wings. You have my word.” He folded his wings back and began to make his way back out through the temple to do as he promised for the child.

Even though it was a calm day, Tairhn knew that the child would grow quickly and would need to be ready sooner rather than later, but for now, he would not allow this child to be a prisoner within these walls. He knew from previous experiences with other children of Io that the priests of that race often tried to hide the child away, but Lady Io would not want her children restricted so. He made a vow to serve his Lady, and he would be damned if he allowed this child to be kept from having a life of his own.