Everything was cold and dark. The stone floor was rough against Cain’s skin. The air was heavy and damp, filled with the scent of sulfur and moss. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, taking grains of rock fragments with his cheek. Once to his feet, he brushed his face clean. Scrapes and bruises sent a stinging pain across his face. The good news was that there was no blood and his nose was not broken. I must have fallen on my side, he thought as he looked around for the cave entrance.
Cain thought back, trying to remember what led him here before he fainted. An angered man, his father, scolding in a loud, drunken rage. The cause of which eluded him. It could have been the lack of milk from the cow he milked that morning, or just his father not wanting to see Cain that night. Anything was possible, it was not the first time and it would not be the last. He sought shelter from the cooling, autumn air in this cave, which was like a second home for as often as he came here to escape his fathers wrath. Each night he spent in the cave, he would explore the depths, somehow finding more tunnels and crevasse each time. Something to do at least.
A quick glance around revealed the entrance a hundred yards away, taunting Cain with his lack of progress that night. The pain emerged in his core with a low growl, reminding him why he passed out. No food had been spared for him for a few days. Despite his wishes, he needed to go outside and find food. That was easier said than done, his father never taught him how to hunt or scavenge. He rarely taught him anything beyond fetching another drink from the fridge. He reluctantly turned back to the entrance, perhaps there might have been some berries or vegetation just outside.
A gruesome, crunching sound stopped Cain in his tracks. He looked back into the abyss, squinting to try and get a look at what was creating the sound. Nothing but darkness engulfed his vision. The torch he brought went out while he was unconscious.
Curiosity got the better of him; he spun back to the cave, sneaking deeper into the darkness, the sound crescendoing as he approached. The crunching stopped when Cain was a few yards away from the source, replaced by a bone chilling silence.
With a staggered breath, Cain called out, “H-hello? Is someone there?” He stood as still as a statue waiting for a response. A moment passed, and then another; no response came. He took a deep breath and continued, “My name is Cain, I do not wish to harm you. Who… or what are you?”
After another long moment, Cain came to the conclusion that his hunger was causing him to hear things. Before he could turn, he was paralyzed by a pair of deep, blue eyes blinking open just in front of him, the black pupils narrowed into slits. Every muscle in his body seized, disobeying his mind that told him to run as fast as he could. The air in his lungs escaped in a pitiful whimper as he stared back at the terrifying, yet majestic eyes. They seemed to be staring straight into Cain’s soul, analyzing everything about him.
“This one reeks of misery and anger….” a calm, devious female voice said. Now Cain knew he was deprived of essential nutrients, he was seeing and hearing things now. “I can assure you I am real, Cain. It pleases me you can understand me, so I shall not bring you harm either. Since you are hungry, I do not mind sharing this.”
Faintly illuminated by the dim light shining from the entrance, a scaled paw reached out to Cain, holding the severed leg of a sheep. Blood poured from the open end, a fresh kill it seemed. Cain stared at it, his mind split in two. On one hand, he was starving and this was enough meat to feed him for a week. However, the situation was extremely bizarre and dangerous, getting an offering of food from an unknown beast that could speak.
“That is right, you humans require your meat to be cooked.” The claw withdrew the leg and the sound of twigs being tossed around echoed in the cave. Not long after, the cave was illuminated by the fire, painting the walls with an orange hue. That, however, is not what drew Cain’s attention; in front of him, now reflecting the light was a dragon. Its midnight black scales reflected the flames' lights with a flicker, a dazzling display of beauty and enchantment; from head to tail Cain guessed it was the size of his fathers horse. Having little knowledge of dragons, he wondered if all dragons were that small. The tales he had heard made them sound like giant, mystical beings.
The dragon looked down at the dancing fire, holding the legs just above, rotating it with its claws slowly. Cain sat on the ground and watched, his body no longer had the energy or the will to stay standing. It took a while for the meat to cook thoroughly, but eventually, the dragon placed the sheep leg in front of Cain. He hesitated, unsure if this was some sort of trap to lure him into a false sense of security.
“As I said, I will not bring you harm. Like you, I sought shelter here from my pursuers,” it said as it continued its own feast. He wondered how it was reading his mind, wondering if all dragons could do that, but there was something weirdly comforting in the dragon's voice, giving him the courage to finally dig into the cooked sheep leg in front of him. That first bite was exquisite, the juices from the fat coated his taste buds with the most flavor he had tasted in years. Cain felt a sense of comfort and familiarity rise in his chest, as if there was someone who finally understood him, something he had never felt before. Someone who might actually care about him.
The dragon chuckled with satisfaction, ripping another chunk of flesh from the carcass. Hope and wonder rose in Cain’s heart, though it was different, as if it were not his own feelings. “Perhaps we can help each other, Cain. My name is Kryn, I hope we can form a productive, influential partnership.”
⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫
Evelyn woke with a jolt, eyes shooting open as her breath labored. Her eyes darted from side to side, taking in her surroundings. Thick layers of trees filled her vision, coated in the yellow light of the rising sun above. Looking down, Lumin was awake as well, looking up at her with a worried expression; a low, inquiring grumble resonating in his throat. As if the dragon in her lap was not enough of a reminder that the previous day was not a fever dream, her muscles ached from the long hike.
“Are you alright, Lumin?” she asked, stroking his cheek. “Did you… have a dream last night?”
“Dream…” Lumin stewed over his answer, reminding Evelyn there are many words he had not heard before. She wondered how he had understood a lot of what she said up to this point. Were Dragons so intelligent that they understood most language from birth? How did they already know so much? It was clear Lumin understood Evelyn since hatching, he even spoke his first words not even an hour after he came into the world. Though he was just repeating what Evelyn had said the moment prior. “I think so. I was not me, I was a you, but not you.”
His speaking skills are developing so much already, dragons must be super intelligent beings, she thought. It wasn’t perfect, but impressive nonetheless. Then another thought struck her. “Were you in a cave in that dream?”
Lumin nodded. “Yes, no light. Meet bigger dragon.”
“Black scales, big, blue eyes? Called herself Kryn?”
Lumin nodded. “You know her?”
Evelyn scratched her head; first their emotions, now dreams? Was this what was supposed to happen with a rider bonded with a dragon, sharing feelings and dreams? It was a peculiar dream, it felt real to her, as if she were Cain. A sparkle in his eye, Lumin smiled as his tail thumped slowly against the ground.
“You dream same!” Lumin exclaimed.
The pair was startled by a loud bang ringing through the air, echoing around the trees. Lumin perked his head up as Evelyn jumped to her feet. She jerked her head around, trying to pinpoint the source. Her heart sank as she realized her brother was no longer in sight. After a quick glance, there was no sign of him in the area. Benjamin was clearly not happy with the situation, but he wouldn’t leave Evelyn and Lumin alone. Many thoughts raced through her mind, every possible scenario bouncing around uncontrollably, causing her to get disoriented. She stumbled back to feel the cool touch of scales against her. Lumin chirped to her, giving a nod; with the support, Evelyn was able to take a deep breath and settle her thoughts down. Worrying would do them no good, but that loud noise was concerning.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Leaves and brush rustled nearby, grabbing their attention. Evelyn stepped between Lumin and the sound, holding her arm out protectively.
“Stay behind me,” she said. If the riders already found them, there was little Evelyn could do, but at least she could shield Lumin enough for him to flee.
”No,” Lumin started, nudging her hand away and stepping up with her. “I safe you, too.”
She felt a warm wave of his pride through their bond. Before Evelyn could persuade him to retreat, the rustling came closer, inching toward their camp. She braced herself in the most intimidating battle pose she could think of, Lumin following suit.
After a tense moment of waiting, Benjamin emerged from the brush with two rabbits in his grasp, blood dripping from the furry creatures. Benjamin raised an eyebrow once he saw the battle ready pair.
“Are you doing the Digifighter game pose?” Benjamin snarked, placing the rabbits next to a fire pit that eluded Evelyn’s attention in the commotion.
Looking down at herself, she was copying the pose of a video game character. She relaxed her muscles and responded with a blush of embarrassment, “No… Maybe.” She placed a hand on Lumins head, getting him to relax as well. “We heard a gunshot, I thought…”
Benjamin pointed to his pistol holstered at his hip before throwing sticks into the pit, beginning to rub a pair together, a string of smoke starting to rise from the friction. “Trust me, if the riders found us, there would be more than one shot fired.” After some effort, a small flame erupted to life, slowly spreading to the surrounding foliage within the fire pit.
Evelyn sat next to the fire, the heat from the flames pushing away the brisk, morning air away from her cooled skin. A tail wrapped around her as Lumin sat next to her, watching Benjamin slowly cook the rabbits. The deep rumble in her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten in almost a full day. Though her hunger paled in comparison to Lumin. His stomach growled louder than any animal she had ever heard. He stared intently at the rabbits, licking his lips, studying every detail about them. Though the circumstances were dire, she wished she had food to give him the day prior after he hatched, hoping the delay in nutrients would not harm his growth.
Once the meat was cooked, Benjamin handed Evelyn a full rabbit, tearing the leg off the other and tossing the crude leg to Lumin. Evelyn shot a glare at her brother, who shrugged and took a bite from the full rabbit in his possession. Lumin sniffed at the leg inquisitively, taking in the scent before devouring it in one bite. Evelyn wasn’t sure he even chewed. He mewled with glee, but the rumbling in his stomach did not stop. He shifted his gaze hungrily to Evelyn’s meal.
“Were you not able to find another one?” Evelyn asked.
Benjamin looked back up at her, gulping down his mouthful of food. “I was lucky to even get the two. I can’t waste bullets and cause a lot of noise when we have people chasing us. That thing is just going to have to suck it up, Evy.”
Looking back at Lumin, Evelyn could see the disappointment etched on his face, despite his efforts to internally suppress the feeling. Against her instincts to devour the rabbit herself, she offered it to the dragon who tilted his head.
“You eat?” Lumin squeaked.
Evelyn shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Sure I haven’t eaten in a while, but you haven’t eaten ever. You need this to grow big and strong.”
The hungry dragon whimpered in protest, but relented; he took the rabbit, finishing it in a few bites, causing Evelyn to jerk her hand back. Not even the skeleton remained. His natural, predatory instincts were both impressive and frightening. He purred and licked bits of meat from his lip, looking up at Benjamin thankfully. Lumin’s delight in a full stomach swept through Evelyn, washing away most fear she felt at the savagery.
Benjamin did not return the satisfaction, scolding Lumin with his stare. Lumin bowed his head as if he did something wrong.
“What?” Evelyn asked, pulling Benjamin’s attention away from Lumin. “He needs to eat.”
“So do you, Evy. I’m sure a dragon can go longer without food than a human.”
“You don’t know that. He was only born yesterday and hasn’t eaten. It was already dangerous for him to go this long without a meal, let alone a substantial one.”
Benjamin scoffed and looked down at his meal, pondering for a drawn out moment. The remaining food found itself in Evelyn’s lap after Benjamin tossed it.
“What about you?” Evelyn asked.
“I can find some berries or something.” Benjamin shrugged, scanning the surrounding trees.
Gathering berries did not take long as Evelyn finished the remainder of the meat as Benjamin came back, stuffing his mouth. Once finished, they put out the fire, scattering the wood and throwing dirt on the ash. Satisfied no trace of their existence was left behind, they set out toward Cove.
Even with limiting themselves to a couple short breaks, they traveled most of the day. Occasionally having to stop to free Lumin from his entanglement with vines and foliage. With each stop, Benjamin expressed more frustration with the dragon.
“At this rate, we won’t get there before sundown.” Benjamin said.
“I’m sorry…” He would whimper each time Evelyn freed him.
“It’s ok, just try to keep your wings tucked in tight.” Evelyn gave Lumin a pat on the head.
The sky slowly faded from blue to orange as they heard the first signs of civilization; the muffled commotion and conversations of people. Evelyn picked up her pace to find the edge of the treeline. The extended arm of Benjamin stopped her before she could run herself off the tall hill overshadowing the town. Her muttered apology faded as she looked over the town of Cove.
Rows of houses squeezed tightly together surrounded a large market in the center. The homes spread apart further and became increasingly in disrepair as they moved away from the center, some homes seemingly abandoned on the outskirts. There were no roads for cars, but a highway leading to a shipyard that was cut off from the rest of the town. How people came and went from the town eluded Evelyn until Lumin gasped and she followed his gaze. Beyond the market was a large dock curling around the crest of water, matching the length of the town. Hundreds of ships, ranging from fishing boats to the one feeder ship. Most were docked for the night with a few stragglers coming in from the ocean, leaving the large gulf open for a stunning view.
Land surrounded the large body of water, leaving only a small gap into the vast sea beyond. To the left was the shipyard housing containers and broken ships, to the right, a towering mountain spanning the length of the land until it reached the calm ocean. The setting sun behind them reflected off the water, tinting it with a warm, orange hue, matching the sky above where seagulls soared in search of food.
A soft membrane brushed against Evelyn’s side, pulling her out of her trance. The small wings of Lumin unfurled slowly, desire emanating from his awe inspired smile. It was overwhelming, Evelyn felt everything Lumin felt. The jealousy of the seagulls, the yearning to touch the clouds, the urge to run out and extend her wings and let the wind take her. She wanted to fly. She needed to fly.
“Evy? Evy!” She snapped back to reality, feeling Benjamin with both hands on her shoulders, shaking her.
“W-what happened?” She stammered.
“I was going to ask the same thing. Your pet seems like he is going to take off.”
Lumin was inching forward, his wings completely extended.
“Lumin,” Evelyn called. His head snapped to Evelyn, his eyes bulging with hope. “You want to fly, don’t you?”
He nodded and responded with enthusiasm, “Looks fun, we should—”
“Don’t even think about it.” Benjamin coldly cut Lumin off. “Until we find this Isak person, this thing stays hidden. Keep it out of sight, no running around or flying.”
Wings drooping, Lumin whimpered quietly. Evelyn did not need to feel his emotions to recognize his disappointment. She put a reassuring hand on the dragon's back, simultaneously shooting a glare at her brother. Despite her disdain at how he delivered the message, he was right. No one could be trusted yet, and everyone should be considered a threat to them, especially to Lumin. If the wrong person saw the dragon, Evelyn didn’t want to think about what they would do.
On top of everything, whatever that desire was concerned Evelyn. Feeling what Lumin felt was one thing, but his feeling overtook hers, nullifying not just her feelings, but her free will as well. Hopefully this Isak has information on dragons, she thought.
“Leave it here while we go into town,” Benjamin suggested,
“Absolutely not,” Evelyn denied. “We are not leaving Lumin alone, he stays with me.” The only response Benjamin gave was a grunt followed by an eye roll. “Do you think we could take a wagon or something to hide him?”
“I would prefer it if we avoided committing anymore crimes. But a cart or something could work.” Benjamin pondered for a moment, scratching his chin.
“Like that?” Lumin said, pointing into the town. Evelyn tracked what he saw, a devious grin growing.
“That could work, is it technically a crime if it’s abandoned?”