I looked at his full mouth, his wide nose, his eyes like molten gold. The scales on his cheekbones brought out how perfect his face was. A being so beautiful, and so powerful, didn’t belong in this place.

“You know I’m under a spell, don’t you?” he asked in a sad voice. “You have the power to see such things.”

“I do, but I didn’t know it when you crashed into King Esthar’s council room. It took me days to find out what I was capable of, and then we lost…” I shook my head. “I’m sparing you the details right now. We’re running out of time.”

“I know. In less than three days, I’ll be giving Esthar a choice between surrendering his throne and letting me scorch his land.”

I tried to smile.

“This is what I’m here to prevent. I traveled all the way here with two companions, because the only way I’ll know how to help you is by taking a good look at your neck.”

The guard lying next to us had a spasm. Kossi looked at him, then at me again.

“You’re my only hope, you know. If you don’t release me, I’ll be forced to burn down cities and kill thousands, and it’s a guilt I can’t live with.”

He took my hand and backed up to the bed. Why the bed? He could just sit down on the chair. What does he have in mind? As I was trying to keep my foolish brain from making up crazy theories, Kossi simply sat down on the edge of the bed, with both feet still on the floor, and lowered his head to expose the back of his neck.

Okay, he just forgot there was a chair. Or he thought the bed would be more comfortable. Now, how do I stop my heart from racing?

I climbed on the bed behind his back, struggling with the woolen skirt I wore over my pants. I balanced myself on my knees on the blanket, and then I gently pushed the dragon’s black coils away from the glowing symbol only I could see.

“How did you know the sign was behind your neck?”

“It’s where it itches and burns, whenever I try to resist Saegorg’s authority.”

“You were right, but, well… This may take some time.”

While most spells read like a word to me, or like a sentence, or a simple manual, this one was like an essay, written by a student with terrible handwriting. I’d never seen anything that complex since I knew how to read magic.

“It took a whole ritual to subdue you, Kossi. From what I understand, it required years of preparation. And I certainly don’t have years to find out how to get rid of it.”

I can see how it works. Orders from his master override his will. However, information seems to only go one way. Saegorg can have Kossi say something specific, but he can’t make him spit out everything he knows about a given subject. What’s inside his head, he’s still able to keep to himself. But even with such a limitation, doing this to a dragon must require an awful amount of magic!

Kossi sighed. “What’s for me out there, if you can’t release me of Saegorg’s authority?”

I tried to keep a neutral voice, but my hand clenched a bit on the hair I was holding away from his neck.

“King Esthar is setting an ambush for you in Carastra, with the Senior Magi and all his armies, save for a handful of soldiers that he sent after me when I refused to take part in his plan.”

“You ran away?”

I shrugged. “You’re a protector of Brealia and you were clearly acting against your will, so I chose to try and save everyone, including you. I’m not a warrior, you know. I’m a teacher. I want to bring the best out of people, not to butcher them!”

Kossi put his hand over his shoulder, touching mine. “Thrown into this world to be King Esthar’s hero, and already standing up to him. I can’t tell whether you’re incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.”

“Both, of course.”

And not so true to my supposed moral values. I hid, I stole and I lied to get to you.

I let the spell unravel a little more before me. The more I stared at it, the more I understood its logic, as if new depths gradually came to the surface. There was a way out. There always was.

Kossi sighed once more.

“I’ll never thank you enough for coming to my rescue. You don’t know me, after all. You only ever saw me as the terrible creature who burns villages and says awful things because his master tells him to.”

“It’s true. That’s all I saw of you.”

“So why are you here? Why did you think there was something to save?”

“I may not know you, but Princess Nigella does. She told me about you. She’s the one who arranged my escape.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

As far as I know, she’s still supporting me. I hope she won’t be too disappointed with the result.

“Little Nigella?”

His voice sounded just like a kind uncle’s. I nodded.

“She misses you, Kossi. You’re like family to her. Do me a favor, will you? Once you’re free, spend more time with her. She brutally lost her mother and brother, in a world that won’t let her grieve properly, so she needs a familiar figure by her side.”

“Well, if I survive this, I can try.”

I looked up from his neck and stretched. “I think I know all I need. The spell is bound to you by two seals that must be broken by two separate people. We should start with the first one right now. Stand up, please.”

Of course it can’t be simple. Of course there have to be two steps. And of course, the second one has to be far more difficult than the first!

Through the open window, we could see the sky darkening outside. Kossi and I stood in front of each other. Okay, Alicia. Make eye contact, say the words and get out of here.

“You’re lucky, Kossi. The first seal can only be broken by someone who had nothing to do with the spell, but who sincerely wants to set you free. Hello, I’m Al, and I’m this person.”

He smiled. “Hello, Al. I’m so happy you’re here.”

I’m glad you are, but this is Saegorg’s fortress, and there are countless places I’d rather be.

“Let’s get it over with. For the first step to work, we need to look into each other’s eyes.”

I put up my hands and held his face. It felt slightly warmer than human skin, and the scales were smoother than I’d imagined. Oh dear, I could get lost in these eyes…

I cleared my throat. “Gold Dragon Kossi! I, Alicia Lebel, known in this world as the Great Hero Al, release you from the seal of the people!”

I felt an energy wave run under his skin, very subtly, for a short while. Then reality became normal again. Kossi frowned.

“I don’t feel any different. I’m still bound to this place, and to Lord Saegorg’s authority, I suppose.”

“That’s because the other seal, the seal of magic, remains. Let me take a look at your neck.”

He pulled his hair up and turned around. The symbol hardly looked any different, but the magic had lost some of its depth and the spell didn’t glow as much.

I put up my thumb. “Good! It worked. But now, the hardest part begins. I need to trick Saegorg into breaking the second seal.”

“Why Saegorg?”

The surprise in Kossi’s voice was unexpected. At this very moment, I knew the end of the quest would be even more difficult than I thought. I frowned.

“He’s the one who put the spell on you, isn’t he?”

Kossi shook his head. “No, it wasn’t him! Saegorg has no magic ability of his own.”

My shoulders fell. It was someone else. But who? Turoch Garnet’s lead went up in smoke with his grimoire. Someone must have elaborated on his old work, but I can’t possibly find that person in two days, unless I…

“Al?” asked Kossi.

I snapped back to the present. The dragon was staring at me.

“Do you need the wizard’s name? I know it. It got imprinted in the spell when it was cast on me.”

“What is it?”

“Uturi.”

I never heard that name anywhere. This is not helping.

“Do you know who that person is?” I asked.

Kossi shook his head. “I don’t. I’m sorry. I was in my lair and the wizard wasn’t, so I didn’t get to see him, just feel his spell and hear him transfer the control to Saegorg. That’s when he used his name.”

“Don’t you have the power to know it? You’re a dragon, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and it doesn’t make me omnipotent.”

He crossed his arms.

“I’m faster and stronger than most living creatures, I sense natural powers while humans can’t, which is ridiculous, I can alter the shape and size of my body, but being a young Gold Dragon doesn’t come with the ability to identify a random person at a distance. Uturi might be a well-known wizard, for all I know, but I never paid much attention to human magic users. Or to human celebrities, at all. I’m sorry.”

Then I must ask Cherub.

I raised my hands in what I hoped was a soothing gesture.

“It’s okay, I have someone I can get the information from. I’ll sort it out…”

“It’s too late! He knows.”

All hope had vanished from Kossi’s beautiful face. He caught my wrist, without violence, but I could feel his superhuman strength. Even though he didn’t hurt me, there was no escaping his grasp. I remembered the head cook’s words.

He can snap a neck with one hand.

I fought back the terror that made me want to struggle. I just looked up at the dragon’s sad eyes.

“Is there nothing you can do?”

“I tried fighting back. It only hurts more. I’m sorry, Al, but I can’t let you go.”

There was banging on the door. Kossi walked to it, shielding me from whatever was on the other side, and we both listened.

Many voices. Probably guards. Someone angry asking us to open. I tried to think of a way out, but there was none. Even if I was foolish enough to try the open window, Kossi was holding my wrist, and he couldn’t leave the room.

We ignored the din until Kossi straightened again.

“This is it. I must open now. I hate being so powerless.”

I tried to catch the key with my free hand, but he unlocked the door before I could do it. There was a bunch of guards in the corridor. Some of them looked sick, but they had spears and they could easily kill me. The officer at the door looked down at his fallen comrade.

“What did you do to him?”

I wanted to lie. I wanted to pretend I was good old Alicia, Teya’s friend, and the dragon guy with the golden eyes was holding me hostage. Then I remembered Saegorg knew. He had Kossi restrain me before he made him open the door.

I couldn’t lie anymore, so I just shrugged.

“He got hit on the head. He’ll be fine soon.”

The guards cautiously went around Kossi, pointing their spears at me.

Please let Catalin and Chess out of it, I’m the hero of Brealia, I’m the one Saegorg wants…

My heart sank as my friends were shoved into the room. The two of them were biting on cloth gags, and their arms were bound behind their backs. By the look of their hair and clothes, they’d fought before being captured, but they weren’t hurt.

Pure terror shone in Catalin’s eyes, while Chess’s seemed to say “I told you we had to be quick”.

I can still find a solution. I can still keep them safe. Just let me think…

The officer stood in front of me and barked at my face.

“Alicia! You lied your way into this place, pretending to be friends with cooks you’d actually locked inside their own house. Lord Saegorg is on his way to show you how we deal with spies in Inabar!”

Spies. There must be one somewhere, waiting to send a report to Faur.

I put up my chin.

“I’m a lot of things, Sir, but if you’re looking for a spy, try someone else.”

He slapped me hard with his gloved hand. The pain shot in all directions, red-hot, making me clench my teeth to suck in a cry of pain. I gave the man a look of defiance, a single tear rolling down my left eye. Kossi extended an arm as if to push him away, but his hand stopped mid-air and an elegant voice spoke from the threshold.

“Thank you for your diligence, Captain. I will now talk to the spy myself.”

And Lord Saegorg walked into the room.