Bonded for Life

Dragons avoided interactions with all two-legged races. During the war, their oldest friends were rendered extinct. For the safety of their kind, the Dragon King ordered the young and a few trusted elders to leave their birthland. However, shortly upon arrival into the new one, they were attacked by a race called humans. They were merciless, attacking the dragons daily. Even now, centuries later, they continued the offensive. The only difference between then and now, there was one two-legged the dragons trusted.

‘Rhys, where are you?’

Rhys glanced up, searching the circular valley. He struggled to spot the voice’s owner against towering walls, but he eventually spotted him flying from their den.

‘By the lake,’ Rhys replied. He sent an image of where he was, and the dragon turned widely. Rhys kicked his feet, enjoying the warm water as the dragon flew towards him. As he grew closer, Rhys admired his dark silver scales. Everything about the dragon reminded him of the night. They shimmered like moonlight on restless waters, and his wings glimmered like the night sky. Even the eyes reminded him of the pale, blue moon, just like his own.

Rhys smiled as the dragon dived straight into the water. He stood from his perch and dove in as well. He swam deep, his smile widening when he found those blue eyes. He reached out to touch the dragon’s nose. His fair skin was a stark contrast against his dark scales.

‘Miss me already?’ he said.

‘Of course, little one,’ replied the dragon. ‘Remember the day we met?’

‘Of course. Do you honestly expect me to forget the day I gave you your name, Isra?’

‘And how long ago was that?’

‘Eighty-three summers and a hundred-sixty-four days, Isra.’

‘You were so small, then.’

‘I was three, Isra, and an elf. I may not remember the day I was born like you, but I have remembered things since I was two.’

‘Three, and ready to fight to the death.’

‘I was surrounded by humans and wolves. Did you expect me to surrender to my death? And stop ignoring everything I say!’

‘Alright, elfling, it’s our turn to guard the entrance. Grab hold,’ Isra said. Rhys rolled his eyes, swimming to the bare space on his shoulders and gripping the small spike at the base of his neck.

‘How many times do I have to say it? It’s just elf. Not elfling. Elf,’ he said. Isra laughed as he burst out of the water. He veered to their den first, landing on the ridge outside. Rhys jumped from his shoulders, ringing out his hair as he walked in.

‘You need to cut that again,’ Isra said, eyeing the long white strands.

‘How long is it?’ Rhys asked aloud.

‘It’s down to your lower back again.’

‘Already?’ Rhys asked, glancing at the dragon as he changed his britches. ‘Remind me when we’re done with this shift. I’ll cut it again.’ Isra hummed as Rhys fastened his belt. He watched as Rhys sheathed his dagger behind his back, vividly remembering how that dagger trembled in the firm grip of the little boy he found.

‘All right, let’s go,’ Rhys said as he settled on his shoulders again, gripping the spike and his spear tightly. Isra immediately dropped over the edge. Rhys shouted, laughing as Isra dove to the canopy, pulling up at the last second. He hollered again as Isra rolled mid-air, laughing louder as they levelled.

‘I love flying with you, my friend,’ Rhys said.

‘As do I, little one,’ Isra replied, ‘but I will never understand how you stay on my back, much less how my scales don’t harm you.’

‘Do I have to explain it again? First, it’s my magic that’s keeping me from falling off. Second, elves are no delicate flowers; our skin is tougher than humans. I can survive a short flight like this,’ Rhys said. Isra snorted, smoke flying into the elf. Rhys coughed, slapping his scales.

‘And those special britches you keep saying you’ll make?’

‘…I haven’t found the right material yet,’ Rhys grumbled.

‘Mhmm.’

‘You know, I would have found the right material if…’ Rhys trailed off, his mind drifting to his parents. He can still hear their screaming underneath by thunder, the feel of solid gales and rough seas. Rhys can remember how tall the wave was when it capsized their ship and how it broke apart. How he tried to hang onto his parents when they tried to push him free from the hull, and how he surfaced alone. Rhys doesn’t remember much after falling unconscious on a piece of driftwood; only when he woke up, he was in a foreign land. If Isra hadn’t come to his rescue when he did, he’d be either dead or further lost than when he landed on that shore.

‘Have you heard anything from Arisk yet?’ he asked.

‘No. It’s been a few moons since I last heard from my grandmother,’ Isra replied.

When Rhys remained silent, he attentively added, ‘I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon, Rhys. If anyone could find your people, it’ll be her. She even got the king involved.’

‘I know, I remember. It’s just been years. We were on that ship to visit my mother’s family in a different land. I’m just wondering if they’re still looking for me or if they think I’m dead.’

‘Don’t think that, Rhys,’ Isra said, trying to hide his sudden anxiety. Both he and his grandmother had done everything to return Rhys to his family, but after the first dozen attempts, the thought of him leaving began to frighten him.

‘I’ll tell you what? If we don’t hear from her by the end of spring, we start searching ourselves,’ he compromised.

‘I’d like that, Isra, thank you,’ Rhys replied, patting his scales as Isra landed on another ridge. Rhys looked back, his worries finally easing at the scene. From that height, the circular valley was in full view. The forest was filled with yellow, orange and red trees. A crystal-clear waterfall flowed into the large lake at the far end. Dragons of every shape and size, colour and age were everywhere. Sires and dams on tall ridges, teaching fledglings to fly. The older ones practised complex manoeuvres alongside their parents. Hatchlings played on the ground and in the canopy; some even practised gliding. Young adults mingled in and around the forest edges; the males used their surroundings to their advantage. Females sniffed at those who caught their eye, prancing around each other attentively.

‘I love this view,’ he whispered. Isra swung his head around, humming in agreement.

‘I remember when I first brought you here. It was the first time I made you speechless,’ he said. Rhys scoffed, facing forward as Isra descended the stone stairs.

‘That’s because this mountain is shaped like a tree! Its six points curve out and up from the main body. All that’s missing are the connecting branches and the leaves. Not to mention, this valley seems to have its own heat source,’ he yelled, startling the nesting dragons in the outer dens. They turned to glare at him, their mates popping their heads out to do the same.

Rhys smiled awkwardly and said, ‘Sorry.’ Isra swallowed his amusement as they all huffed, returning to tending their young. Isra walked to the cliff’s edge, turning off to the right. Rhys held on tight as he jumped, flapping his wings to get up onto the higher ledge. He flinched as Isra released a grating, bark-like call in greeting to the two dragons on guard there. He rubbed his ears as they replied in kind.

‘Great. Now I can’t hear,’ Rhys said. A silvery white with purple eyes laughed a cough-like wheeze, bringing her head in front of him.

‘Hello to you too, Rhys,’ she said, eyes glinting.

‘Hello, Ikay,’ he said, jumping from Isra’s shoulders and waving to her dark red and golden mate. ‘Hello, Rokunak.’

‘Hello, Rhys,’ Rokunak replied, nudging his side gently. ‘You’re late.’

‘Yes. I’m sorry, that’s my fault. Isra had to pick me up from the lake.’

‘Do other elves love the water like you, Rhys?’ Ikay asked.

‘I…honestly don’t know, but from what I remember, elves love all forms of nature. Some may have a preference over the other.’

‘What’s your preference?’ Rokunak said.

‘The air. I enjoy being in the air the most.’

‘Good answer,’ Rokunak and Ikay said.

‘Anything suspicious happened?’ Isra asked, satisfied at Rhys’ answer.

‘No sightings,’ Ikay replied.

‘Again? That makes this the twelfth day in a row the humans are nowhere to be seen,’ Rhys said. Rokunak growled lowly in agreement.

‘It makes my scales itch,’ he said.

‘What about the other two? They haven’t seen anything?’ Isra said.

‘They said the same when they switched with Yddrisk and Akara,’ Ikay said.

‘Are they patrolling already?’ Rhys asked.

‘Yes. They’re waiting on you to contact them,’ Rokunak replied.

‘Very well. Go rest. You two need it,’ Isra said.

‘We’ll see you when we’re off,’ Rhys said. Ikay and Rokunak hummed and nudged Rhys again before repeating the gesture on Isra. Ikay was the first to jump off the ledge, descending to the forest far below. Rokunak followed her shortly after.

‘I should probably hunt after this turn too. I haven’t eaten in a while,’ Isra said as he got comfortable. Rhys laid his spear down and sat on the edge. He peered down, watching the wind weave through the canopy. He loved how the green leaves changed between two different shades. The white clouds above them were thin and misty, giving the forest a mysterious appearance.

‘I’ll never get used to this view either.’

‘Which would you prefer? The view resembling the sea more than an actual forest or the valley of dragons?’

‘Oof, way to make it hard, Isra,’ Rhys said, briefly glancing at him before looking up. ‘The view of the stars is better out here, especially during the day, but I prefer the valley. That unique colouring in the leaves, nothing will beat that.’

‘Hmm, true.’

‘You contacted Yddrisk and Akara yet?’

‘Yes. They’ve already done a full circle around the base of the mountain and the lower dens, no sightings. They’re on their way back to us.’

‘It doesn’t make any sense, Isra. Humans attack dragons daily. We haven’t seen one in days.’

‘It’s making me feel uneasy too, Rhys. I am worried for the safety of the dragons nesting in these outer dens.’

‘I can’t imagine they’d make it up this high without us noticing,’ Rhys said, standing and sitting again on Isra’s leg.

‘Neither can I, but given that they’ve vanished, they might be planning something large.’

‘Now that gave me chills,’ Rhys said. He rubbed his arms as two green dragons approached the ledge. Both males growled, agitatedly flexing their wings.

‘That bad?’ Rhys asked. The darker green dragon snarled, digging his claws into the stone.

‘Even the camps are deserted,’ he said.

‘Calm yourself, Yddrisk,’ Isra said.

‘Isra, those camps, they’re too clean.’

‘Clean? Clean how?’

‘No weapons, no coverings, no nothing. It’s as if the humans were never there,’ Akara said. A sickening feeling swelled in the pit of Rhys’ stomach. He glanced at Isra grimly; the same sentiment was expressed in the dragon’s eyes.

‘You got that close?’ Rhys asked.

‘Closer,’ Yddrisk said.

‘I think we will look ourselves,’ Isra said. Rhys nodded, turning to retrieve his spear. As he picked it up, he heard a sharp but distant, echoing ting. He looked up, slowly standing.

‘Rhys?’ Isra said.

‘Did you three hear that?’

‘Hear what?’ Akara asked.

‘A small ting, like a pebble falling against stone,’ Rhys said. The three approached the edge, checking the lower ledge.

‘All I hear I our brethren,’ Yddrisk said.

‘If he said he heard it, Yddrisk, then he heard it,’ Isra replied.

‘You know his hearing is better than ours,’ Akara added. Yddrisk grumbled but didn’t argue. Rhys ignored them and concentrated on his hearing, closing his eyes. For a few moments, he didn’t hear anything. He was beginning to think he might have imagined it, but then he heard it again, only closer.

‘That time I heard it,’ Yddrisk said as Akara growled lowly.

‘Akara, Yddrisk, warn the dragons. Tell them to take their young inside the valley if they can,’ Rhys said. Yddrisk and Akara growled in acknowledgement, following him down to the lower ledge. As they turned inward, Rhys and Isra walked closer to the edge. He glanced left and right, above and below, but he saw nothing that could cause that sound.

‘Isra, can you see anything?’ Rhys asked.

‘No,’ Isra replied. Both jerked to the left when they heard the sound again. Rhys walked closer to the ledge wall, finding a tiny shelf following the curve of the mountain. Rhys put his left foot on it, the space only fitting his toes.

‘The humans wouldn’t dare to try this way…would they?’ Rhys said, facing Isra.

‘I don’t know. They’re always being tenacious with their attacks,’ Isra said, peering around him to get a better look at the shelf, ‘but to get to this height on such a small ridge is suicide. Even for them.’

‘Suicide or not, it would still take several days to climb this high…’ Rhys trailed off, looking at the dragon in alarm. Neither had the chance to shout a warning when a battle cry rang out. Spears rained down, dragons roaring in panic.

‘No!’ Rhys cry was drowned out by a deafening roar. Both Rhys and the humans dropped their weapons to cover their ears. Even the dragons flinched and lowered themselves, whimpering.

‘Rhys!’ Isra grabbed the elf and ducked as a massive gale blew over the ledge. The humans were knocked off their feet, screaming. Rhys peered around Isra’s wings, eyes widening and shouting as the most enormous claws came into view. The entire mountain shook as the dragon landed. Isra slowly unfurled his wings, bowing his head to the gigantic purple dragon. Rhys clutched at his ears again when it roared a second time. The mountain trembled as it dropped to all fours, growling viciously.

‘The king…’ Isra mumbled. Rhys eyes’ widened again, glancing from him to the purple dragon. He stuck close to Isra as the dragon peered into the humans’ eyes, its golden eye flashing with rage. Rhys shouted as he released the grating, bark-like call, stumbling to his knees as the most powerful voice bounced inside his head.

‘Listen well, humans, I sent my kith to these mountains so they could be safe while I finished a war of an unknown evil. When I finally return, what do I find but my brethren being attacked by a race of trivial consequence. So I will tell you what I told the other humans; attack my kith again, and I will end you like I ended the evil.’

Rhys shivered at the promise in his voice, moving behind Isra’s leg as the king opened his mouth, heat sizzling out of it. The humans yelled and screamed, scrambling to run. The king swallowed his fire and snorted, smoke blowing from his nostrils.

‘Cowards,’ he grumbled, folding his wings.

‘Well, what do you expect from a race that only lives a century,’ a woman said from his back. Rhys perked up; the voice was strangely familiar.

‘Sometimes not even that, Your Majesty,’ a man said. Rhys gasped, recognising that voice too.

‘Rhys?’ Isra said.

‘I-I know that voice,’ Rhys said as the dragon king lay down, extending his leg for three elves to climb down. The king then stood and called over the edge. There was a distant roar, and Isra raised his head.

‘Arisk?’ Rhys said, and a black dragon soon landed on the ledge. She turned toward them and hummed, walking over.

‘Grandmother,’ Isra whispered.

‘My young,’ she said, nuzzling him. Isra returned the gesture, growling softly in greeting. She lowered her head, fixing her pale blue eye on Rhys.

‘Hello, Rhys,’ she said.

‘Hello, Arisk,’ Rhys replied, walking out and touching her nose. He looked over the elves the king brought, finding all of them staring at him.

‘Aunt? Uncle?’ he said.

‘Nephew,’ his aunt cried, running to him. Rhys met her halfway, hugging her tightly. Then, he felt his uncle come to rest at his back, clutching the pair.

‘We found you. We finally found you,’ he said. Tears rolled down their faces, Rhys aunt sobbing into his shoulder.

Isra keened a soft rumbling sound, lying down. Arisk growled softly, nudging him affectionately.

‘I have asked his family to let him decide to stay or leave. They understand he may have grown attached to you,’ she said. Isra grumbled, in no way reassured.

‘Are you Isra?’ the second woman asked as Rhys finally stepped back from his family,

‘I am. Who are you?’ Isra replied.

‘Isra, this is Esol, the Elven Queen. The other two are Elova and Vorson, siblings of Rhys’ mother. Rhys, that is Jarvàs, the dragon king,’ Arisk said.

‘Hello, Rhys,’ Jarvàs said softly, lowering his head slightly. Rhys gulped, intimidated by his size.

Jarvàs laughed and said, ‘Do not worry about my size, little one. I do not bite friends.’ Rhys laughed awkwardly and slowly reached up. He hovered over the largest scale on his nose, silently asking for permission. Then, at the king’s low grumble, he slowly pressed his hand onto the warm scale. Jarvàs hummed, the tip of his tail twitching in amusement.

‘I’d like to thank you for looking after Rhys all these years, Isra,’ Esol said. Rhys faced the two and gasped at Isra’s depressed posture.

‘Isra, what’s wrong?’ Rhys said, rushing over. He knelt in front of his nose, softly stroking the scales there.

‘Don’t leave,’ he whispered, speaking to Rhys only. Shocked, Rhys didn’t know what to say to that. Leaving was such a foreign concept; he never really thought about it.

‘Please, could you tell us what happened to our nephew,’ Elova said.

‘Arisk told us something of what happened, but we like to hear it from you,’ Vorson added. Isra huffed, curling around Rhys before regaling what had happened years ago.

‘It was my turn to patrol the shoreline: severe storms often have a habit of directing inexperienced dragons off course. I expected to find dragons collapsed in the sand, not pieces of driftwood scattered over the shore. The design on the wood wasn’t human, so I landed to take a closer look. As I was checking it out, I heard a scream followed by war cries and howling in the forest. Normally, no dragon would investigate. My king, humans might be of little consequence, but they sure know how to harm us. But I just reach adulthood at the time, and my hatchling curiosity had yet to vanish, so I followed the screams. I could see the humans on their wolves, chasing something small. I couldn’t make it out through the canopy, but it was heading to a small clearing. I landed there and waited. It was some time before this small two-legged child burst out of the forest,’ Isra paused, looking at Rhys’ soft smile as he remembered it too. ‘He carried that dagger, his grip tight but shaking, and he tripped and rolled to a stop at the sight of me.’

‘Well, it was my first time seeing a dragon,’ Rhys defended.

‘But you didn’t have time to stare at my greatness. The humans ran into the clearing, still on their wolves. This toddler yelped and spun around, glancing between them and me.’

‘Because I thought I was stuck between a rock and a hard place,’ Rhys interjected. Everyone laughed; even the dragons slowly gathering chuckled.

‘The humans started shouting, half getting off their wolves to hunt Rhys while others attempted to hunt me. Then, I realised I had a choice: leave Rhys and save my scales or protect him. His high cheekbones and pointed ears reassured me enough that he wasn’t human.’

‘And you protected him?’ Elova said.

‘Yes,’ Isra replied, glancing at Rhys again. ‘Best decision of my life.’ Rhys smiled and touched his forehead to the dragon’s nose, his aunt awing.

‘How did the humans find you, Rhys?’ Vorson asked.

‘Probably the same reasons as Isra, just to kill anyone who invaded their shores,’ Rhys replied.

‘What happened to those humans?’ Esol asked. Everyone turned to her; even the dragon king stared at her dubiously.

‘What do you think, Elven Queen?’ Jarvàs answered.

‘Ah.’

Rhys swallowed his chuckle and stood. Isra finally raised his head so Rhys could sit on his front leg.

‘At first, the other dragons disapproved of Rhys, but that little child had a certain charm. He had every dragon in this mountain vying for his attention before the next summer rolled around,’ Arisk added. ‘He even did something Isra refused to do for a long time.’

‘What was that?’ Vorson asked. Rhys smirked and patted Isra’s upper leg.

‘I gave him his name.’

‘Ooh,’ Esol giggled. ‘I was wondering why a dragon carried an elvish name.’

‘It suited him best out of the names I remember,’ Rhys said.

‘Journey of the night,’ Vorson defined, studying the dragon, ‘a perfect fit indeed.’

Rhys looked up at Isra smugly and said, ‘Told you.’

‘Quiet, Rhys,’ Isra grumbled. Rhys and the dragons laughed as he huffed in annoyance.

‘Well, thank you for looking after our nephew, Isra,’ Elova said.

‘We look after each other,’ Rhys replied, gesturing to the Rokunak, Ikay and the others. ‘We’re bonded for life.’ The dragons roared as Elova and Vorson frowned slightly, facing each other. Rhys watched as they conversed mentally, relieved to see them smiling softly.

‘In saying that, Rhys, what do you wish to do? Do you wish to stay or return home?’ Esol asked. Isra tensed as the question was finally asked, turning his to Rhys nervously.

The elf smiled reassuringly and said, ‘Forgive me, Queen Esol, but I am already home.’

Esol smiled, nodding. She looked towards Elova and Vorson expectantly.

‘Our nephew considers these dragons family, Your Majesty,’ Elova said.

‘I’ll think it’ll be rude of us to not repay Isra and the dragons for everything they’ve done for our nephew,’ Vorson added.

‘Then we’ll stay,’ Esol said.

‘Your Majesty,’ Elova said but stopped when the queen raised her hand.

‘I will be staying for some months, Elova. I have learned that these humans will be troublesome if left unchecked. If the dragons struggled against, then we may also struggle,’ she said. ‘It would be best if I mediate with the humans’ on their behalf. What do you think of this, Jarvàs?’

‘That would help greatly, Esol,’ the dragon king replied.

‘Then, let’s not waste a moment. Rhys, which way to that inner valley? I am curious as to what colours lie inside this mountain.’

‘This way, Your Majesty,’ Rhys said, hopping onto Isra’s back. Esol smiled and climbed onto Jarvàs as Elova and Vorson climbed onto Arisk. Isra roared as he took off, the dragon king shaking the mountain as he followed. He smiled as the valley appeared before them. He looked back, seeing his queen’s and family’s shocked faces. He laughed as he faced the valley again, enjoying how the dragon all followed after them, dancing with the wind. Leaving may have been a foreign concept to him before, but he was definitely confident that he was never, ever going to leave his dragons.