Half Magic | Book 2

Fifty Four: We Three

I don't know how long we sat there, holding each other. It was no small amount of time, to say the least. The first to stir was the dragon. I sniffed, wiping my face on my cloak, and looked up into those giant golden eyes. He raised his head a little over us, peering down with an expression I couldn't place. 

Then again, I had no reference for the expressions of dragons. He could be feeling anything right now and I wouldn't know it. 

'Little ones,' he began, but just like in our dreams his words rang in our heads. 'You have found me.'

Schula snorted a laugh, wiping her own face on the back of her sleeve. "How are you doing that? Talking in my head."

'It is the way of all dragons. My mouth will not form the words of men and fae, and your mouth will not form my tongue.' The dragon set his head back down on the sand, seemingly tired. 'And, it is easier for me to speak this way. I use no energy.'

He shifted his weight a little, and the light clinging of the white chains all over him made my heart ache. 

"Dragon, what can we call you?" I asked. 

He set his golden eyes on me, and blinked slowly. 'Call me what you will, little one. The names I once used have faded with time, and even I do not wish to be that being any longer.'

I met Schula's eyes. She had a worried look, and proceeded to sit in the sand by the massive black head, and lean against it, stroking the warm scales. 

"Why are you here?" Schula asked. "And how do we free you?"

The eyes closed slowly, then opened. 'I was imprisoned in the bones of my kin. The only chains strong enough to hold me.'

My gaze fell on the chains again. To my horror, I realized what he was saying. Bones. These chains were made of dragon bone. My mouth fell open as I stared at them. 

'As for why I am here, it is of no consequence now. I once fought for my territory. I was vengeful, and wrathful. The humans did no harm here, yet they were where I was protecting my mate and younglings. They are no longer here.' The dragon sighed, stirring up dust and sand around us with his warm breath. 'For centuries I was enraged. I fought my bindings and cursed the humans. When I finally accepted the fate of my kin and myself, I slept. A dragon can slumber for... a very long time.'

"How long were you asleep?" I asked softly.

'I do not know. Only that I have slept,'  he answered.

I sat down on the other side of his head from Schula and leaned my cheek against his warm scales.

"Dragon, I don't know your tale and you don't know ours, but I know you can see we belong to each other. Will you come with us to the Wyldes?" Schula asked. "A beautiful land of magic? We have dire business there yet, and you would make our hearts whole to come with us."

The dragon snorted out a soft laugh. 'Yes, I would come with you, little ones. The problem will be to free me from my chains.'

But Schula shook her head. "Do you know what a triquetram is? It may have been called by another name when you were aware of it."

The dragon thought for a moment. He was quiet and contemplative, closing his eyes and opening them again slowly. 'I know of the bond of three, but I have never heard of it existing with a dragon'

"Yet, you cannot argue that it has happened." I placed  a soft kiss on the scales under his eye.

In my head he was laughing. A merry sound that brought me joy to feel tickling my thoughts.