The next morning Aidan came back shortly before eight, his pockets full of bread. He gave it, along with a couple boiled eggs, to the dragon and chattered about his reunion with his friend. Jaydon only half listened as he tore into his meal, careful not to let the sleepy guards see that he was eating. Finally Aidan realized that Jaydon wasn’t necessarily listening to him and rolled his eyes. “Hey, Jaydon. Listen.”

Jaydon stopped stuffing his face for a second.

“You know, I think this is really cool, trying to figure out a way to get you out. But we don’t even have a plan. All you told me to do is ‘find the key’. I don’t know where on earth the key is! It could be anywhere. And when I find it, it could be too late.” His voice started to waver.

Jaydon didn’t like thetone he was using. He narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean, ‘it could be too late.’”

Aidan wiped his eyes, “I just overheard last night. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were talking about Uncle Ralem. They said he was going to be publicly beheaded… today. For witchcraft and betrayal to our country.”

“Wh-WHAT?” Jaydon screamed in a hoarse whisper. He started to feel light headed. “I got to get out of here. I have to get out of this cage.” He jumped to his feet and hit his head on the roof of the cage. Still yelling, he jumped backwards and the cage veered dangerously to the left, before swinging him roughly of his feet and his butt landed hard on the mesh floor. He scrambled to his feet and shook the bars, growling like a wild animal. His sign swirled furiously on his shoulder blade. A vicious bite to the bars left his brain rattled.

“JAYDON!” Aidan yelled.

Jaydon froze, whimpering.

“Jaydon,” Aidan repeated, “We’ve got to come up with a plan. Banging against a cage doesn’t count. Please, tell me something I can do and I’ll do it.”

Jaydon dug his face in his hands. He gave a deep, shuttering breath, before releasing it in one long gust. “The truth is,” he began, “I have no clue what to do. Usually Ralem tells me what I’m supposed to do.” He immediately wished he didn’t say that. He couldn’t believe he had actually told this human kid. Feeling suddenly very vulnerable, the dragon curled into an even tighter ball.

A soft hand settled on his muscular forearm. “Hey,” Aidan’s voice came. “I understand. You’re kinda scared. I am too.”

“I’m not scared,” Jaydon said between clenched teeth.

Aidan stared hard at him. Jaydon avoided his gaze. “Face it, you’re scared. You love Uncle Ralem a lot, don’t you.”

“Of course,” Jaydon said gruffly.

“Well so do I. He’s like a second dad to me, and I’ve known him for as long as I can remember. Now it’s up to us to save him.  And I know we’re young and everything and not as smart as grown ups or whatever but I know we can do it. We just need to have it together.”

Jaydon considered this for a moment. Then he looked to Aidan with sparkling green eyes. “So… you have any ideas?”

“Uh… no.”

Jaydon made a face. “Great. How about we stick to my plan; you finding the key.”

Aidan frowned. Then he sighed, “Okay. I’ll be back to give you some snacks later on, okay?” And then he was gone.

Jaydon stared after him. There was a lot more to that kid than he thought, than even Ralem thought. And he hoped for all their sakes that he would find a way.

As he resumed cutting, he realized something. Absolutely no energy had been drained from him today. Which either meant two things:

(1)  Ralem had found a way to completely sever their connection.

(2)   They had stopped hurting him.

Jaydon desperately hoped that it was the latter.

At around noon, Aidan came back, sneaking to Jaydon’s cage. The guard had seemed to have forgotten about the ‘dangerous demon’ and he hadn’t seen him since ten that morning. Even so, the boy was very cautious as he stuffed everything he had in his pockets into the cage. Included in the mix were two apples, four tarts, a smashed piece of bread, and several little tuna fishes. The dragon started wolfing it down, but his eyes didn’t leave Aidan. “Well?” he managed with a full mouth.

Aidan shrugged, his eyes downcast. “Sorry, I looked everywhere. I asked everyone who could talk to me. They told me nothing.”

Jaydon tried to hide his disappointment. “Well I’ve got some good news,” he said, as optimistic as he could, “I’ve already cut through two of the bars. They are only connected by little strings of steel. If I have some more time I could cut two more and then I could snap the rest and escape.”

Aidan stopped. “Wait- what’s happening?” his eyes widened as he searched the growing crowd.

“What?” Jaydon snapped. He jumped to his feet, his eyebrows knit. The crowd lining the relatively small alleyway had cleared to leave a route from the guard’s quarters and prison to the heart of town. Aidan sidled closer to Jaydon’s cage as he was pushed backwards by the crowd. He hopped to his tip-toes, stretching his whole body to try and see over the heads. “What’s happening?” he repeated to the dragon.

Jaydon could see very well over the people’s heads from his vantage point. For a moment nothing happened. Then he saw two soldiers appear out of the dark hallway, and behind them- two more. These soldiers were half-dragging a man who seemed to be about half dead. His shock of raven hair drooped over his face as he weakly tried to stand up. When he appeared the crowd started jeering, their frenzy making it hard for the dragon to see. A forked tongue flicked out and he caught the image of a mass of red and yellow forms, then the darker hue of the prisoner. He choked. “RIDER!”

Ralem blinked in the sunlight as it burned his eyes. Everything around him was a sick blur, the noise and pandemonium, shifting faces and the pressure of the guard’s hands on his shoulder. Nothing seemed real at all except for the pain. The pain coursing through his body, leaving a bloody streak zigzagging up his spine. They had nearly skinned his back trying to get to that evasive dragon sign. And the second they had actually managed to pinpoint it…. Ralem had felt like Jaydon had fallen off the face of the earth. Like he was out of his reach forever. And he knew somehow, that his dragon side had been seriously harmed by this. It had sunk into the recesses of his mind, and it had not risen again. Even if he didn’t like that part of him, it had to be the worst feeling.

But now he felt no emotion at all. Oh God, please give me death soon, he prayed, lifting his eyes to the heavens before he was jerked forward by the guards. His legs felt like jelly under his body, practically useless. He didn’t feel the blood as it dripped down his mortally scarred back.

“RALEM!”

His blurry eyes lifted at the familiar voice. His eyes could hardly make out the form of a man floating… no in a cage. He was rocking the cage back and forth madly, roaring like a dragon…. Like a dragon!?

Ralem tried to focus as they jerked him down the street. “Jaydon?” he called weakly.

A sharp tug sent him tumbling to the cobblestones, where his arms just barely held him up. They grabbed him by the hair and arms, yanking him back to a standing position. The cage passed out of sight, but still he could hear the bellows ringing down the alleyway. Now the guillotine was in sight, ominous as it stood silently in the center of town.

They dragged him up the steps and he felt the air whoosh out of his chest as he was thrown onto the wooden bench. He lay as limp as a rag doll as they situated his head so that the blade would meet his neck in just the right spot. He stared at the wood beneath, stained permanently with the blood of its former victim. Forgive me, Jaydon, he thought as he closed his eyes and prepared for the arrival of death.

A man cleared his throat and addressed the crowd. “We have gathered here for the crimes of a man by the name of Ralem Blake, accused of the following: witchcraft, demon worshipping, high treason, and consorting with the enemy. For his crimes he shall meet the hungry blade and God shall be his judge.” He gestured to the executioner, “Let it be done.”

The blade was released, splotched with scarlet and whistling speedily to Ralem’s neck. Ralem couldn’t help but open his eyes and watch as it seemed to fall in slow motion. He had never thought it would end like this.

Aidan watched in horror as his Uncle limped past. “Uncle RALEM!” he called, but his voice was shadowed by the roar of the dragon. Aidan covered his ears in shock as the vibrations pounded into everyone’s skulls. Several people around the cage fell to their knees and Aidan turned his head to look at the dragon. As he watched, Jaydon’s mouth seemed to grow a couple sizes too large, his teeth lengthening as he screamed.

He didn’t even know when Jaydon had stopped yelling. Even as everyone’s ears rung deaf from the blast, Jaydon reached through the bars and grabbed Aidan’s arm, his eyes ablaze. “Get the pike!” he hissed, nodding towards the soldier.

Aidan could hardly understand, but he recognized the look in his eyes. Grinning, he stumbled over some people to the guard, who lay prone on the side of the cage. He had gotten the brunt of the blow. Aidan bent over and grabbed the pike, tugging. It didn’t move. The boy looked to the dragon, who nodded as if to say, get it. Aidan clenched his teeth and put his weight into it. The pike came free, forcing him to lurch backwards.

“Hurry!” Jaydon urged.

Aidan nodded and held the pike balanced between his hands, advancing towards the dragon. The dull ring was starting to wear off. The guard was going to be roused soon, if he wasn’t deaf.

Jaydon held out his hand and nabbed it from him. In a trice he had passed it hand-to-hand over to where he had already cut the bars. The steel blade turned into a flash as he sawed through the iron. Creak! One fell to the ground. Jaydon grit hit teeth, his muscular arms bulging as he started on the next one. Aidan watched dumbly, his mouth open in astonishment.

The other two came within a minute, although it felt like hours to them, and Jaydon hopped out like a free bird. If he had time he would have relished in his victory. Instead, he threw the pike into the soldier’s back, impaling him even through the armor, and took off into a sprinting run.

As he shoved his way to the heart of the city, he could see his Rider on the platform, his pulsing red back facing the sky. And he could see the blade screeching towards his neck. “NO!” he roared, pummeling  through the crowd. “NO-”

SNAP!

Jaydon froze.

 Aidan ran up next to him, panting. “What- they did it?” Jaydon crooked an eyebrow, clutching his chest. Tha-thump tha-thump, he could feel the steady, slow beating of double dragon hearts. “I’m… still alive?” he said, confused.

The crowd had hushed. Every pair of eyes were planted on the scene that lay before them. A broad-shouldered man had just jumped onto stage, and he faced the crowd with a grim smile. He had side-burns and shaggy dark brown hair. He observed the crowd with an aloofness that was worthy of a dragon. “Hello, fair people of Vulnaire,” he said soothingly, like a fox might before it plants its teeth into a rabbit’s neck. “I know you were all hoping to come out with your family to see a delightful beheading. Unfortunately, the Queen has had other thoughts about this rather nasty fellow and his death has been… postponed.”

Jaydon frowned. There was something fishy about this. A hand grabbed his from behind. “You’re under arrest!”

Jaydon hissed, “Stay out of this, fool.” He turned around swiftly, his fist lashing out and nailing the guard on the head. Without another thought, he turned around and marched up to the stage.

There the man was still talking, “So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking him back to the Queen.”

Jaydon jumped onto the stage with a snarl, “No you’re not.”

            “Oh, and are you going to stop me, Mr. Underwear?” the man smiled coldly, his light green eyes flashing.

            “Actually, that’s what I was just about to do,” Jaydon sneered, stalking closer.

            The man laughed. “I know who you are, Jaydon. Actually I should say I know what you are.” He smiled like a hungry wolf, “Weak.”

            Jaydon rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles, “Right. You won’t be saying that after I crush you like a bug.”

            “Like you could do that, Rexy. You’re precious human is at my mercy,” he gestured to the guillotine, where a double sided ax was keeping the blade from his Rider’s neck. “And you, you are wearing his skin. Your flesh is weak. You are completely powerless.”

            Jaydon lunged forward, and within a second his talons were locked around the man’s neck. They landed on the wood of the platform with a heavy thud.  Jaydon leaned over him, hissing. Then his mind registered something. A smell… or rather lack of it. Jaydon knew full well that people smelled… or stank more like it. And this man didn’t smell of anything. He didn’t smell of perfume or flowers or dirt or manure or even blood. Immediately he knew as the man’s smile curled under his grasp. “You… you’re a cat,” he breathed.

            “I prefer the word Felinus. And yes, of course. Did you really think you’d get me that easily?” He jerked his knees up to pummel Jaydon in the stomach, throwing him to the other end of the stage.

            The dragon landed on his feet, his teeth bared. “I will kill you!” he roared.

            He lunged, his talons out and ready. The cat jumped at the same time and they met mid-air, slashing and punching. People screamed and jumped out of the way as they landed in a dust cloud just off the stage.

Jaydon punched in a flurry of fists and steely claws. The cat managed to block or worm his way out of every one. “Don’t you understand? I was created to kill dragons. You could not hope to best me.”

Jaydon snarled and his knuckles grazed the cat’s stubbly cheek. “You were created to kill normal dragons. I’m not normal, cat.”

The cat heaved forward, rolling Jaydon so that he was facing the sky. “Don’t make me take my claws out. I have a high position here in Vulnaire. Wouldn’t want to have to change skins already.” His fist came out of nowhere and Jaydon’s head snapped back to the cobblestones. Suddenly the dragon was seeing two heavy-browed men looking down at him coldly. “You know what? I’m glad you came, Jaydon. Because now I’ve got two birds with one throw. Goodnight, weakling.” He arched his fist.

“RRAWWWWGH!” Jaydon drove his claws through the creature’s chest, ramming him upwards. He gathered his legs underneath him and stood up, his talons curved viciously into the cat’s rib cage. It gaped like a fish, black blood bubbling on the corners of its mouth. Jaydon smiled, “I really hate cats.”

A prick on the back of his neck. The cat smiled grotesquely. “If I go down, then I’m taking you with me, dragon.”

The crowd had made a wide circle around the sparring duo, and now they were astonished at the sight of the royal adviser, not only impaled by the demon, but also with huge sabres protruding from his own palms, curved maliciously around the demon’s neck. Now they had no idea who they should be rooting for.

Jaydon’s eyes hardened. Both of his hands were imbedded in the cat’s rib cage. He was virtually defenseless. And if the cat cut off his head, it would be all over. The cat smirked at his indecision, although it was clear the light was fading from those creepy eyes. A trickle of blood traced down the back of his neck.

Suddenly the cat’s knees buckled and he fell to the ground after Jaydon hastily withdrew his talons. He was amazed to find Aidan with a death grip around the cat’s knees, “Hurry!” he yelled, “Finish him off! I got him!”

Without hesitation, Jaydon’s foot crashed down on the back of its shaggy head and black blood bloomed onto the cobblestones. Aidan hopped to his feet. “Come on! Let’s go!” he stated the obvious. Jaydon raced towards the guillotine, slid his Rider from under the stopped blade, and slung him over his shoulder. For a second, he stopped to observe the shocked crowd, his smoldering eyes just daring them to stop him. Then he slung Aidan over his other shoulder and loped off through the crowd, before sprinting like mad far and fast away.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Aidan asked nervously as he settled into the hay.

“Pretty sure,” Jaydon replied, “If Ralem’s memory is correct, then this is the edge of Talian city. And besides, what are the farmers going to do if they find us? Come at me with pitchforks?”

“Well, pitchforks are pretty sharp,” Aidan said, stripping a grain of wheat.

Jaydon showed off his talons for Aidan, “Well these are even sharper. And besides, Ralem needs to be healed quickly.” He had set his Rider down face- first on a little nest of hay Aidan had quickly put together. Because he had been tossed around so much on Jaydon’s shoulder the wound hadn’t gotten the chance to scab over. Blood oozed steadily, a dark red on his skin. Jaydon’s eyebrows pinched in worry, “Why is he not healing?”

Aidan slid over to look. “Look! His tattoo!” He pointed.

A shiny needle stuck straight out of the tattoo, skewering one of the larger sliver swirls. The other swirls seemed to be trying to get away, but were stuck fast. “Wow, it almost seems like the tattoo is hurting too,” Aidan breathed.

“It is,” Jaydon said softly, “That’s why I couldn’t heal him. Oh no, if this can’t heal then… shirrtaugh! This could be really bad. Like, real bad.”

“Why?”

“Because that,” he plucked the pin out of the tattoo and it coiled up tightly on Ralem’s bicep, “Is not just a tattoo. It’s my soul. It’s how I can heal him and we can talk to each other in our heads. Among… other things.”

“Wow. You can talk to each other in your heads?” Aidan whispered, reaching out to touch it.

Jaydon waved his hand away, “Don’t touch it right now. I need to see if it will heal.” He watched it as it scrunched itself up in a tight, injured ball. A hole had been ripped into its side, but as they watched it slowly healed itself. Jaydon bit his lip as he felt the connection open just enough that his energy could be drained to heal. He was instantly glad he had regained some of his dragonish endless energy.

“Woah,” Aidan whispered, “Look. His back is healing! You’re doing it!”

Jaydon leaned back on the hay, exhausted through and through. He had accomplished what he needed to do,  but he didn’t feel quite done. It didn’t feel like he was quite reunited with his Rider yet. Maybe it was because their connection was closed. It hurt the dragon inside to be separated mentally for so long. He couldn’t wait until his Rider woke up…

“Hey, Jaydon?”

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to say that you are the coolest dragon ever. And… thanks for letting me come with you,” Aidan snuggled into his own hay nest.

“Thanks for helping me save Ralem,” Jaydon replied.

Aidan yawned. “You’re going to have to tell me more about that weird guy with claws. But tomorrow, okay? I’m beat, and I bet you are too from having to carry Uncle Ralem and me for two hours. Goodnight!”

Jaydon closed his eyes, “’Night.”

That night he dreamed of cats.

 He could feel it, pressing into his skin. Screaming, terrible screaming unleashed in  his mind. His fingers curled around the wood, nails bleeding as he tore at it in anguish. “NO!” he heard his voice cry out, not sounding quite like his own. “No! Please don’t! Stop! Oh, please, please!” The last word ended in a shriek as he felt it go deeper, its point driving through muscle and sinew. The screams intensified, leaving his brain in a murky mush. His eyes rolled up in his head. “Please… don’t  hurt me,” he said, sounding like a little boy. Schnik! “AUUGHHHH!!!!”

He jerked upwards, his fingers crushing something slender and long. Pins, maybe? He opened his eyes and cringed as they burned in the bright sunlight streaming through the window. Everything was so fuzzy, he could hardly even make out shapes, let alone where he was at.

Suddenly something shifted in front of him. “Rider,” a voice purred. “Rider, you’re with me. You’re okay. Everything is going to be fine.”

Ralem blinked and the fuzziness cleared. Sitting beside him was his dragon, still in human form. He was smiling so big that dimples creased on his cheeks and his fangs seemed just a little enlarged. Two black fly-aways curled like horns over his messy hair. He looked like a little kid, or a little tan vampire kid maybe, if that was possible. Ralem smiled weakly as he heard the purr blooming from the dragon’s chest. “My little hatchling,” he reached up to scratch him on the chin. “Where are we?” He blinked in the surroundings, the soft bed of hay and ribbons of light streaming from the window. “Is this a dream?”

Jaydon’s eyes rolled back in his head in pleasure. “No. I saved you, Rider. I told you I would get you out, and I did. You should never doubt me.”

Ralem stopped scratching for a moment. “Wait- but the guillotine! It killed me! We’re dead!”

“No, no it didn’t! I saved you, just like I told you,” Jaydon smiled proudly.

“But—how?” Ralem asked.

“Open your connection and I’ll tell you everything,” Jaydon replied.

Ralem was hesitant, He thought back to the torture devices, the pain, the screaming. “I… I don’t want you to see what they did to me, Jaydon. I don’t want you to remember what they put me through- I don’t want to remember.”

Jaydon’s smile wilted, “I know. But I can dim those memories, make them far off and distant. You’ve got to trust me. We’re a team, right?”

Ralem breathed deeply, trying to muster his courage. He exhaled. “Okay. I trust you, friend. Just… be careful.” And with that he slowly tore his mental barrier down. Jaydon helped, trying to worm his way in.

Finally it disappeared and Jaydon breathed in the sweet air of exultation. Ralem’s eyes widened when Jaydon put his hands around his temple, his eyes firmly shut. Suddenly everything came back, images in his mind, flashes of bloodied weapons, of that sneering face, screams. Jaydon’s eyebrows knit together, making a rift on his forehead. He bit his lip. Ralem could feel his hands shaking as he sifted through the memories and one by one absorbed them into himself.

Aidan hopped up the ladder to the hay loft, carrying a flapping chicken in one hand. “Jaydon! I got you some chicken!” he cried as he jumped through the opening and onto the wood.

Then he saw Jaydon leaning over his Uncle with a deep look of concentration, Uncle Ralem staring back, wide-eyed. What was he doing? Aidan let the chicken run off into the hay, squawking. Walking on his tip-toes, he crept over to the scene and hid behind a hay bale, his eyes peeking over.

Suddenly Jaydon’s eyes snapped open and he leaned back onto his behind. “It’s done.”

Ralem smiled weakly, “Thanks Jaydon. But you never did tell me how you saved me.”

At that moment Aidan hopped out from his hay bale, “He didn’t do it alone! I helped!”

Ralem started at the sight of his nephew. “Aidan? What are you doing here? Jaydon?”

Jaydon smiled, “He helped me escape from the cage and bring down the cat.”

“Bring down the cat? You put him in harm’s way? He could have been killed!” Ralem started to sit up, but fell back into the hay.

“I didn’t tell him to follow me,” Jaydon said defensively.

“Hey! You’re the one who picked me up!” Aidan yelled.

“What? You brought him with you!? Sarah’s probably going to be worried sick!” Ralem was starting to look a little feverish. “Bad dragon!”

Jaydon ducked his head, his eyes lowered, “Don’t yell at me! He’s fine! I made sure he didn’t get hurt.”

“Yes, I’m fine Uncle! I’m not a baby anymore,” Aidan puffed out his chest. “I’m older than even Jaydon is!”

Jaydon glared at him. Ralem frowned, “Jaydon’s different. He’s a dragon. You, on the other hand are a young lad who has no business running away from home and worrying his family half to death! You could get killed and then I’d never forgive myself!”

“You did that!” Aidan snapped back, his little fists balled, “You left us thinking you were dead! You know, I prayed every night for you to come home. And when you finally did, you just up and left us without a warning. You didn’t even tell me that you had a dragon or anything! So this time I decided that I wasn’t going to lose you again. I may be small, but I’m brave and I could help you!”

Ralem closed his eyes, considering for a long moment. Aidan waited in baited breath. Finally Ralem shook his head, annoyed. “Okay, Jaydon’s persuaded me. I can’t take you back now, it would only put the rest of the family at risk. So I guess you’re coming with us.”

“Yes!” Aidan fist pumped, flashing a happy smile to the dragon.

“But don’t think you’re going to be running around taking down cats left and right. We’re going to be sure to keep you extra safe as we return back to Baroke, where the other dragon Riders are.” Suddenly his eyes narrowed and he reached a hand to Aidan’s face. “Do you have a black eye? Who hurt you?”

Aidan avoided his Uncle’s worried gaze. “Other dragon Riders? Like you and Jaydon?”

Ralem nodded wearily, “Like me and Jaydon. Now who did that to you?”

An apple was tossed into his hands. “You’re hungry,” Jaydon said knowingly, “They didn’t feed you at all did they?”

Ralem didn’t reply. He was too busy tearing into the apple, not unlike his dragon. When he was finished Jaydon gave him another apple he had nabbed from one of the farmer’s trees and Ralem devoured that one too. Finally he let the flimsy cores flop to the ground and he leaned back with a groan. “I’m kinda tired. We can talk later.” And with that he rolled over and promptly went to sleep.

Aidan whistled, “Good diversion, Jaydon. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was tired.”

Jaydon ignored the comment and shook his head, his eyes stormy. “He has a reason to. Back in Vulnaire they almost killed both of us. But he got it worse, way worse. What they did to him shouldn’t be done to any man, no matter what their wrongs are. And I’m going to go back and teach them a lesson.” He cracked his knuckles and got to his feet.

Aidan’s brows wormed up to his hairline when he saw he was serious. “What? You mean you’re going back now?”

“Yes, and why not?” Jaydon said evenly, starting down the stairs.

“A lot of reasons! They could kill you!  You can’t just attack Vulnaire’s whole defense! It’s one of the greatest on the continent! And not to mention you’re still in your underwear.”

“What does underwear have to do with anything?” Jaydon rolled his eyes, “I don’t need clothes to fight!”

Aidan giggled, “Does Uncle Ralem let you run around without any clothes?”

“Uh… no.” Jaydon said, pausing, “But he’s just bossy.”

I wouldn’t let him either if I was Uncle Ralem, Aidan thought. “Oh, so is Uncle like your dad or something?”

Jaydon was so shocked he totally forgot he was going to beat some soldiers up. “What?”

Aidan smirked, “He’s like your dad.”

“What are you talking about? He’s not my dad!” Jaydon said, appalled at the very notion, “He’s my Rider.”

Aidan crouched at the edge of the ladder, “Does he tell you bedtime stories?”

“Yeah but”-

“Does he make you feel better when you’re sad?”

“Well yes but that doesn’t mean anything! We’re a team! That means we’re equal. He isn’t over me like a human ‘dad’.”

“Well you just said that he’s bossy. That means he tell you what to do,” Aidan prodded.

Jaydon frowned. “You’re really annoying me right now.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop annoying you. Just don’t go. What if something happens to Uncle Ralem and you’re gone? I know I could probably beat some up, but I’d need help!”

Jaydon could see the truth in his words. “Okay,” he sighed, “But I still need to go. I have to take a pee!” and with that he hopped down the ladder and loped out of the barn.

When he came back, Aidan was surprised to find that he had somehow managed to find some clothes. He wore a leather jerkin; like that a hunter would wear, with a long sleeve clean white shirt. Not to mention  baggy pants that fell down to his knees. He looked grumpier than a wet hen, though, as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair to attempt to slick it to the side. Even so his hair just flicked back to cover one of his eyes like it usually did. “Happy?” he asked grumpily.

Aidan raked his eyes up and down Jaydon’s form. Finally he burst out laughing. “Can you even breathe?” he asked.

Jaydon made a face, “Hardly. But Arianna once told me that fashion is a necessary pain.”

“Arianna?” Aidan asked, intrigued. “Who’s that?”

Jaydon smiled, “She’s my best friend. But Ralem’s head over heels in love with her.”

“Really? Are they going to get married? Is she pretty? What does she look like?”

“Woah woah, slow down. I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about her. But she is very pretty, well to Ralem anyway. She has dark dark brown hair with very blue eyes and a nice smile. Plus, she smells good and is super nice. I’d give her a ride any day. But that’s all I’m going to say about her.”

“Oh come on!” Aidan complained, “Tell me more!  Please, please, please!”

“Nope. If you want to know about her so much, ask Ralem yourself,” Jaydon unbuttoned his jerkin halfway so that he could breathe more easily. It was clear it was intended for a smaller man. The sleeves rode up too high on his forearms and the midsection was also hiked up a little. He tucked it in to hide that little detail.

“Where did you get that anyway?” Aidan asked.

“You know what? You’re really nosy,” Jaydon remarked sourly. He rolled his shoulders and almost ripped the sleeves off, “I got it from a clothesline. Nobody was using it.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow at him. Jaydon shrugged in response and settled on a hay bale, his bare feet propped on a small poof of hay. “So,” Aidan drawled, hopping onto a bale adjacent to the dragon, “Since we’re basically cousins, could I call you cousin? Or maybe just Jay?”

“No.” Jaydon grunted, “We are not related in any way. Just call me Jaydon, alright?”

Aidan plucked a stray piece of hay from his hair and considered it from between his thumb and forefinger. “So what kind of dragon are you? Are you half human and half dragon?”

Jaydon glanced at him darkly, “I’m all dragon, kid. I just look like I’m human because… I’ve been poisoned.”

“Yeah I heard the healer talk about it. But by who?”

Jaydon sighed deeply, “Are you always asking questions? It was this guy by the name of Frederick. Ralem and him were friends, but I knew there was something fishy about that guy… maybe it was the perfume he wore… that stuff was nasty.”

“But why would he want to do something like that to you? Was he jealous of how awesome you are or something?”

Jaydon nodded, appeased. “Probably. I mean, it’s hard not to. Even Ralem gets jealous sometimes.”

Aidan’s fast-paced mind skipped to another subject and he blurted, “Uncle Ralem told me how he hatched you. But what’s your side of the story? Did you choose him or something? Did it hurt?”

Jaydon thought back to that day. He thought back to when Ralem had run away into the woods, scared to death. He thought of when he had called out for him, his pitiful voice no louder than a kitten’s meow. He remembered trying to get to his shaky feet and falling again. He had struggled to stand for over an hour, mewling pathetically as his Rider had run speedily away from him as if he was some monster. Jaydon had finally grown tired and just lay on the forest floor, panting, and fully believing in his heart that his Rider didn’t want him or love him and that he’d be better off dead than living without him. But then he had found his power and-

“Jaydon?”

Jaydon snapped to the present. He blinked blankly at Aidan, who was waiting for a good story. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can you just leave me alone?”

Hurt flashed across Aidan’s face, “I’m sorry I didn’t”-

Jaydon instantly felt bad but was too prideful to admit it. He rolled over so that his back was facing the boy. Behind him, he could hear a series of footsteps, first slow, then fast and thumping. A loud squawking and flapping and Jaydon turned over to find Aidan holding a fat black hen. “I caught a chicken for you,” he said softly, holding the chicken out.

Jaydon snatched it, instantly forgiving Aidan for whatever trespass he had ever made upon him.

Aidan couldn’t help but watch in fascination as the hungry dragon tore into his meal.

Miles upon miles away, another young dragon was eating like he was starved. Fish upon steaming fish disappeared as the slender ice dragon got his fill.

They had been flying/walking for a couple days before they had finally arrived at Baroke. It would have been much faster if Fraylon’s wing muscles hadn’t been torn up by the creatures. Because of the pain, he had only been able to fly for short distances before stopping to rest. So, much of the time was spent walking in complete silence.

Daemon hardly talked to his dragon at all most of the time, but he could still feel the bitter disappointment radiating off Fraylon. That ice dragon loved Arianna to death and had been worrying about her safety every step they took away from them. Daemon was also regretting it, but the last thing he wanted to do was go crawling back to her like a spineless pup. Besides, the Princess had a stupid vampire for protection, right?

Regardless, Daemon was angry at her and angry at himself. And Fraylon had gotten the brute end of it. The whole trip back had been a nightmare of rising tempers and random outbursts. Fraylon never said anything back, but one night he was so upset he didn’t even open his wings for Daemon to sleep under his wingspan.

But they had made it back. This might not have been a fully good thing. The second they were spotted by Thistle, who had been patrolling the grounds, Lauri had rushed to meet them and she had not seemed at all happy. “Where have you been and where is the Princess?” she had asked snappily, her cold gaze demanding answers. Vali padded up next to her, her imposing snarl making Fraylon shiver.

Daemon had been expecting ‘we were so worried!’ and ‘glad you’re back’. He blinked, “We went searching for Ralem. I dropped out on the expedition,” he said, not wanting to admit the Princess had kicked him out.

“You mean you left the Princess all alone?” Lauri demanded. Her hands crept to the javelin she had strapped to her back.

Daemon stepped back nervously. “No. She has a Pegasus and a vampire…”

Lauri was an inch taller than Daemon but now she seemed to be a foot. “The Pegasus just came back this morning. She said the Princess had been attacked and captured by the Felinus shortly after you two went AWOL. Now we don’t know if she’s alive or dead, no thanks to you.”

Daemon felt his legs go weak. “What?”

Fraylon blinked hard, his ears drooping. “Really?”

“Really,” Lauri had said stonily, her eyes seeming to pierce Daemon’s heart and search every dark corner. “Now I know that Ralem was right. You are the cowardly type to try to kill a hatchling. Did he tell you that when you ordered those zeffna arrows on him that it killed both him and his dragon? And now you’ve killed Princess Arianna. Congratulations.”

Daemon sank to his knees. “I swear, I never meant for any of this to”- he choked up, his hands cracking in frost.

“Save it,” Vali rumbled, “We’ll get you two something to eat and then I want you down at the armory. Fraylon needs armor for the upcoming war. You’re punishment will have to wait.”

And that’s what they were doing now. Eating. Fraylon tended to eat more when he was distressed and that’s exactly what he was doing. Daemon on the other hand just moved his food around with his fork. How could he have messed up so badly? He remembered his last words to her, “ But if you die on this journey, then your blood will be on your own head. Not mine. Understand?” He clenched his fork, his eyes steely. Fraylon, we will avenge her death if it’s the last thing we do. Are you ready to fight?

Fraylon gazed at his Rider, raising his crest and half spreading his beautiful wings. “I am ready,” he said, his melodic voice somehow managing to sound threatening.

That day, the rings of hammers upon metal rippled through the armory.