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After the ancient war almost decimated their peaceful people, they learned to defend themselves. Never again would they suffer losses of such magnitude, not that they often had to fight when they kept themselves so insular.
Benji missed his home and the life he’d left behind, but this mission was important. If he could complete the task he’d taken on, it would be worth all the sacrifices he’d made. He was confident that the new Therian king was the right one to approach for assistance, but the timing was crucial.
He’d been grateful to miss the old king. From what he’d seen since his arrival and the many stories he’d heard about Luca, Benji believed he fought to do what was best for the world, human and Therian alike. The trouble he brought to the king’s door would require an open mind and a cooperative attitude.
The previous day, as the king made plans with his mate, Benji paused in his wanderings to test a door and gasped in delight when the handle shifted, and the door swung wide to allow the comforting scents of ink, paper, and leather to flood his senses. While the room lacked the layered scents of an older building, the books held on to the environments they’d visited over the years.
Bright sunlight streamed into the room through tall stained glass windows depicting many Therian species and illuminating a spectacular store of books. Elaborately carved wooden shelves lined the room from floor to ceiling, and comfortable reading areas were scattered around.
Benji thought the library was warm and welcoming and was delighted to have found such a treasure trove of knowledge. He had made yet another request for a personal audience with the king, but there were so many urgent situations going on that he was still waiting.
Benji relaxed for the first time since he left his nest. He trailed a hand reverently over the books, examining one title after another. With so much knowledge at his fingertips, the lifelong scholar didn’t know where to start. Back home, this horde of books would have been a prize above all else.
The owls believed knowledge was the ultimate power, but they’d kept themselves so isolated and cut off from the rest of the world that they had crippled their knowledge of everything outside their domain. Benji knew the history of his people and everything they had known before the Rending, when they withdrew from the rest of the planet. The owls knew little of what had occurred outside their community for the past six thousand years. They had only reestablished tentative connections with the Therian empire in the past century. The youngest dragon prince had been in negotiations to study with the owls before his unfortunate death.
He’d found a section of books covering historical events and chosen three with anticipation. The tomes were a collective history of Theriankind, and Benji had carried them to one of the reading tables with the reverence he felt they deserved. He dove into the first volume, eager to learn what the rest of the Therian world knew about their shared history.
In his hundreds of years of study, Benji had become an avid historian, though most of his information ended with the fall of Atlantis and the terrible destruction wrought by the Abyssian invasion. One thing he had studied at length was the origins of Therian bloodlines.
These books focused on the major events of the past ten thousand years. At first, Benji was shocked to see little about the Rending in the official history, but he knew from the firsthand accounts that few of the dragons who’d fought in that battle had lived to talk about it. He hadn’t found anything about the true origin of Therians or what had brought magic into their world. Benji was disappointed that he hadn’t discovered a new tidbit about the beginning but wasn’t surprised.
These archives would keep him busy for years, but they weren’t likely to tell him anything he didn’t know about Maerlin. Benji had been chasing her through art and literature for centuries, but he’d yet to make contact with the enigmatic creature who was, for all intents and purposes, a goddess.
A century ago, on one of the owl’s rare sanctioned archaeological expeditions, Benji had discovered the ancient journal of a young girl who had escaped the fall of Atlantis with her family. Hers was one of only twelve families to survive, and it changed everything he knew about their origins.
The earliest Therians had appeared millions of years ago, but Benji was confident he was the only one who knew or even had an inkling of the truth. The more modern Therians had developed two hundred thousand years ago, but recorded history on the subject didn’t begin until much later. Therians evolved into the forms and abilities they had today fifty thousand years ago.
Benji found the books fascinating and spent several hours absorbed in stories of long-dead Therians. The sky darkened by increments, but Benji didn’t notice. He had no trouble seeing in the dark. He eventually grew stiff at the reading table and carried the books back to his room, then sought something to soothe his grumbling stomach. After sweet-talking a cook for a quick meal in the kitchen, Benji returned to his room, where he read through the night, catching up on Therian history.
A knock on the door made Benji jerk his head up, and he woke to see the morning sun streaming through the window. He was stiff, having fallen asleep in an awkward position while reading in bed.
“Enter,” he croaked, reaching for a glass of water on the nightstand.
A tall, thin man with one vivid green eye and one turquoise eye, both with vertical pupils and a neatly trimmed forked beard, stepped through the door and smiled at Benji as he bowed. “Good morning, sir. My name is Remington, or Remy if you prefer. I am King Lucaindrion’s personal assistant. He thanks you for your patience and has requested that you honor him with your company in his private study at noon for a meal and conversation.”
“Fantastic! Thank you. Please tell the king I gratefully accept,” Benji replied enthusiastically.
Remy nodded. “I shall do so.” He gave Benji directions to Luca’s study before leaving.
Benji dressed quickly and gathered up the tomes, reading as he walked through the halls toward the kitchens. He gratefully accepted breakfast from the servants preparing food for the palace’s inhabitants and took a seat at one of the small tables out of their way.
He continued reading as he ate, barely aware of the world around him as he read about Therian history from an entirely new perspective. He planned to spend the morning in the library until it was time for his meeting with the king.
Benji couldn’t deny his fascination with this history he hadn’t known. He hated seeing his people's lack of representation in the archives, but his studies had prepared him for that. The Rending had changed everything for the owls.
Knowing how he was around books, Benji set an alarm and read until the chime jarred him out of his concentration. He packed the books into his bag and set off for Luca’s study. As he followed Remy's directions, the words he’d practiced whirled through his mind. Two guards stood watch outside the king’s study, and Benji approached them cautiously.
“Halt,” the guard on the left said. Both men were enormous and heavily muscled. He stopped immediately, holding his hands up.
“State your business,” the other added.
“I am Benjamin Sciathian. I’m here for an appointment with King Lucaindrion.” Benji focused on keeping his demeanor calm and his tone relaxed. He’d heard about how volatile and easily offended the dragons were. He also understood that the palace was flooded with thousands of new people, and the guards were rightfully protective of the king.
“He’s expecting you, sir,” the first guard replied.
Benji nodded and stepped forward to knock on the door. “Thank you, gentlemen.”
The guards didn’t respond, but he did receive a brief smile and a nod. Benji thought they weren’t used to being thanked and found the experience a novelty since the regime change.
