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With this method, it led me down, deep into the sublevels of the castle. I probably could have found the dragons myself, just by following the increasing heat. Brought a whole new meaning to the warmer/colder game.
Down below seemed to be a network of giant caverns similar to Walter’s throne room. The gremlin, with a long, chittered explanation that still gave me nothing, pointed the way deeper in, then fled, climbing up a pillar and skittering across the ceiling. The floor heated my feet through the ankle boots, so I sympathized with the barefooted gremlin’s plight. Although after that chilly wind in the arena today, the warmth felt pretty damn good to me.
I made my way cautiously through the shadowed cavern. Not like I’d trip over a dragon or anything, but I wasn’t at all sure of my welcome. Probably risking my fate to a dragon’s mood wasn’t the smartest move in my magic-depleted condition, but hey—opportunity had knocked and I didn’t plan to stay in Walt’s labyrinth of a castle beyond tomorrow morning. All I needed was a ride home. Oh, and magic wouldn’t work on it anyway. Onward.
I heard the dragon before I saw it. The chain rattle of dry scales over stones made the angel hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There was an atavistic fear in confronting a giant reptile. Snakes and crocodiles and dragons should never be big enough to swallow one whole.
This one could do it without noticing.
It glittered even in the shadows, jewel tones catching some kind of otherworldly glow, shining like phosphorescence in a cave. An amber light spotlighted me, as if a great round window had opened. It took a moment for my mind to assimilate that the dragon’s eye had opened, gazing at me with its own self-created light.
It took longer than that to persuade my frantic nervous system that fight or flight were not the only two options.
The dragon groaned a little, shifting into a more comfortable position, just as Darling would, enjoying a snug spot in the covers. The dragon lifted a taloned foreleg and shifted back a little more, showing me its belly in obvious invitation.
Either that or the enticement to get close enough to be easily munched.
Following my instinct—besides, who was I kidding? It could have gobbled me up any time it wanted to—I stepped close and scratched the tender and surprisingly soft scales. The dragon rumbled, sounding close to a purr. Using both hands, I redoubled my efforts and the lily earrings fell off, dropping to the floor.
“Dammit,” I muttered, annoyed with myself for forgetting.
I felt around on the shadowed floor, then got on my knees in the hopes of seeing better. The dragon shifted, nuzzling my head with scorching hot breath and the amber light of its gaze illuminated the area. Snatching up the earrings, I tucked them in my pocket. The dragon’s great snout followed my movement, then lingered over my hip, snuffling at my pocket.
Oh.
With a bit of trepidation, I pulled out the dragon’s egg I’d taken to carrying in my pocket all the time. The amber light brightened and the dragon hummed a delighted sound. I held out the egg on the palm of my hand and the dragon’s long tongue—dark purple and forked at the end—flicked out to lick it. Then wrapped around it and plucked it from my palm, setting it very carefully in the crook of its elbow.
“Well, I supposed that’s fair,” I told it. “My gift to you. If that even counts since it was likely stolen from your kind to begin with.”
The dragon nuzzled my pocket again. This one might not go over as well. I pulled out the vial of dragon’s blood though, and held it out for inspection. It sniffed, tasted and harrumphed in what I could swear was the dragon’s version of a laugh. Pushing its snout against my hand, it indicated I should put the vial away again.
The tacit blessing pleased and relieved me. Though I would have given it that too. In that moment, I understood something more about the nature of worship. The creature so awed me that I wanted to give it anything at all. I wished I’d pocketed one or two of those poisonous apples from the orchard at Castle Brightness.
“Well, I’ll leave you be.” I scratched the itchy spot once more and the eye half closed in pleasure. “I just wanted to meet you. Pay my respects, that kind of thing.”
The dragon nuzzled the egg and hummed happily.
“You’re welcome.” I hesitated. “Um. This feels forward and I know you have better things to do that cart people about, but if you’re available to give us a lift back in the morning, that would be really great.”
The dragon’s tongue flicked out to brush my cheek, the barest kiss of heat. Somehow I couldn’t quite envision Walt having the patience for this kind of conversation. Maybe I was wrong, since he’d clearly established some kind of connection.
“Okay. Well, see you in the morning, if that works out for you.”
In the darkness beyond, I heard more rustling. Scales and leathery wings. More spotlights shone in the deep caverns as sets of amber and gold eyes opened, lighthouses in the distance. Despite the heat, I shivered a little at the sight.
Here there be dragons.
*
I made myway back to the rooms feeling curiously restored by the encounter. The gang, however, was none too pleased by my solo excursion. Especially when I ducked telling them where I’d gone. For some reason the encounter felt special enough that I just wanted to hug it to myself for a while longer. Sometimes it seemed that telling someone else about an extraordinary event took the life and color out of it. I couldn’t explain to myself my sense of awe and peace from being near the dragons.
Maybe I was just happy that something in this world had more power than Titania, for surely their magic-cancellation trumped anything of hers. Maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Fortunately Blackbird had arranged for me to interview Walter before the feast, so that he could be appropriately sentenced in front of everyone. That reminded me uncomfortably of my own sentencing banquet, which Blackbird likely understood—in particular that I would want to save Walter some of that anguish. This schedule had the added side benefit of thwarting Starling’s efforts to dig hints about Fafnir out of me. She settled for giving me a doe-eyed look as Blackbird whisked me away.
Blackbird apparently knew where to find Walter, because no gremlins showed up to escort us. “Let’s get this out of the way,” she said, walking briskly enough that I had to step up my pace. “Yes, Lord Fafnir has been another player in this…scenario. I suspect you know something more of it and, worse, that there’s something you’re not telling me or Starling because you fear knowing it will create a wound too deep to be healed.”
She smiled, tight-lipped, at my surprise.
