Page 98 of Upon Buried Embers
I shake my head at the change of topic. It’s hard to think as he grabs the end of my braid and starts undoing it. “All I know is what I’ve overheard.”
“Which could be full of half-truths and lies.” He nods. “I will teach you as much as I can before The Games. It’s a dishonor against me if you don’t know your dragonkind.”
So I don’t embarrass him. I huff, and he smirks.
“The Games will begin in a matter of weeks. They’re deadly, and not all will make it out alive, dragon or other.”
I nod, swallowing, already knowing that much.
“The selection is chosen at random mostly, but it can be anyone in a clan, and the clan leader always participates. The leader also chooses a selection of three to five people to take with him. You will train as best as you can to prepare yourself.”
“I’m going?”
“It wasn’t originally planned, but The Games give us an opportunity we cannot miss. You will see dragons in your time here, but not as many as in The Games, which will give us an advantage as every clan dragon has to attend.”
“Every one of them?” I look around at the dragons, and then to Escor.
“Yes.” He guides my face back to him and undoes the other braid. “Which gives us a chance to find out who is helping take the eggs.” That makes sense. “You will participate, but I’ll keep you safe. You’ll need to keep your hood up and have your ears covered by your hair at all times.” I nod, fingers trembling. “No one can find out you’re an elf.” His eyes bore into mine. “If they do, it won’t end well.”
“Maybe I should stay here then?”
He shakes his head slowly. “If that were an option, you would stay here in my cabin, waiting for my return.” I go to ask what he means but he continues. “You will need to know all about dragons as they each have their own skill set for The Games. I have a book you can read as many times as it takes until you know them all. I don’t know what you’ve overheard, but I will be teaching you as if you are a child about the matters of dragons and The Games.”
“But—”
“First lesson on dragons,” he cuts me off, and stands. The dragons around us unfurl and disperse, stretching out theirwings. Rohan begins to place stones in front of each bed. “Dragons breed with each other, but for the most part, they stick to their own kind. Drogonah here is called a Tenebri dragon, the largest of his kind. They’re known for being dark as night, giving them the ability to blend into the night sky. Therefore, never fight a Tenebri dragon at night, you will lose.”
“Then Escor is also a Tenebri?” The dragon rumbles in his bed behind me.
He nods. “Correct, although Tenebri dragons don’t hatch too often.”
That makes sense. I’ve mostly seen shades of greens or blues in the sky.
“Is he Drogonah’s… child? Is that what they call them?” I ask, ignoring the thought of being near The Games. In The Games. A part of The Games.
Rohan lets loose a deep chuckle. “A hatchling, and no, Drogonah hasn’t mated, not that female dragons haven’t tried.” He looks back at the larger dragon who huffs and turns his head away.
“He’s… a bit grumpy.” That has his head whipping back around and he snaps his jaw at me.
I jump.
“Behave,” Rohan warns him. He huffs. “Escor hasn’t been with us long. We found him in the wild last year just as the leaves began to fall, and he hasn’t left since.”
I frown and turn to look at him, and his dark eyes don’t stray from mine. “His mother?”
“Presumed dead.” Escor turns his head away from me.
Sadness washes over me. “When do hatchlings go off on their own from their mother?”
“Depends,” Rohan says. “Some don’t leave their mother until adulthood, around eight years, others leave as young as two years old.”
“So young,” I murmur.
“Not really. Hatchlings are ready to survive on their own from one year, some are just too clingy to leave. Escor was fine in the wild. He’s nearly three.”
Three and he’s that size already?!
“He must have been lonely though,” I gaze at the dragon. “Why else would he stay?”
