Page 14 of The Last Syphon

Inara had a pretty shitty memory, so she wasn’t all that surprised to hear it. “What?”

Venerable Cias picked himself up and grabbed another book from his desk, this one not as old or fragile as the one before it, though it still reeked with age. The pages crinkled as he quickly flipped through it. Her eyes shot open in surprise when he turned it to face her.

“That—that looks like⁠—”

“Your dragon.”

My dragon? Is that what he is? If Venerable Cias was to be believed, and the creature had in fact established this soul-link with her, then yeah, she guessed that did make him hers.

Fucking awesome.

Inara took the book, studying the page closely. The title read, THE DARK WAR, and it had very detailed paragraphs about the war that had devastated the realm, as well as intricate drawings of three beautiful dragons, one of whom was undoubtedly hers.

“When Arelia, Roylan, and Pregon banded together to defeat the Cursed King, they did so with their armies and Guardians in tow.”

“Why the fuck would they do that?” she whispered, aghast. “As pure, magical beings, they possess more power than anyone else in the realm. Taking them to a Syphon would have done nothing but give him more power.”

A quizzical expression rolled over Venerable Cias’s face. Inara silently scolded herself.

“Yes. That is correct.” He studied her for a moment longer before shaking away whatever thought was plaguing him. “Each kingdom suffered heavy losses during the war, but Arelia suffered the most. By the time it was over, only three dragons had survived the carnage.”

Her eyes flicked back down to the book. To the gorgeous red dragon with a stream of fire coming out of his mouth. To the stunning gold-and-black eyes, filled with cunning and strength. There was no mistaking him.

The implications of Venerable Cias’s words were not lost on her. The fate of Arelia’s Guardians rested solely on those three dragons, which would have been a terrible burden to bear. Inara had seen many dragons in the skies over her lifetime, so the population must have risen again, but the logistics of the ‘how’ were not widely known. The Arelians were not exactly forthcoming with information about their Guardians.

Still, it was a sorrowful thought.

“You’re certain he’s One of the Three?” Inara asked, her mind reeling. “How is that possible? The Dark War was over 2,000 years ago.”

“Dragons can hibernate, sometimes for hundreds, even thousands of years at a time. If I’m right, and he is who I think he is, his name is Fraener. He is one of the oldest dragons still in existence, and I can assure you, the Crowned Family will not take kindly to you soul-linking with him.”

“You just said the Guardian chooses who they want!”

“That will not matter to the Crowned Family. Being one of the oldest and most powerful dragons in the realm, they would have someone reserved to try to soul-link with him. They were most likely waiting for him to emerge from hibernation to attempt it, but you got there first.”

Inara bit her lip, unease filling her body. “What will they do? Will they…kill me?” The idea of being hunted to the ends of the realm by the Arelian Army was a terrifying thought.

“They cannot.” Relief filled her, but it did not last. He gave her what looked like a reassuring smile, but it was small. Barely there. “As I said, to kill you would be to kill the dragon. Your lives are now intertwined, and harming a Guardian is forbidden. But you will forever be in the servitude of the Crown. Dragons are the protectors of Arelia, and when war comes, they are the first line of defence. You will be called upon to fight. To protect. It is your duty as a Chosen.”

“Is there a war coming?”

“There is always a war coming.” Venerable Cias’s expression was grim. “We humans cannot help it. We will always find an excuse to fight. To destroy. War is inevitable. Would you like my advice?”

Inara nodded. She had known him all her life. She trusted him. Even saw him as a father figure of some sort, since she’d never gotten to know her own growing up.

He leant forward and stared deeply into her eyes. “Get on the back of that dragon and run. Not only for Deadhaven, but for yourself. The palace, the Crowned Family, the royals of Arelia…They’re all corrupt. They will twist you into someone you are not. Something evil and vile. Inhuman. They will take everything you have to offer and leave nothing behind. They will make you kill for them. Torture for them. They will strip you of your humanity until you are nothing but a puppet. Their puppet. As a Shielder, you are already coveted. Add in being a Chosen as well, and Arelia will never let you go. You need to run. Run and never look back.”

Dread shot up her spine. “What does being a Shielder have to do with anything?”

Venerable Cias blew out a growl filled with nothing but annoyance and exasperation. “Your lack of knowledge of how the kingdoms work is incredibly frustrating. I understand being raised in Deadhaven means you do not have the same information available to you as the rest of the realm, but there comes a point where you must educate yourself if you truly wish to survive. My teachings⁠—”

“If you mention those damn teachings one more time, Venerable Cias, I swear to the Fates, I am going to throw this book at your head.”

He arched an eyebrow but said nothing else on the matter. “Shielders are recruited in Arelia. In all the kingdoms. They are taken to the grand palace, where the Crowned Family resides, and used as personal bodyguards whose sole purpose is to protect their Charge. Their power is evaluated, and their Charge is selected based on how powerful they are. The more powerful, the more important the Charge. I’ve seen what you can do. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen from other Shielders. If the Crowned Family gets a hold of you, they will never let you go.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Inara made her way down the lit pathway, her thoughts a wild and chaotic mess. So much information had been thrown at her at once…It was quite daunting and overwhelming, to say the least. She had no idea what to unpack first.