20 #2
The dragon seemed pleased and moved her hand closer to the girl, widening the gap between two of her talons so Malea could step between and reach the large gem on the dragon’s scaly palm.
Malea reached out with hesitant hands, looking up to meet the dragon’s gaze as she touched the gemstone for the first time.
“It’s warm,” Malea said, surprised. Rocks were always cold to the touch unless heated by some outside force.
“It will retain a certain warmth for years to come, though eventually, I’m told, the effect will fade. It can also serve as a light in the darkness for just as long. The magic that made it will light it from within.”
Malea took the fist-sized stone in her hand and moved back as the dragon retracted her hand.
She gazed at it, mesmerized by this proof of the dragon’s unique magic.
It was a diamond, but it wasn’t pure white.
It was a rare and magnificent blue diamond.
The most spectacular and special stone Malea had ever had the good fortune to behold.
“I am near speechless, milady. I cannot thank you enough, and I wish, one day, for our paths to cross again. I only hope that my skills are equal to such a magnificent gift. I will do my best to bring out the beauty of this gift so it reflects your pure heart in giving it to me. Thank you again. For everything.”
Kurt had to take over the farewells at that point because Malea was nearly overcome with emotion.
They left a while later, after filling one more bag, at the dragons’ insistence, with the last of the gemstones and obsidian fragments.
Kurt wanted to make something clear to the dragons because he didn’t want them to get the wrong impression of the humans of Valdis, and especially the King.
Kurt knew enough from growing up in Isolde’s household and knowing her mate, General Brighton so well, as well as his friendships with the dragons who now made their home in the city, to feel comfortable giving his opinion to these wild ice dragons.
“I just want you to know that we didn’t do any of this expecting a reward, though we’re leaving here with riches.
We did this for our country and King, and his Queen.
I think you should come to Valdis Maj and meet them, and then, you’ll understand.
Our King is the best of men, and our Queen has a special affinity for dragons that is not widely known, though I have seen it first-hand. ”
“Seen what?” Mendalith asked, peering at him with an inquisitive expression.
“Seen her transform into her dragon form,” Kurt said simply. “Queen Zallra is of the lineage of Draneth the Wise. She is half-dragon and can take that form at will.”
“And what does she look like when she is a dragon?” Maddox asked sharply.
“She is small compared to you, and pitch black. She flies at night over the city when no one can see, and she and the King share a true bond that is pure and true. It is a pleasure to see them together. Especially when King Alric had such a hard beginning to life. He was blind for most of it at the hands of an alchemist who wanted his throne. Only since meeting the Queen have things turned around for Alric, though he was always a fair and just King with a giant heart that beat for his people.”
“We’ve heard the tales from those of our number who have visited the city, but frankly, I am skeptical that the blood of Draneth still lives in this world,” Mendalith said.
Kurt was surprised. Before this journey, he had thought all dragons knew the truth of what had happened in Valdis and how important the alliance was to the King and his Queen.
Kurt had learned differently since meeting these dragons and felt it important to tell them what he knew.
He didn’t want them to think that he and the others had risked their lives solely as a transactional activity where they expected riches in return.
He and Malea hadn’t come north to find wealth. They’d done their duty to their country and crown as a matter of honor and a fulfillment of the oaths they’d taken to serve King Alric and do what was right for the people and dragons of Valdis.
“But the ruling family of Draconia are also descended from Draneth the Wise,” Malea put in.
“I’ve had my doubts about that claim for a long time,” Mendalith said.
“Valdis has renewed the alliance with Draconia in the past few years, and we regularly get dragons with their knights visiting the capital city. They’ve been working with the few who have bonded with either ice or snow dragons to help them learn skills together,” Kurt put in.
“What sort of skills?” Maddox wanted to know.
“Well, when General Brighton and Mistress Isolde first bonded with Lord Salveer and Lady Shera, they were as apt to fall off their backs when the dragons leapt into the air, as not. And landing was scary to watch. The first time, Isolde dove off Shera’s back because they didn’t know how to land, and Isolde twisted her ankle and had to walk with a stick for a month after.
But it was an emergency, so it had to be done.
Otherwise, I think they both would have exercised a lot more caution about flying together for the first time,” Kurt explained.
“The dragons from Draconia are all sorts of colors,” Malea added, “and they do precision flying with their knights that is a sight to behold. It’s said they train for hours each day when the men are first chosen by the dragons to be life-bonded partners.
They are fighting partners, and they become so close after years together that they work as a single unit during battle.
They’ve been teaching the General and a few of the others who have bonded with dragons their techniques. ”
“And some of the fair folk who have snow dragon partners have been exchanging information with the knights as well. They live and train with their snow dragon partners in their enclave and share some of the same skills, but the Draconians do things a bit differently from the fair folk and vice versa,” Kurt told them.
The dragons seemed very interested in this topic, so he felt free to speak what he knew to them.
“I suspect we need to examine this further,” Maddox said, looking at his mother.
Mendalith gave a dragonish sigh, sending a thin stream of smoke upward toward the vaulted ceiling of the ice cave. The virkin had remained quiet through all of this, just watching and absorbing the conversation, but surprisingly, not adding their own thoughts.
“I suspect you are right, my son. We will discuss this further, and once again, I thank you, Kurt and Malea, for your candor and information,” she said, turning her head to look directly at the humans on that last part.
That was a dismissal if Kurt had ever heard one.
Though he wanted to say more to convince the old dragoness that things were very different from her perceptions, he knew he had already done what he could.
He bowed his head respectfully one last time and took his leave, Malea and the virkin doing the same.