Chapter Twelve

As the welcoming ball continued into the night, Latchkey was confident in leaving Alastrine with Compass. The gardens tempted her with their serenity. The twin moons bathed the castle grounds in silver light. She wandered past the gardens into what looked like training grounds and found a weapons rack where she snatched up a spear and practiced a few jabs and lunges. With each swing her anger ebbed.

She explored the castle grounds, keeping her spear in hand as she practiced her swings on her walk. Invisible foes fell around her as she skirted the perimeter along the castle wall, passing groves of manicured trees and marble statues. She passed a pair of guards who nodded to her in recognition. If this had been her first night there, she was certain they would have stopped her as if she was a common thief.

As she rounded the corner towards the rear of the castle, the grass grew long and whispered against her shins. In the distance a waterfall roared, the waterfall at the rear of the palace she spotted when they first circled Celestivas on the transport vessel. She hadn’t recalled any sign of a water source in the caves below and pondered the waterfall as she followed the sound. The ground beneath her turned coarse and rocky, stones shifted under her step.

Terror gripped her as the ground gave way beneath her. Rocks and earth pelted her as she fell down a narrow hole.

Something clicked in her mind. Not again. In seconds, her wits came about, and she drove her spear into the walls with all her might as she fell. Her grip tight, the spear extended across the width of the hole and dug into the sides of the earth as she dangled from it. The walls gave way along the ends of her weapon, and her descent slowed. The spear caught and her fall lurched to a stop. Strain pulled at her arms and shoulders. Her grip failed her as the momentum pulled her weight down into the abyss.

  Latchkey awoke in darkness. Her arms ached, and her backside and shoulders throbbed. She looked up, only to see nothing but blackness. She groaned and thanked her lucky stars she was okay. The familiar warmth of the dragon’s cave embraced her. She rose to her feet, only to fall back down again from her trembling legs. Unfortunate that she would fall into the caves twice, she swore.
  Something next to her stirred, something big. She stifled a scream, recalling the dragons and their nature. As much as she wanted to feel confident with the creature after her recent encounters, she was still terrified of them and did not know what to expect. She felt around her for a way out, a sign of light, anything.
     There was another shift in the great beast next to her, and the faint glow of a stalactite illuminated the area. The beast before her reflected the red light and Latchkey determined it must be a pale color. She squinted to see if it was those familiar white scales. The beast was sleeping. She looked around the cave for an exit close to her. As she turned around, she came face to face with a pair of big blue eyes. It was the hatchling. She was in Hvitr’s nest with her whelp.

Latchkey yelped in surprise and fell backwards, her rear aching. The young dragon took a step towards her and grunted.

“Easy. Easy,” she whispered, unsure if Hvitr would welcome her without Nicholas there if she woke. “It’s nice to see you again. Sorry to have disturbed you.” She rose with caution only to be prodded by the hatchling’s head, pushing her back down to the ground. “Ugh I’m not gonna be able to sit for a month,” she groaned. “Come on little fella, let me up,” she said as she stood again. The dragon reared back over her, not as little as it had appeared before. It spread its wings and let out a modest, yet still formidable roar.

She backed away, worried she provoked the beast. It returned to all fours and prodded her again. She rose her trembling hands to pat its head. After a few pets, dragon began to hum. She smiled. A good sign. The hum grew louder, waking its mother. Hvitr craned her neck over to her, blinking with those same azure eyes. She snorted, puffing hot hair into Latchkey’s face. Her eyes watered.

Latchkey reached up to pet her snout, her hand miniscule to Hvitr’s nose. “Hey there pretty lady. I’m a friend, remember?” Latchkey eased around to the side of her head and ran her hand along her scaly coarse cheek. A low hum rumbled from the beast. “Can you let me out of here? I’m a bit lost. Again,” she said, more so talking to herself than the dragons. The smaller dragon yawned and curled around her, trapping her between the nose of its mother and its belly. “Guess I’m stuck here for a while,” Latchkey sighed. She hoped she could get out before morning, but the warmth of the cave and rhythmic breathing of the dragons soon lulled her to sleep.

“By the Dragon, there’s someone here with the hatchling!” A voice echoed in the cavern. “Wait a minute… Latchkey?” Latchkey opened her eyes to see the silhouette of Nicholas over her, next to the large dragon’s head. Hvitr raised her head and nuzzled him. The small dragon yawned and looked up at them, blinking.

“How the hell did you get down here? Everyone was looking for you after they discovered you disappeared from the party, and your bed empty. Your father is worried sick!”

She groaned as her backside throbbed when she shifted her weight to get up and stumbled into the side of the hatchling.

Nicholas was almost frantic, “You look like a mess! You’re not hurt, are you? Do you need a medic?” He rushed to her side and attempted to help her up.

She shoved him away. “I’m alright, just making friends,” Latchkey muttered. She attempted once more to stand up, but her legs shook, and she fell back once again. “Ugh, fine. Help me up,” she sighed as he pulled her up and pulled her arm over his shoulder.
“I found her!” Nicholas called out, “Aris, tell the guards! She’s okay.”

A distant reply echoed through the cave, “He found Latchkey!” The sound of footsteps echoed through the cavern.
“How long have you been down here?” Nicholas grew concerned as Latchkey stumbled forward. The young dragon rose to its feet and stood by her side to help support her. Something about the hatchling comforted her. She liked the whelp.

“I fell, from up there,” Latchkey pointed to the hole in the ceiling. “I left the ball for some fresh air and the ground caved in under me. I couldn’t see a thing and ended up having a sleepover.” She shrugged as she took a few more steps thanks to Nicholas and the hatchling’s support. The beast hummed and watched her stumble forward. Her legs grew steady, but her muscles were stiff and sore. The bruises from both falls combined rang through her.

“You have no idea. This isn’t good. You shouldn’t be down here on your own,” Nicholas growled. “Father is going to be furious. Everyone will be.”
“I just fell down a hole, it’s not that big of a deal.” Latchkey stretched. Hvitr had shifted so that the glow from the stalactite illuminated Nicholas’s scowl.

“Did anything strange happen? Do you feel any… different?” Nicholas crossed his arms.

“I feel really refreshed in spite of having another terrible fall and sleeping in a cave,” Latchkey yawned. “I hope Alastrine isn’t worried.”

“Neither she nor your father slept much last night because you disappeared,” Nicholas said. “You’re too much of a hassle to call yourself a bodyguard, running off like this.” Footsteps approached from one of the tunnels and Aris emerged with a group of guards and priests.

“How long was she down here?” one of them asked.

“All night,” Nicholas exhaled, solemn. A murmur amongst the priests followed.

“The hatchling?” one of the priests stepped forward. The young dragon followed close behind Latchkey as she shuffled across the chamber toward them. “Your Highness, is it—?”

Latchkey looked over her shoulder to see Nicholas purse his lips in the dim light, “Let’s get back to the main chamber and see what happens.” He brisked past Latchkey, “Aris, have Bear and Alastrine been notified?” Aris gave a nod. Latchkey strained to resume a regular gait behind them as the young dragon followed and tugged at her sleeve with its mouth. Priests ran to her side and attempted to pull the beast from her jacket and separate them. The hatchling snarled and snapped at them. They backed away as it continued to follow her.

“I’m sure he’s just curious,” Latchkey shrugged. “Won’t he go back to his mother soon?” The priests exchanged doubtful and worried expressions. Ahead of them, Nicholas called for his dragon until she came.

“There you are, you didn’t answer. I figured you’d be further down this way,” he spoke to her as if she was no different from Aris. “How did you sleep? Did you know that Latchkey had been down here all night?” Despite Kyssa’s lack of replies he still carried a conversation with her, though Latchkey could not determine how she understood him or if he understood her. They reached the main chamber where the Emperor waited with Rune. Priests were hoisting a saddle onto his dragon’s back. The Emperor’s eyes fell to Latchkey his face contorted into rage.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” the Emperor bellowed, furious.

Latchkey shrank back, terrified more of him than she ever was of the dragons. “Sorry Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to worry everyone. I took a walk, there was a cave-in, and I was stuck.” She hung her head.

“He followed you? How long were you down here?” His eyes flashed. A High Priest marked by a colorful sash and hood joined his side.

“All night, she was asleep when I found her,” Nicholas said. The Emperor swore.

“I suppose our morning flight will be later tonight then,” the Emperor muttered. He turned and exchanged a few whispers with the High Priest at his side. The High Priest gaped at Latchkey and the young dragon, his lip curled into a sneer.

“Separate them,” the Priest’s monotone voice echoed in the chamber. Priests emerged from all sides of the chamber as if they had been born from the rock. There was a rattle of chains. Latchkey took a few steps away from the hatchling, and it craned its neck to her.

“Guards, escort Latchkey to the throne room. Have Bear and Alastrine meet us there,” the Emperor ordered. “Nicholas, Holiness.” He gestured for them to follow as guards seized Latchkey’s arms.

“Hey, wait a minute, what’s going on?” Latchkey demanded. “I didn’t worry everyone that much, did I?” Behind her the sound of chains clattering to the ground rang out. She turned to see the priests throwing them around the beast and securing them to the walls. The hatchling whimpered, then hissed and snapped at the priests as the guards dragged Latchkey back towards the stone door.

Her heart ached seeing the hatchling struggle against its chains and cried out. “Hey, let the dragon go. It’s just a hatchling, it didn’t do anything!”

The throne room was like a narrow version of the grand ballroom. Morning light gilded the stone floors as it flooded through windows that spanned the walls from floor to ceiling. Columns, buttresses, and flying buttresses supported an arching ceiling. The one side of the throne room without windows was lined with doors to antechambers, parlors, and planning rooms. A red carpet swept across the floor to the far end of the room where a white throne stood atop a marbled dais. Behind it a massive circular window acted as a mandorla to where the Emperor now sat.

Nicholas and the High Priest stood at the bottom step of the dais before him. Latchkey stumbled to keep up with the brisk pace and firm grip of the guards on either side of her as she was dragged to the center of the empty chamber. As soon as she settled into her place, her pounding heart skipped a beat as the door behind her burst open.

Latchkey craned her neck to glance behind as steps thundered in. Bear and Alastrine stormed in. Both looked exhausted, with bags under their eyes. A cluster of Arcovan guards marched behind them. She gave a sheepish smile and lifted her hand as high as the guards’ grip would allow in a tiny wave.

“Dismiss your guards, Your Highness,” the Emperor warned, “I will be dismissing mine with them.”

Alastrine hesitated then turned to her guards and nodded. They retreated through the door. The guards holding Latchkey released their grip as they followed and closed the doors behind them.

“What is the meaning of this?” Bear demanded as he strode to Latchkey’s side and then turned to her, “Where were you? You’re filthy.”

Latchkey looked down at her clothes. She was covered in dirt and scratches.

“In our most sacred dragon’s den,” the High Priest hissed. “Your daughter has committed heresy.”

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” Latchkey mumbled. She recounted how she fell into the dragon’s den for the second time. “It was dark, and I didn’t know the way out. The dragons had… well I wouldn’t say trapped or cornered, but they kept me there and I fell asleep.”

“Father, Holiness, we don’t even know if she made a bond with the hatchling,” Nicholas murmured, “shouldn’t we wait before putting her on trial?”

The Emperor furrowed his brow. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he repeated. Latchkey gave a blank stare and cocked her head. The High Priest uttered a cry in outrage.

“With a young dragon like that, if you spend time with it, if you fall asleep with it in its cave…” the Priest hissed.

“Only Celestian royals may have dragons by sacred and ancient law,” the Emperor rumbled. “We are concerned you have broken that law.”

Latchkey grew pale. She’d been scolded by Silas and been in trouble before, but she never broke the law. Bear placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Alastrine seized her other hand and squeezed it.

“I’m certain Latchkey didn’t know, and we are willing to make it right,” Alastrine asserted.

“You can’t make this right, it’s permanent. It’s not something you can wave away,” the Priest said.

“I could make a charitable and generous donation to your cathedral, High Priest,” Bear suggested. “Latchkey would never intentionally disrespect your beliefs or the Imperial family.” Nicholas scoffed at the last part but was ignored.

“It’s possible Latchkey has broken a sacred law. Dragons are our holy kin. To bond with one is a royal privilege, and in order to bond with one… well you seem to have met the circumstances. Sleeping alongside the hatchling in its cave,” the Emperor explained.

Latchkey’s heart sank. “B-bond?” she stammered. Was that what that feeling was when she was pulled away from the hatchling? Is that why it cried after her?

“Money won’t fix your problem,” the High Priest spat. “I suggest banishment.”

“What about the bond?” Nicholas gasped.

“I doubt she has a legitimate bond,” the High Priest snarled. “She’s no royal. She broke a sacred law and should be banished. It wouldn’t affect the hatchling if it’s not a real bond.”

“And what if it was a real bond?” Bear interjected.

“Then Latchkey would have to remain on Celeste for the sake of the dragon. Hatchlings are too valuable to be made to suffer or risk their death from forsaking such a powerful connection,” the Emperor pondered aloud. “She could leave for longer as time passed and if the bond is nurtured, but… in the beginning it is hard for them to be apart for days or weeks.”

“Weeks? So you’re saying because I fell down a hole and fell asleep with a dragon in its cave that now I’m stuck on Celeste? For a dragon?” Latchkey was incredulous.

“It isn’t much different than regular magic,” the Emperor continued, “except without using it—in this case without seeing your companion dragon—you grow weary, exhausted, even mad. It can vary, but if separated for too long your bond could break and you or the dragon could die or be forever marred from it.”

“I can’t be bonded then, you said it yourself.” Latchkey looked to the High Priest, “I’m no royal, I’m not even a Celestian. It’s not possible. This is all coincidence, bad luck.” Bear stiffened at her side.

“Then we’ll go to the Seer.” The Emperor stood with a glare. “Tonight we will go to the Seer and see if this bond is real.”

“Seer?” Latchkey squeaked. “I told you there’s no way—” but inside she felt the cracking of her heart and froze up. A desperate cry, a plea roared inside her, as if she was trapped. She rushed a hand to her throat as if she felt the cold whitesteel of a chain there.

“I know that face,” the High Priest whispered.

“You feel it, don’t you?” The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “The whelp calls for you.”

“No, no.” She shook her head. She didn’t want anything to keep her on Celeste, she didn’t want to stay here, to be trapped here. She had been homesick for Arcova. She wouldn’t have minded being banished and sent home, as long as Alastrine was with her. “I can’t be bonded, I’m not a Celestian, I’m not one of you. It’s impossible,” she repeated. “I can’t stay here; I don’t belong on Celeste.”

“You aren’t confined to Celeste.” Nicholas shook his head, “It’s a little complicated—”

“Silence, boy,” the Emperor snarled. “We will decide what to do once we get our answers from the Seer.”

“And what about the festivities? What about everything planned for Alastrine?” Latchkey choked.

“They will continue as normal, there will still be the festival in the castle square tonight,” the Emperor concluded.

“Compass can stand in if Latchkey cannot be there,” Bear muttered to Alastrine.
“No, Latchkey should be there. We’re both emissaries,” Alastrine protested. “Wouldn’t the people find it odd without you? Without your highness?” She looked up to the Emperor, almost like a challenge.

“I will figure something out and have an answer before sunset.” The Emperor stepped down from his dais, “Don’t worry young King, it is one night and there is still one more day of festivities. Go out and tour Celestivas with Latchkey today to help quell the rumors that she was missing and so that her absence won’t be as noticed this evening.”

Latchkey and Alastrine followed through with an official tour of Celestivas and the day’s plans. Afterward a long day of formalities and venturing across the capital city, Latchkey was especially sore with the bruises from both of her falls and called a medic to tend to her and give her healing supplements to ease the pain and speed her recovery.

The hatchling cried for her in frantic desperation somewhere in the caves below. No, it would just be more trouble. If she ignored it, the ache would soon dissipate, and things would return to normal. The only reason why Nicholas and the Emperor were bonded with their dragons was because they had spent the time with them. There was no way such things could happen overnight. Even on Arcova, stags usually took a while to tame and adjust to any new rider.

The sunset cast gold light across Alastrine’s bedroom when Latchkey went to fetch her for the festival. “I’m not going to the Seer, it’s not worth the trouble,” Latchkey explained to Alastrine as she loomed in her companion’s doorway in her usual casual attire. Casual enough for the festivities, yet fine enough for a distinguished guest. Alastrine had donned clothes of a similar fashion but sported them in the Arcovan white and light blue.

“The priest called you a heretic, though. It was pretty severe.” Alastrine frowned.

“He didn’t call me a heretic, he said I committed heresy. It’s different,” Latchkey said. Alastrine gave her an incredulous look. “Besides, there’s no way I could be bonded, and if I was, I’m sure it’d take a lot more than a cave in and a sleepover for it to happen.”

“Dragons are sacred to them,” Alastrine exhaled. “What if denying this hurts it?”

“I don’t see how that’s possible.” Latchkey didn’t make eye contact with her. “Let’s just go to the festival before anyone can drag me away for the night. I’m sure us showing up early won’t be too bad, and festival food sounds like a good dinner.” Her mouth watered.

People flooded into the square as the sun sank beyond the distant mountain ridge. Alastrine and Latchkey convinced Compass to join them in the square early. Latchkey gorged herself on the festival food and reveled with Alastrine to a band of musicians that played wild Celestian folk songs that were too fast for them to understand. Acrobats and dancers with fire entertained the crowds as they performed for the honored guests and Latchkey and Alastrine sat along a curb to watch.

A hand rested on Latchkey’s shoulder, “You snuck off again,” Bear said.

“I’m exactly where I should be,” Latchkey protested as Bear joined them on the ground.

He shook his head. “The Emperor isn’t too happy; he gets the impression you aren’t taking his laws seriously.”

“I should be here with Alastrine, it’s my duty.” Latchkey puffed up her chest. “You of all people should know that. Besides, I am taking it seriously. I shouldn’t be…” She stopped and looked around and lowered her voice, “I shouldn’t be bonded with a dragon, I broke the law. Staying away is how I intend to remedy it. I’m not going to risk crossing any more lines.”

“I came to find you before the guards dragged you away and made a scene,” her father warned as he nodded to the guards approaching. “You don’t need to be in the headlines any more than you have to be. I’ll just claim it’s business.” Before Latchkey could object, the Emperor appeared in the castle gates across the square from them. “He has a transport waiting for you at the wall.”

The Emperor made a speech to the crowd about the festival and gestured towards them.

“I thought he was coming with,” Latchkey objected. The Emperor’s stare cut through her. Her eyes darted to the guards that hung nearby, waiting for a signal, waiting for her to make her choice. Latchkey gulped, “Fine, let’s go.” She stood with her father and looked to Alastrine, “I’m sorry Alastrine, this shouldn’t take long.”

“Sweet Latchkey, she will always be safe with me. You both will.” Compass gave a cheeky grin. She scowled in reply before Bear led her through the crowds. Guards trailed them to the wall where a small transport awaited.

Latchkey gave a wary look to Bear as she boarded. Her father would not be joining her. Was she going to see this seer alone? No guards? No sword? Even if dragons were more amicable than she expected, boarding the ship was like walking into the maw of one. Celestians worshipped dragons, they lived with dragons, and she was certain they were dragons in a different shell.

Dragonthief: Chapter Four

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