Lady of the Black Dragon

“Hello at last, Brilyn.”

Brilyn jumped back, startled at the voice. She had known that Dragons spoke to their riders by mind, but she had not been expecting the voice to be in her mind. “No,” she said, her hands out, as if to keep the baby Dragon from coming closer to her. “This cannot be happening. You cannot bond to me.”

“You are already my Lady, Brilyn. We are already as one.”

“A Dragon has not been born in decades.”

“And yet, here I am. It is fate, Brilyn. You have been chosen to find my egg for a long time. It has always been known that you would find me, but a time was never certain.”

Brilyn did not reply right away, but instead stared into the fire. “Who knows that I would find you?”

“Dragon knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. I know everything that my ancestors knew before me.”

Brilyn stared into the flames a while longer before turning back to stare at the Dragon that was before her. “I am no Dragon Lady. I am sorry, but you chose the wrong person.”

The Dragon seemed to sigh, and sat down in front of her, almost in the flames. “You are showing courage beyond your years, Brilyn. I am proud that you do not run from this. You may speak such words, but I know that you know that this is what must be.”

Brilyn laughed, a harsh sound to match her feelings. “What is the point? I must go to the castle, mustn’t I? I must let them know.” She threw some dirt into the flames. “They will likely kill me, I am no Dragon Lady.”

“Do not fear, young Brilyn. Your path will not fare easily, but no harm shall come to you. I will not let that happen, and neither will the Dragons. You have a destiny, Brilyn. It is not for you to know, not yet. But when you are ready, I will tell you.”

Brilyn nodded and looked at the Dragon. “I am so sorry. I never did ask you – what is your name?”

He chuckled, and nodded his head. Quite all right. “I am Emyrus. And I am pleased to be your Dragon.”

She smiled and reached out a hand, stroking the Dragon on his neck. “It is fantastic to meet you, Emyrus. If we were to leave now, we could likely make it to the castle in three days. Two, maybe.”

Emyrus chuckled. Although Brilyn could here the chuckle in her mind, to her ears, it was just a sort of halted breathing. “We need not go anywhere. The other Dragons, they know that I am here. They are on their way as we speak.”

Brilyn sighed and poked the fire. “Well, I suppose that’s best then.”

“Should we not go speak to your family?”

“I have no family, Emyrus. They have all died.” The Dragon stood still, for a moment, then stepped closer to Brilyn and laid his head on her knee. “My parents, they were killed by the King’s soldiers. My father was a farmer, but a pestilence ruined our crops. He paid all the tax that he could, but he could pay no more, not without our family starving.” Brilyn prodded at the fire yet again. “Me and my brother, we were out, fishing. We came home to find my parents dead, each with a sword to their stomach. Left in the street.”

“I am sorry to bring out such memories, young Brilyn. Such tragedy, at such a young age, it is a simple travesty.”

“My brother died in the fever epidemic summer before last.”

Emyrus did not say anything, but curled against her. Brilyn laid a hand on his neck and leaned her back against a tree. “When will they be here?”

“Just sleep, my dear. I will wake you when they are near.” And somehow, Brilyn did.