Chapter 10

With the others gone, Isak could continue his lesson without interruption.

“Before you fuse, we should test the strength of your bond. Place your hand on Lumin. Any form of physical contact will work.” Evelyn followed his instruction, placing her hand upon Lumin’s cool, scaly forehead. He smiled happily at her touch; a purr-like sound rumbled deep in his throat. “Concentrate on the beat of each other's heart. Synchronize them; focus on matching their cadence and envision the bond around your hearts. Once you see it, both of you send energy through it, understand?”`

The pair nodded. Evelyn took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It was difficult to find Lumin's heartbeat at first. Unlike a mammal, a pulse was not easy to find, and her experience with scaled creatures was regretfully limited, even with her dragon healing aspirations. Thinking back to her early days in zoology class, she shifted her hand to the dorsal side of his head, placing her index finger where some reptiles had a major artery, hoping dragons had similar biology.

Despite searching for a moment, she could not find a pulse. That’s when it occurred to her, what am I thinking? Palpating is hard enough through normal scales, and I don’t have the equipment to help me.

Isak seemingly deduced what she was doing. “Ignore your veterinary instincts, Evelyn, you’re not finding his pulse. Physical touch completes the connection of your magic, so find it through your bond.”

Through our bond? Feeling each other's emotions through the bond was easy enough, it was almost involuntary most of the time. Assuming it was a core aspect of a rider's bond with their dragon, she figured that is where she should look: their shared emotions. She felt around his feelings. Excitement and joy flooded her mind. There was nothing she wanted to do more than train and learn with… herself. It was difficult to remember these were Lumin’s feelings, not hers. Though, as it had before, it made her smile that these were his true feelings. She kept searching her way through his emotions, finding more enthusiasm and childish desire until finally… bum-bum… The beating of his heart thrummed in her mind. She did not hear or feel it in a normal sense, it was as if she thought of it.

Elated, she concentrated on the rhythm. Her and Lumin locked eyes, both smiling then closed their eyes. Controlling her own heart rate was not something Evelyn ever thought she’d try, and it was just as difficult as she’d imagined, but she found focusing more on their connected magic helped. Their hearts teetered like they were on a seesaw, slowing too much, then beating too quickly. After a minute of back and forth, their heartbeats found an equilibrium.

A vision came to Evelyn: her heart as one with Lumin’s, entwined by a string of magic woven in a simple, yet beautiful net. It looked as if the magic was knitted together by a professional needleworker. The web glowed a hue of yellow with small bolts of static sparking along the weave, tinting the beating heart with its majestic radiance. Their bond was pleasing to the eye and to her soul.

To her surprise, she caught a glimpse of an area that was not just the lightning of a stockings magic. A shimmering wave of darkness hovered around the apex of the heart. It was like a black hole, consuming any light that came near. Though it was small enough that when she shifted her vision to another part and looked for it again, she could not find it.

Figuring she imagined it, she refocused on keeping their rhythms synchronized. Without a word, they both followed the next step of Isak’s instruction. Electricity flowed from Lumin while Evelyn strained to push her strength through the weave. The string that held their hearts together shined brightly, a spark of magic running along the weave from either end. Before long, the two sparks met in the middle and they felt each other's magical touch.

At first, elation swarmed their minds. The feeling of the other’s soul-linking presence felt comfortable, like a warm hug around their hearts. Then Evelyn's side of the magic began to be pushed back by Lumin’s until it snapped. The vision shattered and she opened her eyes, seeing bolts of lightning striking her palm. Heat overwhelmed her palm, as if a thousand heated needles pokes her skin. She recoiled and gripped her wrist, letting out a yelp. In turn, Lumin jumped back in awe. Her palm was red, streaked with lightning shaped burns.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” Lumin profusely apologized. His eyes watered as he approached her cautiously, tail dragging against the ground. He did not seem to be in pain to Evelyn’s relief.

The pain slowly faded. She was able to relieve the rest of the discomfort by flexing her hand. Once she was sure the pain was gone, she wiped a tear from his cheek. “You didn’t mean it, sweetie. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Coddling him will not help him succeed.” She turned to see Safir had returned to her physical form. She loomed over them, eyes hardened with disappointment.. “However, you are correct, he was not the one at fault.”

“See, I told you,” Evelyn said, trying to reassure her dragon, who had a brief moment of relief.

“It was your own fault.” Evelyn and Lumin’s heads snapped to stare at the sapphire dragon. Unfazed, Safir continued, “Emotions make up your bond as they are the core of the heart. Trust is the most important of said emotions of the bond between dragon and rider. When one half of that bond is less trusting, there is an imbalance and the magic will overflow to that side, harming the least trusting.”

“But I do trust Lumin,” Evelyn complained. Her eyes locked with Lumin’s. “What reason would I have not to?”

“You say you trust him, and perhaps you really believe it, however, magic does not lie. Something within you lacks the trust necessary for the bond to reach its full potential. Whatever it may be, you will have to find it yourself as you progress.”

While she was wary of his youthful inexperience, Evelyn had no reason to distrust Lumin. He was learning everything so quickly and growing just as fast. If anything, she worried about him outgrowing her knowledge. Any doubt she had for Lumin had to be unconscious. How do I find it and squash it though? She thought.

“Fortunately, a bonded pair can fuse at any strength. So you don’t have to worry ‘bout that.” Isak reassured.

“Well, unless the test killed you, then obviously fusing would not work,” Safir explained.

“I could have killed her?” Lumin cried.

“Yes,” Safir said coldly. Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat while Lumin’s eyes watered again.

Isak chuckled, “No need to be so crude, love.” Safir snorted and flicked her tail. “It is practically unheard of for a rider or dragon to be killed in that test. Not only would you have to distrust each other, but you would have to despise each other so much that the test shatters the bond beyond repair. That, or not be bonded at all. I can only recall one incident a long time ago where that happened. I doubt you two would ever hate each other, so no need t’ worry. And I’ve seen worse starting points. Are ya ready to continue?”

They both stood. Lumin wiped the last tear from his eye with his claw as they both nodded.

“Good. Place your hand on Lumin once more.” Following Isaks instructions, Evelyn reached out to Lumin, who leaned his head in eagerly. She flinched, hesitating to touch him again. Internally, she berated herself for even considering Lumin harming her again. It was her fault anyway, she just needed to trust Lumin unconditionally. To her relief, Lumin did not seem to notice as he was too preoccupied.

They made contact. Lumin’s scales were cool to the touch like they were before the shock, relaxing Evelyn. Then Safir took over instruction. “Runt, us dragons are the natural border between magic and the physical world. From our bones to our scales, we are made of magic.” She almost missed it, but Evelyn swore she saw a glimmer of a smile from Safir as she described dragons and their relation to magic. A glint of joy in the normally stern, condescending eyes of hers. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished as the dragon continued.

“Converting to our magical form is the only ability common between the five types. It is when our power is at its greatest. However, we are unable to interact with the physical world in that form; we require a vessel to use that power: Our human rider.” Safir lifted her claw to Isak who placed his hand on top of it. “I know you feel the magic in you; allow it to consume you, let it become you. Thus, convert to your magical form while touching, like so.”

Once again, Safir turned into her magical mist, slowly climbing up Isak’s arm toward his chest, being absorbed into his chest. “Evelyn,” Isak started, “you will absorb his magical form into your heart as I do here with Safir as it is the source of our ability. It will happen naturally as the contact along with your bond make you a natural attraction for magic.” Safir’s magical form sped up along his arm until it was out of sight. “Lumin, convert now.”

Lumin pursed his eyes, concentrating intently. Energy rushed through Evelyn’s arms, though it was different from their bond test. Instead of a jolt of electricity, she felt a tingling sensation radiate up her arm. It was actually soothing, it invited her to embrace it. So she did.

Slowly Lumin started to fade. Instead of a steamy mist like Safir, he left behind jagged lines of electricity that danced around her arm, seemingly grounded to her. Before she knew it, Lumin was no longer in front of her. Only his magic essence floated where he stood, slowly moving along her arm. His magical form traveled up her arm and into her heart. She could feel his consciousness touch hers as if their minds were becoming one as well.

It took a few minutes to completely absorb him; the last of his magic absorbed into her heart with the crackling sound of static. An energy unnatural to her flowed through her very being. It invigorated her. She felt like she could run for miles without effort. Excited, she exclaimed, “I think it worked! Lumin, how does it feel?” A moment passed, no answer. “Lumin? Are you alright?” The excitement quickly turned to worry. Her mind raced with the worst scenarios: did something go wrong and he’s stuck in some purgatory? Can he not communicate with anyone to get help? She already failed the test with their bond, if she failed him again, to the extent that he was trapped forever, she didn’t think she could live with the consequences.

Just as the hopelessness started clinging to her soul, a familiar voice graced her mind. ‘Evelyn? Did it work? I feel… taller.’ Relief washed over her, she could hear Lumin. Though ‘hear’ was not the right word. Her ears did not capture the sound of his voice, it was as if he was now an inner monologue of hers, a part of her conscious.

“It seems so. Is that really you talking? How can I still hear you?” She asked.

He could not physically do it, but Evelyn felt a mental shrug. ‘I’m not sure. All I’m doing is talking like I normally would.’

“That be him talkin’,” Isak said, almost simultaneously as Lumin. “Though we can no longer hear him, only you can.”

‘But I can hear and see them?’ Lumin questioned.

“It seems so. How can he still hear you?”

“While he is stored in your heart, his magic flows through your bloodstream, connecting him to every part of your body, including your mind. Your senses and his are the same in this state.”

“Really?” Evelyn pinched herself.

‘Ow! What was that for?’ Lumin exclaimed.

Evelyn giggled. “Sorry, I had to test it. How do you feel, sweetie?”

‘Weird, but also warm and cozy. I kind of like it here.’

“I know I did it too, but you know what I mean.” Isak’s random statement confused the fused pair. He seemed distracted, but when he noticed Evelyn was staring at him, he chuckled. “I must’ve said that aloud. Now you see how you looked just now. Though that be a great segway I guess. You do not have to speak aloud to talk to him. Just think what you want to say and he’ll hear ya.”

“Really?” Evelyn then thought, ‘Lumin, can you hear me?’

A rush of excitement surged through their bond. ‘I can!’ Lumin replied.

“Is this how Safir knew of us when we first met you? She heard everything we said and spoke with you?” Evelyn asked.

“That is correct,” Safir said through Isak.

“Why can I sometimes hear you, Safir?”

“If Isak allows, I can do a multitude of things.”

‘How can I speak aloud like that?’ Lumin asked. Evelyn relayed the question verbally.

“That is a lesson for another day.” Isak raised his arm next to him and Safir’s misty magical form rose from his chest, trailing down his arm. It swirled next to him until it was all manifested and formed into a dragon. “As you see, Safir’s magic comes out the way it went in. Your dragon's magic will follow any limb until it reaches open air. Pointing your arm to where you want him to reappear is the easiest way. Do this by separating your minds, think individually and push his magic out.”

“As for the runt,” Isak gave Safir a side glance, to which she replied with an eye roll, “I mean Lumin, let yourself be guided by Evelyn. Once you are separated, envision your magic coming together. Think of the details of your physical body and you will morph into it.”

Evelyn thought of her personal memories and traits she deemed unique to herself. She felt the radiant energy slowly seep from her heart. Instinctively, she tried to cling onto it, but through sheer force of will, she let Lumin go.

The same bolts of magic that entered her before were now travelling down her arm as she raised it. Slowly, the cloud of lightning hovered next to her and limb by limb, Lumin manifested himself. Once he was complete, he looked up at her and smiled brightly, tail thumping the ground.

“Good job. You are officially on your way to becoming a dragon rider. A tad slow on the transformations,” Isak said.

“Exceptionally slow,” Safir added.

Isak tapped her foreleg with the back of his hand. “That is something you will improve with practice, which is what you are going to do. Fuse and defuse until I say to stop. Try to accelerate the process each time, but do not strain yourself.”

For the next hour or two they practiced. Physically, they did not exert themselves greatly, but Evelyn was mentally drained. Despite taking breaks every few attempts, which frustrated Safir, Evelyn found it harder and harder to concentrate their bond over time.

Eventually their progress halted and Isak called a stop to the training. “Enough for today. Stay fused for the rest of the day and get comfortable being part of each other. It will help your bond grow.”

Evelyn gave a nod of acknowledgement for the both of them. “Was our progress sufficient?” She asked at Lumin’s request.

Isak scratched his beard, but before he could answer, Safir stepped in. “The runt… Lumin made significant improvement in his speed of transformations. While he has a long way to go, I was surprised at how quickly he adapted.” Evelyn could feel Lumin’s pride grow. Even in her heart, he somehow bounced around with glee. However, the enjoyment did not last as Safir continued, “Evelyn on the other claw did not show the same improvement. Even for a day one trainee, you did not meet any expectations, and my expectations were low. You showed little to no growth with the speed at which you absorbed and expelled Lumin. Not to mention the strain you displayed as time wore on. Quite unbecoming of a prospective rider.”

Evelyn's shoulders dropped. Was the progress I thought I made just Lumin making up for my shortcomings? she thought. If she struggled with the most basic of tasks, how would she fare with the more grueling training ahead?

“I was not going to be so blunt, but she be right. You will have to do better next time. I encourage you to practice on your own in the coming days,” Isak said. With pitiful dejection, she nodded. “Take leave for now and get some rest. Meet us here at sunset for additional instruction.”

“Understood. Thank you, Isak, Safir.” Evelyn bowed her head and walked back through the tunnel. She heard a large splash from behind her and turned to see the beautiful blue dragon swimming away with Isak on her back.

‘I think you did just fine,’ Lumin said. She did not need to respond as she knew Lumin sensed how hopeless she felt.

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As they walked through the tunnel back to the base, Lumin tried to think of something to say to Evelyn to cheer her up. She may not have done amazing, but Lumin felt like she was improving. Though that contradicted what Safir said, and she was much more experienced than Lumin, so he should trust her judgement. His brain battled over whether he should comfort Evelyn over trusting his mentor.

Before he could find the right words, a cacophony of chatter echoed into the tunnel. They made a turn and saw the center of the base had been converted into a pop-up market encircling the statue of Aamun and Animsu. The vendors were facing away from the statue ten feet from the base, giving space for people to pay their respects to the statue, of which there were just as many people there as there were shopping.

‘Is it normal for people to worship leaders like that?’ Lumin asked.

‘Not in the empire. I had no ill will to the emperor until I found you and your mother, but I never thought this highly of him, nor did anyone I knew. Those two must have made a great impression on their people,’ Evelyn said. Her eyes darted around the market, glancing at the various stores.

While Lumin could not control where he went or what he looked at while fused, he was elated to see what Evelyn saw and feel what she felt. The world seemed so different with her senses. It saddened him that she had poorer vision than him, given he could see so much further and in greater detail. But the world seemed brighter and more colorful. Before everything was muffled with grays and browns and blues, but with her, the warm colors popped and brightened the area. Though the majority of his vision remained brown, he figured that was due to the cave walls making up most of their vision.

They glanced at the dragon pen. It was barren with the exception of the hay beds strewn along the floor. He thought of the other dragon that was with them the night prior; he sounded angry or worse, hungry. Lumin was convinced he was going to be crushed or eaten.

Evelyn then turned to look at the tower where they met Fukayna. The upper level was dark, but the second floor was bustling with activity. Shadowy figures blocked some of the light from the windows as they paced around. Lumin wondered if that is what she meant by ‘hold counsel’. Next to the tower, the training field was filled with organized chaos. Groups of people along with ichneumon separately did many different exercises. After asking Evelyn, he learned that some were doing something called pushups and sit-ups while others meditated or practiced formations.

‘What did you want to do, sweetie?’ Evelyn asked.

Without hesitation, Lumin responded with, ‘Library! I want to find this library thing you mentioned. It sounds so exciting!’ He felt Evelyn’s shoulders droop briefly before picking herself back up.

‘You’re not mentally tired from that training?’ She asked.

He thought for a moment, then responded, ‘Not really. Even in my physical form I felt fine.’

Evelyn sighed. He knew she was exhausted, but he did not think reading would put such a strain on her, but he started second guessing himself.

Before he could retract his suggestion though, she said, ‘Alright, let’s see if we can find a library.’

They decided that Fukayna was unavailable to guide them, and Benjamin, Heba and Isak were not an option either. Weaving their way through the crowd of people, Evelyn started asking customers and vendors alike if there was a library at the base they could visit. To their dismay, anyone they asked seemed to ignore them. Lumin assumed they were too busy to help, but when they asked people who were sitting around doing nothing, they too ignored their pleas.

A child with their mother walked by, looking curiously at Evelyn when she asked another person about the library. When they didn’t respond, the child started blurting out directions. He was cut off by his mother who grabbed his wrist and dragged him away in haste.

“But Mom, she-”

“Do not talk to that girl, Shunu. Dragon riders…” Her voice trailed off as they blended back with the crowd.

‘What is happening? Why are they ignoring us?’ Lumin asked.

Evelyn hesitated with her response. ‘I don’t think they trust dragon riders.’

’Why not? We’re not going to hurt them.’

‘They don’t know that. For all of history, dragons and ichneumon fought.’

‘But how do they know you’re a rider? Am I not hidden well enough?’

‘You are, sweetie. But some people were bound to have seen us be escorted into the base last night, or this morning. Word must have traveled quickly.’ Evelyn sat at a bench near the edge of the market and scratched her head. Lumin felt her mind race with various ideas, none of which led to success, they concluded.

Finally, Evelyn conceded they needed to find Benjamin and Heba. While she wanted to have some distance from Benjamin after his outburst about Lumin, Heba was with him, and she seemed to be the only Faiyan willing to talk to them, even if it was forced.

They made their way to the training field, where Evelyn assumed they would still be. Approaching the main gate, they saw a group of people lined up in a tight, rigid formation of two rows. In the back were seven people, standing with their backs straight, feet together with their arms locked at their sides. The front row, three people stood with their feet apart, arms tucked behind their backs, each of the three paired with an ichneumon sitting at their side, heads held high. In front of the formation was a taller woman with frizzled black hair speaking to the group in a language neither of them understood. Next to her was an ichneumon that stood taller than the others, though not as big as Hafara.

Once they reached the gate, the ichneumon seemed to notice them, giving them a side glance before raising its head to his companions ears. The leader nodded and said something to the ichneumon, who made its way to the onlooking pair.

Evelyn panicked and looked around, unknown to Lumin what she was looking for. As the ichneumon arrived, sitting down just before the gate, Evelyn smiled awkwardly, straightening her back and waving shyly.

Lumin assumed it was trying to scare them off, so he readied himself to emerge and show it how fierce he can be. As Evelyn warned Lumin not to interfere, it surprised them with its confident, regal voice. “You must be Evelyn the dragon rider, yes? I presume you are looking for your brother, Benjamin of Banrigh.”

Evelyn’s jaw hung open.

It took Lumin a moment to register what just happened. ‘You heard that, too?’ He asked.

‘I did. I had no idea I could understand them as well.’

Excitement grew within their bond from Evelyn’s side, to which Lumin grumbled to himself. Sure they can talk, but there’s no way they’re better to talk to than dragons. When Evelyn probed his thought, he quickly squashed it.

The creature in front of them raised a brow, reminding them that it… he asked them a question. With a few quick blinks and a shake of the head, Evelyn gathered herself and responded. “Y-yes, I’m Evelyn. My dragon, Lumin, is also with me.” She tapped her heart. “We were looking for my brother and Heba since she has been the only person besides Fukayna and Isak to… acknowledge us in the base. We just need help with something.”

With his deep, brown eyes, the ichneumon looked them up and down, judging them intently.

Lumin judged him in return. His eyes were only up to Evelyn’s chest sitting down, only a foot taller than Lumin currently was. No doubt he’d outgrow him in just a few weeks. He figured he could take the ichneumon.

The ichneumon flicked his tail and raised his chin, letting out a sigh of realization. “Ah, you have not had the honor of speaking to an ichneumon directly before, have you?”

Evelyn shook her head. “N-no, I have not. I was not even aware that I could understand you.”

Both of his cheeks rose with a subtle grin. “Then it is true that you are in the beginning stages of training. Allow me, Jaliibamawt, the honor of being the first ichneumon to grace you with their voice. Ichneumon are creatures of magic just as dragons are and communicate in similar fashions: through magic. Given this, your ability to understand dragons blends with the understanding of ichneumon.”

“That’s amazing! So why hasn't any other ichneumon spoken?” Evelyn asked.

He shrugged. “We are a proud species. Generally, we do not speak to anyone other than our companions unless necessary. You are most fortunate that Jalibamawt is not as proud and haughty as other ichneumon.” He lifted his chin higher and his chest puffed out.

‘Sure, he is definitely… um…’ Lumin struggled to find the word he was looking for.

Luckily, Evelyn chimed in to finish his joke. ‘Humble? Yes, I would agree.’ They both shared an internal chuckle. ‘Though I feel like I should be concerned that you used sarcasm before I taught you about it.’

‘So that’s what it’s called?’

“You mentioned you were looking for Heba for help. She, Xire and Benjamin remain at the firing range. The pair loathe that area, so the fact that they have been there for this long tells me Heba’s honor was challenged. That is a rare feat from anyone not of companion status, so I am curious as to what your brother said to rile her up. Apologies, I ramble on. Perhaps I can be of assistance.”

“I appreciate it. I was wondering if there was a library anywhere in the base? If so, where might it be?” Evelyn finally got to ask.

“Yes, we do in fact have one of those. The Kuliya Muktaba is what we call it. That is where our future companions and ichneumon go to study. I can tell you where it is, but unfortunately you require either an ichneumon or a Muktaba card to enter. I would accompany you, but I am still needed here.”

“We’lol find a way.” Evelyn said.

“If you can acquire one of those, the entrance is between the residential sector and the dragon pen. Look for a stone engraved with the Star of Aamun.”

“That is the information we needed. We greatly appreciate it, Jalibamawt.” Evelyn bowed her head.

Jalibamawt inclined his head in return before returning to his group, who were now doing a weird move parallel to the ground.

‘He sure was… something,’ Lumin said.

‘And his name was a mouthful, too. But he helped us, so I’m grateful.’

Lumin agreed and they started walking across the base. They passed the empty dragon pen and found the sizable gap between the pen and the first home carved from the stone.

It took them a moment, but together they found a section of the wall that was flatter than the rest with a star on it ten feet from the ground. The top three points of the star were longer than the two on the bottom.

However, there was no entrance in sight. From the fence to the house, the only thing that broke up the plain wall was the star. Lumin could feel Evelyn’s frustration grow, building on top of the frustration of their training.

‘He did mention we needed an ichneumon or card,’ Lumin said.

‘When he said that, I thought he meant I would need one to get past the front desk, like a normal library.’

‘Maybe they make the front door. Every time we see one of those holes form, an ichneumon is nearby. They must make them somehow.’ That seemed to frustrate Evelyn more as she groaned, making Lumin whimper.

‘Sorry, I just want you to learn as much as possible, and maybe learn more about dragons and ichneumon myself.’

‘We should go back and find Xire to let us in.’

’I guess we have no choice.’

When she turned around, Lumin nearly forced his way out of Evelyn in surprise. Just behind her was a young boy staring at her.

She took a deep breath and mentioned to Lumin the familiarity the kid presented.

‘Is he not the boy from the market?’ Lumin suggested.

‘You’re right!’ She looked around, trying to spot anyone else around to no avail. Crouching to meet his eyes, Evelyn asked aloud, “Hey there, does your mother know you’re here?”

He nodded and flashed a stone slab that fit in the palm of his hand. On it was the same star that was displayed on the wall. “You need a Muktaba card,” he said. They watched as he placed his card on the wall below the sign. After a few seconds, the wall split into a small doorway with soft light escaping through. The kid walked through, but Evelyn hesitated for too long as it closed before she could follow him.

“Oh come on,” she blurted out, throwing her arms into the air. A moment passed and Lumin thought Evelyn was going to give up. Then it reopened; the child stood in the gap and waved them in.

Evelyn immediately stepped through. Inside was a small area that gradually widened into a larger circle, lit by two rows of warm lights. On the walls, various plants grew from cracks. Structures as tall as Evelyn lined the room, rectangular objects filling the gaps left by their hollow interiors. From her, Lumin learned they were shelves, the small objects being the books.

The boy pointed at a desk to their right. Behind it sat an elderly man, older than even Isak, Lumin guessed. Wrinkles upon wrinkles across his face, an unkempt, gray mustache on his face with thick brows covering most of his eyes. Next to him, a similarly old ichneumon, his fur and spikes patched with gray.

The man looked up from the unmarked book he was reading, his head trembling as if struggling to lift it. He squinted at them.

“Who is this Aonachan you asked me to let in, Shunu?” The old man asked, receiving a shrug from the boy. “What do you mean you do not know? Who are you, young lady?”

Evelyn bowed her head. “I am Evelyn, sir. I was looking for the library and this boy helped me.”

”Evelyn… Evelyn… That name sounds familiar…” The man scratched his chin.

”She is the new dragon rider, Qari. The one that arrived the previous night.” It took Lumin a moment to realize it was the ichneumon that spoke. Not only was he still shocked they could understand them, but his voice was almost identical to that of his human: slow and shaky with a thick accent.

“Ah, why did you not say so? Welcome, welcome. My name is Qari, and this is Mua. We are the librarians of this fine establishment. My apologies for not letting you in, I did not take riders for the reading kind.”

“I love a good book, and Lumin is eager to learn more. I hope it is no issue that he is with me.”

”Bah, so long as he stays fused with you we do not mind. We have only a few books in your language, but they will serve you well, I think. I would recommend this one to start with your young one.” Qari reached under the desk and pulled out a thin book. He dusted it off and handed it to Evelyn.

The cover was black with a gold dragon wing embroidered into it. Evelyn’s eyes lit up with recognition ‘This is Dragons of The World! It’s one of the books my mom read to me,’ she told Lumin. ‘It has brief descriptions of the types of dragons, along with a story to go along with each type. This is perfect for you to start with.’

Lumin channeled his excitement through their bond. He was eager to start learning, and every second the book remained closed seemed to drag on forever.

Evelyn tilted her head curiously as she examined the cover. “My mom had this book, but it had a diamond in the corner. This one doesn’t?” She asked Qari.

“You will see why. Also, we have a strict rule: no book leaves the library without explicit written permission from the general,” Qari warned.

”That’s fine. It’s nice and quiet here anyway.”

”Good, you will do well to- Shunu! Why are you still here? Get to your study group before you are late again.” The boy had been watching their conversation with intrigue. With the wave of Qari’s hand, Shunu yelped and scampered off. He turned a corner and went through a doorway on the left.

Evelyn thanked Qari and Mua again and walked to one of the chairs that sat at the edge of each shelf. Attached to the arm of the chair was a book stand that was mounted to a flexible arm. She sat down and swung the stand in front of them, placing the book down and opening it.

‘You ready to learn how to read?’ She asked.

‘I am! I am!’

She read out to Lumin what she called the table of contents. He excitedly began committing the written words and what they sounded like to his memory, repeating words back with ease. After expressing his disappointment with so many similar phrases, Evelyn pleaded patience to Lumin, saying there were only six chapters to title and it wouldn't take long.

Lumin growled in confusion. ‘Am I counting wrong? It looks like there are seven.’