Dragon's Lore Chapter 1: Dragon Lore, a dragon's bait fanfic

A/N: --- This is just a test chapter I wrote because I had the urge to try and develop on 'Dragon's Bait' since it has been one of my favorite stories since I was in junior high. I say 'test chapter' because I want to see if it gets any feedback. I already have two stories I need to finish, so if I don't see much response I will put it on hold (But I will continue it, granted it will be awhile) until I finish my other two. If it does get a lot of response, then I will consider developing it further for readers and put a hold on one of my other stories. Happy reading, and if you enjoy it, please take the time to say so for your benefit. : )

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Credit report:

•I don't own any characters that Vivian Vande Velde has created.

•I have to give credit to the Elder Scrolls IV PC computer game for using the idea of the 'Imperial City' mentioned in this fic.

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They arrived in Tierbo as the first snow fell. Of course they could have gotten there sooner but Selendrile insisted walking was better for them, and on stopping everyday, and often going in the wrong direction. It was almost as if he was trying to delay their arrival to the port city. He left Alys in a secluded place—more often than not--while he flew off somewhere most of the time. He usually stayed out late, and then returned at the crack of dawn to rouse her, only to repeat the cycle again. It had been months since Alys had seen other humans.

Alys breathed in the cold air and sighed. Selendrile gave her a look. She knew he thought that she sighed too much. Just to get the point across that she was relieved to be in society again, she sighed once more. She wasn't happy that he disappeared for hours at a time, and it wasn't like she could ask him what he did and where he went or even why he was doing it. He had a knack for avoiding personal questions. She should have left him by now--at least that is what she kept telling herself--as she sat in caves or farmhouses, drawing pictures in the dust with stick. Bored to death.

"Tierbo," she said and saw her breath hit the air.

He didn't say anything. Only his eyes moved, glancing at the buildings and the harbor, considering them.

"Should we find an inn?" Alys asked.

He nodded. She spotted a hanging wooden sign with a moon and stars on it, signaling it was there for a passerby looking for a bed. It was called Lighthouse Keep Inn. It was a fancier inn than Alys had ever seen. Didn't seem a place to come across drunks or cutthroats with its white wash paint or brass door handles. Alys was wearing a velvet dress that Selendrile had dropped off one morning, so she looked like she could belong in a higher-class inn. Selendrile could pass for decent--he was wearing gray trousers with boots, a white linen shirt, vest and a long gray jacket. If the lady of the inn saw him, she might even let him stay for free. All she needed to see was his perfect face and golden hair.

"Do you have enough money?" Alys whispered.

He glanced down at her with a brow raised as if to say Of course, you moron. I always plan ahead.

Alys found that she was beginning to miss his voice. There was something in it that caused her excitement and to feel better about life when she heard him speak. Perhaps it was just fey magic, and that was how Selendrile could trick so many people into believing he was human. That or they didn't care if he seemed abnormal as long as he was charming.

They entered the front room of the inn. A boy was just lighting the chandelier candles. Alys tilted her head back to see the decorative light affixation. It looked carved out of elk antlers. It must have been expensive since elk lived far away from Tierbo.

"May I help you younglings?" a lady in a blue silk dress asked – probably the owner or owner's wife.

She wasn't old but she wasn't as young as Alys or as young as Selendrile seemed.

"My wife and I need a room for the night," Selendrile answered stepping further into the room to secure a deal for a bedroom.

Alys felt her skin prickle. She hadn't heard the dragon-youth talk for what seemed a lifetime. Also, it was the first time they had stayed at an inn since Griswold. It never occurred to her they would have to share an inn again, and especially under the guise of a married couple. Her hair had grown back enough to braid it, and there was a certain anatomy on her that had grown significantly so she could no longer pass as a twelve-year-old boy.

He has to sleep on the floor, she thought with a frown.

"I have a nice big room for twenty gold if you'd like it," the lady offered.

Alys was prepared to walk out and find the cheaper inn in Tierbo. There was no way they could afford a twenty gold room. They weren't shipping merchants.

"Sounds lovely, we'll take it," he dictated Alys's presumptions. Just how much gold did he carry? "Come on love, you must be tired." He held out his arm and motioned Alys to move out of the front room.

"If you don't mind me saying, dinner will be served in a few moments if you and your lady want to eat," the lady of the inn added after examining the gold Selendrile had given her.

"I'm not that hungry. Are you?" Selendrile inquired. He sounded tired although she knew he didn't eat people food and he probably just wanted to sleep.

Actually, Alys was famished. She nodded and the lady led her to the inn's dining room. Several guests were sitting at the tables--four to a table. Selendrile followed. Alys presumed he nothing better to do. They sat at a table that a woman was occupying already.

Selendrile did nothing to initiate conversation. Alys had enough silence for the past few months, so she asked the lady's name.

"Lianna," the woman replied. She was a pretty young woman—in her mid twenties—but she Alys found it odd she was alone.

"Are you traveling alone?"

"No, I'm in company with men of the court. I'm a scholar from the capital, and work for the palace," she smiled and took a sip of water from her cup.

"The Imperial City? That's far away," Alys noted. She remembered seeing cartography of the country in the church back in St. Toby's. St. Toby's was in the far northwest while the capital was near the center. Tierbo was exactly west but even farther than the Imperial City.

"Yes, I know. I'm glad I got to get out though, see the country you know? There is some breathtaking scenery out here in the west."

Alys was used to it, maybe she'd have to try and appreciate the hills more.

"What manner of men from the court are here?" Selendrile cut in. Alys thought it was odd to ask such a question, and why did he even care?

"The Queen's knights," she smiled, also confused at his abrupt question. Both women saw him tense somewhat. Liana laughed lightheartedly, "Don't worry, they are my friends. I don't think there is any trouble afoot. Although Sir Fayden mentioned that him and his men were on a quest. He was rather secretive about it. Then again it's not my business what they're searching for. I just provide them with dragon lore."

Alys looked to Selendrile. His eyes were narrowed at the woman. Alys didn't understand why, she was amused he was even paying attention. Dinner was served then. It was chicken with a side of asparagus. It was delicious, and Alys made sure to savor every bite. Selendrile kept his eyes on the woman. Alys almost felt jealous. He had paid less attention to Alys the whole time they had traveled together after St. Toby's.

"What kind of dragon lore?" Alys asked once they were in a suitable place to continue dinner conversation.

"The myths of old. Before the church, there were pagan religions that worshipped fey. They paid sacrifices and such. In fact, a lot of he old ruins designed as fey altars are still standing. A rich part of history although the church wants them all found and burned."

"Do you know anything about their eating habits?" Alys wondered.

Lianna gave her a good once-over and then chuckled, "Dragons only ate raw meat, you know, fresh-from-the-kill-meat."

To Alys's surprise, Selendrile suddenly took a bite of her asparagus. He grimaced as he chewed. Both women looked at him curiously.

"I was hungry after all," he said, though Alys could tell he was lying. His grimace was proof. Now that she knew he only liked fresh meat--she definitely knew he was having a hard time enjoying asparagus.

"Anyway, the church twisted that into one reason to why dragons were evil and spawns of Hell. People could keep their livestock and not worry about paying tribute any longer." Lianna finished the lore of dragons' eating habits.

" You speak of them as though they are all dead," Selendrile spoke in a cold tone.

"Well yes, dragons haven't been sighted since before the dark ages. It is assumed that humans have killed them all. Except…" she trailed off looked into nothing.

"Except what?" Alys asked, seeing Selendrile's eyebrows rise uncertainly at the woman.

"I forgot," she laughed lightly and focused back to Alys.

"How many dragons were there?" Alys further inquired. She should have asked Selendrile since he was a dragon. It was quite sad that she had to ask a stranger to answer all her burning questions.

"You know what? Since you have taken such an interest in the subject, I could show you my dragon lore book from the Imperial City university libraries after we finish dinner. How would you like that?" Lianna beamed at Alys.

Alys looked at Selendrile once more. His handsome face was frowning ever so slightly at the idea. Alys wanted to talk--she wanted to know more about the very fey she was traveling with--so against Selendrile's subtle disparagement, she agreed.

As soon as their dishes were removed--before Selendrile could outwardly protest her decision--Alys jumped up and followed Lianna to her room. Alys hadn't gotten to see the rooms yet but Lianna's was dressed luxuriously. She hoped she had a big feather bed in her room like Lianna did.

"There were many dragons my dear. After the church was established however, men were encouraged to fight and kill the poor beasts. Their body parts were magical, very useful for ailments and long lasting beauty," Lianna chattered on as she dug through her belongings for the dragon lore book. Alys thought of Selendrile's beauty, and could see how someone could use a part of him to extend their beauty, that is if they killed him. No one would ever harm him though! Only Atherton--and what happened to him proved that no one harmed Selendrile and lived.

"Even their eyes were rumored to be true jewels," she sounded impressed. Alys was reminded of her companion's athemyst eyes. They were actual jewels? How was it that she only noticed? Lianna must not of suspected Selendrile--probably because he ate the asparagus.

"Ah hah!" Lianna said. She hauled a black, leather-bound, tome out of her pack. "I'm afraid it's a bit heavy. Scholars are all the same. Right from the beginning of time they write, write, write. Recording history is a time consuming job." She dropped the book into Alys's lap.

She made an 'oof!' sound and after a moment of getting used to the weight, unlatched the book and opened it. Lianna stood behind her to see her reaction.

There ware illustrations of dragons, all of different colors. Alys brushed her fingers over the images, expecting to feel scales since they were drawn so realistically.

"Those are the magnificent seven," Lianna explained, taking Alys's silence for confusion.

"Why are they magnificent?"

"In dragon lore, they held significant power. Think of it as the dragon council if you will. They were separate; each had their own fey altar. They each had names, and you can see that as you read the different chapters. You see, four represented an earth element, and then the other three represented a celestial element," she pointed at each dragon. They had symbols next to them. She spotted a vine, a droplet of water, a flame, and a depiction of the wind blowing--also a crescent moon, a star, and the sun.

"Is there anything in here about dragons transforming into different creatures?" Alys asked suddenly. She should have kicked herself--she could have given Selendrile away.

Lianna shook her head, "No such thing has been recorded about it. Why?"

Alys sighed, "I was just thinking that would have been neat. You know, dragons walking around as humans and blending in without us knowing. Maybe that could have been a reason they all disappeared--they all are disguised as humans." She mentally slapped herself for almost giving him away again.

Lianna gave Alys a suspicious look but smiled, "That would be something."

Alys should have been going to bed. Then again she didn't want to walk into a room where Selendrile would be glaring at her all night. She turned the pages and saw an image of a fine, golden dragon with a mane and astonishing purple eyes--amethyst eyes. Her breath caught and she touched the drawing gently, "Selendrile."

"You already know some lore yourself?" Lianna sounded impressed again.

Alys looked up at her puzzled-like. Lianna turned the book to its next page where a new chapter began. It was titled:

'The Prince of Dragons'

After initial confusion, and after reading the first sentence, a small bit of shock pricked her mind. Selendrile was a dragon prince? Another part of her laughed at the concept. Why would a dragon prince spend time with the likes of her? Alys thumbed the chapter, discovering it was a hefty portion of the book. She wanted to read it all, but it was already too late.

"Selendrile was the golden dragon, according to the pagan beliefs that scholars began to record. They described him smaller than the magnificent seven, and we at the university speculate it was because the Prince of Dragons was younger," Lianna said and a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "Oh! That was what I was saying earlier!"

Alys regarded the woman with a confused expression.

"Earlier at dinner, your lord mentioned that I spoke of dragons as if they were all dead but however rumors have escalated in the north about a golden dragon. A small village by the mountains was recently attacked by what the claim to have been a dragon. My entourage of Queen's knights stopped in the area to investigate and my dear, there were many signs that a dragon had been present!"

Alys throat went dry. Lianna was talking about St. Toby's--there was no other town in the north that was attacked by Selendrile.

"What did the people say?"

"Most concluded that the reason the dragon attacked was because a witch ordered it to," Lianna laughed, like it was the most absurd thing she ever heard.

"You don't believe them?"

"Witches don't exist. They are simply a fabrication of the church to persecute young, intelligent women. It especially is commonly accepted in rural, superstitious areas of our country. However, in the Imperial City, if one was accused of being a witch, people would simply mock the accuser for being simple," Lianna explained.

Alys suddenly wished she had been raised in the capital. She rather enjoyed the company of the lady scholar, Lianna. Not to mention she would never have been put through a traumatizing experience. Then again, she would have never met Selendrile if she hadn't been accused of being a witch.

"It would be so lovely to continue chatting with you about dragon lore but I'm afraid I must get some rest," Lianna stretched her arms and yawned.

"Would you mind terribly if I borrowed this for a day?" Alys asked. Lianna smiled kindly and allowed her, but warned her that she might be leaving by noon and would have liked to have it back by then.

Alys thanked her new acquaintance and found her room. It was dark when she entered. She called out Selendrile's name but there was no answer. She shuffled around the room and felt a pile of clothes. She called out his name again. If his clothes were off, then he was naked. She had seen the dragon youth naked before but still thought it indecent he did it so nonchalantly. There was no evidence he was in the room at the moment. She took off her velvet dress and stumbled her way to the bed to crawl in, deciding he would eventually have to come back for his clothes. A nagging thought entered her mind before she went to sleep however. He could have left his clothes with intentions of never coming back. She had learned about dragon lore from Lianna despite his obvious facial objections. What if that sent him away? Alys blinked a couple times, trying to get the nagging out of her head. Her thoughts only shifted toward her father, which was worse. She couldn't help but to tear whenever she thought of him. She'd seen him die and the image of him falling would never leave her head as long as she lived.

Alys pulled the covers up and over her head to muffle her crying sounds, and eventually fell asleep.

"I'm surprised at how accurate this book is," a husky male's voice--her favorite voice--interrupted Alys's sleep.

Alys gingerly opened her eyes, sunlight was pouring through the window, and it took a moment for her to see Selendrile--sitting beside her--with the dragon lore book in his hands.

"Is it?" she yawned.

"Haven't you read it already?" he asked.

"I was intending to today."

"I never slaughtered half of Prition. They died by the plague," He sniffed and handed the book over.

"What?"

"Just so you know," he insisted, without bothering to answer her question.

"All right your highness," Alys took the book.

His purple eyes were suddenly daggers, "You said you hadn't read it yet."

"Only the first sentence of the chapter about the golden dragon. Are you really the prince of all dragons?" she fell back from his stare, clutching the book to her chest.

He didn't answer. She guessed by his unwillingness to confirm or deny, that it was true.

She had a feeling something big was going to happen soon. It had to do with Selendrile, or even the men of the Queen that were in town. Selendrile had led them to Tierbo and Alys suspected there was a reason behind it. He had been gone all night, and not to find raw meat like most times he was absent. If he turned into a dragon while in a city, there would definitely be gossip flying around. So far Alys hadn't heard a word about a dragon in Tierbo. Granted she had just woken up but she had a feeling Lianna would burst through the door to tell her about it, if he had. What had he been doing all night?

Selendrile sighed for once, which told Alys there really was more happening than she could fathom. All he said was: "The magnificent seven are coming."