Sorry it took so long, guys! I've had a looooot of stuff on my plate. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten this little story...enjoy!

Chapter Four: Dragon Tales

DRAGONS: Dragonlore, Dragon Lifestyle, Eating Habits and more

So read the title, in big bold letters, of the chapter dedicated to dragons. Alys couldn't help noticing that this section of the fey creature book was much thicker than the others. And what others there had been! Chapters on elves, gnomes, fairies—all beasts that she had only ever heard of in fairy tales. Some were familiar, such as the mermaid or the centaur, but others—the saber-toothed pixie, for example—were strange to her.

Alys had only skimmed through the other chapters. She could read about those later, if she wanted to. But the reason she had bought the book was to find out the things that Selendrile would never tell her.

A SMALL INSIGHT INTO DRAGONLORE
According to legend, dragons were created millions of years ago in the flames that formed the earth. Dragons were the first beings to walk the earth. For thousands of years they remained thus, drinking the liquid fire that they obtained from the rivers of fires But the dragons became lonely, living as the sole beings on earth, and used their magic to create other creatures. Animals and fey creatures all come from the dragon.

Another thousand years passed before one dragon, a red female by the name of Necrolei, was cast out from the ranks of dragons for creating an impure creature that was intelligent enough to outthink all but the dragon—the human. Necrolei was cast into the deepest depths of the earth, into the darkness where she could harm no one. But the dragons underestimated the mighty Necrolei, who, in her fury that was hotter than the eternal flames, used her knowledge of dark magic to steal the fire rivers so that they flowed into her prison. She sealed her own prison behind her, and though the dragons tried again and again to open the gates of the earth, it was sealed off forever. The only other beings who could enter Necrolei's prison were the souls of dead humans, which were sent to the eternally burning flames to pay for their misdeeds in life.

Necrolei became the sole keeper of the rivers of fire, the dragons' only source of food.

This is how the world began, how humans were created, and the reason why dragons eat meat.

The book went on to describe the various types of dragon—red dragons, who were generally shunned by other dragons and had their own set of rules; green ones that could live anywhere in the world; gold dragons, such as Selendrile was; sea serpents and swamp dragons, neither of which could breathe fire; and the fabled white dragons, who favored icy northern regions and of whom there had been almost no sightings by mortals. It spoke of the Dragon Council, comprised of the seven oldest dragons throughout the world, who made the dragon laws and made sure that dragons followed them. The book described what and how much a dragon ate, where certain dragons chose to live, and approximately how many dragons there were in the world. There were countless beautiful illustrations of dragons, all looking majestic and regal in a way that even Selendrile couldn't top.

One illustration in particular caught her eye. It was of two golden dragons, their snouts and tail tips touching so that they formed the shape of a perfect circle. The drawing had a strange beauty to it—it spoke of a ritual that had been performed since the beginning of time. There was no caption underneath the picture.

Unfortunately, it was getting very late, and Alys had to get up early every morning. Her candle had nearly burned out, and she didn't dare ask Mother Margaret for another.

So she was only able to skim the rest of the information on dragons. Apparently, dragons gained special abilities once they came of age…they could telepathically communicate with any living creature—Alys hoped this didn't mean Selendrile could read minds. Also, they were able to remain in other forms than their dragon forms during the day, except in the hour between noon and one o'clock.

--vvvvv--

Alys awoke with the dawn. She was roused by a rooster that hadn't been there the morning before; it sounded slightly ill.

She groggily got herself out of bed and dressed. There was something off about the room, something that should have been blindingly obvious. But she couldn't quit figure out what it was. It wasn't until she reached for her necklace that she realized what was missing.

The dragon book had disappeared.

Alys tore apart her room (literally, because she accidentally ripped one of the sheets in her frantic search) trying to find it, but to no avail. Someone had stolen the book. But why? She had bought it from the bookseller for a high price, but how would any thief know that? Some more superstitious people thought that books were evil, but that was no reason to steal a book from her bedside table. Why not just go for the bookshop?

The only other explanation was that the thief wanted to sell the book somewhere. But that didn't explain why he had left her golden necklace, which was obviously the most valuable thing in the room. The whole thing made no sense.

Alys finally decided not to worry about it too much. Perhaps the answer would present itself to her in due time. Feeling slightly hollow inside, as though some part of her were missing, Alys made her way downstairs.

Chores kept her so busy that day that she had no time to worry about the dragon book. She swept and scrubbed the floors, cleaned up some of the guest rooms, and even helped in the kitchen for a while. She didn't mind the work—actually, it made her feel more at home than she had in a long while. It also made her feel less like an outsider. The arrangement with Mother Margaret was that she stay the winter free of charge, but work for her room and board. Selendrile could easily have paid for her keep, but she much preferred it this way. Just staying on as a guest would have felt stiff and awkward; and besides, a rich man (young though he may be) paying for his underage cousin to stay the winter at an inn in some forgotten little town, coming to visit her occasionally…it would have looked just a little bit strange. Particularly because Selendrile only ever visited after sundown….

That evening, it was her turn to stoke the fire. Something in the glowing red embers caught her eye: a scrap of paper. With narrowed eyes, she carefully lifted the singed bit of paper out of the dying fire.

There was writing on the page. Most of it was too charred to make out, but two of the words she could read were "fairy rings."

Alys felt slightly lightheaded. Burned? Her beautiful red-leather dragon book, destroyed?

She sank heavily into one of the old armchairs and stared into the empty fireplace. Her only real insight into the world Selendrile tried so hard to keep hidden, gone.

Alys hardly ever cried. She hadn't even spilled a tear after her father died—mostly because of the malicious townspeople getting ready to stake her to a post as dragon's bait. But now she wanted to. It was silly to cry over a little thing like a book, she knew. And yet she felt a strange connection to the tome, as it was the only true information about dragons she was ever likely to find. A whole world was hidden in those pages, a world that she could scarcely dream of. Whoever had written that book had meant it to be read. And now it was gone.

The only information she was ever going to get about fey creatures would have to come from Selendrile. And he wasn't exactly truthful, especially when it concerned his species.

Alys balled her fists and groaned in frustration. . If only she could turn back time, make it so that the book had never touched the flames! She stared blankly into the dying embers. They were mocking her. Evil, demonic faces were leering at her from inside that fireplace. She scowled, almost tempted to throw the poker at the stupid fire.

It was at that moment that Renn chose to make his entry.

And it was exactly in that second that Alys comprehended who the thief was.

"You," she said, without getting up from her chair or even bothering to turn around. "You burned it."

Renn said nothing. She could just picture his expression—his freckled face looking guilty and remorseful, like a toddler who had committed some misdeed.

However, when she turned around to look it was quite another story. Instead of the guilty expression that should have been there, there was a touch of annoyance. The nerve! Getting annoyed at her when he burned her book!

"I had to do it, Alys. That book is dangerous. It's full of garbage, and I didn't want you to go believing it. Really, you should thank me for saving you."

Alys's mouth dropped open. Without realizing it, she had risen to her feet.

"Tell me you don't believe actually believe that," she managed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Tell me you don't actually believe you did me a favor by burning a book I paid twenty-five silver coins for, Renn."

Renn lowered his head and said nothing. But there was a touch of defiance in his demeanor.

Words could not describe the boiling hot fury currently coursing through Alys's veins. It was as if someone had lit up a volcano inside her mind, and the mountain of boiling lava had just erupted.

"How dare you," she hissed, glaring at Renn with something that an observer might have mistaken for hatred. Her hands were shaking, and she was having trouble standing up straight.

"That piece of garbage meant more to me than anything else I own. And you just destroyed it. Oh dear god, why wasn't I born a boy? I would tear you to shreds with my bare hands…."

Renn was beginning to look like a cornered animal, all traces of defiance gone. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" he stammered. But it was too late for apologies. Alys, tears already pricking her eyes, fled from the room.

--vvvv--

Alright, perhaps it wasn't precisely true that the dragon book was her most prized possession. And she didn't hate Renn for burning the book—in some strange, inexplicable way, he had meant well, though she was unlikely to admit it to anyone or try to understand it in this lifetime. But it galled her that Renn though he had the right to destroy her property. It would take a miracle, or at least several months, for her to forgive him.

A welcome distraction presented itself that evening in the shape of Selendrile. Alys was shocked to see him so soon—she'd been expecting to see neither hide nor tail of him for at least several weeks. But there he was, disheveled and pale, standing in the doorway.

"Selendrile!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing back so soon? It's only been two full days!"

"Couldn't sleep," Selendrile replied grimly. "Come on, I need to talk to you someplace private." Without any warning, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out the door.

He steered her into "The Dragon's Claw's" back garden, which was nothing more than a tiny patch of grass with a low, ramshackle fence around it.

"Listen, there's something wrong with this place," Selendrile began without preamble. "You have to pack your things right now and come with me. I'll find you some other town to stay the winter."

This statement came as a bit of a shock to Alys. "You mean I'm…leaving?"

"Yes. Right now. Go get your things."

"Now hold on a minute, Selendrile—"

"Don't 'hold on a minute, Selendrile' me. Get your things!" he cut in impatiently.

Alys's mouth dropped open. Selendrile almost never spoke to her like that.

A touch of annoyance began to creep up on her. She wasn't about to let him start treating her like that…at least, not with out a very good reason.

She placed her hands on her hips and fixed him with a practiced glare. "I'm not leaving this place. Not now, not when I'm about to find out what's going on here."

Selendrile's expression now became very exasperated. "I have no time for this. Alys, we are leaving! Now!"

Alys narrowed her eyes. "I see what the problem is. You see me as a piece of your property that you can order around whenever you choose. And now that I'm actually meeting people other than you I actually like, you object to it. Well, I've got news for you—you don't own me, and I'm not coming with you!" In actuality, Alys wasn't feeling nearly as brave and strong as she sounded. After all, she was speaking to the human projection of a huge, fire-breathing dragon with a certain issue with temper control.

This statement seemed to have touched a nerve. Selendrile now looked distinctly annoyed. "Don't be ridiculous, Alys. There is something seriously wrong with this town! There's absolutely not a single trace of any magical creature! That's not right—there is always some kind of evidence of fey hanging around a town or city! Not even a brownie, Alys. That means that something is covering its scent."

And now Alys was intrigued. All traces of anger vanished, replaced by avid curiosity.

"What kind of—" she began, but was interrupted almost immediately.

"A dragon, Alys. A lone dragon is hanging around this town and pretending it isn't. There, satisfied? Will you come with me now?"

So there was a dragon near Quinn…Alys's fascination had just reached a whole new level. There was no way she was leaving this place now. Unless, of course, Selendrile decided to drag her along. Then she wouldn't have a choice.

"No," she said with as much finality as she could muster while trying to stop her legs from turning to jelly and giving her away.

Selendrile narrowed his eyes. "You won't come? You'd rather be eaten by a dragon?"

"You're a dragon, too," Alys pointed out.

Selendrile seemed to be losing his patience. "That's beside the point. Not all dragons are as tolerant of an attitude like yours as I am. You have to come with me. You have no idea what kind of danger you're in!"

"Why do you care, anyway?" she countered.

"I don't, but I don't imagine you want to die anytime soon!"

"I'm not coming, Selendrile. And that's final. You can pick me up at the end of the winter, as planned."

Selendrile's nostrils flared. Plainly, he was accustomed to getting his way. But there was no budging Alys.

"Fine," he said finally.

Alys was amazed. So he wasn't going to swoop in and kidnap her? She was almost disappointed. Almost.

"Turns out I was right all along," he growled, turning away from Alys. "You are more trouble than you're worth. I should have just killed you when I saw you tied to that stake."

And with that, he swept out of the garden, and was just possibly gone forever.

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