Tristan

I woke up and wondered for a moment where I was, before I recognised the painted ceiling of the dim ballroom in Felix house. A ballroom. Who the fuck has houses with ballrooms? In the middle of London! Apart from the Queen. That they'd let me stay here was even stranger. I was a stranger, worse than that. I was a dragonslayer, who quite mindlessly killed a bunch of dragons not that long ago.

Yet Calista seemed completely unfazed when I stated this.

"You are here to tend to her. Observe the laws of hospitality and you will thrive here."

Strange woman. I would have thought that she was a dragon. The way she was imperious and unsettling, while beautiful. She didn't miss any opportunity to underline the beauty of her face, hair, silhouette, skin. She wore designer clothes to lounge with a book in one of the parlours all day. She told me these were called parlours.

I sat up on my futon and took in the fairy tale scene in front of me. Gilded ballroom with a huge sleeping dragon in it.

It didn't make sense but it seemed as if Stealth was fading backwards. She seemed sharper and more intense every day.

I got up and stretched before I came over to pat her huge muzzle laying on the shiny floor. I touched her often, Calista was very good at never saying anything final about the "rider" business, but I have picked up, that the bond with a human, tethers a dragon to this... plane. And that such a bond is always unique to the pair, so you basically figure it out on your own. So I followed my instinct, that told me that this was a huge, scaly, premature baby, that thrived on physical contact. By the way she shone brighter every day, I figured, I wasn't doing anything wrong.

I quickly put on a t-shirt and shorts and slipped out through the outrageous terrace to the garden gate.

I needed to maintain myself while here, so I run like five miles to warm up and later on worked out on the terrace as the sun climbed it's lazy ass up over the roofs of buildings nearby.

I showered in one of the guest bedrooms, that was assigned to me, but I never used it for anything but keeping my clothes there and using the bathroom.

"Good morning" I said walking into the kitchen where Calista sat curled in a huge armchair. She was dressed in a purple v-neck sweater and white shorts, probably Prada or something like that.

"Morning." She murmured not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Eggs and bacon?" I asked taking a pan from a hook on the wall beside the counter.

"Yes please, and camomile tea, I'm under the weather today." She said.

I started the hob and looked inside the always full fridge.

"There's mushrooms, want me to add some?" I asked.

"Hmm hmm"

Well it was a no-talking morning then, I thought and started the water.

I took it upon myself to cook Calista and Felix breakfast as they gave their housekeeper vacation for the time of Stealth being a huge dragon in the ballroom.

Felix left shortly after Stealth 'moved in'. Business.

I fried the mushrooms with bacon, until most excess fluid was evaporated and then beat the eggs in and scrambled them as good as I could. I chopped some chives from the long pot filling the width of the window behind the sink. I placed the eggs on large blue plates and sprinkled them with salt and chives. I placed both plates on the worn wooden table in the middle. Alongside loaf of bread and a stick of butter. I poured boiling water into the blue mug and placed it beside Calistas plate.

"Breakfast is ready milady."

I said trying to sound as servile as possible.

That earned me an exasperated smile as Calista carefully marked the place in the book with a fancy woven bookmark and came to sit with me.

"What's so interesting?" I asked her.

"Something I read for Nettle. She's curious about many things."

Well it probably wasn't interesting for me then.

"How's your dragon, rider?" She asked in return.

"Still sleeping. Shiny and well defined though." I said not caring for explanation. Dragons in their true form had this sparkling thing about them that had nothing in common with glitter except for the... energy of it. And after sleeping for fucking weeks Stealth had a lot more of it, than when Felix dropped her back into this time... Whatever that meant.

"I'm pleased to hear that."

After breakfast I went back to the ballroom and resumed my vigil, as I started to call this strange month-long wake for a scaly giant.

I could nestle in the crook of her elbow and I did it now. The scales were warm and formed to my body enough for me to be comfortable. I picked up a stack of reports sent to me by Alexander, probably ordered by lieutenant Ward to annoy me. As I had no fucking idea what was going on in the Manor or what my answers should be.

Yesterday they were extremely distrustful of Mace. I guessed that everything about the dragon must have triggered old bastard. Both the fact that he was a fully grown adult male, a stranger to the Order and his human form. I leafed through the "raport" that was a complaint at best and slander at worst.

"The dragon demanded to be in charge of the exercise of our men, to which Lieutenant Ward objected. The dragon retreated and watched passively and the other dragons were not participating either."

Wow. I hoped Garret was on top of that, because this looked as if they were about to be eaten by our allies. Which might not be such a bad thing considering that Ward's loyalty was questionable ever since Commander Knight appeared out if the thin air.

I put the paper away and picked up a book that Calista recommended to me.

It was apparently a collection of seventeenth century songs. I opened at bookmark and read "Lady of Carlisle". I read it aloud petting the base of the neck of the dragon beside me.

"Do you know this? Huh? You were hatched in the US though, no idea if it was popular there. What is this about sending your beloved into lion's jaws? Hmm? Do dragon females do that too?" I asked her teasingly putting the book away and standing to stretch.

I rarely left the spacious room, I ran morning run around the block, and trained in the garden every morning. Apart from that I was 'tending' Stealth and learning about dragons. Felix mostly ignored me before he left, but Calista took keen interest in me, she spent an hour with me every day. She told me... stories. Calista completely ignored the Talon vs Order reality. For her dragons were... a lore, a lifestyle, a miracle and a challenge. In between lines I understood that dragons were not the only magical creatures inhabiting the Earth. She wouldn't give anything away that I could use to track down anybody. It was more... mood stories. She painted an alternative universe for me, where usual objectives of limited space and natural ressources were irrelevant.

Calista was a dragon nerd, living to be in their magic. Once I asked her why she wouldn't just tell me how to do this. She answered dreamily.

"I am. I am telling you everything Tristan. It's not a manual I can drill into you. It's a set of ancient clues that I hope will open a gate in your heart."

"My heart?" I asked frowning.

"Yes, your heart. Humans do magic with their hearts, the stories I tell you are encrypted against your mind and can only be deciphered by your heart."

After that she gave me a book to read and left.

The books she's given me made no sense. There were art and architecture albums, medieval romances, poetry, songs, travel guides and an anatomy atlas. I given up asking about the meaning and just leafed lazily through them in my ample free time.

Once led by sudden impulse I put my hand on Stealth's side and tracing her scales stepped into the dark hole around her backside. It felt like stepping on the smooth ballroom floor. Until I let go of Stealth. The air was sucked out of my lungs and the ground seemed to disappear from under my feet. I flailed with my hand and it hit Stealth sticking to it as a magnet to metal. Again I could breath and stand firmly. I went all the way around Stealth's massive body without losing contact. I asked Calista about it but she just shrugged. "It's void. Rider magic allows you to live there."

"Am I a rider then?" I asked.

"Are you?" She asked back.

The more I knew about it the less sense it made, that I should be Stealth's rider.

And the more sure I was, that this was indeed the case.

And if I was her rider, then I was tethering her to this world, my presence was strengthening her. So I stayed as close and as much with her as possible, and could almost feel the magic working on me too.

The doors opened and Madison stood there. She wore denim shorts and white shirt.

"Hi" she said looking around curiously.

"Hi" I said when Nettle entered the room too.

"Hi Tristan. We need your help." She said without ado.

"Yes." Madison confirmed. "Lieutenant Ward is triggered by Mace to an extent that makes me want to kill him." She moaned sitting down on the futon.

Nettle approached the darkened corner.

"Careful, you can fall in there." I wanted her.

"No you cannot. I crafted it myself." She snorted.

"What?" I asked surprised.

"It was one of the exercises for my magic. Felix is a Time-walker and time-bender but I might be world-walker. So far I can manipulate space beyond glitching and I created this space for Felix, that he put a time seal on and can summon it to whenever he wants it here..." She rattled away walking into the hole.

I didn't try to follow. I looked at Madison, who watched Stealth's bulk with wide eyes. She looked tired and worried.

"What do you need my help with?" I asked sitting down beside her.

"Ward... Mace. The Order is a tinderbox, Garret's authority is weakened with every day of Ward throwing tantrums. Could you... could you join the training? So that we have a lieutenant on our side." She said looking down at her hands.

"Yes." Nettle said emerging on the other side of Stealth. "We need someone, who wants us to work together, in charge." She said looking earnest.

"What about Garret?" I asked not thrilled about the prospect.

"Garret is exhausted by Ward constantly stirring shit! He's caught up in other stuff too, he cannot go to HQ and check that bastard Knight poisoning our men from there... Sorry." She checked herself looking at Madison, who didn't react but looked at me instead.

"Garret has sent me. Please help us." She said.

Well it looked like Garret could manipulate, when he needed to. If there was anything I would leave Stealth's side for, it was Madison asking.

"Tell me more." I said resigned.

"Hi" I said to imposing black man, who stared me down without a word from where he stood in one of the smaller doors to the ballroom, that were set in huge double doors, that would be bothersome to open and close all the time.

I looked calmly into Mace's eye, not at all nervous. Even though I haven't talked to him since he accused me of being the reason why Stealth's was hurt.

"How is she?" He asked and I leaned my back against Stealth's side.

"Better." I said knowing.

"I'm here to talk to you about Order's training with dragons. Lieutenant Ward... is very competent, I'm sure, but he seems to not understand, that we fight differently and that our way of fighting must be incorporated into said training to get optimal results.

I want to help. But your boy Commander is tired and Ward's attitude is bordering on sabotage. Maybe if I knew what you boys are trying to accomplish, I could focus on what's most important."

"I'm not in charge of the Order either, Garret is. You should ask him." I insisted.

Mace sent me a pitying look raising his one unscathed brow.

"I think you should talk to him." He said. "I'll take a day off, let me know what you've found out."

How's everything going?

I texted Garret as soon as Mace left and revered hush settled back over the spacious room.

"Everything is going to hell Tristan. What the fuck are you doing?"

Came prompt reply. That didn't sound good. Garret has been a bit more sad since Ember dumped him, but he regained some of his grit after she sent clones after us. But I haven't seen him much since the shield hurt him and Felix sliced him and dragged one slice back in time before he put him back together. And now he sounded like a cranky bitch and that didn't sound like Garret at all.

"Forgive me, I have to check up on him." I said to Stealth and went to "my room" to grab my things.

"... and thats why you must become Patriarch instead of me." Garret finished relying Wesley's news and I wondered if I was dreaming.

"No. No Garret. That's not what our deal was about. I'm not tightening my bounds with the Order. I'm already suffocating." I looked at him, angry that he'd even suggest that.

"Besides no one would elect me. You are the Perfect Soldier!" I said truthfully.

"We can change their minds. You've slain the Elder Wyrm. Besides you're not supposed to lead the Order. You retrieve the trove, deploy it to disband the Order and ride off to the sunset a wealthy man." Garret amended.

I looked at him, tired grumpy teenager carrying the weight too heavy for most grownups. I wanted to be a good brother but he was asking a lot. And being lulled to sleep by throbbing of Stealth's giant heart... It's done something to me. I was sure she was aware of my presence and when alone I touched her side and imagined, that it made her heart beat stronger.

I was being... trained I guess by Calista. I was changed by her... Tales. Of mighty dragons and people who bound themselves to them. Dragon riders. They were not an Order. They were not a family or organisation. They were just humans able too see what they look at, and love a creature completely alien. An unmasked dragon.

Nettle was sure Garret was Ember's rider and he possessed power to turn her around. Her and Mist made a big deal of protecting him, now that I was gone to... I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing, but I knew it was the only right thing for me now.

I've been camping by Stealth's side for a month now. Summer came, and she was still asleep.

Lieutenant Ward, Mitchell and Mace were training dragons and soldiers to work together and respect each other, and Garret mentioned a couple of times, that my presence would be... inspiring for the soldiers and dragons alike. Left to work with one of the Order's most dragonhating Lieutenants was wearing on Nettle, Mist and even composed Jade.

And I wanted to help, but not like that.

"We don't need the trove to break free of the Order. We can just leave and fuck it all. We can steal your girl away and disappear. The Order is too weak to search for us." I told him.

"My girl?" He frowned.

"Ember." I explained.

Dark look crossed his face.

"She's not my girl." He sighed and slumped, Garret slumped!

I looked more carefully at dark patches under his eyes, gritted teeth, permanent frown on his forehead.

"What's going on with you?" I asked.

"I'm done man. I don't want any of this anymore. I cannot train the Order to take Ember out. I can't pretend I care about anything. I can barely get out of bed in the morning... and when I think about Ember... I want to die." He said burying his face in his hands. A boy sitting in the grey armchair in a gray room, with swords hanging on the walls...

This here, it was wrong. I understood how Garret was drained for energy and life itself by all this, but I didn't wish to take his place.

"Come on Garret, you're barely eighteen. I understand it's a lot. But if you don't want to be the Patriarch, let one of the others be that. Knight...

"No! Knight will take the Order back to dragon hunting! And I cannot let that happen! The Order must stop now, I only need you to do this for a couple of months, a year max, Tristan please..."

"Tristan please what? Am I to be your puppet? A false Patriarch? And what are you going to do when I'll be hassling Ward and his assholes? Besides. No one will believe me... Patriarch position is earned, not granted. I will never have full authority if you give me a pat!" I tried to get him to see reason.

But he just lowered his head and for once looked so haunted, that I suddenly realised that while I was nursing one friend back to life another one was waning.

"Let me help you. I will return to my duties by your side. I'll take over training from Ward and go daily to the HQ and put Knight and other assholes there in their place. We... we could ask Jade to check up on Ember. Maybe she'll have an idea how to help her."

I stepped closer to him and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"We can do this. Together."

Garret looked up and sighed.

"I accept, I have no choice. I can barely keep up appearances, less lead our men. Felix is searching streams of time for the right forger. Let's hope the bankmen of Vatican forgot the true nature of the shield like the Order did." He said but there was no hope in his voice, that was low and flat and I noticed that he looked pale and tense. Dammit, he was always so composed and capable.

"I'll arrange a meeting with Ward and start immediately. See you there brother." I squeezed his shoulder one last time eliciting faint grimace that I assumed was supposed to be a smile, and left.