The Caged Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 1) Read online

  When the dragon mage reached for him, pressing his fingers to the boy’s forehead, the boy jerked back, no differently than the girl had. Once again, the dragon mage waved his hand, and someone else from the caravan guided the boy away, sweeping him back out into the crowd. He must have failed, like the first one had.

  Was this what every test was like?

  I had to wonder what the dragon mage was doing, and just how he could detect whether somebody would be a good candidate or not. Did it all involve dragon magic? There were rumors about dragon magic, about the kind of power that dragon mages could use. All the stories suggested that dragon mages borrowed from the power of the dragon itself, turning that into something more. It was a wonder with that kind of power that he wasn’t able to overtake the Wilds, though the Wilds were incredibly extensive, and much more dangerous than even the forest.

  Another came forward. This was a boy about ten. He bowed to the dragon mage, tipping his head forward. The dragon mage touched his fingers to the boy’s forehead, and like the others before him the boy jerked his head back.

  One by one the people who had been summoned forward approached, and one by one they were tested. Most of them failed, at least as far as I could tell. An older boy walked up to the dragon mage, as he looked around nervously. He had to be about Alison’s age . The dragon mage pressed his fingers up against the boy’s forehead, but this time the boy didn’t jerk his head away. The dragon mage stood there for a moment. It seemed as if the heat in the air intensified.

  As it intensified, the dragon mage pressed his fingers up against the boy’s head again. He glanced behind him looking to the caravan, before nodding.

  This time, a woman dressed in a gray jacket and matching pants stepped forward. She looked to be about my age, maybe a bit older, and she took the boy by the hand, guiding him away. Not back to the crowd, or to his family.

  She took him to the wagons.

  Did he pass?

  It surprised me that we would have anyone here in Berestal, this close to the Wilds where there had never been dragon riders before the king took over these lands, that would be able to reach for the dragon magic.

  Maybe that wasn’t what they were looking for. There were other studies within the Academy. Other ways they could serve the king. If that was the case, maybe this boy had a different potential.

  Situated where we were on the edge of the kingdom, we didn’t have much experience with the Academy—other than by reputation. It was the only way to learn how to ride a dragon. More than that, if someone wanted to become a dragon mage, if they were lucky enough to have that rare spark, it was where they had to train.

  There were still dozens of people before they even got to Alison. A young girl, probably no older than Sophie, approached. The dragon mage touched her forehead, and she didn’t jerk back either. He shifted, and the heat in the air intensified once again, as it did, he reached for her again, much like he had done with the boy. Another person stepped forward, grabbing her hand and guiding her back to the wagons. She had succeeded.

  Several more went through, none of them passing.

  Then it was Alison’s turn.

  She approached carefully, jerking her head around, looking over to me. I saw a flash of false confidence in her eyes, an expression that I knew all too well. She approached the dragon mage. Her mouth was pressed in a tight line. What must she be thinking?

  Probably the same as what I had been thinking. She would have seen what the others had gone through. She probably had no idea what it meant for those who were tested and passed. Much like I didn’t know. They would head to the Academy… and then what?

  The dragon mage stopped before her.

  Heat radiated from him. Flames swirled from his hands a moment. As he reached his fingers toward her, I found myself tensing. She didn’t jerk back.

  “No,” I whispered.

  Or, maybe I didn’t whisper.

  People around me began to turn in my direction.

  I stared, watching as the dragon mage pressed his fingers toward her again, and once again, she didn’t move away.

  He turned toward the wagon, waving his hand. The same woman came forward to guide her back to the wagons. I tried to move forward, but the soldier blocked me again.

  “That’s my sister!” I yelled.

  “Then you should be happy that she was chosen.”

  I went numb.

  She would be taken. Panic filled me, taking away all rational thought.

  What did it mean that she was chosen? Did she get to go to the capital? Even if she went to the capital, I didn’t know what that would entail.

  It took me a moment to find a way to calm those thoughts. I had to settle them, and I had to get back to thinking more clearly.

  I watched as the others went through the test. Only one more was selected, the others all dispersed back to their families. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel as if this was wrong.

  Suddenly, a roar erupted from high overhead.

  I looked up. The dragon stretched out its massive wings as it leaned forward from the edge of the tower and jumped.

  I ducked, the reaction involuntary, as the dragon swooped toward the ground. The creature was enormous, a dark cloud that blotted out the sky.

  Everything within me went cold.

  Was the dragon attacking the crowd? Why would the king do that? What had we done to deserve that?

  A flurry of thoughts went through my head before the dragon landed with an enormous fluttering of wings as it leaned toward the dragon mage.

  Everything within me felt off. I could feel the heat coming from the dragon. It seemed to squeeze me, and I felt as it passed through me. As if it were trying to force its way down into my belly and beyond.

  The dragon mage climbed onto the dragon, patting its side. Then, with another burst of heat and a flurry of wind, it took off. The dragon circled over the Marshal’s Tower several times before streaking off again.

  I got to my feet slowly, turning my attention toward the crowd, and the people gathered along the wagons. I had to reach my sister. I had to at least say something to her. The soldiers turned their attention away from the crowd. It was as if having the dragon mage gone had changed their focus. I squeezed through the crowd, making my way toward the caravan. They were already starting to move , as if they were getting ready to depart. Wouldn’t the king give her the opportunity to at least tell him whether or not she wanted to go?

  Then again, this was the king. Why would the king have to do anything?

  The crowd began to push forward, and I flowed with it, not wanting to be the only one to get to the wagons. At the same time, I didn’t want to wait too much longer, not wanting to get separated from Alison before she was escorted away. There came a sharp whistle. Then a steady drumming.

  I looked up, and the caravan started to move.

  I couldn’t do anything. The only thing I could think of was that my sister was being taken from me. But more than that, my sister had been chosen. I tried to push forward but the crowd had grown too thick , making it difficult for me to get to the wagons. I could see them moving, but they were heading away from the main gate. I had to follow.

  I knew which way that road would take them. I could circle around. If I were to do so I might be able to catch up to them, if only to get a chance to talk to Alison and see if she even wanted to go with them. As I started off, I paused.

  Why wouldn’t she want to go?

  I’d seen how sad she had been lately. I had heard the frustration in her voice. Why wouldn’t she want to get away from all of this? Shouldn’t I let her? She was my sister after all, and I cared about her. I wanted her to be happy.

  But I didn’t know if this was something that would make her happy. I wanted to say goodbye, at least.

  I circled around, fighting against the crowd, trying to move as quickly as I could. Every so often, I was slowed down by another throng of people. I circled around the tower, coming around the back side,
where the crowd was thinner, and I raced forward. I needed to reach the wagon caravan before it left.

  I didn’t see any sign of it.

  I continued circling around the tower, but there was no sign of where the caravan went. They couldn’t have already moved through here. It wasn’t moving that quickly when we had seen it coming down the road.

  I raced through the streets. My sister had been chosen.

  I continued running down the street, but I still saw no sign of the caravan. I looked up to the sky, thinking that maybe there would be something from the dragon that we had seen that might provide me with answers, but as I looked, I found nothing.

  I had to keep moving. I was determined to find my sister.

  At one point, I turned a corner and saw three soldiers.

  They turned toward me, facing me for a moment, but then they ignored me. That was probably for the best.

  I heard a shout around another corner. When I turned, I found three men standing over another. I took a step toward the others when I froze. The man lying on the ground was one of the king’s soldiers. The three dark-haired men standing over him all wore the same matching gray jackets with a triangular symbol with a crescent moon above it.

  Vard.

  What were they doing?

  One of the men looked over at me, and I spun, heading the opposite direction, racing along the streets until I emerged on another wide thoroughfare heading through the city.

  There was no sign of anything here. No sign of my sister. No sign of the caravan.

  I’d missed her.

  I turned back toward the main gate. With every step I took through the crowd I couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of fear I had for her. Listening to the sound of the commotion around me, I was no longer interested in the musicians, the acrobats, or the festival in general was happy that Alison would be able to learn at the Academy, and that she would have the potential to become more than just a farmer’s daughter. Having seen her struggle, I wanted that for her more than I wanted anything. She deserved it. There was no doubt in my mind that she should be able to chase the life she always wanted.

  Another part of me, a deeper part I didn’t want to acknowledge, rebelled at that. It was the part that cried out at the idea of returning home to my father and brother, and a mother who wanted nothing to do with them. It was the part that knew that I wasn’t going to be able to escape. I was going to live on the farm, and my life wasn’t going to be any different than it was right now. In many ways, it was going to get worse. How could it not be when my sister was gone?

  Reaching the stable, I didn’t have the energy to talk to Laret. He handed me the reins to the horses, and I guided them away.

  A distant roar came from the dragon. I looked up to see it flying overhead, heading away from Berestal toward the capital.

  Alison would be the one to learn about dragons, not me.

  9

  I stayed in the barn for a moment after stabling the horses and thought about all of the tasks I still had to do as a way of taking my mind off of Alison getting to go to the capital and train. There was still so much that needed to get done, and now that I was the only one able to do it, I had no choice but to keep working.

  Emerging from the barn, I started toward the house when I heard a shout. I turned, and Joran was there, riding up on Wind. Tara rode alongside him. She glared at me, as if she was angry

  “Ashan?”

  I blinked, staring at Joran. “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

  “I came to see how you are doing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We were in the city. We saw what happened. We tried to reach you but there were too many people.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t find you afterward.”

  “You saw?”

  Joran glanced over to Tara. “We heard this morning from our mom why the king had sent his wagons. That there would be a selection. Tara decided she wanted to go to see it. Can you believe there was a dragon mage there? Gods! Not only that, but an actual dragon.”

  “Joran,” Tara said softly.

  Joran shook his head, looking back to me. “I’m sorry. I got ahead of myself. I wanted to know what happened with Alison.”

  “ If you were there, then you saw what happened. She was chosen.”

  “How?”

  I sighed, glancing over to the barn before turning my attention back to the house. I still had to go inside and tell my mother.

  “I don’t know. A guard kept me from getting any closer.”

  I told them about what I remembered of the selection, though it wasn’t always what I’d seen that stuck out, but what I’d felt. In hindsight, I realized that there had been a strange warmth that had washed over me the entire time.

  “All I know is the dragon mage seemed to be doing something to each person that he tested, and it caused them to react in some way. Those that didn’t pass jerked away from him, and those that did…”

  “What’s going to happen now?” Joran asked.

  I glanced at the house. “ I go inside, tell my mother, and we get through this.”

  “You aren’t going to try to find your sister?”

  I shook my head. “Find her? The caravan disappeared.” It was more than that, though. As much as it pained me, Alison had been chosen to serve the king. It meant she would have the opportunity to live a better life. A life where she didn't have to care for our father and brother every day, while wishing for something more.

  “You can wait for it to roll past here,” Joran said.

  “If it left the city before me, it might already have moved past ,” I said.

  Joran and his sister shared a look. “I can see whether we can find those wagons again,” Joran said.

  I turned my attention to the house. I’d given it some thought on the ride home, wondering what I might’ve said to Alison had I been given the chance. I didn’t really know. She was given an opportunity. Why would I begrudge her that?

  “I think it’s best this way,” I said.

  “If she was selected, then they’re going to take her to the Academy,” Tara said.

  I nodded. “I know.”

  “She’ll be given a chance to learn from the masters there,” Tara said.

  I glanced over. I could tell that she was trying to ease my mind, and even though it didn’t really work, I appreciated the effort.

  “I need to go and talk with my parents,” I said.

  “Do you want me to wait?” Joran asked.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know if that would serve any purpose.”

  Joran shook his head, looking over to his sister for a moment before turning back to me. “ If there’s anything we can do…”

  “I’ll talk to our mother,” Tara said. “She and I will come and check in from time to time. ”

  I forced a smile. It was a nice thought. The problem was that I doubted they would be able to do it indefinitely. There was a limit to how much they would be able to help. Over time, the effort of continuing to try to help my family would become too much.

  “I really do need to get inside,” I said.

  Joran and Tara both nodded , and I left them, heading into the house.

  Once inside, I took a deep breath. It felt strange coming home without Alison. Stranger still was that I knew she wasn’t going to return.

  My father was sitting near the hearth, his hands resting on his lap, his gaze focused on the fire dancing within. He got up and started toward the door. Mom was in the kitchen, so I went to her first.

  She looked up at me. “Ashan. Where’s Alison? I need her help with your brother. He had an accident while the two of you were gone, and I’ve been busy with your father.”

  I glanced over to where my father sat, frowning to myself. “You just left Thenis alone while we were gone?”

  “I didn’t leave him. I needed help.”

  “But you didn’t know how long we were going to be in the city.”

  “I doubted you
were going to be gone that long,” she said. “I realize it’s the selection right now, but—”

  “You knew?” I asked.

  She turned to me, dusting her hands on her apron. Flour smeared down the apron, leaving handprints that stretched along the length of her. “I heard the rumors. I didn’t think it would be today, but with your sister wanting to go into the city… ”

  “We didn’t think you’d known,” I said.

  “I get into Berestal often enough that I heard some rumblings of it.”

  Alison had mentioned she had been going to the city more often. “You’re going to have to take care of Thenis on your own,” I said, more harshly than I intended.

  “ Tell your sister she needs to help. When she’s done with whatever she’s doing, the two of us can get him changed and back into bed. She’s been gone long enough.”

  “Alison isn’t coming back.” She looked over to me, wiping her hands on her apron again. “What?”

  “When we went to the city, we happened upon the Academy selection. Alison was chosen.”

  My mother stared at me for a long moment, saying nothing.

  “I tried to get to the caravan— the same one that came by the house the other day—but it left the city before I had a chance to reach it.”

  She looked down, tears welling in her eyes. “I can’t do this alone, Ashan. I’m just so tired.” She looked up, swallowing. “I’ve been asking her for more help—”

  “Too much help,” I said. “She needs a life of her own, Mom.”

  “This is her life,” she said.

  “This isn’t a life. At least not for her. Did you even know how unhappy she’s been? Have you paid any attention to it?”

  My mother squeezed my arm. Her hand whitened as she gripped me, anger coursing through her. “Have I paid any attention? How could I do anything else? I’m here every day, day after day, taking care of your brother, your father, chasing both of them around—”

  “Alison told me you head into the city several times a week. Leaving her to handle everything by herself,” I said. I tried to keep my voice calm. This was my mother.