The mess hall bustled with resistance soldiers enjoying their dinner while Benjamin sat in his usual corner, twirling his fork in his hand. The steam rising from the curry was long gone. The meal would be cold soon, but he refused to eat before his sister arrived.

  Ever since they arrived at Base Cove, living and training separately, they made a point to at least try to have dinner together. It couldn’t always happen for one reason or another —each time it was Evelyn who missed. Benjamin understood, but she always found a way to at least let him know.

  Having sat with his food for fifteen minutes with no sign of his sister, his mind began to race with possibilities, most of which made him worry more.

  Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed he was no longer alone. Only when a hand touched his shoulder did he notice Heba sitting next to him, her beast sitting behind her.

  “What are you doing here?” He grumbled.

  “You do not own the mess hall, Benjamin,” Heba said. Something in her voice felt off. She had a softer tone than her usual bravado, yet it felt more serious.

  “Yet there are plenty of other seats. What’s going on?”

  Her eyes darted to her ichneumon and back. With a sigh, she said, “there was… an incident.”

  Immediately Benjamin stood, pushing away his curry. There was only one person she could be referring to. Before he could go anywhere, however, Heba stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

  “She’s fine, Benjamin,” Heba said. “From what I know, she just needed stitches. I came to get you as soon as I heard.”

  “What happened?”

  “That’s all I know. Just come with me and we can find out together.”

  “Tch,” Benjamin clicked, but he made no attempt to argue.

  They only left when Benjamin reluctantly agreed to walk to the infirmary so as to not cause a scene. Once they arrived, Benjamin wanted to barge through the door, but the dragon at the entrance made him reconsider.

  At first, he didn’t recognize Lumin. Since Evelyn kept him fused with her during dinner, Benjamin never noticed how big the it… he had gotten.

  The gods take him if he continued to refer to Lumin as an it around Evelyn. Day by day, she became more agitated by it, even more so than Heba in regards to Xire. Tough as it was, he knew he had to adjust his mindset, even if it was just to gain trust.

  The yellow dragon was desperately trying to peer into the infirmary with little success. When he finally noticed them approaching, his ears drooped and he whined like a sad puppy. Coming from a dragon, it sounded weird, yet terrifying.

  “It’s alright, Lumin. I’ll let you know,” Heba said, apparently replying to the whines.

  Lumin let out a tiny growl and looked at Benjamin. He almost looked… apologetic? What in the hells happened?

  As they walked in, Heba explained, “They couldn’t stay fused for some reason and he’s too big to come in here now, so they made him wait outside. Poor thing, I promised I’d give him an update. Isak said he’d give one, but he’s been in there for a while.”

  “But he’s allowed in?” Benjamin asked, pointing at Xire.

  Heba just rolled her eyes.

  After speaking to a nurse, they found Evelyn’s room. Leaning against the doorframe, the heavyset rider was speaking to a doctor. Their conversation was hushed, but he looked less concerned than last time Evelyn was here. A good sign, but it did little to settle Benjamin's nerves.

  Isak noticed them and thanked the doctor.

  “Word travels fast I see. Yer sister’s fine. All stitched up and gettin’ an antibiotic drip. She’ll be out in about n’ hour.” His accent was thicker than it had been before —Evelyn theorized the thicker the accent, the better his mood or something— but Benjamin understood him well enough.

  “What. Happened?” He said, getting more irritated at the lack of answers.

  Isak harumphed and crossed his burly arms. “She got bit. Could’ve been far worse than it was. I’m sure she wants t’ see ye before I say more. I will say, she did well. I was impressed.”

  Did Isak just praise her? From everything he’d gathered, Evelyn had been doing poorly with her rider training. While bad for her self esteem, it was helping Benjamin’s plans. The sudden change damaged his hopes of forming a plan soon.

  ”Could you let Lumin know she’s alright? He is stressed out waiting,” Heba requested.

  “Already planned on it.”

  As Isak left, Benjamin reached for the door. Heba stood right behind him ready to follow. When he raised an eyebrow, she put a hand on her hip. “She’s my squadmate, remember? I’m worried about her, too.”

  Benjamin groaned, but didn’t protest. He swung open the door and Evelyn quickly sat upright and beamed.

  “Lumin?” When she saw him instead, her shoulders slumped a bit, but she maintained her smile. “Oh, Ben. Sorry, I thought… Never mind.”

  At first, he didn’t respond. He just studied his sister. Once again she was in the infirmary, hooked up to an IV. Though conscious this time, she had thick bandages from elbow to wrist. For an underground base, they seemed to be well supplied, but Benjamin forced that thought to the back of his mind.

  His sister seemed in relatively good spirits, which was a surprise to him. The same couldn’t be said for him. All he felt was frustration and fear bellowing deep in his gut.

  “Evy,” he started. “What happened? And before you start, do not sugar coat it. How did you get bit? By what?”

  She nibbled her lip before responding. “It’s a dragon bite, I—”

  Benjamin shouted a curse. “I knew it! Being around those things was always going to get you hurt. When are you going to come to your senses and leave that dangerous beast?”

  Her smile morphed into a frown. “It wasn’t Lumin, Ben.”

  “Oh really?”

  She groaned, starting to unravel part of the bandages, and revealed stitches in the shape of an elongated maw. “Do you think Lumin’s mouth is still this small?”

  There were many marks close together. The shape was long and narrower than Lumin’s, though his suspicion remained.

  “And it wasn’t his fault either,” Evelyn continued. “Anemara fell and dislocated her wing. I had to help. What kind of healer would I be if I didn’t? It’s not like I haven’t been bitten before.”

  “In what world could you compare a dragon bite to that of a mangy chihuahua? What if you lost your arm?”

  “It’s thanks to Lumin I didn’t.” She let the cushions, thin as they were, consume her as she averted her eyes, reapplying her bandages. “She was scared and in pain. I don’t blame her, and you shouldn’t either. All that matters is she’ll be fine.”

  Benjamin opened his mouth to say something, but remembered who was behind him. He looked back to see Heba standing next to her beast in the doorway, quietly observing their conversation. “Could you give us a moment?”

  To her credit, Heba did not protest or get angry. She only looked at Evelyn with an inquisitive gaze. Evelyn sighed and nodded.

  As Heba turned to leave, she said, “I’ll make sure Isak spoke to Lumin. Get some rest, Evelyn.”

  To Benjamin’s surprise, she closed the door as she left. All he asked was for her to leave; complete privacy was an unexpected gift.

  Refocusing on his sister, Benjamin leaned on the foot of her bed, making it creak, and gave her a serious look. “Look, I know you and Mom fantasized all about dragons, but face reality, they’re dangerous. This whole situation is dangerous. But I may have an opportunity to get us out of here.”

  “What are you talking about?” She asked, shifting her weight uneasily.

  “Heba and I listened in on some big meeting with Fukayna. They’re starting missions against the empire soon and my squadron will be one of the first, meaning I’ll be back on the surface. I’m planning to contact some friends to help us, that’ll give us the chance to win our freedom back.”

  “Ben…”

  “We can be free, Evy, think about it. If we turn in this terrorist cell, they’ll surely be favorable to us and drop any charges. Maybe they’ll even let you back into the academy where you can safely help dragons. It’s a win-win.”

  “At what cost?” Evelyn asked. Benjamin raised an eyebrow confused. “Abandoning these people? The suffering people and ichneumon? The dragons? No, I can’t.”

  “What do you mean you can’t? You’ll be safe from these dangerous people, these dangerous creatures.”

  “But they won’t be safe. Our new friends won’t be safe, the dragons, the ichneumon, the Faiyans… Lumin. You’re suggesting I abandon him, too. I can’t do that. I won’t.”

  Benjamin started pacing back and forth. “Evy, that thing puts you in constant danger. You shouldn’t be a rider. You should be a healer, an empire healer. Safe behind the strict regulations and safety guidelines they enforce. Look where being a rider has gotten you.”

  Evelyn winced and spoke through gritted teeth. “Lumin matters enough for me to do this. I want what’s best for him. And I want what is best for these dragons. Their safety matters, too.”

  “Your safety matters more!” Benjamin raised his voice. “Look where you are: in the infirmary thanks to this dragon savior complex, again.”

  “Norah wasn’t there. If I didn’t act, Anemara might’ve been crippled for life.”

  “It’s just a dragon, who cares?”

  “I care! Does that not matter?”

  “I care about you. I’m not going to lose you, too. Not for some dragon.”

  “Don’t guilt me like that. Dad cared, but he…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes swelled with tears. With her wrist, she rubbed her eyes and kept her gaze low. Benjamin tutted and looked at the wall, delusionally hoping it would tell him how he could get Evelyn to understand the obvious.

  She was a detriment to her own safety, but if he pushed her away, he’d have no one. Convincing her of the danger she was in while maintaining their relationship was becoming a monumental task, one Benjamin was unsure he was capable of overcoming.

  Silence filled the room for a few minutes; neither dared utter a breath. No matter where he looked, Benjamin couldn’t find the answer.

  He opened his mouth to offer an appeasing apology. At the first sound of his voice, Evelyn gripped the sheets and cut him off.

  “I think I need to be alone.”

  “Evy, I…”

  “Benjamin, please go.”

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  His mouth hung open. It had been ages since she’d used his full name. Just as their mother always did, they shortened their names endearingly, something exclusive to their family. Anyone else that tried to use their shortened names was scoleded. They both held this tradition close to their hearts, so Evelyn reverting to his full name felt like a knife through his heart.

  No response would do anything to smooth things over, not now at least. His thoughts were clouded with hurt. With a clenched fist, he swung the door open and stormed out, pushing past Heba who stood at the entrance of the infirmary.

  Isak halted his conversation with the yellow dragon. Both of them looked at him confused. The beast garbled some nonsense and Isak called out to Benjamin, but he scoffed and ignored the senile rider.

  He got as far as the barracks front hall before a hand gripped his arm and twirled him around. With the momentum, he whirled said arm behind him and balled his fist. There stood Heba, unflinching.

  To his surprise, his anger mellowed. It was as if, in his mind, she was the only person he was willing to see. Exhaling, he lowered his fist.

  “Why are you following me?” He asked with a growl.

  For a stretched out moment, she studied his face, as if she were looking for her answer. “Honestly, I don’t know. Curiosity, maybe? Who cares, why are you doing this to yourself?”

  “You were listening to us, then?” His voice was low and gravely.

  Heba blinked. “Not intentionally. I figured you needed some family time together, but everyone could hear you all the way down the hallway when you started yelling. Please, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Since when do you care about how I feel?”

  Though he swore he was mistaken, Heba’s cheeks flushed. “You’re my training partner, and Evelyn is my squadmate. I feel obligated to help.”

  “It’s none of your business. Leave me alone.” He turned to leave; he didn’t want her help. He didn’t need her help. Did he?

  A stone wall slammed the ceiling from the floor just in front of him, preventing his escape. After nearly stepping into it, he whipped around, brows furrowed low. Heba, however, relaxed her posture and softened her expression. At first, he thought he saw pity in her eyes, but when he pushed past his anger, he realized it was compassion.

  “You want to protect your sister, I get it. But treating her like a helpless child won’t help. She needs to learn; she needs to fail to succeed. How would she react if at that time, she learned you went to the infirmary during guard basic training?”

  Perplexed, he took a step back. “How did you…”

  She pointed to his foot. “During kickboxing, I noticed the scar on your foot. Looked like something you’d only get in a military setting. Knife wound? No, more akin to a burn.”

  Benjamin couldn’t decide if he should be irate or impressed. “Third degree burn from a faulty flashbang,” he muttered.

  She snorted triumphantly. “Not to mention the countless times you’ve been to the infirmary here. You of all people know how these kinds of accidents can happen in this setting.”

  “That’s the thing, she shouldn’t be in this environment. She’s not a fighter. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Do you believe that for her sake, or for yours?”

  Benjamin froze, blankly staring at nothing in particular.

  When he said nothing, Heba continued. “Maybe she’s meant for this, maybe she’s not. That’s something she has to figure out herself. Having her own brother tell her she’s a failure will only eat away at her.”

  Benjamin wanted to refute her, he desperately knew she was wrong. So why couldn’t he find the right argument? Why wouldn’t he is heart let him find the right argument? He stood there, dumbfounded.

  Heba sighed and shifted her foot and the rock wall behind Benjamin disappeared. She stepped back and placed her hand on her beast. It purred and she gave it a soft smile. “Control is not love, and she can feel the difference. Evelyn’s your family, treat her as such.”

  ?  ?  ?  ?

  ‘He loves you and is just trying to protect you,’ Lumin said as Evelyn leaned back against the pillow, contemplating the argument.

  It had been an hour or so since Benjamin stormed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She felt utterly alone at that point. Even when Isak checked on her a few minutes later, she felt as alone as she’d ever been.

  The only thing that brought her comfort was Lumin’s embrace when she was discharged. They fused shortly after and, per Isak’s command, retreated to the dragon pen.

  Lumin refused to manifest himself, choosing to stay fused and share the heartache to damper its effects. She didn’t want him to suffer with her, but she was grateful nonetheless. Physically or magically, his company was the greatest medicine.

  ‘I know… It’s just… he doesn’t understand, and I don’t know how to show him.’ She stared at the ceiling and pictured their family together. It was almost perfect, but it felt like something was missing, so she mentally included Lumin in the image. It helped, but in the recesses of her mind, she felt like something was still missing. ‘If only Mom was here. She’d know what to do.’

  ‘What’s she like?’ He asked, possibly to distract her, or maybe to guide her to the answer. Or maybe he was just curious, he loved learning.

  Evelyn contemplated her mother. It felt impossible to describe her with just words. She’s amazing and kind, but just saying it didn’t feel right. A memory flashed before them, as she realized she needed to show who her mother was.

  The front door swung open and Evelyn rushed inside, tears streaming. Down her face. “Mommy! Daddy! Ben’s dying!” Her cries alerted the couple doing the dishes. They both turned to watch Benjamin stroll into the house holding his nose with his jacket.

  “I’m not dying, Evy. It’s just a nose bleed,” he said with a nasally tone.

  “See? He’s dying!” She said, tugging on her fathers shirt. Her six year old mind ran wild with exaggerated consequences.

  The balding man sighed and patted Evelyn on the head. “Your brother is going to be fine, he won’t die,” he said calmly.

  “We won’t let him. Come here, Ben.” With a soft, welcoming voice, their mother beckoned Benjamin over. He approached and removed the jacket upon her request. Blood started pouring again, flowing around his lips and down his chin. She replaced the jacket on his nose and turned to their father. “Anderson, grab the first aid kit, please.”

  He went to the side closet in the hallway and brought back a small, red case. Their mother opened it and grabbed a spongy looking material and stuck it up Benjamin’s nose. It started expanding and turning red, but no blood escaped.

  “What happened?” She asked.

  “I tripped, no big deal.”

  Evelyn shook her head wildly. “No, you got hit! He got hit, Mommy!”

  Benjamin gaped, uttering a gasp of betrayal.

  “You got in another fight? Benjamin, what did I tell you?” Anderson scolded him with a raised voice.

  Many times their father lectured Benjamin on vigilantism; picking fights with people he deemed bad. Evelyn thought it was endearing, but it was not the right way to do things according to their parents, especially with how bad he was at reading people.

  “I didn’t start it, I swear! Some kids were picking on Evy and her drawings or whatever.”

  “Is that true?” Their mother asked, shifting her eyes towards Evelyn.

  She looked at the ground, wiping away the tears on her cheek. With a grumble, she nodded.

  While showing off her newest drawing of a fierce and amazing looking flamebreath to her friends —who’s mundane reactions already deflated her— a group of older kids, all around Benjamin’s age, started mocking it. They called her stupid and weird for loving dragons when all they did now was provide energy for their phones and stuff. When Evelyn started listing all the amazing things they still do, like the adventures of the Dragon Corp, they tried taking her notebook.

  That’s when Benjamin jumped in, throwing two of the kids into a puddle of mud and shoving the other onto the concrete path. In the scramble with the fourth kid, Benjamin was struck. To his credit, he shook it off and returned the favor, giving the assailant a black eye.

  But Benjamin was the one bleeding, so of course that meant he was going to die, which made Evelyn panic and bolt home.

  As if he read her mind, Benjamin said, “I’m not going to die, Evy. Ow!” He winced as their mother pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “At least it’s not broken,” she said.

  The house phone rang and their father groaned. “Safe to assume that’s the school calling us?” It wasn’t a question, not really. Their father’s eyes made Benjamin slump his shoulders and avert his gaze.

  She’d been on the receiving end of that gaze only a few times, like when she tried to break into Rider’s small shack to try and ride the horse. It was like a freeze ray that made your blood run cold and locked your muscles.

  As her father answered the call and her mother started washing away the blood on Benjamin’s face, Evelyn retreated to her room and curled into her bed, clutching the now mud stained notebook against her chest.

  Later, the creak of her door caught her attention. Her mother peeked her head inside and Evelyn looked at her with concern. She smiled and said, “Ben is fine, sweetie.” She walked in and closed the door behind her. “Though, your father is not pleased with his suspension.”

  “I’m sorry,” Evelyn blurted out.

  Dahlia frowned and sat on the side of the bed. “What are you sorry for?”

  “I almost got Ben deaded. All for my stupid drawing.” She paused, looking at the scribbles in her notebook. “Why would he do that?”

  “Why would he come to save you?” She asked. Evelyn nodded and her mother gave her a soft smile and rubbed Evelyn’s thigh. That’s when she took notice of Evelyn’s drawing. “That’s lovely, Evy. Every flamebreath would roar with pride. We’ll have to hang it on the fridge.”

  At the compliment, Evelyn giggled. Flamebreaths were supposedly proud and picky, so knowing they’d love her depiction made her mind whirl with ideas. A quick distraction that only briefly relieved her of her guilt, which weighed on her again.

  Her mother must have noticed as she shifted her weight and gestured to the drawing.

  “This actually reminds me of a story,” she said.

  Evelyn perked up. Mom’s stories were always fantastic and wonderful and, of course, filled with dragons. One of said stories inspired the drawing; her mother was a key source for her artistic inspiration. At first, she figured that was the tale her mother was going to recite.

  Instead, to Evelyn’s delight, it was a brand new story.

  “Once upon a time, a dragon rider and her dragon lived in a kingdom far far away, working tirelessly to protect their people. Day and night, they fought an evil that threatened their land.”

  “What dragon type?” Evelyn asked.

  Her mother thought for a second. “A groundclaw, sweetie.”

  Rarely did her mother tell groundclaw stories. Despite them being one of the most common types, those being groundclaws, flamebreaths and aquafins, she told more stories involving shockwings and minddrakes than groundclaws. Evelyn’s finger twitched at the idea of a groundclaw drawing.

  “What’s its name?”

  There was a glimmer in her mother’s eyes when she said, “Imalae.” She seemed to get lost in her thoughts for a few seconds, but shook her head and returned her attention to the story.

  “Now, this pair was no ordinary pair. They were heirs to a line of powerful people and dragons. Great expectations were set upon them, which is what drove them to work so hard. The health and safety of their people was very important to them. But nothing was more important to them than each other. They were inseparable. Training, eating, resting, they did everything together.

  “One day, the rider was sent on a mission as a spy. She was forced to leave her dragon behind, which made them sad and lonely, but it was for their people. While there, she met a handsome young man. They talked for a long time and they fell in love. This relationship created tension between her and her dragon when she returned.

  “For the first time since they bonded, they fought. They had disagreements here and there, but this was bigger than anything else before. Eventually, Imalae relented and agreed to meet the man, putting their people at risk. But this was for love, and they both understood what that meant. And love was what drove the man to keep their secret, hoping the war could be over soon and they could be together forever.

  “The dragon and rider went on other missions, but still visited the man in secret. At some point, she found out she was going to be a mother. It was a shock to everyone, even the rider. But the dragon knew, of course he knew. He knew the rider better than anyone else, and despite his anger, he still kept her love’s identity a secret. This meant she had to stay home, away from the war to keep her safe. Unfortunately, the war came to them.

  “Unable to fight, she was forced to watch as her dragon left to defend their homeland. But she couldn’t just stand there and watch, she had to help. It was her purpose in life, and she couldn’t watch her beloved dragon fight alone. This was her biggest mistake. For when she joined the battle, she could not fight in her weakened state. She was cornered by enemy soldiers, and she knew she, and her unborn child, were doomed.

  “To her surprise, despite the tension between them, Imalae felt the fear and despair through their bond and came to her rescue. Despite the overwhelming odds, he clawed and bit at the enemies, driving them back, saving his rider. Unfortunately, one of the enemies managed to strike back, and Imalae was mortally wounded. The rider cried. Why would he stand in harm's way, sacrificing himself for her after everything she’d put him through? In her heart she already knew: she was his partner, the one he loved most in life. Of course he’d die to protect her, as she would for him.

  “Before he died, he made his rider promise to protect their home, and her child forever and always. With his dying breath, Imalae blessed the child. From that day forward, her new mission was to make sure her child would be safe no matter what. Not only for the child, but for Imalae.” She paused for a moment. Her eyes matched what Evelyn felt: sadness and regret for the dragon's death.

  “After the war, she found the man again and got married. In the end, she kept her promise and kept her child safe, keeping her dragon's memory alive in a time of peace. And they lived happily ever after.”

  Evelyn pouted. “Why did the dragon have to die? Couldn’t he have lived by just flying her away?”

  Dahlia let out a lengthy breath. “If only, but some things are just not meant to be. The point is, sweetie, people and dragons do seemingly silly things for the ones they love.” Evelyn opened her mouth to say something else, but she noticed a tear rolling down her mothers face. When she also noticed, she quickly wiped it away. “And that’s what Ben did today. Yes, it was not smart of him to jump into a fight, but he did it because he loves you. And that’s what matters most.”

  Evelyn sank into Lumin’s bedding as the memory faded. For the first time since she found Lumin, she was reminded of how wonderful their lives were. How peaceful it was, how… normal it was. That life was gone. She felt tears streaming down her face. She missed her mother and her father. All she had left for now was her brother.

  ‘She seems so nice,’ Lumin said longingly.

  And of course, she had Lumin. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s going to love you.’

  Evelyn could only hope they would see her again.