5
Draco woke up early the next morning, the sound of dragons roaring in the distance heavy in the air. Today he would experience his first day as a dragon keeper, and despite the tension, he was looking forward to it. He had spent the previous evening learning more about the dragons, especially Nox, the old dragon they had observed yesterday. Now something bigger lay ahead.
Arriving at the enclosure, he was greeted by Anna, Lea, Leaf, and Charlie. Julia had winked encouragingly at him before saying goodbye, and he felt more confident with each step. It was a warm day; the sun blazed down on the vast expanses of the dragon reserve, making the air shimmer.
“Ready for your first real assignment?” Charlie asked, standing beside him. Draco nodded, even though his nervousness was written all over his face. “Don’t worry,” Charlie added, “today it’s just about helping a dragon that’s sedated. It should all go smoothly.”
Draco relaxed a little, though his eyes remained fixed on the huge dragon lying quietly in the grass. The dragon was an impressive creature, large and dark green, with scales that shimmered in the sunlight. His name was Vulcan, and he had been injured—a deep cut along his wing needed to be treated.
“We work as a team,” Anna said, winking at Draco. “You’ll see, it’s not so bad.”
As they prepared, Leaf and Charlie chatted casually. Leaf told a story from his childhood about growing up in Romania and wanting to watch dragons as a little boy. “My parents thought I was crazy,” he laughed. “But I knew dragons would be my life. They are majestic, strong… but also gentle when you understand them.”
Draco listened attentively as he began to feel more comfortable. Even Charlie was less intimidating than he had expected. Being near Charlie confused him at times, especially since he felt safer when Charlie was close. It was a new experience for him, this subtle feeling of security that he couldn’t quite place.
But just as Draco settled into the calm conversation, the unimaginable happened.
The dragon moved.
Draco felt the ground tremble beneath his feet as the dragon suddenly opened its massive eyes. Vulcan, who had seemed so calm, began to move, and within seconds he threatenedly beat his wings. A loud roar shattered the air.
“Back!” Charlie shouted. “Everyone back!”
Anna and Lea reacted immediately, but the dragon was faster. With a sudden swipe of its massive tail, it swept toward them. Lea stumbled directly into the dragon’s attack range. But Anna was quicker and yanked Lea out of harm’s way with a hasty shove. A moment of relief flared up, but only briefly—because now Vulcan fixed his angry gaze on Charlie.
Draco was closest. He could feel the urge to run, just like everyone else. But as the dragon roared again and lunged for the attack, it suddenly dawned on him that Charlie was next. He’s going to die, Draco thought, as the world seemed to slow down.
“Draco, go! Don’t move!” Charlie’s voice was commanding, but Draco couldn’t obey.
In a moment of pure instinct, he threw himself at Charlie, pushing him out of the path of the attack. But before he could save himself, he felt a sharp pain surge through his body as the dragon’s tail struck him hard. Draco screamed, his body was flung aside, and the pain burned through every fiber of his being.
He could hear Charlie calling his name over and over: “Draco!”
But everything slowly faded. He still heard Lea, Leaf, and Anna desperately casting spells to sedate the dragon, but the world around him grew darker. This is it, Draco thought, as he lost consciousness.
Charlie’s Perspective:
Charlie’s heart hammered in his chest as he watched Draco get hit by the dragon’s tail. Everything happened so quickly, yet it felt like an eternity. The others finally managed to sedate Vulcan, but Charlie’s attention was solely on Draco.
He rushed to the body lying on the ground, kneeling beside him. Draco’s face was pale, his breathing shallow. The pain in Charlie’s chest was overwhelming. How could this happen? How could he not protect him?
“Healers! Get the healers!” Charlie shouted frantically to the others as he tried to examine Draco’s wounds with trembling hands. Blood seeped through the fabric, and Charlie’s heart tightened. The thought of losing Draco shot through his mind, freezing him in place.
Leaf was already running to get the healers while Anna and Lea nervously stayed nearby. But Charlie remained by Draco’s side, never taking his eyes off his pale face. Why did he do that? he asked himself over and over. Draco should have run, but instead, he risked his own life to save him. Guilt mixed with concern in him, but there was also something else, a feeling he couldn’t name—or perhaps didn’t want to name.
Charlie’s gaze wandered over Draco’s face as the healers finally arrived and began to treat him. They murmured spells, their hands flying over his body, but Charlie could only watch, helpless and silent. His heart raced as he realized he didn’t want to leave Draco’s side, and this realization frightened him.
It took time, but eventually, Draco’s condition stabilized. The healers assured him that Draco would survive, but Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling of constriction around his heart. He could have died, he thought. And with the thought that Draco had saved him, Charlie felt a deep, unconscious bond stir within him—a bond he might not fully understand yet.
Draco dreamed. Or was it more than a dream? He stood in the middle of a vast valley, the air around him seemed to shimmer. Before him, towering and majestic, stood a mighty, ancient dragon. Its scales were pale, almost silver, and its eyes seemed to look right through Draco. The dragon did not speak, yet Draco felt understood.
“You have watched me for a long time,” Draco whispered, though he wasn’t sure he actually said it.
The old dragon tilted its head slightly and began to speak with a deep, resonant voice that echoed in Draco’s mind: “Long ago, there was a boy like you. He was obsessed with dragons, yet his obsession was dark. He conducted experiments, desecrated the dragons to claim their power for himself. He became evil, lost in his own ambition.”
Draco listened, fascinated. “What happened to him?” he asked softly.
“A young woman, once his beloved, stood against him. She stopped him before he could destroy the dragons completely. As thanks for her courage, the dragons gifted her a power—the ability to take the form of a dragon.”
The dragon paused, its eyes seemed to look deeper into Draco’s soul. “This gift was passed down from generation to generation, but it faded over time, forgotten. Until now.”
Draco’s heart raced. “What do you mean?”
“The last heir of this gift is here, in this place of the dragons. And the dragons have awakened this gift within him, on the condition that he uses it for the good of the dragons.”
Draco felt the world around him change, and the dragon lowered its head closer to him.
“Use your gift wisely, young heir.”