Locked Legacies

Chapter VI: A letter from Infinity

 It was a mixture of the servant's voice and the roars in the distance that interrupted Augustus's slumber that morning. "Your Highness..." There was a knock on the door that made him shift among the bedsheets, "your Highness..."

A raspy groan left his mouth at the blinding morning light. "What?" his husky voice broke the silence again, making him receive a reply. Apparently, General Joel wanted to talk to him as soon as possible and, even though he wasn't even there with him yet, he already knew what their conversation would sound like. His curiosity had sparked at the growls and grunts outside, and he peeked out the window to find out what was happening. Fighting the chains was Stormi, trying to break free from the humans.

Just as expected, he found Joel in the armor room, pointing at the pieces of silver that lacked luster so that the servant would take care of them. As soon as Augustus stepped inside, the man snapped his head towards him; his reflexes were the most reliable in the kingdom, which was one of the main reasons why he was the best knight. "Your Highness, there you are," he cracked a warm smile, shaking his hand tightly, "I have a little job for you, which your father said you would excel at." He placed his hand on his upper back, guiding him toward the gardens of the palace; the boy remarked how he already had an idea of what his job might be and, indeed, he was right.

The white creature looked like a beast as it tried to break free from the chains, and both men stared at it in amusement, though Augustus' sensation was much more unpleasant. The poor dragon was pleading to be let go yet, after months of not flying, no one would even hesitate to make her move again. This species was sensitive; after her owner's death, she had spent every single day morning the loss without obliging to whatever order given, no matter how many times she was physically tortured to do so. 

"You have to tame this one again..." The general broke the silence that had taken over the conversation, slapping his arm encouragingly.

It was when he stood right in front of her that her whimpers finally started to die down. "It's alright, it's alright," his voice was barely above a whisper so that no one else except the dragon would listen; they were creatures of heightened hearing. 

Only after some minutes did the prince receive a hum from the mystical being's part, letting him know that he would finally be able to start. Now that they were both ready, the prince tightened the saddle, patted her side, and hopped on. Every person that stood on the grass watched him rise expectantly, on the edge of their seat at the sight of the boy flawlessly soaring into the sky with the beast that hadn't flown in a year.

The amusement in the viewer's gazes immediately turned into confusion and panic at the unmistakable movements of the dragon and artificial blueish clouds that started covering a segment of the sky right above the castle.

"Um, St-Stormi—" Augustus stammered, his breath quickening a bit when she started spiraling upwards without following his commands. "For God's nails, no..."

The sound of the gusts of wind dimmed his raised voice as the dragon's tail whooshed through the clouds, starting a Thunder-snow. The 18-year-old's knuckles turned white as he held on tightly, trusting the creature completely, but doubting his own grip. The freezing air slit his cheeks like a knife as he dodged the lightning that surrounded him; his body sent a shot of adrenaline running through his veins at the danger. A clamor was spread through the lawn whilst they watched the uncontrollable flurry of snow headed towards them with fury and the Crown Prince blending in the dark sky. Among the chaos that the search for shelter produced and the low visibility that the snow imposed, they lost the young man in the sphere.

Despite the rider's uncertainty and raw fright for his life, the creature was determined; the destination was clear to her. Augustus, noticing that the storm was following them throughout the greatest part of their trip, decided to surrender, letting both the universe and the animal decide his fate. Finally, through his cold shivers and the blurriness of the clouds, he was able to spot some sunlight; after every storm comes a calm.