O' children

Chapter 8: Singular Path

Caysa yawned, the skin on his face felt stretched, both to tight and weighed down. His mind kept going back to Galanta's shimmering translucent white scales, Danrho's gentle but stoic presence opening up his mind like a dam crashing open under the weight of flood water. His mother, skin dark brown like his; a dragon, iridescent black in the moonlight.

Memories.

Family, power, place - Caysa had never had such things, or rather, it had never occurred to him that he could want or need them, not until now and his thoughts hadn't stopped turning them around like a pebble being worried until the sides of it were worn smooth. What did the dragons want from him? What did they need him for? How long could he keep being human? How obvious was it that he was a dragon? Would they execute him? Was he even human anymore? His whole life, everything he knew of himself and his place in the world was now false.

Caysa's jaw clenched. Aron wouldn't hurt him. Except that he would because that was his oath to the king and the realm, the oath he had sworn to his dragon-slaying sword under the war-like gaze of Hirresh. Caysa was a dragon, and now he and Aron now stood opposite each other. Mortal enemies by prophesy and instinct.

Caysa tried not the pick at his lips any more than he already had, they were rapidly drying out and becoming chapped. He had awoken and already all he had done was worriedly gaze towards Mt. Verity and struggle to compose an increasingly absurd list of reasons to stay in Garni or travel towards Mt. Verity and pray his face wasn't eaten by monsters. It wasn't very funny, but Caysa still chose to find humour in it, that the reasons to stay in Garni list was rather lacking (crabapples, Aron and Marko, the, uh... books?). Caysa stared at the scattered pages on his desk. He wasn't going anywhere if he stayed here.

Even several days hike away, Danrho's ultimatum still filled Caysa's vision as he stared at the mist-veiled peak of Mt. Verity. He stood up and turned away. When all else failed, when no answers would reveal themselves to Caysa's ignorant eyes there was only one place to go.

"Grandmaster?" Caysa peeked his head into the prayer room where Master Uris spent most of his days recently.

"Oh, my boy. What's wrong?" Master Uris turned to him, milky white eyes, and kind smile. Caysa's lip wobbled a bit, haunted by the ghostly memory of a hundred similar scenes in the years gone by. Master Uris gestured to the ground next to him and Caysa scurried over. Master Uris chuckled "This brings back memories,"

"Master, I'm not sure how to say this," Caysa stared up at The Lady Imra's statuette, her figure covered head to toe in a blue veil, one arm holding an open book in front of her and the other hidden behind her back, her three tenets rung through Caysa's head: knowledge given without limits, the hand causes no harm, do not turn away but judge not. She had no visible eyes and somehow Caysa felt her knowing gaze lay upon his body. All at once the uncertainty and fear welled up.

"Caysa?" Master Uris frowned, wiping the endless tears from Caysa's face as he let the sobs wrack his body, for the first time in so many years. Caysa pressed his face into Master Uris' shoulder and cried like a child. In the hollow silence of the room, Caysa sniffed and sobbed, Master Uris rubbing Caysa's back and shoulder. After Caysa had heaved up his last sob, Master Uris pushed Caysa's face from his robes. "My poor child, what has disturbed you?"

"Ma-Master," Caysa's voice wobbled with each breath, throat closed up still, "I-I don't thi-think I can stay here any longer,"

Master hummed consolingly, "That man told you?"

"Master?"

"Let's not speak in riddles," Master Uris held Caysa's face in his hands, softened with age, "I know you are a dragon, Caysa," Caysa gasped, instinctively trying to move away but Master Uris held fast, "Listen to me now Caysa, I have always known and would never have abandoned you regardless of your origins. When you came into my care, I was wary of you and your protector, but I know you to be a gentle and honourable child.