The Imperial Dragon Keeper

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The flight to Yan would take 3 days. The first night of their travels, Anh and Lu Yu slept in a bean field. The anxiety from the morning's departing had lifted, and Anh was excited to have his first adventure with Lu Yu. There was no need to light a fire as they were both warm, and they filled up on fruits picked in Mang.

Lu Yu was in an especially cheery mood. Her purple scales shimmered under the starry night as she told Anh about some of her own adventures when she was only 1000 years old – a teenager in dragon years.

I was lost in a foreign land when I discovered a group of squirrels in a tree. I tried to ask for help, but they all ran away from me. All but one young squirrel who was unable to climb down on his own from the branch.

I helped him down and the squirrel realised I wasn't going to eat him, and that I was lost. I learned his name was Whiskers. Together we went on quite a journey to find home. He would ride inside my reverse scales and pop his tiny head out from time to time to see how high we were - oh! Lu Yu chuckled.

Anh smiled. Oh?

Lu Yu's green eyes sparkled. He would peep out and say, 'Oh my! How terribly high we are! Why, I'm so small, I couldn't possibly!' Then he'd pop back in behind my scale and do the same thing an hour later.

Anh fell asleep that night with sore cheeks from laughing at her stories. Who would have known that Lu Yu had a penchant for squirrels? All these years of he and Hei Lei hunting squirrels, it now made perfect sense why she and Gao Zi never joined them.

A niggling feeling formed in his chest at the memory of Hei Lei, but he brushed it aside. Lu Yu was incredible, and kind, and wonderful with humans and animals. She was a stark contrast to Hei Lei's cantankerous, often cold nature. He was grateful for her. Yes, he was grateful she asked him to be her Dragon Keeper. And what's more, she accepted Yara whereas Hei Lei couldn't stand her. They had made it work, living together. And they would continue making it work.

The next morning Anh woke up sore and stiff. It had been ages since he had slept on the ground exposed to the elements, and he was paying the price for it. He also had a strange dream.

Tell me again what you saw? Lu Yu said sipping from the teacup he held to her.

Anh closed his eyes trying to picture it again. A girl – younger than me – sitting by a pond. She was talking to an urn that then turned into a ladle before turning into a dragonling.

A purple dragonling?

Yes!

Lu Yu pondered this. How was she talking to the dragon?

I'm not sure. I could have sworn it was dragonspeech, but I didn't see her face. She could have been talking... Anh shrugged. This was what he found most strange about the dream. So, what do you think of it?

There's nothing to think about. It's not a premonition if that's what you're asking. Lu Yu said flatly.

Anh gave in. The dream had been so vivid. He felt as if he had a connection to the young girl and the dragonling. Lu Yu was right though. It couldn't be a premonition. Women have never been dragonkeepers. He looked off towards the northern horizon. The sun casted a stunning glow on the eastern face of the mountains that they'd fly over today.

What is that mountain range called? He asked.

Tai Shan. Lu Yu said

The next few hours went by uneventfully until they came to the pass. It took Anh's breath away. Tai Shan was more beautiful than any painting he'd seen. Though the summer heat had dried out much of the grass, the mountains still hosted herbs and flowers of all colours, creeping over the rocks and the trees. Lu Yu descended lower so they could get a closer look at a waterfall that she claimed was once much fuller than it was now. Anh gaped when he saw it – it looked full enough to him!

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