Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Sixty-Four ۞ Drakon

The dragon keeper led them through the Abyss, knowing every stone that he crossed and every crater on the ground they were walking on—where they would possibly trip, the cliff-sides, and all other things. He knew the place like the back of his hand, yet he didn't need the light to see ahead. He was bordering the edges of the light.

The strains of gravity was still heavy on Valeriana's group that they were feeling the soreness as they continued. It was akin to walking and dragging a dumbbell chained to ankles. The difference was that it weighed down the whole body and strained every muscles.

Saeed and the others were already soaked with sweat from the unexpected workout. Though it was much cooler in the abyss than the top, the heat their body generated numbed the difference.

Baffled by his keenness and familiarity with the place, Omar asked, "Can't you see where you're going?"

He turned to look at Omar and said, for the second time that hour, "See these eyes, smart boy?"

Omar was daunted by the ferocity he had in his tone that he flinched back and held his arms up in surrender. "Alright, sorry. I was just curious."

"Curiosity kills the dragon!" He then glared at Femella, making the young dragon cower in Valeriana's arms.

Until now, Valeriana still could not decide whether to call her Femella or Heron. She had refused to leave her side since the keeper declared that the dragon has 'imprinted' on her. It seemed the same with baby ducks back home, anyhow. They would follow around the first person they see, which must have been what happened.

But this dragon also saw Saeed and the others, how come she didn't choose them instead?

"How did the imprinting thing happen, anyway?" She asked the half-dragon man.

"You fed her—that I can guess. The hand who first feeds the dragon is declared as its benefactor automatically in its mind—she was fed something she really liked." He huffed. "What exactly did you give her?"

"Oh, I packed a meat sandwich and I just sorta . . . I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"That dragon cannot come with you." He continued. "Her place belongs in the Abyss where she can be protected. I doubt your abilities and the place you live in. Judging by the looks of it, her kind descends from the blue fire, one of the hottest flames, which can be reflected from her scales. That dragon will grow about the size of ten, full-grown men and will lose all its cuddly self in twelve years' time. Where exactly do you plan on keeping it? Your backyard? I doubt it." He ranted.

"But I can't exactly abandon her, can I? She thinks I'm her mother. That'll be horrible. Mothers don't leave their children alone." She adamantly insisted.

"And how will you care for her?"

"I'll find a way. The academy is a big place, so I won't have any problem for the next eight years. We have a lot of vacant facilities she can reside in. I'm sure the headmaster won't mind."

Saeed, Omar, and Gavin watched their exchange curiously, interested by the development of the situation.

The dragon keeper stopped and gave her a look. "The academy? The Celeste Academy, you mean?"

"Yes, I'm currently studying there with the others. It's a pretty big place." She smiled at the thought. "So you are aware of the outside world. I was about to say that you literally lived under a rock." She laughed. "If this was a chat box, this is the part where I would be saying LOL . . . haha."

The half-dragon dude gave her a glare, but this wasn't enough of a threat to stop her. She was used to glares. Corvan had one on every time she was around. No one could possibly beat Corvan.