Dragon Binder: Book One of the Dragonblood Priestess Series (First Draft)

Chapter 7: The Binding

"Excuse me what?" Exclaimed the girl throwing her hands into the air. It would have been dramatic if another one of the loud crashes did not shake the cave causing a few rocks to fall from the ceiling.

"Well, I wish we had time for a full explanation however that noise is our deaths, well yours if we do not hurry." Wrapping her tail around a specific egg she sit it down in front of Yina. "This is my first laid egg, it has the most magic inside of it. To properly release both types of magic you must use my freely given blood in your binding."

Deep erratic breaths escaped Yina as she stared at the violet egg that had bluish white lines all over it as if it was cracked. Running a hand over it revealed that they were no cracks but just part of the egg. It was at least four feet tall, it made the fake eggs seem small even if they were the same size. "Wait you want me to bind to it now. I cannot do this, it is a capital crime in my Nation."

"If you wish to live, you will." The dragon sent into Yina's mind with a hint of sadness in her thoughts. Pulling a scale from her neck she grimaced slicing a little bit of her flesh the blood dripping onto the scale. Holding it out to Yina she spoke. "My blood freely given."

Confused Yina reached out with both hands and took the scale. It was almost the perfect shape to make a crude bowl. "Um thanks?" She stated quizzically staring at the blood.

"Mix your own blood with mine, stating my blood freely given. This will cause the magic in the binding to be significantly more powerful." Another loud crash, this one a bit louder then the last one shook the cave.

"No, I cannot do this not here." Panic was in the young woman's voice as she looked up with bright green eyes full of fear.

Sighing and shaking her head the dragon sent more thoughts. "That noise, is another ancient dragon who is breaking his way her to kill me and eat my eggs. If he does this he will transform into a Abyssal dragon and lay waste to the known world. That is unless you hatch this egg now and escape." Her voice was forlorn and desperate.

Taking a deep breath Yina was about to argue again when another much closer crash happened. Whatever it was, had the power to literally shake a mountain. That was not something Yina wanted to face. "Fine." Pressing a switch on her vambrace a blade flipped out from the side. Sitting the scale down she cut open her palm letting her blood mix with the dragon's. "My blood freely given."

As the words escaped her mouth the blood started to swirl around glowing lightly. Yina could feel the magic inside of it as she had before when witnessing other bindings. "Now start the binding. I will fill you in as you work."

Nodding Yina started her work. Flowing ancient symbols were being drawn onto the egg out of the blood. The young priestess moved with a ease and finesse of a master. She had been drawing these of fake eggs for as long as she could remember. Each one was placed in exactly the place she was taught making sure to use just enough to prevent it from running down the side.

"Ancient dragon's come to be through aging. Abyssal's are different they must consume ten generations of their own children. It is a ritual of sorts, ancients can only breed once every ten years. Me and my children are the last generation he must consume to rise to power." Another thunderous noise echoed in the cave and caused the walls to shake interrupting the dragon's speech. "That egg, will produce the most powerful dragon able to be hatched. Abyssal's become sterile and cannot have any more children." The dragon explained watching in slight fascination as Yina made the symbols and markings on the egg.  It was one thing to have ancient memories of the process, but to witness it was something special.  

Yina tried to make sense of that, to her Abyssal's were a bedtime story to tell kids to keep them in line. No one thought that they were real, only legends and myths from times long passed. To be told that they are true and one was about to be created was terrifying, the myths stated that a Abyssal was nearly unstoppable.

"This next part is hard for me to say. When my child hatches, she must devour her brethren as well as slay me reverting me back to a egg and consume me as well." A small tear slipped from the dragon's eye as she stated this.

Her finger outstretched, Yina froze her hand shaking as she looked up from her work. "Are you serious." Everything was overwhelming, the fact that she had yet to go into shock or hysteria was a miracle.

"Yes, you two are the only hope for the world. You will need to find your way to the Storm Isles, there you will find my sister she will be able to help. My child will allow you to survive her wrath and cause her to help." A very loud noise like stone breaking into a thousand pieces could be heard, part of the back wall slid to the ground. "Hurry."

Snapping back to what little of reality she still grasped, Yina quickly finished the symbols on the egg and stood back double checking her work. "Done." Raising both hands out and above the egg Yina started to chant in a dead language. The already slightly glowing blood intensified becoming a nearly blinding light.

Saying the final words "We are now bound together." The light flared before pulling itself back into the egg. Where the lines had been on the outside of the eggs became real cracks as the egg erupted sending dragon egg shells everywhere.

Where the egg had been now stood a dragon the size of a large dog. It had dark violet scales just like her mothers. The wings were made of thick violet leather unlike the see through of her mothers. Two tiny beginnings of horns came from the side of her head near the back. "Yina, and mother." It sent out in its thoughts. Yina had heard of this, that they were able to be born with deep rooted memories that the parents had.  

As soon as the binding was complete A tingling almost burning sensation ripped through Yina's body as she fell to her knees panting.  Each beat or her heart could be felt throughout her entire body.  The sounds of stone breaking became louder and more defined.  Yina's eyes went out of focus, upon clearing everything was sharper the dim cave now bright to her eyes.  

"My darling Nyssa." The dragon sent back to her child.  Nuzzling the young dragon with her own head.  Just to see her child was a joy she did not anticipate ever being able to do.