A bloody mouth opened, and orange dragon flames spewed out, illuminating the entire dark space.
In an instant, the temperature around rose rapidly.
Before the dragon keepers could prepare, the dragon flames fanned out.
"Ah!!"
Screams came one after another as they fled in panic, the orange flames and billowing smoke surrounding them.
"Aemon, go."
Rhea Royce was quick-witted and grabbed Aemon's little hand, pulling him to run.
However, despite her pulling and tugging, Aemon didn't budge.
Aemon stopped in his tracks, his eyes locked on something ahead.
"Hiss!"
The flames disappeared in an instant, revealing the light blue dragon in its full glory. It roared in warning.
Like an angry beast guarding its territory, it drove away all who dared to approach.
Aemon held his breath, his expression tense, refusing to move. "Wait, Rhea."
He saw clearly that the dragon wasn't pursuing them.
"What?" Rhea was stunned.
"Princess, Prince, you should keep your distance for safety," the old dragon keeper urged, his voice strained. His few remaining white hairs were singed, and the other dragon keepers, still shaken, struggled to get back on their feet.
Aemon didn't seem to notice the people around him as his focus remained locked on the dragon.
Clatter!
The chains rattled as the dragon shifted, its breath reverberating through the cave. In the dim light, Aemon finally saw the creature clearly.
Before him was a slender, light blue dragon, its body adorned with silver lines. Its majestic pale horns crowned its head, and its wings were a soft blue, like the sky, while its scales shimmered silver in the weak firelight.
"It's Dreamfire…" Aemon's face flushed with excitement, his heart pounding.
Boom!
Dreamfire took a step forward, its amber vertical pupils full of suspicion. The intruders had wandered into its territory.
"So big!" Aemon couldn't hide his awe. The dragon's beautiful appearance made him want to leap onto its back and soar through the skies.
Though Dreamfire was a second-generation dragon, it had immense power and a form that filled the cave, even though it had to crouch slightly to fit. Its body had to be more than fifty meters long—an imposing sight.
"Do you still want to try?" Rhea asked, pulling him back.
Of course, Aemon thought. Before meeting Dreamfire, he'd doubted whether a dragon that had been imprisoned for so long would be suitable for him. But now, seeing it up close, that hesitation evaporated.
"Let me try," Aemon said, taking a deep breath. He turned to the old dragon keeper. "Can Dreamfire be calmed if it doesn't continue to attack?"
The old dragon keeper nodded gravely. "Do your best."
He ordered the frightened dragon keepers to gather their bamboo sticks and approach the dragon slowly. Dreamfire was known for its fiery temper, becoming agitated regularly, but it needed to be fed livestock. A few dragon handlers would manage it, though they had to be cautious, especially when there were so many people around.
"Stand back first," Aemon said with surprising seriousness, pushing Rhea aside to hide by the cave's wall.
Dragons, as they had just seen, could be dangerous.
Rhea opened her mouth to protest, but Aemon was already pushing her away. She marveled at his determination and unexpected strength.
On the other side of the cave, the old dragon keeper began to sing a soothing Valyrian ballad. Slowly, Dreamfire's hostility faded, its body relaxing bit by bit.
Boom!
Dreamfire shook its head, lowering itself onto the rocky ground, its massive body dwarfing the humans around it.
The old dragon keeper approached with care, ensuring the dragon wouldn't suddenly attack. When he was sure it was safe, he whispered, "Prince, you can come forward now."
Aemon took a deep breath and approached, cheering himself on.
"Don't worry, it won't eat you," he reassured himself, patting the trembling mouse in his backpack before walking forward, his short legs carrying him closer.
The process was smoother than expected. Dreamfire lay there motionless, almost as if exhausted.
"What now?" Aemon asked, his tone rational, but his heart still racing.
Reality was far more complicated than he'd imagined in stories or the films. He was just a child, far less experienced than the old dragon handlers around him.
The old dragon keeper's voice was barely audible. "You need to stand in front of the dragon and raise your hands. If it doesn't resist, you can try to climb onto its back. If it doesn't push you off, your chances of success are 80%. The rest is riding it through the skies."
"I understand," Aemon said, his voice firm, even though his heart thudded in his chest.
He gritted his teeth and raised his palm, aiming it at Dreamfire's unblinking eyes. His little hand was pale and soft, but he raised it with determination.
"Roar!"
Dreamfire glanced at him, let out a low growl, and then turned its head away. It wasn't impressed. A boring human cub, it thought. What a waste of time.
Aemon froze, confused. He rushed forward, calling to the dragon. "Look at me, Dreamfire! We agreed that if you didn't refuse, I could climb on your back. If you refuse, you can scold me. But why aren't you paying attention to me?"
Dreamfire's amber eyes were cold and dismissive, like a beautiful but distant woman who had no interest in a stranger. It turned its head, completely ignoring Aemon's plea.
Aemon's frustration grew. "You!!"
The little prince didn't give up. When Dreamfire's head turned left, he raised his hand and ran to the left. When the dragon's head turned right, he followed suit.
The dragon was chained and unable to fly, but that didn't stop it from moving its head as if it were taunting Aemon.
After several rounds of this, Aemon was panting with exhaustion, his raised hand trembling. "Dreamfire, what do you want me to do? Come on, please."
But Dreamfire had had enough.
"Hiss!!"
With a powerful push, Dreamfire suddenly rose, its massive wings stirring the rocks as it roared in fury.
The heat and stench of the dragon's breath blasted Aemon's face, and his skin stung under the pressure.
He didn't retreat.
It wasn't attacking him, so he still had a chance.
"Roar!"
Dreamfire's patience snapped, and it used its massive head to nudge Aemon in the belly, pushing him backward with surprising force.
Aemon winced in pain as he rolled back, landing with his legs spread awkwardly on the ground. When he opened his eyes, Dreamfire had already turned to leave.
"No! Don't go!" Aemon cried, his small legs scrambling to catch up. "I'll take you out to see the blue sky and white clouds!"
Dreamfire paused for a brief moment but then continued its retreat, indifferent.
Aemon didn't understand. Why was the dragon leaving? His heart ached as he chased after it, finally grasping one of Dreamfire's thick, light blue-scaled claws.
This move startled everyone around them.
"Aemon!!"
Rhea screamed, rushing forward and grabbing the back of his collar, pulling him away from the dragon.
The dragon handlers hurried to separate them, careful to avoid disturbing Dreamfire further. The situation had nearly turned disastrous.
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