Remy

  Buying the house had only taken a few minutes. I had even been able to buy it, contrary to expectations, with all the furniture. The previous owners had passed away and their adult children had their own houses and didn't want to keep anything. A great luck. I expected to have to take care of the entire furnishing. Instead, I had to clean out the furniture and repce some of it. Otherwise, there was nothing of the deceased couple's possessions in the house. Just the furniture.

  So now I could call myself a proud homeowner. The thought made me smile. Well, it wasn't the temple with its pace, but it was a start.

  The house was small but in excellent condition. It stood on the edge of my home district and even had a small, pnted courtyard. There was a separate kitchen with a cooking area, a bathroom with a water pump and everything, two bedrooms, and a small living room. The furniture was also a bit older but in excellent condition. The roof was just big and sturdy enough for my dragons to nd on. Real luck. After I visited the temple, Lou and I could pack up and leave.

  How long would he be safe with me?

  How quickly did I have to implement my pn?

  And could I leave him alone for that? Would I have to take him with me?

  There was a lot to think about. And the more I thought about it, the more seemed my pn very na?ve. I had to rethink everything. Reschedule. How long is Lou safe with me? Can I take him with me? Where else can I hide him? The Mountains of Dragons are too dangerous for an almost blind boy.

  It took a little longer to get to the temple from my new home, but I was happy to accept that. I walked along the paths and up the narrow stairs until I arrived at the main temple house. The Government House of the Wise Men. There, is saw Lou’s sister. She seemed worried.

  "Remy!" As soon as she saw me, she hurried to me. "Are you going to the Wise? Because of the attack?"

  "Hello, Louise." I nodded.

  "How's Lou? A seer had a vision! He saw Lou and bck dragons. Now the Wise’ are assuming that he is to bme for the attacks! But my brother is gone!" She almost fell around my neck, so distraught was she. Tears rolled from her eyes. Louise was pretty, but not as pretty as Lou. "Have you seen him?"

  "Calm down! He's with me." I pushed her away from me. A visit to the Wise Men was obligatory after an attack. Every wizard who rode a dragon had to face an interrogation. Mostly together. To reflect on what happened and to fend off further attacks even better. But I had seen myself alone in the room in a vision. Surrounded by angry faces. The other riders were not there. Today, I would have to face the questioning alone.

  Because of my friendship with Lou?

  "Really!" She blinked, then looked around uneasily. "Do the Wise know about it?"

  "No. And I'm not going to tell them. It's none of their business. Lou has nothing to do with the attacks. How could he?" I snorted and shook my head. "I have something to discuss with them. After that, I can take you with me."

  "Discuss!" Louise sighed, then nodded eagerly. "Would you?"

  "Yes." She loved her brother. I had to give her that. Even though I didn't have much sympathy for his family. "Wait here. Don't go alone."

  "Why?"

  "Your brother has a visitor." I couldn't help but think of Harper. He was very protective when it came to Lou. And Lou hadn't seen Louise for a long time. There was the dangerous possibility that he would not recognize her at first. And I'd better not expose the girl to a roaring dragon.

  "Visitor? What kind of visitor?" Louise frowned skeptically. "As far as I know, you're his only friend."

  I shook my head. "Not anymore." At these words, I actually felt some pride. "Lou has befriended a dragon. None of mine, though Narcisse has grown fond of him."

  Louise stared at me in horror. Apparently, she didn't share my joy. "WHAT?"

  "Lou is friends with a dragon."

  "WHAT?"

  Did she hear badly? Annoyed, I hissed. "Lou has found a friend. A dragon. Harper is only a year older than your brother. And you."

  "How can that be? A dragon?"

  "I don't know."

  Suddenly, Louise's horror turned into a radiant smile. "Well, I guess that's only fair. Lou had to give up so much. A strong friend who is not YOU is just right."

  "Excuse me? Who’s not ME?" I shook my head. "What's so wrong with me?"

  "You're older than him. And he shouldn't just have one friend! He needs friends. Friends his age. I'm waiting for you here. Thank you."

  I just nodded. Maybe she was right. I was older. I didn't see myself as his friend either. More like a brother. Sighing, I entered the imposing building.

  The Wise Men, a group of about twenty wizards, were already waiting for me. They sat at a semicircur table, the center of which was free for someone to stand in their midst. Their proud gaze pierced me. They looked like grumpy boys pying king. At the sight of their silliness, I wanted to act like a petunt teenager. Of course, I wouldn't do this.

  "Remy!" One of the Wise, Mitko, looked at me with a stern look. He was the eldest, so he usually had the sole say. This was also reflected in his vishly decorated clothes. They all wore magnificent robes and golden jewelry, but Mitko seemed to be drowning under all the gold. The Wise nodded at me. "You're here. Very good. We have questions that I have to ask you." What he had to say had been discussed with everyone beforehand. The words of the older ones outweighed that of the younger ones. None of the Wise Men was younger than a thousand years. Our city was very old. Just like our alliance with the dragons.

  I bowed through gritted teeth. If they believed the attacks had anything to do with Lou, then this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. "You called?"

  "Certainly." Mitko nodded in satisfaction. "You're coming a little ter than expected, but still..."

  "I’m sorry." It was expected that after an attack, the riders would meet with the Wise right on the morning of the first day. Now, however, it was nearly midday. I had more important things to do. More important than fttering them around. "I must have overslept."

  "Overslept? Silly boy, you know the rules! Our meetings usually take pce in the morning." He raised his eyebrows. "We expected you earlier. Not this te."

  "Excuse me." I bowed again. "Well? How can I serve? Have the other riders already been interviewed? Are there any questions left unanswered?" I asked as innocently as possible. Only then did I rise from the deep bow.

  "The attacks. The number of bck dragons is unusual. Therefore, we asked a stronger seer to ask the gods. His vision suggests that it is reted to the curse. You had contact with the boy the other day. Aside from how foolish this was, did you notice anything? Did he seem happy?", asked the young-looking old man. He had long brown hair and a round nose. Mitko was pying with one of his many gold rings.

  "No. Lou is never happy." They had made sure of that.

  "Well, it must have been him. Was this your fault?"

  I shook my head.

  "Has anyone else been in contact with him?"

  I shook my head again. "I don't know who would. I can't imagine it was because of him. Perhaps the vision was pure coincidence. Visions cannot be controlled."

  "Of course not!" Mitko thunderously smmed his fist on the table. The ring flew across the room and struck another Wise on the forehead. He grimaced and silently picked up the ring. Mitko didn't seem to notice. "They are the words of the gods! And if they tell us that it is the cursed one, then this is true. What kind of bsphemy do you allow yourself to commit? We could have you whipped for that."

  I wanted to roll my eyes. "But then I wouldn't be able to ride my dragon and protect your lives."

  Mitko nodded again. "Regrettably, this is correct. We need your loyalty! Not your stupidity! Well, we've heard something, though."

  "And that would be?" Now I was getting nervous. Did they know that Lou was with me? They would demand his extradition. Or have him fetched by soldiers. And that with a dragon in the house? A very young dragon? There would be a bloodbath.

  "He is considered missing. We couldn't find him. Instead, some soldiers met an elderly dy who told them about a young man and a dragon who had something to discuss with the boy." He raised his eyebrows. "Now is your opportunity to confess your deed. We forbade you to have any contact with the boy. And look what happened now."

  "So it's my fault? That we were attacked?" It was so ridiculous that I had to ugh. "Yes, I checked on Lou. Together with Basil. After he was unjustly beaten. He is innocent. Basil couldn't smell any curse. But when he's gone, you can breathe a sigh of relief. After all, this should stop the attacks, shouldn't it? Maybe he fell into the river and drowned."

  "Or he meets the bck dragons?", murmured another Wise Men. Mitko looked at him with raised eyebrows. Now I actually rolled my eyes.

  "Nonsense. How can he get to them?"

  "I have to agree with that!" Mitko's voice sounded threatening. Immediately the other Wise lowered his head. "That's unlikely. The boy is almost blind. If he is indeed dead, it might be good for our city. Or the gods punish us if we don't pass their test. We will still search for him. The vision of the seer suggests that the gods are demanding punishment for the boy. You can go now."

  "The seers should ask the gods again!", murmured another Wise. He sat next to Mitko and looked at him intently. Mitko nodded. "Tomorrow. The seers have already exhausted themselves. We must not risk their lives by asking too much."

  I felt sick. Punishment? I would never let that happen. From the looks of it, I had to ask one of my dragons to guard my new house. Discreetly. Or should I send Lou to the dragons? To Harper? No. That was too risky. I guess I had to start with my pn a little faster than pnned. There was no other way to protect Lou. But before that, a lot had to be prepared. Much should be considered.

  With a bow that hid my hateful gaze, I said goodbye to the Wise. This may have been my st visit to them. Soon the temple would be mine. But where do I hide Lou until then? What am I going to do? Do I have to abandon my pn? For him? But then how can I improve his future? Maybe a vision will help me to crify these questions...

  Louise waited for me as agreed. She waved at me uneasily. When I saw her, I smiled. Maybe I could win her over as an ally?

  sasi