I shrugged, which he must have taken for acceptance, because he asked, “What did you recently experienced which changed you so much? I am assuming that Camille is your bonded companion? That makes so much sense. I get the feeling that you’re rather young, and only a bonded dragon could grow rapidly without waiting for time to work its effect upon their body and mind.”

  “Yes, I am bonded with Cami, but I’d thank you not to share that with anyone who absolutely doesn’t have to know. She is still fragile,” I growled.

  “I can assign people to help guard her, if you like. Dragon riders are revered almost as much as dragons by the Clan.”

  “Let me think about that. For now, I believe we have it covered. As for what has happened, I underwent an evolution. Do you know what those are?”

  “Yes,” Edgar admitted, “scale, claw, breath, and wing. At least those are the ones I know of. Most of our records relate to claw or scale.”

  Something about Edgar had always put me at ease. Now, I had a better understanding why this was the case. I wasn’t surprised when I kept talking, revealing more of my secrets.

  “My evolution was a mind evolution.”

  He told me that he never heard of such a thing, and we spent the next several hours discussing it. It felt good to talk to a human who knew what dragons were like—at least partially. Real dragons, that is, not the domesticated dragons they had here.

  Of course, that thought brought up another topic. One which I needed a straight answer from the human. I figured it was best to just ask the question, even though I felt a bit of dread in the pit of my stomach.

  Edgar’s answer would determine if I could work with the Clan of the Dragon moving forward. “What does your Clan know about the treatment of dragons by the Empire?”

  A strained expression crossed his face. “I wondered if you were going to ask me about that. The longer we talked, the more certain I was that you would…” He sighed. “But I didn’t know when.”

  “Then why didn’t you just offer up an answer, rather than making me ask?” I pressed.

  “Nico, you may be a dragon, and I revere the role your kind are meant to play in this world, but you must also understand that the Clan is not what it once was. We are weak and the last hold-overs of another way of thinking. Most dragons that we encounter seem to have no concern for other living beings.

  “It would be disgraceful for dragons to run around acting as nursemaids for the other races, but a thinking being should also understand that the world exists in a symbiotic balance. No being, no race, can exist on its own,” he explained.

  I might not have understood his meaning before, but the world seemed so much clearer since my evolution. “So it was a test, then?”

  “I regret to say so… but yes, I needed to be sure. You are a bold dragon who is becoming stronger all the time. You have a unique ability to deal with the other races beyond even what I have seen from the other bonded dragons. But I needed to know if you had compassion.”

  There it was again. Compassion. It was a word that, if I were to be honest, hadn’t been part of my thought process. It certainly wasn’t prevalent in the dream. My ancestor, the blue Draconis, had felt some level of responsibility for dragons and even a sense of ownership for the world, but I would never have described him as compassionate.

  “At first, it simply angered me that they were treated that way. I wanted to level the university,” I admitted. “Then, I realized that my anger was better directed towards the system as a whole. Humans could take our young as prisoners, but they couldn’t alter the very nature of these captive dragons—that was something the system did. So, while the Empire must pay, I am more focused on undoing what the system did to them.”

  Edgar nodded. “That’s more mature than the Empire has any right to expect from you. To answer your question, the Clan didn’t know a thing about it for the longest time. The previous dynasty attacked dragons, making it unsafe for any of the Clan to come to the mainland. As a result, we stayed on the southern isles.

  “Eventually, we did learn about it. No one believed that it could be as bad as it is, though. Even the bonded dragons didn’t seem to think it was that big of a deal, at least that is what I was told before being sent on this mission. I wasn’t alive when they first discovered it, but I believe the quote from CyanRaistRide, a bonded green, was ‘if they were captured by humans, they deserve what they get for their weakness’. Whether he actually said that or not, I cannot confirm.”

  “This mission?” I asked.

  “Yes, me and a few of the senior dragon disciples were sent to key cities in the Empire, to see if we could determine the truth of the situation.” He pinched the bridge of his nose—a human pose I equated to frustration. “We’ve been going through plans on how best to try to free the dragons, but most of them don’t seem to want to be freed and they act completely differently from any dragon that I had ever met before coming here.”

  From there, I filled him in on what I knew. Some of it he had already learned, but he was more than curious ever, going so far as to take notes as I described the connection that had developed between me and the hatchlings, as well as the changes it had caused in me.

  In the end, I shared my new quest with him, which he gladly accepted it. I was confident that he would be an ally. Finally, as I was getting ready to leave, I had one more question pop up into my mind.

  “You said something about named minions. What did you mean by that?”

  Edgar chuckled. I just stared at him and he got serious again. “I’m sorry, great one. It’s something of a joke for those of us who aren’t minions. From what you told me, you have two minions so far, and both are crafters. You aren’t the only dragon to have crafters as minions, but more of them seem to focus on guards for their hoards and beings capable of attending to their needs.

  “Wild dragons often have monsters for minions as much as they do sapient races. Bonded dragons, tend to only get their minions from the Clan. Named minions are a higher tier of minion, which you’ll be able to create once you reach the elder age category. They gain greater perks from you, but are also given more specific roles. The joke is about the titles given to them.

  “They are generally called the Dragon’s Claw, but also sometimes the Dragon’s Scale, or I’ve even heard of the Dragon’s Breath. The point being, that those titles say something about who they are. Scales, of course, have specialized roles in protecting the hoard, while Claws are those who go places that a dragon can’t go.”

  Edgar’s brows drew together. I was quite proud of my increased ability to parse the meaning of these subtle shifts of expression on humans’ flat faces.

  “Although, having seen your shape change ability,” he continued, “I’m not sure there actually is any place a dragon couldn’t go.”

  I thanked him for the information and then headed back to the university. It had been a productive day, but my mind had fixated on these Dragon Claws. I had so many things to do, and while I was happy with Daggin and Ruben, I could use some minions that I could trust to carry out missions for me, perhaps even those who could fight beside me.

  I had Cami, of course, but I was beginning to think that I was going to need more help than my Companion could provide. I was going to require much more than even my own might, if I was to do that which I planned. Of course, such a realization almost made me dizzy. Change was good, but I was changing too quickly.

  Chapter 24 - Soul Patch

  When I reached the university again, the level of activity there was definitely different from what I had noticed before. The number of guards at the gate had tripled, but there were a variety of uniforms represented. I recognized some of the uniforms, like those of the university guards and those who had recently been sent here by the Emperor, but not all of them.

  Lisella had tried to teach me a bit about the different noble houses of the Empire. I hadn’t paid much attention to the details, but had at least learned to recognize the more important pieces of the heraldry, thinking of it in the same way that there were difference colors of scales for dragons.

  The guard at the gate consisted of university guards, who were employed directly by the empire. But then there were also imperial guards—the ones sent by the Emperor. And then I recognized a third marking, which was from the house of Urgoi. Apparently, the idea that monsters had made it into not just the city, but also into the university, had produced something of a shock.

  They let me through after only a cursory examination to ensure I wasn’t a monster in hiding. Once again, I was thankful for the potency of my shape change ability. I supposed that even if that failed, Miseria’s protection would likely have prevented them detecting my true nature.

  The grounds of the university were in even more disarray. Many of the students I saw were being followed around by guards wearing the colors of a noble house. Some I recognized; others were likely too minor for me to have paid much attention to.

  I could only assume that those students trailed by guards were from those houses. The guards varied in number from a single guard to a full squad of ten. Even students who I had reason to know were only the children of wealthy merchants seemed to have hired guards. It almost felt like the university had turned into a war camp like one from my memories of the Dragon Dream—like in the war that Draconis had led against the horrors.

  There were also groups of clerics and paladins moving about the grounds, as well. I saw Galbrecht leading a group of Miseria’s servants. They had set up a station and were offering healing to anyone who had been attacked by monsters. It seemed they even offered something called ‘therapy’.

  I didn’t know what that was, but got the gist as I watched and listened to the clerics explain it. They were essentially offering to let any students who had been emotionally affected by the experience to talk about it with one of the priests—in exchange for a ‘nominal’ donation to the church of Miseria, of course.

  I could only shake my head. People thought dragons were mercenary in our pursuit of gold, but we clearly had nothing on the churches. Paying to talk to someone? I could only shake my head.

  The followers of Nilarue, lord of the sky and forger of courage weren’t running a clinic, but they did seem to be hunting for more monsters. They seemed to think that the best way to do so was to investigate all of the students. I could only roll my eyes. It was a very human act, but seemed appropriate at this time.

  Where had these gods and their followers been before?

  At least, they were likely causing a headache for the acting head of the university. Serius, smug wizard that he was, could use a bit of trouble in his life as far as I was concerned.

  I half expected to see some of the other gods’ followers and felt the skin on the back of my neck get all itchy. Maybe other gods were keeping tabs on what was going on without actually sending followers? Any satisfaction I felt was ripped away as an armored man wearing the markings of Nilarue tromped up to me.

  “I sense the presence of monsters around you, boy. You’ll need to come with us for questioning,” he declared.

  A seething anger boiled up within me. Of course I had been around monsters. I was busy helping to put down a threat to the entire world. If this little paladin thought I was going to accommodate him, though, he had another thing coming.

  Reflexively I cast Identify

  Simon Manchester Paladin of Nilarue

  Level: 14th HP: 1,525

  A sneer replaced the smile which had been on my expression. A dozen different responses threatened to spill from my mouth, but I decided the best response to this buzzing gnat was simply to ignore him. I stepped forward, not deviating my path by a single inch. My shoulder hit his and, unsurprisingly, he was knocked backward. I was only sad that he didn’t fall flat on his pompous backside.

  I only made it two more steps before I felt magic try to latch onto me.

  You have resisted the spell Hold Person.

  You are Immune to Paralysis type effects.

  I heard the scrambling of bodies in motion complete with the swish of robes, the clank of armor, and that unmistakable sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths. I spun around, preparing to attack as the first paladin backed up. He suddenly had half a dozen armored men with him and three priests in their robes.

  I didn’t get the sense that any of them were as strong as Lisella, but one had already tried to restrain me with a spell. My dignity screamed for me to taunt them about the failed attack. They needed to understand the folly of attacking me, but a calmer wisdom rose up within me.

  Instead, I moved at full speed right into their midst. Dragon Fear erupted from me, but I was careful not to let it spread more than fifteen feet from me in any direction. I didn’t want to inflict a general terror on the campus.

  Thunderclap

  The spell was an insta-cast, so I let it roll out of me. Once again, though, I limited the radius. The force of the spell buffeted all ten of them. One of the priests and the head paladin seemed at least partially to resist it, but it still dealt over 65 damage to each of them. They looked like they’d just been punched—which I suppose they had been, with a fist of sound.

  They should just be grateful that I was using only non-lethal attacks. Those who hadn’t manage partially to resist my spell’s effect fell to the ground. Their eyes rolled back in their heads as the stunning effect of the spell took them. It would only last for a few seconds, but they were completely at my mercy till then.

  Rapid Movement

  My monk class skill allowed me to close the distance in just the briefest of moments as I then unleashed an open handed Flurry of Blows, splitting the storm of attacks between the paladin and the priest. Both were caught off guard, but the priest was knocked unconscious as I triggered Stunning Fist.

  My attacks against the paladin hit his armored forelimb in the shoulder, elbow and then wrist, causing him to drop his weapon as the limb hung limply at his side. Confusion filled his face.

  But then behind me I heard another man call out, “Nico, Princess Lisella sent me to make sure you were protected.” I heard the humor in his voice. “But perhaps that was unnecessary.”

  I turned, expecting to see another enemy, but instead found four knights wearing the colors of Forlay. When I didn’t say anything, their apparent leader continued.

  “I’m Sir Latham,” he introduced himself with a tilt of his head. “Please follow Bertrand while I smooth this matter over for you.”

  The paladin I had disarmed must have made use of the respite this granted him because the stupor seemed to have cleared his expression and he cast a spell. I didn’t know what it was, but saw that the tendrils of magic only focused on him. As I watched his spell take hold, understanding came to me.

  Do you wish to learn the spell - Cure Sensory Impairment?

  I declined to learn this spell, but was curious. Maybe he had resisted the stunning and dazing effects, but not the deafening effect of my spell? That made me smile even more. The increased power of my spells in human form was apparently not something so easily to be dismissed.

  The others were all groaning as the stun effects of Thunderclap wore off, and they began trying to sit up—albeit slowly.

  The paladin said, “He can’t leave. He just assaulted servants of the great god Nilarue.”

  I snorted.

  The paladin turned on me. “The only reason, I’m not running a sword through you is that you are a student here. You may not respect authority, but I do.”

  I laughed. “Well, that is true—authority and I are only passing acquaintances. That is only part of my disdain for you and these other fools. That, and the fact that I just owned all of you.”

  Sir Latham stepped between us. “Hold, Sir Manchester. I know you probably think you were only doing your job…”

  The paladin sputtered. “Think? I don’t think anything. I know my job is to get to the root of how monsters were allowed into the imperial university. My god has decreed this instruction himself.”

  “Your god is good at expecting others to solve his problems. The last time one of my ancestors made a deal with your god…” I let my voice trail off.

  I wanted to rant about how Nilarue had been the one to set up dragons with the Bond, but he had only been the one to send Reegor. Besides, the Bond was still something of a confusing issue. I didn’t like that it appeared to have been designed by the gods, but I also cared about Cami and wasn’t upset in the least about being bonded with her.

  “What are you trying to say?” the paladin asked with a confused expression on his face.

  Fortunately, Sir Latham fielded that question. “It doesn’t matter what the lad was saying. Nico is under the personal protection of the Princess of Forlay. He is considered a friend and ally of Forlay, and we won’t allow you to question him. He is apprenticed to the Princess.”