the backside was blank. Placing it back in the pile, he picked another.
Other dragons seek the safety and strength of titans. One titan, often a female, will guard nesting sites of up to a hundred or more of the smaller breeds. It’s a symbiotic relationship where the titan offers protection, and in return, the smaller dragons will alert her of danger, and in some cases, share their kills. Upon the death of a titan guarding a nesting si—
The third note was in even worse shape.
Dragons’ respiratory systems are incredibly sensitive. Therefore, dragons will only ever nest in areas of high air quality, as smoke and fumes tolerable to people will kill young dragons, even in small am—
Kalai groaned in frustration. Who in their right mind would burn documents this valuable? They looked old, too, like they belonged in the Kel Visal temple libraries. Despite hundreds of years of studies, so little was known about the wild dragons’ distant nesting sites, and what lives they led when humans weren’t around. Kalai remembered so vividly the sense of awe and excitement when the temple masters laid out feasts for the dragons atop the mountain, the roars echoing through the valleys beyond, and the sound of air rushing below wings when the dragons came to feed. The glimpse of the majestic wild titan materializing from the morning mist and disappearing just as quickly as she had arrived. Ibi-shao.
Just as intense was Kalai’s jealousy of those studying in the temple, privileged enough to see those mighty predators up close.
Had his parents been up there?
A familiar ache in his chest made him close his eyes. More than once, he had considered the possibility that they had abandoned him because he, even as a baby, couldn’t follow them up there. He would never know the real reason, so he wasn’t sure why he kept letting that thought worm its way inside. Wallowing in self-pity was useless. He had a dragon companion, which made him luckier than even most of the people living in the mountain temples. Wild dragons might occasionally interact with people, but few formed bonds like the one he shared with Arrow.
A knock on the door made Kalai put down the papers. He placed the egg safely on the chair and headed for the door.
It wasn’t Tauran, but a man in a black and silver uniform he’d seen once before on the night the egg arrived.
“Commander Landa, was it?” Kalai asked, smiling.
“That’s right,” the commander said. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Not at all.” Kalai stood aside. “Please, come in.”
Commander Roric Landa smiled and stepped inside, heading for the main room. Something about him reminded Kalai of Tauran. He moved the same way Tauran did when he felt most at ease, with a sense of subtle confidence and almost youthful attention. They looked the same age. Kalai wondered if they knew each other.
“What can I do for you?” Kalai asked, following Landa into the main room.
“I just came by to see how you were settling in.” Landa folded his hands behind his back and smiled at Kalai again. It was a rather handsome smile.
“Quite well, thank you,” Kalai said. He circled the desk and placed a hand on the egg. “We both are. General Falka was thrilled with the egg’s progress when he was last here.”
“Ah! Such a beautiful little wonder.” Landa joined him and stroked a careful hand along the shell. “Do you think it’s like with ‘teras, that the shell is the color the dragon’s scales will be?”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out.” Kalai frowned. “Hasn’t the Sky Guard had titans before?”
Commander Landa hummed in assent. “Still does. General Falka’s Excellor is alive and well, thankfully. In the guard’s prime, three titans called the Solar Tower home.”
“But you didn’t hatch those?”
Landa shook his head and half-sat on the desk, hand braced on its surface. “Excellor came to the Sky Guard as a hatchling many years ago. Tauran Darrica’s dragon...” Landa smirked, seeming eager to talk. “Now, that’s a story.”
“Oh?” Kalai hesitated. It felt weird to talk about Tauran when he wasn’t present.
Landa fiddled absently with the tip of a quill. “One of our teams found her in the mountains north of here following a bad summer thunderstorm. Young, sick and injured, on the brink of death. They brought her back to the tower and nursed her to health, but she was still very much a wild dragon.” Landa smirked. “Turned out, Tauran was just as wild as she was. She perked up