The Last Dragon

Chapter 8 - Dragons and Bookstores

Eri opened the door and led Ilia inside the store. She wandered in, her gaze darting about at all the books. Every inch of the walls were covered in shelves. The middle was all shelves back-to-back, filled with books and scrolls.

"Not quite the castle library, huh?" Eri walked through the store towards a set of shelves in the far corner.

"It's wonderful." She followed him slowly, glancing at book titles along the way.

A book caught her eye, shining gold lettering against a worn dark leather cover. She stopped and slid it from the shelf. Ilia flipped through the pages slowly, looking at the bright illustrations of dragons.

"This isn't a library. If you want to read the whole thing, buy it."

Ilia glanced at the man behind the counter. He scowled at her. Ilia frowned. Her money was back at the castle. She so seldom needed it, she never carried any with her.

"What did you find?" Eri appeared beside her, with an armload of books.

"Dragons: A Guide, by E.J. Warder." She closed the book and let him see the cover.

"Wow. He was that big naturalist a century ago. You want it?" Eri grinned at her.

Ilia blinked up at him. Was he really offering? "Oh, yes, please," she whispered.

Eri held his hand out and she gave him the book. It was hard letting go of all that precious information, but it was about to be hers. He took the stack of books to the counter. Ilia watched the books as the seller noted them on the little receipt. Swordsmanship and Spells, Intermediate Battle Tactics, and Help, My Sword Won't Light.

He counted out the coins while she fidgeted beside him. What would she learn from that book? Could it help her?

"It was a pleasure doing business with you." The man smiled, though his scowl lines were deep. "Please, come again."

Eri tucked the books under his arm and took Ilia's hand. Ilia opened the door, and they headed out into the street. She forgot all about the crowds and her discomfort. She had a new book. He led her all the way back to the room on the second floor, her mind on her book the entire way.

"Here." He set his books on the table and handed her the thick leather-bound book. "You can relax on my bed and read if you like. You might be more comfortable."

Ilia bounded over and settled on the soft mattress. She propped herself up on the pillow and leaned back against the headboard. Her fingers brushed over the textured leather, still in good shape, though worn from decades of use. She opened the book and started reading.

Dragons mate for life. Interesting. If one dies, the other will seek a new mate, but not without exacting revenge on the murderer. Prepare for retribution. She stared blankly at the wall across from her. There haven't been any dragon attacks reported, no flaming cities or mass damage. Is the retribution limited to the attacker?

Ilia glanced at Eri. He had a book propped open on the table and had a short wooden practice sword in his hands. He raised his arms overhead and sliced diagonally down, his face set in concentration. She dropped her gaze to the page again. The paper was thin and worn, but still strong.

Dragons don't eat people or livestock. In fact, nobody has ever seen a dragon eat at all. Nests are clean, no sign of excrement. They seem to survive on the magic in the land, transforming it and exuding new magic through their skin and scales. Mages have reported magic being more potent when near a dragon. They'd observed a fog rising from sleeping dragons when the lighting has been right, so this theory needs more testing.

Ilia narrowed her eyes at the page. Dragons eat magic? How's that possible? Magic exists in everything, the land and forests, and the people in her country, and even some animals like wolves were full of it. What happens if the dragons disappear? Is the librarian right, and they change magic into a useable form somehow? Could we still use magic without the dragons, or will it be locked away, out of our reach forever? Ilia rubbed her temples.