A Pet for the Dragons

10.

ARIKA

I closed my mouth for the 100th time as I looked around at Ivret's study. I'd been expecting medieval stone walls lined with old bookshelves stacked with leather-covered books, but I'd been only partially correct.

First things first— Ivret's study wasn't just a room. No. It was a whole damn tower, and every inch of its walls that wasn't a window opening was covered with books and books. In the middle of the tower ran a winding staircase with landings where you could sit and get lost in a book.

The tower had only one room at the top, which Ivret called his laboratory slash astronomy room. We were currently headed there.

"Are you out of breath?" Ivret asked me as we continued to climb the stairs to the top. Frankly, I was out of breath but excited to see this place. I had seen nothing like this before. "Bewitched?" He asked smugly.

"I'm used to being surrounded by sea rather than books," I told him.

"This is a sea of books," he chuckled. His laugh was deep and melodious and echoed throughout the tower. Not how I imagined a dragon's chuckle to sound like, but it was pleasant to my ears.

"I've never seen anything like this before. What are they all about?" I asked, leaning by a railing to read some titles under the floating lights.

"Everything. I'm a collector," He told me.

"Like it's your hoard?" I suggested. I'd heard of dragons having hoards over which they were extremely possessive about and protected them with their lives. I wondered if this was the Ivret's hoard, but my question made Ivret stop abruptly.

"No," He answered crisply and continued to climb.

"Did I offend you?" I asked.

"No," He answered. "But don't go around asking that question to others. Not everyone takes it well,"

"So, is it true? Do dragons have hoards, or is it just nonsense from children's tales?" I asked because Ivret seemed like the one to offer answers.

"Dragons have hoards," He replied after climbing a few steps, "But it's not the way you think it is,"

"So how is it? I'm curious," I said, hopping after him. He stooped at a landing and leaned by the railing before fixing his dark, glowing eyes at me with a pensive intensity.

"Not all hoards are physical. That's all I can tell you,"

Well, I might've been wrong about Ivret offering answers.

"So collecting books is one of your things?" I asked, leaning on the railing right beside him. I didn't miss how he put an arm behind me as if expecting me to lose my balance.

"Yes," he answered, tilting his head to one side and giving me a strange look. "What's your thing?"

"Sailing," I shrugged. "That's pretty much," I opened my mouth to ask him another question when my stomach growled out loud, complaining.

"We must hurry," Ivret said, taking my hand and climbing the rest of the stairs to the top. I was utterly breathless when we reached the top room, but Ivret didn't break a sweat. I looked around at the vast laboratory as I caught my breath.

I was surprised that the ceiling was a glass dome that somehow didn't have any frost on it despite the freezing temperature and the storm outside. On one side of the giant circular room were semi-circular tables stacked with books, flasks, jars filled with stuff I didn't know the names of, strange instruments, and whatnot.