I struggled underneath the heavy load of fabrics and silks, cursing the women they were meant for. Honestly, I didn't understand why anyone wanted to be weighed down by these gowns. If I was meant to Bond with a dragon, I'd sure as Geria's hellfire wear the lightest thing I owned. Heck, I'd go naked if I could. Makes for easier sprinting and it's not like I had to be particularly fast, just faster than the others. I nearly stumbled over a stone and the bundle in my arms threatened to fall. I froze, slowly adjusting my hold even though my arms ached and screamed for me to just release it and call it a day. I sure as Geria's hellfire will not! I had already gotten a beating by Ashari, the head of us servants, and I wasn't looking for another one any time soon.

I made my first stop at Lady Denali's room. She was one of the five female tributes from the Eastern continent, and she had requested a specific garment that reflected said background. I couldn't help but find annoyance with her simply because I was sure that her clothes amounted to nearly half the weight in my arms. I kicked the door three times with my foot. I did it as politely as possible but I'm still sure that if Ashari saw me she'd yell at how rude I was being and lecture me that we servants must always act with manners and controlled actions. 'It's not like I can use my hands' I thought sourly before shifting under the heavy weight of clothes. I wondered why she was taking forever to open the door and was thinking about coming back to her later but before I could move the door flew open and Lady Denali impatiently held out her hand for her clothes. I stood there, peering up at her around the mountain in my arms and wondered if she thought I was able to do anything else.

"Are you going to give me my clothes?" Lady Denali finally snapped.

"Sorry my lady, I can't really do anything, but your garment is at the top." I couldn't even shrug at her.

"Useless! Useless! Kura!" She snatched the red garment from the top and slammed the door while I just stared in stunned silence. I think I just got called useless three times in a row. I shook my head slowly and forced myself to continue moving. The sooner I got to all my stops the better my arms would be feeling.

I hurried off to the next tribute from the Eastern land. Thankfully, the silks in my arms weren't too bad now that the heavy garment for Lady Denali was gone. Lady Su-ya was much nicer. She thanked me for my help and even invited me inside for some tú. Despite wanting to try the hot drink native to the Eastern continent, I politely told her I had more stops to do. She marveled at how a young child like me could be so diligent. I wasn't that young for one and I also couldn't very well say that it wasn't necessarily a choice on my part, so I bowed and dashed off.

I stopped by Lady Meryem, Lady Linh, and Lady Fatima in that order. All three gracious and kind and all three a relief to see as the bundle in my arms finally disappeared. I rubbed my sore muscles, hurrying back the way I came. I didn't want Ashari to think I was playing around and smack me. I winced at the thought of her stick beating me, she always went for the feet or hands and she wasn't merciful in the slightest.

As I passed the huge balcony on this floor, I paused and looked out at the view. I didn't really get a chance to look during my errand but now I could enjoy the view. The huge balconies on the floors were a staple design in not just Dragonspire fortress, but all the other mountainous ones on every continent. It was meant for dragons to perch on so their riders could walk directly to their rooms or for them to mount up easily. Beyond the balcony lay the huge acres of land for the dragons of the fortress to relax on. The land was divided into varying biomes to accommodate the different tastes of the dragons. There were forests, deep lakes, and plains that swarmed with dragon activity. Food was allowed to roam freely through the lands so that the dragons could hunt when hungry, but they were not allowed to hunt for sport. As hatchlings, all dragons were trained from birth to hunt only for that which they will eat and never more. They were taught the idea that greed was unbecoming of their noble nature. Few dragons and people were told the reality of the situation which was that we were getting little to no tributes and tithes from the Keeps compared to the old days. I had heard those in charge speak often of how food would become a problem in the near future if nothing was done about this.

'Would the dragons turn on us if there was no food?' I thought and then snorted. If a dragon wanted to eat more than his fair share, who could really stop him? If he wanted to eat one of us, what could we do? I guess I just didn't understand how small creatures like humans could control those huge beasts of destruction. Then again, I didn't have the education that the noble-born children experienced nor was I an adult so perhaps I was missing out on important information, like maybe a secret device used to control them.

I turned to go when I felt a great rush of wind overcome me, stealing my breath away and pushing me down to the ground from the force. As I sat there breathless, a shadow fell over me, instantly dwarfing my tiny body and I looked up to see that a dragon had appeared hovering before me.

It was huge, bigger than many that I had seen. It was a male because he had darker scales than the lighter-colored females. At first, I thought his scales were black but then I noticed that when the sun hit them directly, they turned a beautiful midnight blue. I felt a chill run over me because even I knew that only one dragon had that coloring within the fortress. There was only one other way to confirm. My gaze drifted up to the huge face, slender for a male, but the marking on the face was what I needed to see. Sure enough, there was the curvy cross with the circles, silver on the dark scales and an indicator of the dragon's ranking in the hierarchy. Oh yes, even I a lowly servant girl definitely knew who this dragon was, but I didn't really know his rider. Regardless, I scrambled to my feet, half-bowing and half-scrambling down the hall away from them in fear.

"Wait!" commanded the rider, his voice young and boyish.

I froze, remaining in my half-bowed position. 'He must be really young' I thought in surprise, but another fear-swept thought shoved that one away. Was he going to feed me to his dragon? Courtesy of my ability to hear all dragons, I could feel the mirth radiating from the dragon at my thoughts and felt an anger come over me.

'Mind your own business' I huffed at him. Oh, he was definitely laughing at my childish behavior now.

"Yes?" I didn't mean to squeak it out. Honestly. Couldn't he tell I was a simple serving girl? Why was he trying to scare me into submission with his dragon when I already had no choice but to serve already?!

"Can you get that ladder by the corner? I'm still not big enough to get off Nymerik on my own." He sounded embarrassed by this admission if his sheepish tone was anything to go by.

My eyes scanned the corner for the ladder, remaining half-bowed and not taking a step forward into what I considered was a lunge-able distance for the dragon to eat me in one gulp. I didn't need to rely on my gift to sense the rider and dragon becoming more amused by my apparent fear and hesitation.

The ladder was indeed tucked up against a corner, a corner that put me back on the balcony again and close to the dragon who had managed to perch on the balustrade awkwardly. Didn't he only hatch a couple of months ago? How was he so big already! He wasn't even done growing too I realized dumbfoundedly. I straightened up slowly and after a moment's hesitation, crept to the ladder ready to jump back at any notice. I'll be honest, I love dragons I really do. Despite my fear of the beasts and doing my best to avoid them as much as possible, I did love them. They are amazing beasts of power and one of the original inhabitants of this planet. It always amazed me that the ancestors of our current dragons would allow themselves to work alongside humans instead of living solitary lives or forcing them into submission. Yet the beauty of a bond between a dragon and their rider was also simply indescribable. The sheer joy of having another half of you, that which was a strong, intelligent, and majestic creature such as a dragon, opened your eyes and mind to a whole new world. But no matter the soul bond between the dragon and their rider, the dragon would not necessarily be as tolerant of other humans. There have been many cases where stupid people have irritated bonded dragons and ended up worse for wear at best but in general the dragons remained indifferent to humans who were not their riders.

"I don't mean to rush you, but Nymerik and I have returned from a long flight, and he is pretty hungry." His boyish voice interrupted my reflection and I was certain now that this was a boy of perhaps thirteen or fourteen years, not yet a man but on the verge of becoming one. Then my brain processed his light statement and I froze in my tracks like one of the helpless cattle facing the flying jaws of death. I definitely couldn't help but look at the dragon with fearful eyes after that mental image.

'I'm too small to fill you up!' I thought frantically.

The dragon snorted at my thought. Annoyance surged through me and I sent him a rude gesture and indicated he stop reading my mind. The dragon proceeded to lick his fangs. I blanched and scurried to the ladder. Not my ideal weapon of choice but it will have to do for now.

"You can talk to Nymerik," the boy suddenly said as I struggled with the heavy ladder. 'I mean yes, couldn't you?' I thought frustrated. Everyone could talk to dragons. Right?

"Yes, doesn't everyone?" I groaned out, voicing my thoughts. Honestly! How exactly was I supposed to do this heavy lifting on my own?! It's not like I was an adult or Godrick! My arms were still trying to recuperate from lugging around that huge bundle of clothes and now I must do this?!

"Very few people can talk to other dragons that are not their Bonded."

He sounded amazed and I suddenly felt pleased that I could surprise and amaze someone on the back of the infamous 'dark prince of dragons'. I mulled over what he said, dragging the ladder to the side of the beast with as much haste as my screaming arms could handle. Why didn't everyone possess the ability to speak with all dragons? It would seem more beneficial than just understanding your own. Not only that but there were a few others like me then with this curse as well. Was it for a specific purpose if not everyone could do it?

As I mulled over these thoughts, I got the ladder to the side of the dragon and set it up quickly. I prayed for its stability and backed away. I had no intention of holding it. If he fell, I was not going to be squished by him or the ladder that would surely topple over as the dragon tried to protect him. A few seconds passed as the boy got himself situated on the ladder and descended rather nimbly. I could see him clearly now as he turned to face me and I realized that I did know him somewhat. I'd seen him before, from afar at the dining hall or around the fortress training and studying, but I hadn't truly been able to make out his features properly. Now, as he faced me standing only a few inches taller, I felt weird.

He was young; indeed, I'd say thirteen for sure now. His skin was sun-kissed and looked smooth. His eyes were vibrant gold and his mahogany brown hair, currently tied up in a ponytail, was as long as a girl's. On that thought, I couldn't help but think he would be able to pass for a pretty girl if he dressed like one. I now knew why he had stood out to me among the others in Dragonspire for he was from the Eastern continent. His eyes, hair, and ethereal beauty were all trademarks of the Kojians, at least that is how the book in the library described the appearance of the people from the Kojia Kingdom. He wore a set of riding leathers meant for an adult and thus fit him poorly. The possibility of them commissioning a new set of leathers for him was very low because he would outgrow them quickly. Despite the poor fit, the riding leathers still gave him a mature air.

"You're like an adult," I blurted out as I continued to study him. 'He would definitely make a prettier girl than me' I thought annoyed.

"Thank you, I guess?" he said with a smile and then beckoned me to help him remove the ladder so that the dragon could fly off. We stood there together and watched the effortless grace in which he descended to the feeding grounds, and I had to admit at how breath-taking it was to watch him move. It was now that I wished I had been born to a noble family. I would have loved to be a rider one day, but servants were not allowed.

"So, you can talk to all dragons, right?" he asked, turning to face me.

I tensed, not this again. Was I going to get in trouble now? I really didn't want to get beat again. "I thought everyone could," I said quickly, trying to sound naïve and innocent.

Technically, I wasn't wrong. Everyone could communicate with their Bonded dragon, but even I knew it was rare to find someone who could talk to not only their dragon but others as well. I didn't even have my own Bond with a dragon, but I could do this. Those who knew of my gift were very interested in this. For me personally however, it was something that cost me my family and therefore a curse.

"So, you must be training to be a Speaker then"— ­he frowned— "but why are you doing servant-y things?"

"'Servant-y things?'" I repeated and then giggled. 'Servant-y!' My teasing giggle must have gotten to him because he became flushed rather quickly. I clutched my stomach as I began to laugh hard, nearly keeling over as tears began to leak out of my eyes.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that funny," he muttered. The tears in my eyes and the sharp pain in my stomach disagreed with him.

Finally, I managed to compose myself and forced away the lingering laughs with an image of Ashari holding her stick threateningly. After catching my breath, I thought over what he had said. A Speaker? I was well-educated for a servant, both from my love of books and because of my begging and crying at the teachers to set aside time to instruct me here and there but I was still not as educated as the nobles. Therefore, it seemed normal to me that I had never heard of or read about a Speaker.

"What's a Speaker?" I asked, curious to learn more.

He raised his eyebrows. "A Speaker is someone who was born with the ability to talk to all dragons. They are trained formerly and then are sent around to the various fortresses as advisors to the leaders as needed."

If they were involved with leading a fortress, they were probably on the Council. It would seem smart to listen to someone who could hear the thoughts and communicate with all dragons. Maybe there might be a terrible plan happening involving the dragons and only a Speaker could stop it. I was definitely more interested about these mysterious people now, especially because I was born with the same gift as them.

"Anyways, thanks for your help. It's hard to get off Nymerik now but after I finish growing, everything will be easier." His attempt at saving face was duly noted by me and I watched him smile and bow formerly at me before walking quickly down the hall.

As I stared at his retreating back, I realized that he had never asked me for my name, and I didn't get the chance to learn his. Huh.