Bound by fire

Beyond the Silver Mountains, where the clouds gathered around the peaks like white crowns, there stood a kingdom called Aveloria. Its castle was built upon a cliff so high that travelers said the stars touched its towers at night. The people of Aveloria believed their kingdom was protected by ancient magic, but the truth was far simpler: no army had ever managed to reach the castle. For centuries, the greatest danger had come from the sky. A dragon lived in the mountains. His name was Vaelor. Vaelor was enormous, with black scales that reflected blue beneath the moonlight and golden eyes that could be seen from miles away. Smoke constantly curled from his nostrils, and when he spread his wings, they seemed to darken the sun. But Vaelor did not belong to himself. He belonged to a young sorcerer named Kael. Kael had discovered Vaelor when the dragon was still a wounded hatchling. He had raised him, fed him, taught him to fly, and eventually turned him into a weapon. Whenever Kael wanted something, Vaelor was sent to take it. And there was one thing Kael wanted more than anything else. Aveloria. Its wealth. Its crown. Its castle. So, on the morning of Princess Elara's twenty-first birthday, Kael climbed onto Vaelor's back and ordered him toward the kingdom. "Today," Kael whispered, "we take the castle." Vaelor opened his enormous wings. The mountains shook beneath him. Then he flew. Far below, Elara stood on the balcony of the castle, watching the clouds. She had never cared much for birthday celebrations. The kingdom expected her to marry a prince, become queen, and spend the rest of her life behaving exactly as everyone expected. But Elara wanted something different. She wanted freedom. She wanted to see the world beyond the mountains. Most of all, she wanted someone who would see her as more than a princess. She heard a distant roar. The castle guards immediately raised their weapons. "Dragon!" Panic spread through the courtyard. Elara looked upward. A shadow crossed the sun. Then Vaelor descended. His claws struck the castle wall, breaking stone from the tower. Soldiers scattered as he landed upon the highest battlement. Kael stood upon his back. "People of Aveloria!" he shouted. "Your kingdom belongs to me now!" The guards prepared to attack. Kael smiled. "Vaelor." The dragon lowered his head. "Destroy the gates." Vaelor inhaled. Fire began glowing inside his mouth. Elara stepped forward. "Wait!" Everyone froze. Kael looked toward her. "So," he said softly, "you must be the princess." Elara nodded. "Please don't do this." Kael laughed. "You are asking a dragon not to destroy your castle?" "No." Elara looked directly into Vaelor's golden eyes. "I'm asking him." Vaelor stared at her. For the first time in his life, someone was not screaming when they saw him. Elara walked closer. The guards shouted at her to stop, but she ignored them. Vaelor's fire slowly disappeared. Kael's smile vanished. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Elara stood only a few steps from the dragon. "I don't know your name." Vaelor tilted his head. "Vaelor," Kael answered coldly. Elara smiled. "Vaelor." Something changed in the dragon's expression. She had said his name gently. Not with fear. Not with hatred. With kindness. "Please," Elara whispered, "don't burn my home." Vaelor looked at Kael. Then back at Elara. Kael pulled the reins. "Burn it." Vaelor did not move. "Vaelor!" The dragon remained still. Elara's eyes filled with tears. "You don't have to do what he says." Kael's face hardened. "He's mine." Vaelor growled. Elara slowly reached toward his enormous head. The dragon allowed her hand to touch his scales. And that was the moment everything changed. Vaelor had spent his entire life obeying one man. But for the first time, he wanted to protect someone. He folded his wings. He would not destroy the castle. Kael climbed down. "You dare disobey me?" Vaelor turned his head toward him. The dragon's eyes burned. Elara stepped between them. "Don't hurt him." Kael stared at her. "You have no idea what you've done." Then he walked away. Elara watched him disappear into the castle. She knew he would return. But she also knew something else. The dragon was not the monster she had been taught to fear. He was a prisoner. And somehow, without understanding how, she had become the first person who wanted to set him free.