The older man who met Franz’s crew at the entrance of the town was one of Elio’s former mentors and was named Holoss. While initially he was happy to just greet the group, once he saw Lutz, he invited them into his hut. He gestured for everyone to sit on the ground and then walked to a nearby cabinet. When he came back, he had a handful of jerky and a book in his hand.

  “Here, all of you have some,” Holoss said to the group as he handed each member a piece.

  After everyone took some jerky, Holoss knelt down to pet Lutz and give him some of the jerky as well. Lutz happily gobbled the jerky up in one bite, and Holoss let out a joyful laugh. He quickly returned to his cabinet to give Lutz more before he sat down on the ground. Instead of going back to Franz, Lutz sat next to Holoss and rested his head on the Nublean’s lap. Franz wondered if Lutz anticipated more food from Holoss.

  “I never thought I would see another dragon,” Holoss commented as he absentmindedly ran his hand down Lutz.

  “You’ve met a dragon before?” Felice asked with noticeable interest.

  “Of course, the Imperium likes to act like the extermination was a long time ago, but there are many people who are still alive who have met a dragon,” Holoss said nostalgically. “Nubleas used to have many dragons, actually.”

  “You never told me about that,” Elio said as his eyes widened.

  “I was never allowed, my boy. You see, our history is deeply entwined with the history of dragons,” Holoss explained. “After the extermination, the Nubleas government joined the Imperium. They became very strict on knowledge of dragons.”

  “If your people are so entwined with dragons, why would they join the Imperium?” Franz asked.

  “Politics can be complicated. A political faction wanted the security and resources of the Imperium. In exchange, they sold out the dragons. To them, it was just a minor cost,” Holoss sighed.

  “I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell people who come to The Great Trial,” Elio said.

  “We have to worry about our own lives. Everyone on this moon is basically a hostage to the current Nublean government. If we told people about dragons, they would destroy us,” Holoss explained. “So, they allow us to stay alive on this moon as long as we don’t cause trouble for them.”

  “If that’s the case, then why still have people come here?” Felice asked.

  “The Great Trial is an important part of our culture. Even the current government realizes this. So, they keep up the tradition with the stipulation that we don’t tell anyone who comes here about the history of the Nubleans and dragons,” Holoss answered as he continued to pet Lutz. Even without receiving more food, the dragon would not leave Holoss’s side. “It’s not the best circumstance, but it allows the people here to continue to live.”

  “I see,” Elio was strangely quiet. “And because I wanted to join the military, you definitely were not going to tell me.”

  “Exactly, at the time I thought there was no chance you would be an outlaw,” Holoss laughed. “Years later, and here you are. Then again, I should have expected it.”

  “I’m guessing he was always a little rowdy?” Franz chuckled.

  “Definitely, he was committed to joining the military, though. So, I thought maybe they would teach him discipline,” Holoss said. “Turns out I was wrong.”

  “I just expected it to be a lot more exciting than it was,” Elio said as he crossed his arms.

  “I told you a million times that things are constant excitement, and you never believed me. Don’t blame other people for your expectations,” Holoss sighed. “Moving on, I did not bring you in here to just catch up. First, may I ask who holds this dragon’s bond?”

  “That would be me,” Franz raised his hand.

  Holoss looked Franz up and down for a moment. “I was hoping it was Elio, but you’ll do. There is quite a bit I need to teach you about the bond. How long do you plan on staying here?”

  “As long as we need to. Elio suggested we come here to avoid the Imperium, and we are not sure how long we should stay,” Franz admitted.

  “That’s hard to say,” Holoss said as he rubbed his beard. “You definitely are going to have a target on your back. If I may make a suggestion, why don’t you stay until this dragon of yours is a little bigger? I can also use that time to teach you about dragons.”

  “How long would that take? I don’t do well staying in the same place too long,” Franz said.

  “In a month or two, he should be around the size of a horse. If we give it six months, he should be a good size to defend himself. Dragons grow much faster than other races in their early years,” Holoss explained.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “That’s not too bad. While we always will have to worry about the Imperium, maybe some of the heat will die by then,” Franz nodded. “I’ll gladly take you up on the offer. Especially since I can’t think of many other ways to learn about dragons.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear it. What is this little guy’s name?” Holoss asked.

  “I named him Lutz. I was not sure if it was appropriate, though,” Franz chuckled nervously.

  “That’s a fine name. A dragon can have any name,” Holoss said with a smile. “Welcome to our settlement. You and your crew are welcome here. We just ask that you respect us and help here and there.”

  “That should be fine. Thank you for your hospitality," Franz replied with a smile.

  “Of course,” Holoss picked up the book that he retrieved earlier and handed it to Franz. “There is still a lot we will need to go over in person, but this has a lot of information about dragons and their history.”

  ***

  After returning to the ship, Franz informed Kelsa and Tal of the situation. Over the next few days, everyone in the crew started to get acquainted with the tribe. While the crew stayed on the ship, they started to spend more time in the Nublean settlement. Franz and Elio spent the most time there, but everyone else took their turns, as well. When Felice could join, she spent much of her time with Franz and Holoss. Elio spent much of his time getting reacquainted with the people of the settlement. It had been a long time since he had been around other Nubleans, and he seemed to enjoy it. Since the settlement did not have many technological resources, Tal helped with various repairs. Kelsa spent most of her time helping with random tasks. Overall, the crew was able to integrate quickly with the tribe.

  Holoss guided Franz and Lutz just outside the settlement. The pair walked closely behind as he brought them to the edge of the desert. Apparently, the edge of each area was the mildest in climate. Even then, Franz felt like it was extremely hot.

  “Now that you two have gotten acquainted with some of the people here, I think it’s time we begin some of the lessons,” Holoss said to Franz as they reached an open area of sand.

  “I appreciate the lessons, but I’m kinda confused as to what you plan to teach me,” Franz admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

  “I mostly want to teach you how to care for Lutz and the nature of your bond,” Holoss said. “First, do you know why the bond system exists?”

  “I think so, it’s for the safety of the baby dragon, right? Like if they don’t have a parent dragon to look over them, it gives them someone who will help them grow and protect them,” Franz answered.

  “That is part of the reason,” Holoss nodded. “But not the full reason. It started as part of a peace treaty between several races and dragons. Long ago, they used to wage war with dragons. When the war came to an end, as a symbol of peace and friendship, the bond was created. It created a situation where both parties would benefit and not want to turn against each other.”

  “I see. So, I guess it’s kind of important,” Franz said.

  “It is very important. Just because some have rejected the bond does not remove how sacred it is,” Holoss explained. “It is an honor and sacred tradition. I want to make sure you realize that.”

  “Uh, seems like a big responsibility,” Franz said nervously.

  “It is,” Holoss said firmly. “I’m not sure how I feel about one of the only dragon bonds being held by a pirate, but I’ll have to accept it. Just like you will need to accept your responsibility.”

  “If it means Lutz’s safety, I will. Just don’t expect me to lead any big revolution or anything like that,” Franz said.

  “I would never dream of it,” Holoss chuckled. “But if I may ask, where did you find his egg?”

  “It was some far-off uncharted moon. We heard rumors about a big treasure there,” Franz answered.

  “Interesting, I’ll have to remember that. There could be other eggs hidden throughout the universe,” Holoss nodded. “Okay, I’m done with the questions. Time to move on to your lesson. First, it’s important to know that a dragon requires a lot of meat to grow. You’ll have to get acquainted with hunting. At his age, you’ll need to assist him in his hunts.”

  “That makes sense,” Franz said. “Do you have any idea where we can hunt?”

  “Yes, we keep maps of animal patterns at the settlement. They’ll be good for you to reference,” Holoss said. “Before we start hunting, we should go over your magical abilities, though. Everyone who bonds with a dragon gets some sort of ability. What is yours?”

  “I can sort of teleport,” Franz said. “I can only do it a few times at a time, though.”

  “Interesting, show me.”

  “Uh, sure,” Franz nodded. Then he focused on the feeling that allowed him to teleport. He had grown accustomed to the feeling, and it almost became something he could just think about. The air around Franz started to distort and twist. Then, in the blink of an eye, Franz was swallowed into the air. He quickly reappeared behind Holoss.

  “I really did not expect that,” Holoss’s eyes grew wide as he turned around to look at Franz. “You said teleport, but I was not sure what exactly you meant.”

  “What are you trying to say?” Franz asked as he narrowed his eyes in confusion.

  “Each dragon has a different type of magic. The type can vary greatly, but there are two types that were considered extremely special. The dragons that possessed those types were considered a type of royalty amongst dragons,” Holoss explained. “Those two types of magic were space and time. There are other ways to teleport, so I had to be sure. But I can tell by the way the space around you warped when you teleported, Lutz uses space magic.”

  “So, Lutz is really special, even for a dragon,” Franz concluded.

  “Exactly, he’s not just one of the last dragons. He’s basically royalty,” Holoss said with a serious expression. “Which means I expect you to take extra special care of him.”

  As Holoss and Franz talked, Lutz skipped around in the sand. Despite the seriousness of the subject and the importance of Lutz, he still acted like a playful child. As he skipped in the sand, sand started to fly into the air. He swiped at the sand as if he were trying to capture it in his hand. Each attempt ended in failure, and Lutz continued to try to pounce and swipe at the sand.

  Franz could not help but let out a laugh. “Kind of hard to believe this little guy is so important.”