Aliya sat next to Kilnik in his cave, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. It was going to rain soon.
The caves that the dragons lived in here had been something that they'd had to get used to. Back at Nourii castle Kilnik had lived in a converted stable. The caves here were made out of stone. In both the Academy and the Dragon Corps one whole wall was nothing but caves from ground to sky. She'd quickly noticed that where a dragon was placed to live often corralated with the type they were. Earth dragons, who seemed to be the largest in real life, were given the floor level or lower caves, plant dragons were in the next layer, fire dragons after that, and closest to the top of the wall were the water dragons. She'd not understood the logic of the fire and water placements but Cade, who had been talking to her when she'd thought about it, hypothesized that maybe it was for potential fire control. It was possible that an enraged Fire-type dragon could melt rock or turn it into magma if they were out of control. In that case a water type dragon could wash large amounts of water down from the top of the caves towards the bottom cooling any liquid rocks.
The caves themselves were about six feet tall, twelve feet across, and sixteen feet deep. It was made so that a dragon could rest there but not much else. She'd asked Kilnik if the confined space bothered him but he just said that he wouldn't want to stay in a cave all the time even if it was bigger.
It was true, when dragons were not sleeping they were out in the open air. Rain or shine, storm or fair weather they were walking the grounds or flying above them. Of course, Kilnik had always been like that but for the first time, she was getting to compare his mannerisms and traits against other dragons.
Due to his unusual color and mana classification, Kilnik had been assigned a cave in the middle section of the wall with a handful of other mana-type dragons. Which was good for her because it was still possible for her to climb to it. Any higher and the wall got so steep and the rocks were so smooth that she would be risking her life to attempt to visit him by herself.
The first drips of rain fell down as she reclined back on his scales. He was warm, smooth, and so comfortable. His side, just behind the ribs, was like a living pillow. His head was curled down and laid by her legs. Her left hand lazily stroked the scales of his forehead.
"Are you comfortable?" He mumbled sleepily in her mind.
"Yes."
He cut his eyes over to her bag that she'd brought up with her, a single book was sticking out.
"Why are you reading a book titled 'History of the Southern Conquest?"
"I wanted to find out some things."
"Is it still bothering you? I told you to just go talk to him."
"It's not that easy."
"Why not, how can it not be easy? I know you better than anyone, better than him. He is the only human who you feel is family. I can't understand why you're letting something get in the way of family like this."
Aliya sighed and pulled out the book. "Do you know what's written here?"
"How could I, I haven't read it."
"It is full of stories. Stories from a war I barely remember. When that was happening, when the Empire was in such a state I hardly knew it. In my corner of the city, all that I knew was survival. My mother would leave me at different times during the day and night. While she was gone I was to stay hidden. I spent my life playing a grand game of hide and seek. I was very good at hiding and she was very good at finding me. I didn't know where she went back then, I have some good ideas now though, but she always came back with food. How could I have cared what was going on the the great wide realm when the biggest event in life was the food my mother gave me? I never gave it a thought. Even after meeting you and Tate it never occurred to me to ask many questions. That day he confessed to me that Aquana had died it felt like a closed door I shouldn't open."
She opened the book and let it fall open randomly. "Now, in this world he's someone I don't know. While I was hiding for survival and waiting for my mother to bring food like a baby bird he was out there doing great things. This book is supposed to be about the conflict as a whole but it's not. Whoever wrote it must have been a fan because at least eighty percent of the account follows Tate's exploits. He was surviving in a different way than me, he was fighting for his life every day. I understand after reading this book that it may not be an easy thing to ask someone who has lived through such horror to recount it solely for the sake of my feelings, but..."
"But?"
"Couldn't he have at least told me something, even something small? Up until this time I've thought of our connection as family, to me he is my brother. However, what brother doesn't even share a little with his sister? Did he think I couldn't handle it? Does he not trust me? Am I the only one who thinks of us as family, am I delusional?"
Kilnik looked off at the lightning in the distance. "I am not in his mind so I cannot tell you the answers you're looking for. However, I have a different theory."
"What is it?" She whispered sounding tired and defeated.
"I think he wanted to hide."
"Huh?"
"Think about it, as you said during that time you were in vastly different situations. You may not have considered this before but you are a unique person when it comes to the people around him. You don't have all these memories of him during that time."
"But that makes me feel left in the dark!"
"That is just your feelings, which you have a right to. But, we must always remember that just as we have a right to our own feelings and interpretations so does the other party. You've seen how people treat him. I know you've been watching as I have. They treat him like some deity or a demon depending on the person. Regardless of how they view him one thing is clear. He is placed so far above everyone in their minds that they project onto him all their fantasies and their grievances. Take that pretty human you're so fond of these days."
"His name is Cade."
"Whatever, he's a perfect example."
"What do you mean by that he loves, Tate."
"Exactly, I'm not saying it's a bad thing but have you ever thought of how Tate might feel receiving such adoration from people? How uncomfortable that must be at times, how isolating. I'm not sure what's in that book and I don't have hands built to read it, but I've been getting to know and talking to my comrades too and do you know what their stories are?"
She could only nod, she was only now realizing her arrogance in many areas. Why had she not even considered that Kilnik had his own kind around him? She was not his only person to talk to anymore and she hadn't even asked him anything about it. She felt shamed, she was a terrible friend and partner. He didn't seem to pick up on her self-loathing but said. "The saying that is common is that Aquana and Tate have were like grass through a magnifying glass on a sunny day. Since both Tate and Aquana were young they were looked at, inspected, judged, and evaluated. Every day of their lives was a constant test. There were cruel people and dragons and there were kind ones but what there were not was many people willing to get close to them. The other dragons who have been here the longest have also told me that once Aquana fully ascended the pressure was slammed onto them. It was clear from the start that they were a talented pair. They were pushed far beyond the boundaries of what would have been considered normal or appropriate for students of their age. They were sent to the Corps to train when Tate was just eight years old. I have been told that he was sent on missions when he was nine and that he killed his first human at ten."
Aliya gasped, "That's not in the book!" She said out loud.
Kilnik gave her a look that said he found her quite stupid. "The book is just about the war in the South, and none of what I am telling you has ever been published. These are just the stories of the dragons who witnessed it. Besides, how would the human citizens have taken it if they knew that a child and a young dragon were being used as assassins and bait for criminals? It would not have been a good look."
The bottom fell out of the rain and it hammered down. "What I believe is this, that the person you know is Tate Delmont, and perhaps the Tate Delmont you know is the real one. I also know that you mean a great deal to him and you should not let your own feelings stand in the way of talking it out with him. I'm not telling you to give up on your hurt entirely to give way to him, but to consider each other's side and find the middle ground."
Aliya snuggled deeper into his side as the temperature dropped. "You know, you sound really wise and mature right now, when did that happen?"
Kilnik scoffed. "I've always been this way, you just don't appreciate me. You'd know better if you spent more time with me than with that human male." He used his snout to nudge her closer until his neck was wound around her almost like a blanket. "You should just sleep here tonight, it's dangerous to climb down in this rain. I will keep you warm don't worry."
She smiled, her eyes closing despite themselves at the perfect and blissful warmth combined with the sound of the rain. "I'm never worried when I'm with you."