The Bonding

Elita sets out to find lost treasure but finds something entirely unexpected

The Bonding

A large mottled blue and green egg lay within a cave on a mountainside. Trees and undergrowth partially obscure the cave entrance. Alone for years, the creature within the egg was fully formed. Its senses are sharp and alert. Instincts and intelligence passed down from its own kind for thousands of years imprinted into every fibre of its being. Once, it was the race that ruled the skies and most of the land. However, the last memories imprinted on it were of being hunted to near extinction. Now was the time to free itself from the shell, which had sustained its life for so long. Sensing a threat nearby, it clawed its way out.

Elita was orphaned young and raised on the streets of Belistona. Free‑spirited and daring, with a cheerfulness that masked hardship. She never turned away from a challenge. So when whispers spread of treasure hidden in a cave high on the mountain. Elita resolved to claim it for herself. She packed enough supplies for a week and dressed in warm clothes—though summer still warmed below, she knew the air would bite colder as she climbed. Guiding her horse upward, she recalled the voices of her peers: some scoffed, dismissing the tale as fantasy. Others warned the cave would hold nothing but rats or a bear. Elita ignored them all. She dreamed of a grand house. Servants at her beck and call, and a life where no one would look down on her again. If the cave held riches, she would seize them. If not. She would still prove herself against the mountain.

Even if the cave held little treasure, Elita hoped it would be enough to buy comfort and freedom. She never imagined failure—never considered that the cave might not exist at all. She tethered her horse by a stream and pressed onward on foot. The mountain was unforgiving: more than once, she slipped, sending stones clattering down the slope. Above her, the sun blazed, yet the air grew colder with every step. Sweat soaked her clothes, her breath came ragged, but she refused to turn back. To retreat would be to admit defeat. Gripping the branch of a scrub bush, she hauled herself higher with a grunt. Ahead, through the glare and shadow. She glimpsed what looked like a ledge—a promise of progress, perhaps even the cave she sought. Finally, Elita stood at the cave’s mouth, excitement rising in her chest.

“At last—I found it,” she whispered.

She stepped cautiously into the gloom. Wishing she had brought a torch. The darkness pressed close, shapes shifting at the edge of her vision. As her eyes adjusted, she moved deeper, each step echoing against stone. Suddenly, a roar split the silence—a sound of fury that shook the walls. A shape loomed ahead. She glimpsed only eyes burning in the dark and a jaw lined with terrible fangs. Instinct screamed at her to flee. Yet something held her fast. The creature hesitated too. Then, for an instant, light flared, revealing scales that shimmered like jewels. Elita’s breath caught.

A beast of wonder stood before her—magnificent, impossible—a dragon.

Instead of fear, she felt herself drawn to it, mesmerised by its presence. Then, without warning, light engulfed Elita. She rose from the ground, suspended in midair, as the same radiance wrapped around the dragon. Confusion rippled through her mind—and through his. She felt it as clearly as her own thoughts.

“What is this? What are you doing?” the dragon’s voice thundered inside her head. “It isn’t me,” Elita gasped. “I thought it was you… Wait—we can hear each other. We can understand each other’s thoughts!”

The dragon’s eyes narrowed, gleaming in the glow. “A merging of minds… a bond.”

“How is it possible? Is it a temporary thing?” Elita asked, still bemused by what was happening. The light faded, and Elita was on the ground once more.

The dragon’s eyes narrowed. “You are human—my enemy. Yet I feel your emotions as if they were my own. Empathy… this must be some trick.”

Elita held her ground. “Enemy? I’m not here to fight you. I came seeking treasure, not a dragon. You can read my thoughts as I can read yours—so you know I mean no harm.”

The dragon inclined his head. “Your words ring true. And you know as little of this bond as I do. Your name… El… Elita.”

“That’s right,” she said with a faint smile. “And since I can’t pronounce yours, I’ll call you Darky—because I found you in a dark cave.”

“As you wish, Elita. Strange… I feel your pain. Your leg is injured.”

Elita winced, rubbing her knee. “Yes. That’s not good.”

Darky’s eyes gleamed. “Perhaps not so bad. Pain shared may yet be healed.”

Warmth spread through her leg, and the ache vanished. Elita gasped. “You healed me… incredible.”

The dragon’s voice rumbled in her mind. “What one feels, the other knows. We are bound, Elita. Whether enemy or ally, our fates are now entwined.” The dragon paused, then bobbed his head, “You are female, Elita.” Then the light flared again, lifting her from the ground. Suspended between them, Elita felt not only his strength but a rush of emotions—curiosity, hunger, a strange pull that made her flush with heat.

“What is this?” she whispered. “It feels… too close.”

Darky’s voice rumbled in her mind. “I did not know humans guarded such sensations. Forgive me. I will learn,” he lowered her once more.

Elita lowered her gaze, embarrassed yet unsettled by the warmth lingering in her chest. “Just… be careful. This bond is powerful. And confusing.”

Darky rolled his eyes. So it is Elita when I hatched from the egg. I thought I would be facing my enemy. Instead, we have somehow strangely bonded, and you have become my friend. This is very strange indeed.

Elita’s eyes widened. “Wait—you just hatched from an egg? But you look full‑grown.”

Darky’s voice rumbled in her mind. “Not yet. I will grow more, but I am already aware, already strong—and wiser than most humans. Speaking of which… I hunger. We must leave this cave so I may feed.”

Elita tilted her head, giving him a quizzical look. “Are you boasting right now? Never mind. Let’s get out of here. By the way, what do you eat? Not humans, I hope.”

The dragon shook his head, eyes gleaming with amusement.