Brantley couldn't take his eyes off Quetz. He had waited for it for two thousand years. He had heard that a dragon egg had hatched in the Fulshire Forests—almost two thousand years after it was laid. An egg hatched only for the rider. It chose its rider. It waited for its rider and it was a miniscule chance that the rider came near it. But when it did, the egg hatched immediately.

Quetz was the only dragon that was born after a long time and was worth a war. The only problem was its rider. There was no way that the dragon would give up on Dawn. So Brantley had to play his tricks.

​​

The long night came to an end as the stars smudged and the moon receded towards the horizon. The sun was still below the horizon. Delicate greens of the surrounding trees and the grassy knolls could be seen. A deceptive coolness set in. Dawn knew that something was going on in Brantley's mind. She could feel the storm brewing.

Quetz let out a low growl.

'Why did you come down when I asked you to stay above?' Dawn was furious.

'I had to protect you from this man because I sense evil in this man and that dragon behind him—.'

'Evil?' Dawn cut him. 'Stop speaking in riddles. Explain to me properly.'

Rirsyr let out a growl too. He swished his tail and whipped it on the ground. He flapped his gigantic wings strenuously as he looked at Quetz with his large blue eyes and moved his head up and down.

Quetz tucked his wings neatly at the back. He looked fixedly at Rirsyr and then slowly padded in front of Dawn. Rirsyr continued to peer at him, still flapping his wings aggressively. He screeched loudly.

Dawn tightened her fists into small balls. What was her dragon doing? Was he serving himself as food to Rirsyr? 'Quetz, you will be dead meat. Come back. That dragon is going to kill you.' A shiver passed through her body at the mere thought of Quetz being killed and a tight feeling gripped in her chest. He appeared so small in front of Rirsyr. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Brantley had stepped aside for Quetz to walk up to Rirsyr. Everything was a deep puzzle. What was Quetz up to? What was going on? 'Come back Quetz, please,' she cried. Quetz didn't answer.

Silently, Quetz stopped around twenty feet away from Rirsyr. He seemed almost one-third the size. Rirsyr looked down at him and tucked his wings gently. He brought his nozzle down and sniffed the air around him as Quetz held still. Quetz slowly bowed his head and allowed Rirsyr to sniff him. Rirsyr snorted. His tail flicked on the ground and he jerked his head back once, but came back and smelled him again.

'What are you doing?' Dawn asked. She was extremely nervous by now. She looked at Brantley to ask questions but he only watched the two of them with caution and utmost interest.

When Rirsyr finished his inspection, Quetz once again bowed the gigantic dragon in front of him.

'Father,' he said. 'I am honored to meet you finally.'

'FATHER?' Dawn's eyes were as wide as the forest. 'He is your father?' She pressed her hand to her lips. This revelation threw her off the track.

Rirsyr snorted again. He touched Quetz's snout with his as if acknowledging him. A minute later Quetz walked back to Dawn and stood behind her in the same protective position, as he was earlier.

Dawn stood there as though she had grown roots. At first Quetz went to Rirsyr and then he acknowledged him as his father and then he came back to her. His actions and thoughts were so divergent that they pulled in opposite directions. He was her valiant protector. He went to meet his father and yet he came back to her? Dawn glanced upwards at Quetz. Her mouth was wide open. He sensed her curiosity, confusion and thousands of questions that bounced around her head.

He said, 'Dawn, I am the first born of Rirsyr, whose dragon rider is Brantley, the King of Aztec. It was essential for me to bow to his authority. But just as Rirsyr is bound to Brantley, I am bound to you Dawn.'

It took a second or two for the information to sink in. Her eyebrows shot up high for the sky. She had thought that Quetz was an orphan and now he had a father. Amazement didn't even cover what she felt. Warmth filled her heart because he came back to her. 'I am proud to be your dragon-rider.'

'And I am proud to be yours.'

Brantley walked in front of his dragon and patted him on his brow. Then he looked at them.

As Dawn watched him, she thought that there was something in him that was off about his persona, his looks were burlesque that made his charm seem contrived and cold. It was difficult to picture his character. He crossed his arms across his chest and met her eyes.

Dawn shook her head, as she started to connect the dots. "So your main purpose to join the Ulfric festivities was to abduct Gayle? All the while over here you were looking for an opportunity to carry out your vicious plan. What for? For my dragon?" She scoffed. "The King of Aztec has stooped so low? What kind of a dragon rider are you?" She spat as she stared at his deep ebony eyes that were swirls of mystery.

"I came to claim what belongs to me," he replied quietly.

"Oh?" Dawn said sarcastically.

"I have come to claim Quetz."

Dawn tipped her head back and laughed. Her lips lifted into a smile. "And you think I am going to give him to you just like that? As a gift?" Fury rose in her chest. She had to control it. She wanted to shift and rip off this man's gab. "You must be dreaming," she said coldly.

Brantley eyebrows furrowed and his expressions darkened. He clasped his hands on the side and walked to her and then circled past her towards Quetz. She watched him and could have sworn that his dragon tattoo moved on his skin. He looked greedily at Quetz. He said in a very sinister voice, "I have Gayle. You hand over Quetz and I will give you Gayle. And if you don't do that, I won't allow you to get out of the Ulfric Forests. This place is sealed by my magic."

Dawn's muscles stiffened. Sealed by his magic? Was this man so powerful? The pixies came and sat on him once again as if to testify his magical powers. Her knees were wobbly. But with so much happening in her life, she had to condition her mind to surprises.

"Where is Daryn?" she asked sternly, not believing that he hadn't harmed him. The Yardrak had told her that he was in danger.

"Like I said earlier—I don't know. He must be searching for his father in the forest along with his search party."

Dawn's mind raced. If Daryn was safe, it meant that the Yardrak conned her into coming back to the Ulfric? She had one chance to leave this place and be free and she threw it away. Daryn was right. He had sent her back and then he would have sent the remaining werewolves. But she had to come back. And now she was trapped. Nusgorth gave her wrong information. Daryn wasn't in any danger. And now because of her one emotional decision, not only was she trapped with Quetz, along with her other werewolves were also in quagmire and stuck in this place. Bile rose up her throat. This horrific situation had become gargantuan with one decision of hers.

"So you sent Nusgroth after me? It was all your plan." She remembered what Nusgroth told her that he was just a messenger.

Brantley nodded. "You are smart for being so young."

"You can't do that Brantley." Her voice was strained. Her blood pounded in her ears, but she kept her chin high. "I refuse." She placed her hand on Quetz and said, "He is my dragon."

The first rays of sun broke through the horizon and scattered their sparkly golden beams on everything it came in contact with. They fell on the green scales of Quetz, which gleamed. Brantley was captivated.

"You should release Gayle," she urged.

Brantley clicked his tongue. "Release Gayle and you wouldn't part with your dragon either? Have you taken me for a fool?" He snarled.

"Because of me other werewolves are also trapped here. This is unfair. Release them." She hoped that he could see the reason.

"True…" Brantley's voice trailed off. He paused and then added, "Okay, I will leave them for you, but on a condition." He looked at her with a vicious grin.

"I am all ears." Her voice was like a subdued thunder.

"Bring me the Stone of Solaris."

"What is that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.