The Song Of The Dragons

Chapter Three – The Song of the Dragons (Fred’s POV)

I had never seen anything like this before.

Drake’s lair was a world of its own—vast, endless, and pulsing with power. The stone walls weren’t ordinary rock; they shimmered faintly, like veins of molten gold ran beneath the surface. Giant pillars stretched toward the ceiling, some carved with ancient symbols, others scarred by claw marks so deep I could only imagine the battles that caused them.

Lava flowed in rivers along the edges of the cavern, bubbling and glowing like captured sunlight. I stepped toward it, feeling the heat brush against my skin, but it didn’t burn.

It was beautiful.

I wandered deeper, taking in every detail—the treasures piled carelessly in corners, the weapons that looked too large for any human to wield, the strange, glowing plants that seemed to breathe with the lair itself. Every step I took echoed through the enormous space.

I spun around in awe, stretching my arms out, letting the warmth fill my lungs. “This place is amazing!”

A deep growl rumbled from behind me. “This is not a place for you to wander.”

I turned to see Drake standing there, his massive frame blocking the entrance I had just come through. His golden eyes glowed, watching me like a predator watches prey. His dark, powerful wings were folded behind him, but the sharp edges of his scales still shimmered in the dim light.

“You’re still here?” I teased. “I thought you had better things to do than watch me.”

His eyes narrowed. “You are testing my patience, human.”

“Good. Let’s see how much you have left.”

Drake let out a low, dangerous growl, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out. Instead, he took a slow step forward, his presence alone making the air feel heavier.

“You think this is a game?” His voice was a threat, a warning, a promise of destruction all in one. “You think I won’t hurt you?”

I shrugged. “If you wanted me dead, I would be dead already.”

Drake’s jaw tightened. Then, without another word, he moved.

Faster than I thought possible.

In an instant, the cavern shook as his wings spread wide, kicking up wind and dust. Flames burst from his mouth, curling through the air in a perfect arc before crashing into the stone, melting it like wax. His claws slashed through the ground, leaving deep marks, proof of his strength.

The walls trembled with his power. But instead of fear… I smiled.

I even laughed.

Drake froze.

For a moment, we just stood there—I, grinning like an idiot, and he, staring at me as if I was the strangest thing he’d ever seen.

I could see it in his face.

Confusion.

Frustration.

Maybe even… curiosity.

Then, with a frustrated growl, Drake turned away. “Do what you want. Just don’t touch anything that’ll kill you.”

And with that, he walked off, disappearing into the dark.

I watched him go, still smiling. “I like him,” I whispered to myself.

I walked for a while, still imbibing every little detail of the lair. My fingertips touched ancient carvings, my eyes tracing the symbols that appeared as old as time.

And then, without thinking, I began to hum.

A song.

A song I’d known since I was a child.

The melody was soft and haunting, a song that whispered secrets and myths in its heart. I shut my eyes and let the song flow from my lips, filling the vast space surrounding me.

“In the sky where fire flies,

Wings of gold, ancient cries.

Lost in time, yet never gone,

Hearts still burn, the dragons’ song.”

The words glided off me like a sigh from my being, and for a moment, I didn’t remember where I was.

Then—

A shadow fell across me.

I opened my eyes to find Drake towering over me, his face impassive, his golden eyes burning with something I’d never seen before.

“Where did you learn that?” His tone was low, but I caught a thread of urgency in it.

I blinked. “What?”

“The song.” A step closer. “No human should know that song. It is for my kind—what’s left of my kind.”

My heart skipped a beat.

I hadn’t expected this reaction.

Though I hadn’t expected to meet the last dragon, either.

I hesitated before answering. “I’ve always been fond of dragons.”

Drake stiffened.

“I never cared for human stories,” I admitted, gazing up at him. “They told of dragons as monsters. As beasts that needed to be slain. But I never believed that. I listened to what the wind told, the stars, the lost whispers. The ones that said dragons were kings, guardians, something more than humans could possibly grasp.”

Drake did not move.

But I could feel something shift in the air between us.

“I saved one, you know,” I whispered.

His eyes snapped to mine, something untamed and ferocious raging in his gaze. “What did you say?”

I swallowed.

“It was the day the war ended. When the elders of most nations came together, saying dragons should no longer exist. They turned their armies loose, their magic, everything they had, to destroy them.”

Drake’s fingers formed fists.

“I was a boy, but I knew it was wrong. And when I saw one… a dragon, clinging to life by a thread, struggling to open a vial of medicine with trembling claws… I couldn’t just walk away.”

I swallowed. “So I helped him.”

Silence.

Thick.

Unbreaking.

Then—

Warmth.

Before I could even respond, Drake had closed the distance between us in a flash, his arms wrapping tightly around me.

I tensed.

His embrace was nothing like I’d expected—not cold, not cruel. Just… warmth. Heat. Strength, bridled.

I could feel his heart pounding against my chest, hard and steady. And then, in a voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear it, he whispered—

“It was you.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

His arms clenched just a bit, as if afraid I would disappear.

“I remember you.” Drake pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. “I was that dragon.”

I felt the ground move beneath my feet.

The dragon I had saved all those years ago…

Was now standing in front of me.

I barely noticed how my hands trembled as I reached up, my fingers brushing against his face as if to check he was real.

Drake leaned into my touch, his golden eyes burning into mine.

For the first time since I’d met him…

He didn’t look like a monster.

He looked like something just as lost as me.

And that scared me more than anything else ever had.