The dragons spoke of a day when they would be free.
Free of the chains that bound them to obey the will of the greedy human race and its cruel King.
There was a legend of old, it spoke of a human who bore the heart of a dragon.
The one that would...
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(Chapter 9) To tame a dragon one must...
"Normal" - Human language "Dragonese" - Dragon's language
~*~
Author POV
Jimin was allowed to continue training the dragon after his first day of success. He only had 2 days until they got to the capital. He had to train the dragon as much as possible in order to be able to protect him from a life of slavery.
The dragon obeyed easily when he was given visual instruction. He was also happy to take any food Jimin offered him in reward. It felt strange to Jimin, he was training the dragon as if he were a dog, despite the fact he could hold a full conversation like humans with the reptilian creature.
He had asked for the dragon's name one night, he had some how persuaded Cadel to allow the dragon to sleep by his side to 'cement or create a bond', it was one of the biggest lies Jimin had told, but it seemed to work.
The dragon had responded with Taehyung, so that became the name the human 'gave him'. Taehyung had come to understand his name in the human language as well, so he perked up whenever Jimin called his name in the human language as well as the dragon's language.
Jimin still hadn't caught onto the fact he spoke two different languages, when he spoke to the dragon in front of others he spoke in the human language, his mind's natural defence to hide his secret. However, when they were alone it allowed him to speak the language written across his heart, branded into his soul.
Taehyung learnt to respond accordingly to each command. Jimin explained the commands to him into the evening when no one else was awake to hear them. Taehyung liked that better, because he knew what his King was asking of him. Able to obey and please him.
The knights were impressed with the young boy's ability to tame a dragon so quickly. Cadel found it unnerving he had never seen some able to communicate with the reptilian beasts with such ease. The dragon almost looked at the human longingly like it desired something and the fact Cadel didn't know what made him uneasy. But with Jimin's success he didn't want to revoke his permission to train the dragon.
Plus if Jimin tamed the dragon it in theory would make travelling with the beast a lot easier and potentially safer. But for the human boy to have formed such a fast attachment to the dragon, which seemed to be reciprocated was strange to say the least.
For now they were resting, the dragon despite its bindings had come to lie on its side so it could pillow its head against Jimin's thigh. Being careful as it turned its head, not wanting to hurt the human with its horns, sharp despite its humanoid form.
"Jimin" Cadel came up to him.
"Yes sir" Jimin looked up.
"How is it that you trained the dragon that much, I've never seen some form a bond with a dragon so fast" it would seem the other knights were curious as they looked over waiting for the answer too.
"I don't know, I just seem to understand him and Taehyung understands me too I think" Jimin answered, he left out being able to talk to him too. He felt like that was a secret he should be keeping close to his heart, not something to reveal carelessly.
"It is just strange that is all" Cadel remarked.
"Sir if you don't mind could I remove Taehyung's bindings" Jimin asked, he unknowingly applied his puppy dog eyes.
"I am not sure of that. He seems docile now but without his bindings he may forget that. He will want to be free, that is a guarantee" Cadel disagreed.
"I know he won't" Jimin said with such confidence it startled Cadel.
He sighed, internally he was curious as to whether this boy knew what he was talking about. So he pulled the key to the chain from his belt. Taehyung grumbled an unhappy sound as he approached him, that was enough to put Cadel on edge, but he followed through despite that.
The chains were unlocked one by one, falling to the ground. Cadel stepped back, waiting for the dragon to leap up, pull his head away from the human's lap and fly away. But Taehyung merely stretched his arms and then reached them up to wrap around Jimin's waist and got comfortable once again.
Cadel and the rest of the knights were surprised to say the least. The dragon's behaviour was strange to say the least. But then again Jimin did seem to have a calming sort of presence, perhaps the dragon could feel that too.
~*~
So the final day of walking down to the capital was spent with the dragon happily walking alongside Jimin's horse. He was holding onto the side of the reins, seemingly anxious to be too far away from Jimin.
"The capital is only an hour away" Jimin heard Cadel inform them.
His heart picked up in his chest, he was anxious, would his 'training' of Taehyung be enough to convince the capital that the dragon could remain by his side. The past few days he truly had built a bond with the dragon and Jimin knew Taehyung felt the same, the dragon wasn't afraid to confess it in their nightly talks.
Taehyung's hand slipped along the reins to wrap around Jimin's heart, he could hear with his enhanced senses that the human's heart rate had picked up in his chest.
"It will be ok" he whispered in the dragon's guttural language. Jimin couldn't give much understanding that he knew the language, so he looked down at their joined hands and smiled. Secretly thanking the dragon, which Taehyung got, so he too smiled full of fang like teeth.
~*~
Then it was finally upon them, the capital, the big capital that was home to the King of the dragons. The place Jimin would begin his knights training under Cadel as his apprentice.
He wouldn't lie, the 15 year old was terrified of the task ahead of him. He just wanted Taehyung to remain by his side he just wasn't sure how he was going to achieve it. That alone terrified him.
