Page 43 of Theoden

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

TYLENDEL’S TRAINING

“Do you know why I am here?” Tylendel asked me.

I was made to kneel before him as he was a Knight and I had to show him proper respect, especially after the insult I showed the last time he was in my Father’s home.

I nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Oh?” Tylendel said, one eyebrow cocked. God, he was beautiful!

“Yes, Sir, my Father told me that I need to learn the ways of the dragons, as I am a half born one,” I said.

“Which is a great honor, to be born with dragon blood in your veins,” Tylendel said. “Did your Father tell you how dragons feed?”

I nodded. “Yes, Sir. Dragons feed off sex and the desires of others.”

Tylendel huffed and sighed. “Trust a vampire to not fully understand the true glory of a dragon. Your Sire would believe vampires are the superior being because they hunt all beings and feed upon them. But it is the dragon that ultimately holds that mantel. We are far more powerful than any vampire or werewolf. We are divine as we are the first legendary beings to come into existence.”

“How old are you, Sir?” I asked.

“Older than your Sire, and my father is my King. I am more than a Knight, boy… I am a Prince and you shall always show me my due respect,” Tylendel stated.

I had no idea how old Ara was, but knowing he was older than Titus put him at least at a thousand years old, possibly older. Tylendel was boasting that he was older than Ara. I could not help but marvel at the magnificence of these beings to be truly immortal, and now I was too. How many centuries would I have before me? Or millennia? What would I do with my life with so many endless years ahead of me?

“Are you ever bored, Sir?” I asked, curious.

Tylendel tilted his head to the side. “Bored?”

I nodded. “To live so long, you must have seen so much, Sir,” I said.

“Indeed, I have, and that is why I am never bored. You must embrace life and all its trials and tribulations, pleasures and rewards. Every night offers you something different and you should never take it for granted, but indulge in it.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I said, grateful for the insight from one so old. In fact, he was ancient.

“As I was saying, dragons are the superior beings. We control both the day and the night. We can feed without killing if we so choose. Our prey flock to us, not away, and they beg for us to drink from their essence. A dragon can feed on the desire of any being, even without that being knowing. But if we feed sexually, it is most satisfying.”

“I cannot feed from desire, Sir,” I said.

“You can sense it?”

I nodded. “I know when I am being desired by others. I can taste it, but I cannot absorb it. The sensation leaves me feeling weak, wanting, Sir.”

“As a half dragon, you need the full physical contact. There could be worse ways to feed, one would presume,” Tylendel said. “What else have you discovered of yourself?”

I shrugged. “That is all, Sir.”

“What about the sun? Does it affect you?”

Ah yes, there was that. “The sun does not harm me, Sir. My Father was quite pleased with that. I also do not feel compelled to sleep during the day if I do not want to.”

“I’m sure that does not sit well with your brothers,” Tylendel said.

It was true. The moment they had found out the sun couldn’t kill me, I felt their jealousy, some more intensely than others. Nolan was seething with it. Titus seemed only mildly annoyed that I should have such a luxury. Karim was only slightly jealous. He told me so, but didn’t make a big issue of it. Out of all my brothers, Karim seemed to be the one who liked me the most. Titus tolerated me. He didn’t seek to mistreat me or hassle me the way Nolan did. But me being able to enjoy the sun, it did hit them all one way or another.

“It does bother them, Sir.”

Tylendel chuckled. “I am sure it does. Vampires envy both the dragon and werewolf, for the sun is not our enemy. Is that all?”