of the creature, so it must not have been such a rare sight after all.
‘I was afraid it was something worse.’ Ari breathed a sigh of relief and patted the dragon on the shoulder. ‘If you’re lucky, maybe it’ll choose you as a rider.’
The reptile looked at the elf, unsure whether this was sarcasm or if he really meant it.
‘Besses choose their riders themselves.’ Forth chimed in, resuming his practised, indifferent tone. ‘Everyone describes it differently, so it’s hard to say exactly how it happens. Riders who recount their first encounters rarely agree with one another when describing the feelings that accompany it.’
‘I’ve heard that somewhere before.’ Draco didn’t mean to sound sarcastic, but he might have failed. Fortunately, no one took any notice.
‘And so, what of all this?’ James seemed to be rolling his eyes.
‘If Draco were to be recognised by this beast, the owner would have to sell him,’ Ari explained quickly. ‘That’s the law.’
‘How much might such a mount cost?’ The dragon wasn’t sure why, but something told him the beast had made a decision and was just waiting for the right moment.
‘It depends on whether it’s harnessed or not,’ Ari shook his head, as if he didn’t have the heart to say more. ‘In the first case, thirty to forty Crowns, and in the second… even over a hundred.’
‘According to the law, a rider must buy back his mount,’ the vampire continued. ‘If he cannot afford it, he may work off the cost or ask the army to buy him out in exchange for service in the cavalry.’
‘That’s rather… restrictive.’ Draco didn’t know how else to put it.
‘Every bess rider is that valuable.’ Ari shrugged, froze, and quickly turned towards the reptile. ‘Don’t tell me you want to...’
‘I feel I should.’ The dragon muttered without much conviction. It sounded like madness, a delusion or something unreal, but at that moment he knew that this was exactly what he had to do, and that he would succeed.
He was just about to head towards the
