Louise

  Louise couldn't sleep out of anger and frustration. She tossed and turned in her bed while her friend snored contentedly. Of course, the snoring didn't help her fall asleep either. Finally, she gave up, quietly pulled a fine coat over her light nightgown, slipped on her sandals, and left her room.

  Maybe a walk would help. At least Louise didn't have a better idea.

  She wandered along the healthy corridors of the apartment building until she reached the garden. Stars and a round moon lit up the small oasis in the middle of the temple. White light bathed the sand-colored, magnificent buildings in a soft, mysterious glow.

  It was cool at night. Louise shivered a little. But she didn't pay attention to it. Louise paused for a moment, looked up at the stars, and sighed. She sat down at the foot of a palm tree and raised her eyes again. The many, beautiful stars teased her with their carefree sparkle. One star shone brighter than the other. They shone happily and carefree in the darkness.

  Lou didn't know what the starry sky looked like. She had described it to him in their childhood and painted pictures in the sand, but they never resembled reality. Louise loved the stars. The soft light, the golden glow, starry nights. She also enjoyed the full moon, because on those nights everything looked enchanted.

  Yes, there was hardly anything more beautiful for Louise.

  She had tried to see something in her visions that would help Lou. Something that proved that there was no curse. Instead, she saw a dazzling city in a cave that could only be reached by a river. She saw people with fishtails. She saw a handsome boy with blue-gray curls watching a human with dark skin. That's all she saw that morning.

  Should she try again? Perhaps her magic had already recovered? So she closed her eyes and called for the visions. A picture flickered briefly, a girl with red hair, bird's feet, and crooked red wings, then the image disappeared. She didn't see any other pictures.

  "Shit!" whispered Louise in frustration. She wanted to lean against the palm tree and forget everything. Herself. Lou. The suffering of her family. Louise felt powerless. In her frustration, she didn't hear footsteps approaching her until a soft whisper reached her, as if someone was standing right next to her. Startled, Louise looked around.

  "You've proven your loyalty to us enough!" she heard someone say. Not right next to her, but a bit away from her. Louise peered cautiously out from behind the palm tree. There stood the priest she had threatened, along with one of the Wise Men who had survived the attack. In all, five of the Wise had died, and even more so of the guards.

  "Mitko would be very proud, my friend!" said the scrawny man with the blond curls. Albert or something like that. After Mitko, he was the oldest. Even older than Aesir, Fidan, and Cosimo. At least that's what he cimed. Albert, or whatever, was a handsome wizard. He liked to wrap himself in expensive jewelry, but otherwise, he had never stood out much among the other Wise. Louise also knew only a few of the names. There were too many Wise Men in the council to remember all their names. At least, she had never tried. A young priestess like her rarely saw them.

  The priest grinned. "Thank you. I was happy to help. But I didn't have to make up much."

  Make up? Louise frowned. What did he make up?

  "I actually saw the boy standing in front of bck dragons. However... I've left out the details. In my vision, the boy didn't seem to be working with them. Nevertheless, such a vision should not be viewed without caution. If the boy is dead, this vision will never come true. Unfortunately, the white dragons have shown their perseverance."

  "I would call it stubbornness." Albert-or-so wrinkled his nose. "Remy won't have survived the whirlwind. But I'm afraid we'll need more visions, changed or, if necessary, made up, to bring the cursed one to us. Or to convince the people that we MUST take him by force. The gallows sounded like a good idea after we were informed of his whereabouts, but we would have been better off cutting off the boy's head. We gave the dragons a chance to save him. I fear the wrath of the gods."

  What?

  "And these visions..."

  "Which ones?" asked the old priest.

  "The earthquake that one of the boys saw, and the next attack of the bck dragons. The gods are displeased." Albert-or-so shook his head. "Come up with something. Something good! This is all unacceptable now that we need more riders. Unless we prevent the attack with the boy's death."

  Louise jumped up angrily and stepped out from behind the palm tree. "It was a lie? Made up?"

  "Ah. Louise. Dear." The old priest grinned contentedly. "Can I help you?"

  "My brother almost died because of a made-up vision?", she hissed. Her hands trembled. "Made up!"

  "Child!" Albert-or-so shook his head. "Don't be silly. The curse is real. We only reacted appropriately. In the will of the gods."

  "Not at all!" hissed Louise. She pointed to the Wise Man. A flush of anger shimmered in her otherwise pretty face. "In your will! You! You want Lou's death! You want to steal the dragons' diamonds! Out of greed? Or why do you need them? Hm? What do you want to do? Trade with distant countries and get richer?" She wanted to stomp on the floor like a toddler. And the fact that the Wise Man continued to smile even though she almost screamed at him made her furious. "More riders! Dragons are not horses! Our people have revered them, is it not so? A long time ago, we gave them offerings so that we could build a city here!" She had learned this during her time of training in the temple. The dragons had always been revered for their strength. But now the retionship between dragons and humans was on the verge of colpse. Thanks to the Wise!

  "You're too young to understand!" said the priest. Just like the Wise Man, he didn't seem shaken, but rather amused. "There are more people besides us. Colonies that spread rapidly. People with whom we could trade, you are right about that. Our city would gain influence. To be significant in the world. This is what the gods have in store for us! Why else would they have sent us to the Mountains of Dragons? Back when our ancestors were looking for a home? They have given us these riches!"

  "And what if other people attack us? Their cities are getting closer and closer! Travelers told of a kingdom near the edge of our desert. If they hear about our riches, we must be able to defend them!" the WIse added. "What are dragons? Nothing but animals. Clever animals, yes, but animals. They have no use for the treasures that are meant for us. They don't respect the will of the gods."

  Louise couldn't believe her ears. "I... I'm not going to stay here", she finally said quietly. "I'm going home."

  "What?" Albert-or-so ughed. He stretched out his hand to Louise as if to touch her head in a fatherly way. Louise backed away. His smile didn't go away. "Your life belongs to the gods. The Temple. Us! You can't leave. You were destined to be a priestess. I understand your anger, after all, it's about your brother. But don't forget the will of the gods! I know you don't have it easy as a priestess with little talent. I've heard about your visions of the future, young dy. Small scraps that we can't interpret yet. They show a future far away from us. But we must fight for this future! Every vision is a word from the gods. Every vision matters. YOU MATTER! The gods look at you with a smile. Don't upset them with childish ideas."

  Louise looked at the Wise. Had he taken Mitko's pce? In all the chaos after the attack, it had not yet been announced who was the eldest of the elders. The Wise Men had to rearrange themselves and watch over the reconstruction. The old man stood before her, puffed up like a boastful rooster. Self-assured. Untouchable. Mendacious!

  "I refuse to stand for lies! If anyone can just make up visions, what is the meaning of the words of the gods?" Lou is not cursed! The dragons can't smell anything that could indicate a curse. He's just a boy. My brother! If I'm important, then so is he!"

  The priest looked at her with pity and sighed. "You're angry. It blinds you. Watch your words, or you might be mistaken for a traitor. The dragons do not hear the words of the gods. We hear them. And we know that the curse exists! Now go. Get some sleep. And calm down! Don't talk about lies! Everything we do is the will of the gods. Tomorrow I want to see you before our meeting. Let's keep talking then. Such behavior cannot remain without consequences, Louise. But I understand your anger."

  Albert-or-so nodded. "I'm sure you're just confused. Be assured, we have acted in the will of the gods. For our future. Now go to sleep. It's te."

  Louise stared at them, stunned. "I'm not confused!" she said, turning around, and she started running.