Three months later

Lou's parents danced with Louise and Nina in the kitchen. Lou could hear them laugh. He would’ve liked to dance along, but he wasn't allowed to. Lou knew he would never join them, because of the curse. Still, it hurt.

Although, even without the curse, dancing might’ve been difficult for him. Would he be able to see normally if there was no curse on him? Lately, Lou often wondered this while looking out of his small window. What did the world look like? What did the mountains look like? The city? His neighborhood? Of course, it wasn't as if he had no idea what the world might look like. He could see something. Colors and everything he had very close in front of the one, functioning eye. Everything else he let Louise describe to him. And Louise was very good at it. She could paint pictures with words. Lou admired her for it.

But the world? Just as others saw it?

And there was more that Lou was thinking about. Yesterday he had met with Remy again. His best friend finally received his magic as he wished. And that, one week before his sixteenth birthday. At first, he feared that he would become a weak sorcerer because the later you received your magic, the weaker you were. After the sixteenth birthday, magic usually stopped growing. But when it didn’t stop, it meant great things. Very great.

And Remy's magic grew. When he got his magic, he accidentally let the fire of a campfire flicker high up. A day later, he had a vision. And then, two weeks later, he made a bruise on Lou's skin disappear. Lou was secretly happy for him, but he did his best not to show it. He did not succeed particularly well. He had smiled briefly, and then, a few minutes later, stumbled over a stone and got a small abrasion.

But how could he not have smiled?

Remy had been especially blessed by the sand gods! He was one of the few who could use all kinds of magic! This was even rarer than the magic itself. And it meant that from now on, Remy had the right to seek out the dragons.

The dragons!

Of course, there is no guarantee that he will find a dragon. Especially so early! Remy had told Lou that one of his uncles had to wait a hundred years for his magic to tie a knot with the magic of a dragon. And there was no guarantee of that either.

There was no guarantee for anything. Lou didn't know what guarantee meant, but it seemed very clever to him. Remy said the word many times.

His friend soon wanted to go to the mountains with his uncles. For most, the caves of the dragons were taboo. The path up was considered steep and dangerous, but his best friend believed he could easily complete the path. Lou believed him. Remy was sixteen now! Of course, he managed everything. And soon his friend would ride a dragon. Lou was sure of that. He envied him for it.

Remy's family was proud of him.

Lou's parents were very proud of Louise, as she was good with numbers. For a week, she had been taking lessons from the neighbor, who taught the children of the neighborhood reading, writing, and counting. Lou was not allowed to go. Louise tried to teach him what she had learned, but it didn't work out so well. Lou couldn't see the letters Louise was writing in the air, or in the dust, well. And then Louise had laughed when Lou leaned very close over the dust to be able to recognize the letter. She thought it looked like he wanted to kiss the dust. And that almost made Lou laugh too. Now Louise was not allowed to teach him anything.

His parents had scolded Louise. She had been careless. What if the curse passed on to Louise? One of the Wise had come to the family the day before and had even advised them to separate Lou from Louise and Nina to protect the family and the entire city. When Lou had smiled and fallen, a market stall had collapsed at the same moment. Two children were injured. Fortunately, not difficult. The isolation from his siblings should protect them all. Lou thought that was mean.

The Wise said it was best for everyone. What the wise men decided was law.

Now the family of the two children demanded that Lou be imprisoned. Therefore, Lou was not allowed to leave his room at the moment. The Council did not agree to the demands. Lou was too young and the burden of his parents. And also the burden of the city. That's what he had heard the old Wise say. Nevertheless, his parents feared that the angry family might harm him. Now Lou was sitting in his room, locked up even though the door wasn't locked. Lou felt more unhappy than ever.

But if he became so unhappy that he could never smile again, then maybe he was allowed to go out again soon? And meet Remy? And maybe Remy already had a dragon? With a lot of luck? And Lou was allowed to pet the dragon? He really wanted to pet a dragon.

So Lou went to great lengths to be as unhappy as possible.

He missed his friend. He missed Louise and Nina.

Suddenly, he heard a loud roar that sent a cold shiver down his spine. A dragon! It must have been a dragon. Was it close? Lou looked up at the sky and wished to spot the dragon. But, of course, apart from the usual colors, there was nothing there. Again he heard the roar.

Lou thought it sounded sad.

"Then we'll be sad together!", he replied to the scream. "You and me. Then you don't have to be sad alone, Dragon. And if you're happy again, please be happy for me."