Before they knew it, the day of their departure was upon them. Soren is seen running around his room, grabbing various pieces of clothing and other personal items, stuffing them into his duffle bag. He had a long flight ahead of him- so he decided to start off the journey with brown leather pants, a tan linen shirt, a black leather jacket with fur on the collar and work boots. The Capital was to the north of Prodon and they saw more snow than his hometown, which means colder weather was in their future. He then makes his way downstairs with the large duffle bag over his shoulder before stopping at the bottom, his parents standing in the middle of the kitchen.
He notices his mom has her hands over her mouth as tears prickle in the corner of her eyes while his dad has a proud smile on his face. “Oh my sweet baby boy. You’re all grown up.” Eloise walks over to her son and gently holds his face. James comes over and puts his hand on Soren’s shoulder looking directly into his eyes. Despite his age- Soren is tall and muscular, something he has been honing since he was a child.
Soren turns his attention to his mom, who is now hugging him with her head lying on his chest. “Mom, you don’t have to cry, this isn’t a goodbye. It’s a see you later. I’ll come visit as soon as we graduate.” She almost starts to cry more when he says that. The Steorra Guard bootcamp is a 2-year training period. The next time she would see him; he would be 20 years old. Soren and Zeph would be very different when they returned. “I know sweetheart, I’m just going to miss you.” “Hey, what about me?” Everyone turns to the kitchen window to see a large golden eye, glittering white scales only making the gleaming color pop more. Soren smacks a hand to his face as Eloise gives a small chuckle “I’ll miss you too Rayzil. Prodon is going to be much quieter without you two here.” Soren then separates himself from his parents and starts to make his way towards the front door “As much as I would love to keep chatting, we need to go to the northern gate and meet Zeph. I want as much daylight as I can so we can find a good place to camp tonight. We won’t reach The Capital until tomorrow afternoon.”
The family walks through town, making their way towards the northern gate. Everyone watches Soren as he makes his way down the streets. Some look at him fondly, missing the excitement he brought to this otherwise quiet place. Other’s watched him with a look that said ‘good riddance’. Eventually they find themselves at the norther gate, although it’s not much of a gate, just a section of fencing that has a gap with a sign pointing outwards that says ‘NORTH’.
Standing at the gate patiently waiting, is Soren’s best friend and his Ajaiyi. As Soren makes his way towards the gate, a smile starts to creep onto his face. Zeph slowly turns to focus on the family, and that’s when Soren notices Nova is missing. Soren looks around, making sure he didn’t actually miss her before turning to his friend “Hey, where’s your mom?” Zeph sighs and responds. “She’s working. They had some letters come in that needed to be sent out ASAP.” Zeph’s shoulder start to sag as he speaks. “She said she’d send me a letter once she was done and to watch out for Lyra when I was settled. I’m assuming she’ll be sending her for anything we get these next two years.”
The fact that his mother isn’t here to send him off hits him deeper than he would ever admit aloud. He wanted both of his parents to see him when this day came, but life isn’t always fair that way. Eloise slowly walks up to Zephares and wraps him in a large hug, the power behind it surprising the boy due to her small stature, especially since Zeph is a couple of inches taller than Soren. Zeph responds to her hug, holding onto her like this is the last one he’d receive. Zeph pulls away and looks at Eloise and James. “Please take care of my mom for me? She has Lyra, but even that won’t be enough. She needs as many people as she can.” They both give him a smile and nod as Soren comes up to the trio. “Alright, we should get going. If we leave now, we won’t have to rush our flight.” Zephares nod and picks up his large messenger bag, having packed much lighter than Soren and heads to Nercostes who lowers to the ground to allow Zeph to climb on. Soren and his parents have one last hug before he too mounts Rayzil. The twins look at the couple for a moment exchanging glances. Their eyes telling the two to look after the boys while they are away. Then before they knew it, the Dragons took to the sky.
They fly for the rest of the day, only occasionally stopping at small ponds to rest and take a drink. As they flew the sky started to darken, stars slowly starting to become visible as the sun disappeared. Soren looked towards Zeph, shouting at him over the wind. “The sun is almost down! We need to find a place to settle for the night.” The boys then look to the ground, searching for a good spot in the forest that had appeared in their journey. After a few moments they come across a small lake and that’s when Zeph speaks up and points. “We can set up by the shoreline in the trees!” The twins land at the spot Zeph pointed at and the boys dismount.
They make their way into the forest, searching for a spot they could set up camp and hopefully make a fire. They had traveled a good distance, the chill that nipped at their faces proving the fact that they were nearing The Capital. With the sun setting, the night will only be worse. They find a clearing, several yards into the trees, big enough for the Dragons to lay comfortably. “Nercostes and I will grab some wood to build a fire, why don’t you get camp set up.” Soren nods at Zeph who turns and walks deeper into the forest, Nercostes following closely at his heel. Soren starts to dig through their bags, looking for the cookware and blankets they brought. They wouldn’t need these once they got to bootcamp since necessities would be provided. But since they weren’t as close to The Capital as most other Cadets, they had no choice.
Soren starts to dig a small hole in the ground and outlines it with rocks so Zeph would be able build their fire easier. He grabs two wooden bowls from his friends bag and sets them down next to the stones. Reaching into his own bag, he pulls out two small rods and sets the on top of the bowls. Rayzil, standing just behind him, watches intently as he sets up various other items so they can eat. She lowers her head closer to the scene until she knocks his shoulder slightly. Soren raises an eyebrow at Rayzil before grabbing her muzzle and gently shoves her large head away.
As much as Soren never enjoyed sitting still, Rayzil was much worse. She needed a task to do before she drove him crazy. Soren quickly comes up with something that would keep her very busy. “Why don’t you go fishing? That way we can get a somewhat decent meal while we are out here.” Rayzil looks Soren in the eye before her golden orbs start to shimmer. She then stands up straight- “Yes sir Soren sir!” – and she bounds away towards the lake before diving in headfirst. Soren rolls his eyes. That task will keep her busy for a while if that’s how she decides to fish.
Soren leans back on his heels, noticing that the other two had not come back yet. But he was not worried, they were probably taking their time These last two days would be their last chance to somewhat relax. Once they made it to The Capital and their training started, free time would be rare. His mind starts to wander, thinking about training and what is to come. He started to grow excited at the chance to experience real training. Even though his dad had some combat experience, he never went to the Steorra Guard, he was entirely self-taught.
Of course, having Kellan by his side helped tremendously. The canine’s ancestry were known for their skills in combat and he had been training in his home realm since he was a pup. After he bonded to James, Kellan started to train with him. But they were never the biggest fans of violence, so instead of becoming Steorra Guards, they were security for hire. Their intimidation factor helped in the no violence department, after all who would mess with a 6 ft tall wolf with spikes on his head.
Soren’s only insight to how bootcamp training would be was Zeph’s dad. Once Rayzil came into his life he badgered Magnus anytime he could, and he got the same answer every time. He’d learn and do things he never thought possible. He would grow into a man and a warrior. Ajaiyi and Veisha alike would be challenged every day. Rayzil and Nercostes would have to deal with their own training from higher ranking Ajaiyi. Considering the two were the first Dragons to appear in nearly 200 years, he wondered who or what could be enough train them.
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Kellan, Lyra and Draven lost their effect a couple of years ago once the two outgrew them. But since they were going to The Capital, he figured they must have someone. They’d see rare and incredible Ajaiyi once they got there. But even then, the only Dragons in this world were Rayzil and Nercostes. He had heard of a species of Ajaiyi that may be the only thing large enough to take them on.
Giant reptilian creatures that could be the size of some buildings, though normally they would be around the size the twins were now. The Ngari. In the 200 years that the Ajaiyi have been in their world, only about 100 Ngari had come through the Prismalith. Whereas most Ajaiyi look similar within their species, the Ngari were one of the few that were an exception. They were seen in many different colors. Some had spines, or sails. Some where seen with neck frills or even horns. They stood on their large hind legs, with long forearms and sharp claws being one of their most formidable attributes. Despite being armed with sharp teeth and claws, their long tail could be just as deadly.
The Ngari and the Dragons are closely related. There were rumors they weren’t too friendly towards each other. But since Dragons and Ngari hadn’t existed in Astrico at the same time, very few actually knew the real answer. He didn’t know if there were any Ngari in the Steorra Guard, or even in any other cities. Being in a small town that was fairly isolated, they weren’t always up to date on everything, and The Capital didn’t like to share the knowledge on who or what was in their Guard. Keeping information out of enemy hands they said. But if there were any Ngari in the Steorra Guard, things would get a lot more interesting.
Soren hears movement in the underbrush ahead and glances upwards. Zeph and Nercostes make their way towards the camp Soren had set up. Zeph is seen holding some sticks in his arms while the black Dragon seemed to be dragging what looks like a tree branch. Zeph looks towards his friend who is now seated by the makeshift fire pit when he notices a certain chaotic Dragon is missing. Zephares quirks a brow at his friend. “Where’s Rayzil?” Soren stands up, rubbing his hands together to get rid of the dirt before throwing a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the lake. “She’s currently fishing for dinner. Though I don’t know how successful that will be. You know how she is.” Zeph sighs and turns toward his Ajaiyi “You mind helping her out. I think we all would like to actually eat tonight.” Nercostes drops the limb and shakes his sore body. “I think you mean do I mind doing the fishing. Rayzil has yet to learn patience. She’ll just end up pouncing on everything that moves and scaring the fish away.” Nercostes grabs one of the blankets the boys brought before making his way towards the lake. Holding the blanket in his mouth launches into the air and looking for a spot Rayzil had yet to go.
Soren turns to Zeph and puts his hands on his hips. “Your Dragon just took my blanket. It’s going to smell like fish now.” Zephares starts to walk towards Soren with the sticks and crouches next to the younger boy before starting to set up the campfire. “Hey, do you want to eat tonight or not. Cause I can just tell him to leave the blanket and get enough for me and him.” Soren sends him a small glare before huffing and helping Zeph set up the campfire. Before long Rayzil returns. She stomps towards the two boys, head hung low, mumbling various complaints under her breath.
Soren smiles before calling to her. “Hey Rayzil, mind giving us a hand with this fire?” Her head lifts quickly and she trots over, easily forgetting about the fish. Soren stands up and puts a hand on her scaled neck. “Can you give us a light? But be easy- you could easily destroy this thing.” Zeph stands and backs away from the fire not wanting to get burned. Rayzil nudges Soren slightly with her shoulder. “I got this Soren. Nercostes and I have been working on our control over our fire.” Her eyes turn to the bundle of sticks and dried leaves. She starts to focus intensely and a glow forms at her chest before it starts to slowly rise up her neck. Her eyes glow briefly before she lets out a small burst of golden fire onto the sticks. The kindling pile bursts into flames, sparks flying into the air. But it remains intact. She turns slightly to her Veisha, a smirk growing on her face. Soren scoffs and slightly shoves her muzzle. “What? You lit a fire. You want a medal?” The gold and white Dragon lifts her head slightly before answering the boy. “Yeah that would be great actually.” Soren smacks a hand to his face before walking away. Zeph stares at the two in bewilderment before shaking his head and following Soren.
An hour passed before Nercostes returned, the sun having set not long before. He held the blanket like a hammock with many fish held inside. The large Dragon hovered over the shoreline while the boys grabbed their portion, bringing them over to the fire. Meanwhile the twins separated their share of the catch. The two boys began to remove the scales of their fish with the knives they brought before putting them on skewers and letting them roast over the fire. After eating their dinner quickly, the two Ajaiyi laid down next to the fire with their Veisha leaning against their sides.
Soren looked towards Zeph who had been staring into the fire for the past several minutes. Zeph had been quieter since his dad died and Soren was starting to really get worried about him. “Hey Zeph. You doing, ok?” Zephares’ eyes moved away from the fire and towards his friend. He didn’t say anything for a moment before sighing. “Honestly, no. I’m worried about my mom. Dad isn’t here anymore and I know she has her Ajaiyi, but I’m worried I should’ve waited to leave until next year. Leaving so soon after Dad died feels like I’m abandoning her.” Soren grimaces, he waits to speak knowing Zephares isn’t done. When Zeph finally continues, he hears what he’d knew his best friend had been feeling since they lost Magnus. “Is it selfish of me to be mad at him? Especially right now? He won’t be there when I graduate and officially become a Steorra Guardsmen. He won’t be there when I become an Aurorite. He won’t be there for me.” Tears start to form in his eyes as he thinks about his dad. By this point, the Dragons are now focusing on Zephares. The siblings sharing a glance before returning it to Zeph.
Soren waits a moment, seeing if he had anything else to say, before speaking. “No, it's not selfish of you. I can’t say I understand what you’re feeling Zeph, but you have every right to feel whatever way you want. You can be sad or angry or selfish and it is all ok. But what is not ok, is to stay that way. Your dad wouldn’t want that. He wouldn’t want you to feel sad forever, it’ll eat you alive. Besides, he isn’t gone for good. He’s just harder to find now. He lives in you, Zeph. You just have to know where to look.” Zeph looks at his friend in awe, wondering how and when the hell he got this wise. But he knew he was right. He can’t stew on this. It’d been a little over a month since his father’s death. He would always remember him and some part would always grieve the loss. But he had a dream to accomplish, and nothing was going to hold him back. “Thank you Soren, you’re right. I think I really needed to hear that.” Soren smiles and nods at him before grabbing his fish-smelling blanket and laying down against Rayzil’s side. Zeph copies the boy’s movements against Nercostes and the two fall asleep.
After small snores echo in the night does Nercostes look towards his sister with his large red eyes. She returns his gaze with her golden ones, both pairs seeming to almost glow in the light of the fire. “Well, are you ready for this Rayzil? You’re finally going to get the adventure you’ve been dreaming of.” Rayzil responds to her brother with a quiet voice, careful not to wake up their Veisha. “Of course I’m ready Nerc. Adventure has been my dream since I was a hatchling, and Soren is helping me bring that into fruition. But what about you? Are you ready for this?” Nercostes looks toward a sleeping Zeph before returning his gaze to Rayzil. “I must be ready. I have to help Zephares achieve his dreams. We will be the best.” A sad look crawls onto the younger Dragon’s face. “But what’s your dream brother? You know if you told Zeph you didn’t want to do this he would-” “No.” Nercostes interrupts her. “My dream is to help Zephares accomplish his dreams. If he is happy, then so am I.” Rayzil shakes her head and sighs, dropping the conversation. Nercostes lets out a heavy breath before speaking “We should get some sleep. As soon as the sun is up, we will leave. We should make it to The Capital by the early afternoon if we can make good time.” The two Dragons then lay their heads on the ground and join their Veisha in slumber.
