The classmates that had been milling around, chatting about their chosen beasts, grew silent. They turned to stare at Si-Woo, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and envy. The whispers grew louder as they began to murmur among themselves, pointing and speculating about what it could mean.
"What is that?" someone asked, their voice barely above a whisper.
Si-Woo's mind raced as he studied the creature. It was definitely a wyvern, but the purity of its color was something he had never encountered in the annals of the academy's extensive library. The creature's eyes were a piercing blue, with a ring of gold around the pupil that seemed to dance with the light. Its scales were a brilliant white, untouched by the dirt and grime of the world.
The teacher, whose name was Lady Ein, approached him cautiously, her eyes never leaving the baby wyvern. When she was close enough, she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "That... that's not just an ordinary wyvern," she said in a shaky voice. The class grew still, their whispers silenced by the gravity of her words.
"It's a Whiteblood," she breathed, her eyes wide with disbelief. "A breed we thought had gone extinct millennia ago."
The whispers grew into a crescendo of gasps and murmurs as the class gathered around Si-Woo and the baby wyvern. The creature looked at him, its four eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and something akin to trust.
Lady Ein stepped closer, her eyes never leaving the wyvern. Her voice trembled with excitement and fear as she spoke, "The Whitebloods are said to be the ancestors of all other wyverns. They were the protectors of the first Ondurian kings, a symbol of purity and power. It's a legend that one would be born again, a beacon of hope in a time of darkness."
Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, all Si-Woo could hear was the thunderous beating of his own heart. He looked at the creature, its scales shimmering like freshly fallen snow, its eyes as deep and as mysterious as the night sky. It was as if the universe itself had sent him a sign, a chance to step out of the shadows and into the light.
With trembling hands, he reached up to the creature, his finger tracing the smooth, downy scale between its eyes. It leaned into his touch, making a small, contented noise. He took a deep breath and whispered, "If you want to bond with me, you'll have to accept this." He then took his hand and bit into his thumb, wincing as the pain shot through him. The coppery scent of his own blood filled the air, mixing with the crisp, clean scent of the baby wyvern's scales.
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He held out his hand, the blood welling from his thumb. The wyvern stared at him for a moment, and then, to his amazement, it mirrored his action. Its tiny, sharp teeth pierced the skin on its own paw, drawing a bead of crimson. The creature leaned in, its breath warm on his palm, and touched the wound to his. A spark of energy crackled between them, the smell of ozone sharp in his nose. He felt something warm and tingling spread up his arm and into his chest, filling him with a sense of belonging he had never felt before.
Lady Ein watched, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. "It's a bond," she whispered, her voice trembling. "A true bond."
The class was silent, their eyes locked on Si-Woo and the creature. The air was thick with anticipation as the blood of man and beast mingled. The moment was sacred, a bond that would be remembered in the annals of the academy.
Lady Ein's eyes were filled with unshed tears, her voice trembling with joy as she spoke, "Quickly, Si-Woo, you must give it a name!" The urgency in her tone was palpable, a recognition of the significance of this moment.
As the bond between Si-Woo and the Whiteblood grew stronger, the creature began to lick at his thumb with surprising tenderness. The saliva stung at first, but the pain quickly subsided, replaced by a warm, comforting sensation that spread through his veins. He stared into the wyvern's eyes, each pupil surrounded by a ring of gold, and whispered to himself, "I've been thinking long and hard about what my bond's name would be. But looking at you now, only one name feels right."
He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. The pressure of the moment was immense, but in his soul, he knew. "I will call you 'Z'," he announced, the name resonating through the air. The creature paused in its ministrations, its gaze locking with his. It felt like a silent nod of acceptance, a pact sealed not just in blood but in the very fabric of their beings.
As if in response to the bonding ceremony, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the training grounds, carrying with it the scent of the forest. It grew stronger, more insistent until it was a full-blown gale that had the students clutching their robes tightly around them. Then, in the distance, a sound so primal and powerful that it seemed to shake the very earth itself. A roar, so fierce and ancient that it could only belong to one creature. A Whiteblood.
Si-Woo looked at his thumb in astonishment, the wound from the bonding ritual already closed, leaving only the faintest of scars. It was as if the creature's essence had imbued him with its own healing power. He felt a strange tug in his chest, a pull towards the source of that roar.
The other students watched in awe as the baby Whiteblood took to the air, its wings unfurling in a display of power and grace that belied its size. It grew larger with every beat, until it was a gleaming beacon of white against the darkening sky, the gold of its pupils flashing in the fading light.