The Dragon Knight Academy stood at the peaks of Blazing Mountains, welcoming the rays of the autumn sun through its mosaic windows, making the school grounds seem magical with the colors of the light.

Cordelia sat down at her desk, taking little notes and playing with her quil, as Master Lysanthir explained the formations of the stars. She rolled up the sleeves of her uniform to ease herself from the afternoon heat. The little ink droplets from her quil left tiny little marks on the polished desk as she did. She put her silver hair up into a ponytail, which made her grayish-blue eyes even more visible. Her pale skin had a pink-ish hue under the sunlight.

As Cordelia took her notes, the whole classroom silently listened to the teacher, some with boredom, some with interest while a few others just slept through the lesson.

A sudden thud against her shoulder distracted Cordelia from her notes. Startled, she turned to find Daniel, his blue eyes darting nervously between her and Master Lysanthir, silently urging her to read the crumpled note he had discreetly tossed her way. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he mouthed "Read it!" before quickly redirecting his gaze to the front of the class, feigning innocence.

Cordelia opened the note. It was hastily written, but definitely getting his point across.

“You, me, Theo, Seb, Wyvernhill Village, Bakery, Pie. It's blueberry day.”

Cordelia smiled. She glanced back at Daniel and gave him a thumbs up. Daniel returned the gesture while mouthing “Yes!” with a genuine excitement on his face, before he turned his attention back to the blackboard.

“And finally,” said Master Lysanthir, “The Arian constellation. The sword tip has been used by sailors to navigate the seas. Just like the Goddess Ariadne herself, it serves to guide the people in need. And with that last constellation, our lesson is concluded. When you're done taking notes, you may leave.”

He sat down on his desk as people got ready to leave.

The hustling sounds of papers came from the whole classroom, as everyone took their final notes to have their afternoon break. Daniel was already finished writing. When Cordelia saw him packing up, she hastily wrote down the last passage. Daniel was waiting next to her desk, looking at her from above.

“Hurry up, Lia! The pies are waiting to be consumed!” said Daniel excitedly.

“Your pie addiction is getting out of hand, you know.” Cordelia grinned.

“What can I say? It was love at first bite.” Daniel said, laughing at his own joke.

Cordelia chuckled softly, slipping her notebook into her worn leather bag.

“Well. I’ve heard worse ones from you, I suppose.” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone.

As they prepared to leave, Master Lysanthir suddenly spoke.

“Faerondal, you may stay.”

Cordelia and Daniel froze, tension replacing their earlier ease. Daniel's excitement dimmed, uncertainty clouding his expression.

“What now?” he whispered to Cordelia.

With her bags packed, Cordelia approached Master Lysanthir's desk, while Daniel lingered near the door. As Master Lysanthir finished writing, Cordelia motioned for Daniel to leave without her.

“No!” Daniel silently protested.

“Yes! Go!” Cordelia answered.

Daniel rolled his eyes, muttering as he exited the classroom. It was a choice between waiting for Cordelia or indulging in pies, and naturally, Daniel chose the latter.

Master Lysanthir finally set his quill down and turned his attention to Cordelia.

“Sorry to take you away from Brightsteel's pie cravings, but it has been some time since your last rune examination.”

“Oh. Right.” Cordelia replied, a sudden recollection dawning upon her.

Each Dragon Knight bore a rune etched into their flesh during the Binding Ritual, a ceremony undertaken at the age of fourteen when they were bound to their dragons. This ritual, though necessary, was perilous, as it would nearly half-kill them to send their souls to the Void, where the Celestial Dragons resided. A Dragon Knight's soul remained incomplete until successfully bound to a Celestial Dragon, leaving them vulnerable to wild dragon attacks and even monsters drawn by their soul's resonance, like moths to a light.

Given the inherent danger posed by children with dragon souls, they were taken away at a very young age to undergo rigorous training as Dragon Knights. This precaution was necessary, for the prideful nature of Dragons meant that the soul binding ritual could have dire consequences. Should the dragons deem them unworthy, the soul binding would result in the destruction of the child's soul, a fate resulting in death. Fortunately, such occurrences were rare, and those deemed worthy gained the ability to summon and command dragons in battle, solidifying their bond as Dragon Knights.

Summoning dragons was not without its risks, however. The power of their souls, used to open passages to the Void for the dragons to pass through, also drained the summoner's soul rapidly. Thus, Knights had to summon them carefully and strategically.

Cordelia faced a unique challenge in this regard. Her soul depleted more quickly and intensely than others, meaning she could risk her life with each summoning. Master Lysanthir, noticing this issue, inadvertently became her savior. As a scholar of Celestial Dragons, he sought a solution to Cordelia's problem while expanding his own knowledge.

Cordelia rolled up her left sleeve even higher, baring the intricate runes that trailed from her shoulder down to her palm, emitting a gentle, icy-blue glow.

“I didn't have any problems in the last few months in Commander Talia's training.” Cordelia said. “Whatever that potion was, it really did wonders.”

A faint smile appeared on Master Lysanthir's face which was a rare sight among Moon Elves. His expression softened by genuine relief.

“That's very reassuring to hear. I suppose the Lyrian mountain lavenders actually helped this time.”

Cordelia nodded in agreement, “It probably did.”

“May I take a look?” Master Lysanthir held out his hand. Despite the fact that he's been doing this for years, he would still always respectfully ask for permission to touch her arm.

Cordelia stepped closer, allowing him to examine her arm. His deep blue eyes darted back and forth, trying to recall the shapes of the runes. His skin glowed with silver magical particles as he carefully jotted down notes. After analyzing the runes on her underarm, he replicated the pattern on his parchment. He had been copying her intricate runes in sections since he found them more complex than any others he had encountered.

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Eventually, he gently released her arm, and Cordelia lowered her sleeve halfway as Master Lysanthir finished his notes.

"I have been trying to find an alternative to lyrian lavenders," he explained. "With the ongoing political issues in Lyroen, obtaining anything magical has become quite difficult."

Lyroen was the land of Moon Elves, where the kingdom was ruled by a tyrant king in the last two centuries. Which made acquiring anything valuable from there significantly risky.

"Alright then," Cordelia replied. "I'll try to use the potions sparingly, just in case."

Master Lysanthir shook his head. "Don't take any unnecessary risks. If something feels wrong, use the potions."

Cordelia nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Before you leave," Master Lysanthir reached into the drawer under his desk and handed her a stack of parchment papers.

"I've reviewed your Elvish translation of the Memoirs of Mindarathis. Your dialect tends to lean heavily towards Wood Elvish, understandable given your upbringing with them," he pointed out the red ink marks on the paper. "However, it's important to practice the common dialect, as not many will understand you otherwise. I've made corrections throughout. Practice when you can."

Cordelia nodded and sighed, “Well, it's the only elvish I learned. I wish you didn't have so many dialects.”

“Me too.” Master Lysanthir sighed as he crossed his arms. “Now off you go. Remember, either go to Madame Liana or come to me when you feel like something is wrong. Don't take any chances.”

“Understood. Thank you, again, sir!”

Master Lysanthir nodded politely and Cordelia left the classroom. She was hoping to the Gods that Daniel actually left something for her to eat.

***

"Oh, so you came after all!” Daniel acted as if he were shocked to see her there. “You never join us unless I practically drag you out here. I was afraid you'd take the opportunity to ditch me when the Moonster called you.”

Students had taken to calling Master Lysanthir "the Moonster" due to the sheer volume of homework he assigned.

Cordelia sat down. “When have I ever ditched you?”

Daniel straightened up, then leaned in closer to the table, He opened his right hand and held his pinky with his other hand, “Want me to start counting?”

“I'd rather you hand over some blueberry pie, if you even left me any,” Cordelia retorted.

Theodore grinned. "I did. No need to worry."

Cordelia couldn't help but blush. In truth, Theodore's mere existence stirred a whirlwind of emotions within her. She had feelings for him since they were children, but she never mustered the courage to confess them. Nearly everyone in the school thought Cordelia and Daniel were a couple. It was far from the truth, however.

Cordelia was among the unfortunate students who were marked with dragon souls. While most were saved before dragon attacks, Cordelia wasn't so fortunate. The Dragon Knights arrived late to her village, already ablaze with dragon fire. After defeating the dragon, they whisked Cordelia away, forever separating her from her father and the life she once knew.

Upon her arrival at the Academy, Daniel was the first to welcome her. And then their friendship just… happened. More like Daniel just decided they were friends one day, and Cordelia simply went along with it. That was just Daniel's nature—open and friendly. Madame Liana, the headmistress, would call him a puppy in human form, a comparison not far from the truth. Daniel effortlessly just got along with everyone. His charm and good looks also helped him quite a lot in that regard. Sebastian and Theodore were his friends, but Cordelia was quickly accepted into the group.

Theodore's whole family was devoted Miraia followers: The Goddess of Harmony, Artistry, and Creation. And that would show in his demeanor. He was always quiet, polite, and well-spoken. Sebastian was the complete opposite. He came from a small farm, and his energy bursts were unmatched. They were quite similar to Daniel in terms of personality, but Sebastian was more mischievous. He loved to prank and joke around all the time. Their whole friendship dynamic was based on Sebastian and Daniel getting into trouble, and Theodore catching them and pulling them out.

Cordelia thanked Theo as he put the pie on her plate. Meanwhile, Sebastian ate his last pastry. His eyes were fixated on the baker's son, sitting behind the counter.

“You should talk to him,” Cordelia whispered, following his gaze.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, smirking as he fixed his gaze on her. Stepping closer, he glanced at her with a glint of sarcasm in his eyes. "Yeah, it's just that simple, isn't it? One should always be ready to spill their heart out, shouldn't they?" He shot Theodore a meaningful glance before returning his attention to her.

His message hung in the air, heavy with implication. Cordelia had never once expressed her true feelings to Theodore in six long years. It felt somewhat ironic for her to be preaching about opening up now, especially when she hadn't practiced what she preached.

Daniel shrugged, “At least we have reasons to come to the bakery now.”

Theodore shook his head, sighing, “The day you stop thinking with your stomach is the day Jur explodes.”

Daniel chuckled and then teased, “Then I better not stop.”

Sebastian scoffed while playing with his fork, “We won't be needing Daniel for that, honestly.” he remarked, shaking his head. “Sun Elves sank another fleet in the south. Let's hope war doesn't come all the way to Granaria.”

Cordelia listened in silence. Nyveria had declared war on the human lands a few months ago. War between humans and elves wasn’t entirely a new thing, but the fanatical belief of the current Queen's “Putting Humankind on a Leash” belief was. Though Elvenkind was still a majority in Jur, humans’ ability to spread more quickly posed a huge threat for them. Especially since they also had an easier time reproducing, even with other kinds. Half-Elves, Half-Dwarves, Half-Orcs… To the elves, this had to be stopped soon.

Theodore sighed, “We already have enough issues with monsters and Embrals. Are they even aware of that?”

Embrals were the Underworld folk. Their goal was to eradicate all life on the surface and be the only ruling race in the world, enslaving all life under them. And their biggest asset was being able to control any and every monster.

When goddess Ariadne and the other gods created The Jur with their dragons, her twin brother Zhoriah eventually succumbed to the feeling of ruling everything they had created. This caused a huge fight between them, which ended up with Zhoriah being banished by his sister. Zhoriah, before his banishment, created the ultimate race which would surpass and end the other creations. The Embrals had the determination of humans, the magical abilities of the elves, the craftsmanship of the dwarves, the resilience of the Halflings, and the strength of the Orcs, therefore posing a formidable threat. Zhoriah's pact with the Monster Goddess also granted all Embrals to bend monsters to their will.

Zhoriah and Zybelia the monster goddess created the Abyss, which gave birth to new malevolent gods, terrorizing all creations. Many loyal dragons who stood by Zhoriah got their ties tragically severed from the Void, turning them into the mindless wild dragons. Not having many choices, Ariadne had to come up with something to stop this chaos. She granted some people the ability to wield the Celestial Dragons, giving them a crucial advantage in the battle against the monsters. Of course, this would come at a cost. Celestial Dragons couldn’t reproduce efficiently in the void. Therefore, as Celestial Dragons slowly dwindled in numbers, so did the mortal children born with the powers to wield them.

The world going into chaos heralded the rise of the Embrals and fewer dragon knights in numbers to fight back. Sadly, with everyone at each other's throats, the world was definitely going that way.

Daniel sighed and slowly tapped his fist on the table, “Nevermind. Let's stop talking about ominous things.” he suggested, his eyes suddenly lighting up, “We have field training next week! Did you guys choose your partners yet?”

Sebastian raised his hands and gestured at everyone, “I mean…” he smirked, “It's gotta be someone on this table.”

Theodore arched an eyebrow, casting a suspicious glance at Daniel, “Or did you plan on choosing another partner?”

Daniel shook his head, “No! I also wanted to go with one of you.”

Sebastian grinned, volunteering eagerly, “I’m in! Lia can go with Theo.”

Cordelia's eyes suddenly widened with internal panic, feeling Sebastian's mischievous gaze as she stared silently at her empty plate. She was already having trouble managing her condition. If she got nervous while Theo was around…

Sensing her discomfort, Daniel intervened quickly. “I'll just go with Lia, as usual. We're always partnering during the training sessions. I'm used to her fighting style.”

Theodore nodded in agreement. “That's for the best. I'd rather not have you two together; it always ends up with both of you in detention.”

Sebastian sighed dramatically, “Okay, dad.”

Theodore flung his handkerchief at him, “Shut up.”