Zerine stood with Varino sitting on her shoulder. She kept glancing towards Vinessa who stood causally next to them as they waited to for the dragon riders to come get them.
“I thought only the dragon riders would allow us to go with them?” Zerine wondered. She thought Vinessa was simply escorting them to the meeting location, but now, as the time was quickly approaching, Zerine had to ask.
Vinessa smiled. “Like I when we first met, I’m going to train you, Kamar, Fiamma, and Varino. This also means when you go off with dragon riders. They’ll do the more physical focused training, while I do the refining.”
“I…would you not call what we did physical?” Zerine wondered. She had bled, ran, and fought over the past few days. She had worked every muscle group, worked on stretching routines, and more.
Vinessa giggled, startling Zerine. It sounds musical and free. Again Zerine felt at ease and home when with Vinessa, even if during training she was scary.
“Yeah, you got me. You in particular will get more of the same, but we planned on adding more fighting styles and versatility so you can adapt whenever you get your crest. I also want to build your foundation up. Right now you're more like…” she held a hand up parallel to the ground and moved it left and right. “A mix bag of things. Your will is diffuse. Fighting styles are a bit too rigid and you have habits that need to get broken so you can truly be unpredictable and adaptable. Same goes with Varino.”
Varino peeped, her gaze narrowing on Vinessa, who only raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, you barely use wind magic outside of certain circumstances. You got a staff, but need more practice using it to empower your spells and combat. And the same goes for my goal on your foundations as well. But I’m also going because of a deal I made with the dragons. We are still missing two and the riders themselves.”
Zerine blinked.
“Two?” Zerine said right as Varino whistled, asking the same question.
“Yes,” Vinessa confirmed.
“Are you going to say more?” Zerine wondered after waiting for a few seconds.
“Hm? Oh, they’ll be here soon. I woke you up to get more training in. They are ahead of you in that area, so they didn’t join us. And probably won’t join you two because their needs are a bit different. You'll see.”
A comfortable silence fell till Varino perked up and turned to look in for chittering excitedly.
“Fiamma is on their way?” Zerine wondered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vinessa smile.
Sure enough, a minute later Fiamma and a red faced Kamar flew in the clearing.
“Sorry! Marigold had me doing some last minute flying warmup before I could come,” Kamar said, panting.
“You aren’t late. And you made good time,” Vinessa said, giving Kamar a warm smile.
“Kamar, you're joining us?” Zerine asked, a suspicion sparking to life.
“Yeah! It’s sort of my introduction to what I will do in a few more months.”
“Kamar…are you the dragon chosen? I heard Cassel and Bob talking about a solar fairy chosen by the Lord of Flame.”
Kamar fidgeted. She didn’t need her instincts telling her that Kamar was surprised as her friend’s wings twitching, which was her tell. The sheepish and embarrassed smile growing across her friend’s face was more than enough.
Zerine squeaked and hug her friend.
“You should have told me! I’ll keep it a secret, but gods that’s exciting!”
Kamar hugged her tightly back. So tight. In fact, Zerine couldn’t breathe.
“Kamar!” Zeirne weased.
“Sorry, sorry,” Kamar loosened, and Zerine took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, Fiamma and Varino excitedly chatting. It sounded like a crackling and popping campfire was having a conversation with a rainstorm.
“It’s been a lot to get used to. And its not quite official. I still have to pass some trials and there are two others that the Lord of Flames could still select,” Kamar said. Her nerves coming across in the slightly higher-pitched tone and in the flare up in Zerine’s instincts.
“You just have to do your best. And the riders and myself will prepare you,” Vinessa reassured Kamar, who gave the other fairy a slightly less nervous smile.
Zerine snorted.
“Kamar, you and Fiamma, I bet my Iridesium shard, you are at the top of the list. A solar fairy and a fire elemental are a perfect match and that is just your talking about your affinities. Adding your personalities it’s nearly a sure-fire thing. Pung intended,” Zerine said with a grin.
Her words made Kamar laugh.
“Well said Zerine,” Vinessa said. “But you have an Iridesium shard?”
Zerine coughed slightly, not meeting Vinessa’s gaze.
“Hmm, I assume Ava has the rare materials you got from your trial?“
Zerine nodded.
“Good, but you should be safe to carry it in your spatial storage necklace. I can’t even get into it. Falkor’s gift is great and will be used for your entire life.”
Zerine blinked.
“I’m the one who crafted that spatial storage bead that Marigold gifted you. So, I know,” Vinessa said, her gaze looking up at the clouds, or at least Zerine assumed so based on the fairy’s slightly upward tilt to her head.
“Ah, I have most of my stuff in it. But mom wanted to examine the items. I even got this tiny gemstone from a Starborn, but that disappeared,” Zerine said. Not sure why she felt so willing to share, but if mom and dad had shown Vinessa the trial, then they trust Vinessa. But deep down, she knew there was more to it than just her parents’ tacit approval. There was something about Vinessa. She didn’t know what, but it was there.
“Hmm, the Nova gemstone? Sashi is researching it,” Vinessa said, still looking up at the clouds.
“A Nova gem!?” Kamar said excitedly. Happy to the keep the conversation away from her dragon chosen status. “Zerine, those are rare! I only heard of them being in powerful staffs or wands. Like the ones people ascend with!”
“I guess that’s why Sashi is researching it. Or maybe making some designs for me whenever I get my crest,” Zerine said nonchalantly.
Kamar rolled her eyes. “She says like having an Iridesium chunk and a powerful Nova gemstone is normal.”
Vinessa snorted a laugh, while Varino and Fiamma chittered and crackled their laughs.
Zerine sighed. “Says the woman who is going to be a dragon’s chosen.”
Kamar blushed.
“Right, enough of the teasing. I see them heading our way. It’s time to tell you what the rest of your time training with the dragon riders will be like,” Vinessa said, then turned to look at them all.
“Your going to be joining a group of rider recruits. Eight of them, to be exact. Five of them are bonded, while the other three are training to be ready to find their hatchlings or older partner.”
Varino patted Zerine’s head and pointed up into the sky, where a tiny dot was rapidly drawing closer.
Arashi landed in a blash of air a moment later.
Zerine and Vinessa barely reacted, but Kamar took several startled steps back.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Oh, by the way, the others will most likely challenge both of you tow fights. Especially you Varino and Kamar,” Vinessa said casually.
“What!” came from Kamar and Zerine.
Whistle and chimes!
But before Vinessa, who was grinning from ear to ear, could say anything, Bob appeared.
He bowed deeply to Vinessa.
“It’s an honor to meet you the-”
“Please, no formalities. We’ll be seeing each other a lot over the next year and a half,” Vinessa said, then bobbed her head back and forth. “Actually, probably a little over two years.”
Zerine glanced at Vinessa. She knew Vinessa was powerful, but just how powerful -and more importantly- just who exactly was she. Zerine had shared plenty about herself, especially after Marigold and a message from her mother said Vinessa could be trusted. Vinessa asked plenty of questions and only shared a little bit here or there.
What exactly was Bob about to say? Zerine thought.
She glanced towards Kamar, who was smiling brightly, admiring Arashi. The dragon in turn observed the fairy as she folder her massive four wings along her back.
Her friends hadn’t said much about Vinessa, almost like there was magic that made it so they couldn’t say anything. Which was more likely than anything. It annoyed her to no end, but she was used to secrets.
Bob had straightened, giving Vinessa a nervous smile.
“Well, we should go,” Bob said.
“Do you want me to teleport us? or,” Vinessa strained.
“I thought you didn’t know the location of the transfer gate?” Bob wondered, his gaze narrowing.
Vinessa smirked. “I don’t!” she said cheerfully. “I could just teleport us there directly. Celestial fairies are incredibly adept at that magic.”
Bob just starred at Vinessa while Arashi began to laugh. A rumbling sound that vibrated the ground under Zerine’s feet.
“I’ll just do that so you all can keep that transfer gate secret,” Vinessa said cheerfully then snapped her finger.
Light filled Zerine’s vision.
***
When they had appeared, Zerine had to blink to clear her eyes. The early light of the morning had been replaced by the midday sun and she had been looking up at the sky, which had been replaced by the sun. By the time her eyes had cleared, Vinessa had vanished and there was a group of young adults around her age looking at them.
“Alright!” Kaz shouted, making the group of rider recruits stand straighter. There were eight plus Zerine, Kamar, and the two elementals. The eight were in a straight line, while Zerine’s group was off to the side in a small cluster.
Zerine kept seeing curious glances from the line of recruits.
“We have some guests that will be joining your training sessions,” Kaz said, gesturing with a clawed hand towards their group.
“Guest?”
“They aren’t even dragon riders?”
“Look two elementals!”
“Wow, a fairy! We get to train with a fairy!”
Were just some of the things Zerine heard as the small group muttered amongst themselves. Kaz let them mutter for a moment or two before continuing.
“I’m sure you all have heard that the Lords of Flame and Water are searching for their chosen for this era. Well, Kamar here is a solar fairy. She is currently one of the few being considered.”
At that news, all the riders gaped at Kamar who smiled back and did a quick bow.
“The fire elemental is called Fiamma. Both are nearing C-rank and-”
“You all are welcome to challenge her, but it won’t impact your rating if you win or lose. Who knows, maybe if you beat her or out perform her, I’m sure you’ll get some attention,” Cassel said. His tone made seem like it was an option, but in her instincts Zerine knew the man doubted any of them could, but just wanted to push them.
Oh, great. Cassel is putting targets on us, Zerine thought dryly as the excited and curious looks turned to greed, and appraising.
“Next there is Varino,” Kaz went on shooting Cassel a look.
Zerine still wasn’t great at reading Scalekin expressions, but was happy to cheat. Kaz was a little annoyed about Cassel taking the best part of Kamar’s introduction. It also didn’t surprise her she was going to be introduced last. Kaz didn’t really like her and Cassel was a mixed bag.
Food for the Metal Heads, she thought, knowing that once the other got their asses beat by Kamar, they would go after her or Varino. Although after Varino destroyed them, then it would be Zerine who would become the beating bag. It was like when she was in class. Once the bullies found a weak link, they pound into them. Zerine wasn’t stupid. She knew she was the weak link. If it came to a fight, she probably could beat some of them if they weren’t peak E-rank, but something told her that most were probably close to that or in D-rank.
“She is a fellow rider in training. A storm elemental and bonded to Bronte, a storm dragon hatchling,” Kaz said.
“The bond is strong, so attempting to prove you're more worthy than her is pretty much zero,” Cassel said as the greedy looks went to Varino. “But she is a rider, so beating her in challenges will improve your rating. And last is Zerine, a noble, and temporary addition,” Cassel said casually, waving a hand at Zerine, who bowed.
An internal struggle ensured as she fought back an eye roll and a pulse of annoyance from the introduction. Clearly, Cassel really wanted her to be a target. Something told her this was part of that breaking her that she was warned about.
The greedy looks turned to hostility when they all locked on to her. Zerine felt a tingling sensation on her shoulder and could guess -without looking- there were tiny sparks emitting from Varino. Varino liked Cassel, while Zerine was still on the fence about him.
One thing Varino hated was how he disregarded Zerine. Even though Zerine had told the spirit, Cassel didn’t really disregard her, but simply didn’t want to waste his time on her or understand why he had to deal with this. What she didn’t tell Varino was that Cassel had been attempting to get the spirit to forget bonding with Zerine. That would probably piss the spirit off and that would be bad for everyone to deal with for next year and a half.
“You just let nobles fake being one of us?” a tall elf said, glaring daggers at Zerine.
“I’m not actually a noble,” Zerine said, shooting Cassel a glare, who had the audacity to wink with the eye that the other couldn’t see. Her gaze narrowed for the briefest of moments and mentally sighed. “I’ll be giving up the title to pursue being an adventurer.”
“Yes, I forgot about that. Oh, but Varino will be her familiar when she gets her crest too,” Cassel said.
Ooooh, oh, you little shit, Zerine thought, knowing exactly where this was going.
The elf’s glare turned to disgust and outrage.
“A crestless!?” he said, his voice cracking. Zerine had to stop herself from laughing at how furious the elf was setting. “A familiar if bonded to a dragon is encouraged to break the union bond. It could stifle their and that of the dragon’s growth.”
“Dragon families have killed the other partner if they refused to end the bond,” a snide voice came from a bear of a man. Which now she got a better look, it was quite possible that he actually was part bear. Brown curly hair obscured the top of his human-like face. He didn’t have ears visible even though his hair was more of a square-ish afro that left the sides of his head clear.
There was a crack of thunder, which was when Zerine realized it had been steadily getting darker around them. A small cluster of thunder clouds had started form over head.
Varino pointed at the Beastkin and looked at Fiamma. The spirit chittered and trill. Fiamma laughed. Its crackling laugh only grew as Varino rolled her eyes and chimed. Meanwhile Zerine and Kamar snorted a laugh that they both stiffed. Cassel, though, roared with laughter.
The Beastkin frowned.
“I don’t find any of this funny,” he said, glaring at Varino, who only smiled brightly and pointed, then did a firm chime. An obvious challenge.
Cassel only laughed harder, while Kaz looked like he was resigned to what was about to happen.
“What did it say,” the Beastkin asked, glaring at the spirit who was now drifting on a storm cloud.
“Oooh shit. He might die,” Kamar said under breath with a broad grin that was more vicious than from humor. Her words snapped Zerine from her absolute rage at the Beastkin’s words and she laughed derisively. The fool had broken one of the unspoken rules of their world.
Never piss off an elemental. And at the top of the elemental list were storm elementals.
“Varino said an unbonded cub should know to never question its betters. Especially an elementals judgment. Then she went on about insulting how you may never find a dragon because you’re self centered, willpower is diffuse, and after that I lost track. And the last was a challenge…obviously,” Cassel said after finally regaining composure.
“Why you,” the Beastkin snarled.
Varino whistled another taunt.
The Beastkin’s gaze narrowed.
“I accept your challenge.”
Kaz waved a hand, and everyone was moved away, while a dome appeared over the pair. The dome was around forty feet in diameter and a very light shade of blue. Clouds were already forming inside the barrier.
“Does that count as a fowl in the challenge?” Zerine whispered to Kamar jerking her head at teh clouds.
“Gods no. Spirits fully unleashing their aura will affect the ambient mana and weather in Varino’s case. It’s just a side effect and one reason you don’t piss off spirits,” Kamar whispered back.
“To be honest, I never thought I would ever see Varino actually angry.”
“Elementals are all mostly good natured. It takes a lot to get them angry. And insulting you, threatening you, then calling her an…It. Well, now we get to see how quickly a recruit will be turned to paste.”
Zerine watched as Kaz handed Varino and the Beastkin dueling bracelets. They would act like barriers and markers to ensure no one was hurt too badly during the duel. If a fatal blow landed, the barrier would protect the person from being killed, but it would mark the end of the duel.
“Bow,” Kaz called. He was back to standing just outside of the barrier. A new person Zerine had never seen before was standing next to Kaz, with a slight frown on his face.
Varino bowed, still standing on her roiling clouds, while the Beastkin did the same.
“Ready! Begin!”
There was a flash of lightning accompanied by the boom of thunder. Varino became a streak of lightning. The Beastkin created a mana barrier looking like he realized just how out matched he was. The streak shattered the mana barrier as the angry spirit punched right through it.
BOOM!
The Beastkin was blasted back as if shot out of cannon then smashed into the opposite wall of the barrier with an audible crunch.
Everyone went. “oooh,” with groans and winces.
The Beastkin slid to a ground that was now wet as a thunderstorm raged in the dome. His barrier was gone and, based on how he slumped to the side, was unconscious.
Varino let out a sigh, and the clouds faded as Kaz and the man moved to the Beastkin’s side. Glowing purple hands from the newcomer revealed him to be some kind of healer.
Varino skipped up to Zerine and chimed.
“I’m glad that helped you feel better. But violence might not always be the answer…But good job. One hell of a solid punch,” Zerine said.
“Hell yeah. A three affinity combination too! Nice,” Kamar said brightly. Varino acted shy, flapping a hand as if to hush Kamar, who giggled. “But he deserved it. Threatening Zerine like that and calling you… nasty things, is just wrong,” Kamar said.
Varino drifted up on a cloud and happily sat on Zerine’s shoulder. She trilled and whistled.
“The bracelet protected him. He will be up and run-”
“I challenge Zerine. She loses…she leaves,” the elf called.
The healer was taking the Beastkin on a hovering stretcher, but froze at the challenge. Kaz scowled and looked like he was about to decline for Zerine, but she shouted.
“I accept, but there will be rules.”