Aster

“What do you mean she's grounded? What does that even mean?” I all but shouted almost standing up before catching myself, it was my second time asking Roslin the question but I needed to make sure I understood.

“I mean, the nobles have pushed the issue of an exotic creature, specifically a dragon not bound to a nobel flying over the kingdom to a point where he can’t say no to them. So, she’s been restricted to the tower for now. The king is working on fixing it. It’ll just take time.” Roslin repeated herself again.

I was surprised, angry, and confused. There were so many emotions running through me I didn't know what to think.

“Why does that even matter? She bonded to me!” I threw my hands up. “She hasn't even hurt anyone!”

Roslin grimaced. “Well, that’s the whole reason the city is even allowing her here. Normally, a bond has to be registered when it enters the city, and a magical contract is signed by both parties stating the bond will not harm anyone. An exotic bond not bound to a high-ranking noble or military officer normally isn't allowed in the city at all because most times it's strong enough to break it.”

I tilted my head. Why would you do something like that? I let out a growl of annoyance.

I provided the bond again. I understood why she didn’t want to speak. She was as upset as I was for her. Her training, leveling, and growth had all been put on hold. At the pace she had been going, she could have been level seventy-five and classing up in less than a year. I was as upset as she was. But not speaking was something I didn't want her to do. I wanted to help her.

“We are working to get it sorted out, and Silt isn’t pleased either.” Roslin continued after I didn’t respond for a moment. “The nobles just seem set on not allowing it.

“What about Baldwin?” I asked. I didn't know much about him and had hardly seen him recently, but his role seemed important enough to have weight.

“Baldwin…Well, he was born a noble. He has to be neutral in things like this, or it could cause his family issues, but between you and me, he’s not happy about nobles dictating what should be his area of command.”

I nodded slowly, then sighed. There was nothing I could do besides wait for someone who could do something to do something. It was nice to know that there were people working on it, but it was frustrating.

“Well, this was something you needed to know, but I’m sure you want to be with Umbra, so I’ll let you go,” Roslin said

“There was something I actually need to ask quickly,” I said before I could forget. I quickly explained the dungeon, the trip I’d be taking soon, and how the discussion of armor was mentioned.

Roslin, probably glad at the change of subject, seemed to agree with Kat “Armor is vital in any combat-oriented profession, even if it’s only light armor. It’s really up to you what you get. We riders don't have a set code for it. Yes, we all wear a specialty-made undersuit, but that's for the high-altitude cold, so it's not something you have to worry about."

Roslin rubbed her chin thoughtfully, thinking, "Maybe you should get one. They provide other benefits than just cold protection. Here, let me write down the shop's name and the part in the merchant district it’s in. Ask for Ragron. He’s an old tough bastard, but he’ll charge fair if you give him this paper. The shop sells other armor to put over it as well”.

I took the paper and looked over the directions and then took the other slip she folded after writing on. With everything I needed done, I got up and started upstairs. I wasn’t aiming to be rude to Roslin by not talking to her. She had been exceptionally helpful the entire time I had been here. I was upset at what had happened, and yelling at her wouldn’t do anything.

When I entered my room, before my eyes even landed on Umbra, I spotted the claw marks that cracked the ground on the balcony. She had to have been really upset at the time to do that. Looking at the pale blue lump on the bed, I stopped for a moment. She was big enough now that her tail was draping off the side. Her scales had started to darken in the middle of her back to what I assumed would eventually be purple, but the ones on the outer edge, the blue, seemed to be the same color as when she first hatched.

I walked up to her and gently rubbed the scale on her back. Umbra’s head was hidden under her wing so I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she was awake. Letting out a sigh after prodding her mentally had no result. I knew there was only one way to draw her out now.

Taking the wrapped object out of my storage, I slowly unwrapped it, the sweet scent of the still-hot cake leaking into the air.

“I know you’re upset, but you can’t mope here for too long. People are working on it, and I’m sure Silt can teach you a fair bit while still in the tower.”

“It’s not fair. I’m not allowed to fly because humans decided it. It’s only because they're stronger than me. I’m a dragon. A dragon! But they can still tell me what to do.”

I let out a snort as I ripped a piece of the cake off. The texture felt soft in my fingers, and I had to be careful so it didn’t crumble as I held it under her wing. It was scooped up, and a moment later, I saw her eye and snout poke out.

“Well, if you wanted, we could leave the city, and no, we don’t have to go back to the forest if you don’t want to. There is a thing called the adventures guild, and it sounds interesting, a good way to level at least.” I placed another piece next to her snout and let her eat it while taking a bit myself.

“No, you’re learning a lot, and so am I, and we're only going to be here for two years. That’s a small time for what we can gain.”

I nodded slowly and grinned at her. “We’ll get to a point where no one will be able to stop you from flying.”

Umbra let out a hiss of agreement. "There will be a day where no one will dare think to tell us what to do."

[Title Bonded has been updated to Bonded Equals]

I shivered at the notification, the feeling that ran through my body like a knot tightening in my chest.

[Bonded Speech evolved into Bonded Mind - Rank One]

Sharing a look with Umbra, I brought up the description of the evolved skill. I'd thought that in order to evolve a skill, it had to go through ten ranks. Did that not apply to skills given by the class?

[Bonded Mind - By being bonded to a sentient race, having an elevated bond and a shared goal, you can now share thoughts easier as well as the ability to use the bonded’s scenes at a closer range. The total Wisdom from both bonded parties determines the range.]

I tilted my head as I reread it twice, rubbing my hand over Umbra's scales. I could feel the bond in the back of my head and the emotions from Umbra inside it. It was like I'd opened the door to bond and couldn't close it. It made my mind feel crowded. It wasn't that I minded her feelings, but now it felt like they were more mine and not just someone else's. Her anger and sadness at being unable to fly had me starting to fume, and I had to take a moment to calm down from the sudden emotion.

"This is new," I said, for lack of a better word.

"It feels like an improvement," Umbra rumbled, and her mood seemed to change in an instant, excitement racing through her. "What was the other effect that could be done now? Sense sharing?"

"Sense sharing, I don't know how it works, though." I hummed, focusing on the skill, trying to figure out its intricacies.

One of the things I learned in the Fundamentals of Magic course was how skills your class gave you weren't instantly understood. I'd had an easy time understanding some skills based on my previous experience, like the mana arrow and speaking through the bond, but this new part of the skill I had to figure out.

Focusing on the bond, I grasped it like I would a thread, picturing it as a softly glowing amethyst-colored line in my mind. Usually, there was a block of some form that stopped me after only looking at it. It worked for finding Umbra and feeling her surface emotions. Not this time. Now, it appeared I could follow the bond.

An Idea passed before I got started, and I crossed my legs, sitting snugly against Umbra, giving her the rest of the cake, quickly explained my idea, and then got started.

I started by using the skill Meditation to clear my mind. I still hadn't managed to do so with my eyes open, but I didn't need them for this.

With my mind clear, I started to follow the bond.

The first minute was easy, almost a straight line, but as I continued, it seemed to start to wind and eventually twisted back on itself multiple times. The experience of feeling like I was moving when I knew I wasn't made it all the more difficult.

Eventually, it grew too confusing as the thread-like bond grew too complex, and I felt like I couldn't go any further. I waited for a moment, watching the mental image of the thread. Then, after a moment, I pulled back, bringing myself out of the bond, and stared at myself.

I tried blinking or moving my head, and my body moved. I watched as I raised my hand, moving it around. Everything was in a slightly different hue, the colors off ever so slightly. The room was in crisp detail. I could even pick out the small crack near the bathroom door.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Aster? What are you doing?" Umbra asked, and her voice sounded louder than usual, not yelling but almost like it enveloped me.

My view shifted backward and turned slightly, and for the first time, I noticed the snout in front of me. It all clicked into place for me. I was looking through Umbra's eyes.

"This is so cool!" I raised my fist in the air in excitement, then winced as one bounced off of Umbra's side. "Sorry."

"This is a weird feeling. What are you doing?" Umbra asked again.

I ran her through what I'd seen and done while trying to move around the room from Umbra's different point of view. After following the bond backward, I opened my eyes back in my own head. Next, Umbra, with some direction, was able to repeat the process. Like she had said, there was a weird feeling, like a soft pressure on my eyes, not painful but noticeable.

Umbra let out a hiss of laughter. "Is this how all humans see the world? It's so hard to see anything."

"I think they actually see less than I do."

I watched Umbra as she raised a talon and then turned her head from one side to the other.

My bond was as vain as they could get as she happily examined her scales under her own gaze. Umbra experimented with moving her wings and watching them with fascination. Eventually, she returned to her own eyesight.

"So, what do you think? I don't know how bonds work, but do all bonded dragons get the ability to do this, and will there be more abilities later? The way the bond looks, it seems like there's more. We just can't reach it without more practice." I took out a notebook, taping the quill on my chin as I wrote down what I’d experienced. I enjoyed having notes to go over, and this was important to remember.

The instructor, Union, for the bonded course, had said that skills could be developed over time based on the bond, but this seemed different somehow.

"I think that the longer we're bonded, the more things we'll be able to share. With the title changing, it feels like we only just started."

I grinned at her. I could only imagine how close we would continue to grow closer. Wrapping one arm around one of her legs, I gave her a hug as an idea appeared.

"Say Umbra, what do you think about joining me when you're not working with Silt? I'm sure not all the classes will be boring to you."

Umbra tilted her head thoughtfully. She didn't need to ask what I was thinking with as open as the bond was, especially when focusing even slightly on it. "I think I will. I'm interested to see what the game you mentioned looks like. I do think, though, that we should keep this a secret for now."

I raised an eyebrow. "Even from Roslin and Slit?" I hadn't planned to tell anyone but couldn't find a reason to keep it a secret on purpose.

"Yes, I do like them, but I don't know. They're helping us, but we've only known them for a few weeks, and they're here because they were ordered to be."

I wanted to object, but Umbra wasn't wrong. Did they even want to be here? Nodding slowly, I had to agree with her. There wasn't a point to tell them as we'd only be giving away our own secrets.

I laid back down on the bed, spreading my hands out above me. I was learning more about magic than I knew what to do with. I grunted as Umbra laid her head on my chest, then squealed as her tongue flicked out, licking my ear. I tried to move, but her head was too heavy. "This is unfair," I complained as her tongue flicked out again.

Umbra blinked one eye at me. "I could be persuaded to get up for some more cake. I know you didn't just get one."

Rolling my eyes, I almost let out another squeak as her tongue lapped my ear again.

"Fine, fine, fine! Here!" I squealed, holding up another one of the breaded items with frosting on top. I sighed in relief as she raised her head, but I had a feeling she was going to wring all of the cake out of me.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kat asked.

I shrugged, looking at the building. To say it was old was an understatement. The name the paper Roslin had given me was right. The Klink-n-Ragon smithy was a dump. The iron on the wooden door was rusted, and the wood was cracked in so many places it looked like it had been glued back together. Hesitantly, I looked between Kat and Fernand. We had finished up at the academy, and now we were here to look at armor.

"Well, maybe the inside will be better?" Fernand suggested.

I took a breath and nodded, walking in. To my astonishment, the place had a working bell that let out a soft ting noise as we went in.

"One minute." The voice sounded from the opposite side of the shop. I looked around. The inside was slightly better than the outside. Armor racks lined the left and right walls with armor. The armor was perhaps the only thing that didn't look to be in poor repair in the shop. The armor ranged from lightly padded robes to chainmail and even plate mail on one suit. Some tables that displayed higher-quality single armor pieces were covered by glass cases.

"Are you here to buy, or are you just to look around? If it's the latter, you can leave. Don't need no fancy kinds trying to take things that don't belong to them." The man that appeared out of a back room was surprisingly small for his deep voice, nowhere near my size but not as big as I'd expect an armorer to be. His clothes were dirty and marked with work stains, and his hair was almost completely devoid of the black it must have once been, now a gray color. The slight crease in his brows above the blue eyes told me he wasn't one to play games, and I suppressed the eye-roll I wanted to give him. I even decided to skip the 'hi' I usually gave everyone.

"My name’s Aster and this is Kat and Fernand. I'm here looking for armor. I was recommended to come here."

Taking a step forward, I held out the note that Roslin had given me. He raised one of his thick eyebrows and took it, flipping it open. I hadn't read it, but I did find it weird that Roslin hadn't bothered to seal it with wax.

The man laughed as he read the note and then stuffed it into a pocket. "Well, lass, my name is Ragon, and you've quite the friend." his demeanor changed to a more relaxed one, and this slight accent he had shifted, becoming more apparent. "We'll have to see what we can get ya set up with."

He flicked his gaze to Kat and Fernand. "Are ya two lookin to get armor as well? Mines the best place in the kingdom to do so." He held out his hands as if showing off the shop.

I took a look around the rundown building blankly, and I heard Fernand cough awkwardly. "No, we already have armor. We're just here for Aster."

The man nodded, still not seeming displeased.

"Then spend the time to look around. Maybe something will catch your eye. I need to talk to you, lady Aster, to understand what you are looking for better. This way, please."

I took an uncertain look back at the two. The man didn't seem bad, but he did seem a bit eccentric. Fernand had turned his head to look at the robes while Kat gave me a knowing grin, gesturing me forward. Letting out a soft sight, I followed him.

I was led to a room with a chair and a couch, as well as a table that had tools laid out over it.

"So tell me, lass, what type of armor are you looking for? If Roslin sent you here, it means that you're a special order, which means custom made." He said, taking a seat in the chair and gesturing at the couch.

I was glad that it wasn't stained as I sat down and thought.

"Roslin said that I should take a look at the suits. I don't need it for cold protection, but she said it would be useful for other enchantments."

Ragon rubbed his chin. "Those suits were designed for riders on mounts that fly at high altitudes. Only kingdom riders can order them or those recommended by kingdom riders. Not common knowledge that I make them. Their main purpose was to protect from that cold. If ya don't need that, then you have room for more enchantments. Were you thinking of getting armor over it?"

I thought for a moment. I wanted to stay flexible. Anything that restricted movement would be more of a hindrance. "Light leather armor for only important points on my body like my chest, legs, and joints?"

Ragon smiled, his teeth showing. I could spot one missing, and another was crooked. All of the teeth were stained yellow. "Good choice. I'd recommend partial scale mail to replace the leather when your strength is high enough to avoid the weight being a problem.

"Usually, I'd put some form of a weapon hook on the back. What sort of weapon do you use?"

"A bow, but I have spatial storage for it. Wouldn't that be better?"

"Lass, that won't work forever. Maybe you if you planned to use a rare weapon or lower forever. The stronger a weapon or an item, the longer it takes to bring it out. I'll get something set up for a bow and a dagger. Are ya wanting a helmet? If you plan to go to high altitudes, you'll need one. Gets hard to breathe up there."

"Can I get a helmet? I thought my ears would get in the way. They're not exactly small." I felt my ears flick as I leaned forward, giving him a view of them.

The man laughed. It was a deep below. "That's a minor issue. I can alter some runes to create a minor space to fix that. Your tail is a bit of an issue. Too big to keep in the suit, but a seal should fix the issue. I'm not too familiar with any armor that could protect it, though."

I lifted one shoulder, shrugging. My tail always managed to avoid being in the way during a fight. It was something I could look into, but for now, I wasn't too worried about it.

"Then, last two questions, are there any specific enchantments you want, and what design and color are you looking for?"

"Purple and blue," I answered also out of habit, then took my time to think as Ragon raised an eyebrow. Mentally, I reached out to Umbra and asked her opinion.

"I would prefer blue and purple as they are the best colors, but black might be the best option. Darker colors would be somewhat easier to blend into a forest, maybe some dark purple on it." Her answer sounded thought out, even if it had only taken her a minute to think.

I smiled as I had an image of the armor in my mind. A black suit and leather dyed purple would look great and still blend into most unlit areas, at least as long as the purple was dark enough.

I gave him my answer, then tilted my head as I wondered what enchantments would work. The dungeon had draconic beast, "Fire protection and something for acid if it’s not too much."

Ragon pulled a book out of nowhere and started to write. We discussed the minor details of everything; I wanted to be able to have the armor as long as possible so size enchantments would be added. Once we were done, he took a moment to tally up the total cost. He added a slight discount because Roslin had recommended me, but the price still made me wince. Eighty-eight gold wasn't a tiny amount, and it could buy a lot of food. Still, I paid half as was required upfront. I'd pay the rest when I got the armor.

He took measurements, and we went over all of the details one more time, promising to be done in only three days, to my surprise. Before we left the room, I tilted my head as a thought crossed my mind before we left the room.

"If your armor is this good, why are you so close to the edge of the district? If you make armor for riders, Shouldn't everyone be trying to request armor from you?"

Ragon frowned at his good mood turning slightly sour. "Because the people in this city can't respect work done by a dwarf, even a half-one like me. They think we're all out to get them because most of us were born in the empire."

It didn't make sense to me to judge armor based on someone's race or to judge almost anything based on who made it. Humans and other races were weird like that, I guessed.

I met Kat and Fernand at the entrance, and we left with a short goodbye. I felt sorry for dragging them all the way out here for only me, even if they didn't seem to mind, so I offered to get them some food, and to my relief, they accepted. Food was a great present for anyone. We found a nice place to sit and eat that served a wide variety of food. It was nice and peaceful, and I couldn't help but smile as we talked about our courses and what we thought the dungeon would be like.

I only had one last question if the shop was named Klink-n-Ragon who was Klink?