Chapter 5.

I slept calmly on bahamuts back as we flew through the night. The sun rising as i woke upi climbed back into the saddle stretching and yawning as though i was doing something i had done for years. I smiled as a light blue dragon flew beside us without someone on them for a bit before they veered off . we flew over a city at the foot of a mountain and then we began to fly into the mountain range behind it looking around i could see bones of dragons scattered among the ruins of stone building turning green with the vegetation growing we flew around the mountain and i could see a large city built into cavern inside the moutain dragons lining the streets as torches were lit everywhere bahamut speaking as i looked around awestruck the power and reverence in the air sending a shiver down my spine. "Welcome to the fallen citadel where the dragon masters were betrayed." I nodded as he landed the old man walking out to meet me as i could see others gathered not wearing the coats and many more who were. "Was your travel easy my student?" I nodded smiling "this place is amazing. Even in its current state." He chuckled patting my shoulder "that it is. Come let me introduce you to your fellow dragon master students." I nodded following him as i looked around smiling standing beside him as he stopped at a group of people each one bearing a mark on their body but my eyes met with a female standing next to an old woman who greeted my teacher with a lengthy hug her cloak red with black lining embroidery lining the edges. The old man spoke first "lucrocia, erathiel, my brother and sister allow me to introduce my student" i smiled doing a slight bow to both of the ones wearing cloaks "my name is isravor. Its a pleasure to meet you." Lucrocia smiled and bowed her head as well "hello isravor its nice seeing this old man here again. Your dragon is beautiful you have taken good care with him and i sense your bond is strong. Allow me to introduce my student to you. Her birth name is cynthia. The name she now goes by is valkyrie." I smile reaching out my hand as she took it i shuddered slightly feeling the power inside shaking her hand we both slowly pulled our hands away as erathiel spoke. "Well now i shall introduce my stubborn apprentice. This is havenoir." He sneered at both me and valkyrie stalking off as his teacher sighed before engaging mine and her teacher in discussion i stepped over standing beside her smiling as i saw her dragons bond mark a tribal rose "your marking is pretty mines just a collection of lightning bolts. Not a friendly fella is he?" She shook her head "ive met him twice hes not very nice to his dragon but theyre compatible at least he doesnt have a mark though i dont think his dragon trusts him" i nod. Looking at bahamut as i could feel his sense of amusement watching me i tilt my head at him and he chuckles walking over "ah valkyrie let me introduce my dragon bahamut. Bahamut this is valkyrie" he bends down sniffing her as he nods raising his head "its is nice to meet you young valkyrie i believe you will live up to your name sake" she smiled and i swore i could feel my heart stop "its an honor to meet the son of the king of storms. Allow me to introduce my dragon" a large red and black dragon walked over her body thinner than bahamuts and her head rounder with less angles as she bent forward smelling me " hmmmm this male smells good valkyrie i recommend you mate with him." She slaps at her dragons side as i cough into my hand both of us blushing "this potty mouthed dragoness is rose. Rose this is isravor and bahamut" she nodded asthe two dragons circled each other speaking to bahamut "seems you have a found a good master bahamut. he and mine would make a good pairing" i cleared my throat again " well shes pretty direct isnt she." Valkyrie sighed and covered her face "she does this alot recently i think shes taking her need for a boyfriend and putting it on me." I make an ah face "well i dont really know what im here for do you wanna let our dragons talk while you fill me in over some wine or mead whatever they have here" valkyrie thought for a moment and nodded " no funny stuff this isnt a date just a friendly conversation" i put my hands up "never said it was anything but" she smiled walking away as i slowly took a long look up and down her body she was fit and tall and had curves that could drive a man insane. Her skin turned a dark bronze from the light of the sun during many flights.. Bahamut pushed me with his tail winking and i threw a pebble at him catching up to her in a few steps smiling as she led me to a place where everyone was sitting at tables drinking as she walked up to the bar i found an empty table looking at all the cloaks and noticed the weapons. No two were the same in design or color. And every weapon matched the wielders cloak. As she came over she set down a large flagon of mead in front of me and i took a drink "wow this is good sweet but strong" she nodded and took a long drink before speaking smiling "so your teacher didnt tell you why we're gathered here?" I shook my head "not a word." She smiled "students only come here when they are going to receive their cloak and their weapon. What weapon did you train with?" I smiled as i set down my flagon having drunk half the mead inside "i use a spear" she smiled "i use twin swords the movements are kinda like dancing and i really like the way they feel." I chuckle as she takes another drink "well i best make sure never to piss you off so you dont gut me and dance in my blood" she choked on her drink laughing before looking at me " mmmm you seem wise if you made that decision so quick" i chuckle raising my cup "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned i took that lesson to heart" she smiled and reached over patting my head "good boy." I blushed and laughed as we continued to talk and drink by the time our dragons found us we were both drunk holding each other up as we staggered out of the bar bahamut chuckling as he used his tail to pick us up depositing me on my saddle and her onto hers as they walked carrying us i sat up waving my arms "woohoooo im riding a bloody fucking dragon" she smiled and laughed as i fell forward onto bahamuts scales passing out drunk as he flew with rose to an area where we could see another dragon roosted there but there was no other sign of them as bahamut and rose moved us to lay against their sides covering us with their wings as we slept through the night i awoke first in the early morning getting up and stretching. As i rubbed my head taking a waterskin from my saddle and drinking deeply until the headache passed i climbed up onto bahamut who was already awake "take me to a lake buddy i need to wash off" he nodded and took flight flying down and landing next to a mountain spring warmed by the earth i sank in and began washing my body with the mint and lavender soap my teacher made before relaxing in the hot water bahamut chuckling as he sank into one of the bigger pools sighing in comfort as well "the heat feels good doesnt it bahamut" he nodded "indeed it does this is quite relaxing you should bring that female with you sometime." I look at him my face red "look we... We just had a few drinks we're comrades. Nothing more." He chuckled "yet" i splashed water at him getting out and getting dressed before climbing into the saddle and he flew back to where we had slept my teacher standing holding a pair of new black leather breeches and a pair of boots. Smiling he placed them in my hand "valkyrie and rose are waiting hurry and dress" he left flying away on his dragon to stand with the other two teachers i quickly stripped down and got dressed leaving with bahamut flying down and landing next to valkyrie and rose havenoir nowhere to be seen. i spoke as i dropped down standing next to her "wheres havenoir?" She shook her head "hes not here i think he ran off with his dragon" i nod as we hear trumpets sound and me and her begin to walk down the road lined by masters and dragons. Our own dragons following behind us i looked at her from the corner of my eye. She wore the same leather breeches and boots as me but she had a leather corset on as well. As we approached the largest building our teachers stood on the steps. Her teacher approaching her first carrying a cloak and a long box laid across her hands. She gave the box to valkyrie before presenting the red and black cloak the edges embroidered with roses as a black thorny stemmed pattern wrapped around it she opened the box drawing out a set of twin swords the red blades engraved with roses and their stems each pommel adorned with a ruby cut into the shape of a rose she smiled sliding the blades into their sheathes putting them on before wearing her cloak. My teacher then approached me a cloak in one hand a long cloth wrapped bundle in the other handing me the cloak i unfolded it the black fabric feeling its strength. Even though it was light and soft like silk the black fabric adorned with lightning embroidery blue bolts adorning the entire cloak as i put it on he held out the cloth bundle and i took it in both hands unwrapping it as a black spear with blue streaks of lightning adorned it a blade on either end as our teachers stepped back and spoke in unison my whole body shuddering "Students we have trained you since you first decided to become a dragon master. You have earned your dragons trust and your cloak woven from their fur and scales your weapons forged from bones of their choosing of the dead" lucrocia smiled "rose chose the bones of the wings of her best friend" my teacher smiled "your spear was forged from the rib of bahamuts father" they spoke in unison once again "Recite the code and become one of us our new brother and sister." We looked at each other smiling as we spoke in unison. Our voices ringing clear as my eyes shone and electric blue storm clouds gathering as electricity filled the air her eyes glowing red as the area began to grow rapidly hotter

"We are the wings that blacken the sun on those who dare to befoul this land. We are power and judgement. We are reason and strength. As we take to the sky and embrace the wind we spread hope. We do not bow to any king. Our cloak is our armor our dragon our family." Bahamut and rose roared jets of blue and red flame roaring from their mouths to the sky as our teachers smiled and every dragon master present spoke in unison the dragons roaring and spewing flames into the air"We welcome you our brother and sister may the wind embrace you and the flames never burn"