A voice boomed from within the hay thatched house. “Baelfire!” Bael's mother had always been on his case since the day he could walk. As he made distance between his home and himself, Bael could hear the wooden door swing open and crash against the exterior of the house. “Do [b]not[/b] walk away when I’m speaking to you!” Bale merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. He lifted up one hand and balled it into a fist, signaling the silent observer nestled atop the nearby stables. A gust of wind blew past his home as an unseen force flew by. A gentle [i]thud[/i] emitted from beside him as the invisible entity unveiled its presence. A smile cracked on Bale’s face, his hand reaching over to stroke the dragon’s neck.

“Good morning, Phan,” he greeted. 

He could still hear his mother calling out to him. Bael pulled off his fur boots and tied them by the strings. He attached the pair to his waist and mounted his dragon. “I’m late, mother!” he called back as the surrounding area was engulfed by dust resulting from the dragon’s wings. Phantom managed to get airborne and perched on the stables once more. From here, Bael looked down at his mother and grinned. “I’ll do the chores when I get home.” Before she could protest, he was gone, lifted into the air on the back of his trusted companion. His mother could hear the faintest should of a promise as he made his way toward the old dragon fighting arena.

It had been a few years since that arena had been used to slay dragons for sport. Now, it was a place of learning, of bonding. It was all thanks to a young boy to discover the true nature of the beasts. Still. Creating a bond with a dragon is not easy. They take work to tame, but even then it takes devotion to gain their unconditional trust and affection. Despite her frustrations with her son, Baelfire’s mother couldn’t be more proud of her son’s ability to befriend one of the beasts himself.

Bale flew Phantom down to the arena’s entrance and dismounted. He gave his companion and gentle stroke and pat on the neck before leading him into the center of the stone field. He leaned against Phantom’s body and took in a breath. “Whaddaya think?” he asked, looking up at Phantom. “Is today a combat training day?” Phantom emitted a high noise in response, spreading his wings and hovering three feet from the ground. Bael, who was unaware of Phantom’s intentions, found he was putting all his body weight against nothing and fell to the ground in a [i]thud[/i]. He couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright then!"