[i]You are a very lucky man, Irin. For there is nothing greater than to be chosen by a dragon.[/i] Uram spoke into Irin's mind.

"You couldn't convince me otherwise, friend." Irin replied.

[i]Oh, I could if I wanted to.[/i] The silver dragon clicked her teeth together audibly a couple times.

Irin almost chuckled, but decided it was better if he didn't.

[i][b]Tamers, yearlings,[/b][/i] The deep voice startled Irin. [i][b]It is time we depart for the sacred garden of the Tetra Estate. For you drakes, we will be returning there to stay, so collect any possessions from your dens before we depart. And to the tamers, you will be seeing your new home for the first time. Upon arrival you will receive further instruction. The flight is about 5 hours by the drake’s wing, get comfortable. We leave in 10 minutes.[/b][/i]

[i]I have nothing to take with me, the two things I cherish most will always follow me: You, and the skies.[/i]

Irin already knew she felt this way, but to "hear" it from her warmed him. "Thank you." He replied.

They soared above the colosseum as they waited for everyone to prepare for the flight. Uram insisted she could stay in the air for a whole day if she needed to, and Irin had no interest in landing. When they departed, they took on a diamond shape, Irin and Uram behind and to the left of Obsidian Nova. This got Irin wondering. "Why are diamonds and 'V's such abundant formations in anything that flies?" He asked Uram.

[i]It is the most efficient way to fly[/i] Uram replied, [i]We conserve our energy by riding on the wind generated by the wingbeats of the dragon in front of us. This is another reason why Master Nova is taking the lead. At least for now, his wings are the strongest, but I aim to take that title away. It is the duty of an atmosphere dragon to rule the skies, and that is what I am.[/i]

"So, the magic that courses through my veins now is..."

[i]Wind magic, yes. The finest of the magicks, mind you, for there is no magic more versatile. It's not as efficient as, say, fire magic, but you can do so little with fire magic. You can use the wind to knock your enemies off their feet, or to blow from behind and enhance your mobility. You can lift anything off the ground with a strong enough cyclone, and throw it wherever you please. Air has no size or shape, and as such, can be molded as you see fit. You can reduce its pressure on an object to make the object substantially lighter, or do the opposite and make it immovable. Wind can smash through walls, create avalanches on mountainsides, douse the land with rain, or clear the skies to brighten the mood. There are very few things that wind magic can't do. I'm sure you'll find your own uses for it soon enough.[/i]

"I'm sure I will." Irin replied.

[i]Wind magic, however, requires unusual approaches in order to be executed properly. If I'm not mistaken, there'll be plenty of books on it in the room you'll be sleeping in.[/i]

"Oh... no." Irin muttered to himself.

Uram already knew the problem, and replied accordingly, [i]You're not very good at reading, are you? I'd advise talking to Master Merrik and seeing if he can help you with that. Obviously I can't help you, as I don't need to learn such trifling matters. I just care about the hunt, the flight, the fire, and the sleep.[/i]

"Times are changing, I suspect you'll have a lot more on your agenda soon enough."

[i]Obviously[/i]

They spent the next couple of hours in relative silence, Irin familiarizing himself with the rhythm of the wingbeats, and viewing the landscape below, with the mutterings of the other riders as mere background. Though the flight lasted several hours, Irin did not find himself getting bored of viewing the landscape below. While he wasn't getting bored, though, he was getting a tad restless. His mind drifted back to the idea of something to lean back on, as the spike immediately behind him made the ride not too comfortable. 

"Staying seated like this for extended periods of time is not something I enjoy too much." He said just loud enough that only Uram could hear it clearly.

[i]I understand completely,[/i] Uram replied, [i]And I wish I could help with that. The only thing I can do is tell you that you'll get used to it eventually.[/i]

Irin nodded, the thought not even occurring to him that Uram couldn't see him nod. "I should hope so."

They returned to silence for only a few minutes before Uram spoke to Irin again. [i]We're landing[/i]

"Ugh... finally." Irin replied, rolling his shoulders.

The landing was rather soft, which surprised Irin, who was prepared to be jolted forward. He hopped off, and twisted his back from side to side, as it crackled and loosened itself up. Irin let out a sigh as that happened, and proceeded to stretch his arms and legs. He barely had enough time to do much stretching at all before Merrik spoke to them.

[b]“I welcome you all to your new home. This garden was born many, many centuries ago. This stable is as old as the Order itself and was built by the my ancestor Merrikhai Tetra from the wood of an ancient grove of white oak trees. The magic in their strong limbs offered protection from any outsiders. None can hear our words here, not can spy into our activities, and none can harm us. These grounds are sacred. You will respect them will the entirety of your heart and soul and keep deep thanks in your minds for the security they offer us in a darkening world. Not even the dark lord can penetrate these ancient magicks, though do not assume he has not, and will not continue to try.”[/b] The black dragon communicated with him for a moment, and then made his way into what looked to be very large stables. Merrik then continued. [b]“In the stables before you, each of you will have an assigned stall and a loft above it to call your own. The stall in the far back on your left has been converted into a kitchen, the one on the left into a wash house divided into two for the males and females. At all times, you will keep your living quarters in acceptable condition. If I find so much as one plate of rotting food or a pile of laundry letting off its stench, you’ll pay for it in your training. In the center of the meadow, within the ring of white oak trees is a table. From tomorrow, and every day from then on when we are at this meadow, we will meet there for dinner. It will be a time to discuss and strategize as a group. Your training is important, make no mistake, but it is also important for you all to get accustomed to one another, for we won’t often go our separate ways. There is already a feast set out for you to enjoy, you’ve all done exceptionally well today. For today, and today only, you’ll have the evening to do as you please. Be sure to clean up after yourselves when you’re done. I am not your keeper and this is your home now; treat it as such. Your dragons are of course free to hunt whenever they choose, but for the time being, none of the tamers are to leave the meadow. Eat, wash up, explore, acquaint yourselves. The evening is yours. I will retire to my quarters now as I have work to tend to. Should any of you have questions or anything you’d like to discuss, mine is the first stall on your left. Pay respect to Obsidian Nova when you pass through his quarters. On the wall, beneath your nameplates outside your stalls, you’ll find a training schedule. Learn it well for you’ll be repeating it every day from tomorrow until this war is over. I suggest you turn in early, the morning comes quickly and the training is no walk in the woods. Now, I take my leave. Good evening.”[/b] Merrik then followed Obsidian Nova into the stables, vanishing behind black doors.

The silver dragon passed by Irin, stopping to turn to him. [I]I am hungry, I shall go hunt now, try to get yourself acquainted with everyone while I'm gone.[/i] This was followed by several wingbeats as she took off into the sky and vanished behind a row of trees.

As soon as she left, Irin began to feel like a piece of him was missing. He felt utterly depressed, and began to worry. Was this a side effect of the bond? Would he have to live with it for an eternity? Trying to keep himself calm, he went and sat at the table of food, but his appetite was completely gone. He grabbed a slice of bread and ate it little by little as he kept his eyes on the horizon, waiting for his other half to return.