The day was bright and young, the sun reaching its peak as it projected blistering heat down onto the partakers of the ceremony. It had been many years since Aerea had first ventured into Estar and found herself at the gates of the academy. She had spent her time wisely, never slacking, always deep in her studies and focusing solely on becoming the best dragoon she could possibly have been. Taking a red handkerchief, from her pocket, she wiped her brow; black armour was hardly appropriate for the middle of the day and her mouth and nose were crying out for fresh air, but the rules of Shattermane were law, and she had always followed them without question. Today, as she stood alongside her comrades and peers, she felt a sense of belonging she had not felt for most of her life. She had grown accustomed to the different armour sets worn by her fellow students, rarely seeing their faces. She had learned to respect them for their talent and the cause for which they fought. 

As she let her eyes observe every detail of her surroundings, taking note of specific citizens before her, of places that would provide cover in the case of an attack, hardly listening to what the headmaster had to say. But her ears perked up as an eerie chant began to fill the air. Her eyes shot towards Lucia "...frustraque animarum errantium. Novum genus a nobis Aurora cinere.” Her mouth dropped open as she realized what was happening.

"Is she-" her words we muffled by the power of Lucia's skyfall as she leapt up into the air, mounting a hellish beast as its scaled mass soared above the collection of townsfolk.

[i]"No.... no, no. How DARE she do this! That traitor! For all these years we trusted her! Such filth would raise an army of her own opponents only to sicken the process further by summoning back the snakes of this earth! That harlot will die."[/i] She immediately ran towards where Edun, Ralthavar, and Bram had collected. 

"We cannot let this go. She has threatened the safety of the entire land! It makes no sense, why would she train elite warriors with the potential to destroy her and her devious intentions? Is this some sick game conjured in the mind of a mad-woman?" She pulled out one of her two daggers, twirling it in her hand out of nerves as she always did. "We need to develop a plan of action. There is little we can do at the moment while she soars away on the back of a hell serpent. We've no clue where she's gone and no idea what awaits us. We need to fix the mess here first." She paused to think as she heard the twitter of birds on the roof of a nearby house.

"Should I seek knowledge from the animals of these lands? Surely they have taken notice of the drakes in their skies, perhaps they have an idea of where she's been keeping the foul snakes?" Her eyes drifted to the scattering, terrified crowd of civilians. There were children here today... she felt a deep hatred and rage swelling up inside of her. That woman would pay for the danger she instilled on these lands.