Today's meal was my favorite blue scales lizard. It had a very strong taste, and seemed to be almost as If It was naturally seasoned. This was one of the few meals I very much looked forward to since It was truly hard to find one. I happily nibbled on a bone, savoring the taste while my eyes did not leave the newcomer who brought this feast after a long absence that lasted five years, my father.
He had suddenly come back without any warning, bringing with him a variety of prey he must have hunted along the way. Surprisingly, even mother was eating an abnormally oversized bird-like monster with shining white feathers, while he rested in a corner with a tired expression on his face.
After finishing my meal, I used my water magic to clean my bloodied claws and face. A yawn escaped my mouth, I was always rather sleepy after a meal yet I stopped myself from succumbing to the laziness as I turned to face my father. He had suddenly appeared, and now It was as If he never left.
Still, I was rather curious regarding his whereabouts in the past years. I had a general guess It must have something to do with my grandfather and that brown dragon, yet I wasn't too clear on the matter. Hence, after I finished eating, I slowly made my way towards him.
I lowered my head, as a sign of respect before I spoke. "Welcome back father," His tired gaze turned into one of amusement as he nodded in reply before speaking. "I see you have grown bigger, good, good," He said in a pleased tone, to which I simply smiled.
"I hope I'm not being rude by asking, where have you been all this time father?" I carefully asked while taking extra care to keep a respectful tone. Father didn't seem too concerned and let out a sigh instead. "I was assigned a mission by your grandfather," He explained.
'So It really had something to do with the brown dragon of before!' I noted. I was about to ask some more questions when to my surprise father took the initiative to continue. "I had to fill in the role of Neyo as he went over the borders to let off some steam after what happened," Explained father.
It seemed as If he was talking to himself, rather than to me, yet I didn't mind as I still got to know more about what was happening. "Old Neyo, that's the old brown dragon I met with grandfather right?" I asked to which father confirmed with a nod.
"But father, I remember grandfather talking to the other old dragons about the borders and how It was not old Neyo's turn there?" I asked trying to pry more information from my father.
He let out another sigh before replying. "Yes, this cycle was supposed to be my turn in the border, yet old Neyo didn't take the death of his grandchild very well. I can understand his rage since that child was the fourth generation to fail the naming ceremony," Explained father as he shook his head.
'Oh, so that was what all that generation thing back then was about,' I mentally noted as I remembered the old dragons mentioning something about last cycle's tragedy. 'Does that mean everyone failed last time?' I inwardly mumbled, dragons were truly hardcore with all the tests, trials. And whatnot.
I laid down with my front paws in front of me, and my wings tucked in my back. It was rare for father to be in a talkative mood, so l had to take advantage of the situation to know more about the world. "Father, are the borders the part past the grey mountain range to the east?" I asked curiously, Sidus and Immy had somehow joined in and were seated behind me waiting for father's answer, Essie and Ynos didn't seem that interested and instead left the cave to do whatever.
Father glanced at us one by one before he proceeded to explain. "Heh, those might be considered the borders for you little ones," He said with a chuckle before raising one finger to the sky and continuing. "The borders I am talking about are up there," He said with a grin.
I unconsciously gulped as I felt both Immy and Sidus stiffen behind me, 'Up there? Does he mean the planet's borders?' Father's gin grew even wider as he saw our shocked state, and continued. "Our mission as dragons is to uphold the balance of the world, anything that is a threat to the balance must be eliminated," He said, to which I nodded in understanding.
"And the Shades Aether, are a threat to that balance," He added. "S-So you fight the Shades at the borders of the plane?" I asked hesitantly, to which he simply nodded with a grin. With this new piece of news, the scale of everything just turned massive.
I was aware of the strength that dragons held, or I would like to think I was. Fighting with gods, moving mountains and seas, we were essentially on a higher plane than even the divine themselves. But still, I always imagined It was all grounded within our current plane, I thought that only the king can traverse the dark abyssal space.
Turned out I was wrong, "Are we constantly fighting against the shades father?" I asked. "We are, should we fail to stop them, the entire plane would collapse starting by the mana stream," He patiently explained. "Then when you said old Neyo went to the borders you meant-"
Father interrupted me, not letting me finish as he replied. "Yes, old Neyo needed to vent his pent-up rage, and what better place to that than the battlefield against the Shades," He explained, but that only served to confuse me even further.
"But aren't the borders enormously vast, how can you protect them by yourself?" I asked in confusion. A chuckle escaped father's mouth as he answered. "You ask a lot of questions Aether," Hearing that I lowered my head in embarrassment, he didn't seem angry and so I waited for his answer.
"Nobody said I am alone, my job was to guard this particular part of the borders for this cycle, It's simply a coincidence that old Neyo was close by," He said. I was about to add another thing before he interrupted me.
"Now, enough about that. I see you have mastered your control over your soul space," He asked with a strange glint in his eyes. "I still have a lot to learn," I modestly replied.
"Do you know what the requirements for applying to the right of passage are?" He asked while squinting his eyes, to which I nodded and answered confidently. "To obtain and master control over my soul space,"
"Good, then let me ask you this Aether, are you ready to undertake your rite of passage and become a full-fledged dragon?" He asked in a serious tone causing me to gulp nervously.
"I am!"
"Good, then get some rest for the day for we leave tomorrow," He added before closing his eyes and ignoring me and my siblings. I turned around only to be faced by Sidus and Immy's shining eyes.
"Brother! What are these shades you and father talked about?" Asked Sidus, unable to hide his curiosity.
"And the rite of passage, do you already know what it's going to be?" Jumped in Immy.
"Well about that..."