The riders were standing on the river rocks, each holding dragon eggs in their hands, which drew many whispers from the crowd that had gathered.
The rider of the great, brown dragon, was surprisingly a small woman who looked to be in her mid fifties with tan skin and grey hair that fell to her shoulders. She was wearing flowing brown and tan robes that almost seemed to swallow her small frame. In her hands she held a crimson egg that had a gold vein-like pattern subtly shimmering under the surface of the shell, while the shell itself had many facets, like a gemstone.
"Greetings to you all. I am Lady Brenna of the Elder Council." The woman said in a surprisingly noble voice. "And this, is the mighty Jorviss, my dragon companion." Her voice echoed strangely and almost on cue, Jorviss unleashed a titanic roar that shook the ground and made everyone present want to turn and flee, though they stood firm.
Then, the rider of the silver dragon stepped forward, wearing a charming smirk. He was tall and muscular, he was built as though his entire life revolved around fighting. He was young, in his early twenties, with black hair shaved on the sides and parted neatly to the left, He was wearing silver armor that seemed to be attached to a tight, black, under suit that looked to be made of a type of leather, with a pattern that resembled scales on it.
Callum was drawn to the armor as it was unlike any he had ever seen and he was struggling to identify any of the material that it was made of.
"I am Varyn, special class rider and weapon master for the Order." The man spoke in an exceptionally kind voice, but everyone could sense a tone of authority within it.
In his hands he held a smooth dragon egg of a very unique color. It was iridescent constantly shifting between a light blue and a light green. Callum was in awe at the sight of it and he imagined that the dragon within was even more beautiful than the egg itself.
"Bonded with me is the dragon Galvorum, the Bright."
Galvorum stepped forward, unfurled his massive wings and bowed his head slightly. His blue eyes peering sharply at the people before him. He seemed much less ferocious than Jorviss, more noble and aware of his status as one of the mightiest creatures in all existence.
"That's Varyn the immortal." Wenrys whispered to Callum in a not so quiet voice. He grabbed Callum's arm and could not contain his excitement.
"Varyn the Immortal? Should I know that name?"
Callum asked, with a confused smile. The man was certainly impressive looking and Callum wondered if that is what immortals looked like. He quickly dismissed the thoughts as he considered how silly they were.
"I've heard stories about him from the traveling merchants that have passed through. A year ago a horde of drakal rampaged north into Starfall from Erodontis. Varyn was in a nearby town with another rider and an apprentice. They received instructions from the Elder Council to intercept and report back on the situation but when they arrived they were sat upon by a dozen drakal. They attempted to retreat but it was no use. The other rider and the apprentice, as well as their dragons were killed in the chaos. Realizing the dire situation they were in, Varyn and Galvorum turned and faced the drakal head on. They killed every single one of them and traveled over halfway across the continent back to Scaleforge. Word is, when they arrived they were torn nearly to shreds and by all accounts should not have been alive, but here they are, standing before us. It's amazing isn't it, the feats that one is capable of once bonded to a dragon."
Suddenly Callum was in awe. He looked up at the man and wondered if the story was true. His eyes settled on the double edged hand and a half sword resting in its pearl white scabbard on his hip and a chill ran down his spine. He looked up to see the man smiling at him. "Could he hear us?" Callum wondered nervously.
Varyn tucked the large dragon egg under one arm, an impressive feat in itself, and began walking straight towards where Callum, Wenrys, Raela, and Firrol were standing. "Wait, is he looking at me?!Why is he looking at me?." Callum was frozen in fear and nervousness that he could not explain.
"Hey you! Messy brown hair, green eyes, You must be Callum, it's great to finally meet you." The rider said through a childish grin.
"You know me?" Callum asked as his fear subsided leaving only a slight nervousness behind.
"Uh, well not exactly." Varyn said while laughing awkwardly and rubbing his free hand through his hair. "Lyara told me all about you, she talks about you constantly so I kind of feel like I know you."
When hearing that name, Callum instantly perked up, his happiness was visibly showing in his demeanor now. "So you're friends with my sister?!"
Varyn's eyes got wide and Callum thought for a moment he could see his cheeks flush red. "Well, yeah, something like that." He stammered in response. "She was with us until Calios, but then had to attend to an urgent matter." His tone shifted to a more solemn one. "She wanted to be here, she asked me to make sure you knew that." Now overcome with sadness, Callum was not able to consider the odd, sudden shift of the conversation. He hadn't seen his sister in five years, she was the first and only rider to ever be chosen from Oakhaven. He remembered how excited they both were when her dragon hatched and bonded to her, but he also remembered how heartbreaking it was to watch his only true family leave so suddenly.
"Do not fret young one, perhaps you will be reunited sooner that you realize." Brenna said in a slow methodical voice as she approached the group, still cradling the crimson egg with both arms. She stared at Callum and gave him a gentle smile that somehow made him feel slightly less sad. "The Hatching Ceremony begins at sunset, we will prepare the area beforehand, you all may rest or celebrate until then." As she spoke her voice was magically enhanced so that everyone could hear her. Callum could see a faint, copper colored glow emanating from her chest underneath her robes.
Everyone was turning and walking back to the village including Callum and the other three that would be participating in the event.
"It's so exciting, we are mere hours away from possibly becoming dragon riders." Raela said as she was twirling carelessly across the ground. I have dreamt about this for as long as I can remember, and when Lyara was chosen I felt even closer to my goal. Imagine that, two women riders from Oakhaven, and maybe even a brother and sister combo, wouldn't that be fantastic!" She said dreamily as she looked up wanting to see Callum, only to see her own brother staring at her as well.
The three boys' moods had suddenly seemed to sour. "What's wrong?" Raela said, although she knew the answer. "That's all well and good Raela, but there is only one problem." Wenrys said with sadness in his eyes. "There's four of us and only two eggs left."