Callum stepped towards the egg, he felt like he could hear a heartbeat but whether it was his or the dragon's he could not be sure. He was focused intently on the egg, captivated by the shifting colors as he stepped closer and finally knelt down in front of it. He paused for a moment and looked up at his sister as if he were asking for permission. They made eye contact, she smiled and nodded in approval, and he reached out and placed his right palm on the egg.
The first sensation he felt was warmth, spreading like a liquid from his fingertips up through his arm, it was vibrating so intensely he felt as though he were losing his hold so, out of instinct, he pulled his injured left arm out of the sling fighting through the pain, and placed his left hand on the egg as well. When he did, his focus came back to his eyes and he felt back in control of his body as he watched the orange glow under his hands grow brighter and brighter until a crack suddenly split the surface of the egg.
From within the egg came the steel on stone sound and soon a dragon could be seen clawing it's way out. As it pulled its body from the egg shell it was making tiny shrieking sounds and then it looked up at Callum with slitted eyes that were rust colored speckled with bits of yellow throughout. Like the egg that carried it, it's scales were iridescent, shifting from a dark burnt orange on its back to lighter shades on the softer parts of it body, the scales themselves stuck up in places and were as sharp as razors and Callum could tell that it would grow to be a fearsome dragon.
The orange dragon looked at Callum up and down and then opened its mouth to show its sharp teeth in what seemed to be its own version of a smile, before suddenly leaping and biting deeply into Callum's left forearm. He felt a burning sensation deep within his arm, like a raging fire the was spreading through his veins, time slowed and his vision went red.
In his mind he was seeing images and feeling sensations that were not his own and he knew them to belong to the dragon. Suddenly a young but growling voice spoke in his mind. "I am Tyviin, and you are my rider. Our lives and our souls are bonded, from this moment, until the end of our lives, and into the next. We will grow together, into the most feared predators in all the land. We are one, and together we will change the shape of this world."
Callum was back to himself and he realized only a brief moment had passed while he was in his mind but he was suddenly aware of a new sensation within himself, he could feel the sensations that Tyviin was feeling, experiencing his emotions through flashes of images. Then he remembered the bite, as he looked at his arm and realized it was no longer broken and the wounds where the teeth had entered had closed. But the bite mark remained, a bright orange mark in the form of the dragons teeth sat on the top of his arm, but even stranger, the veins were more prominent leading away from the mark and were slowly taking on the same tint as the dragon.
"What is this?" He asked while rubbing his hands across the veins and noticing that they were getting harder as well. Lyara was by his side in an instant she turned her head to the left and moved her under suit to show her collarbone as she answered. "That, is the physical manifestation of the bond you now share with your dragon. Their blood itself holds immense magical power and that blood is now in you as well. It will slowly spread and as it does your magical ability as well as your bond will grow stronger." Callum looked over at what she was showing him and he could see it, a dark purple bite mark, similar to his. She lifted her left hand and a glowing purple orb of light appeared and floated a few inches above her palm. The same time that it appeared Callum could see the veins raise up around the mark and start to glow with the same purple light.
"This is your first lesson, think of your bond as a muscle, the more you use it and push its limits, the stronger it will become, but too much too soon and you risk tearing it. If that happens to your bond, in most cases, you will die. Always be aware of your limits." Callum nodded in understanding.
"After he bit me, I think he was speaking to me in my mind." Callum was recalling the words that the voice had said to him. "Yeah, that's how they communicate, when they are young, it is mostly through sensations and images but they will use their voice more as they grow. He can communicate with you and other dragons this way, nobody else." Lyara was excited to be able to teach these things to her brother as opposed to one of the others, she felt as though it were only right.
He then asked, "Why is he eating his shell? I've seen four dragons do that now and I don't understand it, is it healthy." Lyara laughed as she answered. "Now that's something that I definitely will not spoil. Come on now introduce us all."
Wenrys had stepped up to Callum staring at him in disbelief, he still hadn't blinked since the whole thing began, he went from thinking they were going to die to watching something amazing happen. Callum was trying to find the right words to say when suddenly Wenrys grabbed him in a big hug and began yelling, "I knew it! I knew you were meant to be a rider. And this dragon is so much more badass than the others. It's perfect, I am so happy Callum!" His display got the attention of Tyviin, who looked up from his shell, slightly aggravated to be interrupted but Callum could feel that he had inherited his love for his friend.
"Lyara, Aurelia, Wenrys, I would like for you all to meet Tyviin." As his name was said, the dragon hopped up, spread his wings, crouched down into a pouncing stance and let out a vicious screech.
Lyara and Wenrys bowed their heads as Wenrys stared, "It is an honor to meet you great dragon Tyviin." Callum could feel the pride emanating from the dragon as he straightened his stature to appear even more regal.
Aurelia lowered her snout and bumped the smaller dragon, knocking him off balance as he growled in annoyance. Callum could feel a silent communication happening between the two dragons and he could tell that they were glad to be in each other's company.
"Well, I suppose we should head down to the celebration now. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when you show up like this." Wenrys said with an almost maniacal grin on his face. They all laughed and agreed, as soon as Tyviin had finished consuming the egg shell he climbed up onto Callum's shoulder and perched up proudly on his companion, occasionally opening his wings to feel the air beneath them.
As they walked a realization had dawned on Callum and he looked to Wenrys and asked, "You know this means we have to leave now. Are you ok with that?" Wenrys considered the question for a moment before answering. "Obviously I'm sad that you will not be around but I'm proud and I know that you two are going to do great things. I only regret that I'll never be able to sit upon a dragon." Lyara smirked as she looked over at Wenrys. "Now who told you something like that?"
______
Back at the river front, the celebratory feast was just getting started, the villagers were all laughing and drinking. Under the archway sat the two older riders and on either side of them sat the new riders, Raela's dragon was curled up laying across her shoulders and Firrol's was sitting in his lap, eyeing the villagers suspiciously. Suddenly all four dragons and the two senior riders focused on a spot in the distance, as Raela and Firrol looked to spot what had pulled their attention. A wry smile crept across Varyn's lips as he realized what had happened. He began walking toward the figures coming from the village.
Orin had noticed Varyn moving across the area and he his eyes followed his path to see two figures followed by a massive figure. "Is that….It is, ha ha that's my son!" Orin shouted while jumping up from his chair. "That's my son and he's riding a a dragon! I'll be damned!"
The rest of the villagers turned in time to see a stunning purple dragon carrying Wenrys on her back while he was grinning from ear to ear and waving wildly back and forth. And then their eyes focused on the two figures in front and soon whispers could be heard. "Is that Lyara, she's grown to be so beautiful."
"I am glad she made it, we haven't seen her in so long."
Suddenly Firrol stood up, his crimson dragon clinging to his shirt. "What's that Callum is carrying on his shoulder?" He shouted, his voice sounding a little shaky. It was Halia, his own grandmother that answered him. "Can't you tell boy, that's a dragon." The old woman said, not trying to hide her smug smile. And the rest of the villagers looked up to see Callum standing at the edge of the village with an orange dragon standing proudly on his shoulders with its wings spread wide, burning brightly like the morning sun.