"After The Shattering, What people remained on Roul began to migrate east, where the damage was less severe. They found glowing blue stones which became the fuel source for magic. They called the stones moonshards, and used magic to build a new home." -The New World
***
"I'm tired of running laps!" Hotshot fell to the ground panting. He had been running for what seemed like forever.
"You've only been running for ten minutes, Hotshot. Everyone else is already done. Now that you are at Dragon Academy, all students have to exercise every day!" Dancer stood above him looking at her timekeeper. "If this is the best you can offer, you will not have enough stamina to fly a full mission."
"I'd be a dragon! What does it matter how much stamina my body has!?" Hotshot looked felt the beating sun on his face. He had been at Dragon Academy for less than a week and all they had done was exercise! One of the high spires of the Academy had a large field around it. Currently, the other students were resting and drinking water, while Dancer kept pushing Hotshot to keep running.
"When you are merged with your dragon you two become one being. You will feel the effects as if it was your own body. It will be a perfect blend of your body and its body, as well as your mind and its mind."
"Its mind?" Hotshot sat up with interest.
"That dragon has its own mind, Hotshot. You will feel what it feels when you are merged." Dancer shook her head. "You will understand later. We are having the students fly today."
"Really?" Hotshot got up with a sparkle in his eyes.
"What happened to being tired?" Dancer raised an eyebrow.
"I'm never too tired to fly. Lets go!" Hotshot didn't even get to take a step before Dancer grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Oh no. We won't start until after lunch, and you still have to cook."
"Cook? What are you talking about?"
"Per your probation. You have to perform extra duties." Dancer handed him a list of all the jobs they had for him.
"Probation? What did I do?" Hotshot looked the list up and down. It included: Preparing Lunch, Preparing Dinner, Cleaning the latrines, Cleaning the east side dragon pens, cleaning the west side dragon pens, organizing the cleaning supplies, sweeping platforms one, two, three, four, five, and seven, and much much more. Hotshot's jaw hit the ground.
"You were just shy on passing the entry exam, you only passed on the account that you would be placed on probation to ensure you were cut out for Dragon Academy." Dancer gave him a pat on the shoulder. "But don't worry, its a lot worse than it looks."
It was so much worse. After Hotshot was finished washing all four hundred plates, forks, and knives during lunch, he finally had an small window to eat. Everyone had long since left the mess hall save for two students.
"Mind if I sit here?" Hotshot sat down before an answer and began biting into his cold egg sandwich.
"I guess not." Said a curly haired student. "I'm Pixie, by the way." She turned to the other student who Hotshot only now remembered was named Saber.
"I'm Hutsut." He said with a mouth full of food.
"Thanks for making the food. It was good." Pixie gave a polite smile.
"Shanks." Hotshot took another bite.
"Are you excited to fly today?" Saber asked
"Oh yeah." Hotshot swallowed. "I'm going to leave you all in my dust!"
"Your dragon was faster than Loudmouth's, which is impressive. He is said to be one of the faster Pilots among the instructors." Said Saber.
"Who's the fastest?" Asked Pixie.
"Windclaw. At least he was twenty five years ago. Regardless we must be off. Our lesson begins soon." Saber stood up. "Thank you for making lunch, it was fine."
"You're welcome?" Hotshot took one last bite before they left.
The students were told to meet on platform four. Which was hard to tell apart from the other nine identical platforms. Lucky for Hotshot, there was a small floating bridge that moved from the Academy proper to each of the platforms, so all he had to do was wait on it before arriving to the right one.
"Last in rank and last to arrive, what are the odds?" The blue haired student chucked. Hotshot tried to ignore him and stood next to Saber and Pixie. He hadn't made any friends yet, but at least these two hadn't made fun of him.
All twelve of the students were there. In the middle of the platform stood an elderly man. He was balding with a long unkempt beard and bushy eyebrows. Behind him there was a slender gray dragon that was curled up, sleeping.
"My call sign has been Windclaw longer than your parents have been alive. I've been an instructor at Dragon Academy since the Iron Invasion. If you are wise, you will listen to me. What I have to teach you during your time at this Academy, will help keep you alive."
"The Iron Invasion? That can't be right. Nobody is that old!" The blue haired student spoke up.
"Thunderbolt, yes?" Windclaw took a slow step towards the student. "In the days of the Old World, there were no dragons. Men and woman had to walk or ride beasts to travel. Back then, if you lost an arm, then you just thanked whatever gods your prayed to that you didn't die from disease. My point is, that the world is a fantastic place. If you worry about what is impossible, you will never do what's possible."
The Iron Invasion was a hundred years ago!" Thunderbolt exclaimed.
"Yes, and you came here on a floating bridge, to learn how to combine yourself to a dragon." Windclaw gave a puff before continuing his lecture to the other students. "Merging, is a sacred process. Its an old magic, discovered by Dragon Academy in shortly after its founding. Before the days of merging, they would get on the backs of dragons and fly them into battle. This was effective, but not nearly as much merging mind, body, and soul to this wonderous beasts."
"How do we do that?" Pixie asked.
"Now that each of you has chosen a dragon. You have already begun the process of bonding with it. The dragon has imprinted on you. You, call your dragon." Windclaw took his walking cane and pointed at Hotshot.
"How do I do that?" Hotshot asked.
"Just yell its name. It can hear you. You are bonded after all."
Hotshot took a moment to consider it. "PEPPPER!" There was a moment of silence.
"Guess you can't even get that right." Thunderbolt mocked.
"Shut up! Come on, PEPPER!" There was still nothing. Maybe he had done something wrong? Maybe they hadn't spent enough time together for Pepper to bond with him? He gave it one more try. "PEPPER!"
A roar shook the air around them as Hotshot's Yellow Featherwing Dragon, Pepper, flew around the platform before landing. It gave a chirp in Hotshot's direction.
"I knew you'd make it!" Hotshot gave Pepper a big hug around the neck. One by one the other students called out the names of their dragons. Each arrived, one after another.
"You see? Even in the short time you have been with your dragons, you have already developed a bond. The more time and energy you spend investing in that bond, the greater it grows." Windclaw turned to his gray dragon. "We have bonded so greatly that he sleeps for me, so I don't have to." The old man started cackling and Hotshot wasn't sure if he was joking or not.
"How do we merge though?" Saber asked while stroking the sides of her white dragon.
"That becomes easier with time, but for now, all you have to do is ask." Windclaw shook his dragon's head. The dragon batted its eyes and gave a long yawn. It struggled to stand up. Hotshot could see its legs shaking. Then the old man looked it in the eyes. "Merge with me, my old friend." The dragon showed Windclaw its side and began to glow. There was a small patch of scales that turned bright white. Windclaw turned to the others and said, "Its that easy." He stepped inside the patch of light as if it were a doorway. He vanished. The dragon then stood strong. It turned its head to the students and gave a nod.