The Song of Aurea

The Land of Beginnings P. II

Rael Ironflame

Newtale

February, 1703 AR

My name is Rael, and after seventy four years of apprenticeship to the dragon monks, I'm finally an official dragon knight. Currently, I'm attending a world tour after my long apprenticeship as the other dragon knights and I try to find our place in life. I'm about halfway done and I'm currently exploring the country of Aurea with my fellow graduates, Martin, Sano and our escort, Master Raine, a high ranking Monk and the current leader of the Monastery in the Vale. He presides over the entire Western half of Ald'mer. He rides a little ahead of us on his Fav'nir, a giant golden dragon with shimmering scales. At the moment, we're on our way to Dale, passing through a town called Newtale.

"I haven't slept in three days," complains Sano, falling limply onto her large, green dragon's saddle, "Are we nearly there?"

"About two more miles," Master Raine grumbles from his golden dragon, "It's literally on the horizon; can you honestly not wait at least ten more minutes, Sano?"

She groans and rolls her eyes so intensely that her head rolls with them.

"Have you ever even heard of Dale?" Martin asks me in a hushed tone.

"I have. It's a prominent trading city in Aurea. I can't say I know much else about it, however." I answer.

We're all riding our dragons as they trot silently towards the city, but I can't help but feel a little superior riding atop my jet black dragon, Kasai. He is by far the smallest dragon of our team, but he's certainly not the weakest. I'll let Sano take that honor with her slightly autistic Green dragon who pees herself when she sees danger. No, Kasai is proud and brave...and a bit of an idiot. He's covered in jet black scales with long, spiney ears beneath his horns that tend to give away his emotions.

Martin's head lolls slightly as he stares at Sano with a strangely happy expression. I'd always known he was in love with her, but I never thought it was worth it to involve myself. Some strange impulse overcomes me, however, as Kasai and I move up ahead to match his walking pace.

"You should tell her," I say in monotone with a slight smirk.

Martin chokes on his own air and I move up past him to meet Sano behind Master Raine.

"What?!" he calls out from behind me. I ignore him.

"We're here," Raine observes a short time later, glancing at Sano with a look of annoyance with a hint of playfulness. A look, not out of character, but strange for him.

The gates to the small city are fairly large, but not nearly as giant as many of the other cities we have visited in the past year or so. The guards at the wall nod at Raine and open the doors to a somehow still bustling city.

"No curfew?" I ask as my eyes dance around the paper lanterns strung across the maze-like roads on clotheslines that are well-tied between the buildings.

"Not tonight, Rael," says Master Raine, not turning to meet my eyes, "They've made preparations for us."

"The dragon knights are here!" calls a woman beside the gates.

I watch as many of the eyes turn to us and I summon my armor. The loose scales of Kasai I have picked up reach out from nowhere and around my body, clutching me in a comfortable suit of jet black armor with streaks of azure blue. Martin sees this and does the same, his sleek red armor consuming him. He looks at me and nods his encouragement. Sano and Raine are the last to summon their armor. Of course Raine's is the most impressive of all of ours, the brilliant gold of his scales flashing blindingly. There is a roar of applause from the crowd at this and we hop off our dragons along with our master.