Burnt gunpowder and Petrichor sweet

2. Fated and Chosen

It's terribly telling, Nico thinks as he acknowledges the other connection for the first time, that it's an open path laid with brown stones and lines of bright magma in between. That even with how long he's waited, he's still welcomed, still wanted like this.

And it's terribly damning, that despite him actively taking a step forward into the path, there's nothing expected of him. He'd known, honestly, that this would be how it'd work, but the guilt remains.

By spring's first breath, Nico has not only secured his bond with Abyss, but has also finally found the part of his mind where his other connection resides. And though settling that first bond was vital, especially in his future work as a tether, he could've at least explained.

Leo still welcomes him with open arms and a warmth only made bearable by Nico's own freezing cold. And the magma turns obsidian.

Nico wakes up with a goal.

He rushes out of his cavern and into the Half-Blood forest, away from cave systems of Esevrian's dragon units, and to the only volcano in the whole country.

It has historically served as home for any and all fire riders to have ever blessed Esevrian soil, rare as they were, and had only been re-opened after centuries of disuse when Leo was chosen.

He's honestly impressed when he notes that the ground entrance has been cleared and restored, heavy metal doors with intricate patterns sealing the heat in. Nico remembers them rusted over, with patches missing, but it's clear someone's taken care of them.

One of those doors opens suddenly, as he finishes his approach, and he sees Leo, disheveled and clearly still half-asleep, not even panting from the effort. And then Leo sees him.

Contrary to their natures, it's Leo who treats Nico as though he's fragile, as though he is precious. More careful with their connection than Nico feels he deserves, especially after all the waiting.

In their juvenile forms, Abyss already towers over Festus, and shell dwarf him when they reach maturity. Just as immense as her name would imply.

Festus is still larger than every other dragon in Esevrian, even Abyss' fellow shadow drakes are rendered minute at his side.

As Nico grows closer to Leo, the omega will admit to find it amusing, that he's so intricately bond to something so massive, when he himself seems stuck in such a small frame. And Nico will glance back to their dragons, then return to Leo with his best dead-pan stare, and quietly enjoy the way his face cracks in glee in response.

It's not that Leo is beautiful, at least not in the sense that would make sense to others, and not in the way his nature calls for. He lacks the graceful lines prominent in all omegas, the soft edges, features Nico now knows he's worked out of his skin.

But he's blistered fingers, and too pointed ears, and crooked teeth, and broken nose, and scared skin. And he's beautiful in all of them, just as he is in his gentle touch, and bright voice, and freckled cheeks.

Nico looks at Leo and feels the string between them tenses, the fire dims, holding a kite into the ground where the wind won't take it, but it'll still fly. There's a balance to it, because Leo can't stop burning any sooner than one could stop time from passing, cursed like all other fire riders to eternal heat, and Nico's the only one keeping him from burning out.

And now that he has him, now that he knows him, Nico refuses to lose him.

The cavern is a sight stripped out from the most bizarre of dreams, glowing neon walls in illusion patterns, kaleidoscopic crystals reflecting their light straight into his skin. And getting out of it is nothing short of a trial, whirlpool water and heat vents vying to keep him trapped.

But they come out regardless, breathe victorious back on safe shore, and collapse side by side into the white sand.

Blue changes before Lance, the dorsal fins on her back gaining new sharp ends, scales darkening in patches, leaving only lines of vibrant blue, new indigo tones adding into the insides of her fins and wings.

And he changes too, he feels energy running through his skin, causing him to fall into the wet grass.

When he finds the strength to move is to remove his jacket and find swirling ice blue markings all over his arms, as though his dragon's color had passed onto him.

It's as he's inspecting these markings, rolling his pants and lifting his shirt, that he feels another weight drop nearby. And turns to look at Duchess Luxia and her royal blue drake, sort of sneak-peek at what Blue would one day become, only now Lance isn't so sure.

He still gathers himself as best as he can, still affected by the transformation, and watches with baited breath as she dismounts and walks towards him, gathering his face in her cold hands.

"Where did you go?"

Telling her feels like guiding a river, placing stones on the river bank to coax the water where he needs. Her dark grey eyes remain impassive, expression unchanged even as Lance admits to disobedience.

But that changes when he describes the cave, the glowing walls and confusing prisms, the way Blue had taken him deep within the bond in order to keep him alive as they exited through the sea.

Then she smiles, releasing him and dropping to a knee in front of him, her dragon bowing with her.

"Congratulations, oh paladin of water"