Wild and Out of Control

|chapter twenty seven|

There is no stronger bond than that between two mated dragons. It goes beyond the depth of human love or adoration to a primal, undeniable requirement for proximity. One cannot survive without the other.

- COLONEL KAORI'S FIELD GUIDE TO DRAGONKIND

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|danica|

I'm not sure if flying for six hours straight is our prize for winning the Squad Battle or our punishment for breaking into General Sorrengail's office.

     Whatever it was, my Squad was not prepared for it. I don't mind the long hour sitting on dragonback—in fact, I'm used to it from all the hours I spent training outside of class. Although, we've never been this far or this high close to the mountains. The air is getting thin and cold, and my ears and nose turning red.

     "How long can you fly non-stop without a break?" I ask Azare to break the silence that's been chewing since we left. He's not a big talking and, frankly, neither am I.

     "It depends."

     "On what?"

     "On whether I'm flying north to south or south to north—because of the winds. And whether I ate and rested beforehand. Or if I'm flying to my mate. That's usually when I fly the fastest."

     I rub my gloved hands over his scales. "Aww. Does someone have separation anxiety? It's cute."

     "I do not," he grumbles. "But, yes in a way. Sgaeyl and I cannot be separated for a long time."

     "Why?"

     "Because she gets sad and grumpy, and pouts until I come back to her." I can almost hear the smile in his voice.

     "I do not, and you know it Azare. If anything, it's you who pouts for me to come back to you," Sgaeyl's voice drips into my mind.

     "Have you been listening to this conversation the whole time?" And if she has, I wonder if Riorson has as well.

     "No, but I can always sense when Azare is talking about me in a not-so-fun light." Sgaeyl laughs, and it flutters between us like butterflies. "But, yes, we cannot stay apart for more than a week. It drains us."

     "I'm pretty sure that's the separation anxiety talking." I laugh as Azare jokingly tries to knock me off my seat.

     We land on what appears to be the outskirts of an outpost. We're here for our prize of a weeklong tour of a forward outpost. Azare is the last to land because he's the biggest and requires more time and space to touch the ground.  I sling my pack over my shoulders before I slide down his leg until my feet touch solid ground.

     With my hands on the small of my back, I bend backward to stretch the tight muscles. I haven't felt this sore since I first started training, and it sucks as much as I remember.

     "I'm pretty sure I'm dying." Nadine bends over, bracing her hands on her knees.

     "I feel that." Violet swings side to side with her arms up before she bends to touch her toes.  "I feel like my spine is on fire."

      That doesn't even make sense. "Get used to it. After graduation, we'll be flying long distances like this multiple times a year."

     "How are you this unaffected?" Ridoc asks as he catches up to us.
 
     Aetos is in front of Professor Deverra, seeming minimally affected, his posture only slightly stiff as he and Deverra great a tall man in rider black, who I assume is the outpost commander.