Chapter Six

  The sun was barely peeking over the mountain range that surrounded the lake below Ophicys, the night chill still in the air and frost beginning to litter the grass. Summer was waning, and as autumn began to fill in, the dragons were starting to prepare for the upcoming winter that usually struck the mountains. Even though dragons preferred warm, dry weather, because they were housed in the mountains to be closer to their goddess and her skies, this meant they had to deal with unpredictable weather.

  Many dragons would begin to stop going out until later in the day when the sun had warmed the landscape, and their attire would change from toga style wraps to robes that they paired with cloaks to trap their body heat. The dragon's homes would soon be filled with hearth fires from their own magical breath, but traveling outside of the city would become more rare. Within the city, however, the walking paths were made from a stone that the builders had imbued with energy that would react to the environment around it, warming during the cold seasons and cooling off during the hot seasons. Yet, outside the city gates, dragons would quickly find the weather overwhelming to their body's needs. Their wings being made of thin membrane with blood vessels meant that they could lose their body heat very quickly and had to prepare well in advance before traveling. Many would specifically plan to go out after the winter had long left the land, very few choosing to go out into possibly treacherous conditions.

  This meant that Tairhn could allow Aaron to relax a bit more than usual, and the pre-teen was now zipping around him in the air, doing small laps out of excitement. Aaron had grown within the last year, but he was still rather lanky, having not grown into an adult body yet. Baby fat was starting to disappear from his body and face, but he was still too lean and had not built up any muscle mass quite yet.

  He still had a lot more growing to do, but now he was finally ready to learn to take his dragon form. Tairhn had been waiting until Aaron had grown a bit more, as he knew shape shifting took a tremendous amount of energy. It was best to not overwhelm the boy, or he could be put out from over-exertion.

  Along that same line of thought, Tairhn wished he could allow Aaron to speak with Io. Astrius told him that Io had warned of the energy required to visit her, so he had agreed and simply kept the child away from the alcove within the temple. He wasn’t even sure Aaron understood how the alcove worked, but what concerned him was the fact Astrius would not allow Tairhn himself to attune to the Astral plane and speak with her. He understood Astrius was keeping his temple in control, but he thought he had long since earned that right to speak with the goddess as he had not been stopped at any other temple before. Every child he had helped raise had given him access to the alcoves within any temple, but Astrius was adamant that he stay away from speaking to the goddess for some reason.

  To keep the peace, he didn’t argue with Astrius, focusing instead on his pupil. Once the Titans were dealt with, and Aaron was grown, there was no excuse as to why the boy, or himself for that manner, couldn’t speak with Io. He was suspicious that Astrius was hiding something from him, but he knew there was no arguing with the man. His priority right now was Aaron’s growth.

  “Too far!” He called out to Aaron who had flown a bit ahead who was doing various loop de loops and spins as he flew. Aaron had grown excited as of late with his lessons and his confidence was building up every day. Aaron turned back and flapped his wings a few times to stabilize before landing in a bit of a kneeling position. He stumbled lightly when his feet made contact with the dirt beneath him, but he caught himself before falling over completely. Standing up straight, Aaron beamed at Tairhn, clearly too happy to care about his struggles with landing.

  “Sorry, Master, I am just so excited! I could barely sleep last night, I finally get to learn transformation! My dreams the last few weeks have been so vivid, I can feel myself soaring through the skies, faster than ever! A loud roar shaking through the earth, the wind tickling at my wings-” Aaron cut off, letting out a joyous laugh. Tairhn himself chuckled at the child’s enthusiasm.

  “That’s good, that means you’re becoming more in tune with yourself. Many shape-shifters take years of meditation to find the form they are looking to take. But then again, not many can become shape-shifters.” Tairhn mused, thinking of the few examples he had seen in his life.

  “Why not?” Aaron asked, the curious nature still there from his younger childhood years.

  “Well, it takes a tremendous amount of energy for one. Those who do not have natural energy build up, like yourself, have to meditate and build a connection to some form of magic. Wolf-Walkers are notorious for this. They are in some ways human, but as a rite of passage into adulthood, they find their Wolf. But they have to be in tune with nature before they can find that form, so children begin to follow their parents' knowledge path early so by the time they mature, they have that connection.”

  Tairhn continued, “When it comes time for them to take their Wolf form, they are taken to a sacred site. They will spend however long it takes within that hidden grotto, meditating and closing the connection between them and the energy source they have chosen. Magic flows through this land Aaron, and even in times when you feel weakest, you will always find a source. You must always remember this, especially in battle when things can seem at their darkest.”

  “I can sometimes see it. When I’m really focusing hard, I can see the flowing of magic through various objects,” Aaron kicked a rock as they walked along the path. They were going to a different area today than the cliffside above the lake they went to for flying lessons. Aaron hadn’t seen this place before, and he knew it was mostly chosen just due to being secluded from common views, but he was still excited to see a different area of the world.

  “Well of course you can. The very blood flowing through your veins is one that once shaped the world. That’s why I feel confident we will find success with transformation today. You are coming into your abilities naturally, but you are also a very focused student. Unfortunately this lesson I cannot show you what to do per se, as I am unable to shape-shift myself.”

  “How will you teach me then?” Aaron raised an eyebrow, but he trusted Tairhn had a plan.

  “Well, that’s just the thing. I cannot teach you necessarily. Boavi, your Wolf-Walker brother, is the only other sibling of yours who can shape-shift. I was able to teach him the tools to find his Wolf, but I did not teach him to do the transformation itself. We will use your existing lessons to build a base for you to find your other form.” Tairhn looked up at the sky turning more blue by the minute. “That’s why we left so early, so we can spend all day out here if necessary. These types of lessons are extensive and need more time, so the earlier we can be up, the better.”

  “It’s okay Master, I’m used to getting up before dark.” Aaron jumped up on a fallen tree, arms and wings outstretched as he walked the length of it, his tail adjusting for balance. He had proven to be quite nimble on his feet, especially during their sword practice. Ah, to be young again.

  Tairhn pulled himself out of his reminiscence, pausing at a specific spot by the side of the regular trail, only slightly worn compared to the more obvious path travelers often took. Aaron jumped down off the log and went to stand beside Tairhn, curious.

  “Why did we stop here?” He looked up at Tairhn, not seeing what the old man’s experience did.

  “Here,” Tairhn knelt down, using his clawed hand to point out how sections of the grass were more worn down. “See how the grass is beginning to look flatter than the areas around it? And here, the bush branches are also a bit damaged, indicating that people passed through here, at least recently enough that the bush is still regrowing this section.” He pointed to the bushes they were going to pass through, along the outer edges they were nice and full, but closer to the beaten path they were looking at there was less growth, things were shorter as if having been stunted by any passersby brushing into it.

  “There’s a smaller area past here that is a bit empty, with an overhang of those cliffs up above,” Tairhn pointed once more, this time above them, going up another mountain side there were a few areas of cliff that seemed to hang out a little more. The overhang wasn’t exactly much, but it was enough that some travelers would stop and set up camp by the cliff face to have some form of shelter from various elements.

  “Come along, this way.” Tairhn pushed forward through the bushes, holding one back with a wing to make it easier for Aaron. Once Aaron pressed through the mass of leaves from the other bush, the path was a little more obvious, but still littered with various tiny pebbles and plant saplings. Nature was trying to take this path back, since it wasn’t commonly traveled, but it was still easier than trying to push through fully grown flora. Aaron followed Tairhn down the path until they finally came to a small open area with the wall that was the mountain towering above them. The cliffside was a bit diagonal, which allowed for some shelter from rain and wind under the right circumstances, but it was also enough that it wasn’t visible from the city. Aaron could transform here and the chances of anyone seeing him were as slim as they could be.

  “Here, this is where we will spend today. We will want to head back when the sun gets closer to setting, but we will have quite the day here. I made sure to bring provisions this time, so we can have lunch later if you need to take a break.” Tairhn set his small pack down that he had started bringing with them on their outings, full of a few small snacks and some sandwiches he had made before waking Aaron that morning. Following up with a groan, he sat down on a nearby flat rock to rest for a moment.

  “Why don’t you find a spot you’ll feel comfortable? You’ll be sitting and meditating for a while, so you’ll want to be sure you aren’t distracted by any discomfort. Take your time and find a good spot before you begin.” Tairhn sat forward, looking around for any options Aaron might like, but it was mostly flat ground. There were a few various slabs of rock face laying around that had fallen off the mountain at one point, including the large piece that Tairhn was resting on.

  Aaron walked around the cleared area, testing the dirt in certain areas, planning on finding a good spot. He had learned over the last year that patience was required until skills were more mastered, and he was not wanting to rush his transformation. No matter how excited he was, Aaron intended to do this properly.

  He paused at a certain patch of grassy area that was growing next to a bit of a flatter slab of rock compared to the boulders littering the campsite. Aaron used his foot to test the area's softness relative to the harder ground most of the boulders were on. This seemed like a pretty good spot, but if he couldn’t find comfort, he could always move. Aaron knelt down, going into his usual meditative position sitting back on his knees. With the chill in the air, he decided to keep his cloak on, even if the sun was still keeping them warm enough it was nice to have some shelter from any chill wind that would blow through.

  Aaron glanced over at Tairhn, who simply motioned with his hand to continue. With a deep breath, Aaron closed his eyes, beginning to clear his mind and find that meditative state.

  It wasn’t exactly difficult out in the wilds, the sounds of nature were by far less jarring than that of the hustle and bustle of a city. The wind rustling through the trees, the birds singing out to each other, combined with the smell of flora and dirt on the wind all created a calming atmosphere. Even still, Aaron focused on his breathing for a few minutes, knowing he would need to find calm before even trying to imagine his dragon form.

  The environment certainly was helpful to find a calming state of mind, but once his mind was cleared and he started trying to think of his dragon self, everything suddenly became jumbled. Aaron’s brow furrowed, shaking it off to focus on his breathing once again. He was trying to not get frustrated, after all, Tairhn had said it could take some time.

  Even though he was older, the impatience was still there. Aaron might have understood that he had to remain calm and wait for things to come naturally rather than force it, but that didn’t mean that his mind let him accept it. As time ticked on and the sun climbed higher in the sky, it was becoming clear to Tairhn the adolescent was starting to get frustrated. Tiny annoyed huffs every once in a while and the twitching in Aaron’s face were rather obvious to the elder dragon, but he didn’t intervene yet.

  After a few hours, Aaron sighed, slumping over in defeat. “I’m sorry, Master, I’m just so tired… I don’t understand, I’m just sitting here, but I feel so exhausted.”

  “Well, you’re holding yourself in the same position for quite some period of time. It’s bound to tire you out. Why don’t you come take a break. We can have some lunch, and you can rest before trying again in a little while.” Tairhn pulled the pack closer, pulling out some of the cloth wrapped sandwiches as Aaron got up on wobbly legs to walk over. He had been sitting for quite some time in the same position after all.

  Aaron plopped down onto the ground next to Tairhn’s rocky seat, taking a sandwich as the elder handed it over. “Thanks, I guess I never thought meditation could become tiring like that.”

  “Meditation is intended to be natural, it cannot be forced as you well know. But even then, sitting in the same position for more than a few hours can take a great deal of stamina.” Tairhn took a bite of his own sandwich, trying to think of some way to help Aaron find his form.

  “You know how I mentioned your brother, Boavi? I had spent quite some time with the Wolf-Walker tribe while he was growing, so I was given the great privilege of watching their rituals for each adolescent that came of age. It allowed me to understand Boavi’s needs, and in turn, gave me knowledge to help guide him to that ritual. Perhaps some of the Wolf-Walker techniques will help you?” Tairhn offered, truly believing Aaron had the ability to find this dragon form within a day.

  “What does their ritual look like?” Aaron was watching Tairhn, listening intently but munching away on his sandwich, already halfway through it.

  Tairhn thought back to those days, smiling fondly at the memories. “Well, it is going to vary based on the individual. First, it’s a coming of age ritual as I mentioned earlier, but that means different things for different people. In the Wolf-Walker tribes, there are individual families that focus on specialties; some are hunters, some might be gatherers, that sort of thing. Some may not follow in their parent’s footsteps, which is why they may find apprenticeships amongst the tribe early on depending on their passions. Parents pay close attention to their children’s preferences and work to grow their natural talent. So some have natural born talents and can have their ritual early on in life, I believe the earliest I saw was a 13 year old. Others might be late bloomers and need additional guidance, and can go through their ritual at 17 or even as late as 20 in some instances.”

  Tairhn finished off the sandwich he had been working on, pausing only for a moment before continuing, “As such, there are different milestones that lead to their ritual. But the ritual is typically going to be the same for each individual once they are ready. There are various sacred areas for each Wolf-Walker tribe. Most are nomadic and move around as time goes on and the lands need to replenish. They always stay near that sacred site however, and typically are only a few days travel distance at any point and time. Each sacred site is different, but the one I went to for your brother’s tribe was a grassy patch within a cave, the top completely withered away by a waterfall that flowed into a central lake. Stones, of various shapes and sizes with ancient glyphs surrounded the lake, and a small stepping stone path led out to the center of the lake. A relatively small island would be where the ritual would take place.”

  “When the time comes, the tribe will take the young Wolf-Walker to the site, usually giving themself about a day before a full moon. Even though that happens twice a month, it does depend on which moon that particular Wolf-Walker tribe is attached to. Boavi’s tribe happened to follow the black moon, so the experiences I speak of come from them, but I have met Wolf-Walkers that were brought into adulthood under the red moon.” Tairhn paused to grab a canteen, grabbing a swig of water, before handing it over to Aaron and continuing. “The entire tribe typically goes with, even if the elders are the ones performing the ritual. The rest of the tribe waits at the shore line while the adolescent and the elders go to the island in the middle.”

  “The black moon rose into the sky and the cave illuminated with a strange energy. Everything seemed to have a strangely luminescent shadow look about it, almost as if alive. The runes would glow a vibrant red, and the water coming in from the falls would brighten into a glowing white, similar to your mother’s scales. The Wolf-Walker that was coming of age sat in the middle of the circle of elders, and as the elders transformed into their wolf forms, the adolescent would close their eyes and focus on the form they had spent their lives seeking. Many often find their forms early in a dream, or perhaps while meditating. The adolescent then begins to see through the eyes of that form, not trying to transform necessarily but instead focusing on seeing themselves within that form.”

  “Sometimes it happens quickly, other times it might take an hour or so, but at some point, the adolescent will begin to gather energy from the lake, the magic swirling out of the water and onto the shores to envelope their body. Once this happens, the tribe elders will throw their heads back, howling as the energy begins to flow. Even some of the Wolf-Walker’s on shore would transform to include their song. The glow will take over their body; rather quickly the shape goes from their human self into a large canid, and as the glow dissipates, they are left standing on their own four paws.”

  Tairhn chuckled softly, remembering Boavi’s transformation. “It’s quite a celebration after the ritual is complete. Mostly family and close friends will take the newly transformed Wolf-Walker out for their first run in their new form, and the echoes of the howls ring through night air until dawn.”

  Aaron was staring up at him wide eyed. “So… if they transform so quickly, why can’t I find it? I’ve been at it for hours now…” He trailed off, his ears drooping slightly.

  “Oh no, your transformation is rather unique, they have the influx of energy that aids them. You have to pull from your own energy. Boavi’s ritual was a bit explosive compared to that of a normal Wolf-Walker, so I expect yours might also be less of a gentle transition and more of a rather sudden transformation. You will get it, I know it in my soul.” He smiled down at the child, gently patting Aaron’s golden locks reassuringly. Aaron smiled back, feeling a little bit of confidence returning.

  Aaron looked at the spot he had been sitting previously, thinking about what Tairhn had told him. Rather than trying to see the dragon itself, perhaps if he tried to see it as he had in his dreams, through the dragon’s eyes.

  He stood up, dusting himself off briefly before making his way back to his little patch, getting back into the knee sitting position he had been in earlier. Taking another deep breath and closing his eyes, Aaron let the breath out slow, returning to his dreams to see through the dragon’s eyes.

  After he closed his eyes, instead of quieting his mind again, Aaron focused back to his nights of soaring through the stars, trying to feel that powerful roar in his chest once more.

  As the minutes went on, he began to feel energy building, drawing up through his limbs to meet at his pounding heart in his chest. Time seemed to just drag on, and Aaron swore he could hear his heartbeat slowing as the energy that was gathering seemed to be building to a tremendous, uncontainable amount. With a soft gasp, letting out the breath Aaron hadn’t realized he was holding, the energy released itself.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  A bright golden light exploded forth from his chest, his form overtaken by its shine. Tairhn shot up from the rock, stumbling a bit as he’d been caught quite off guard. He stared as Aaron grew exceptionally larger, the glow contorting his body into a new state. Arms now on the ground as a newly versatile limb to allow for quadruped movement on hands now turned destructive claws. Wings expanded in size as his head went from humanoid to a massive dragon head, not unlike his mother’s; only with one set of horns in comparison.

  As the light faded and the details of his body were more visible, Aaron let out a rather confused but powerful roar from deep within his chest. Stomping at the ground as he whipped his head around to look down his back for the first time in his life. His tail and wings were much larger than they had been before, and he now was covered in scales rather than the humanoid flesh he once had. Aaron looked over at Tairhn as the excitement boiled in his chest. Tairhn watched him, impressed, only to realise a glow was building up Aaron’s throat at an incredible rate.

  “Wait, don’t-!”

  He was cut off as Aaron suddenly unleashed a breath of fire, just barely missing his head by inches. Tairhn ducked instinctively, albeit a bit delayed, and as quickly as it had come, the fire was gone, leaving two very confused dragons.

  Tairhn raised back up once it was clear things were safe again, and straightened his robes, regaining composure. “I see your fire was in you all along. We’ll… learn to control that at a later date.” He looked Aaron up and down once more, making sure nothing was out of sorts in his new form.

  Aaron looked as horrified as his draconic face could allow. He folded his wings back ducking his head a little, doing the same as Tairhn. Dragons might be more resilient towards their own fire, but an ancient dragon like Aaron was harder to defend against.

  Luckily Tairhn was perfectly fine, perhaps a bit singed at the tips of his horns, but otherwise unharmed. Aaron visibly relaxed, moving closer on his new legs, a bit unsure.

  “Take your time, don’t try to rush things.” Tairhn said, moving a bit closer to meet him halfway. Granted with Aaron’s new size, distance covered had increased drastically. Aaron was about as tall as Tairhn at his shoulder blade, but now with the elongated serpentine neck, his head had quite a bit on the nearly 8 foot dragon elder. Tairhn wondered if he would get as big as his brother Ra when he was fully grown, whom Tairhn would barely come up to the elbow on.

  Aaron opened his mouth to speak but instead a much lighter roar came out with some grumbles deep within his throat. He pulled his head back, clearly even more confused.

  ‘I cannot speak?!’ echoed off the mountain wall sounding louder than intended, and Aaron, having not expected it, jumped enough that all four claws left the ground. He whipped his head around, trying to make sense of it. ‘Wait, I cannot speak, but my thoughts come out? Master, do you hear me?’

  Tairhn chuckled heartily, “Oh, I am so sorry Aaron. I should have warned you. Ancient dragons do not speak through their mouths like you and I normally converse. It is a thought. You wanted me to hear you, so you willed your thoughts to be heard. You will also learn to control that so you do not accidentally let people hear what you wanted to keep private.”

  Aaron cocked his head slightly, ‘Oh, right, I suppose I would want to keep track of what I want to let out.’ He turned and twisted, now that the shock had worn off to truly get a better look at his body and start to understand how to move things in this new form. Aaron went around in a small circle, almost as if chasing his tail but slower, before raising his head once more to look around at his new height ‘Wow, the trees look so different now!’

  Tairhn smiled, sitting back down on his rock now that he knew Aaron was used to his new legs. “Wait until you are fully grown. I am sure that you’ll be able to tower over some trees by then. Your brother was almost as tall as the central dome over the temple reaches into the sky.”

  ‘Wow, that must have been hard for him to live in the city after a while.’ Aaron laid down, crossing his foreclaws.

  “Yes, it was. Once it seemed he was going to start growing beyond what the city could manage, a new home was prepared for him. It was a large cave carved out by some of the best miners of that time, along with any necessities for him. As an ancient dragon like your mother, he was able to fend for himself after a certain point, hunting proficiently to where it wasn’t necessary to feed him. Luckily, since your primary self is your more humanoid form, this means you can stay safe within the temple walls until you’re ready.”

  ‘Father Astrius seems to doubt I’ll be ready, no matter how much progress we’re making. Maybe this will show him I’m on the right path!’ Aaron had been getting frustrated coming into his pre-teen adolescent years, not quite as rebellious as he could be, but he was beginning to push back against the High Priest more and more. Sneaking peeks over the garden walls from high up in the trees where he knew no one within the temple could get to him had been one of his favorite pastimes lately. Tairhn allowed it, because it was not only funny to see the priests flounder unable to get to Aaron, but also because Aaron was well hidden by the branches. No one would be intentionally looking up into the tree branches enough to see anything through the thick leaves, except perhaps in the dead of winter; however Tairhn had already gotten Aaron to agree to lessen his time at the garden walls during the winter months.

  ‘Master?’

  Tairhn blinked, coming out of his thoughts with a quizzical hum. “I’m sorry, I’m just thinking about how fast you’re maturing. I knew because of your lineage there was some natural talent bound to be there, but it’s impressive to see the fruits of your efforts as I know you are also working your hardest.”

  Aaron crooned, still getting used to his new vocalizations. He laid his head down, suddenly feeling quite tired.

  “Go ahead, take a nap. I’ll wake you up in a little bit, long before the sun starts to set. We will need you to transform back so we can go home, but for now, you can rest.” Tairhn moved down to the ground himself to use the rock he had been sitting on as a back rest, thinking he could just enjoy the last bit of warm weather they might have before the winter started setting in.

  Aaron allowed his eyes to close slowly, his breathing becoming steady and deep as he fell into a quick slumber. Tairhn wouldn’t allow sleep to take him fully, no; for he had to stay aware in case any threats showed their ugly heads. With such a vast wilderness the chances of coming across a wild animal such as a Tarrasque wasn’t high, but there was always a chance.

  Tairhn instead watched the skies as the clouds floated by on the powerful wind currents above. As most dragons loved the sky, Tairhn was no exception, but the things that captured his attention about the open air wasn’t the flying itself; he enjoyed sky gazing.

  He had spent a lot of his youth just laying on his back staring up at the skies, whether it was to watch passing clouds, or to witness the night sky in its full glory. He was even a peculiar dragon in the sense that instead of flying during the day, he preferred flying at night to witness the stars. Especially ever since Tairhn had learned that the night sky was so much more vibrant and amplified in the Astral Plane, his obsession with the stars had only increased as time carried on.

  Tairhn watched the shadows creep across the ground for some time, leaving Aaron to his sleep. He did not wait too long as they still had quite a distance back to the city and Aaron was bound to still be tired. When he felt that the time was right, Tairhn stood going to wake the sleeping dragon.

  “Aaron? It’s about time to start heading back.” He gently shook Aaron’s horn a bit to gather his attention.

  A single snort escaped Aaron, and he slowly opened his eyes, letting out a low grumble. His mouth opened in a massive-and rather sharp-yawn, getting up as he stretched his foreclaws.

  ‘Already? Well, I suppose I have to transform back first. I would assume I should do the same thing as earlier, just in reverse?’

  “Why don’t you go ahead and try that first. Don’t rush it, just recall how the world looked through your other eyes.” Tairhn sat back down on the rock he’d previously claimed, pretty sure the second transformation would be quicker. It might still take some time-hence waking him up early-but once Aaron had finally succeeded, he accomplished his goal faster each subsequent attempt.

  Aaron did a few more brief stretches, doing each back leg individually before finally shaking his entire body, and going into a sitting position. He still closed his eyes, trying to recall the world as he had seen it in his humanoid form. Aaron thought back to those hours earlier when he had been sitting there, struggling to find his other self.

  Just like that, the golden glow enveloped him again, and this time the form shifted ever smaller, until Aaron was left sitting there as his old self again. Aaron blinked, holding out an arm to look at his hand now that it was back to humanoid. “It’s weird how different each form feels. Is that normal?”

  “Yes, your other form has even more heightened senses that you cannot use in this form. You may have more sensitive hearing, or your eyesight can be sharper. Wolf-Walkers gain the ability to smell stronger, and it translates slightly over to their human selves, but it will never be as strong as their wolf form.” Tairhn grabbed their pack, looking back over at Aaron. “Do you think you need some help getting up?”

  “No, I think I’ll be fine.” Aaron did use his hands to get back up, but his legs only seemed shaky for a second before he was standing properly again. He did a once over glance over his limbs to make sure things looked right, running over to Tairhn who was waiting for Aaron at the overgrown entrance to the little campsite. “Ready!”

  “Well, let’s get on then, it’s a long trip back and the sun will start setting in an hour or so.” Tairhn once again led the way to keep the heaviest of the brush out of Aaron’s way. He hoped that Aaron wasn’t too tired to make it back. When he was younger, certainly, but now that Aaron was coming into his puberty years, he was full of tremendous amounts of energy. However, with that energy came a tendency to push himself too far sometimes.

  “How are you feeling?” Tairhn asked as they pushed through to the main road once more.

  “I’m okay. I feel a bit sore, but otherwise fine.”

  “Well that’s good. If you start to feel too tired, let me know. You’re still small enough I can carry you back if we need.”

  Aaron sputtered, protesting as his skin turned a brighter shade out of embarrassment. “I don’t need to be carried to bed anymore, I’m not a little kid.”

  Tairhn let out a rather loud laugh, “Ah, yes, I suppose I’m imagining those nights I find you out in the gardens, passed out under the willow from your magic training.”

  Aaron huffed at the teasing, muttering about not being tired. Tairhn’s chuckles trailed off as they worked their way along the road, knowing the child wasn’t taking it too personally. Aaron had shown an amazing sense of fun and mischief when he was able to open up. Unfortunately, Astrius was still as strict as before, limiting their time outside the city for practice. Tairhn had argued that doing so was counterproductive to his training, but his objections had been ignored.

  Tairhn brought himself back to the present, knowing he still needed to stay alert for their trip home. The sun was starting to dip already and shadows growing larger every passing minute. Tairhn realized that it would be close to dark by the time they got home.

  “When we get back, I’ll go to the kitchens and make up a small platter, fruits, cheeses, that sort of thing. It’ll be far too late for a full meal, but with how much energy you used up today, don’t be surprised when you wake up tomorrow ravenous. I will be sure to have the morning kitchen crew prepare a larger breakfast than normal.”

  “Won’t I need to do training later? Father Astrius always-”

  Tairhn cut him off, no longer able to kneel down so he just turned Aaron’s chin up to meet his gaze. “Do not worry about what Father Astrius says. You are my responsibility, and if I feel you need a rest day and a larger breakfast, then so be it. I want you to take tomorrow off from any practice or training. We do not know how tired you will be tomorrow from this transformation, and I’d rather not risk injuring yourself somehow.”

  Aaron nodded rather quickly in agreement, and Tairhn released him again, continuing on. Tairhn wished Astrius had stuck to their agreement, but sometimes he caught the High Priest watching from a corner, or a doorway. It was so hard to get a read on that man, but Tairhn knew he meant well. Aaron could not stay hidden away forever though, and holding him back out of fear only meant the Titans could gain an advantage with how long his training would take.

  Of course, the dragon understood it was important to take their time with this. Tairhn’s thoughts lay with the fact that there had been rumors of inner fighting between some of the Titans to the north, within the Centaurian Plains. There was Blythe, the Wind Titan; Corai, the Water Titan; and Kalo, the Lightning Titan. All three of them had been lingering in the plains for so long their borders of influence had eventually clashed, and now there was a bit of a power struggle between the three.

  Tairhn was hopeful that the fighting would delay the Titans, and give them a little bit more time to get Aaron to adulthood. He wasn’t going to assume it would, making sure to watch Aaron’s progress closely so while he didn’t overdo himself, he was still progressing at a steady rate. Tairhn though that he could be ready within another year or so, as his body finished going through its early puberty. Even if Aaron was not quite yet a fully grown man, he could at least be a well trained adolescent that would manage in a fight.

  The pathway leading up to the gates of Ophicys was slowly coming into view as the sun was just beginning to set below one of the mountain ridges. Tairhn could tell Aaron was running out of steam, but the pre-teen was too stubborn to admit it. “It is probably one of the last evenings we can be outside, why not stargaze as we eat? When we get back you can go out to the gardens, and I’ll meet you once I have our dinner platter.”

  Aaron nodded sleepily, but he seemed to pick up the pace a little. He enjoyed stargazing with Tairhn, they didn’t get to do so often, but when they did, he enjoyed hearing the stories from his tutor. He had heard about most of the constellations by this point, but Tairhn had started telling him stories of his siblings, or of Tairhn’s adventures through the world. Aaron didn’t know many people to begin with, but Tairhn was the most well travelled. It was wonderful to hear about all the different cultures in the world, and Aaron had a few places mentally checkmarked for future travel. To someone so sheltered, getting anywhere else was ideal. Tairhn had to wonder if Aaron would end up walking off into the sunset after the last of the Titans fell. At that point, he figured, Aaron would have earned his peace.

  Tairhn reminded Aaron gently to put his facemask up, and the pre-teen obliged quickly, also making sure his hood was pulled and wrapping the cloak over his shoulders to hide his wings under them. They entered the gates just as the sky was changing from the orange of sunset into that deep inky hue of night. The first few stars had started peaking out, but it would be a little bit before the night sky was littered with them. Tairhn adjusted Aaron slightly as they walked; the boy was starting to wobble on his feet from exhaustion.

  “We’re almost there, little one.”

  “I’m not little anymore,” Aaron mumbled, making Tairhn smile and chuckle to himself.

  “No of course not, how silly of me. But you still have quite a lot of growing left to do.”

  They entered the gates together as darkness was overtaking the city, the various lanterns imbued with the dragon’s magical fire beginning to come to life. The street ways were mostly empty now, with the temperature change it had gotten colder before the sun had even set. Tairhn made a mental note to grab some hot chocolate when he was preparing their food, Aaron was still small enough to possibly get sick from the cold air. Dragon’s often kept their children indoors throughout most of the winter, only allowing them out for short spurts at a time to prevent any frostbitten wings.

  They hustled into the temple quickly, and once back in the private portions of the temple Aaron felt comfortable to pull his face mask down again. Tairhn guided him to the garden entrance gently, “Go on, find a comfortable space where we can watch the night sky take over. I’ll prepare something light and bring it out in a few minutes.”

  Aaron nodded quietly, shuffling off into the gardens, following one of the stone pathways that was still lit dimly for safety. The rest of the garden was relatively dark, except for a few select areas that were common for after hours relaxation. Aaron followed the path that led to a small patch of grassy hill that led to the willow he preferred. Tonight they would stay out on this patchy grass to watch the sky, rather than sit beneath the willows branches.

  Aaron flopped down onto the ground, groaning as he laid back completely. It wasn’t often he laid on his back, but he had learned how to adjust the wings to where they weren’t completely crushed. Aaron sighed now that he was finally able to rest and not have to move for a while, gazing up to the sky as the stars seemed to be multiplying by the minute.

  His gaze focused on one star in particular, a part of a constellation Tairhn had told him about previously. This constellation was meant to represent Boavi, his brother the Wolf-Walker. Perhaps it was apt that his brother was the first constellation he spotted that night. Aaron smiled to himself, going to cover his mouth with the back of his hand as a deep yawn overtook him. He could easily fall asleep now, but he also wanted food.

  “Comfortable?”

  Aaron jumped, sitting up swiftly to see Tairhn standing above him with a tray. “How did I not hear you walk up on me? You scared the hell out of me!”

  Tairhn let out a deep chuckle, carefully going to his knees to set the tray beside them. “You are tired, your senses are lessened. Let this be a lesson to you, rest is important. It creates a sharp mind, if you are too exhausted you are likely to have a delayed reaction time. Critical thinking becomes impaired, and even the smallest mistake can give your opponent the advantage. This was your first time transforming, your stamina will get stronger with time and you will not feel as drained going back and forth like that.”

  Aaron let out a shaky breath, not used to being snuck up on. He looked down at the tray beside them, seeing a few cheese and meat pieces. There were also some small fruits, probably some of the last they would see before the warm seasons began again.

  Grabbing a piece of meat and cheese to bite into together, he gazed back up at the sky, realizing a lot more stars had come out in the meantime. The night was littered with the brilliance of the various stars surrounding the two moons. Aaron watched the moons for a moment, before speaking again.

  “Master, can you tell me how close a Titan is to the city?”

  Tairhn snapped his gaze over to Aaron, having been enraptured in the night sky until that moment. “Why would you ask such a question right now? Is there something on your mind?”

  Aaron sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I hear whispers. Priests that think I cannot hear them, Father Astrius hiding conversations about the Titans behind closed doors. He thinks I can’t hear him but there’s a place in the gardens outside his window, hidden by some shrubbery. I sit out there and listen, and he keeps talking about one Titan, one named Blythe. Is he close?”

  Tairhn scratched the back of his neck, trying to find the words to explain the current situation with the Titans. “Not close by, but there is concern he may move southward. Perhaps not right now, as we are getting into the winter and most of the Titans will slow down during that season. The activity will flare back up in the spring, but right now there are three Titans clashing in the Centaur Plains to the north. Far across the desert and past even the mountain range that the Muse and the Worg inhabit.”

  “So, this Titan Blythe is one of the ones clashing right now?” Aaron was still eating slowly as he listened, wondering why Father Astrius would hide this information from him.

  “Yes, he is clashing with Kalo, the Titan of Lightning, and Corai, the Titan of Water. They are creating some hazardous situations for the centaurs that live among the plains, so many have begun working their way into the mountains surrounding the plains to reside with the Muse for sanctuary. These three Titans are currently struggling to gain power and maintain their land, and Blythe seems to be losing the battle. They used to work in harmony, but since this corruption took over they have begun to bicker. They have been creating devastating storms with their fighting, and it seems as though Corai and Kalo might be working together.” Tairhn gazed up at the sky wishing the three of them could continue their power struggle there for a little while longer. If one of the Titans crossed the Raadshyian Desert before Aaron was ready to fight-well, Tairhn didn’t like to think about it.

  Aaron looked back up at the sky with Tairhn, focusing in on the red moon, currently in a half full state. “So, if Corai and Kalo work together to push Blythe out, he will most likely come across the desert and into our mountain range, which is why Father Astrius is so concerned?” He asked, turning back to Tairhn.

  “That is the current assumption. One cannot know for sure, but the Earth Titan is rampaging in the Worg mountain ranges, and the Muse have special protections setup surrounding their capital. It’s the only option that comes to mind.” Tairhn pat Aaron on the shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze to the pre-teen. “But you-you should not be worrying about such things right now. I know it feels impossible to not focus on the bad, especially since we cannot see the full extent of their destruction. For now, your training is all that matters. If we can prepare you as much as possible, then Blythe will stand less of a chance when that time comes.”

  “When, not if?” Aaron asked, messing with a piece of fruit before popping it in his mouth.

  “Ah, yes, well as I said, we’re fairly confident Blythe will come southwards. The hope will be to stop him before he comes into range of any civilization.” Tairhn groaned, sitting back to relax a bit, letting Aaron eat most of the tray as he was the one who expended the most energy today. “It is such a shame that you have to grow up so quickly. I would have much preferred you having a childhood much like your siblings.”

  “Did they have friends?”

  Tairhn flinched, knowing that was a huge regret that he had for the child. “Yes, of course… I truly am sorry you are not able to have someone your age as a friend, Aaron. Your blood is causing you to age so quickly that even if you had a friend, you might leave them behind simply from growing. What I do know is that once you are grown, and all this business is behind us, you will get a normal life. Friends, maybe even a lover; a family perhaps?”

  Aaron’s skin changed a bit even in the darkness, brightening up as he blushed at the idea of a lover. He was at that age after all.

  “You really think I could have all that?” Aaron looked back over to Tairhn, hugging his knees slightly.

  Tairhn smiled, nodding, “Yes, I believe it fully. Anyone would be lucky to know you, and once your deeds are done, everyone will want to know the hero who saved them.”

  Aaron smiled, a genuine glimmer of hope crossing his face as he unfolded his knees to continue eating. Glad the child was at least partially relieved, Tairhn turned his head upward and watched as the ashen moon came into view from behind a passing batch of clouds. This was the moon he had come most attached to simply due to his magic lessons as a youngster. He had watched it fondly as a child and grown up learning about the amplification that a full ashen moon gave to those with magical abilities.

  What he had not noticed before was a mass of swirling storms upon the moon. Black and purple, perhaps even a shade of navy blue swirling across the moon's surface. Tairhn frowned, wondering if this was something completely out of the ordinary, or if this was something recurring he had not noticed throughout his life. He hadn’t necessarily studied the moon all that closely, perhaps this was a storm that only popped up on occasion; but even that answer did not feel right.

  Tairhn brought himself out of his concerns, and cleared his throat. “Well, I do believe that it is getting rather late now, why don’t you go on and get into bed while I clean things up?” He would focus on Aaron for the time being, but perhaps he could reach out to some of his contacts that studied the stars. There had to be an answer for this strange phenomena.

  Aaron pulled himself up, bowing to Tairhn respectfully before heading back down the garden path. Tairhn watched him go, making sure he entered the temple safely, before grabbing the tray they had just been eating off of. He made note to stop by the High Priest’s office in the morning and explain Aaron was going to have an off day. He did not need Aaron to pass out or injure himself from overexertion.

  One last glance upward to the ashen moon, watching the angry looking storms with a furrowed brow, before Tairh finally let out a sigh and headed inwards. Tonight was not a night to be concerned with astrological differences. Not while Aaron was still so hyper focused on the Titan issue, he needed this child to learn how to relax even in times of stress but with Father Astrius causing the boy to doubt he’d ever be ready, Tairhn wasn’t quite sure how to help him do that.

  For now, he would let the boy sleep, and hope that as he grew, Tairhn could only hope that the doubt Father Astrius had instilled in the child would cease to exist as Aaron became a young man. Tairhn could already see the man Aaron could be, but helping Aaron to see it, that was going to be the real challenge.

  A challenge that he refused to fail.