The main gate loomed in front of Taekwoon and he held tighter to the young priest’s hand as they continued to approach the yawning opening.  A continuous stream of people, mostly farmers coming in from the fields, heavily laden with their crops and goods, moved around them, as well as a handful of guards to make sure the odd thief didn’t pester the men on their return.

            His little legs ached from the long journey and there was a rock in one of his sandals but Taekwoon couldn’t take his eyes off the city as they walked into the safety of the protective wall.  More buildings than he could count spread out in front of him.  They were of various sizes and colors, mismatched against each other and decorated with makeshift curtains in the windows, cracked doors, the odd plant vines crawling along the occasional balcony, and the people…  There wasn’t a place he could look that was free of them: selling their wares at carts and shops, women with very little clothing almost hidden in the alleyways, and children ran by with shrill voices and patchwork clothes.

            “Are you alright, Taekwoon?” Junsu asked him kindly, giving a gentle tug on his hand to grab the little boy’s attention.

            Mutely, he nodded his head with huge, round eyes and continued looking around.  The Priest of Bahamut was familiar and safe, a known person these past couple weeks he didn’t have to see to make sure he was alright with the way their hands were still clasped.  The rest of the city was not and it captured more of his attention as a result.

            “You don’t have to worry, little one.  We’re almost there,” the young man smiled, brushing his shoulder length hair back with a flick of his free hand.  Dark strands settled against the fabric of his silver robes, the cloth more than a little dusty from the road.

            Another quiet nod followed that statement and Taekwoon heard Junsu sigh softly to himself.  His father used to sigh like that too.  Before his parents had given him over to the priest when he wandered into the village.  Only then did he risk a glance at the taller man when they started walking again, catching him out of the corner of inquisitive eyes.

            He wasn’t an old man like Taekwoon thought all priests were.  Nor had he wanted to take him at first.  He’d said something about returning to the Aerie – the castle past the city they were just entering – and sending someone back but his father spoke to Junsu in private and the next morning, he was hugging his mother goodbye and heading out.  His mother cried when they walked away and he did too, silent tears that stained his face as a feeling of sadness and confusion pressed on him from all sides.

            Junsu hadn’t tried to explain it and Taekwoon hadn’t asked.  The feeling of being lost and hurt was too new and overwhelming, so that he drew into himself, but the priest had told him stories to distract him.  He talked about what a Priest of Bahamut was and what his purpose was when he wandered from place to place.  He told Taekwoon of the Dragon God and his followers, of the Aerie and those in it.

            Taekwoon stopped in the middle of the street and stared straight ahead when he noticed something rising up from the castle on the cliff: colorful, flying things that swarmed together and rose higher into the air as one.  He made a small noise in the back of his throat and his jaw dropped open slightly as the figures angled their direction.

            “There they are,” Junsu smiled brightly as he shielded his eyes from the overhead sun while he squinted ahead.  “The Stardust Battalion,” he murmured with pride, squeezing Taekwoon’s hand reassuringly.

            Everything else faded into the background: the sounds of merchants and buyers; the press of bodies on the streets; the smell of people living close together with nowhere to go…  All that remained was Taekwoon and the formation soaring towards them with glimmering bodies of silver and gold, bronze and copper, red and blue, black and white.  And all of them bore the exploding star of the Stardust banner on their chests.

            Junsu had told Taekwoon of many things on their way to the city of Miremaw, but the only one that stuck was this one.

            Dragons.

            Junsu had told Taekwoon stories of dragons.

            Gawking unashamedly, he flinched when the silver beast at the front roared a loud greeting, the sound throaty and vibrant and humming through him unlike anything he’d ever heard or felt in his short life.  His head swiveled to follow their passage above, body turning to match it a heartbeat later, mesmerized.  He’d seen dragons from a distance, or at least he told himself that they were dragons in the sky, flying figures so tiny it was all but impossible to tell otherwise, but this was something else entirely.

            “Beautiful,” he whispered, mouth still hanging open.

            “Yes they are, Taekwoon,” Junsu agreed, kneeling beside the boy so he could see from his perspective.  “And you’re going to be living right up there with them,” he nodded with a barely suppressed smile, dark eyes dancing with amusement when Taekwoon reacted in a delayed manner.

            One breath, he was staring after the dragons as they got smaller and smaller in his vision.  In the next, he jumped in place and turned to look at Junsu so fast he almost elbowed the priest in the face.  “With them!” he gasped in unfeigned awe.

            “Aye,” Junsu grinned at last.  “The Aeries always need hands to help and I think you’ll fit in just fine,” he assured him with a glance at the people who continued to shift around the pair in the middle of the street, otherwise ignorant of the majestic sight that had just flown overhead.

            Taekwoon’s mouth worked, opening and closing like a gasping fish, but no sound came out so that all he could do was fidget in place and look between the Aerie and where he’d last seen the dragons.

            “Come on then.  Let’s introduce you to the Lord High Dragonrider,” Junsu urged, standing upright once more so that he could continue leading them on through the throngs of shifting people in the daylight they had remaining.  None troubled them as they moved and all gave way before the silver robes of the priest.

            More than willing, Taekwoon shuffled along at the priest’s side, hand held tighter than ever and his gaze locked on the castle before him.  If Junsu said anything, he didn’t hear him on the walk that took them to the other side of the city and through the open country separating Bahamut’s Aerie from everything else.  All of his fatigue and soreness disappeared in the presence of the castle and the occasional dragon that rose from it, hypnotizing Taekwoon whenever one appeared.

            He was surprised when the gates opened long before they reached them and it was all Taekwoon could do to keep moving and not stop and stare when the courtyard opened before them.  Someone called to Junsu from the top of the wall but Taekwoon wasn’t paying attention anyway.  His eyes, and every other part of his focus, was on the movement inside: dragons.

            There were dragons on the ground.

            And they were looking at him: one copper, one bronze, and one black.

            By all the gods.  They were looking at him!

            He was saved from having to think too much about it when a boy who couldn’t have been much older than him started to run by and promptly tripped with a startled cry, face planting on the ground before the dragons.  All three heads swiveled in unison to focus on the new boy, blinking at him with amber colored eyes.

            Taekwoon winced at the fall and then quickly glanced between everyone present.  “Ow…” the newcomer groaned, brown hair obscuring his face as he picked himself up and brushed off his pants.

            “Jinki,” one of the riders sighed with a long suffering sigh as he approached to make sure he was alright.

            “Sorry!” Jinki yelped, grinning nervously while he carefully backed away from the dragons, his eyes nearly disappearing in his face at the expression.

            “Better hurry along then,” another rider nearby urged with an easy wave.  “You’ll be late if you stick around here too long,” they teased with a toothy grin.

            “Yes, Captain Yunho!” Jinki flailed, turning around and coming up short with a deepening flush when he noticed the priest and the boy watching the proceedings.  “Sorry!” he cried again, ducking his head and bowing his shoulders so he could flee before anything else might happen on his current task.

            “Still as clumsy as ever,” Junsu laughed softly under his breath as he waved at Captain Yunho and the other two riders before guiding Taekwoon along.

            “But-” he started to say, craning his head back to look over his shoulder at the dragons in the courtyard.

            “You can see them later,” the priest promised with gentle firmness as he kept a strong grip on Taekwoon’s hand and pulled him further into the heart of the Aerie.

            It was easy enough to tell the riders apart from the more common people since the former dressed mostly in leathers so that they could ride at any moment.  At least that was what it looked like, and none of the ones near the dragons were wearing normal, woven clothes.  There were massive troughs filled with water so the dragons could drink and shops in full swing with blacksmiths repairing weapons and gear while the leatherworks took care of the harnesses and saddles and it looked as if there was another priest, this one of Caduron, on hand who was turning his healing arts to the riders and dragons.

            Like in the city, none of them got in Junsu’s path and all gave way before the priest.  Unlike in the city, the majority of the people present greeted him with a smile or a wave, both of which extended to Taekwoon in turn.

            The entire establishment was very open in nature, leaving plenty of room for the dragons to maneuver around as needed.  Junsu continued to lead them deftly through the structures that began to get more closed off and closer together, clearly meant for humans instead, and it was only then that Taekwoon noticed one more structure that rose above the common ground of the Aerie.  He half expected them to head for it where he could spot a red and gold dragon standing guard, but they didn’t.  Before the carved steps that led upwards, Junsu turned them off to another, large building clearly meant for humans only.

            “Here we go,” the priest smiled, pushing the door open and ushering Taekwoon inside to a large… dining hall.  Only a handful of people were present and most of them were children cleaning the tables.

            “This is-”

            “Where Aerie Master Satoru will be found so he can figure out where to put you first,” Junsu explained deftly, signaling one of the children with a raised hand.  A young girl peeled off immediately and ran into the back, short, red hair bouncing as she went.

            Taekwoon fidgeted nervously as he stared at the other children, most of whom were looking back at him just as curiously.  Was this what he was going to be doing?  That wasn’t what he wanted.  It smelled good.  Whatever they’d cooked earlier, but he wanted to be near the dragons.  He wanted to touch one.  To stare at it and memorize every part of it.  He wanted to-

            “Priest Junsu,” a deep, rich voice echoed across the hall and both the priest and Taekwoon lifted their heads to see the approaching man.

            Jet black hair pulled into a half horsetail allowed the rest of the sleek locks to fall down his back, revealing a flawless, pale face and features that were almost feminine in nature.  He was just shy of being pretty but there was no mistaking the aura of command about him as his lithe but average form approached.  Dark, haunted eyes appraised both of them, lingering on Taekwoon in such a way that made him uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze.

            “Master Satoru,” Junsu crossed his fist over his heart and bowed deeper than Taekwoon had seen him do yet.

            “You were not on search when last we spoke, and yet, I see that Bahamut has led you to one anyway,” he smiled knowingly, letting his eyes shift from Taekwoon to Junsu easily, giving him a break.

            “Aye.  The circumstances were… favorable,” he explained with an almost apologetic shrug, dark eyes flickering to Taekwoon and back.

            Satoru hummed thoughtfully in the back of his throat and squatted in front of Taekwoon with a frown creasing his brow as his sapphire, outer robe pooled on the ground behind him.  He rested his elbows on bent knees and propped his chin on his closed fists while he obviously debated what to do with him.  It was a most unsettling experience for Taekwoon.  “What’s your name, boy?” he asked simply, the title a mere statement of fact instead of condescending.

            For a moment, Taekwoon was so surprised at the question that he found himself unable to answer.  He started to shrug his shoulders as if he couldn’t remember and then Junsu spoke for him.  “His name is Taekwoon.”

            Both heads turned to look at Junsu and the priest smiled in embarrassment, placing his hand over his mouth with an apologetic nod.  “I was asking Taekwoon,” Satoru chastised gently before returning his gaze to the boy.  “Why are you here?” he questioned with a curious lilt to his voice.

            “Satoru-” Junsu started to speak before a single raised finger from the Aerie Master paused him again.

            In all honesty, Taekwoon had no idea.  That part hadn’t been explained to him and some of the uncertainty must have shown on his face for Satoru’s eyes crinkled and he smiled, unperturbed by the lack of responses thus far.

            “Allow me to rephrase that.  What do you want to do here, Taekwoon?”  His voice was a velvety purr, like a cat patiently waiting on a mouse to make the first move, but without any of the danger.

            This time, Junsu would not be silenced as he chuckled kindly, “He’s only six summers and he hardly talks at all so I don’t know that he would even have a thought about-”

            “I want to be a dragonrider!” Taekwoon blurted hastily, nearly spitting on Satoru in his worry that he wouldn’t get to say something or that he’d be stuck somewhere he didn’t want to be – like cleaning in the dining hall.

            Satoru’s mouth pulled to the side into a wry smile as he looked up at Junsu who seemed more surprised than anything.  “Well there you have it,” the Aerie Master chuckled with the barest of nods as he stood up and glanced around the hall, obviously looking for someone.  Sighting on another boy with bright, orange hair, Satoru waved him over and asked, “Wonsik.  Where’s Jinki?”

            Wonsik started to shrug but a warning glance from the taller man stopped him mid-motion.  “I’m not sure sir,” he answered honestly then, retreating quickly when Satoru waved him off with a dismissive gesture and a thoughtful frown on his face.

            “We shall see,” he intoned gravely when he turned his gaze upon Taekwoon once more.  “I’ll take him from here,” Satoru held out his hand with an expectant look at Junsu.

            “Very well,” the Priest nodded in understanding, shifting Taekwoon’s hand to Satoru’s with ease.  “Bahamut watch over you, little one,” he smiled, ruffling the head of ebony hair with a gentle motion.

            Taekwoon blinked up at both men, wondering what in the world was going to happen next and hardly daring to hope that it might have something to do with dragons.  “Come along, Taekwoon,” Satoru urged, tugging the boy after him as they both moved into the heart of the building together.  “Let’s see if we can’t find Jinki and then we’ll see if you won’t be a better partner to him than his last companion,” he commented dryly, though something about the way he said it told Taekwoon there was more that wasn’t being said in that statement.

            Of course, he didn’t get to find out until later, after they’d found Jinki where the other boy was diligently copying books in the library under the watchful eyes of Master Scribe Jolin, a colorful woman who was watching the young boy with a bemused expression.  “He might have two left feet, but he’s a hard worker and can out-write many of my own apprentices,” she laughed upon releasing Jinki from her service.

            He seemed more than happy to get away but flushed when he recognized Taekwoon from earlier.  Their introductions were a little bit awkward, made more so by the fact that neither knew what to think about being paired with the other.  Fortunately, or not, depending on how one looked at it, Satoru didn’t care about either of their potential discomfort.  “He’s new and you need a partner,” he pointed to Taekwoon first and then Jinki.  “In the Aerie, no one is alone.  You know that,” he shook his finger at Jinki, but didn’t press the point.

            “Yes sir,” Jinki agreed meekly, head and shoulders bowed.  Taekwoon thought he was probably older but he just felt awkward to be around.

            “Run along then.  Show Taekwoon the ropes, the rooms, and the routines,” Satoru urged with both hands, giving the pair a shove to start them moving before he moved off on his own, enviably graceful even when he was just walking.

            Jinki took a deep breath and pulled his shoulders back before he turned a brave smile on Taekwoon and stuck his hand out.  “I’m Jinki,” he greeted officially.

            “I know,” Taekwoon blinked without taking the hand.  They’d already been introduced after all.  His response seemed to confuse Jinki who hesitantly pulled his hand back, glancing at it to make sure there was nothing wrong or anything.

            “And you’re Taekwoon, right?” he nodded energetically, already knowing the answer which made him more confident.  At the other boy’s nod, he scratched his head and made a slight face.  “You don’t talk much do you?” he asked as he waved at Taekwoon so they could get moving, beginning to walk once more.

            Taekwoon shrugged.

            “Well…” Jinki trailed off, expression shifting like he didn’t know what to say.  “I guess it’s better than talking too much,” he finally managed when nothing else came to him.

            “What happened to your last partner?” Taekwoon inquired, watching the rise and fall of Jinki’s face when he started to speak before he realized what was being asked.

            “Oh.  That,” he winced, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.  “He got stepped on by Hero.”  Taekwoon’s eyes widened at the response, his face paling slightly.  Of all the things he might have guessed, that was not one of them.  “It was an accident!” Jinki added quickly, waving his hands as if that was going to make it any better.  “But he wasn’t paying attention and Hero was just coming out of Trance with Yunho and yeah.  It wasn’t good,” he grimaced with a sidelong look at Taekwoon.

            “Oh.”  There didn’t seem to be much else he could say to that.

            “So do you wanna be a dragonrid-er!?” Jinki asked before he tripped over his own feet when trying to look at Taekwoon and walk at the same time.  Jinki stumbled forward and Taekwoon lunged after him, grabbing a flailing arm with both hands to swing him around and keep him from face planting again.  “Whoa!  Thanks,” Jinki beamed with a relieved grin as he placed a hand over his chest and laughed once.

            Taekwoon cracked a smile and shrugged with a tiny nod.  “Yes,” he stated softly, not entirely sure what to think of Jinki.

            “Huh?” the other boy blinked, confused by the answer.

            “I want to be a dragonrider,” Taekwoon confirmed with quiet conviction.

            “Really?” Jinki gasped with both hands rising in front of him.  At Taekwoon’s nod, he hummed to himself and nodded along.  “It’s a lot of work you know.”  Taekwoon nodded again.  He could have guessed that.  “And I can’t promise you’ll make it even if you try your best,” he added, one finger held in front of him.

            “I will,” was all Taekwoon said in response, giving a tiny, confident smile.

            “Okay,” Jinki shrugged, throwing his hands up like there was nothing else to discuss.  “Come on then.  There’s a lot more to living in the Aerie than just dragons,” he laughed with a knowing grin as he grabbed Taekwoon’s hand and pulled him along.

            Taekwoon knew that too, but so long as dragons were involved, so was he.  It was as simple as that.  At least that’s what he kept telling himself anyway.

(a/n: And... it begins!  lol  Let's see how this one comes along.  hehe  Lots of plans in the back of my head here.  I hope you enjoy!  ^_^)