By the time they had all settled in for the evening meal, most of them had established a fairly comfortable camaraderie. Taekwoon set himself closer to his wing mates and the dragons intentionally, but the former gradually drifted apart as they were drawn to some of the newer people. Not too surprisingly, Jungkook did go and try to talk to Chaerin for a bit, but Taekwoon wasn’t interested. He would have been happier just calling it a night, but with this much activity, sleep would be a long time in coming.

            Instead, he figured it might be easier to escape the noise entirely by taking a torch and heading back to the rubble. He made sure to let Insoo know what he was doing, though the wing leader was still reluctant to let him go off alone, and promised his dragons he’d let them know if he needed help. But really, he just needed to be by himself. The general sense of unease he’d been feeling since meeting these strangers hadn’t dissipated as he’d hoped and it was starting to wear on him. His dragon half was beginning to surface and that always made him unpredictable.

            The calm quiet of the night air did work to soothe his spirit as he got into the heart of the remains. There were two openings they’d cleared but he was actually intrigued by the recently opened cave in the back that appeared to lead to a cavern of sorts. Bypassing the other openings, he eased up and peered through the smaller one. The stone doorway had partially collapsed but it looked like if he removed the debris on the bottom, he’d be able to get in. He was intrigued with the way the moonlight illuminated the debris covered ground within.

            With the scraping of rocks and a cut finger, Taekwoon managed to make an entryway big enough for him and eased himself inside. The opening at the top would easily allow for even a full sized dragon to land from above and he’d have to keep that in mind for next time. And though the ground was littered with old leaves and the remnants of small nesting things, he could feel that it was mostly soft soil beneath. The middle looked like a dirt pit while the outer ring appeared to be stone with smaller sand pits, if he wasn’t mistaken, though it was hard to say for sure with all the detritus covering the ground.

            “Strange,” he hummed, realizing his current aerie had no such structure. He counted out the pits and confirmed there were eight in total. He wasn’t sure if it was significant but there were eight different colors of dragons. He was just about to investigate further when his back prickled and a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Turning slowly, he was not surprised to see Chaerin making her way into the area, using the light of his torch to guide herself.

            “I think it’s an old nesting pit,” she murmured as she drew closer but stopped a couple paces away.

            He hadn’t asked but the thought had been starting to cross his mind. “Why did you follow me?” seemed a much better question to ask though. Chaerin followed.

            Danger?

            Unsure.

            Careful, his dragon warned softly.

            “Because I wanted to talk to you,” she answered, her lips nervously. She glanced over her shoulder as if to make sure they were still alone and then looked back at him with an expression that made him very wary.

            “Why?” he scowled, weight shifting to the balls of his feet preemptively.

            “Everyone else was busy and I figured this might give us a good chance to get to know each other better,” she admitted with a glance around the place they were now standing in.

            “Why…?” Taekwoon wondered guardedly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her.

            She didn’t look at him and ignored his question as she added, almost like an afterthought, “This was one of the first places I found myself in as well, you know?” She pointed up though as if to indicate she had come in from above as opposed to from the ground.

            Despite himself and the unanswered question, Taekwoon followed her gaze and took a small breath. “And?”

            “And I think we might not be so different, you and I,” Chaerin smiled, turning the disarming expression on him. Taekwoon’s glare was answer enough and she laughed. “You are very much like a dragon,” she murmured wryly, twisting into an amused expression.

            “And you are not,” he muttered back, tension making his tongue sharper than usual. He didn’t know why but being around her made both his human half and his dragon half agitated.

            “No?” she wondered softly, glancing up through the opening. For just a moment, Taekwoon could have sworn her eyes shimmered silver and not with moonlight.

            He suddenly felt very off balance as his dragon half stilled, though his human self remained on guard. “Who are you?” he asked quietly, feeling very much as if there was something obvious that he was missing, but he couldn’t see it.

            “I already told you,” she reminded him.

            “No. No one is just the name they give,” he grumbled, hands balling into loose fists.

            “True enough,” she admitted with a slow nod and a sigh. They both glanced up when they heard wings beating overhead. A dragon for sure, but it was hard to say which one in the moonlight. Large though. “Fei,” Chaerin explained quickly as the gold settled protectively at the top of the opening. Her large head peered inside and she glared at Taekwoon defensively. “Stop that, you,” her rider chided gently, interposing herself between the man and the dragon.

            “Your dragon certainly doesn’t seem to like me,” Taekwoon couldn’t help but mention, ersely amused by this. Normally, he would have been slightly upset, but this was one dragon he had no qualms about not getting close to. He felt a slight brush of agreement from Jonghyun when the copper listened in enough to realize what was happening.

            “She doesn’t know what to think about you,” Chaerin explained as she partially turned to look at Taekwoon out of the corner of her eyes. “She knows you are a rider but you smell more dragon to her and that is confusing when…” she stalled, trailing off on whatever she was going to say.

            “When what?” Taekwoon asked immediately, curious about what she was going to say.

            “It’s nothing,” Chaerin assured him with a shake of her head. “It’s merely that you are strange is all. The others are normal. Like every other dragon and rider we’ve met. You are not.”

            “Nor are you,” he countered with a narrowed glance between them. “You are the first rider I’ve ever seen that has successfully raised a dragon from the egg. No bond. No Trials. And every bit as close to your dragon as I am to mine.”

            Chaerin was silent for a moment as she looked up at her dragon, an expression of love and fascination obvious. “It’s not so difficult when you have the opportunity and the time.”

            “And who gave you the opportunity?” Taekwoon wondered quickly, once more drawn to her eyes.

            “My father,” she answered easily, giving him a sidelong look that was just shy of playful.

            “And your father is…?” the dragonrider urged, shifting in irritation from his standing vantage.

            “I’m a bastard child of a powerful man and a woman of no stature. Do you honestly think I would tell you who my father is after he gifted me a dragon’s egg?” she laughed incredulously. “Oh come on then, if you’re that worried about me,” she chuckled with a wave at her dragon who awkwardly jumped down into the opening, wings flaring to let her glide down most of the way. She landed heavily as she tried not to flap and throw dust on both of them.

            Taekwoon forced himself to relax now that the dragon was here. Strangely enough, it was better even with the protective creature nearby. “Why does your dragon think I smell more like a dragon than the others?” he wondered, not sure how much of he and his dragon half crossed over.

            Chaerin shrugged and rubbed the golden head with both hands, keeping her eyes on Fei of Taekwoon. “She just says you smell like a dragon. I can’t smell you,” she reminded him with a quick glance over. “Not the way she can anyway,” she winked teasingly, making Taekwoon frown and take a partial step back. “Though personally, you do have moments where you act or take on elements of a dragon,” she added thoughtfully, the words making him still reactively.

            “My dragon says you smell of one too,” he murmured softly, remembering what Jonghyun had told him before.

            “Huh,” she hummed in response, focusing her attention on the gold again instead of him or his words.

            “Why?” Taekwoon demanded quietly, eyes pinned to her. She shrugged dismissively without looking his direction. It irritated him. “Chaerin,” he called, tone firm and demanding this time.

            “I don’t know,” she finally answered, giving him a sidelong glance that didn’t hold the strength of conviction. It made him think she was lying, or perhaps only telling a partial truth, but now was perhaps not the time to try and force something. Fei’s attention turned to him then and she growled a warning in the back of . “Hey,” Chaerin chided, making the dragon fall silent quickly.

            “She really doesn’t like me,” Taekwoon snorted, hoping it would provide some sort of barrier between them in the future.

            Chaerin sighed as she rested her head against Fei’s, her entire demeanor shifting in that moment. Guards down and active pretenses gone, she seemed softer… more innocent. “It’s not that,” she murmured, taking a deep breath before she pulled herself up and wrapped the mantle of her invisible defenses around her once more.

            “Then what is it?” Taekwoon asked, a little disconcerted by the shift he’d witnessed.

            She ignored his question and focused her dark eyes on him. “I hope we can learn to see eye to eye, Taekwoon,” she spoke softly, but her tone seemed sincere.

            He shook his head in confusion, face twisting to match the feeling. “Don’t change the subject.”

            “I should go,” she added as if she hadn’t heard him, waving at him quickly before she ducked past her dragon, effectively fleeing from him.

            Taekwoon took an almost involuntary step to follow her and stopped short when Fei reached out to snap in his general direction. “Hey!” he yelped, backpedaling quickly and lowering into a defensive stance, ready for anything. She hissed at him and then jumped up, flapping her wings hard. Taekwoon had to shield his eyes from the resultant debris storm, pelted incessantly by leaves and sticks and even small pebbles, and when he could finally see again, both Chaerin and Fei were gone.

            You okay? Jonghyun asked, apparently having seen the dragon at least returning.

            Maybe, Taekwoon admitted, at a loss about how to respond to what he’d just experienced. Strange conversation.

            Oh? the dragon hummed thoughtfully.

            Explain later. How’s team? Taekwoon asked brushing himself off and taking another look around the area. Chaerin was definitely gone and so was most of the debris that had been covering the ground.

            Happy. Mostly. Maybe making friends with new riders, he answered, clearly amused about something.

            Oh? That was interesting.

            See later, Jonghyun promised, already turning his attention away from their conversation when something else caught his interest.

            That was fine by Taekwoon for now. He was just as happy to be alone again and without Chaerin around, never mind that she had given him plenty to think about. It was true he didn’t trust her, and this conversation hadn’t assuaged that concern, but he was beginning to think there was more to her than any of them were seeing yet. And not just because they all had dragons they’d raised from the egg. For the time being, it was something else he pushed aside as he turned his focus to the recently cleared ground. His torch light was dimming, having nearly died from Fei’s departure, but it was enough to show him the barest of markings on the area around the largest circle.

            Kneeling close, he pressed his fingertips to the etched stone and frowned as he realized there was some kind of writing or markings here. It was not a language he was certain he knew though. They looked more like runes than letters. “Strange,” he hummed to himself, biting on his thumbnail as he stared. It was something he would have to come back to with more light for sure. Perhaps his wing mates would know something. Or… he could ask Chaerin and her ilk. Or just let them find it. They were sure to stumble across it eventually at this point.

            Taekwoon nodded his head once more and took a small breath. Chaerin was probably right about this place. It felt like a nest for some reason. Or at the least, a good place for there to be a nest. But if that was true, it also begged the question of why Bahamut’s Aerie (and likely Tiamat’s) didn’t have one. It didn’t sit well with him and he was slightly frustrated when he made his way back to the gathered riders and their collective dragons.

            It was not so late yet but some of the others had already opted to call it a night and the dragons were mostly spread out, plainly separated from the different… teams, but comfortably sharing the same space. Reassuringly, Insoo was at least somewhat removed from the fray. It was obvious he was keeping an eye on the happenings, very much like a slightly older man seemed to be doing among the others. Unless he was mistaken, he was the rider of the silver dragon. Taekwoon didn’t know his name yet, he made connections to dragons first, but he knew that was one he’d need to keep an eye on. Or at least his dragon half was telling him as much.

            Drawing close to his wing leader, he smiled when the other man waved. “Seems like you can’t find peace anywhere you go,” Insoo chuckled softly, though the smile didn’t quite light up his face like usual.

            Taekwoon shook his head and sighed as he settled beside the other man. “She wanted to get to know me better.”

            “You are a bit of a mystery,” Insoo shrugged, his expression unchanged as he continued to observe the relative strangers.

            “I don’t trust them,” Taekwoon admitted softly, letting his eyes pass over quickly so that none might become suspicious.

            “You’re not the only one,” his wing leader admitted, mouth twisting to the side in a slight frown. “But if we can learn to trust one another, they could help us balance out our lack of numbers.”

            “They don’t seem combat ready,” Taekwoon frowned, having had enough time to get a good look at them and hear about what they were capable of.

            “No, but even if they can’t fight, they’d be good for patrols or messages for the most part,” Insoo exhaled, chewing his bottom lip. It was clear he’d been running through their options. “And if they do come with us for the winter moons, we can work with them to become more proficient, even in the cold weather.”

            “Do you think they’ll agree?” he couldn’t help but ask, glancing at Chaerin with tense interest as she approached the silver dragon’s rider.

            “Can’t say yet, but it’s early still. We’ve got a few days to try and come to some sort of agreement,” Insoo murmured, attention shifting to the same pair Taekwoon was observing. Neither missed her quick glance in their direction. “I imagine they’re probably discussing similar ideas,” he snorted once before taking a quick look around their camp.

            “Maybe,” Taekwoon agreed quietly, though he wasn’t entirely so sure. He felt the weight of Chaerin’s gaze and it seemed heavy upon him. Almost defiantly, he turned to meet it and he was mildly surprised when she held his, the expression on her face pensive and judging. When she didn’t look away first, he frowned and followed Insoo’s gaze, touching on the rest of their wing.

            Jinyoung and Wooyoung had opted to call it already, curled up close with their respective dragons, though Taeyeon and Jungkook were both engaged with a few other of the new people. Not surprisingly, the latter kept looking in Chaerin’s direction from time to time, but it was a bit unexpected when Taeyeon appeared to be doing the same. Only her attention was generally on the other rider… Huh. Go figure.

            “What’s his name?” Taekwoon asked his wing leader with a subtle nod towards Chaerin and her present company.

            “Huh? Oh,” Insoo hummed, recognizing the question a heartbeat later. “That’s… Jungsu if I remember correctly. I think he’s the eldest in their bunch,” he murmured quietly, keeping his attention relaxed and not focused on the other man.

            “Got it,” Taekwoon nodded once, turning to look at Jonghyun and Jongup, the latter of which was happily sleeping tucked under a copper wing. Jonghyun was alertly watching the rest of the gathering. Taking notes?

            Like you, he snorted back, a feeling of amused pride resonating between them.

            “Okay. I’m gonna call it for the night,” Taekwoon murmured, brushing his fingers against Insoo’s shoulder to make sure the other man heard him.

            “Rest well, Taekwoon. Keep one eye open though, just in case,” he warned, as he probably had for the others too.

            “You as well, sir,” he responded with the ghost of a smile. Unfurling to rise, he brushed off the feeling of being watched and made his way to Jonghyun. No one had set any tents up since the weather was nice and the body heat of the dragons made them plenty warm. With a feeling of acceptance and protection, he curled up between the blue and copper dragons. As he rested his head against Jongup’s hide, he couldn’t help but wonder how Jinki was doing…

            Jinki had definitely had better days. It had only been five since Taekwoon had left and he was already tired of waiting. Especially since the Aerie just seemed so changed. It was half as full as usual and yet it always felt busy. That meant he was usually busy in turn. Worse, he was filling in for Yongguk who’d been sent on a personal mission for Satoru. The current Aerie Master was needed on the aerie grounds but his second in command was up to the challenge of answering the King’s urgent missive.

            That was another dragon and rider gone for the time being. If he remembered right, it had been Aron and JR that he’d gone with. Kokoshir wasn’t that far from Miremaw and it was away from where they’d heard the most recent conflicts were so both Dongwan and Eric had thought it would be a good introductory mission for him. Relatively safe by all accounts. Or at least that was the hope. They had received a very short missive by horse rider earlier that day giving them the briefest of updates from the wing that had ventured into Bondsland, but it was neither encouraging nor reassuring. The only thing they could say for sure was that there were far more dragons among Tiamat’s lands than there were in Bahamut’s…

            And it was starting to bleed over more into Kinshire. The last wing they’d sent north had already sent back two injured dragons and one dead rider. Hyesung wasn’t sure the surviving dragon would stay that way, given the injuries he’d sustained and the loss of his rider. Of course they’d sent immediate replacements, but the numbers were thinning and it just felt like everyone was drawn out. Himself included.

            “I really hope you find help out there, Woonie,” he sighed as he trudged into the kitchens for a small bite. He had no appetite for the full meal and no energy to field questions or entertain anyone that was left.

            Junjin very much surprised him when the older man seemed to just appear with a carved meat sandwich on a hearty roll. “You’re not even an Aerie Master yet but you certainly keep hours like one,” he snorted, waiting patiently for the younger man to accept his offering.

            Jinki did so by rote, a weak smile tugging at his mouth. “You’re one to talk. You practically live here,” he added with a subtle nod towards the kitchen.

            “Tis my home,” he agreed without hesitation, shrugging helplessly.

            “How are you holding up?” he asked, declining to argue. They both knew he used his bed in the Master’s quarters often enough. It was just that he kept particularly strange hours and only needed a little bit of sleep most days.

            “There’s the Aerie Master coming through again,” he laughed once, rolling his eyes with a wry grin. It faded quickly though as he glanced around, both noting the absence of any usual helpers in the vicinity. “Better than most,” he sighed, chewing his bottom lip. Most of the messengers had been conscripted to be the eyes on the perimeters while dragons took to the air and the general populous remaining was having to take over the more menial tasks around the Aerie. Even many of the classes had been cancelled or reduced for the time being, though Seunghyun’s lessons continued without pause.

            “That is good to hear,” Jinki responded earnestly. Most did not have such a positive response and he was glad for it, even if it was at the expense of others for the moment. “Do you need anything in the meantime?” he asked, taking a quick bite out of the warm and juicy sandwich.

            Junjin shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “The only thing I need is for this damned whatever it is to be over soon,” he grumbled, glancing around uselessly.

            “That makes two of us,” Jinki agreed quickly, taking a breath to combat the feeling of being overwhelmed that accompanied the shift in their conversation. He had never actually anticipated having to deal with something like this. There had always been tension and some minor conflicts between Bahamut’s and Tiamat’s Aerie. This was something else entirely and it worried him greatly.

            “Well, in the meantime, just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t work too hard,” the Head Cook chided, freeing a hand to wave a warning finger in the other’s face. “We have to make sure we keep our strength up for everyone else too,” he reminded the Aerie Master in training. “Can’t have you falling out because you’re not taking care of yourself,” he winked.

            While it was sage advice, Jinki couldn’t help but comment, “And you would be speaking from experience of course.”

            For a moment, his mouth dropped open slightly as he looked mildly affronted, but then he raised his fist into the air, shaking it at an invisible target. “Curse you, Satoru! You insufferable gossip!” he scowled. The expression shifted quickly though and he laughed at himself, as he was wont to do. “Of course I’m speaking from experience, but only because it was treacherously hot and I hadn’t eaten like I should have. The summer moons are not kind in this kitchen,” he explained honestly.

            “Of course,” Jinki grinned, immediately taking another bite to hide the laugh that was trying to come out.

            “You are terrible, Aerie Master in training that is irritatingly like him,” he snorted, narrowed eyes twinkling in amusement. Jinki shrugged and the head cook continued, “And since you aren’t working yourself to the bone, what are you up to next this evening?”

            Jinki took a moment to chew carefully and then swallow his mouthful before he offered an answer. “I should be getting some sleep, but I was thinking about heading to the library. There’s a project Taekwoon and I have been working on that I’d like to try and make some headway on while he’s gone.” ‘This time’ was the unspoken part he did not add…

            “Ah. A noble endeavor,” Junjin nodded in understanding. “I’ll not keep you then, though I do suggest sleep before too long,” he laughed once. “And if you need more sustenance, do come by. I don’t mind the company.”

            “Yes, sir,” Jinki nodded with a smile, raising the sandwich as a half-salute before he stepped out. He was normally terrible about remembering the books in the library, but he’d been leaving himself notes in obvious places to help him remember. He was not going to disappoint Taekwoon again with having nothing to show for his efforts. Of course his other half wouldn’t say he was disappointed but it was painfully obvious all the same.

            Then again, remembering and actually figuring something out were two entirely different things. Cloistered in one of the back rooms in almost eerie silence and nothing but a carefully made glass covered lamp, Jinki stared at the books in irritation. The history one he knew Taekwoon had been working on and making good progress with. He’d just ask for an update when he returned. That left the… journal? And something about magic. That one always sounded interesting, but cracking the cover open and looking at the first page was daunting. “Nope,” he sighed, closing the book on the strange runes and confusing language.

            That left the journal. Taking a breath, he pulled it close and opened the cover. The handwriting inside was neat and meticulous. Like every was measured and contemplated before it was put down on the page. The writing was also fairly small and the first page took a great deal of getting used to. When Jinki stared at it long enough, with no distractions and every determination to figure it out, the words started to make sense. Though… like Taekwoon had mentioned, the language sounded strange, coded. Well, some of the language. Carefully thumbing through the pages, he paused on a page near the end with a relatively short entry.

Dragon War 5, 3^rd moon, 17^th day

At last, the fighting has finally stopped. The new dawn is strange and I know not how the days shall be. Bondsland and Kinshire languish in the aftermath of the Great Clash. The Aeries are no better. So much death… Men. Dragons. Hatchlings. We lost the last clutch in the previous sevenday and I fear there may not be more soon. Already, the dragons feel… different. As if the loss of their creators has diminished them somehow.

It is true that Mauthab and Attami have been dealt with at last, but I do not trust Sighe Prith. He has said that we must move and so we shall. Likewise for those in Kinshire. The Aeries must survive, for both dragons and men. I do not deny that Sighe is powerful, but he, like those in his brotherhood, deal in magics beyond mortal means. I understand the need for the Great Binding, but I do not trust the reasoning behind it. Forever is a long time and nothing remains lost indefinitely.

On the other hand, our new home is to be a place near Wraimme. There are so few of us left… Of four Aeries in Kinshire, we will fit within but one now. I have little doubt of the new Aerie in Bondsland. They suffered much a similar fate. There is to be a convening for a new king soon on both islands. I pray that peace will follow their coronations. We all need time to our wounds and heal.

AM Landris

            “Well then,” Jinki frowned, brow furrowed and eyes aching after making it through the passage. His head spun from trying to make sense of certain things, but unless he was greatly mistaken, this was from the time just after the Dragon Wars, as the date implied. Some of the names were new and completely unfamiliar and he had no ability to try and sort them out now, but it was a revelation in itself that there had been four aeries in Kinshire before. And probably just as many in Bondsland as well. And now there was just the one. And there had been dragon eggs! Wait until he told Taekwoon about that. His other half would be quite excited to hear that bit of information, he was sure.

            But… “Why don’t we have eggs now, why don’t we have more than one aerie anymore, and what was the Great Binding?” he wondered, biting his bottom lip as he gently closed the book and sat up, taking a deep breath. He was going to have to ask Satoru about it. He was sure.

(a/n: The process is a little slower with the direction I'm taking, but it is giving me time to check in with both Taekwoon and Jinki. The side by side progression isn't quite as seamless as I'd like, but it works for now. At least the story is moving forward so that's something. haha It's certainly going through quite a few permutations though. XD lol But thank you for being patient and I do hope that you've enjoyed this latest update. If you have any questions or concerns, please do feel free to let me know! I'm all ears!)