The next day, the Aerie practically shut down. Everyone stayed indoors as much as they could, hiding from the biting cold and the gathering snows. Not too surprisingly, both Sandara and Kibum insisted upon continuing their progress, and that was also largely where Amber could be found in turn. The riders ventured out to check on their dragons personally from time to time, making sure they were bunking together in fewer caves to conserve body heat and stay as protected as possible from the weather.

            Most people stayed in the dining hall as much as they could or clustered together in shared rooms. Or they slept. When it was cold and the weather was this bad, there wasn’t much else to be done, and it conserved both energy and food. Jinki and Taekwoon were no exceptions other than venturing from their room to get food to take back so they could continue discussing their current concerns. Jinki didn’t come up with much new information, but they were starting to feel a bit surer about their thoughts and feelings.

            On the other hand, Taekwoon was coming to the conclusion that he would probably need to check out the Sanctum again: the outer and inner parts. That was where he’d seen the strange man when he’d participated in his second Trial. No one was allowed there, usually, unless they were taking part in their Trials, but… maybe if he asked. If that didn’t work, perhaps he could sneak in. He needed to see the runes in the circle.

            Jinki promised he would ask Satoru about it later, but for the duration of the storm, there really wasn’t much they could do beyond talk. The Aerie Master was not likely to make any extra effort to allow for special exceptions during this time and, truth be told, he had pretty much banished Jinki from the office for the moment.

            In the afternoon, they did get pulled out to join some of the Aerie runners for snacks and games in Himchan’s room, of all places. Really though, the Healer in Training was just doing his part to keep spirits high and get a feel for how everyone was doing. The cold affected the residents differently and the lack of sunlight made many people sad or grumpy.

            Despite himself, Taekwoon fell into the familiar environment gratefully. He could feel Jonghyun enjoying the sensation through their bond and he welcomed the dragon’s presence. As such, they were both privy to the gossip of the aerie. It usually centered around who was interested in who or what was happening between this person and that or what dragons, and their riders, had been getting up to mischief. As the eyes and ears of the place, they caught a lot that probably was not meant to be heard. And because Taekwoon was so quiet, they likely forgot he was in their midst.

            “Oh! Have you heard?”

            “What?”

            “Those new bloods have really been settling in well, if you know what I mean.”

            “Oh?” Polite curiosity would have prompted almost anyone, but they were gossips and they only needed mild prompting anyway.

            “Indeed. They’ve been meshing well with other riders and those that haven’t have been seeing the Paramours,” someone grinned cheekily.

            “I thought I saw one of them coming out the other day,” Joy murmured, obviously annoyed she’d mostly missed it.

            “And why shouldn’t they?” Jinki urged, missing Taekwoon’s mute groan. He’d been listening in and hoping for more but that was probably a moot point now… “They’ve done as much as most riders by now,” he reminded them.

            “True,” Himchan nodded with a sidelong look at Taekwoon as if he understood what the other man might have been listening for.

            “I know. I just figured someone like Chaerin might have found another rider to partner with,” Jimin shrugged, apparently suffering from a similar form of enamor as the younger men seemed wont to do. He hadn’t been given leave to try his own Trials yet so was nowhere near being ready for that, but he was not alone in his feelings.

            Taekwoon had to wonder who she was seeing amongst the Paramours and… he was also mildly curious about this attraction she had over others. Something to do with her being a bit of a dragon? You just scare people, his dragon commented in an almost teasing manner as he listened in on what he could feel.

            I don’t want to be noticed like that, he immediately defended himself, though he didn’t deny it. His being part dragon of a sort was hardly alluring. He’d had to figure out how to come to terms with it with Jinki as well, but maybe it was something to do with the fact that Chaerin wasn’t bound like he was. There hadn’t been a… soul exchange of sorts. So why did she seem to be dragonish then?

            He caught the tail end of someone else saying that Ryeowook was married to books and another person talking about how Jungkook fancied Chaerin and how she was probably better off spending time with Heechul. At that point, he was very much done listening to the conversation. Especially because their speculation then jumped to Hyosung being a partner option amongst the Paramours and he snorted dryly.

            Having fun?

            I’d rather be talking with you, he admitted at his dragon’s dry question.

            Mate approves, Jonghyun grinned. Says you should visit. We are cold and he misses your mate.

            That’s as good a reason as any to brave the cold, he assured the dragon, letting a smile curl his lips.

            “What?” Jinki whispered leaning close as he saw the expression.

            “The dragons want to see us, and I’m more than fine with running away,” he whispered back, shrugging at his admittance.

            “Hopeless,” Jinki laughed softly, combing his fingers through Taekwoon’s hair before he turned his attention to pulling them out of the conversation. Watching Jinki do that was like a sort of magic on its own. He’d never have that social skill…

            Jonghyun and Jongup were happy to see them, though Jonghyun nosed a bank of snow at Taekwoon and doused his rider in the fluffy powder first. “Jerk,” he grumbled, tossing a snowball at the copper before he brushed off the worst of it and helped Jinki inside. Despite the group think, they had refrained from joining other caves and maintained that they were together.

            Like the privacy, Jonghyun admitted nonchalantly, though it seemed something might have been bothering him.

            “What’s up?” he asked his dragon, speaking out loud for Jinki’s sake. His partner smiled and patted his thigh gratefully before turning his attention to the blue who was nudging him.

            Nothing, came the too quick reply.

            “The same nothing that has you and your mate here for the privacy and actively avoiding the warmth of a cave full of dragons?” he pressed gently, placing a gloved hand on one large claw.

            Jonghyun grumbled and laid his head down beside Taekwoon, allowing his rider to run a soothing hand atop his brow and horns. Nothing wrong. Just doesn’t feel… right? Comfortable, he amended quickly, snorting once and blowing the powder in front of him away.

            Oh? Anything I can do to help? Taekwoon had to ask.

            No, the copper sighed, leaning his head harder against his rider. Just… different. Me. Mate. Not dragon dragon anymore but not like other dragons.

            Taekwoon raised a brow and blinked in surprise at the admission. In a way, it was nice knowing that he wasn’t the only one dealing with species acceptance issues, but he was not expecting it from his dragon. Why didn’t you say anything?

            Didn’t know til now, he admitted with a shrug and a deep breath. Gain help explain. Make sense.

            So you speak to her too? he chuckled in understanding.

            Mate as well. Wanted to know how to talk to your mate, he explained matter of factly, large amber eyes darting to the pair beside them.

            Huh? Taekwoon chirped, turning to look. He jerked in surprise when he saw Jinki staring at Jongup, their eyes partially open as if under a spell. “Jinki?” he asked, reaching a hand out as if to shake him.

            Shh, his dragon interrupted him with a gentle nudge. Mate wants this. Yours may too.

            It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his dragons. Far from it. He just wasn’t expecting Jongup to actually pull Jinki into Trance and he didn’t know what it might mean. Or how his other half would react to it. He didn’t mind speaking with Gain but she was different. There’d never been any sense of almost binding. You sure they’re okay? he wondered hesitantly, reaching to rest his hand on Jinki’s thigh despite himself.

            Talking, Jonghyun promised with a pleased smile. Nothing more.

            “Hmm,” Taekwoon grumbled slightly, feeling both unsettled but pleased by Jongup’s initiative. Bahamut knew Jinki was probably never going to take that step. At least not anytime soon. And maybe it would be good for them to talk, especially since they did seem to have a connection of sorts.

            Jinki had not been expecting to fall into Jongup’s eyes. Nor was he sure about how to stop it, or if he even wanted to. Falling was easy and he was admittedly curious. Though he couldn’t help but be a little nervous without a shred of clothing on him. “Umm…” he hummed, awkwardly covering himself and grateful that this place didn’t feel cold.

            An anxious whine alerted him and he looked down to see the familiar blue dragon running in semi-frantic circles. Amber eyes turned up to face him and he seemed to be struggling to do something. But he also looked like he was having trouble.

            When Jinki landed, he immediately went over and grabbed Jongup’s serpentine head in his hands, centering him. “It’s alright,” he promised, not sure what was wrong but certain it would be okay.

            Jongup closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, the warm breath washing over Jinki’s skin like a summer breeze. As he breathed out, his form started to shift, slow and awkward. Unlike when Gain changed, Jongup’s process was stomach turning and slow, but when he was finally finished, a short and very friendly looking young man faced him. He had unusually narrow eyes but a smile that could probably melt snow. “Sorry,” he apologized first, the word strange on his tongue.

            Taken aback by what was happening, Jinki just laughed once and waved off the apology. “I’m not… I don’t know what to say,” he admitted, at a loss as to what he was doing here.

            The dragon didn’t respond immediately as he seemed to notice their unclothed state. With a focused frown of concentration, he stared at Jinki’s body and then pushed both hands at him as if he was casting a spell. “Hah!” the man chirped gleefully when the equivalent of an oversized robe more akin to a blanket appeared around Jinki’s shoulders.

            The conjuring and the reaction made Jinki laugh. “Thank you,” he bowed, wrapping the fabric around him gratefully. He watched Jongup repeat the process on himself, ending up with an equally large piece of cloth swathed around him.

            ”Learning,” he grinned, stepping close and staring at Jinki’s face as if seeing him for the first time.

            “Learning from who?” the other man asked, bemused by the dragon’s antics.

            “Gain.”

            “Oh. I hadn’t expected that.”

            “Why not? Want to talk. Not know how. You… run,” he shrugged, leaning from side to side as if to memorize his features.

            Jinki looked up as he thought about the answer. “Not really running… but I didn’t know you wanted to talk.”

            “I try. You look away,” the blue snorted, standing up straight but still at least a hand shorter than Jinki.

            “Why though?” he asked, shaking his head in confusion. He wasn’t Jongup’s rider and there was no reason for them to speak that he knew of.

            “My mate. Your mate,” Jongup gestured with his hands, one hand signifying either person, before he brought them together. Then he placed his hand on his chest and pointed the other at Jinki. “Me. You.” Again, his hands came together.

            “But we’re not bound,” Jinki shook his head, a nervous tickling in his belly.

            Jongup shook his head emphatically. “Not bound. Co… co… connected!” he suddenly remembered, beaming as he reached his hand out as if he was waiting for Jinki to take it.

            “Connected?”

            “Mm!” Jongup nodded without otherwise moving.

            “Not Symbiosis?”

            “No,” the dragon shook his head. “Connected. I want. You?” he prompted, a pleading note to his voice.

            Jinki raised his hand, letting it hover in the air between them. The dragon looked so eager and expectant and he didn’t know what it meant exactly. But it wasn’t a Symbiosis binding and he did trust Jongup. He just wanted to know what connected meant. Would something big change? Would he change? Would Taekwoon be mad? Well really, he was the one that wanted them to get closer after all. What about his Aerie Master duties?

            “Not bad. Not hurt,” Jongup promised softly, his amber eyes pleading mutely.

            It was like looking at a puppy. Jinki felt his heart tremble at the expression and knew he didn’t really want to turn him down. Never mind that it would have been hard to say no anyway… he was honestly curious. Slowly, he reached his hand down and laid it atop Jongup’s wrapping his fingers around the forearm as the dragon did the same. “Now wha-?” he started to say before he felt it. A shift in him. Like something moving into place that he didn’t even know was in the wrong spot initially. Jongup’s smile burned brighter and Jinki felt it. “I feel you,” he whispered with a shaky breath.

            “Me too,” the blue answered, eyes nearly disappearing in his face. “Happy.”

            Jinki raised his free hand to his mouth as he felt overwhelming tears prick his eyes. Was this what Taekwoon felt with Jonghyun? No wonder he enjoyed talking to his dragon. If you could just show how you felt, it could make things so much easier to understand. Words got in the way sometimes but feelings…

            “Thank you for talking,” Jongup murmured, slowly letting his hand go as he stepped back. “Mates worry. Go back now,” he waved, letting his form return to a dragon with ease.

            “Whoa!” Jinki gasped when he was quite literally pushed from Trance. As he came tumbling back into his body, he felt an inner sense of apology, like someone was cringing, and he realized Jongup had not meant to throw him out.

            “Jinki? Are you alright?” he heard Taekwoon ask as arms cradled him close.

            He blinked briefly disoriented eyes and then focused on the concerned man hovering over him. “Yes,” he nodded slowly, blinking a couple more times. “I’ve just never been thrown out of Trance,” he admitted with a dazed look.

            “Ah,” Taekwoon exhaled slowly, the worry leaving his expression quickly. “It can be jarring. What happened though? What did he want to talk about?” he asked quickly, glancing at Jonghyun when it was obvious the copper said something to him.

            “He… wanted to connect,” Jinki smiled, the warmth he was feeling added to the warmth he felt from Jongup. “I can feel him,” he breathed in wonderment.

            “Connected?” Taekwoon murmured as if a thought had crossed his mind. “I wonder if it is something like what Chaerin and her group have with their dragons.”

            “Maybe?” he shrugged, not sure. “But if it’s just feelings, probably. And it’s easy to see why they might be protective of their dragons. This is… lovely right now, but I can see it being potentially painful on the other side of things.”

            “That is true,” Taekwoon nodded in agreement, casting another look at his dragon.

            “He’s been trying to get me to go into Trance with him,” Jinki admitted as he sat up with Taekwoon’s help. “Said I kept running away,” he chuckled.

            “You could have told me,” he grumbled at Jonghyun with a thin mouth. The copper said something in return because Taekwoon rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have said no.” The obvious affront on his face was highly amusing. “Me telling you no and me telling Jongup no are not the same. And why didn’t you tell Gain then? She could have let him know,” he demanded, carrying on an apparent one-sided conversation that really did make Jinki want to laugh. When he responded to the next answer, he did. “Okay. She can be a little intimidating sometimes.”

            “I appreciate the insight but you two are too much,” Jinki laughed, sharing the sentiment with Jongup. He got a pleased reaction in response, and he reached out to pet the nearest blue shoulder.

            “I still think he could have told me,” Taekwoon muttered, glaring at his dragon from the side of his eyes before he turned his attention back on Jinki. “Are you sure you’re okay, though? We’ve never done much with connecting like this so I don’t know what to expect.”

            “I think it’ll be fine love. I have no doubt that Jongup doesn’t want to hurt me and I don’t think your dragon would have let him do something that might threaten either of us,” he soothed, grabbing Taekwoon’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “And besides. This will probably be useful. Who knows, maybe it’ll help me be a better Aerie Master when I get there,” he winked, grinning broadly.

            “Time will tell,” Taekwoon agreed, both of them steadfastly ignoring the fact that there might not be an Aerie to lead by next year.

            The pair stayed with the dragons for a bit longer, sharing a newfound company before the cold eventually started chasing them inside. The dragons weren’t really that cold, though they would be warmer if they did move into the other caves. Normally, Taekwoon would have taken a moment just to swing by and check on the lower tier caves, but with the snow storm the way it was – windy and white and hard to see – he opted not to. But as he passed by one opening, he felt a particularly strange itching sensation. It came and went quickly, but it made him turn his head reactively.

            “Something wrong?” Jinki asked, holding his hand tighter and hunching close.

            “No,” Taekwoon answered distractedly. Not really anyway. “Sorry,” he smiled apologetically. Throwing his arm around Jinki’s shoulder, he pulled him close against his body and walked him back inside the living quarters.

            The rest of the day passed by otherwise uneventfully, though it was thoroughly amusing to watch Jinki actively experience having a connection with Jongup. Taekwoon liked watching him. It seemed as if he’d received a gift and every new contact was a treasure. Jonghyun assured him Jongup was having similar reactions and that only made Taekwoon smile harder.

            They rejoined the majority of the Aerie for the evening meal and a subdued conversation in general. The storm looked as if it might stick around for a bit and no one was looking forward to it. Even the Masters had come in full force, talking quietly among themselves. Satoru and Eric made a brief appearance, speaking with the Masters and Dongwan and Seunghyun in particular, but didn’t stay long.

            And through all of it, Taekwoon noticed Chaerin back to watching him. The hawkish expression was gone and in its place was a tense almost concern. He couldn’t say for sure, but she seemed… unsettled. Or maybe torn. Maybe she was almost ready to talk. Or maybe he was just getting tired of waiting for her to come around. Something between them was going to have to shift soon.

            The following day they lost to the still ongoing storm. Snow was starting to pile up and they were having to make efforts to keep it somewhat clear of the doorways and paths they needed to use just in case. No dragons patrolled in this weather and those that had returned in a lull of the worst of it were recovering near the Healing Hall. Sentries were maintained on a minimal skeleton crew and they changed shifts often. The cold was brutal and it made dragons and riders in those conditions poor guards when left to their own devices for too long. Everyone was a bit more quiet than usual and it was obvious they were eager for better weather. The cold just sapped everyone’s energy and motivation. Even the dragons were less inclined to talk or be active in these conditions.

            By the third day, the storm had finally started to let up. It was still snowing but the wind had relented and though there was no sun to be had yet, people were willing to brave the outside for a taste of fresh air and the beginnings of snow clearing. In fact, almost the entirety of the Aerie turned out to enjoy the relative good weather, at least in comparison to what they’d dealt with for two days previously. What snow might fall between now and the official end would be little in comparison to what they had to deal with currently. In fact, some of the younger residents opted to play in it.

            Jinki returned to his position beside Satoru and Taekwoon was summoned with the rest of the Aerie bound riders and dragons for snow removal duty in the later morning marks. After two solid days of relative rest, it felt good to get moving again. Manual labor was never exactly fun but Taekwoon found it fulfilling. So did Jonghyun if his gusto at digging snow out was any indication. All the dragons seemed a bit frisky actually, as if the cold after the storm energized them. It was moderately entertaining.

            They all got a break for the afternoon meal and then… Taekwoon received a very strange summons near the tail end. Rider? came the uncertain query from his dragon.

            Yeah? he answered easily enough, though the tone was odd to him.

            Gold wants to speak with you.

            Gain? he responded automatically, since she was the gold dragon they usually referred to.

            He frowned when he received an immediate denial and frowned even more when he got the answer. Fei.

            Now that is odd, he commented as he glanced around for the dragon’s rider. She was nowhere to be seen but that was also true of half the dining hall. They’d mostly finished and had gone their separate ways. Does Chaerin know?

            Jonghyun was quiet for a moment as he apparently asked. No.

            Even more strange… Taekwoon admitted with a small sigh. Why?

            Won’t say.

            Shards, the rider scowled, roughing his hair up as he got to his feet and nodded once. I guess this might be as good a sign as any.

            Question her? the copper asked, the response initially confusing.

            But Taekwoon could feel the intent and he shook his head. I’ll meet with her. Where is she? he asked, trying to prepare himself. At least if he met with her as a dragon, he’d be on better footing than when he met with Chaerin. Dragons he could at least mostly understand: speech, body language, and behavior. Humans… not as well.

            Caves near mine. Not too far, he grumbled, apparently annoyed that she was so close to him. Or them. Or maybe she was just staying there temporarily but his dragon wasn’t particularly happy.

            On my way, he sent, his lips with a brief thought about letting Jinki know. But he didn’t see a runner nearby and he didn’t know where his other half was and he didn’t exactly have a way to message him either. His connection with Jongup was nice but not particularly informative in terms of specifics.

            We wait.

            It didn’t take Taekwoon long to get there. When he arrived, he approached the gold dragon warily. There was no love lost between them as they had yet to establish anything more than a working relationship. “Fei,” he nodded in acknowledgement. She focused on him intently, shifting in place as if she was uncertain, and then nodded her head once.

            She is nervous.

            I can see, Taekwoon responded with a glance at his dragon. Jongup? he asked, not noticing the blue immediately nearby.

            Waiting for mate.

            Ah. That was almost cute. No. It was. And he would love to see it, but right now, he had an unpredictable gold dragon to handle. “Alright, Fei. What do you want to talk about?” he asked, stepping close and looking up at her, undaunted.

            She fidgeted again and then sighed as she lowered her head to bring them close to eye level. He was mildly surprised when it was easy to fall into Trance with her. Perhaps they both wanted this more than he thought. He was also surprised that he settled as quickly as he did. She apparently had pretty good control over Trance, which spoke of lots of practice. And… she was in a human guise and clothed, like him. Practice indeed.

            “Fei,” he nodded at the human form. She was not what he expected. Small, yes. But she had almond shaped golden eyes that burned with determination and wavy chestnut hair that draped over her clothes. They looked like riding leathers, as if she was perhaps imitating Chaerin. Or him. But he thought the former was more likely.

            “Rider,” she nodded back with a curt voice.

            “Why are you talking to me without Chaerin knowing?” he asked directly, watching for signs of betrayal or lying.

            “She is worried. I am worried,” she explained flatly, rolling her shoulders as if she could loose some kind of tension there.

            “Worried about what?” he prompted, one brow rising curiously.

            “We are not sure,” she admitted with a frustrated sigh. “But we feel something. Magic. It itches and something is going to happen. Eyes everywhere,” she muttered at the end, almost like a thought that wasn’t supposed to escape.

            The hairs on the back of Taekwoon’s neck stood on end and he rolled to the balls of his feet in reaction. “How do you know that?”

            She shook her head, disturbing her hair. “Feeling has grown stronger since we arrived. Since the storm,” she scowled, her expression dangerous, but not directed at him. But then she looked up and pointed at him. “You are dangerous.” Her teeth flashed between her lips as she growled at him and he took a step back as if to get ready to move. “Because of you, Chaerin must…” she trailed off, stopping herself from whatever she was going to say. Taekwoon waited, unwilling to break the resultant silence in the hopes she would continue. And she did, but not with what she was originally going to say. “She must do what her siblings will not. Cannot.”

            “What is that?” Taekwoon asked warily, feeling his skin crawl with anticipation and concern. Her siblings? Who was Fei talking about?

            Fei ignored his question, continuing her own train of thought. “But she chose to come here. Hopeful. Misplaced,” she scowled, the anger and wariness he’d been expecting showing itself at last. But then her demeanor changed and she sighed. “I want to protect her, but I cannot. She is protecting me. He is so very strong,” she whispered, hunching in on herself as if she could hide. “He has taken so many already.”

            “Who, Fei? What are you talking about?” Taekwoon asked, more than a little lost. “If I’m going to help you, I need to know more information.” And he was desperate to follow this thread more, but then something else itched in the back of his mind. Almost as soon as he felt it, he thought Fei might have as well. They both looked up at the same time, heads turning as if searching for something.

            “Magic,” Fei hissed.

            Rider!

            “Danger!” the gold snarled as her eyes flashed gold and she reverted to her dragon form.

            Completely caught off guard, Taekwoon was hurled back to his body as she ended Trance too fast. He coughed hard when he literally fell to the ground, briefly stunned. Jong… he trailed off, unable to speak except through their connection.

            Not sure. Dragons… mate! he gasped as if struck, alarm and anger flaring at the same time.

            Jongup? was the immediate response, making Taekwoon at least sit up a bit faster.

            Yours!

            That stoked a fear he’d almost forgotten he had. In the blink of an eye, Taekwoon was back on his feet and stumbling out of the cave in Fei’s wake. The gold was already in the air, flapping hard through the light snow. Where is he? he demanded, head swiveling as he tried to see what was wrong.

            In the air! We fly! Jonghyun commanded, stepping close to Taekwoon so his rider could climb aboard.

            No gear. No harness. No weapons. Taekwoon didn’t give them a second thought as he sank low and clamped his legs around Jonghyun’s neck and shoulders. All that mattered was figuring out what had happened and what was going on with Jinki.

(a/n: I feel apologies are due at this point. I did not mean to let this lie for almost a full month without updating, but I will say that my mostly laptop free visit home for the holidays was amazing. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this update!)