Strange dreams were of course the least of his worries. Usually. As his classes became progressively more difficult and physically challenging, they also started to diverge more from Jinki’s in turn. The more he learned about the history of dragons and the lore of Bahamut and Tiamat, the more he questioned what he thought he knew. Worse were the insecurities and uncertainties that came as the realities of being a dragonrider really started to hit home. The following year, the Aerie was rocked when Jongin failed his third Trial, returning home on dragon back barely alive.

            It was not uncommon for trainees to fail at first, or even to be injured, but when permanent injury or death occurred, everyone felt it. Taekwoon remembered only that it happened so fast. He’d been in class as normal, training under Master Seunghyun, when the general commotion and the alarmed shouts had drawn them out of the training room. Captain Yunho had come in with an injured Hero and a tattered Jongin. All Taekwoon had seen was red. It unnerved him, making his stomach twist before Masters Hyesung and Mimi had rushed to the scene and ushered Jongin out of sight, but he learned only later that day it was Jinki who took it harder.

            Tipped off by Amber, her face tired and short brown hair a mess, Taekwoon departed supper early and searched high and low for the other boy. He eventually found him huddled in a corner near the healing hall but tucked away close to a stone outcropping so as not to be seen. Taekwoon almost missed him, but something told him to look to his right and he noticed the pale flash of his face and hands in the shadows.

            “Jinki?” he called softly, moving closer as if he was approaching a wounded animal. It certainly felt that way.

            “Yeah,” the other boy responded flatly, blinking past him as he stared at the entrance to the infirmary.

            “You okay?” Taekwoon asked, following his line of sight before shuffling close enough to take a seat beside him. It was hard to see but it looked like he might have been crying. Then again, it could have also been dirt on his face.

            “Yeah,” he muttered in that same flat tone.

            Taekwoon didn’t buy it and his brow quirked in response. “You sure?”

            For a moment, he thought he was going to give the same answer. “No,” he finally croaked, ducking his face into his knees to hide.

            Biting his lip, Taekwoon lifted his hand to offer comfort but paused, unsure of what to say or do. “They say he’s gonna be okay,” he offered, parroting what he’d heard from the dining hall.

            “They say he’ll live,” Jinki quietly corrected, a bitter reproach in his tone.

            Taekwoon brought his hand back to his body and messed with his fingers instead. “You know… it’s always a possibility,” he reasoned, not sure why it was hitting the other boy so hard.

            “I know that,” Jinki snapped, all bark and no bite. It was still surprising. “It’s just…” he trailed off, voice softer this time. He didn’t finish the sentence though.

            “Just what?” Taekwoon nudged gently, scooching a tiny bit closer.

            A long pause finally gave way to a whispered, “It’s stupid.”

            “What?” the younger boy pressed, very lightly touching Jinki’s shoulder with hesitant fingertips. He was a bit surprised when the other boy flinched at the contact.

            Apparently aware that he was acting more than a little strange, Jinki’s shoulders finally lowered as he forced them to relax. He sniffed and scrubbed at his face with the heel of his hand. It didn’t really look like he’d been crying after all but his voice was rough when he spoke again. “I just can’t get it out of my head.” His scoff was audible and painful.

            Taekwoon said nothing as he waited for the other to continue, but his eyes were focused and intense, body still.

            “I thought the same thing when Bom completed her Trials and bound her dragon. And I was so happy then, but this is different,” he almost growled, one hand lashing out with useless energy. “It’s just as possible and so stupid and I’m stupid because it just makes me afraid,” he rambled, voice thinning and trailing off into hurt silence. His shoulders hunched and turned away slightly.

            The motion hurt Taekwoon and he frowned. He still didn’t know what was behind this reaction and it bothered him. Counting on the fact that Jinki was not inclined to lie and almost always answered a direct question, he asked, “What are you afraid of?” The words hung in the air between them, fragile and quiet. Confused but determined, Taekwoon shifted closer again and placed his hand on the ground, close enough to Jinki to offer solace if he wanted.

            His laugh this time was bitter. And ashamed. “I’m afraid…” Jinki whispered, voice stalling as he struggled to finish.

            Trying again, Taekwoon grabbed the end of Jinki’s shirt in his fingertips and curled it into his palm, tugging gently. It was such a small action and yet, it seemed to undo Jinki. Tension fled and he gave in to finally just saying what was on his mind.

            “I’m afraid that this could be you one day,” he admitted, body opening so that he slouched against the stone wall. His legs extended in front of him and his arms went limp at his sides, so very close to Taekwoon’s hand. He kept his gaze down though and seemed to laugh bitterly at himself.

            “Ah,” Taekwoon exhaled, keeping his hold on the other man’s shirt but now back in the position of not knowing what to say or do. Again. That explained a bit… The side long looks that never lasted. The extra help with homework even though he didn’t need it as much anymore. The extra helpings of his favorite food when they served it during meals. Taekwoon was still young but even he knew that those things meant more than just a friendly gesture.

            “Like I said. Stupid,” Jinki sighed, apparently spent.

            He shifted as if to move away or stand up but Taekwoon firmed his grip on the shirt and held fast, keeping him from going anywhere. “No.”

            Surprised, the other boy finally turned conflicted brown eyes to meet Taekwoon’s gaze. “No?”

            “Not stupid,” he promised sincerely. Having spoken, he was now frozen in place since he himself didn’t know what he felt exactly. He hadn’t given much thought to Jinki being anything more than a very good friend, but he also hadn’t been paying his intermittent dreams that much mind either. “Thank you,” he said instead, moving his left hand to gently grip Jinki’s, fingertips folding into the open palm.

            A weak smile appeared on the older boy’s face and gentle fingers caged Taekwoon’s. “You’re so hard to read sometimes,” he admitted in pale frustration. Taekwoon laughed through his nose and shrugged, but didn’t say anything. “See? This is what I mean,” Jinki rolled his eyes, shaking a finger at him.

            “Come on,” Taekwoon urged instead, slowly getting to his feet as he tugged at Jinki’s hand to get him moving.

            Jinki sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah. I guess no answer is better than a no,” he added in quiet acceptance.

            “It is,” he agreed with a nod, finally reclaiming his hand but hovering near enough that their arms almost brushed against each other when they started walking back to their separate rooms for the night. “Good night, Jinki,” he murmured, letting his fingertips brush against the other boy’s before they parted for the night.

            “Night, Taekwoon,” Jinki smiled, a genuine expression this time.

            The contact in their fingertips lasted just a hair longer than it needed to. Then it broke and they went their separate ways, but while Taekwoon was happy that he’d been able to help Jinki, it was a long time before he fell asleep that night.

            Uncertainties voiced and new truths in the open didn’t exactly change anything between Taekwoon and Jinki. The next year followed a similar pattern as the previous, but they were comfortable around each other in a way they hadn’t been before. A couple new kids joined the Aerie; the Bahamut High Priest came by like he did every year to disappear into the Inner Sanctum; Wonshik and Amber became an official pairing even as they began to prepare in earnest for their Trials. A couple older trainees passed their Trials and a couple more didn’t, but that was apparently normal.

            Those who failed could try again in the future, but what often happened was that they ended up with a formerly bound dragon. The bond was nothing as secure as when officially sanctioned in the Trials, and formed with Bahamut’s Blood, but it worked for those who wished to continue following that path minus the Trials. More people would likely take that path but it was only available to those who had failed the Trials.

            One new happening was that an injured black dragon came into their care minus her rider. It was determined she had been bound previously, but no one could say by whom. Once Hyesung indicated she would survive, she was kept in the Aerie and under surveillance where the recovered but disabled Jongin offered to help take care of her. It gave him purpose and eased the workload of those already charged with her care so it was allowed.

            Other than that, the Aerie functioned as usual. Taekwoon continued to throw himself into his classes and training with abandon. If he happened to brush into Jinki more often than before, the other didn’t mind. Nor did he have any qualms about passing touches that were just short of a caress as they went about their daily lives. The light and subtle reassurances were comforting in their hectic and busy lives.

            As students and trainees, they were mostly insulated from the larger happenings beyond the Aerie and so chose to focus on what was immediately in front of them. There was certainly a degree of bliss in their ignorance, even if the lessons and training were painful or confusing or just didn’t make sense to Taekwoon.

            Frustrated, he stared at the theology book from Master Sunny’s class and frowned. His birthing day strawberry hand pie was forgotten beside him. Nearby, he could feel Jinki glancing over from time to time, watching but leaving him alone for the time being. On the other side of the table, two harried newcomers, Sanghyuk and Joy, practiced their writing, keeping a nervous eye out for Master Jolin. She was a harpy when it came to making sure one’s writing was perfect.

            With effort, the now thirteen year old Taekwoon pushed the scratching sound of the quill out of his mind and worried a thumbnail between his teeth instead. Under his breath, he paraphrased the text, “Tiamat and Bahamut ascended the heavens, taking the place of their parents as gods. Tiamat birthed the dragons and set them free over the earth. Bahamut, seeking his own creation, made man.” The hand drawn picture in the book showed Tiamat with the six different dragons – black and silver not included – before her while Bahamut lorded over a man and woman. “For a time, they coexisted peacefully, living together as equals.”

            His brow furrowed when he got to the next part again. This was the third time he’d read the text and he understood it but he didn’t. He kept hoping something would click with each attempt, but so far… nothing. “Then the dragons began to change. Filled with Tiamat’s power and pride and intelligence, they started to believe themselves superior to man. No longer did they wish to work together. They tried to conquer man and thus began the Dragon Wars.” He bit his bottom lip and grabbed his bangs with his hand, sighing heavily.

            “I didn’t think Theology was that difficult.” Jinki’s voice drifted to his ear, close enough that he could feel the other man’s breath.

            Shivers raced up his spine but he didn’t react. Instead, he groaned again. “It’s not difficult. I just… it doesn’t sound like what the dragons would do,” he explained, turning to look at Jinki beside him.

            “Oh?” he chirped, leaning further so he could rest his cheek on Taekwoon’s shoulder and read the passage. “You don’t think intelligent dragons would fight humans because they thought they were better than us?”

            Put so matter of factly, it did seem hard to argue against but Taekwoon didn’t buy it. Not completely anyway. “No,” he shook his head and reaching over to rest his fingers on the nearest knee as he shifted his attention. “I think the unintelligent dragons might have done that if the circumstances were right, but they didn’t lose their intelligence until after Bahamut sealed Tiamat away.”

            “True, but… I mean, if the book is to be believed… and why wouldn’t it be? The dragons attacked first and a good bet is because they were threatened by us,” Jinki shrugged, turning his head so he could look up into Taekwoon’s eyes from a hand’s breadth away.

            Taekwoon rolled his eyes and sighed. “Okay. Say I believe you,” he offered, waving his free hand while he left his right on Jinki’s knee. It was comfortable… “But why would Bahamut disappear? Why wouldn't he stay to watch over and lead the humans and remaining dragons? Especially when they would have needed his guidance the most?”

            “Taekwoon,” a new voice crooned in semi-patronizing amusement. Both he and Jinki jumped and jerked apart when they realized Master Jolin had been listening in. “We all know that Bahamut’s Teachings left the dragons a path to redemption but only after the humans earned their companionship.”

            “Which is why we don’t raise dragons from the egg,” Jinki added, looking to Jolin for confirmation.

            She smiled, her thin lips curving up and her slightly narrower eyes crinkling in her face. Her wheat colored hair seemed almost too straight when it framed her face, though she kept the rest pulled back in a pinned twist. “Yes. The Trials are meant to show that both man and dragon are worthy. And the binding only works with Bahamut’s Blood. Or Tiamat’s. Or that bastardization those nobles concocted in the kingdoms,” she scowled and flicked her hand in disgust.

            “It’s not really Bahamut’s Blood,” Taekwoon murmured, the statement a half question.

            “Of course not,” Jolin chuckled, folding her thin hands into her overly long sleeves. She favored flowing clothes much the way that Minjun did, though they seemed to suit her better. “A Priest of Bahamut comes every year to make and bless the new batch. They really do have a great deal of power so it’s no surprise their connection to Bahamut is what makes them particularly able to sense those who may have an affinity for dragons.” Taekwoon’s nose wrinkled and he rested his chin on his hand, leaning against the table. “What?” she laughed, glancing at Jinki to see if he knew any better.

            “I understand the idea of the Trials,” he huffed, scratching at the table with a free fingernail. “But why can’t it change? Why can’t we start working towards raising them from the egg? It would be much… kinder,” he murmured, grimacing at the memory of Jongin’s Trial two years ago. He’d been permanently injured in the third Trial and had failed to bond with a dragon. He was still here but that was largely because his family thought him a disgrace. Though he was making progress with the black dragon, Krystal. He’d at least managed to learn her name himself, after achieving trust enough to go into Trance with her.

            “Kinder, yes,” Jolin agreed. “But as the Teachings show, it is not about kindness. Redemption is not usually easy.”

            “But… if there’s no change, then their redemption will never change and they will always be stuck seeking it,” Taekwoon frowned, groaning as he sank forward to rest his chin against the table.

            “You should consider being a philosopher,” Jolin laughed, patting his back comfortingly before she turned her focus to the newest students. “Sanghyuk. Joy. Let’s see how your letters are coming,” she called, practically gliding to their side with a grace rivaled only by Heechul’s.

            “Yes, Master Jolin!” they chimed in unison, one black and one strawberry head of hair bolting upright nervously.

            “You really should,” Jinki laughed as he brought a hand to rest against Taekwoon’s back, fingertips brushing against the bare neck.

            “Should what?” Taekwoon groaned, turning his head to look sideways at Jinki.

            “Think about becoming a philosopher.”

            Taekwoon snorted at the thought and reached out to smack Jinki’s leg again, leaving his hand in place like before. “I want to be a dragonrider,” he explained resolutely. “And I’m nervous about the Trials, but I think I’ll be able to do them when the time comes,” he explained, fingers scratching lightly against the other man’s knee thoughtfully. “I just think that there should be a better way. Like raising dragons from the egg,” he stated again. It wouldn’t just be kinder. It would be better for everyone, if you asked him. The dragon included.

            “Even if the Binding didn’t make dragons infertile, there’s no reason to believe the intelligence of the parents would be passed down to the babies,” Jinki explained, playing with the hairs on the back of Taekwoon’s neck.

            “That’s another thing I don’t understand,” he huffed, shaking his free finger at Jinki just above the table. “Why does Bahamut’s Blood make them infertile?”

            Jinki shrugged and tried to answer, “Well, the Teachings say-”

            “I know what the Teachings say,” Taekwoon interrupted irritably. That the power of the Dragon God was too much for any mortal vessel – including dragons – to inhabit and not be unchanged. It was just that in humans, it granted them the ability to actually control their dragon while in dragons, it took away their ability to reproduce, but also gave them intelligence.

            As if reading his thoughts, Jinki offered, “Some historians think it’s the price the dragon has to pay for gaining intelligence again. And others have theorized that it prevents the dragons from reverting to their more basic, animalistic instincts. I know you’ve read about mother dragons in the wilds,” Jinki reminded, briefly distracted as he reached out to nudge the hand pie closer to Taekwoon.

            Oh yes. They’d all heard about nesting dragons in the wilds. Irritable, dangerous, and vicious creatures. Mothers were particularly protective of their clutch and had been known to track down and destroy nest thieves over vast distances. That was actually a semi-fair explanation, but not all of it sat well with Taekwoon. Problem was, he couldn’t prove it otherwise. “Fine,” he eventually sighed, sitting upright and taking a conciliatory bite out of his hand pie. “For Master Sunny’s test, I’ll remember this,” he mumbled around a mouthful. “But I don’t agree.”

            “You don’t have to,” Jinki winked, wrinkling his nose in amusement before he ruffled Taekwoon’s hair playfully. The trainee’s expression deadpanned and he just looked at the other man, chewing slowly. “Sorry,” Jinki apologized, raising his hands in surrender before he reached out to carefully smooth the offended hair back into place.

            Satisfied, Taekwoon opted to stuff the rest of the pie in his mouth, pack up, and head out.

            “Hey! Where are you going?” Jinki asked, scrambling to keep pace and follow along.

            He nearly choked on the mouthful but Taekwoon explained, “My head hurts from studying and I’ve got Seunghyun’s class first thing in the morning.”

            “Ugh. Right…” Jinki agreed sympathetically. “Don’t die,” he encouraged, making them both laugh as they shared in the Combat Master’s deservedly harsh reputation. Jinki had taken basic lessons, as all Aerie residents did, but his self defense skills ended there. Those who wished to become riders or those who were more interested in combat continued to take even more strenuous lessons. Taekwoon was among them.

            So far, he’d avoided major injuries under Seunghyun’s challenging lessons, but it was not easy. Unlike the Combat Master, who seemed to be a veritable prodigy and good with any and all weapons, Taekwoon struggled to be truly good at most combat. Ranged weapons were beyond him at the moment. He had the steady hand and concentration and when he shot, his aim was good, but he was too slow and lacking in spontaneity. The Combat Master probably wasn’t wrong in thinking that he’d be dead before he ever fired a shot if he was actually fighting anyone.

            His close combat skills were mediocre. The dagger and short knife were not his forte either because he pulled his attacks too often. They found he didn’t have the stomach for the closeness and the possible trickery of opponents at that range. On the other hand, he was passable with a longer blade or weapon, feeling more comfortable with the fairness offered to both participants. Of course, that fell apart if someone else had a different weapon, but it was a start.

            Not entirely surprisingly, Taekwoon’s greatest strengths were actually in forms of combat that dragonriders tended to prefer. Despite his desire to not get close to people in combat with short weapons, Taekwoon had a knack for hand to hand unarmed combat. He could wrestle and grapple with most students, even more advanced ones, quite well. Similarly, he was also surprisingly good at what Seunghyun called scaling, though he tired quickly for now.

            “That’s enough!” the Combat Master’s deep voice rang out, halting the match between Taekwoon and Wonshik.

            Pinned but only just, Taekwoon was still relieved to hear the Master call it. By the looks of it, so was Wonshik. Breathing hard and liberally coated in sweat, both young men stood up shakily and nodded to each other. “Good match,” the older man conceded with an amused grin.

            Taekwoon flashed him a tired smile. “I almost had you.”

            “I know,” Wonshik chuckled, clapping the younger man on the shoulder once.

            “Wonshik, you’re getting sloppy with your holds,” Seunghyun reprimanded when they’d had the briefest of respites.

            “Yes, sir,” Wonshik responded by rote, jerking to attention as the taller more intimidating man came to dress them down.

            “I expect you to fix that problem before you enter the ring next time. Your Trials begin sooner than you probably think and we can’t have you getting lazy now,” he chided like a disappointed father.

            “Yes, sir,” the younger man responded again, bowing deeply as he accepted the criticism.

            “Taekwoon!”

            “Sir!” he yelped, jerking to attention as the focus was shifted to him.

            “You’re doing well, but you’re still not putting enough effort into breaking holds and actually moving out from under your opponent,” Seunghyun sighed, his head shake indicating that this was a problem that obviously needed more attention.

            “Understood, sir!” Taekwoon responded, hoping to avoid what he suspected was coming.

            “I’m not sure you do,” the Combat Master snorted once, tone normal but the words ominous enough. “Class dismissed! Except for you, Taekwoon. And Bom!” he added, head swiveling to find the redhead. Sheepishly, she turned around from the doorway and headed back into the room. “Your scaling has been abysmal lately. Get back on that wall and practice until I say otherwise,” he commanded dismissively, clearly annoyed with her performance.

            “Yes, sir,” she sighed dejectedly, glancing out the doorway to freedom where her dragon Minji was waiting for her.

            “Taekwoon,” Seunghyun motioned, capturing the young man’s attention again.

            “Sir!” he jumped, running to face off against the Combat Master. His expression didn’t show it, but his heart quailed at the prospect of facing off against the older man. This was not going to be fun…

(a/n: A bit more relationship development, a bit more history explanation and how the Aerie works. I think things are starting to come together indeed. ^_^ I hope you've enjoyed the latest update and please look forward to the next one. Thank you!)