There was something wrong with all of the dragons. To be fair, the riders weren’t unaffected either but at least most were functional. Unfortunately for Jinki, Taekwoon fell into the smaller group of riders that were hit harder by whatever had happened in the Group Trance.

            Under Masters Hyesung and Mimi’s guidance, most of the able bodied non-riders had been called to help do what they could in the aftermath. The dragons could only be made as comfortable as possible, since they continued to slumber. Commander Yunho assured them that the dragons didn’t seem to be in any pain, but he couldn’t reach Hero to confirm. Their bond was still there, but the dragons were, for all intents and purposes, shut away or blocked off. That matched fairly well with what Jinki himself felt between him and Jongup. It was strange knowing the dragon was still there, but also realizing he couldn’t feel him like he should.

             For the majority of riders, they could walk but functioning normally was a challenge at first. According to Master Mimi, it was almost as if they’d come out of a forced, extended sleep. They all knew the riders hadn’t, but their responses and awareness were all slower and less than they should be. And in those who seemed to be a little more dragon than normal, they appeared to be caught in more of a waking fugue. Jinki had stayed with Taekwoon for as long as it took to make sure he was okay, or as alright as he was going to be, but it was quite obvious something was wrong within. Physically, everyone was completely normal. Mentally… was another matter entirely.

            Master Mimi had given the most affected riders sleeping draughts and chased Jinki out when he assumed the young man would only worry himself sick. So… here he was instead, slumped on the couch in Master Satoru’s office. Jinki rubbed his temples with his fingers and groaned loudly. “Here,” the Aerie Master encouraged, shuffling closer with a tiny steps. “Have some tea,” he offered, bringing a half-full and shaky cup to set down before the younger man.

            Jinki looked up and flinched in mute apology. “You’re supposed to be resting,” he reminded the older man with a weary voice.

            Satoru simply shrugged and waited patiently. “Master Mimi has other concerns to focus on at the moment,” he explained with a flippant but slower wave of his hand. “And clearly you need someone to distract you,” he added with a light chuckle.

            Given how he felt just then, Jinki couldn’t really argue. He wrinkled his nose and reluctantly accepted the offering from the table, exhaling deeply. “Thank you.” There was no question of sleeping draughts this time; just easy and willing acceptance. Sleep would be a mercy at this point.

            “Now, in the interest of at least attempting to placate the Master Healer and since Mimi has forbidden me from getting directly involved, would you kindly tell me what has happened?” Satoru asked as he set himself down in the chair across from the couch, perching carefully on the edge.

            Jinki didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t show he heard the question, but he took another sip of tea first, inhaling the scent deeply and letting the warm steam coat his throat and lungs. “I don’t know much,” he eventually admitted with a slow shake of his head as he cradled the cup and saucer close. “Only that Taekwoon thought he felt or saw Tiamat’s awakening.”

            “Well then,” the other man murmured, clasping his hands gently in his lap as he looked towards the door near his desk. Jinki followed his gaze and pursed his lips, waiting to see what he might say. “And do we know what befell them before they all collapsed into slumber?” he asked instead, gaze still averted.

            “No,” he shook his head and sighed. “Taekwoon wasn’t able to explain anything to me before he started coming in and out of consciousness…” His voice trailed off and he took a slow deep breath. “Will he be alright?” He knew what Master Mimi had said but… he wanted to hear from another source that might know more.

            Satoru’s immediate silence was not comforting. Dark eyes swung back around and gave him a piteous look. “I don’t know, Jinki. All of this is new. And I suspect it has something to do with Master Kevin, but I can’t say for sure.”

            “I was afraid of that…” Jinki muttered, looking at the door nearby.

            This time, Satoru followed and then shook his head. “Don’t.”

            “What?” Jinki asked, feigning ignorance.

            The Aerie Master saw through him quickly and gave a wry smile before he snorted. “I don’t think he’ll have the answers you want.”

            “What if Taekwoon was right, though? What if he does have the answers we need? The power we need to match Tiamat?” he asked, almost desperate, though he knew they could very well be playing with fire.

            “Then we would be truly fortunate and better off for it,” Satoru admitted with a shrug. “But the risk is greater than the rewards at the moment.” He pursed his lips and worked his jaw for a few heartbeats before he glanced up and asked, “What of your bond with Jongup?”

            It was not the question he’d been expecting but it made Jinki look inward. It was still there, but quiet. There was no feeling of anything beyond the dragon’s silent presence. “Dormant,” he grimaced, wondering how it felt for the other riders. “But…” he started, raising his hand as a thought occurred to him. “Before their collapse, I did reach for Jongup and our bond felt… stronger than usual.”

            “Oh? That is interesting,” Satoru hummed, catching his chin with his fingers. “That was during the Group Trance session too. I wonder if it has anything to do with Tiamat’s awakening.”

            “What do you mean?” Jinki asked, brow furrowed.

            Satoru shook his head and took a small breath as he tried to organize his thoughts. “Trance is dragon space, correct?” he questioned, holding one finger up at Jinki as he waited for the response. When Jinki nodded, he continued, “Humans can’t access it without dragons so it is reasonable to assume that the Trance space itself is some creation of Tiamat and or Bahamut themselves. Tiamat has been bound. Sleeping for the most part, if her situation is anything like Bahamut’s,” he explained with a half-hearted shrug. “So… if her bindings were broken, it’s possible that her power was also freed and released into the Trance space,” he explained carefully, expression tense.

            “But what does that mean for everyone that was in Trance at the time?” Jinki asked, shaking his head in confusion.

            “I don’t know,” Satoru admitted again, his frustration evident. “For most riders, it looks like it didn’t mean anything. But for the dragons and people like Taekwoon and Chaerin…”

            Jinki’s face hardened and he shook his head. “There must be something we can do.”

            “Right now?” Satoru questioned, the utterance more rhetorical than anything. “The only real option is to wait.”

            “No!” the other man snapped, hitting his thigh with his fist.

            The Aerie Master laughed sadly once. “I understand your frustration, Jinki.”

            “Do you?” the younger man retorted in pained frustration. One raised brow was enough to quiet him and he sank into his seat before reaching for his tea once more. “Sorry,” he mumbled over the lip of the cup.

            “We cannot send dragon missives or patrols as we originally intended. We have an even more frightened populous as a result of the dragons’ state, and we are in effect defenseless,” he catalogued each point matter of factly, ticking them off on his fingers.

            With one hand clenched into a trembling fist, Jinki exhaled forcefully, “Then why shouldn’t we try to wake Bahamut?”

            Satoru took a breath and folded his arms across his body, gaze resting on the door to his sleeping quarters once more. “Sometimes… timing is what is most important. If we try to wake him now, and he is the angry and bitter dragon god we fear is possible, then his ire would be turned upon us most likely,” he explained, fingers tapping on his arms rhythmically. “But,” he added, raising one finger as he looked back at Jinki, “if we wait for the appropriate time, regardless of his disposition, his attention would likely be forced elsewhere.”

            The reality of what the Aerie Master was proposing took a little while to sink in, but when it did, Jinki sat up abruptly. “You mean to try and use Bahamut.” It was a statement, not a question.

            “Correct.”

            “But…” Jinki tried to deny, his voice fading quickly.

            “He is our patron deity?” Satoru asked, almost as if he could sense his protégés question. His dismissive hand wave was almost contemptuous. “I have long since come to the conclusion that is probably a lie,” he grimaced. “We are told one story, but if we look closely, it feels wrong.”

            “There is no doubt that Bahamut is a god,” Jinki stated with a shake of his head, setting the cup of mostly empty tea on the table.

            “No. He is,” Satoru agreed easily, no argument there. “There is no doubt that he and Tiamat created the dragons and us as well in ages past. Nor do I doubt that they were our patron deities before the Dragon Wars,” he admitted with a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping and posture filled with sadness. “But forced guidance and captivity…” he trailed off, cringing as if the words actually hurt him. Perhaps they did… “If he feels even a fragment of what I feel…” he whispered with a trembling voice, “I do not believe he will see us as he once may have.”

            “Satoru…” Jinki whispered, one hand reaching out briefly as if to offer some kind of comfort. He realized he had none to give. Or at least he didn’t know what to say, so he pulled his hand back and gripped the front of his own shirt lightly. After what felt like a long moment of silence between them, he tried to speak again. “I know you don’t want to free him right now, but… can I see him?” he asked softly, eyes drifting up to hold Satoru’s gaze intently.

            The Aerie Master’s laugh was mirthless. “You always were brave with your questions,” he snorted once, head nodding along to whatever thoughts ran through his mind. “But I suppose it is your right and your privilege as the next Aerie Master.”

            “There’s Yongguk though…”

            “Who may or may not ever be able to return,” Satoru shrugged in easy acceptance. “For one reason or another.”

            “You sound as if you think something might happen,” Jinki offered hesitantly.

            His response was a bitter laugh this time. “I cannot pretend to know Kevin’s thoughts, but… if he has woken Tiamat and not Bahamut, then it only stands to reason that they will come here next. To destroy or subdue Bahamut most likely. If Tiamat did suffer defeat from Bahamut in the Dragon Wars, it is likely she will seek revenge.”

            Jinki took a small breath and glanced down, playing with his fingers in his lap. He didn’t look up when he spoke first. “I don’t doubt that. But… before Jongup’s connection fell dormant, I felt… something. It wasn’t from him. And I know it wasn’t me, but there was… well, there were many feelings in a short time. They just felt far away when I realized. I don’t think you’re wrong that Tiamat is angry, but I think there might be more to it than just that,” he explained with a determined sigh, meeting his mentor’s gaze once more.

            “Interesting,” Satoru mused, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He hummed to himself thoughtfully and then stood up, the motion slow but determined. “Come along,” he encouraged as he turned and headed for the door to his sleeping quarters.

            “To Bahamut?” Jinki asked quickly, already starting to stand up. One side-eyed glance quelled some of his enthusiasm but not entirely. “Right,” he nodded, standing upright and brushing off the front of his shirt.

            Quietly, he followed after Satoru’s slow steps, almost painfully so. The older man opened his sleeping quarter’s door, revealing a dark room – there were no windows offering any light and only what spilled in from the office served to give any illumination. Satoru took his hand and pulled him confidently forward, past shadows within shadows as they moved towards the opposite wall.

            “Follow the path of stardust,” Satoru murmured, his arm moving in the darkness before a soft click sounded and stone moved, grinding quietly as an opening appeared before them. Jinki gasped at the yawning blackness before them but allowed himself to be pulled along down a set of winding stairs. It helped that Satoru moved so slowly, but it was all so surprising still… That was especially true with the rising warm breeze that carried dragon scent with it as it rushed past them, seeking the open air beyond the stone they were surrounded by.

            His hand tightened on Satoru’s but the other man offered no reassurance. Only the steady sound of each footstep grounded him. He didn’t know how long they walked, but eventually, he felt a definite shift in temperature and atmosphere. Jinki inhaled sharply when they finally stopped descending and reached a level plateau where blue fire sprang into existence around them. The dancing lights clearly illuminated the absolutely massive body of a dragon before him. “Bahamut…” Jinki gasped, the familiar exclamation unusually true in this instance.

            “Yes, it is,” Satoru confirmed as he finally let Jinki’s hand go and approached the slumbering body. His head turned down and Jinki followed the line of sight. Runes. There were rings upon rings of runes etched into the stone floor around the dragon’s body, but Jinki could see no obvious end in sight.

            “Wait!” he reached and gasped as Satoru moved to walk across the runes.

            The Aerie Master paused and turned back, his feet resting on etched markings as he did so. “These runes were carved into stone, not painted. It would take a lot more than walking on them to undo the spell that has been wrought here,” he explained easily. “Nor will Bahamut wake with our presence alone,” he added with a shrug. “Only Kevin could rouse him from his enchanted slumber…” he added quietly, voice almost disappointed.

            “Oh,” Jinki exhaled, following quietly along and at last letting his eyes wander over the great silver dragon’s body. It was almost difficult for his mind to wrap around how much larger the dragon god was than any of the dragons he’d been around. Even Gain, who was among the largest he knew, would be small – very small – in comparison. His body wasn’t as large as the Aerie itself, but with wings spread, he likely would be. “Shards,” he whispered, borrowing one of Taekwoon’s often used utterances. Something else occurred to him very quickly though. “Something’s different about him.”

            “Yes,” Satoru agreed easily, head turning to regard Jinki with an approving smile. “Our dragons all look the same, colors notwithstanding. But Bahamut,” he explained with a gesture towards the majestic sleeping body. “There is individuality here and personality, even in unconsciousness.”

            And as Satoru said that, Jinki easily noticed what he was talking about. Bahamut appeared to have feathery whiskers that draped around his muzzle and horns with two prongs instead of one. Looking closer, his eye ridges seemed more pronounced and, in the flickering flames it was harder to tell, but his skin seemed mottled. Like there was some kind of silver pattern threaded throughout his hide. “Why…”

            “Does he look different?” Satoru finished the expected question as he approached and placed his hands upon the steadily breathing body. “I don’t know. He is the original so it isn’t unexpected that he might appear a little different, but… it is strange.”

            “Strange that none of our dragons resemble him in his individuality,” Jinki mused, not sure what it meant. “Are you sure he’s sleeping?” he wondered, eyes settling on Satoru with his hand on the dragon’s face.

            “Yes,” Satoru answered easily. “Kevin brought me down here many times. Bahamut will not wake unless the Dragon Priest commands it or… the runes are broken,” he added, his right hand moving up to lightly grab his left arm.

            Drawing abreast of Satoru, Jinki raised his hand as if to touch Bahamut himself and then paused. “Why can Kevin wake Bahamut?”

            “My guess would be because he has learned to harness the power of Bahamut’s and Tiamat’s blood. Or perhaps their blood is a part of him now,” Satoru mused thoughtfully, pulling his hand away. “I cannot say for sure. I only know what I have seen and been told, the latter of which was scarce to be sure. Kevin hoarded his words and knowledge though he was particularly fond of gloating…” the other man almost growled, anger suffusing his features before it disappeared quickly, like drawings in the dirt.

            Jinki moved to Satoru’s side and grabbed his arm lightly in his hands. “We’ll be ready for him this time. No matter what happens. He is done controlling you, Satoru,” he promised, fingers tightening slightly. He was mildly surprised when Satoru turned and cupped his cheek, leaning closer quickly. But his uncertainty shifted to acceptance when the other man placed a tender kiss upon his brow.

            “You are too good for this position,” he chuckled, the sound soft and a little sad.

            “Well, you’ll be here for a while yet. I’ve still got plenty to learn from you,” Jinki assured him with a matter of fact nod. In his attempt to alleviate his Master’s concerns, he didn’t see Satoru’s almost invisible wince.

            “Of course,” he murmured softly, his voice neutral in response. Satoru stepped back and freed his arm gently from Jinki’s grasp, gesturing towards Bahamut’s head instead. “Directly above here is the second Trial’s containment circle. It is how the trainees are able to enter the Trance space without a dragon actually being present.”

            “Oh…” Jinki hummed, gazes traveling up to the darkness above Bahamut’s head. The light did not reach that high but he could well imagine there was little more than stone arching over them. Another thought occurred to him then and he frowned slightly. “If Kevin is the only one that can wake Bahamut, why were you worried about Taekwoon coming down here?”

            The Aerie Master’s amusement was impossible to miss and he chuckled noticeably. “Your other half has a veritable knack for attracting unexpected situations. I figured a measure of caution would not hurt in this case.”

            As much as he knew Taekwoon would probably argue the point, Jinki was inclined to agree. Life was certainly interesting around him, one way or another. And he lost nothing in not seeing the dragon god immediately. First, he had to recover from what had happened anyway. Then… they could discuss what might happen next. Still nodding, his smile slipped just a touch and he glanced at the dragon god once again. “You mentioned trying to wake him if the time was appropriate. How were you planning on doing that?” he asked, letting his gaze settle on Satoru once more.

            Satoru inhaled slightly and tilted his head slightly. “In all honesty, breaking the runes might be the best approach,” he explained, turning his gaze upon the stone beneath their feet.

            “Oh…” Jinki murmured, pursing his lips against the idea. Not that he had anything better to offer himself. It just seemed so… permanent?

            “However, that is not for us to worry about at just this moment,” Satoru encouraged, stepping forward to catch Jinki with his hand and gently push him towards the entrance. “We have other pressing concerns to deal with in the immediate future,” he added with a heavy sigh.

            “Right,” the acting Aerie Master nodded, thoughts turning dark as he recognized the task against them. Without functioning dragons, their ability to communicate quickly would be severely hampered. Furthermore, they had no strong defenses against… well, anything. Not that he foresaw this happening again in the future, but perhaps it would be something to consider trying to prevent preemptively, just in case.

            And while Jinki and a slowly recovering Satoru attempted to tame the madness of their current situation within the Aerie, Taekwoon was left to try and sort his own troubles out without much assistance. What felt like days or even moons could have gone by in his waking and always exhausted fugue. Resting did not help, as when he slept, his mind, or perhaps his spirit, was pulled towards the Trance space, but like a ghost, he had no real effect upon it. When conscious, his body felt rested but his mind was tired and it sought sleep almost immediately, like an invalid recovering from a nasty accident.

            What was worse, everything seemed foggy and he couldn’t really connect with his dragons. He knew Jinki came by from time to time, but the other man was not unlike a ghost himself when he visited. A part of Taekwoon knew it was likely that what was happening had something to do with him having more of a dragon spirit than most. He could feel it particularly keenly when unconscious. There was a pull, like a siren’s call in his blood. Every once in a while, he actually did slip into Trance, though he wasn’t sure how. He just recognized the roiling gray space and the ear splitting drone of a cacophony of voices echoing through it.

            Eventually, the storm began to abate in the Trance space as the voices started dying down. While he still didn’t hear his own dragons, which was slightly worrisome if he was being honest, he did start to hear a new voice instead. Thin and fragile, little more than a whispering call in the empty space…

            Fei.

            That was Chaerin’s dragon. So that must mean… With a purpose in mind, Taekwoon found he actually had agency just then. He could move of his own volition and he wandered in the direction he thought the voice had come from. Fei…! Again, he heard the cry and this time he thought he could see a blip in the distance. Looking from side to side, Taekwoon didn’t see anything else so he continued his trek, curious now. As he got closer, he could see that it was indeed Chaerin, as the day she’d been born and completely fixated on a point in the distance. Fei! she tried again, one hand reaching out as if to force the gray space to respond.

            Chaerin, he called softly, the sound mental as opposed to coming from his mouth.

            She started as if completely surprised, and looked at him with an almost panicked expression. Taekwoon! Again, the word emerged as a mental sound, though moved like she was speaking.

            What are you doing? he asked, head turning to look in the direction she’d been calling.

            Can’t you feel it? she wondered in response, brow furrowing as her surprise faded in lieu of pained curiosity.

            What? Taekwoon wondered, looking back at her.

            The bond. It’s weakening, she admitted, curiosity washing away to leave only pain and outrage. And it’s her doing! she practically growled, hands balling into fists at her sides.

            Her? he asked, knowing almost immediately who she meant after he asked.

            Tiamat, the woman snarled, the expression almost feral and dragon like in that moment. She’s been talking to them. Haven’t you heard it? she asked him, gaze fierce as she glared at him.

            I heard something, but I can’t understand it, he explained with a worried shrug. Had he missed something? Looking inward, he tested his bond again. No. No change for him. It was still there and he could tell both were present, but it just felt like the connection had been muted, not really weakened. He didn’t feel anything from them either that would make him think they were in danger either.

            Useless, she scowled, pacing quickly in a small circle before reaching out her hand and trying again. Fei!!

            It hurt to see. He could well imagine her panic at the mere thought of losing his connection. If she was actually losing hers, though he couldn’t imagine why, it bothered him to think about. Can I help? he asked, taking a hesitant step closer.

            Chaerin didn’t respond immediately. She simply stared straight ahead, tired body – even here, trembling with her suppressed fear. I don’t know, she admitted after a moment, sighing heavily. I can’t reach her as a human and I can’t summon my dragon half without getting kicked out, she sighed heavily, dejected in her failure.

            Oh, Taekwoon murmured with an uncertain tilt of his head. He hadn’t really tried shifting to his dragon half, or form, here so the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. Do you think a dragon’s cry could reach her? he asked hesitantly.

            More than mine, she was quick to answer, the response more reflex than with any actual thought behind it.

            Taekwoon took one more look at her, the dejected body language speaking volumes of what she wasn’t saying. Maybe whatever was happening wasn’t exactly affecting his dragons, but that wasn’t to say none of the others were feeling this effect. If nothing else, maybe reaching her dragon would let him reach his and they could perhaps move from this irritating cycle of waking and not. Okay, he nodded once and stepped forward, placing himself in front of Chaerin like some sort of guard.

            What are you… she started to ask before he felt her curious surprise.

            He didn’t even try to summon his dragon half yet. If he was right, he’d just get kicked out too like she had. Instead, he took the lessons he’d had with Gain and forced his body to change instead of his spirit. It was… hard though. His skin itched but it also felt tight and utterly resistant at first. Something about the space had changed and it was making it harder for him to force his will upon it.

            Fingers curled into tight fists and his lip curled up in a silent snarl. He picked a point directly ahead of him and focused on it to the exclusion of all else. Skin burned and felt like it cracked before it finally started to stretch and shift. He growled through the pain and had to uncurl his fingers when he felt talons spiking his palms. Pain ripped through his shoulder blades when wings finally sprouted, long, leathery appendages quickly overshadowing his size and pulling him down to the ground. It hurt but was nothing compared to the agony that accompanied his shifting legs, knees reversing with a nauseating crunch. He howled into the ground, a shrill cry escaping through clenched teeth.

            Fear edged its way past the pain and Taekwoon had a sudden image of the contorted Jongup the first time he’d seen him in this space. Oh Bahamut… was that what was happening here? The imagery did nothing to change what he felt, however, and he knew he couldn’t stop now. Stuck in this nightmare would be worse than trying to press forward, but he didn’t know how he would get past it. Jong! he cried out, desperation sending a pulse through their bond.

            Caught in an eternity of agony, he felt the call disappear like a ripple on the water. Silence stretched on forever. Despair started creeping in. No… he growled, clenching his eyes tight and panting hard. Anger reared its head, hot and hungry. It tore at his despair and gnawed on the pain. Change… he commanded himself, envisioning the dragon he knew he could become in this space. The dragon he’d been many times in the past. The dragon he needed to be now. Change! he roared, the sound a contorted blend between man and dragon.

            His bond quivered, a questing tendril, but little else.

            Taekwoon took a small breath and slammed his taloned hands into the ground, digging claws deep into the malleable space. His bulk grew and a tail sprouted. A dragon’s maw pushed from his face and he felt every bone shift as his neck and head changed.

            Rider? The question was tiny. So very far away. But worried and curious.

            Curse you, Tiamat! Taekwoon raged, clinging to his anger at the other dragon to help focus his efforts. The pain started to ebb as his transformation became complete. Trembling with fury, the bronze dragon pushed himself up. His wings flared. His head reared back. His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath.

            Rider! This time, the sound was clear and strong and very much surprised.

            Taekwoon roared, head snapping forward as if to pierce the veil around them. He had meant to call for Fei, or even his own dragon, but the cry that emerged was anything but a questing one. It was a challenge. And he saw it ripple through the Trance space, disturbing the clouds like a boat on the water. The gray space suddenly darkened and a physical form solidified within it. Midnight flesh rose up like a mountain and golden eyes flashed, twin suns in the sky.

            Tiamat.

            Cold. Taekwoon suddenly felt like ice as he stared up at the enormous creature before him. She stared back, calculating and angry. It felt like she could reach down and simply eat him in one bite and for one terrifying moment, he thought she would. But then his bond sang and another cry emerged from within the gray space.

            Tiamat’s head whipped around and she looked back, eyes wide and… hurt. She opened as if to say something, but another cry rose up and the Trance space convulsed. Gray washed over Taekwoon, rolling over him from behind. Chaerin hit his hind leg and he reached a hand back to grab her, pulling her against his chest as he shielded them both with his wings. The inward pull stopped and then exploded out, nearly knocking Taekwoon over despite his position. The black apparition disappeared with it and when the mist cleared, he saw a receding gray wall that left an open space in the middle.

            There, resting within and moving about as if coming out of a spell, were dragons. All their dragons. Including Jonghyun, Jongup, and Fei. Stiffly, Taekwoon pushed up from his crouched position and freed Chaerin, letting her stumble from his grasp. In a daze, he watched her lurch forward, a desperate but relieved cry emerging from her lips as she sighted on her gold. Blinking once, he let his eyes settle on his copper and he huffed once, a pleased but disgruntled display.

            A little help next time, he grumbled, listing to the side slightly.

            You didn’t need it. It was a statement of the obvious, but Taekwoon felt a tinge of guilt within. He may not have needed it, but the other dragon acknowledged it might have been a good idea all the same.

            Glad you’re back, he almost whispered, clinging to the bond between them before he let the exhaustion he was fighting pull him from his form and the Trance space.

            With a pained groan, he opened his eyes and sat up with a breathless cough. For once, his vision wasn’t foggy anymore. That was nice but the first thing he heard was even better, the sound conjuring a smile on his face: lowing dragons searching for their riders. Their reverberating cries seeped into his skin and wrapped him in a comforting blanket. The only thing better would have been-

            “Woonie!” The door to the Healing Hall slammed open and a winded Jinki stumbled inside, flailing his way to Taekwoon’s bed. “You’re awake!” he cried, throwing himself at the bed-ridden rider.

            Taekwoon grunted as he tried to catch Jinki and failed utterly before collapsing on the bed under him. “Ow,” he groaned with a pained laugh, wrapping strangely weak arms around his other half. “Missed you too,” he whispered, resting his head against Jinki’s.

            “I heard the dragons waking up and knew it probably had something to do with you,” Jinki responded in a rushed outburst and a beaming smile as he pulled back enough to look at the other man.

            “There’s quite a story behind that…” Taekwoon trailed off with a nod of his head.

            “I’ve got one for you too,” Jinki countered, one hand reaching up to cup Taekwoon’s face. “But first,” he murmured, leaning close and placing a warm kiss on his lips.

            When Jinki tried to pull away, Taekwoon followed and stole one more. Only then did he let him go with a pleased smile. “That was certainly worth waking up for.” Jinki’s smile was bashful but happy. “Now,” he exhaled, wincing briefly as he tried to sit up again with a quick glance around. “What did I miss?”