Confusion and uncertainty about what had happened in Miremaw reigned for the next two days, affecting the riders, their dragons, and the residents. Regrettably, the Aerie entered a short period of mourning as well. Two riders and another dragon had been lost, casualties in the finicky luck of combat. None in Insoo’s wings had fallen, fortunately, but Taekwoon did feel a pang of guilt about Jinyoung’s JB suffering a moderate injury to one of his flanks. He was pretty sure the dragon wouldn’t have been injured had he not left his position and had the other copper take his place. But… if he hadn’t, there might have been more losses on both sides. Finding the dragonling and sending it home had been the best option in terms of ending the fighting as quickly as possible. He hadn’t understood it at the time, but Gain had, which did assuage some of his guilt. But not all of it by any means. Especially since he wasn’t the only injury. Just the worst in their wing.

            Furthermore, though Jinki and Yunho knew something was brewing in Kokoshir, their immediate concern was handling the crisis that had cropped up on their doorstep, largely without them being aware of it. They sent Jongin and Krystal with Jiho and N as support to get an update as soon as possible. Though she was a black dragon – a particularly questionable color at this time, unlike the other non-Symbiosis bonds, her loyalty had strangely not wavered from her rider. And she had proven herself to be a very adept messenger previously. Times were unpredictable however so Jiho was allowed to accompany them, a boon to the oft sidelined rider and dragon who reveled in the challenge of keeping up with the black.

            Taekwoon was not called to the meetings in which the Miremaw events were discussed, but Jinki filled him in on the majority of the details. They’d been focusing too much on preparing for what they knew was coming and paying too much attention to the North instead of also keeping an eye inland. Since there had been a lack of communication between the cities, due in part to the weather, their vigilance had waned to a regrettable point. In a more unnerving concession, Gain speculated that the wild dragons may have actually stopped any messengers from reaching them prior to the white dragon breaking free. Heavens bless their swift natures and the training that allowed them to be faster than their wild counterparts. But her discoveries patrolling the countryside and interacting with the wild dragons gave them more to be worried about. Riderless, she was able to get closer to them and actually converse, further elucidating their growing intelligence from simple beasts to complex thinking and coordinating creatures. And since they did seem to be at least somewhat affected by Tiamat’s temperament, there was no guarantee as to what sort of forces the Aerie would be facing in total.

            On a good note however, the white dragon and rider would survive, though the latter was still recovering. Whatever information he had was being closely kept under wraps and even Jinki wasn’t willing to let Taekwoon in on it. His dragon was equally tight lipped. Taekwoon knew because Jonghyun had been sure to try, but other than giving his own name – Hoshi, he would not speak of anything else. Well, nothing important anyway.

            As to the matter of the stolen dragonling actually being in Miremaw, Masters Dongwan and Seunghyun were sent down immediately with a seasoned wing to investigate the situation. The Combat Master was obviously meant to be intimidating insurance and Dongwan was very much a master of all things dragons. Short of sending Hyesung, who was busy handling more injuries than he cared to mention, he was one of the best in terms of being able to verify the dragon trade situation. While everyone knew other cities had taken to capturing dragon eggs or dragonlings on occasion, Miremaw had never been one to fall into such a disreputable situation. Most often, nobles or the very well off wanted an exotic pet or their own unique guard for something they considered important, but the city beneath the Aerie knew better. Something must have changed and recently.

            With a weary sigh that was just sort of a sob, Jinki collapsed on the bed at the end of an unmistakably long day. “It’s exhausting being Aerie Master,” he groaned, voice muffled by the covers.

            Taekwoon gave him a pitying look and set down the riding gear he was inspecting again as he waited. “That bad is it?” he asked softly, shifting from the hard chair to the soft bed as he placed his hand on Jinki’s back.

            “Probably worse,” his other half huffed, kicking his feet in brief frustration. Taekwoon started to rub his back in a soothing gesture and waited for him to continue. “Satoru is there to nudge me if I need help but for the most part, it’s up to me to talk to everyone. To puzzle through what’s the root of the problem. To coax information out of people even when they’re not sure. To deal with fraying tempers and not give in to my own…” he practically wailed, lifting his head with tears of frustration evident on his lashes.

            “Talk to me,” Taekwoon encouraged, lying down on his side with his head propped on his hand to look at Jinki more evenly, carding his fingers through messy hair with a soft smile.

            Jinki sniffed once and exhaled noisily. “To be fair, Yunho has been more tolerable lately.”

            “I agree,” Taekwoon echoed with a chuckle. The Commander seemed to have had a slight change of heart regarding Insoo’s wing. Taekwoon had a suspicion their presence at Miremaw had been a test of sorts, but that they’d passed. Whatever that meant.

            “It’s just that everyone is worried,” the Aerie Master admitted. “We haven’t heard back from Jongin yet. He probably won’t return for another day or so, depending on how things went in Kokoshir. What we have gotten from Miremaw isn’t encouraging,” he scowled, beating his fists on the pillow once. “The merchant whose house you demolished wanted us to pay him reparations for the damage. That song and dance changed very quickly when Dongwan found further evidence of his dragonling trade efforts. The building was destroyed. Not everything in it. And from what I have heard, Seunghyun had to get involved to get the full story,” he added with a shudder.

            Taekwoon did too. If the intimidation didn’t work, that meant his being insurance did… “Was it as bad as we think?”

            “Yes,” Jinki grumbled, face turning down as he stared at the covers in front of him. “Apparently, Kokoshir, and other cities, have been seeking additional dragons for support. You know one of the best ways to get their attention and keep them distracted is with bait but if I heard right, they’re also looking for dragonlings in general. I don’t know why,” he answered the unspoken question automatically.

            “Is that everything?” Taekwoon gently asked after he waited for a moment to see if Jinki would continue. When his other half gave a plaintive, “No…,” he promptly reached out and pulled the tired man against his chest, giving him something else to bury his face against.

            Jinki gave little sniffing breaths for a few moments as he clung to Taekwoon’s shirt. At last, he took another steadying breath and rattled off, “It’s just worrying. Mimi and Hyesung both have expressed they’ve got more to deal with than usual. Their supplies are starting to run low and Miremaw isn’t being as helpful as they could. The Paramours are also overworked and getting frayed. Even Gain, though thank goodness she returned. The dragons have needed an additional outlet because they’ve been feeling different since Tiamat’s awakening and the Miremaw event was not helpful either. Junjin’s giving me grief about food supplies and someone’s been sneaking food from the stores. The runners – Sanghyuk and Joy especially, have been reporting rumors and worrying observations from the riders and residents. Daehyun is certain the whole trade system in the region is on the verge of collapse and Chunji fears relations are deteriorating between us and the others at a rate much faster than they should be. Soohyun can’t keep up with the demands of the Aerie and both Minsoo and Baekho have found themselves with more work than they can handle. Not to mention Shindong is in a foul humor about losing a rider, especially since only Taecyeon lost one too. And everyone is so bloody tired…” he groaned again, curling harder against Taekwoon’s body.

            Okay. That was a lot to take in. Taekwoon didn’t say anything until he figured what direction he wanted to approach from. Eventually, he opted for an attempt at levity. “So, did anything good happen or is it all going to and I should just say my goodbyes to everyone now?” he asked with a dry laugh, glancing at the top of his other half’s head to see how he’d react.

            Jinki barked a laugh and finally turned his face so he could speak more clearly. “It all feels like it’s going to ,” he admitted, wriggling in place so he could work his arms around Taekwoon’s ribs and hold tight. “But it’s not all bad. The Stardust Battalion has never been in better form and the residents really are as ready as they’re going to be for whatever happens, even if they are ready to start fighting with each other at any provocation. And Kibum and Jolin are both strangely excited about watching and recording history in the making,” he mused dryly, at a loss about how to react to that one.

            Taekwoon wouldn’t have known what to do either so he shrugged and tightened his arms. “At least there’s some good then,” he murmured supportively, still mulling over when he wanted to talk about his own concerns. They’d been so busy after Miremaw that they hadn’t had much chance to discuss things and he didn’t want to add to Jinki’s already mountainous stress. He would talk to Gain but she was also inordinately busy. While he didn’t doubt she’d make time for him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to interrupt her newfound acceptance. Nor was he positive he wanted to broach the subject himself. Yet anyway.

            Not scary. Just… dragon, was the usual rebuttal.

            He and Jonghyun were simply running in circles on that one. Which is why it was frightening, he reminded the copper again.

            “Always,” Jinki answered, the response registering a bit later than it should have because Taekwoon was slightly distracted. “Especially this,” he added, finally sounding calmer and less wound up as he relaxed in the rider’s arms, mind at least temporarily unburdened. “What about you, love?” he eventually asked, squeezing harder for a breath. “I can’t tell if you’re tense or just all tight muscle,” he half-laughed, the comment light but still slightly concerned.

            If he’d only said the first part, Taekwoon thought he might have answered honestly. But Jinki’s continuation gave him an easy out. “You know me, my heart. I’m always tense,” he laughed, mentally forcing himself to try and relax.

            “And always all muscle,” Jinki snorted as if in mild disgust, the sentiment not even remotely true. Taekwoon shrugged in helpless agreement – their training regiments were often brutal and he had a habit of pushing himself anyway. “I can’t do anything about the muscle, but I can think of a thing or two to help with your tension,” his other half added thoughtfully.

            “Oh?” Taekwoon prompted, one brow rising as he carefully rolled over so that Jinki was under him, his other half wearing a bemused smile and shaking his head as he did so.

            “I was talking about soaking in the heated pools or a massage,” he laughed, only half-serious. There was a particularly playful gleam in his eyes and he wasn’t exactly trying to change his situation.

            “Nothing else?” he asked, shifting his weight to help both of them, even as he lowered his head to kiss the tip of Jinki’s nose.

            Jinki wrinkled his nose at the attention and then laughed. “Maybe,” he teased coyly, lifting his head enough to kiss Taekwoon’s lips. He pulled away quickly, but when Taekwoon didn’t follow, Jinki raised his brow and kissed him again. This time, he grabbed the rider’s shirt with one hand and pulled him along as they settled on the bed.

            A soak in the heated pools or a massage would have been nice too, but this… here he could simply lose himself without reservation. They both could.

            And did.

            With both Jinki and Gain unavailable for any particular assistance, Taekwoon didn’t have many other places he could turn. There was Satoru but the former Aerie Master was strangely intimidating to a degree, despite - or maybe because of - his unflappable demeanor. Hyesung was busy, and usually grumpy. Minjun would probably be weirdly excited but ultimately have no idea. Insoo would listen but then tell him to go talk to someone else about it and Yunho was an absolutely hard no. What was worse, it was likely that none of them could relate to him. Few could, which gave him only one real option: Chaerin and her kin.

            They weren’t difficult to find or to set up a general meeting with but figuring out a suitable location for getting together was a unique challenge. He wasn’t trying to be secret but their possible situation wasn’t one he wanted to broadcast to the Aerie at large. People were nervous enough about them already. And honestly, if he was worried about it, most people would likely just overreact because it was so out of the norm. Nor did he want to start some random rumor they were gathering to do… something in their spare time, even if no one knew what it was they might be talking about. It was already far too easy for people to give them a side eyed look because they weren’t originally of the Aerie, were at least somewhat connected to the Bahamut High Priest (as rumors went), and their dragons had responded questionably during the Tiamat incident.

            He managed to convince them to meet in the library, a generally safe enough space where Scribe Master Jolin would keep an eye on things overall. Granted, he had to promise that he’d relay the information through him to Jonghyun who could then talk to their dragons, but it was doable. Especially because Chaerin vouched for him, much to their mutual discomfort. As a group, they settled at a table in the back, still in the open for anyone to notice them, and vice versa, but far enough away for privacy, so long as they kept their voices down. Jolin glanced at them once as they settled in and then nodded to herself.

            Taekwoon sat with but slightly apart from the rest as they crowded around a table, pulling two extra chairs over to make enough space for everyone. He made eye contact with Chaerin first, her being to his immediate right and then traveled around the circle of people that had become familiar since they’d joined the Aerie and became a sister wing to his.

            Ryeowook hadn’t changed much. A bit sharper and certainly a better rider now, but he still preferred books to people. He was nice enough if a bit of an introvert. His blue dragon Yesung was weird enough for both of them though. At least according to Jonghyun anyway.

            The tall and lanky Daniel had finally seemed to fill out a bit with their training regiment. His shorter haircut also gave him a more mature appearance, though his temperament was a bit soft for a fighter. Like Ryeowook, his dragon balanced him out. Eljo was a mulish bronze that seemed to resent he wasn’t the next size category up. Jonghyun always described him as grumpy, if good in a pinch. Jongup just thought he was funny.

            Sunhwa and Moonbyul, the two other women riders, sat together at the end of the table watching Taekwoon with interest. Neither seemed like they’d be riders initially, and perhaps had they underwent the Trials like most Aerie riders, they wouldn’t be, as could be said of most present, but like the rest, they had proven themselves in the time they’d been together. Sunhwa tended to rely on her face for getting what she wanted, with varying degrees of success, depending on who she was talking to. She’d been getting better about communicating in general though. Moonbyul had never had that problem and swung from the opposite direction, sometimes butting heads with Chaerin in terms of decisions. Of the two, Taekwoon would say the latter was the stronger rider, and her dragon needed it. Hwasa was a powerful personality, even if she was a black dragon. She made up for her size and color with sheer effort, matching her rider’s drive. Hana on the other hand, complimented her rider as an amiable and somewhat playful copper.

            And the last two riders were unique in that their dragons were twins – literally brothers from the same egg. As Hyunseong explained it, he’d been more than surprised, having expected perhaps a silver or gold due to the size. But no, he got two tiny reds instead, Youngmin and Kwangmin. Physically, they looked the same. Mentally, they shared mannerisms but the former was more sunshine and the latter more dusk as Jonghyun explained it. Jeongmin had been in the area almost by chance – though it was true that he’d often spent time at Hyunseong’s home and had been suggested to be in the area during a certain time frame by one of the local priests. Hyunseong was one of the riders Taekwoon believed could have become one naturally. He was built like Insoo, but taller and perhaps a bit more carefree. Jeongmin… not so much. He was nice and had earned his place but as someone who was even smaller than Ryeowook… that alone spoke for itself.

            Despite their general lack of prowess, with all their eyes on him, Taekwoon couldn’t help but feel at least a little intimidated. Nor did he really know how to start. “So…” he trailed off, scratching at his hair in a gesture that at least cracked smiles around the group. “Has anyone felt more like a dragon lately?” By the looks he got in return, it was clear no one knew how to respond. Shards. Even he didn’t know how he would have responded, but this was just awkward. Painfully so.

            The pairs around the table sort of leaned close to talk to each other first before shifting to speak to either side. Notably, Chaerin did not, her hands wrapped tightly around her forearms and her eyes on the table as she waited. When the chatter fell quiet, Chaerin glanced up at the rest and answered clearly. “Yes.”

            “Sometimes,” came the hesitant and uncertain responses, each rider looking at the other as if making sure they were speaking too.

            Relief flooded Taekwoon. He’d half expected the response from Chaerin but that the rest of the group was feeling it too… It was a nice, if unpredictable, realization. “We’ve always been a bit like a dragon,” Chaerin started, glancing around the group.

            “Some more than others,” Moonbyul commented with a shrug and an almost wistful look at the other woman.

            “I wouldn’t say always,” Ryeowook reminded her with a hand rising to catch her attention. “We didn’t start feeling or showing anything until after we connected with our dragons.”

            “Not bonding like Symbiosis,” Chaerin clarified quickly, leaning forward to catch Taekwoon’s eye.

            “No. It was more like a growing relationship,” Jeongmin sighed with a bittersweet smile at Hyunseong.

            “The more we got to know our dragons and the more they accepted us, the closer we felt,” Hyunseong followed, sharing the look with the man next to him.

            “At the time, it was nice,” Moonbyul commented with a wry twist of , fingertips tracing the top of the table absently.

            “But now…” Daniel trailed off, a grimace tugging at his full lips.

            “It’s strong, isn’t it?” Taekwoon asked, chewing on the inside of his lip.

            “Yes,” Chaerin agreed again, her voice soft but still clearly audible.

            “What do you think it means?” Daniel asked, glancing at the people around the table.

            “It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Sunhwa finally spoke up with a shrug. She grabbed a strand of brunette hair and started twirling it when people looked at her, but continued, “It’s not like anything bad is happening because of it. We’re just different.”

            Taekwoon didn’t know whether to hold his tongue or not. He knew he was different, but unlike what they were apparently feeling, his situation was not so simple. “Maybe not bad,” Chaerin started hesitantly as she carefully avoided looking at Taekwoon, “but also not always wanted.”

            “Oh?” Ryeowook asked, leaning closer. “Other than Jungsu, you’ve always had one of the stronger connections with your dragon. Are you feeling something different?” he prompted, one hand rising to rest on her shoulder supportively.

            She nodded once and glanced around the group. “You know how we’ve always explained that you feel dragon connections and brief sensations and I feel like I have an actual dragon in me?” she started, waiting for the accompanying nods. “Well… mine makes me feel things I don’t think I should or do things I wouldn’t normally do,” she explained, glancing very quickly at Taekwoon before looking at the rest again.

            “Mine too,” Taekwoon admitted hesitantly. His mouth twisted distastefully and he grimaced. “It started before Tiamat awoke. When I was first bound and unbalanced. It’s gotten… stronger since then, but more focused.”

            “That would explain your mood swings,” Moonbyul commented as she leaned close to Daniel.

            Taekwoon snorted once as he heard Jonghyun’s message. “His dragon resents that.” Daniel laughed and the shadow that had crossed his face dissipated quickly.

            “I’ll never get over how you can talk to your dragon so easily,” Jeongmin sighed, clearly wishing he had such a connection.

            “Well, that’s largely because he actually has a part of his dragon in him and vice versa,” Ryeowook reminded them. “What? Was I the only one reading up on Symbiosis?” he questioned when the others looked at him.

            “Probably,” Sunhwa teased as she wrinkled her nose at him. “But the bigger question is why Chaerin, and Jungsu for that matter,” she added flippantly since Ryeowook had already mentioned him once, “are so much stronger with their connections.”

            “I’ve actually been thinking about that,” Ryeowook commented, one hand rising up again as if to draw their attention. “My mother was fine with the dragon so long as we kept receiving money and help to take care of it, but she had no particular draw towards it.”

            “Same,” Hyunseong offered with an agreeing nod from Jeongmin.

            “Us too,” Moonbyul added with a nod at Sunhwa who was mutely agreeing in turn.

            “Yep,” Daniel concurred, shrugging helplessly.

            Hearing their answers, Taekwoon looked to Chaerin to see her wearing a particularly uncomfortable expression on her face. “My mother adored Fei,” she murmured quietly. “She helped me get close to her…”

            “If he’s older than we think he is, it’s possible Kevin is also your mother’s father,” he explained gently, to which Chaerin shuddered violently.

            “Seriously?” Moonbyul demanded in outrage, one fist hitting the table hard. It was a sentiment Taekwoon shared.

            “Think about it,” Ryeowook urged, raising both hands to soothe the group. “As far as we know, the High Priest has been trying to gain power. We don’t know for how long, but my guess is that there’s a limit. An inferior form can only be improved so much, but if something is made with that power in it already…” he explained, hands spreading out in front of him so they could fill in the pieces.

            “Or shared,” Taekwoon almost whispered, his gaze uncertain as he looked at Chaerin again. He didn’t know what her truth was, but what they discussed was possible and he would not wish that on her.

            “Right!” Ryeowook exclaimed, eager to shift focus for the moment. “Your Symbiosis is reversed so you have more of a dragon in you instead of the other way around.”

            “That’s probably why Jonghyun is even rougher around the edges than Eljo,” Sunhwa laughed, obviously teasing Daniel again.

            Am not, Jonghyun immediately defended.

            She just means you’re more dragon than the others, Taekwoon clarified with an amused smile.

            That is good! he defended himself quickly.

            If you say so, his rider laughed.

            It is, he grumbled, fading quietly into the backdrop again.

            “And probably a good part of why I react like a dragon sometimes,” Taekwoon admitted with a sigh, resting his hands on the table. “At Miremaw, the guards – I think – attacked Gain and my only thought became rage against humans.”

            “Oh wow,” Daniel blinked, fiddling with his hands on the table. “Eljo’s made me snappy a couple times, but never like that.”

            “I don’t know what it means, but this is happening only after Tiamat has awoken. I think we’re all pretty sure she’ll be coming here eventually and heavens only know what will change if Bahamut comes around too…” he exhaled, running fingers through his hair reflexively.

            “Well, I imagine we should all just be aware and be careful,” Ryeowook encouraged with a brave face. “Especially you two,” he added seriously, pointing between Chaerin and Taekwoon.

            They jerked in mild surprise and exchanged quick glances. “That goes without saying,” Chaerin said at the same time Taekwoon responded, “Of course.” She rolled her eyes, he made a face, and the rest of the group chuckled or laughed.

            Still, it was nice to know that he wasn’t the only one experiencing these kinds of things. They didn’t have all the answers by any means, but there was a shared sense of camaraderie now. He was connected to them by more than just forced wing arrangements. And they him. Not to mention he’d learned a bit more about all of them as well. If a war was on the horizon, it was best you knew who you were going to be fighting with. Or so Seunghyun always insisted.

            As a group, they lingered for a bit longer while their conversation drifted to more normal topics. Well, Taekwoon lingered and listened while they talked but it wasn’t time poorly spent. Jonghyun caught him up on the dragons’ reactions in that interim. And eventually it was time to head off to the next event in the schedule: more wing practice in the afternoon marks.

            Eventually though, night came and Taekwoon could finally return home, clean and with a full belly but cold from the trek across the Aerie. He wasn’t entirely surprised to find Jinki waiting for him in their room. They exchanged easy greetings and normal platitudes and then Taekwoon felt the shift. He’d been waiting for it in fact.

            “So, I heard you had a meeting in the library today,” he commented meaningfully with a sidelong look at his other half.

            Taekwoon’s lips curved into a small but bemused smile and he nodded in confirmation. He would have put money on Jolin telling him or Jinki finding out somehow or other – one of the runners was also a good bet. They were sneaky little buggers sometimes. “I did,” he agreed, patting Jinki’s thigh reassuringly.

            “And?” his other half prompted with a snort.

            “I have quite a bit to tell you,” he promised, leaning close to kiss Jinki’s cheek reassuringly before he started talking.