While they would have preferred to leave with little fanfare, the Aerie turned out to see the volunteers off the following cloudy morning. The air was tense with a mixture of emotions, some reading the change in weather as a bad omen and others just accepting of the shift towards warmer days. No one knew how their mission was going to end, which made everyone antsier than usual, but they carried all the hopes of everyone present. If they failed, nothing good would come of it, for anyone. But if they succeeded…

            “Bring our dragons home,” Yunho commanded Insoo, the statement just as much a desperate plea.

            “We will,” Insoo responded, clasping forearms with the Commander. It might be nothing more than a false promise, but it gave all of them something to hold onto. To hope for…

            As the dragons finished gathering the fake supplies and the actual ones, the humans and riders mingled, exchanging quiet words or embraces. The runners especially bothered Jinki and Taekwoon with their hopeful worry, Joy and Sanghyuk and Jimin and several others trying to put on brave faces instead of tears. They were at least partially successful.

            The Masters hovered, offering encouragement and what advice they could. Sandara reminded them of good locations they might be able to stop at for breaks. Chunji and Daehyun offered tidbits of wisdom if they happened across humans they might be able to trade or work with. Sunny tried to remind them of the nature of the gods – chaos, their current foe, versus order – in a half-hearted attempt to support what they were doing. Jolin and Kibum attempted to come up with an anecdotal event in history to give them ideas, or at least support, but as this was something that hadn’t really happened before, they mostly started historical stories before giving up and simply wishing them luck. Really… that was all they had. It was all the residents could offer as well.

            When the gathering could have become overwhelming, Taecyeon announced, “The dragons are ready for you now.”

            All the riders paused as the rest of the gathered community stilled and slowly pulled back. “We’ll be heading out shortly then,” Insoo bowed, a somber expression of acknowledgement. When he stood up, he turned to his wing mates and called out, “Riders! Check your gear!”

            “Yes, sir!” they chanted in unison, though Jinki was unsurprisingly quiet.

            “Oops,” he whispered when silence fell again and Taekwoon placed his hand on Jinki’s back reassuringly.

            “I’ll make sure Jongup’s gear is secure. All you have to do is stay on,” he smiled with a nod, hoping it would be enough.

            “Okay. I can do that,” he exhaled, practically talking to himself.

            Taekwoon gave one last caress of Jinki’s head and turned his attention to his dragons. Each one had a personal pack of supplies secured to the harness just behind where the rider would sit. The larger ones were also going to be hauling the fake supplies materials. To keep them from getting too tired in the first leg of the journey, they would be attached to the harness so they could hang below the dragon instead of trying to carry them in their claws. For now, their heaviest dragons were playing mule with Fei, Jonghyun, JB, and Gunwoo in particular. If they got tired, they could always switch it up, but for now, the dragons seemed confident they would be fine. At least until they got to Talongrace anyway.

            As it was, it should only take them two days to reach the decimated city. It would take another day to get across the water and that would be a hard flight, like usual. If they could, their plan was to find a resting spot on the coast and then resume their trek. Based on previous scouting forays, if they didn’t run into trouble, they should be able to reach Tiamat’s Aerie within four days.

            Given that timeline… one sevenday. It would only be a sevenday, if everything went in their favor, that they would learn if their plan could succeed or if it would fail entirely. With a sigh, Taekwoon realized that felt both too long and yet hardly long enough. The thought made him strangely numb as he couldn’t decide yet how he should feel about it. Only, he was afraid. He took a careful look at Jinki out of the corner of his eye and his chest ached. With what he’d seen and felt and what Jinki had told him, it was too much of a coincidence that Bahamut had disappeared around his other half. He wanted to say it was impossible but…

            A god can make many things possible, his dragon grumbled in discontent, equally unhappy about the thought.

            I know, Taekwoon admitted in quiet acceptance. He’d felt enough of the possibilities of change when Tiamat first woke and when Bahamut had been freed, there’d also been an effect, though it was less obvious. I could be hopeful that maybe Bahamut is connected to Jinki and that it could be a good thing in seeking out Tiamat but… for some reason, I’m not, he added uncertainly. He knew he should take any possible positive they could get, but given how Tiamat had reacted to being set free and her mindset about humans, it wasn’t exactly a stretch to think that Bahamut wouldn’t feel particularly benevolent towards them either.

            Not either, Jonghyun echoed, both adding to Taekwoon’s discomfit but also reassuring in the solidarity. Mate unsure. Wants to hope but knows could be bad.

            Yeah, Taekwoon agreed with a slow nod and a heavy exhale as he tightened the last strap on Jonghyun’s harness. He looked over and saw that Insoo was keeping an eye on them so he motioned he was ready and the wing leader nodded.

            “Riders! Mount up!” Insoo called out, moving immediately himself without pausing to see if they would follow his command. Mutely, each rider shifted to get settled in, faces masks of concentration and determination.

            Taekwoon made sure to help Jinki secure himself, testing the clasps and the fit with practiced ease. Only when he was satisfied and Jinki looked at least as ready as he was going to did he hurry back to Jonghyun and urge him into the sky to keep up. It was harder to secure his own straps while riding a moving dragon, but he’d had practice enough to make it doable.

            As they pulled away from the Aerie, dragons heading north, a cheering cry followed them. The residents of the Aerie all waved, seeing them off as bravely as they could. No one knew if they’d see each other again, but all they could do was hope. With a glance at Jinki, Taekwoon clung to his hope as well.

            The flight to Talongrace was almost too quiet, with a light but steady rain starting in the later part of the day. It wasn’t really windy or stormy enough to stop so they continued to fly through the dreary weather. They didn’t see any wild dragons nearby and signs of people were also few and far between. There were a couple small homesteads and villages along the way to the coastal city but half of them were empty and the other half fled in fear as soon as they saw dragons above. Hunting for food was thankfully easy so the dragons could stay well fed. It was important mostly for getting ready to fly over the waters between the islands. The biggest problem was actually for Jinki. Out of all of them, he was not used to riding a dragon for long periods of time.

            “Bless Mimi for packing that numbing salve in my pack,” he praised when they stopped on the first day.

            “It was good thinking on his part,” Taekwoon agreed, remembering the early days when he’d needed it himself. Right now, he knew his other half was mostly just stiff and a little sore. It would get considerably worse before it got better… “Try to make it last though,” he cautioned as he watched Jinki start to put some on.

            Jinki paused and grimaced. “You’re probably right,” he admitted, sealing the small clay jar and wrapping it in cloth again. And Taekwoon was. The weather turned even worse the next day and it made everyone have to work that much harder to get to their destination. Their dragons stayed low to avoid the worst of the winds but the water and wind made for cold, exhausting conditions for everyone.

            While they all made it to their destination in an acceptable amount of time, everyone was more tired than usual and Jinki was in a considerable amount of pain. And though they made it to the city without additional trouble, it was not exactly a welcoming bastion of support. Even in the gloom, Talongrace was very much reduced from the last time they’d seen it so they opted to settle outside the city. Though uncomfortable due to the weather, it felt safer for everyone that they do so. It was almost like they could feel the conflicted sentiments from the recovering survivors. Fear, resentment, confused gratification, and all the uncertainty anyone could expect from a city that was trying to come back after being nearly destroyed by dragons. Yes, they felt far better staying away from that hotbed of mixed emotions.

            Setting up camp was a challenge, especially erecting shelters for everyone, but they managed well enough. While Taekwoon helped Jinki take care of his problem in one of the small tents, Insoo worked with the others in a larger one to get ready to cross the waters. Jonghyun listened in and relayed the discussion to his rider so both could follow along to what was happening.

            If weather bad on morrow, we wait, he explained, making Taekwoon nod in understanding.

            Good decision, he commented, carefully administering the ointment to Jinki’s skin. He could already seen chafing and some bruising and he felt for him. The little stifled sounds of pain didn’t help either. “Any better?” he asked when he was almost through.

            “Mm hmm,” Jinki nodded pitifully, resting his chin on his crossed arms as he stayed on his stomach.

            “We’re all going to turn in early tonight and if the weather is good, we’ll head out at first light,” he relayed, moving to rest his hand on Jinki’s lower back.

            “If it’s not?” his other half asked softly with his face mostly turned away.

            Taekwoon shivered as he thought he recognized the shift. “We stay until it gets safe enough to go,” he belatedly admitted, trying to act normal. “The dragons can swim quite well but if they flounder too soon and we can’t make landfall, the risk is too high that they’d drown.”

            “Mm.” It was a confirmation sound that hardly seemed enough.

            Carefully, Taekwoon leaned to the side, keeping his eyes on Jinki’s. They were using lamplight to see by and it tinged everything with an orange hue. Jinki’s eyes were always shiny in the light, like his, yet for just a heartbeat, he thought he saw a silver sheen instead. But then his other half looked at him and Taekwoon froze, literally holding his breath. A sudden pang of danger thrummed through his body as it felt like his dragon half had reacted by mantling his wings. In the blink of an eye, the rider found himself on a knife’s edge of indecision: did he respond to his dragon or did he try to pretend that he hadn’t noticed something? Which was better? Which was less dangerous for Jinki? For everyone?

            And because he didn’t know, couldn’t know how acknowledgement would go, he opted for ignorance and prayed it would be enough. “You okay?” he asked, mentally forcing his inner dragon down as he reminded himself to breathe and plastered a concerned smile on his face.

            Jinki’s eyes remained open for a heartbeat longer and then his expression softened as he blinked quickly, humming, “Huh? I think I missed your question.”

            It was like a punch to the gut for Taekwoon and though his heart twisted in his chest, he forced a small laugh and pretended it was nothing. “I said are you okay?” he repeated, reaching out to pet Jinki’s hair with a surprisingly steady hand.

            Rider… Jonghyun murmured, sad and troubled.

            Not now, Jong, he responded quickly, keeping his attention on Jinki. He felt his dragon’s nod and respectful disappearance before he heard his other half speak.

            “Yeah. Just tired,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. “Not used to this riding and weather,” he admitted sincerely, reaching out a hand to rest it on Taekwoon’s nearest knee.

            Taekwoon placed his free hand atop Jinki’s and nodded knowingly. “It’s probably best if you just rest tonight. We’ll keep you safe while you sleep,” he promised, running his other hand down to rest between Jinki’s shoulder blades.

            “Now you’re making me feel bad,” he snorted, though his eyelids drooped tiredly as he took another breath.

            “It’s alright, my heart,” Taekwoon soothed, squeezing the other man’s hand gently. “Just rest. I’ll go see about getting you some food, okay?” he encouraged, reaching over to snag the loose blanket nearby so he could pull it over his other half.

            “You sure?” he asked guiltily in response.

            “Certain,” the rider grinned, bringing Jinki’s hand to his lips before setting it on the ground with tender care. “If you’re sleeping when I get back, I’ll wake you up enough to eat.”

            “Mm,” Jinki hummed with a content smile on his face, eyes already mostly closed.

            Taekwoon watched for a couple more heartbeats and then took a breath as he stepped out into the cool rain. The temperature had dropped but it wasn’t exactly cold. It was dark though, so he let his dragon surface enough to see better before he tried stepping through the wet gloom. He paused when his dragon spoke to him.

            You okay?

            The rain continued to fall, creating rivers on his skin as he stood there. No. I’m not, he finally admitted before making his way to Insoo’s tent. It was larger than most since it could be used in situations like this, though the quarters would still be cramped for a full wing meeting. Taekwoon glanced around and saw two more tents nearby, one with lights on and the other dark. He figured the dark one was for the watch members and the other was likely Chaerin and Taeyeon if the shadows within were any indication.

            Taking a breath, he stepped to the opening of Insoo’s tent and carefully pulled the flap back as he heard voices inside. “Soo?” he questioned.

            “Enter,” the wing leader responded quickly, looking up with Jinyoung and Wooyoung mirroring him. Taekwoon stepped just inside but stayed at the entrance since he was soaking wet. He shrugged and squatted down, nodding at his wing mates in quick acknowledgement.

            “How’s Jinki?” Jinyoung asked with a sympathetic smile.

            “Sleeping,” Taekwoon answered, the small smile that tugged at his lips real. I need you to talk to Gunwoo so he can speak to Insoo, he thought while playing along to the general conversation. “I take it Jungkook got first watch?”

            Okay, his dragon agreed quietly, the tone subdued.

            “Yeah,” Insoo nodded. “He’s bunking down with Hyunseong tonight.”

            Something’s different about Jinki. He waited for the message to be delivered before he responded to Insoo’s comment. “Maybe Jungkook can get him to open up a bit.”

            “It just takes time,” Wooyoung chimed in with a shake of his head.

            “Agreed,” Insoo echoed, looking at Taekwoon this time. His expression was deceptively light though when he added, “I think this is the first time Taeyeon actually gets to bunk down with another woman.”

            Wants to know how so, Jonghyun murmured.

            “She’s never had a problem sharing the same space as us before,” Wooyoung shrugged.

            Maybe more of a connection to Bahamut than we first thought.

            “You know it’s for Chaerin’s sake. She probably hasn’t spent as much time in the company of only men,” Jinyoung explained matter of factly, shaking his finger at his companion.

            They were distracted enough that neither noticed Insoo flinch as he got the message. It didn’t last long before he was speaking as normal again. “It’ll probably be good for both of them. They’ve got watch duty together too. What about you, Taekwoon? With Jinki out, are you taking your shift alone?”

            Dangerous? his dragon asked unhappily.

            Maybe, was the automatic response. “Yeah. I can take care of it by myself,” he flashed a confident grin that came off as a little too draconic, making Wooyoung wince and Jinyoung cringe.

            “I will never get used to that,” the latter admitted with a quick shudder.

            “Sorry,” Taekwoon apologized, ducking his head and smoothing his features out quickly. “I don’t always mean for it to happen.”

            Plan?

            “Long as you don’t come after us, it’ll be alright,” Wooyoung assured him belatedly. “It’s just creepy,” he couldn’t help but add with an uncomfortable shrug.

            “As Jonghyun explained it, my dragon sees you as pack. Given that, I shouldn’t be a danger to any of you,” he explained with solemn sincerity. He wants to go to Tiamat’s Aerie without knowing why so just keep taking him there and pretend everything’s normal. I’ll keep an eye on him.

            “Huh. I’ll take your word for it,” Jinyoung laughed once, head tilting to the side in acceptance.

            Wants you to let him know if anything changes, the copper murmured. Also glad you let him know. The last part sounded like Jonghyun thought he shouldn’t have. Honestly, Taekwoon wasn’t sure either, but if anyone needed the information, it was the Wing Leader. He’d know best what to do with it, if anything.

            Thanks, Jong, he said instead, turning away from the inner conversation to focus on the outer one again. “If not mine, then my dragon’s,” Taekwoon responded simply.

            “Fair enough,” Jinyoung grinned, obviously focusing on JB briefly.

            “Yeah well,” Taekwoon shrugged, wiping his hands on his wet pants. “I’m gonna head back out. Gotta get a bite of food first and see if Jinki’ll eat before it gets too late.”

            “Don’t get too wet,” Jinyoung called after him.

            “Again,” Wooyoung added with a snort.

            Taekwoon just tilted his head to the side and looked at Insoo. “I’ve got third watch, right?”

            “Yes,” the wing leader nodded in confirmation.

            “Thanks,” With that, he ducked back out into the rain as quickly as possible. He could feel Jonghyun’s, and perhaps Jongup’s too, uncertain reproach as he took a couple steps and paused. I didn’t want to, you know. But this affects all of us.

            Should trust mate, was the almost automatic response. The words were said firmly enough but Taekwoon could tell he wasn’t entirely certain himself. It felt more like he was saying them for the sake of saying them. Not that he actually believed in them.

            I do trust him. It’s the other part I don’t, he reminded his dragon, trying to ignore the sick worried sensation roiling in his gut. Once more, he was not hungry because of his thoughts, but he knew he needed to eat. They both did. Especially if they were going to head anywhere tomorrow. With a quiet groan, he slogged through the wet and ducked under the waterproofed leather cover for the foodstuffs. He dug through the nearest pack, snagged a couple travel rolls – they had a surplus of them apparently – and hurried back to their shared tent to try and keep them as dry as possible.

            Taekwoon roused Jinki enough to eat one together. He was grateful his other half seemed normal and unaffected during that time. It was obvious he was still tired though, so he took the opportunity to lie down with him, close enough to hold hands but nothing more. Since he’d be heading out in the rain again soon, it didn’t make sense to strip and he didn’t want to soak Jinki with his wet clothes either. Plus, he could stay by the opening where it would be easier for the second watch to wake him without bothering his other half.

            Taeyeon woke him for his shift. He settled in next to Jonghyun without speaking as the rain steadily eased up. At this rate, he was pretty sure it would clear up before too long, and it felt strangely coincidental. Do you think he has anything to do with the rain stopping or is it natural? he eventually asked as it continued to lessen.

            Jonghyun was quiet for a long moment, but then he murmured, Maybe. It was not a happy answer and he gave it grudgingly, but his rider deserved a response at least.

            Just wanted to make sure, Taekwoon sighed, patting the copper hide with a reluctant hand.

            His shift ended with no trouble and he woke Insoo up for the last leg. Morning came too quickly after that, but it was bright and warm when it did. Jinki was happy enough for the sunshine, and it looked like the rest had done him well. His smile warmed Taekwoon but he couldn’t shake the shadow that hovered over them.

            “Looks like we’re making the crossing today,” Insoo announced as he shielded his eyes from the sun and looked across the mostly calm waters. “Pack it up!” he called, turning to take his tent down.

            Every rider moved at once, scrambling to follow suit. Taekwoon was no different and he waved Jinki off to make sure their packs were good as he handled the tent himself. As they secured everything, they grabbed a meat roll for the morning meal and ate it hurriedly as Insoo spoke again in front of them.

            “Wooyoung. Taeyeon. You know the drill,” he nodded at the other two riders and they moved to get settled in. “Everyone else, this might be your first crossing. We start high on this side and will end lower on the Bondsland side. The winds can be unpredictable over the waters and we’ll be easy targets for leagues. Keep your eyes sharp and be ready to move at a moment’s notice. If anyone gets too tired, let me know. Understood?!”

            “Yes, sir!” they all responded in unison. This time, Jinki was among them.

            Feeling jittery and excited, Taekwoon watched Jinki from afar and waited to make sure he was settled in. When his other half nodded in confirmation, Jongup took off and then Taekwoon followed on Jonghyun. Normally, the blue would trail the copper, but because Jinki was so inexperienced, Taekwoon followed behind to better watch him. He played secondary rear watch with Taeyeon in her customary position. Fei was currently flying where Jonghyun usually did and Kwangmin flew in tandem with V. For now, it was safe enough to fly together. When they reached Bondsland though, they’d have to separate and ride in their improvised supplies disguises. No one was looking forward to that.

            Everyone was glad it wasn’t raining anymore but the cloudless sky gave them little reprieve from the sun and heat was just as bad as the wet in some ways. Insoo slowed their pace slightly to give the dragons a break, using long glides to preserve their energy as best he could. Somewhere around the halfway mark, per Gunwoo’s explanation, Taekwoon noticed Insoo look back at Jinki with quiet speculation.

            Trouble? he asked Jonghyun with the intent that he pass the message to Gunwoo.

            None. That’s the problem. Too easy so far, the copper explained, obviously wondering why that would be a bad thing.

            Taekwoon’s hands tightened on his straps and he glanced at Jinki in front of him. It was impossible to see his face from here. Nor did he feel particularly different, which could have been distance or something else. Tell Jongup to keep an eye on him. Let me know if he feels anything.

            Says normal now, the copper shrugged, at a loss. So was Taekwoon.

            While the other riders seemed glad for the peace of the ride, it wore on Taekwoon. And Insoo, though he did notice Taeyeon and Wooyoung both exchanging surprised looks once or twice. It would make sense they noticed the difference too, having made the crossing before.

            When Bondsland appeared on the horizon, Taekwoon was filled with a sense of relief paired with dread. They were almost here already. By the position of the sun, he knew they were probably earlier than anticipated. Insoo led them lower, flying close to the water as they approached the land, but once more, the skies were suspiciously clear. The flight across could have been attributed to uncharacteristically good luck. Enemy free skies was slightly suspicious, however. It set all the riders on edge and everyone kept a close watch when they landed so the tired dragons could catch their breath.

            They edged their way into the nearest overgrowth, a small forest on a cliff near the water. While the dragons rested, Insoo and Wooyoung took a quick scouting run to get a lay of the land. Everyone else started unpacking the disguise materials and undoing the harnesses on the dragons. There was a nervousness among them now. An uncertainty of what to expect. Fear of the unknown. They were still intent upon doing what they came to do, but their mission had suddenly become all too real.

            Taekwoon looked over the materials they’d be hiding in and grimaced. While Taeyeon and Chaerin would be hiding in solid barrels, like the kind salted fish were transported and kept in, everyone else would be hidden in essentially large sacks like were used to haul potatoes. They’d stay in their watch pairs while one of the dragons would fly ahead to scout the way and make sure the path was clear.

            “Looks quiet,” Insoo told them when he returned, his face pensive. “We’ll stay here for the rest of the day though. The dragons need it and I’d like to see if anyone at all is going to show up at some point. It’s strange we haven’t seen a wild or a scout,” he admitted with a slight frown.

            “Maybe the heavens are just cutting us a break,” Jungkook shrugged, trying to be optimistic but his tone didn’t quite convey the same feeling.

            “We can only hope,” Taeyeon sighed, wearing the same expression as Insoo.

            No one slept well that night. Nothing bothered them, but all were ill at ease. Maybe it was the unfamiliar sounds of the continent. Maybe it was the pressing concern of what they would soon be up against. Maybe it was overactive imaginations getting the better of their training. Regardless, they were skittish when they got into the disguises and waved farewells for the time being. The next time they would meet together would be at Tiamat’s Aerie or not at all.

            “Heavens watch over you all,” Insoo called as he raised his fist into the air and nodded at them reassuringly.

            He says be careful, Jonghyun murmured, looking at Gunwoo.

            Him too, Taekwoon responded in kind, meeting Insoo’s eyes with a small nod.

            Ready? the copper asked after a pause, his gaze turning to trail after Jongup in the sky.

            Whenever you are, the rider responded, slinging an arm around Jinki’s waist to pull him close and give him warning they were about to take off.

            Taekwoon ducked inside the disguise and cringed preemptively. We go! his dragon called, carefully grabbing the sack in his claws before launching into the air. Jinki gasped and held tighter to Taekwoon while he focused on holding them as steady as possible when their disguise was lowered, swaying uncomfortably in the wind.

            It was going to be a long ride.

(a/n: Okay, so I didn't cover as much ground as intended again... but the next update will get a bit bumpy so get ready to hold on! In the meantime, I do hope you're enjoying the story and that you're looking forward to what's coming, whatever that may be. Thank you for sticking around and happy reading!)