The First Trial

Symbiosis

            Amber eyes in a red face peered back at him, swaying from side to side as the dragon hissed in warning, tail twitching agitatedly. Taekwoon followed the motion of the head with his hands slightly raised in front of him, palms open and ready. “Easy,” he soothed in a calm tone of voice, taking one careful step closer as dirt crunched underfoot.

            Tracking the dragon to a clearing that would allow him the chance to move had been tricky and now that he was here, it was a waiting game. Trees and large rocks rose up on either side, offering him places to hide if he needed, or at least to slow the dragon down should Taekwoon have to flee. But he didn’t intend for that today.

            Large jaws clacked together and the wings mantled, rising up so that he could clearly see the hooked talons on the outermost edge. The great creature filled the space, appearing even larger for the outstretched appendages, making Taekwoon’s gut twist with nervous tension. The dragon side stepped, body partially turning to complete the maneuver without being too ungainly, revealing the breadth of his otherwise sleek form for but a moment.

            Now! Senses tingling with energy, Taekwoon darted forward, launching off of slightly bent legs to sprint over the clearing and towards the dragon. His hands pulled peculiar, hooked weapons free from his sides and held them tight, fist clenched near the head of the metal prong. The forged steel rested cold against his bare forearms while the broader head felt heavy in his hands, sharp but shallow spines ready to grip the dragon’s hide to allow purchase to hang on but little else.

            The left wing clawed at him first, surprisingly fast in its attack. It flapped out to strike him with a gust of wind followed by the intimidating claw arching towards him. Taekwoon pushed through the invisible wall, feeling tendrils pull at his hair and clothes, before he used both arms to partially deflect the attack. He twisted enough under the blow so that he could use the prongs on his arms to touch against the bony structure. Friction gripped at him, slowing his momentum and nudging him to the side from the power he barely avoided.

            But then the wing was past, allowing Taekwoon to stand up once more, straightening only long enough to bend forward and bodily leap over the incoming tail swipe. His feet cleared the ground while his body spun parallel to the ground, arms tucked close and a breath caught in his throat. Spines at the end of the tail reached for Taekwoon like stiff talons, the tips scratching against his hard leather jerkin with a clawing sound as the whipcord limb hissed beneath him. His armor held though and he landed with one foot first, sinking low to land and steady himself with a racing heart and short breaths.

            Too close.

            The beast growled at Taekwoon’s proximity, fangs bared and neck arched back. With him almost beneath it, the dragon reared up and prepared to come down hard. Another gust of wind from the dual wing flap sent debris into his eyes. One claw reached for him, intent upon smashing the would-be rider into the ground, while the other pulled back, ready to swipe at him should it miss.

            With a strangled cry, Taekwoon flung himself to the inside of the dragon’s body, almost between his hind legs. The ground trembled when the beast came down, unsettling the man below, and the secondary attack he feared never came. His target paused, reassessing the situation so that he didn’t hit himself and shifted his body weight, trying to recover fast enough to move out of range.

            In the safe zone, Taekwoon took his chance and pelted towards the front left leg, throwing his body towards the limb so he could sink his climbing spurs into the tough flesh. Immediately, the dragon lifted him up when it stepped back, carrying the unwelcome passenger along.

            As fast as he could, Taekwoon hammered the spines into the dragon’s hide and crawled along the body, using his rough shoes to help drive him up. The dragon’s body shifted and he inhaled when the deadly head came around to snap at him hanging from the side. Growling through his teeth, Taekwoon yanked himself up and kicked off at the same time. Teeth clacked together where he had been, the sound reverberating in his bones, and he felt the irritated snort of air wash over his back as he moved. His hooks anchored into flesh again, near the shoulder blades where the wings protruded, and Taekwoon scrambled to haul himself into the relative safe zone between the massive membranes.

            His feet slipped on the hardened, interlocked surface and the spines of his weapons could find no purchase there when he made it at last. It left him ungainly and awkward as the dragon reared up, trying to toss his passenger off. Lashing out, Taekwoon, hooked both claws on either wing bone and held himself in place by strength alone as the beast straightened up and flared its wings wide, stretching his grip to the limits.

            “No you don’t,” Taekwoon hissed softly, legs trembling at having to hold himself still while he waited for his next chance. Swiftly, the dragon shifted again and fell forward, jarring Taekwoon as he launched himself towards the neck of the beast, just barely managing not to fall flat against the backbone with his uncertain footing. He had but mere heartbeats to grab onto the sides of the dragon’s neck with his weapon spines before wing beats lifted them off the ground, exhausting his grip with each downward flap.

            Doggedly, Taekwoon climbed upward, clinging to the still shifting neck and utterly ignoring the ground below him. If he fell now, it would be over, and he could not allow that. The world turned upside down as the dragon flipped in the air, making Taekwoon’s stomach do a backflip and he had to pause for a bit, unused to the sensation. But then it was mercifully over and he continued climbing, grip feeling leaden and fingers going numb from holding on. The beast moved gracefully in the air and Taekwoon held tight, eyes locked onto his next stopping point.

            He reached the curved horns at the base of the skull and let go of his right weapon, watching the pronged thing fall away as he reached for the cord at his waist instead. Oblivious to their orientation above the ground, the dragon landed hard and Taekwoon was pulled towards the surface, caught by surprise. His left hand slipped on the haft of his weapon, nearly sliding off before he grabbed on with his right and held on, swinging near the dragon’s head like a strange earring. Taekwoon yelled at the strain on his body, feet kicking for purchase, while fear and determination thrummed through him like a living thing.

            “e!” he spat bitterly, stomach lurching when the weapon shifted, finally ripping through the dragon’s hide in the softer part as his weight became too much. The dragon keened and whipped its head around, reaching a claw up to scratch at Taekwoon frantically.

            “Taekwoon!” a voice nearby shouted, the sound quickly silenced, but utterly unmistakable in its familiarity. Taekwoon pushed it away with single minded intensity. He couldn’t let it distract him now.

            Abandoning the other weapon with a risky jump, Taekwoon pressed on the neck with his feet and let the dragon’s downward movement carry him towards the horns so he could wind the cord around them, attempting to anchor himself in place. He hit the hard ridges with the barest of control, gut aching as the unforgiving bone pressed against his body when the dragon tried to dislodge him by whipping its head around. His feet slipped and Taekwoon wrapped his arms around the horns, feeling the cord bite into his waist all the while, enough that he would probably have marks afterwards, but it held fast.

            “Easy,” Taekwoon grunted around his clenched teeth, carefully shifting his body to nestle between the horns, making sure he secured a cord around the other side too in order to give him better support and security. “Easy, N,” he soothed, shifting around to lay his hand on top of the dragon’s forehead, petting soothingly as he panted hard.

            A low growl emerged from the dragon’s maw and the head continued to swing from side to side, though the aggression from before was gone. He huffed once, entire body rumbling from the action, and then shook his head as if to ward off a fly, making Taekwoon flail once more.

            “N!” he cried, clinging to the cords with both hands as the dragon clacked his teeth and paced around the field, filled with agitated energy.

            “That’s enough, N!” another familiar voice boomed, drawing an immediate reaction from the dragon who shivered and stilled where he stood, flesh twitching in the warm, afternoon air.

            “Oh thank Bahamut,” Taekwoon sighed as he swallowed hard and allowed himself to relax just a touch when Jiho stepped out to rein his dragon in. Taekwoon’s hands ached fiercely and he still thought his heart might explode at any moment, but the worst of the danger was over.

            He felt the dragon shift again and this time, the head lowered at a more reasonable pace. “That’s it. Come here, old man,” Jiho chuckled warmly, patting N’s jaw when the dragon finally drew close enough for the attention. “How you doing?” the older rider asked with a curious glance at the other man, now that he could see him still clinging to the space between the horns.

            Taekwoon took another quick breath and gave Jiho a thumbs up sign to indicate his condition. He rolled over and then sat up to unwind the cords around the horns, trying vainly to control his breathing. “I’m good,” he eventually announced in a quiet, controlled tone, carefully swinging his legs around so that he could slide off the dragon’s head, just missing the torn flesh from a moment ago. “Is N alright?” he asked, lingering with a long look at the new wound.

            Jiho continued rubbing the long snout with soothing and scratches, reaching up to drag his fingernails along the eye ridges and back down again. He glanced over at where Taekwoon was and nodded with a half-smile. “He’ll be alright. Just a scratch, wasn’t it, boy?” he murmured, showering N with as much attention as he could.

            The red dragon crooned happily in the back of his throat and settled in place with a content sigh, jaws clacking together twice before he rested his head on the ground. “Good job, Jiho,” Hyesung praised as the Dragon Healer made his way over to begin inspecting the dragon. In the years that Taekwoon had been in Aerie, he hadn’t changed all that much. He was still tall and lean, with pointed features and a surprisingly delicate nose. And he still wasn’t the most talkative of individuals, but he knew his trade and the dragons listened to him, despite not having been a rider himself. Swiftly, he pulled his light brown hair back into a tiny horsetail and settled next to the ruby body. “Easy, N,” he soothed, running competent hands over smooth flesh with practiced ease.

            “We’re good here,” Jiho addressed Taekwoon at last, nodding his head towards the small crowd of collected individuals nearby. “And I think someone might pass out if you don’t go check in with him soon,” he winked teasingly with a broad grin as both turned to regard a very pale and still obviously nervous Jinki waiting at the side. It was his voice that Taekwoon had heard when he was on the dragon earlier.

            “Thanks,” Taekwoon nodded back at the rider, glancing down at Hyesung who only had time for N just then. That made sense. It was known he typically preferred the company of the dragons to men anyway. Taekwoon took a slow breath before he squared his shoulders and headed for the gathered group nearby.

            Present were most of the, what Taekwoon would deem, important figures at the Aerie, and he felt his stomach knot at the idea of being in front of them at the same time. Dragon Commander Eric looked like an ordinary enough man in his everyday attire, including leather riding pants and a loose, white shirt, but as the commander of all the dragon forces at Bahamut’s Aerie, he was given due respect at all times. Beside him, Aerie Master Satoru watched with keen eyes, hands folded neatly in front of him, a strangely, almost feminine counterpoint to Eric’s obvious masculinity.

            Just off to the side was Combat Master Seunghyun. Despite the scarring he’d received over the years, he seemed ageless. And imposing. The tallest of the four gathered, he looked at Taekwoon with thoughtful coffee colored eyes and crossed arms. Sunlight danced like fire on the tips of his wax stiffened hair, giving him an extra dangerous look. But the smirk he wore today was one of subtle approval as opposed to not and that was good enough for Taekwoon.

            And then there was Dragon Master Dongwan. From the day Taekwoon had seen him, the man had made him nervous. For good reason too. Even now, over ten years after he’d joined the Aerie, Dongwan was still almost fanatically devoted to his physical condition. It made sense though, seeing that he was responsible for all things dragons, as Taekwoon had reason to know from the many classes he’d taken under him. Like Minjun, the Master of Dragons and Riders, he wasn’t a particularly imposing figure but there wasn’t an ounce of extra fat on him and his mind was equally well trained. And similar to all the Masters of the Aerie, he was a hard taskmaster when he needed to be.

            Taekwoon swallowed his nerves and the encroaching exhaustion now that his battle high was starting to wear off, and focused on Jinki hovering anxiously near Satoru. The only reason the young man was allowed to watch Taekwoon’s first Trial was because he was one of Satoru’s possible apprentices. That and he’d begged, bribed, and worked to make sure he was the apprentice available for this shift. Getting closer, there was no denying the relief Jinki felt that Taekwoon had survived.

            His pale hands were clenched together in front of him, knuckles white where he gripped hard; normally relaxed shoulders were much too tense. Wide brown eyes peered at him from under light brown bangs that threatened to get in the way but his intense gaze remained on Taekwoon, unable to spare the distraction of brushing them aside. Jinki offered a tremulous smile when he nodded his head ever so slightly, lips pursing so he wouldn’t say anything out of turn. Again.

            “Well done, Taekwoon,” Dongwan grinned, rubbing his hands together excitedly while he approached the slightly taller, younger man. Crows feet marked little lines around his dark brown eyes and near his temples where short black hair lined his visage.

            “Thank you sir,” Taekwoon stopped to place his fist over his heart, bowing his head in obvious respect. A strand of dark brown hair slipped free to tickle his face but he didn’t dare move to brush it away yet. Not when there was still so much riding on their favor.

            “Looks like you were paying attention in the ring,” the Combat Master chuckled as he wandered around to inspect the scratched armor on Taekwoon’s back. Taekwoon nodded his head in confirmation and waited. “Interesting tactic not to use the woods to try and surprise him.” The question was inherent in the statement.

            Taekwoon glanced to the side so he could watch Seunghyun and he nodded again. “It didn’t feel honorable, sir.”

            “Honorable or not, isn’t it smarter to use every advantage when something as large and dangerous as a dragon is your opponent?” Dragon Commander Eric spoke then, surprising Taekwoon as his gut tensed at the unexpected comment. Seunghyun stepped back when the other man approached and Taekwoon dared to look up enough to meet his steady gaze.

            “It is, but the battle isn’t just about surviving,” he explained in a soft tone, voice steady despite the lack of volume.

            “Oh?” Eric inquired, one brow rising as he glanced back at Satoru who was trying not to laugh at the comment.

            Taekwoon gestured back at N and Jiho who were contentedly watching from afar, the rider still petting his resting dragon with a constantly moving hand. “It’s a matter of respect, sir. How can I expect my dragon to respect me if I gain him through trickery?”

            Seunghyun didn’t say anything but he was wearing his satisfied smirk again. Instead, Dongwan laughed outright, pointing his finger at Eric and clearly satisfied with the response. “I didn’t tell him to say that,” he added when the Dragon Commander seemed to think that might have been the case. Taekwoon’s eyes darted between the four men and then noticed Jinki’s inability to keep the proud smile off his face. It finally coaxed the beginnings of one from him in turn and his eyes crinkled while he held Jinki’s gaze for a brief moment.

            Satoru placed a slender hand on Jinki’s shoulder and nodded between the two, giving them the briefest of warnings before he spoke so attention wouldn’t fall upon them unprepared. “So should I be preparing the hall for a rider’s feast then?”

            “Junjin prepares the feast,” Eric pointed out with a dry smile.

            “And I do the coordinating. There’s more to a gathering than just food,” Satoru reminded them all with a finger raised in the air.

            “Maybe,” Dongwan conceded with his arms crossed over his chest as he regarded Taekwoon with critical eyes.

            “Leave him be, Dongwan,” Seunghyun rumbled, deep voice piercing the air easily. “The boy has earned a rest this day,” he chuckled, one hand fluidly gesturing towards the Dragon Master. Movement in his periphery made him still and the others remained silent as he looked to the approaching Hyesung whose expression was reliably hard to read.

            Deftly, Hyesung waved off the look of concern and conjured a small smile, positioning himself next to Taekwoon so he could remain a set distance from Eric. They didn’t dislike each other, but they were affectionately known as oil and water around the Aerie, and Eric loved to help perpetuate that nickname. “N is in fine condition with only a flesh wound that should heal over nicely in a day or two,” Hyesung confirmed simply as he gestured back towards the dragon. “Rider Jiho was instructed very adeptly by Dragon Master Dongwan as to how the trial should go and it is my belief that Taekwoon has adeptly completed what would otherwise be an actual bonding scenario.”

            “Why are you always so formal, Hyesunggie?” Eric huffed as his shoulders slumped while he pouted at the healer who merely rolled his eyes. “We’re all friends here.”

            Taekwoon cringed preemptively but was relieved when Hyesung didn’t respond. Dongwan saved him instead, “That’s all the confirmation I need. Besides. This wasn’t Jiho’s first trainee and N knows Taekwoon better than any dragon in the Aerie. I’d say his trial was harder for it.”

            “Aye,” Eric nodded in agreement, fixing his gaze on Taekwoon once more, all levity gone for the time being. “We seem to be in agreement then. You have our blessing to attempt the next trial.” The taller man bowed his head slightly in recognition of the honor Taekwoon had achieved and the aspiring rider flushed with pride when Seunghyun, Satoru, Hyesung, and Dongwan all gave him the same gesture. Jinki beamed without restraint and had to quickly smother his expression before he looked like a fool next to their stoic expressions.

            “Alright youngling,” Dongwan grinned wryly as he slapped Taekwoon on the back. “I’ll need Hyesung’s help for this next part,” he nodded towards the healer, “and you’ll need your rest. Get fixed up and I’ll see you on the morrow in Bahamut’s Sanctum,” he winked, giving Taekwoon’s shoulder a little shake before he stepped past to head towards the nearby rider and dragon. “Good job, Jiho. You too, N,” he congratulated, voice getting more distant as he walked.

            Satoru looked over at Jinki then and gave a kindly, knowing smile. “Go on. I’ll have Yongguk take over for the rest of the afternoon,” he explained simply, glancing at the still waiting Taekwoon. “You won’t be any good to me right now anyway,” he scoffed with a bemused shake of his head.

            “Thank you sir,” Jinki bowed hastily and rushed over to Taekwoon’s side, pausing just short of actually touching him.

            Hyesung gave them both a small smile and started to head back, pointedly ignoring Eric when the other man opted to pester him at the same time. Satoru fell into step at their heels while Seunghyun gave another nod before turning to follow. With their departure, that left the pair standing in the open, unsure quite how to act now.

            “I heard you,” Taekwoon teased gently, a wry smile pulling at one side of his mouth.

            Jinki flushed and clapped his hand over his mouth in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep it in because everything was happening so fast and I was worried and you know it’s easy for something to happen at these things,” he blurted quickly, only adding to Taekwoon’s amusement.

            He was right to worry though. Several aspiring riders never got past the trials to actually bond with a dragon, facing maiming, disfigurement or death with each of the three trials they had to go through. The first one was the most dangerous physically and it showed. Taekwoon was definitely hurting from it and he’d succeeded. “Thank you,” he murmured sincerely, reaching to grab Jinki’s free hand in his and hold lightly, grateful for the concern and attention.

            “Of course,” the shorter man breathed, squeezing back as he reached out to brush the escaped hairs out of Taekwoon’s face in a tender gesture. His half horsetail kept most of it back but when he moved quickly, it inevitably fell apart in some places. Taekwoon endured the attention with amusement and took a deep breath, wincing when one of his hidden wounds reminded him it was there. “Oh no!” Jinki winced, noticing the reaction. “Come on. Let’s get you inside so we can look at the damage,” he exhaled with a shake of his head, pulling Taekwoon along by their held hands.

            “It’s nothing, Jinki,” he denied with little resistance.

            “Right,” Jinki scoffed as he glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at the other man’s defense. “Last time it was nothing, you nearly got sick from an infected wound. Remember?”

            How could he forget? Jinki had hounded him for days after. As it was, he didn’t think it was nothing either, but the other man was going to worry. It was in his nature after all. Quite frankly, Taekwoon didn’t know how he was going to react when he did see the wounds he felt under his clothes. But it would be good to get out of the leather armor, if nothing else. Taekwoon took one last look at N and his rider over his shoulder before he quietly headed inside with Jinki leading the way.

            One trial down and two to go. He could get through them. He knew he could.

            And the third was just a matter of actually doing it all over again, but with his own dragon instead. The thought both frightened and excited him in equal measure. It was going to be a long sevenday…

 

(a/n: And with this, we've caught back up to the Trials I had initially started with. From here on out, it's all new information and I do hope you're looking forward to seeing how everything plays out. Thank you for reading and have a great day!)

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Amalya
Wow... nearly five years after I started, we are almost finished! XD This has taken me way too long to get to this point but thank you for those who have stayed with me and I hope you are looking forward to the ending like I am! <3

Comments

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Aiesha
#1
Chapter 1: How have I missed such an amazing story!? The first chapter got me hooked already. I have a feeling it’s boy on boy kind of a relationship based on the main characters name. Your story is the second I read of this kind of set up.
Your writing is exquisite. Detailed but not unnecessary. I’m excited to start reading more of it!
People are definitely missing out on your talent if they’re not here sinking their teeth in this.
Thank you for all your hard work!
kaseyslove
#2
Chapter 13: UHG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !( Please feel my frustration via exclamation marks!) So much unsaid.

So may people. I've had to really dig deep for name in general with this but that's what I love. such a flurry of a cast. Makes me sad for later though because I know you Missy!

My favorite part was Taekwoon digging into Jonghyun's it was perfect. Because I was offended for Jongup but it was rightly and swiftly correct. Very nice!

Yes on the Kevin is off feels!

I also loved the moment with him and Seunghyun. He needed to tell some one.
kaseyslove
#3
Chapter 12: This was a good chapter. Nice aftermath scenes going on. I felt for Taekwoon he was headed there Jinki but you can't say no to that many important people unfortunately.

Yunho's straight answer was funny.

Kevin gives me mixed vibes and I'm not sure why.

HEALER MIMI! Love it to funny.

I also hope they do talk soon. They really need to talk!
kaseyslove
#4
Chapter 11: Omo! My poor heart. I was so in and holding my breath at some parts! My poor babies. I felt so much for both of them in this chapter. His reaction was so genuine. I am curious to know more as always I've had a taste but I am still very much unaware of what foolishness I've got in store considering you are not dubbed the Queen of angst/tragedy for nothing!

I'm loving it so far and I adore Kevin. I was tickled.

Also as a side note. I was dying over the Bahamut's Breath and Teeth! Dead lmao!
kaseyslove
#5
Chapter 10: So my last comment about cliff hangers.

But loved this chapter! I could practically feel Jinki's tension and worry . I also liked how you touched up on all the characters that have already been introduced will also still having all of the focus on Jinki . Seeing the connection with Kia and Krystal was great as well. their relation ship is heart melting in it on way.

Question. Who is Satoru like in real life? or did you just use that name?

Other than that another great chapter. Jinki's determination is my favorite part. He's terrified but went for it anyway!
kaseyslove
#6
Chapter 9: The Queen of cliff hangers strikes again. It's my second time reading it and even though I know where this is headed to an extent still a of a cliff hanger. Great set up thought, the surroundings and everything it nice.
Hayagi #7
Chapter 4: Bahamut, Tiamat, Aeri, everything about the dragons, are those all things that you've come up with for this story or is it based on something (a certain mythology or something like that)?
By the way, before I read the next chapter, could you perhaps let me know why it is rated? I usually don't read rated stories, but it kind of depends on the reason why it's rated, so if you let me know I can decide whether I should skip it or not ^^
Hayagi #8
Chapter 3: So many characters ? I could really use a character relationship chart right now.
So... Taekwoon is 16 now, right?
If someone told me I have to hand in an essay by 'next moon' I'd think he/she means that night. Or the next night if that night is 'this moon'.. or is it like Chinese (月) and does it mean next month? Will it be explained later on or can I figure it out myself if I read everything very carefully?
The symbiosis part was very interest. I didn't completely understand the Paramour part though.
Hayagi #9
Chapter 2: What's a sevenday?
So the dragon (N) wanted to get closer to Taekwoon, right? Interesting.

Taekwoon's fascination for dragons is really cool.

Wow the part where you described the meeting between Taekwoon and the dragon was beautiful... I imagined it as if it was a scene of a movie and if I watched that movie, it'd be a breathtaking scene that I'd definitely remember for a long time.
Hayagi #10
Chapter 1: For some reason I hadn't expected that this would start with them as kids, so I was really confused when I read 'little legs' xD
It looks interesting so far! And the fact that you have 8 upvotes with only 14 subscribers tells me it must be a hidden gem ^^