The Black Dragon (tentative title)

[the_wolfs_howl]

One by one, the Ambassadors landed on the edge of the cliff before the King, the humans sliding off their dragons and dropping to one knee. Shard hastily did the same when Shynael landed, last of all. He bowed his head, not daring to look up.

For a long moment, there was utter silence on the cliff. Not even the rustle of a wing broke the silence. Then a deep, rolling, majestic voice that could only belong to the King said, "Welcome, Ambassadors. Your presence brings us all joy. Rise, please, all of you."

Shard hesitantly lifted his head, glanced around at the others, and got to his feet when he saw the others doing the same. Slowly, he moved his gaze forward to the giant King. As soon as he had, he could not look away. The dragon was at least twice as large as Gyvael, and numerous scars marred his otherwise-beautiful black scales, visible only as lines where the scales seemed to be misplaced, like furrows in a field. The King turned his head so that he could look at each one of them in turn with his enormous yellow eye, and as he did Shard caught sight of his other eye, milky and blind.

The King gave a greeting to each of them as his single eye passed over them. "Linygae, my daughter, you are most welcome here. Gyvael, wise one, you honor me with your presence. Andrael, strong one, I hope you are well. Gentle Vannasai, you are always welcome, of course. But who is this?" He turned at last to Shynael.

"Your Majesty," Linygae said, stepping forward and bowing her head, "this is the newest of our number: Shynael."

Shynael looked positively terrified when the King rested his one-eyed gaze on him, and seemed to shrink until he was even smaller than ever before. Shard realized just how young and small his dragon was, when compared to all these dragons around them.

"Step forward, my son," the King said, nodding his head regally. "Let me see you more clearly."

Shynael frantically glanced around at the others, as if asking them to save him, but there was no help to be found, so he finally turned back to the King and took a step forward.

"Shynael," the King said, seemingly rolling the name over his tongue. "That is a good, strong name, my son." He gave the draconic equivalent of a wry smile. "As you have no doubt seen, we black dragons are very small in number. Tell me, who are your mother and father? I was unaware that a black had been hatched."

Shynael glanced back pleadingly, then ducked his head and said softly, "I...I don't know their names. My mother...died before I hatched, and...I never knew my father."

For some reason, Shard had never thought about Shynael having a father. Naturally, he must have, but Shynael had always spoken so much of his mother, and never once even mentioned his father. He wondered if they would be able to find him. What would Shynael do if he could meet his father? Would he want to live with him? Probably. Shard wondered if he held enough of a tie to Shynael's heart for him to come along as well, but Shynael was only four months old. He was practically a baby, and would most likely adapt very easily to such a change in his life. Shard looked sadly at Shynael's back.

While Shard's mind had wandered, the King had continued speaking and asking Shynael questions. As Shard wrenched his mind back to the present, he rumbled, "Ah, yes. I believe I know who your mother is."

Shynael straightened up in disbelief. "You do?!" he cried in surprise, forgetting who he was speaking to for a moment.

The King smiled and nodded. "Trytael. A magnificent female. She spearheaded the raids on the humans for nearly twenty years, then disappeared one day and was never seen from again." He looked at Shynael thoughtfully and added, "I suppose she went off to some secluded place to rear you."

"And...my father?" Shynael asked hesitantly.

The King bowed his head. "I am afraid that is impossible to know. I was unaware Trytael had any such connections. I am sorry, my son." Then he looked up and spotted Shard. "Ah, is this your human?"

Shynael instantly brightened, looking back and smiling at Shard. "That's Shard!" he said. "He was with me when I hatched."

At the King's urging, Shard came forward to stand next to Shynael. "You have protected one of our little ones," the King said, lowering his head to see Shard better, "and for that, you have already been rewarded. And now!" he cried, raising his head again. "Shynael, Shard, I welcome you to this valley. You may come and go as you please, for you are included in our number now. My blessings are upon you.

Will you not stay a little longer, my daughter?" he asked Linygae.

"We thank you, Your Majesty," Linygae replied, bowing her head. "But the sun is high, and we have much work to do."

"Ah, I see. Then I bid you farewell, Ambassadors. Remember that you are welcome at any time."

The ten Ambassadors bowed, then the humans mounted their dragons and the dragons lifted up into the sky again. They made their way back through the bustling valley, then out over the forest once again. Shard still had to remind himself this was not a dream.

When they had emerged from the valley once again, Shynael spoke up. "We have a lot of work to do?"

Vannasai, who flew alongside him, looked surprised. "No, of course not," she said, as though this was obvious. "It would be rude for us to stay any longer, especially since we have humans with us. It's bad enough for the King as it is, with all the mutterers calling him a human-lover and everything. We're a danger, both to the King and ourselves, whenever we come here. We are under the King's blessing every time we come, but the least we can do is make our visits brief."

Shard looked back over his shoulder at the valley. He hadn't realized such an undercurrent of feeling ran beneath the happy, calm exterior of the valley. Had the dragons who had pretended not to notice them actually wished them dead?

"The King is sympathetic to our cause," Linygae said, slowing down to come alongside them as well. "But he is one of very few. Anti-human feeling has been steadily growing for decades. We may find ourselves in a tight spot when the King dies."

Shard thought about this all the way back home, but kept quiet since it was hard to hear a small human voice above the whistling of the wind. As soon as they had all landed, however, he spoke up. "I've been wondering something for a while. Our presence seems to be well-established here," he gestured to the enormous stone structure all around them, which surely must have taken years to construct. "But I've never heard even a whisper about any Ambassadors before."

"And you come from a grand city with a thoroughfare of news?" Advent asked mockingly.

Shard frowned. "I didn't say-"

"There are whispers," Legacy interrupted, cutting them off before an argument could arise. "But no more than that. The Ambassadors were once a presence keenly felt by both races; the trees around us once housed hundreds. Unfortunately, we have been dwindling for centuries, until now...we ten are all that's left." She looked around at them all. "We have a purpose to accomplish, before we're entirely extinct. We must make our presence felt by the humans once again."

Shard wondered, as he and Shynael made their way back to their room, if it was possible to accomplish anything in so short a time. Could they really dispel the hatred of a hundred generations or more? But then he looked up at Shynael, and he realized: They could. In so short a time, he had come to love Shynael like a little brother, even though the two of them were born of races who hated each other. If he could somehow show this to others, if he could make them understand....

"Hey, Shard?" Shynael said softly, coming to a stop in the middle of their room. "Um...about my mother...."

Shard looked up at the dragon in concern; Shynael looked very uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

Shynael shuffled his wings awkwardly. "Well...you know...the King said that she...led attacks against humans, right? I mean...."

"And the people of my village killed your mother," Shard interrupted. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he didn't think he could stand hearing Shynael apologize for what his mother had done.

Shynael flinched at his words. "I...I thought they might have," he whispered. "But I...I was afraid to ask."

Shard rubbed the smooth scales on Shynael's nose. "It wasn't your fault, Shynael. You weren't around to stop any of them, and you probably wouldn't have been able to even if you were."

"Not your fault either," Shynael mumbled, relaxing under Shard's touch. "You said you fainted right when she gave you my egg, right? You couldn't have done anything."

"Shynael," Shard said, stopping his rubbing and holding the dragon's head so they were eye-to-eye. "If...If I could go back to that time.... If I could change what happened...." The intense yellow eyes grew too much for him, and he looked away. "No one should be left without a mother."

For a long moment, neither of them moved or spoke. Suddenly, Shard felt something rough, warm, and wet slide across his face. He jumped and looked at Shynael in surprise, realizing that the dragon had just licked him. He blinked several times, not sure what to think or how to react.

Shynael smiled. "At least I have a Shard."

[Esoteric]

Ah, good good good! More, and it's exciting too!

Yes, this is a good section...it breaks the monotony of training, provides some suspense in the form of mystery, and gives us some more much needed background into the 'world of Ambassadors'. Nice job with this section.

While Shard's mind had wandered, the King had continued speaking and asking Shynael questions. As Shard wrenched his mind back to the present, he rumbled, "Ah, yes. I believe I know who your mother is."

There was slight confusion with the wording of the last sentence...for a moment, I thought Shard was claiming to know who his mother was. It could be made clearer that the king is speaking....

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yay! You liked it! Oh, I see what you mean about it being confusing. Lol, Shard rumbling, "I knew your mother." I'll definitely change that.

[~darkelfgirl~]

I caught up on this yesterday, but I couldn't reply thanks to the freak lightning storm.

I like the updates. Nice job overall ^^. There's some comments on characters I wanted to say...but I forgot

[the_wolfs_howl]

Hey, thanks for commenting! I was beginning to think Eso was the only one reading this anymore

[kryptech]

An interesting trip. The air thick with dragons strikes up quite a grand image in my mind. It must indeed have been an incredible feeling for Shynael.

Lol, Shard rumbling, "I knew your mother." I'll definitely change that.

Somehow this makes me think of the Dragon King saying "Shynael, I am your father." with Vader's voice.

[~darkelfgirl~]

Hey, thanks for commenting! I was beginning to think Eso was the only one reading this anymore

XD I've been up and around lately. Even if you don't hear from me, I'm still into this story.

[the_wolfs_howl]

kryptech - Yeah, the dragons swarming through the air is a grand sight indeed.... You know, ironically, that part was really just spur-of-the-moment. I hadn't really known what the dragon's "capital city" would look like until I wrote it.
The Dragon King could easily quote Darth Vader, that's for sure.

~darkelfgirl~ - Thanks again! ^_^

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: Well, I figured I'd better update this before Shynael ate me alive. I actually got the spurt of inspiration to write this from watching Tales from Earthsea (directed by Goro Miyazaki), though this has absolutely nothing to do with that movie. As always, I welcome any comments/criticisms!

Apprehension trickled into Shard's heart when he emerged from his room the next morning to find Advent and Andrael standing nearby, almost as if they were waiting for him. Shynael immediately glowered at the sight of them, and made sure to walk right at Shard's side, making himself as large as possible. Still, he didn't look quite as intimidating as Shard knew he was intending; he was still very small compared to the blue dragon before them.

"Imagine running into you again," Advent said lazily, leaning against Andrael's side with his arms and ankles crossed.

Shard frowned, coming to a stop before them. "As if you hadn't been waiting here just so you could taunt me when I came out," he muttered.

Advent smirked. "Well, aren't we perceptive today," he said mockingly.

Andrael abruptly spoke up, his voice surprisingly shrill. "I suppose you think you're quite something, don't you?" he snapped at Shynael. "The King knowing your mother and everything."

"Ah, yes, your mother," Advent cut in, his smile widening. "Tell me, how does it feel to know she would have killed your dear friend here if she were alive?"

"Shut your mouth!" Shard snapped, taking a step forward.

"Manners, church boy." Advent clicked his tongue. "Didn't your parents ever teach you to respect your superiors? Oh, I forgot. Your parents are dead, aren't they? And I suppose the swine who took you in wouldn't have-"

Something seemed to snap inside Shard, and he found his hand on the hilt of his sword before he even knew what he was doing. He had already begun to pull it out of the sheath when Advent waggled his finger admonishingly.

"Now, now, none of that. You don't want to break the founding rules of the Ambassadors, do you? No fighting is allowed on these premises except in training. You ought to remember that if you don't want to be thrown out."

Gritting his teeth, Shard slammed the sword back into its sheath and demanded, "What have we ever done to you?"

Advent's eyebrows rose as if this was an unreasonable question. "Done? To us? Why, nothing, of course." And with a snicker, he swung up onto Andrael's back and the two of them flew away.

"Shard!"

Seething, Shard whirled around and snapped, "What?" Then he saw Legacy standing behind him, and felt his face grow hot. "Oh...s-sorry. I-I didn't mean...."

Legacy waved away his stammered apologies and sighed. "It shames me to say it, but I think Advent might be a little jealous of you."

Shard's face was still hot. "Jealous? Why?" He couldn't think of anything he had that Advent didn't; if anyone had a right to be jealous, it was Shard.

Legacy's eyebrows rose marginally. "Well, you are a black, after all."

Shard hesitated, wondering whether it would look stupid to ask. In the end, however, his curiosity won out, and he asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

A small smile emerged on Legacy's face. "Well, blacks have a sort of...regal air, don't you think?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Shard saw Shynael draw himself up proudly, but Shard's face only grew hotter than ever. Legacy looked steadily at him – her eyes were so pretty – with a hint of admiration. His heart was pounding in his throat till he could hardly swallow.

"I've always sort of wished I could have been a black," Legacy continued.

"I think you look prettier with red," Shard said, the words tumbling out before he realized what he was saying. "It goes nicely with your hair...I-I mean...." Shard stammered, trying to find something that would save him, but his mind was horribly blank.

Legacy's eyes danced with amusement. "Thank you," she said. "Follow me."

Cheeks burning with mortification, Shard followed her, inwardly dropping his face into his hands. Of all the stupid things you could have said....

[the_wolfs_howl]

Legacy led them to Linygae, who stood next to a large pile of firewood in the middle of the courtyard. "Now that your flying lessons are over," she said, "Linygae and I are going to teach you something a little more complicated."

"Shynael," Linygae said in her silky voice, "can you breathe fire yet?"

"Sure!" Shynael cried enthusiastically. "I've done that before!"

Remembering the dismal remains of his meal when Shynael had produced fire before, Shard took a few steps away from him. But when Shynael made that odd gulping noise and the clicking sound in his throat, no fire spurted forth. He tried again, but not even the faintest trace of smoke emerged from his mouth. "What's wrong?" he huffed. "It worked before!"

Legacy and Linygae shared amused looks, then the red dragon explained patiently, "You can't produce fire on your own."

"What?! My mother never said anything like that!"

"I doubt your mother would have known about this," Linygae said, not unkindly.

Shynael immediately bristled. "My mother knew everything, and if you-"

"Shynael, please," Linygae spoke over him. "Let me explain. There are certain things we gain when we become bonded to a human, but there are also things we must give up. Our long lives, for instance."

"What?" Shard interrupted.

"Normally, dragons will live for a century, if not longer," Legacy hastily explained. "But bonded humans and dragons generally only live for forty years or so. Please, Linygae. Continue."

"Similarly, a bonded dragon can only breathe fire if he is touching the human he is bound to."

Shynael looked over in surprise at Shard, who was still trying to figure out how he felt knowing that he was shortening Shynael's life considerably. "C'mon, Shard!" the dragon whined when he saw that Shard was lost in his thoughts. "Let's try it out!"

"Oh...all right." Shard walked forward and placed his hand on Shynael's smooth neck. Shynael turned his head away from the others, opened his mouth, and a great burst of fire shot out of his mouth.

"I did it!" Shynael shouted with glee, bouncing up and down till Shard could feel the floor shaking beneath his feet.

Linygae trilled, and Legacy laughed along with her. Shard's heart flipflopped at such a sound; Legacy looked even prettier than usual when she was laughing. "You'll have to learn to direct and control the flames, though," Linygae said, still smiling.

"And that's where you'll come in," Legacy added, turning to Shard.

"Me? How?"

Legacy looked contemplatively up at the leafy canopy overhead as she slowly explained, sounding as if she was weighing every word. "Every living this is...connected. When an animal dies, it provides nourishment for another animal, or nutrients for plants to grow from the ground where it fell. People are the same. Everything we do affects someone else somehow, and the way they are affected in turn affects someone else. We are all connected.

"The sad thing is that most people don't realize this. They think the choices they make will only affect themselves. They don't realize how closely they're connected to the people around them – to their families, to the others in their village, to the rest of humanity. Dragons have realized the connections to a certain extent...but we who dwell here are the only ones who fully understand this." She returned her gaze to Shard's face. "The connection between a human and a dragon in this case is especially pronounced; that is the gift of the bonding. The longer you stay together, the stronger that connection becomes. Till now, you've probably only noticed this in a close friendship between yourselves, but with time you will come to see that the connection runs even deeper than that. With training, you will be able to sense each other's presence and, to a certain extent, you will be able to control each other."

"What?!" Shard and Shynael both cried at the same time.

Legacy laughed briefly at the looks on their faces. "I said, 'to a certain extent'! You will not be able to force each other to do something against the other's will. Mainly, your bond will allow your minds to connect and focus more strongly than either one would be able to on its own. For example, aiming a blast of fire." She gestured at the pile of firewood. "Now, let's see you try."

Shard and Shynael shared a shocked look. She wanted them to try [/i]now?[/i]

"But..." Shard protested.

"How?" Shynael finished for him.

Legacy's brows drew together. "What do you mean, 'how'? Just focus on the firewood and do it!"

"Let's just try and see how it goes," Shard whispered to Shynael, hoping that they could grasp this quickly so he could impress Legacy.

Shynael nodded and turned resolutely towards the firewood; Shard put his hand on Shynael's neck again and stared at the wood as well. He didn't see how simply looking at it was going to help anything, but he kept on staring at it as Shynael prepared himself. Shard forced himself not to blink as the fire burst out of the dragon's mouth. But the flames merely spread out to either side of his mouth, dying out almost immediately.

"Focus!" Linygae called out, and Shard wasn't sure who she was talking to – himself or Shynael. Maybe both.

And so Shynael breathed fire again, and again, and again. He couldn't keep up a constant blast of fire for more than a second or two, and no amount of staring at the wood seemed to help him aim at all. Finally Shynael said wearily, "I'm fresh out. No more fire."

"All right," Legacy said gently. "We'll stop there for today. You both did very well."

Had she been anyone else, Shard would have scoffed. Something of this sentiment must have shown on his face, for Linygae added, "And that's not just flattery, you know. I agree."

"But we didn't get even within a foot of it!" Shynael complained, scowling at the innocent-looking firewood.

"True," Legacy admitted, "but wouldn't one of you have given up had you been on your own?"

Shard looked up at Shynael in surprise, then smiled. He wasn't sure if she was right or not, but it made him more optimistic. Then he noticed that Legacy was smiling at him, and he blushed crimson.

[kryptech]

Oh, boy! I thought blows were going to be traded there in Shard and Advent's little exchange. Advent was pretty brutal!

It was funny to see more of Shard's awkwardness around Legacy. It seems like she might find it a tough amusing too...

"But we didn't get even within a foot of it!" Shynael complained, scowling at the innocent-looking firewood.

"True," Legacy admitted, "but wouldn't one of you have given up had you been on your own?"

Nice point.

[Esoteric]

Shard and Legacy sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
hehe, so is that what Advent is jealous about?

Forty years? I'm surprised their lives are shortened so much, but then I suppose in those days forty was old for a human.

I thought blows were going to be traded there in Shard and Advent's little exchange. Advent was pretty brutal!

I agree, Advent was almost too brutal. If the Ambassadors have rules about fighting, don't they have rules about respectful conduct?

Overall, the development is continuing nicely though. The fire bit is good.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yay comments!

*snicker* 'Tis fun to make Shard squirm with embarrassment around Legacy, yes indeed

On age: True, back then 40 wasn't quite as young for humans as it is nowadays...but it's different for dragons. Bonded dragons die much sooner than their "normal" peers.

On respectful conduct: Well, I'm sure Advent would have curbed his tongue had the others been there. Legacy would have told him off and punished him, probably, if she'd heard exactly what he'd said. But Advent is safe with taunting Shard when no one else is there to hear.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: FINALLY updated this >< I've felt so besieged with writing projects lately, so finally I panicked and wrote this. A friend on another site helped me with the paragraphs with all the parentheses (which, incidentally, I modeled after something J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter...book five? six?), and after thinking about it for many hours, I think this section might be the last of the training. Or at least, the last section that's pretty much just training. The second half-or-so of this includes a conversation I've been longing to do almost since I first developed my idea of the mechanics of the Ambassadors and the connections and stuff. So I was really happy to get that written ^_^

Oh, and I've recently discovered this amazing picture of a dragon that I thought I'd share with you guys: http://brilcrist.deviantart.com/art/their-last-clan-finished-52395017 Just change a bit with the color of the dragon and maybe give the guy some armor, and I'd say that's Shard and Shynael. See, the thing with this story is that the dragons don't have a ton of spikes and horns and all that stuff that most dragons seem to have. They have horns, but they're sort of small and...streamlined, I guess. And most people who draw dragons go all out with the horns and spikes and make the dragons look rather evil and uncomfortable. Not so for Shynael! So that's part of why I like that picture. Their poses also strike me as very Shard-and-Shynael-ish ^_^

Anyway, I'd probably better close this uber-long Author's Note by saying that the mood music I used for this (especially the second half) was "My Immortal" by Evanescence, "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday, and "Stay With Me" by Danity Kane. All very, very good songs.

Days with the Ambassadors passed swiftly. Shard and Shynael worked hard, and they had little time to themselves during the day. But Shard was happy; though he still felt awkward around Legacy and Advent seemed to loathe him more with every passing day, he had found his place. Glaive rarely spoke to him outside of lessons, and he saw very little of Vesper or Vannasai now that their flying lessons were over. In a way, it was just the same as it had been for months: Shynael was the only one he could truly call a friend. At times, Shard missed the games they used to play together, but Shynael seemed happy to be amongst his own kind.

Progress in their lessons seemed to creep along at a snail's pace. Shard could never meet more than four of Glaive's blows before his sword was knocked out of his hand, but Glaive assured him he was improving. Soon Glaive began to teach him more and more complex attacks, ones that required more speed and balance than Shard thought he would ever possess. It was embarrassing how many times he lost his balance or dropped his sword when attempting these attacks. Shynael described the maneuvers Gyvael was teaching him, and it made Shard dizzy just to imagine them. "And I'm expected to stay seated while you do all that?" he grumbled one night as he pulled off his sweat-soaked clothes.

Shynael grinned, pausing in his description of twists and turns through the air. "I was wondering that too, but apparently our bond is supposed to help." He rolled his eyes. "Everyone's always talking about our bond, like it's the answer to everything. It doesn't seem that powerful to me."

Shard bent down to pick up his nightshirt from where it had slipped down onto the floor. When he straightened again, he caught sight of himself in the mirror and froze. He knew that the black scales were spreading, and he knew it could not be stopped, but still he wasn't prepared for his own reflection. The scales nearly covered his upper arms by now, and when he glanced down he saw that they nearly reached his knees too. His normal skin seemed deathly pale alongside those dark patches, and that put him in mind of corpses and deadly blights. Shivering slightly, Shard hastily pulled his nightshirt on and tried to turn his mind to other things.

But as Shard lay down at Shynael's side (he hadn't slept in the enormous bed since his first night there), such thoughts whirled around his mind and kept him from sleep. "Shynael?" he finally murmured.

"Mmm?" the dragon grunted sleepily.

"Am I...an abomination?"

One of Shynael's great yellow eyes cracked open. "I hardly even know what that means."

Shard sighed up at the ceiling. "Aren't I unnatural? A human with scales...."

"Not unnatural for an Ambassador," Shynael yawned. Soon he began to purr, a sure sign that he had fallen asleep.

Shard sighed again and curled up closer to Shynael's warmth. Somehow, the dragon's words hadn't been very comforting.

Lessons with Legacy were not very encouraging either. She tried to explain ("Just reach out and touch him," Legacy urged. "Can't you feel his mind?"), but no matter what Shard did, it didn't seem to help. Shynael's bursts of fire were fitful and irregular at best; after a few weeks, he could keep up a steady stream for a few seconds, but he could no more control it than he could the wind in the trees. Shard tried to will the fire towards the bundle of firewood that sat stubbornly before them, but sometimes he thought he was only making matters worse ("No, not this way!" Legacy shrieked, gesturing wildly as the rope of fire curved in her direction.). These constant failures left Shard and Shynael frustrated ("You're not teaching us how to do anything but fail!" Shynael complained.), and led to Legacy lecturing them ("If you can't master this, you'll never be a real Ambassador," Legacy said rather snappishly.).

The main reason Shard longed to succeed at this task was Legacy. He wished she would look at him with an expression other than exasperation or amusement, as if he was a small child who didn't understand anything. She was so pretty, her black hair so sleek and shiny, like Shynael's scales (At least she still has some hair left, Shard thought glumly, looking at the portion of her hair that had been ignited by Shynael's flames.), and all Shard wanted was for her to look at him in admiration. But such a thing seemed impossible – as long as these lessons persisted, anyway.

Advent's antagonism went largely unnoticed by anyone except Shard and Shynael. They rarely spoke to each other, but even so Advent made it undeniably clear what he thought of them. He would shoot glares at Shard when no one else was looking, or trip him up when he was passing. Shard wished he would stop; he had enough to worry about as it was.

In fact, Shard's days were so full of strain and frustration that it was a few weeks before he realized he hadn't been saying his prayers. He only realized this when he caught sight of the ivory cross he wore around his neck out of habit, and as soon as he did the face of Father Mark seemed to swim before his eyes. This is a book of prayers, he remembered Father Mark telling him when he was very small. I want you to memorize these, Sean. Say one every night before you go to sleep. Shard's fingers slowly closed around the small white cross. Did you say your prayers? No? Sean, this will never do. Prayer is how we speak to God, just as the scriptures are how He speaks to us. Shard pulled the leather cord off and clasped the cross in both hands. Now, repeat after me....

"Yes, Father," Shard whispered, as he had all those years ago. He knelt down by the side of the enormous bed he never used, and began to pray.

[the_wolfs_howl]

"Faster!" Glaive called out above the clashing of steel. "Faster- Higher; hold it higher! Back; again- One, two!"

Teeth gritted in concentration, Shard desperately tried to follow Glaive's instructions. He barely had time to register the man's words before Glaive's sword came whistling out of nowhere, and it took every ounce of his concentration and strength to bring his own sword up in time to clumsily meet the other man's. Clang-clang-slash-clang-clang-clatter.... Shard's sword skittered away across the stone floor, and he bent over on his knees, gasping for breath.

Glaive, not winded in the least, sheathed his sword with a snap and said, "We'll stop there."

Shard gratefully straightened up, still breathing hard. Glaive handed him his sword, but he could only nod his thanks.

"You're improving," Glaive said with a curt nod. "But you still need to be faster. You're clumsy on your feet. Need to work on that."

"Yes, sir," Shard panted, sliding his sword into its scabbard. Just as they began to walk towards the table where cool drinks of water awaited them, the whump-thump of wings announced Shynael and Gyvael's approach.

The two dragons descended through the canopy of branches overhead, and Shynael landed wearily at Shard's side. As Shard drained his goblet of water, he decided to wait a while before returning home, to give the dragon a chance to rest. Home, he thought with amazement. I've started thinking of this place as home.

Filling his goblet again, Shard glanced up at Glaive. The man was absently rubbing Gyvael's chin and staring into his half-filled goblet. "Glaive?" Shard asked tentatively, then hastily added, "Sir?"

Glaive, who always seemed so vigorous and energetic during training, looked up slowly. His shoulders sagged wearily, and his sharp eyes seemed tired as well. "Yes?" he asked in his gravelly voice when Shard hesitated.

Shard quickly looked down at his goblet again. He had steeled himself to ask Glaive this question, but now that it came to it he felt rather nervous. "I was just...wondering. The...The scales. Do they ever go away?"

Glaive looked at him for a few moments, face completely blank. Then he set his goblet down and wordlessly began to unfasten the purple armor on his right arm. Letting the pieces fall onto the table, he pushed the loose sleeve of his shirt up to his shoulder.

Shard gasped involuntarily. Glaive's entire muscular arm, from wrist to shoulder, was covered with miniscule purple scales the exact hue as Gyvael. Whereas Shard's scales were irregular and patchy, Glaive's were as close and tightly-fitting as a fish's scales.

"Twenty-eight years," Glaive growled, pushing his sleeve back down again and moving to reattach his armor. "It's been twenty-eight years since the first scale appeared. You might as well get used to it, boy. They're not going away." Then he looked up at the stricken expression on Shard's face, and his voice softened a little. "It's not so bad. They're not quite as hardy as real dragon scales, but they do offer an extra layer of protection."

Shard nodded glumly at his feet. He supposed he should have accepted it a long time ago, but....

"You remind me of another young man." Gyvael's deep, rumbling voice sounded amused; she flashed a humored look at Glaive, who pointedly ignored her, staring up at the trees. "Glaive didn't want me at first – and that's the truth, whether you choose to ignore it or not," she shot at her human.

"I was a foolish brat back then, and you know it," Glaive growled up at the leaves, glaring at them as if they had done him a personal offense.

"Ah, but you saw sense eventually," Gyvael said placidly. "After I followed you for five miles, you seemed to realize I wasn't about to leave."

"You can hardly blame me for wanting to get rid of you." Glaive closed his eyes and let out an aggravated sigh, but his lips twitched in amusement. "I was a squire, after all. Give me a few more years, and I would've become a Dragonslayer. I told you I was a fool."

"Hmm, yes," Gyvael hummed amusedly. "Until you met Lark, that is."

A palpable change came over the training grounds. Glaive slowly opened his eyes again, and now they were filled with sadness. Gyvael looked at him with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy.

Shard was wise enough to remain silent, but Shynael immediately asked, "Who's Lark?"

When she saw that Glaive continued to stare up at the tree branches, Gyvael said softly, "Lark...was an Ambassador when we first came here, years and years ago. Her dragon was my-" And suddenly her speech seemed to erupt into a strange growl.

"Your what?" Shard asked with an involuntary jump.

"We humans would say 'husband,'" Glaive suddenly said, speaking in the human tongue. Shard blinked; these were the first human words he had heard in months. Then, just as abruptly, Glaive returned to the draconic speech they normally used. "But that word is inadequate to convey this meaning. When a dragon chooses a partner, they create a bond that ties their souls together, a bond so strong that to break it would mean tearing one's own soul in two." His shoulders sagged even farther, as if an enormous weight was pushing him down. "Thus, faithfulness is almost universal among dragons, quite unlike humans. Humans are uncannily adept at ignoring the bonds that tie them, even when it leads to their own demise."

Glaive heaved a sigh and looked wearily at Shard. "Ambassadors are even more sensitive to such bonds than dragons are. Lark was my soul-bond." He said the word slowly, and this time Shard could make out the separate words strung together. "So naturally, when Lark was killed I thought I would die as well."

"I have heard that some go mad when their soul-bond dies," Gyvael said softly. "Torn apart by grief and the broken bond, they lose themselves to the dragonrage and are never recovered. But of course, for bonded Ambassadors that would be even worse. If one of us succumbed to the dragonrage, the other would as well, and we would be doubly dangerous. So we have struggled for years to cope with our pain."

For a moment or two, Shard stood in shocked silence. "I'm...sorry," he finally whispered. He didn't know what else to say; he wasn't even sure that words would be able to help anyway. Both Glaive and Gyvael looked broken-hearted as they stood there, thinking of their dead soul-bonds. And guilt swamped him, because he had been the one to bring up these memories the two of them probably wished they could forget.

After a few moments, Glaive returned his gaze to the treetops. "One piece of advice, boy: Choose wisely when you choose your soul-bond. Don't go through all this pain unless it's really worth it."

Shard wanted to ask if Lark had been worth it. Then he looked at Glaive's face and realized he didn't need to ask.

[kryptech]

Glaive's loss felt very fitting as a cause of his somber demeanor. I can get a clear mental image of his appearance and bearing. It was neat to learn a little more about the Ambassador-dragon bond and also to hear of soul-bonds.

I liked that you included the part where Shard forget, and then remembering, to pray. It is so true that it is easy to let that slide when life gets so busy.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yay! I'm being believable! XD You don't know how encouraging and wonderful it is to hear that you can see Glaive in your mind's eye. That really makes me happy ^_^ I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!

[Esoteric]

Just change a bit with the color of the dragon and maybe give the guy some armor, and I'd say that's Shard and Shynael.

Oh, found a picture, huh? So this means I'm off the hook now, right?

Y'know I really coulda used a dragon today...then I wouldn't have had to go up and down a ladder two hundred times. I could've just ridden along up high....
Updates! I do like the bedroom 'convo' very much. It's good to see continued interactivity/development between the two main characters. The fire lessons continue to be amusing too.
I like that you chose to develop Glaive. It's high time we began looking into the lives of other Ambassadors, as it will give the reader some relevant history and better understanding of the current times. I'm surprised to learn of even more bonds...I thought the one between dragon and human was strongest. An interesting development. (I say that a lot, don't I? Kinda like Mr. Spock's "Fascinating." )
I do have some small criticisms though...

Both Glaive and Gyvael looked broken-hearted as they stood there, thinking of their dead soul-bonds. And guilt swamped him, because he had been the one to bring up these memories the two of them probably wished they could forget.

Untrue. Shard didn't bring it up...

"Hmm, yes," Gyvael hummed amusedly. "Until you met Lark, that is."

Shard was wise enough to remain silent, but Shynael immediately asked, "Who's Lark?"

...Gyvael and Shynael did.
Which leads into my 'picky picky ' question of the day: Would Gyvael really slip like that? Of everyone there, she knows Glaive the best--his sorrows and his very thoughts. Would she so easily forget the terrible pain that mentioning Lark would bring? Now, I'm not saying she wouldn't, I'm just asking you to think about that question and make sure you know the answer. Because the action does say something about her, whether you intended it or not. Just food for thought.
Looking forward to the next installment, Same bat time! Same bat chan!...err, wait wrong series... (and you probably have no idea )

[the_wolfs_howl]

Oh, found a picture, huh? So this means I'm off the hook now, right?

NO WAY!!!! You wouldn't take away my major incentive to finish my school, now would you?

I like that you chose to develop Glaive. It's high time we began looking into the lives of other Ambassadors, as it will give the reader some relevant history and better understanding of the current times.

You know, Glaive is my favorite Ambassador, other than Shard and Shynael. I'm actually thinking that if this story ever got popular enough when published to warrant a sequel, I'd actually make it a prequel dealing with Glaive's adventures before and after he joined the Ambassadors himself. There's something about Glaive that really attracts me for some reason. I guess that's why I gave him the purple dragon XD

I'm surprised to learn of even more bonds...I thought the one between dragon and human was strongest.

Eh, what can I say? I like magical bonds waaay too much

Untrue. Shard didn't bring it up...

Well...in a way, he did. Maybe "bring it up" was the wrong way to put it. It was because Shard reminded Gyvael of Glaive that they got into that whole conversation in the first place. Bah, I need to make that clearer.

Which leads into my 'picky picky ' question of the day: Would Gyvael really slip like that? Of everyone there, she knows Glaive the best--his sorrows and his very thoughts. Would she so easily forget the terrible pain that mentioning Lark would bring? Now, I'm not saying she wouldn't, I'm just asking you to think about that question and make sure you know the answer. Because the action does say something about her, whether you intended it or not. Just food for thought.

Yes. It may surprise you, but I did think about this. Eh, maybe I'd better explain. It's true that Glaive and Gyvael know each other inside-out, but they aren't the same person. While Glaive tends to almost wallow in his grief, Gyvael has been saying for years that it's high time they moved on. That they accept the pain, but don't let it control them anymore. But Glaive is unable - or unwilling - to do that, and after years of this Gyvael has become rather exasperated with him about that. So...what she said wasn't so much a slip-up, as the continuation of her attempts to help him heal (probably not the best way to go about doing that, but anyway). Gah, does that seem unreasonable? I was trying to figure out how in the world I can explain that in this story, where the focus is not on Glaive and Gyvael. Help?

Looking forward to the next installment, Same bat time! Same bat chan!...err, wait wrong series... (and you probably have no idea )

Nope. No idea.

[Esoteric]

:lol: NO WAY!!!! You wouldn't take away my major incentive to finish my school, now would you?

Nice comeback. Don't worry, I've started working on something...

Well...in a way, he did. Maybe "bring it up" was the wrong way to put it. It was because Shard reminded Gyvael of Glaive that they got into that whole conversation in the first place. Bah, I need to make that clearer.

He was the initial subject of the conversation, yes. I see where you're coming from, but it was still Gyvael's choice to take it where she did. So unless his role in the conversation becomes more verbally 'instigative', Shard is essentially only feeling guilty, well, for existing. Seems to me he has enough problems without adding that one to the list.

Yes. It may surprise you, but I did think about this. Eh, maybe I'd better explain. It's true that Glaive and Gyvael know each other inside-out, but they aren't the same person. While Glaive tends to almost wallow in his grief, Gyvael has been saying for years that it's high time they moved on. That they accept the pain, but don't let it control them anymore. But Glaive is unable - or unwilling - to do that, and after years of this Gyvael has become rather exasperated with him about that. So...what she said wasn't so much a slip-up, as the continuation of her attempts to help him heal (probably not the best way to go about doing that, but anyway). Gah, does that seem unreasonable? I was trying to figure out how in the world I can explain that in this story, where the focus is not on Glaive and Gyvael. Help?

Okay, I'm glad to hear it. That cleared up a lot right there...it just needs to come out in the conversation somehow. One quick line from Gyvael to Glaive along the lines of, "Oh Glaive when will you put that all behind you?" would have said tons. Yes, but it does all make much more sense in light of that information, and that her sorrow at the end is more for Glaive than for Lark. (As it stands, that was rather ambigous too.)

Question...are soul-bonds a once in a lifetime event, or can they happen for an individual more than once?

[the_wolfs_howl]

He was the initial subject of the conversation, yes. I see where you're coming from, but it was still Gyvael's choice to take it where she did. So unless his role in the conversation becomes more verbally 'instigative', Shard is essentially only feeling guilty, well, for existing. Seems to me he has enough problems without adding that one to the list.

Okay, okay. I get your point.

Okay, I'm glad to hear it. That cleared up a lot right there...it just needs to come out in the conversation somehow. One quick line from Gyvael to Glaive along the lines of, "Oh Glaive when will you put that all behind you?" would have said tons. Yes, but it does all make much more sense in light of that information, and that her sorrow at the end is more for Glaive than for Lark. (As it stands, that was rather ambigous too.)

Wow. I think, several times now, you've cleared up something I've been struggling over with a really simple answer. Thank you very much! ^_^

Question...are soul-bonds a once in a lifetime event, or can they happen for an individual more than once?

Well, I think it might be possible...but it would never be the same. How could you make such a strong bond again, when your soul has been torn?

[Esoteric]

Okay, okay. I get your point.

Sorry, I didn't mean to browbeat you.

Well, I think it might be possible...but it would never be the same. How could you make such a strong bond again, when your soul has been torn?

Okay. I was just wondering so that I could gauge better what kind of relationship Gyvael is asking Glaive to get over. I suppose it would be similar to a first marriage, and then being widowed. A second marriage after would never be quite the same.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Sorry, I didn't mean to browbeat you.

That's fine. I have a very hard head

Okay. I was just wondering so that I could gauge better what kind of relationship Gyvael is asking Glaive to get over. I suppose it would be similar to a first marriage, and then being widowed. A second marriage after would never be quite the same.

Yeah, that's basically the idea. Gyvael isn't asking Glaive to "get married" again. It's more of just a...sort of acknowledgment of what Lark meant to him, and then he can put it behind him. Or something like that.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: You all will no doubt be pleased to know that this next section has a bit more action That being said, I think I'd better warn you that there's some icky violence and gore ahead. If you've ever wondered what exactly it is that the other Ambassadors do when they're not teaching Shard and Shynael, this section gives the first hint. I'm really glad I got this written; in just a few days I'll be going out of town for the summer. But fear not! I will strive my utmost to update this story regularly!

"Come on, just a little bit further!" Linygae gently urged.

Shard willed Shynael's flame to reach across and touch the wood, but his concentration was broken with the fwish-whoosh of approaching wings. He glanced up at the canopy of leaves going wild above his head, and the flames dissipated in the air. Vannasai descended through the branches, her scales glistening a few shades darker than the leaves, and landed lightly nearby. Shard's eyes traveled to her back, where Vesper sat, hidden as always in the shadow of her grey cloak.

"Back from your patrol so soon?" Legacy asked in mild surprise.

Vesper nodded slightly, and Vannasai added, "There's nothing. Nothing but a couple birds, anyway." Then she glanced somewhat shyly over at Shynael and said, "We don't want to interrupt your lessons."

"You can stay!" Shynael cried happily, though Shard's insides squirmed with embarrassment. The last thing they needed right now was an even larger audience.

Legacy nodded her assent. "We were just about to break for lunch anyway. Try once more, you two."

Shard turned obediently back to the firewood, feeling his ears grow hot. He could feel Vesper's eyes on the back of his head. Then, just as Shynael opened his mouth, Vannasai called out, "You can do it!"

A sudden surge of power seemed to rush up Shard's arm from where his hand rested on Shynael's neck. In an instant of unprecedented clarity, he saw into his dragon. He felt the click in Shynael's throat, and in a blaze of comprehension, understood how the dragon's breath was ignited. He was that breath, he was the fire, and he raged forward out of Shynael's mouth, twisting and curling in burning, blazing beauty. Yet at the same time, he could see the firewood through the eyes in his body, and he twisted those two consciousnesses together till they were one.

Then Shynael's fire touched the wood, and the whole pile went up in flames. Shard blinked, and he was just Shard again. He could feel the heat of the bonfire, but he was not a part of it anymore. There was a stunned moment where the only sound was the crackling of the fire, and then Legacy began to clap. Linygae and Vannasai cried out in delight, and Shynael trilled with joy, thumping his tail on the ground and nearly knocking Shard over in the process. "We did it, Shard!" he yelled. "We did it!"

"We sure did," Shard said shakily, still staring at the bonfire. "And about time, too." He couldn't forget what it had felt like. He couldn't get the sensation out of his head that he had been that fire. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?

Shard looked up at Shynael, who calmed down somewhat and met his gaze. His yellow eyes glittered like gold coins. "I felt you," he murmured so only Shard could hear. "I felt you inside of me. You helped me push the fire out."

"Well done, both of you!" Legacy said, but she directed her smile at Shard. His stomach did somersaults as he met her gaze. She was actually smiling at him! He had impressed her at last!

This giddy feeling in his stomach and the excitement at their accomplishment vanished at the sound of approaching wings. Shard thought he recognized the vwish-vosh, and his heart sank as he saw that he was right: Andrael. The blue dragon swept down through the overhanging branches, thudding onto the floor carelessly, not even seeming to notice when his tail banged into one of the long tables, nearly knocking it over. Advent, bedecked in his blue armor from head to foot, swung off his dragon's back before Andrael had even fully landed. He pulled off his helmet as he ran forwards, and Shard saw a sharp, intense expression on his face that had never been there before.

"Legacy!" he called, and there was an urgency in his voice that made Shard forget momentarily about their mutual dislike of each other. "An attack on the northern border! A band of knights has cornered several hatchlings! I came as quickly as I could."

Legacy cursed fiercely as she stomped briskly across the courtyard, heading towards her room. Shard realized she was going to get her sword, and hastened after her. He could hear the others following as well. "What in Astoel's name were those hatchlings doing so close to the border?!" she demanded. "Where's their mother?"

"That I can't say," Advent replied, striding along briskly at her side. "But we'd better hurry. Legacy – they can't fly very well yet, and-"

Legacy cursed again and broke into a run. "Vesper, go get Glaive!" she called over her shoulder. Vesper, who hadn't dismounted yet, nodded once, and Vannasai leapt up through the treetops so fast she was a mere green blur. "Shard, get your sword and helmet! Advent, you must inform the King of what's happening!"

Shard turned, ready to race off to his room, but he slid to a halt at Advent's enraged cry, "What?! By the time we fly there and back, the battle will be over!"

Shard turned around and saw that Legacy had halted as well. "The king needs to know what's happening!" she cried, staring at Advent with obvious disbelief.

"Send Shard, then!" Advent cried, jabbing his finger at Shard. "He can't hold his own! I'm much more useful than-"

"Shard needs real experience in battle," Legacy interrupted. "I've seen you fight countless times, Advent; there's no need to prove yourself. Go to the King."

"But-"

"Now." Legacy's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Advent looked as if he wanted to protest again, but he seemed to think better of it, and nodded stiffly. When Legacy had turned her back to dart into her room, however, Advent glared murderously across at Shard. It was a glance of pure hatred, and Shard took an involuntary step back when their eyes met. He half expected Advent to charge at him or start yelling, but all he did was swing onto Andrael's back. Andrael took off with a vicious lunge, and this time his tail did knock one of the tables over.

But there was no time to lose. Shard turned away and raced across the courtyard to his room. As he buckled on his belt and jammed his black helmet on his head, he wondered why Advent had been so upset. Shard would have gladly taken his place and carried the message to the Dragon King. His stomach clenched into a knot as it gradually dawned on him that he was about to go into a real battle. This wouldn't be just him and Glaive dancing about the training grounds. This would be a real battle, with life and death and blood. The memory of five knights lying dead on a hill came unbidden to his mind, and Shard felt faintly sick.

Then he caught sight of Shynael's face. The dragon hadn't looked so young and afraid for a long time indeed; his eyes were wide and he kept on shuffling his wings nervously. Shard realized he had to be strong for Shynael. He couldn't show how afraid he was. So he closed the visor of his helmet and swung onto Shynael's back as if he did this every day. Yes, he had to be strong.

Shynael hurried out of the room just as Legacy swung up onto Linygae's back in the middle of the courtyard. "Come on!" Legacy called to them, and together they leapt into the air. Vannasai and Gyvael caught up with them before they had gone very far, and together the four dragons sped off above the dense forest. Shard found himself soaring along next to Vannasai and Vesper. For the first time, Vesper's cloak was gone; she looked uncharacteristically fierce in her green armor with no grey shroud to soften its harsh edges. Her helmet obscured her face from view, but Shard could have sworn she turned her head to look at him several times.

"Don't worry," Vannasai said, low enough that only Shard and Shynael could hear. "I will protect you."

Some men (and some dragons too, Shard supposed) might have been offended to hear this, but Shard only felt a rush of gratitude. He didn't feel at all brave, and all he could seem to remember at the moment from Glaive's lessons was that he had never been able to meet more than five strikes without dropping his sword. But Vannasai was so much older than Shynael, so much more experienced than either of them. He looked over, and this time there was no question that Vesper was looking back at him. "Thank you," he called over, but he wasn't sure he could be heard over the howling wind.

Astoel = ***-toy-ell (my brother encouraged me to try the 'oi' sound out)

[Esoteric]

Yay, action, action! *is excited*

Thank goodness they finally figured out controlling fire...I was beginning to get concerned!

Nothing much else to say...oh,

"The king needs to know what's happening!" she cried, staring at Advent with obvious disbelief.

Is it Legacy or Advent who's in disbelief? I would think it'd be Advent, but it sounds like Legacy. Why did she have such a look on her face? or...does she not really believe what she said? Was it only a ploy to get rid of Advent?

[the_wolfs_howl]

All too soon for Shard's tastes, they reached the edge of the forest. Memories hurtled through Shard's mind, memories of the time before they had met the Ambassadors, memories of flying over the land on Shynael's back, of the first time he had noticed the scales. How long ago all that seemed! So many things had happened since then.

At the very edge of the trees, they fanned out, searching for the battle. It was Gyvael who called out to them, and they beat their wings as fast as they could to swoop down with her. They circled around a small hill, where the sounds of battle rang out through the air. Shard gasped in dismay as he saw the number of horses below them. Advent had said 'a band of knights.' Well, that was true, if nearly twenty-five knights was a band. Shard had been expecting four or five, like the knights he and Shynael had encountered.

Gyvael let out an earth-shattering bellow, and the horses ringing the hill reared and bolted in terror. Shard bit his lip; that was exactly what the horses had done when Shynael had let out a roar of his own. He didn't want to be here. Once again, he wished he could have gone in Advent's place. Advent could have all the fighting he wanted. But he, Shard, just wanted to turn around and go back home.

Then Shard's eyes were drawn to the four dragons at the top of the hill. They were small things, the largest of them barely the size of a pony. He could remember when Shynael had been that size; he remembered the games they had played together, and Shynael's cheerful voice chattering away about his mother. Two of the little dragons were red, one was blue, and the smallest one, who crouched trembling in the very center, was a beautiful glossy brown. All four dragons looked extremely frightened, but they growled and snarled and snapped at any knight who dared to get too close. They seemed to be trying to protect the small brown one, but Shard could clearly see the fear in their eyes.

Then, as Shynael circled closer to the hill, Shard remembered something else from the time he had killed the knights. "You say you have ended four lives. Perhaps if you save four lives, you will be able to forgive yourself."

Shard wondered afterwards if Shynael had been thinking of the same thing, for it seemed as if their minds merged in that instant. Shynael swooped down, roaring as he passed over the knights. The knights screamed in terror, and some of them turned and fled. Others, however, brandished their swords and swung them wildly at Shynael. The dragon landed with a thud as the others swooped downwards as well, and he swiped at the nearest knight. Shard could tell, however, that he had intended the attack to miss. Shard knew, with a pang of sympathy, that Shynael was also remembering their last battle against knights, and how he had crushed one into the ground.

Shynael dodged and darted and jabbed with tail, teeth, and talons, and Shard understood immediately that his intention was to draw the knights' attention away from the hatchlings. Shard realized he wasn't much use on Shynael's back; he could barely reach the top of the knights' heads, so he decided to just concentrate on keeping his seat.

He was vaguely aware, as he clung to Shynael with all his might, of the battle raging on around him, but he paid little attention to it – until he heard a squeal of fright that reminded him of a piglet. Whipping his head around, he saw the brown dragon cowering in fear, staring right at one of the knights, who stood some distance off, aiming a longbow right at the dragon. Shard took in the situation in an instant, and in that instant he realized that all the others were too far away to reach the hatchling in time. Shynael was the closest, but knights surrounded him on all sides. And as he took in the helpless terror in the brown dragon's eyes, an insatiable rage blazed up inside him. That was a baby. These knights were slaughtering children. Some small part of his mind knew what was about to happen, but Shard silenced that portion of his mind and let the rage take over.

His vision turned red, and he could feel his blood pounding all through his body. Kill, kill, kill, the voice murmured in his ear. In one smooth motion, he swept to his feet, keeping his balance on Shynael's heaving back. He raced down Shynael's spine, and when he reached the tail, Shynael flicked him high into the air, as if they had read each other's minds. Shard soared up through the air, and it felt like he was flying. But the pounding in his ears would not let him enjoy it. He twisted around in midair and tore his sword from its sheath, then hurtled downwards, directly towards the knight with the longbow. He soared downward, facefirst, and whipped his sword through the air at just the right moment.

His sword met flesh, and a savage delight filled him as the sword tore through the man's chest and out the other side. He flipped around, landed heavily on his feet, and dimly registered the knight falling to the ground. But Shard was already racing towards the nearest knight, swinging his sword. The knight never even knew he was coming; with a flash of his sword, the man's head sailed off his shoulders. Then Shard found himself surrounded by knights. He let out a roar of rage and swung wildly with his sword. They brought up their own weapons to parry his blows, but his increased strength swatted their swords aside. He jabbed and slashed and spun around, all in time to the pounding, boiling blood in his veins and the voice that kept up the endless chant: Kill, kill, kill.

He lost all track of time, but finally his sword met a knight's sword that would not be swatted away, not even with all the strength of his rage. And before he could gather himself up to attack again, he was forced to parry the knight's fierce, swift attack. The rage burned hotter inside him as he parried again and again, five times, and then-

Shard sat abruptly down at the ground, gazing up in horror at the man standing over him, who held his sword point under his chin. Shard's sword lay three feet away, but he had no more thoughts of picking it up.

"Glaive...." he whispered, horrified at what he had done. He had lifted his blade against Glaive, his fellow Ambassador.

Glaive looked keenly into his eyes, then lowered his sword and sheathed it. "It's all right, Shard," he growled. "The battle's over."

Shard looked around, and sure enough, dead bodies littered the ground all about. It was just like that other time...but this was so much worse. No knight had survived; they all lay in pools of their own blood. How many of them had he killed? He couldn't remember. All he had known was the rage and his sword ripping through flesh. Shard jumped as Glaive gently slid his sword into his sheath for him. Shard looked desperately into Glaive's lined face. "I...I didn't mean to...."

"It's all right," Glaive repeated, softer this time, and he put a hand on Shard's shoulder. "We saved the hatchlings."

Shard looked numbly over Glaive's shoulder and saw the four hatchlings huddled together, crying. Vannasai was speaking soothingly to them, and Vesper sat with the brown one in her lap, her helmet lying by her side. She was silent, but she gently stroked the dragon, and it slowly calmed down.

Shard tore his gaze away; he felt dirty and unworthy to even look at such an innocent creature. He had killed. Again. True, this time he had done it to save lives, and he had succeeded. He had saved four lives, just as Father Paul had told him to. But his heart was even heavier than before.

[Esoteric]

Wow, action delivered! I wonder if it turned out differently than the other ambassadors expected...

A nice twist with the four lives. An age old debate; does saving one life justify destroying another? I wonder what conclusion Shard will eventually come too.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Muahahaha! My inner dragon really came out in this last bit, that's for sure. I've felt a nagging need to refer back to the main time Shard's given himself up to the dragonrage, because if I don't, it'll all be pointless. So! I'm not sure when I'll be able to get the next bit out (kinda busy, and have to share the computer with seven other people), but I'll definitely try my hardest!

[the_wolfs_howl]

Author's Note: This is a very momentous section of the story, people. There's a scene in here that I've been dying to write almost since I first got the idea for this story. It's probably my favorite scene other than the climax/end. (You get brownie points if you can guess which scene I'm talking about.)

Next, this is a very special time for me because I'm back in the place where Shynael was hatched. I can sit in the very same place I sat when he first appeared in my mind. A year and four months ago, I was typing on impulse the beginning scene with Trytael and Shard.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, in this section I've broken my record for the most words I've written in one original story. This story is now roughly 47,000 words long, and 74 pages on this computer. And we're not even done with the story yet!

In light of all this, I'd like to dedicate this section to Esoteric, because without her I doubt Shynael would ever have been hatched.

Warning: This section has some more blood and gore in it, sorry! ^^' And I just thought I'd clarify: When Shard says, "Oh God," he's not taking the Lord's name in vain. He's praying. Just thought I'd make that crystal clear.

Oh, and also: my mood music for the last scene in this section was Dragonforce

Tap, tap, tap. Shard sat, tapping his fingernail against the hilt of his sword. He sat just outside his room in the Ambassador residence, leaning up against Shynael's side. Shynael lay with his eyes closed, but Shard could tell from his breathing that he was still awake. For the past hour, Shard had been trying to keep his mind blank; he had thought it would be easy, since he was emotionally drained and physically exhausted. But every time he successfully reached a place of blissful obliviousness, images would appear before his eyes: images of broken, bloody bodies, rotting corpses, rusting metal, severed heads with lolling tongues....

Again, Shard snatched his hand away from his sword hilt. The memory of the power running through his veins was vivid, and he was afraid that the memory would overtake him, and he would be lost to the dragonrage yet again. Part of him wanted to unbuckle his sword belt, pull off all this infernal black armor, and never touch them again. But every time he told himself he would get up and do just that, his limbs would not obey him. He could only sit here, haunted and afraid.

Suddenly he became aware that he and Shynael were not alone. The others had scattered almost as soon as they had landed, leaving the newest Ambassadors where they had collapsed. As if coming out of a trance, Shard realized that Vannasai stood before them, a great green comforting mass. Her eyes shone with compassion as she looked at Shynael, whose eyes were still closed. "How are you doing?"

Shynael's eyes flew open when he heard her voice. "Go away," he mumbled. His voice wasn't sullen or angry; it was frightened. As if he was afraid he might hurt her. Shard shuddered involuntarily at the tone of his voice, because he felt that same fear.

"You need to eat something," Vannasai continued, ignoring Shynael. "Here. I caught this for you." She reached behind her and dragged out the carcass of a deer with her teeth, nudging it towards him shyly.

Shard jumped when he felt a gentle nudge in the shoulder; turning around, he saw Vesper standing there with a platter heaped high with food. A minute earlier, Shard would have thought he wasn't able to stomach food yet, but when he saw the tender, juicy chicken he suddenly realized how ravenously hungry he was. "Thanks," he murmured, taking the platter and digging in hungrily.

Vesper, who had changed from her shiny green armor to a dull brown dress, sat down next to him. Vannasai settled down on Shynael's other side as he tore hungrily at the deer. For a while, there was no sound but that of two hungry people eating. Once Shard began to slow down again, he looked at Vesper, who gazed with unfocused eyes at the treetops. For once, she wasn't wearing her grey cloak, and Shard thought her appearance was much improved. Her short brown hair framed her round face, and when she clasped her arms around her knees she looked like a little girl.

Then Shard noticed she was fingering something around her neck. He looked closer, and he saw it was a small ivory cross, similar to the one he wore around his own neck. That put him in mind of Father Mark, and guilt swamped him as he wondered what his mentor would say if he knew what his devout little Sean had done. He found himself shivering, and he hugged his arms to his chest. "'I shall forgive their iniquity, and I shall remember their sins no more,'" Shard murmured softly; he saw Vesper's shoulders stiffen. "Do you think that's true, Vesper? Can we really be forgiven?"

Vesper didn't reply. She didn't even turn her head. Her hand clutched convulsively around her crucifix, and after a while Shard realized her shoulders were shaking in silent tears.

The four of them sat side-by-side until the sun set and darkness fell. No one said anything more, but as Shard readied himself for bed, he felt oddly comforted. When he knelt down by the side of the large bed to say his prayers, he asked for forgiveness – not only for himself and Shynael, but for Vesper and Vannasai as well. And he had the feeling that someone on the other side of the courtyard was doing the same.

----------

Shard wasn't sure what it was that made the guilt easier to bear this time. Perhaps Vesper's prayers worked better than his. Maybe it was simply comforting to know that he wasn't the only one who felt the guilt so strongly. Legacy, Advent, and Glaive didn't seem fazed in the slightest that they had just slaughtered over twenty knights; he supposed it was because they had been in so many battles. But whenever he caught a glimpse of Vesper's face in the morning, he saw the circles under her eyes, the droop of her mouth, and he knew that she suffered from the same nightmares as he. Vesper wore her cloak less often, and when she did wear it she kept the hood down; Shard wasn't sure what the significance of this was, if there was any, but he was glad to be able to see her face. He would smile at her when they met in the morning, and she would smile back – a small, sad, hesitant smile that made his heart go out to her.

On his first lesson with Glaive after the battle, Glaive gave him a piercing look that clearly asked, "Are you sure you're ready?" Shard nodded, and the lesson began. He discovered that if he poured every ounce of his energy into meeting Glaive's attacks and trying to land a blow of his own, not only did he perform much better, he could keep his mind away from thinking of the blood that had stained the very same blade he clutched in his hands.

Lessons with Legacy consisted of trying to gain greater control over Shynael's flame. Once the connection between their minds had been made, it grew increasingly easier to find that connection again and maintain it for a longer amount of time. Soon they were making loops with the fire, circling around Linygae's neck without touching her, or creating flaming flower shapes in the air. Shard suspected these lessons were the highlight of Shynael's day; the dragon loved to make unexpected twists with his fire, hoping to spook the impassive Linygae. It never worked.

Shard was a little relieved when Legacy finally announced that these flame lessons were over. "We'll be trying something a little different next," she said with a secretive little smile, "but along the same lines."

"She was just trying to get us to guess what it was," Shynael whispered knowingly as she went on ahead of them.

Shard laughed for the first time in a long while, and it felt good. "That doesn’t sound like Legacy at all, Shynael."

"Okay, so it's a bit different," Shynael conceded with a grin, "but 'along the same lines.'"

Shard laughed again at the silly expression on the dragon's face. His heart felt lighter than it had since Advent had come barreling in with the news of the hatchlings. He vowed, in that moment of sunshine and warmth, that he would never let the dragonrage take control of him again. If he did, it would sap all the beauty out of moments such as these.

He had no idea how soon that promise would be tested.

[the_wolfs_howl]

It was not lost on Shard that there seemed to be some sort of attack or battle every day after the incident with the hatchlings and the knights. It was often Advent who alerted Legacy; apparently he patrolled the part of the border between the human and dragon kingdoms that saw the most unrest. One day, it was farmers with pitchforks trying to hunt down a dragon; the next, a headstrong year-old dragon had gotten into a spot of trouble while attacking a town. Each time, Legacy would hesitate for a moment, then fly off with Advent, occasionally requesting Glaive or Vesper to come with them. Shard might have been jealous of the attention Advent, especially, was receiving from Legacy, but he was too busy feeling relieved that she never asked him to come along.

About a week and a half after the hatchling attack, however, Linygae appeared in the training grounds halfway through Shard's lesson. Shard glanced up in surprise, and Glaive took advantage of his distraction, knocking his sword out of his hand. Cheeks burning, Shard went to retrieve it while the red dragon landed with the loud clicking of talons meeting stone. "Glaive!" Legacy called out, an odd look on her face. Shard thought she almost looked excited, but she didn't look particularly happy. Before he could figure it out, she continued, "I'm going to need your help! I think the two of us can handle it, but you must come immediately!" Then she seemed to notice Shard and said, "I suppose Shard can co-"

"No," Glaive cut in suddenly, his face growing sharp and intent for one instant, then settling back to its usual tired expression. "Last time, he utterly lost control; he even attacked me. He needs to learn control before we send him out again."

Legacy nodded curtly. "Of course; you're right. Glaive, come up behind me; Gyvael can catch up. We need to get there as soon as possible."

Glaive's face went slack for a moment, then he looked at Shard and said, "Shynael will come pick you up as soon as Gyvael's finished with him."

Their eyes locked for a moment, and Shard felt a rush of gratitude for the old man. He wasn't sure, but he thought Glaive's dark eyes looked a little softer than usual. Whether it was what Glaive had intended or not, his words had saved Shard from going into battle, and for that Shard wanted to rush up and thank him. Instead, he gave the man a slight smile as Glaive turned and swung effortlessly onto Linygae's back.

Shard watched Linygae fly out of sight, and then an oddly anticlimactic silence fell upon the practice grounds. He just stood there for a while, listening to the breeze rustling through the trees. It struck him that his life hadn't been this quiet for a long time. There was always someone talking, or a dragon roaring. He was always doing something – walking, learning, striving and straining. There was always something on his mind, weighing him down. Yet now he found himself with nothing to do.

He was at a loss.

And suddenly, he realized how hot he was. The black armor was hot enough by itself, but when he fought against Glaive with all his might it was unbearable. Shard sheathed his sword and headed over to the table, unbuckling his armor as he went. He let the black pieces of metal clatter onto the tabletop with relief, feeling the breeze rippling through his sweat-drenched shirt.

Shard was just lifting a goblet of water to his lips when he heard the sound of wings. Assuming it was Shynael, he set the goblet back down and reached for his armor again. He froze, his hand hovering above his breastplate, as he recognized that vwish-vosh sound. Gritting his teeth in apprehension, he turned to watch Andrael land smoothly. Advent slid to the ground and strode purposefully forward. Shard felt an unsettling lurch in his stomach as Advent drew nearer; the man wore an odd smile and there was a hungry gleam in his eyes.

"Been praying, church boy?" Advent said, contained triumph trembling behind his voice. "If not, you'd better do that now."

"Why?" Shard asked warily. He had never seen Advent like this before.

Advent only laughed and unsheathed his sword.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Shard stammered, aghast. "You said it yourself – we're not allowed to draw our swords against another Ambassador except in training!"

"Oh, but I'm teaching you a lesson," Advent said, his smile widening. "Lesson number one: Never steal my glory from me."

"I d-didn't-" Shard stammered, backing away from him and running into the table.

Advent continued as if he hadn't heard, "Lesson number two: I HATE YOU!" He screamed the last words, lunging wildly.

Shard twisted away at the last moment, grabbing his sheathed sword from the table as he did. He sprinted away from the table as fast as he could, ignoring Advent's scream of rage behind him. Shard didn't know where he could run; the practice ground was empty and flat. There was nowhere to hide, no way to climb up to safety. Andrael perched on the edge of the large stone bowl, watching him like a hawk – not interfering, but a constant menace all the same.

Suddenly Glaive's voice sounded in his head, a memory of the lessons he had pounded into Shard: "Never turn your back on the enemy." Shard whirled around, bringing up his sword just in time. He caught Advent's blade on the scabbard he held in both hands, then twisted away again and wrenched his sword out of its sheath – barely in time to meet Advent's next attack.

Shard desperately danced backward, trying to fend Advent off. But Advent's ice-blue eyes burned with a cold fire, and his movements were wild and strong. Shard easily recognized the signs of dragonrage, and this knowledge struck his heart with fear. If even trained knights couldn't withstand an amateur under dragonrage....

Glaive's voice spoke again: "Do not fear me! I am nothing but an opponent! I am not the Devil with all his minions behind him! I am but a human, like yourself! Do not fear me!" Shard ducked one of Advent's wild swings and remembered something else Glaive had once said: "Dragonrage can give you strength, but you will always have the advantage if you keep your mind. You will have control; you will have your wits about you, and control and wits will always be greater than strength."

Shard parried again and again and again, keeping a firm grip on his sword. There was no time to think, no time to realize he was fighting much better than he ever had before, now that he was facing his death. His mind seemed to go completely blank; he didn't even think. His body seemed to move of its own accord, following the moves and maneuvers Glaive had worked his hardest to pound into him. He ducked and dodged and parried and thrust, pushing himself to his absolute utmost. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes; his muscles screamed for him to stop, just for a moment, but he knew he could not. He knew that if he faltered for just one instant, he would die. And that knowledge pushed his body farther than he had ever thought it could possibly go.