Hey guys, here is the next chapter of this fanfic. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.

Anyway, enjoy the read.

Chapter Cover: Elassan sleeping upon the ground with Aesyr leaning against his large form as he was looking up at the moon.

Chapter Four

The Girl and the Dragon

Aesyr noticed the astonished looks upon the two that were in the room with her. She knew that her story would be quite unbelievable to hear. Never before in recorded history has the Dragon chose to teach anyone their magic before and for them to teach a human…

"Lord Elassan chose to teach you?" Helen asked, surprised.

She nodded.

"He did," she said, "I don't know why he chose me…they were many other strong candidates in the room with me as well, however but he chose me…"

"That's where Elassan was for the past years since he left," Ellis spoke out a light frown upon his features.

Aesyr glanced at him, feeling curiosity running through her.

"Did you know when he left Atlasia behind?" she asked.

Ellis shook his head.

"No, I don't think even I was born when he did," he said, "I have only heard people speak about him in conversation and there was this temple built in his honor in Dragmount…that's how I knew of him."

"It could be that war in Fiore you mentioned," Helen said, "I heard stories from long ago about there used to be Dragons all over the world and even in Atlasia…For someone to be able to learn the power of the Dragons… I can't even imagine it."

Aesyr let out a small smile.

"I couldn't believe it either when I first heard Queen Irene made the announcement…however, it was possible and if something like that could have saved our country and our way of life…I would have chosen it."

Ellis glanced at her.

"Well…did you?"

Aesyr smiled.

Flashback

It was a normal day out in the wooden area where the Silver Dragon told me to meet up with him so that we could start my training on learning about the magic of the Dragon. I still couldn't believe that I was actually going to learn such a magic…

A sudden gust of wind drew my attention skyward as a large shadow flew down from the sky. I stared up toward the Dragon with wide eyes. The sun was shining from his scales and it seemed to almost glitter as the large creature came to land right across me. Elassan then turned his attention toward me letting out a small huff.

"I hope you have packed everything you need for this training," he said.

"Well…I got the essentials at least," I answered him, "We're not staying here in Dragnov?"

"The training I have in mind will be destructive," Elassan spoke out, "I doubt Lady Irene will be pleased to see us destroy her capital when learning to battle against a Dragon. However, there is a place I found that is going to be perfect for me to teach you without disturbance."

I nodded at him.

"I see…then how are we going to get there?"

Elassan leaned down.

"Get on, we'll get there quicker if I fly us there."

My mouth dropped in shock.

"We…We'll fly there?"

"Yes…now get on."

Picking up my jaw from the floor, I made my way toward Elassan and climbed up upon his scale back. Despite the silver color of his scales, his back was actually quite warm…almost to a scorching degree. Something I didn't see while I was on the ground were the small spikes that were growing from his lower back and all over his back.

"Comfortable?"

"I…Think so," I said, gripping the scales.

"Then hang on."

Those were the only warning I have gotten before the large dragon took off into the sky. Doubling the strength in my grip, I held on for dear life as the two massive leathery wings batted on either side of me with my eyes closed, praying that I won't fall. However, Elassan leveled within his flying and wind were now rustling through my hair.

Then I opened my eyes taking in the sight that we were flying in the clouds. Breathing heavily from the shock of what had just happened, I glanced around myself seen nothing but clouds and the blue sky all around me. Chancing a glance toward the ground, all I saw where the passing trees below that resembled blade of grass given just how high we were. My eyes were round with amazement as I took in the sight that I was seeing.

A sight that I was seeing flying on the back of a Dragon.

"Woah," I whispered shocked.

Elassan must have heard me for I saw he turned his head to look toward my direction out of the corner of my eyes but I wasn't looking at him, my attention was upon the amazing sight that I was taking in. After an hour of flying, Elassan started to lower down toward a part of a forest which had a large lake beside it. The Dragon came down upon the ground shaking the earth beneath him and then I descended from his back.

"You'll teach me here?" I asked him glancing at the Dragon.

"Yes, get ready I have a little time to turn you into a force that is strong enough to battle against a Dragon and win," he said.

"Why?"

"Belserion feel like they would be an attack in seven months," Elassan spoke out looking at me, "He is hardly wrong in these matters. We feel like the Dragons will gave that push that will destroy any hope for us."

"I thought that the battle was in a stalemate?"

"It won't be forever," Elassan said with a light huff, "We don't know just how you humans will react to learning our magic…or if it is even compatible. Lady Irene was able to but she is an Enchantress…her magic gave her an edge…you however, you're not…thought I am sure you can use magic."

I frowned lightly.

"I…mostly use magic items," I told him, "Like a magic sword and other stuff…but I don't have a magic of my own"

Elassan let out a soft hum.

"Then we can use your magic as a base…at least, we won't start at completely zero," he said crossing his large arms seating upon it's back legs, "Now then, Aesyr, yesterday Belserion told you my name but my full name is Elassan, The Silver Flame Dragon."

I blinked.

"Silver Flame?" I repeated, "You're a Fire Dragon?"

"Most Dragons are elementals in the magic we are born from," Elassan answered me, "Now the way you are going to learn to use my magic is to use the Ethernano within me and combine it with yours. That will help your body to adapt to my magic in a way as we start the lesson."

I blinked, confused.

"Can I just learn it normally?"

Elassan let out a small hum.

"If such magic could be learnt so easily…don't you think people would have done it already?"

I crossed my arms.

"I see your point," I murmured, "I am ready to learn."

"Hold out your hand," Elassan spoke out.

I did as he asked and then the Silver Dragon did the same, his clawed hands suddenly filled with magic causing the area around us to hum lightly with the magic. And then, a single shining orb of magic flew out of his palm and aimed straight toward me, falling within my hand.

"This is the First Step we are going through in learning to use my power Aesyr," Elassan spoke out, "Learn well…"

And that was how my magic training begun under Elassan's teaching. The magic was nothing like I ever felt before as he combined his magic with mine which allowed me to use it and learning on how to control the magic. It was quite a shocking experience to feel the changes that were done to my body during the months of the training.

My hearing has gotten sharp, that I could heard from across the forest and even my sense of smell grew stronger as well able to take the many smells of the forest around me quite well. I mentioned the changes that were happening to me to Elassan when I first noticed them and he sound like he was expecting it.

"I told you before, the magic is changing your body to be more like a Dragon," he said, "It's just something you are going to have to get used to be able to do now…I must say, for the past four months…you have gotten good at using my magic but there is a way to see if you are truly ready to battle against a Dragon."

He stared down at me.

"You will fight against me with all your strength understand," he said, his eyes showing how serious he was, "Do not hold anything back."

I nodded at him, feeling a little excited at the notion of fighting against a real life Dragon thought I was apprehensive as well, but this is what he was training me for.

I can't hold back at all when we fought.

"Is that the best you've got?"

I was bleeding in many places I stood in front of the Dragon who was looking down at me with calm eyes. In the many months I spent with him, I can now distinguish the emotions that were within that gaze of his. He looked almost disappointed as he was staring at me.

"Is that the limit of your resolve?"

I couldn't answer him at all.

"You are still too weak for this power…," Elassan spoke out, his tone hard, "I would have believed after so many months of training and given how much you've grown, you would have been able to give me a good fight despite being human…but then I guess…you don't have enough resolve yet."

I didn't say anything. What could I say in that moment? Given all the months that I have been training, I thought that I would have been strong enough to fight against a dragon even if it was just training and yet…fighting against Elassan today showed me just how wrong I was…

It showed just how big the gap was between men and Dragon.

Was I even progressing at all?

"We will stop here for today," the Dragon spoke out, "Go take care of your wounds and rest up."

I simply nodded at him and Elassan took off to the sky, probably to hunt or get something for himself to eat. I walked toward where I had my tent, feeling disappointed and completely at lost at what I need to do.

Night had fallen when I was done taking care of my wounds and even as I laid in my coat, I couldn't sleep at all. With the thoughts running in my head about my training and what I needed to do, I couldn't rest so I stepped out and made my way toward the large lake that was not too far away from us. The moon was out in the sky, bathing everything in a silver light.

I took a seat upon a fallen branch looking out toward the calm water, staring down at my hands. They were calloused, not very feminine at all. These hands were not the hands of a delicate girl…but the hands of a warrior and yet, how can I be one when I can't even fight a Dragon?

The familiar sound of Elassan's footsteps drew my attention toward him for a moment but I returned my gaze toward the water again.

"I would have thought you'd be asleep by now," the Dragon spoke out.

I shook my head.

"I couldn't sleep," I answered, "Too much on my mind."

The Dragon let out a soft hum at that.

"On nights like these, one could almost forget there is a war going on," he mused softly.

A silence settled between us as I didn't answer him, too much things going on within my mind. Was I even worthy of being given this power? Did I even progress at all? Is the Queen going to be disappointed I wasted the chance she had given me?

"Why didn't you refuse that day?"

The sudden question startled me out of my thoughts. I looked up toward Elassan who was staring down at me with a curious look in his gaze.

"That day?" I repeated, not getting what he was angling for.

"Back when I chose you to learn to use my power," he asked, "You could have refused and no one would have thought any less of you…but you didn't, why is that?"

I turned my gaze away from him, looking back at the water. Despite the months we've spent training together, I had never once revealed to him what had happened to my village.

But maybe it's time to tell him.

"My village was attacked by Dragons," I answered him, "I was…about six years old at the time when it happened. I sometimes have nightmares about what happened back then…Ace and I were the only survivors found over seven hundred people….only two little children… I thought that if I learned to use your power, I could have done something to avenge their deaths…but our battle made me realize just how unattainable that goal is…"

I can feel tears falling from my eyes.

"I hate them for taking my family away from me…so why is it that I can't progress at all?"

"I am also a Dragon from the West," Elassan spoke out.

I suddenly looked at him shocked at the revelation.

"What?"

"You are not the only one keeping secrets Aesyr," he said and I swore he had a sad smile upon his features, "Do you hate me now? For being the same as the one who took your family away from you?"

I stood up from where I was seating looking at him with wide shocked eyes. Elassan was from the west as well but how come he is so…friendly with humans. All I have heard about the Dragons of the west was that they hated humans and thought that they were nothing but pests or vermin.

"Why don't you hate humans then?"

"I don't really mind them," Elassan said with a light shrug of his wings, "Sure I am not saying that every human is good, but I have never really minded their presences at all. Where I am from, I have made many friends among the humans there…. thought I doubt many are still alive today."

I blinked.

"How come?"

"I doubt any humans can live past a hundred years," the Dragon said softly, "I was planning to head back when Belserion contacted about the situation here…I wonder how much it had changed in my absence. Thought it never stopped fascinating me at how quickly humans can change. As long lived as I am, I still find myself learning about them and it made me realized that us Dragons are no different than the humans…both intelligent species trying to make our lives in the world."

"Then…why does the Dragons want to kill us?" I asked.

"Arrogance mostly…," he said, "And with the powers that we have, it's quite easy for a Dragon to completely dominate the place they're in, if so willing. It's so easy for that power to corrupt even the oldest of us…"

I looked down at the ground.

"And I never said that you were weak Aesyr," he told me.

I looked at him, shocked at the revelation.

"What?"

"You have my power within you…and you've grown quite a lot from when we first started this training," Elassan continued, "And like I said earlier…you lack resolve. You said that you wanted vengeance against the ones who took your home from you and yet, while you may hate them, you don't have resolve yet."

"Then how do I find my resolve?" I asked.

Elassan let out a hearty chuckle before looking at me dead in the eyes.

"Then let me ask you Aesyr Assan…What are you fighting for?"

That question plagued me for days as the training resumed. What was I fighting for? Wasn't it already obvious? I was fighting for Dragnov…for Queen Irene to make sure that there was a future for our kingdom in this terrible war we've found ourselves in.

Yet, something inside of me told me that wasn't the case.

And I didn't have time to figure it out at all…

"Elassan,"

The voice drew both our attention toward the direction it came from. It was another Dragon who had come to land where we were training. Elassan turned his gaze toward the Dragon with a confused look upon his face.

"Darthmir, what are you doing here? Did something happen?"

Darthmir was a green scaled dragon, smaller than Elassan's form probably younger as well but the panic that was in the dragon's voice drew both of our attention.

"It's bad…the Dragon from the west…they are going to attack again."

Elassan was surprised and even I was shocked.

"What? But I thought we had another month till they attacked?" I said approaching the Dragon.

"The words came from Belserion himself," Darthmir said, "He said we had to move out with the humans we were training. It's time to fight."

Elassan stayed silent for a long moment, his eyes looked thoughtful for a few moments before he spoke out.

"If Belserion think they will attack earlier than expected, then we have no choice but to head out to the battle," he said, "It will seem we'll be heading into battle sooner than I expected. Go and tell Belserion that I will come back quick."

The Dragon nodded before taking off into the air leaving the two of us behind. I was shocked at what we had just heard. If the Dragons are going to attack much sooner than we expected, then the people that were trained by Dragons like me…we'll be heading into the battlefield…

"Be ready Aesyr," Elassan said drawing my gaze toward him, "We head out to war tomorrow."

Soon to be heading to war...

Next Time: The End of the Beginning.

Jacques0 out.

R&R