Training
Chapter 2 - Assignment


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Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistancies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistancies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.
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"Are you nervous?" Romana Dennison asked him.

David thought about it. Was he nervous? He thought back to the all-consuming fear that he had had when he was first assigned to the Skybacks Corps. It wasn't the same. Now, in its place, was a tense excitement. To his own immense surprise, he was actually looking forward to facing the unknown.

"I don't think so," he replied to her as they sat down with their trays in the noisy mess hall. "I think I'm actually looking forward to this. Which is, you know, a big deal for me."

Romana grinned. "You're finally getting your wings at last. Good for you, David!"

David smiled and bit into a large chunk of bread. It was evening mess, and they would be revealing the new White Squad partners for the Cadets in the evening announcements. The young riders were nearly quivering with repressed emotion, mostly excitement. David could tell that Romana was tense as well. That didn't surprise him. She had been working towards this her whole life. Why shouldn't she be excited?

"Does the mess hall seem more crowded than usual to you?" he asked her, looking around. In addition to a greater press of bodies, the noise level was also louder. They didn't quite have to shout to be heard, but it was a big change from the room where normally loud whispers often carried to the next table.

Romana smiled. "The White Squadron is here, which they very rarely are. There aren't actually a lot more people. Mostly it's just the nerves that's making everyone talk louder. It's infectious."

"The White Squad is here already?" David looked around and sure enough, he caught glimpses of white uniforms here and there; mostly it was no more than just a flash from the corner of his eye, but they were here.

For all their celebrity, the White Squad was rarely in Canyon City. They were too highly in demand. Few of the Cadets knew much about them, though the older riders often traded stories of their exploits. David hadn't heard too many, but he knew that Romana had.

Romana grinned. "Isn't it great? We get to train with the most elite Squad in the whole Corps. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be placed in the White Squad?"

"No kidding," said David. "You probably will, I imagine. Not me though. I'll be lucky to make Red."

Romana grinned and poked him playfully in the arm with her fork. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're a brilliant flyer. I'm sure you'll make Gold, at least."

David was flattered. After White, Gold was the second highest ranking Squadron.

"Anyway," said Romana, "hurry up and eat. We want to be ready when they announce our partners."

They ate quickly and in silence for a while. When they finished, they sat impatiently in their seats, waiting for one of the Squadron leaders to stand and read the evening announcements.

"Wouldn't it be amazing to be paired with the White Squadron leader?" Romana asked in a starstruck whisper, causing David to have to lean very close to hear her. "I mean, it'd be like, training with the best Skybacks rider in all of Dinotopia!"

"I had no idea the Squadron leader actually participated in the training," David admitted.

Romana nodded emphatically. "He does. So does his second-in-command, Altara Atennon. I've seen them fly too, and they're amazing! He-"

But whatever else Romana had to say about the White Squadron leader, David never found out. At that moment, Captain Oonu stood and walked to the small raised Dais at the front of the cafeteria, causing everyone to fall silent.

David fidgeted nervously as the Cadet leader first read through some routine announcements: patrol assignments, cleanup duties, a few safety warnings that had to be reiterated because someone had been pressing the rules. Then finally, he came to it.

"Now, I know you've all been waiting to hear them, so here are the White Squad partner assignments for the Cadets. Cadet Connely, your partner is Evard Grifthon. Cadet Muran, your partner is Avon Terrota. Cadet Milleson..."

David watched as one by one the Cadets stood and moved up to the dais, where they were met by a rider in a white uniform who then walked them out of the cafeteria. He grinned at the starstruck and flushed expressions on the faces of some of the Cadets. They clearly felt they were in the presence of celebrities. Which was true, David admitted. You couldn't get much more famous in the Skybacks Corps than the White Squadron.

They were nearing the end of the list. David knew he would be last. He was last on the roster, right after Romana. He had been since he joined. He didn't mind; it was comfortable going last.

"...Cadet Dennison, your partner is Altara Atennon."

David watched as Romana's eyes widened. She was so flushed that he thought she might burst a blood vessel in her face. She stumbled to her feet, then paused, collecting herself, and marched to the front of the room. She was beaming like he had never seen before and David saw an answering grin on the face of the beautiful raven-haired white-clad woman who came to collect her.

Finally it was his turn.

"Cadet Scott, your partner is Sebastian Kowar."

David stood and walked to the front of the room, unable to contain his own grin. From the other side of the room, a white-clad rider rose from his seat and stepped forward to meet him. As they both reached the dais, David got his first look at his new partner.

The man was unbelievably handsome. His hair was very light blond and wavy, coming down to just about the level of his chin, and creating a halo about his face when the light shone from behind him. Warm brown eyes looked out of a face with features that were just the tiniest bit too strong to be termed effeminite, complete with a warm smile that reminded David of Marion. Under his uniform he appeared to be well-muscled, but not bulky. All in all, David decided, he was the type of man who probably broke hearts without trying.

David liked him immediately, without being quite sure why.

Sebastian put a companionable arm about his shoulders and steered him towards the exit. "Well then, so you're the famous David Scott, huh? I heard about your flight back from the temple with the sunstone. That's really impressive!"

David flushed slightly at receiving such praise from one of the white riders. "I just did what had to be done in the situation."

Sebastian grinned as they stepped out into the cool night air of Canyon City. The glow from the sunstones bathed everything in a pale white light. The evening was always when the city looked the most beautiful, David mused.

"Well," said Sebastian, "we'll set out tomorrow for the site where we'll be training. It's pretty much in the wilderness, but I've camped out there before and it's comfortable enough. Tonight though, why don't we introduce the birds?"

"Birds?" David raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, sorry! Skybacks." Sebastian smiled again, looking slightly sheepish. He never seemed to stop smiling. "We're supposed to be teaching you to be all proper and military, right? Sorry. I'm afraid to say that I'm not very good at that. I'm just used to being loose. I know it's different for you cadets, training under old Blue Beak, but he just wants you guys to be professional."

"Wait a minute... Blue Beak? You mean Oonu?"

"It's an... affectionate name for his bird. Haven't you noticed the Blue Beak?"

"I have," David admitted. "Does Oonu know that you call his... bird... that?"

Sebastian looked thoughtful. "He might. Not sure. Anyway, here we are."

They had reached a cliff looking down onto the Skybacks roosts. Sebastian raised his hand in the gesture used by riders to call their steeds to them. After looking at Sebastian for confirmation, David did so as well.

Freefall came to the cliff edge at almost the same time as the other Skybacks did. David looked in awe at the immense creature standing next to his own steed. His skin was an unusually light gold tint, and his crest was orangish at the base, melting gradually into a bright red at the tip. David had no doubt that when the sunlight hit him, this Skybacks would gleam like a sun himself.

"Wow," he breathed, "he's... beautiful."

Sebastian patted the Skybacks on his wing, clearly proud of his steed. "Don't act too impressed. He's an incredibly vain creature. David, I'd like you to meet Cliffdiver."

David bowed respectfully to the Skybacks. "Breathe Deep, Cliffdiver."

"Fly High," the Skybacks responded in Saurian.

David moved next to his own mount, looking up at Freefall. Even after all this time, he still hadn't gotten used to the thought that this creature was his partner. The bond they had was too amazing.

"Mr. Kowar, Cliffdiver, this is Freefall."

Sebastian shuddered playfully. "Call me Sebastian. 'Mr.' makes me feel old. I'm not that much your elder, you know. And Breathe Deep, Freefall."

"Fly High," Freefall murmured.

Without consulting each other, the two Skybacks lept off the edge of the cliff at the same time, rocketing straight down before evening out into a smoother flight.

"You bird's pretty handsome himself," Sebastian said softly as they watched the two dinosaurs fly off.

"That's nice of you to say," said David, "but I know I'm probably the only one who really thinks so. He's albino, so he's an outcast, like me. It's why we get along so well."

"Oh I don't know, I think he's very handsome. If Cliffdiver likes to think he's like the sun, then your Freefall is definitely the moon. Very elegant." Sebastian turned to look at David. "Very beautiful."

David looked up at him, slightly startled. "I, um... thank you."

There was a strange look in Sebastian's eyes. It was there for only a moment, but it left David feeling profoundly unsettled.

"Now," said Sebastian, either not noticing or ignoring David's sudden inner turmoil, "you best get some sleep. It will be a long flight out to our training ground tomorrow."



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