So, I have found a flaw in my P/atreon plan to update this thing every other week on here: This fic is way too long for that to be even remotely plausible. By the time it ends on P/atreon, it'll probably take like a year for you FF people to get to that point. The once vs twice a week idea works much better for shorter chapter fics, I realized. So, I'm going to get started on my Team Sloth fic, "Five Summers," to be my patron reward, and will plan on making updates on "Wings of Dust" weekly for both sites. It won't happen right away. My current plan is to keep it twice a week here until Chapter 10 is posted on P/atreon. I'll have a good backlog on "Five Summers" by then. By my calculations, Chapter 6 and onward will be weekly here. Patrons will be five chapters ahead.
Now that my math-ing is over, let's move on to my recommendation for this week: The "Temeraire" series by Naomi Novik. It takes place in an alternate world during the Napoleonic wars, where all countries have a division of the military that rides on the backs of sentient dragons. Things like the rights of dragons in comparison to people, the outcast status of dragon riders, and the way dragons perceive society as opposed to their riders are all prominent plot points.
Anyway, enjoy!
Escaping the train was a relatively simple matter. It helped that Blake had had to jump from moving trains in the past for other White Fang missions. She simply had to wait for it to draw near a station and begin the process of slowing down. Then, holding the satchel close, she ducked and rolled into the grass. Though she sustained several bruises, she was mostly unharmed. The egg seemed fine, though it kept shaking at intervals.
Despite her current predicament, she felt exhaustion creeping up on her. So, she found a spot underneath a tree a good distance from the tracks, curled up around the satchel, and fell into a restless sleep.
Maybe an hour later, she was awoken by a sharp crack. She sat bolt upright, half expecting to see someone pointing a gun at her. Then, there was another crack, and she remembered the egg.
This is actually happening. Why didn't I steal a different egg?!
Helplessly, Blake watched the egg shake once. Twice. Then, another large crack went down its side. A bit of shell fell away as a snout peeked through. She saw the tiny horn that was on every dragon's nose at birth, but fell away once its job of piercing the egg was done. A thin, slimy foreleg pushed through, followed by the curious snout. Then, the dragonet extended its wings, pushing away more of the shell. Finally, it gave itself a little shake, causing the rest of the egg to fall around it.
There, sitting in a mixture of egg goo and shells, was a baby earth dragonet. Its scales were the same pine green color as its egg, and a scattering of silver flecks covered its back and face, looking almost like freckles. It had the distinct square jaw of an earth dragon, as well as the smaller wings and thick tail. When it looked up at Blake, a pair of pale yellow eyes locked on hers.
Don't get attached, Blake told herself firmly. It's an experimental egg. It'll die within a few hours. You can still leave the body at Beacon and run.
The hatchling took a shaky step toward her, letting out a quiet, pathetic chirp. It slipped on one of the shells and fell to the ground. The grass was wet with dew, and it shook its head, letting out a sneeze. The cold morning air caused it to shiver. It looked imploringly at Blake, chirping once again.
It'll die soon. Just let it happen. As Blake forced the thought, however, she felt a sudden sense of horror. That's exactly what Adam would say! It's also exactly what he'd do: let an experimental dragon die, so that he could use its body to serve his own purpose. Wasn't that what Blake wanted to stop?
Blake only hesitated for another moment before taking off her jacket and using it to pick up the dragonet. It huddled close, egg goo and dew still clinging to its scales. Blake wished she had some towels. Instead, she used one of her spare shirts to wipe away what she could. "Even if you're about to die, you'd might as well be comfortable."
The dragonet didn't understand her words. All it heard was the sound of Blake's voice. It snuggled close, trying to get as warm as possible. After a few minutes, it looked up, making a sharp, insistent barking sound.
Blake couldn't help but smile. "Hungry, huh?"
Another bark.
"Okay. Let's see what we have." Blake reached into her satchel. There wasn't much in the way of food, as she had been focused on carrying the egg, but there was some beef jerky in one of the pockets. Taking it, she took a large bite and started chewing.
Meanwhile, the dragon was trying to climb up her shirt, nosing at her face, squeaking eagerly.
Once the beef was well-chewed, Blake spat it into her hand and held it out to her new charge. The tiny creature immediately started lapping at the mush, finishing it within seconds and barking for more.
"Demanding little guy, aren't you?" It took five more chewed helpings of beef before the dragon was finally satisfied. Blake held it against her chest as its muscles relaxed and it fell asleep, still clinging to her shirt.
For a few minutes, Blake just sat there, stunned. There was a baby dragon sleeping on her. A baby dragon! Not only that, but it seemed strong, not like the sickly creatures that had hatched from some of the other experimental eggs. Then again, those hatchlings either died, or were culled by Adam. Maybe this is one that would have had to be culled.
The tiny creature stirred in its sleep, and Blake felt a hot flush of combined rage and determination. Well, he won't get you.
Still, she was faced with a new dilemma: What would happen when she got to Beacon? Leaving the dragon on their doorstep was no longer an option. The creature had bonded to her, and she wasn't about to abandon it. However, as she had previously determined, running away with it wasn't an option either.
You're technically an illegal dragon, she thought. If I take you to Beacon, they might kill you. Then again, they might not… Ozpin, the Head Dragonmaster of Beacon, had a reputation for caring deeply about the protection of dragons, and had been publicly against the mass culling of the hybrid elemental dragons made years ago.
Blake heaved a sigh. "I guess he's our only hope." Standing up, she secured her satchel and held her new charge close to her chest. "Well, we'd better get walking, unless you think you can fly me there."
The dragonet, of course, didn't reply.
…..
"Riding goggles, check. Riding shoes, check." Weiss looked between her gathered items and the list in her hand. She quickly made sure that her riding clothes and various-sized bridles and halters were ready. Those would be the most important things, after all. Of course, she also made sure that she had several outfits for classes and combat training, as well as a few casual pieces.
She paused to pick up her Scroll, which was giving her a live feed of her egg. She smiled as she looked at the shell, which was already starting to take on a paler hue. By the time it hatched, it would be various shades of white, light blue, and silver. And the dragon inside… Weiss sighed as she thought about it.
It will be the most beautiful dragon on all of Remnant!
Smiling to herself, she pocketed her Scroll and stepped outside to make her rounds of the stables. Looking in on the dragons always put her in a positive frame of mind, and she found that she wanted to be around them even more than before, now that the anticipation for her own dragon was building.
She walked through the breeding stables, pausing at the stalls of Number 7 and Number 12. Gazing at their strong builds and perfectly-shaped faces and horns, she was even more convinced that their egg would hatch into the greatest ice dragon anyone on Remnant would ever see.
Her final destination was Glacier's stable. She walked up to the hole in the wall and blew gently into it. A second later, a breath of mist came out and she smiled. "Hello, Glacier," she whispered.
A quiet snort sounded from the other side.
"I'll be leaving for Beacon soon. I finally have my ice dragon egg. I hope the hatchling grows to be just like you."
A low, keening noise replied.
Weiss frowned. "You almost sound like you're crying when you do that."
"He is."
A voice from behind her caused Weiss to jump, spinning around, eyes wide. Standing a few feet away was a stable hand. It took a moment to recognize the older, fox-eared man from the other day. Weiss quickly drew herself up. "What business do you have sneaking up on me like that?"
The Faunus bowed his head slightly. A calm smile was on his face. "My apologies, Miss Schnee. I'm just naturally quiet."
"Well, announce yourself in the future," Weiss snapped.
"Will do." The Faunus nodded toward the hole in the wall. "I'm gonna be patching that up. That's why I'm up here." He held up a small bucket of cement. "Looks like I forgot my spade, though. I guess you get a few more minutes." Turning, he walked back toward the supply shed. "I saw your dad walking around. You'll probably want to be gone soon. He was heading this way."
Weiss watched him go, still slightly shaken. He won't tell my father, she told herself. Besides, I already have my egg. Father wouldn't give it away over something like this.
Turning to the hole in the wall, she whispered: "Bye, Glacier. I'll try to see you once more before I go. Be good."
Another soothing puff of mist caressed her face, making her smile softly.
…..
"Soooo, which one are you gonna pick?" Ruby asked, watching her sister touch each of the eggs for what was probably the thousandth time. "Have you narrowed it down?"
Yang smiled at Ruby's excitement. "I'm stuck between the big one, and the one with the markings on the side." She ran a hand over both eggs. "I just can't believe it's gonna be mine. I've been waiting for this since I was little…"
At that moment, Taiyang stepped in. He nodded in approval when he saw his daughters checking the eggs. "Hey, you two. Why don't you take Quake and Tempest for their evening walk? I'll hold the fort."
"Sure, Dad." Yang walked over to Quake, taking his leather halter from the wall. "C'mon, boy."
Quake tossed his head and snorted indignantly.
Yang laughed. "Right, right. You're not a boy. You're a grouchy old man, just like your rider."
"Hey!" Taiyang grabbed his daughter by the shoulder and proceeded to noogie her. "Who're you calling old?"
Ruby watched the two, shaking her head fondly as she exited the egg barn. Dad and I are probably the only ones who can do that without getting murdered, she mused.
Tempest was already up and ready to go out. She met Ruby at the stable entrance, holding her halter in her mouth.
"Okay, gorgeous. Let's get this on." Ruby carefully put the halter on the dragon, adjusting and tightening the straps where necessary, before attaching a lead line and stepping back outside. Technically, the halter and lead acted as guides. If Tempest or Quake wanted to, they would easily be able to break away and fly off into the night. Thankfully, the Xiao Long dragons were perfectly trained and unfailingly loyal.
Yang emerged from the egg barn with Quake. "So, to the field and back?"
"Sounds good." Ruby tugged on the lead. "Let's go, Tempest."
The four walked through the grass, enjoying the cool night air on their faces. The smell of the pine trees that sat near the house seemed to be magnified and thickened by the darkness.
"Fall will be here soon," Yang said. "Think you'll be okay without me?"
"Of course," Ruby replied. "Just promise to write a lot. And send pictures of your dragon when it hatches!"
"I can just text you on my Scroll, you know."
"Yeah, but letters are more fun," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, they'll have your scent on them, so I can show them to the dragons."
"Eh, they won't miss me much. When you go, it'll be another story."
"Don't say that!" Ruby retorted. "They love you just as much as they love me!"
"That's not true, and you know it." When Ruby opened her mouth to protest, Yang waved her off. "Chill, Ruby. It was a compliment. I only need one dragon that likes me best, anyway."
Ruby frowned, but didn't say anything else, because the lead suddenly went taut. "Huh?"
Tempest had lifted her head and was staring into the distance, frills fully extended. A low growl rumbled in her chest.
Quake followed suit, nostrils flaring. "Fire," he muttered.
Ruby followed the dragons' gazes, eyes widening with horror. Smoke was rising into the sky.
"It's coming from the Violet Family Broodery!" Yang whipped out her Scroll, dialing the emergency number.
Tempest, meanwhile, grew stiffer. "Rrroo!" Her voice was urgent.
Ruby squinted, trying to figure out what Tempest was looking at. Then, she saw a brief, golden flash of a dragon swooping low over the broodery before disappearing in the darkness again. A burst of flame lit up one of the barns. "A fire dragon's attacking the broodery!"
Without stopping to think, she tugged on Tempest's head. "Tempest, mount!" The wind dragon lowered her head.
Yang's eyes widened. "Ruby, what are you- Hey, I'm by the Violet Broodery. There's a fire dragon attacking the- Ruby, don't you dare!"
It was too late. Ruby was already on Tempest's neck. "Tempest, run!"
With an eager hiss, Tempest bounded forward.
Yang cursed, closing her Scroll and pulling Quake's head down. "Come on, old man."
As Ruby neared the broodery, she could see a fight happening on the ground. On one side were the Violet family and their stable hands. On the other were several masked figures led by a fancily-dressed man holding a cane. An airship sat nearby. The masked figures were trying to get to the barns, the middle of which was on fire.
Ruby jumped from Tempest's back, trying to remember the battle commands she had read about. "Tempest, blow!" She pointed at the masked people.
Tempest inhaled deeply, letting out her breath as a gale that swept the people back. Only the man with the cane managed to keep his feet. When the wind died down, he actually chuckled.
"Hello there, little girl. Isn't that dragon a bit big for you?"
"You tell me. Tempest, grab!" Ruby pointed at the man.
Meanwhile, Yang rode Quake over. Seeing the masked people scattered, she grinned and jumped off, cracking her knuckles. "Quake, crush!" She pointed to the air ship.
Quake growled, but didn't move toward the ship. Instead, he focused his green gaze on the fires. An amber glow surrounded him for a moment before a mass of dirt and mud was lifted into the air. It hovered for a moment, then rained down on the burning barn, quenching the fires.
Yang faltered. "Yeah, that was probably better. Good boy, Quake." She noticed some of the masked men getting up. "Tell you what: You do your thing, I'll do mine." With that, she ran toward the nearest masked man, punching him in the face, and planted herself firmly in front of the barns.
The man with the cane, narrowly avoiding Tempest's claws, made a run for the ship. At that moment, the sound of beating wings came from overhead. The man took out his Scroll as he ran.
"We got a Rider!"
Immediately, the fire dragon appeared overhead, wheeling around, shooting balls of flame at the new enemy. A thin, powerful jet of water hit it square in the chest.
Ruby jumped onto Tempest's back again. "Tempest, gust!"
Obediently, the wind dragon started beating her wings, creating a gust that pushed the fire dragon back.
Meanwhile, the airship started up and took to the sky, the masked men scrambling aboard. Quake sent a rock hurtling toward it, but had to jump back as the fire dragon breathed a fireball at his head. Then, the enemy dragon sent out a cloud of smoke that quickly engulfed everything. By the time Tempest was able to blow it all away, the dragon and the airship were gone.
A thud nearby signaled the landing of the Dragon Rider. Her mount was a grim-faced, pale blue water dragon. The gills on its neck were opening and closing and its webbed paws scuffled irritably at the dirt. Its pale eyes held a glare that was mirrored in the gaze of its rider. The woman strode over, stopping to stare at Ruby.
Ruby gaped at the woman for a moment before hurriedly scrambling from Tempest's back. She stared in awe. "You're a real Dragon Rider…" she breathed. "Can I have your autograph?"
Behind her, Tempest rolled her eyes and let out a very human-sounding groan.
Like I said before, there will be some parallels between what happens in this AU and what happens in the canon-verse, but not too many.
I still have two open commission slots, if anyone's interested. Just PM me for details. If you want to show monthly support, and be further ahead in this fic, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!