Happy Dragon Tuesday, everyone! Ready for some more dragonet-bonding goodness? Awesome!
Today's dragon recommendation is a book I just finished reading. It's part of a YA trilogy, and is called "The Girl at Midnight" by Melissa Grey. There aren't any dragon-dragons, but there are draconic people, as well as bird people. Did I mention that there's a gay dragon/bird relationship in this? Because, honestly, that's what has me the most invested in it right now. I always need more gay dragons in my life.
Anyway, enjoy!
Neptune had been all set to fake being sick on the first day of elemental training. A reminder from Sage that there was no way he could do so every day for the next four years made him grit his teeth and walk to the water arena with Nymph in his arms. "Today, you're going to realize just how terrible your choice was," he sighed.
Nymph rubbed her head against her partner's chest, purring contentedly.
As he drew closer to the arena, he fell into step with one of the other students he had met on the first day. "Hey. Ren, right?"
"Yes, hello," Ren replied, slightly distracted as he tried to hold Ao Guang still. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
"I'm Neptune, and this is Nymph." Neptune laughed a little as Ren's odd-eyed dragon started barking. "Feisty little guy, huh?"
"He certainly is," Ren groaned. "Guang, settle!"
Ao Guang tilted his head, then started wriggling all over again. Then, he realized that there was another water dragon nearby and started to chirp excitedly, trying to get over to Nymph.
The two allowed their dragonets to sniff each other. Guang barked happily while Nymph continued to be the picture of prim indifference.
When they got to the arena, they saw that a small section had been closed off. In that section, listening intently to her Scroll, was Weiss Schnee. Her ice dragon sat at her feet, looking curiously up at her.
She probably doesn't have to get wet, Neptune thought mournfully as he looked at the rest of the arena. Half of it was taken up by a long pool. There were also recreations of other wet areas, such as a pond and even an artificial marsh. He thought back to the time he had almost drowned in Mistral's bogs as a kid and shuddered.
Ren noticed this and frowned. "Are you okay?"
Neptune grinned shakily. "You, uh, don't think we'll have to go into the water, do you?"
Before Ren could answer, Nautilus flew overhead, landing calmly in front of the lined-up students, pale eyes passing over each pair with an air of superior indifference. Glynda Goodwitch slid promptly from her dragon's back and approached.
"Water dragons are considered by many to be the most difficult to train," she began immediately. "This is because most people must accustom their dragons to only two terrains: the ground and the air. Water dragons must learn this, as well as how to navigate in various bodies of water. Oftentimes, Water Riders are the first line of defense for ships transporting goods or passengers, as most of these crafts cannot hold dragons, making it necessary for Riders to swim or float long distances."
Neptune shivered yet again. He winced when this caused Glynda to look at him.
"What's your name, and what's the name of your dragon?" she asked as she approached.
"Uh, I'm Neptune Vasilias and this is Nymph."
Glynda examined Nymph for a moment, nodding slowly. "You have a good dragon. Why do you seem so skittish?"
"I, uh…" Neptune blushed as he felt the eyes of the other students on him. His fear would become obvious soon enough, so he'd might as well be honest. "I'm scared of the water."
There was a loud laugh from one of Team CRDL's members, a boy named Russel who held a growling gray-blue water dragon. A few other people snickered. Ren was decidedly silent.
Glynda shot a frosty glare in the direction of the other students, effectively shutting them up, before turning back to Neptune. "If that's the case, I suggest you learn to master that fear as quickly as you can. Nymph chose you for a reason. You will be a Water Rider, one way or another." She gave him a small smile. "I've known several Riders who are afraid of heights. Yet, they are able to fly just as well as the best of them, some even better."
Neptune felt his back straightening. "You…really?"
Glynda nodded. "Yes, so don't worry. It may take time, but you will pull through." She went down the line to Ren, raising an eyebrow as she looked at his dragon. "Yours is certainly spirited."
Ren managed a forced smile. "Yes, ma'am."
"Keep being patient with him, and he should become more mellow over time. I'd recommend exercising him more during the day."
Ren nodded. "I'll do that."
She checked the other dragons, including Russel's, who was a female named Barracuda, before announcing that a water-based obstacle course would take up most of the day. "Lie Ren, why don't you go first? Let your dragon run a bit. Have him do a lap around the pond, swim down the pool, and walk through the swamp."
Ren bowed his head before approaching the course. He wondered why there was a pond as well as a pool. Wouldn't both teach a hatchling how to swim the same way? He was answered when he released Ao Guang into the water and saw a plant immediately wrap around the hatchling's ankle.
Ao Guang yelped and started to thrash, splashing algae-filled water everywhere. His head went under the water and he instinctively inhaled, only to start coughing. Then, he was out of the water and in his partner's arms again. He whined as he cuddled against Ren's chest, still coughing out mouthfuls of green water.
Glynda was frowning. "Strange," she murmured. "Use of the gills is supposed to be instinctive. Try again."
Ren stroked his dragonet's back. "Steady, Guang. Just paddle." He put the hatchling back in the water. Thankfully, Guang anticipated the plants this time and was able to focus on paddling with his flat tail. However, he kept his head above water.
When Ren took him to the pool, he was pleased to see Ao Guang adapting quickly, using his webbed paws to paddle while gently swishing his tail. He reached the end easily and shook out his scales. In the fake swamp, he had the hardest time. He wriggled a few times, causing mud to get all over his face, but managed to swim through, keeping his neck stretched out.
When they approached Glynda, however, she was looking at the dragonet with furrowed brows. "Bring him over here."
Ren took Ao Guang to one of the drying tables, where Glynda dumped a bucket of water over the hatchling, washing away the mud. When the water went into Guang's gills, however, he started coughing and tossing his head, clamping them tightly shut.
"I see…" Glynda sighed. "That's a problem."
"What?" Ren asked, felling a surge of panic. "What's wrong?"
Glynda knelt down and carefully cleaned out Guang's gills before examining the slits closely. "It seems that his gills aren't functional."
Ren's heart dropped, and he suddenly knew exactly how Jaune had felt when Twiggy had been unable to get out of her egg. "He won't be culled, will he?"
Glynda stood up, shaking her head. "Not if Ozpin can help it. Remember, he allowed your teammate's runt to live." If this was any other school, however…
She knew that most schools culled defective dragonets, unless there was a therapy barn willing to take them in. Adult dragons that were badly injured or deemed to be too fierce were treated to the same fate, except for the fact that the cage fights were often an option as well. Not in Beacon, however. Ozpin wouldn't stand for it, no matter how often the Council of Dragon Affairs breathed down his neck about it.
Ren let out a sigh of relief as he picked up his still-soaked hatchling. "It's okay. We'll teach you how to hold your breath, like a dolphin or whale."
Glynda smiled. "I admire your optimism. Why don't you let him rest?" She turned to the rest of the students. "Neptune Vasilias and Nymph. You're next."
Neptune gulped audibly as he carried Nymph over to the pond. For a selfish moment, he wished that she had been born with a gill defect. That would at least make it so he wouldn't have to deal with the water as much. Then, he mentally smacked himself. She's totally healthy and you should be happy about that! Just chill, dude. It's not like you have to get in the water this time.
He placed her in the pond, shivering as the green water touched his hands. "O-Okay, girl. Do a lap for me."
Nymph, like Guang, struggled a bit, but when her head went under the water, her gills immediately opened and closed, filtering the water through as they were meant to do, her head fins pulsating in time with her breaths. She dove beneath the water, her shimmering scales barely visible beneath the algae.
She remained underwater, causing Neptune to grit his teeth nervously. Were her gills still working? What if she got caught on a plant? What if something was in her gills and she was under there, unable to get out-
Her head popped up across the pond from him. She chirped happily, then ducked back under again. When she resurfaced, she was right by Neptune, who patted the ground next to him, not quite wanting to reach into the pond. "Forward."
Nymph climbed out, tilting her head up at her partner. He seemed nervous. Why?
Neptune patted her head. "Good girl." He carried her over to the pool, where she immediately dived down, splashing him with her tail. He flinched. The water ran over his lips and he tasted salt.
When they got to the marsh, Neptune placed Nymph down and backed away. He could still remember the feeling of brackish water flooding into his mouth and lungs. Just the smell was enough to churn his stomach. Would water like that even be able to filter through a water dragon's gills?
To his relief, Nymph made it to the other side, though her scales were decidedly less shiny than before. Neptune picked her up and carried her over to the table, where Glynda dumped a bucket onto Nymph and instructed him on how to clean out the gills before returning to the other students.
As one would expect, the following students had varying ranges of success. Some dragonets breezed through the course while others thrashed and struggled and others refused to even try. Barracuda was one of the thrashers.
After class, Glynda took Neptune aside. "Future lessons will involve getting your feet wet. The arenas are open twenty four hours a day, in case you wish to get some practice in without your fellow students scrutinizing you."
Neptune nodded, glancing nervously toward the saltwater pool. Would he ever be able to reach a point when he'd be able to go into the water without having a panic attack? Maybe if he had Sun around to help… "Thanks, ma'am."
He caught up with Ren outside the arena. "So, your leader's dragon's a runt, and now this. JNPR's looking like the underdog team of the year, huh?" Noticing Ren's expression, Neptune coughed. "Sorry. Wasn't trying to be a jerk."
"I know," Ren replied. "I can tell when someone's being malicious. You were just trying to lighten the mood." He held Ao Guang close, even as the dragonet started pawing at his shirt, begging to play. "You're not wrong, though. We now have even more of a disadvantage than before. At least Freya and Titan are perfect…"
"Is any dragon perfect, though?" Neptune wondered. "I mean, Nymph's only flaw so far is that she sucks at choosing a partner, so I'm not one to talk. Still, I've always heard that dragons are really similar to people, so they all probably have disadvantages, right?"
"That's true," Ren said. "At least this is one that can be worked through." He glanced at Neptune. "I was going to take Guang to the play pens to tire him out. Would you and Nymph like to join us?"
Neptune grinned. "Sure!" As they walked toward the socialization area, he asked: "So, what does Ao Guang mean anyway?"
Ren smiled. "Well, there's a story my parents used to tell me about four dragons that turned into mighty rivers…"
…..
Weiss awoke the morning of the first elemental classes to an email from Glynda Goodwitch telling her to take Specter to the closed off corner of the water arena, as a lesson had already been prepared for her. Another email had arrived from Winter, which contained several video attachments titled "Lesson 1," "Homework 1," etc.
Apparently, Winter had volunteered to act as a temporary teacher during the elemental lessons. In the meantime, she would be sending Glynda notes about ice dragons until the professor felt ready to monitor Weiss properly.
Looking at the emails, Weiss realized for the first time that her father had never really made any plans to help her with her ice dragon. He hadn't talked about how the team dynamics would change with an ice dragon rather than a water dragon. He hadn't told her how instructions would differ. Weiss had just assumed that the necessary arrangements had been made. Now, looking at the hasty emails from Glynda and Winter, she realized that nothing had been done except for informing Ozpin that an ice dragon would be housed at his school.
Fuming a little, Weiss fed Specter and gathered her things. There was little conversation between the members of Team RWBY this morning, as they were all hurrying to get to their classes on time.
Ruby, however, did not shirk her morning ritual of saying hello to all four of the dragonets. On the first day she had done this, Weiss had tried to pull her away from Specter, but then saw that her ice dragon didn't seem bothered, so she didn't say anything more about it. It was important for the dragonets to like the other humans on the team, after all. Every morning since then, Ruby would greet each dragon and kiss its snout. Specter seemed to like her, Pit tolerated the attention, and Fang always growled sharply and snapped at her face. Storm, of course, would leap into her arms, purring like a scaly kitten. It was rather adorable, if Weiss was going to be completely honest.
Yang was almost the complete opposite of her sister, losing her temper at her dragonet almost immediately and unceremoniously shoving him into that satchel of hers. Weiss honestly wondered if such an angry person was a good fit for a fire dragon.
Blake seemed to be having an easier time than anyone else. Then again, Pit had had more time to bond with her, and was a little more mature than the other hatchlings. Weiss couldn't quite put her finger on why, but she had a feeling that Blake felt uncomfortable around her somehow. She wasn't sure if it was because of a fear of Specter, or what else it could be.
Honestly, even though it had been a week, she wasn't completely sure where she stood with any of her teammates. Most of the past few days had involved establishing and maintaining a bond with their dragonets. She knew that group lessons with the different teams would eventually follow, and couldn't help but wonder what the team dynamic for Team RWBY would ultimately be. Ruby was the leader (and Weiss honestly wasn't sure what Ozpin had been thinking in making the youngest of them their leader). How would she lead? How would the others interact on the battlefield?
Pushing these thoughts aside, Weiss walked alone to the water arena, spoke quickly with Professor Goodwitch, and went to the corner that had been set aside for her, opening the first lesson from Winter.
The video showed her sister in full Atlas military gear. In the background, Weiss could see the mighty ice dragon Steele. His scales were a pale silver color, and his eyes were a deep ocean blue. He sat on his haunches, head held high, frills attentively perked.
Winter started without preamble. "Having an ice dragon is nothing like having a water dragon. That isn't unusual, as all elemental dragons are different from each other. However, the point I'd like to emphasize is that an ice dragon replacing a water dragon on a team will cause your team to be completely different from any other at Beacon. You will need to learn to control your dragon's abilities, and how to compensate for the lack of a water dragon on your team."
Weiss felt her heart sink. There really was a lot that her father hadn't told her.
"Ice dragons are unique in that they can endure subzero temperatures. Their claws and fangs are deadlier than those of a fire dragon, and the spikes on their tails can be utilized as a very useful weapon. There is also their frost power. Like how a fire dragon can both breathe and radiate fire from the scales, so can an ice dragon with cold energy. Your dragon is not ready for that just yet, so we will begin with basic melee."
Weiss nodded, looking at Specter, who was staring at the Scroll curiously, as if he was trying to figure out how there was a person inside it.
Winter caused the camera to pan out, so that it was easier to see Steele. "We will begin with the claws. Steele, right slash."
On the video, Steele took a step forward, slashing at what looked like a giant chunk of ice with his right paw. He cut the chunk cleanly in half.
"Your professor should have provided several ice blocks for you. Demonstrate your command by running your nails over the ice, then give your dragon the order. Pause the video until you get it right."
Weiss nodded and hit pause before looking at Specter. His ghostly black eyes blinked attentively at her. "Okay, Specter." She walked over to one of the ice blocks. She held up her right hand and swiped at the ice with her nails, wincing at the feeling. "Right slash." She pointed at the ice.
Specter chirped and tilted his head.
"Right slash." She demonstrated again, then patted the ice block in the same way she would pat the ground when ordering him forward.
Slowly, Specter walked over. He looked at the ice block, at Weiss, then back again. Slowly, he raised his paw and ran the claws over the ice, leaving thin gashes in the surface. He yelped, then started to lick the cold water from his paw.
"Good boy, Specter! Wait, no-" Weiss yelped, then groaned as Specter, liking the taste of the cold water, tried licking the ice block. She was now staring at what should have been a miniature version of a truly majestic creature, except for the fact that he was gaping in confusion as to why his tongue was stuck.
Specter tugged, whined, tugged, and whined yet again. His tongue wouldn't move!
Weiss watched helplessly for a few seconds, before the dragonet was thankfully able to take his tongue back. He shook his head, whimpering.
"I'm so glad no one saw that," Weiss sighed. "Let's try again. Right slash."
Specter scratched at the block, right at the spot where his tongue had been stuck, and hissed. He looked so much like a sulky child, that Weiss couldn't help but giggle a little.
She unpaused the video, only for Winter to immediately say: "Also, if your dragon gets its tongue stuck, don't worry. The temperature will even out, and it will be okay in a little while. When it snows, expect it to eat a lot of it."
Weiss couldn't help trying to imagine Steele or Glacier getting their tongues stuck to a block of ice. The image was decidedly amusing.
"Anyway, you can now continue teaching it to slash with the right and left claws. Next will be its tail attack. Its spines won't be developed until a year from now, but it is prudent for it to understand the maneuver ahead of time." Winter turned toward Steele. "Steele, tail whip."
In the video, Steele swung his tail at the ice, causing chunks to fly all over the place. One obviously hit the camera, because there was a jump cut to the next scene. "Teach your dragonet this by lightly tapping its tail against the ice, then demonstrating with your hand. Pause the video here."
Weiss obeyed, then turned to Specter, who was making funny faces while trying to regain feeling in his tongue. "Specter," she said, causing him to snap to attention. She felt a surge of pride at this. "Tail whip." She tapped the end of Specter's tail against the ice, then smacked it firmly with her hand. "Tail whip," she repeated, patting the ice.
Specter slashed at the ice.
"No," Weiss said firmly. "Tail whip." She tapped his tail again, then the ice.
It took several minutes before Specter touched the tip of his tail against the ice.
"Good boy!" Weiss said. She smacked the ice. "Tail whip."
This time, Specter smacked the ice block firmly. Then, he winced and started to whimper.
"Oh, did that hurt?" Weiss asked, bending down to pick up the ice dragon. "I'm sorry. It's something you need to learn. You're such a good boy," she cooed.
Specter snuggled against her chest happily.
When the video came back on, Winter said: "Don't let your dragon whine about its tail being hurt. Ice dragons are incredibly dramatic, based on what I've seen."
Weiss blinked, looking down at Specter, who now seemed decidedly smug. She placed him back on the ground immediately, almost letting out a full laugh at the obvious pout on his muzzle.
"The last thing you will learn today will be a bite attack. If done right, the dragon will lash out like a viper before drawing sharply back. Observe." Winter snapped at Steele. "Steele, bite."
Steele lashed out, neck snapping to its full length as he bit at the air, then abruptly drew back.
"It will be harder to demonstrate this move. However, dragons are intelligent. What worked for me was to touch Steele's jaw, then mimic the act of biting both with my mouth and my hand."
Weiss obeyed, feeling a little silly as she bit at the air. "Specter, bite." She demonstrated with her hand after tapping his jaw. "Bite." She bit the air again.
Specter slowly opened his mouth and closed it again.
"Good boy. Bite!" Another mimed bite.
Specter blinked, then snapped firmly at the air, stumbling a little with the force of it.
Weiss nodded in approval. At least he was quick to understand. "We'll work on that. Good boy."
She turned the video back on. "By this point, it should be almost time for your lesson to end. Practice more until you are dismissed, and demonstrate to Professor Goodwitch at the end. She will report to me." Winter's expression took on the slightest smile. "Don't be discouraged. You are more than capable of handling the extra challenge involved with owning an ice dragon. My last word of advice is to not listen to Father. He honestly knows nothing, and I would have Glacier taken away from him if I had the power to do so."
Weiss gaped at this sudden, blunt statement.
"Until next time," Winter said, nodding her head once before the Scroll went dark.
Weiss smiled at her sister's usual, brusque manner. "Until next time," she murmured. She looked at Specter, who seemed tired from all this new exercise. "We will need to demonstrate once more before we leave, so don't fall asleep yet."
After the water lesson ended, Professor Goodwitch approached Weiss. "I was informed by Winter that you were to teach Specter how to slash with his claws, use his tail, and bite. Please demonstrate."
Specter did perfectly with the claw slashes, though his tail strike was a little ginger and his bite still caused him to stumble.
Glynda nodded. "She said that the claw slash would be the easiest, and that the others would take time. Good job." She smiled gently at Weiss. "Once I have learned more from your sister, I will be able to assist you better. I'm truly sorry that the necessary arrangements weren't made. I thought that your father had spoken to Ozpin, and Ozpin thought he had spoken to me."
Weiss pasted on a prim smile. "It's no trouble at all, ma'am." In her head, she was using several unladylike words to refer to her father.
"Very good. You are dismissed."
As Weiss walked back toward Beacon with Specter, she noticed several other groups of people with various dragons. She looked at her own partner, the only ice dragonet currently at any of the schools, and suddenly felt incredibly lonely. Her elemental classes would be mostly solitary, robbing her of the chance to get to know more of her fellow students. It looked like the group lessons would be the only times when she would really be working with anyone besides the professors or her sister's videos.
She shook herself. I've survived without the company of my peers for this long, and I have Specter now. I'm perfectly content. Nodding once to herself, she walked back toward the dorm, wondering what Winter's homework assignment would be and when she would study for Professor Oobleck's next written test on dragon anatomy.
I'm really happy to be doing this AU, because it allows me to explore things that really weren't explored in canon, such as Weiss's sense of isolation and Neptune's aquaphobia. I really hate that his fear of water was basically used as a one-time joke. Phobias are serious, okay? I have a phobia of wasps and bees that has kept me from venturing outside on certain days in the past. I've been able to slowly work on my fear of honeybees, but I know that I'll never be able to even look at a photo of a wasp without my heart starting to race. Having Neptune overcome his fear will be a big part of his character arc here.
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!