Chapter Three
The Feast of Ascension
Disclaimer: See Chapter Two
The elven rider extended a hand to Jesse, who quickly lowered his eyes so it didn't look like he was staring, before taking the proffered hand.
The rider helped Jesse to his feet, before turning to the assembled riders.
'I think we can make Dorian's demand redundant, with natural ability like this one has, it's a disservice to us not to take him.' Said the elven woman in her musical voice.
This time all the riders and dragons voiced their approval.
Jesse looked down at the egg in his hands. He was rather disappointed too see it hadn't hatched.
He went to return it, but stopped in shock when a squeak reverberated through him, followed by a resounding crack!, as a long, gently curving horn punctured the egg near the top, followed by the horn's twin a few seconds later.
Jesse quickly placed the egg on the ground.
All the riders and dragons present paid rapt attention if they were conscious, or not otherwise engaged.
(Jarren and Kialandi were still fighting, when the egg had cracked, Kialandi had looked up sharply, and Jarren had used the distraction to trip Kialandi up; Jarren was now straddling Kialandi and pummelling him with both fists, and one of the riders who was watching had come to break up the fight, but he was in no great hurry.)
A series of thunks, followed, but nothing happened.
A few moments later, the dragon pushed it's horns out of the egg once more, and twisted.
There was another loud crack! and a large segment of the eggshell broke in a irregular shape, and the dragon pushed it's head out through the hole.
Many of the riders gasped in surprise, Jesse's jaw dropped open in shock before he snapped it shut, equally as quick.
The dragon, was like no other that any of the assembled riders and dragons,-some of whom had travelled to lands across the sea and far too the east,- had never seen a dragon quite like it,-although the ones who'd been across the sea and into the east, and returned certainly had heard of dragons like it.
It was the same lustrous grey as the egg it had lain dormant in for so long, but it had a blue-green hue to it, as well as a silver lustre, which balanced it too the same shade as the egg.
When compared to Jarren's, Sarah's, Kialandi's or any of the adult dragons around, it was striking just how different it was.
It was maybe half as long again as the other hatchling dragons, and had only the two long, gently curving, tapered horns growing from the top of it's brow, pointing backwards.
Instead of a row of spikes, it had a mane of dark grey-blue fur growing from the middle of it's brow, all the way too it's feather-like tail-tip.
It was more serpentine than the other dragons, who were looking at the hatchling curiously, while their riders simply stared.
It also had a mane like a lion growing from just behind it's horns, down to the back of it's jaw.
Its back feet were five toed, and akin to a falcons, while it's fore-claws were more like human hands, only a lethal looking talon sprouted from each finger tip in place of nails.
Its tail began to thin about a third of the way to it's tip from it's hind legs, which aside from the raptor-like claws, were surprisingly humanoid.
Its scales were small, and vaguely similar to the scales of a fish, and the scales of along it's underside were a slightly lighter shade of blue-green-grey as the rest of it.
And, to the confusion, and surprise of all who were watching, it did not possess wings at all!
The little dragon licked the membrane off itself, then began too unsteadily walk around, quickly finding it's feet.
It quickly sunk into Jesse's head that he had been right with his selection of egg,-probably why Dorian and Kialandi had tried so hard to stop him from touching it.
Jesse reached out touched the dragon's side with his right hand.
It felt to Jesse like he'd just been struck by a white hot bolt of lightning.
A blinding instant of pain, that originated in his hand, and rampaged like wild fire through his body, before converging in his mind into a single, blinding point, before exploding outward in a shockwave.
Jesse slumped backwards against a pillar, and looked dazed. Oddly, the little grey dragon had also collapsed.
Alarmed, Jesse sat back up and reached for it, then stopped.
A line of four oblong growths of bone had appeared on the dragon's snout, the smallest was just behind it's nostrils, and they got gradually bigger until the largest one was just below it's eye-line, and between them, the oblong had lines of scales between them, showing that the growths were a darker blue-green-grey than the rest of the dragon. All of the growths were on the top of the dragon's snout, and didn't extend down to the sides of it's mouth.
Similar growths had formed on the dragon's fore-legs: four equal sized, oblong growths had formed on the dragon's lower fore-legs, and a roughly oval one on each wrist from which four long, thin oblong's extended, roughly matching where the dragon's tendons were in it's fore-claws.
As Jesse watched, the little dragon stirred, and stood again shakily, supporting it's weight on it's fore-legs as well as it's back legs as it shook it's head as if to clear it.
Then it did something no-one had expected: It stood on it's back legs, supporting some of it's weight on it's long tail, and sprang into the air, and flew awkwardly onto Jesse's shoulder, using it's tail to steer.
It fell off Jesse's shoulder and squeaked in surprise, but Jesse caught it, only momentarily stunned at the wingless dragon's ability to fly.
'You are full of surprises, initiate O'Malley,' said a rider with a long, red-brown beard, rumbling voice, and scarred, muscled forearms, that he had crossed over his chest thoughtfully.
Behind him stood a bulky crimson dragon.
'That egg has stubbornly refused to hatch for over a thousand years; consider yourself honoured initiate.' Said the elven rider who'd saved Jesse's life, who'd been joined by her emerald and silver dragon, it's scales were a soft green, that belied the strength of the dragon's scales, and reminded Jesse of the rich green growth that all plants put out in spring, while the silver ones reminded Aragon of the she-elf's armour.
…Aragon… The voice was like that of a young girl, only slightly frightened.
It was like a brush of down against the side of Jesse's ear.
He ignored it.
A raging hunger gripped Jesse, it wasn't his own, but it did exacerbate his own hunger, and his stomach growled longingly.
The sound surprised Jesse.
The elf smiled in understanding. 'Now that all of you have been paired with a dragon, we will proceed to the feast waiting outside.' She said to Jesse, Jarren,-who sported a split eyebrow and cut lip,- Sarah,-who had blood trickling from her nose, but didn't seem to care,- and Kialandi, who'd come off worst in the fight, mainly due too Jarren pummelling him the way he had, he was sporting two black eyes, and a split eyebrow,- courtesy of Jarren, a split lip, and several scratches down his face,-courtesy of Sarah for the bloodied nose, and a badly broken nose that he'd received when Jesse had laid him out in the first place.
Two of the robed men who'd brought in the eggs, were in the process of putting Dorian in his saddle so Seithrena could fly him up to their quarters, and recover.
As they exited the hall, Jesse found himself beside Kialandi, who glared venomously at Jesse, with a look of pure hate, and malice.
'You aren't worthy of the honour, slum-brat, I'll see you expelled from the riders yet.' Said Kialandi.
Jesse smiled slyly. 'What was it like being beaten down by a pair of lower classers huh? A taste of your own medicine, so to speak, and by a girl especially?' Asked Jesse, not even trying to mask his satisfaction at the injuries that had been inflicted on Kialandi in the past hour.
Kialandi snarled in anger, and his dragon partner bared it's fangs at Jesse.
You don't know what you signed up for, hatchling. Jesse thought at the dragon, and Kialandi's eyes bulged in outrage, it was considered the height of rudeness to interfere with another's dragon, but Jesse was ignorant of the fact.
'It's the truth.' Jesse shrugged.
As Kialandi went to reply, the rider with the red-brown beard took Kialandi by the arm and walked him out of ear shot, but Jesse caught '-make more of a fool of yourself than you already have…', and drew his own conclusions.
He sighed and slumped his shoulders, and his dragon scurried onto them, and draped it's tail across them, while it sat on his right shoulder.
When Jesse looked up, he saw that Jarren and Sarah had joined him.
'Hello, thanks for your help back there, I appreciate it.' Said Jesse to both of them.
Jarren shrugged. ''bout time someone punched some sense into that arsehole's thick head, and it might as well have been me.' He said casually. His dragon was lounging in his arms, surveying the world with a lazy interest.
Sarah blushed light pink at Jesse's thanks. 'I'm the one who should be thanking you, Jesse O'Malley, you're the one who showed me that I should stand up for myself, and others.' She told him.
Jesse looked at her in confusion. 'I'm sorry?' He asked politely.
Sarah smiled. 'You attacked Kialandi and his stooges when they cornered caught me in an alley two years ago, you bashed one of his friends over the head with a board, then you got in a fight with them, I'm sorry I didn't help you.' She added hanging her head.
Now Jesse remembered why she looked familiar.
He'd last seen her running past one of Kialandi's unconscious friends, while Kialandi and two of his other friends kicked him repeatedly, after they'd got him on the ground.
He winced at the memory, then shrugged. 'Forget about it, I wasn't about to let him do whatever with a girl he'd baled up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Replied Jesse putting a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder.
She permitted the contact until they came to the door, then when they opened, Jesse removed his hand, by unspoken consent.
They came to the gates to the citadel, and one of the riders threw them open, and the revellers outside flooded in, and took places at the four tables that were set in the courtyard.
A fifth table, with seventeen places was perpendicular too the four other tables in the courtyard.
All the riders took their places at the table, and the dragons settled themselves around the courtyard, where great steaming sides of roast meat had been set for them.
At the rider's table, there was only fruit and vegetables, as per the custom of the riders.
As the feast went on, Jesse found himself finding out more about Jarren and Sarah.
Jarren was the son of the shipmaster on the Indomitable Spirit, a rather famous vessel, mainly because it was a hybrid: It was one of the fastest trading galleons that Alagaësia had ever known, as well as a formidable combat vessel.
Many a pirate had learned to their cost just how formidable the Spirit was the hard way.
Both Sarah and Jesse paid rapt attention as he detailed one trading trip to a foreign port.
'It was a lot like Tierm actually,' said Jarren through a mouthful of soup-laden bread.
'The only real differences, were the clothing, and the fact that they're a lot more religiously inclined than us.' He finished after he'd swallowed.
'Sounds like an interesting place,' commented Jesse as he fed his dragon a piece of chicken off a plate a servant had brought him. 'Maybe I'll go explore this land after our training is finished.' He said as he took a large bite out of an apple he selected from a basket between the three of them.
Then it was Sarah's turn.
She was the daughter of a smith and a seamstress, they weren't poor, but her parents preferred to live in the poorer parts of town, where rent was cheap.
Jesse shook his head in wonder. 'If you're that well off living in a poor part of town, you must have a helluva lot of hired muscle, otherwise you'd have thieves and robbers kickin' down your front door.' He said with a snort of laughter.
Sarah shot him a charming smile. 'That's true, but father didn't stint on security: He's patched up our house over the years, and he's paid more than one magician handsomely to put wards around our house to discourage thieves.' She said with a laugh.
'Besides, it isn't uncommon for mother to patch up the clothes of people who live in our part of town, or father to do metal work, so they wouldn't want to lose our favour, now would they?' She asked.
Jesse shrugged. 'There's always one idiot in every crowd, usually jealous, or spiteful, who'll stuff everything up for everything else.' He said, with such sincerity that Jarren and Sarah looked at him.
'What makes you say that?' Asked Jarren.
Jesse shrugged. 'I've had experiences with louts like that.' He said casting a sideways glance too where Kialandi was silently eating his meal, not talking to anyone.
'So, what about you O'Malley? What's your story?' Asked Jarren, as he fed his dragon a piece of chicken off the plate that was between the three of them.
Jesse shrugged. 'That's a damn good question, and the answer is, I never knew my parents, I got raised by the ward, but after I was accused of stealing something I didn't they threw me out, and I had to make my own way.' He said bitterly.
Jarren whistled. 'That's rough, how long ago was that?' He asked.
'About three years ago,' said Jesse scratching his chin.
'Do you remember anything about your parents?' Asked Sarah.
'No, all I got to remember them by was this,' Jesse pulled out an odd amulet from under his collar, it was pure silver, highly polished and carved in the shape of a flying dragon, coiled around a sword.
On the sword, was written: Du Ilumëo Ko Du Sùndavar Freohr.
'What's it say?' Asked Sarah curiously as she stared at the intricately wrought amulet.
'The Truth Is The Death Of The Shadows,' said Jesse calmly, 'I took this too one of the local mages, and he wanted to all but trade his shop for it, said that the inscription was from the Ancient Language, funnily enough, I knew what the engraving said pretty much from when it was given to me.' He said in a mystified tone.
They lapsed into silence again, and focussed on feeding their dragon partners, who were looking around curiously at the courtyard, as well as all the revellers.
The eagle-eyed among you might've noticed that the name of Jarren's father's ship has changed from Dominus Draco to Indomitable Spirit.
This is mainly for flavour reasons,-it just doesn't fit the context of Alagaësia.
I might resurrect the name in the future,-say in a crossover with Warhammer Fantasy or 40k,- but it just sounds a bit too Latin for this story.