Of Ashes and Wind

Written in the Skies

Phoenix's Name Day came during a weekend.

Valyria and Wren opened up their home to all of her friends and new classmates. Ryosuke had brought along his usual crew plus another.

The second dragon rider with the midnight purple hair and equally sharp topaz look. The other beastmen Wyvern riders didn't share the same gaze, rather their eye colors were no different than the variety associated with humans.

Phoenix met the man and learned that his name was Touya, a man about the same age as her father so Wren got along nicely with dragon rider. Theoden came along and brought his own gryphon mount, which prompted the tamers to make a hurried rush for their mounts back at the Institution.

Phoenix sternly told Ryosuke to keep his guys in check and ensure they didn't tear up her home. The Beastman Prince promised he would, Touya merely sighed and muttered an apology to Wren and Valyria. Kieara had shown up and was polite to keep her distance respectable from Ryosuke, especially when Touya was in the room.

Ryosuke grew impatient with these 'proper customs' and eventually wrapped a sure arm around her shoulders while steadily holding Touya's gaze.

The older beastman merely raised a brow at the sight, though a flash in his eyes meant that he had a question for the prince later.

Fredrick showed up with Natasha and the cake that Natasha had baked. Phoenix looked at the cake and gave a giant hug to her friend.

Natasha held a look with Kieara and the two disappeared outside for a bit to talk. Fredrick simply sighed at the sight, but he continued on with a smile once Arthur and Galen walked in with more gifts for Phoenix's seventeenth Name Day.

Orion was wide eyed at the appearance of Beastmen, and then ran outside when a whole group of wyverns and a gryphon came to roost in their yard that was quickly overcrowding.

"Send some of them to skies for now!" Phoenix yelled at the riders, half of them complied while the other half had a sheepish look on their faces.

Valyria and Wren went to work cooking up a feast, but Galen and Natasha refused to let the two do all the work. When Phoenix came into the kitchen, she was promptly kicked out and told to go enjoy herself with all the guests that came out for her.

Theoden finally introduced his gryphon mount to Phoenix, Quicksilver. The beast was a fine specimen, young, and Phoenix could tell that he still had a lot of growing to do, but the gryphon was of great size. Already bigger than the gryphons found in Brilux. That much was apparent when Arthur recounted his flight together Theoden.

There was a look in his eyes, "Get up there, Nix." Theoden crossed his arms, his elven eyes gleamed like a blooming summer rose.

Phoenix shook her head, "I'm fine," She reached out her hand to pet Quicksilvers plume.

"Why not get up there with Orion?" He tried again, this time her younger brother was bouncing around at the notion.

"I..." Phoenix thought back, the last time she flew was with Lionheart's final flight. Since coming to Brilux there was never an opportunity to fly.

But here was Theoden, practically trying to toss the human on his mount.

The notion was unheard of.

"It'll be fine, as long as Theoden is here then Quicksilver is okay." Arthur tried.

But there was something unspoken in Theoden's eyes, the same unspoken look that was in all of the beastmen's eyes.

How they all knew of her Mark and wished to see a rider who had been blessed by the skies.

Phoenix looked around, she tucked in her tunic into her trousers and tightened her belt, "Just for a bit, come on Ori." She beckoned her little brother.