The Ether-Knight's Lessons

7

.^^ European Dragon Archetypes ^^

— Idun —

Baby Dragons, it turned out, did not sleep very much, unless they had just eaten. This was news to me, but I didn't complain. His food was readily supplied, even in the middle of the field where we were practicing sword forms, (in full platemail, no less,) repetitively, for about two hours.

Next after that was just running, for an hour, in the platemail, and then more forms with a hefty Mace, on the end of a long shaft, standing in for a spear.

After it was over, we were allowed to remove the armor, and then sent back to our dorms, dragging our feet as we went.

The bath was occupied, by the time I got there, but I was invited in anyway, and I happily sank into the hot water, relaxing.

"When's your first class?" Eliza asked lazily, watching her new friend, who was paddling around in the water, happily chasing his little brother.

"45 minutes... I think I'll make it, if I know where it is..." I shrugged.

"You've probably got Etheric Draw... most people exempt out of that one within a few days. It's pretty easy." The blonde twin, (who I think was named Orissa,) said, and then swam casually over to a part of the pool that wasn't steaming at all.

"Is that a cold bath?" I murmured, intrigued.

"Yep. Perfect for cooling down muscles..." she nodded.

I sighed and finished up my bath, and climbed out reluctantly. "Well, I'm going to check on my little wards, you're welcome to come with. Has yours been fed?" I asked Eliza as the twins scrambled to finish their baths.

She nodded slowly, and shuddered. "A little Portal sent him a rather large Rat. It was... bracing."

I chuckled. "That it is, yes. Come along, it's about time for their next meal anyway." I dressed in comfy jeans and a tee-shirt, and then led the overenthusiastic women towards the grove of forest, where the dragons were flirting around a young Drake.

I blinked slowly. "Tell me you didn't place a Drake in my room without my knowledge, Syral? Or was it you, Archie?"

"I'm afraid that was me." Syral shrugged, leaning against a tree, nearby. "It needed a place to give birth safely."

"She's pregnant?" I gasped, and then whistled sharply at the Dragons. When they all screeched to a halt, I growled softly in their language. "Leave the pregnant drake alone! Scatter! It's almost food time, don't make me angry before then!"

They darted away from her, and congregated around me, wrapping themselves around me swiftly, and purring complacently.

I smiled. "Smart babies... anyway, meet my new friends, little ones. These are Orissa and Brigit. Be nice."

They cautiously sniffed the two women, and then the biggest of them, the only girl, bit down on Orissa's pants, tearing a piece of leather off, and chewing it contentedly.

I smothered a giggle and picked her up. "I don't know if that's safe for you! Don't eat people's clothes! It's very rude!"

Syral nodded. "She's fine, but they definitely shouldn't eat people's clothes. That would be a bad habit."

"Yeah, right?" I chuckled.

The dragon swallowed the leather, and then eyed Orissa's clothes again, only to pause and look into the woman's blue eyes, then slowly creep over to her.

She accepted the weight onto her arm, and watched the dragon carefully. "You're very cute, you know. I've never seen a dragon who is so multicolored, but I like it." She said softly, and tickled her little friends chin.