World of Dragon Riders: Book One

Chapter 3 - Trust

 "Wait... you-"

"Sensed the space-time continuum being torn apart, upon a dragon distorting it to create a portal towards another world. Am I right? It was you." Marine grinned, Sky gawped at the elder and Soren elbowed Lance when he sniggered at him. Marine's attention whirled towards Soren, who noticed and stood bolt upright. "SO! How'd you meet her Soren? Must've been a SHOCK. No pun, as far as I know Sky can't use lightning." Marine giggled.

"Oh 'cause you DON'T love puns! PLEASE!" Duststorm rolled his eyes. 

  "W-well.... umm.... I found her by the lakeside, she was passed out asleep. When she woke up she bolted upright into a sort of battle pose. Then the day after I found by the river underneath the bridge... then we were brought here!" Soren explained. Marine nodded, interested, and Sky nodded, agreeing the story was very much accurate. Soren decided to turn around and look around a second time at the School for the Riders. While the dragons talked behind him, Soren and Lance looked around at the riders walking upon wooden bridges, flying upon dragon-back in trust exercises, target practice, and a dragon and rider even decided to promptly prank another two.

"Lance, do you and Duststorm go there? To the school I mean."

"Nah, man! They only take in students on the application day! Don't get in then, don't get in till next year! Only humans have become riders so far, but that doesn't mean we don't train and get helped by other races." Lance points out an elf with the target practice rider, and a dwarf forging weapons in the blacksmith area with someone else's dragon to help.

"Oh... so how DO you become a Rider? I'm not from this world as you know." Lance thinks for a moment, then pulls out a scroll from his satchel.

"Says here. See? Dragon Riders normally found through a bonding with a dragon that lives at the school, or an egg from a dragon given to the rider to take care off. If you try to apply for the role of Rider, then they will see if any eggs choose you, or you get tested by an adult or teenage dragon... those tests are different depending on the dragon them self. Sky for instance, if she thought you worthy, then she'll test you! Fully strengthened bonds take years to stabilize but worth it in the end!" Lance nods, Soren nods though slightly amazed by the long explanation he was just given. Then something prods Soren in the back, so he turned and came face-to-face with Sky. He gulps, and she yawns and backs up a little.

"Marine tells me to test you... she sees something in you, and says we might become a perfect Dragon and Rider pair. You up to it? The test won't be easy, I'll say that." Sky yawns. Soren takes a moment to think, then nods slowly, still worried about this 'test' she had.

"Alright, Duststorm and Lance, come with okay? You can watch. Do you want to come Marine? Your idea, anyways."

"No, late for a healing session... can't wait to see your results you two!" She smiles, and jumps off the platform down onto the dusty earth. Sky snorts.

"Excuses." And crouches down and folds down her wing. Soren realises this means he should climb on, so he does carefully... and notices that she has a saddle on. Before he could ask where she'd gotten this, Sky and Duststorm had already taken off.

Sky flew west, towards a vast set of cliffs and canyons dotted with bushes and trees here and there. She landed swiftly on the highest cliff, Duststorm and Lance landed behind them a little further away from the edge than Sky. She unfolded her wing, and Soren carefully hopped off the saddle. He gasped at how high up they were, and backed from the edge.

"So, where are we?" He asks Sky, holding back a gasp. She cocked her head sideways and yawned.

"We're at the Red Canyons, this place is... well it's kinda of an obstacle course, copy?"
"Uh, Yeah."