Today was finally the day! The day where the Mythics Fair comes to visit our town, our village.
What is the Mythics Fair, you ask?
Well, it’s a special event. Many magical creatures lie inside of this event. All sorts.
Not only that. The kick to the event: All fourteen year olds could get a creature, as their familiar. People above fourteen could go as well, but you could only have one familiar.
But you didn’t choose the familiar. It chose you.
I was so freaking excited. I was already jumping around happily despite it being sunrise.
Our village was a quaint, peaceful one. Huts and decent technology. Our village survives on mining and farming, mostly. It was a pure grassland with wild animals.
The bell of the village rung. It meant that work was starting. Normal work. Immediately, I pushed open the door of the hut.
Farmer Molan was on his usual journey to feed his farm animals. Cows, chickens, goats. Beside him strutted Shopkeeper Yula. Shopkeeper Yula was the wife of Farmer Molan. She sold the farm produce. Cheese, milk, meat, vegetables, fruits.
Shopkeeper Yula wore a plain blue dress, her hair tied into a tight bun.
“Shopkeeper Yula!!!” I called. People in our land were addressed by their profession, before their name.
She turned. Her face broke into a warm smile.
“Oh. Aria!” I didn’t have a profession, so I was called by my name.
“I have some leftover milk for you, and some leftover fruit. You can pick it up after the fair.” She smiled, her rosy cheeks become popped out.
“Thanks! Shopkeeper Yula.” I bowed slightly, to show my respect. I was smiling. One less meal to worry about!
Excitement bubbled within me at the mention of the Fair. I wanted my own familiar as well!! What would it be? A powerful, majestic dragon? Dream on. I smirked at my own wild imagination.
A unicorn? No. Griffin? No. Usually, villagers and peasants like us would get the less powerful creatures, mostly to help us in our profession. Like dogs, who were intelligent, helpful for farmwork.
Or even beautiful birds, which could spot prey from miles away, good for our hunters.
What would I get? I didn’t even have a profession. I was a child. A mere 14 year old girl. A girl with hazel brown hair and blue eyes. I liked my blue eyes. They were a beautiful shade of midnight blue.
Skipping across, I greeted Bookshop keeper Rughua.
He was a wise old man, with round spectacles, hiding a face of wisdom and stories. He was a great storyteller.
I loved to listen to his tales of Dragonkeepers. Or Unicorn bearers, sometimes Griffin riders. The stories of Dragonkeepers were always the most majestic and great. I smiled as I remembered one particular story. It was about a young Dragonkeeper, Dragonkeeper Aaron.
A man so handsome all the girls of the land would swoon over.
A man muscular and tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. It was a dream come true for any girl.
And his dragon. A majestic dragon.
Imagine the biggest dragon you have ever seen. One, whose body rippled with muscles, covered in scales.
The scales were a shining gold. A gold dragon. A rare kind, a Sun dragon. It breathed metallic gold fire. Beautiful and deadly. It could burn through anything. It could make a man disintegrate within seconds under the fearful flames.
Its claws were sharp, and were of a pearly white.
Its wings, leathery and huge. The tips of its wings were silver. When it flew in the sun, its scales shone, with a tiny silver spark. It was truly a Sun dragon.
Its eyes, sharp and a light shade of amber, could see far, very far, twice the vision of normal humans.
The horns that lay on its forehead were pearly white, to match its claws. They were curved, almost like a deer’s horns, but far more beautiful.
The sword that the man carried was a special kind.
It was a treasure, a sparkling silver sword, with a gold handle to match the dragon. The weapon of a Dragonkeeper was bestowed by the dragon. It was summoned, from the depths of the mythical world, and brought to the hands of the Dragonkeeper.
My eyes shone as I remembered it. I could visualize, Dragonkeeper Aaron, riding on his dragon, slaying dangerous monsters and saving people. Ah. Such glory. Such fame.
It was still hours before the fair actually started. Unable to keep still, I dashed towards the lake.
The lake was a pretty thing, with aquatic plants floating on it. When the sun’s rays hit the surface of the water, the water shimmered, looking like discs of gold, glittering.
It was always beautiful, with schools of fish swimming within, and other organisms in the clear waters. Water lilies floated on the surface of the water.
As I strolled to the lake, I could hear the crunch of stones and pebbles from beneath.
But something was amiss. There was no usual chirping of happy birds. No cricket noises. It was dead silent, except for my footsteps.
Curious, I wandered deeply, pushing away some foliage which was indeed, the entrance to the lake.
A mouth touched the water, making waves ripple across the surface.
As my eyes scaled up, I gasped instantly. Golden scales. It was…a dragon. My jaw dropped and my heart seemed to stop.
White claws stood at its legs.
Its amber eyes were looking at me.
Fear darted across me. It was huge. Much bigger than what I imagined. But, it was really beautiful.
But…if the dragon was here, where was the Dragonkeeper, Aaron?
Fancy seeing them here in such a place. They were like legends!!!
But it made sense. The Mythics Fair, he was probably here as a special guest.
Still, I never knew up close, the dragon was so breath-taking and beautiful.
I heard footsteps touching the ground.
“Ah. And I thought I could have some peace without stalkers.” My eyes widened and my jaw dropped further, almost reaching the floor. (Of course, in a figure of speech)
Dragonkeeper Aaron. My breath was caught in my throat.
Seeing him in real life was much more handsome than anything I had imagined.
Blond hair fluttered at the top of his head. His fringe dangled on top of his forehead. He was smiling. His blue eyes held a friendly look.
“I-I-I didn’t mean to.” I couldn’t help but stutter. I looked down, knowing staring was rude.
“What name does this pretty maiden in front of me have?”
“M-my nam-I-I mean, I’m A-Aria. Aria Lyore.” I tried not to stutter, but my voice just refused to flow smoothly.
I was starting to break out in nervous sweat.
I gulped.
“My dear Aria. No need to be nervous. Just treat me like a normal person.”
His sword was tied to his waist.
“A no-normal person? But you’re a dragonkeeper!!!” I exclaimed.
“It’s nothing but a mere title.” He pointed out.
“But-” I swallowed back the words.
“Aria, what a pretty name. Tell me, what brings you here?”
“I-I always come here, to this lake. It’s beautiful.” His voice was quickly setting me at ease.
“Are you going to the fair later?”
“Yes, Dragonkeeper Aaron.”
“No need for formalities. Aaron is fine.” I couldn’t take it. Adding the profession in front of the name was respect.
“Well, what do you hope to get?”
“A dragon, of course. It has always been my lifelong wish.” It blurted out without me being able to stop myself.
“What do you know about them?”
“They only hatch when they feel the presence of their Dragonkeeper. Their wings don’t develop until about 2 years of age and their claws become fully sharpened at one and a half years. Each dragon has an element, and bestows a weapon to the Dragonkeeper. The dragon also enables the Dragonkeeper to have special abilities.”
I quickly stopped myself from droning on and on.
“Yes.”
His dragon snorted softly, bending its head, wanting to get pet. Dragonkeeper Aaron smiled and stroked its snout.
“Do you want to pet him?”
“Re-Really? You’ll let me?” My eyes widened.
“Yes.”
Tentatively, I reached out. I was quite afraid of his sharp, let me correct that. Razor sharp teeth.
“He won’t bite.”
Comforted by that, I touched the tip of one of the dragon’s many scales.
It was smooth, like glass, like a newborn’s skin. It was such a strange sensation. It was hard, yet soft and smooth.
A smile broke on my face. I was grinning stupidly at a first touch of a dragon.
“Do you want to ride him? He likes you.”
I remembered. Dragonkeepers had a mind connection with their Dragon.
That was insane. Me? Riding famous, legendary, handsome Dragonkeeper Aaron’s dragon??? I gasped.
“It’s fine. He lets you.”
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. If I missed this chance, I wouldn’t get another one.
I was embarrassed, slightly at Dragonkeeper Aaron’s gaze.
But I wouldn’t let this chance go.
I climbed on top of the dragon. The bones’ structure was perfect for a Dragonkeeper to sit on.
I remembered reading about them in books. Riding dragons. All the Dragonkeeper had to do was to, or a rider, was to gently tap the dragon’s neck, for lift-off, and guiding the dragon using touches of the hand in the specific direction.
Cautiously, I reached out and tapped the dragon’s huge neck.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron’s POV
This girl. She was a natural at flying, at riding. She was perfect on turns, and was steady.
She’s really gentle
Talon’s voice. He smiled, at the casual assessment of the girl’s flying abilities.
She seems perfect for the role as a Dragonkeeper.
Yes. I responded the mental connection.
Her brown hair flowed behind her. She was definitely enjoying the ride. She was barely afraid of heights.
After a while, Aria landed back at the lake.
She jumped off, exhilarated by the experience.
“That… was insane. So cool.” She, in her excitement, tried to catch her breath.
I smiled. Rides were always delightful, even to me. The feeling of the air blowing at your face. The gentle flaps of the dragon’s wings. The quietness, despite the wind.
After chatting with her for a while, I left, to help in preparations for the fair. I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait to see if there would be a new Dragonkeeper, and whether Aria would be one.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fair was amazing. I had no other words to describe it.
“Welcome, children. Today is finally the day where you get your familiar!!!” A man stood on a wooden platform.
“First up, we will have a tour of the many familiars that you can get.”
We were led to the enclosures.
Creatures of all kinds filled the place. Unicorns. Griffins. The most majestic were the dragons.
Their scales shone under the lights. Each dragon was different, a different colour, different horns, different talons and claws. Even different wings. Some wings were feathery and bird-like. Others were like bat-wings, which were the most common.
“Unicorns have different coloured horns.” A voice behind me stated.
I turned.
Olyrir Getro, my best friend since childhood. He had raven black hair and striking green eyes. I loved his eyes. But no, he was not my romantic interest, and it would stay this way. He were just best friends.
“Really? Fascinating.”
“The rarest horns are the pearly-pink ones. Those are the most powerful, and most rare, obviously.”
“Wow. You found your animal yet?”
“Nope, but I hope I get a unicorn.” I could sense longing in his voice.
I hope I get a dragon, I thought to myself.
I stared longingly behind the wooden fence, where the dragons lay. I could already see the crowd gathering. Everyone wanted to see the dragons. I smiled smugly at myself. I had ridden Dragonkeeper Aaron’s dragon!!! People would die for such a rare chance. Even seeing the dragon was lucky enough.
“On your right are the Insecuites.”
I turned. A really huge millipede-like insect stood in the enclosure. The thousands of legs wiggled, creeping me out. Yuck!
After the tour, we proceeded to a room for a briefing, before the Opening begins.
The Opening was when all the fences and barriers holding each creature was released, and each creature would find their own master.
“Rule one, do not force a familiar to take you as a master. Rule two, do not harm any familiar. These are the basic rules you have to follow.”
“When a familiar finds you, you are expected to sign up for the specific schools to learn to bond and take care of them.”
“Lastly, do not be disappointed at the familiar that you get. All will be revealed in the future, where answers will be revealed.”
Excitement flooded me, like water flowing from an open dam.
“On the count of three, the Opening will start.”
“One.” A drop of sweat rolled down.
“Two.” My heart thumped.
“THREE!!!” I screamed, along with the crowd, as the fences were lowered.