NanoWrimo 2018

Chapter One

Amalira

Fine chains of gray scales grew from my head. Gray a very normal color for a Dracomuar but for me hopefully this would be the last time I saw Gray scales in the mirror. My wings twitched. What if no Dragon chose me? I had spent over a year preparing for this moment but had I stood out enough to gain a Dragon's attention?

“Ama, relax,” my sister Zena laughed as she walked into the room. Her own scale chains were dyed purple. Everything else about her was gray and would be forever. Against her long black leather dress an amethyst sparkled, no burned. There was a fire trapped in the gem, by her I assumed. “You haven't been around to see it,” she smiled “I'm officially a Jeweler,” she stepped back and placed her hands on either side of the gem, violet flames flowed out of it to form a tube of fire between her hands.

“D-do you think I m-might,”

“Slow down and relax,” Zena whispered as the flames vanished back into her necklace. “No matter what happens Ama, Mom and Dad will be proud of you and so will I,”

I swallowed “Zena, I wish you had at least tried to go through the training,”

“You understand why I didn't,” she sighed.

“Based on your emotions when it came up k-kind of,”

Zena nodded “It doesn't matter right now. What matters is you and this moment,”

“W-what h-happens i-if I am ch-chosen,”

Zena shrugged “I assume you'll be trained by one of the older Bonded not Mom or Dad,”

“I-I m-mean b-between us...” I dropped my mental shields allowing my ability to sense other's emotions free.

“That is up to you. We'll still be sisters, nothing will ever change that,” she stood calmly but her emotions were more excited.

“B-but I-I'll l-live...”

“You'll live twenty times longer than I will,” she ran a hand through my scale chains “don't let my life dictate yours,” I sensed pride more than anything and knew it was for both of us.

“Time to go, we don't want to be late,” she smiled as she walked out of the room.

I mentally shielded myself caging my emotion ability again before following her.

Zena was hovering outside the entrance to our home waiting for me.

I flapped my own wings using the air and aether to push myself off the ground.

We flew to the very center of Dracomuar Isle where every Dracomuar in the world was gathered.

“Pay no attention to the crowd, focus on Mom and Dad, or Havli or Ahvrin.” Zena instructed.

“W-what about y-you?”

“I'll be somewhere in the crowd we want you to ignore,”

I swallowed and flew towards the opening in the center while Zena disappeared into the crowd. Our parents were standing with the other Bonded.

Havli and Ahvrin stood behind them in their natural Dragon forms.

More Bonding Hopefuls arrived as I landed.

The sun was now at it's highest in the sky.

Calikus, the eldest living of the Bonded flew to the center. His green scales glistened in the sun “Welcome all on this day the fifteenth day of the sixth month, the year fifty Thousand in the Bonding Era. Today we celebrate the five hundredth Bonding Ceremony,”

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“These young ones have been prepared for this moment, however not all of them will be Bonded. There will be no shame, you have all done well making it to this point. For those who are chosen, no color is less than another, no element is inferior. The potential is up to you. This year there are five Dragons seeking to Bond” he pulled a parchment from his bag and continued to hover as he read: “The first Dragon, Feriz has chosen Hakru,”

Hakru stepped forward and was greeted by a small green Dragon.

“Only five,” my mind whispered “there are a hundred of us...”

As Feriz and Hakru met in the middle Calikus and Narila another Bonded who was also green formed balls of gas in their hands.

Calikus held the green gaseous orb in one hand the scroll in the other.

“Alika has chosen Serila,”

Alika was red and as they met in the middle alongside Feriz and Hakru several of the Bonded including Dad summoned balls of fire in their hands.

“Gariz has chosen Yanrik”

Mom and several others among the Bonded formed orbs of ice as the white dragon met his new partner,”

“Haliz has chosen Urnik,”

Hanin, Galira, and Yenu summoned orbs of acid in their hands as the black dragon met his partner.

I closed my eyes, there was only one more left to announce. I had as much of a chance as the other ninety-five.

“Kirma has chosen Amalira,”

My eyes snapped open as I stepped forward to meet the small white dragon.

The rest of the bonded who had not yet summoned elements now summoned their own orbs.

I assumed this was because it was the end.

I cautiously lowered my mental cage and focused on Kirma. She was excited and focused on something very strongly.

The rest of the Hopefuls flew into the crowd.

“Before you can officially be Bonded you must take a vow, both you and the Dragons.”

I took a deep breath as my wings trembled.

Kirma continued her intense concentration.

“Once Bonded you will have powers that few of our people have, do you promise to use those powers to protect our Society?”

“I do,” we all said in unison.

The Dragons' voices had an echo quality to them.

“Do you promise to those powers to advise our society?”

“I do,”

“Do you promise to put the lives of all Dracomuar before all other people?”

“I do,”

“Do you promise to serve in the best way deemed for you?”

“I do,”

“Behold the new Bonded,”

Cheers and claps rose around us and I caught a violet flame beside a green one.

The Bonded extinguished their elements.

The other Bonded took flight and the five of us followed them to an an island of black rock. A large opening was in the middle.

The Bonded flew into the opening.

“Allow yourselves to glide down,” Catlicus' voice echoed within the hole.

“Or you can dive,” Nikira a Blue Bonded spoke just before she and the large blue Dragon Tavlia closed their wings.

Kirma nodded and closed her wings speeding down.

I swallowed as I couldn't see bottom of this hole. My wings trembled as I closed them to follow my Dragon Partner.

The other four Bonded followed in dives as well.

My Parents also dove.

Calicus was the last to glide down. “This next part is one all of you are sworn to secrecy. You can not tell anyone what transpires here ever. Not even your Unbonded family members,” he looked at all of us in turn “both parts have been prepared as best they can be. No Bonding is the same. It will be a unique experience that you will remember, not just for what it gives you but for what it means. Feriz, Hakru come with me,”

Hakru groaned as he and Feriz followed Calicus into an alcove. A large stone rolled across the entrance.

After several minutes we heard screaming.

Kirma nuzzled herself against me as I trembled. She was nervous too and for a brief moment I saw rainbow flicker across her scales.

The stone rolled away Hakru stepped forward with his new green scales glistened. Another Dracomuar stepped up beside him also with green scales, Feriz.

Calikus and Zirku followed them, Zirku was now in his Dracomuar form.

Ralira one of the Red Bonded called Alika and Serila to her and they walked into the room.

There were more screams and some laughter.

“I will remind you that no Bondings are the same,” Calikus said as the new red Bonded emerged with their mentors.

I glanced through the Elder Bonded of which there were thirty-seven Bonded sets ranging in age from Calikus who was two-thousand nine hundred nineteen years old to Mom who was one hundred and thirteen. Most were white or red. I focused on the whites after all Kirma was white so my-our mentors would be too. Would they allow Mom to train me?”

Yenu took Haliz and Urnik to the alcove.

We heard nothing until they emerged.

“Amalira, Kirma come with us,” Nikira ordered.

I blinked there had to be some mistake, Nikira was blue how could she teach me how use ice.”

I glanced at Kirma. Still having my emotional sense free I could feel shame, of what? She was also excited. She followed after Nikira and Tavlia.

I followed hoping my hesitation wasn't a bad sign.

The stone closed behind us.

“Kirma, Wyrmling you will need all of your focus for the Bonding,” Tavlia's echoing voice spoke.

Kirma sighed as her scales changed from white to clear. Rainbows danced across her scales and around her.

“Y-you're Prismatic,” Prismatic all colors, all elements...

“Yes,” Kirma whispered her voice was small but still contained an echo “I will warn you our lives will be tricky, since the day I hatched I've been expected to be perfect. I chose to Bond not because I want to save the world but because I want to see it,”

I nodded “I can sense others emotions,”

“They told me,” Kirma laughed “I'll have plenty of time to get used to your emotions, mine and the rest of the world.”

“Amalira during this ceremony because of the potential power being used it is highly likely you will lose control, when that happens focus on Kirma and yourself,” Nikira folded her arms and stepped back “Now wings spread, Amalira place your left hand on Kirma's nose,” she waited for us to obey “now focus on each other on your minds being one, focus your will towards each other, look into each others eyes let the Aether work through you,”

Wind tore at my scales and then there was the fall of emotions there weren't many pride, excitement, shame...

“Focus on each other,” Nikira called again.

“Kirma find her and focus!” Tavlia added.

We screamed as I focused on the shame and excitement that I was sure was Kirma.

“You want to feel what the other feels, think what they think, know what they know, focus on this idea you are two becoming one mind...” Nikira and Tavlia spoke in unison.

Fear was added to emotion mix but this was also Kirma's and mine.

The world began to spin or we were spinning. Fire, ice, acid, gas, lightning and another element flowed through me-us and around us.

“Light,” Kirma's voice spoke in my mind.

I was in a cave surrounded by other young dragons. “What are you playing? Can I join?” Kirma's voice asked.

“Whatever you want to play,” one of the other Dragons answered.

“I'd rather not be stuck in a cave in or something.” another scoffed.

“Don't insult the great Prismatic!” yet another hissed.

“I just wanted...” Kirma's voice trailed off but I heard her thought “I just wanted to play like a normal dragon... I am a normal Dragon...” tears filled my own eyes.

“Kirma focus on Amalira and her body, envision yourself as a Dracomuar.” Tavlia instructed

Kirma's face began to melt inward. Her scales turned into white skin.

“Amalira focus on Kirma and envision your own scales and skin, let them change,” Nikira coaxed me.

A flash of light blinded me. After it cleared I saw another Dracomuar, with white skin and clear scales, Kirma.

I raised my hand to look at it. It was pure white and my arms were speckled with iridescent scales.

Kirma's eyes were white and iridescent. She had tears in the corners.

My mind suddenly flamed with excitement “I have hands! How do you walk on only two feet?” I laughed as Kirma's thoughts ran through my mind.

“Ready?” Kirma asked out loud her voice now lacked the echo quality. She fluttered her wings.

Tavlia took her Dracomuar form.

They nodded towards the opening.

Kirma and I stepped out together.

“By the way be prepared for many reactions when we do the final reveal to the rest of the world.” I could feel her dread. Kirma's emotions would always be woven with my own even when I isolated myself. That was part of the point, we now shared our minds and all of our abilities. I mentally caged my emotion sense as we joined the others.

“Now back up the way we came,” Calicus announced “stay with your mentors,”

“Kirma, now you must reveal your true scales,” Tavlia whispered.

“No, I-we want to be treated as any other Bonded at least.”

Nikira and Tavlia glared at us “Kirma, Amalira this is not up for discussion.”

“I-I d-don't know h-how to bend the l-light,” I sighed.

Kirma folded her arms and sighed as she began to flap her wings. “You should tell them you prefer to go by Ama,” she spoke in my mind.

As we flew out of the cave I marveled at the rainbows below me on the waters surface.

The crowd was still there waiting.

I flew beside Nikira. As I looked to the side my wings had taken on a bluish tint.

Kirma flew next to me with Tavlia on her other side.

Calikus, Zirku, Feriz and Hakru landed in the cirle. “Feriz and Hakru will be trained by us Calikus and Zirku to study the Aether and all other special chemicals in the world so that we can create more antidotes for our people and better weapons against our enemies,”

Ralira announced that they would be training Alika and Serila as covert soldiers.

The other two were also announced as soldiers.

Nikira landed in the middle joining the others.

Kirma and I followed her with Tavlia bringing up the rear.

“It's a Prismatic!” several in the crowd shouted.

“They will save us from disaster!”

“Omens! They will bring disaster!”

“Tavlia and I will train Amalira and Kirma to be ambassador for our people!” Nikira announced.

“What?” our minds said together “there's been a mistake,”

“That is not what a normal Dracomuar or Dragon does is it?” Kirma asked.

“Behold these are your new Bonded.

The crowd cheered but some words stuck out to me-us “Omens! Omens they will bring disaster on us! Omens!”