Hearts of the Sky Intertwine Ch. 05

I have flown for a day and half a night before I had to stop.

You have stamina, good. Come, take off. Let me see you fly. She said, crouching down to leap in the air. Before she could take off, however, Azurina was fifty feet in the air with a single flap of her wings.

"Wow. I think you got your work cut out for you, Gormlaith. She will out fly you at every turn." Ayden laughed, earning a dirty look from his dragon. She took off, flapping her wings quickly to catch up.

Will you slow down, My Lady? I am not nearly as fast as you.

Sorry, Master. Azurina apologized, tilting her wings and slowing down.

Good control of your wings. Figure eight, nose dive, and pull out just before you get to the ground.

Tight or loose?

As tight as you can possibly get it without tying yourself in a knot.

Azurina tilted her wings and swung around, essentially flying through the loop that she just created with her tail. She flew two consecutive loops like that, then nose dived towards the ground at a break neck speed.

"Oh, good lord! What did she tell her to do!" Azurina heard Elana shout, distracting her.

Relax, my love. Neheil projected.If you distract her, she will get hurt. Just let her do her thing. And Azurina, FOCUS! Azurina blinked, and realizing how close she was to crashing into the ground, she pulled up and soared skyward, adding a slight twist.

Beautiful save, little one. Gormlaith commented from her position.I haven't seen any dragon more graceful in all my years.

Uh, Master, I hate to tell you this, but I'm older than you. Azurina chuckled, pulling up in front of her.

Do not play games with me, Little One. I am being honest when I tell you that there has never been a more graceful dragon. You could even ask one of the older dragons. Do you know how to breath fire?

Yes, Master.

Then I want you to start out with a wide jet, and bring it down to a little stream of fire.

At once, Master. Azurina replied, opening her mouth wide and tapping into the liquid fire that sat in her chest. She directed the flame with her tongue, splitting it in half and making it twist around itself. From there, she slowly closed her jaws, constricting the flame so that it was just a tiny, little stick of a flame.

Nicely done. You have finer control of your flame than I do. You may turn off your flame. Gormlaith instructed, and waited for Azurina to shut her breath down. Now, let's land and finish your testing so we can start your training.

Of course, Master. Azurina replied, diving down ahead of Gormlaith. She wanted to impress her teachers, so about five feet above the ground, she shifted back into her elvin form. She rolled once after hitting the ground, coming to a stop in a crouching position in front of the group. Her hair blew around her face, creating a curtain of blue that she glared through.

"Oh, wow." Ayden breathed, shaking his head. "That end move was breathtaking. If I was into girls, Azurina. I might have been tempted to try and woo you." he laughed

And you should be glad that Leihiel was not here to hear you say that, Ayden. Gormlaith growled.I have spent many hours sparring with Leihiel in the air, and I know how protective he is of his family. From the looks of the pendant that hangs around Our Lady's neck, she is betrothed to him.

Ayden's face went deathly pale, and he started to shake. "Are you telling me that I have been talking to the queen of the dragons, and I didn't even know it? Gormlaith, you could have warned me!"

I thought that you knew. Gormlaith sniffed.Hello, you blockhead, I have been calling her, My Lady. You know as well as I do that with our rank, I never have to call anyone except Elana that. That, in and of itself, should of given it away.

"Guys, please. I am not the queen of the dragons, so please don't call me Your Highness, My Lady, or anything on those lines."

"You may think that you are not the queen, but you are." Elana told her.

"No, I am not!" she said, standing up straight and glaring at them all. "I am just a simple Elvin female that can shift her form into that of a dragon. I've lived off the land for longer than I could care to admit. I don't need, or want, any titles."

"Azurina." Ayden said calmly, pushing himself up off the ground and approaching her. She saw that he was taller than her by half a head, and she could easily look him in the eye without having to tilt her head too far. "Arguing is not conducive to learning. Come, let's start our first lesson." he wrapped his arm around her, and gently led her to a secluded corner of the training grounds, his dragon following closely. As Elana and Neheil started to follow, Gormlaith growled. Just Rho. Azurina needs time to cool down. Ayden slowed their steps so that he did not get too far ahead of his dragon, and to keep an ear on what was getting said.

"Azurina and I need to talk. There is too much that has to happen before we can do anything to sav...."

That can wait until tomorrow. Gormlaith snapped.If you push a dragoness too far, she will bite you in half. The same applies for female dragon shifters. Ayden and I will show her back to your house when her lesson is finished.

"But..."

Elana, my love. I trust Gormlaith and Ayden. If I hadn't, do you honestly think I would allow them to train our queen? Let them do what they think is best for our little dragoness. If that means giving her space to cool off, then leave her the needed space.

"Oh, all right. I will back off. But mark my words, Azurina." Azurina paused and turned around to face Elana, barely able to control her anger. "You and I will have a talk before the day is done. I will start calling the Protectors to order so that we may meet at the end of the week." She turned to Gormlaith. "Take care of her, and teach her well."

I will, Lady Elana. The fate of the world may rest on her shoulders, but she will not have to carry that weight alone. She will have many to support her.

Ayden started walking again, and Azurina quickly fell into step right behind him. He led her to a grove of elm trees that was located on the very edge of the practice field, its entrance around the back side of the grove through a maze of bushes.

Once she was inside, Azurina looked around, amazed at how quiet it was within the grove. The trees were planted in a circle, with what looked to be about ten feet between each trunk. They easily stood fifty feet tall with their branches woven together to form a roof against the natural elements, but let enough light through their leaves that the lanterns that were mounted onto the trunks were not needed during the day. In between each tree was a perfectly manicured box bush about twelve feet in height. They dampened all the clangs and grunts that floated in from the mock battles raging outside the walls of the grove. The grove was completely empty except for her and Ayden

"What a beautiful place" Azurina whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Ayden inquired his voice completely normal.

"I don't know." she replied. "It just seemed right."

"Anyways," Ayden chuckled, shaking his head. "This is the meditation clearing. All of our students are required to spend at least one hour in here a day during the first eight months of training."

"Why so many months?"

"At first, the girls can only sit for ten minutes before they become distracted, so it takes the eight months for them to learn how to focus enough to tap into their dragon's magic." he paused considering something. "Now I'm hoping that it won't take you the eight months to access yours, with you being a dragon and all. But meditation also helps to calm the nerves and lets you sort all the things that you have learned. So I want you to come here at the end of every day and relax."

"Will I be disturbed at all when I come to unwind?"

"No. There is an enchantment at the entrance of the grove that will cause the lamps that are impeded in the brush there to change to red. That will keep most of the elves from bothering you. So if you find that you need some alone time, away from the others, this is the place to come. Now, how about we perform the elements test, and then you can unwind the knot that I see forming between your shoulder blades."

"What's the element test?"

"I'll show you. Why don't you grab a seat while I go and collect the necessary items?"

"Sounds good to me." Azurina replied, and started glancing around the grove for a soft patch of grass or moss to sit on, earning a chuckle from Ayden.

"Why is it that all new students do that?" he muttered so low that Azurina wasn't entirely sure she heard it. Then, in a louder voice, he started talking to her again. "The bush straight across from the entrance is actually a cleverly concealed cabinet. It contains cushions for the students to sit on while they are here. We designed it to look like the bush because we believe that nature should influence all that we create. I will be back shortly." Ayden said, before leaving the grove.

"Thank you, Master." She called after him. She crossed the clearing to the indicated bush, and began to look amongst the leaves, trying to find some way to open it. She then spotted two intricately carved wooden leaves hidden among the actual leaves attached to the cabinet. She gently grabbed the knobs, afraid to put any pressure on such delicate things, and opened the cabinet. Inside she discovered stacks of cushions, thickly stuffed for comfort, in piles that were organized by color.

Grabbing a dark blue velvet cushion, she walked over to one of the elm trees and placed the cushion at its base. She then sat on the cushion, amazed at how soft it was for being kept in a cabinet, leaned her back against the trunk and stretched her legs out in front of her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she began to relax all of her muscles like her mother had taught her. Starting at her feet, she slowly fed a tendril of a healing spell into every sore or tight muscle, until all that was left was soothing comfort. She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard light footsteps crossing the clearing. Groaning, she sat up and opened her eyes, expecting to see her master trying to surprise her.

Instead, a little girl stood in front of her, wide-eyed and nervous. Her light brown hair blew across her face. She had a white hatchling dragon nestled in her arms, his tail wrapped around her one arm, and his head resting on her shoulder.

"What can I do for you, little one?" Azurina asked, being careful to keep her voice soft and gentle.

"Master Riana said that Master Ayden has taken a new student. Is that true, miss?"

"That is true, little one. Ayden and Gormlaith have agreed to teach me what I need to know so that I can save Lord Leihiel. Why do you ask?"

Instead of answering calmly, the little girls hazel eyes welled up with tears, and she began to cry. "I was hoping th...tha...that when my dragon and I di...di...discovered our true power, Ma...Ma...Master Ayden would take us as students. I gu... gu...guess that is impossible now." she cried, trying hard to control her sobbing. Her dragon craned his neck around and nuzzled her cheek, giving a tiny purring sound, trying to calm her down. After taking a deep breath, the little girl continued talking. "You see, Master Ayden is my big brother. When Leo here hatched for me last week, I was so proud to be fo...fo...fo..." she stopped talking at that point, as her tears finally caught up with her and closed her throat.

Azurina shifted to her knees, and after watching Leo scurry to the ground with a birdlike chirp, took the little girl in her arms. She stroked the girl's hair until she calmed down to only hiccups, then Azurina pulled away. "What's your name, little one?" Azurina asked, wiping away the girl's tears with one of her thumbs, then sat back on the cushion.

"My name *hic* is Korralee, miss..." Korralee paused, not knowing how to address Azurina.

"It's nice to meet you, Korralee. My name is Azurina." She said, drawing Korralee down to sit on her crossed legs. Azurina then leaned against the tree and placed her hands on the grass.

"It's good to meet you, Miss Azurina. Where is your dragon, if you don't mind me asking. Is he off training with Varhune?" Korralee asked as she patted her own lap, letting Leo jump up and settle into her lap.

"I do not have a dragon, little one."

"How did you convince my brother to train you in the ways of dragon magic?"

"I'm teaching her because she has an ability that makes her far more important than any dragon and his rider, and also more powerful." a voice sounded from the entrance of the grove, causing both females to look up. There, at the break in the bushes, stood Ayden, a small chest of light wood in his hands. "I'm sorry that took so long, but Riana forgot to return the chest back to the supply shed. I had to track her down to find it."

Before Azurina could say anything, Korralee was already on the move. "AYDEN!!!" she squealed with delight as she scrambled to her feet, dumping Leo unceremoniously on the ground. The hatchling shot Korralee a dirty look as she raced across the clearing to her brother, then scurried under a bush. Azurina smiled as Ayden levitated the box in time to catch the flying girl in his arms.

"Hey, Lee-lee!" He said, picking her up and using her momentum to swing her in a circle. "You haven't been pestering Lady Azurina, have you?" he asked as he settled her on his hip.

"No." Both Azurina and Korralee said together, causing everyone in the clearing to laugh.

"She's been fine. She was wondering if the rumors about you having a new student were true." Azurina said, standing up and crossing the clearing herself at a slower pace. "She was upset that it was, but I calmed her down."

"Is that true, Lee-lee?"

"Yes." Korralee answered in a small voice.

"Why don't you tell him why, little one?" Azurina suggested, taking the little chest into her hands before it plummeted to the ground.

"I wanted you to train me once I discovered my true power." she told him sadly, tears coming to her eyes again, but she quickly wiped them away. "I know that you can't now, so I will train with Master Illiana."

"Oh Lee-lee." Ayden said, hugging her tightly. "Just because Gormlaith is a water dragon, doesn't mean that Leonardo will be. He could end up an earth dragon, or even a fire dragon. You won't know until you access your magic and cast the correct spell for it. You've only just bonded."

"But how do I do that? How do I find out our true power?"

"By the Elements Test" he answered simply.

"Speaking of which, I still need to do mine. How would you like to watch?" Azurina asked, and watched a confused look appear on the little girl's face.

"I still don't understand. How is it that you can control dragon magic if you are not a rider?"

"You know of Lord Leihiel, Lady Elana's son and the leader of the dragon shifters?" Azurina asked, earning an enthusiastic giggle from the girl.

"Oh yes. There is one rider who is really good at drawing. She earns a decent amount of gold by drawing the most handsome shifters as posters and selling them. Most of the young girls have posters of Lord Leihiel on their walls. Almost all of them dream of getting his Betrothal pendant."

Azurina smiled, and touched her necklace. "Well, I am like Lord Leihiel."

"You mean you're a female dragon shifter?" Korralee asked in wide-eyed astonishment. "I heard that they are extremely rare. Can I see your dragon form?"

"Korralee." Ayden chided her, using her real name for the first time since he entered the grove. "That is rude. You apologize to Lady Azurina right now."

"I'm sorry, Miss Azurina. Sometimes my excitement can get away from me."

"It's quite all right. Of course you can see my dragon form, after the test." Azurina then turned her attention to Ayden. "It's not going to hurt, is it?"

"Not at all." He looked at Korralee. "I have to put you down now. Why don't you go find where Leo wandered off to. We just got the house fixed from the hiccup fit yesterday. We don't need him setting fire to the meditation grove."

"Okay, Ayden." Korralee said. Once her feet were on the ground, she was running to the cushion, searching for the disgruntled hatchling.

"Thank you, Azurina, for being so nice to Lee-lee." Ayden said once Korralee was out of earshot. "Our mother died giving birth to her, and our good-for-nothing father left us a week later. Gormlaith and I have been raising her since. She hasn't made a lot of friends as she is a very quiet, drawn in little girl." He watched her as she tried to lure Leo from under the bush, and he drew in a ragged breath. "You don't know how happy I was when Leonardo hatched for her. I knew right then that she would always have a friend, someone to be by her side always." he choked, tears coming to his eyes. Azurina rested her hand on his shoulder as he wiped away the tears.

"Where do most of the children play?"

"There is a small field not too far from here where the children can run around and have fun. Why?"

"I have a sure fire way to give her friends. But first, let's get the test done." She said, quickly changing subjects, as Korralee was walking their way with a writhing hatchling in her arms.

"Right. Now, where did that chest go?" Ayden asked, looking up towards the canopy. Azurina chuckled quietly before taking one of his hands and pressing the box into it. "Oh, thank you Azurina. Now, let's sit in the center of the grove."

They all moved to the center, and Ayden used his summoning spell to summon cushions for them. Once they were all sitting, with Korralee having a tight hold on Leo, Ayden started talking. "Now, the test is fairly simple. You just have to close your eyes and focus your magic on the items that I place in front of you, ALL of them. Whichever item levitates off the ground represents the element your magic will affect."

"That's it? Sounds easy enough." she paused, then smiled. "At least this way no one will get zapped."

"What?"

"Just musing to myself. Sorry. What is it that I will be focusing my magic on?"

"These" Ayden said, opening the chest and reaching in. He withdrew a handful of gemstones, each a different color. "Now, most gemstones are used for storing energy, but these are enchanted to react to the student's magic." He explained as he set the gemstones in a small circle. "Each stone represents a different element. The sapphire represents water, the diamond is air. Ruby is fire, emerald is nature, and finally, the amber is earth. Every rider and shifter wears the appropriate gemstones for power storage."

"Where's your's, Ayden." Korralee asked, then clamped the hand that was not holding Leo over her mouth.

Ayden chuckled. "I have a few, Lee-lee. One is in the pin that I hold my tie with." he answered, touching the gleaming sapphire at his chest. "One is in my earring, and the last is set into my staff. Now shush. Don't distract Azurina."

Taking that as the signal to begin, Azurina closed her eyes and focused on the stones in front of her. She reached into her magic and withdrew a small tendril, thinner than a nightshade vine, and wove it around the gemstones. She let her magic do its thing, and felt a weird sensation. Instead of her magic only going into one stone, it felt like it went into each stone simultaneously.

"This is amazing." Korralee said, and Azurina heard awe in her voice.

"This is unheard of." Ayden responded.

Do you think you can do something so that I can see what's going on? Azurina managed to project while still keeping her magic focused on the stones. She felt sweat beading up on her forehead.

"Of course." She heard Ayden say, and then felt the pressure on her magic ease. She released the breath that she had been holding, and opened her eyes. Azurina then went to relax her back from the rigid position, but found herself frozen in that uncomfortable position.