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"So what have you guys heard about the training?" Burlik asked the other trainees. A wave of rumors washed across the carriage. "I hear they make you fight a dragon slayer on your first day!" "I hear they make you talk to the dead." "They say the only food you get, is what you kill." Leon rose and said, "That's preposterous, my father would never send me to such a fate. It's all just stories made up to scare us."Burlik turned to another dragon in the corner whose scales matched the clear skies and long hair rivaled the deepest blues of the ocean. "What do you think we will learn?" he asked Edion. "Surely you have heard something as well." He gave a look at Burlik out of the corner of his eye. "Combat most likely. We'll definitely need it." Edion looked Leon up and down. He wore a red jacket with golden trim. Around his neck was a gold pendant with a large emerald in the center. His golden hair expertly groomed. His white scales were shining and unscarred. "Some of us need it more than others." "What's that?" Leon growled. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" "A dragon slayer's next trophy?" Edion teased. A few laughs surfaced from the recruits. Leon's face tightened. "Just one word to my father and he'll have your head on a spike!" he threatened. "It will be hard to tell him without any teeth!" Edion yelled, rising to meet Leon face to face. Edion's cold teal eyes shot into Leon's emerald gaze and shook him to the core. Leon eventually turned away with a scoff and sat down. For a while, the carriage was in absolute silence. "In any case, we are in for some tough times." The words came from Zan, a tall dragon with fire red hair and scales as black as coal. He smiled as he spoke. "My siblings tell me teamwork is what gets us through this. Let's at least try to get along here." Edion and Leon glared at each other before quickly turning their heads away. "We'll work on that." Zan

said with a nervous smile. Soon after, the carriage came to a stop. "Everyone out!" yelled a strong voice from the outside. Each of the trainees slowly exited one by one. Once outside, they were greeted with a massive stone wall that stood at least a hundred feet high. The wall stretched endlessly through the forest. A smaller steel gate opened up to welcome its guests. Within the walls lived a vibrant city filled with tall elaborate towers above and busy shops below. People from all walks of life rushed between the buildings as thousands of dragons flew overhead. "Welcome to the MakiaVi." The greeting came from a red-headed dragon in a long red coat who shared Zan's black scales and blood red eyes. "I am Brakon Flaman and I will be your instructor for the next few weeks." Burlik tilted his head as he asked, "If this is the dragon society, why are there so many other different species living here?" "A good question." Brakon replied. "The  MakiaVi focuses on protecting dragons from being hunted. We seek to make peace between us and all other species. Many others share this vision and wish to help in any way possible. In this fight, we cannot afford to be picky about where we accept it. In any case, I hope you all will settle in nicely here. I'm sure you will-" He froze in his tracks. "Zan?!" He shouted. "Zan,It that you?" Brakon trotted up to him and put his hand on top of Zan's matching red hair. "My you have grown." Brakon stood a good amount taller than Zan even though he was one of the tallest of the six new recruits. "How is mom doing?" Brakon added while giving Zan's hair a slight tussle. "She's fine!" Zan shouted as he smacked Brakon's hand away. "Don't you have a job to do?!" "Right, right." Brakon replied with an embarrassed grin on his face. Brakon cleared his throat and gestured to the city, "Now then, if you will all follow me, I will show you all around." "Excuse me!" Leon announced in a snobbish tone. "Where are the servants to carry our things?" He pointed to a large pile bags and a massive chest sitting next to the carriage. Brakon replied, "Oh, well you are going to have to carry those yourself." "Carry my own bags?!" Leon gasped. Brakon rolled his eyes. "Well we have to get moving so figure it out. Everyone else, let's go." The trainees started to walk past Leon as he struggled to try and move the chest. Some of them giggled at him on their way by. Edion made sure to give Leon a smug grin as he passed by with his light backpack. "Ten Gold to anyone who helps me with this!" Leon yelled while pulling on the handle. Most of them ignore his offer and follow Brakon into the city. Midway through his struggling, a large shadow casted over him. He looked up to see a large dragon twice his height with tan scales and short brown hair. "Oh yes perfect, could you help me with this?" Leon asked. She stared at him with a blank expression on her face. "Can, you understand me?" Leon questioned , tilting his head to the side. She extended out her hand towards him. "Oh, you want the money. Of course, of course." Leon reached into his jacket and put ten gold pieces in her hand. She shoved them in her pocket and lifted the chest onto her shoulder. With her other hand, she grabbed the rest of his bags and started to walk into the city. "Yes, well then...good work." Leon said following closely behind.Busy people ran around between the stores and stands of the MakaiVi. The street was filled with vendors announcing the quality of their wares. Near the center of the city stood a massive ornate tower, with dragons flying in and out of it constantly. "What is that building?" Edion asked. "That is the deployment center. When you are all ready, that is where you will go to receive your missions." Brakon replied. "What type of missions do they give?" Burlik asked. "It all depends on your rank." Brakon answered. "New D rank members like you often go on minor scouting missions, investigations and escort jobs taking dragons through low risk areas. The ranks increase to C, B, A and finally, S." "What rank are you?" Edion asked. Brakon smiled and said,

"Currently I'm rank C. Most of my time was spent intercepting dragon slayer scouts in our territory until I volunteered to teach you guys." Brakon stopped the group in front of a run down looking apartment building. Patches of paint were missing along the walls and a broken window was in sight on the third floor. The sound of intense fighting and yelling could be heard coming from the inside. "Alright then, you will all be sharing rooms in the class D housing." As Brakon says that, one of the apartment's residents was thrown out of a window on the fourth floor. He stopped himself in midair and yelled, "I'll get you for that!" before flying back into the window he was thrown from. "Seems pretty lively." Zan said. "Beats living at home." Edion added. Leon and his helper finally catch up with the group. Leon's face turned as he analyzed the dilapidated building. "You clearly do have servants. Who else would live in such a ratty place?" Leon said. Brakon turned to his student and said, "Well you will be, for a now at least.""Unacceptable!" Leon screamed to his instructor. "I refuse to live in such a horrid place." "I hate to agree with him" Bellatrix interrupted, "but this place does seem pretty run down." She was an eastern dragon with purple scales and silver hair. She wore all black with a black cloak draped across her shoulders. "Is there any other place to live?" she asked. Brakon turned to her and replied "Well there are upper class dwellings but-" "Great!" Leon interrupted, "How much to upgrade to those?" Brakon nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well, we don't exactly sell housing. Members are placed according to their contributions to the MakaiVi. Once you rank up, you will be able to request a new home." Leon's gritted his teeth. "I'm sure you know my family's power. Think very carefully about denying me again."Brakon folded his arms as he spoke. "The MakiaVi operates outside the power of any kingdom. Your blood can be that of a lord or a farmer. In here, you are all the same." Anger spread across Leon's face. Hints of red could be seen in the beige scales surrounding his cheeks. "I will not stand for this! I refuse to be treated as some common peasant!" The energy left Brakon's face.. "Are you refusing a command from your instructor?" Brakon asked in a stern tone. "Yes!" Leon replied "I refuse to participate in this garbage! I want to leave right now!"Brakon sighed, "I am sorry to hear that." he then pushed back his blood red coat to reveal a steel longsword attached to his belt. The handle was black with a red gem in the hilt. "The only way one leaves the MakiaVi, is in death." Brakon pulled out his blade and pointed the tip at Leon's neck. "You..you wouldn't dare." Leon replied, shaking. The rest of the trainees just looked on in horror, not daring to say anything in protest lest they be next. "I had hope for you." Brakon said while pressing the blade onto Leon's throat. The sword was oddly warm to the touch. It was almost hot enough to burn his skin. "I guess I was wrong." As the words left Brakon's mouth, a smirk could be seen forming on it. Soon after, Brakon began snickering. The small chuckle soon turned into uncontrollable laughter. The trainees looked at each other in confusion."Has he lost his mind?" Burlik whispered. The black scales on Brakon's face had a hint red by the time he began talking. "Dammit, I tried to keep a straight face. I just couldn't do it." Brakon sheathed his blade, put his hands on Leon's shoulders and knelt to meet him at eye level. "Listen, this is about something bigger than you. There will be many times out there where you will need to put another person's life above your own. Sometimes that means doing things you may not want to do. If you refuse to learn that, then you truly do not have any place being here. Do you understand?" Leon wiped a tear from his eye and lightly nodded his head. "Alright then," Brakon shouted. "If there are no more objections, here are your housing

assignments. Edion and Zan, room 303. Leon and Burlik , room 304. Bellatrix and Tereen, room 305. Settle in and meet me in the lobby in a few minutes."The damage on the outside was only a taste of what was on the inside. Once they walked in, they saw that every other wall had a large hole in it. Scorch marks could be seen throughout the halls, icicles coated the ceiling, boulders sat in random places throughout. "Is this a house or a battlefield?" Edion said in sheer disbelief. "I think it looks like fun." Zan replied. Even as they spoke, there were residents fighting in the halls and being tossed in between rooms. Edion grabbed onto one of the combatants and asked, "Why is everyone fighting in here?" The red scaled dragon looked back at Edion and said, "We gotta practice somehow." With that, he flew out of Edion's grasp and continued to spar with his opponent. "Not the answer I was expecting." The six new recruits moved up to the third floor to find their rooms. They all had the basics. Two wooden beds, matching dressers and a single window sat opposite the door. Edion and Zan's unit seemed relatively untouched compared to what was seen in the hallways."Oh, where are my manners." Edion said while extending his hand towards Zan. "My name is Edion Xarzith." Zan shook his hand and replied, "Zan Flaman. Nice to meet you." Being this close to Zan, Edion was more aware of their height difference. Zan stood a good foot and a half taller than him with Edion's head only reaching the middle button of his red vest. As they began unpacking their things, Zan spoke, "So, judging from your jacket, you must be from the Zekul province to the north. I doubt you will need it much down here though." Edion smiled. "Normally you would be right." He pointed to a magic symbol on the shoulder of his white jacket. "However, this jacket is enchanted to keep the wearer at a cool seventy degrees regardless of the conditions." Zan's face lit up."I

never heard of a spell like that before. It must have cost you a fortune."Zan ran his hands through the soft blue fur that lined Edion's jacket. It felt like running his hands through a cloud.Edion shook his head. "It's actually a family heirloom. It's been in my family for almost ten thousand years now." Edion pointed to the fur. "This lining is made from the hair of all the previous owners. It's connection to my ancestors keeps the magic strong after all these years." Zan jerked his hand away and wiped it on his pants. He mumbled. "Oh, that's nice." as he turned back to continue unpacking his bags. "Where are you from?" Edion asked. "I actually live right here in the Bravia province." Zan replied. "My house is only about thirty miles west of here." "That's great! Did you join to be like your brother?" Zan chuckled. "Like him? No. I will surpass him in no time. I'm aiming for something much higher." As Edion opened his mouth to question Zan further, a light knock could be heard at the door. Bellatrix poked her head in and said, "Come on guys, we gotta get going." Edion and Zan walked through the chaos of the halls back to the lobby on the first floor. Tereen stood next to Brakon in silence. Leon and Burlik came soon after. Leon went on about his family tree without letting Burlik get a word in at all. "Alright then, what are you going to teach us oh wise master." Zan said in a mocking tone."Actually, we need to get you guys your weapons first." Brakon answered. "Follow me and I will show you to the armory." As they walked through the MakiaVi, the trainees had an opportunity to fully appreciate its beautiful architecture. It was as if the entire city was finely chiseled from one enormous block of marble. Every building was equally spaced, each with unique designs carved into its sides. Bellatrix took the moment to learn about her new roommate. "So, where are you from?" Tereen left her in silence. She had barely acknowledged Bellatrix's existence since they got here. Regardless, she kept trying. "How about

music. Any favorites?" Tereen ignored her. "What do you think of the stone buildings? Pretty cool right?" Tereen shifted her eyes down at Bellatrix and said, "Yes." Bellatrix mumbled, "It's not much but a start." At that moment, Brakon stopped in front of a small white building with a red roof. At the door were two guards dressed in full suits of armor with giant halberds in their hands. Brakon walked up to them and moved the collar of his jacket to reveal a complicated tattoo with several strange symbols on his neck. The guards moved aside and allowed Brakon and his group to enter. Inside, a female dragon with dark red scales and black hair sat behind a desk doing paperwork. "Afternoon Sharra." Brakon said with a smile. Without looking up from her work, Sharra replied "Zan." As she put down her pen, Sharra looked at the recruits behind Zan. With a small chuckle she said, "Never thought I would see you teaching. Sign here." She handed him a form on a clipboard. He signed off and turned to his class and said, "Alright kids, let's get you armed." he lead them through the door that sat next to the desk. Inside was a large room with ornate maroon banners hanging on the walls and gold statues of dragons under them. Nothing else was in the room except a steel chest sitting on a table."Is that it?" Burlik asked, raising an eyebrow."Yep, everything we need is right in here." Brakon said while laying a hand on the steel chest. "This chest is magically connected Drava, the Hero's Haven. When a great warrior dies in combat, they can either decide to rest or pass their knowledge onto future generations." Burlik whispered to Leon, "I told you that they made you talk to the dead." Brakon continued."When they come back to our world, their souls manifest as the weapon that they used in life. They will be your combat instructors and partners. Any questions?" All of the trainees' hands shot up in the air. "None? Alright then, good luck!" With that, Brakon opened the chest and a bright blue light shone from inside it, momentarily blinding all of the students. Brakon then slammed the chest shut. When the trainees

regained their vision, they looked to see that they were all grasping decorative weapons of the highest quality. Each of them were covered in magical symbols. Edion looked at his hands and saw that they were empty. Instead, he was now wearing a pair of blue fingerless gloves with magical circles on the backs of them. Brakon walked to his students and said, "Now that everyone is armed, let's-" "Wait!" Edion interrupted. "There must be some mistake. Why does everyone else have weapons and I just have gloves?" Brakon walked over and inspected Edion's gloves for a moment. "Interesting, I have never seen something like this before. They must serve some purpose in combat." "How am I supposed to fight with gloves?" Edion protested."Ask them." Brakon said as he turned back to address the rest of the trainees. "I want you all to take the day to communicate with your weapons. They all have much to teach you and you all have much to learn. We will meet again tomorrow at dawn. You are all dismissed."Edion decided to sit in the garden behind the class D dining hall. He let out a deep sigh. "So, how am I supposed to use you?" For a moment he was left in silence. A deep voice came be heard coming from the right glove. "People usually start with introductions before asking questions." A lighter more feminine voice came from the left glove. "Yes. Where did you learn your manners?" Edion was taken back by the response. He quickly corrected his mistake. "Please excuse me. My name is Edion Xarzith. I hail from the Zekul province in the north." The right glove responded. "Zekul? I have not heard of this place before." The left glove answered, "Idiot, he speaks of our home, Zephim. You dragons do love to rename things." Edion interrupted, "Now that I have introduced myself, what should I call you two?" The left glove glowed as it spoke."I am Liara Serba." "I am Lien Serba." said the right glove. In unison, they said "We are the Serba twins of Zephim." Edion gasped, "The Serba twins?! You two single handedly won the War of a Thousand Winters.""Is that what they are teaching you?" Liara asked."He's not that far off sister." Lien responded."I would hardly call an army of a hundred 'single'.""Against ten thousand it's quite impressive.""It's still historically inaccurate to say we did it alone." Edion shook in excitement at their words, "Oh I can't wait to tell the others about this!" "Hey!" Liara interrupted. "We have a job to do. So quit geeking out and let's get to work." Edion regained his composure. "Sorry. So tell me, how do I use you two to fight?" Lien answered him, "As you know, we fought mainly using hand to hand combat." "We technically used steel gauntlets with claws." Liara corrected. "Yes but the technique was grounded in martial arts." Lien stated. "In any case, manifestation of our style came in the form of these gauntlets. To summon them, shout out our names and they will appear." As she says that, Edion saw Leon and Bellatrix walking through the garden talking to their own weapons. Edion ran up the them and said, "Hey guys! Check it out! My weapons have the spirits of the Serba twins!" Bellatrix thought for a second and then responded "Oh yeah, those were the

wolf twins right? Interesting. My weapon's spirit is that of the leopard samurai Xi Huan. He took down a thousand opponents in one day to bring peace to my entire home province of Chinmae." Leon was less than impressed. "Mine is that of the lion prince Kaldor Regnas. He dueled his way up to the throne at the age of twelve. His skills have no equal." "Would you care to test that?" Edion asked. Leon laughed at the idea. "We will make short work of you and those ratty gloves." Lien and Liara yelled in unison, "Ratty?!" "Looks like I've struck a nerve." Leon said in a mocking tone. Kaldor said, "Let's make this quick. I rather not linger with the commoners." Edion smiled. "I will be more than happy to oblige." Edion raised his arms in front of him making an x with his forearms. He shouted, "Howl, Liara and Lien!". The deafening howl of two wolves came from the gloves and  could be heard for miles. A pair of steel gauntlets appeared on his hands, with razor sharp claws on the fingertips and grey fur around the arms. "Are you ready?" Edion teased Leon. "Bring it on." he responded. With that, Edion flew towards Leon with a punch ready to go. As Edion struck, Leon blocked with his rapier. The sound of steel clanging resonated loudly throughout the garden. They both quickly began attacking and dodging with such calculated precision that it almost seemed like a rehearsed dance. Much of the surrounding foliage fell victim to their flurry of attacks. Flowers were shredded to pieces, trees were covered in cuts. Some of the other class D members began to crowd around the combatants, after hearing the familiar sounds of conflict. Edion took a swipe and Leon with the claws, just barely catching the sleeve of his red jacket, ripping it to shreds. "You will pay for that!" Leon yelled as he thrusted his rapier. Edion jumped back and dragged his claws on the ground to stop himself, tearing the grass and flowers right out of their roots. Leon pressed on with a barrage of attacks. Edion dodged most of them with only a few glancing

blows catching him. As he backed up, Edion tripped on the torn up ground. "Now I've got you!" Leon said while lunging at Edion with his sword. Edion caught the blade sending a shockwave through the garden. For a moment, they sat there pushing against each other. A distant voice cried, "My garden!!!!!". A green scaled dragon with violet hair and red vine tattoos looked at the fighters in horror. "Run!" yelled one of the spectators. The trainees began to scatter away. Edion and Leon tried to join them. "Oh no you don't!" yelled the gardener. With a wave of her hand, vines sprung from the ground and caught both Edion and Leon by the ankles, dragging them both to her. They stuck their weapons in the grass trying to keep their ground. "You're just making it worse!" screamed the gardener as she lifted them up in the air and brought them to her. They hung upside down completely wrapped in vines. "You two morons are going to replant every flower in this garden."Leon scoffed, "What if we don't?""He does not speak for both of us!" Edion shouted.The gardener gave Leon a stern look and clenched her fist. The vines tightened around them both as they screamed out in pain. "Ok! Ok! We'll do it."She nodded and said, "Good." as she opened her hand and released them.Edion and Leon spent the rest of the day fixing the damage they caused with their battle. While they were planting the flowers, Edion turned to Leon and said "You really put up a fight there. I was wrong about you. I guess you aren't completely useless." Leon smiled. "You didn't do too bad I guess." he responded. Leon stretched out his and and said, "Let's do this again sometime, hopefully in a less fragile place."  Edion smiled and said, "Sure." as he shook Leon's hand. A bladed whip came flying in between them. They quickly broke their handshake to keep their arms safe. "Quit messing around!" The gardener commanded. "You two still have a lot of work to do." They frantically returned to their planting and didn't finish until sunset.