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I grabbed the chaps and quickly put them on, wanting to catch Aurelion transform. I'd never seen him in his feral form. And watching the process by which they switched was fascinating, or so I heard. Aurelion first closed his eyes. His face contorted with the effort with which he concentrated. First his muzzle pushed out obscenely, seemingly gaining a good ten inches in length. Then His horns grew a good foot. Gaining a slightly more defined curl to them. Then the rest of his head caught up. Aurelion looked like a caricature of himself. His head twice the size it had been before. The weight caused him to lose his balance and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, which happened right before his wings gained a good length each. Each of these changes seemed to happen instantaneously, they didn't happen at the usual pace of a biological process. This was magic. I watched as without warning Aurie's neck gained a good foot and a half of length. At the same time his tail did as well. The spines on his back seemed to gain a sharper, more threatening appearance as well as becoming larger. Then his chest expanded as if he'd taken the largest breath ever. Then his whole torso and his limbs seemed to catch up to the rest of his body.

Where before an eight-foot-tall, anthropomorphic, ruby red dragon had stood proudly on his two legs, now a quadrupedal dragon which had to be thirty feet long from the tip of his nose to his now-deadly-looking tail with a good sixty or seventy-foot wing span. His shoulder was now above my head. His robe had disappeared. Seemingly being absorbed by the magic of the transformation. “A-Aurie, is that y-you?"

Yeah. You like? The juvenile dragon before me struck a pose. I chuckled.

Walking up to the dragon, I patted him on his enormous cheek, “You're adorable, hun."

If the dragon's cheeks could get redder than they probably would have. As it was they went from the light cherry color that they were to an almost maroon, burgundy color in embarrassment.

“Enough fooling around, you two. If Aurelion's father is indeed back from the pits of hell, then we'll need you trained and ready to fight as quickly as possible. He's likely to come after you, Arcturus. He views human riders the worst. We're still not entirely sure as to why." The grizzled brown interrupted. He went over to the rack and grabbed a saddle which was black in color, though the coloring was faded, and he handed it to me. “Put this on and mount your dragon, Rider. Earn your title."

I looked at the saddle. It was similar in its form to a horse's saddle. A padded seat with a swath of leather to either side. And a myriad of straps on either side. The tack seemed simple enough. I put the saddle in the space between Aurelion's shoulder blades. Where there was a seemingly significant gap in the sharp spikes which lined his spine. Next, I looped the strap at the head of the saddle around the spine which was closest to it, essentially that spike became the saddle's bridle. Then I found yet another loop at the rear of the saddle which hooked around the base of another spine. Then there were two long adjustable straps which had loops at the end. I had Aurelion lift his forepaws so that I could slip the loops around his front legs and adjusted the leather straps so that the straps were tight against Aurie's scales. Then navigating around to the trailing edge of Aurie's wings I grabbed at the straps to either side of the back of the saddle. These, like the ones on the front seemed to have a loop on either side but about half way to the loop another strap branched off. One side held a metal ring and the other held a clasp. Understanding I pulled the main straps so that the branches fell after Aurie's wings and then lifted Aurie's back feet. Then going around I did the same on the other side. The branched straps were hanging loosely just behind where Aurie's wing membrane met his flank. Going underneath my dragon I took these two straps and opened the clasp and set the ring within. Closing it, I checked all the anchor straps to make sure they were all tight.

I turned to Gryx. And motioned Voila. He then checked everything humming every now and again. “How does it feel Aurelion?"

Göd, Hyr Gryx. Verfer iz dyzax vyktek? Aurelion said. I was always looped into his mind. A benefit—and sometimes a curse—of the Mating ceremony. I knew that in their feral form all dragons communicated telepathically.

“Good. Good. It's important that it feel comfortable for you, Aurelion, because there will be times where you and your Rider will be asked to fly for many leagues. For days or weeks at a time. And unfortunately, while the Saddle is worn, Aurelion, the dragon may not transform. It weakens the leather of the anchor straps. Something about the magic of the Transformation changes the structure of the leather."

Ah. Jex ferstar. He replied. Ah, I understand.

“Good. Now mount your dragon, Rider." I found that on the swath of leather that flanked the seat of the saddle there seemed to be many adjustable leather loops. I used these almost like a ladder and climbed up to sit on Aurie's back. Sitting on the seat I placed my feet into the straps where they fell naturally.

Gryx growled a low, “You must be secured to your saddle, Arcturus. Thread your legs through the loops closest to you. Then, tighten the straps so that it's just tight enough for you to feel like Aurelion could fly upside down for days without you slipping, but not so tight that you cut off circulation."

I did as he bade and found myself feeling nervous. “Will this be enough to secure me to Aurie's back?"

“The riders have been around for nigh on seven centuries, Arcturus. This saddle design has remained relatively unchanged since it was designed for the order in the very beginning."

The meaning of his explanation was clear: It's safe. Don't worry, Archie. I won't let you fall."

The grizzled, brown dragon in front changed as well. Then moments later Phineas was there. He was tacking Gryx. “I will be Gryx's rider for this lesson. Gryx and I…we've become close since we lost our partners." Phineas drifted off. Lost in reminiscence.

Enough Phineas. Don't dwell on her. You and I both know that our partners are within Elysium. Now, Phineas, my mate. Shall we fly? Gryx voiced. His tone more tender than I'd ever heard from the grizzled dragon. In his quadrupedal form, Gryx's scars became even more obvious. The brown had a large scar from just below the corner of his left eye down to the right side of his muzzle. His wing membranes seemed to be more scar tissue than unmarked flesh as the scars crisscrossed across the entire surface. His right foreleg held only two toes. His left held four. A healthy, unmarked dragon held five digits.

I felt my mind start to dwell on Aurie's and my future when I felt Aurie give me what I'd begun to call a mental hug. He sent comforting sentiments my way and made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I loved when he did that. Phineas looked at me and explained more verbosely, “Gryx and I were brought together by the Fates. They very rarely grant more than one mate to any person in one lifetime. Yet here he and I are. When He and I met, I felt it in my heart. It was like my heart yearned for this damned fool."

And I proposed to him only a month later. Gryx felt the need to add, We were perfect for each other. We'd both lost our partners in the last skirmish. We both felt the mating pull and we both desired the company of another partner. The Fates sometimes do smile upon individuals. Gryx finished with a smile.

I smiled reflexively.

Aurelion, flying with a Rider will be slightly different. They add a minute amount of drag and it will feel like you are more sluggish than you are used to. Arcturus. When you are on the dragon's back and not actively engaged in combat you need to make yourself as small as is possible upon Aurelion's back.

We both nodded in understanding. Then we watched as Phineas mounted Gryx and the two flew off the edge of the cliff.

***

In the Gilnid Mountains above the Plains of Actaire, the screams of the villagers echoed hauntingly. Their cries for help seemingly unheeded. Then there was the laughter. It echoed just as hauntingly. For after each scream was cut short, a roiling deep laughter which sounded unhinged could be heard. The roar of the flames was just a low bass rumble in the background, as yet another town was burnt to the ground.

Then when the last scream had evaporated into the ether and the last laugh's echo had died upon the cliffs. A black shape rose from the flames. Its wings seeming to eclipse the sun, so large was their span. The beast which they held aloft held the limp body of a Beastman child within its teeth. The white of its teeth marred by the red of countless victims. With a swift movement, the beast threw the boy's body up and snapped its jaws shut around the body. Swallowing it whole. Chuckling madly, the dark form flew away from the carnage. A whole village, to the last woman and child consumed by beast or flame.

***

Aurelion's breathing was labored. His wings hung limply, draping on the ground. We'd been in the air for nearly eight hours without rest. Practicing pitching rolls, loops, evasive slaloms and other aerial maneuvers. He collapsed onto the ground moments after I dismounted. His feral form sprawled out on the clearing's grassy floor.

Gryx and Phineas landed next. Phineas dismounted. Neither he, nor the dragon he had ridden seemed any worse for wear. “Endurance will come with time, Aurie."

And your timing and synchronicity as well, Arcturus. You two will make a fine pair indeed. Gryx replied. His quadrupedal form shimmering moments before he stood on two legs once again.

The doors to the Rookery burst open and a junior member poured out, tripping over himself, “Master Gryx! Master Phineas! Noctis has attacked the Village of Wolfhijm in the Gilnid Mountains. Not a single survivor. The village was ash and blood."

“Hmm…Brother Vilhelm, take Arcturus and Aurelion to the Inner Sanctum. They are not to leave until we say." Phineas replied. His tone deadpan. Then turning to me and Aurelion. “Aurie, return to your Two-legged form. Go with Brother Vilhelm. You will continue to train. But under guard and supervision of me and Gryx until such time as your father is back in Tartarus." Then the man turned to his dragon who was already back in his quadrupedal form and remounted they took off and flew off into the distance.