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Katrin realised the most frustrating thing about this complex and the corps. Her barracks were empty. While that would give some rest, it also meant that she had only two options for some contact with another woman. Lieutenant Amberheart or Mistica. One was unwilling to be around her apart from training, and the other was a dragon who was trying to get free. It made her life uneasy within the camp. During breakfast and lunch, she always felt like the others were talking about her when she entered and then changed the subject. The boys were not as subtle as the ladies-in-waiting. She was used to that spend their whole life in spreading rumours.

It made it easy to eavesdrop on what they really had to say. She only had to wait around a corner or stand behind a thin wall. Through what they said had troubled her, Rich girl buying herself a dragon to be in the corps for glory only. It also did not help that Lieutenant Amberheart took it upon herself to speed Katrin through training to get rid of Mistica and shift the blame onto someone else. Trough she claimed that Dragon riders were a bit in short supply, so having an untrained rider on a dragon was less desirable. Trough it did not feel that way, especially after Mistica's willingness to discuss Mathew.

For two weeks now, she trained on Mistica or around Mistica. She fed her, tied her up in the stables after training with the help of the hands and otherwise took care of 'her' dragon. Mistica, however, kept being a handful. Was determined to show that she was not afraid and not giving into whatever they wanted to do. Even more so, Katrin had some pleasant chats with Mistica while she was eating her meal. Katrin couldn't say that Mistica was gentle, or even nice in her words. Trough she offered an insight Katrin was not really used to. She couldn't help to be interested in how Mistica lived her life in the wild, something Mistica was more than happy to indulge her in. Trough she never visited Mistica outside of meals and training.

That was, until now. It was dark outside and already way past bedtime. She just couldn't sleep, her body waste restless and she did not know why it was. So she got dressed in what little light the moon would offer her and sneak outside in somewhat chilly night. While during the days it was warm, she could feel the summer ending and the winter to set in. She walked outside for a while, watching the starts and looking at lanterns moving across the three walls that housed the city. Eventually, she made her way into the stables. It was dark inside of the stables, trough the sound of dragons sleeping was unmistakable. The heavy rumble of draconian snores. However, when she stood in front of Mistica's pen, her heart no snore but then a shivering. Was everything already?

Softly, she unhooked the gate to Mistica's pen and entered it. While the other dragons were a bit more visible, Mistica was almost invisible. Only the red swirls that covered her black scales betrayed her presence. Katrin slowly came closer and saw that Mistica was shivering from her body like she was cold. Katrin leaned closer to watch the dragon, worried that her dragon was getting sick.

“I smell you” Mistica's mental voice was tired. It spooked Katrin, and she jumped back, nearly knocking over a hay-fork that was standing in the corner. Mistica had not moved, not opened her eyes to watch Mistica.

“You are wake?” Katrin regained her balance. Keeping some distance between her and the dragon now.

“I was awake before you entered. You are too damned noisy and smelly for you to be undetected. Trough I was interested why you are awake,”

“I couldn't sleep. So I wandered,” Katrin huffed. “Besides, I don't smell that bed!”

“Shush, not that loud. Don't want to wake up sleeping dragons now. “ Mistica now opened a single eye to look at Katrin. Her orange eye almost looked glowing into the night. Katrin came closer with nervous steps. She was close to Mistica now. Mistica lifted her wing and moved her tail out of the way, exposing her belly to her.

“Come, since we both can't sleep, might as well make yourself comfortable against my flank.” Mistica offered Katrin. Who bit her lip, unsure of what to make of it. Carefully, she placed herself into the spot Mistica made for her. When she was seated against Mistica's flank, the dragon draped her tail over her legs. When Katrin pressed her back against Mistica's flank, she shivered herself.

“You are cold. I thought dragons were all like stoves from their bellies.”

“Most dragons are, I am not” Mistica's mental voice was more restrained than normal, muffled like someone was speaking through fabric.

“Why? Mistica is something wrong?”

Mistica played with some straw with her free paw. The tip of her tail started to slowly sway against Katrin's belly.

“by the ancients...Might as well,” Mistica concluded with her anxious deliberation. “Look, I am not normal. My father was a human. I might look like a teenage dragon, but my proper age is far higher. I was hatched not so far after my tribe left these lands. My mother says I am one hundred seasons old, give or take a few. One other issue I have, I can't breathe fire. That also means I can't keep myself warm like most dragons.”

Katrin gasped at the news. “That explains it!” Then she was silenced by Mistica's tail in her mouth. Katrin grasped the tail, surprised, and dragged it from her mouth. “Trough, we got to patrol in the winter... if you can't keep war, how would you survive winter?”

“Simply, I don't. In my tribe, I sought refuge with Fera and Evy. They were the two eldest I was most comfortable with in sleeping with. And they agreed that one of them would stay always in the nest while the other hunted. I spend my time either near a fire or in their coils. "

Katrin simply gazed at Mistica. “You had...sex with two dragons at the same time to keep warm. "

Mistica could not help to laugh at Katrin's confused look. She pressed her mouth into her own body not to be laughing too loud. “Oh Katrin, I was not meaning having sex with, I meant literally sleeping with. But you are not wrong. While we three did not share a mate ship.We did care and we had many a night of sex together. I couldn't just walk out of the cave, and they would not sacrifice their pleasures for me.”

Katrin gripped Mistica's tail tighter “and now you don't have no one to keep you warm. "

“Yes, so my time is running out. I don't know how far I have to fly before we come to my home. And I don't know how long I need for my wing to heal. If only I were more prepared to escape with Derick, I wouldn't have broken my wing.”

“But you wouldn't have met me.” Katrin tried to snicker, a joke to make light of the situation.

“Look Katrin, you grow on me, but I do value my freedom and life more than I do our friendship.”

“Honest as always. Even through your words, manage to just hurt me a bit” Katrin reached out to rub Mistica's cold belly. She rumbled at receiving the rubs, reminding Katrin a bit like a cat. An overgrown scaly cat, that is.

“Uhm, I have no reason to lie to you. Though that doesn't mean I see you as anything but my captor for the moment.”

“come on Mistica, you can admit we are friends. We spend the last few days a lot of time together.”

“Katrin. We are not friends, in your eyes i should be your mount. In my eyes, you are my captor.”

“What must I do to finally get that image of the captor out of your mind? Like i told you before, it's not that i want to keep you here.”

“Free me. Simple as that. You have your charm, but the answer stays the same. I will have my freedom, eventually. I see no reason to lie to you.”

Katrin took a deep breath, her shoulders drooped a bit. “I hoped you would have changed your mood to me a bit. Since, well, you are the only one I can talk to. Mistica, do you see our faith intertwined like I do? If you escape, I get hell to pay. If I keep you here, you most likely die on the first winter mission.”

“Yes, so that's why I offered you to come with me. But you never accepted it. No doubt you can stay at my tribe for a while. My father would delighted to have another human who cares about dragons.”

Katrin played with Mistica's tail tip a bit, letting it sway between her fingers and tracing the edges of the individual scales. “What kind of question would that be? What kind of choice? To choice to reject and lose everyone who I know to life with dragons”

“It's a third option that avoids you being punished, and me dying. I can't promise things are easy. But often the good things in life are difficult. And simple things are not always good. Take, for example, Derick, in his believes that he had an easy fix. Though I will make sure there is hell to pay.”

Katrin hummed in response, looking at the wall of Mistica's pen. “Or he could say that its difficult so it was good”

“Perhaps, doubt that he will feel good after I am trough with him. Perhaps setting an example for other so-called hunters to think about catching dragons. “

Karin let out a deep breath, looking at Mistica with worry in her eyes. “Tell me then, are you planning to set every dragon free, even those that have been born into this life?”

“if that is what it takes. Yes, I will burn down every single stable, every single chain and harness that keeps other dragons in chains. I know that look Katrin, you again think me crazy and aggressive.” Mistica huffed at Katrin and moved her head to look into her eyes. Causing Katrin to just stare into Mistica's Amber eyes that almost seem to glow in the dark.

“I must admit, yet. But somehow, I don't know why, something, a little voice in my head tells me constantly that You have to do it.” Katrin joked dryly. “I just wonder Mistica, if you are planning this all, do you fear being captured again and tortured?”

Mistica gave a grunt and laid her head down on Katrin's lab, closing her eyes to think. “You mean me with that voice?” She did not wait for an answer from Katrin. “Do I fear pain? Well, it would be a lie that I don't fear pain. All animals fear pain, humans and dragons alike. And I don't wish for my demise Trough these fears, don't hold me back from fighting for what I know is right. If I don't, then who? I was born of those who fled this horrible situation. Would it then not be just that I am the one who demolishes it?”

Katrin did not know why, but she moved her hand to scratch behind Mistica's horn while she was speaking. She just let the words roll around in her head a bit. Something was just not sitting right. “Can't you just flee when I set you free? Don't look back. Life with your tribe. I fear you will destroy yourself with this burden.”

Mistica let out a low rumble, leaning slightly into the sensation that her captor provided her. “Your worry is heartwarming, but what option do I have? I can't go back now that I experienced this... should I just ignore it all?”

"But does that mean that you should take on a burden that is carried by a group or even a kingdom?” Katrin tabbed Mistica's snout, so she moved and she could stand up. “Look, I have to go, before people ask question... but I will try something. Just think about what you want. I know you are angry, trough perhaps there is another option then just try to burn everything down.”

Mistica stared at Katrin while she left, following her on her way out before curling up again in the chilly stable. Shivering again. While Katrin's warmth was not much, it helped her a bit, and now she was cold again.

Mistica was suddenly surprised that Katrin reappeared with an extra hay bale. She started to shake and spread it around Mistica, pushing it against her body as a bit more of a crude nest. Before walking away without saying a single thing.

“Thats not how it works....” Mistica then remembered something. “Thanks, by the way.”

Katrin woke up the next morning from a rather restless sleep. To say Mistica's words were rolling around in her head like stones down a hill was an understatement. Or she particularity looked out to breakfast again. She took a moment to make sure she looked presentable, brushing her hair, making sure that all straw hay was removed from her uniform and hair before slipping into the uniform and making her way to the mess hall.

Again, when she entered the hall, it was that feeling that you had when everyone was just speaking about you and now is suddenly changing the subject. It was that odd wave that emanated from where you enter, where those in discussion, look up fall silent for a moment before talking again. Sometimes nudging their friend about the subject of the conversation.

She grabbed her plate with eggs and bacon for breakfast from the buffer like table that was positioned at one head of the room. it all forced to walk up and down the rows of tables twice. it resulted in her walking past a group of recruits that have not yet noticed she was in the room now, their hushed voices signalling their rumouring.

“Who doesn't she think she is, rolling in full rider outfit and claiming a dragon? We have had to train long and hard” Katrin looked at the recruit who just talked. He had his right arm broken, and it was put in a wooden splint to heal.

“I don't know,” Katrin said, startling the recruits. “I heard you taking flying lessons the last time you tried to tame Mistica.” She did not stand still to wait for a reaction. Her heart was pumping too widely for that. She tried to keep on walking normal pace down to her spot like nothing happened. She only could hear the absence of voices from behind her when the group of recruit just fallen silent. That felt good, Katrin thought to herself.

“I bet it did,”

Spooked, Katrin dropped her fork when she heard Mistica's voice in her head. “What?!” she hissed, suppressing her surprise, not wanting to seem suspicious. Trough Mistica gave no other answer. The combined situations gave Katrin an adrenaline rush that made it hard to actually eat. She had issues picking up her fork and holding it still while she started her breakfast.

“Rider Endora,” was the voice suddenly from behind her. It was Lieutenant Amberheart. Even though she spoke no louder than the outer voices, those around her fell silent to hear what the Lieutenant had to say. Katrin span around and stood up.

“Ma'am,” she said, not wanting to be disrespectful after Amberheart's last threat. Especially when she spends part of the night discussing plans to flee with her dragon. She should tell the Lieutenant right? but she already knew that Mistica was planning to flee. So should she? Perhaps now she could still play the innocent party that was pressed into service before she was ready.

“Today we will train your combat more. That means that your dragon stayed in the stable for today. Is that clear?”

Katrin answered in a quick and trained “Ma'am yes ma'am” The lieutenant nodded and walked away. What was that all about? Katrin wondered. Feeling sad that this time she could not train with Mistica, while she could not really talk with her during the training, it made her feel at least not so alone.

It was after the breakfast that Katrin exited the mess hall and was caught by Lieutenant Amberheart again. “Walk with me,” she said in a monotone voice.

“Yes, ma'am,” Katrin answered again, following Lieutenant Amberheart to a smaller building. To her shock, she could see the trail where she dragged the hay-bale from the shed to Mistica's pen to keep her warmer.

“This trail leads from here to Mistica's pen. Do you know anything about this?” She asked with a more pressing voice.

“Well yes, Mistica complained she was cold... So I helped her with a bit of extra hay.”

“Cold...” Amberheart hissed between her teeth. “Look Endora, I know you are new. But you can't just help yourself with whatever provisions you want! We have other dragons who also need hay. Your dragon's comfort is not important. They can keep themselves warm.” Amberheart's voice was not shouting, but it carried a volume that struck all the air out of Katrin's chest. She felt small against the Lieutenant as she laid in on her. It nearly made her spill the beans on Mistica's complication. At the last moment, she swallowed her words.

“And what you got to say for yourself, rider?” Amberheart kept the same harsh tone.

“Sorry ma'am, I couldn't sleep and I thought to check up on Mistica. It will not happen again.” Katrin Swallowed the lump in her throat. Was that too much? It was the partial truth, but what if the Lieutenant kept asking questions?

Lieutenant Amberheart did not look convinced. She gave a soft umhpf and looked at the stack of hay bales again. “This is a minor transgression. We are not running out of hay soon. I will keep this to a verbal warning, avoiding the bureaucratic drag. But if I catch you doing anything like this again, there will be hell to pay. Don't forget who your dragon is, not a tame dragon but a wild one, and one that will undoubtedly use any friendliness you show her against you. Is that clear?”

“Ma'am, yes Ma'am,”

“Dismissed, go to your training. "

The training ground was filling in with other recruits and the sound of wood on wood clatter from wooden swords smashing together and grunts of exertion. She looked around to find the drill sergeant that was supervising the training. She spotted him shouting at two recruits who were taking it rather slow with their blows. With haste, she walked to the sergeant, fearing that she was too late.

“Oh, would you look at what the dragon dragged on? It's our new rider. Finally showed up?” His words were laced with acid.

“Apologies sir, I have been held up by Lieutenant Amberheart, Sir. I came as fast as I could, Sir. Will not happen again, sir.” Katrin hoped she would not get the full force of the sergeant's blow outs about showing up late.

“You better not.” The sergeant grumbled. “Okay you two, If i now see you slacking off, you will both spend the rest of the day cleaning the dragon shit piles with your bare hands.” He turned to Katrin. “Same counts for you if you are late again, Rider Endora. Now walk with me. I have been tasked with the ungrateful task of getting your rich arse in shape before your dragon's wing is healed and you are pushed into service. Now follow me.” He walked away from the two boys with Katrin in the tail. He stopped with a weapon rack with various wooden training swords. Taking one and handing it over to Katrin.

“You will train with me the coming week. After that, we will train every other day. I will promise you this, Miss Endora. This training with be hell, we have no use for weak riders. To deal with a dragon, you must be both mentally and physically strong. But don't worry, I will beat you into shape myself.”

Katrin took the sword with a gulp, taking a step back while trying to hold the sword properly. The drill sergeant walked around to create some space and spun the sword around to show some of his skill. Then he stance, spreading his legs. Katrin tried to copy his stance, trying to remember what little she overheard about sword fighting. Without provocation or warning, the Drill sergeant struck and without effort landed a blow on Katrin's arm. The pain was immediate and intense. He really held nothing back. Even the leather armour of the rider's uniform did not help that much to actually help with spreading out the pain from the blow into something more manageable. It caused her to drop her stance, and she was struck a second time on her right and left, making her drop to the ground and fall face down into the dirt. Her eyes tearing from the pain she just witnessed.

Thankfully, the Drill sergeant did not strike again, rather he stood above her and judging her. “You are going to require a lot of work,” he said. "Now stand up, Rider, Stand up and fight. A real rider doesn't give up. That's your duty for church and kingdom. “

Katrin Slowly got up, trying to bite through the pain in her leg and how it wasn't fully supporting her weight just yet. She raised her sword again, determined to at least parry some blows from the drill sergeant. He gave her the time that she needed, but when she was ready; he struck again. The clatter of wood on wood filled Katrin's ears before she got another hit on her side. She absorbed some of the impact this time and the blow was a lot softer, but that did not stop the pain when the wooden sword contacted her flank. It pushed into the soft flesh between her two ribs and bruised her side. She gasped out at him and tried to strike back by twisting her sword forwards along the Drill sergeant's sword. Trough instead of holding her back, the sergeant just twisted her sword away, causing her to strike air and leaving her open for a fist in her stomach, making her double over. She had to resist vomiting her breakfast over the hard dirt that made the training ground.

“first things first,” the drill sergeant spoke down at her. “You need to work on your base. The person is unbalanced. You don't reflect attacks, but absorb them. A fool's errant, especially against someone who is stronger.”

Katrin gazed up at the Sergeant, panting to recover some breath. Easy for you to say. This is no training, this is torment.

Then Mistica's voice entered her mind again. “They love torment. If you want to resist torments, become a grey rock. Show no emotion. Show them no hook where they can hook on”

Mistica's voice was gone as fast as it came and left Katrin with no opportunity to ask. Mistica? She tried to concentrate her thoughts on her dragon, but she got no further answer from the dragoness. Having no choice but to keep going, she stood up again for another pummelling. For how much Katrin wanted and thought to deserve to hit the Sergeant at least once, she only got more bruises. By the time the training was done and the sun was past its highest point in the sky, her body was painful and stiff. She did not know how she could possibility handle.

“Endora, I expect you to learn from today's exercise. Tomorrow we will start working on your form. Perhaps teach you some techniques to parry some attacks.” The Drill Sergeant said and took Katrin's wooden sword and put it back on the stand. “For now, dismissed. I think you have other duties to attent right now.”

Katrin moved slowly and stiffly. There was not a part of her body that didn't hurt from the physical training or from the bruises that were left on her skin by the countless hits from the wooden sword. She walked past the barracks and towards the stables to check up on Mistica. Trough when she arrived, Mistica was not alone. A 'doctor' was there with her to check up on her wing.

“Uhm, the wing is healing well,” the doctor said to Lieutenant Amberheart, who was standing closed off against a wall. “Better than expected from a wild dragon. If it doesn't listen to its rider. I want to have it as a research subject.”

Amberheart snorted a bit. “I doubt you ever get that chance, doctor. She sends more than a few of my riders to the infirmary. I doubt your researchers stand much more chance. "

“She?” the doctor asked, confused, ignoring the threating hisses from Mistica.

“The dragon Doctor, she prefers to be called by her pronoun, and we learned the hard way that it's not good to tickle the dragon's tail by calling her it.”

The doctor looked surprised at the dragon. “amazing a dragon who thinks it is a person,” receiving more growls from Mistica who looked like she was ready to bite and tear the doctor apart.

“Katrin” Mistica's voice was distressed. "Don't worry, they can't hear me talking to you. The doctor is too bloody closed minded to communicate with him. Else I would have a few choice words with him to tell him where he can shove that bag of his.”

Katrin was not sure how to reply tough. She was hidden inside the pen next to Mistica, that was unoccupied. Staring through a hole in the wooden planks at her dragon being examined. It seems like she got a few more lashes from a whip.

“Doctor, we are not here for philosophical questions. Lieutenant Amberheart said. “I want to know if she can fly again soon. The queen is pressing me to have a wild dragon into service.”

“Well, it is in good conditions, I think it can fly in a few weeks. Through it must build up its body strength again. I have one concern trough” he put a kind of thermometer under Mistica's scales. “this dragon is cold. Her body temperature is only thirty-five degrees. Whereas normally a dragon's fire would burn hot enough to be over forty degrees. I don't know what is wrong with her, but with this temperature, I doubt winter flights would be possible. I don't know why it survived in the wild long enough to grow up.”

“Nothing is wrong with me, you shit stained ape. Now get that tool away from my scales else I will teach you about how hot-blooded I can be,” Mistica raged against Katrin about the doctor.

Lieutenant amber heart huffed. “That explains why I caught her rider stealing hay. She wanted to keep the dragon warm.”

The doctor gave a quick inspection of the make shift hay nest. “That, for humans, would be a logical thing to do. Though, I don't think it will work with a dragon. Say Lieutenant, have you ever seen this dragon breath fire?”

The lieutenant thought hard along. “Now if you say that...No, I don't think I have. She hissed, bit, tore and clawed but never breathed fire. What are you getting at, doctor?”

“I must run more tests, extract the dragon's fire fluids, but I think this dragon is born a mutant. No fire, no way to heat itself. Honestly, if I am correct, then this dragon would be useless as a fighter. Perhaps in the lab it could proof its worth as research subje... AGHHH!” the doctor suddenly screamed. Mistica got a hold of his leg and bit down hard.

“Beast!” Amberheart shouted and took out her rapier to stab at Mistica to have her release the Doctor's leg.

“I am not an animal!” She shouted mentally. “And fuck you that you did not correct him about that Amberheart. This is on you.”

Before the lieutenant could pierce Mistica's scales with her rapier, Mistica bit of bone and muscle. With a loud crunching noise and blood spilling across the hay, she severed the doctor's limb. The doctor soon fainted, and the Lieutenant shouted, stabbed mistica to have her move away and dragged the doctor out of the pen shouting bloody murder and for help.

“Hide, Katrin” Mistica said calmly. Hissing at the many stable hands and other guards that were arriving. “Get him to the infirmary,” Lieutenant Amberheart commanded before looking at Mistica with fire in her eyes.

She slowly stood up and walked to the dragon, gazing at the severed limb that she had spit out on the hay. “You did it now, dragon.” She hissed, “And I doubt whipping or stabbing you will help.” She scratched her chin and turned around to see one guard. “Search for Rider Endora,” she commanded. “And after that, gather all the recruits in the courtyard. We are having a public whipping. For failing to have her dragon obey, she will accept one hundred strikes of the nine tails.”

Katrin suddenly felt sick and like she was going to faint.

“What!?” Mistica's words boiled over in anger, but soon she spoke with remorse. “I am sorry, Katrin.”

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