W.R.E.N.

Graduating

All too soon it was graduation. Tanwen wanted to watch Zia, so we went. It was the first time I watched the ceremony. Typically I ran off into the woods. I didn't want to see my friends, my family leaving me.

There were places to sit if you were a knight or shifter, or if you wanted to set as a bonded pair. I thought this was really strange. What did it matter? Most here were bonded? I sighed. When we got up to the seats many of the dragons started calling for me. I smiled and waved. The knight directing us to our seats looked bored with life.

"Shifter, you can sit over there. Make sure your with your element." He stated stamping my hand. Tanwen had gone before me. I snorted leave it to a fire knight not to pay attention. I moved up to where the shifters were. Many hands pounded my back.

"Should have known you would only attend when she was leaving." I smirked at an air dragon. They all shifted for us to have seats. As I glanced around I saw they weren't in order of their element. Dragons, you had to love them.

The ceremony started with a speech from Quinn. Then the head fire knight and shifter gave speeches. Then there were some alumni. It was all rather boring. Finally it came time for the diplomas. Each Nuare pair walked across the stage together. They were called in order of their rank. It only took me two pairings before I realized they were calling them in the rank of the knight.

This pissed me off. The dragons were more important than the knight! If it wasn't for the dragons most of the Knights wouldn't even be a knight. I frowned. Fauner was smiling and jabbering away to people. Zia, sitting beside him, looked like she wanted to smack him.

'Do it, at least that would be entertaining.' I told her. She lifted her head. I saw her eyes darted around where the Nuare pairs sat. I waved just enough to get her attention. She saw me and smiled. Fauner glanced over. He smirked when he saw me. Now there was a reason I didn't like him. See, it takes four years of schooling to become a registered knight. I met Zia on the day she hatched. Somehow her egg escaped a transport. They enlisted us in finding her. I found her in the woods, alone. I took care of her, got her back to school and cared for her until Fauner showed up two months later.

Fauner hated my connection to the fire dragon. He would bully me, try and pick fights with me or in general be a complete dickhead to me. I was twelve, he was sixteen. It was like this for four years. Zia would tell him to stop it, but he just assumed it was her way of protecting me. I glared now at the tall handsome knight. Arrogant twit. I thought. Zia giggled a little.

'I'm glad you came.' She told me. I showed her Tanwen. She smirked in my head. 'You are wrapped around her little finger Zyn.' She teased me. Yeah, maybe I was.

We watched as Quinn announced Fauner first. I barely controled my vocal growl. More than one head turned looking for me, oops my mental growl well somethings are harder to stop. Zia took her diploma. She turned beaming. I leapt to my feet to applauded her. There was a smattering of applause as with everyone, but the dragons weren't able to quell my enthusiasm. They stomped their feet as one of the most prominent fire dragons to go through our academy just graduated. I saw her blush as she took her spot on the opposite side of the stage.

This went on, Fire always went first. Water always went last. I was slightly surprised to see two soul pairs graduating. We usually only have about five at any given time. They were highly unusual. Their dragons were rare at best.

It was over. After taking most of the afternoon! I had applauded for most of the dragons since I knew them. Many came up to me thanking me for being there for them. I accepted their thanks congratulating them on their new assignments. Zia was off to the side. She stood by her knight as was customary. I moved up to her. A tall regal looking man was talking to Fauner.