The Ether-Knight's Lessons

12

.^^ Darien ^^

— Idun —

The first view I had of the Canadian Reserve was bracing, in a word.

The portal dropped me on top of a mountain, in the snow, which was immediately confusing, as it was the middle of August.

Colin, who was my guide on this little outing, laughed. "I told ye! Ye need a Coat, in a Canadian Mountain Autumn!" He sloughed off one of his layers of jackets, and wrapped it around my shoulders, then started walking calmly down the slope.

I worked my arms into the long sleeves, and then followed, stepping in his footprints to make it easier on myself.

"Gladius' Cave is just Here! He likes te have the highest one, even if it isn't the biggest!" He called over the wind, and pointed at a giant crevice that had popped out of nowhere.

I nodded and spread his jacket, leaping in easily. He yelped and grabbed onto me, falling in on my back.

"Oh calm down, you big baby!" I commented dryly over his scream, and expanded the jacket, gliding in tight circles towards the bottom of the crevice, and landing on my feet.

Gladius raised his head from the scroll he was reading, and tilted it. "Odd... a flying human. Some special breed?"

I laughed, and pulled the oversized hood back. "No, sir, just a bit of Magic. How are you?" I asked, while Colin puked to the side.

Gladius lifted one of his lips slowly into a sneer at the smell of vomit. "I was quite happily reading, actually. A human named Herodotus."

"Indeed. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'd like to ask a few questions, if that's alright?" I patted Colin's head patronizingly, and he glared at me, clearing his mouth out with a handful of snow.

"I am intrigued. Ask away." He nodded.

"Do you have any idea the prerequisites for a nearly-pure Gold such as yourself to be born?" I asked bluntly.

"Hmm... only that my mother was a Copper, and my father a Bronze. My Mara was born of a Bronze and Brass." He answered just as calmly.

"I see... and do you know of any way to tell the color or purity of a dragon by its shell?" I asked.

"Of course, Yes. The shell will always be white, with flakes of the color in it. Mixed breeds either have a bit of both, only one, or even an entirely new, or mixed color. However, the children of Elders will almost always be a hue of the same color." He rolled up his scroll carefully, and set it on a shelf.

"Alright... last question: would you mind gathering for me all the Bronze, Brass, White, and Copper dragons in this preserve? If that's impossible, then I'd like to visit them individually, and extract a sample of their seed or eggs, so as to fertilize a set of willing females without any unnecessary problems." I nodded.

He nodded slowly. "For the breeding, Yes? Many females would be honored to birth a Gold, and they will do so, if asked. As for the males... hm. That will take convincing. Most males are incredibly protective of their young, and do not like them to be interfered with by humans."

"I trust your persuasive skills, Gladius. I'll be back in a month! I'd like their consent by then!" I smiled and waved, walking out of the smaller exit, with Colin trailing behind.

"What did you talk about? I've never heard that language." He asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

"Nor will you again, unless you're near me. Dragons are born with it. My Clan, and most Drachenjäger Clans, can understand it at birth." I explained, and began the trek back up the mountain.