Dawn's Light

Chapter 9

Celia looked to Verbena as the two walked back to their room in the Sapphire tunnel. "Did you notice how surprised Guild Master Orthos looked?" She asked the dragonet. "It was like he wasn't expecting us to do that well."

Verbena nodded in response. 'And Ralfa Valiant wasn't expecting us to breakthrough his interference.'

"So he was the one that was keeping us from sensing teach other," Celia blinked, "but how exactly did we break free? Valiant is the strongest dragon in Roahla." She paused and thought about possibilities for a moment, but her mind was at a blank when it came to possible explanations.

'Nothing can stop true friendship!' Verbena cheered and roared for extra emphasis. 'We are unstoppable together!'

Celia chuckled, then moved the curtain aside. She jumped back in surprise as a light filled her eyes, a light as bright as a fire but without the flickering. "What?" She squeaked as her eyes adjusted. "The orb is glowing again...." She blinked as she and Verbena entered the room.

Celia suddenly remembered how the rider from when they had eavesdropped on the Masters. "An unwavering light brighter than the moon...:" Celia awed, "a ray of light from the sun." She wrestled her eyes away from the glowing sphere sitting on her sack. "There was one under the mountain the entire time! We need to take it to Guild Master Orthos." Her voice became faster in her excitement as she pulled a spare shirt from her chest and wrapped it around the warm orb to muffle and hide its light. "Come on Verbena! Let's go!" She cradled the bundle in one arm to keep it safe as she climbed onto the dragonet's back.

Verbena nodded in understanding, then ran back out of the room as soon as her rider was ready.

Celia held on to the dragonet's harness and the orb as Verbena ferried Celia back to Guild Master Orthos's office. As they approached, the two heard voices from behind the curtain. Celia thought that it was odd thatchy could actually hear the Guild Master and whomever he was speaking. Typically the guild master held meetings in the privacy of an inner room of his office that was hidden behind a soundproof stone door, but this time he did not. Since Verbena could hear the guild master's meeting, she decided to wait until they were done before she entered.

"Guild master," the feminine voice sounded slightly familiar to Celia, "I assure you that I did not give my daughter any special training. Though I disagree with the tradition of total silence, I kept everything secret and only taught her how to keep her balance on the back of a walking dragon since that is a skill useful to members of all guilds and she would have eventually figured how anyway since we had two dragons living with us. And she loved to play with them and often climbed onto their backs. She was always so cute and happy when she played with Nami and Chrome." Sabrina sighed in a way that implied happiness. 

Celia blinked in surprise and froze at the realization that Guild Master Orthos was speaking with her mom.

'Mom Sabrina?' Verbena blinked and seemed confused.

Now thoroughly curious, Celia focused on eavesdropping on the discussion. Though it was probably wrong of her to do so, she felt like this discussion was about her, and she needed to talk to the guild master anyway.

"I believe you, Sabrina," the guild master sighed, "though it's unusual that her mindlink suddenly became strong enough to break Valiant's interference."

"They broke through The Valiant?" Sabrina sounded extremely surprised. "But...but that's impossible for a rankless. She's too young and inexperienced to be able to do that. Are you sure that's what happened?"

"I am positive," he replied, "Valiant was sure there was no interference from the outside. Somehow, they connected at a level riders usually ease into starting after their third year." He paused. "Though there is the possibility of her lineage coming into play. Perhaps both of you are descendants of the first rider, which is why even you bonded with your dragon earlier than expected."