Who knew one terrible mistake could trigger a war so quickly. It hadn't even been a few months, and news of the Kinsmen of the Dark gaining grounds constantly reached their ears. Every able body was requested by the Council of Thirds to join the fro...
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In reality, Nagan would've been screaming by now if it weren't for the speed Ravi was ascending at. It was nearly impossible to breathe at all. All he could do was clutch onto Ravi (somehow) and hope she would slow down eventually.
Yet just as they breached the first layer of clouds, there was a moment of weightlessness. Ravi had stopped beating her wings against the wind and simply let them fold back by her sides. It was a terrifying yet exhilarating moment, staring into the sun as they peaked and slowly began falling back towards the earth. Yet just as Nagan's stomach caught in his throat, Ravi's wings spread once again, and soon they were gliding along with the winds, just above the clouds.
It was cold as the mist from the clouds brushed against his legs, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Instead, he looked past the tiny walls of Carvolier and into the ocean that separated the island where the castle sat from the mainland. He had always known the world was a big place, but seeing it from such a high perspective seemed to make it even bigger.
This was where he was meant to be.
Nagan continued to gape in awe before realizing he still couldn't breathe. There was a moment of panic before he remembered the mask that hung around his neck like a scarf. He quickly pulled it over the lower half of his face and took a much-needed gulp of air.
"You know Professor Fai is gonna be mad at me for taking off like this," Nagan said before continuing with no real bite to his tone, "even though this is all your doing."
Ravi chirped and looked back at her rider as if asking what he thought. She continued to glide aimlessly, keeping near Carvolier and only flapping her wings to keep their altitude. Nagan didn't have to say anything and grinned back at her, silently thanking her for showing him this.
They continued to soar for what felt like hours — Nagan not once feeling too cold as Ravi naturally shared heat with him — occasionally glancing down to see what the others were doing. Neither Wyvet nor Qentor had gone after him at this point, which he didn't mind at all. He'd rather enjoy the moment and delay the scolding, anyway. Soon, though, he saw the glimpses of color as other new Dragonmages took to the sky one by one. Each getting higher and higher, though none dared to go as high as he and Ravi did.
The bond between dragon and rider became clearer, Nagan found, as he didn't quite need to tell Ravi where he wanted her to go. Of course, their bond wasn't as strong as experienced riders, but it only took a simple command for Ravi to flawlessly follow through. Nagan snorted at the thought. This was the first time Ravi had listened to him without much trouble.
"If only you'd listen to me like this all the time," he humored. "Maybe we'd actually get things done more efficiently."
Ravi snorted before snapping her wings to her sides once again. Nagan yelped as they free-fell a few feet before she opened her wings to continue gliding.
