AERYN'S POV

I shook my head, pocketing the third scale. I had to find Rays and Tanwen new summoners. Something was blocking my weak essence, making it impossible for me to be able to summon all three dragons.

A wave of nausea washed over me, and I stumbled backwards into Serene. Dark spots danced across my vision as I leaned all my weight against her front leg, sweat soaking the back of my shirt.

"I can't keep both of you summoned for much longer," I panted with my hands on my knees. "And why haven't either of you tried communicating with me before?"

We've been.

The deep, rumbling voice sounded in my head and Rays flared his nostrils, dragging his claws through the snow.

A much softer voice flittered in my head as Serene lowered her head to my shoulder. It felt like there was a wall each time I tried to speak to you.

"And it's not there anymore?"

It's still there, but not as strong, Rays said. You have a scale to find.

I smiled at Rays. "So, you think I'm capable of joining the Force then."

Rays glanced at Serene who averted her gaze, and I rolled my eyes.

I missed it when you didn't know we could speak to each other.

"Very funny."

I wasn't joking. But if you want to find the scale, I suggest recalling...Serene.

"Why did you say her name like that?"

Serene spoke up next. You named me.

"Yeah, I thought it matched your aura," I said, scrunching my brows in confusion.

We are all named by Armaeda and Hyrule, but Serene couldn't tell you what her name was when you were given her scale. 

Embarrassment flared up to my face, reddening my cheeks. I did not attend the introductory class to learn about essences and practice powers since I had neither. Thinking back, it would have made sense for me to participate anyway. 

"Oh. I, uh...what's your real name?" I asked, searching Sere – my dragon's – golden eyes.

Serene, she said. I like it.

I scratched the top of her head in appreciation, withdrawing her scale from my pocket. "Okay, Serene," I said, rubbing it, "It's time for you to take a nap."

Her essence was sucked into the scale, and I tucked it back in my pocket, turning to Rays.

"We've got a scale to find," I said, climbing onto his neck.

Rays took off into the sky, hiding behind the clouds as he circled the mountain to avoid running into any other Draconians. My stomach flipped when I pictured Pallonia and Derryn melting in pools of their skin from Serene's frost fire.

I pulled back on Rays' horns as we approached Haddington on the western side of the mountain and directed him toward the entrance of an enormous tunnel just as Misty flew by on the back of her violet dragon. Snowflakes dotted her braids as she hovered beside us in the swirling snow, face pale and veins bulging black around her dull eyes.

"We can't go through the tunnels," she said, "We'll be disqualified if we touch the ground and neither of our dragons can fit inside while flying."

"Damn, that's an unfair advantage for shifters. They can easily fly through the tunnels and keep themselves airborne without ever having to walk on the ground," I realized, shaking my head. "I bet Serene is small enough to get through with me on her back. Give me a second."

Misty nodded and moved her dragon out of the way as I took out Serene's iridescent scale and summoned her. Frost fire emitted in the air between us as she entered our realm. I patted the top of Rays' head and said, "Alright, your turn to take a nap," and jumped from his neck onto Serene's.

I recalled Rays to his dragon realm and stuffed his yellow scale in my pocket, bringing Serene to the tunnel's entrance.

"I'll keep watch out here," Misty said, knuckles whitening on her dragon's horns as her eyes squeezed shut and she craned her neck with a hiss.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concern contorting my lips into a worried frown as I twisted on Serene's neck to face her.

Shooing me away, she positioned her dragon outside the entrance to look out over the mountain as she assured, "Yeah, I just will never get used to this cold."

I bit my lip, not believing it was the weather that wracked her body with uncontrollable shivers and twisted her face into a painful grimace.

"Okay..." I said, unease making me pause. "Well, I'll be right back out with the scale."

I knew it was optimistic of me to claim such a promise, but I didn't know what else I could say to lift her spirits. I directed Serene into the tunnel, and she swooped inside, tips of her wings grazing the walls on either side of us as I ducked to avoid scraping my head against the ceiling.

Torches lined the walls at even intervals, illuminating the mining tunnels with enough light to navigate them. The entire town of Haddington existed inside the Wrexial Mountains as tunnels meant for mining and extracting rocks and minerals from the mountain that were used to make various weapons, potions, medicines, and even poisons.

I was not worried about encountering any other summoners from the challenge while in these tunnels. Their dragons were much too large to follow the winding trails, but shifters would be able to fly and keep themselves levitated in the dank town. I had to trust Misty and her dragon to protect us while we searched for Hyrule's scale.

The silence was eerie as I steered Serene towards a wider corridor only to end up flying in a circle. I didn't have a map of the Haddington tunnels and could wind up lost if I wasn't careful to pay attention.

"Wait a second," I said to Serene, "Hyrule hasn't given his scale up to another summoner since my mother died. There's no way he let Reishell take it for a challenge. We must go to Clear Water."

Good thinking, Serene's calming voice echoed in my head as she headed outside. I can get you to him.

"Hey, Misty," I called as we breached the entrance, "I couldn't find anything, and I don't think Trainer Reishell would place the scale in an area that summoners can't get to. We're going to check Clear Water instead."

"Clear Water?" she asked, steering her dragon over to me.

Nodding, I said, "Yeah. Hyrule has remained unbonded ever since my mother was killed. I doubt he'd give up his scale for this challenge. I think he still has it. Plus, we can let our dragons rest for a bit on the ground since it's the safe zone."

"If that's true, then how are we supposed to take it from Hyrule? He's massive, Aer, and very protective of his territory and offspring. He could squash us with just his tail if he wanted, not to mention he breathes spark fire."

"I know. We just have to make sure not to get in his way."

"I'm not sure stealing his scale is staying out of his way," she pointed out, tying her braids back in a thick ponytail.

"We have to try. We'll just make sure to spread out just in case Hyrule decides to burn one of us with the spark fire," I cautioned, recalling how my mother said the sparks leap from one victim to the next, electrocuting them at the same time as flames lick up their bodies and incinerate them.  "It's best we keep a safe distance from each other. It's quite an awful way to go, if you ask me."

Misty gulped then feigned a smile, patting the side of her dragon's face. "Take us to Clear Water, Blythe."

Oh right, her dragon's name was Blythe. 

Misty and Blythe dropped at a steep incline down the side of the mountain, then circled the wide base as Serene and I followed on their tail until the sparkling water of the lake drew up on the horizon. 

Snow covered the tall trees of the surrounding Yurich Forest and Serene pumped her wings with more vigor as the essences of all the dragons flowed into our systems to rejuvenate our energy. The shimmering silver stream of the dragons' essences mixed together in a trail above Clear Water, and a handful of dragons rested along the shore as Blythe and Serene landed at the edge of the forest where the soil met the sand.

I dismounted my dragon, allowing her to dash to the water's edge and dip herself beneath the surface as I stretched my arms above my head and cracked my knuckles. Hyrule laid on the other side of the lake and kept a watchful eye on us as he dipped his talons in the water, sending ripples across the shallow end.

Glastos.

My entire body went rigid when the deep voice rumbled in my head and my hand jumped to my heart as a charged pulse circuited down the entire length of my body. Hyrule picked his head up, rising out of the water to sit back on his haunches. His golden horns seemed to poke the clouds above him and snow dusted the top of his head as his full height unraveled. The electrifying current tugged at me, dragging me towards the father of all dragons. The tips of my steel-toed boots found the lake as I was pulled into the water until my midsection was submerged.

"Uh, hi," I said, offering Hyrule a sheepish wave as the magnetic pull increased in strength and forced my chest into the frigid water. My teeth chattered as I explained, "I'm looking for one of your scales to win the challenge and choose my Duty."

I will not give up my scale to anyone. My bond is unbroken.

His bond was broken; my mother was dead, and the only way bonds were shattered between dragons and their summoners was when one, or both, of them died. 

Water lapped at the base of my chin as I was forced deeper into the water. I tilted my head back, soaking my hair in the icy lake as I assumed, "You're bonded to someone else?"

No. My bond has not been severed.

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