《The Odd Dragon Out [A Fantastical Draconic Adventure]》


 Prologue: Aspers Legacy

    This is my last record before the Asperic Voice leaves me for good. My Sorcery has been tainted by age, and my hands can no longer hold firm a pen, let alone dip with a quill. My word is all that remains, so heed me well, boy. Remember this.


    They are foul beasts, those they call humans.


    They share the same grace to walk on two feet as us, but they are vile.


    They are nests for obnoxious pools of fear, madness and conviction. That''s precisely why they journeyed from their own world and landed here.


    Fortune fell on them. They arrived just after the Inextinguishables brought about their own ruin, and found their own place in Ravi


    But why did they leave that wilderness where they had thrived for so long?


    Ha! You would never believe it, boy!


    One of their fowls spoke of a great, mysterious plague with terror shimmering in his eyes - a sickness that snatched even their strongest in the night and in the day. Their Shamans could not drive it away, so they gathered the able among them to venture here through forms of abominable Shamanry.


    But heed, boy! Heed the laughable hypocrisy!


    Fear, madness, conviction puppeteered them again. They fought amongst themselves for land and riches claimed mere centuries after they had settled on Ravi. Can you fathom this? They were no better than the Inextinguishables!


    But of course, they were not fools. After a time, before they thinned themselves to extinction, they signed pacts that forbade in-fighting, sealing them with abominable Shamanic Charms.


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    Indeed, boy. This was all before they Ascended.


    I shudder to think that Ravi rewarded them for the ceasefire. The timing was convenient. Just after their concessions, they happened upon a great treasure - a Helix and the mythical streams that poured from it. Of the five streams that flowed from this treasure in times before, only three remained , but the humans still gained a gift they did not ask for, let alone deserved.


    Each of them drank from a stream. I saw them cry, suffocated by boundless power.


    Bah! Humans breathing fire.


    Humans beating their large wings against our winds.


    Humans with scales harder than steel.


    I refuse to revere them as they demand. The Qin Asha. The Dragons...


    They are unworthy.


    Even the Mimada, the Coddled, those that drank from a different stream, I despise.


    I have seen their schemes. The same humanity pulls their lusts, and they are not satisfied that it is the Qin Asha who steer the lands now, marching stiff-nosed in the streets, sweltering pride burning from their gut. Literally!


    But mark my words, boy.


    This realm is bountiful.


    Different lands repel each other, and I say with dread, that we may just see a different age emerge before our eyes. For the greed of human souls in Dragon flesh forever grows, as does their arrogance.


    Sigh...


    Yes, boy. I hope you will watch for me. When your Asperic Voice clings to your tongue at that ripe age, rip it out, lest you attract ''them''. Watch and wait. I would like you to tell me the thrilling tale after you follow me into the darkness... hopefully many... many lifetimes... far into... the.... future.

 Saying Goodbyes

    The dusty wind of the Wild walloped Ancor, and as if he had been whipped by it on the buttocks, he staggered forward while wincing, his dirty robes rippling furiously.


    One of his hands gripped tight the strap to his sling bag, while the other hurriedly held down his hat so that it wouldn''t partake in a swim through the gust, and get buried within the sands of this desert.


    Ancor sighed and decisively removed it from his head. It was supposed to be pointed, like those the other ''normal'' Shamans wore, but fortune was against the poor, ashy ¨C formerly black ¨C hat.


    An enchanted toad the size of a small house had sat on it, and now, the hat forever looked like a struggling, doughy pancake.


    "I picked the wrong place for this, didn''t I?" Ancor said.


    The young boy standing two paces from him did not offer a response. He merely stood there, trying to hold down a boulder that seemed to be lodged in his throat.


    Ancor looked at the boy, and smiled sheepishly.


    He then knelt down on the red sand while narrowing his dark eyes so that the dusty wind wouldn''t throw obstacles in them ¨C an issue that seemed to avoid the boy before him ¨C and spoke.


    "I know, it''s sad. I know it hurts, but you have to go, Ginger."


    Ginger was a slightly plump boy of average height with a full head of rough, black hair. Of course, there were the few, long strips just above his forehead that took on a light shade of orange.


    "Do I really have to go? I...don''t want to," Ginger said while raising his head with a bitter expression. His large, sugar-grey eyes looked straight into Ancor''s dark pair intently.


    The Shaman felt a pang of guilt and pain. He knew Ginger was fighting a great, melancholic battle inside.


    Yet so was he.


    Summoning the most tender voice he could, Ancor spoke earnestly.


    "Life has dealt you some... very hard circumstances, Ginger. What you have had to endure since your father passed, and even before... no child should ever have to go through it. I know why you''re so hesitant. I was glad to help with everything then, and I''ll gladly continue to help now. I promise I''ll take good care of them for you. Trust me."


    Ginger shivered.


    He felt guilty about having his insecurity exposed in this manner. He was doubting his mentor, and it was clear despite him not saying it outright.


    Ancor had told him yesterday that he had to leave the Wild and go somewhere far.


    His life with the clumsy Shaman had come to an end, and worse yet, he had to leave two very important individuals behind. Two people he cared for so much.


    It was a hard pill to swallow.


    For a moment, a tear threatened to fall from Ginger''s eye, but he refused to let it leave the lid guarding its base.


    ''Falling tears only serve to water the weakness...''


    Recalling a long-lost gentle voice scolding him harshly with these words helped Ginger stifle the waterworks.


    Ancor patted Ginger''s shoulder and attempted to steer the boy''s mind from morbid thought.


    "Now, first, you have to hide these," Ancor pointed at Ginger''s neck where dozens of small, scattered scales could be seen over his warm beige skin. "Dragons, if I recall correctly, usually wear scarves to cover their scales. In their dormant forms, I mean."


    Ginger subconsciously began stroking his scales. Right now they felt like pieces of glass attached to his skin.


    Ancor packed his hand into his sling bag and drew a long, dark brown scarf of ancient, scruffy quality. It almost looked revolting to a degree.


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    He wrapped it around Ginger who beamed lightly and held it tight, as though it were some mythical treasure.


    "That should do it. As for the scales around your belly... you should keep them hidden too."


    Ginger''s mood turned light enough for him to ask:


    "You once said dragons are prideful. So why would they all hide their scales?"


    "It''s not so much the scales than it is their color, I think," Ancor said, though with a suspicious whipping of the eyes. "Can''t remember why. It''s been a while since I''ve been there. I was a bit of a rebel in my younger days."


    Ginger raised a brow.


    What absurdity was Ancor spouting?


    "Younger days? You''re still young. Aren''t you only 235 this year?"


    Ancor rubbed his indeed young-looking, clean-shaven face and narrowed his eyes.


    "Hopefully you keep that sharpened tongue where you''re going," he scoffed. "And not every Shaman lives to be 600. Times have changed." Ancor coughed awkwardly. He wasn''t lying. He could feel his body creak at times. "In any case, keep those scales hidden."


    Ginger felt around his belly. The scales on his body only concentrated around his neck and abdomen for some reason, and it had only been three months since they started to emerge.


    Their appearance must''ve been important, since Ginger recalled that Ancor had started behaving strangely ever since, despite already knowing beforehand that Ginger was a dragon.


    "Second of all, as I said before ¨C though admittedly in rather lacking detail ¨C I am sending you away to learn. There''s a school where you are going. If you do exactly as I told you, you shouldn''t have any problems getting in. Today should be opening day."


    Ginger blinked a couple of times. His mood started to slump again, and he subconsciously began scratching at his thigh.


    "How do you know that? And how are you so sure that I should even be going there?" he protested desperately.


    "Because you are 14 years old. All young dragons go for their First Year at that age, if I remember correctly," Ancor answered while rummaging through his sling bag.


    He began dragging out a myriad of items that had no business fitting inside the small, sagging sack of leather; a wooden cane, nine cabbages, three boulders, and fourteen bags of sugar.


    Ginger was almost mesmerized by this, but he managed to reel his mind back to respond defiantly.


    "But I''m not 14. I''m only 9."


    "Over there, you''ll be 14. Those scales are proof of it. Anyway, these trivial details don''t matter," Ancor said before handing Ginger the sling bag.


    Ginger looked at it quizzically.


    "This is yours now. It will be more useful to you than to me," Ancor said with a smile.


    The young plump boy couldn''t process this for a moment. This sling bag was one of Ancor''s most favored items.


    It was enchanted, and he never went anywhere without it. Though that could be attributed more to his abuse of it, than his attachment.


    Ginger had once seen Ancor fit a large toad corpse the size of a small house into the bag with fierce satisfaction. He suspected that the Shaman and toad had had a personal, hostile affair.


    For Ancor to be giving him this bag...


    On one hand, Ginger was touched and grateful, and on the other...


    "You''re not even going to accompany me, are you? Even for a little bit," he said while hanging his head sullenly. The morbid depression fully returned.


    Ancor hurriedly pushed the boy''s chin up and smiled.


    "I''m not as springy as I was when I was 70. The Fetid here is already enough to strain my bones, I can''t imagine what Mana Essence would do if I risked traveling outside the Wild even for a minute," he said.


    Ginger shrank.


    Ancor held his shoulders firmly.


    "Don''t feel disheartened. This will be good for you. You haven''t forgotten why you should go, right? What you will do when you are a big-shot dragon one day. They will be proud when you get back. Maybe you''ll be able to make them smile then."


    A small smile crept up on Ginger''s face.


    Yeah, that would be a sight. If he worked hard enough, maybe he could ''fix'' them.


    Ginger raised his head, a little motivated.


    Ancor was happy to see it.


    "Besides that, you''re going to create your own, solid identity. Let that dubious curiosity of yours shine. And for a change, let an environment full of children your age influence you. Whatever you become because of it, I''ll fight anyone to support it."


    Ginger''s smile grew wider at these words. He could see the confidence in the ruddy Shaman''s eyes. He meant it.


    But...


    Ancor wore a strained expression.


    "As for... If you feel that HUNGER and deep IRRITATION again, as I''m sure you''ll feel it a lot more frequently¡ª"


    "I know. I''ll have to take care of it myself," Ginger cut off Ancor, who smiled sheepishly, not sure if the brave smile Ginger wore, was genuine or intended to make him feel better.


    Yes, Ginger would have to deal with THAT all on his own. He and the boy knew what it was, but how it would impact him from now on... that was something no one knew.


    Ancor could only hope for the best.


    He stood up straight.


    He didn''t think he had it in him to talk to Ginger some more. Sooner or later, he would start doubting himself.


    At that moment, a strange, small bird the size of a fist flew by while cawing loudly.


    Ancor was disturbed. He looked at the lone sun in the sky.


    Dear heavens, when had the time flown by so quickly?!


    "Shunting Shamans!" he cursed and put on his eternally pancaked hat. "We have to hurry!"


    Ginger stood straight, clutching the scarf and sling bag tight.


    He was nervous. His throat hurt a little as if he had been crying in another plane, and tears were battling against his eyes, but he couldn''t show weakness, even with this experience.


    Ancor could sympathize, but he had wasted enough time. According to his calculations, the second sun was probably already starting to dip over THERE.


    With a sharp breath, Ancor drew the Fetid in the air and gathered it towards him and his pile of random stuff.


    He gave Ginger, who was shaking, half terrified and half thrilled, a bitter smile and asked.


    "Ready?"


    "No," Ginger strained to say.


    Ancor grinned.


    "Love to see that bravery."


    And then he began.

 Good Yield Street

    The Fetid Essence Ancor summoned to perform ancient Shamanry in the form of a Charm that was very much forbidden in the Wild, disallowed Ginger from seeing the exact steps the shoddy-looking Shaman took.


    The arcs he traced with his hands...


    The way he coerced the Fetid with a subdued voice...


    Ginger had always enjoyed watching Ancor perform even the simplest of tricks. Somehow, the clumsy-looking Shaman was actually phenomenal when it came to his craft ¨C unlike literally everything else.


    The rippling silver of Fetid, like ethereal mercury, blinded Ginger, and then, with a sharp jerk, he felt himself get yanked from the ground.


    He let out a yelp and tightened his grip on the sling bag, his scarf and his nether cheeks.


    It was as though a fishing hook had dug deep into him, piercing something buried in his youthful flesh and pulling hard to draw him from the waters that were the Wild, where he was born.


    Even while screaming aloud and whipping away to an unknown, Ginger had hoped he''d see the look on Ancor''s face.


    Would he spot relief or worry?


    Sadly, Ginger did not have the luxury to mull over what was and what wasn''t.


    All he could think about was...


    "ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHHHH!"


    He spun and spun, and whirled and whirled.


    He couldn''t see anything despite straining his sight, half hoping that his large eyes would turn into lanterns that illuminated what was around him. Of course, that could not be done.


    This space was neither warm nor cold. Ginger found that he could breathe, and aside from the endless spinning, he was pretty much fine.


    He had the brief suspicion that this wasn''t always the case for all those who tried passing through here, though.


    Three minutes passed.


    Nothing changed.


    Ginger kept his grip on his parting gifts and made every possible attempt to calm down.


    Fifteen minutes passed.


    Nothing changed.


    Ginger was panting lightly. A weaker dragonling would have started to cry aloud, slowly beginning to fall prey to the vast darkness.


    But not Ginger.


    Heavens knew what kind of tribulations he had faced at the most tender of ages. All he felt was fresh fright. After a while, he had recalled that Ancor had put him through more treacherous shades of danger.


    And as it turned out, the boy''s deepening calm was soon rewarded.


    As if he had not been hurtling through a corridor of darkness for the past quarter of an hour, Ginger suddenly found himself lying on flat ground in a dimly lit space.


    "Uh..." he murmured as he raised his head. "Was I...?"


    How strange.


    Now, the sensation of flying through that odd darkness felt like a dream. Ginger almost believed that he had been out of it all this time.


    Had all that depression and spinning been an illusion?


    Of course not.


    When Ginger took a sharp draw of air, he began to cough vehemently. He hung his head and pressed his hands on the ground.


    It was all real. This was the first evidence of it.


    The air... it was full of something rich, potent, and sweet-smelling. It was so pleasant that it caught Ginger''s insides off-guard.


    The contrast brought Ginger to his senses. The Shamans of the Wild ¨C the world of humans ¨C used Fetid Essence to perform their Charms. It was called so because when one first became able to perceive it, it smelled terribly foul.


    This new alluring energy, on the other hand...


    "Is this the Mana Essence Ancor mentioned?" Ginger said to himself in wonder.


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    It was.


    Mana Essence swelled in his body and made him feel strong, vibrantly energizing all his cells.


    Not long after, Ginger was used to it, and couldn''t take in enough of it. He stood and began to move around.


    Despite all the sweet about, he still exercised caution. He gripped his sling bag and scarf tight.


    Anxiety was in his pocket.


    It seemed he was in an alley shadowed overhead by overlapping roofing from two buildings. Tens of paces away, the light from a street peeked in, and Ginger slowly followed it.


    After taking a few steps, however, something on the wall to his left caught his eye.


    It surprisingly brought a smile to his face.


    Someone had written in a terribly sloppy fashion the words:


    ''Ancor was here.''


    ''That idiot...'' Ginger thought. He swelled with a bit of confidence and moved to the light, soon, narrowing his eyes as he left the alley.


    What he saw stunned him.


    The world was highlighted by a small, peach-gold sun that was arching down from its perch in the violet-blue sky.


    Below it, Ginger saw the sworn opposite of a settlement in the Wild.


    Small, neat shops and large, grand establishments lined both sides of the street before him, with glass and high-quality material making them up.


    The crooked taverns, inns, and quirky stores back in the Wild, custom-made to house heroes among drunks and shifty thieves could never compare to this.


    Ginger gawked in marvel.


    The many figures walking about, minding their own business, however, pulled him out of the experience. Ginger discovered to his dismay, that a lot of them, were not human.


    He saw humanoid creatures with different colored furs and long snouts dressed decently as they passed, others with reptilian features walking with their torsos bare, and several large, tall ugly mugly beings with bald heads minding their steps as they moved.


    The streets were crowded with these unusual beings chattering away, countless varieties of them about.


    ''That is... scary,'' Ginger thought.


    He had never seen an arrangement like this in his life, though Ancor had mentioned it in passing.


    This was the norm in this world... In Ravi.


    A very wide, clean road passed between the two sides of the street, and in a surprise that made Ginger bite his upper lip with dread, a menagerie of large, four-legged creatures he had never seen before drew on luxurious vehicles, quickly and smoothly leading them past.


    Beasts were not tolerated in the Wild. Most were killed on sight, and with good reason ¨C that reason being they would mangle humans on sight.


    As such, Ginger couldn''t have been prepared for this scene.


    While lost in the strange sight, Ginger suddenly staggered. Someone had knocked into him.


    The boy felt a chill run down his spine, and he looked up at the figure he had collided with.


    It was a tall man who stopped and glared down at him.


    Ginger was first elated to see a human face, but he froze when he spotted the man''s slit-like pupils. His gaze quickly shot lower, avoiding eye contact subconsciously, but that allowed him to see...


    ''A scarf...!'' he thought.


    The man, like him, wore a red and purple scarf around his neck.


    He too seemed to notice Ginger''s own, and his gaze softened a bit.


    "Would appreciate it if you didn''t stand in the middle of the street," the man said before walking along.


    Ginger''s eyes followed the man, strangely finding that he got clear passage among the crowds which moved out of his way.


    Great intrigue gripped the plump boy.


    Before he knew it, he was scanning around excitedly, paying more attention to the figures moving about in the street.


    Among the many odd creatures, Ginger noticed a few dressed much like the tall man; with scarves or raised collars from their coats covering their necks.


    "Woow..." Ginger beamed.


    More dragons!


    The language he had just heard the tall man address him in confirmed it too.


    Ancor had taught him ¨C to a semi-perfect standard ¨C the language the dragons used as the years passed. In fact, the dragon language was the common tongue in Ravi. Every living creature was supposed to learn it.


    Even with all his excitement, however, Ginger remembered to pay attention to things around him. He did not want to bump into another dragon or worse yet, one of those hideous giants.


    Ginger followed the crowd and kept on feeding his curious eyes. It seemed he was on the unpopular side of Good Yield Street ¨C a name he found written in bold on the road ¨C but there were tonnes of interesting things that caught his eye.


    What were the crests burned into the wall of every shop in sight?


    What were the glowing orbs floating above each door he could see?


    Ginger did not know what any of it meant, but he took it all in greedily as his earlier fears dissolved.


    He almost felt his second heart start to beat like the one pounding on the left side of his chest.


    ''Beasts would have destroyed a place like this back home...'' Ginger thought excitedly.


    Along the way, amidst the impressive stores, shops, and what he heard to be called a ''bank'', Ginger saw a small establishment that looked out of place.


    Frankly, it looked like it had been plucked straight out of the Wild, and dropped here.


    A scrawny and funny-looking man was attempting to hand out pamphlets to passers-by while calling out:


    "Looking for Hunters! Hunters! Strong Hunters! Come on in and sign up for perilous tasks and little reward!"


    Ginger looked at the man awkwardly from a short distance.


    Perilous tasks and... little reward?


    No wonder people didn''t even bother to take his pamphlets. The look of the man''s shack of a shop didn''t do him any favors either. Even humans from the Wild wouldn''t approach it.


    The funny-looking man suddenly turned to Ginger, as though he heard his mocking thoughts and extended a pamphlet to him with a smile.


    "Care to sign up, young dragon?" he asked with a grin.


    "Uhh..." Ginger froze and took a step back.


    "No? Then at least take a pamphlet. In case you change your mind," the man said while stuffing the pamphlet in Ginger''s hand.


    A cold shiver rushed through the boy. He smiled horribly, took the pamphlet, and ran past the man.


    Before he knew it, he was at the end of the street, panting heavily. He looked back at the man and found that he was back to calling out to pedestrians.


    ''Creepy. Even Ancor wouldn''t have that,'' Ginger thought. He was about to look at the pamphlet in his hand when his attention was stolen by something magnificent.


    An opposing street formed a junction with Good Yield, leading right to form a bridge that hung over a vast water body.


    What was impressive wasn''t the bridge, however.


    It was a massive construct, rather, a set of constructs at its end.


    The sight of hundreds of human-like figures flocking over the bridge as they headed towards the constructs, most of them with scarves around their necks, did little to reveal to Ginger what that grand place was.


    He could already tell on his own.


    This was going to be his new school.

 Draggard-Phoenix Institute

    Ginger was now walking over the bridge which was neatly demarcated, with areas for pedestrians, and for those with fancy rides drawn by beasts.


    By following other chattering dragonlings wearing unfamiliar styles of casual clothing, some bigger than him, and some thinner, Ginger had started to slowly learn a few things about this world, but they hardly helped him bridge the insurmountable gap of knowledge between him and the locals.


    Worse than that, Ginger was appalled to find that almost every boy and girl who looked remotely his age, had a stunning beauty to them.


    Young girls whipped their silky, different-colored hair about and discussed subjects he was horrified to eavesdrop on. Young boys had an air of firmness about them that made him wither, and imagine that perhaps he wasn''t a boy at all.


    It was peculiar, and cruel to see since Ginger soon learned that every one of the dragonlings walking on this bridge towards the school, some with escorts and others without, were First Years.


    What''s more, it seemed like Ginger was missing more than a few traits that made a dragon. For one, he hadn''t thought about it before, but unlike the slit-like pupils of other dragons, his were dark and round, just like those of a human.


    Ginger sucked in the sweet Mana Essence in an attempt to calm himself.


    Doubt strangled him thoroughly.


    Should he even be here?


    Was this the right school?


    Would Ancor''s strategy for getting him into the school even work?


    "Ancor... please don''t let this be one of those times where you end up saying, ''Grave miscalculation on my part," Ginger murmured to himself in horror.


    The pairs of parents accompanying their children made him feel even worse. He felt his colon perform a breakdance when he heard encouraging words, and loving quotes.


    Often, when pairs of eyes looked at him, and his dirty scarf, Ginger''s furious habit of scratching his thigh when nervous would kick in, though he had to stifle the urge, in case he gave others the wrong idea. Instead, he turned and pretended to be taken by the lake below the bridge.


    The wide waters had a dim, violet tinge now because of the deficient sun slowly retreating over the horizon. Said waters served as a good distraction from time to time, but the best one was undoubtedly the destination of all the beautiful overachievers Ginger walked amongst.


    The school ahead.


    Halfway through the bridge, Ginger got a clearer view of the fine elements of the school.


    A wide, tall, bronze wall rose around half of it, fitted with turrets of towers per each ninety-meter distance. Burly buildings of different shapes peeked from over the wall, with the greatest of them being a huge, cube-shaped castle that strangely had the aura of a proud bodybuilder.


    Ginger gulped.


    His anxiety soared.


    The cubical construct had the backdrop of a vast, snow-tipped mountain that dwarfed both it and the high wall in size, acting as the other half of the wall around the school.


    The mountain looked like it had been impaled in the middle by something huge because a dark hollow could be seen even from this distance.


    ''I wish Ancor had told me more about this place,'' Ginger thought while turning slightly pale.


    There wasn''t a single structure as magnificent as this in the Wild, at least a poor soul like him had never seen it.


    As a consequence, Ginger was the only dragonling marveling and nearly bursting into applause at a wall, a mountain, and a cube.


    As he drew close to the gate, he saw another impressive sight.


    It was this sight that finally drew the eyes and surprise of the other dragonlings, as most of them looked up at it with great interest.


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    Over the entrance ¨C a simple, excessively large square gap in the wall ¨C was an ebony statue.


    It stood proud at a height of ten meters, and a width of six, sculpted into the form of a fearsome beast that Ancor had shown Ginger to be the true form of a dragon that had graduated from juvenile dormancy.


    Four powerful limbs with clear, large scales, gripped tight onto the wall with sharp, curved claws. A broad, heavy body then rose with thick muscles under the depiction of scales, at one end of it, a long, winding tail half the length of its body, and on the other, a long neck ending in a large head.


    Strangely, the face of the dragon wasn''t as Ginger recalled from Ancor''s examples.


    Dragons had several forms and types, but this one... his Shaman mentor had never mentioned.


    Instead of a long snout, a maw full of rending teeth, and pronounced nostrils, Ginger saw a face like that of a hawk. Sharp eyes carved using a precious stone akin to red diamond mounted the face along with a long, intricate, open beak. Around this head, numerous long scales protruded like feathers, and two horns were perked atop it.


    Two pairs of webbed wings completed the beast, the size of each incredibly large.


    Below this ebony statue, was a large, silver plate that read:


    ''Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born.''


    Ginger sucked in a deep breath and kept all words he would have wanted to say to himself.


    The other children around him, however, did not.


    "That is so cool! I want to look just like that! I can''t wait for Fourth Year! Ah, I can''t even wait for my First Burning!"


    "So that''s the depiction of Ancient Elder Draggard-Phoenix. It''s more impressive than the one in the books. Did you know this is not even to scale? He was at least three times as big."


    "Wow, look there! The others are so far away."


    Ginger saw a girl with wavy, brown hair point frantically to his left, where, far from the entrance, another stature could be seen.


    It depicted a dragon different from the ebony one in a smaller size, taking the shape of a very long, serpent-like form with four short limbs that ended with claws. Its vermillion hue was striking, but easy to miss because of the sheer length of the wall on which it was placed.


    "They all look different..." Ginger uttered, stunned.


    To his right, there was another depiction of a dragon, this one with an azure vibrance, a heavy jaw, a rather stocky body bordering on fat, and two vast, tree-webbed wings.


    There were two others, but they were too far to see clearly, and even if Ginger intended to make a quick run to sate his curiosity, a loud voice call to him and everyone else held him tight.


    "Alright, alright! Quiet now! I don''t have all day!" shouted a shady, immature-looking dragon.


    He wore what looked like a straw hat over his head, a long black coat made of soft fabric, and... a pair of shorts and sandals.


    Ginger immediately found it hard to take him seriously. He only reeled his impressions in to maintain a straight face when he saw the man''s pair of striking ocean blue eyes with slits for pupils scan past him.


    Oddly enough, this man wore no scarf or covering around his neck.


    He didn''t hide his scales, which were of a vibrant cerulean hue, covering his neck to the jaw.


    This was the first clump of scales Ginger had seen beside his own.


    "As usual, parents will not enter. Kiss your wittle imps goodbye, and get your scaly asses out of here. And that fees better have been paid too, otherwise, we''ll send your stuff, and your imps to the Rebounding Seether!" the man announced rather grumpily.


    Several murmurs were heard at the impolite declaration, but the parents of all the children said their goodbyes, and one by one, pair by pair, they began leaving.


    Ginger watched with mixed sadness while distancing himself from the other dragonlings. Those that knew each other formed groups and walked towards the cloaked dragon who gazed at them all with what could only be annoyance.


    The grumpy man gestured towards the gaping entrance.


    Scores of dragonlings rushed past him and passed through the entrance.


    Ginger watched in shock as the first of the dragonlings to walk through... suddenly disappeared. He had expected to see them pass into the image of a freshly mowed lawn beyond the entrance, but...


    ''Am I seeing wrong? Is it some kind of illusion?'' he wondered.


    This seemed normal to everyone else that followed, and Ginger felt like an idiot for being the only one who was wondering where everyone was disappearing to.


    He stood rooted in place as the crowd thinned.


    Sometime along the procession of other dragonlings, he heard the shady dragon with sandals yell, "Don''t dare try to pass through if you don''t know whether your fees was paid in full or not, little imps! Hmm, hold on. You could try. It''ll be quite the sight, actually."


    Ginger didn''t dare try to enter. Logically, perhaps he should, since Ancor had told him to find someone at the school, but he didn''t want to risk it.


    The best option, as it stood, was to approach the grumpy man in the straw hat.


    Ginger really didn''t want to.


    But standing here for eternity wasn''t an option.


    Hesitantly, he drew towards the man who was busy shooing slow-moving dragonlings and gulped hard. He bit his upper lip fiercely and suppressed the urge to scratch his thigh.


    "Uhh... excuse me?" Ginger said in a high-pitched voice. His manner of speaking was rather slow.


    The dragon turned to him aggressively and growled, "What?"


    Ginger breathed in to cool his insides.


    "I... uh... I''m looking for someone. Could you help me?" he asked politely.


    The man seemed to turn a bit mellow at his timidness, but he still grunted.


    "Spill it, imp."


    Ginger perked up a little.


    "I''m looking for someone by the name of Ira Otus. Could you please help me find him... them?"


    The man narrowed his eyes and scoffed.


    "That''s Mister Ira to you. Why are you looking for me? And how could you possibly not know who I am?"


    Ginger immediately turned to stone.

 Ira Otus

    "Hey. Hey!"


    Ginger was startled into unfreezing by the annoyed voice of the oddly dressed man before him. He gulped and tightened his grip on his sling bag and scarf.


    To think he had brushed this man off, dismissing him because of his attire when he was the exact person he was looking for.


    What was it that Ancor had said yesterday again?


    ''Yes, school. I''m sending you there so you can learn about yourself. Yes, yes I know it''s sudden, but you''ll be fine. In fact, I have a friend there. An exceptional dragon who is regarded very highly by the school. Dresses really well too. Fashion sense is on point. Name''s Ira Otus. Keep the name in mind.''


    Ginger''s face turned dark. He subconsciously scanned the ''on point'' fashion sense staring him in the face, and he wanted to chew his own tongue.


    ''Why did I take that idiot''s words seriously? It''s Ancor!'' he thought.


    A rough hand gripped Ginger''s shoulder firmly.


    "This is not the time to be spacing out, imp! What was it that you had to say to me? You''re already off to a bad start if you''re coming to learn here," the man, Ira Otus, said gruffly.


    Ginger quickly summoned his focus back after a quick draw of some Mana Essence-rich air.


    "Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologized. The look on Ira''s face spelled several flavors of displeasure, and Ginger was attempting to salvage what little consideration the irritable-looking dragon had left.


    He scrambled within his sling bag. The enchanted item reacted to its user''s intent. As long as they knew what they were looking for, they would be able to quickly find it in its expanded space.


    Ginger pulled out a piece of folded paper and respectfully handed it to Ira.


    For a few moments, Ginger was stuck with his arm extending to Ira, however.


    The man refused to take the folded paper from him, for some reason.


    The march of the last of the students through the entrance, along with the departure of beast-drawn locomotives in the background, quickly faded to push in an awkward silence.


    Ira only continued to stare while Ginger felt once again, a crazy urge to scratch his thigh which he quickly killed.


    ''Say something!'' Ginger pleaded.


    Fortunately, his prayer was answered.


    Ira took the piece of paper, but the look on his face was far from comforting.


    "I don''t take kindly to written words. Whoever sent you with this either means well or is making a fine effort to provoke me," the man said with a frown so deep, it made him look old.


    Ginger felt light-headed as Ira spoke, and he bit his upper lip.


    What was this strange sensation?


    The still second heart in him almost shook to life.


    Ira unfolded the piece of paper and began reading.


    ''Heavens, Ancor! Are you trying to get me killed?'' Ginger thought while turning pale. Standing in front of Ira somehow made him feel numb, and the odd dragon taking his time to read only made things worse.


    As Ginger had begun to think that perhaps he should run away and give up before more of Ancor''s antics irritated Ira even more...


    "Hahahahahahahaha!"


    An odd, boisterous laughter exploded.


    Ginger shook, alarmed.


    All of a sudden, the tension and the light-headedness he felt disappeared.


    Ira slung his arm around his neck and shook him violently.


    "Why didn''t you lead with this, little imp? You know that fool Ancor? The human Shaman? How long has it been? 70 years?" Ira roared ecstatically.


    Ginger saw the world blur. Ira''s strength was extraordinary. It felt like he could squash him into a dragon ball, and chuck him to the other side of the lake.


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    He probably could.


    The young, plump boy struggled to maintain his balance after the shake.


    Ira then pulled on him.


    "Come. We shouldn''t discuss sensitive matters like this here."


    He and Ginger walked a distance from the entrance while he loudly spouted pieces of tales that Ginger could barely comprehend. Did he think Ginger would suddenly have memory of them and chime in?


    In the back of his mind, Ginger was relieved though. It seemed Ancor was really friends with this dragon. Things were finally looking up.


    Perhaps he had doubted Ancor too early.


    When they were a fair stretch away, and curiously directly under the statue of the azure dragon with the heavy jaw, Ira faced Ginger.


    "It''s most peculiar. Your name is Ginger, is it? I have never known any dragons to be born in the Wild. Not even the worst criminals among our kind are banished there," Ira said while his striking blue eyes bore into Ginger''s own grey pair.


    The young, plump boy tried to avoid his gaze. It was clear that Ira wanted him to satiate his curiosity on how and why he originated from the Wild.


    Ginger''s inability to answer was apparent to Ira, however.


    "No matter. You don''t need to answer that," he said, and he adopted a rather serious expression. "Though, being conceived in the Wild for a dragon, while unheard of, will surely not be received well. It is impossible to hide the fact. I''m already starting to see how... different you are. Lacking even. Human blood dilutes your potential."


    Ginger withered.


    "What?"


    "You are a halfling, aren''t you? One of the worst kinds ¨C potential-wise. Either your mother or father was human."


    The moment the subject of his family was brought up, Ginger clenched his fists and avoided Ira''s gaze once again.


    "Relax. I''m not that interested in what you are. I''m a mere gatekeeper of the school after all. I don''t typically participate in such subjects," Ira said with a shrug. "And well... I hate to tell you this, but whatever favor Ancor thinks I owe him, it is not nearly big enough to force me into somehow making a place for you in the school."


    Ginger''s eyes shot straight into Ira''s, shock livid within them.


    "What? No. But he said..."


    "He said? Hahaha! That''s Ancor for you. Go back and tell him it can''t be done," Ira cut off Ginger rather abruptly, and with a strange sigh.


    The eccentrically dressed dragon even turned from the dragonling dramatically.


    Ginger reeled back. The way this man rejected... It would have left him devastated... if it were genuine.


    But...


    ''Right...'' Ginger thought. His heart calmed down a bit. Ancor had said something else about Ira other than his style of clothing.


    Rummaging through the sling bag again, Ginger pulled out a small pouch and extended it to Ira who peeked behind his shoulder.


    It was like Shamanry the way Ira''s eyes suddenly sparkled, and how his lips curled into a lustful smile that almost turned his face into a crescent. He grabbed the little pouch and opened it.


    His smile grew wider, turning inhuman. Then again, Ira wasn''t human.


    "Good ol'' Ancor. So he really did still have that stash he won back then. I bet it was useless in the Wild," Ira chuckled.


    Ginger couldn''t see what was in the sack. He had been instructed by Ancor not to open this pouch, and another one out of the three he had, which was marked the same as this one. As for Ira, Ancor had told Ginger:


    ''Ira is a good man. Dragon. Once he reads my letter, he''ll probably understand. I think. In case he doesn''t though, give him this. It''s sure to change his mind. Probably.''


    As Ancor had expressed doubt in his own strategy, Ginger had also. But it seemed to have worked.


    Ira spared no other words to Ginger. He looked up to the violet-blue sky and whistled loudly.


    Almost instantly, there was a harsh fluttering noise from behind the wall, and a small creature came flying down from its height to land on Ira''s shoulder.


    Ginger was startled by its speed of flight, and more than that, its appearance.


    It was a small dragon ¨C as far as Ginger could tell ¨C as large and as long as a man''s arm with beige scales and two long, webbed wings.


    Its large nostrils puffed out smoke, and its bulbous green eyes blinked rapidly.


    Seeing the way Ginger gawked at the creature, Ira laughed.


    "Ah, of course. You wouldn''t be familiar with things like this, would you?" he said, but didn''t elaborate. Instead, he extended a finger to the creature on his shoulder, and Ginger watched in wonder as a small, yellow flame appeared at the tip of it.


    The winged creature chomped on the flame and swallowed.


    Ira then whispered to the creature:


    "Send it to Noam."


    And the little thing shot up, disappearing behind the wall.


    Ira smiled and gestured for Ginger to follow him back to the entrance.


    ''What... what was that all about?'' the plump dragonling thought.


    He had seen some pretty bizarre stuff with Ancor, but this was bizarre of a different nature.


    Did dragons domesticate... other dragons?


    Ginger didn''t know. He hoped to find out.


    Sadly, how Ira switched to deafening silence on the way back to the gate didn''t help him with curbing his anxiety.


    Ginger felt even more unsettled when, just as they arrived at the entrance, a man dressed extravagantly walked out, and looked right at Ira... and then him.


    Behind the man, trailed the figure of the creature Ginger considered a miniature dragon.


    Oddly, Ginger felt himself turned numb as the man drew nearer to him and Ira.


    ''Again?''


    That feeling...


    The approaching man had smooth, honey-colored skin that looked too youthful for him. He was rather tall and had a rigid posture which was emphasized by his broad shoulders.


    He had ash blonde dreadlocks that ended in a ponytail and an immaculate fade at the sides of his head.


    Ginger thought he looked rather cool.


    However, nothing on the man''s face betrayed emotion. Nothing about his downturned emerald green eyes expressed malice or kindness, and his nose, while cute as a button, seemed to carry an accusing nature in its blunt point.


    The look this man gave Ginger made him feel like he and this man would never get along. Ever.


    "You''ve gotten quite bold, Ira," the man said in a surprisingly deep voice while turning from Ginger. "A halfling from the Wild."


    "Yes. What of it, Noam? I have a good source that says he can fight his own battles. Well, as long as he manages to get enrolled and get through his First Burning. So do it," Ira declared with a menacing smile. His little ''dragon'' raced from the stern man''s side, and jumped onto his shoulder.


    Noam scoffed.


    "Very well. I''ll play," he said, and his green eyes turned back to Ginger.


    "Come along, then. Let''s get you to the Burning with your fellow First Years."

 The Burning I

    Passing through the entrance hadn''t been quite as scary as Ginger had thought it would be. Before, he had seen the other students disappear as they passed into it.


    He and Noam ¨C with the latter holding his shoulder ¨C passed through as easily and as mundanely as possible, however. Only the view and audio shifted.


    Ginger saw a lot of students and what he assumed were teachers moving about on the fresh lawn and intersecting stone pathways. There was loud chatter and the picture ahead was expansive.


    Now that he thought about it, Ginger compared Noam''s attire with that of the other older dragons he saw.


    ''Is he a teacher?'' he wondered.


    Noam was dressed in a long, dark blue coat with a fluffy collar that blocked his neck. It somehow managed to look both formal and casual and was different from the others he saw. A clear, golden badge with a strange symbol was attached to the breast of the coat, and Ginger assumed it marked him as an instructor.


    "Stop gawking," Noam said to Ginger without turning his head.


    The plump boy looked down, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    While passing scores of other students, Ginger realized that they were not First Years, judging by the way they dressed.


    Over white shirts united with navy blue ties, most of the students regardless of how old, wore pewter grey jerseys. Boys wore smart, dark grey long pants while girls wore pleated skirts, though more than a few could be seen with slacks.


    Excluding the dozens of scarfs added on, this was the school uniform.


    Ginger pictured himself in the attire, and a smile tried to creep below his nose.


    The greater bit of him was excited, since according to Ira, he had just been accepted as a student, though through a channel he didn''t think was official. But who cared?


    He was one step closer to his goals.


    Now, if he didn''t blow it, he''d be learning to master his power as a dragon, which still seemed a bit too fantastical. One of the reasons why, was that Ginger had yet to see the dozens of dragons he thought he''d see on getting here, flying in the air.


    ''Well, I''m here now. And I have Ancor to thank. The least I could do is give it my all...'' Ginger thought resolutely.


    Despite thinking this though, the dragonling was lacking confidence.


    He looked around him.


    The bright faces of the other students differed from his own morbidly downcast visage. They all seemed confident about who they were. Everyone looked so sure of themselves.


    And Ginger?


    Halfling.


    Born from the Wild.


    Ginger shrank when he remembered the look on Ira''s face as he mentioned these two things. Like any society, it seemed the prospect of not originating from where everyone else was from, and not being what everyone else was ¨C or most people were, at least ¨C was a taboo.


    The Wild seemed to be viewed with quite a degree of disgust here, and when he thought about it, Ginger could see a little bit of the reason why.


    The pressure on the plump boy mounted on when some of the students took notice of him, and his unsightly attire. Ginger bit his upper lip when heard fleeting conversations.


    "Where did that kid come from? I thought the big wigs were trying to make sure dragons don''t ever have to look like that?''


    "Poor thing. He must be glad he made it."


    "Eh. He looks like Squire material. Not all of us end up in the best positions anyway."


    "Pfft! I''ve got something to look forward to now. When he gets to Fourth year, we might actually see the world''s first pudgy dragon."


    A roar of laughter burst after the last comment.


    Ginger shrank with each whisper that he heard.


    Once again, Ira''s words rang in his mind.


    If people found out that he was from the Wild, when they were already looking down on him because of the way he was dressed, and how his body looked...


    He didn''t dare continue the thought.


    "If you are letting them get to you already when they are restrained, you might as well give up. This should be the least of your worries," Noam''s voice came again, and still, he didn''t look at Ginger.


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    His words didn''t make the boy feel any better but on the subject of worries...


    "Ah, excuse me, sir..." Ginger began, slowly.


    "It''s Professor Mara."


    "Yes...uhm... Professor Mara. You said something about burning?"


    Noam, or rather Professor Mara, sniffled condescendingly.


    "A Burning. Your first. This institution is built for teaching dragons to awaken from dormancy. The first step is the Burning," he explained. "I will have to escort you to a more... reasonable Professor and supervise how you turn out. Hurry up."


    Ginger didn''t understand what Professor Mara had just said, but he did understand what ''hurry up'' meant. The stern man seemed eager to get away from the keen eyes of the students as they swept through.


    As a shadow cast over him, Ginger''s mind was torn from his apprehensions and led once again to the distinct surroundings.


    Past the bushes, shrubs, and neatly mowed lawns that populated the way to the entrance, buildings of different styles rose from every direction. Several other constructs stole the eye too, but none could compare to the cube-shaped castle that Professor Mara was leading Ginger towards.


    Its size was grand, and other buildings seemed to connect to it one way or another.


    Many figures were going in and out of the huge double doors that led into the castle, and when Professor Mara and Ginger entered, the plump boy marveled at the wide, clean space that appeared.


    Ivory tiles with a clean shine clapped as numerous students and staff strode over them towards rising stairs at the far ends of the floor, or rooms hidden from view.


    Ginger assumed Professor Mara would lead him to the stairs, but the tall man pulled him towards a set of incredibly thick pillars several paces from the entrance. These pillars, as Ginger discovered soon, opened to reveal dragons that rushed out, and others would go in only to be hidden by a wall that dropped from above.


    The duo reached one of the pillars, and a part of it rose to let them in. As soon as Professor Mara pushed Ginger inside, they were closed in by the wall. The interior didn''t look like anything special. It was as though the two had walked into a smoothly tempered ivory rock.


    This was until Professor Mara wound his hand in the air... and the walls lit on fire.


    Ginger let out a subconscious scream, as for a moment, he thought he was going to be burned alive. To his relief, though, the walls returned to their usual state as quickly as they had set themselves alight, and an opening popped up for the two. Professor Mara walked out without paying Ginger any attention.


    It remained unknown whether he didn''t hear Ginger''s ignorant scream, or had heard and found it amusing, but he didn''t bother to express it.


    Ginger followed but gave a last look at the pillar.


    When he turned back from it, he found to his surprise that where they were, was different from...


    "Hurry along," Professor Mara called from ten steps away, and Ginger ran to catch up. The man seemed to be moving faster with every minute.


    A series of jogs later ¨C all for Ginger to catch up to the Professor ¨C the duo arrived at a door which Professor Mara swiftly opened.


    The first thing Ginger saw, was a few students that looked his age. He even spotted familiar faces that he''d seen on the way here. All of them were whispering, which created a decently loud cacophony.


    Curious.


    Before Professor Mara opened the door, Ginger would never have figured that there were people in this room, which turned out to be an office. There had hardly been any sound at all.


    The second thing he saw, beyond the cordon of students, some of whom turned to see who had just entered, was a bonfire.


    It was a flame of a ghostly nature. It didn''t make a sound and didn''t wiggle as much as the fire Ginger knew from the Wild.


    It was nested inside a deep hollow in the wall.


    If the golden blaze emitted heat, Ginger did not feel it. Only a radiant light burst from the burly flame, and with a closer look, the plump boy saw that... there was someone within the fire.


    It was one of the students ¨C a thin body with a long face.


    "Yes. Relax. It will not consume you. This fire is a friend to all dragons. Breathe in as much of it as you can," a hunchbacked old man with a coat similar to Professor Mara''s said encouragingly to the student within the golden blaze. He stood just beside it.


    It seemed he was a teacher as well. He barely paid Professor Mara and Ginger''s entry any mind, choosing instead to keep his focus on the student. On the student''s chest in particular.


    Ginger looked on in awe.


    He had always found fire tolerable, but it wasn''t to the point where he would walk into it.


    This was the Burning Professor Mara was talking about?


    Fortunately, the thin boy in the fire wasn''t burning alive. Even his clothes were fine. He kept his eyes closed shut, and his face was a little stiff, expressing that he was feeling something.


    "Yes, yes. Steady. Steady does it," said the hunchbacked Professor delicately, as if he was leading someone carrying fragile loot.


    "There! Step out, boy! Hurry!"


    The old man urged the thin boy who smiled deeply and leapt from the flame. Tenderly, the old man led the boy to something that was on a desk a few paces from the fire.


    It looked like a large oil lamp with its glass casing having several demarcations. Behind the casing, were tendrils of wispy smoke that settled at the bottom of the lamp, looking to be close to dispersing.


    The old Professor led the boy who had just come out of the fire, scarf wrapped tight around his neck, and had him place his hands on the cylindrical glass of the lamp.


    The moment the boy did, the smoke inside turned a bit thick, and then thicker, and started to slowly rise from the bottom as though it were alive.


    "Oh! Your Kardia responds rather quickly, dear boy!" the old man enthusiastically remarked.


    The other students voiced their shock and jealousy.


    Ginger possessed neither.


    Why was everyone getting so excited over smoke?


    The thin boy showered with compliments, grinned, and looked to be close to chanting for a bigger reaction from the lamp.


    Surely, the smoke within it grew thicker, and then it sputtered, emitting sparks that whirled to form a weak, tall flame.


    At this point, the contents within the glass case reached a marker just below the one indicating the halfway point of the casing and passed it slightly.


    "Brilliant!" the hunchbacked Professor applauded and patted the thin boy encouragingly. It seemed this was the limit of what he could achieve.


    "Your future is bright. I hope we meet in classes someday."


    The thin boy expressed his thanks, smiled, and walked over to his peers.


    Ginger watched as a girl strode from the group next, and waited her turn to enter the fire.


    ''If I''m a half-dragon, what if I get burnt to a crisp when I walk into that fire?'' Ginger suddenly thought ominously, and his doubt in Ancor soared again. ''He didn''t consider that, did he?''


    Well, someone did.


    "Excuse me, Professor?" Ginger heard Professor Mara call for the attention of the old, hunchbacked man. "May I have this one go in next?"

 The Burning II

    The look of protest that instantly appeared on Ginger''s face when he heard the end of Professor Mara''s outrageous statement was comical.


    ''WHAT?!''


    The universe decided to make the moment even more momentous than it already was for Ginger, by having the dozen or so First Years who were crowded beside the desk in the room turn to Professor Mara... and then to him.


    Ginger''s out-of-place streaks of orange hair seemed to droop, along with the little flashes of confidence he thought he had managed to summon after Professor Mara''s ''encouraging'' words minutes ago.


    He gulped and bit his upper lip.


    This time, he couldn''t be bothered with self-awareness, as he began scratching violently at his upper thigh with a finger.


    Why?


    Why?!


    He wasn''t ready!


    He didn''t even know how this Burning worked!


    His eyes turned hatefully to Professor Mara, but the tall man was preoccupied with waiting for the hunchbacked Professor''s response.


    The old man turned and narrowed his eyes.


    "That is highly unprofessional, Noam. Couldn''t your..." the old Professor turned to Ginger with an appraising squint and continued his sentence, "...student, wait his turn like the rest? Only a handful remain."


    "I''m afraid I will have to insist," Professor Mara said with what he thought was a polite smile. Someone should have told him it barely counted as a frown instead.


    Without waiting for the old Professor''s response, he roughly pushed Ginger forward despite the boy''s attempts at growing roots that dug deep into the floor.


    Before he knew it, Ginger was standing in front of the numerous dragonlings his own age who were whispering about him. Only a fool would think the plump dragonling was a subject of praise in their discussions.


    ''What do I do? Do I just get in... and with my bag? Will I survive? If I do, will that glass thing show that I''m not worthy of enrolling in the school after all? Will Ira do something about it if that happens?'' Ginger was hammered with all these questions as the golden flame grew closer in his sight.


    He turned paler with each push he got from Professor Mara.


    Ginger didn''t know what to do. He was so nervous that he closed his eyes. Whatever happened would have to happen while acknowledging that he wasn''t going to be watching.


    At some point along his forced march though, Professor Mara pulled him to a stop.


    What?


    What was it now?


    He was prepared for the worst but the stern man had suddenly grown a conscience instead?


    Ginger opened his eyes slowly.


    The student who had been standing forward, ready for her turn ¨C a girl with extraordinarily bushy eyebrows ¨C had leaped into the golden flame.


    Before she backpedaled deeper into the hollow in the wall ¨C further than the thin student had gone ¨C and got obscured more by the ghostly flame, Ginger saw her look haughtily at him, hints of triumph showing from her eyes.


    The first emotion he felt, was obviously great relief, but then...


    ''Why are you looking at me?'' he asked himself.


    It wasn''t his fault that he had been about to steal her turn!


    "Ohohoho. Looks like we have an eager one here," the hunchbacked Professor said with a hint of glee in his voice, barely hidden. "You can have your student go in AFTER, Noam."


    The figure of the old dragon moved closer to the flame to inspect the bushy-browed girl, the little leap in his step telling of the fact that he was happy the girl had interrupted Professor Mara''s vicious tempo.


    Needless to say, Professor Mara wasn''t pleased. He didn''t show it on his face ¨C as expected ¨C but he certainly showed Ginger. His fingers bit into the boy''s shoulder so hard, that he almost shrieked in pain.


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    "You''ve earned yourself a chance to learn, so please do so before your turn comes," Professor Mara said coldly.


    Ginger nodded violently, hoping this would stop the biting pain in his shoulder. His hopes were actualized.


    Soon, he had enough focus to render the hunchbacked Professor''s words to the bushy-browed girl in the golden fire.


    "I''m sure you know what to do by now. Just breathe. Relax. If you turn rigid, the flame will avoid you. Invite it in by behaving as you would outside it on a calm day," the old man said.


    The girl in the flame, a dark silhouette of her being the only thing that could be seen at this point, seemed very relaxed.


    Ginger didn''t think he could so calmly do that. Especially if he had ended up being the one standing in the fire right now.


    He saw wisps of the flame move, seeming to be pulled by the girl''s audible slow breaths.


    "Goodness! So calm..." the old Professor complimented the girl exaggeratedly, no doubt to encourage her.


    A moment later, he urged the girl to come out quickly, and she did, wisps of smoke rising from her cute jacket and skirt.


    "Yes, yes. Let''s see how you do."


    The girl placed her hands on the glass casing of the lantern. A moment passed, then another, and another. The smoke at the bottom lazily churned, as if reluctant to respond.


    An uncertain look appeared on the girl''s face.


    "Don''t fret. As I explained before, the smoke in the Othoni-Kardia thickens only to indicate how quickly your Kardia flows at this stage, and that is insignificant. Before now, you haven''t had a single lick of Kardia in your body, so it is to be expected."


    "What matters, is the strength of your Kardia, shown by the form the smoke takes ¨C either by darkening thick smoke, light weak wisps, or small flames ¨C and the amount of Kardia you can generate right now, of course, shown by those markers on the glass."


    The bushy-browed girl relaxed a little.


    Behind her, Ginger did as well. He finally learned something.


    ''Kardia... So, this fire helps me... awaken it?'' Ginger thought.


    Kardia.


    Strange.


    The word on its own meant ''heart.''


    Before he could process more of this new knowledge, Ginger was pushed forward.


    "Your turn."


    Professor Mara was very motivated.


    Ginger wanted to protest, but the look on the broad-shouldered Professor''s face drowned all hopes that he would listen to the boy''s suggestions. He wasn''t even getting a chance to at least see how the bushy-browed girl turned out.


    With a final, lucky peak, spurned by the old Professor''s loud, "Oh fantastic!" Ginger saw the smoke in the large lantern turn to a dark shade of grey, but it didn''t become a flame like it did when the thin boy touched it. However, the smoke rose to touch the marker at the halfway point of the lantern!


    Several gasps sounded from the other First Years, which led Ginger to believe that that was something remarkable.


    This was all he could think on this though, as soon, his face was illuminated by the golden flame barely a few centimeters from him.


    This was it.


    Ginger gripped his sling bag and scarf tight.


    Then he was pushed into the fire.


    ....


    Ginger expected the worst. Would this fire be kind to a half-breed like him? Maybe the human genes within him would cause the flame to fry him instantly.


    Ginger could almost picture Professor Mara scoffing and walking away at the sight of his charred corpse.


    Hmmm.


    He was getting an awful lot of time to think well for someone who should be burning, wasn''t he?


    Ginger didn''t feel the scorch of the fire. It was rather... warm actually, blissfully so.


    Like the bushy-browed girl, he seemed to have gone in deep, as the faces of the people looking towards him were unclear.


    "Whoa...." he murmured to himself. The fire. It was enticingly beautiful from within, and gentle.


    Ginger relaxed.


    ''This isn''t so bad.''


    "Take a breath and be done with it," the scathing voice of Professor Mara came.


    Ginger had expected the old man to take him through this experience, but oh well...


    ''Here goes,'' he said, recalling what he had heard.


    Behaving as you would on a calm day.


    Ginger closed his eyes. He remembered his long trips with Ancor to weird places. They often turned horrible, but there was always that brief period where he and the clumsy Shaman would enjoy a soothing chat in a cursed prairie or a doomed valley.


    That was his idea of calm.


    Ginger took a breath.


    He felt the warm flow of gold fire rush into his nostrils eagerly, invited in by his draw.


    ''Oh...''


    Ginger felt a ticklish sensation quickly flow through his body, ignoring his windpipe, and the organs associated, to move to the right side of his chest.


    The golden flames were moving.


    The sensation Ginger felt sauntered towards the back of his right lung, where a heart different from the one beating in his left side hung without motion.


    That''s right. All dragons were born with two hearts. One that facilitated blood circulation, and another whose purpose was to do nothing but wait patiently until it was jolted into action.


    This was the moment.


    The golden flames flowed into Ginger''s second heart, and the boy felt a singular instance of pain that wasn''t grand enough to warrant much of a reaction from him.


    Then... he sensed it.


    A heartbeat. His second heart thrummed into life, its slow beats contending with those coming from its counterpart.


    Ginger smiled.


    ''Amazing...'' he thought.


    But the golden flames were not done. As he took in another breath, he felt them chart something odd; a path through his chest, between his lungs and hearts, and within his ribcage.


    The flames seemed to create something there, or at least cut a path for said something to inhabit. This something was like a thin sack that hung from his throat... to reach his guts below.


    ''What... what is that? Is that supposed to happen?'' he wondered.


    Then, Ginger felt something cool start to pool into this sack. No, it was not cool. It was just so hot it felt cold to his organs.


    This substance seemed to fit well in the sack he had just developed, having a rather mellow way to its movement. It actually felt like... smoke.


    ''Is this... Kardia?'' Ginger thought, more than a little excited.


    "Out," Ginger heard Professor Mara''s command.


    Right. This was probably what was supposed to happen.


    It indeed was Kardia!


    And it had to be tested using the lantern, the Othoni-Kardia.


    A series of emotions driving him, most of them positive, Ginger was about to walk out of the fire when...


    The mellow substance within his body which he was so proud of, suddenly grew in volume.


    All of a sudden, Ginger felt bloated, and he stifled a scream.

 Odd Results

    The sensation was so sudden.


    The sack he felt holding the Kardia was tested, as he imagined the substance suddenly swell to almost four times what he had felt just now!


    Ginger felt so sure that he was going to explode.


    What was happening?!


    His organs seemed to have moved back to accommodate his sack''s growth, and a stinging burn cried from them, as the Kardia seemed to grow hotter with the volume, its temperature leaking through the thin membrane of the sack.


    It was overwhelming.


    So overwhelming, yet also short-lived.


    Ginger felt a tight grip on his shoulder, and he was pulled out of the fire viciously. He was then dragged to the desk while everyone looked at him strangely.


    ''What... what...'' Ginger was deathly pale.


    The feeling of casually grinding against death just now faded, but he couldn''t forget it. His new organ was still there, seeming to hold the same amount of Kardia it had before its frightening explosive growth just moments ago, but it was hard to tell. He felt like it was... swollen.


    His other insides seemed alright though.


    While he was still thinking of all this, Ginger heard Professor Mara speak again.


    "Place your hands on that."


    Ginger weakly looked to Professor Mara with his mouth slightly open to take in more air. He really needed it.


    Judging by how the Professor had suddenly dragged him out of the fire, he had thought that perhaps the handsome fiend had seen what was going on, but now, he wasn''t so sure.


    Professor Mara never wore his emotions on his sleeve, much less his face.


    Ginger took a deep breath and placed his hands on the Othoni-Kardia''s glass casing. The smoke within it was settling on the bottom again, looking weak and lazy.


    How would the smoke react?


    How fast was the flow of his Kardia going to be?


    What about the strength of his Kardia? Its volume?


    ''How much do I actually have? Didn''t it suddenly... just now...'' Ginger thought. He was half-expectant, with the other part of him urging him to run away and look for a better fire to jump into.


    A moment passed. The smoke still settled.


    Then another... and it moved.


    The voices of the other students made Ginger feel even more conscious. It occurred to him only now, that the other First Years thought he might have been special because he was escorted by a Professor alone.


    The bushy-browed girl and the thin boy looked curiously at the lamp, no doubt to see if Ginger truly was special.


    If Ginger had it in him right now, he would have been feeling bad for these poor souls, but he didn''t have the time nor the charity to worry about others.


    The smoke turned a little darker but retained a weak shade. It barely rose the first time, and the second time it made an attempt ¨C much like a hiccup ¨C to inflate itself, it only ended up reaching half the way towards the marker below the halfway point.


    Ginger was stunned.


    That was all?


    But he felt like he was about to turn into scrubbed-off-the-wall surprise from the sheer amount of Kardia that filled him up.


    Murmurs rang around the room.


    "Hmmm..." the old Professor hummed while scratching his chin. He looked quite a bit surprised. "Well, it isn''t rare for some dragons to have such little Kardia. That is why we have Squires."


    This seemed to be some cornerstore-priced encouragement that the old Professor scrounged up for Ginger. The old man behaved this way seemingly because of how rude Professor Mara had been, and this supposedly extended to Ginger justly.


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    At that moment, a small spark sputtered from the smoke in the Othoni-Kardia, and then it all fell to the bottom, becoming as weak as before.


    "Oh. At least the strength of your Kardia isn''t too bad, along with the speed of its flow."


    Ginger slumped.


    He heard snickers from the other First Years, and he bit his upper lip.


    ''Shunting Shamans...'' he cursed, disappointed.


    Professor Mara grabbed his hand.


    "Thank you, Professor Gregory," he said before dragging Ginger, who didn''t resist, out of the office.


    Ginger just barely heard the old Professor let out a child-friendly curse and a, "It''s Professor Alexandros!" before the door slammed shut behind him and Professor Mara.


    What was to become of him now?


    From the looks of it, Professor Mara had seemed ''eager'' to see if he was something worth keeping at the school through whatever measure of collaboration he and Ira had. That was what Ginger thought at least.


    He imagined that now, Professor Mara would take him back to Ira and break to him the bad news, despite the ''sacrifice'' Ira had made...


    "Listen up. You will now be taken to the dorms. I suggest that you keep a low profile, lest you want the other First Years who saw how little Kardia you have to pick on you. Let me tell you now, I don''t do favorites, and I certainly don''t have time to deal with a defect from the Wild," Professor Mara said.


    Ginger looked up at him with surprise.


    "What? I can still....learn here?" he said in a solemn tone.


    Professor Mara''s still face almost broke.


    What foolishness.


    "Draggard-Phoenix does not reject students who want to learn. All dragonlings who choose to come here to study are accepted despite the complications in their background. The only time you will be expelled is when you breach school rules. Excessively."


    Ginger beamed.


    So his hopes hadn''t been lies after all?


    As a boy who grew up without having gone to a school, as there were barely any in the Wild, Ginger didn''t quite have a grasp on how they functioned. Given how much Ancor had shared about this subject, and his own experiences ¨C which was nil ¨C Ginger suspected Ancor had never gone to a school either.


    Seeing the bright gleam on Ginger''s face, Professor Mara scoffed.


    His hand suddenly pulled on the scarf around the boy''s neck faster than he could resist.


    Ginger panicked.


    His scales!


    They were in full view!


    Ancor had told him to keep them hidden, but now...


    Luckily, there was no one near them at the moment, but still...


    Professor Mara''s gaze fixed upon Ginger''s neck.


    For the first time, his plastic face crumbled to show something other than stern coldness.


    It was... it was...


    Ginger didn''t know a face could do that, or what it meant when a face took such a form.


    Looking at his gingery, orange-ish scales, Professor Mara squinted.


    He returned Ginger''s scarf, and the boy quickly wrapped it around his neck again.


    "Go back in there. You will be escorted to the dormitories soon. You can contact Ira if you need anything else. Your arrangement still stands," Professor Mara said before turning and walking away.


    Ginger hadn''t thought he''d have mixed feeling about seeing those ash-blonde locks disappearing from sight. On one hand, he was happy, and on the other...


    ''What does the color of my scales mean? Is it good or bad?'' Ginger thought. He wished Professor Mara had said something or at least given a hint instead of wearing that odd face.


    Ancor had said he didn''t remember why dragons hid their scales, but it had to be important, right?


    Ginger turned and pushed the door to the office again, which revealed the loud interactions within with startling intensity.


    Eyes turned to Ginger again but with significantly less interest.


    Ginger preferred it this way. As he heard some of the students talk about him, he stood a distance away.


    The last of the First Years here were being tested now, and he simply watched silently... to his dismay.


    One by one, the students that followed after him showed results that made their peers, and the hunchbacked Professor Alexandros pat them encouragingly, or shout "Goodness!"


    It almost seemed like a ploy to spite Ginger, and the boy hated it.


    ''Am I that bad?''


    On the bright side, he got to learn a lot more about the Othoni-Kardia, and what the effects it showed meant.


    Apparently, the markers on the glass, the ones that indicated the volume of Kardia a dragon had ¨C the halfway marker and the one just below it ¨C meant above standard, and standard respectively.


    Meeting the standard was expected, but being a little below it wasn''t a bad thing, just like how being slightly above wasn''t outstanding.


    The above standard mark meant that a student''s volume of Kardia exceeded the norm expected on awakening.


    As for the texture and form of the contents within the Othoni-Kardia; making the smoke spark and turning it thicker, were varying degrees of Kardia strength and explosiveness.


    How quickly the smoke responded to someone touching it was more or less easy to understand.


    By the time the door to the office opened to reveal two students ¨C a boy and a girl ¨C one tall and the other short, and both in uniform, Ginger had wallowed in the fact that he had the worst results in this group long enough.


    "Oh, I assume you are here to take away these diamonds in the rough?" the old Professor said before the two students had a chance to greet him.


    A couple of nods and words later, Ginger found himself being led out of the office along with the others.


    "Alright. Boys follow me, girls follow her," the tall boy said with a smile and marched away with the same grace as a trooper ant leading his soldiers.


    Ginger and the other boys followed.


    Altogether, there were five boys in this group including Ginger, which led him to wonder just how many boys there were among the First Years altogether, after all, as he had heard while they were still in the office, all the First Years had been split to make the Burning faster.


    The group followed the male student to one of the thick pillars Ginger had entered with Professor Mara. It was then that the tall boy turned to them all.


    "Alright. Hello, fellow dragons. My name is Fotini. I''m in my Third Year, and I''m a Monitor. I''ll be giving you a rudimentary tour to the dormitories from here, and teaching you a few other things after that," he said as he clapped.


    "Well, let''s get to it before the Assembly tonight. Wouldn''t want to be late for your first."

 The Small Dragon

    Ginger found Fotini to be a very affable fellow, at least at face value, and when considering the sheer amount of gestures he employed when talking to the First Years. He walked and spoke very animatedly in general when in the presence of others, and when he had a point to put across.


    Fotini certainly had a lot of points to hammer into the heads of the First Years.


    First on his agenda, was the fact that he was a Monitor, a student assigned to help with tasks that commanded a small to medium degree of difficulty, and overall importance.


    Because escorting First Years to their dormitories was a somewhat important duty, Ginger got a well enough induction into how the school worked. This was an exclusive benefit sponsored by having Fotini as a guide. Unlike the Monitor who had just taken the First Year girls, the group of boys got exposition after exposition as they stood by the thick pillar ¨C which was more than they should get at this stage.


    Ginger quite liked the information drilling. Not only did it inform him, but it also helped him cast his attention from the worries he had concerning his Burning, and that last interaction with Professor Mara.


    How could it not?


    Fotini touched upon a subject he was very curious about; the transportation mechanism offered by the pillars.


    Apparently, they were the most common form of transportation in the entire school and were called Waiting Furnaces.


    By directing Kardia out of the body, and sending it out with instructions as to where within the building you wanted to go, the Waiting Furnace would be spurned into action. Unfortunately, as young dragons fresh from their first Burning, the First Years wouldn''t be able to do this yet.


    Well, most of them.


    Fotini''s face as he kindly encouraged them not to be disheartened by being unable to use the Waiting Furnace, warmed Ginger''s heart.


    "Hahaha. Don''t worry. After your Second Burning, plus a few lessons in ''Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies'', you''ll probably be able to move around on your own," he had said.


    This, coupled with a demonstration, as all the boys were led into the Waiting Furnace, had led Ginger to believe Fotini''s words.


    What was even more interesting to learn about, was the purpose and structure of this massive, cubical castle. It was called the Frost Mount''s Tooth, and it hosted important events, served as the primary location for main courses, dormitories, and a few teachers'' offices.


    In total, it had fifteen floors, and of those fifteen, the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors were reserved for classes while the tenth and eleventh floors were spared for dormitories. Fotini made it a point to express just how large each floor was with animated gestures, but Ginger already had a good picture of it.


    After exiting the Waiting Furnace on the tenth floor, which housed the dormitories for boys, Fotini had told the First Years of the basic rules to follow when inside the Frost Mount''s Tooth, starting with the most... obvious.


    "Never, and I mean never, make the mistake of going to the eleventh floor. Don''t be fooled by the fact that as a boy, access technically isn''t restricted. Mark my words, there are better ways to die," Fotini had said with a grave face that painted a dark picture.


    Whatever escapades he had attempted to engage in on the eleventh floor had ended in him surviving, but probably losing a part of himself forever.


    Some of the First Year boys laughed at how serious Fotini looked as he warned them, but Ginger didn''t.


    The other rule of note, especially for First Years was to always be on time.


    While, as Ginger had noticed, there was no shortage of stairs to climb, scaling them for fifteen floors, was not ideal. And while being unable to use the Waiting Furnace, all First Years would be taken to important places by an assigned Monitor. Not being on time, meant...


    Ginger shivered. For some reason, Fotini making animated gestures about how big the Mount''s Tooth was, started playing on repeat in his mind.


    Soon, Fotini lead the group of boys to a set of grand, metal double doors that were branded with the vast figure of a juvenile dragon. It looked to be the same kind as the vermillion, serpent-like dragon Ginger had seen on the bronze wall outside.


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    This was the First Years'' dormitory.


    Fotini pointed out that First Years couldn''t see or enter the doors that led to other boys'' dormitories on the tenth floor, which was why the corridor the boys saw only had this one set of doors.


    Past these double doors, was an expansive study, with hundreds of desks, chairs, couches, cushions, lamps, small shelves, and other pieces of furniture. It seemed quite lavish.


    At its end, on either side, were doors that lead to two separate dorm rooms full of dozens of bunk beds. The First Years branched out, choosing which to go to. Ginger chose randomly.


    In the one he chose, several other First Years were already making themselves at home. Curiously, while Ginger was sure that none of his peers had brought in luggage when passing through the entrance to the school, he saw that around each bunk bed, thick bags could be seen, having individualistic flavors of homey touches.


    Several large windows could be seen at the end of the room, where the many rows of bunk beds ended, allowing orange-gold light to come through. Despite how beautiful this light was though, it failed to make Ginger feel at home.


    "All right. Get settled. I''ll come to pick you up for the Assembly in an hour. In the meantime, get to know each other... and the showers!" Fotini left after addressing his ducklings in both dorm rooms.


    The other First Years Ginger had come with sprang towards their luggage which had been placed around their respective bunk beds. There, they proceeded to get to know other dragonlings that they would be sharing the bunks with.


    With tens of other students scrambling to set up blankets on their beds, posters above their pillows, and getting into discussions that only ''real'' dragons would know, Ginger once again felt left out.


    He passed several largely spaced bunk beds while gripping his scarf and sling bag very tight, looking for free space. Other students eyed him with curiosity, others with sneers, but most ignored him.


    ''Well, it doesn''t seem like I will be popular any time soon,'' Ginger thought.


    He found that it was difficult to look other dragonlings in the eye. The slit-like pupils they had haunted his own, prompting him to look away.


    After a decent amount of searching, Ginger saw that some of the beds hadn''t been occupied, but he couldn''t take them over. The luggage around them told of the fact that they would soon be taken.


    Getting frustrated, and slightly panicked, Ginger stopped.


    Maybe this was the hard part. After a while, he started to understand that spots in the First Year of school were attained before the students came for opening day, so someone who was admitted in a fashion like his...


    What was he going to do then?


    "Hey. Hey, you there!" a voice called to Ginger.


    The plump boy turned and found the most unexpected surprise of the day.


    A short boy, so short that he barely reached Ginger''s waist, was calling to him while attempting to climb up to the top bed on the bunk. He had a serious look to him that almost matched the commanding tone he used to call forth Ginger.


    Ginger tried his best not to look too stunned by the boy''s appearance and walked towards him.


    "Hello," he said with a straight face. "Did you...want something from me?"


    The short boy looked offended, enraged even by the question. His forehead, larger than most, creased up, pushing back his full head of straight combed chocolate brown hair.


    "Good grief. Could it be more obvious, man? I want you to support me up to my bed," he said scathingly.


    Without warning, waves of laughter exploded around the two. Ginger wasn''t too surprised. He looked around and saw children his age ¨C according to Ancor ¨C pointing at the short boy and cackling.


    ''I guess it''s the same even here...'' Ginger thought. He bit his upper lip. He couldn''t imagine how hard the short boy would be taking this.


    "Well? Are you going to do it or not? I''ll allow you to take the bottom bed if you help me."


    Ginger''s eyes displayed his surprise at hearing the short boy speak up as if he wasn''t aware that his bold declaration had been met with ridicule. The look on his face, in particular his firm gunmetal blue eyes, showed that he was completely unfazed by anything happening outside of him getting to his bed.


    "Uh, sure..." Ginger replied awkwardly; more for him than the short, rather, small boy it seemed. He hunkered down and allowed the diminutive dragonling to scale his knee, and shoulder to get to the top bed.


    The other First Years lost it at watching the scene.


    Now on his bed, the short boy nodded.


    "You can have it," he said, and Ginger wore a strange smile.


    "Thanks."


    This solved one of his problems rather well. As there was no luggage, except that which belonged to the short boy, he could tell that he had lucked out, though, it was curious that the short boy had seen through the fact that he didn''t have a bed.


    Perhaps unorthodox means of getting into the school weren''t rare?


    While the laughter still erupted, the dormitory doors opened, and several other First Years entered, led by a different Monitor. Thankfully, this lulled the ridicule, and Ginger was greatly appreciative of the fact.


    ''It probably won''t stop me from getting a nickname though...'' he thought.


    The short boy, after the incident, proceeded to ignore Ginger''s existence and began to read on his bed. Ginger couldn''t say he preferred otherwise.


    He sat on his own bed and opened his sling bag. While others had a lot of stuff to unpack, he didn''t have much.


    ''I don''t have any snacks, other clothes, or even a uniform,'' he thought, more than a little depressed.


    Ugh. The uniform.


    ''Professor Mara said I can just tell Ira, right? But how? Do I go outside and find him?''


    That sounded ill-advised, especially with the matter of the Assembly thing. It was, according to Fotini, a gathering all staff and students were supposed to attend.


    The thought of being the only one there who didn''t have a uniform had sent a dangerous chill skidding down Ginger''s spine back when Fotini first mentioned the Assembly.


    That feeling returned at this moment when Ginger saw one of his dorm mates changing into his own uniform, while, like everyone else, attempting to keep his scales covered.


    Ginger turned pale.


    ''There''s got to be something I can do, right?'' he thought. Perhaps some miracle would save him.

 The Assembly

    Sadly, no miracle swooped down to deliver Ginger. Fotini, who seemed to have been assigned as the sole Monitor responsible for the First Years, either at random or by his insistence, arrived to fetch them all exactly one hour later.


    The odd look he gave Ginger after the appreciative nods and smiles he gave the other smartly dressed students, caused the plump boy''s stomach to churn.


    Amid the neat pewter grey jerseys and trousers ¨C along with different colored scarves ¨C only he stood out with a faded black jacket, a dark brown scarf that had seen better days, and inflated pants.


    Ginger heard sniggers and insults hurled his way for the umpteenth time. He didn''t pay them much mind because first of all, he didn''t get most of them and secondly, because he knew he had bigger problems.


    Thankfully, Fotini''s surprise didn''t turn into ridicule too. He approached Ginger and wore a look of concern.


    "Where is your uniform?" Fotini asked.


    "I... I don''t have one," Ginger replied.


    "Don''t have one? Why didn''t your guardians order one from the school?" the Monitor was genuinely taken aback.


    "Does he look like he has a guardian to you?" sneered one of the boys from a jesting squadron gathered to the side. They all burst out laughing.


    Ginger felt a bit of fury burn through him, but he convinced himself it wasn''t worth keeping. Ancor wouldn''t have let such a shallow jibe to get to him, so why should he?


    Taking a deep breath of the Mana Essence-rich air helped.


    "They just couldn''t get it," Ginger answered without looking at Fotini. To the Monitor, this spelled that Ginger was avoiding a sensitive subject, thus he didn''t continue to pester.


    "Well, you have to attend the Assembly. Dodging it is a serious offense. Your... current attire will have to do. Uniform sharing is forbidden, otherwise, I would have landed you one of my sets."


    Fotini seemed determined to prove that his lack of assistance wasn''t because he didn''t want to, but because he couldn''t. Ginger appreciated that. Unfortunately, he knew that there were a lot more horrible people than there were good ones...


    Dragons were no exception.


    The first trial Ginger had to face came when he left the doors of the First Year dormitory; it was a wide flock of older boys that appeared seemingly out of thin air.


    A lot less laughter came from most of the students past the Second Year, but the disturbed and disgusted looks some of them gave Ginger were worse.


    It seemed as though, silently, they were all repulsed by him as if his appearance sullied their proud collective. Even the short boy Ginger shared a bunk with didn''t get as much attention, not to mention as many verbal pokes.


    Ginger shrank.


    He scratched frantically at his thigh.


    If these people knew that he was from the Wild, and was a halfling too, they would probably chuck him out the window.


    After Fotini led the hundreds of First Years from the tenth floor to the fourth though, where a sea of girls could be seen, some mature and others less so, all wearing their distinctive grey swaying pleaded skirts, Ginger almost thought to jump out the window himself.


    Something about a female''s thorough appraisal withered the heart, mind, and soul. Each of the demeaning gazes tore away at Ginger''s confidence rapidly.


    Nothing in the Wild, where humans lived anything but normal lives, could have prepared him for this.


    To defend his esteem, Ginger took slow steps so that he would be buried amidst the hundreds of other boys he was walking amongst.


    Tears threatened to leak out of Ginger''s eyes while he blushed in embarrassment, but again, he thought he heard it...


    ''Tears only serve to water the weakness...''


    Ginger''s two hearts beating within his chest thrummed. He recovered a little and walked forward, feeling a soft ooze, which was the Kardia in his chest, soothe him more.


    ''Ancor told me to make a path for myself. I won''t start like this. I might as well own this stupid look...'' Ginger thought with fragile courage.


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    With that, he inflated his chest and followed where the other boys went, led by Fotini.


    The fourth floor was home to the Feeding Hall and Gathering Hall.


    Since there were only those two spaces on the entire floor, its corridors were wide and they guided all those who walked within them to either of the two Halls.


    Obviously, all the students and staff were headed to the Gathering Hall at the moment and said Hall only had a great, wide arc to its doorway affording entry at all times.


    Hundreds of young dragons entered a grand space so vast that it could accommodate thousands of versions of the ebony statue at the entrance to the school. The spotless silver of the walls made newcomers mutter verbal awes.


    The floor had rough, dull ivory tiling that oddly matched the walls, and on the ceiling, was a massive mural of five, incredibly life-like dragons crafted with a material that gave the illusion that they were actually moving.


    Ginger didn''t express as much awe as he would have if he had a uniform like the rest. He didn''t even have the strength to think too much about how the depicted dragons were the same ones with statues on the wall.


    He kept his courage, ignoring the looks and laughs sent his way, but his defenses were whittled down continuously, leaving him to duck in between crowds while cursing, "Shunting Shamans!"


    Thankfully for him, a better-than-nothing distraction soared his way.


    Within the hall, five extremely long redwood tables stood parallel to one another.


    Each was meant for the five groups of students at the school, categorized by their year of study.


    Fotini and another female Monitor led the First Years to the leftmost table and helped them get seated. Most dragonlings avoided Ginger like a plague, which helped him more than it offended him. It also helped that as soon as they reached the Hall, most students found their seats and chatted away while taking measured glimpses at the sixth table, one that was laid perpendicularly to the others at the far front.


    Ceremonial decor was slapped onto it, and tens of comfortable chairs were laid out neatly behind it, with the one placed at the center mark having a more distinguished design, not to mention a larger size.


    Ginger had noticed it too after a while.


    Seeing a few men and women dressed in long, navy blue coats with distinctive design traits, and the golden badges already seated on this table, Ginger was smitten by the hope that he would see Ira. If all staff was supposed to be here, then surely...


    A notable clip clop rang throughout the walls as a notable individual walked in through the arched entrance.


    It was a rather tall, thick woman who emphasized each step she made, as though every half a meter she covered was her destination.


    She had thick, curly jet black hair and large brown eyes that peeked from the round-rimmed glasses she wore over her nose. Her rendition of the Professorial coat had silvery fuzzy tassels at all ends, and her exaggerated posture declared that she was proud of it.


    She had a peculiar set of lips that arched into a perfect V shape, which Ginger thought meant she was smiling, but he couldn''t be too sure. After all, her eyes spotted the black sheep that was he amidst the First Years, and her expression didn''t change at all.


    ''I wish someone would just tell me off and be done with it...'' Ginger thought depressingly.


    Several more teachers streamed in and took their places at the table. Some looked a lot more odd than others, be it in terms of size, shape, or eccentric ornaments they added to their formal attire. Some even featured stranger inhuman features over their bodies.


    Ginger had seen one Professor with a pair of horns growing on her forehead, around them lilac-colored scales. Another had nostrils like no human had. He just happened to sneeze, and a burst of orange fire streamed out, prompting the thick Professor with the V-shaped lips to give him a handkerchief.


    At some point, Ginger saw Professor Mara walk into the Hall, but from one of the doors located behind the staff table. He, like almost all the other Professors, looked straight at him but kept an expressionless face.


    Unfortunately for Ginger, Ira didn''t show up, even when it seemed all the other members of staff had turned up, except for the owner of the great seat in the middle.


    ''Is he just as uncaring for rules as Ancor?'' Ginger thought nervously.


    While the plump boy was still hoping Ira would show, there was a brilliant glow that caught everyone off-guard.


    The Hall turned silent.


    The shrieking ball of red fire that spawned the immense light spotted fiery wings which it used to soar towards the middle seat and hover over it.


    There was a loud crashing noise, and the fire dispersed, revealing the image of a mature beauty.


    No one could stare into her gorgeous eyes, which seemed alight with flame, but as she sat down, everyone paid her the utmost attention.


    Ginger gulped.


    Since his Burning, he had started to recognize that the odd sensations he had been feeling around Ira and Professor Mara, for instance, were caused by how their Kardia, responding to their emotions, affected him.


    When it came to this woman who had just entered, he didn''t need to make any measured guesses. Whatever she expelled from her body whether willingly or not, pressed down on him like a boulder. He could tell everyone felt the same, but around him, the boys and girls his age seemed to be trembling with excitement.


    They seemed to know who this woman was, and if not for her overbearing presence, they would have been losing their juvenile cool.


    The striking beauty seated higher than everyone else wore a shallow smile for a moment before turning cold, her eyes silently scrolling over the hundreds of students.


    Ginger looked down, afraid that he would find her sparing her scarce attention on him, but it didn''t seem she knew he existed ¨C thankfully.


    At that moment, an ancient-looking dragon rose from her seat which was three placements to the beauty''s right. She looked much like the hunchbacked Professor Alexandros; bones nearing the fragility of silt, and skin like crumbled, saggy paper.


    She opened her mouth, and a shockingly vivid and youthful voice sprang out.


    "Let me extend a fair welcome to all you students on behalf of the staff. The 303rd Tally of the Vermillion Dragon has begun in as graceful a fashion as could be."


    "We are all very excited about the developments we will get to see this time around. Our mature Fifth Years on their way into the world as dominant Prides or faithful Squires. Our promising Fourth Years who will be learning how to Denature for the first time, and last but not least, our new batch of adorable First Years..."


    As the old dragon directed her gaze to the First Year table, everyone followed suit.

 The Principal

    Ginger wished the withering, hunched old lady taking center stage hadn''t placed such an emphasis on them. By the looks of it, he wasn''t alone in feeling so.


    Several of the First Years he sat with also seemed very much offended by the word ''adorable'' being used to describe them. Sadly, there was no room for protest, and worse yet, there was nothing to look at other than the thousands of eyes pinning on and appraising them all furiously.


    Ginger hung his head, and kept a straight posture, sticking to his fragile resolve that pushed him to assert himself and own the fact that he was a smuggled good.


    How long would this last for, really?


    Thankfully, the piercing gazes he received ¨C him more than anyone else at least ¨C were drawn away when the old dragon continued to speak.


    "Oo, so sweet. Allow me to introduce myself, dearest children. My name is Katherina Agathe, and I am the School Warden. As long as you are in the Frost Mount''s Tooth, or any other structure within the school, you will see me quite frequently. You can confide in me if you have problems that need solving," the old dragon let out a laugh that seemed more like a croak as she spoke.


    With her last sentence, there were hushed murmurs of protest from all the other tables except the first, and Ginger wondered why. A few of the Professors even snickered silently. It seemed the Warden wasn''t popular.


    "I''ve never heard such a hypocritical sentence in my life."


    "The irony. Do we really have to put up with this every year?"


    "Agathe. Hmph! You''d think some alumni would have petitioned to have her name changed by now."


    Ginger heard a few of the older students speak.


    Apparently, Katherina, or rather Madam Agathe as she preferred to be called, wasn''t quite as nice as she seemed, which was strange because her second name was supposed to mean ''kind-natured.''


    Well, then again, Katherina sometimes meant torture.


    The old dragon didn''t seem to acknowledge the protests, or perhaps she just tuned them out.


    She merely smiled, with her dark eyes squinting, and continued.


    "Ahem. The people you see in front of you, are the staff that will be teaching and taking care of you. They deserve your respect and attention when they speak. As good little dragons, I expect that you will heed their teachings and give them an easier time during your stay. Rest assured, we do not bite unless tempted."


    Madam Agathe then went on to explain in excruciating detail several rules from her own personal cache. She emphasized the issue, especially to boys, about visiting floors they weren''t meant to, which instantly spurned Ginger''s brain to Fotini''s warning.


    Whatever happened to that affable fellow, was likely tied to this ''kind-natured'' old dragon.


    The Warden also emphasized the fact that First Years were not allowed on any floors but the ones designated to their dormitories after hours. She turned stern when she mentioned it, and no one had the voice nor gut to sneer at her remark then.


    "I do not take kindly to loitering. The sentence for that will be brutal this year. Trust me, Second and Third Years. Your little affairs will turn sour should I find you," she had chillingly said.


    Ginger found himself shivering, much like all the other students.


    "All that said, allow me to call upon our Principal to give us her word for this portion of the year."


    Madam Agathe led the applause that followed as she relinquished her authority as speaker to the figure that was seated in the distinguished sat.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Afterward, a silence so great that it would have convinced anyone outside the Hall that the interior was empty ¨C if they couldn''t see the hundreds populating it ¨C ensued.


    The Principal stood from her seat and gave a smile so sweet it temporarily brushed Ginger''s problems away.


    She had long, silky burgundy hair marred with strips of white close to her face. It strode down her unusually long, bare neck which freely exposed beautiful vermillion scales, to perch over her shoulders where a strange necklace made of large beads showed.


    Her hazel eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke with almost the exact same divine voice Ginger had imagined her to have.


    "It is good to see you all again for a new year of learning. The 303rd Tally of the Vermillion Dragon has blessed us greatly, and I see the giving of its grace in the old faces, and the new," the woman said, and her eyes fell once more, on the First Years'' table.


    Everyone avoided her gaze.


    "For those who do not know, my name is Antia Propyrgio Draggard-Phoenix, the Principal of this Institute. As Madam Agathe has already kindly mentioned, education, protection, hygiene, construction, feeding... The faces you see before you, are responsible for these. For you. I expect the utmost respect towards them this year as well..."


    The emphasis on this aspect made Ginger feel nervous.


    ''Are all schools this intense?'' he wondered. He could have sworn his second heart was beating more furiously than his first right now.


    Principal Phoenix, as many dubbed her, had the habit of repeating this very same segment on respect to the staff every year, every Tally really, and no one took it lightly. Among the most serious offenses in the school, disrespecting a staff member was among the top three.


    "To our newcomers, I am very glad to have you. Your backgrounds are of no concern to me, and neither are the casts of your scales. The only thing I care about is the betterment of Dragonkind by teaching you how to be a proper dragon. Proper Qin Asha. That is why I feel that this trend of scarves fails to represent that fact, but unfortunately, your staff isn''t quite exemplary in that regard."


    There was a bit of guilty shifting and coughing from the staff table.


    Principal Phoenix loathed the idea of hiding the color of one''s scales, which was often termed as a cast. All around the school, her efforts of ridding the firm habit could be seen, but dragons were well known for their stubbornness, and this wasn''t something she could force anyone into.


    The fact that more than half of the dragons at the staff table were covering their scales, reinforced the fact that this wasn''t a problem rooted in the school alone, but society itself.


    Principal Phoenix continued as her fiery, gleaming eyes scrolled over the students.


    "I am sure loving parents and guardians have already given all the well wishes you could ever need. Learning is a gift. As dragons, we groom each other, and this year holds no exceptions for that experience for our new students, and those that are in their final year," she declared before turning to the last table on her left.


    "Fifth Years. Whether as a Pride or a Squire, I hope you will enjoy your last year and fine-tune all that you can before you join the broader world. The horizons are vast, and while as dragons we rule a part of them, our continued standing depends on how you express what you have learned in these five years of study."


    Ginger, along with all other students had turned to the fifth table. It was full of older children with auras of confidence about them, and similar draconian features to their humanoid forms as some of the teachers.


    Oddly though, some weren''t dressed in the same pewter grey uniforms but had different ones instead. Ginger automatically pinned that difference to the words he kept hearing.


    Pride, and Squire.


    When Professor Mara had led him to his first Burning, he had heard one older student say that he had the potential to be a Squire.


    ''That didn''t sound like a good thing though,'' Ginger thought darkly.


    Principal Phoenix continued, her general gaze falling on everyone.


    "I will say this, as I say every year. This school encourages practicality for a reason. While our Fifth Years are about to learn how beneficial all that experience has been outside, everyone else should learn to appreciate that right now. Life is not theory. Life, even for us who live to see the world switch color and season for hundreds of Tallies and thousands of years, does not take to our wishes."


    "Things change, forcing even us to adapt. That is why we have you practicing all we can teach while standing upright, instead of emphasizing what has worked for us since the Ancient Dragons more, and with you sitting down, pen in hand. I desire our legacies to not end in name only. If the word immortality has ever meant something to me, it is your faces, and those of your grand-grand children and theirs in turn existing freely thousands of Tallies in the future."


    There was a great silence. Though Ginger was a little slow on understanding the dragon tongue, he somewhat understood what Principal Phoenix was trying to say. Besides that, there was a certain tone of emotion in her voice that appealed to him.


    She spoke as though she saw a distant disaster that no one else did.


    The older students seemed to have been hit by the message very hard. They all solemnly nodded with dark faces.


    Ginger got the impression that the fact that he didn''t know much about Ravi, limited his understanding.


    Swiftly, however, Principal Phoenix wore a radiant smile and switched the tone of the entire Hall with her last remarks.


    "Enjoy the first term of the year my little dragonlings, and be as good as you can be. I expect great things from you."

 Better Late Than Never

    The trip back to the dormitories wasn''t as unbearable for Ginger. For one, not many people paid him as much attention, and for another, Principal Phoenix''s words had given him a lot to think about.


    ''Five years...'' he thought.


    Five years of learning, and developing as a dragon.


    Principal Phoenix made it apparent that it was in the nature of dragons to take care of each other, and she took pride in the fact that this Institute took in dragons of all backgrounds to raise them accordingly.


    Of course, whether the fearsome woman considered someone like him with double the stack of looked-down-upon-features as welcome to be part of this institute, was another story. For now, at least no one knew.


    It also made Ginger more than a little expectant, when he heard that this school has a lot more practical stuff than theory. While that didn''t dismiss the fact that he needed to read up on a lot Ginger was happy to know that he would get to bridge the gap quicker with show more than tell.


    In fact, that was always the case with Ancor. When he said one thing, you often found out what he actually meant when he demonstrated what he was talking about.


    ''Maybe that''s just because he is terrible at explaining things well,'' Ginger thought glumly.


    It was also interesting that ¨C as Ginger had assumed after hearing Principal Phoenix''s name ¨C the mature beauty was from the lineage of one of the five Ancient dragons he had seen depicted on the wall, and the mural in the Hall.


    The ebony dragon, Draggard-Phoenix.


    The dragon that stood as the face of the school, with a bird-like face instead of the typical draconian visage.


    Eavesdropping had its merits, and Ginger had learned a great deal from the older students. It helped that most of them didn''t shy away from spouting the latest bits of gossip and politics.


    "... tell you that Principal Phoenix has it real bad. The other Flame Seeker Families have been aiming to push her out of office. I didn''t think they''d bring up that thing about Ancient Elder Draggard-Phoenix being some kind of tyrant back in the day, just so that they could find some flaw of hers."


    "Well, what did you expect? The five Ancient Elders each contributed to the building of the school, not to mention the entirety of Dragon society. Their descendants want a shot at the helm of the most prestigious dragon school for a change."


    "I''ve heard it''s true though. Principal Phoenix might turn rogue and become just like the old big bad Draggard-Phoenix. If it weren''t for the fact that she doesn''t have ebony scales like him, I think they''d have locked her up by now."


    Ginger''s eyes adopted a plethora of shapes as he heard different conversations, especially from his upperclassmen.


    The dark dragon he had seen depicted twice now and shown a considerable level of respect, actually had a dark past. And this dark past extended to the burgundy-haired beauty that was his new Principal.


    Most of the politics skipped over his head, but at the very least, Ginger got to understand somewhat what the color, rather, the cast of one''s scales meant.


    Apparently, it was related to the overall quality of dragon one was, but the wireless feed he listened to sometimes turned down different corridors, drew further away, or flat-out refused to place some emphasis on certain plot threads


    ''Damn it...'' Ginger scowled. Just when he was starting to feel a bit knowledgeable.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    At least, he had a lot of earned rewards.


    An interesting lesser detail he had learned, at least when compared to the rest of the stuff he had heard, was that in Ravi, the years were grouped into Tallies.


    A Tally was equal to a thousand years, and dragons dated each Tally with the name of one of the five dragons beginning, of course, with the Ebony Dragon. For instance, the name of the current Tally: the 303rd Tally of the Vermillion Dragon.


    The specific year of the Tally, as Ginger had heard, was only emphasized in writing.


    The plump dragonling walked behind the rest of the First Year group to avoid being picked up as a subject. Slowly, Ginger found that he was making enemies just because of how he looked, but Principal Phoenix''s speech concerning backgrounds gave him a bit of a boost to his confidence.


    Right. He wasn''t here for anyone other than himself... and his goals. It took facing opposition to finally get the idea to click in his head.


    ...


    As Fotini wished them all goodnight from the entrance to the dorm, Ginger heard gasps of surprise from his peers who had already rushed inside.


    He sped up too, driven by curiosity, and found a shocking sight.


    Small creatures, little dragons ¨C as he imagined they were ¨C were carefully placing sheets of paper on each occupied bed, and quickly flying out the windows.


    ''They look just like Ira''s!'' Ginger thought as he rushed towards his bed.


    Some of the colorful creatures sped past him as he went, flapping their small wings with an almost desperate effort, and at some point, Ginger realized that these little creatures were probably how everyone had their luggage moved into their dormitories.


    As he reached his bed, his eyes got ensnared by a thick bordered paper onto which bold cursive was printed, and he picked it up.


    "Uh..." Ginger squinted. He had trouble reading what was written. He had learned to read and write basic text, but some of the stuff written here...


    ''I got a class... and six courses to learn? Is that...Expired Times... and Diluted Histories? That''s a course?'' Ginger thought with a funny smile. It sounded like something Ancor would scream in his sleep.


    "Ahem..." Ginger heard. He looked up and saw his bunkmate standing beside the bed. "If you would..."


    "...Right," Ginger''s face turned dark. His job as a ladder awaited.


    Apparently, it was payment for using the lower bed. He didn''t particularly mind, but he thought this dwarf of a dragon could be more polite about it, but he dreaded the possibility that the shorty would turn to him and scream out that he was an illegal good if he protested.


    Needless to say, a few fits of genuine laughter sprang his and his bunk mate''s way.


    When the short boy was on top of the bed, he looked at Ginger, and the paper in his hand.


    "Can I see that?" he asked, and Ginger gave him the paper.


    The short boy gave it a quick browsing and returned it with an, "I see," before going back to pretending as if Ginger didn''t exist.


    The plump boy didn''t really mind. He got back to trying to read through all he could on the paper when he heard a furious flapping behind him which prompted him to turn.


    There, flying in place, stood two sights that completely caught him off guard.


    Ira''s little dragon was staring at him while in flight, in its claws... a brand new pewter grey uniform!


    "Shunting Shamans!" Ginger beamed.


    He relieved the little creature of its burden with a big smile.


    A jersey, a shirt, a tie, a pair of trousers, socks, and even shoes. This was too good to be true!


    Ira had delivered, saving him the trouble of asking.


    Whoever said ''better late than never'' perfectly captured what Ginger was feeling at this moment.


    He was saved from another day of humiliation, especially with how busy the next day was going to be, or at least he imagined it was.


    Without wasting any time, Ginger put on the uniform and found that while it wasn''t a perfect fit, it was good enough. The shoes hurt a bit, the jersey was a little tight and the pants stuck firmly to his thighs, but this was as good as it could get for now.


    Ginger was satisfied.


    Besides, what would Ancor think if he suddenly turned nit-picky and snobbish? The rugged Shaman would be disappointed.


    There was something else that the little creature had brought. Ginger had missed it because he was so excited about the uniform.


    Ira had sent two large books, and a pen for him to use, which was also a welcome addition.


    On top of the books, there was a note that read:


    ''Here''s this. You''ll probably need it. I want payment for it though.''


    Ginger grimaced.


    "Of course..." he said.


    To emphasize the point on payment, Ira''s little dragon flapped to his shoulder and opened its mouth.


    As it didn''t take a genius to guess where he was supposed to put the ''payment'', Ginger scrambled through his sling bag and gave another pouch which was marked the same as the previous one he had given to Ira, to the messenger.


    ''I guess Ancor must have anticipated this, which is why he gave me two of whatever that is...'' he thought while watching the little thing fly out the window.


    Well, at least he didn''t owe anyone anything now. Monetarily at least.


    And now...


    Ginger sat on his bed with a big smile.


    ''Now, I can make my own way. Tomorrow''s going to be a new day,'' the plump dragonling thought.

 First Day

    The call of the new day began with a warm shower for Ginger. Truthfully, while he had managed to get some sleep for the night, he had found that he wasn''t nearly as relaxed as he thought he was after getting his uniform. He had half a mind to sleep in it.


    But also, the night seemed longer than that which he was used to from the Wild, and his thoughts referred him back to what Ancor had said about his age.


    Since learning about Tallies, Ginger imagined that the days here were probably longer. Maybe the months too. He was yet to get over the idea that he was supposedly fourteen years old here in Ravi when he had only lived for nine in the Wild.


    How did he stack up to the children here then? Were they older mentally? He didn''t look that different from them ¨C without factoring in differences in slightly bloated size, at least.


    In any case, the rising of a sizable dull red sun into the violet-blue sky added a reminder that this was a different world, but that didn''t stop Ginger from feeling a little expectant and anxious about today.


    Even his bunkmate who ignored his existence for the rest of the early morning couldn''t shatter his cautious but flaring enthusiasm.


    By the time the others were all ready to go, Ginger was getting tired of waiting for Fotini to show.


    But soon, it was time.


    With his dark brown faded scarf around his neck, and his sling bag bumping against his hip, Ginger joined the hundreds of First Years to the fifth floor. On arriving, Ginger saw many other students pass by the Waiting Furnace he was in, marching their way to and from doorways that led to scattered classrooms.


    It turned out that the Waiting Furnaces were positioned around a foyer, and Ginger, along with the others stopped to check the scenery within the limited space. Fotini''s role was done, so he went about his own business... but not before emphasizing with exaggerated gestures for them to make good impressions on their Professors.


    The First Years had no choice but to take the advice.


    A couple of paces from the Waiting Furnace, a somewhat large model of the Ancient Elder Dragons clumped together could be seen within an exquisite spraying fountain. Five well-bordered plaques were embedded on a short pedestal that protruded just before their steel figures which shone with polish.


    Ginger was strangely attracted to the plaques.


    ''What are these?'' he thought as he approached and looked at what was written on them.


    The characters written seemed to depict the names of the five dragons, because of how they aligned with the figures, but...


    ''These are actually names? Why are they so long?''


    Indeed it was puzzling for Ginger. These couldn''t be names, they should be sentences instead. He tried to read out the lengthy sets of characters, starting with the ones belonging to the heavy-jawed dragon.


    Perhaps that would make sense of them.


    The moment he enunciated a portion of the writing, however, Ginger felt a terrible headache that set in so abruptly that he almost let out a scream!


    Almost immediately, a hand pulled Ginger backforcefully.


    He turned in surprise and found his diminutive bunk mate looking at him with a demeaning look, as though he ¨C Ginger ¨C had spat in his face.


    "What are you doing? This isn''t the time to be messing around. The least you could do on your first day is get to class on time," the dwarfish dragonling said.


    "R-right..." Ginger said, finding that the headache he had just now was starting to go away. He turned to the plaques again and asked subconsciously. "What''s with these names?"


    "Huh? What about them?" the short boy said while turning away.


    "Why are they so long? And why did I get a headache from trying to read them?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ginger''s bunkmate suddenly stopped and turned back to him with a face as white as a sheet.


    "You... you tried to read them?" he asked with a trembling in his eyes. "Good grief! You must be some kind of exotic idiot! Who reads an ancient dragon''s Exalted Name? You could have died!"


    Ginger froze.


    "Died?" he asked, his face turning pale too.


    The short boy, however, was too bewildered by his stupidity to answer. He massaged his temples, shook his head, and took three heavy breaths.


    "Let''s just get to class," he stressed as he marched towards the other students who had had their fair share of perusing various things in the sizable foyer.


    "Class?" Ginger asked, confused on top of his clinging fears.


    "Yes, class! We''re in the same class!" the short boy replied without stopping.


    Ginger followed him with an "Oh".


    He remembered immediately that he had given his sheet to the boy last night, and it had featured his class name on top of his courses. The dwarfish dragon must have recognized then that they were in the same class.


    While having someone he knew ¨C somewhat ¨C in his class was good news, the lingering horror of how he had supposedly almost died just by reading the names on the plaques, stuck close to Ginger long enough for him to be silent the whole way to the class.


    The short boy navigated the corridors on the floor as if he was the architect behind their construction, and soon, he led them both to a classroom with a tag on the door that read:


    ''First Blue.''


    The two swiftly entered, along with several other girls and boys that gave the curious pair looks of well....curiosity and hilarity. Some outright laughed at the two, which made the bunkmates look at each other, and then part ways, choosing to deal with the attention individually than the sum of it between them.


    Be that as it may, Ginger was surprised to find that the short boy really didn''t react whenever anyone pointed out his size. He simply went about his business without a change in face.


    ''Shunting Shamans. I wish I had a will like that,'' Ginger thought.


    There was roughly a capacity for about a hundred students in the classroom over the comfortable wooden chairs and desks. Ginger immediately took a seat at the very end of the room and sat down quietly.


    Ah, the comfort zone.


    ''For now, I''ll try to get as much attention away from me as possible,'' Ginger thought while looking around the classroom.


    Out of everyone here so far, he recognized one familiar face.


    It was the thin boy he had seen during his First Burning, the one who had made the smoke in the Othoni-Kardia turn into a flame.


    Well, Ginger wasn''t particularly happy to see that they shared a class.


    He moved his sight elsewhere.


    Those familiar with each other among his classmates chatted away without a care. Girls giggled while complimenting each others'' accessories, and some of them pointed to lone boys of interest in hushed voices. Boys on the other hand ¨C those who thought they were hot stuff at least ¨C tried to stand out more by speaking up, and adding confident gestures to their postures.


    From the side, Ginger began to feel like the collective impressiveness of young dragons which he had seen the evening before, wasn''t as strong.


    ''I guess things are just different here. Humans struggle to survive every day back in the Wild. I did too. But... I''m not a human...'' he thought.


    Right. Humans and dragons were different, after all.


    Dragons ruled these lands, and their offspring had it easy.


    Ginger took a breath and started to pick out things from his sling bag. Books and a pen.


    He was here now.


    He had made it.


    All he had to do, was not stand out any more than he already had, and focus on his goals. Maybe his origin wouldn''t factor in as a result too.


    At that moment, there was quite a disturbance.


    Noisy voices erupted, and Ginger was forced to look up.


    Two young dragons had just entered the class, and immediately, the thing that stood out to Ginger about them, was their unconcealed scales.


    The shimmer of a violet cast of scales gave a nice tone around both these dragonlings'' necks, and to add to their flair, the boy and girl pair had matching apple green hair in different styles, and above different faces.


    As the two marched down the spaces between desks with noises of chatter around them, Ginger wondered, as he should:


    ''Who are they?''


    His question was answered by a sarcastic voice that sounded two seats in front of him.


    "Fantastic. As if I don''t have enough competition already. Spoiled dragonlings from a Carrier House in my class are sure to improve my chances of standing out."


    It wasn''t a proper answer, but Ginger knew this wasn''t too good a sign... especially when these two dragonlings passed him only to wheel back ¨C it seemed the girl between them pulled the other.


    Her pretty face with striking ocean blue eyes, the same as the ones on her male counterpart''s face, stared at Ginger who shifted uncomfortably.


    "Alcaeus, why don''t we sit here? Right at the back," the girl said, and the boy she clung to looked down at Ginger, and nodded.


    "This is a good spot, isn''t it?" he said with a smile, his high cheekbones rising as he then continued in a polite tone, addressing Ginger. "Mind going away? My sister fancies this seat."


    Ginger wasn''t too surprised. As soon as these two reached him, he had been expecting the worst already. Why not, right? This was common back home with how limited anything called a good place to live was.


    In the spirit of not standing out, Ginger had begun to rise after packing his stuff, when...


    Hundreds of eyes were staring at him, all their expectant emotions dying, and turning into disappointment, shame, pity...


    This was new.


    Ginger had never known this type of compulsion. It wasn''t common back home.


    He had never been around many of his age.


    He had never been egged on indirectly by anticipation, and youthful daring.


    It came just as quickly as he had decided just now to back away.


    "Go somewhere else."

 Prime Instructor

    "Go somewhere else."


    The tension thickened instantly, just because of these three words.


    Somehow, the atmosphere Ginger had invoked by refusing to step aside, and how everyone reacted to it, made him feel... free. He didn''t know what he was set free from, but as a wild rush of both excitement and fear so voluminous that it saturated his eyes with tears gushed through him, he felt energized.


    Emboldened, even.


    Fillys, the girl Ginger was standing closer to, didn''t show as much of a shocked reaction as the plump boy had hoped. In fact, she seemed to smile, her lips curving rather sickeningly.


    "Oh. Look at that dear brother," she said to her sibling who only raised a brow at Ginger, a strangely confident look on his face, as if he had expected Ginger to rebel.


    Suddenly, Fillys'' face turned to perfectly house a sneering look, and with a sort of satisfaction to it that made Ginger feel a dire sense of alarm.


    "It''s funny that someone like you, dirty, infected, scarf and all, someone that''s¡ª"


    The girl had begun when the loud clip-clop of shoes rang inside the classroom, interrupting the heavy, juvenile mood. Without exception, the entire classroom turned to find a tall, thick woman with long ears taking impactful strides across the front of the class.


    Like clockwork, all the students rushed to sit down and pretend as if nothing had been going on, but it wasn''t as if it truly mattered, as the one they did it for didn''t pay them any mind at all.


    Fillys and Alcaeus, her brother, gave Ginger cross looks as they walked away, and took seats away from him. Ginger sucked in a deep breath and plopped back to his seat.


    ''That was scary! Why did I...? No, I must stand by it. I couldn''t just let them do what they wanted, right? Or maybe...'' Ginger struggled with what had just happened, but his thoughts were soon disrupted by the high-pitched voice of the new entrant.


    "Good morning, students."


    Ginger joined the chorus to reciprocate the greeting when he realized that he recognized the woman standing in front of the class.


    Curly jet black hair, brown eyes, and those... those lips, shaped into a V.


    It was the Professor who had given him a sharp look at the Assembly yesterday, though that wasn''t at all an efficient way to mark her amidst all the others that gave him similar impressions.


    The woman took a sweep around the classroom from over her round-rimmed glasses, and her lips stretched out. Ginger imagined that the wide V her lips spread into was probably a smile.


    "My name is Professor Altha Lyall. I will be your Prime Instructor. If you do not know what that means ¨C I pray for your soul if you do not ¨C it means I will be presiding over all your activities, and will be responsible for all that you contribute to the school, whether in the form of trouble or triumph," the woman said with an emphasis on ''trouble'', which made her ''smile'' all the more ominous.


    All the students shuddered, and Professor Lyall seemed delighted by the reaction.


    "On top of this, I will be taking you for the most important course in your First Year, Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies. And I will have you know, that I am the perfect teacher for this course. If you fail, that will mean you chose to do so, and I certainly won''t have it. Sadly, the school no longer allows those who flunk this course to be served to the Blighted, but we will arrange a fitting punishment."


    For some reason that Ginger didn''t know, more than a few of his classmates shook at the mention of the word ''Blighted''. How he didn''t react like the rest nagged him furiously.


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    Why couldn''t he know so that he could be scared too for Shamans'' sake?


    Professor Lyall did another sweep of the classroom, with her brown eyes, her slit-like pupils dilating at times. Ginger felt a strange floating sensation when her gaze passed by him.


    Immediately, he understood that she was using Kardia.


    A moment later, she raised her head.


    "Before I go on, let''s do a roll call, shall we?" she said, and she began to call out names.


    "Evanthe Cirrilo."


    "Helena Gataki."


    "Kairos Fayer."


    For some reason, Ginger''s first heart beat faster as Professor Lyall called out each name. Perhaps it was because she did so with a curious amount of emphasis, her sharp eyes turning to look at who owned the name, and ensnaring the face deep into memory.


    "Spiro Almon."


    "Nikolas Onasis."


    "Reiss Adel."


    The face belonging to the last name attracted Ginger''s attention.


    It was the short boy he shared a bed with. That didn''t sound right, but it was true.


    "Konstantina Flohr."


    "Caron Ester."


    "Fillys Doukas"


    "Alcaeus Doukas."


    And then finally...


    "Ginger."


    "Here!" Ginger responded in a bit of a panic.


    There was chatter and a bit of confusion. It appeared his name wasn''t common around these parts, and worse yet, the fact that Ira didn''t bother to plaster a last name for him in whatever way he used to insert Ginger into the school, was cause for attention.


    But surprisingly, Professor Lyall only gave a lingering glance at Ginger before putting away the roll of paper she was reading from.


    "Good. Now, until you leave this institute for good, I will know to attach your name to any face you wear," she said, her lips spreading wider.


    The class gulped as a unit.


    "The first thing you should know as young dragonlings is that whatever you will be taught here, any dragon out there that hasn''t passed through this institute, or any other, can do it too. The only difference is, it takes decades to master naturally what we teach and provide in a mere five years here. At the same time, we encourage efficiency, so that before you pass your first growth spurt, you will be equipped with all you need."


    And it was true.


    Dragons had several growth spurts, and the first happened, on average, between the ages of 24 and 45, which is why...


    "We make sure that as soon as your scales manifest on your body, normally at the age of 14, we feed you information that will allow your subsequent growth spurts to be beneficial to you. Taking millennia-long slumbers to cultivate strength is a thing of the past. Trust me, I''m fossil enough to know."


    For the first time since Professor Lyall came in, the class hummed in subdued laughter, and from there, the thickly woman seemed to adopt a cooler presence as she explained several subjects.


    First, was Kardia.


    As Ginger heard, it was like a secondary life force that dragons had and was never to only be mistaken as only a weapon.


    "Kardia is what differentiates us from other species. It elevates our form of existence, lengthens our lives, and ensures that we maintain our position. Of course, as First Years, this is hard to grasp, but soon, you will be very fond of that soft energy dancing in your stok," said Professor Lyall.


    The stok was the sack that Ginger felt form in his chest during his first Burning, which held Kardia. He was happy to finally have a name for it.


    Professor Lyall then went on to give an overview of everything the First Years would learn.


    One thing that caught Ginger''s ear, and almost everyone else''s too, was of course...


    "...to prepare for your Second Burning. The First did well to awaken a certain amount of Kardia within you all, but to learn to use it as First Years, you need to undergo the Second Burning. Here, we will ascertain the kind of Kardia you have, and whether it Collapses or Surges. We will do this in the next Stride. You will meet your new Professors and discuss surface-level topics in the meantime. I hope you will use the coming Breather well for it."


    The Second Burning.


    Ginger wasn''t sure he was ready for the second after what had happened with the first.


    At least there was some time before then, and it seemed like the Second Burning was going to have immediate effects on his strength.


    How would the lanky stok holding his Kardia react?


    Professor Lyall left the classroom soon after, leaving the students to their own devices ¨C well to the devices of their timetables.


    According to her, this class would only function as a proper setting for one course, and that was Expired Times and Diluted Histories, which, according to Ginger''s sheet, wasn''t until a while later.


    For now...


    "For now there''s Mortal Conflict... and Instinct. Sounds interesting..." he said while looking at the sheet of paper from yesterday; his schedule. Everyone was already moving out of the class.


    A harsh force suddenly bumped into Ginger as he rose to follow, causing him to stagger.


    He heard a snigger and saw the two siblings he had gotten into a tiff with, pass by him, with Fillys giving him the stink eye. Her brother pulled on her, however, and Ginger heard him say, "Don''t worry. We will..."


    The rest was inaudible.


    Tens of pairs of eyes looked at Ginger, but the glow of anticipation had died down. It was as if all the energy from before was a lie.


    Ginger felt strangely upset because of it.


    ''Who cares what they think...'' Ginger thought as he exited the classroom.


    At least for now, he only had to worry about learning.


    And a lot of that seemed to be coming up.


    The next days were sure to turn into a blur.

 Brushing Through The Stride

    The days seemed to breeze by, and without the tensile rigidity of horror that Ginger had thought would be pursuing him since the first rise of the reddish sun, to the fall of the peach golden one.


    On the same day that Ginger first got acquainted with his classmates and his Prime Instructor, the plump boy got to learn the differences in time between the Wild and Ravi, which were rather... magical.


    A day in Ravi was thirty-seven hours, and the first eighteen and some hours were represented by the arching rise and fall of a large red sun, while the rest relied on a smaller, peach-golden one for representation.


    The skies would lightly change color during the separate segments of time, but the violet-blue hue remained dominant throughout the day, further emphasising the idea that this was Ginger''s new norm.


    The months in a year were similar between Ravi and the Wild, which caused Ginger great relief when he learned this. The seasons were somewhat different, but at least he wouldn''t have too much of a hard time getting used to the oddity.


    Also, because of this discovery, it now made sense to Ginger why Ancor had said that here in Ravi, he wasn''t a boy of nine, but rather, a dragonling of fourteen years. Though, it still seemed weird.


    Did his body mature in terms of the time in Ravi? If not, a lot about him ¨C the manifestation of his scales and all ¨C wouldn''t make sense.


    Sadly, the revelation about time didn''t stop Ginger from having a rather difficult time keeping up with the courses he had to learn.


    During the first two days of the six-day Stride ¨C which was the equivalent of the five week days ¨C Ginger had gotten acquainted with the Professors for the six courses he would be taking.


    He absolutely loathed half of them.


    Between irritable dragons that behaved as though every day was meant to be a fatal test of life, and older, MORE irritable ones that viewed his youth as a curse that was to be exorcised... Ginger nearly snapped.


    The books issued for free per course ¨C and thank Fetid for that ¨C were as thick as his thigh, and probably more ancient than Ancor''s hat, which meant that they had a deep and harder-to-read variation of the dragon language compared to what Ginger had learned from Ancor. And here he was already struggling with the more modernized, version.


    "What is this rubbish? What does this even mean?" Ginger had angrily said to himself while reading from a passage in a book called ''The Fruit For the Dragon Heart'' in the library. This led to him getting a stern mouthful from the librarians.


    There were many of those old, glass-wearing, googly-eyed forces of nature, and unfortunately they, much like Professor Lyall, had stored his name and face to memory with subtle, satisfied smiles.


    That did not bode well.


    If not for the fact that First Years were restricted to the fifth floor when it came to theory classes ¨C with a library of their own ¨C Ginger would have fled to another.


    Speaking of fleeing, the course Ginger hated the most was called Expired Times and Diluted Histories. It just so happened to be taught by his second most hated Professor, an aged, straight-backed, and aloof dragon who liked to start every lesson with a sophisticated quote that no dragon of this generation could recognize.


    Worse yet, after the boring introductory quote, the man would behave as though his old jaw was sustained by the heavens.


    He had the gift of crisp, infinite speech, and less than desirable coherence - in Ginger''s opinion.


    The plump dragonling had already filled half of the book Ira had given him for taking notes just from just two days of lessons with this Professor!


    Apparently, this particular course wouldn''t be affected by the Second Burning, as it barely applied any practical knowledge.


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    "So much for Principal Phoenix''s speech..." Ginger had said absentmindedly only to get a vicious look from the old man. His hearing was impeccable.


    As for the placement for the teacher Ginger hated the most, it could only go to the man whom he had been shocked to see as part of his set of instructors.


    Professor Noam Mara.


    Quite surprisingly, the young-looking dragon was popular among the girls from the class because of his immovable facial muscles, broad shoulders, and of course, blonde locks.


    Ginger maintained that this man looked rather dashing, but by the third day of the Stride, he couldn''t see the appeal of the man''s teaching style in his designated course ¨C Equipped Armament Creation and Usage ¨C not to mention the Professor himself, anymore.


    All Ginger saw was a cackling demon under Mara''s locks. As for the reason for the hatred, it was because Professor Mara was determined to make Ginger stand out.


    In each lesson, he would have Ginger come forward and do the most ridiculously simple things, like holding out types of simple weapons on display while Mara explained what they were made of, who made them, and how strong they were.


    More often than not, Professor Mara would end up issuing confusing instructions to Ginger with a straight face, and the plump dragonling would be stuck looking like an idiot trying to follow them properly.


    "Hold the sword out. Out! As if you mean to stab someone! Dear Vermillion, boy, I mean the sword, not your arse!" was such an example of how the harrowing scenes usually ended.


    Fillys and Alcaeus had had a good laugh at him for several days following such incidents, but Ginger slowly got used to becoming the joke of the Stride.


    Thankfully, not everything was bad.


    The food from the Feeding Hall was spectacular, Ginger had to say.


    As a rule, he found that the most odd-looking foods had the best tastes, or at least according to his tongue. Steamed gerbil balls, Grand Shark Spines, Drooping Featherheads, and Spiked Slay Snake were among Ginger''s favorite foods. Even if he didn''t have anyone to chat with during Feeding times, he still enjoyed filling himself up.


    Another piece of good news was the fact that after this Stride, there was the first Breather of the school year ¨C the equivalent of a weekend, which followed a Stride with three days of rest.


    As he heard from passing students, during a Breather, everyone was allowed some time out of the school into the small town beyond the bridge ¨C where Ginger had spawned. Going anywhere else required clearance, but all in all, it was a chance to enjoy life without the dragging stresses of school.


    By the fourth day of the Stride, Ginger was already tired of waiting for the Breather to come. He still had one last pouch remaining from Ancor, this one with money the Shaman had said worked in Ravi. Ginger could spend it on what he wanted.


    Beyond good food and rest days, though, there was the Second Burning. After a few days, Ginger had started to get as eager as everyone else in his class to get to learning how to use his Kardia.


    He shed his apprehension and embraced the idea that he would be getting a step closer to learning what he needed. That was an exciting prospect.


    And beyond the reasons he desperately needed Kardia, Ginger was also trying to honor Ancor''s wishes. Making his own path meant dedicating himself to getting stronger in more than just resolve, right?


    A new fact he learned was that there were four different types of Kardia behaviour, all of which produced different effects within a dragon body''s. This invigorated Ginger''s enthusiasm. During the Second Burning, he would find out just what kind of Kardia he had.


    The boy got even more interested when his bunkmate elaborated a bit more on this. He had chanced getting a question in.


    "Good grief! You don''t know even that?" his bunkmate, Reiss Adel, had said in an irritated tone. "There are four types of Kardia traits or behaviour. What your Kardia does will determine what kind of Out Course you take, and the kinds of abilities you will awaken in your Second Year."


    The dwarfish dragon hadn''t elaborated further despite speaking with his head in the air, as though it made him a few centimeters taller.


    Ginger was happy nonetheless.


    Second Year had as many surprises as the first. But that was another issue.


    Perhaps soon, he would be as strong as Ancor.


    *


    On the night of the fourth day of the Stride, Ginger was in his bed which was fitted with the most basic of sheets for those like him who would be unfortunate enough to not have blankets of their own.


    But it was no true problem.


    Even though the nights of the first half of the school term were a bit cold, dragons were as resistant to cold almost as much as they were to heat. His naked feet did feel a bit of the chill though.


    Ginger yawned. Most of his dorm mates were asleep, save for a few. Reiss was among them. Ginger could hear pages flipping above him.


    He couldn''t do more reading for his courses. He hadn''t seen much of a change in his ability to comprehend the older books.


    ''I''m going to have to work a lot harder than everyone else. So far, I haven''t seen anything I can''t handle with practice. I can push through. Maybe Reiss will become friendly enough for me to ask bigger questions... '' Ginger thought with a smile while turning to his side.


    Before he knew it, his vision had dipped to black, and he no longer saw the many beds aligned with his sight.


    Only familiar images that brought up a myriad of emotions... and motions visited the spot behind his eyes.

 The Dream

    That night, Ginger dreamt about something odd. It was beyond odd. He felt strangely lucid and aware, and could even tell that what he was seeing wasn''t at all real.


    But he had to admit, it was hilarious.


    He saw Ancor, his hand pressing on the pancaked hat on his head as he sprinted into the distance, the desert sand flying on and away from his tasteless robes.


    Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf!


    Ginger knew Ancor to be a splendid athlete, only, this gift seemed to selectively awaken when he met beasts that were too quick for his Shamanry. As such, this scene didn''t surprise Ginger in the least.


    However, the fact that he was closely following after the Shaman, high kneeing spectacularly in pursuit, was outrageous.


    The two were in the same desert that Ancor had decided for the two to have as their setting for the farewell. Tall dunes of reddish brown rose everywhere, but the sky was dark, eerily so.


    Ginger had spent the first few minutes laughing away at the involuntary action of his body, and how exaggerated the manner in which he and Ancor ran, but soon, he found the whole ordeal unsettling, especially when it kept going.


    It didn''t stop.


    Nothing changed.


    The shuffling of sand under Ancor''s and Ginger''s feet became quite frightening with every moment it persisted.


    Ginger and Ancor''s journey didn''t seem to have a destination in sight. With further analysis, Ginger found that his steps matched the prints that Ancor left behind as he sprinted.


    For some reason, it filled him with a sickening sensation.


    It looked as though there was meaning to this.


    Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf!


    Even while knowing he was in a dream, Ginger found himself calling to Ancor, whose face he hadn''t seen all this time, as the Shaman was running straight in front.


    "Ancor! Ancor!"


    Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf!


    There was no reply. Only the uncomfortable sound of sand shifting because of the duo''s feet in the deep silence of the cool sand, offered a haggard response.


    "Ancor! Stop! Please!"


    Still, there was no sign of a pause or even the potential of it, and Ginger didn''t feel like his legs would listen to his pleas either. He tried to swerve, run faster, run slower.... all of it couldn''t be done.


    Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf!


    Ginger paled.


    He had to do something, but...


    If he couldn''t control his body in the dream, what hope did he have of drawing himself from the whole imaginary construct?


    Was there an end to it?


    Was there a meaning to it?


    Was it even a dream?


    Ginger felt the grappling hook of fear.


    He started sweating, and his heart...hearts, started to beat furiously, creating a noise only he could hear.


    ''Ancor...'' Ginger squeaked inwardly in terror.


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    Then suddenly, from his right, two long, narrow shadows cut across the desert to mark the two. A slightly thicker shadow cast an overlay over Ancor, keeping up with his speed, while a thinner one blanketed most of Ginger''s body.


    A frightful chill clawed on Ginger''s skin as the deep darkness smothered him, and he shivered violently.


    Without thinking, he turned to the source of the shadows, and his face turned as white as a sheet.


    Over a distant dune, two silhouettes stood, one as tall as an adult man, and the other a full head shorter than Ginger. The ends of their outlines seemed to be fading slowly, and it looked as though they were about to disappear.


    Almost immediately, Ginger recognized these silhouettes.


    Pairs of arms stretched from them, and they reached futilely for him and Ancor, unlike their shadows.


    ''No...'' Ginger thought in horror.


    This wasn''t a dream, was it?


    There was no way... Why would he dream about them?


    "I haven''t forgotten you!" Ginger found himself screaming against his will. "I didn''t want to leave! I was just... I''m coming back!"


    He didn''t know why he was yelling. It wasn''t by his will, but also... it was.


    "I''m coming back! You''ll see! I''m coming... coming back!"


    The words didn''t stop coming out of Ginger''s mouth. Neither the silhouettes, nor the sprinting Ancor seemed to hear him nor care, but he screamed anyway.


    He screamed so loudly, and for so long, that perhaps the dreamscape chose to shift the scenery in consideration for his desperate cry.


    A bright, ghostly gold hue blinded Ginger, deconstructing the setting he had been stuck in for an inordinate amount of time.


    The resplendent hue then turned into a large, portly flame that sat within a hollow in a wall, noiselessly flaring as it pleased. Its temperament was as lazy as that of a sleeping toddler, but strangely, it felt a lot more imposing.


    Ginger took heavy breaths.


    He was drenched, and tired.


    Finally, he had stopped running, and it really felt vivid; the ache of his muscles, the shortness of his breath... and a strange, uncomfortable strain on his insides that was slowly fading.


    "Thank... Fetid..." Ginger voiced in relief.


    As happy as he was though, he started to wonder. Where did Ancor go? The scenery of his dream had changed, but he didn''t think...


    "Wait... This place..." Ginger was suddenly smitten by reason.


    The ghostly golden flame before him. The hollow it nested in. This room.


    The plump boy''s eyes shot open.


    This wasn''t a dream!


    He was in the same office ¨C Professor Alexandros'' office ¨C where he had had his First Burning!


    Ginger frantically backed away from the flame. Only now did he realize he was too close.


    As he drew back, he almost stumbled on something warm that was on the floor. He quickly caught himself and looked down.


    The color drained further from Ginger''s face.


    "Wha...'' he murmured with a sunken voice.


    Lying on the ground without motion, was the hunchbacked Professor Alexandros, his face showing a considerable loss of color. He was a single pace away from his chair and desk which featured a sheet of paper with a written paragraph that ended with strewn ink diving across it messily.


    Ginger panicked. He drew further away.


    ''What''s wrong with him?!'' he thought in fright, only to receive another burst of it when he saw another figure in the room, this one lively and plastered to the wall close to the closed door.


    Reiss, his bulked, brown eyes showing thrice the amount of shock and fear in Ginger''s, was trembling like a reed.


    "Reiss? W-what are you doing here? What are we doing here? What happened to him?" Ginger blasted the dwarfish dragon with questions.


    Instead of answers, Reiss looked up to Ginger incredulously, and an unmistakable contortion of rage and blame showed on his face.


    "What are we doing here?" he shook. "What are we doing here?! Why did YOU bring me here?!"


    "What?" Ginger asked, thinking he hadn''t heard that last sentence right.


    "You brought me here! I kindly asked you where you were going and... and you carried me down here!" Reiss exploded only to cover his mouth, remembering that this was the dead of night, and it was after wandering hours.


    Ginger''s knees almost gave in.


    No way. That wasn''t right. He was asleep just now, dreaming that he and Ancor were sprinting across an endless desert.


    How could he have...?


    Ginger looked at Professor Alexandros again.


    "What happened to him?" the boy asked, his shaking finger pointing at the immobile old dragon on the floor.


    Reiss pointed an equally convulsing, accusing finger at Ginger with a furious face.


    "YOU," he mouthed.


    Ginger froze.


    Him again?


    That had to be a joke, right?


    What could he do to a full-grown dragon, to a Professor?


    What nonsense was Reiss on about?


    Sadly, it seemed the world was unwilling to pause for Ginger to figure out what was happening here because at that moment, there was a muffled knock on the door to the office.


    Reiss and Ginger turned stiff, and both their eyes faced the door.


    Neither of them made any movements.


    Reiss pushed himself further against the wall as though to merge with it, his teeth grinding in panic.


    This was the first time Ginger had seen such a strong reaction from him, and unironically, it made the gravity of the situation even more weighty.


    And worse yet...


    "Gregory. Gregory! I heard you blast the door shut from the first floor. Are you on something again? Gregory!" a voice spoke with an exasperated tone of familiarity from behind the door.


    Ginger melted.


    He recalled that voice.


    It belonged to the Warden, Madam Agathe!

 Escape

    The words Ginger heard from Madam Agathe, regardless of them being rather casual and harmless, sent a striking chill crawling up his spine. They pushed away his confusion and sobered him up enough to recognize the dark reality that was moments away from occurring.


    ''...''


    Right!


    The Warden was behind that door, and should she enter, the image she would see was far from impressive.


    Many thoughts scrambled through Ginger''s head.


    The fact that Madam Agathe was, as she had gladly made all the First Years aware, a guardian of the Frost Mount''s Tooth and all other buildings in the institute, made all that Reiss had accused Ginger of, even more preposterous.


    However, whatever Reiss was smoking, prompting outlandish delusions to tap dance in his head could wait. The duo couldn''t afford to be expelled after less than a Stride since they began classes.


    But what could they do? If Madam Agathe entered...


    Wait.


    Ginger looked past the deathly pale Reiss who was now pressing his fingers against his temples, and saw a key sticking out from below the doorknob.


    That and...


    ''That''s right!'' his mind raced into thought. ''Last time I came into this room, I couldn''t hear anything until the door was opened. So...''


    The office was soundproof.


    The fact that sound didn''t leak from the office had boggled Ginger back when he had his First Burning here. Of course, this effect only worked one way, but the truth of the matter still stood.


    ''Better to try!''


    Ginger took sufficiently quick steps towards the door. Along the way, he wrestled Reiss who practically dived in his way while shaking his head vehemently and mouthing "No, no, no, no!" before finally placing his hand on the key.


    The plump dragon sucked in a deep breath, his fingers trembling on the key.


    "Goodness Gregory, I''ve knocked already. Answer, will you? Being Warden doesn''t make me any less valuable than you, you know," Madam Agathe said from behind the door... and then the doorknob shook.


    She was about to enter.


    Ginger felt the chill in his spine worsen. His adrenaline, if dragons called it that, spiked, but he forced himself to remain calm.


    With everything his body was doing right now, he didn''t know if the heavy sensation pressing against his face was coming from his comprehension of Madam Agathe''s Kardia wafting from behind the door, or if his body was just being overly conscious of the danger he was in, but regardless...


    Click.


    Ginger tenderly fondled the key, turning in to lock the door.


    The impeccability of his timing only became excruciatingly clear when the doorknob turned once, then twice, and thrice with a bit of violence.


    Both Reiss and Ginger stood still and gulped.


    "Damn old smoker! Why I share my life with you is a darn mystery?" the two heard Madam Agathe mutter angrily before her steps clapped against the tiling, growing faint with each second.


    Ginger, who had felt like he was close to french-kissing death, though with a pane of obscure glass between him and the irritable entity, breathed out a long sigh.


    "What did you... what are we going to do now?" Reiss furiously whispered while shaking Ginger.


    The plump boy dropped to the floor and felt for his face. The tension was yet to flee. He had only delayed the epilogue to the inevitable.


    "Madam Agathe is going to catch us. We''re done for! One way or another, she''s going to see this," Reiss pointed at the old Professor Alexandros with both his arms. "That is if he doesn''t wake up before that and deal with us himself. Good grief! I shouldn''t have bothered with you. I should have just minded my own business."


    Ginger whipped his head to Reiss.


    "Calm down, will you?!"


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    "Stop shouting," Reiss whispered.


    "This room is soundproof. At least from the outside. If it weren''t, we would have been caught by now with all our shouting."


    Reiss looked to have a lot to say, but for a moment, he looked taken aback by the fact that he didn''t realize such a simple detail.


    "Quit pretending as if everything is going to be alright. If we''re caught, I''m confessing! I''m telling them all that you... that you dragged me here and did something to the Professor!"


    Ginger glared at Reiss.


    "What are you talking about? I''m just as confused as you are. All I remember is going to sleep and waking up here. I didn''t drag you over. And how could I beat a Professor? I can''t use Kardia!"


    Reiss didn''t back away from Ginger''s defiant eyes. For a moment, he looked like he was about to argue his case again, but he relented.


    He emitted a breath and wore a less frenzied visage.


    "Are you telling the truth?" he asked with a difficult expression.


    "Of course. I''m in this mess too, aren''t I? What''s in it for me if I get expelled?" Ginger said matter-of-factly.


    Reiss surveyed his face closely. He was evidently teetering between reason, rage, and fear.


    "What really happened?" Ginger asked.


    Reiss turned back to Professor Alexandros laying on the floor.


    "I think it''s better if we get back to the dormitories first," he said.


    Ginger grimaced.


    "But we both can''t use the Waiting Furnace," he said, dreading the other possibility.


    Reiss massaged his temples.


    "Yeah, well, we have a long walk ahead of us. The stairs. It''s how you... it''s how we got here."


    Ginger shivered.


    "That''s a long way."


    "We can''t stay here for too long. Like I said, he could wake up. He''s breathing, so whatever happened to him probably won''t stall for long," Reiss said while taking deep breaths to summon his bravery.


    Ginger turned to the hunchbacked Professor.


    ''Shunting Shamans...'' he cursed.


    There really was no other choice.


    *


    Despite acting as though they only had ten seconds before they had to leave, Ginger and Reiss didn''t make their way out of the office immediately. Given that Madam Agathe was evidently very familiar with Professor Alexandros, and that her attitude minutes ago didn''t suggest some kind of finality, it wasn''t a stretch to assume that she would return.


    Perhaps the Warden was even lurking in the Frost Mount''s Tooth at this moment, watching the office closely.


    The method she used to travel to other buildings was unknown to the two boys, but they both hoped and prayed ¨C one to the Five Dragons and the other to whimsical Shamans out there ¨C that there existed a window in time that would allow them to traverse from this floor to the tenth without being caught.


    There had to be.


    Moving as silently as they could, Ginger and Reiss exited the office. The latter made sure he closed the door as quietly as possible.


    Unfortunately for the two boys, Professor Alexandros'' office was located on the third floor, which wasn''t as complex as the fifth, sixth, and seventh ¨C where the classrooms were ¨C which was to say there was a shortage of twists and turns.


    Aside from the Waiting Furnaces a short distance away, rising to the ceiling from the floor, there was only an open stretch of ivory tiling that was determined to make every step the two boys took akin to loud gongs.


    It had been a mystery to Ginger how in the world he had on his shoes right now when he had removed them before going to sleep. He was forced to carry them in his hands.


    As the two moved silently, stifling even their breaths, Ginger was constantly pestered by obvious thoughts.


    Was Reiss right?


    He denied it vehemently, but what reason did Reiss have to lie? Well, perhaps there were a few, but still.


    Was this some kind of prank?


    Really, how did he end up here?


    Behind Ginger, who was taking the lead, Reiss was looking at him oddly, wondering something along the same lines. He had questions, but it meant more to him to keep a perfect record of no misdemeanors.


    Besides that, Madam Agathe hadn''t exactly promised prizes for offenders.


    Ten minutes later, the duo arrived at the end of the floor, and a set of wide stairs appeared before them. They looked anything but inviting.


    Ginger and Reiss looked at each other before turning back to the cold stone.


    They took the first step at the same time.


    "First Years? How daring."


    The sudden voice crushed both Ginger and Reiss.


    More than that was the grip that fell on both their necks from behind, as well as the severe pressure that ground onto their heads.


    "I didn''t think there was such a lively bunch this year," Madam Agathe said with a deep smile. She may have always looked old, but her smile, which shaped her downturned dark eyes into crescents, made her age look all the more creepy.


    The mission had failed, and there was no luck for a next try.


    ***


    The bright flash of the Waiting Furnace unsettled Ginger much, much more this time around.


    It illuminated Madam Agathe''s features beautifully, but she didn''t look good in his sight right now.


    Her flowing grey-black hair only looked more haunting, as did her hooked nose. Her dark coat which covered most of her body, draping on the floor, gave her the likeness of a grim reaper hiding its scythe for a surprise blow.


    Ginger and Reiss knew they were in deep trouble, but it was hard to know the degree of trouble they were in when the person responsible for dishing it out hadn''t said much besides beckoning them to the Waiting Furnace and leading them to...


    The tenth floor?


    As the Waiting Furnace opened to reveal the three, Madam Agathe was the first to walk out, taking suspiciously hurried steps toward the doors that represented the First Year dormitory.


    It was only then that she spoke to the two.


    "I imagine you two were treated to a cruel Draggard-Phoenix welcome by your upperclassmen. Sadly, you aren''t the first or the last. Worse yet, I won''t be charitable just because you were gullible enough to be tricked into sneaking off after hours, " she said. "I have several other idiots smarter than you two to chase. Because of that, I shall delegate this matter to your Prime Instructor. I''m sure you will feel better talking to them instead."


    Ginger and Reiss were confused, but they did not desire to engage the old dragon at all.


    Besides, Madam Agathe didn''t care much for their responses. She had the two tell her who their Prime Instructor was before dealing the last, dark blow.


    "Unless you decide to sneak off again, I will see you during the Breather. We three shall be spending some time together till the beginning of the next Stride."


    With that, Madam Agathe turned and disappeared into the Waiting Furnace.


    While Ginger and Reiss hadn''t suffered harsh mouthfuls, this seemed worse.


    Terribly worse.

 Restless

    The two boys sat quietly in the study for quite some time. The vacant seats all around them gave them the perfect environment they were yearning for right now.


    Silence.


    ''I should have expected it. There was no way we weren''t going to get caught,'' Ginger thought begrudgingly, the verbal curse he was most familiar with fleeing from his mouth. ''At least we didn''t get expelled.''


    That''s right.


    If he were to take that dream he had seriously, then he hadn''t lied when he had cried to the figures standing above the sand dunes that he hadn''t abandoned them. He hadn''t let them down yet.


    If he wasn''t expelled yet, then all this so far, wasn''t for naught.


    It was rather lucky for Ginger and Reiss that Madam Agathe had not tied their misconduct to Professor Alexandros. She didn''t even seem to think they were out loitering because they wanted to!


    While this was good for Ginger, he didn''t feel any better about the matter with Professor Alexandros.


    As much as he tried to comfort himself, he couldn''t shake off a nasty feeling that clung to him.


    A moment later, he turned to his side.


    ''I guess he has a strong reason for coming to this school too,'' he thought.


    Reiss was taking this experience very, very badly.


    He was huddled against himself on a chair, his diminutive figure rocking back and forth without making the piece of furniture budge at all. His head hung low, sunken within the enclosure of his arms, not a trace of calm exuding from it.


    Ginger felt guilty. Somehow, he felt that ¨C even while not believing it ¨C he was responsible for what happened tonight.


    "Reiss..." he said. "What really happened? How did we get into the Professor''s office?"


    Reiss looked up and sniffled. He wasn''t crying, but he looked to be nearing that point, a sight that struck Ginger with a hard chill. It still looked strange to see Reiss like this when it usually looked like nothing fazed him.


    The short boy remained silent for a while.


    "If you really don''t remember what happened, then you must have been sleepwalking," he said with another sniffle.


    "What?" Ginger said, frowning.


    Sleepwalking?


    "I was doing my bit of pre-sleep reading when you suddenly hopped out of bed, put on your shoes, and started running off somewhere. It was so sudden. You weren''t going to the bathroom, so I followed you, curious to see where you were going. When I saw that you were leaving the dorm, I tried calling you, and when you didn''t stop, I tried to knock you down. That was when you dragged me along."


    When Reiss said he had tried to knock Ginger down, the plump boy had been sucked out of the morbid story, but he quickly reeled himself back in.


    This was odd.


    Really odd. He didn''t remember any of this. Frankly, he couldn''t believe it. Perhaps this was why Reiss had suddenly turned more reasonable after Ginger had insisted that he had no knowledge of everything that happened.


    But still, there was no way all this could be true. Right?


    Reiss continued.


    "Maybe it''s because I''m... well, shorter than the average dragon, but you moved fast... very fast, down the stairs. It barely took us five minutes to reach the third floor. And you were mumbling something too as we went."


    Ginger''s eyes shot up.


    "Something like... what?" he quickly asked, getting a bad feeling.


    It couldn''t be, right?


    "I don''t know... you were telling someone named Ankore to stop or something?" Reiss said, unsure and confused.


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    But for Ginger, it was as though he had just been smitten by lightning. The realization hit him hard.


    Ancor.


    He looked down, his face dark.


    ''I was screaming Ancor''s name in my dream. No way. So... it was all true?'' he thought in horror.


    Reiss was oblivious to his turmoil though, or perhaps he couldn''t bring himself to care right now. He simply continued his narration.


    "You took me into Professor Alexandros'' office. He was asleep on his desk when we came in, and you... I don''t know... I just remember hearing you taking a loud breath. You kept holding me until you approached the Professor, and when you released me, I rushed to close the door... and I missed what happened. There was a loud thud and then he fell out of his chair to the floor... then you just walked up to the fire... and stared at it."


    Ginger kept staring at Reiss.


    All that?


    He did that?


    The short boy stared at him too.


    "I was too scared at first but... I figured that you might have a strange condition or something... If you really didn''t remember...." he said.


    "I don''t remember any of it. And I''ve never sleepwalked in my life before!"


    Reiss pressed his temples. A glow of interest was shining in his eyes, but he quickly subdued it.


    "Right," he said and dropped from his chair. The fall lacked any trace of grace, unfortunately. Ginger thought the boy might have twisted his ankle. "I''m going to bed."


    Soon, Ginger was left alone in the study. Just him and the many variations of thought that spun in his head.


    ***


    The next day of the Stride began as darkly as possible for Ginger. Aside from the fact that he hadn''t managed to sleep, fearing what he might do, he discovered that Reiss was avoiding him.


    Despite the light of understanding the short boy had been carrying towards the latter half of their uncanny night, it seemed he could only tolerate so much of Ginger.


    Well, what could Ginger say? It was to be expected for Reiss to avoid him, right? Not only was he responsible for getting him in trouble, but he had also exposed to the dwarfish dragon a weird part of himself that he had never known till now.


    Sleepwalking?


    And with such a series of aggressive actions.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if Reiss was freaked out.


    He was too. He couldn''t wrap his mind around it.


    Worse yet, as Reiss had confirmed that Professor Alexandros was alive, and would probably wake up, Ginger thought up the dark possibility that perhaps he would investigate what happened to him.


    Maybe he had some semblance of awareness while he was knocked out or asleep, or whatever happened to him.


    Dear heavens... what if he knew?


    Ginger may have escaped Madam Agathe investigating what they had been up to, but if the hunchbacked dragon figured it out...


    Gulp.


    However, as the plump dragonling thought about all this, his mind also raced to a point that had been gnawing at his subconscious.


    ''It can''t be related to... THAT... can it?'' Ginger thought with a shudder.


    There was something that only Ancor knew about him. The Shaman was the one who diagnosed IT earlier in Ginger''s life but without a hundred percent certainty.


    Perhaps, it was, but... Ginger doubted. How did this event tie in with it?


    There was no way, and he wouldn''t expose that fact either.


    In a few hours, Ginger found that he had underestimated how hard it was to deal with what happened to him without someone to talk to.


    By the time he walked into class, he felt as though he was carrying a fat version of himself over his shoulders that loudly repeated yesterday''s events, dream and all.


    The fact that Professor Lyall came in that day with important notes and announcements about the Second Burning only made the running of the day way worse.


    It was a delay of the inevitable.


    Ginger was expecting Professor Lyall to spill it already, but she didn''t.


    "...and that is why Kardia, in additional to being called Kardia Aeras, can also be termed as Kardia Avir," Professor explained, her lips which were drawn into a taut V stretching lightly.


    Ginger scribbled down half of what she said, completely missing that the latter term she said, adopted the language from the Wild.


    "Now, just so you know, the other classes ¨C First Red and First Silver ¨C will be having their Burning sessions at the same time as ours next Stride. After that, you will find the days to be very eventful. Many Professors and students from different Out Courses will approach you, attempting to persuade you into joining their groups. While you can take as many Out Courses as you want, I strongly encourage that you limit yourself to one. Don''t be too ambitious. With only two terms in the year, you will overburden yourself for no reason."


    Out Courses were practical courses that depended most of all on what kind of Kardia you had.


    In another world, they would be called clubs, though they were significantly more important.


    Ginger looked hollowly at Professor Lyall. The excitement he had been feeling over the past four days about things like this had vanished. He barely even paid attention to much of what his Prime Instructor was saying. His ears were only open to a single piece of news he was waiting for.


    And soon, it came.


    "Reiss Adel and Ginger," the thickly woman called the twos'' names with her lips drawn tauter than before, her eyes alternating between the positions they sat in. "I would like a word with you two in my office after this."


    The look on Professor Lyall''s face adequately promoted the nature of what she wanted to see Ginger and Reiss for.


    The duo''s classmates all turned to them, making it all the more harder to concentrate on everything Professor Lyall said next.


    The whispers of several theories that followed about the two''s misconduct did not cease until the class was over.


    Ginger followed after Professor Lyall along with Reiss.


    Before they left the class, they heard Fillys sneer, "Eager to get expelled already?" but neither of the two had strength enough to react.


    Thankfully, Professor Lyall''s office was also located on the fifth floor. It was the only other teacher''s office in the Frost Mount''s Tooth, a fact that made the silent, tense journey more bearable for the two ''convicted'' dragonlings.


    Soon, Reiss and Ginger were standing before their Prime Instructor''s desk while she sat on a fitting chair on the other side.


    Her angled lips seemed to fake a smile as she stared at them.


    Professor Lyall spoke only after a sufficiently uncomfortable silence had made the atmosphere as unsettling as possible for the two students.


    She looked at the plump dragonling.


    "I''m very disappointed in you, Ginger," she said.

 A Touch of Warmth

    Ginger was caught off guard. He took a step back, somehow feeling intimidated and at the same time, confused.


    Reiss also wore a look of surprise and looked at Ginger.


    Why would Professor Lyall be disappointed in Ginger specifically?


    "What?" the plump dragonling said with his eyes shooting out.


    Professor Lyall''s stare grew intense, and her angled lips wobbled. Like always, it was impossible to discern what exactly she felt solely from her lips. They were drawn taut, the lipstick on them spreading thin.


    "I expected restraint from someone of your background, Ginger. Quite frankly, I have been keeping a close eye on your work in every course. Your habits. Your relationships. If this is the kind of attitude you present to the table, then I truly wonder whether your entry into this institute is a benefit for all of us," the woman said, her head angling low in a way that made her glasses slide to the end of her nose.


    Ginger stammered.


    From the way she was speaking, it seemed as though...


    "I thought it would have been obvious, my dear. We know about you. The entire staff does. Background and all," she added, clearing Ginger''s confusion tactfully, but without exposing a third party to the information.


    Ginger felt a crushing guilt.


    Well, Ira had said it. It was impossible to keep such a thing a secret.


    "Professor, I didn''t do it because I wanted to. I just... It was..." Ginger made an effort to explain himself, but he couldn''t find the words. What was he to say? Which of the things that happened yesterday wouldn''t lower Professor Lyall''s image of him even more?


    Him dragging Reiss out of the dorms?


    Whatever he did to Professor Alexandros?


    Professor Lyall kept staring at Ginger, expecting an answer, but ultimately, she couldn''t get one.


    Ginger had deflated.


    Reiss had been looking between Ginger and their Prime Instructor the entire time, lost to the context of their exclusive conversation.


    Was there something special about his bunkmate?


    The portly woman finally spoke, though with less of a rebuking tone.


    "You know, Ginger, the most consistently significant thing in any reality, is perspective, not logic. At the best of times, all creatures only believe what they see from their own point of view. Perhaps you had righteous reasons for wandering out at night with Reiss ¨C thankfully, Madam Agathe said she saw nothing warranting serious consideration ¨C but that won''t matter if certain circumstances get in the way. Don''t give others the chance to draw bad conclusions about you."


    Ginger looked up.


    Professor Lyall genuinely seemed to be wearing a warm smile as she gazed at him, but it was quickly wiped away when she turned to Reiss.


    "And you. I expected much, much more for such an intelligent dragonling. You are easily the most intelligent student in the class, but I must say, you must have traded some of your wit for stupidity yesterday. This is quite the stain you have already painted on your record, and Madam Agathe will make sure to remind you of it till the day you leave this school. Both of you."


    Reiss, as if seeing his already deficient height as much too tall, hung his head in embarrassment.


    Professor Lyall had explained a few days ago about a Point System adopted by Prime Instructors for the actions of their students. As long as a student did something worthwhile and recognizable by other students and Professors, they would be awarded Points. Of course, the opposite was true.


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    At the end of the first half of the year, the points would be tallied and the Prime Instructor was mandated to award the leading student with a prize. Naturally, recognition, trust, and several degrees of bias would be side-rewards to this.


    The fact that Reiss, who had been doing well so far, had to suffer losing Points ¨C even without knowing exactly how many ¨C made Ginger feel a rough pang of guilt in his hearts.


    Reiss shouldn''t have to suffer for his mistake.


    It wasn''t right!


    The plump dragonling made to speak up for him.


    "I''m sorry, Professor. It won''t happen again. I promise."


    Alas, it was Reiss who spoke first.


    He wore the same resolute look he always did whenever he was berated for his size.


    Ginger''s words died in his mouth, as did his attempt to clear Reiss of a crime that was his own.


    "Good," said Professor Lyall. "Hopefully, you''ll both be in shape for the Burning next Stride after your undoubtedly unpleasant Breather. Do give Madam Agathe my regards."


    *


    Ginger wasn''t surprised to find just after he and Reiss left Professor Lyall''s office, that the dwarfish dragonling briskly went on his way without looking back.


    He didn''t expect anything less, to be honest. This hadn''t lessened how his diminutive bunkmate should feel about him.


    If anything, Ginger was glad that Reiss hadn''t told anyone what he had done to Professor Alexandros, but time would tell. It wasn''t like that matter had just disappeared, after all.


    Because he was so sleep-deprived and tense, Ginger felt even more suffocated during his other courses for the day.


    This was especially so when the hateful face of the harbinger of boredom himself stepped into class for Expired Times and Diluted Histories.


    Professor Fotis Edelman.


    The straight-backed Professor''s quote for the day felt especially aggravating.


    "Heroes and scoundrels through eroded millennia have always been separated by their deeds under the glow of the suns, and in the veil of the night. Little dragonlings, even the whimsical escapades of heroes need no veil!" he had said boisterously.


    Ginger could have sworn he saw the old bastard eye him at ''scoundrels''.


    It was no surprise that news of Ginger and Reiss'' late night had reached some of the teachers. According to Professor Lyall, Madam Agathe didn''t consider them to be doing anything more than harmless loitering, which was a great relief, but Professor Edelman inflated the matter.


    He seemed more than happy to hint at it being something truly atrocious to the rest of the class which was slowly getting more and more curious. It got to the point where, for the first time during Professor Edelman''s lesson, the students of First Blue actually paid attention.


    To the old dragon''s credit though, he had a knack for weaving ancient stories and small talk together, almost making the two into one amusing tale.


    At some point, Ginger found it hard to not listen too, despite the fact that the theme Professor Edelman had started with was centered around his misconduct.


    More than that, despite Ginger''s exhaustion, he found himself getting a bit more intrigued by the history that the old dragon went on to teach about.


    "...our culture is also built on the existence of the Ancient Elders or Ancient Dragons, as some like to call them. It isn''t all about the type of creatures they were morally, or behaviourally, true, but they each had a drive. For instance, the Ebony Dragon, Draggard-Phoenix, had a shroud of dark rebellion about him. He wasn''t exactly a benevolent hero, but because of his dominance, us dragons managed to carve ourselves as the superior race on this continent."


    "But this doesn''t mean all dragons have to be brash and cruel, does it? No. Look no further than the Argent Dragon, Sopphira, the weakest among the Five, yet she contributed heavily to our society by guaranteeing that future dragonlings wouldn''t have to struggle to awaken. How? With the Rebounding Seether, of course!"


    Ginger didn''t quite understand what most of the other students did, but he managed to learn that the Rebounding Seether was related to the ghostly, golden flame that he had been introduced to during his First Burning.


    Apparently, it was a product of the Argent Dragon, who was said to be meek, and reserved, unlike the other dragons.


    While missing a lot of what Professor Edelman went on to explain as he slowly deviated from the topic of scoundrels, Ginger found that he didn''t hate Expired Times and Diluted Histories as much as he thought he did.


    It wasn''t all bad.


    He couldn''t enjoy it for long though.


    As soon as his mind was torn away from the distraction, he once again began to worry about his fate.


    A day passed with Ginger not meeting the sudden harassment from other Professors that he had expected. He didn''t even see Professor Alexandros, shockingly.


    What was happening?


    Why didn''t they come for him already?


    His paranoia with this aspect, along with his shun of sleep had only been defeated when his body finally gave in, forcing Ginger to sleep on a desk in the study.


    Thankfully, while Ginger woke up in a panic, and stricken with horror, he discovered that he hadn''t sleepwalked as he had feared.


    Unfortunately for him though, the Breather finally arrived, and he wasn''t going to enjoy it like everyone else.


    At the very least, he had a companion to share with the misery that was ahead.

 Dooty Duty

    "Good morning, boys!" Madam Agathe''s voice scratched against Ginger''s ears. He smiled somewhat politely at the old dragon, as did Reiss.


    "Good morning, Madam," the two said in unison.


    They obviously couldn''t fully express it, but the hundreds of thumping steps sounding behind them from practically the whole school leaving for the small town past the bridge, while they were here, awaiting the verdict for the nature of their punishment, jabbed furiously at them.


    What made it worse was seeing Fillys and Alcaeus grin at them with twisted glee as they walked to the school''s entrance, following behind a certain boy who, like them, didn''t hide the sky-blue cast of his scales.


    Ginger and Reiss frowned.


    They both knew who the boy was, though with differing degrees of understanding.


    The young dragonling was like Principal Phoenix. He was a descendant of one of the Five Ancient Dragons, the Vermillion Dragon, Avecsalot.


    There were five families that claimed to carry the blood of the Ancient Elders in Ravi, dubbing themselves the Flame Seeker Families. Under them, were what were called Carrier Houses ¨C families of dragons that devoted themselves to the Flame Seeker Families.


    Fillys and Alcaeus were part of a Carrier House, the Doukas. As such, they had befriended this dragonling from the Avecsalot Family, parading themselves as his best friends.


    Ginger didn''t like the idea of that trio. Reiss also shared the same sentiment.


    Madam Agathe was very pleased by the two boys'' hidden reactions ¨C specifically the suffering they tried so hard to conceal. She had been around dragonlings long enough to recognize subdued fury, agony, and yearning.


    They could try to hide it if they wanted, but she was about to expose them.


    "Well, shall we go the pens, then?" she said while turning to lead the two, a dark grin on her face.


    "Pens?" both Ginger and Reiss shook at her words.


    "Pens," Madam Agathe emphasized.


    The air around Ginger and Reiss became several degrees darker, which was all the more grave since they hadn''t been leaping for joy to begin with.


    Like corpses held upright by Sorcery, the two dragonlings lumbered forward, following Madam Agathe to a dreadful location. Of all the things that they could be punished to do. Of all the places they had to endure for the Breather.


    What did it have to be the pens?


    Ginger, Reiss, and all their classmates had gotten well acquainted with the wonders and terrors of the pens during one of their courses ¨C Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures.


    In this course, they studied all the various types of less intelligent, wild beasts that could be found in Ravi. There was quite a lot to learn, as one would imagine, and if taking notes, attempting to pat the friendlier among these wild creatures, and feeding them, was all there was to this course, all the First Years would have had Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures as their favorite thing to learn.


    However, just like its instructor, the course had a darker, smelly side that was dunked in the opposite of fun.


    The First Years had been reminded that unlike sentient beings, wild and instinct-driven beasts dropped their ''loot'' everywhere they could. And it was part of the learning experience to get acquainted with this ''loot''.


    Now, as a full class, it wasn''t such a hassle to scrap off the pungent chocolate, but as two small boys...


    ''Why do we have to do this in our uniforms?!'' Ginger grunted frustratedly.


    Indeed. Madam Agathe was comfortable making the boys do this dirty work with their uniforms. She had said nothing about them getting additional clothing to work in.


    "I should have you know, boys, my job doesn''t necessarily involve asking questions. That task falls on your Prime Instructor, and I''m sure you have had a good chat. With any luck, all your other Professors have already caught wind of your actions, and I hope they steer you down the correct course..." Madam said while increasing her pace.


    Ginger and Reiss groaned. The former remembered that ''scoundrel'' line from Professor of History and frowned.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ''Oh they caught wind alright,'' he thought.


    It was probably Madam Agathe who told their other Professors too, despite her feigning ignorance.


    The plump dragonling resigned himself to getting more familiar with the area outside the Frost Mount''s Tooth since he would be serving his sentence for the next three days until the next Stride.


    Because the last Stride had offered very little respite from courses, coupled with the fact that Ginger couldn''t maneuver with the Waiting Furnaces himself, the boy had barely been able to explore to his heart''s content.


    This was his chance.


    A series of tall, thin, and fat buildings were scattered around the large premises of the Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born. Others seemed to be reserved for advanced courses for the Fourth and Fifth Years, which couldn''t be done in the cubical castle.


    All these buildings had some connection to the Frost Mount''s Tooth though. The ones closer to it featured bridges that led to specific floors, and Ginger had already been to some of these for his other courses.


    Aside from the rising structures, Ginger saw several fields a distance away. The perfectly defined dimensions seemed to allude to some specific purpose for the fields, but as to what it was, Ginger could only guess.


    Soon, the trio arrived at a great tower that started out fat from the bottom and grew thinner with its height. Its least bulky point was still enough to fit a thousand Gingers though.


    This tower was called the Pine, a name whose inspiration Ginger couldn''t imagine. It housed all beasts that were used for learning and sending messages within the school.


    Madam Agathe led the two inside and through a door that was opposite the entrance several paces away. Past it, the clean floor from just a moment ago, turned dirty, marred by a smelly type of stone all over.


    Thick bursts of smoke that weaved about so suddenly as the trio emerged, made Ginger start coughing vehemently.


    Ah, it was this place.


    Within the wide, rectangular room which was about three hundred square meters large, were dozens of Olarmanders.


    With a full Stride of learning, Ginger had finally learned what the creatures he called ''little dragons'' were actually called. And here they were, swarming all over.


    They flew about, wrestled among themselves, and as for the large ones, they piled up the dark, smelly stones, breathed out fire from their mouths to warm them up, and lazily laid over them.


    Ginger and Reiss grimaced at the sight. The creamy droppings that were strewn about, barely distinguishable from the piles of dark stone made their skin crawl.


    "Lovely. I''ll go get your gear," Madam Agathe said cheerfully and darted agilely somewhere, returning with a pair of gloves and scrapers which looked like flat-ended spoons, one for each of the two.


    "Since you can''t use a Custos Zoe yet, these will do. You should thank me for being merciful. As you are First Years, I''ve decided to be lenient. I''ll be back in two hours. By the end of the Breather, we should have cleaned every installment on this floor. Have fun in the meantime."


    With that, the ancient lady disappeared.


    Ginger and Reiss looked at their work and hesitantly began.


    It wasn''t pleasant. The way recently delivered chocolate evils turned the scrapers warm because of the intense heat, the overwhelming smell that seemed to whisper audibly to the nose, flirting with the nostrils...


    "Shunting Shamans!" Ginger had screamed when he smelt a particularly pungent one.


    Olarmanders mostly served as messengers for the staff inside and outside the school. As Ginger had witnessed a Stride ago from Ira''s own, they were very quick on their wings and highly efficient.


    Through the basic lessons Ginger had gotten so far from Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures, he had learned more about these little things and others similar to them.


    Apparently, there were four types of Cinder-Born entities ¨C creatures that could breathe fire ¨C in Ravi.


    The first were dragons, Qin Asha, as the more exclusive dialects of the dragon tongue termed them. This extended to beings like the students, the teachers and Ginger himself.


    The second were the least intelligent. Wild and domesticated Olarmanders. Apparently, they could grow up to the size of a full-fledged dragon, but they lacked the potential to grow into Qin Asha.


    The third and fourth types, Ginger had only gotten to know superficially. There were the Blighted and the Condemned. All the plump dragonling knew was that they were like fully grown Olarmanders, but infinitely more dangerous.


    They were a threat that dragons often struggled with, especially when given time.


    Following the first thirty minutes of nonstop work, Ginger rushed to the window and took in deep breaths of fresh air mixed in with Mana Essence.


    When he returned to the job, shooing some Olarmanders that flocked to his feet, he looked at Reiss. The dwarfish dragon wore a stone-like expression without buckling at all.


    Ginger made a complex face.


    "Hey, uh, can I ask you something?" he said.


    Reiss didn''t reply.


    As expected, Reiss was still not willing to speak to him.


    But Ginger didn''t give up. Why should he? Trying to make up with Reiss was the best thing he could do for himself. After all, he was the only student who even bothered to speak to him.


    "Look, I know you''re still angry about what I... what I did. I''m really sorry. You''re wasting your time here all because of me. I''d be angry at myself too. I just hope we... that you can forgive me and we can be friends..." Ginger said.


    His dragon tongue in actual, extended dialogue was still a bit slow, but that didn''t stop him from cringing at his own words. He never did learn how to befriend children his age. A joyride of nine years with Ancor didn''t have such stops.


    There was no response from Reiss. He scooped up some more Olarmander stool and threw it in a pile dangerously close to Ginger.


    The plump boy sighed.


    "Reiss, we sleep in the same dorm and the same bunk bed. I think it would be better if we got to know each other. We have the same problems... at least when it comes to appearance... so maybe we could..."


    "The same?" Reiss'' annoyed voice came.


    ''Finally!'' Ginger leaped inside.


    "Well, yeah. Similar," he said.


    Reiss looked offended.


    "You really think you''ve had to endure anything close to even half of what I''ve had to deal with?" he said with a frown.


    To this, Ginger didn''t dare say ''yes''. He didn''t think so.


    "That''s what I thought," Reiss said before scoffing and getting back to work.


    Ginger felt a little defeated. But only for a little while.


    "What have you had to deal with?" he asked.


    "If you have to ask, then why should I even bother."


    Reiss left no more room for further questions after that.


    Ginger didn''t feel like he could make any more attempts anyway.


    Two hours finally passed, and soon, the door to the pen opened.


    It wasn''t Madam Agathe that walked in, though.


    It was Professor Alexandros.

 Harder and Easier

    Ginger and Reiss sucked in a deep, pungent breath.


    Of all things to have emerged from today, at this particular time...


    It was almost too dramatic how Professor Alexandros'' sudden emergence was, as if attempting to speedily answer one of Ginger''s greatest concerns ¨C the fate of this arch-backed Professor.


    The color fled from Ginger''s face, and the same was true for Reiss.


    Professor Alexandros looked down at the two with a displeased look, his eyes taking in their finer details.


    Ginger felt the older dragon''s Kardia wallop him like the wind ¨C cold and unseen.


    Shunting Shamans....


    Did this mean the Professor was about to punish them for what happened two days ago? Whatever Ginger did to him didn''t look like it had any lasting effects, but the fact that he was even able to incapacitate a Professor should have been spread around the school staff like wildfire.


    ''What is he going to do? Is he going to ask how I did it?'' Ginger panicked.


    "So, Ginger and Reiss, is it?" Professor Alexandros said with a low, creepy tone. His sight then fell on Ginger. "And to think I even measured for you on the first day..."


    Ginger dropped his head.


    That''s right. How messed up was it that Ginger had done something like that ¨C however he did it ¨C when it was Professor Alexandros that helped with his First Burning? Well, it was mostly Professor Mara, but still.


    "Professor, it''s not what you think..." Ginger said while trembling.


    "It''s not? You just got me entangled in all THIS. How else should I compel myself to think about it, boys?" Professor Alexandros said with disgust.


    Reiss shrank.


    They were done for. Loitering after hours was one thing, but...


    Ginger gulped. He could already picture Ancor''s disappointed face ¨C if he would ever even see it again ¨C saying, "Well, I guess I tried. You''ll have to stay here in the Wild and hope an army of dragons doesn''t suddenly come looking for you."


    Ginger shuddered.


    His head spun a couple of times.


    "Goodness. Why should I have to be stuck with you for the next ten hours, hmm? Delegation, she said! Have you two any idea what having a wife like that feels like?" Professor Alexandros said darkly.


    "... What?" Reiss was the first to speak while Ginger blinked, a look of stunned surprise on his face.


    "Yes, you''re completely oblivious, aren''t you? Because of your little adventures doing whatever two nights ago, I have been implicated now. I have to take you from pen to pen monitoring your punishment for the day."


    "Madam Agathe... is your wife?" Reiss asked.


    "Well, of course. Why else would I agree to this? She has better things to do, apparently. Luckily for me, you two are just as lousy at stool cleaning as the Third Years," Professor Alexandros replied while glaring at the stacks of Olarmander stools that remained scattered on the stones.


    It took Ginger a little while, but to Reiss, it clicked immediately.


    Professor Alexandros had no recollection of what happened to him at all!


    It should have been obvious really, since the old man had been asleep when it all happened, but because paranoia was good at playing charades, Ginger and Reiss had assumed the worst.


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    Professor Alexandros was only bothered by the fact that he had been pinned by his wife to this task on account of him ''ignoring'' her on the night that Ginger and Reiss had their little escapade.


    Ginger''s eyes exploded in shock and pure joy.


    Reiss gazed at him, and for a moment, they shared a moment of triumph, even though this really didn''t have that much to do with the dwarfish dragonling.


    The wave of relief that caught up with Ginger could not have been tainted by the puke-summoning smell in the pen.


    ''He doesn''t know! He really doesn''t know! I was worrying over nothing! Maybe Reiss didn''t see right! Yeah. Maybe I didn''t do anything to Professor Alexandros at all, and he was just in a deep sleep and fell from his chair. He is pretty after all. Or maybe...'' Ginger''s mind raced in excitement.


    All of it was cut short, however.


    "Finish up, boys! I don''t want to be assigned to this for the entire Breather! It''s called a Breather for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with me taking in this nasty air for three days!" Professor Alexandros hissed before going on to mutter about how he always stressed to Agathe that they were of different statuses, him a respectable teacher and she a lowly...


    The two boys responded energetically to the hunchbacked Professor''s ignorance, and they cleared the work quickly.


    ***


    The first day of the penance ended finally.


    Thankfully, the two dragonlings had managed to work fast enough to clear most of the day''s designated pens and earn two thorough showers before most of the other First Years returned from the outing.


    Thankfully, the shower stalls were incredibly private in addition to being unoccupied, which allowed the two boys to enjoy a relaxed, quiet bath.


    Unfortunately, Ginger had to endure carrying some of the smell from the pens even after airing his singular set of uniform out.


    This was the most treacherous part about this punishment, in his opinion. No casual clothing ¨C besides scarves and perhaps light accessories ¨C were allowed within the school grounds when the term began, after all.


    Thankfully, the uniforms were made to be highly resistant to energies of several kinds, so the war had only been with the odor.


    Speaking of the odor, Reiss and Ginger garnered more than a few curses from their roommates because of the residuals, and they quickly earned themselves the name Skunk Dragons. The boys from the other dorm had come to take a whiff too, just for some dark fun.


    Ginger and Reiss didn''t talk to each other, but in a way, they felt some comfort in not having to deal with the ridicule alone.


    Unfortunately, the second day of the Breather turned out to have the exact same atmosphere as the last.


    The two had to endure the ridicule from the other First Years as they headed to the pens again only to meet a grumpier Professor Alexandros who screamed that they were late. He was filling in for Madam Agathe again.


    This setup didn''t change for the third day. For Ginger, it actually got worse, because he was so exhausted from staying up. He occasionally dozed off, but he got no more than two hours of sleep. The effect of such an experience was hanging under his eyes, plain for everyone to see.


    Reiss didn''t miss it.


    Thankfully, as life wasn''t all fun and games in the Wild, losing sleep to tension wasn''t all that knew to Ginger. This was the only reason he hadn''t become utterly miserable.


    As usual, the boys got to scooping the smelly wonders from the pens, which they had gotten a little faster at. In silence, even Ginger could have sunk into the prospect of the work, but with Professor Alexandros constantly chattering nonstop to remedy his own displeasure at being stuck here...


    "Goodness boy, scoop it up. Up! And be careful with that one by your left foot. See its scales? It could burn your hand to medium at least. The uniform can''t protect what it doesn''t cover, now can it?" he said while pointing at an Olarmander growling by Ginger''s foot with a nasty glare in its eye.


    The plump boy hurriedly drew away.


    The Olarmander had silver scales that had a rough texture to them, and that spelled danger.


    ''So even Olarmanders can get good casts, huh?'' Ginger thought with a solemn look.


    The reason why the cast of scales was so important had finally been revealed to Ginger some days ago by Professor Lyall in class. The cast of a dragon''s scales determined their potential quality, and this extended to all Cinder-Born.


    The potency of Kardia and its volume.


    The kind of flame a Cinder-Born could naturally generate when their potential peaked.


    The shape a dragon would take when they mastered Denaturing.


    The type of abilities they would have.


    And finally, if a dragon could earn an Exalted Name or not.


    All this was determined by the cast of scales.


    The rarity of the cast was ranked according to that of the most prominent dragons in history. The Ancient Elders.


    It went from Ebony, Vermillion, Azure, Violet and then Argent, five in all, though variations of these counted in the same line; like a sky-blue cast to the azure cast, and like ordinary red to vermillion.


    This had been exciting to learn at first until Ginger saw where he stood. What about his cast ¨C a deep gingery orange?


    Well, all casts unrelated to the five, were pretty much in the same boat.


    Past the argent cast - the lowest among the five best ones - it didn''t matter if you had a more unique cast, be it green, pink, or whatever else.


    This was what caused much of the divide among dragons.


    This was why they were hesitant to reveal their scales. Usually, even if you had outstanding talent in school, the cast, which determined your potential affected the view of the majority.


    Interestingly though, since Ancient Elder Draggard-Phoenix, no other Cinder-Born in history had ever manifested the ebony cast or a variation of it. Ever.


    This was why, even though the bird-faced dragon had a dark past, he was still revered even to this day.


    Ginger had never hoped or even dreamed to be the strongest dragon ever, which was why the news about the casts didn''t hit him as hard. He was more interested in preserving his life in such fragile times. Like now, when faced up against the silver casted Olarmander which was likely to burn him with a dense flame.


    A few hours of working later, Madam Agathe came and delivered Professor Alexandros from supervising duty. Ginger and Reiss heard a hilarious argument between the two outside the Pine, and moments later, Madam Agathe with a victorious smile walked in to inspect.


    After merely looking at their work for a few moments, she told them she would come back to release them in two hours before going off again.


    Minutes after she left, Reiss surprisingly broke the ice.


    "This has been really disgusting," he said.


    Ginger, surprised by the dwarfish dragon''s sudden urge to converse, responded quickly.


    "Y-yeah. I won''t be sleepwalking anytime soon," he said, the dark rings under his eyes seeming to swell at his words.


    Reiss wore a shallow smile. Since yesterday, he had begun to rethink his stance on Ginger. There was something about watching the plump dragon walk out of bed and go into the study, never to return for the night that pinched at him.


    Ginger was not only refusing to sleep. He was trying to stay away from Reiss and everyone else in case he dozed off and dragged someone to the lower floors again.


    "You know, I wouldn''t mind keeping an eye on you at night. In case... it happens again," Reiss said with a sincere look on his face.


    Ginger was caught off guard. He gaped, but quickly switched his expression to a calm one.


    "Really? I mean, that would be great. I could use some sleep," he said with a smile.


    Reiss nodded with a deeper smile of his own.


    "Just don''t try to stop me the same way you did last time," Ginger said with a subdued laugh, hoping it wasn''t too soon for the jab.


    It was.


    An Olarmander flew in Ginger, and as he collapsed on the dark, smelly stones, Reiss laughed heartily at the look on his face.

 Loyal Defender

    Reiss and Ginger enjoyed several moments of triumph when they were finally relieved from their punishment.


    Contrary to what they had imagined, though, Madam Agathe didn''t say something like, "Let me not find you on the wrong side of the rules again" or another warning that gave the idea that she expected them to be well-behaved.


    She gave a smile to both of them and then walked away. Ginger and Reiss gave each other dark looks. It seemed the rumours of the irony of Madam Agathe''s name when compared to her true nature, were spot on.


    How exactly was she ''kind-natured'' when she looked like she was egging them to repeat their folly?


    In any case, Ginger and Reiss were pleased to be let off while the second sun was still quite high in the sky.


    Tomorrow was the day of the Second Burning, and they wished to have adequate time to rest and prepare, Ginger more so given that he only had the one, stinky set of uniform, and lacked sleep.


    Speaking of the Second Burning...


    "That''s right," Ginger said while slamming a fist into his palm. "Do you know the stuff about the behaviours of Kardia? I mean... tomorrow is supposed to decide everything about us, and it''s all based on our Kardia type. Do you have any idea how that works?"


    Professor Lyall had held off on going too deep into the behaviours of Kardia and whatever Collapsing and Surging Kardia meant during lesson time likely because most dragons knew this and because she wanted to make the emphasis when it was most relevant.


    This put Ginger at a disadvantage.


    Reiss would have given Ginger a quizzical look, but he refrained from it. He was getting used to the plump dragonling''s ignorance. He had been answering some of his questions while they were scraping Olarmander poop too.


    "Well, I''m not sure about the exact process used to determine what kind of Kardia we have, Professor Lyall will probably explain, but as far as I know, there are four variations of Kardia. More like Kardia patterns, I suppose," Reiss said as they neared the Frost Mount''s Tooth.


    "There''s Kardia that naturally draws away from the body it''s produced from. It''s called Alien-type Kardia. It''s the easiest to project outside the body. There''s also Kardia that is attracted to an object close to the user, or one they are in contact with. I''ve always wanted to have this type. It''s called Affix-type Kardia," the short dragon said while rubbing his hands.


    Ginger made an ''O'' with his mouth.


    So Kardia behaved like that?


    According to Professor Lyall, Kardia was more than just another power source to fuel supernatural abilities. It literally became a dragon''s life force when they became able to Denature ¨C transforming into their truest state.


    For Kardia to have such forms...


    ''To think breathing fire sounds so... normal compared to this...'' Ginger thought.


    Their Prime Instructor had explained that breathing fire was the maximum achievement for Olarmanders and some Blighted. Over time, they naturally learned to conjure the Kardia that developed in their stoks ¨C which usually draped down to their bellies when full ¨C and turned it into fire that shot from their mouths.


    This was why all Cinder-Born developed scales only around their necks and bellies at first. Their bodies prepared to sustain fire-breathing by representing and toughening the spots most crucial for this trait.


    "There''s also Kardia that clumps together in one spot, condensing into a small shape, Pooling-type Kardia. It is usually difficult to move over a wide range in the body, but it enhances the spot where it clumps well. I hate this kind. It makes it very hard to be able to use a Custos Zoe properly."


    "A Cus- what? Madam Agathe said that before," Ginger asked with a screwed face.


    "Good grief, man. A Custos Zoe. It''s a basic mechanism that can be used when you can control Kardia. It protects the body, like a shield."


    "Oh!" Ginger gave a bright grin.


    Professor Lyall had also said this. During her course, Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies, she would be teaching various mechanisms to string Kardia into after the Second Burning. It looked like Custos Zoe was one of them.


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    Speaking of these mechanisms, there was one course that all the First Years were supposed to learn but were forbidden from commencing before the Second Burning.


    Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation.


    Draggard-Phoenix Institute wanted its students to become familiar with their Kardia before they began to learn how to manipulate Mana Essence. After all, dragons prided themselves on not relying on Mana Essence like every other race in Ravi.


    Ginger and the rest of his class were yet to even meet the Professor responsible for the course.


    "What''s the last one?" Ginger asked.


    "Ah, the last type..." Reiss said with a sigh. By this time, they were already walking up the stairs to the tenth floor. "It''s rare. It''s called Totality-type. It allows the user to do with it what the other types can."


    "Really?" Ginger said, nearly bouncing with excitement.


    He automatically gravitated towards this type.


    However, because Reiss said it was rare, he felt he probably wouldn''t get it.


    Of course, patterns or behaviours of Kardia had nothing to do with the cast of scales, but still...


    ''It would be great if I had that though...'' Ginger thought.


    Reiss went on to explain how a dragon''s Kardia only behaved in one way and how it was rare for that to change. Only geniuses could perhaps change that aspect later in life.


    Ginger wasn''t that concerned about it. Just as with the cast of his scales, he didn''t mind whichever type he got. His goals didn''t demand for him to be absolutely monstrous. All he wanted, was finesse.


    Just like Ancor. The clumsy Shaman wasn''t the strongest, but he sure was the best ¨C in Ginger''s opinion.


    The thought gave Ginger a smile.


    He and Reiss then chattered away until they reached the tenth floor where they took showers once again in the deserted dorm room, washed their uniforms, and saw them dry at the retirement of the second sun.


    Before the others came back, Reiss also got to showing Ginger some of the things he had come with from home with a cool air about him.


    While it was certainly a hassle to have a friend who didn''t know anything about anything, Reiss did enjoy the exaggerated reactions from Ginger especially when he told him about popular dragon sports, a few topics on politics, and about his parents.


    Ginger gave a solemn smile.


    "Your parents must be something," he said.


    Reiss wore a smirk.


    "They are. Feeling bad about my size is a crime back home. My mom has always had me chin up, chest out for as long as I can remember. She says feeling bad about being different is how you destroy your own potential. I''ve really started to believe that. It doesn''t stop me from being smarter than most people," he said with a proud visage.


    Being different. Ginger could relate. He remembered Reiss''s reaction two days ago when he had said they shared similar hardships.


    The dwarfish dragon didn''t show it, but he had been through a lot.


    How much he began sharing about himself and his philosophy to Ginger, someone who didn''t mind his size, was telling of the fact that he rarely got to meet children who didn''t judge him.


    "What about your dad?" Ginger asked.


    "Oh, he''s pretty much the same. It''s that look on his face that says, ''Kid, the whole of Ravi doesn''t revolve around your size'' that keeps me going."


    Ginger laughed.


    At first, he thought discussing this would weigh him down, but he was actually relieved to hear things like this.


    Well... that wasn''t entirely true.


    In fact, it was mostly untrue.


    Ginger felt a part of him crumble, but he didn''t show it. He was just starting to get along with Reiss. The last thing he wanted was to emphasize his own sob stories, right?


    Reiss saw the look that flashed in Ginger''s eyes for a split moment and was about to speak when...


    "Well, well, well. Look who it is."


    From the door to the entrance, the other First Year boys came in, led by the hateful face of Alcaeus Doukas.


    Ginger and Reiss both frowned.


    "Looks like our resident weirdos are actually getting along now. What happened while we were away?" Alcaeus said with a scoff and whipped his apple-green hair to the side.


    A decent number of his followers sniggered while the rest minded their own business and headed to their beds.


    Strangely, some boys from the other dorm room were coming in, and among them, Ginger recognized the boy he had seen Fillys and Alcaeus fawn over.


    Vassilis Avecsalot.


    The other boys made way as he walked forward, his exposed blue scales almost glittering in order to make him stand out more.


    The boy was a bit tall for his age. His prominent hazel eyes were piercing, contending against his medium-length caramel hair that formed furious bangs over his forehead.


    His solemn expression emphasized his chin dimple and gave him a slightly mature look, something that became apparent when Vassilis stood before Ginger, staring him down with an unsettled look.


    The plump dragonling felt as though Vassilis'' slit-like pupils pricked his eyes, but he stood his ground.


    Why was this fine dragonling looking at him like that?


    They weren''t even acquainted. Vassilis was from a different class and a different dorm.


    Surprising everyone, Reiss stood in front of Ginger and stared up at Vassilis with an unshakeable visage.


    His bravery was only met by cackles from some of the boys in the dorm, though.


    The dwarfish dragonling didn''t care.


    "What do you want?" Reiss asked Vassilis.


    The one to answer, as though to mirror how this was working so far, was Alcaeus, who had his arms folded smugly.


    "You really want to know?" he said with a twisted grin. "Did Ginger make you his spokesperson?"


    "Yes, he did," Reiss replied without a second thought. "But I bet you''re just this guy''s wheezing horse."


    A shower of laughter erupted, making Alcaeus'' face contort in rage. Most of the dragonlings hadn''t expected to laugh, honesty. It was just so sudden of an attack.


    Ginger beamed.


    Reiss was defending him.


    He felt himself swell with strength.


    However, Vassilis still stood, unamused and still staring at him with an odd look.


    He finally spoke.


    "Is it true?" he asked.


    Ginger frowned.


    "What?" he asked.


    Alcaeus regained his smug look instantly.


    The whole dorm was drawn in.


    "I''ve been told you''re a dragon born and raised in the Wild. Is that true?" Vassilis asked.


    The atmosphere immediately shifted.

 Exposed

    The air turned to ice.


    The anticipation that had been rolling through the dorm room for some kind of action; a brawl or a pure beatdown, was instantly doused.


    This revelation just now carried with it a great deal more than semi-innocent, boyish bullying, after all.


    Ginger felt as though his soul had left his body. He hadn''t had enough time to predict the approach of the blow before it actually hit him.


    His secret was finally revealed, and with so many witnesses around.


    Reiss turned to look up at him with a completely flabbergasted expression, and so did the other boys in the dorm room who were as in the dark as the rest.


    The Wild? Really?


    Many tales had been told to them ¨C to most of them, at least ¨C by their guardians in different forms about this place which had such a curious name imposed onto it.


    Despite differences and nuances involved with the delivery of any of these tales, though, there was one thing they all had in common.


    It was the fact that the Wild was an unlawful, broken place run by a vile race called, humans.


    Somewhere to be shunned, rather than a place to invest interest or pity.


    "Hey, you''re joking, right? A dragon from the Wild? Aren''t you taking it too far?" one of the students in the dorm said with a frown.


    When he spoke up, others too felt like the band of dragonlings standing against Ginger had taken things too far, and they began berating them for such an insult to a fellow dragon.


    At times like these, the most important values of a dragon, mostly their sense of pride, showed, and it would have made any Professor proud.


    But...


    Vassilis was unfazed by the other First Years'' stance ¨C some even moving up to defend Ginger by standing between the plump dragonling, the stunned dwarfish dragonling, and him. He watched them all with a somewhat disgruntled face, but their words didn''t reach him. In fact, he pitied them.


    Reiss wanted to say something, but he didn''t. He couldn''t. He just froze.


    Out of everyone else ¨C every other dragonling that didn''t have the benefit of knowing Ginger as much as he had grown to in the past three days ¨C he noticed that Ginger''s expression wasn''t one of being appalled by the accusation.


    "Right," Vassilis said with a stern face to Ginger''s defenders. "You think I came here just to say something bad for the sake of it? Come on. I came here for an explanation." He looked at the frozen Ginger who had turned pale and was balling up his fists. "Look at him. He didn''t even deny it."


    It was only then that everyone turned to Ginger and resumed the deathly silence from before.


    That''s right.


    Ginger didn''t deny it.


    In fact, after a closer look, he looked to be trembling and shocked, and in the way someone who had been caught in something dark would look.


    The first of Ginger''s dorm mates to call out in defense wore a frown.


    "Hey, this isn''t actually true, is it?" he asked.


    Ginger was brought back to his senses by the question. Everything that had been going on... he had seen it all, but the way his emotions bubbled at this moment, had overwhelmed him.


    He saw the stalwart defense he had dreaded from the moment it had appeared start to crumble.


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    What was he to do?


    Alcaeus'' eyes bore into him, hints of savage joy within them, as well as curiosity.


    Ginger squeezed his fists tight and bit his upper lip.


    "It''s true. I''m from the Wild," he said with a hard, pained face.


    "..."


    It had begun to become apparent from the way Ginger didn''t react immediately, but to hear him ''proudly'' admit it...


    A few of the First Years backed away from Ginger.


    The plump boy felt a pulse of agony within his heart. Once again.


    He had gained, only to lose.


    Even Reiss, while he didn''t back away, didn''t look like he had even a candlelight of strength to stand up for him right now.


    Then came the whispers...


    "Seriously? The school just took in someone like this?"


    "How is he even a dragon if he was born in the Wild?"


    "I always thought there was something strange about him."


    "Yeah? It''s how fat he is! Who knows what the humans were teaching him in the Wild!"


    It all erupted.


    Ginger''s face turned stiff, and it shook. Everyone was against him now.


    They were looking down on him.


    Just because he came from a different place.


    They were insulting him, some just for the pure fact that they hadn''t had a good reason to spout all their dislike until now.


    Ginger winced.


    He expected something else. Something worse to become a topic of discussion now that he was exposed. After all...


    Vassilis looked at Ginger with disdain. It wasn''t the kind that spun the skin on his face, but one that showed from his prominent hazel eyes clearly.


    "Right. You''re even proud of it. You''re not even ashamed, even after some of your dorm mates tried to defend you," he said, looking deeply offended. He walked closer to Ginger, watching the plump dragon buckle a little from the difference in height and aura.


    "You''re a halfling too, right?"


    ...


    If the earlier revelation had only made the others look at Ginger as an inferior dragon conceived outside the norms of society that were supposed to better him, this one turned the other First Years into feral monsters.


    Ginger gritted his teeth.


    ''I knew it...'' he thought.


    Before he could take in several breaths, the boys from the other dorm room had flocked into this one and were being filled in on this latest development.


    "That''s insane! He''s half human too?"


    "I always thought his eyes looked weird. No wonder!"


    "He got a pathetic score from the Othoni-Kardia a Stride ago too!"


    "Why was he even allowed to get into a school like ours?"


    There was outrage.


    It spun around, and at Ginger, and for a moment, it really got to him.


    The many faces.


    The many voices.


    They were all against him.


    They didn''t even know him, but they already decided what he was, and saw him as some kind of idiot.


    A dash of weakness attempted to flow from Ginger as he buckled, trembling with sorrow and shame.


    ''Tears only serve to water the weakness...''


    He heard the voice again, and he sucked in a deep breath.


    He looked at Alcaeus who gave a hilarious scoff at his face, and then at Vassilis who, unlike the others, only seemed to be searching for what Ginger was going to do or say.


    ''You know what?''


    "So what?!" Ginger called with a trembling voice.


    Everyone looked at him, but he kept staring at Vassilis.


    An invigorating force suddenly bathed him from having the attention, however terrible this version of it was.


    "You want me to be ashamed because... I come from somewhere different? Well... I''m not. I''m proud of the humans I know! I''m happy to have been born in the Wild! I know the best human Shaman there is! I love the kind of parents I have! Everything!" he screamed, his eyes watering.


    That''s right. Ginger wasn''t going to dismiss parts of himself because they were shunned here.


    Never.


    He would never pretend as if he didn''t love Ancor like an extremely eccentric brother.


    He would never pretend that he didn''t love his father or everyone else he considered close.


    NEVER!


    There was a moment of silence, and then someone laughed among the First Years.


    "Pfft! Shaman? What''s that? Like a human Sorcerer? There''s such a thing?"


    Ginger glared at whoever said it, but they just shrugged.


    He faced Vassilis again and struggled to find more words to say to his unfettered visage, but he had none. He was stumped due to the lack of reaction.


    That didn''t stop him from making his stand though.


    Seeing Vassilis'' exposed scales, Ginger gripped his dark brown scarf and took a breath.


    The words of Principal Draggard-Phoenix rang in his head. Ginger didn''t know her very well, but he did know that she shunned hiding one''s scales. She shunned being afraid of other''s opinions.


    ''Yeah, well. Met too...''


    Ginger stripped his scarf from his neck and brought to light his gingery orange scales, which caused a wave of vocal shock to spread.


    Ginger had realized since days ago that he didn''t care as much about the cast of his scales. He didn''t believe that it would limit his growth. There was no way. He wasn''t up for touching the zenith of power among dragons anyway.


    Vassilis frowned at this display.


    "You think showing such a pathetic cast means anything?" he said, and more than several from the crowd sniggered.


    Ginger scowled.


    Without uttering another word, he grabbed his sling bag and proceeded to march through the crowds that either parted ways with sneers or didn''t move until he pushed them aside.


    During the process, Ginger heard several names thrown at him which made him remember that he had been right on that day, back when he heaved Reiss to his bed.


    ''I really did end up getting nicknames. Only...''


    Only, he was alone.

 Lonely Celebrity

    The first day of the second Stride of the term began just as Ginger had thought it would. At least how he thought it would after the incident yesterday evening.


    With the rise of the red sun of Ravi, Ginger met the stares and scorn he had anticipated receiving.


    The word had spread, just as Ira had said it would. It was impossible for Ginger to hide the fact that he was from the Wild, especially when a Professor had casually told a First Year student who had then heard Ginger confess that it was indeed true.


    This was how Ginger thought he had been exposed.


    It had to be a Professor, since all of them knew of his background, according to Professor Lyall.


    Given Vassilis'' status, Ginger had no doubt that it was easy for the proud dragonling to learn things that were probably meant to be secret.


    But was his background a secret?


    The image of Professor Mara had appeared in Ginger''s head, and his mood had turned darker.


    The looks he got since walking from the First Years'' dormitory, with older students even going as far as to brazenly grip his shoulder to ask with amused faces if he really was proudly a halfling were crushing.


    The open, collective disdain he received when he arrived on the fifth floor topped this, though.


    Ginger had not even gotten the chance to shut off some of the burning emotions he had with sleep, and that made him twice as miserable.


    He couldn''t sleep.


    If not for the fact that he couldn''t stand to enter his dorm room again last night, and endure looks and words that would weigh on him even in his dreams, then it would definitely be because Ginger was scared he would up and harass another Professor again in his sleep.


    He couldn''t have that again. Not now.


    He knew for a fact that Madam Agathe had gone easy on him and Reiss before, but if he were to insist on becoming an annoying, buzzing dragonfly around her...


    ''Urgh...''


    With dark circles under his eyes and more than a fair bit of intense depression, Ginger took his seat in class. He wore his scarf, but not to hide his scales, after all, a fair bit of their cast was showing. He opened his book and pretended to be writing something meaningful just so he could avoid the obvious attention.


    Of course, his classmates didn''t hide the fact that they were both curious, with some making it extremely obvious that they didn''t want anything to do with him ¨C more than before.


    Scrunched up pieces of paper hit Ginger every now and then.


    Several of his classmates came over to ask him questions, and when he didn''t answer, they felt more than comfortable to poke or shove him in annoyance.


    "Just wait and see. He''ll probably be expelled soon."


    "I can''t believe he thinks he should be in the same room as us."


    Comments flew.


    Ginger scoffed hatefully.


    ''They don''t know anything about the Wild. They don''t know what people there have to go through. They don''t even understand what I had to go through at my age!'' Ginger thought, seething.


    Of course, no one here knew.


    They didn''t know and they didn''t care, so they couldn''t and wouldn''t take the time to even consider just how different it all was.


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    The only person who could understand was Reiss.


    Ah, Reiss.


    Ginger felt his rage dip.


    Since yesterday, he hadn''t managed to talk to Reiss.


    When he stormed out of the dorm room, he had gone to the library to spend the rest of his remaining peace, which was sure to end by morning. This morning.


    He was kicked out twenty minutes before curfew like everyone else, and had sombrely scaled the steps at the end of the fifth floor all the way to the tenth with the dark expectation of hateful faces cackling at him. After reaching the intended floor, he remained in the study, which had still featured a number of his fellow dorm mates until midnight before finally going to sleeplessly lie in bed.


    Because of this, he hadn''t managed to speak to Reiss. He didn''t know if he wanted to, and he didn''t know if Reiss wanted to either.


    Well, that was fine.


    He was alone when he came anyway.


    He should have expected that Reiss wouldn''t want anything to do with him too, after the trending reveal. Even the affable Fotini didn''t greet him as he usually would this morning, after all.


    All his warmth from before towards Ginger was gone.


    Ginger saw Reiss who was seated to the far left of the class doing as he was doing ¨C scribbling frantically into a book.


    Ginger tiredly scoffed and went back to doodling nonsense.


    Unfortunately for him, he couldn''t tune out all the pieces of gossip.


    "You know, I''ve noticed he is a bit slow when reading and speaking. It makes sense now."


    "Is the Second Burning even safe for him? Aren''t humans very fragile? Hybrids are already a problem, but this..."


    Ginger wanted to angrily shout at the girls who were speaking freely three desks away


    Humans weren''t fragile!


    Sadly, Ginger didn''t have the strength for it.


    He had skipped his favorite breakfast in the Feeding Hall, feeling that he would probably vomit it out sooner rather than later.


    As he grew more and more agitated, Ginger felt someone''s shadow on him. The revelation of who it was, didn''t improve his day one bit.


    With a freakishly satisfied look on her face, Fillys grinned as Ginger looked up at her.


    "You know, I thought you were just a scrub who got into the school with some shady connections before. Boy, that was already disgusting, but to think you''re a halfling too? Wow. That. Is. Hilarious. You''re better than I thought!" she said, positively enjoying the look on Ginger''s face, as well as the hieroglyphics he had been writing down in his book.


    "My brother and I have a bet going. He thinks after the Burning, your Kardia will be so poor that it won''t even have an effect at all. Funny, right? As for me, I think... hmmm. I think you''ll get burned to bits by the Rebounding Seether. It''s not like those small office fires, you know? Bet you didn''t know that."


    The class seemed to be listening in.


    Ginger was too tired to show more emotion than he was now.


    He had been very excited about the Second Burning before, and because of yesterday, his cheer was greatly diminished.


    He thought perhaps he could get what Reiss had explained to be the Totality type Kardia and make everyone eat their words, but Fillys'' surety at his failure, admittedly made him doubt.


    She giggled.


    "What about you? Do you have something to make a bet about?" she asked while tilting her head, making her apple-green hair drape to the side.


    At that moment, the clip-clop of Professor Lyall''s steps which emphasized each set of inches she covered, rang out. Her distinct lips formed an innocent-looking V shape which silenced the class.


    Behind her, three students followed with large boxes in their hands.


    One was Alcaeus, the other was a talkative boy named Nicolas Onasis, well-known through his exploits in the past Stride as a specialist in sarcasm, and the last was a girl with medium-length, curly red hair that bounced as she moved. She had round, unfocused baby blue eyes that had hints of laziness to them.


    Halfway towards where Professor Lyall stood, she stumbled over and almost dropped the box she was carrying, which gave nearly everyone ¨C even Ginger ¨C a jolt of momentary fright.


    The girl''s name was Caron, and she was notorious for sleeping during classes. Ginger imagined she had been called to Professor Lyall''s office several times in the last Stride on account of her behavior in every single course including Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies.


    Professor Lyall took the box from her and thanked her for her help with a concealed sigh.


    Different from the students, Professor Lyall hadn''t been concerned with Caron almost dropping her box despite it holding objects that were made of glass.


    She faced the class and her lips drew taut.


    "Morning class," she said. "Today, we''ll be going to the Rebounding Seether for the Second Burning. Your other Professors are going to join you, but we will bar representatives from Out Courses in order to not make you too anxious. Great Ebony knows how many students have fainted from the excess attention through the years."


    Excitement immediately flooded the class.


    This was it.


    Ginger kept on a dark face.


    He yawned.


    He was very tired.


    He hoped that the Second Burning would end soon, despite his result, so that he could maybe doze off in Expired Times and Diluted Histories afterwards. Surely, if he were to start sleepwalking then, someone in class, Professor Fotis mainly, would stop him, right?


    To a tired Ginger, this seemed like a stellar idea.


    "Alright. Everyone, come up and grab a flask," Professor Lyall said while pointing to the three boxes she had had Alcaeus, Nicolas, and Caron carry.


    Within them were thick, glass bottles without anything to cover their mouths. They were sparkly, and pristinely clear, which invited the idea to keep them that way, even for the dragonlings.


    After everyone had grabbed one, Professor Lyall explained, "These flasks are indicators, like the Othoni-Kardia you used during your First Burning. They will determine your Kardia type from how your Kardia flows after the Burning, as well as whether it Collapses or Surges. And it''s alright, none of you are capable of breaking them yet. Don''t let me catch you attempting to though."


    Ginger was barely listening.


    He wanted to, but a lot of thoughts blocked his mind.


    From what he managed to hear though, a part of him cursed.


    ''I forgot to ask Reiss about what this Collapsing and Surging means. Well... I guess I missed my chance...'' he thought.


    At that moment, the excessive noise of hundreds of feet rang outside the class.


    Professor Lyall''s lips drew wider.


    "Let''s get going, shall we?" she said.

 True, Short Friend

    Several hundreds of First Years, all led by several Professors made their way from the Frost Mount''s Tooth to the actual mountain that was behind it a considerable distance away.


    The burly freak of nature, with the visible chill at its tip, suddenly gained a new presence of intimidation once all the First Years were told they were going to have to scale it for their Second Burning.


    Ginger looked at the giant mass.


    There was a massive hollow that could be seen on its face. He had seen this back when he first came to the school.


    Nothing could be spotted inside it, but he heard a few passing students from other classes say that any semblance of what was hidden inside the hollow could only be seen by mobilizing Kardia to the eyes.


    Of course, Ginger and the other First Years couldn''t do that yet.


    That said, it seemed everyone other than him knew about the thing located in that hollow.


    The Rebounding Seether.


    ''"Argh..." Ginger grumbled as he took lazy steps. He was so tired and irritated.


    His mood only grew worse when one of the First Years from another class rushed up in front of him, stared him deep in the eye, and then ran off to a group of his peers who were waiting for him while yelling, "They really are round! I saw it!"


    Ginger balled his hands into fists and took heavy breaths.


    He was so angry, but there was nothing he could do about this.


    Several Professors were leading them, yet none paid attention to anything that had to do with Ginger.


    ''Great...'' Ginger thought. ''I have to endure this the whole way...''


    The image of this crushed him. Worse yet, his mind immediately expelled every dark thought he had.


    One such thought was Fillys'' words. As hard as it was to admit, they rattled him.


    The bet she and her brother, Alcaeus, had going on...


    What if one of them was right?


    What if his Kardia was so weak that it didn''t fall under any type? He was half-human after all, and it seemed dragons thought humans made the worst hybrids with their kind.


    Perhaps this was the better outcome. What if he was burned alive? Fillys had said the Second Burning was different from the first. Did it use a larger flame?


    Ginger bit his upper lip.


    He turned more nervous than sad. Despite his courageous stance yesterday in the dorms against Vassilis, he was praying that at least, he had an aptitude for something. Even if his scales depicted that he had low potential, at least...


    At least if he could have enough potential to become a full-fledged dragon that was somewhat decent.


    Right! It was all about finesse. That was what he cared about.


    Ancor wasn''t the strongest Shaman, but he sure was outstanding in certain regards. That was why Ginger always called him the best Shaman.


    ''It''s going to be alright. It''s going to be alright,'' Ginger told himself while taking several heavy breaths.


    Again, the fact that he was very much alone was stressed by how the other First Years were walking in groups or pairs sharing their fears and anticipation.


    Ginger could only drown in his.


    He spotted the lazy-eyed Caron, also walking alone, but Ginger was sure the redhead preferred the company of her ownthoughts, and she rarely interacted with the others in First Blue.


    A boy named Kairos from his class, was also walking on his own, but he was like Caron too, only, people avoided him and he just didn''t care. At least not now.


    Several other First Years were also walking alone while gazing up at the mountain. Ginger felt a grating fury towards them all. It was unreasonable, but he felt it justified in his head.


    Why were they all indulging themselves in solitude so carelessly?


    Only he was supposed to be alone right now because he couldn''t have any friends?


    Caron had a pretty face. Kairos was pretty smart... as far as Ginger recalled. What did they have to sulk about?


    By the time the several Professors that led the nervous horde reached the foot of the mountain where the large, neat collection of buildings in the institute ended, Ginger was already feeling exhausted with his thoughts.


    He raised his head and saw the figure of the Violet Dragon on the wall. His eyes shone with interest for the first time today.


    Because he had never been this far within the school grounds before, Ginger hadn''t managed to get a clear view of the last two dragon statues that couldn''t be seen clearly from the entrance.


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    The Violet Dragon was... strange. It was massive, of course, but its body didn''t feature any wings. It had a large, thick tail, and limbs that looked more like a lion''s. It had a very broad neck that spotted large horns which arched up from its flesh to point at the sky.


    Ginger gulped.


    To the right side of the wall ¨C before it sank into the mountain ¨C was the Argent Dragon. Ginger thought it had a more standard dragon body, if not much, much lesser bulky. The silvery look of it was very beautiful, especially on its head, which was slim and smooth like that of a snake, with two branch-like horns at its top.


    ''Will I ever be able to do that...'' Ginger''s mood immediately sank.


    "Alright. Watch your footing. While you won''t be in danger with any of us here, we will not tolerate anyone falling more than once," Professor Lyall''s voice shattered Ginger''s thoughts.


    Fall?


    The students who were already close to breaking from anxiety felt as though they could just faint.


    Indeed, the mountain was steep, but a narrow way cut through its center, and curiously, it only became apparent when the First Years got closer.


    Ginger imagined it was because the same principles he had overheard about the hollow in the mountain, applied here too. Something that could only be pierced by augmenting vision with Kardia disallowed visual acuity from a distance, but at close range, it probably didn''t have any effect.


    Soon, the crowds began scaling the mountain.


    Since the way was narrow, fitted with crooked steps that required some degree of caution to climb without tying legs in a knot, only a student or two could pass at a time.


    Ginger waited.


    He wasn''t in that much of a hurry.


    He yawned and loosened the scarf around his neck.


    Everything was becoming uncomfortable. Even the sunlight became irritating, especially when coupled with his fatigue.


    ''How long will this take?'' he thought angrily and scratched his thigh. The sight of Professor Mara ushering students into the pathway also irritated him. It was obvious why.


    He suspected that-


    A hand suddenly poked Ginger from the back.


    It irritated him too.


    At first, Ginger ignored it, thinking that it was someone who wanted to poke fun at him. However, the sensation came a second time, and he finally turned with an aggressive, "What?!" only to find that there was no one to look at.


    Well, that was until he looked down.


    The short figure of Reiss blinked a couple of times.


    "What?" Ginger relaxed a little! but reiterated with some annoyance.


    "Uh... I... about yesterday..." Reiss said, visibly uncomfortable.


    Ginger turned his back to him.


    "I know. Even you are disgusted by me, aren''t you? The boy from the Wild," Ginger said with a heavy tone.


    The plump dragonling felt some attention drawn by his words, but he didn''t care.


    It was already out, right?


    Even the older students knew.


    "It would make everything worse for you to be friends with a halfling, wouldn''t it?" he went on to say, getting more furious as he saw, in his head, Reiss nod hesitantly, agreeing that indeed, it would be a hassle to be his friend.


    Of course. What could Ginger have expected?


    It was all fair, right?


    Suddenly, Ginger felt himself get dragged to the side by the arm. He almost fell multiple times, as the short dragonling who pulled on him did such a terribly effective job, and soon, the two were a fair distance from other clustered First Years waiting their turn up the mountain.


    "Good grief, man!" Reiss said with a frown. "You don''t have to carelessly shout it out like that."


    Ginger frowned back.


    "Why? Why does it matter?" he said.


    "Because... because you''re not proving anything this way. You''re saying all that with pain wtitten all over your face. Trust me. Saying you don''t care what others think, and that you are unfazed by what they say with a face like that.... No one will buy it."


    As Reiss said this, his expression softened. Ginger''s did too.


    "Look. I''m sorry. I didn''t... I didn''t know what to do yesterday. I just didn''t expect it, you know? Not that I blame you for not telling anyone. I''m sorry. I wanted to support you, but..." Reiss said with a sigh, his face turning dark.


    "I can handle cheering myself up after getting called names and being laughed at, but... I''m not too good at doing that for other people. I wasn''t, at least."


    Reiss looked Ginger straight in the eye and said his piece firmly.


    The plump dragonling was astonished, and embarrassed.


    He hadn''t thought about it like that.


    Reiss seemed to have lived fourteen years of having few to no friends, so maybe he truly did only ever learn to harden himself.


    Ginger''s shell began to melt.


    "I hate making excuses, but you also made it hard for me to come to you sooner. You''ve been determined to be alone," Reiss said with another sigh. "Still, I made a mistake, and I''ll learn from it. Next time, you can count on me. I promise."


    The resolute look on Reiss'' face almost broke Ginger''s drowsiness. The dwarfish dragonling kept staring up at him the whole time.


    Ginger secretly bit his upper lip.


    "It really doesn''t bother you?" he asked with a strained face.


    "Good grief, man! The sleep must be getting to your head. Does it look like your face bothers me? I wouldn''t be begging for your forgiveness if it did now, would I?"


    Ginger unwillingly smiled. A part of him wanted to keep moping around and sulking, but he pushed it aside, and his smile grew wider until a short laugh squeezed out of it.


    "You sound like your mom," he said.


    Reiss was stunned at first, but then he laughed too.


    "I am my mom. Proudly!"


    Before the two boys knew it, one of the Professors beckoned to them, and they joined the way up the mountain. Ginger locked eyes with Professor Mara for a moment, but as always, the stoic dragon maintained a perfectly still face, allowing him to extract nothing at all.


    For now, the boy didn''t mind it though.


    Even though not that much was said between himself and Reiss just now, he felt as though he and the dwarfish dragonling had spoken for an hour. A lot of his negative emotions were lost just with that short conversation.


    Ginger didn''t know it, but it had taken a lot out of Reiss to say all he did. He had suppressed a lot of pride, and hesitation. Still, Ginger appreciated it. The two began talking, starting right where they left off yesterday.


    They both felt free during the entire way to the hollow through the mountain, which was a long, cramped way but not nearly as tiring for a dragon.


    Ginger heard a few students attempt to get his attention, but with Reiss by his side, he found the strength to ignore them all naturally. The same was true for Reiss.


    Even if the bulk of their conversation was Reiss teaching Ginger simple concepts about Ravi, the two were extremely engaged in their discussion.


    In fact, the dragonlings were surprised when they suddenly reached their destination.


    A fierce golden glow from the vast, circular gap in the mountain ¨C approximately twenty meters in height ¨C caused them to squint.


    The hollow wasn''t at all what Ginger and Reiss expected it to be. Most of the First Years didn''t expect it to be like this either.


    They may have known the name Rebounding Seether, but they had vastly underestimated what it was.


    A great ghostly flame of an enticing golden hue spun wildly within the hollow. It was set at a deep enough distance to allow the First Years to all stand before it with ample space left to spare.


    All around this grand fire, which, as Ginger noticed, boasted some semblance of threatening heat ¨C unlike the one from his First Burning ¨C were large argent scales with a glass-like shine to them. The hollow was covered entirely by them, and each one was thrice as large as a man.


    They extended even to where the First Years stood, and despite how these scales looked, their texture was rough.


    The glow of the flame seemed to be made more intense by the argent scales. They reflected both the heat and light, emphasizing the full grandeur of Sopphira''s legacy.


    Professor Lyall hurried to steal the attention of the First Years as soon as they were all in place. She started by introducing what it was that burned behind her as she stood before them all.


    "Welcome students, to the Rebounding Seether."

 Second Burning I

    The ghostly golden flame burning in the massive hollow leaped lightly behind Professor Lyall, which prompted a few students to quiver.


    Ginger was among them.


    True to what he had learned in the past Stride, he got the impression that this flame did not conform to what Professor Alexandros had said about its smaller ghostly golden counterpart in his office.


    This flame truly seemed as though it would burn whoever stepped into it. Worse yet, it could probably reduce anyone who got too close, to ash. At least Ginger imagined so.


    The argent-colored scales branded to the walls, only made Ginger even more nervous. The wafting heat they rebounded, consciously intensifying for reasons unknown to the plump dragonling, rescued Ginger''s doubt from the growing hope he had been attaining from having someone to talk to.


    ''Was Fillys actually right? Will I...?'' Ginger thought, greatly distraught.


    Reiss, on the other hand, looked absolutely excited.


    He held the sides of his head, as though intending to catch the explosion that was about to erupt from his brain.


    Professor Lyall gave a short pause after her introductory statement just now, then she continued.


    "The Rebounding Seether is the source of all the flames you have seen in different offices within the Frost Mount''s Tooth."


    A loud voice that didn''t match the little effort she was exerting into addressing the crowd left the portly dragon''s taut lips.


    "One of the Five Ancient Elders, the Argent Dragon, Sopphira, met her end on this mountain. She carved this cavern with her claws and lit this fire millennia ago. It has burned vibrantly ever since, and it has found great purpose: quickly awakening the potent powers that lie in all of us, and bringing to an end the cumbersome customs that came with grooming strength ¨C the olden ways of our ancestors."


    As Professor Lyall spoke, Ginger felt hurtful pinches from within. His head turned to the statue of the Argent Dragon. Her seemingly weaker physical body, and her less threatening face.


    As Ginger learned from Professor Edelman''s class, Sopphira was regarded as the weakest among the Five Ancient Elders, as represented by her cast. Yet she did indeed contribute to dragon society in a profound way.


    That should have cheered Ginger up, but...


    Reiss bumped an elbow into his side, his eyes still locked onto Professor Lyall.


    "I''ve read something about this before in some ancient texts that my dad had. He didn''t like that I rummaged through his stuff, but I found an interesting story. It''s probably a lie, but well..." Reiss said with a shrug. "Apparently Sopphira fell in love with this man from another race. I don''t remember what species he was, but this man rejected her six times, and she supposedly went ballistic and hunted the poor man down to this mountain where she torched him alive. It''s said that''s how this thing really came to be."


    Ginger''s face spun.


    "What?" he said with a withered tone.


    "I know right? And that''s only one of the dark tales from ancient times about Sopphira. You never know with that stuff. I think Professor Lyall''s source is much more accurate though."


    Ginger couldn''t get the image of a massive dragon burning a man as he screamed out of his head now.


    Well, if it was just a story, it wouldn''t be too outlandish for other races ¨C even though he had seen very little of them up to this point ¨C to paint horrible stories about dragons.


    From what Ginger had learned so far, not all creatures were happy about having dragons rule Ravi, after all.


    Professor Lyall hadn''t stopped speaking throughout his interaction with Reiss.


    "...so this flame ¨C in case you haven''t noticed ¨C is different from the gentle versions you''ve seen before. What it will do to you isn''t so simple. Don''t be afraid, it will not kill you, however, in determining which type of Kardia you have, it may turn aggressive, and you have to remain still. If you feel discomfort, bear with it for at most twenty seconds, otherwise, you may harm your second heart," she said strictly.


    The students'' loud, nervous whispers instantly rose.


    Hurt the second heart?


    The instant the possibility of danger was introduced, chaos sprang out, but Professor Lyall was ready for it.


    She stomped her foot on the scale-plastered ground, and it was as though a tremor had suddenly coursed through the entire mountain. A raging burst of cold blasted from the woman''s foot and slammed into every student without exception.


    At once, all the First Years froze, shock stuck in their eyes.


    Their eyes were the only parts of them allowed to move, and they subconsciously fell on Professor Lyall''s round-rimmed glasses, behind which were her brown eyes turned hazel with a ferocious glow.


    "Calm down. Even if you do sustain damage, it can be repaired, but prevention is infinitely better than cure. In any case, have a little faith in your teachers," the thick woman said.


    Ginger felt the cold sensation that had just turned him stiff dissolve. The same happened to everyone around him.


    Reiss blinked excitedly.


    "That was incredible! I wonder what she did to us!" he said.


    Ginger smiled sheepishly. He was intrigued by what Professor Lyall had done too, but not to the point of geeking out about it. Ancor could do something similar with Fetid Essence, after all.


    "I will use volunteers to demonstrate the process, and how the flasks will indicate your Kardia type. It''s better to show and tell at the same time, isn''t it?" Professor Lyall said, and she received murmurs of anxiety in return.


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    Who would want to be a volunteer for this?


    Ginger immediately ducked his head.


    No, no. If Professor Lyall saw him, he would no doubt be picked.


    He was sure of it.


    However, just a moment later, Ginger heard gasps of surprise.


    It seemed like someone had volunteered without much hesitation.


    He scrambled to look up, and his expression immediately turned sour.


    ''Of course, it''s him,'' Ginger thought.


    The one and only Vassilis had stepped out from the crowd, well-tended caramel hair, tall stature, blue scale cast, confidence, and all. His prominent hazel eyes didn''t show an ounce of doubt or fear as he stared at the golden flame behind Professor Lyall.


    Ginger wasn''t impressed by the dashing young dragonling. Or maybe he forced himself not to appear so. It was the complete opposite for the other students all around him though.


    "I wish I had confidence like that."


    "Does having Elder blood in your veins just make you cool or something?"


    "I bet he''s going to get Totality-type Kardia. I mean, why not, right?"


    Reiss scoffed.


    "Good grief! If it worked that way, Principal Phoenix would be the thousandth Ebony Dragon to ever live, wouldn''t she?" he yelled, trying to add some reason to the things he heard.


    Everyone ignored him.


    Ginger smiled.


    Vassilis, with his flask in hand, got a favorable nod from Professor Lyall who had him face the crowd.


    "In case some of you get so frightened you forget, I will emphasize the basics. There are four types of Kardia behavior. The first three types I will explain have the best effect for what they represent, regardless of what the fourth type is capable of," she said quickly.


    "Alien-type Kardia thrives outside the body, which is why it naturally attempts to sweep itself out the moment it is produced. It retains its potency and may even become stronger the longer it stays outside your body."


    "There''s Pooling type Kardia. It draws on itself ¨C condenses in fact ¨C and covers a small portion of the body which it then enhances severalfold. The degree of this enhancement depends on the quality of Kardia."


    "Affix-type Kardia gravitates to objects close or in contact with the body and augments them. At times, these objects may even awaken special properties. Last but not least, is Totality type Kardia, a kind of Kardia that does what Affix, Pooling, and Alien can do. The degree of efficiency depends on Kardia quality, but it usually can never compete with Kardia types of the same level."


    Professor Lyall sighed.


    She then pointed at Vassilis'' flask.


    "This flask will show four different kinds of flame within it after you walk into the fire, all of which represent a different kind of Kardia. These flames will also either rise to the top of the flask or plummet to the bottom, indicating whether your Kardia is Surging or Collapsing. For now, just take note of which of these two you have. It won''t be as important until later."


    After the lengthy explanation, Professor Lyall beckoned Vassilis towards the great fire. The young dragonling entered without much hesitation and disappeared within its glow.


    Professor kept her eyes on the flame, as did the other Professors, in case something happened.


    "Unlike your First Burning, which inflated the stok in your body, and enabled your Kardia to manifest, the Second burns the Kardia in your stok, and charts a path to your second heart where the heated Kardia will be stored. It is all just to teach your Kardia where to go after it has manifested. It can only be used throughout the rest of your body when it has settled into your heart, after all."


    Ginger gulped and grew tense.


    He still sucked in what Professor Lyall said though.


    She had mentioned in class before that the stok in a dragon''s body had already existed before his First Burning, and was like a paper sack that shrunk if it didn''t have anything in it.


    Everything else she said was new.


    Ginger did his best to stare into the fire while squinting, as Professor Lyall seemed to.


    A few seconds later, Vassilis walked out with the same stern, but confident look he had entered with.


    He held onto his flask and was keenly paying attention to what was glowing within it.


    The other students focused on it too while murmuring amongst themselves.


    A thin, tall candle flame of vibrant white with barely any flicker or sway to it could be seen in the flask. It stuck close to the neck of the glassy object, as if intent on escaping, only bobbing low with Vassilis'' movements.


    Gasps echoed from the spectators, as well as praise.


    "Wow! Look at that! Is it supposed to do that? The flame is white!" a student called.


    Professor Lyall''s lips drew wide and she gave a nod to Vassilis before turning to everyone else.


    "Look closely at the flask. It is reacting to Vassilis'' Kardia, and showing its designation in the shape of a flame. A candle flame like this represents Affix-type Kardia, and as you can see, it is rising up the flask. This is a sign that Vassilis'' Kardia Surges."


    Ginger kept his eyes on Vassilis'' flask. As did Reiss.


    The two were very fascinated and excited but for different reasons.


    Like everyone else, Vassilis'' courage to step forward first, made them eager, but they weren''t up for going next just yet.


    Professor Lyall sent Vassilis back with his flask, and he was welcomed like a hero by most of the students, most of whom gave him a lot of congratulations.


    Almost at the same time, Alcaeus shot out from the crowd with a desperate skip before Professor Lyall asked for another volunteer.


    Ginger and Reiss almost laughed, which garnered them a cross look from Fillys who happened to draw near to where they stood.


    The two moved away.


    Professor Lyall gave Alcaeus a few words before sending him into the great golden fire. Unlike Vassilis, Alcaeus hesitated a little before sinking into the vast rise of heat.


    Seconds later, he emerged, squinting at his flask. It seemed hard to see its contents in the flood of gold.


    Professor Lyall nodded at him and directed the already sizable attention of the crowd to Alcaeus'' flask.


    Within it, what looked like three tiny dots of yellow flame showed. They then suddenly started sputtering, spitting bright sparks against the wall of the flask incessantly. They battled against each other at the neck of the flask, some of the sparks they released shooting from the mouth.


    "Take note. This is a designation for Alien-type Kardia, and quite obviously, it is Surging," the portly Professor indicated before sending a half-excited Alcaeus back to his peers.


    Immediately, Fillys rushed out of the crowd so quickly that she stumbled barely managing to avoid kissing the ground. She then pushed back her hair and walked with whatever grace she had left towards Professor Lyall.


    Seconds later, she had emerged from the giant flame.


    "Collapsing Affix type," Professor Lyall mentioned while gesturing at the orange candle flame sitting at the bottom of her flask.


    Fillys also wore a strange look on her face, as if not entirely satisfied with her result. The crowd made way for her as she went to her brother.


    "What''s wrong with them?" Ginger asked.


    "They probably wanted to get Totality-type Kardia. Hmph! A good cast doesn''t always reward you with the most unique result," Reiss scoffed.


    Several other students went forth, emboldened by Vassilis, Alcaeus, Fillys.


    A new designation was finally given.


    A scrawny-looking boy with a bowl cut had in his flask an orange flame sitting at the bottom. It looked vastly different from the other shapes seen so far, as from a distance, it looked like a small pool of lava sitting at the bottom of the boy''s flask. Yet it was just fire spread over a larger space.


    "This is how Pooling type Kardia will be represented by the flask," Professor Lyall addressed.


    Reiss showed signs of disgust on his face.


    "I better not get that one," he said. Ginger looked at him with a funny smile. Reiss really hated Pooling-type Kardia.


    "What if you get Totality-type?" Ginger asked.


    "I''ll be fine if it just happens to be bad at pooling," Reiss replied.


    Speaking of Totality type, of the next sixteen students to go up, none could demonstrate to everyone else what a designation for Totality-type would look like.


    Most of them had Pooling-type and the others were split evenly for Alien and Affix type.


    A question as to whether or not this batch of First Years would have someone with Totality type Kardia already became a hot topic among the Professors gathered.


    Even if there wasn''t, it wouldn''t be a big deal. After all, it was rare.


    "Oh, she''s going up," Ginger said to Reiss who had been trying to calculate his odds.


    A familiar student was going for her turn.


    It was the bushy-browed girl Ginger had met during his First Burning in Professor Alexandros'' office.


    Oddly enough, Ginger got the feeling that she was going to show something special.

 Second Burning II

    The bushy-browed girl was named Abela Mires, as Ginger heard from her classmates who began talking about her as she went up for her Burning.


    The mixed tales he heard of her exploits seemed to confirm what he imagined was likely to happen.


    She was supposedly something like Reiss, only taller and feminine.


    Ginger already knew of her haughtiness and pride from the instance during his First Burning when she had refused to give up her chance to go next into the fire, even when Professor Mara was standing behind him.


    Even now, her steps showed that the part of her which he met that day, was very much alive.


    Abela walked into the fire gracefully and with a raised nose, intent on showing no weakness.


    She emerged moments later, and with...


    "Surging Alien-type Kardia," Professor Lyall announced.


    Ginger was a bit disappointed.


    He had thought for sure that she would be the first to get Totality-type Kardia.


    Unlike Alcaeus and Fillys though, she didn''t look unsatisfied. A pleased smile was on her face as she carefully scrutinized the flame in her flask.


    As soon as she sank into the crowd, many other students eagerly stepped up. The sparked zeal brought on disorder, but Professor Mara quickly quelled it. His piercing eyes and stern face as he now stood before the first line of students, monitoring their activity, turned the dragonlings into humble soldiers.


    "I think I''m going up now," Reiss suddenly said to Ginger with a tense breath outward.


    "Really?" Ginger asked incredulously.


    "No," Reiss deflated and shook.


    At that moment, another familiar face stepped out, making her way toward Professor Lyall.


    It was Caron Ester, the notoriously lazy dragonling of First Blue.


    She appeared to be more daring than Ginger had thought her to be before. Because of how she behaved in class, he had written her off as a slouch without the backbone to do something like march up for her Second Burning without being forced.


    "I didn''t think she would go," Ginger said, his eyes not leaving Caron''s slow-moving figure.


    Reiss seemed more insulted than shocked. Unlike Ginger, his form of ''writing off Caron'' was motivated more by a measure of intelligence.


    How could that slacker show more backbone than him?


    As someone intellectually superior, wasn''t it a disgrace to be shown off by someone like that?


    Spoiled brats like Fillys and Alcaeus, he could turn away from, but not Caron.


    Speaking of the redhead, she finally reached Professor Lyall, her flask in hand, and the thick woman gave her a proud nod which Reiss muttered a friendly curse at. Caron had probably earned some points in their Prime Instructor''s books just for being in the first half of students to walk forward.


    Caron looked at the gleaming fire and then walked toward it without any hesitation in her steps. Soon, she had sunken into it, and her figure was gone.


    Professor Lyall encouraged her to remain calm while keeping a close eye on her position.


    The seconds passed by quickly, and the crowds paid intense attention, Reiss, more so than others.


    His grip on his flask increased, but thankfully, the glassy object kept true to the description Professor Lyall had given. It had one job after all.


    Soon, Caron walked out of the large fire and the glinting in her flask was slowly revealed.


    There, in the perfectly transparent, clear glass, a red flame swirled, coiling around its limited space like a spring without pause. It nested at the bottom, as though held down by an odd gravitational pull, never to reach the mouth of the flask.


    Professor Lyall''s lips grew taut before rising closer to her nose, and her eyes sparkled.


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    Then, a plethora of reactions erupted among the students, most of them being absolute surprise and shock.


    Reiss'' eyes bulged.


    "T-totality! She... she has a Collapsing Totality type!" he cried while pulling on Ginger who had been a second slower in comprehending what had just happened.


    "Even Vassilis didn''t get it..." Ginger said, stunned.


    "Of course, he didn''t!" Reiss screamed.


    The First Years were in an uproar. The Professors looked on in delight, though some were not entirely pleased that the famous slouch was showing talent that exceeded some of the more... deserving students.


    While the students hadn''t been told what Totality-type Kardia would look like through the flask, it became obvious when Caron showed a different kind of reaction in her flask from the other three.


    As incredible as it was though, Caron herself didn''t look as delighted as Professor Lyall who rushed up to her and gripped her shoulders.


    "Lovely result, Caron. To think you have such profound Kardia..." the thick woman said.


    Caron gave a weak smile and looked at her flask. It was hard to tell how she was actually feeling. She soon walked back to the crowd which gave her precious attention and respect more profound than that which had been afforded to Vassilis.


    Professor Lyall quickly drew everyone''s attention with a remark.


    "We might just have a special student on our hands. While Kardia type isn''t the end-all-be-all, it is indicative of high potential in more than a few aspects. And this shakes things up a bit. Last year''s lack of a student with Totality-type Kardia made everything a bit too... standard. I hope this means more good for us," she said.


    The excited whispers from the students only grew louder.


    A few of the other First Years quickly rushed forward simultaneously, spurned by Caron''s results. Juvenile juices forced their feet, and Professor Mara found himself having to calm everyone down again.


    The adrenaline never did fully die though.


    While others were amazed at Caron''s achievement, there were obviously others who were far from pleased.


    "So what if she has Totality-type? I''ve gotten a peek at her cast. It''s as pathetic as the rest," Fillys said with a scowl while the numerous girls around her gave light nods of agreement.


    The berating seemed to spread through the crowd like a plague, dousing the earlier excitement.


    If not because of this, then the mood plummeted when no one else showed as much talent in their Kardia type as Caron. Twenty students went up, all coming up with Affix, Alien, Affix, Affix, Alien, Pooling, Pooling, Pooling, Affix types.


    Reality finally smashed the students in the face again, and some Professors looked on with savage glee at the humility that was introducing itself to the youngsters again.


    "I''m going up," Reiss said with a determined face


    Ginger turned to him with a difficult expression.


    Was he serious this time?


    It seemed Reiss really was.


    The dwarfish dragon assumed his familiar stone face as he pushed through the crowd.


    Of course, having found a distraction, some of the First Years made fun of Reiss, with some blocking his way. Reiss wasn''t fazed.


    He soon reached the front, and met Professor Lyall''s gaze. She gave him a nod as he walked to the fire and disappeared within its belly.


    Seconds later, Reiss emerged.


    As always, everyone looked expectantly at his flask, with some of the dragonlings hoping to get another jolt of hope.


    A tall, thin white flame, like that from a candle showed, rooted to the butt of the flask.


    Collapsing Affix-type.


    Professor Lyall gave Reiss an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and he retreated into the crowd with a thoughtful look on his face.


    "Affix-type. This is what you wanted, right?" Ginger asked when the short dragonling returned.


    Reiss scratched his chin with a grin.


    "Of course, but I was pretty much ready for any possibility. Good grief! I sure would have loved to get Totality type though. The look on my mom''s face..." he said with a wide smile.


    Ginger didn''t know how someone could entertain a fantasy like that with as much happiness, as though it would happen eventually. He certainly couldn''t. Even if he imagined himself as the strongest dragon ever to exist, he wouldn''t be delighted by the thought as much as Reiss.


    He sighed.


    "Alright. Your turn now," Reiss suddenly said while pushing Ginger.


    "What? No. Not yet!" Ginger protested.


    "I went, and so should you. Besides, if you want to redeem yourself even a little bit with Professor Lyall, now is your chance. Fewer others are going up now. Go!"


    Ginger attempted to resist again, but with the piles of logic that Reiss kept throwing out, like "You want to be the last one to go and also get a bad result?" or "Assert yourself instead of showing everyone that you''re scared!", Ginger finally relented.


    He took a deep breath and steadily walked through the crowd.


    The moment he did, he felt like a magnet.


    Everyone turned to him, including the Professors.


    ''Of course. Some of them are as curious as I am,'' Ginger thought.


    It had almost seemed like yesterday night didn''t happen. Of course, everyone saw him as different, and not in a good way. He could see the condescension on the other First Years'' faces.


    Ginger stifled the urge to scratch his thigh which suddenly turned itchy.


    From deep within the crowd, he heard a scoff and an obnoxious laugh.


    "Back away. The halfling might just explode in the Seether," Fillys said, and her company laughed.


    The laughter spread like a virus, and soon, it was like an inescapable ghostly wind swirling around Ginger as he pushed forth while hardening his face.


    For a moment, he couldn''t think about anything else outside of how much he hated the Doukas siblings. Their stupid bet and stupid taunts!


    If he ever got the chance, Ginger wanted to...


    "Good grief, man! Walk faster, will you?"


    From behind, Ginger heard a sharp whisper and was pushed hard. Reiss had followed after him to give him a boost. This boost sent him briskly skipping out of the crowd.


    A small smile of relief crept on Ginger''s face. He turned and saw Reiss retreating into the shadows of other dragonlings while mouthing, "You''ve got this! Go!"


    Ginger smiled.


    He locked eyes with Professor Mara as he walked up to Professor Lyall. The stern dragon of course didn''t express anything with his face. The man could wink for encouragement and it would look like he was merely twitching.


    "Alright then, Ginger," Professor Lyall said to the plump dragonling when he reached her. "Go in."

 Gingers Kardia

    Before he knew it, Ginger was walking towards the golden fire. He didn''t dare show hesitation or fear, partly because his fatigue had eaten away at most of his ability to care for anything other than getting this over with, and mainly because he didn''t want to give the Doukas siblings something else to laugh about.


    Despite the prickling dabs of heat he felt on his skin as he drew near the flame, Ginger found that he wasn''t harmed it.


    Even when he dove deep into the giant tower of blazing gold, he only felt as though he was in a particularly spicy sauna.


    ''Alright. So far....so good, I guess...'' Ginger thought. He held his flask tight.


    It helped that he didn''t have to see the hundreds of eyes looking at the fire right now, or else even his fatigue would have temporarily fled.


    Remembering what Professor Lyall said, Ginger instantly relaxed his body.


    He could already feel himself get... cooked, in a sense.


    His body grew increasingly hot, but somehow, this heat charted its way from all around his body and headed to his stok.


    A moment later, Ginger felt the Kardia in his sagging stok start to tumble about like boiling water. It was heated furiously, and an instant later, it leaked out.


    At first, Ginger thought it was about to suddenly quadruple in volume, as it did during his First Burning, but no.


    Instead, the plump dragonling found himself groaning in agony for a completely different reason.


    Hot!


    It was too hot!


    Unlike the mild sensation around his body, his Kardia felt like fiercely heated vapor coursing from the side of his stok towards the back of his right lung.


    This was the exact moment Professor Lyall had warned the First Years about. They had to maintain their composure otherwise they would disrupt the process. The heated Kardia was attempting to find the designated outlet point ¨C the second heart.


    Ginger successfully kept his body''s instinctual reactions in check. He truly felt that if he shifted excessively, the hot Kardia would damage his organs.


    In this state, it didn''t seem like the Kardia was compatible with any organ other than the second heart, and even then, unless it steadily funneled itself into the glorified blood pump, there was a high risk of damaging it.


    The seconds felt like minutes to Ginger.


    By the time he felt the hot Kardia stream into his second heart, which surprisingly didn''t feel like having an inflamed heart attack ¨C as he had imagined ¨C Ginger thought he had spent at least three minutes in the fire.


    ''Did I stay for too long?'' he thought, a little panicked.


    He took a look at his flask. Within the glaring gold, he couldn''t really tell if there was anything depicted or not.


    ''The Kardia reached my heart. I should probably get out... right?'' the plump dragonling deliberated, but he was already walking out of the Seether.


    The severely diverse color returned to the world as soon as he stepped out.


    Ginger found all the attention on him as expected, but by the looks of it, he had exited at just about the right time ¨C contrary to his anxious assumptions.


    A moment later, however, Ginger felt the atmosphere change.


    Everyone''s eyes... sharpened.


    Something was wrong.


    They all looked at his flask with a similar kind of expression as the one Ginger had seen from Professor Mara when he saw the cast of his scales.


    ''What?'' Ginger asked, his own eyes bulging, and he looked down at the flask in his hands.


    Within it, was something truly awe-inspiring.


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    Professor Lyall''s eyes shook, as did those of the other Professors, some of whom squinted and muttered incomprehensibly.


    "Is that...?" none other than Professor Edelman spoke, stunned.


    Indeed it was.


    Settled near the bottom of the flask was a clump of light blue sparks that sputtered, their popping noises made more impactful by the sudden silence.


    ...And then there was the small pool of deep orange fire below this clump, masquerading as lava!


    "..."


    "Good grief, Ginger..." Reiss said in awe, a smile creeping on his face.


    Like him, the rest of the First Years were absolutely shocked, some having their mouths agape. How could they not be? After all, despite their stance on Ginger''s leaked background, reality still stared them in the face.


    The halfling from the Wild had two different Kardia types?!


    Professor Lyall hurried to Ginger''s position just as the silence was shattered.


    The plump dragonling was looking at his flask, lost for words. He was trying to remember if there was something he missed from Reiss'' or Professor Lyall''s explanation.


    No, there wasn''t.


    He was seeing and comprehending this as well as any other student.


    He had Collapsing Alien and Pooling types of Kardia!


    Ginger''s eyes shook.


    He didn''t know whether to be happy or worried about this.


    For one, the looks he was receiving told him that this was either something extra special, or something completely unheard of. He wagered that it was the latter given how no one showed strictly positive reactions.


    And for another reason...


    ''This must definitely be because of...'' he thought.


    He was sure of it now.


    His anomalous condition was definitely the cause of this!


    "Are you alright, Ginger?" Professor Lyall handled the dragonling''s shoulder and asked.


    For once, Ginger saw the concern on his Prime Instructor''s face. It didn''t show from the change in her facial expressions, but from the look in her eyes.


    Only now did Ginger learn how this thick woman expressed her emotion.


    "Y-yes, Professor. I''m... fine," he said.


    The woman scanned him with her eyes as they lit to a hazel shade. By the looks of it, she didn''t find anything wrong.


    "I have never seen anything like this, my dear. Your body seems normal and there aren''t any unexpected changes. By all accounts, this seems more like a benefit than anything else," Professor Lyall said, her eyes gaining an encouraging twinkle about them.


    Ginger felt a warm feeling from these words. A light smile appeared on his face, but he didn''t know what to say.


    What could he say?


    Unfortunately, the Prime Instructor''s words to Ginger turned out to have not been private. Everyone who had an ear had heard what she had said, and the reaction from the other First Years was thunderous.


    "He really has two types of Kardia? How? That doesn''t make any sense!"


    "A benefit, she said! How does that land on a halfling?!"


    "Is he actually some kind of genius born from a powerful dragon?"


    "Curses! Now I wish I was halfling!"


    "That''s cheating!"


    "Isn''t that just a worse version of Totality-type Kardia?"


    "Did you see it? He has a blue flame! How is that possible?!"


    The attitude towards Ginger instantly became more polarised. Some looked at the boy favourably because of Professor Lyall''s comment while others burned with even more enmity.


    All of a sudden, there was mixed uproar, but it was quickly shut down by Professor Mara who flashed the fierce gleam of his green eyes to the hundreds of First Years, forcing them all to quiet down.


    His face didn''t betray what he thought of the whole ordeal, and no one had the gall to ask.


    Professor Lyall saw the now timid eyes of the First Years and turned back to Ginger.


    "I understand there is too much attention. If you like, you can stand here with me until the Second Burning is over," she offered.


    Ginger''s brows shot up.


    That was very generous. He too dreaded what he was to be called this time because of his result.


    "Thank you, Professor, but I''m fine with going back," he said with a smile.


    The thick woman gave him an appraising stare.


    "Alright then." She patted his back.


    Ginger walked towards the crowd of First Years who hesitantly parted for him, but it wasn''t all out of hostility. Some just wanted to look at him for a second longer.


    The plump dragonling declined to spend the next hour or so as a mascot because... he didn''t want to spend the next hour or so as a mascot. Also, he felt that abandoning Reiss in the crowd was the worst thing he could do, even if the dwarfish dragonling probably wouldn''t mind, considering the circumstances.


    On top of that, Ginger recognized that from now on, he was going to stand out more than he already did with his triple-decker of anomalous traits. He might as well get used to it, and try to own it.


    Honestly though, the gazes he got were not easy to ignore. Ginger spent most of the way to Reiss looking down and avoiding eye contact.


    This was especially so when he mistakenly locked gazes with Fillys and Alcaeus who were scowling and expressing their doubled dislike of him with raised noises.


    Of course, there were the scowls that marked their skins too.


    A part of Ginger was truly elated to see it.


    ''So much for your bet...'' he thought, a shallow smile creeping on his face for a split second.


    When he arrived where Reiss was, the dwarfish dragon animatedly expressed his surprise but didn''t utter any words. One look at the others, and he knew that they were itching to prey on their conversation.


    Instead, Reiss wore a big smile that creeped out Ginger more than it soothed him.


    His friend was likely thinking about studying him, maybe even dissecting him with that look in his eyes.


    "Congratulations!" Reiss yelled.


    "Thanks. I guess," Ginger said with a laugh.


    He still wasn''t sure if this was all good, but for now, he did feel a sense of victory.


    Who knew this one word Reiss limited himself to could turn his whole mood around?


    Before he knew it, Ginger and his friend were compensating for their inability to speculate among themselves by making foolish gestures while staring closely at Ginger''s flask which still depicted the two flames.


    This, along with the once again boosted morale for the remaining First Years who had yet to go up, seemed to drive the attention away from the two dragonlings.


    Quite some time after, the Second Burning concluded, but the excitement spawned in its wake certainly did not.

 Bothersome Limit

    The wide, verdant fields illuminated by the reddish sun suddenly seemed less impressive. Less neat.


    The First Years scattered around them gave the false impression that they were about to play some kind of sport, when in actuality, they were chatting excitedly while trying to use their Kardia.


    By now, the buzz over Caron and Ginger had mellowed, but was yet to truly die out. Ginger''s case especially, had several Professors keeping their eyes on him and discussing what the plump dragonling could only assume were possible answers as to why he had such strange Kardia, in low voices.


    The Second Burning hadn''t produced another anomaly after Ginger. The highlights after him were more depressing than surprising, as several students had gotten too... excited.


    Two dragonlings had managed to damage their second hearts by fidgeting while within the great golden fire. Their screams told of the agony they paid their folly with.


    Professor Lyall had responded promptly, diving into the fire and drawing both students before much damage could be done.


    To demonstrate that whatever injury was sustained to the second heart wasn''t irreversible, the students were healed and returned for another attempt at their Burning quickly.


    None of the spectating First Years had seen how this worked exactly, as the injured students were taken away for the process, but they were reassured nonetheless.


    Professor Lyall had then lead all the students to the open school fields after the Burning, with most of the other Professors leaving for other duties.


    Now, the hundreds of dragonlings were freestyling with their newly awakened Kardia, which could finally be pumped out of their bodies.


    The sensation, even for dragons, was rather peculiar at first.


    Feeling as though your second heart was being tickled from the inside, was almost certainly hard to shrug off, but adrenaline and childish confidence allowed each dragonling to fight off the urge to laugh or poke their chest in irritation.


    Professor Lyall was allowing the children to experiment in various ways with their Kardia before lecturing them about specifics they would need to learn.


    It would do them well to recognise for themselves how different types of Kardia reacted when they made a conscious attempt at moving them around.


    Ginger and Reiss were abusing this chance like everyone. The dark haired, slightly plump dragonling with a pewter grey uniform much too tight for his body, and his friend, blue eyed, short and with a full head of chocolate brown hair that began a little late from his forehead, were inseparable.


    Reiss closed his eyes to feel the sensation in his second heart.


    Almost immediately, a light, smoky haze with a faint blue hue wafted from his body, gathering around his hands.


    "Whoa..." Ginger said in awe. He could see the Kardia as well.


    "It... it feels funny around my hands..." the diminutive dragon said with a big smile, looking between Ginger and his hands. "It''s like I''m running my hands through steam."


    "Your Kardia moves fast," the plump dragonling complimented.


    "Oh yeah. My Kardia''s flow was fastest in my group for the First Burning," Reiss said with nigh palpable pride.


    Other First Years also whipped their heads to Reiss in surprise, most of them being those that had difficulty summoning their Kardia.


    Reiss scoffed at the attention and then turned back to the Kardia around his fingers.


    "It''s not moving further from my body," he said, and then his large eyes sparkled. "Of course!"


    Reiss slotted his hand in his pocket and drew a coin.


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    Excitedly, he watched the bluish haze rush from around his hands and cling to the coin, forming a vibrant, bold stroke around it.


    "Whoa!" Both Ginger and Reiss exclaimed.


    "It''s really attracted to objects I touch!"


    Ginger blinked and nodded.


    Affix-type Kardia was certainly cool, but what about his own?


    He immediately turned his focus to his second heart.


    He felt the Kardia sitting at its center.


    It tickled.


    More and more of it was flowing from his stok into his heart, and as it pumped, Ginger felt as though the Kardia was trying to flow through the rest of his body but couldn''t for some reason.


    He imagined that this would take practice.


    ''They all feel so different,'' he thought. ''Fetid felt more like... porridge. Mana Essence feels like water. And now Kardia... it''s like smoke...''


    With a forceful pull, he tried to make his Kardia flow out.


    The result was... excessive.


    In that one instance, Ginger''s stok was nearly emptied.


    He felt a burst of the Kardia rush from his heart, then to his arms, his throat and legs.


    "I did it," he said with glee, but...


    "Ginger!" Reiss called anxiously.


    A small flood of light blue smoky Kardia shot from Ginger''s fingers viciously, as though eager to flee from his body. As it did, a gust of wind pushed against the immediate surroundings and even blasted a few students before him, forcing them to stagger forward and back.


    Ginger panicked.


    He hurriedly willed the Kardia to stop gushing it, and it followed his command in an instant ¨C the little he had, that was. The Kardia stopped at his palm and began pooling within them, forming a small clump that felt like a marble deep within his flesh.


    "Good grief, man! What was that?" Reiss asked with a befuddled expression.


    "I...don''t know..." Ginger said, stunned.


    The victims of his ''attack'' turned to him, those who already didn''t like him either because of his unusual Kardia or his hybrid identity giving him hostile glares.


    Ginger smiled sheepishly at them.


    Reiss hurried to touch Ginger''s hands. He squinted his eyes as though he could see the Kardia that had retreated into his flesh.


    "Whoa, Ginger. Your Kardia really does have two kinds of behaviour," he said, his eyes not leaving the plump dragonling''s palms.


    "Really?" Ginger said, his mind drifting to the activity in his body.


    "Yeah. I can feel it... I think. As far as I know, Alien-type Kardia is usually eager to free itself from the body. It''s easy to project out. I think your Kardia just did exactly that, and then... its gathering into a small shape right now, isn''t it? I feel your hands growing tougher than usual."


    "Yes. It''s my palm," Ginger said with a bit of a frown.


    The Kardia almost seemed to solidify, and it hurt a little. Beyond that though, if Ginger didn''t know any better, he''d think...


    "I think I''ve already exhausted it all. The Kardia in my palms is all that''s left."


    Reiss looked surprised.


    "Really? Already?" he said. "Do you remember how your First Burning went?"


    When Reiss pointed this out, Ginger was instantly smitten with realization.


    ''That''s right. The lantern thing showed that I have a very small amount...'' he thought, remembering the result from the Othoni-Kardia which he hadn''t seen again since that first day.


    Right.


    But hadn''t he also felt like he had so much Kardia within his stok that he could literally explode?


    Ginger''s face turned dark. His exhaustion found leeway to make him yawn involuntarily.


    "Yeah. I''m supposed to have less than the standard amount of Kardia. So I guess it makes sense..." Ginger told Reiss sullenly.


    The dwarfish dragonling nodded with a thoughtful look on his face.


    At that moment, there was a bit of a commotion.


    A whipping wind blew, and the two boys turned toward its source.


    It was Vassilis.


    The other First Years were drawn in.


    Around the dragonling, the air seemed to warp, whirl, and wail, making those close to him draw away in fear.


    The blue haze around Vassilis was solid, laid around him in a bold stroke that shone dully. He took it all in, his eyes shut and his head hung low.


    For some reason, everything seemed to dread the glow of his Kardia, so much so that even the light around him seemed to dim.


    Reiss frowned at this. As did Ginger.


    "Doesn''t he have Affix type Kardia like mine?" he asked quietly.


    Indeed, Vassilis and Reiss shared the same Kardia type, but the latter, even while asking, already knew why there was a disparity.


    It was because of quality.


    Ginger gulped.


    ''It''s so strong. I can feel it from here,'' he thought while looking over the crowd of students before him.


    Professor Lyall raised a brow at the display. It was unknown what she thought about it.


    Vassilis seemed to have been unaware that he had caused such a scene, because the moment he looked around him, he looked a little taken aback. His Kardia instantly dissolved back into his body.


    Before the students could begin theorizing and showering Vassilis with praises and questions ¨C those slower than Fillys and Alcaeus, who had already rushed to him, that is ¨C Professor Lyall grabbed everyone''s attention.


    "Alright," she said, and clapped loudly, which forced all the First Years to turn to her, mostly in fear of being frozen like before.


    "I believe you all have gotten acquainted with your Kardia to a sufficient degree. If not, perhaps the few things I am about to explain and demonstrate will shed more light for you."


    Ginger was still a little distracted, but he paid attention. He doubted anything that was about to be said could remedy his lack of at least an average amount of Kardia, but he couldn''t do anything but listen.


    Professor Lyall''s lips drew taut, then she blew a soft breath at the scattered students.


    Appalling as it may have been, it happened. It was no illusion.


    All the students'' faces turned pale.


    A soft breeze blew by all of them, and as it passed, it washed away all their Kardia, dragging it along.

 What Makes The Difference

    A cold silence rushed in to fill the void within the stoks and hearts of the students. It brought in a mildly chilling degree of terror, shock, and then awe, all in varying measures.


    Ginger seemed to have the first two in roughly twice as much of a measure when compared to everyone else because unlike them, he didn''t understand what had just happened.


    He expected everyone to look as pale as he was, but once again, he was proven wrong. The dwarfish dragonling beside him only added to the feeling of odd ignorance Ginger had always felt in times like this.


    Reiss beamed while looking at Professor Lyall.


    Ginger looked in the portly woman''s direction too, hoping that there would be an answer on her face, but he only met her taut lips and the cunning look behind her round-rimmed glasses.


    Having learned to discern her actual emotions from her eyes, Ginger shook at how his Prime Instructor was gazing at all the First Years. The tender glow she had displayed when he came out of the Rebounding Seether earlier, was gone.


    Instead, she seemed pleased that all the students'' sprouting bravado and confidence spurned by awakening their Kardia, was subdued ¨C or totally gone, in Ginger''s case.


    The plump dragonling had the sneaking suspicion that she was especially motivated by Vassilis'' demonstration just now.


    But how did she do that?


    Ginger could have sworn the thick woman simply sighed, and left them all defenseless.


    Even Vassilis looked to be sharing the same fate, though with a more composed visage.


    Professor Lyall then spoke, cutting off Ginger from his rapid, entangled thoughts.


    "As your teacher for Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies, it is my duty to control how you develop as dragons. However, the first thing a dragon should learn, even if they are not admitted to this institute ¨C even if they are born in some desolate wilderness..." Ginger gulped at this line, "...is that Kardia is not simply a source of world-breaking might. Its primary strength lies in empowering your body. That is why our ancestors slept for centuries in secluded spaces without moving an inch. Yet, with the built-up energy, they then awakened as powerful beings," she said, her brown eyes gleaming hazel from time to time.


    Ginger thought she was getting hyped by her own words.


    "Understand what Kardia is. What we call in full, Kardia Aeras. The heart''s air. Appreciate it as sustenance before anything else. And also, appreciate the fact that it grows and restores itself too."


    At that moment, all the First Years felt within their stoks their Kardia begin to get generated again. The slightly tickly energy flowed differently and had varying degrees of potency and volume from dragon to dragon, but it brimmed in the stok all the same.


    Ginger felt his stok begin to inflate with Kardia too, slowly but surely. Once a certain amount of it gathered, it rushed to his second heart, sticking to its very center until Ginger willed it to move.


    He was relieved.


    Professor Lyall''s words gained profound meaning when combined with what he was feeling right now.


    Such impeccable timing...


    Joyful sounds whirled about the First Years. Even if they didn''t pay much attention to Professor Lyall''s words, they were inspired to look at their Kardia differently now.


    For some, it began to leak from their hands or mouth, seeping into the air.


    For others, it cradled shyly within their bodies, forming small, rigid shapes.


    For the rest, it gushed to cling to the skin as a bold stroke, awaiting contacts close by.


    It felt different with a new outlook.


    "Now, there''s more to Kardia than meets the eye. I mean that literally. For you First Years, I imagine you can''t even see that I''m using my own Kardia right now, can you?" Professor Lyall said as her lips retracted to a small, V-shape.


    "What?" Ginger muttered.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Several others seemed to be guessing the same as he was.


    Ginger couldn''t see the Professor''s Kardia at all.


    He saw no haze around her whatsoever.


    "Oh, right!" Reiss beside him suddenly said, his eyes close to turning into stars. He pulled on Ginger. "Of course, I completely forgot!"


    "Forgot what?"


    Before the short dragonling could answer, Professor Lyall had already done it for him.


    "You see, while we all use Kardia, there are two main factors that dictate differences between all dragons. Between all Cinder-Born for that matter," the portly dragon said while raising her finger, and poking her glasses up her nose.


    "The first is age. The growth spurts we all share make all the difference. The duration a Cinder-Born has been alive refines their overall strength. For instance, all students up to the Fifth Year ¨C you lot included ¨C are yet to experience their first growth spurt. Every growth spurt gives you an immense increase in strength and quality. That means, for someone like me, who has already experienced their third growth spurt, blowing away your Kardia with a mere breath is as easy as eating jelly toffee."


    Several things clicked within Ginger''s head as the dragon spoke.


    He recalled Professor Lyall speaking on growth spurts before.


    The first happened between the ages of 24 and 45, and thus, as soon as dragonlings matured to earn their scales at around 14 years, they were sent to dragon institutes to refine themselves so as to increase the upper limit of the boost in power they would gain from their first growth spurt.


    Merging this context with what Professor Lyall said, certainly made for interesting conclusions, however, this also made Ginger feel a little conflicted.


    Since no dragon from First to Fifth Year could harm a Professor, did that mean his incident with Professor Alexandros had truly just been Reiss mistaking what he did to the old dragon?


    He and Reiss had already come to terms with the fact that they misunderstood something back then, worrying for nothing, but...


    "The second..." Professor Lyall said dramatically, interrupting Ginger''s thoughts, "...is your kill count."


    "Uh..."


    The group of First Years turned completely silent once again, however, as Ginger had come to know, most knew what Professor Lyall was talking about, and were only paying rapt attention.


    The portly dragon seemed to face Ginger as she explained, as though catering to his ignorance.


    "Your Kardia at the moment, is unrefined. As you can see even now, it''s light and prone to leak out from your body ¨C if it isn''t pooling ¨C through Permeation. It leaves from your pores," she said, before pointing to a student whose Alien-type Kardia was rising from his fingers.


    "Refined Kardia is more controlled and more potent. At this stage, you can''t even see it, and can only feel its effects. Your Kardia needs to be taught how to refine itself. For that, you have to steal the Kardia of other Cinder-Born creatures. The Blighted, and the Condemned."


    Excitement sprang about.


    Ginger had expected the opposite reaction.


    They were supposed to kill to get stronger?


    He had learned about these Blighted and Condemned as kind of outcasts among Cinder-Born, but he didn''t think as a student, he''d actually be encouraged to kill them.


    "Blighted and Condemned, even before their growth spurts are formidable creatures. They get stronger faster than us, mainly because they still go into long slumbers to build up energy. Each kill earns you a portion of their Kardia, and in some cases, can permanently increase the capacity of your stok. In any case, your Kardia refines itself by learning from these external sources of Kardia."


    Ginger nodded slowly.


    So you got stronger by killing these Cinder-Born?


    ''If only it was the same in the Wild...'' he thought sullenly.


    There were no benefits to be gained from killing a beast in the Wild, except for perhaps vengeance and the guarantee of life until you met another powerful beast.


    But that wasn''t the case in Ravi.


    Ginger felt a little excited.


    ''I can increase my capacity too? That would really be helpful,'' he thought.


    "At the end of this Stride, on the first day of the Breather, I will be having you each slay a Blighted. We have an assortment of weak ones that don''t take much to kill, however, there will be several intense classes before then. Mine ¨C naturally ¨C Equipped Armament and Usage; and Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation."


    Grins and yeses polluted the fields temporarily before a foreboding atmosphere took over. The students were happy about slaying their first Blighted, but the intensity from each course they took seemed to be about to skyrocket.


    Even Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation was finally commencing this Stride.


    Professor Lyall went on to explain that the mana-centric course was being introduced in order to cater to everyone other than the Affix-type Kardia users ¨C Affixers ¨C since they couldn''t empower weapons with their Kardia, as naturally, to slay their first Blighted, the First Years would need a weapon first.


    She went on to explain in greater, tedious length about Kardia types, and emphasized once again about Out Courses, encouraging the First Years to refrain from registering for too many.


    An hour later, the students were dismissed, and they began walking to their respective classes.


    Ginger wasn''t in a hurry, he had a lot to think about. As did Reiss.


    The dwarfish dragonling was thinking aloud.


    "...so I have an innate advantage for the slaying this Breather. But good grief! Is my Breather going to be eaten away again? I wanted all three days to study!" Reiss said begrudgingly.


    "It''s only for a day or even less," Ginger said, attempting to bring in some optimism.


    "Every day counts, Ginger! Have you forgotten that we wasted a whole Breather last time?"


    Ginger awkwardly replied with an, "Oh yeah."


    That one was on him.


    Even though they were friends now, Ginger didn''t think he could ever throw under the rug the fact that he had sentenced Reiss to three days of punishment for a fault that wasn''t his own.


    He tactfully attempted to sway the conversation to something else.


    As he did so, he suddenly felt someone approach him from the side.


    It was a pretty girl with springy red hair and unfocused baby blue eyes.


    She looked tired and lanky, but as soon as she reached him, she managed a polite smile before addressing him.


    "Hello. I''m Caron. We''re in the same class. Mind if I join you guys?"

 Carons Proposal

    Caron''s lack of a more energetic and serious tone while making her request would have looked grossly unconvincing to Ginger, if the look in her baby blue eyes didn''t adequately carry the relevant weight instead.


    Ginger could tell that she was serious, but several things threw him off.


    For one, Caron introduced herself as though she was an invisible element in class, and as if her being one of the most gifted First Years of this year hadn''t just been established.


    As a result, Ginger wasn''t sure how he was supposed to answer when both of these were at play?


    Even now, Caron was drawing the attention of the others to them.


    Ginger could only stand there stiff, and stammer.


    "Uh..." he murmured.


    Reiss on the other hand, had voice enough to answer for him.


    "What do you mean by ''join''?" he asked with a frown.


    Caron looked down at him.


    "It''s simple, isn''t it? Are you the sort to overthink things?" she said, her face giving the impression that she thought the reason couldn''t be clearer.


    "Enlighten me," Reiss said, now placing his hands on his waist, which was rather hilarious, and quite frankly, gobbled up a lot of the seriousness he wished to instill.


    Thankfully, Caron didn''t find the humor in it, likely because she was too lazy to search for it. She looked up at Ginger and gestured towards him.


    "Because he and I are both special."


    "..."


    "..."


    Both Ginger and Reiss were stunned by the answer. Several eavesdroppers were left with question mark equivalents above their heads as well.


    Just like that?


    "That''s it?" Ginger said, a little disappointed.


    "Yes. What sort of answer were you expecting?" Caron asked, genuinely curious.


    "I don''t know..." Ginger said with a shrug. He didn''t know where to turn his eyes now.


    Caron ruffled her springy hair. Or maybe she was scratching an itch ¨C it was almost impossible to tell.


    "Well, if that sort of answer doesn''t work for you, then how about this? I have Totality-type Kardia. Super midget here has Affix type. You have Pooling and Alien type. Super midget can teach me how to properly affix my Kardia, and you can teach me how to pool and use it outside the body. In exchange, I''ll help you both fine-tune your Kardia in three Strides time."


    Caron yawned after making the proposal, and her eyes seemed glued shut for a hot second. When she opened them, she found atrocious looks on Ginger and Reiss'' face.


    "You''re mad," Reiss said with a shake of his head and a bulge of the eyes. "What do you think Kardia is? Controlling it is harder than it seems!"


    Caron shrugged.


    Ginger agreed with Reiss. He understood what Caron was proposing, but he couldn''t imagine how exactly she thought she''d be helping them fine-tune their Kardia control in only three Strides after they gave her the basic idea of how all three types worked.


    This proposal almost seemed contradictory, in fact.


    Professor Lyall had stressed that complete control of one''s Kardia could only be achieved to a standard degree around the end of the first term.


    "I''m a quick learner, and I''m good at winging it if necessary. Trust me," Caron said simply with a dry smile, her eyes drooping.


    Reiss scowled.


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    "Winging what?!" Reiss cried.


    "Look..." Ginger said over him with a difficult expression. "I don''t think it''ll be a problem if you join us for practice or something, but I don''t think you should be so relaxed about this. I think it''s going to take a lot of work, even for you."


    Caron yawned.


    "That''s a yes, I suppose?" she said.


    "Good grief, Ginger!" Reiss exclaimed, the crease on his large forehead telling of how he thought this was absurd. "She''s a slacker, I tell you. She''s no good. She thinks a good Kardia type is all it takes to be proficient in everything."


    Caron didn''t seem to care for the accusations. She set to turn and follow the throngs of First Years back to the Frost Mount''s Tooth when suddenly, a blast of wind smashed into her, Ginger, and Reiss.


    The trio yelped and covered their faces as the wind pelted them.


    Familiar chuckles sounded after the sudden attack ended, and the three looked to find Alcaeus and Fillys smirking, getting one last look at their disheveled appearances before following the crowd.


    Ginger fumed. He felt a bit disgusted to share the same Kardia type as Alcaeus ¨C even if it was only one ¨C but he couldn''t change that. If he had enough Kardia, he might have blasted a breeze back at them.


    Reiss scoffed.


    "They just can''t handle the embarrassment. They thought either them or Vassilis would get Totality-type Kardia, and they expected you to not even get a Kardia type too. It hurts to lose."


    The only thing Reiss was grateful for in Caron getting Totality-type Kardia, was the fact it was her and not those annoying siblings. That was a critical blow to Fillys in particular, who was always berating Caron for her behavior in class.


    Speaking of the redhead, she didn''t seem as frustrated. She fixed her hair and said, "We''re getting left behind."


    On the way back to class, and with the prospect of the gears in the learning curve changing, Ginger was spurned to think a lot about his future.


    Two developments had happened back to back, creating two circumstances that changed how he should approach everything in his life moving forward.


    The fact that he had such little Kardia bothered him greatly, despite it being so unique.


    Professor Lyall stressed how practical, and intricate everything was about to be now. If that meant every lesson of the day applied Kardia, would Ginger have enough of it for every course covered?


    Did the curriculum support those without enough Kardia for rigorous exercises?


    Ginger really didn''t want to become laughing stok for having such poor reserves. It would probably be seen through quickly anyway, since there were a few people in class who already knew his abysmal capacity ¨C the thin boy from the First Burning in Professor Alexandros'' office, for instance.


    Ginger had just barely managed to stave off the controversy surrounding his identity with how special his Kardia was ¨C even if it was a discount version of Totality-type Kardia.


    He wanted to keep it that way.


    On their way through the network of paths after the Pine, with Caron leading by a few steps, Ginger had a difficult time convincing Reiss that having Caron on their ''team'' wasn''t such a bad thing. Even if she overestimated herself and was a little quirky, at the very least, she could serve as a versatile partner.


    Reiss didn''t like her attitude. For Ginger, who was slowly growing to learn that Reiss valued the work he put in to make sure he stifled demeaning discussions about the way he looked with the brilliance of how much he knew, it made sense why someone like Caron would trigger him.


    Evidence as to the genuineness of Reiss''s feelings was that Caron''s name-calling didn''t pinch at him one bit, but her carefree yawns made the dwarfish dragonling consider homicide with a twitching eyebrow.


    "You don''t have to be friends with her. I''m sure Caron doesn''t care for it either. It''s strictly... business," Ginger said to Reiss.


    He would know how collaborations with no strings attached worked. In the Wild, meeting another group of humans outside known human settlements would only end without bloodshed if both parties made it clear beforehand that they were open to using each other.


    ''Transparency is key, Ginger. I once told this old hag I''d probably kill her in her sleep to buy myself a few minutes when a Blood Wolf was hunting us down,'' Ginger recalled Ancor once saying.


    That story probably wasn''t a good example, though. And there were tonnes of these in Ginger''s head.


    "Fine. It wouldn''t be the worst in the world, I guess," Reiss said to Ginger''s arguments. He gave a curious look to his friend, though. "Do you believe that she doesn''t mind anything about where you come and what you are?"


    Ginger was surprised by the question. Reiss seemed to be considering a lot of things, as usual.


    "Well, as long as she tolerates me enough. I''m learning not to mind what people think," he replied.


    Reiss gave a harrumph. A friendly one.


    "Hmm. Already settled well, little imp?" a voice suddenly breached the comforting bubble Ginger and Reiss shared.


    Ginger recognized that voice.


    He looked to his right, where it sprang from.


    "Ir...Mr. Ira!" he said.


    And indeed it was.


    The shady, immature-looking dragon was right there, looking down at Ginger with a semi-friendly pair of ocean-blue eyes.


    Ginger''s immediate reaction had been mostly positive, but when he saw the same, strange fit he had seen on the first day still sitting on the dragon ¨C long coat, shorts, and sandals, with the straw hat over his head, as though he was some kind of fantasy, Pirate King aspiring youngster ¨C his expression turned dark.


    Ira looked at Reiss, then at Caron who had stopped to look back at them with a quickly fading degree of interest.


    "I see you''ve not only made waves in the school, but friends too. Good on you," he said with a small smile.


    Ginger wanted to say something, but Ira quickly cut him off.


    "I''ll be stealing your friend for a bit," he said to Reiss and Caron who immediately turned to continue walking.


    "Yes, sir," Reiss replied simply and gave Ginger a knowing look before following the same path as Caron.


    Ginger watched him leave and then turned to Ira.


    "What is it... sir?" he said, a little nervous.


    Ira sighed and pulled him along as he walked towards the school entrance.


    "I thought you''d be having a hard time with the news of your... origin, out and about. That, and your unique Kardia," he explained.


    "You were there?" Ginger asked, surprised.


    "No. Why would I walk up that rise just for you, little imp?" Ira frowned. "I have good eyes. I can see all that happens in the school ¨C behind walls and stiff mechanisms ¨C if I want."


    "Oh."


    Ira raised a brow.


    "I was going to give you a talk, a sprinkle of my wisdom if needed. Thankfully, I don''t have to waste my words on that," he said.


    "Instead, we need to talk about the rest of what Ancor wrote to me in that letter you gave me. That little secret of yours."


    Ginger''s hearts almost skipped a beat.

 Gingers Secret

    By the time Ginger and Ira reached the great wall of the institute, the plump dragonling had been about to burst. What Ira had said before leading him away had subconsciously made Ginger clench his rear cheeks.


    He hadn''t expected it at all.


    He had wanted to immediately blurt out the words, "What are you talking about?!" but he quickly held his tongue.


    Secret?


    What secret?


    No. Which secret?


    Ginger was so nervous.


    On the day he met Ira for the first time, he never really considered what was written in it all that much.


    No. That was a lie.


    Ginger did wonder a lot about it, but the way Ira had reacted when he read it back then, didn''t give the impression that Ancor had told him more than what was necessary.


    Well, perhaps Ancor had a different definition of what was necessary.


    Had the Shaman told Ira everything?


    Just how much did Ancor trust him?


    Ginger only tore himself from his concerns when Ira turned to him with his sharp, ocean-blue eyes.


    They had reached a spot within the school that was painted with a heavy shadow from the large statue above the wall; a depiction of the Azure Dragon.


    Ginger immediately recalled that last time, when Ira had intended for them to have a private discussion, he had led them under this particular statue as well.


    Was there a reason for this?


    Ginger''s eyes darted to Ira, then to the Azure Dragon statue.


    ''Does it have anything to do with how they have similar scales?'' he thought, his curiosity temporarily overpowering his anxiety.


    Ira suddenly grabbed Ginger''s shoulder.


    "Don''t panic," he said simply before pulling Ginger into the wall.


    Contrary to the mediocre warning, Ginger was visibly perplexed when his face was forced to meet the solid wall without reason.


    Unlike what he expected, however, his skin didn''t register any contact with something hard. While furiously blinking, and with his heart beating chaotically, Ginger saw a cramped room before him.


    "Whoa..." he said in wonder.


    He didn''t understand how the transition worked just now, but he didn''t question it ¨C not audibly at least.


    The small room seemed to aspire to be an office but was a few years of extension, renovation, painting, and reorganization away from that dream. Only a small wooden desk of outlandish quality, three odd chairs that looked to have been made by a partially blind carpenter, and stacks upon stacks of scrolls could be seen within this space.


    "Don''t mind the mess. I rarely use this place. A gatekeeper doesn''t need much of an office, eh?" Ira said as he kicked a dozen large scrolls away, grabbed a chair, and set it near Ginger.


    He then grabbed one for himself and sat down.


    Ginger faced him after taking a seat and then endured the terribly awkward silence that followed. The plump dragonling couldn''t meet Ira''s gaze.


    His eyes darted to and fro.


    ''Shunting Shamans! Speak for crying out loud!'' he thought while scratching his thigh lightly.


    Why had Ira suddenly grown quiet? Didn''t he want to talk about his secret?


    "Your Kardia is quite unique, more than I thought, little imp," Ira finally said after half a minute.


    It turned out he was appraising Ginger''s Kardia all this time, something the dragonling hadn''t realized.


    Ira leaned forward and narrowed his eyes.


    His eyes not only looked sharp, but they felt so too.


    ''Good eyes? I feel like I''m being poked by a knife!'' Ginger thought.


    "Noam told me about your First Burning. From what I can tell, the Othoni-Kardia was right about you having very little Kardia Aeras. Hmmm, I suppose your Kardia is a little stronger than normal too, but the speed of its flow is something hard to determine with its dual nature," Ira said with his eyes staring at the right side of Ginger''s chest.


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    He only withdrew his gaze after Ginger shifted uncomfortably.


    He wore a smirk, which quickly disappeared, and lazily leaned back on the chair.


    "So, your secret..." he said.


    Ginger''s insides twisted into a knot and he sucked in a deep breath.


    His eyes started pooling with tears, but he opened them wide and cocked his head back, refusing to let them fall down his cheek. He jerked his head down again and bit his upper lip.


    What about his secret?


    What was Ira about to say?


    If Ancor really trusted him with that knowledge...


    But Ancor wasn''t here!


    What if Ira wasn''t as accommodating about it?


    What if dragons viewed it as taboo?


    What if...


    "Hey, relax," Ira said with a calm tone.


    Ginger suddenly felt a warm, almost palpable embrace coil unseen from Ira and wrap around him, forcing him to calm down.


    Before he knew it, he was looking at the gatekeeper with a solemn, sullen face.


    Ira''s visage didn''t hold the judgment he had expected. It was still, but not hard or condemning.


    Ginger took a deep breath.


    "What did... Ancor tell you?" he asked.


    Ira folded his arms and emitted a light, almost inaudible sigh.


    "Everything. Everything about your father, about your mother, your younger brother.. and you," he said seriously while watching Ginger turn a little pale. "I didn''t want to rush to conclusions on the first day regarding your particular... condition. Your First Burning didn''t tell me anything out of the ordinary, so I waited until your Second."


    Ginger gritted his teeth behind his lips.


    "I will tell you now. I have never heard of a dragon with two souls."


    Ginger shook.


    Ira really knew.


    He had hoped that... But no. Ancor really did tell him.


    "I''m sure Ancor has told you that it''s only his theory, but even I am convinced. If what he said is exactly what happened, then there is no reason to doubt it. Ancor might be a Shaman, but his skill is comparable to Merccina Sorcerers," Ira said, his face turning even more serious.


    Ginger took another deep breath.


    His father had told him.


    Ancor had told him too.


    Yet there was a difference in how the two had told the story and how they interpreted it.


    Years ago, when Ginger''s mother was pregnant, a local Shaman ¨C an aged, knowledgeable hag ¨C had told her that she would have twins. She had shown Ginger''s mother and father the two sets of life force burning within the former''s womb.


    As time passed, it became irrefutable even with the bare eye that truly, two children would be born.


    However, when the day of labor came, only one child flourished from the womb.


    Ginger''s mother, who had expected a beautiful pair of children, was left stunned and devastated when not even the body of the second child could be found.


    It was only Ginger that she had birthed.


    ...


    "Ginger..." Ira called.


    The plump dragonling had been sucked into reminiscence.


    He had begun to recall his father telling him this truth.


    That day...


    He hadn''t been able to sleep after being told about it, especially with the slightly accusing tone his father used when addressing him.


    "What do you think about it? Do you blame yourself?" Ira asked without a shift in his expression.


    Ginger didn''t answer for a while. When he finally did, he seemed to have aged a year or two.


    "No," he said. "But my father did. For a while. That was why he told me about it... when I was only four. He said I ate my brother in my mother''s womb."


    There was a pause.


    "Hmm..." Ira hummed with a nod, keeping his thoughts to himself. "What happened afterward?"


    Ginger blinked a couple of times, his head hung low.


    "He apologized a year later..." he said, much to Ira''s surprise. "I don''t know why... so suddenly, but... I was happy. After that, it was like he was a completely different person."


    For the first time, a small smile crept on Ginger''s face.


    Ira nodded, but he didn''t know what to make of it.


    He would have loved to ask more questions, especially about his mother and brother, but he wanted to maintain the semblance of happiness Ginger had hung onto. If he tapped into that subject, he was sure Ginger would break down.


    Ancor had warned against asking about those two in his letter.


    Ira resolved to shatter the somber atmosphere altogether.


    "Well, I''m not sure how any of what happened to you occurred, but it would explain how and why you have two different Kardia types," he said.


    Ginger looked up.


    "I... thought so too," he said.


    "I can imagine," Ira said. "You haven''t told anyone, have you?"


    Ginger wore a constipated face, but only for a second when he thought about Reiss.


    "No," answered.


    "Good. Keep it that way for now. The attention on you is enough as it is," Ira advised.


    "Now, about your Kardia. Given that it embodies two traits that seem to have different levels of potential, however, I assume your duality has different qualities ¨C your souls likely have different levels of, let''s say potency. The results you got from the Rebounding Seether... Your Alien-type Kardia manifested as blue sparks, while Pooling-type was expressed as orange. The two parts of you must represent the two types and qualities depicted here."


    Ginger reeled at this.


    Before asking any questions, he drew his flask which he had slotted in the tight pocket of his pants.


    As soon as he willed some Kardia to rush from his second heart, blue, sputtering sparks emerged within the glassy interior along with a pool of orange flame immediately below them.


    Reiss had hastily explained to Ginger why the other First Years had been erupting into surprise whenever someone emerged from the Seether with a Kardia designation that had white or blue hue.


    When it came to the flames that a Cinder-Born could manifest in any capacity, the color of it mattered as well. Naturally, the color of a flame dictated its strength.


    Blue fire was the hottest, followed by white, then yellow, then orange, and then red.


    The cast of one''s scales determined which kind of flame a Cinder-Born could utilize in their lifetimes.


    The fact that Ginger had his Alien-type Kardia with a designation that had a blue hue...


    "Despite your inferior cast, you have something about you that can match the higher quality cast of other dragons," Ira explained, which turned Ginger''s face bright.


    Could it be true?


    He hadn''t thought about it in this way.


    Ira scratched his nose.


    "I also think that your First Burning opened a path for strange, rather, odd things to happen to you because of your condition. There''s no telling what could happen to your body if you do indeed share it with another soul. According to Ancor, you can''t sense this other soul of yours, right?"


    "Perhaps it will do strange things that you might notice. Things you may have already noticed. Did anything unusual happen during or after your Burning? It could be after the First or even the Second Burning today," he asked curiously.


    Ginger''s eyes bulged.


    Come to think of it...

 Go Crazy!

    "Sleepwalking, ey?" Ira said while folding his arms over his chest and looking to contemplate deeply.


    Of everything that Ginger had explained in the last six minutes, this particular detail seemed to have stuck out to him the most, which was fair, but Ginger had expected more of a reaction to how he explained his Kardia to have grown to inflate his stok so much that he had felt he would burst during his First Burning.


    In any case, contrary to how he felt on that day, Ginger felt a great sense of freedom, as though the sack full of heavy rocks which he had been forced to carry somewhere in the modest pockets of fat around his body, had vanished the moment he confided in Ira.


    It hadn''t been that long since Ginger arrived here, but the burden of his secrets had been growing heavier and heavier until yesterday, when he reconciled with Reiss. Even then though, there were things he couldn''t tell Reiss yet, but he had managed to tell them to Ira.


    If Ancor told the gatekeeper everything there was about Ginger''s personal life ¨C things he kept close to his heart, fuelling his motivation to power through the unfamiliar, and unfriendly environment of the school so far ¨C then there was no reason to foolishly keep his concerns. For all he knew, Ira had the answers as an experienced, mature dragon.


    Right now, Ginger felt both relaxed and anxious.


    Ira was shockingly similar to Professor Mara in his ability to hide what he was thinking, at least when he wasn''t wearing the abrasive alter ego Ginger had met before. Ginger had slowly begun to realize that it was just a front.


    "How odd..." Ira said after mulling things over.


    "What?" Ginger said apprehensively. He was praying that he wouldn''t be left with more concern than he walked in here with.


    "You see, little imp, I''m torn between two inferences. Ancor contradicted a thought I immediately had after he explained your circumstances. Your birth... while it is plausible that you have two souls, I had thought that it was also natural for you to also have a body comprised of the elements of two."


    Ginger was alarmed.


    "Like two bodies... in one?"


    "Yes. Well, this is coming from someone who doesn''t have the best understanding of souls and bodies, but I''m not completely ignorant. Unless your other soul is docile, I imagined you would need a body capable of housing two souls. Ancor debated heavily against it, since, according to him, your body is as ordinary as it could be," Ira explained with a light, wet cough.


    Ginger considered.


    He had never really encountered circumstances that would give him the impression that his body was... odd.


    Ginger had always known that he was a dragon, so he knew he was different from humans, but that was it. In that, Ancor was right.


    "I''m not entirely convinced, but it makes sense if you truly haven''t noticed anything strange. If anything, at least you seem more dragon than you are human."


    Ira saw the confusion on Ginger''s face from what he had just said and elaborated.


    "Your father was a dragon, and your mother was human, right? Even if they were to bear twins, I couldn''t imagine one to be human and the other to be a dragon. No. They would both likely share draconic traits, with one being more dragon-like than the other. It''s impossible to tell which kind you were, but it''s undeniable that you are more dragon right now. If you weren''t, you would have looked more like human children with your age. You''ve noticed, right? You don''t look that different from your peers despite being ''younger''."


    It was true.


    Ginger had thought about this. He was supposed to be nine years old, but his body proportions didn''t differ that much from the fourteen years old dragonlings in the school ¨C his slight advantage in body weight aside.


    From the little he had seen of human children in the Wild, this disparity was also confirmed.


    Ginger nodded at Ira''s words with a bit of a sullen look.


    "I have noticed. Why is that?" he asked, though a little sure the answer he had thought of before was correct.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Your father came from Ravi. That much is certain. It is also certain that anything from Ravi carries the time and reality from here. Ravi has been given the moniker, Possessive Island, many times throughout history. Dragons were born of Ravi and it considers us its pride. In that way, all dragons, no matter where they are, live in the flow of time here. For inst... Not that hard to understand, right, little imp?"


    Ira chuckled mysteriously.


    Ginger nodded, though a bit unsure of how exactly that worked.


    "So, your sleepwalking. If I were you, I wouldn''t let it bother me too much. As I said earlier, the First Burning sparked the unique aspects about you to life. If you do have a second soul, I don''t think it is mature or capable of complex decisions. My guess is that it pulled your body to the fire in old Alexandros'' office just out of curiosity. In a way, the fire from the Seether gave it some form of freedom, so it was enticed. You haven''t had instances where your body reacted in such a way before, right?"


    Ginger looked strained. Just thinking that his body moved on its own because he had something else in him seemed more unnerving than before. Ira casually confirming this did help him accept it as fact though.


    "Well, I have sometimes felt so hungry that I could die back in the Wild, even after eating. When it happened, it didn''t feel... physical. It happened often and Ancor would have to cast a Charm on me each time... but it hasn''t happened since I came here..." he said.


    Ira nodded.


    "Hunger, is it?" he said while narrowing his eyes. "I suppose sleepwalking is an upgrade from feeling starvation for no reason. If it hasn''t happened since your Burning, then perhaps your other soul has found a better way to express itself. Like I said, don''t be too concerned about it. Keep note of it, but do not repress it. Your other soul may function on instinct, but that''s not to say it is stupid. Foolishly restraining it may cause problems."


    Ginger slowly nodded.


    He wondered whether his hunger, as he explained, gave more credence to Ira''s insistence that his body was an exaggerated example of two in one.


    The fact that it wasn''t a kind of hunger tied to his stomach made him doubt it though.


    In any case, Ginger was sure Ira was right about not concerning himself too much with the sleepwalking. If he did have a part of himself attempting to express itself, he didn''t want to crush it.


    Since he had the nocturnal Reiss to keep watch over him most of the time, he had some semblance of assurance, but better than that was what Professor Lyall had explained. Ginger asked Ira about it.


    "She''s right. Unless you''re an exception among exceptions, there is no way you can harm a Professor in this school as a student. Especially if you don''t know the three fundamental applications of Kardia. Lyall is sure to teach them to you soon. She''s one of the few with my respect. She never writes letters to address me at least, and even visits for the occasional catch-up," Ira said with a salty tone.


    "Speaking of Lyall, or rather the course she is obsessed with, she''s likely to have you draw better conclusions about the strange reaction of your Kardia."


    "You don''t know what it means?" Ginger asked, his sullen tone deepening.


    "I would like to say it is because of your body, but well, this subject has me and Ancor seeing it differently. I don''t want to give you false hope with shaky evidence, little imp. It could subconsciously ruin you. If the volume of your Kardia is so low that it doesn''t even qualify for the basic standard in one moment, and then so much it could fill your entire body in the next... yeah, that''s something only Lyall could explain perhaps."


    Ginger deflated.


    ''Another non-answer...'' he thought.


    There were too many ifs and maybes. To be fair though, there wasn''t much information to work with. But still...


    Ira gave Ginger a light whack on the face with his hand, bringing the plump dragonling back to reality with a slight burst of fury.


    "Don''t give me that look. It isn''t all bad news. Ancor told me that you are used to facing strange monsters and fighting other humans. Is that true?"


    Ginger rubbed his cheek and gave a modest nod.


    "A little."


    "A little? Have you lost confidence since meeting dragons?" Ira said with a boisterous laugh. "Let me tell you, Ginger, the fact that you have been on many whimsical, and dangerous adventures with that fool Ancor is the very same reason why you''re going to be a match for those fancy-born dragonlings you''ll meet. It''s also why you''re more or less as mature as them despite being younger. So don''t look down on yourself."


    An encouraging pat fell on Ginger''s shoulder.


    He did feel a bit better from hearing that.


    He had a lot of experience fighting monsters and being in straining situations. It hadn''t showed yet here in Ravi because of the difference in the sort of danger he had been in.


    Ira leaned closer to him and grinned.


    "Tell you what? Let me throw you a golden scale, free of charge - for Ancor''s sake. You''ve likely already been told of this more times than you can count, but this school is highly practical. During every Breather, you are allowed to sign up for Hunts with authorized organizations in nearby cities and towns."


    Ginger had heard about this in passing from Professor Lyall, but she seemed to have expanded on it during the last Breather to the rest of the class when he and Reiss when paying for loitering after curfew. His other classmates were probably shown the locations of these organizations as well.


    "Here''s something most of your peers don''t know. The most unimpressive organizations you''ll see aren''t always going to have some surprise hidden quality, but some of them do. Explore the lesser-known ones with bad reputations rather than flocking where everyone else is going. I assure you, you''ll learn faster that way."


    Ginger perked up.


    "What will we be doing in these places?"


    "Hunting Blighted of course!" Ira yelled.


    Ginger immediately looked excited. This is what Professor Lyall had been talking about earlier. Killing Blighted to refine Kardia!


    "If you want to solve the matter of your awfully low Kardia quantity, this is the way. You might just be able to improve your stok''s capacity. It''s not guaranteed, but if you''re anything like Ancor, and if you''re even half as competent as he wrote you to be, you''ll be fine. Some things don''t require too much thought. You just need to go crazy."

 Cinder-Born Origin

    Two days passed in a blink.


    The Stride became several degrees more pleasant for Ginger even though he was still the talk of the school - mainly because of his background, and the fact that he was a hybrid.


    Ira''s surprising encouragement rejuvenated Ginger, for a start. The gatekeeper had an Ancor-esque way of speaking that made Ginger wonder who among them inspired the other. Given Ancor''s extra self-destructive antics though, Ginger concluded that the Shaman learned a lot more from Ira.


    After sleeping on the conversation he had with the gatekeeper, Ginger had found himself feeling even lighter. This was in part also because he had someone to help him with ordeals that Ira couldn''t actively help with ¨C Reiss.


    The super midget had become something of a portable happiness device for Ginger, causing him to almost gleam bright, and become immune to the long stares he often got wherever he went.


    Having Reiss as a friend was redeeming, and the small dragonling felt the same. The two seemed to grow closer and more comfortable in their own bubble of mutual understanding.


    A great advance in the trust the two had in each other showed when Ginger told some details about his conversation with Ira to Reiss ¨C barring sensitive information, like how he had two souls ¨C which Reiss responded to with "Good grief! Really? Some dragons here know humans from the Wild personally?!"


    Reiss, on the other hand, removed his scarf and showed the dull silver cast of his scales which Ginger didn''t react that oddly to since he had seen the kind of flame Reiss could produce during the Second Burning.


    The dwarfish dragonling had a cast that matched the Argent Dragon''s, the weakest among the five most potent ones. Reiss felt a little embarrassed about it. According to him, dragon society wasn''t too hot on the argent cast and its variants.


    Some extremists even took the cast as being no different from the miscellaneous ones past it.


    In any case, revealing his cast to Ginger meant a lot to Reiss who wasn''t willing to walk around with his scarf loose, showing a gingery-orange cast like his plump counterpart.


    Naturally, both dragonlings appreciated the transparency from either side, even though both clearly had darker secrets reserved for later stages of trust. Their relationship grew despite this, as they complemented each other a little too well.


    Reiss cherished the idea of expressing his intelligence to Ginger who took it all in greedily while providing spectacularly thrilling reactions. It was rare to find this in someone who didn''t fixate on his size.


    Reiss had wondered though: Were there many short, smaller-than-usual children among the humans perhaps? That wasn''t the case for dragons. They usually had robust bodies that developed quickly, unless of course, they were hybrids. Reiss had as much dragon blood as any other dragonling in the same year, however.


    As for Ginger, he was extremely thankful for having someone to teach him nuances in both dragon society, and the general language. Reading through the ancient library books got more enlightening with a friend who was willing to explain even the slightest detail, albeit with a few infuriated bursts of "Good grief, Ginger!" here and there.


    Besides that, the plump dragonling had been ever so glad to finally be able to sleep in his bed at night.


    Reiss had said before that he would watch over him to make sure he didn''t walk out again ¨C which wasn''t too tall of a favor since Reiss began reading past his usual latest hours last Stride, on account of their courses truly beginning in kind.


    Speaking of courses, the gears changed in an utterly brutal manner.


    The usually carefree environment from First Blue which had sustained gossip, giggles, and gallivanting, was burned to oblivion.


    It all started with Professor Edelman ¨C straight-backed, aloof, and with sleek, deep indigo hair.


    He began piling on stacks of atrociously unappealing history for the students to study and absorb: the result of the various, intensive draconic policies during the 103rd Tally of the Azure Dragon; Leander Sopphira''s stance in response to the Great Rising of the 231st Tally of the Violet Dragon; the formation of the Coalition of Non-Dragons against the spread of the Condemned in 111th Tally of the Azure Dragon and so much more.


    Ginger found no pleasure in some of these topics.


    Having to write ostensibly complex essays on histories that were completely new to him would have had him jumping out a window on the fifth floor if not for Reiss.


    The fact that Alcaeus and Fillys had been too busy to mess with Ginger was telling of how terribly effective the educational aura in Expired Times and Diluted Histories was.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Not everything was uninteresting though.


    Ginger knew to pay attention here and there once Professor Edelman actually began talking about things that weren''t too rich. He grew to learn a lot more about the Cinder-Born in general ¨C the history of how Qin Asha, Olarmanders, Blighted, and Condemned came to be.


    "Our values?" Professor Edelman said. "They are based on how our ancestors were birthed. The vast volcanic mountain Burmrag, said to now be buried under five hundred thousand tonnes of hard crust, birthed the first Cinder-Born to walk this continent. Millions of us crawled from the deep, scorching lava; Qin Asha and the Olarmanders, which served as our companions and messengers."


    The Professor smiled proudly, his pacing around the class being the only thing to be heard beside his voice.


    "As Qin Asha, we stood ¨C well, we still do ¨C as bastions of courage, might, and nature. We were to grow and give praises to Burmrag as our god. I imagine it wasn''t a burden. Even the earliest Olarmanders needed no training to maintain the sanctity of the great mountain, but some among us Qin Asha, chose to refuse Burmrag its due praise. Some of us chose instead, to wander from the mountain, and enslave other races after learning to Denature, setting loose mighty bursts of flame that devoured scores of innocent non-dragons."


    "Burmrag was displeased, our ancient texts say, and it cursed the ungrateful rebels, turning them into mindless mutants and plagued monsters that lusted with fierce instinct for carnage ¨C the flesh of other Cinder-Born ¨C and gold. These are what we known as Blighted and Condemned. Unlike us, they stand for greed, war, adverse fertility, and evil. They have bred themselves into countless species over the millennia, increasing their numbers atrociously."


    "However, Burmrag made it so that putting them down offers reward, especially for the Condemned. I believe it was to allow the loyal among us to grow stronger, and this still applies to this day."


    After the lesson, Ginger had been smitten with several questions that carried over from Professor Lyall''s explanation of how Kardia grew after the Second Burning.


    Certainly, the origin of dragons left him intrigued, but because the predicament of his lacking Kardia was still afoot, his mind desperately sought an answer in everything he learned.


    "So killing Blighted and Condemned gives you something else besides their Kardia?" he asked Reiss while opening his palm and closing it continuously.


    "Of course," the short dragonling said matter-of-factly, also following the same hand motion. "I''ve read about some famous dragons acquiring powerful weapons and artefacts after killing stronger Condemned. Families like Avecsalot and Draggard-Phoenix probably have them as heirlooms for hundreds of generations!"


    Ginger grimaced.


    Just thinking about Vassilis having some kind of super powerful tool that he could threaten anyone who dared to speak against him with, irked his very soul. Souls?


    Well, maybe the young dragonling didn''t have something like that. After all, Ginger had stood his ground against him not too long ago, and nothing happened to him.


    "But don''t Blighted and Condemned have different Kardia types like us? What if you kill a Blighted that has Pooling-type Kardia when you have Affix-type? Doesn''t that mess up your stok?"


    Reiss gave Ginger an odd look.


    "I guess you missed the answer in Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures, huh? Professor Rotten mentioned it in her class last Stride. Olarmanders, Blighted, and Condemned have something like Totality-type Kardia. Seems dangerous, doesn''t it? It''s not much of an advantage though, since most of them aren''t that intelligent. Still, it must have been Burmrag''s way of giving us a bit more of a challenge. In any case, once the Kardia filters into you, it doesn''t change your Kardia type."


    Soon, the duo exited the Frost Mount''s Tooth and walked alongside their classmates who were oddly opening their palms and closing them while flexing the youthful muscles of their arms continuously.


    They were mixed in with the students from First Red today, which Ginger and Reiss weren''t pleased with. In preparation for the event this coming Breather, several Professors - those with what were deemed priority classes where the event was concerned - had decided to do joint classes today, but since the schedules for each class differed, it seemed only First Blue and First Red were able to learn at once.


    There was apparently some butting of heads between Professors that taught all three classes in the First Year, and those that did not.


    As a disjointed group, the students reached a building opposite the Frost Mount''s Tooth, with half the height and only a quarter of the width. Its bright red blocks looked worn, with some of them jutting out purposely in a display that now, with the building''s apparent age, only suggested its decline; but that was far from true.


    Several chimneys rose from the top of the building, pumping out soot and smoke that vanished mysteriously as soon as it reached a certain height.


    This building was called the Ample Forge, a building that facilitated classes in Equipped Armament Creation and Usage.


    Before long, the First Years of First Blue and First Red were seated in a spacious room with an obscene number of small windows ¨C one of the many in the seven hot floors within the Ample Forge. Even for dragons, the heat that bore in from below and above in this room seemed a bit too unbearable, as several of the students had taken off their jerseys, though their scarves remained as nooses around their necks.


    The stern, appealing face of Professor Mara stood before the class within the clean space littered with neat wooden racks that stowed tens of different weapons on each side of the room.


    "I would appreciate a bit more brisk added to your steps for my course. You have shaved away five minutes already," Professor Mara said with his signature stone face and pulled on the sleeves of his blue, Professorial coat.


    The class didn''t bother offering any form of explanation.


    Almost every instructor had said the same thing in the past two days. Admitting ''pressure'' as the reason for their tardiness just wouldn''t cut it, unfortunately.


    "You were given a brief reprieve to familiarise yourself with your Kardia by Professor Lyall. I was so generous as to oblige for the last two days, and thus I expect every Affixer from both your classes to wow me," the young-looking dragon said as his green eyes scrolled across the room.


    Ginger felt Reiss shiver beside him.


    "That is not to say I have no expectations for non-Affixers, however. We learned basic forms when handling a variety of weapons last Stride up to yesterday. So, since you should undoubtedly have a good grasp on what style of combat you wish to pursue by now, I give you all the chance to choose a weapon of choice from the ones presented around you."


    The students grew tense.


    The sheen of the polished weapons around them, most of which they had handled, had never seemed more ominous.


    "The weapon you choose today will be what you will focus on for the rest of the year, so do not take this choice lightly."


    Like everyone else, Ginger looked around.


    The assortment was vast, but luckily, he had fewer options.


    This allowed him to advance on his weapon of choice rather quickly.

 Weapon of Choice

    A mildly interesting mystery that Ginger had once wondered about, was how the Wild and Ravi shared a plethora of similarities, some of which extended to odd extremities.


    It was clear that Ravi was far more developed, but the difference in the core concepts between the two worlds wasn''t as pronounced as some of the things resulting from them. For instance, weaponry.


    Conflict was obviously evident in Ravi as a concept just as much as it was in the Wild, but the weapons stemming from the conflict differed a bit. Or was it more apt to say they evolved from similar ideas and sources with the results seeming more innovative in what Ravi had to offer?


    Perhaps dragons grew fantastically because the nature of conflict in Ravi seemed to be more grandiose, more organized, and more overwhelming, however, Ginger embraced what life in the Wild taught him.


    The Wild had a callous way of breeding certain mindsets in its inhabitants. It encouraged efficiency rather than dominance, though that was not to say the latter was extinct.


    As such, Ginger, when under the tutelage of the Shaman Ancor, had been taught a very impactful lesson after a rather large and aggressive Fork Snake ¨C a species of serpent with a tongue that worked more as a sharp, exceedingly quick projectile than a sensory organ ¨C tore Ginger''s arm off right when he attempted to use his sword to kill it.


    ''You thought a sword was easy to wield, didn''t you?'' Ginger remembered Ancor saying to him after healing his arm. ''The range it gives was particularly appealing, wasn''t it? Your reasoning wasn''t entirely wrong Ginger, but you have neither the strength nor the skill to kill anything that size with this weapon. The latter is a problem with every weapon you try to use, but the former... That can be remedied by simply choosing a weapon matching your current capabilities."


    This lesson had been sufficiently engraved into Ginger that day.


    And that was why the boy was the first one out of his entire class - and First Red - to walk over to one of the racks and decisively, pick up the weapon he was most suited for.


    His unfettered movement which didn''t have the slightest sign of hesitation caused much surprise, especially for Reiss, the Doukas siblings, and Professor Mara who still kept a stony visage.


    The range of weapons available inspired careful consideration and hesitation among the other First Years. The different series of polearms, the variations of swords, bows, gauntlets, hammers, scythes, and even whips.


    What to pick.


    A weapon you would have to use for the whole year.


    How was Ginger so confident?


    A few figured he was trying to appear bolder and more astute in order to reshape his reputation, but this assumption was thwarted thoroughly by the weapon Ginger picked.


    It was not flamboyant. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The vast selection had startled Ginger at first, given how expansive and varied it was, but he quickly recovered when he noticed what he wanted.


    When he took it from the rack and wielded it in his right hand, Professor Mara''s eyes twitched.


    Reiss had a similar look of suspicion.


    That was no amateurish grip.


    There was no flimsy resolve reflected in the weapon''s slightest sway.


    The silver-bladed dagger was in good hands.


    "Quite the choice," Professor Mara said with a tone that landed to neither praise nor criticism. "Hopefully, it is the right one."


    Ginger didn''t give any sort of response to Professor Mara. He walked back to where he had been standing and was received by a curious Reiss.


    "You seem sure of yourself," the dwarfish dragonling said.


    "I am," Ginger said with a smile.


    The Qin Steel used to craft the blade was incredibly beautiful, the silver hue it had ¨C a few shades from ivory ¨C marred with what looked like aged sediments from other coarse minerals within it.


    Ginger and the rest of the class had learned from Professor Mara during their earlier lessons, that all weaponry and important constructs related to dragons were created using Qin Steel, an ore found only in the Vermillion Valley, a place where the remains of the great Vermillion Dragon, Avecsalot were said to have stimulated the earth to produce this precious mineral.


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    Professor Mara had promised a trip there in a few Strides, something Fillys and Alcaeus had been particularly happy about for some reason.


    As the other students scrambled to choose their own weapons, Reiss merely continued to look closely at Ginger''s dagger.


    "You weren''t kidding when you said you had some experience with fighting monsters," he said. "You''re a bit too modest."


    Ginger wore a sheepish smile.


    "Why this weapon in particular? Are you planning to take full advantage of your Pooling-type Kardia or something?" Reiss asked.


    "Something like that," Ginger replied.


    Reiss'' assumption was only half right.


    Poolers ¨C users of Pooling-type Kardia ¨C were usually powerful at close range, and could generate immense strength because their Kardia clumped together in their bodies, strengthening specific portions of it at will. Reiss imagined that Ginger was more interested in a more brutish use of the dagger.


    He wasn''t wrong, but Ginger was also capable of incredibly efficient uses of the short-bladed weapon.


    "That could turn into a disadvantage for you though," Reiss said concernedly. "You''re not an Affixer. Unless you are very good at controlling your strength, you might end up breaking your dagger."


    "I know that, but we''re here to learn how to do it correctly, right?" Ginger said.


    Reiss didn''t seem convinced.


    As Professor Lyall had said, each Kardia type was the best at its trade. If one wasn''t an Affixer, chances were they couldn''t understand their weapon as well as someone who could channel their Kardia into it, learn its properties, and even enhance them could.


    "What about you?" Ginger asked the small dragonling.


    Reiss tore himself from speculation. A bit of hesitation was noticeable in his eyes, but he seemed to know what he wanted, given that he had always desired to be an Affixer.


    Amidst the other students moving from rack to rack, some were decisive like Vassilis from First Red, who picked up a bow; Fillys, a spear; Alcaeus, a saber.


    Some students made endless internal remarks about how the weapons either felt too weird in their grip, how they didn''t match what they expected or how their friends didn''t choose a certain kind of weapon.


    Reiss extricated himself from the latter group and went to retrieve what he thought was best for him.


    Ginger gaped.


    A loud burst of laughter erupted when a loud thud came from Reiss'' position.


    He heaved a long-handled hammer with a thick, blocky head of Qin Steel only to drop it halfway through an attempt at setting it on his shoulder.


    The class finding his actions funny, as expected, didn''t dissuade Reiss at all.


    After finding the task of lifting the hammer again much too tall, Reiss dragged it back to where Ginger was, the head making a grating noise as it scraped against the floor.


    This caused Reiss'' classmates to laugh even louder, some sneering awfully hurtful words at him.


    Ginger didn''t know what to do.


    He intended to help Reiss initially, but he decided against it.


    Reiss did not shy away from asking for help when he needed it, especially when the challenge related closely to his size. The stern and resolved look in his eyes told Ginger that he was firmly set on his choice, and we wanted to own it despite how he currently looked.


    "Any story behind this?" Ginger asked when Reiss returned, letting out a harsh breath.


    "Yes, but also, I''m here to learn how to properly handle a weapon like this too," Reiss said with a grin at his friend.


    Ginger gave a short laugh.


    "Alright," Professor Mara said fifteen minutes later after every student had chosen their weapon.


    He also held a weapon in his hand, a standard double-edged sword.


    "Now, let me to make a few things clear," he said as he held out his sword. "Qin Steel is receptive to both Kardia and Mana Essence, moreso to the former, but that isn''t truly relevant for now. Affixers have the advantage when holding items ¨C weapons, artefacts ¨C but in itself does not entail instant victory. A sword of Qin Steel drunk with Mana Essence, can kill a dragon in their Denatured state, easily in fact. It all depends on the wielder."


    His green eyes looked at each individual in the class as he paraded his sword''s tip in front of them.


    "Affixers, beware. You may hold the upper hand, some of you perhaps being talented enough to grant your weapons great traits, but skill is irreplaceable. That is why you are lumped in with Non-Affixers for this course. I daresay it may help quench some of your egos, "Professor Mara said.


    "As you have been told, you will begin your lessons in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation sometime this Stride ¨C which is tragic for a good chunk of the class. However, I decided for us to push on, even if Affixers will be benefitting a bit more until the rest can manipulate Mana Essence. Therefore..."


    Professor Mara''s sword suddenly changed.


    The solid Qin Steel that was so erect and straight suddenly turned slightly wobbly as though a mirage has been cast over it.


    The students marveled.


    "For Non-Affixers, this is the product of enhancing a weapon with Mana Essence. With a dash of this Essence ¨C mostly unseen except in special cases ¨C it becomes resilient, and more efficient at what it was crafted to do."


    From thin air, a large block of what looked like dark grey stone appeared, floating in mid-air beside Professor Mara.


    Without waiting for the students to get a good look at it, and wonder how he conjured it, the stern dragon slowly carved into the large stone from top to bottom with his sword. Two seconds later, the stone fell in two to the floor, both surfaces revealed in it looking smooth.


    Ginger was enthralled.


    Such grace.


    Professor Mara looked as though he had been cutting paper just now.


    The whole class, barring a few seemed just as impressed as Ginger was.


    The handsome instructor manifested another grey stone.


    He held out his sword again, but this time, the blade returned to its normal state before becoming coated in a light blue haze, much like very active smoke.


    "Your Kardia is unrefined, meaning you cannot see the refined kind which I and your other instructors can produce ¨C I''m sure you''ve been told. However, even your kind of unrefined Kardia ¨C which I am currently sheathing around my sword by dumbing down my own ¨C can achieve a good result."


    With the same slow swing as before, Professor Mara split the stone just as cleanly as he did with the last.


    All the Affixers, Reiss included, grew immensely excited.


    As it was clear that Professor Mara was an Affixer, Ginger didn''t think it too strange that the students with the same Kardia-type felt emboldened by Professor Mara''s demonstration.


    However, the rest of the class ¨C those who had to rely solely on Mana Essence to empower their weapons ¨C seemed destined to pay dearly for the late commencement of the Mana Essence course.


    For what Professor Mara followed the next bloated hour with, barely appealed to them at all, and it didn''t seem their instructor felt that it was his business to remedy the fact.

 Dissatisfaction, Desperation

    Ginger was glad to see that some of his classmates were beginning to share his view of Professor Mara.


    Every Non-Affixer was expressing their displeasure as they exited the Ample Forge with some mumbling that they didn''t deserve the fate they had been ''blessed'' with for the remainder of the lesson.


    Having to hold their chosen weapons in silence, and in a reserved quarter of the room while Professor Mara enlightened the Affixers ¨C just because they couldn''t use Mana Essence - was foul.


    The feminine portion of this excluded group who had fallen prey to the stern dragon''s handsome looks, sinking in juvenile infatuation last Stride, gave the Professor a nasty re-evaluation.


    Well, Professor Mara obviously didn''t care.


    Ginger turned out to not be the only one to feel a pinch of regret after leaving the Ample Forge empty-handed.


    Unfortunately, training weapons could only be used during lessons, and with the supervision of a Professor, thus they couldn''t be taken to the dormitories. This had felt absurd when Ginger first learned of it, but he had quickly realized that he wasn''t in the Wild anymore.


    Too bad.


    At least the specific weapon he chose was now considered his for the whole year and beyond.


    Because Reiss was part of Professor Mara''s favorites for the Stride, Ginger had to look forward to Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation on his own until the lesson ended.


    In the Wild, Ancor had taught Ginger how to perceive Fetid Essence, which, because it was initially pungent once one became able to sense it, had been quite the unpleasant experience. Ancor had been in the process of teaching Ginger how to coerce it into moving as he willed, something that had proven time and time again to be a tall task because Fetid was incredibly stubborn.


    Fetid Essence was thick and hard to overpower with whatever manner of invisible sensitivity any being could conjure. This was only a little less true for Shamans, as Ancor had told Ginger, but the latter didn''t believe it.


    The way the shabby Shaman did it so effortlessly both squashed and raised Ginger''s spirits.


    ''Maybe Mana Essence won''t be so hard to manipulate. There''s a huge difference in how the two energies feel after all,'' Ginger thought.


    Mana Essence felt lighter, and smoother after all.


    "I don''t doubt that if we were to take our weapons to the dormitories, Alcaeus would skewer you in your sleep," Reiss interrupted Ginger''s thoughts as they walked briskly, flanked by other First Years from First Blue.


    Ginger wore a nervous smile.


    "Don''t say that," he said, not quite finding the idea funny.


    He dreaded the thought. Perhaps the entitled dragonling would really want to vent out the recent frustrations from schoolwork by watching him die slowly.


    It was a common practice in the Wild actually, at least Ancor said so. He kept referencing how he did something similar to this to a particular toad the size of a small house.


    "You should have an easy time killing your first Blighted now, right? The way you raised that hammer and swung it around... I was deeply impressed," Ginger said while stifling a laugh.


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    Reiss frowned, his cheeks flushing.


    "Well played," he said through his teeth and Ginger laughed down at him.


    Of course, it was false praise.


    Reiss failing to raise his weapon of choice, a long-handled hammer, had yet to prove to be anything more than a free joke for the class to come together, Non-Affixers and all, and share a good laugh at.


    Ginger was an exception, but that was because he had been saving his voice for the perfect moment, which was now.


    "But I am curious though. You''ll be able to use your hammer well enough soon. If your Affixing Kardia can make your hammer any stronger than it already is, then you have a sure-fire way of killing your first Blighted," he said.


    Reiss smirked a little at the genuine confidence Ginger had in him.


    "Well, yes, but it''s not like Qin Steel responds poorly to Mana Essence either. It should be as easy for everyone else without Affix-type Kardia. Unless we''re given full-grown Blighted or something," he said.


    "Would that really happen?" Ginger asked with concern. "I remember Professor Lyall saying something about feeding us to Blighted in our first lesson."


    "Of course not! Good grief, man, don''t be so gullible," Reiss said with a stern face. "Everyone''s going to start picking on you if you believe everything they say."


    "You have a point," Ginger said.


    "Anyway, do you have enough Kardia for the rest of our lessons?"


    "I think so. It''s not like I used any in Professor Mara''s class. Though I feel like if I let loose, it will all disappear."


    Over the course of the last two busy days, Ginger had been trying to at least learn how to manage and control his Kardia before getting the opportunity to increase his stok''s capacity and his overall amount.


    He had yet to see any progress.


    "Well, that''s Alien-type Kardia for you. You better learn the Pooling quickly. We can find an upperclassman with a good head on their shoulders and ask for advice."


    Ginger didn''t think this would be a fruitful effort.


    Searching for someone who didn''t sneer and walk right past them before they even made their case felt like too much work. He wondered why Reiss even thought it was a good idea.


    Looking for a Professor who would help didn''t seem too hopeful of an idea either. None of them seemed to have the free time for extra classes.


    Professor Lyall taught Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies in all three First Year Classes. The same was bound to be true for most instructors in some capacity.


    But then a possibility hit Ginger.


    "Well, Caron looked to be doing pretty well with Affixing. Maybe¡ª"


    "No way! That was a fluke!" Reiss barked immediately. "You don''t actually believe she''s going to master how to use her Kardia in three Strides, do you?" he added, feeling more than a little betrayed by Ginger''s faith in Caron.


    "Well..." Ginger said while scratching his chin.


    Despite saying she wanted to join them, and making an elaborate, absurd declaration that Reiss raged at every time, Caron had not approached the two dragonlings since the day of the Second Burning.


    Her demeanor didn''t change, but her laziness was challenged in more notes-heavy classes when the pace of learning ramped up, something that convinced Reiss more and more that Caron was no more than a terrible liar.


    In today''s class though, when all the Affixers were instructed to inflict damage on rocks much like the ones Professor Mara had produced before ¨C something Reiss never managed ¨C Caron had done so admirably.


    Imbuing her Totality-type Kardia into a four-section staff made of Qin Steel, she had managed to shatter a third of her rock with one hit.


    There was certainly marvel at her feat, because she did better than at least half of the Affixers, only truly falling behind Vassilis who blew his own rock to tiny bits, and Fillys who split hers into eight portions.


    The look Fillys had on her face ground Ginger the wrong way. He wished the rock had tensed when she attacked, refusing to buckle even a little bit.


    Reiss pressed and rubbed his temples as though he had just gotten a headache.


    "Let''s consider other less ridiculous options Ginger," he said, rationalizing.


    Several minutes later, the two were standing among their peers with the thickly built figure of Professor Lyall before them all.


    Her lips were drawn taut into a wide V, and she looked over her round-rimmed glasses.


    "What did I say - in both your classes - that we would be learning today, hmm?" she asked. "Can anyone give me a detaile-... Yes, Reiss."


    Everyone turned to the dwarfish dragonling who was firmly and desperately leaping up and down to draw his Prime Instructor''s attention with his hand up.


    Ginger gave a wiry smile.


    When he was picked, Reiss immediately blabber all he could.


    "We will be learning the three basic ¨C but fundamental ¨C applications of Kardia. Custos Zoe, a guarding application; Contra Parousia, a countering application; and Supplementum Soma, an enhancing application," the dwarf said proudly.


    Professor Lyall''s lips withdrew to a less drawn-out shape.


    "Correct," she said with a twinkle in her eye that made Reiss feel as though he had adequately restored his honor from Equipped Armament Creation and Usage.


    "Today I intend to start you all off on mastering the fundamental abilities all dragons should know. The applications of Kardia, known informally as Pieyro, are many and varied, however all of them ¨C and I mean all ¨C draw from these three."


    Professor Lyall marched along the line of students on the wide, dirty, silver floor.


    "Some of these Pieyro manifest differently from Kardia type to Kardia type, which has caused a fair amount of debates on which group of dragons has the ''better'' form of a specific Pieyro. I assure you, however, there is no such thing as ''better''. There is only the insurmountable fact of relevancy," she said, her eyes whipping from face to face.


    "Now, pay close attention. I will only demonstrate once at a time."

 Fundamental Pieyro

    "Now, I''m sure you all have been doing the daily exercise assigned to you in the Mortal Conflict course, so you should be aware ¨C I''d be cross if you didn''t ¨C of the differences between Permeation and Saturation," Professor Lyall said as she rolled up her sleeve.


    At the mention of the daily exercise, the students suddenly started - or rather resumed - opening and closing their palms repeatedly. Ginger found himself doing the same too.


    His plump instructor didn''t say a single word more.


    She instead extended her arm forward, naked to the elbow as it was, revealing her shockingly smooth skin. She then crouched a little, her legs spread apart modestly - which looked rather... odd.


    A soft, blue haze with a gentle feel to it blossomed around her, visible to the students. It instantly registered to Ginger and the rest that Professor Lyall was ''dumbing down'' her Kardia Aeras for educational purposes, as Professor Mara had done.


    Everyone watched as this soft blue energy, like smoke, created a large, wispy blanket around the thickly built instructor ¨C a ''hefty task'', some whispered.


    Ginger noted the difference in how it looked compared to Professor Mara''s instantly. The gentle feeling it instilled seemed to mirror what he knew Professor Lyall to be like ¨C kind and caring, behind her strict, default personality ¨C but its visual appearance, even as a tide of blue smoke, was more akin to chaotic mashes of paint on a blank canvas made with different shades of blue.


    No. Maybe, better than that, it was more apt to say it looked like raging blue fire forced to move eerily slow.


    Ginger got so lost in how Professor Lyall''s Kardia looked that he almost missed the direction of its movement. The Kardia gathered around her feet, and then, in a surprising display, it turned faint, a majority of it forming a bloated, blue circle on the dirty floor.


    The class marveled.


    The circle gave out a highlight to the Prime Instructor''s body from below and muted the light coming from the windows subtly.


    Reiss beamed.


    "Contra Parousia..." he whispered just enough for only Ginger to hear.


    As it registered to the plump dragonling that this was what the Professor was currently demonstrating, his interest was detached from the appearance of her Kardia and invested in what she would say.


    "I have decided to demonstrate the three Pieyro in an order that I''ve noticed makes the most sense for First Years through my time. Contra Parousia, as Reiss has stated, is a countering application of Kardia. By channeling the majority of your Kardia to your feet via Saturation and Permeation, you can withstand the natural presence of an enemy ¨C though that is a mere basic function," she said while looking over her glasses at the class.


    "If you had mastered this application, I wouldn''t have been able to blow away your Kardia two days ago."


    The event Professor Lyall referenced gave more oomph to her explanation, as all the students could recall it without exception.


    Ginger instantly latched onto the memory of how his Kardia disappeared after Professor Lyall merely sighed.


    ''I see...'' he thought before gazing at his palm.


    In practice, Contra Parousia applied Permeation and Saturation, which were different types of Kardia flow within the body.


    Permeation was what the First Years experienced when they first attained their Kardia. It was when their Kardia rushed or leaked out of their bodies through their skin, a process often mistaken as superficial.


    Saturation, on the other hand, required time to learn. It was when Kardia pumped from the second heart and used blood vessels to flow through the body. It usually ended up sinking into the flesh, edifying it.


    Ginger opened his palm and closed it again.


    The Firsr Years had been commanded by their instructor for Mortal Conflict to perform this exercise. Each time they did, they were to try and familiarise themselves with blood networks in their bodies while setting loose bits of their Kardia to their arms, where the effect of the exercise was most effective.


    By opening their palms and then squeezing their fingers repeatedly, their keen dragon senses were likely to adapt to the flow of blood in their arms.


    This was a way of teaching their Kardia how to Saturate their blood vessels.


    Now, Contra Parousia seemed to require adequate skill in channeling Kardia in both these forms.


    "Contra Parousia is very useful when dealing with a stronger opponent that would otherwise dominate you just virtue of being older," Professor Lyall said. "Our system as dragons is built on seniority, but of course, it is not an absolute fact. Contra Parousia extends its influence outside the body through Permeation in order to mark where the presence of a stronger, older opponent''s influence ends. With Saturation, you strengthen your lower body ¨C strengthening your center of gravity. Do note, this stance is vital."


    The stance, was of course a mild crouch, with an arm extended forward.


    A student raised her hand to inquire shortly after Professor Lyall explained the mechanics. When given permission, she promptly asked with a curious visage.


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    "Why is it that Kardia needs to be moved to our lower body? I''ve noticed the rest of your body is left less guarded," she said. "Isn''t that risky?"


    Professor Lyall''s lips drew taut and wide.


    "Good question," she said, and Ginger felt Reiss click his tongue. He had obviously wanted to be the one to ask this question. "I''m certain the majority of you must have encountered a situation where you were frightened, or intimidated by something. It could be anything from a memory, to a genuine enemy that posed tremendous threat. Something you truly feared. Which part of your body did you feel loosen, or perhaps weaken in the first instance of feeling afraid?"


    The class stirred. The answer seemed obvious, even to the few who hadn''t felt terror in their lives.


    "It is your legs, isn''t it? For juvenile dragons like you, collapsing under pressure isn''t outlandish. Your legs may give out in such circumstances. However, the reason for flowing Kardia into your legs and feet isn''t so mundane, though it also isn''t unrelated."


    "When fear strikes ¨C a common occurrence when facing stronger Blighted and Condemned ¨C any living creature is prone to losing balance. The presence of a stronger opponent naturally cripples your confidence, and to remain steadfast and not be counted out of a struggle for your life by a mere breath, Contra Parousia is the answer."


    Professor Lyall once again scrolled across the class with her eyes. Looks of understanding met her. It seemed her phrasing worked to make what Contra Parousia fought against relatable.


    "As for whether it is risky. Indeed it is! Leaving the rest of your body unguarded is treacherously dangerous, but that is where another of the three fundamental Pieyro comes in!"


    At once, the glow around her feet dissipated, and instead, her body, rather, her arm, which was exposed to the elbow, showed signs of change.


    Quickly, it transitioned from looking like a sand-toned tubular eggplant to attaining marvelous curves and rigid contours that swelled by the second. Professor Lyall''s skin turned thick, gaining an ivory-grey tone while simultaneously shedding the faint looks of age it once had.


    Tiny wisps of Kardia danced over it, but Ginger didn''t feel the gentleness of them anymore.


    "This is Supplementum Soma ¨C reinforce body ¨C an enhancing application of Kardia that requires far more skill in Saturation than Permeation, as evidenced by how little of my Kardia you can see," the thickly woman said. Her plump face heavily contrasted against the muscular limb attached to her body which was built pretty much like a pear. The wide V shape of her lips completed the comedic look she had all in all.


    Ginger gawked at Professor Lyall''s arm with twinkling eyes.


    "Unlike Contra Parousia, Supplementum Soma is as simple as it looks. Saturation is flowing your Kardia through blood networks, right? This process allows you to enhance not just the flesh, but to finely invigorate yourself from your very blood cells. The change, as you can see, is rather vivid."


    "I''m going to need to master that if I want to have any hope of lifting that hammer," Reiss said sullenly.


    "You can lift it if you just master your Affix-type Kardia," Ginger turned to the dwarfish dragonling and said.


    "No, no, I don''t want to have all my eggs in one basket. If I can''t master it in time, I''d rather invest my time in learning Saturation," Reiss said.


    Professor Lyall answered a few questions from other students who raised their hands, inquiring about things like, "What is the upper limit of Supplementum?" or "How beneficial is it for those with Pooling-type Kardia?" to which the portly dragon carefully, but calmly explained that limits were determined by the individual''s cast and that Poolers were actually the best at using Supplementum Soma, respectively.


    Ginger beamed at the revelation.


    Apparently, Supplementum Soma worked best when most of one''s Kardia was used to augment the flesh and cells in one part of the body.


    Ginger had begun to see a vision of himself using Contra Parousia and Supplementum Soma at the same time owing to his dual-natured Kardia when Professor Lyall immediately shot that delusion down.


    "These two Pieyro go hand in hand, but even the most skilled dragons cannot use them at the same time. The flow conditions for each are different, and generally attempting them at once, even if possible, would only make one of the two suffer. Even for one as skilled as I, the best I can do is switch between Contra Parousia and Supplementum Soma on a dime," she said before a circular glow appeared under her feet, while her arm turned tubular and unattractive once again.


    In the next moment though, the reverse occurred, with the glow vanishing, as though to feed into making her arm beefy and steel-like.


    Professor Lyall was demonstrating a swift transition between the two Pieyro she had just taught.


    Ginger was disappointed, but what he saw was the next best alternative.


    Professor Lyall''s feat, even to children like them, seemed impressive, though none of them quite realized the true extent of how impressive it really was. In any case, Ginger recognized this skill level as born from something he wanted to achieve beyond simply being the strongest.


    Finesse.


    "Now, for the last one. Custos Zoe..."


    The class was smitten aghast to see a spherical pool of Professor Lyall''s Kardia storm out of her body in a careless torrent that gathered before her while barely maintaining a thin stroke around her!


    It then suddenly turned doubly bright before molding itself into a shape. Thick points ¨C like elongated triangles ¨C innumerable in number, appeared at the edges of it, making it look like a bizarre, blue star. These points then curved, arching back to surround a portion of Professor Lyall.


    On the arched belly of this blinding shape ¨C much like a somersaulting star ¨C a strange pair of eyes, dark oval shapes really, and a wide V-shape below them appeared, seemingly finishing the manifestation.


    Professor Lyall''s voice came from the behind the arched star.


    "Custos Zoe is a guarding application, which means you expel your Kardia via Permeation, give it shape, solidify it, and guard against attacks with it," she said. "It''s the easiest of the three to learn, and what I wish to be the product of our lesson today."


    The large star swivelled to the side revealing Professor Lyall''s figure and face which matched the features of the star.


    "Solidifying your Kardia is a challenge, I know, thus for today, you will learn to give your Custos Zoe shape. Alright, give yourself some space and imagine what you want to conjure. Need I say, it can be anything. Anything at all."


    The students did as they were told.


    Ginger parted from Reiss and took a deep breath.


    Pooling-type Kardia.


    Alien-type Kardia.


    Which would he use, and what shape did he want to create?


    Different from the previous lesson, Ginger was a little stumped.


    And he wasn''t the only one.


    Professor Lyall didn''t leave them to agonize on their own though. She began to walk student by student diagnosing what she saw to be holding them back in an instant and offering a solution that inspired a little more confidence.


    By the time Ginger found that he didn''t have the slightest inclination to try to form a shape yet, the Prime Instructor had already helped five students gain enough of a desire to start expelling their Kardia.


    The plump dragonling smiled, and his spirits lifted.


    There was quite the stark difference between Professor Lyall and Professor Mara, and Ginger appreciated it.


    She really was as good as she had said; as good as Ira had said.


    Now, he only had to wait for her and ask a few questions that stagnated his desire to try. This was mainly a problem born of indecision actually. Ginger had many ideas but he didn''t know if most of them were practical.


    He needed to see a few more examples of Custos Zoe shapes to make a choice of his own.


    At that moment, his wish seemed to come true.


    A bright blue haze burned from his left, and he, along with the rest of the class bore witness to a full, intricate shape manifested by one of their own already!


    At first, Ginger had assumed it to be Vassilis with a hiss.


    But no.


    It was instead, a girl with red springy hair and baby blue eyes, a dull, unfocused expression on her face even now.

 Custos Zoe Variety

    Placed firmly over the redhead''s arm ¨C to her peers'' surprise ¨C was a buckler, shining in a pale blue hue that almost seemed brighter than the light from the windows.


    Of course that couldn''t have been true, but the sheer fact that no one else had managed to conjure a proper shape with their Kardia, while Caron had already gone ahead and formed a full shield with startlingly realistic features, brought on the illusion.


    Ginger gawked in awe, while Reiss predictably gnashed his teeth.


    "She''s actually doing it..." Ginger said, a small smile creeping on his face.


    Professor Lyall, while visibly impressed, wasn''t rude enough to cast away the comparatively unimpressive specimen she was currently giving pointers to. She remained in place while analyzing the buckler in Caron''s hand.


    "Quite the shape..." she said in a mildly excited voice.


    This wasn''t as bland of a comment as it seemed, however.


    The only other person to truly understand what she meant, was Caron herself.


    Most of the students in the class hadn''t realized that Caron''s buckler, while riddled with incredible detail, seemed to have an odd personal touch to it. Though made with a singular expression of color, it featured a curved umbo at its center, which had the distinct design of a simplistic cat on it.


    "Impressive," Professor Lyall said, her lips drawing wide. "I was right to assume you have immense talent as our only Total-typer this year. How solid is it?"


    Caron gave a polite smile that quickly disappeared, and then she made to touch her buckler with her free hand.


    It phased through seamlessly.


    As expected, the Custos Zoe wasn''t solid at all.


    Professor Lyall showed no signs of disappointment. In fact, she seemed empowered by the fact that she was still dealing with a mortal after all, not that having a genius who could accomplish something so complex so quickly would be a bad thing.


    "That''s quite alright. As I said before, your job is to form a definite shape. Don''t be disheartened when your Custos isn''t quite ready to handle the charge of a Blighted just yet," she said in a kind voice.


    As it had been during the Second Burning, Caron''s result invigorated the students from both classes, and they began to work fervently, churning out their Kardia while making efforts ¨C with obscene faces and atrocious body gestures ¨C towards replicating what Caron had done.


    Ginger kept staring at Caron who kept pushing her hand through her buckler.


    It was curious how she formed a shape like that so quickly. The umbo, shaped like a cat, gave the impression that Caron had fashioned the Custos Zoe out of something she had seen or held in real life. Something likely not from the Ample Forge.


    But a buckler?


    Why a buckler?


    As far as Ginger had learned from Equipped Armament Creation and Usage, dragons didn''t normally resort to using such tools, especially with how advanced everything was here. Even in Ravi, bucklers would be deemed relics of the past. Outdated.


    Ginger was only knocked out of his theories when he saw the look on Reiss'' face.


    The light blue haze of his Kardia had been summoned to his hands, spreading boldly around them. Affixing Kardia was usually limited to forming a stroke around the user''s body if they weren''t holding something it could cling onto, as it couldn''t spread far out like Alien-type Kardia. This was still enough for a Custos to be formed though.


    Reiss looked like a lumpy muffin with the deep frown he had on at the moment, creasing his large forehead obscenely.


    Ginger imagined that he was spurned by being outdone by Caron again. The thought of being bested twice must have struck a nerve.


    Smiling lightly, he thought Caron inspired a feeling of shame in him for waiting for Professor Lyall instead of making an attempt on his own at forming a Custos.


    ''I can''t afford to waste my Kardia. If I slip once, I won''t be able to try again. Pulling back my Kardia after setting it loose hasn''t gotten any easier...'' he thought, giving himself an answer.


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    During the course of his hesitation, Ginger saw and heard other students accomplishing what Caron had managed, though with more flimsy and less impressive products.


    Most of them were those that had already been attended to by Professor Lyall, with the exceptions having Vassilis among them.


    The young dragon managed to conjure a simplistic chest plate and bracers as his Custos Zoe.


    As it so happened, most Affixers from the two classes were inspired by Vassilis.


    Varying assortments of Custos Zoe, most manifesting as battle armaments, began to pop up among the Affixers while more dynamic sets spawned among Alien-types ¨C users of Alien-Type Kardia. Because their capacity for Permeation was naturally greater than the rest, it wasn''t strange that some of them followed Professor Lyall''s example, creating simplistic domes around themselves which quickly turned into a trend.


    More talented Alien-types, like Abela Mires ¨C the girl with bushy brows ¨C who was also in First Red, shocked her peers when she manifested a hazy humanoid figure almost three times her size on top of her. It mimicked her every move, keeping a vivid shape, but unfortunately, she couldn''t maintain it for long.


    That didn''t stop her from wearing a big grin though.


    Ginger grew impatient. He felt the urge to wring out all his Kardia Alien-style and make an attempt to conjure something like hers.


    ''Maybe I should try using pooling. That way I won''t lose much Kardia, right?'' he thought.


    Poolers, as Reiss had mentioned before, seemed to have difficulty conjuring Custos Zoe because their capacity for Permeation was even worse than that of Affixers.


    However, this didn''t mean that they were completely hopeless.


    As Ginger looked around at the Poolers he knew ¨C those attended to by Professor Lyall, that was ¨C he found some of them wearing satisfied smiles despite there barely being anything around them. He saw faint flickers of hazy blue over specific portions of their bodies, but with no shape or design to boast.


    But wait.


    There was actually something.


    On one of the students, Ginger saw a mark, more like a luminous tattoo glowing over the back of her hand. It was shaped like a little bird ¨C the kind a four-year-old would draw.


    The Custos Zoe of Poolers was more like Supplementum Soma. It was nearly impossible for them to project a form of Kardia outside their bodies, however, they could pool their Kardia around a specific spot, and with the right intent, a mark on their skin would show that they were applying guard.


    Naturally, pooling the Kardia could simply activate Supplementum Soma with the wrong direction, thus Ginger had noticed that Professor Lyall seemed to have told the successful Poolers ¨C a few ¨C how to distinguish their application of Kardia between Supplementum and Custos.


    "Ginger."


    The plump dragonling was startled when the thickly Professor finally reached him. He had been so absorbed in the surroundings just now that he missed her from sight.


    "Yes, Professor," he said.


    "Seeing as you have two options ¨C the nature of your Kardia and all ¨C how would you like to approach forming your Custos Zoe?" she asked.


    Professor Lyall had barely finished asking when Ginger suddenly said:


    "Can I learn both?"


    There was a twinkle in the older dragon''s eye which was reminiscent of the one she had given the plump dragonling when he had popped out of the Rebounding Seether. Professor Lyall seemed to have expected him to say this.


    "It certainly is possible. But for today, how about we focus on one? Which flow do you feel comfortable with so far?" she asked.


    Ginger narrated his predicament dejectedly, outlining how he wasn''t sure letting his Kardia loose would do well with how little he had, not to mention how little control he had over it once it gushed out of him.


    "I see. Many Alien-types struggle with this. Unfortunately, there is no advice I can give for this except for you to make your Kardia submit. Kardia tends to be as stubborn as the dragon it inhabits. For now, I recommend learning a Pooling-type Custos. Will that do?"


    Ginger nodded greedily. While his desire to form a Custos like Abela''s was slaughtered for now, he was happy he had an alternative.


    Professor Lyall went on to tell him the ''secret'' she had been telling the other Poolers and Ginger beamed. It was straightforward and obvious, yet a little complex.


    Professor Lyall reassured him that he didn''t have to master it during this lesson. The whole point of having today''s compound lesson ¨C as far as her course was concerned ¨C was for her to provide a single, vibrant experience for everyone all at once during their first time learning the basic Pieyro as she was unlikely to carry over the same vigor when forced to repeat it, class by class. Unfortunately, this was only mostly successful.


    Shortly after, Professor Lyall left Ginger who got stuck thinking about which part of his body he should attach the Pooling-type Custos to.


    Halfway through his consideration, he was distracted by Reiss who had conjured a strangely thick pair of gauntlets that turned faint at intervals. The dwarfish dragonling had a diabolical smile on his face as he looked at his likely unfinished Custos.


    Ginger imagined that he was thinking they would go well with his hammer.


    The next fifteen minutes of the class followed Ginger making four unsuccessful attempts at conjuring his Custos. After deciding on what shape he wanted, he continued to do as Professor Lyall said without having his determination trampled by failures.


    ''Skin. Focus your Kardia into the skin around the spot you want and spread it out as far as it can go.''


    ''Don''t let it all slip into your flesh. A decent portion of it must remain in your skin, otherwise, you will just be conjuring a Supplementum instead.''


    Ginger felt his skin toughen, but not as much as he thought it should each time he tried.


    This was hard work but he was happy he was finally getting a grasp on his Kardia.


    Perhaps he had been focusing on its Alien-type capability a bit too much, therefore limiting his potential.


    Pooling, while limited, was far easier.


    The results of his hard work finally showed right before the lesson ended when Ginger saw a faint glow in the middle of his palm.


    Perhaps because he had seen this shape countless times and had a funny connection to it, he had been able to succeed sooner rather than later.


    He wore a giant smile as he saw the crooked depiction of a pointed hat in his hand.

 Kartile

    Ginger and Reiss left the building, which, because of its lack of multiple floors, compensated by having a vast number of learning spaces of various sizes and heights.


    It was called the Huddling Fury and was the only one of its kind. Aside from Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies, it served as the venue for Mortal Conflict classes, which had started to involve actual ¨C but controlled ¨C sparring sessions between students this Stride.


    Quite a heated discussion was brewing between Ginger and Reiss as they walked into the pathway that led back towards the enormous cubical mansion - the Frost Mount''s Tooth.


    Their differing experiences with the Custos Zoe gave them much to talk about. After Professor Lyall dismissed them, they had been itching to discuss every detail about it with each other.


    "I don''t get why I started with gauntlets, honestly. I''ve actually never much thought about armor. I guess no dragon of our generation has. Gauntlets seemed easier to manifest because well... I can at least see the vision for how my hands can get useful in defense," Reiss said while looking at his small limbs.


    "Affixers have the option to just wear a suit of armor and enhance it, right? Which would be better? Using Custos Zoe or getting yourself armor that fits you?" Ginger asked.


    Reiss thought about it a little and then flung his hands out.


    "I don''t think I prefer one or the other. We''ve only been learning basic Pieyro, Ginger. They mostly work when you''re in a pinch, and when you''re young and useless like us. Stronger dragons don''t have to resort to this. But who knows? Maybe I''ll be wearing real armor with another set of armor ¨C a Custos ¨C right beneath it," he said with a greedy smile.


    Ginger laughed.


    "I''m definitely getting armor. A Custos for Poolers covers a small area that you can use to defend. The rest of me will be left wide open. It still seems sturdy though," he said while looking at his arm.


    He wanted to conjure up his newly acquired Custos again, but it took a lot of focus, something he couldn''t afford to do while simultaneously navigating where he was going and talking to Reiss too.


    Reiss peeked at Ginger''s palm. The plump dragonling had shown him what his Custos Zoe looked like, and he had been quite intrigued.


    "That makes sense. Professor Lyall did say that different Kardias are better than others at one specific thing. Creating a Custos Zoe differs from Kardia type to Kardia type, but I think Poolers can absorb damage the best with their Custos Zoe. It''s not easy though, is it? How many Poolers from our classes even managed to make their own?" he said.


    "Very few," Ginger said with a complicated expression.


    Somehow the thought of being lumped in with Poolers made him feel sullen.


    "I discovered today that I really like Alien-type Kardia, but I''m better at Pooling for now. Getting better at the two is really hard. I kind of wish Professor Lyall hadn''t said she couldn''t give me some pointers on how to draw my Kardia in just¡ª"


    "Hey! Don''t you start sulking again. I''ve told you already, unlike someone with Totality type Kardia, your own is probably conflicting against itself. It will take longer for you to learn," Reiss rebuked with a nasty squint to his eyes.


    "But Caron doesn''t seem to having any problems. She''s doing well in both¡ª"


    "Don''t compare yourself to THAT!" Reiss fumed, spraying at Ginger''s pewter grey jersey with his emphasis on the last word.


    "What about me?" a voice suddenly said from behind the two dragonlings.


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    Reiss grumbled audibly.


    Caron was wearing a soft smile as she alternated her gaze between the two dubiously.


    "Nothing," Reiss said while pulling a half-unwilling Ginger along.


    Caron followed briskly.


    "I was wondering if I could join you for Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation. We''ve got it first thing tomorrow morning, right?" she asked, and forcefully made room for herself between Reiss and Ginger, the former of which made a bewildered face at the audacity.


    Rather than committing to a simple ''no'' though, Reiss, who spoke over Ginger''s "I guess so," went for a less aggressive approach.


    "Why specifically for this class?" he asked.


    Caron turned to Ginger.


    "Because of him," she said.


    "What?" Ginger asked, confused. "I didn''t know about Mana Essence before a Stride ago."


    "Yeah!" Reiss supported.


    "I thought so," Caron said as they reached the last intersection of pathways before the ten-meter stretch to the mouth of the Frost Mount''s Tooth. "But, I figured you''d be the sort to quickly learn how to manipulate energy different from Kardia. I don''t know much about the Wild, but since living things there don''t use Kardia or Mana Essence, they must know other forms of essence, right?"


    Ginger was taken aback.


    Not only had he not been expecting Caron to say something like this, but he was also surprised that she didn''t seem to shun the Wild.


    Their conversation two days ago only established to him that she was willing to work with him, but he was still guarded against her having a subconscious bias against the Wild, like every other dragonling except Reiss.


    Reiss'' face lit up and dimmed at the same. Ginger had told him about Fetid Essence before, but because the plump dragonling dismissed it quickly in favor of Mana Essence, which he said felt like a cool, flowing stream, he hadn''t even thought to ask if he had some experience with manipulating it.


    Ginger''s eyes ran from one side to the next as he considered how to answer Caron.


    Unlike how he felt with Reiss, he didn''t know what the redhead''s deal was exactly. It wasn''t wise to just trust her with everything.


    He was even holding out on some stuff from Reiss.


    "Well, it''s not as you think. Unlike Mana Essence, Fetid Essence is very hard to sense. It only gets harder when you try to make it do as you say. I was just starting to learn before I came here, but I wasn''t able to do much with it," Ginger said.


    A part of him berated him for being too modest, but for now, this would suffice.


    Both Caron and Reiss were paying rapt attention to his words at this moment, and contrary to what Ginger expected, neither showed the slightest sign of disappointment.


    Caron nodded thoughtfully.


    "I still want to see how you perform. You grew up with humans, right? Some of them must have been the sort to be very good at using this... Fetid Essence," she said, hopefully.


    "Yeah," Ginger said with a shallow smile.


    Reiss smiled to himself for some reason before looking at Ginger.


    "Good grief. I don''t know why I wasn''t excited about this before," he said and then turned to Caron, his expression changing drastically, "You''re really not going to stop following us, are you?"


    Caron shook her head.


    "You agreed to let me tag me along, remember?" she said.


    "And why haven''t you been ''tagging along'' since then?" Reiss snorted.


    "Because I wanted to get a grasp on what I can do with my Kardia so far, and give you enough time to learn things you could teach me before I return the favor."


    Reiss sighed.


    Just now, his shallow animosity for Caron had dwindled, but her maintaining that she would still be able to give them returns on their investment in three Strides, irked him.


    He let it slide this time though.


    Caron asked Ginger some details about Fetid Essence and Reiss listened while asking a few questions for clarification.


    Before the trio knew it, the cubical castle''s face was just ahead, its large entrance spewing out students and instructors alike.


    The redhead had switched to inquiring from Ginger how his experience with his dual-natured Kardia was so far, when a figure adorned in the same pewter grey they all wore jumped out in front of them.


    "Freshlings! Freshlings! Please give me a moment of your time, would you?"


    It was a tall dragon with fuzzy brown hair that flew every which way. He had sallow skin, a small nose, and more personality than actual physical mass. His pants were practically empty given how the light breeze made them violently rustle.


    "Have you registered for any Out Courses yet? The looks on your faces say you haven''t. Can I interest you in Kartile? Trust me, it''s fun and easy to get a good grade in. Better yet, it''s open to Alien-types AND Affixers! How great is that?!"


    Before the trio could reject or ask questions, the tall upperclassman forcefully gave them little handouts and dashed over to another group of First Years before they entered the Frost Mount''s Tooth.


    "Kartile?" Ginger said, puzzled.


    "The name of the Out Course. If I''m not mistaken it''s a play on the words Kardia and Projectile," Reiss said with a laugh.


    "It looks fun," Caron said while pointing at the handouts.


    There was a caricature of a fat-headed student shooting a bright blue projectile from their palm with a hilariously ''cool'' expression. The target of the projectile was a large, exaggeratedly evil-looking creature with dark skin barring its fang and claws against the valiant student.


    Block texts with interesting effects to draw attention caged in the depiction, giving the names of the Professors who would be teaching the Out Course at the very end.


    Ginger was rather amused.


    Firing projectiles?


    This didn''t seem half bad.


    The image of Ancor spawned in his mind. Perhaps this Out Course would help him master how to use his Alien-type Kardia productively.

 Over Lunch

    "Ginger, you can''t possibly think Kartile is all about shooting projectiles of Kardia, right? That''s just advertising for dum-... ignorant students. Like us, First Years. Or so they all think," Reiss caught himself as he said.


    It seemed only Caron caught what he had been about to say, as Ginger only frowned at the idea that he might have gotten his hopes too high.


    "So it''s not?" he asked as they were swallowed into the Frost Mount''s Tooth enclosure.


    "Well, it is," Reiss said with a complicated face, "but there''s more to it than that. It''s not just about the projectiles. It''s about everything you can do when you have the ability to project your Kardia outside your body."


    For the past two days, many students, mainly upperclassmen had been on a recruiting streak, invading the First Years'' dormitory and explaining the respective Out Courses they participated in.


    There were five Out Courses in total, and some had complex details that led Ginger to try by all means to avoid meeting more than one of the enthusiastic students. If he was ever trapped, he wouldn''t be able to escape. While it was great that some of these recruiters seemed to not mind who or what he was, Ginger didn''t let himself get whisked away by hope, not to mention the enticing words each recruiter came with.


    He knew the allure of empty promises all too well.


    "You sound like you''re recruiting," Caron said to Reiss with a smirk.


    The dwarfish dragonling narrowed his eyes and shot back.


    "And you look like you''ve finally got a good night''s rest. Why do you sleep so much anyway?" he said with a smirk of his own.


    Caron looked stumped. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it immediately. She then latched onto a change of subject that worked rather well.


    "There''s a free Waiting Furnace."


    Immediately Ginger and Reiss, along with Caron herself stormed towards one of the numerous massive pillars ahead ¨C one to the far right ¨C which had gaped open while the rest had closed up.


    Waiting Furnaces, the common form of transportation in the Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born, tended to get crowded during learning hours. Even though they traveled quickly to and fro, the short delays were a hassle for students still, since instructors fumed about every minute lost per lesson as though it was a chunk of their salary.


    Several students hurtled in along with the trio when they entered, leaving the Furnace a bit crowded.


    Thankfully, given what hour it was, everyone was headed to the same place.


    As soon as the entrance to the Waiting Furnace closed shut, one of the students closest to the wall extended his hand out and spun his finger in the air. Bits of his Kardia could be seen making a coarse, looped shape ¨C neither circlular nor ovular ¨C as he then said, "Fourth."


    At once, it was as though the interior of the Waiting Furnace was torched by a torrent of flame, turning blinding gold for a moment. In the next instance, an exit opened for the students leading into the Fourth Floor.


    After learning to control Kardia, the First Years no longer needed their Monitors like Fotini to help them move about, which a few First Year boys were extremely ecstatic about.


    Apparently, the Third Year''s energy was not only infectious but exhausting. His constant looming had been an object of cringe among the dragonlings.


    Ginger and Caron exited the Waiting Furnace. The latter was surprised to see when she turned, that Reiss was not with them.


    "Where did Midget go? Isn''t he going for lunch?" she asked curiously.


    "He is. It''s just... his bowl," Ginger replied with a complex twist of the face.


    "Bowl?"


    "You''ll see when he comes back."


    The two joined the throng of other First Years past the Gathering Hall, which was empty, towards the Feeding Hall. Turning right at a corner, they faced the entrance to the latter space, which invited all in with a box-shaped entrance.


    A series of tables populated the massively vast Hall, all adorned with checkered red and white cloths that were cleaned each day and changed each week.


    To the farthest side from the entrance, a long line of large, neat glass-paned stalls was erected, stowed within them an assortment of foods that the students, who formed a rapidly moving queue along the stalls, chose from with excruciating levels of consideration.


    Several female dragons who looked as old as Madam Agathe, the Warden, were the servers, and Ginger quite liked their temperament, which was so soft he thought it might have been tempered under pillows.


    They were rather patient.


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    Caron and Ginger didn''t converse much as they joined the line. Rather, Ginger didn''t know how to start a conversation with the girl. He wasn''t flustered around her, but that didn''t take away the fact that aside from Reiss, he really didn''t know how to talk to others, especially girls. Recalling how the fairer sex had reacted to seeing him in his shabby clothing on that first day...


    Ginger shuddered.


    A scar was etched onto him that day.


    In lighter news, Ginger picked much of the same food that he normally did at lunch since last Stride. There was no limit to how much each student chose to eat, so he helped himself well. With the specialized feeding trays crafted to handle hefty sums of food ¨C set with multiple, clean pockets on them ¨C the sky might as well have been the limit. The tall drinking cups promised the same.


    Ginger had discovered last Stride that animals and plants in Ravi were hardly any different from those in the Wild ¨C well at least the normal ones left.


    There were some creatures that looked like weird hybrids though, having features from pairs of animals he had known, such as the Dollybai, which was a half-sheep, half... cow. Ginger had been immensely surprised when he first saw the creature in a textbook. Its meat was incredibly delicious though.


    Ginger''s favorite food so far ¨C for lunch ¨C was steamed gerbil balls and spiked Slay Snake.


    Caron was modest in terms of eating. Seeing the vast difference in the quantity of food between her and Ginger, a concerned soul would have thought one of them had a season of hibernation that began tomorrow.


    When the two found a spot to sit, Ginger decided to pretend as though he wasn''t raised to eat first and run later by crafting a subject for conversation. He did so with quite some difficulty.


    "So, I saw how you did in Professor Mara''s class... and also in Professor Lyall''s class. You''re really good at using your Kardia already. Why do you need us to help you?" he said.


    Caron looked up from her tray where she had begun to elegantly scoop up a spoonful of a thick, rich vegetable soup. She had a taste and then answered him.


    "It only looks like I''m doing well," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. The soup was better than she had expected. "My Kardia is a bit biased. Or maybe it''s just me. In both classes, my Kardia was leaning towards Affixing. In Lyall''s, I was only able to summon a shield close to my body, like an Affixer. I''m the sort to not learn broadly unless I have someone to work with. People, I suppose."


    Ginger slowly nodded while subconsciously breaking a bone off his Slay Snake violently and getting immensely embarrassed when some of its juices sprayed his nose.


    "I... I see," he tried to maintain composure. "But do Reiss and I look like the people you want? I mean, Reiss can''t use his Affixing Kardia well yet and I... well, I still have some work to do."


    Ginger using his jersey to rub off the stains on his nose gave a dark kind of credence to his first question, something that made him grimace internally.


    "I don''t want competitors. I want partners that give me close references and pointers that I can see constantly. I pick up things faster that way ¨C from what others feel when they use their Kardia, to their personal tricks," Caron said and she ate what looked like rice with a subtle green twist, swallowed, and then continued. "Most of the girls in our class favor Fillys and her opinions. She''s made me look like an outcast ever since the Second Burning. My cast is a problem for her. Apparently, I''m the sort that ''spent all their lifelong luck in the Rebounding Seether,'' as she said."


    "That''s a cruel thing to say," Ginger said with a mouthful of gerbil ball, a frown on his face.


    "That''s the least cruel thing she''s had to say. But I don''t really mind. It annoyed me at first, but I got used to it. Some people have said I''m the sort to excel at forgetting the world exists."


    A smile etched itself on Caron''s face as she spoke.


    Ginger smiled too.


    Caron was a little like Reiss.


    "Good grief! They are everywhere!"


    The little devil suddenly popped into view. He made a phenomenal effort to climb onto the bench and sit on his knees, actions that attracted the attention of students from other tables. "They are preying on anyone, anytime, Ginger!"


    "Who?" Ginger asked.


    "Those Out Course hounds! They are getting desperate! They chased me all the way over here! We shouldn''t be too quick to go back to the dormitories later. The library will be safe... for a while."


    Ginger shivered. Those guys just wouldn''t quit. It wasn''t like the deadline for registration was coming up. There was a full Stride left till everyone needed to have joined at least one Out Course.


    "Umm. What''s that?" Caron asked, pointing with a spoon towards a large bowl on the table. It had a subdued blue hue on its exterior that almost looked grey, with a dark ring of meaningless text around it. Within it were the meal options Reiss had chosen for the afternoon.


    "It''s my bowl," the dwarfish dragonling answered succinctly.


    Caron wore a dumb look and turned to Ginger, evidently asking for a better explanation.


    "Uh..." he stammered.


    Reiss shot him a sharp look that had him sow his mouth shut before turning back to Caron.


    "It''s my bowl."


    Caron sighed dejectedly, realizing that she couldn''t pry any more answers despite a burning desire to know why someone who stood out so much already, would go out of their way to make themselves a target for ugly nicknames.


    Still, she powered through the urge and instead addressed the two boys on their supposed dilemma.


    "You should just join an Out Course. They will leave you alone after that, especially if you show it," she said matter-of-factly.


    "What?" Reiss asked.


    "The Out Course hounds. Just join an Out Course and they won''t bother you."


    Reiss gave her a fierce gaze.


    "You picked one?"


    "Yeah."


    "Which one?"


    "Phantoms."


    Reiss narrowed his eyes.


    "The illusion one?" Ginger said.


    Of all the noise that rocked their dorms, he had managed to both understand and appreciate the simplicity propounded by the representatives of this particular Out Course. It was as simple as the name suggested.


    "I didn''t think you''d be the type for illusions," Reiss judged, his eyes on the redhead as he stabbed the fried white meat in his bowl with a fork.


    "I didn''t either, but I figured it would work best for me when paired with another course better at offense," Caron said and she sipped the cool juice in her tall cup.


    "Another course?" Ginger raised his brows.


    "You''re picking two?" Reiss gaped.


    "Yeah, why not?"


    "Because Professor Lyall said to only pick one!"


    "I remember Lyall only encouraging us to choose one. In any case, at the end of the day, I''m the one who knows what I want. If I start now, even if it''s hard to do two extra courses, I''ll be good at it with time."


    "Why not just perfect one thing now, and learn something else later?" Reiss argued with aggression.


    "Too slow. Besides, I''m the impatient sort," Caron said before wincing pitifully at having bit her lip while trying to chew her greenish rice.


    "Clearly," Reiss said with narrowed eyes.


    Ginger watched the two butt heads over the topic without laying forth some input of his own.


    Two Out Courses?


    Maybe some were easier to learn than others, but given the great burden that was the six main courses already suffocating him, he understood why Professor Lyall insisted that one was enough for a start.


    After lunch, the string of lessons for the day continued until the second sun began to dip.


    As Reiss suggested, the two boys rushed to the library after supper in an effort to not be bothered by the many cult-like Out Course recruiters.


    Unfortunately, this did not go in their favor.

 Nowhere To Run

    Ginger and Reiss scowled when the persistent upperclassman followed them quietly to the table.


    Her large, violet eyes which showed a bottomless sort of determination behind her pair of massive spectacles, inspired a feeling of doom. If only all this unkillable spirit could be diverted towards something less creepy than stalking First Years.


    "Good grief! Leave us alone, will you?!" Reiss exploded... in a hushed voice.


    Dorothea wagged her finger before the two and then lightly slammed a harshly bordered sheet of paper onto the table. She then leaned closer to the two boys from the other side of the table.


    "Not until you two write down your names and sign up for Marvellous Impediments!" the long-faced Second Year barked... in a quiet voice.


    While her smooth, dark hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head, Ginger and Reiss could have sworn they could see it flying in all directions behind her, spewing threats and heavy facts!


    What was with these Out Course freaks?!


    "We need some more time to think!" Ginger said with a swelling of his nostrils. "We''ve got time to choose, so don''t rush us!"


    "Oh, you don''t realize how little time you have until it''s gone. Trust me, it''s better to make your decision now and to make it in favor of this Out Course. It will be especially good for you tw¡ª"


    The trio suddenly opened their books and pretended to read. Reiss'' slipped and it smashed into his face, but he hoped the disguise held up all the same.


    At the other end of the long, brown polished table they were sitting ¨C and from the corner of a huge bookshelf a meter from it ¨C a hunched, old dragon dressed in a red coat, with a leathery belt squeezing cruelly at her lumpy gut, appeared. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the students at the table suspiciously.


    As luck would have it, her eyes behind her outrageous pair of glasses which put Dorothea''s to shame in terms of size and style, lingered on Ginger who felt his spine churn.


    Ever since that first day when lessons began, all the crotchety librarians had memorized his name and face - all because he had frustratedly shouted at the incoherence of some of the books he had to read.


    Thankfully, he wasn''t the only one the old dragon turned to. Dorothea seemed to have been marked for something foul too.


    The old librarian gazed upon her with an especially nasty look and licked her patched lips as though it was the very idea of this miscreant entering the library that drained them of moisture.


    Soon, she moved away, dragging the somber, chilling energy she had brought along with her.


    Ginger, Reiss, and Dorothea breathed a sigh of relief, as did the other students sitting with them.


    The dwarfish dragonling gave Dorothea a furious look before searching for another table for Ginger and himself to flee to.


    Unfortunately, he spotted more than several First Years tactfully avoiding Out Course hounds who gave chase, using the tables and shelves as cover all over the library.


    Goodness.


    This meant nowhere was safe.


    Reiss shuddered.


    The library on the Fifth Floor had layers, much like mini-floors of its own. On either of its sides, one could see winding, dark metal stairs that led to vast sections of the library on higher ground with different kinds of books. Long desks with benches attached flooded each of these sections, sitting over the same beige-colored floor which, as Ginger had assumed, was bewitched to douse the noise made from footsteps.


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    The library was a beautiful place really, with several unique depictions of the Five Ancient Dragons on the ceiling ¨C which was very high up ¨C as well as the hanging banners denoting the contents of each set of bookshelves.


    Unfortunately, this beauty, which was better appreciated by Reiss than Ginger, had been shattered today when Dorothea had begun to haunt them as soon as they took their seats in the library.


    "What do you mean by this is good for us? That''s what you were going to say, right?" Ginger asked Dorothea suspiciously, which made Reiss turn and give up on his attempt at finding another table.


    "I mean you two must be fed up with all the name-calling and all the attacks you have to endure with every waking moment outside of classes, right? I can relate! Marvelous Impediments will teach you to defend yourself with special barriers that are much more efficient than a simple Custos Zoe. Trust me!" Dorothea said, pretending to shed a tear for the two.


    Ginger and Reiss looked at each other.


    "No one attacks us," Reiss said viciously... and quietly. "And what do you mean ''I can relate''?"


    "Really?" Dorothea said dubiously. "Oh, it will all probably begin once you start practicals in Kardia Studies and Out Courses. Trust me. You''ll wish you were dead. It starts with someone calling you a silky horse, then crack! You get a blast of Kardia in your face from a Kartile head! Konstantina must have told me about you two so I could help you!"


    Reiss wore an odd look.


    Horse?


    Now that he looked at her without the mask of rage, Dorothea did kind of have that look to her.


    "Wait," Ginger said while blinking furiously. "Konstantina? As in Konstantina Flohr from our class?"


    "Yes. She''s my sister. She told me you were having a hard time," Dorothea said with pity.


    Reiss exploded.


    It made a lot more sense now why this Second Year was so persistent and spouting sob stories.


    "Good grief. Konstantina that...! She was just making fun of us! She doesn''t care about us, she''s in Fillys'' camp! We''re fine! We don''t need your pity!" Reiss hissed silently while Dorothea backed away.


    "But I''m a¡ª"


    "Can you three go somewhere else? You''re going to get us all kicked out!" a male student sitting close to the three lowered his head and said with a sharp look in his eyes. He looked to be a Third Year or older, which, when paired with the smoke seeping out of his nostrils, made his words more impactful.


    Ginger and Reiss shook and then looked at Dorothea accusingly. Even the Third Year made his final gaze sit on her, which pressured her enough so that she stood up, made it clear with her big violet eyes that she wasn''t done, and rushed away.


    Ginger and Reiss sighed in relief.


    "Thanks!" Ginger said to the young man. "She just wouldn''t leave us alone. We''ll be quiet now."


    Reiss gestured the same intent.


    The upperclassman nodded in a superior sort of way and went back to his reading.


    ...But then he spoke.


    "You can thank me by joining the Kartile Course."


    ***


    The following day began with the students of First Blue preparing for their first-ever lesson in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation.


    Ginger and Reiss, who had been excited for it somewhat before, had their enthusiasm dampened by the fact that they had been ''persuaded'' into joining Kartile last night.


    Ginger was a little less salty about it because he had been interested in the Out Course to begin with, but Reiss was in denial.


    He had signed the upperclassman''s sheet ¨C which had been hidden in his school bag all along in order to not draw suspicious attention ¨C but he had half a mind to raise a complaint about this to Professor Lyall.


    The two sat together in their designated classroom, but as it was foretold and fore-planned, Caron joined them.


    Today, she looked like her usual self. She was disturbingly drowsy, as though she hadn''t slept a wink, an unfocused look stuck to her eyes. The surprising energy from yesterday was gone.


    When she casually broke the ice, asking about their adventure in the library, the dwarfish dragonling looked as though he would stuff her in his bowl and eat her.


    The redhead had given up on the subject immediately.


    Caron''s addition to their little squad was odd at first, even for Ginger. Reiss hadn''t warmed up to her much, but his view of her turned favorable when she, much like them, committed to the daily ritual of glaring at the Doukas siblings from the distance.


    Today they were chanting something about the perfect trio of losers finally lumped together in unholy matrimony, when Caron adopted a scarcely seen look of annoyance, glaring at Fillys who seemed offended at the redhead daring to stare at her.


    To Reiss, the display didn''t leave much room for doubting where Caron''s ''allegiance'' lied. At least for today.


    They shared a common enemy and splitting up when Alcaeus and Fillys were making fun of them would be akin to admitting defeat.


    This rationale was enough for Reiss.


    Soon, a figure entered the classroom, killing the mayhem.


    The long-awaited Professor for the new course came.


    Their appearance took everyone aback, however, so much so that the whole class froze.


    For the first time since school began, there wasn''t a dragon standing before them.

 Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation

    None hurried to sit down and pretend as though they hadn''t been egging each other on to see who could blast out their Kardia the farthest, or take the time before the lesson to gossip about hot topics.


    No.


    The new Professor inspired nothing but shock instead of that degree of respect.


    The calm steps of the individual who couldn''t have been more than half a head taller than Ginger, crisply rang out until they stood in front of the class and smiled.


    "Greetings, dear students."


    The voice that came from the new Professor was very odd. It sounded neither exclusively male nor female, complimenting a face with similarly indistinguishable properties.


    The Professor had tar black skin that clashed terribly with the short, blue Professorial coat they wore. Large, yellow eyes with tiny dots for pupils decorated their face, with jelled and slicked-back dull grey hair above them.


    A pair of dark, webbed wings were folded behind this individual''s back, and a long tail with a triangular end whipped about, its origin all too clear.


    "Please take your seats," the Professor said.


    Slowly, the students of First Blue acquiesced, but their odd looks didn''t change.


    A toothy smile formed on the dark-skinned individual''s face.


    A few girls who sat at the front shuddered, partly because the smile turned the Professor''s face hideous.


    "Thank you for cooperating," the Professor said. "It''s good to finally begin with this course. Ah. My name is Professor Elmir Hennigar. Before you start forming odd ideas, allow me to clarify. I am a Djuka, one of the few left in Ravi. Ah, and please address me as male."


    The majority of the class was deeply unsettled still. In fact, they grew more restless for different reasons as Professor Hennigar spoke.


    Ginger was especially shocked.


    His instincts against anything that didn''t look human ¨C or at least mostly human ¨C were yet to change. Unlike the others who were simply startled by seeing a non-Cinder-Born Professor, he was doubly anxious.


    Reiss on the other hand, looked more captivated than startled. He likely would have exposited to Ginger on what a Djuka was if Professor Hennigar didn''t continue to speak.


    "Some of you may already be questioning why I am the one to teach you. Understandable. This institute doesn''t exactly advertise who teaches the Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation course. However, Djukas like me have always been among the best at manipulating Mana Essence," Professor Hennigar said, maintaining his uncalming smile. "Dragons never managed to adopt an especially profound level of control over Mana Essence because of their reliance on Kardia ¨C not to a detriment, of course ¨C but that did leave some of us with objects for bargain with dragons in earlier Tallies."


    He then raised a finger in the air and the whole class felt an odd pull towards him that barely lasted a moment.


    In the next instant, a bright glow began to show on the tip of Professor Hennigar''s finger. Perhaps bright was too shallow of a description. It was blinding, strikingly golden in color.


    Most of the class looked away or squinted hard.


    Ginger didn''t.


    The dragonlings on either side couldn''t stare into the glaring light, but he could.


    Beside him, Caron noticed this when she turned to avoid the jarring light.


    Professor Hennigar''s smile grew larger at the students'' reaction.


    The blinding flash on his finger dissipated moments later.


    "What you have just seen is the first goal you have to strive towards in this class. Mana Essence is unlike Kardia. It has no types that make certain aspects of it easier for some and harder for others. It is learned in one way. If that isn''t enough of an advantage, it is much easier to perceive, unlike Kardia, which ¨C as I have come to know ¨C requires a set of specialized organs to handle and control," he said.


    The students recovered enough to face the Professor. Some were still boggled by his identity but most were already taken by the demonstration.


    Caron blinked a couple of times and looked at Ginger.


    She pulled on his sleeve.


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    "You weren''t affected by the light?" she asked, though it sounded more like a statement.


    "No," he replied, looking as though he had been dazed. "Were you?"


    "Of course we were!" Reiss barked while shielding his mouth.


    Professor Hennigar continued.


    "Allow me to prove my point," he said before clapping his hands together.


    A gush of wind blew through the class, knocking down books from tables and whipping back the students'' hair.


    It did not stop.


    At first, it seemed like a light breeze, but soon, a few students started to notice the truth.


    Ginger was among the first to do so.


    The contrast between Fetid and Mana Essence he had felt on that day when he first came to Ravi, became especially crucial.


    "The mana in the air... It''s moving around with the wind..." he muttered to himself with a small smile.


    Caron and Reiss looked at him and began trying to see through this odd phenomenon.


    Indeed.


    It wasn''t wind.


    While the windows to the class were open, air normally didn''t feel like this.


    "Mana Essence is abundant," Professor Hennigar said. "It is inexhaustible. To be able to wield it is to be able to ¨C theoretically ¨C be active with it indefinitely. The only limit is your body ¨C how long it can continue to control Mana Essence. However, for a body to be able to control Mana Essence, Mana Essence has to acknowledge it, which is the greatest determinant as to whether or not you can ever wield it in your lifetime. It sounds ominous, doesn''t it? Well, it is, at least for those who aren''t Cinder-Born."


    Acknowledgment.


    Indeed, this was rather different from Kardia.


    "Now, there is Mana Essence circulating around the classroom right now. I have turned it docile. It won''t be as stubborn as it normally is. Everyone, let''s make an attempt to pull on the Mana Essence as I did before. Mana Essence is hard to see without years of sensing it. However, if you condense enough of it, you will see it take on a golden glow."


    The students were quite interested in the relaxed and convincing manner in which Professor Hennigar introduced Mana Essence.


    Of course, many of them hadn''t been too invested because they already had Kardia, but the fact that Mana Essence was selective changed their minds a little.


    Most began to think that if they failed to get acknowledged by Mana Essence, they wouldn''t be able to learn how to enjoy having an abundant, inexhaustible energy source at their beck and call.


    That wouldn''t do.


    At the very least, they had to prevent themselves from becoming running gags that didn''t manage to control Mana Essence, which was vital for Non-Affixers when wielding weapons.


    What a terrifying thought, however flawed it was.


    The task the students were given was to call on Mana Essence and condense it in a bright ball.


    Immediately, many of them began making earnest attempts.


    Professor Hennigar hadn''t mentioned how to pull on the Mana Essence, which would have been pointed out by someone already, but most were afraid to ask, especially with Professor Hennigar donning his unintentionally creepy smile.


    Reiss imagined that the lack of explanation over the ''how'' was done on purpose. This was their first lesson in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation, and most instructors typically wanted to see the talent they were working with before proceeding far.


    The dark-skinned Djuka wasn''t an exception.


    Caron and the dwarfish dragon stole a look at Ginger.


    As the redhead had said, Ginger had better experience with something like this than them two, so they were expectant.


    The plump dragonling didn''t do anything though. He simply looked at his hands while narrowing his eyes, something both Caron and Reiss deemed to not be the secret to manipulating Mana Essence.


    They didn''t bother Ginger with questions for a while and tried to figure out how to do as their instructor instructed on their own for now.


    Surprisingly, there were those who soon showed exceptional talent only a minute after the exercise began.


    The first was a boy named Nikolas Onasis.


    Though wobbly and fluctuating in intensity, a soft golden glow was nestled within his cupped hands. He looked at it with surprise, while those close to him craned their necks to take a peek.


    "I didn''t do much, alright?! What? You think I turned on a switch and this appeared?" he hissed at several of his peers who asked how he accomplished it.


    Unlike Professor Lyall, Professor Hennigar seemed satisfied with looking over results from his original spot. He looked at Nikolas and gave him a nod as well as a pleasant round of applause.


    Strangely, the boy felt a little proud of it.


    The second to accomplish the task ¨C only several seconds after Nikolas ¨C was none other than Fillys Doukas, who inflated like a saturated stok and wore a pompous smirk.


    A steady glow, only as bright as a candle flame at best, sat on her thumb.


    Fillys turned especially gloaty when those around her marveled at her accomplishment as though she was some kind of Mana Essence control prodigy.


    With Professor Hennigar''s, "Ah. As I said, it is not at all hard to perceive and control Mana Essence once you''ve been acknowledged," her pride was almost doused, however.


    Still, she found the strength to swivel her head back at Caron and bob her eyebrows up and down while flaunting her blob of Mana Essence, which made Reiss and the redhead scowl.


    They both turned to Ginger hoping that he would show her up in a spectacular fashion. However, he didn''t. He remained lost in... whatever he was doing.


    Seven other students managed to accomplish the task given, with the eighth becoming Reiss who made an O shape with his mouth when he successfully made manifest a tiny glow in his palm.


    Caron frowned slightly. She had been trying just as hard as Reiss, but she felt as though Mana Essence was eagerly rushing away from her instead of gathering at her command, which was odd when such a large amount of it was causing everything to rustle as it rode the wind.


    Five minutes later, only about a quarter of the class had managed to cause the Mana Essence to obey them when Professor Hennigar clapped his hands together and brought a halt to the light, windy tide.


    "Alright, I think that will do," he said, prompting the students to express disappointment and vain confidence in different portions.


    Some audibly called out, "I just needed a few more minutes!" while others chortled, "Maybe next year!"


    It was when everyone was getting settled, preparing to hear what was next when...


    "That''s it. I got it!" Ginger said, unaware of how loud he was being.


    His desk mates as well as the rest of the class had just turned to him with surprised looks when something vicious happened to the lingering Mana Essence in the classroom.


    Something that was far removed from simply condensing it into a bright light.

 Ruining The Syllabus

    "What am I doing? Well, trying not to burn to death is what I''m doing, Ginger," Ancor had replied to the plump dragonling that one time while making a series of enticing movements with his hands.


    Ginger remembered carving each gesture ¨C each swivel of the phalanx ¨C into his head.


    Since that day he got an interest in learning about Shamanry.


    "This is a simple trick, really. Barely counts as a Charm," Ancor had said when a misty cool almost visible to the naked eye peppered the two of them lightly, and battled the scorching desert heat, making them moan pleasantly while loosely relaxing their muscles.


    "Feels good, doesn''t it? Once you''re ripe enough to wield Fetid Essence, I''ll teach it to you, though I thought you wouldn''t need to learn something like this. You know, with you being a dragon and all..."


    Ginger had always wanted to learn everything Ancor could do.


    If only he managed to learn to manipulate Fetid Essence, rather, coerce it, as Ancor always stressed.


    If only he could use a fuel to power the hand movements he had engraved in his brain over the abundant number of times Ancor had conditioned the air around them to combat the heat.


    Ah, but he did.


    It wasn''t Fetid Essence.


    It wasn''t like a porridge that stuck to the body when you first obtained the unrewarding ability to perceive it.


    It was much better.


    Mana Essence was much better.


    Over the more than a dozen minutes it took for the first exercise in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation to start and end, Ginger had been trying to recall everything his mentor had said and done concerning using Charms.


    Instead of conjuring a bright gold light on his fingertip, he decided it was better to quench his inflated, impulsive desire to see if Mana Essence worked well as a substitute for powering Shamanic Charms.


    Surely, it was safe.


    At worst, the Mana Essence, as Professor Hennigar had described, would stubbornly refuse to bend to his will.


    At best, he would summon a soothing cool.


    ''Just a little bit...'' Ginger thought right as things calmed down in class, with everyone taking their seats. He hadn''t been paying it all much attention, especially with the Djuka instructor choosing to spectate from his position at the front of the class.


    "That''s it. I''ve got it!" the plump dragonling said, and everyone turned him, including Professor Hennigar.


    The hundreds of slit-like pupils focusing on him wasn''t something Ginger could ignore.


    At once, his head shot up and he almost jerked back at having everyone look at him.


    His withdrawn focus did not hamper what he was doing though. What he had already done.


    Within the palm of Ginger''s hands, something emerged.


    Perhaps because of the boy''s momentary panic, the lingering Mana Essence which he had been making a rough attempt at coercing, pulling it towards himself silently, was made to panic as well.


    After all, the effect that occurred, wasn''t at a scale intended by Ginger at all.


    ...And it was no mere misty frost either.


    Caron was the first to discern the beginnings of a golden light that erratically danced, hopped, and wagged violently from Ginger''s hands and shot up toward the ceiling.


    Her eyes bulged, and she subconsciously drew away from him.


    The light, which hummed unnervingly, made a sharp turn before it smote the ceiling and darted down, joining its four identical twins, which, much like it, spawned from Ginger''s hands before flashing in different directions.


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    A second or more too late, students close to Ginger had noticed that this wasn''t simple light.


    It was dangerous.


    It was lightning.


    Ginger himself was appalled.


    The classroom lit up with a bright, sunny gold, and foreboding noise as panic ensued, as well as the beginnings of high-pitched screams.


    ...


    A chaotic, and bloody future was avoided in the nick of time, however.


    The Mana Essence in the air seemed to turn heavy around the classroom, and then all visibility was stolen in the next moment, as a deep darkness abruptly appeared.


    All in the course of two steady blinks, sharp lights appeared, then pitch darkness, then things returned to normal.


    The lightning was gone.


    Equally as impactful as its short-lived lifespan, however, was the deathly silence that took its place right after.


    Time seemed to stall.


    A lot of pale faces stared at Ginger''s own, which was whiter than a sheet.


    For once, even Reiss was absolutely shocked to the degree that he didn''t immediately find a sense of thrill in what Ginger had just done, or any educational value.


    Clap. Clap.


    Professor Hennigar clapped to gain everyone''s attention and time seemed to start moving again.


    "How extraordinary," he said, but without a visage that expressed joy or hints of being impressed whatsoever. "Ah, I''m afraid I will have to judge you, boy, as quite inattentive and rash," the Djuka added while giving Ginger a sharp glare.


    The plump dragonling''s pale cheeks adopted a furious shade of pink and he took back his seat.


    He stole a glance at Reiss and Caron.


    They had the same look as him, just without the crippling embarrassment.


    Of course, the attention on Ginger didn''t die down with just Professor Hennigar''s comment.


    Fillys and Alcaeus for instance, hadn''t even heard what he said.


    Much like the rest of the class, they were quite... terrified.


    To think where they were able to conjure a simple globe of focused Mana Essence, proving that they had managed to obtain the acknowledgment of the Mana Essence around them, Ginger was...


    Alcaeus was particularly stricken.


    What was that thing that Ginger had said the day his identity and origin were exposed?


    ''I know the best Shaman there is...!''


    The Doukas boy was appalled to learn that that statement actually had some substance!


    If comments made that day by his fellow ''true dragons'' about what a Shaman could be were true...


    All of sudden, a harsh red flame bellowed from before the class, along with a cruel heat that ¨C while ineffective against the students and their uniform ¨C finally made the First Years of First Blue turn from Ginger.


    The short, dark-skinned Professor was whirling a great tongue of red fire around him with a visibly annoyed expression.


    "I intended to take this one step at a time, but it appears I cannot sustain your attention with the basics anymore," he said testily. "Such advanced applications of Mana Essence... I expected none of you to know these yet, but I suppose rare talents for it exist among the dragons as well."


    No one, not even Ginger himself, considered this a compliment. At least not at the moment.


    Ginger shrank further into his chair even without the attention on him anymore.


    "The reason why dragons aren''t the best in power forms like Sorcery is because true Sorcery requires a Mana Axis. A permanent point of convergence between the user and Mana Essence within the body. Because your own bodies already function with Kardia, creating a Mana Axis within them too could prove to be fatal because of the conflict that could erupt between the two."


    "As such, what you are supposed to learn up to your Fifth Year is standard to intermediate mechanisms of Mana," Professor Hennigar said, and the coiling flame around him turned stunningly bright with a fierce roar before changing into a pool of water.


    The class expressed muffled awe.


    Professor Hennigar waved his hands and the pool of water swam behind him and then shot forward towards the students, prompting the majority of them to scream at its sudden lunge.


    What leaped at them wasn''t a tide, however.


    The water had changed form, becoming hundreds of flakes of snow that turned the class into a pleasant, picturesque scape for a few moments. More than a few of the students stuck their tongues out to lick the flakes.


    Professor Hennigar was pleased to see that he had mostly succeeded in dragging the attention away from Ginger''s display, but he also seemed to remember that he was dealing with children at the end of the day, even if they were dragons.


    "Manifesting elements other than fire is something even a non-Sorcerer ¨C an untitled practitioner of Sorcery ¨C can do. What I just demonstrated ¨C the instance where I manifested fire alone ¨C is possible for any of you within a few Strides time..." the Djuka explained, further piquing the students'' interest while it was still hot. "Of course, even without Mana Essence you all could produce fire, but access to other elements is very useful."


    There was an uproar.


    The fact that what Ginger had just done wasn''t so special after all, turned the still, slightly-rigid atmosphere in the class all the more lighter.


    So that''s how it was?


    It wasn''t even anything exclusive to the dragon born in the Wild?


    Then great!


    Some of the students in the class turned to sneer at Ginger as though he had just boldly announced that he was a Titan of Sorcery.


    Only he still thought and was remorseful about how he had almost maimed a fair amount of his peers, it seemed.


    Fillys and Alcaeus were among those who jabbed at him.


    It was clear from the relief on their faces that they truly relished in the idea of resuming to express their superiority over Ginger now and then, a tradition that would have been killed off if he was actually able to resist by bullying them with the elements.


    Unfortunately for them, Ginger wasn''t listening or even looking at them.


    Only dark, convoluted thoughts were twisting in his head and at the moment, neither Caron nor Reiss could save him from them.

 Insidious Interest

    Professor Hennigar went on to encourage the students that the exercises they were doing in this class would see those who remained without the acknowledgment of Mana Essence today, getting their dark, withering prayers answered sooner rather than later.


    He, with a cold look that lingered on Ginger for a frosty moment, explained things about Mana Essence he evidently hadn''t planned to explain today in the name of easing the dragonlings into the foreign study.


    Be that as it may, it seemed the students of First Blue got an infinitely more exciting experience with their Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation lesson than they would have if not for Ginger, though none of them actually walked to him and shook his hand in gratitude.


    Ginger had to endure standing in the eye of a cyclone of thrill ¨C with where he was positioned not being so much as cooled by the waves of anticipation and happy prospects floating from his nemeses who kept taunting him.


    When the lesson ended, Ginger was both happy and appalled.


    He had been wishing for a while to get out of the room in which he had almost committed murder ¨C as he assumed ¨C and endure, perhaps a more physical exercise in Mortal Conflict.


    While trailing behind Caron and Reiss who evidently wanted to have more than a few words with him as soon as they were out of earshot from any of the students - not to mention the Djuka who remained rooted in the classroom - Ginger had been about to check if Mortal Conflict was indeed the next course for the day when...


    "Excuse me, Ginger. A word?"


    Professor Hennigar spoke.


    He had a keen and stern look to his dark face that Ginger could have sworn was harshly immolating, or perhaps even fiercely glaring.


    Having his name unceremoniously called out by someone, who, by many accounts shouldn''t know his name yet, made Ginger shudder.


    The plump dragonling gulped as he stopped in his tracks.


    ''I''m done for,'' he thought, imagining, for what was the fifteenth time since his little unintentionally homicidal stunt, Ancor giving him a round of applause.


    He looked to Reiss who, like Caron, didn''t turn, and merely walked out of the classroom stiff-backed.


    Ginger felt a little betrayed, but he walked to Professor Hennigar without much hesitation.


    "Yes, Professor?" he said, dodging the possibility of gazing eye to eye with the instructor who was barely taller than him.


    The dark-skinned individual waited until everyone else had left the classroom ¨C stalling with a fake cough in the meantime ¨C and then spoke.


    "You have quite the aptitude for manipulating Mana Essence. Did you have someone teaching you who had experience with it?" he asked.


    "What...?" Ginger stuttered.


    Apart from the contents of what the Djuka said, he was surprised by the warm and intrigued tone he used.


    Ginger''s eyes darted to the instructor''s face and it came as a shock that a small smile was nestled on his face.


    ''Why is he being... nice all of a sudden?'' Ginger thought while quickly lubricating his dried lips.


    For whatever reason, Professor Hennigar seemed to adopt a lightly cautious look over his polite one, and to Ginger, it seemed as though he acknowledged that he had asked an unexpected question, though perhaps without the context from Ginger''s perspective.


    "My apologies. That must have been too sudden..." Professor Hennigar said, his smile growing a bit wider. "...I mean both my question and my attitude towards you during the lesson." His eyes flitted to the door and then back to Ginger. "I have to behave as an impartial instructor, but as a Djuka, I am taken by gems I find in the metaphorical mana rough. I''m aware you are a rare case from the Wild. That is the bulk of my interest. How long have you been in contact with Mana Essence?" the dark-skinned instructor expanded with interest.


    Not sure exactly what the Professor meant, Ginger cleared his throat and answered the question that was coming to him a second time, just with a heavy pretext.


    "I... It''s only been a little more than a Stride," he replied.


    "Oh, I see. That means your impressive handling of Mana Essence is likely because you did have a good teacher, but not in the same kind of Essence, correct?"


    "...Yes, sir," Ginger''s brain whirled as he answered, not quite sure if it was wise. He didn''t think he could lie about that after what he did in class.


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    The gleam in Professor Hennigar''s eyes was oddly encouraging, as though the dark, short creature was emitting the sort of air that tied him and Ginger as kin.


    Professor Hennigar nodded slowly. His tail dashed like a dark, pointed shadow from side to side.


    "Ah, alas, it was as I imagined," he said, looking awfully pleased. "Would it be too much trouble for you to tell me about this teacher of yours sometime?"


    Ginger wore a polite visage, but inwardly, he was rather rattled.


    Would THAT be a good idea? He didn''t really think so. He didn''t think he was at the liberty of telling everyone about Ancor''s specifics.


    In some way, it felt like something special that only he and Ira knew about, and he hadn''t even shared the bulk of it with Reiss.


    Then again, having been praised by Professor Hennigar just now ¨C who actually seemed to have been taken with his display earlier, despite how cross he seemed during the lesson ¨C it felt odd denying him what could very well be a simple request born from mere curiosity.


    If he refused, would the Djuka...


    "Pardon if it''s too much to ask," Professor Hennigar said, his eyes showing the same strange degree of consideration as before. "As you may have heard, I and my lost kin are devoted practitioners of Mana Essence forms. I am interested in everything that can breed the skill such as the one you have."


    "I see..." Ginger said. He had gathered that much even without further exposition from Reiss. There was no way an ordinary instructor would be hired at an institute like this, right? They had to be special, and in this case, Professor Hennigar''s race being the object of uniqueness wasn''t odd at all ¨C as he had elaborated.


    "I can tell you about my teacher. Sometime," Ginger said.


    Professor Hennigar wore a deep smile.


    "Good to hear. I''ll be looking forward to it. In exchange for your time then, I may teach you a few extra things if you like."


    ...


    A few minutes later, Ginger had walked out of the Frost Mount''s Tooth and had caught up to Caron and Reiss who seemed to be debating over something ¨C Reiss, with solid and exaggerated vigor, Caron, with a relaxed, lazy, and clearly less interested attitude.


    The plump dragonling had thought they were battling over what had just happened with him in class but to his surprise...


    "...and it takes months to learn precisely augmenting a weapon. You have to balance the amount of Kardia you infuse, or else either the weapon will suck you dry, or you''ll end up breaking it!"


    "Meh, you''re overthinking it, Midget. I just wing it. Usually works out fine."


    Reiss turned red with fury. He seemed to grow several inches when he took in a sharp breath to douse a possible dragon breath he had been about to unleash on Caron.


    He only relaxed when Ginger joined them.


    "Thank Ebony! Sanity!" Reiss cried and rushed to walk by Ginger''s side.


    Caron swiveled to the plump dragonling''s other side, and as Ginger expected, the two walloped him with question after question, statement after statement.


    "How did you do that?! You didn''t tell me you could do that? You zoned out for a bit and then nearly killed us all!"


    "Were you confident in getting the acknowledgment of Mana Essence on your first try? You did it easily. How did you do it?"


    "Why was the lightning gold? I suppose I wouldn''t be able to see it either way, but was it a bit faster than normal?"


    "You just might be on your way to becoming a Dragon Sorcerer. Though that may not be a good thing."


    Ginger melted under the incessant discussion which encouraged very little of his own input other than "Yes" and "No" or "Really?"


    How Ginger felt only grew worse when the eyes of several other First Years from First Blue tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, which forced him to drag Caron and Reiss down less keen paths.


    "I don''t know what happened. I just wanted to make a soft, cooling wind but instead... that happened. Maybe it was because I was using Mana Essence instead of Fetid Essence, but... what are the chances that the same symbols work for both, just in different ways?" Ginger spouted his main concern after a while.


    Caron and Reiss didn''t seem to have an answer to this.


    He hadn''t expected them to.


    "Does that really matter? What''s important is I was right. You''re the sort of prodigy I need to learn from to master how to use Mana Essence," Caron said, the lazy, unfocused look in her baby-blue eyes returning.


    Reiss rolled his eyes.


    "Of course, you wouldn''t care about those important details," he said with a frown at the redhead and patted Ginger''s side. "By the way, what did the Professor say?"


    "He wanted me to tell him stuff about my mentor, Ancor. And he complimented me for learning to control Mana Essence so quickly," he said.


    Reiss immediately looked skeptical and Ginger instantly said, "I know" before the dwarfish dragonling expressed concerns he didn''t think his friend had.


    Caron angled her head towards Ginger.


    "And still, I was right," she said with a smug smile that disgusted Reiss.


    The three ended up going to all their remaining classes together. The intensity and the variations between each left them exhausted, and in turn, even doused the litany of faces Ginger had to endure from his classmates.


    Reiss managed to endure well. His small body was either very good at storing energy, or his large forehead was indicative of far more than just a less-than-impressive hairline.


    Both seemed likely.


    Caron had snoozed more than a few times during Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures, going as far as to let loose a menacing, once-in-a-Stride banger of a snore that sent the class erupting into laughter.


    Thankfully, the instructor for the course, whom the students nicknamed Rottten, was as easygoing as they came. She barely paid attention to the students when she was demonstrating the fundamental values of Olarmanders to dragons, and describing the differences in biology between various species of Olarmander.


    By the time the lesson finally ended, Ginger had had to link his arm to Caron''s. At some point, she just didn''t wake up no matter how much he shook her.


    Reiss refused to help, claiming that at least one of them had to pay enough attention during classes in order to overcome the flaming hurdles of homework they had. Ginger had the suspicion that Caron wasn''t included in this catering equation of Reiss''.


    By the end of the day, Ginger was smelling fragrant. Whatever delightful cosmetic Caron used had rubbed off on him. Admittedly, it made him feel a little tingle within, but he was too anxious to think about it in each of the remaining classes he had to play crutch.


    Why was he even doing this?


    Why was he even bothering with her?


    Why on Ravi did Caron have to sleep in class? What did she do all night?


    Ginger... didn''t know.


    When he and Reiss were finally liberated from Caron who didn''t seem to be burdened by the pressing plagues of other mortal dragonlings (overnight assignments), both were looking forward to relaxing a bit before getting to work when a certain senior came to cash in on their ''promise.''

 Where Are The Balls?

    The study between the two dorm rooms was crowded and noisy today as well, a trend that many had predicted would persist until the end of the next Stride at the earliest.


    The reach of the Second and Third Years was everywhere, including the dorm rooms, and they made all kinds of attempts at recruiting the First Years for their Out Courses; some sweet and some sour, borderline crass.


    Some went:


    "Hey, join Marvellous Impediments. We get to have special parties with treats every two weeks."


    Some were like:


    "I won''t lie to you, it''s just the coolest Out Course there is. When you get to Third Year, you might just score with the girls from other, let''s say, meaningless Out Courses. Phantoms is just like that. Believe me, kid."


    And some sounded more like:


    "You see this bat? I''ll beat you to death with it if you don''t sign here for Kartile. Sound good?"


    Fortunately, or unfortunately, Reiss and Ginger hadn''t been plagued by any of the other Out Course hounds as soon as a familiar face showed up by their bed.


    "Come on. We don''t want to waste time. Curfew will come sooner than you thin-, don''t give me those looks, you signed as part of our agreement!" Zale said.


    He was the Third Year the two had met in the library yesterday. They had been forced to give up their Out Course virginity to him after a bit of guilting and coercion.


    Reiss and Ginger got off the bed with grumbles and put on their shoes. Ginger, picked up his sling bag.


    Zale found it curious but didn''t ask.


    The two dragonlings followed after Zale out of the dormitory moments later, with the Third Year acting as their highly decorated chaperone with the way he gave chilling looks towards other Out Course hounds.


    In general, Zale did look like he could be the lead participant in a genocidal assault, at least to Ginger he did.


    He had messy, curly black hair that had an oily shine over his triangular head; freakishly light skin that steeped over pale, making him look as though he was already dead; and heavily pronounced sunken cheeks to his stiff face.


    A light stubble grew over his jaw, giving the illusion that he was quite old, and it didn''t help that his narrow, black eyes expounded a feeling of deep wisdom. Overall, he looked dead from the inside too.


    His tall frame, along with the fact that he had a habit of shooting out bursts of smoke from his nostrils, was usually enough to scare off even Second Years.


    This situation was no different.


    "Where are we going?" Reiss asked as they were approaching the Waiting Furnace.


    "To the Huddling Fury," Zale replied succinctly.


    Reiss and Ginger recognized it to be the building in which they had had their Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies lesson yesterday.


    Moments later, the trio appeared on the first floor. Zale led his two recruits out of the Frost Mount''s Tooth. A cordon of other students was going in and out of the building with the paling light of the small peach-golden sun highlighting them.


    Ginger and Reiss seldom set foot out of the Frost Mount''s Tooth after supper. Both, however, could appreciate how beautiful the school looked with the various artificial light sources that came alive around this time.


    Olarmanders in the school''s service could be seen flying in the sky, some with luminous scales that brightened up the darker spots between the school buildings. Some of them spewed fire from their mouths, elatedly relishing the freedom they were given at night.


    Of course, these subservient partners of the Qin Asha weren''t the only form of lighting provided when the suns vanished from the sky.


    Several orbs that looked to be made of white glass ¨C not entirely supernatural, as they were also mechanical ¨C were fixed at various locations.


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    They were gorgeous and pleasing to look at.


    Sadly, they could be hateful, bloated snitches in the dead of night.


    Several Second and Third Years who didn''t spare them a glance seemed to see it this way.


    As the trio exited the fat, cubical building, they just so happened to bump into someone whose keen eyes showed a wild degree of suspicion towards all of them.


    "We''re just going for Kartile, Madam Agathe," Zale countered the unspoken accusations at once.


    The old dragon, the Warden of the institute, scoffed.


    "Seeing you add these daring little ones under your wing doesn''t give me any peace of mind, Zale," Madam Agathe said, her eyes turning to Reiss and Ginger.


    The two couldn''t bring themselves to look at the old dragon in the eye. Thankfully, she turned to Zale with a nasty look.


    Zale breathed out a smoky breath livid with exasperation.


    "Regardless of what you think, it''s still not curfew. We''ll be down and tucked in by the time you start your real patrols," he said reassuringly.


    Madam Agathe clearly didn''t buy it. She whipped her cloak back as she walked past them, her gaze lingering long after the fact.


    Ginger and Reiss felt like they could breathe again.


    "You too already got in trouble with her?" Zale said as they walked on, passing one of the glass orbs that floated overhead.


    "It was... it was just a misunderstanding," Ginger said feebly.


    "On the other hand, you are the devil as far as she''s concerned," Reiss said to Zale with a brow raised, his eye darting to Ginger who sighed in relief.


    Zale chortled.


    "I suppose the way she looks at me is a bit cold, isn''t it? I gave her a bit of trouble when I became a Second Year. She never quite forgets....or forgives," he smirked.


    Reiss and Ginger had little reason to doubt it, and they were reluctant to ask just how much one could fiddle with the Warden''s feathers before she marked them permanently.


    "What did you mean when you said, real patrols? What does Madam Agathe do when she''s on... those?" Ginger asked concernedly.


    Zale looked at the two.


    "Well, during the day, she''s normally just diligently looking for anything amiss and directing the staff responsible to it. At night, she may resort to violence if necessary. I tried to fight her one time, to knock her unconscious and use a Pieyro to wipe her memory. Stupid idea."


    With all the context given by Professor Lyall on the difference in strength generated by the age of dragons, Ginger and Reiss couldn''t help but shiver at what Zale said.


    "You were... brave," Reiss said to Zale with a weak smile. He withheld the real adjective he wanted to use.


    "Thanks," Zale said and flashed a toothy smile.


    After several minutes, the trio reached the Huddling Fury. The whole mass, which preferred to express its girth than its height, had many rooms, all developed using hard, enchanted materials that could withstand rough blows.


    Reiss and Ginger were led through different doorways in the construct ¨C as it had no doors whatsoever. Some of the ones they passed allowed them to take sneak peeks at what other, occupied rooms were being used for.


    Unfortunately for Reiss and Ginger, it wasn''t all educational, as they had thought.


    Some of the sights made them look away immediately with pale, awkward faces.


    Thankfully, they reached their destination before their faces could turn wholly red.


    In a vast room with a dirty, black floor and dusty, chipped walls, the clashing of the voices of tens of students masked the entry of Zale and the two boys.


    In that period, Ginger saw a few familiar faces.


    One was the bushy-browed girl he had met in Professor Alexandros'' office, Abela Mires.


    He also spotted the tall and concerningly thin upperclassman who had handed him, Reiss, and Caron the Kartile handouts yesterday.


    Then, there was Fotini, the Monitor who had been in charge of the First Year boys in the first Stride of school.


    Oddly, Ginger met Fotini''s eyes, and the latter''s smile, lingering from the conversation he was having with a girl at his side, disappeared. He awkwardly avoided Ginger''s stare and pretended as if he didn''t know him.


    ''What''s that about?'' Ginger thought.


    "Oh, Zale! You''re late. Ah, you brought more fresh- woow! Those are fresh if I ever seen fresh!" a lively student who rushed to give Zale a big hug said before looking at Ginger and Reiss. "I daresay one of them is a little too fresh."


    The upperclassman''s comment drew the attention of everyone, and their eyes honed in on the odd duo.


    It didn''t help that the two dragonlings were both visually engaging and somewhat famous.


    A lot of chatter immediately began, and it didn''t take a genius to know what it was all about.


    "Good grief! I say we bail, Ginger. Do you really want to deal with this tonight of all nights?" Reiss whispered while pulling on Ginger, which netted them a few bursts of laughter from the onlookers.


    Ginger was seriously considering it when Zale gripped their shoulders firmly.


    "I got us more members. That''s what counts. I say we let their performance determine their worth. How''s that?" he said while looking sharply at the upperclassman who had hugged him.


    "Sure, sure. No arguments here."


    Zale patted Reiss and Ginger''s shoulders reassuringly.


    The latter was effectively swayed, but Reiss wasn''t. Scrolling through the other members of Kartile, he wasn''t sure he believed he was in the right place.


    "Why are you all just waiting here? Where are the balls?" Zale asked.


    "Basilia said she''s come with them. She''s running late, I think. She wouldn''t miss a session," the other upperclassman said.


    Right then, there was a loud boom.


    Everyone turned to the doorway.


    A student had just slammed a large, wooden box as tall as Ginger onto the floor. She sighed heavily and beamed at the crowd of new and old faces, going on to point at them slowly.


    "Were you all waiting for me? You''re in luck!" she said proudly before hammering on the box she brought with her fist so hard that the dust on the walls shook.


    At once, the box''s four sides opened with mechanical clinks to reveal, and introduce... balls?

 Unsupervised Kartiling

    The large box, which had a clear wooden texture, and a rosy red hue, opened up neatly, its four sides whipping out and dropping to the floor. They would have laid flat on it if not for the long ¨C extendable ¨C thin rods and hinges attached to them from the inside.


    Only the top and bottom parts of the box remained in the same position, and between them, a thick, steel pole that connected the two could be seen, a multi-plated rack constructed around it; the thin rods were attached to it in turn.


    Nine simple, silver balls were placed on the rack, and below it, right above the bottom board, were what looked like large, layered dark plates; or perhaps they were intricate, flat, metal carvings folded immaculately to fit in the box? It was hard to tell.


    The girl who had dropped the box pointed her hands animatedly at the interior of the box, her expression and form like that of a magician presenting her crafty work.


    She seemed extra for no reason. Her bizarre smile, instead of lighting up a world, would go a step further and make it so bright that no one would be able to see it anyway.


    Ginger watched her shake someone close to the doorway vigorously, as though attempting to hype them up. From the look of terror on the stirred student''s face though, he gathered that he was more perturbed than intrigued.


    The girl skipped over explaining what the box was and instead made a casual announcement.


    "Professor isn''t coming today. Again. We have the whole Stride to ourselves. I hope we got a good fresh batch. Oh, I like these new faces already."


    She looked aggressively at everyone on both sides of her.


    Some of the older faces greeted her and she returned what mild hellos she received tenfold.


    Reiss gave Ginger a dark look. It seemed to summarise several reasons why the dwarfish dragonling shouldn''t be here.


    Ginger chuckled awkwardly. He could hardly pay Reiss'' apprehension much attention. His eyes were glued to the open box.


    Zale walked towards the object.


    The girl who had come with it, Basilia, attempted a violent greeting on Zale, but he dodged elegantly.


    He then stood before the open contraption.


    "Alright then, let''s not waste any more time," he said, to which a few mumbled something about him being late. "Anyone who comes in later will have to catch up another day ¨C though I really, really, don''t want to be the one to give inductions like this every time. Anyway, let''s get started. I suppose we can address and evaluate the newcomers first. It''s always a good ''opening act.''"


    Zale picked up one of the dark plates at the bottom of the box and as he gave it a light tap with his finger, it hurriedly straightened up to form a sizable humanoid shape.


    It was about as tall as an average human adult, its flat, matte black face full of dents, cuts, and barely visible scorch marks. The thickness of the metallic construct seemed to be the only reason it hadn''t broken apart. Or perhaps something else?


    Ginger was reeled in.


    What was that?


    Zale carried the object towards the end of the room, which was roughly twenty meters away, and after tinkering with its base ¨C which featured not an imitation of feet, but a triangular prism shape ¨C he made it stand on its own.


    "This is a target dummy," the gaunt Third Year explained to those who didn''t know. "You''ll be... leaving more marks on it than you can count this year ¨C if you choose to stay, that is."


    Zale gestured something to Basilia and she energetically flung one of the silver balls, which he caught and gave her a threatening glare.


    "Kartile ¨C and believe me, I think the name is stupid ¨C is all about learning to maximize your ability to project Kardia out of the body. Affixers and Alien-types are the most capable of learning this, along with the tips and tricks that can follow being able to do this well enough. Now..."


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    Zale walked away from the dummy.


    "...to master projecting Kardia outside the body, we use these steel balls for practice. At least, for Alien-types. Of course, the main theme, or target, is as the name of our Out Course suggests. Projectiles..."


    Zale dramatically pointed two fingers behind him, and then bang!


    The dummy swayed back and forth, a faint trail of smoke rising from the middle of its head.


    "Simple enough, right? As you can guess, I''m an Alien-type. For those like me, this is the standard you should aim to reach."


    It became easy to spot those who were new by their slack jaws. Ginger was gaping in interest and surprise while Reiss looked to only be mildly drawn in.


    The whispers and audible "I didn''t see his Kardia! It traveled so fast!" and "Amazing! If I can learn to do that..." were rather prominent among the First Years. Ginger''s own internal reaction was something similar. However, what he thought also encompassed the fact that Zale''s Kardia was refined, and couldn''t be perceived by his lacking sight.


    He probably lacked the skill to ''dumb down'' his Kardia, as Professor Mara said.


    "Pipe down," Zale said as he tossed the silver ball in his hand up and back repeatedly. "Now, Affixers, your Kardia latches onto anything close to your body. This ball is made of Qin Steel, and it is highly attracted to Kardia. When your Kardia rushes into the ball, it won''t immediately leave when you lose contact with it. Your task is to learn to make the Kardia in the ball last as long as possible. Basilia."


    Basilia rushed to Zale at once.


    "Please demonstrate," the sallow-faced Third Year said with palpable irritation.


    Basilia grabbed the steel ball from his hand, faced the dummy, and cocked her arm back.


    "I know you can''t see it, First Years, but ¨C in case you haven''t learned this yet ¨C affixing Kardia to small objects produces the best result for a beginner. I learned that the hard way, and hence why I am lecturing Affixers about Affixing. Watch."


    There were bits of knowing laughter from the older students, but they dispersed when Basilia lurched a step and flung the steel ball in her hand at the dummy.


    Unlike what happened when Zale sent a bolt of Kardia at it, the steel ball, loaded with energy, smashed into the dummy... and lit it on fire!


    The orange blaze startled the First Years, many of whom thought this was an accident and school property was being damaged. Some were more thrilled than anxious, however.


    Reiss was among them.


    His eyes bulged and reflected the hue of the flame.


    "That... that was a Pieyro," he said absentmindedly, making Ginger turn to him.


    "What?"


    "That''s right," Zale who somehow heard Reiss over the buzz gave him a cool smirk. "As I said before, Kartile ¨C urgh ¨C is all about projectiles, but they don''t have to be simple, flashy, attacks. You can imprint Pieyro ¨C advanced applications of Kardia ¨C onto them to not only hit a target from a distance, but to apply a supernatural effect on them too. That''s what dear Basilia just did."


    The fiery girl gave a bow before rushing to grab the steel ball she had just flung.


    Pieyro.


    Applications like Contra Parousia, Supplementum Soma, and Custos Zoe. Attaching things like that to projectiles... that idea was extremely attractive to both Ginger and Reiss.


    The former could already imagine himself firing Charm-like Pieyro everywhere with Ancor standing behind him, as they were in the middle of a flaming battlefield where hundreds of beasts had been felled... ahem.


    Reiss on the other hand, saw a more grounded, and pragmatic application.


    "Just imagine if I light everything I hit with my hammer on fire," he said, beaming, after pulling on Ginger''s sleeve again.


    "But you can''t even lift it yet," Ginger pointed out.


    "Oh, I know!" Reiss huffed a frustrated breath.


    The two weren''t the only ones expressing high degrees of intrigue.


    Abela Mires raised her hand to grab Zale''s attention and when he nodded to her, she asked:


    "You said Alien-types will only need to use the steel balls until we can do what you just did, while Affixers will have to rely on the steel balls¡ª"


    "Not just the balls," Zale hurried to correct her. "Affixers can pretty much learn to work with any kind of weapon they want. Preferably a long-range type weapon that isn''t too big."


    "Right," Abela nodded seriously. "But what about Alien-types? Can we choose to keep using the Qin Steel balls?"


    Zale smirked.


    "Come and get a feel for it yourself. You haven''t tried injecting your Kardia into a weapon, have you?" he said.


    Abela shook her head apprehensively. Zale beckoned her forward and gave her a steel ball.


    The result was as pathetic as it could be.


    Abela found it hard to even hold the steel ball, let alone throw it.


    "Why is it so heavy?" she asked with a frown, a bit of sweat falling on her thick brows.


    "Because for something to be able to hold enough Kardia for Pieyro, it needs to be strong and compact. Besides, it makes great practice for Affixers."


    Reiss cursed Zale for the next twenty minutes that followed.


    The First Years took turns taking aim and throwing the steel balls at the dummy. Their performances ranged from ''good first try'' to ''that was hilarious.''


    It was obvious where Reiss placed. Ginger fit somewhere in between the two standards. He managed to lift the ball, but couldn''t throw it over the full distance to the dummy, which didn''t cause him as much dismay as it caused Abela who folded her arms and pouted miserably.


    He simply kept replaying the scene of Zale shooting an invisible jolt of Kardia at the dummy. That cheered him up and made him so hopeful that he didn''t mind his current failure towards even the first step to reaching the level he desired.


    ''I''ll be able to do it eventually,'' Ginger thought and something deep within him agreed, swearing to make his sweltering desire a reality.

 Presumed Guilt

    The rest of what followed with the Kartile session was more light-hearted than any of the First Years could have imagined it to be. Instead of the stifling and almost crippling atmosphere that usually hovered over lessons during the day with uptight Professors, the chatter and mostly organized proceedings under Zale''s charge made it easy to feel a sense of belonging.


    The older members of the Out Course retrieved the rest of the target dummies ¨C four more ¨C from the box Basilia brought, and placed them further away from the other end of the room than the first.


    They all then began to demonstrate their impressive attainments in projecting Kardia outside their bodies ¨C with, for instance, the Affixers showing off trick shots with the steel balls that had different kinds of minor Pieyro applied, such as light freezing, which left the dummies glossy with cold; hard impact force that made the dummies bend and slam hard to the floor; unnatural rebound, which forced the steel balls back to the hand of the flinger after a hit.


    Alien-types demonstrated similar skills with raw Kardia while gathering up freshmen to give them early tips. Even though the students couldn''t see the shots of Kardia zipping through the air, the impact and the effect ingrained in the Kardia manifesting were equally intriguing.


    Soon, everyone was chattering excitedly with the most social fiend available, Basilia, who chatted to fellow Affixers, becoming less intimidating the more people talked to her. Reiss vouched for her, to Ginger''s surprise.


    The plump dragonling lurked, listening in when he could, not too sure if his reputation was as much of a deterrent to him being viewed kindly.


    As it turned out, that was the case.


    While he was approached and asked many times by seemingly friendly faces if he really was a halfling from the looked-down-upon Wild, Ginger could see the hidden judgment in the eyes of many of his upperclassmen.


    It was still strange to him why Cinder-Born looked down on the Wild so much when next to none seemed to have ventured there. Most of them only knew that it was where the humans lived and.... yeah, that was about it.


    To make matters worse, because Ginger wore his scarf loose, revealing the cast of his scales, the unspoken judgment he received only mounted.


    He almost forgot that he was inferior in more ways than two to the majority of dragonlings at Draggard-Phoenix. Zale, who didn''t seem to mind, had almost made him believe his upperclassmen would be more inviting.


    Thankfully, others like the gaunt Third Year didn''t mind aspects of Ginger''s background, but they were few and far between. It almost seemed to Ginger that the Out Course hounds he had been fleeing from all Stride ¨C those doing the arduous recruiting ¨C were also the most open-minded.


    The lanky student who had been giving out handouts for the Out Course was quite friendly and outspoken, though a little too much so.


    Ginger thought he could have left out the mean poke he made:


    ''You''ve got some quality gut fat? Who''s your supplier?''


    Ginger had a great time all the same though. If anything, this first session ¨C born out of conniving deceit ¨C convinced him that he really wanted to be in Kartile. He couldn''t wait to learn how to expel his Kardia properly and learn all kinds of Pieyro. Perhaps he could even get hints as to how to improve on his Custos Zoe here.


    "Alright, they won me over. I can''t believe I''m saying that," Reiss said when he reunited with Ginger from another one of his expeditions away from his friend.


    The dwarfish dragonling was received pretty well, especially by the older female students who viewed his stature and shocking knowledgeability towards pretty much any topic they engaged with him in, extremely... cute.


    Ginger could have sworn he saw a beautiful Third Year pick Reiss up like a toddler, and hug him tight. Shockingly, Reiss hadn''t shown much resistance.


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    Ginger wanted to know more about this, but he didn''t dare ask.


    "Did you know, this Out Course was found in order to encourage Switch-Which?" Reiss said enthusiastically.


    "That game you won''t shut up about?" Ginger said.


    Reiss reeled.


    "One of the games I won''t shut up about, you mean?" he corrected with a haughty look. "I should have known this Out Course had so much... culture behind it."


    "You wanted us to bail an hour ago!" Ginger barked.


    "Good grief, Ginger. A man can change his mind!"


    At hearing Reiss calling himself a man, a girl close to the two burst out in laughter. The two dragonlings turned instinctively and found ¨C at least Ginger did ¨C that it was the student Fotini had been conversing with when they first came in.


    As it turned out, Fotini was still with her, and at seeing her attention diverted to them, he looked oddly irritated, especially when he glanced at Ginger.


    The girl approached Reiss, crouched ¨C as she was a little tall ¨C and said something about how he sounded different from how he looked. Reiss entertained her.


    Ginger took the chance to approach Fotini.


    He might as well. Unlike every faceless upperclassman who was inclined to avoid him and look down on him, Fotini acting like he hadn''t been the same Monitor who sympathized with him lacking a uniform for the Assembly that day a Stride ago, pinched him hard.


    "Do you have a problem with me now?" he asked outright.


    "What?" Fotini looked stunned.


    "Does me being a halfling bother you that much? I thought a Monitor like you wouldn''t mind."


    Fotini''s freckled, round face churned at the words. His emerald eyes turned sharp, and the kind, approachable air Ginger remembered him exuding those first days vanished.


    He took a step forward, and Ginger had to pair the tall student''s image with part of the ceiling overhead. Fotini was also quite tall.


    "So what if it does?" he said in a low voice that only Ginger could hear.


    The plump dragonling''s heart beat fast. He hadn''t expected Fotini to be as blunt as he had been when inquiring.


    "You''re not what I thought you were. That''s all there is to it. Did you think I''d feel guilty, unlike everyone else?"


    Ginger straightened his back and looked straight into the glinting emerald.


    "Yes, I thought you would feel guilty. And I think you do," he said evenly. "You know I''m just like any other dragon that came in this year."


    As he watched Fotini look increasingly annoyed with him, Ginger felt all the reasons he could have given as to why he thought confronting Fotini was a good idea, dissipate. His own declaration felt shaky, but he felt that it needed to be said.


    Fotini donned a look people usually wore when they were about to split venom, but it quickly disappeared as he looked at the students close by.


    Giving Ginger a stern look, he then called over him:


    "Hey, Zale! How about we end it here? Better these First Years get to their dorms. Don''t want them cutting it close with the curfew now, do we?"


    Zale peeked from above his taller peers as everyone quieted down.


    "You''re right! We don''t want to give the Warden another reason to keep her employment. Let''s call it a day," he said with a bit of smoke leaving his nostrils.


    Fotini dropped his gaze on Ginger, frowned, and then walked from him. He dragged the girl who had still been conversing with Reiss, and they disappeared into the churning crowd.


    "What was that all about?" Reiss, who approached Ginger with a strange smile, asked.


    "Nothing much really," Ginger replied with his gaze lingering on where he presumed Fotini was in his sight.


    *


    "Are you sure you can''t and you didn''t bother to try?"


    The next day started with some nagging from Reiss, which Ginger discovered for the first time to be very annoying. Had he not noticed before because the two were still exploring the intricacies of their complementary friendship? Probably.


    "You paid attention in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation, didn''t you? Professor Hennigar said it, there''s no way we can use Mana Essence for now without him making it easier for us," Ginger said as they stepped onto the Fifth floor behind a group of other First Years.


    "You could have at least tried. Maybe infusing Mana Essence into Qin Steel balls could help you use that golden lightning in tandem with a Pieyro from your Kardia! How am I the only one excited about this, Ginger?" Reiss waved his hands while leaping up and down. Ginger sighed.


    While the rest of First Blue had mocked him for making them think he was special for using an element on the first lesson of Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation, Reiss was fiercely intrigued by Ginger''s abilities, which he truly believed were prodigious. If Zale hadn''t come to fetch them from the dorms yesterday...


    "I''ll keep it in mind when we go for Kartile again," Ginger said, and Reiss finally stopped nagging him.


    ...Until the two met up with Caron, whose opener for the day fuelled the discussion again.


    "I dreamt that I was a prestigious young lady from one of the five Flame Seeker families and you were my loyal Knight," she said dreamily to Ginger. "I remember you had this sort of finishing move. A bolt of golden lightning would come out of your fingers and¡ª"


    "Shunting Shamans!" Ginger blocked his ears.


    Reiss sniggered.


    Again, Caron appeared tired today, but she found the strength to wear down Ginger''s sanity with Reiss'' help by asking question after question before classes began.


    Only when Professor Hennigar walked into class did Caron and Reiss stop, but Ginger wasn''t too relieved.


    In fact, he both felt that the next few days were going to slog their way to the Breather while also rushing past quickly.


    He turned out to be right.

 Last Minute Jitters

    The new day passed quickly for Ginger, along with all its odd classes.


    All the Professors continued to build upon what they had been teaching the students during this Stride, and some were not as forgiving when those they taught fell behind.


    The three days remaining before the Breather had the First Years doing their absolute best to learn the secret to controlling Mana Essence effectively. Professor Hennigar, who, like Professor Mara and Professor Lyall taught all three First Year classes, found the contention regarding his odd race completely discarded.


    His race didn''t deter the students ¨C the non-Affixers in particular ¨C from nagging him with all sorts of questions even outside lesson time, especially when it felt like their lives were on the line.


    Of course, this wasn''t because of the dread surrounding the outing this coming Breather where all the First Years would kill their first Blighted. Well, at least not entirely.


    Apparently, Professor Mara''s mere displeasure was plenty of a chilling horror to inspire the more lackadaisical breeds in all three First Year classes to work hard. Even those already operating on fumes were made to work harder.


    Non-Affixers'' only method of reinforcing their weapons, was to learn how to control Mana Essence. Unfortunately, this couldn''t be done with the same level of skill some of the students had been boasting about ¨C being able to control tamed Mana Essence in Professor Hennigar''s class.


    When Professor Mara first inquired about the progress and had the class ¨C even the Affixers ¨C demonstrate their attainments, his disappointment, which diffused into his Kardia, which then swam among the students, pungent and persistent like a grumpy fart, caused a few to break down into tears.


    It was quite the lesson for Ginger. Apparently, older dragons didn''t need to wallop their young as a form of discipline.


    In fact, the stern, almost bland voice of Professor Mara commanding the students to demonstrate a perfect reinforcement of their chosen weapons with Mana Essence by the next day, was infinitely more terrifying than any damage a typical human parent could inflict.


    And thus, that night, he, Reiss, and even Caron ¨C who still had no luck manipulating the Mana Essence Professor Hennigar tamed during class ¨C had hurried to the library, discarding all thoughts on any other course, even Kartile, to research about Mana Essence.


    The trio earned little from the books, unfortunately, and by the looks of it, most of the other First Years saw no luck in the pages. There weren''t that many books on basic Mana Essence Manipulation in the Fifth Floor library. The majority of them had advanced stuff that no First Year could comprehend.


    Ginger remembered Reiss getting so frustrated about this that he had spent half an hour mentioning the flaws in the institute concerning the Mana-related course.


    Questions like "Why don''t the lessons on it just begin at the same time as all the others?" and "Why is there only one instructor for the course in the entire school?" or "Why is Professor Hennigar not defending us? We can''t control Mana Essence without his help yet!" echoed in the school''s corridors.


    As desperation would have it, many students begged Professor Hennigar to help them, which he was kind enough to do. His simple solution was to speed up the pace of learning which he had been intending to keep slow despite the ''Ginger incident'', in order to make the students appreciate the course finely.


    Those who had been capable of manipulating the tamed Mana Essence experienced the best result. The raw, uncontrolled Mana Essence heeded their call as they followed Professor Hennigar''s instruction. He had been right. It wasn''t really hard at all.


    Ginger and Reiss were pleased and tearfully gratefully, as was the majority of the class. Even the Doukas siblings had looks of cool relief, after all, this result came only a day later, following another lesson where they had to enjoy the menacing presence of Professor Mara and his calm, judging eyes at their failure.


    Those green eyes burned all the justifications they might have raised.


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    For the students who hadn''t been able to control even tamed Mana Essence, it was rather brutal.


    Caron would have buckled under Professor Mara''s constant criticism much like others of her ''kind'', if not for her already stellar performance in Affixing.


    Still, she wasn''t quite pleased to be lagging behind Ginger and Reiss. The two had managed to coat their weapons with Mana Essence perfectly before she could, and to some degree that bothered her.


    As such, she decided to cash in on the terms she proposed for her cooperation with Ginger and Reiss ¨C that she learn from the two of them, mainly Ginger, and return the favor in three Strides.


    Reiss was hesitant, even going so far as to ask if she was still clinging to that delusion of hers, but in the end, he agreed.


    In terms of Kardia, Ginger had improved a bit, following the fuel that was the interest that was bred within him during his first Kartile lesson. His mobilization of Kardia was a little faster, but of course, the volume was still abysmal.


    The thing he had improved on the most, was his control of Kardia once it was outside his body. As Professor Lyall had said, it was hard to advise someone on how to make their Kardia listen to their command because the energy was different from dragon to dragon.


    Thus, Ginger had resorted to learning through controlled repetition, which ended up helping him master not wasting his limited Kardia once it adopted Alien quality.


    Every time he demonstrated this to Caron who insisted that she could learn something from it despite having better control of her Kardia, she seemed to glean something. It was the same when she asked him to show her how he controlled Mana Essence.


    She did the same with Reiss who had finally managed to raise his hammer off the ground with his Affixing Kardia, making it light enough for him to wield ¨C however clumsily. Unfortunately, reinforcing it with Mana Essence, while impressive, didn''t help with the basics, so he had to work hard on Affixing still.


    Caron seemed to glean something from Reiss as well and was very thankful each time the two boys spared time to demonstrate their current skill.


    By the sixth day of the Stride, Ginger and Reiss were oddly accustomed to the routine inquiry in pockets of the day when Caron would keenly observe how they manipulated their Kardia and Mana Essence ¨C after lessons and during lunch ¨C along with the sweet, yawny "Thanks" that came after.


    Caron finally managed to learn how to control Mana Essence on this day as well. The look on Professor Mara''s face subtly voiced a "Took you long enough, star student," sentiment that only a few glimpsed.


    The redhead was quite pleased.


    ...


    Reiss slurped three Spicy Carpet Slugs which had been drowning in the reddish brown stew within his bowl. After he swallowed them with a faint smile, he found Ginger and Caron looking at him with concern.


    "What?" he asked.


    "It''s that good?" Ginger said with a grimace.


    Reiss sighed.


    "I have a lot on my mind. Finally being able to swing my hammer has made me particularly hungry," he said.


    "I get that. I was beginning to think I''d be one of the few left who couldn''t handle Mana Effenf," Caron said as she munched on a steamed, potato. At least Ginger thought it was.


    "You''re a genius. No, wait. A prodigy. What did you have to worry about in the first place? Wasn''t it only a matter of time? Should have realized you''d get it soon enough when you almost made Professor Mara smile with your Affixing in that rough lesson," Reiss said as he gobbled up some more slugs from his bowl before washing down their greasy flavor with some juice. "What''s up with that three-section staff of yours anyway? Why choose that?"


    "Probably the same reason you chose a large hammer despite your size," Caron said while imitating Reiss'' pitiful hammer swing from a day ago with her spoon.


    Ginger pretended to look behind him, hiding a nearly failed attempt at stifling laughter.


    Reiss'' nostrils flared and he turned to the halfling.


    "Why are we keeping her again?"


    Ginger wiped away a few tears from his face and jabbed his thick broth.


    "Well, we can stand to learn from her. Especially you. Caron uses an Affix-type Custos Zoe, like you. You could learn something from her." he said.


    Professor Lyall had stuck to having the First Years learn Custos Zoe only. As the days went by, she began teaching them how to solidify the guarding Pieyro after they all decided on which shapes they wanted. This was still proving difficult for everyone though, even with her great style of teaching.


    Reiss mumbled something about why they couldn''t just ask Zale or Basilia for help and Ginger stressed Professor Lyall''s words about outside help.


    "Do you feel confident about tomorrow?" Caron suddenly asked with a solemn face. Her unfocused baby blue eyes had an odd sense of anxiety stowed within them. "I''m not the sort to get scared easily over something like this, but... I feel like we are not prepared."


    Reiss and Ginger looked at her.


    They felt the same.


    It felt too soon to be fighting monsters after just a single Stride of slow, harsh learning that made them all feel like they were suffocating rather than progressing.


    Ginger wasn''t particularly afraid of monsters, but if they couldn''t be beaten with just a sharp weapon...


    Blighted.


    How different were they from high-class monsters from the Wild?


    Ginger wasn''t confident in his Kardia at all and while his control of Mana Essence was decent and could even be reliable if he decided to try and use that golden lightning again ¨C which he hadn''t attempted since that day ¨C he wasn''t too sure it would be too helpful.


    "Well, Professor Lyall said she''s the best teacher for Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies. She must know what she''s doing, right?" Reiss said as he dipped his spoon into his bowl.


    "Yeah. Maybe..." Ginger said, unsure.


    They would find out soon enough if Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born''s reputation was well deserved.

 Light Gear

    The next morning began its quick-paced trend with Reiss exclaiming as he looked at the window.


    "It''s here!" he cried and leaped off the bed so abruptly that Ginger thought he was falling and dived to catch him.


    After the two boys untangled on the floor, Reiss rushed to the creature outside the window with a few cross looks to his dorm mates who roared in laughter while getting dressed.


    Opening the window, Reiss beamed at the sight of a familiar Olarmander roughly half his size with faded caramel scales. It had a long snout, an extensive lower jaw, and large, fiery eyes that looked at the dwarfish dragonling with pleasant recognition.


    "Hello, Junns!" Reiss said as he scooped up the small creature and brought it inside to Ginger. "Look! It''s my dad''s Olarmander, Junns! I bet he has a message from him."


    Ginger looked with interest at the creature, which, while crawling around Reiss'' shoulders and showering him with affection, ceased all endearing maneuvers to adopt a fierce look when the plump dragonling tried to pet it.


    "I don''t recommend that. He''s not exactly friendly to anyone outside the family. Most Olarmanders aren''t, especially if they haven''t been trained," Reiss explained.


    "That''s one way to start today, I guess," Ginger sighed.


    He killed all attraction he had for the creature. This was him trying to learn to be friendlier with friendly monsters. In the Wild, there was no such thing after all.


    This wasn''t his first time seeing Olarmanders flying in and out of the dorm since the first day of school, however. Many of their dorm mates received messages from their parents; tangible items and such had to be checked though. Apparently, that was one of Ira''s many duties.


    Speaking of messages...


    Junns, the little Olarmander opened his mouth and a bright orange flame spewed out before fizzling into light smoke that slowly swirled around Reiss.


    Older dragons could convey messages as such ¨C by stowing a flame within a tamed Olarmander. The smoke was the true essence of the message, revealed only to the intended target.


    It was only the target who could hear the voice of the sender.


    The short dragon wore a silly, big smile for several moments, then when the smoke vanished, he turned to Ginger.


    "My dad wants us to meet this Breather. Well, tomorrow," he said. "Said he had a surprise for me."


    "Really?" Ginger said, a tiny bit of sorrow coiling around his heart before he dispelled it. "Are you sure you''ll be alive after today?"


    Reiss frowned.


    It took Ginger a serious apology for the dwarfish dragon to even look at him again after the joke.


    "You could come along. If you want," Reiss said moments later.


    Ginger paused at the offer and considered.


    "I''ll think about it," he said.


    The two had just taken their baths and had been in the middle of putting on their clothes before Junns came. It was still a bizarre sight to see tens of little boys coming out of the bathroom with their towels or scarves wrapped around their necks.


    Ginger, the only one to not care anymore about his cast being free for all to see, often received harrumphs and the occasional "He must think it''s something to be proud of" from his dorm mates because of it.


    It didn''t bother him all that much. He and Reiss were either highly decorated laughing stock or invisible ghosts that didn''t exist whenever their fellow mates decided it.


    After fiddling with Junns a little more, and passing him a note to return to his father, Reiss showed him out the window and watched him fly away. He promptly finished wearing his uniform, leaving out his tie.


    Ginger and the rest of the First Years in this dorm room did the same.


    "Is this really what we''re going to wear today? Does only removing the tie even help that much?" Ginger asked though he did appreciate not having to willingly put on a glorified noose.


    "Probably not. They must have called us to the Garbing and Accoutrement building for a reason, right?"


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    Shortly after, the boys exited the dorm and went down to the first floor, chattering off in the significantly less active hall. The First Year girls from all the First Year classes were mixed in among them as well.


    Several upperclassmen were exiting the building and heading out the school entrance.


    Apparently, they didn''t need supervision, unlike the First Years. Ginger wouldn''t really know the details anyway since he hadn''t gone for an outing yet.


    He and Reiss followed the group out of the Frost Mount''s Tooth and soon enough, they all reached a bland-looking building whose only appeal was its ancient, silvery, even walls.


    The Garbing and Accoutrement building was responsible for the production of school uniforms and other apparel reserved for students, among other things. It was because of its production and quality which were so effective and all-encompassing that casual clothing was ''outlawed'' outside dormitories.


    Madam Agathe enforced the proper dress code with a passion. Rumors had it that she was particularly intense about this during sports season.


    A father-daughter pair ran the Garbing and Accoutrement building with the help of dozens of assistant personnel. They were affable souls who did their very best to make students feel comfortable in their presence. They smiled warmly and cracked jokes that only early teens would laugh at, though, even if they weren''t funny, the daughter of the pair entranced the young men so much they would laugh at her sneeze.


    The same was true for the gentleman, as his deceptively youthful face inspired both respect and blush from the First Year girls.


    The pair welcomed the hundreds of First Years into the building which was unsubtle when selling what it was all about; the excessive amount of finished and unfinished drapes and carpeting stacked in the floor and windows was mind-boggling.


    Thankfully, the clashing colors weren''t an ordeal the students had to endure for long. They were led into a large, bland room on the first floor that spotted three long racks full of hanged pieces of clothing attended to by five other dragons.


    The slim, bright-eyed girl whom the First Year boys kept gawking at explained to the students what they were looking at.


    "For your exercise today, you will need better attire than your uniforms. However, while it may not seem like it, your uniforms have very important features that no other set of clothing we make have, and so you will have to keep them on in addition to what we''ll give you today."


    There were a few grumbles.


    If today was all about fighting, was it really that necessary to still have uniforms on? It wasn''t a secret that they had useful properties, but still.


    "Sounds cheap to me. They have nothing better than the uniform?" Ginger heard Fillys, who was within earshot, say. Her brother sneered, "Right?"


    Reiss shook his head and whispered something to Ginger after pulling on his sleeve. Whatever was said must have been very funny, because the two laughed so loud that every head turned to them with a frown.


    Shortly, the girl up front began calling out the names of several students who she then promptly handed something from the racks.


    It looked like a black and grey jumpsuit, not too loose and not too tight.


    The three racks had them lined up according to the student''s name and class.


    "These were made with the measurements of your uniforms in mind. Don''t worry. You will find them pretty comfortable even with your uniforms stacked below them," the slim girl explained.


    "Oh no..." Ginger''s insides collapsed.


    "What?" Reiss collapsed.


    "My uniform..."


    Reiss immediately understood.


    Ginger''s uniform was rather... tight. Ira was the one who procured one for him, and he hadn''t known or bothered to identify Ginger''s dimensions. He hadn''t thought big enough.


    Ginger only endured because the set was the only one he had.


    If the suits they were being given were made according to that then...


    ''It won''t rip, will it?'' Ginger bit his upper lip.


    Reiss didn''t know how to comfort him. He did, however, encourage Ginger to take comfort in the fact that those who had emerged from the two changing rooms they had been directed to, had their suits looking a little baggy over them.


    This eased Ginger''s apprehension a little bit.


    Soon, Reiss was called and went to change into his suit.


    Soon, Ginger was called forth too.


    He was given his own suit, and to his surprise, it felt light and crunched in his grip.


    ''Will this even help at all?'' he wondered while criticizing the fact that he had to wear his school shoes too to a fight.


    Was Fillys perhaps right?


    Was the school cheap?


    Thankfully, when Ginger put on the black and grey suit, he found it to be just as advertised. The moment it covered his entire body, hiding even the collar of his shirt, he felt as though he was wearing a compact yet roomy, light, and extremely comfortable blanket.


    He couldn''t feel his uniform anymore. Its tightness and that of his shoes disappeared. For a second, Ginger thought it was gone, until he saw the collar to his shirt just below that of the suit.


    "This is... amazing," he said when he reached Reiss.


    "It is, isn''t it?" Reiss said excitedly.


    Soon, everyone had worn their suits and the chatter around Ginger and Reiss mirrored how they felt. Everyone was looking rather exhilarated, commenting on each other''s appearance.


    "This is called Light Gear," a tall, shifty-eyed man announced in a voice so loud and firm it ended the noise. It was the father of the slim girl. He spoke with a gentle, reassuring smile. "I know it is not a sophisticated name, but the simpler, the better I always say. The name of this building should tell you how much we favor straightforwardness."


    "Your Light Gear is not only, well, light. It is also very tough despite how it feels under your pinches. Of course, its value is best appreciated when you need it."


    Ginger was urged to believe this just by the man''s slick cadence. Everyone else was too.


    At that moment, two figures walked into the large room.


    What alerted everyone to their entrance, was the loud clip-clop of heels casting vibrant waves.


    Everyone turned to see Professor Lyall walking towards them, but she wasn''t alone.


    The students of First Blue groaned.


    While their Prime Instructor''s appearance told them that it was time to leave for the exercise today, the fact that she was accompanied by someone else implied that said someone else was tagging along.


    Perhaps it was logical for this dragon to come, but even Ginger felt heavy at the sight of this particular Professor and his nose twitched uncomfortably.

 Late

    Professor Melia Aarons was a hunched, squat woman with a grounded air about her ¨C metaphorically...and sadly, literally.


    It was debated whether the fact that she taught Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures and interacted with odd creatures was the reason for her phenomenal, ever-present stench, or if the rotting egg, moldy, dead fish, decomposing rat smell with hints of smoke, was part of her natural body odor.


    Either way, that aspect of her had led to the First Years calling her Rotten... much like their upperclassmen.


    The moment Professor Aarons set foot anywhere at all, every veteran nose twitched in acknowledgment, while the younger ones almost bowed in awe.


    The aged woman, who was accompanying an unperturbed Professor Lyall, was dressed in a similar manner of fashion to that which she had on every day; a dark, rubbery coat that reached her ankles, flashy red gumboots, a dress so stiff it might have been made of Qin Steel, and an old trapper hat.


    Her oval face, marked with innumerable wrinkles, a button nose as squat as she was, and thin, yellow eyes showed a mesmerizing degree of indifference.


    Professor Aarons didn''t seem all there at the best of times.


    When Professor Lyall greeted the students, Ginger had failed to respond, his eyes stuck on the motionless, short, old lady.


    "I''d say we are a tad bit behind schedule. Let''s hurry things along, shall we?" the thickly woman said with her V-shaped lips drawing taut, her keen eyes looking over her round-rimmed glasses. "Let''s quickly make a stop by the Ample Forge to retrieve your chosen weapons and be off."


    "That''s right. We are going to need those...'' Ginger thought as his stomach churned. Somehow, he was starting to doubt his pick from days ago; the dagger.


    Once again, the fact that this Stride moved so rapidly, leaving matters like meaningful practice with their weapons ¨C which they had finally managed to imbue Mana Essence into ¨C made Ginger nervous.


    As Professor Lyall beckoned the First Years to follow after her, she was interrupted and called by the slim girl who had been helping the assistants put away the racks.


    Notably, one remained, with an unclaimed set of Light Gear hanging from it.


    Ginger found it odd.


    The sets were made with specifications for every student. Was it an extra or was someone absent?


    While his Prime Instructor conversed with the slim girl in hushed voices, Ginger turned to Reiss and found that the dwarfish dragonling shared the same opinion as him.


    "Strange. Who would dream of being late today of all days?" Reiss said.


    Moments later, Professor Lyall turned to the class.


    "It seems we have someone missing from our midst. Has anyone seen one Caron Ester?" she asked.


    Reiss and Ginger looked at each other in surprise, then they reflexively looked around as if just now remembering that Caron existed.


    Ginger had thought that she was within the crowd somewhere, and would soon find them. Frankly, even after a few days of this Stride with her, it didn''t feel too odd not having her around her yet.


    Reiss had obviously enjoyed her absence so thoroughly that he did indeed only figure that there was a dragonling by her name just now.


    ''Where is she?'' Ginger thought. ''She wouldn''t try to avoid today''s exercise on purpose, right?''


    The image of a sleeping Caron floated through his mind and he became convinced that she might have simply overslept.


    The students of First Blue made similar deductions, with some even laughing at the fact that the supposed ''most gifted'' among them was bailing from their first encounter with threatening conflict; Professor Mara didn''t count.


    "Looks like having Totality-type Kardia doesn''t make you any braver."


    "Hahaha! That slacker probably forgot what today was and slept in!"


    "What did you expect? I heard she has a cheese-colored cast!"


    The last comment made waves.


    Ginger instantly flared.


    He balled his hands into fists, wishing he could shut up the sniggering idiots with clean decks to their faces.


    Caron wasn''t a coward!


    What did they even know?


    How dare they laugh at someone whom they didn''t bother to interact with?


    If anything, Caron welcomed wild challenges and was in fact, gifted!


    Reiss had even admitted that fact, which said a lot.


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    Speaking of the dwarfish dragonling, he too looked furious at the comments, curiously enough.


    That fury was only edified severalfold, however.


    "Excuse me, Professor?" Fillys eagerly raised her hand to which Professor Lyall turned. "I personally woke her up to bathe and get dressed, but she immediately got back into bed afterward. I think she was hoping you wouldn''t notice that she wasn''t here until it was too late."


    The subdued expression of utter satisfaction on Fillys'' face turned Ginger even more livid.


    Personally what?!


    He wished he could have sent a shot of Kardia into Fillys'' face to reveal the sickening expression she was hiding, and for a moment, a bit of his Kardia seeped into his fingers.


    Professor Lyall looked neither convinced nor doubtful.


    "I see," she said evenly. "Will you volunteer to bring her here then?"


    Fillys was stunned at first, but then she grinned.


    "Yes, Professor," she said and rushed off.


    Ginger and Reiss looked at each other darkly.


    They both had a bad feeling.


    The group was then led out of the Garbing and Accoutrement building by the two Professors to the Ample Forge. All the First Years, irrespective of class, sighed in relief when they saw no sign of the handsome, stern Professor Mara.


    Ginger could have sworn he saw even Vassilis, who was usually cool and calm pat his chest lightly. That was quite the sight.


    But then again, he didn''t know that much about Vassilis. The Stridely pressure made sure they barely passed each other by in any corridor.


    Each of the students grabbed the weapon they had chosen last Stride. The varying Qin Steel pieces had been left in the room they normally held classes in, on spots that had been allocated to each of them. There was no switching to a different weapon from here on, after all, so the other unclaimed weapons had been hidden away.


    Handling his dagger, Ginger''s doubts soared again.


    For a moment, he imagined that nabbing a bigger weapon could have been the better choice instead of sticking to what he was used to.


    A glimpse at Reiss who gnashed his teeth while enduring the weight of the large hammer on his small shoulder, however, made him cast away the thought.


    ''No use thinking about that now.''


    Several others seemed to be having doubts like his, but there were also exceptions like Alcaeus with his silver saber, Vassilis with his bow and arrows, Kairos with his mace, and Abela with her halberd; they expressed full faith in their choices.


    ''I should have more backbone! I was the first to choose my weapon!'' Ginger hyped himself up.


    Soon, the group was leaving, a few hiding their pinched noses from Professor Aarons who couldn''t care less, fortunately.


    On the way out, the group saw Fillys return with an additional figure in tow.


    When Caron''s figure came into focus, a decent number of the First Years, especially those from First Blue, exploded into laughter, and there was a chain reaction that caused a louder echo of mirth.


    Ginger and Reiss grimaced.


    They both didn''t see the joke. In fact, this might have been the most unfunny thing they had ever seen.


    Caron''s springy red hair was aggressively ruffled, and amidst its chaotic entanglement, Ginger spotted a light bruise on her forehead, hidden subtly by unintentional bangs.


    Her face...


    Neither Ginger nor Reiss had ever seen her look so miserable. There were twice the amount of bags under her eyes, not to mention her pallid skin tone, and her more unfocused-than-normal droopy eyes.


    Her jersey was worn inside out, and she had a tie on, squeezed so tight that her collar itself was gasping for air.


    Ginger didn''t bother to look at what else was amiss.


    He was enraged enough.


    What happened to Caron in the girl''s dormitories?


    "...barely managed to wake her up, Professor, but I managed in the end," Ginger only managed to hear Fillys'' voice when she concluded her obviously fabricated tale with a grin.


    Professor Lyall looked at Caron with concern.


    She nodded off Fillys and brought the redhead to the side where Ginger assumed she asked exactly what he and Reiss were thinking.


    To his surprise, Caron merely gave a dazed smile and said something along the lines of ''I''m fine''. Lip reading could only tell so much.


    "I knew Fillys didn''t like her, but I didn''t think she was that isolated in the girl''s dormitories," Reiss said with a deep frown, disgusted.


    Ginger didn''t answer, but he felt the same.


    Professor Lyall instructed Professor Aarons to lead the rest of the students to the school entrance while she took Caron to the Ample Forge, fixing her attire on the way.


    Ginger and Reiss wanted to follow the two, but they figured it wouldn''t be a good idea to stray from the group. Besides, Caron would be with them soon enough and they could talk to her then.


    While carrying his concerns about Caron and eyeing a cackling Fillys with burning hate, Ginger still managed to appreciate that he was exiting the school premises for the first time in two Strides.


    Passing by that box-shaped entryway to see the long bridge again felt surreal. It would have felt even more enjoyable if not for the weight in his heart.


    The location of today''s exercise hadn''t been disclosed officially, but Zale and Basilia had made sure that Ginger and Reiss knew it was at least going to be outside the school premises while wishing them well yesterday.


    Ginger remembered that moment fondly, but he didn''t forget Fotini''s indifference, after all, he had been with Basilia and Zale.


    Ginger couldn''t expect a bulk of warmth from everyone. Not at this school.


    Even Caron, who was by all accounts special, was having a hard time. It bit at him that he hadn''t considered just how bad she had it.


    Ginger bit his upper lip and clicked his tongue.


    He looked back at the entryway into the school.


    A part of him wished Ira would pop up to wish him well too, but that seemed to be a big ask.


    ''Oh well...'' Ginger thought. ''Ancor gave me all the well wishes I will ever need.''


    The group didn''t move further than the school entrance, which surprised Ginger, as he imagined they would be going further than the bridge at least.


    Professor Aarons simply stopped and had everyone endure her smelly pressure while they waited for Professor Lyall.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t a long wait.


    The thickly dragon and a Caron who was dressed in Light Gear appeared soon enough. The latter slotted herself somewhere along the left wing of the crowd, too far for Ginger and Reiss to wiggle to in time.


    Professor Lyall, on the other hand, hurriedly moved the program along without giving any time for any more distractions.


    "Alright, everyone. We will be going to a special place owned by the school. The means to get there might be unpleasant for some, but I encourage you to get a grip. Every dragon has to learn to handle it at some point," she said, her lips drawing a wider V.


    ''What means?'' Ginger thought, his mind still deliberating on whether or not he should dash through the crowd to reach Caron.


    Almost immediately after Professor Lyall spoke, a pair of large, webbed wings whipped out from her back!


    They held a golden pigment to their web, and a dirt brown hue to their thick stems, as well as the sharp, claw-like protrusions at their ends.


    The First Years marvelled.


    "Partial Denaturing!" Reiss exclaimed from Ginger''s side.


    And indeed it was.


    Ginger ogled the thickly woman''s wings in awe, but he and the rest of his First Year fellows were yet to see the highlight.


    For once Professor Lyall raised a finger in the air and cried, "ALONG!", everyone who felt a pulse of Kardia rush from her, slapping lightly at their face, took flight!


    Everyone ascended unwillingly into the sky and shortly after, as Professor Lyall''s figure blurred and bombed against the restricting air as she flew fast, they all followed at the same pace!

 Past The Moolber

    Taking flight wasn''t too odd of an experience for Ginger, and the same was true for any dragonling who had mature dragons for parents. Where perhaps there was a difference, was that Ginger hadn''t flown under controlled circumstances most of the time, courtesy of Ancor, terrible, winged monsters, Ancor, and of course, again, Ancor.


    The current brand of flight the plump dragonling was experiencing, was unique.


    As he felt himself get lifted off the ground after the light blast of unseen Kardia, Ginger''s body almost whirled uncontrollably in the air because he had no sense of balance.


    When Professor Lyall''s winged figure exploded into the distance, however, he felt something tug softly as his sternum, and he was forcibly drawn after the thickly instructor.


    To all the First Years'' delight, the experience wasn''t uncomfortable at all.


    In fact, rather than riding on the backs of their Denatured parents, this was much more fun.


    It didn''t take a genius to recognize that this was a specialized Pieyro developed for something like this.


    The course the large group followed was straight and unwavering, and the wind felt much less violent on the students'' bodies for some reason. It rustled their Light Gear and hair, but their faces were completely immune to gusty harassment.


    Many giggled and cackled while others performed stupid poses and yelled cringey phrases that were hardly audible to their friends.


    Professor Lyall could be seen at the very front of the formation while Professor Aarons was way above everyone else at the very belly of the throng, looking down at the students carefully.


    Draggard-Phoenix was built on an artificially placed piece of land within a great lake called the Moolber, which was surrounded by civilization on three sides and high mountains on the last.


    The group was headed towards the line of said high mountains which looked like inverted, navy blue fangs from the distance.


    It was there that today''s exercise would be held.


    Ginger took in a deep breath, allowing himself a chance to enjoy the ride which wouldn''t last too long. The rushing waters below him were clear and fleeting, yet the dark shadows reflected on them persisted.


    "This is amazing!" he cried and spread out his hands.


    "I beg to differ!" Reiss bellowed from his side.


    He didn''t look too happy about this, but the reason didn''t have anything to do with a fear of heights, since Reiss didn''t look to be afraid of the concerningly vast gap between him and the lake.


    His concern... was the large hammer in his hand which was sagging below him, slowly slipping from his grip!


    "Help me!"


    Ginger reached in immediately at Reiss'' call. He lifted the hammer, offering to carry it for his friend, but the dwarfish dragonling vehemently refused. His only wish was for Ginger to help him keep it on his shoulder.


    "Good grief! She should have given us a warning!" Reiss yelled after the head to his weapon had its weight secured on him again. Thankfully, because of how Professor Lyall''s Pieyro worked, he wouldn''t lose altitude from the weight. On the other hand, he would suffer the burden all the more.


    Ginger chuckled, a little amused.


    He looked around them to see the other students showing the same amount of enthusiasm as him. But then, he turned to the right.


    Far off, he could see Caron flying amid other students with a slightly sullen face. Of course, she had no company. She merely looked ahead with her four-section Qin Steel staff gripped tightly in her hands.


    Ginger felt immensely guilty.


    The current view depicted exactly how it must have been for Caron.


    While he had Reiss, Caron had no one despite being surrounded by hundreds of students her age.


    Ginger wished he could have flown to her side, but his trajectory ¨C and that of all the other students ¨C was fixed.


    Reiss saw the direction in which he was looking and sighed lightly.


    "Let''s go to her immediately after we land!" he shouted.


    Ginger nodded.


    Soon, the enormous rows of mountains replaced the clear waters of the lake. The view of the massive, bald natural structures from up close was intimidating, to say the least.


    There was whipping cold to the giants and their peaks, which made them seem sentient. Those with vibrant imaginations thought that the mountains were telling them to dip lower in order to avoid their frosty demesnes as a sign of respect


    Whether that was true or not didn''t seem to matter to Professor Lyall.


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    She carefully had everyone weave through the first few clusters of blue, conical behemoths, which, while slightly challenging for her given how many lives were in her hands, turned out to be immensely thrilling for the students.


    Well, except Reiss.


    Soon, a rare patch of dark, even ground grew larger and larger in the students'' view as they dropped and landed one after another.


    The peaks cast several, wide shadows around this spot.


    Barely anything grew, save for a few resilient weeds and leaf-less bushes that seemed to hope for the shift of an angle in the large first sun in the sky so that they could live another day.


    Mana Essence was especially thick here, and all the students were immensely pleased to feel it, some even causing it to churn with their fingers.


    It was evident that Professor Hennigar and his course were gems in the eyes of the First Years now.


    When all the First Years had landed, the last to do so giving noisy reviews of the flight while others studied the surroundings, Professor Lyall addressed everyone.


    "Follow me. Keep a brisk pace."


    She then led the large group through a winding path within the dark blue mountains.


    The students marched, the sound of their shoes causing several echoes.


    "Come on," Reiss said to Ginger, and the two pushed through the crowd to look for Caron.


    It was a rough endeavor. The First Years were tightly packed together because the path was narrow and also because some were made nervous by some of the more... horrifically artistic characteristics of the mountain faces draped in dark shadow for the best effect; this made more than a few huddle together, despite the fact that Professor Aarons was herding everyone from the back, looking after them.


    A shower of grunts, insults, and unfriendly nudges rained on Reiss and Ginger on their way, but the two were too focused on their goal to retort or respond.


    They were rewarded soon enough when the figure of a redhead popped into view.


    Reiss had to cling to Ginger''s arm to prevent himself from being swept up by the aggressive crowd.


    "Oh, hey," Caron said, looking at the two who went on to station themselves on either of her sides.


    "''Oh, hey''? That''s it?" Reiss said, his brow shooting up.


    "You look terrible. What happened? Did Fillys hit you?" Ginger asked concernedly.


    Caron''s pallid face turned from Reiss to Ginger and vice versa.


    "I''m fine. Just a little tired," she replied hollowly, a light smile appearing on her face.


    Neither Ginger nor Reiss was convinced. Obviously.


    They both hesitated a little and then Ginger spoke, pulling Caron away from the many bulging eyes and keen ears. Reiss followed.


    "Look. We know something''s wrong. You can tell us. Maybe we can hel¡ª"


    "I said I''m fine," Caron cut Ginger off, her face turning dreadfully placid.


    Reiss and Ginger looked at each other.


    Caron''s response didn''t give them much to work with. They couldn''t really force her to speak up.


    But then again, now that Ginger thought about it, their relationship with Caron didn''t quite extend beyond the bounds of the proposal she made.


    They only interacted with her when it came to things related to learning about Kardia and Mana Essence. Nothing else.


    Without Caron having to say it, Ginger understood that perhaps she didn''t think he and Reiss were her ''friends'', in the truest sense of the word.


    The burden of concern and guilt weighed heavier on Ginger.


    What was he to do with this?


    As the group continued on, neither of the three spoke. Ginger and Reiss would have loved to, but they were infected by Caron''s overbearing sombreness.


    Thankfully, the monotonous march didn''t stagnate for too long, view-wise.


    Soon, the large group came to a halt.


    The narrow path sloped down into a rocky cave a stone''s throw away.


    Thankfully, there were rough steps carved into the rough rock as it descended, leading into the darkness that followed from the awaiting, second narrow path.


    Professor Lyall led everyone into it.


    The thumping of feet made unsettling echoes that thrummed through distant spaces within the enclosure when the students entered the cave.


    The darkness would have contributed to their fear, but Professor Lyall suddenly became encased in a pure, golden glow from her face, her Professorial coat, and thickly legs.


    She lit up the space between the rocky floor and the ancient, cracked ceiling magnificently.


    That light not only made it clear where the students stepped, but it was warm and comforting, making the short journey that followed much lighter.


    Less than fifty meters later, the straight path widened into a gargantuan cavern where all the students could fit in freely.


    The dark blue, rugged walls illuminated by Professor Lyall''s light bore a thick, stale scent, and where they ended a far distance away, a large, perfectly carved, arched gap could be seen.


    Ginger, Caron, and Reiss, like other clusters of students, took the chance to spread out, giving themselves room.


    The plump dragonling looked up and around with barely veiled enthusiasm.


    Despite how ominous this place looked, he had been poisoned finely by Ancor to enjoy travel and adventure. The current spot they had been brought to allowed him to indulge the curious part of him that hadn''t gotten a chance to shine so far.


    Ginger looked at the far ceiling ¨C roughly twenty-five meters away ¨C and he saw a large stone sculpture there, hanging upside down, depicting the Five Ancient Elders. Each likeness of the five had a large tablet below it, with a string of incomprehensible text that-


    Ginger immediately looked away, his heart thumping, sweat beginning to form at his brow.


    Reiss nudged him.


    "You never learn, do you?" he said in a reproachful, hushed voice.


    "I didn''t read them!" Ginger hurried to defend himself while panting.


    On the first day of official learning, he had encountered a miniature sculpture of the Ancient dragons in the Fifth Floor lobby and had been about to read them when Reiss saved him.


    The same sort of sculpture, albeit a bit different, was in this cavern, with the same text he had tried to read on the tablets back then.


    That text, as Ginger came to know with Reiss'' help and Professor Lyall''s mention on the subject, contained the True Names of the five Ancient Dragons.


    Even after the five were long gone, their True Names were so powerful that they could protect spaces where they were utilized.


    Of course, only older dragons could ever dream of handling such things.


    The Exalted Names of powerful dragons, also known as True Names, couldn''t be said lightly or be read without dying instantly. While Ginger hadn''t known back then, Reiss had explained that every dragonling was taught and trained from a tender age to never make the mistake of messing with a True Name or any dragon with one for that matter.


    Draggard-Phoenix Institute ensured that all its students were bred by knowledgeable dragons before induction for this reason, among others.


    Ginger had lamented that Ira hadn''t thought it necessary to tell him this. Or had he perhaps thought that Ancor had told him?


    Well...


    Professor Lyall clicked her fingers and the First Years sensed the Mana Essence within the cavern converge at several points before igniting into large balls of intense light that brightened the large space.


    The instructor''s luminance died down as she turned to the First Years and addressed them with strict eyes behind her glasses.


    "Let''s have some order, shall we?" she called. "It''s best that we begin as promptly as possible."


    Right after the students quieted down to listen to her, a loud roar shook the cavern lightly, its origin the space behind the arched gap in the distance.


    The raspy, rough noise rattled the First Years, and they all, without exception, felt the odd, constricting pressure of malevolent Cinder-Born finely.

 Watch Out

    The great roar almost washed Professor Lyall''s words out of the ears of all the students, some of whom, in impulsive surprise, clutched each other desperately. Even if each of the First Years knew what they were here to do, what they were here to kill, they recognized that the cry of a Cinder-Born beast other than an Olarmander, other than a dragon ¨C Qin Asha ¨C like them, was just different.


    Most were hearing it for the first time, and as it rang out, it inspired an angry chill to gush through them, much like a terrible fever. At least that''s how it felt to Ginger.


    The plump dragonling could relate most to such an analogy because he, as a halfling, had experienced it, but he wasn''t sure it was the same for everyone else. Perhaps they felt something different.


    Regardless, however, the feeling was far from pleasant, but of course, a certain dwarf of a dragon managed to look both deathly pale and thickly enthused. Ginger wasn''t surprised.


    He had been fed enough tales and text about Blighted and Condemned to understand why they should be feared and also studied.


    Their permanently Denatured bodies fitted murderously with sharp claws, thick scales and the awesome cheat of having Totality-type Kardia¡­ all of it was interesting to read about, but all that was fun ended there.


    Unlike Reiss, Ginger didn''t see a reason to be giddy about these creatures even a little bit, though he did know that his short friend was just as scared out of his mind as he was.


    Ginger stole a glance at Caron and found that she didn''t appear as rattled.


    ''Good for her, I suppose,'' he thought.


    "Calm down, calm down. If it only takes this much to rattle your scales, then I''m afraid you might have enrolled into the wrong school. I hear the Weasel Academy is still taking new students. Hmm, that might have been a little racist¡­" Professor Lyall said with several claps.


    Professor Aarons gave her a suspicious look.


    The students tried as best as they could to gather their spines. Thankfully, a feared second roar didn''t come to break apart their fragile collective calm.


    The thickly Professor Lyall was glad to see it.


    "This is the Beginner''s Den. All First Years come here to refine their Kardia, as you are about to. There''s rarely ever been a student who was exempt from this process, but you should be proud to get to experience it," she explained, her eyes behind the glasses reflecting the warm light from the globes she had made.


    Ginger thought about her words.


    Being exempt from this exercise to refine Kardia by killing a Blighted, meant that you had to have refined your Kardia already before enrolling into a school.


    ''Wait¡­ But doesn''t that mean you would have had to get your Second Burning outside of school? How does that work? Come to think of it, if this isn''t the only school for dragons, does that mean every other school has a Rebounding Seether?'' Ginger wondered.


    The Rebounding Seether ¨C the great hollow in the mountain at Draggard-Phoenix hoisting the great flame that allowed the students to channel their Kardia into their second heart - was said to be a product of the Argent Dragon, Sapphira. Was this flame shared to other schools perhaps? Like how there was a miniature flame like it in old Professor Alexandros'' office?


    Ginger would have asked Reiss, but he saw his focused look on Professor Lyall''s lips and decided to ask later.


    "Now, the Beginner''s Den ¨C as I''m sure it''s painfully clear ¨C is a prison under the Draggard-Phoenix Institute for weak Blighted. Every year, several hundred Blighted captured by various personnel, formal or rogue, are brought here," Professor Lyall explained.


    "None of them are too strong, and most, like you, have not lived through a single growth spurt. That doesn''t mean they are not dangerous though. With that in mind, l brought with me Professor Aarons to remind the majority of you what you are up against and to give you tips. This isn''t an exam, after all. Whether you like it or not, you will put down a Cinder-Born or two today."


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    As Professor Lyall gestured towards Professor Aarons to speak, all the students turned to her.


    The hunched, squat woman licked her lips before shuffling her feet lightly, causing her bright red boots to squeak.


    As the instructor for Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures, Professor Aarons usually had a lot to say, and not in a good way, as far as students were concerned, but today¡­


    "Watch out for the claws, the tail and the teeth. Don''t be tempted to attack the neck or the torso. The scales are very thick there. Go for the eyes instead. If you see their throat turn bright, try not to stand close. The flames can be poisonous."


    ¡­


    Ginger, along with every other student who had heard Professor Rotten¡­ Aarons, speak, distinctly recalled how she always emphasized all these points during lessons where they had to visit the Pine ¨C the conical building where Ginger and Reiss had spent three days removing Olarmander stool from the creatures'' pens.


    The Pine was a building for keeping small, unique creatures. Professor Aarons often used Olarmanders for teaching the students many of the characteristics of Blighted and Condemned since she couldn''t bring them into the school for live demonstrations.


    What she had just said was darkly familiar to what she always sang almost every Stride.


    Ginger couldn''t help but imagine that the squat Professor was daring them to forget again as most were susceptible to due to how boring her long-winded explanations could be.


    With her short yet to-the-point advice delivered, Professor Aarons went silent once again. The transition was unnerving for all the students, but they clung to all she had said as though their lives depended on it.


    Professor Lyall was also surprised by how little the squat dragon had to say, but she didn''t show it.


    "I believe that should suffice. Do keep it in mind. I think you all don''t need another two Strides of learning how Kardia works¡­ I hope. While it''s fine to trust in your weapon, don''t forget that physical tools seldom end a war. Use your other resources," she said with her lips drawing a taut V.


    It might have been an encouraging smile, but no one could tell.


    Ginger made room for her words next to the mantra ringing in his head going:


    ''Watch out for the claws and tail. Don''t go for the neck or belly, just the eyes. Watch out for the claws and tail¡­and the fire. Don''t go for the neck or belly, just the eyes.''


    It seemed everyone was reciting the same thing.


    "Now, this is how this is going to work," the thickly Professor said as she pointed at the great, intricate arched gap at the end of the cavernous space. There was a billowing darkness within that refused to be illuminated by the radiance from whatever Mana Essence spell or charm she used to light up this space.


    Ginger didn''t know if that was the intended effect by those who designed this place, or if it was something caused by the abundance of Blighted on the other side¡­ somehow.


    "You will be going through that gap in pairs and assisting each other in this activity. Your goal ¨C I emphasize ¨C is to kill at least one Blighted. And ah, the selections for pairings have already been made, so don''t expect to be bundled up with your best friendling," Professor Lyall said, much to the surprise of the students who began humming chatters that were silenced by another one of her claps.


    "As dark as it appears from this side, the chamber on the other side is bright enough for all of you to see what''s ahead. You will walk to its end, and there, you will encounter your foes. I advise you to not lose your head. Try to keep calm. Do also note that while your peers won''t be able to see what happens in that chamber, Professor Aarons and I will be able to."


    The implication by the Professor''s last sentence caused the greatest reaction.


    Professor Lyall was effectively clearing schemes from the minds of any who would try to use their partners in¡­ unsavory ways. Only heck knew what kind of madness was inspired by fear.


    At the same time, it wouldn''t be a good idea to expose a phenomenal degree of cowardice even if the audience was made up of two old dragons.


    Ginger bit his upper lip.


    ''Who am I going to be paired with?'' he thought amid the dramatic whispers from all the First Years.


    Glancing at Reiss who looked to be deep in thought, he immediately cast away any hopes of being paired with his best friend. That would be too good.


    ''What about Caron?''


    Ginger didn''t see much hope.


    What was the criteria used for these selections anyway? Were they based on something specific or just random?


    CLAP!


    Deciding that the students had wallowed in speculation, relief and panic enough, Professor Lyall grabbed the attention of the students once more and drew a long stretch of rolled up parchment from an unseen source.


    While she still had it bundled, her eyes turned into crescents as she spoke:


    "If by any means you feel that your own strength isn''t enough to slay your enemy, you can opt for a different course. In the chamber, there will be a small, thin pedestal in one corner. If you and your partner lay your hands over its top end overlapping, you will find that this exercise will become much easier."


    What?


    Ginger was puzzled.


    What did that mean?


    Before he or any other student could fully process what Professor Lyall had said, she unfurled the rolled-up parchment and named the two who would go into the chamber first.

 First Pair

    What was this about the pedestal in the corner?


    Ginger''s mind remained nailed on this detail that Professor Lyall didn''t give emphasis or elaboration on.


    He wasn''t the only one to hinge on this, however. Even as his thickly Prime Instructor unfurled the parchment with the pairings for this activity with the clear intent to begin calling out the first two to head into the chamber, he found that the chatter within the cavern intensified.


    Reiss pulled on the sleeve of his Light Gear to rein in his attention.


    "What do you think about that? That sounded important, but it seems like the Professor doesn''t want to bring much attention to it," the short dragonling said with narrowed eyes. "What could be so special about this pedestal?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe there''s something like a Charm or a Pyro on it? Something to help?" Ginger said, unsure.


    Reiss folded his arms. He had a grave suspicion about the pedestal, and about the manner in which Professor Lyall had told them all about it.


    "Even if she said this isn''t a test, it seems to me like she wants to inspect how much we have learned. I mean, come on. Now that she''s said this, at least some of the idiots among us are going to go straight for that pedestal thing. She wouldn''t want this to be that easy, right?" he said.


    Ginger twisted his lips.


    "You think it''s some kind of trap then?" he asked.


    "No, but I think it will be harder to reach than we think," Reiss said while nodding, validating his own assumption. "If not, I don''t understand why she emphasized all that stuff about using every resource we have, not just our weapons."


    Ginger nodded. He agreed with Reiss'' analysis.


    In fact¡­


    The plump dragonling felt as though he was struck by lightning on the brain.


    He looked up with his bulging sugar-grey eyes.


    The globes of light illuminating this cavern¡­


    "Professor¡­She used Mana Essence to make them¡­" Ginger said dreamily.


    "Urgh, yes. What about it?" Reiss asked with a strange look on his face.


    A small, determined smile appeared on Ginger''s own.


    "Ahem!" Professor Lyall''s wet cough grabbed the attention of the students. It seemed she had lost her ability to clap, with her hands preoccupied with holding up the parchment. "The two to enter first will be¡­ let''s see¡­ we''ll have Aias Drexel and Eleni Lapin."


    The two who had been called were revealed rather quickly as tens of heads familiar with their likeness and position turned to them. Those who didn''t know were drawn by the eager motions of torsos, and they crinkled and careened to gawk at the two unlucky souls.


    As the two walked rigidly towards Professor Lyall, Ginger soon found that their faces weren''t too familiar. They were from different classes to his own.


    Aias was a short dragonling with a bit of a muscular frame ¨C or at least one that brought to attention the obvious possibility of him growing into a beefcake. He had short, messy, oily blonde hair and narrow green eyes. His posture screamed of false courage, but when compared to his counterpart, he might as well have been as confident as a stallion.


    Eleni was a scrawny, but pretty girl with long, brown hair. Faint freckles hid under her vibrant red eyes which were so deep that they almost hid the draconic slits within them. She visibly trembled as she walked towards Professor Lyall. Her thin figure within the loose black and grey Light Gear made it all the more evident how scared she was, and garnered her some pity.


    Ginger would have loved to show her some, but a large part of him was glad. How Eleni and Aias performed would determine just how challenging or otherwise the ordeal waiting in the chamber was.


    "Straighten your backs, will you?" Professor Lyall said to the odd two with her eyes reaching over her glasses. "Just do your best. We''ll be watching the whole time, so nothing especially bad will happen to you. Mind the scarf, dear."


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    Eleni shook and tucked the scarf poking out of the neck of her Light Gear deep within. It was becoming easier and easier to forget that there was a full uniform under the jumpsuit.


    Professor beckoned the two towards the arched gap and everyone looked closely, holding their breaths.


    Ginger and Reiss also watched keenly.


    The plump dragonling saw his Prime Instructor say something to the two. Whatever she said was either immensely unsettling or nerve-soothing because Eleni squeezed the dear life out of the hilt of her Qin Steel rapier while Aias sucked in a deep breath and swung his flail lightly after she spoke.


    The two then took unsure steps into the inviting darkness that led into the Blighted''s chamber.


    Ginger, haunted by some of the things he had read and seen in like-mannered settings for adventures in the Wild, half-expected to hear a scream and something getting squashed with a squelch.


    ''That''s a really bad thing to be thinking about for my colleagues, isn''t it?'' he called himself out.


    That wouldn''t happen anyway¡­right?


    He didn''t know how exactly Professor Lyall and Professor Aarons were supposed to be watching Aias and Eleni, but he was sure they were.


    Seconds passed.


    The First Years collectively adopted silence and waited.


    Some expected to hear footsteps fade into the distance at least, but even that much was denied them once the first two were swallowed into the black.


    RAARRR!


    A great roar, different from the first, suddenly sounded and the students shook. Another came, along with a faint sound of thrashing, and then silence reigned.


    Ginger gulped and looked at Reiss. The dwarfish dragonling looked at him as well, and then they both looked at Caron. She was wearing a look of mild concern.


    She caught their gazes with a short glance in their direction and hurried to look away.


    RAAAARRRR!


    Another roar, fainter than the first two blared.


    The fact that the students couldn''t see what was going on only served to inject them with ill-timed shots of adrenaline.


    The suspense was ridiculous, and so was the anticipation. Desperate to glimpse a semblance of Aias and Eleni''s performance, most of the students stared at Professor Lyall, who still stood by the arched gap ahead, and Professor Aarons who was among them, cut off from their clusters in a small, empty ring that none of them wished to invade lest their noses suffocated.


    If something bad or otherwise was happening to Aias and Eleni, the students would never get to know because the two instructors did not betray anything with as much as a twitch.


    It should have been clear from the beginning, actually.


    Ginger scolded himself for thinking differently. If none of the First Years could decipher what Professor Lyall''s daily variations of V-shaped smiles meant, how could they possibly hope to discern what she evidently wanted to keep hidden?


    That was the whole point of not allowing any of the students to see how the others fared, right? To keep the element of surprise alive.


    ''Shunting Shamans¡­'' Ginger lamented silently.


    Several minutes passed.


    The plump dragonling''s mind got creative in the idle time.


    He had visions of Aias and Eleni skillfully weaving between the attacks of vague, draconic creatures that thrashed and attempted to body-slam them. Yet, he also saw images of the duo getting ripped to shreds despite their Light Gear and the uniform, which the school refused any of them to part with even for today.


    Fifteen minutes passed.


    There were now more faint noises coming from the depths of the chamber. There was a lot of activity, that was for sure. Surely that meant that the first duo was alive.


    Reiss nudged Ginger.


    "Good grief, man! What do you think they are still doing in there? I can''t handle this anymore!" he whispered shakily.


    Ginger didn''t know if the dwarfish dragonling was talking about the gnawing suspense or the heavy hammer he insisted on carrying on his shoulder to occupy his restless body.


    "Fighting¡­ I suppose," he said.


    GUUM!


    RAAARR!


    An outlandishly vicious impact suddenly came, startling the students.


    It sounded eerily similar to the sort of boom one would hear when someone hit their head on a wall but toned up ten times in intensity.


    What was that?


    The First Years began furiously expressing their opinions with a variety of emotions.


    Moments later, heavy footsteps were heard, first faint and then crisp.


    Soon, two figures walked out of the gaping darkness most of the First Years had yearned to peer through for the last quarter of an hour.


    Aias and Eleni looked¡­ terrible.


    Their faces looked pale, and in some way, hilarious. Rather than seeming as though they had seen a ghost ¨C as the old saying went ¨C they looked like they had seen the ghost naked.


    Dirty blood layered over their faces and combined with their slimy, disheveled hair, it contrasted oddly against the shaken looks in their eyes, a clear sign of the end of a rush of adrenaline, and the arrival of crisp clarity.


    Their Light Gear they both wore was tattered, torn, sliced, and extremely dirty, but the uniforms visible beneath were without scratch or stain.


    If many had noticed this easy-to-miss detail, they would have been relieved, but the majority of the students saw the superficial facts and imagined the worst.


    Ginger was slightly alarmed, but he caught on quickly to the fact that Aias and Eleni were unharmed. Well, mostly. Eleni was limping.


    Professor Lyall steadily received the two and gave a wide, taut V with her lips as she looked down at them.


    The two didn''t seem to have polite smiles of their own to spare.


    The chatter of the students grew with some cheers mixed in.


    Most couldn''t wait to ask the two about their experience but of course¡­


    "Let''s move on," Professor Lyall said as she pushed Aias and Eleni to the opposite side of the cavern, away from their colleagues and friends.


    There were gasps and grumbles.


    "What did they expect?" Reiss said, a more relaxed look on his face.


    But Ginger wasn''t paying him any attention. He was tense, already imagining that he might be called next for the chamber. What was worse was the mystery behind whom he would be sent in with.


    Professor Lyall, sticking faithfully to her ''we''re behind schedule'' pace, announced the names of the next two.


    "Reiss Adel and Vassilis Avecsalot."

 What Happened To You?

    What?


    Ginger turned to Reiss with a gaping mouth. The dwarfish dragonling also turned to him, donning a flabbergasted expression that told volumes of disbelief.


    Him sharing this moment of surprise with Ginger would have been a lot more meaningful¡­ if hundreds of eyes hadn''t turned in his direction, looking down at his small figure with measures of interest, anticipation, ridicule, and indifference.


    Being on the receiving end of this for a change was pretty overwhelming. Reiss didn''t have the luxury of confiding in Ginger since Professor Lyall''s beckoning look was calling him over with furious urgency.


    Reiss gulped and took steps forward, his Qin Steel hammer, which was on his shoulder, seeming to weigh much less now than the spectators'' collective attention on him. He gathered his wits as best as he could and steadied his posture.


    Ginger watched him go with more than a little trepidation.


    The source of his misgivings joined Reiss halfway towards the Professor.


    Vassilis.


    To think that Reiss had been paired with him!


    Ginger scowled.


    Just the sight of the shiny, well-combed caramel hair that draped over Vassilis'' forehead, the prominent hazel eyes, and his confident, firm stature irked the plump dragonling.


    Vassilis was something of a sworn enemy for him and Reiss. Ever since he had exposed Ginger as a halfling and that he had come from the Wild, any potential for them to see eye to eye had been slaughtered. Reiss had stood by Ginger back then, albeit being a little shocked about Ginger''s identity as well.


    In Ginger''s view, the fine, handsome boy was a prick. He was sure Reiss felt the same way too. Vassilis already made it clear that he wouldn''t entertain a half-dragon, and of course, a half-dragon supporter was likely to receive the same treatment.


    How Reiss and the prick were going to work together¡­ Ginger didn''t know.


    But there was a bigger, better question.


    What exactly was determining these pairings?


    Ginger tried to discern the criteria. He had absentmindedly considered that perhaps it had to do with gender ¨C random boy and girl pairings ¨C but that theory had been kicked out of the cavern with the announcing of this duo.


    ''Aren''t they both Affixers?'' Ginger thought with a spark of insight glowing in his eyes, but it dimmed a moment later.


    He had begun to think that Professor Lyall was perhaps pairing those with the same Kardia type, but he would have to confirm Aias and Eleni''s Kardia types to figure out if he was right. Discerning such a thing with the eye alone wasn''t possible for him at the moment, so the only way to know was to ask around.


    That didn''t seem like a good idea.


    Ginger wasn''t really popular among the First Years. At least in the entirely positive sense.


    Shelving these thoughts for now, he watched as Professor Lyall whispered in the same manner to Reiss and Vassilis as she had done with Aias and Eleni before sending them off.


    Ginger didn''t miss how, when told to go forth, Reiss glared at Vassilis before heaving his hammer off his shoulder and straining terribly to keep its haft in the tight, wobbly grip of both his hands. With the way the dwarfish dragonling''s large forehead was throbbing with thick veins, Ginger feared Reiss might get an aneurysm.


    Vassilis, on the other hand, was anything but strained. His Qin Steel bow seemed as light as a feather in his hand, as did the thin quiver hanging from his back with only the fletching of five arrows sticking from it.


    He looked unbothered and unconcerned, though, he too did spare a look of contempt for Reiss.


    "I know he''s like a super prodigy, but why would he choose such a weapon? It still doesn''t make sense to me. And why just five arrows? Is he that confident? Shouldn''t the Professor stop him?"


    Ginger heard a student behind him express some concern. He too would have shared some if he didn''t hate Vassilis with a passion.


    Apparently, bows weren''t too popular among dragons, and even among those who liked them, Affix or Alien-type Kardia was required to use them properly.


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    Ginger remembered Reiss saying something about Weavil Elves being the ones most commonly known to be efficient with bows, whatever those truly were. Ginger had thought they were a special species of giant rats before Reiss gave a mild correction.


    In any case, of all the First Years, as Ginger now saw, only three, apart from Vassilis, opted to use bows.


    The dwarfish dragonling and the prodigy of Avecsalot descent disappeared into the arched gap.


    Ginger held his breath. He wanted to believe that Reiss would be fine since Aias and Eleni were quite alright, but he was still doubtful. Maybe Reiss was safe, but what if he just¡­ couldn''t kill a Blighted on his own?


    Even though what Ginger considered to be the short dragon''s most prominent trait was his unshakeable will, he didn''t know if it would help him weather through something like his own insufficiency.


    Reiss sternly believed that he was equal to any other dragonling despite his size. If that was proven wrong, at least today¡­


    "I figured Midget was the bigger worrywart between the two of you."


    Ginger turned to see Caron having drawn closer to him.


    "What?" he said, confused and surprised.


    "I can see it in your eyes. You''re doubting him, aren''t you?" Caron said. It looked like the sags below her sockets were the ones staring at Ginger rather than her baby-blue eyes.


    Ginger frowned and looked back to the gaping darkness.


    "I''m just¡­ worried. Like any FRIEND would be," he said.


    Caron had no retort.


    A few silent moments followed.


    WUDUK!


    What felt like an explosion from within the chamber, reverberating faintly beneath the students'' feet, came.


    Ginger''s heart thrummed.


    What was that?


    Could it have been Reiss'' hammer?


    Maybe¡­ probably not.


    WUDUK!


    Again, it came.


    RAAARRRR!


    A dull roar echoed in the far distance and died down. Then there was silence again.


    Ginger now felt as though he had been deceiving himself. The suspense from before was nothing compared to what he felt now.


    ''I hope you''re doing alright¡­'' he thought, distressed.


    Caron''s accusation suddenly floated in.


    ''You''re doubting him, aren''t you?''


    Could it be? No! Of course not!


    He was just concerned.


    He wouldn''t underestimate his friend like that!


    He wasn''t like everyone else who saw Reiss like some silly, fragile vase¡­right?


    The next five minutes might as well have been a day and a half, but at their end, everyone was shocked to hear the sound of footsteps drawing close, and Vassilis'' image walking into the cavern.


    "What? They are already coming out?"


    "No way! Didn''t it take those other two a lot more time?"


    "Is this actually easier than we think?"


    Excitement and curiosity erupted among the First Years.


    Other than the briskness of this second ordeal, what shocked everyone was the fact that Vassilis didn''t have a scratch on his Light Gear, not to mention his face or hands, There was hardly any blood on him either. The only thing he seemed to have lost after going into the chamber, were four of his arrows.


    To the onlookers, this was certainly awe-inspiring, but¡­


    "Where''s Reiss?" Ginger asked in a panic.


    He immediately looked to Professor Lyall who still had on an unreadable face. She gave a nod to Vassilis who reciprocated and walked towards Aias and Eleni.


    Ginger balled his hands into fists.


    "Where''s¡ª"


    "There," Caron suddenly said.


    Perhaps because he was starting to get delusions about Reiss being seriously hurt or worse, Ginger had missed the dark silhouette emerging from the arched gap.


    The small dragon came into view, barely making a sound.


    Ginger held his breath.


    Reiss was¡­ fine.


    Apart from several bleeding scars on his cheek and horrific burn marks on his Light Gear that released a purplish fume, he seemed to be alright.


    However, a strange look was on his face, one that looked like a mix of defeat and concern.


    This disturbed Ginger, but what drew his attention more, along with that of the other First Years, was Reiss'' hammer.


    Only its haft remained. The head¡­ was nowhere to be seen.


    What in the world had happened in there?


    The contrast between Vassilis and Reiss was unsettling.


    Ginger didn''t like it one bit.


    Reiss pulled on the handle as he passed Professor Lyall who gave him an encouraging nod.


    "What happened?" Ginger asked no one in particular. He wanted to imagine that the thickly Professor''s gesture was a ''well done'', but he couldn''t tell with that damned indecipherable V!


    "I don''t know. I think he did alright," Caron answered him.


    Reiss, unfortunately, couldn''t give them any answers, even if he wanted to. He settled on his own on the other side of the cavern with the others. He didn''t glance at Ginger once.


    Only now, when the plump dragonling paid more attention to what was happening on this other side did he realize that Professor Aarons was acting as a foil to any who tried to communicate with those who had already accomplished the exercise.


    More than that¡­


    ''Did she heal them?'' he thought.


    He hadn''t had the time to think about it, but Aias and Eleni had had minor injuries, some visible, some not.


    Now, they were gone!


    Was it Professor Aarons'' doing?


    Ginger hoped she would hurry to Reiss, but she never did.


    "Alright. Next up¡­" Professor Lyall called.


    What followed was a monotonous series of students being called forth, going into the chamber, and returning mostly unharmed, with the worst injuries Ginger ever saw being deep scratches to the face and hands, some of which looked especially ghastly.


    Professor Lyall and Professor Aarons never hurried to attend to them, however. The injured merely joined the others and sat down with their complex faces that carried hidden emotions.


    It was odd.


    At some point, Ginger ignored this peculiar detail and tried to focus on what was determining the pairings again.


    It didn''t make sense.


    Gender? No.


    Kardia type? No. He''d seen a Pooler and an Affixer from his class be paired and sent in, along with other combinations.


    Was it random? Perhaps.


    Sixteen pairings later, he gave up on this and tried to sneakily grab Reiss'' attention, but the dwarfish dragonling wouldn''t look his way at all.


    Ginger''s concern steadily turned into fury.


    What was Reiss'' deal? Why couldn''t he at least smile or nod to set his heart at ease, dammit?!


    Was that so hard?


    It was immensely frustrating.


    All of the plump dragonling''s anger was drained away instantly, however, when he heard the call of his name. Finally.

 Gingers Turn

    "Alcaeus Doukas¡­and Ginger."


    The context in which the plump dragonling heard his name being called absolutely crushed him. At once, his mind turned numb, seeming to have preferred indulging in the endless agonizing over Reiss'' uncharacteristic reservedness.


    Surely¡­ surely, he hadn''t heard right. Right?


    Unlike the previous times where the bulk of the crowd of teenage dragonlings was directed by the head turns of the few who knew the ones who had been called out, every single head snapped onto Ginger''s location at once.


    There was a price for infamy, and it was staring Ginger in the face.


    The fact that he was the only First Year without a second name¡­well, and the fact that his first name was Ginger, made him very easy to recognize, not to mention his particularly¡­ gifted build.


    Amidst the suffocating attention, Ginger wasn''t at all fazed, but that wasn''t because he was easily able to handle the mixed-mannered stares. It was because the person he had been paired with was just as much of a nemesis as Vassilis.


    Ginger looked at Professor Lyall who locked eyes with him.


    He felt betrayed.


    Why pair him with Alcaeus of all people?


    This couldn''t have been random, could it?


    Was enmity the criteria for the pairings?


    A bulging globe of heat that seemed to suddenly appear in Ginger''s chest seared him from within, and he felt the torturous displeasure of it all the way to his temples.


    He balled his hands into fists.


    "You better go on," Caron said and lightly pushed him forward.


    Caron''s urging only served to fuel whatever organ was aflame in Ginger''s body, and for a moment, he didn''t move.


    ''Let''s just get this over with,'' he thought.


    Finally, Ginger walked towards Professor Lyall, taking heavy steps along the way. His head reflexively turned to the other side of the cavern, and he saw Reiss still hanging his head, not even paying attention to the activity on this side.


    The plump dragonling sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to drown his soul, which had a thing or two to yell at his friend.


    "Halfling! Halfling! Halfling!"


    Whatever Ginger intended to say almost spilled from his mouth when a mocking chant came from his side; from a group buried within the excessive clumps of First Years.


    Fillys had rallied her snotty possie, and together they turned into a six-second cheerleading team with decent rhythm just as Ginger passed by.


    The plump dragonling got the intense urge to rush up to Fillys and stuff her head deep into her Light Gear, but he knew better than to entertain her. It wouldn''t do him any good. The several skirmishes he and the Doukas siblings had been in had taught him that much.


    Ignoring Fillys, and the snickers he received on his way, Ginger reached Professor Lyall. Alcaeus was already waiting by her side, staring at him with a condescending grin.


    What was worse than receiving such a look from someone who harbored ill intent towards you, was if said person had a gracious face that didn''t fit well with it at all.


    Ginger hoped every time that Alcaeus'' face would somehow turn ugly when he wore such a disgusting visage, but his striking ocean blue eyes, high cheekbones, and smooth skin under the curtain of apple green hair were ever exquisite.


    "Try not to be too spooked. You''re safe. Just give it your all," Professor Lyall said, tearing Ginger and Alcaeus from their locked glares.


    Both nodded and walked towards the arched gap.


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    At once, the gnawing burn in Ginger''s body was doused by a bucket of ice-cold fear that traveled through the air, the walls, and his bones.


    There was something about staring into the inviting darkness before him that washed away all of his and Alcaeus'' extraneous concerns.


    They both stood straight as arrows, with Ginger holding his dagger tight and Alcaeus, his Qin Steel saber.


    ''Relax. Just breathe¡­'' Ginger told himself and obeyed the narrative in his head.


    Both boys gulped, however, because an ungodly degree of awareness settled back into them, along with their senses, and they walked forward half-briskly.


    The general difference between them showed when they were swallowed by the darkness.


    Ginger hunched a little and drew the hand that strangled the dagger close to his chest while leaning his torso forward.


    Alcaeus merely steadied his steps, measuring his gait evenly as he moved. He brought his vacant left hand close to the hilt of his saber, prepared to unleash a full power swing at any moment. When he and Ginger sank into the black, his eyes darted everywhere sharply, scouring for the slightest sign of movement.


    Ginger couldn''t do the same. It was only now when he remembered that the slits all Cinder-Born had for pupils in the eye ¨C even before their growth spurt ¨C weren''t just for show.


    Dragons could see well in the dark.


    Ginger, however, didn''t have the same kind of eyes. He never had.


    This abnormality ¨C or perhaps normality ¨C made sure that he was stuck seeing nothing for several seconds.


    ''Shunting Shamans¡­'' the plump dragonling muttered within, his hearts beating fiercely. Not being able to see in such a dangerous place was fatal. What if he stepped on a Blighted''s toe?


    He heard Alcaeus pulling ahead and clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    He had no choice but to follow behind him until he could see.


    ¡­And thus, he did.


    The bulk of Ginger''s mind was too tense to consider how Alcaeus would react if he caught on to him. Even then, the Doukas boy didn''t have the luxury of laughing at Ginger for it. Probably.


    ''It''s too quiet. I thought there would be something by now¡­'' Ginger thought cautiously. He imagined that he would have seen the enemy or at least sensed a suffocating presence this far into the chamber.


    Soon, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he was able to see the walls, which were as unimpressive as one would expect, same as those of the cavern outside.


    Perhaps this was to direct all attention forward.


    Going back to walking on Alcaeus'' right, Ginger squinted, hoping to spot something.


    But there was nothing¡­


    Nothing?


    Ginger''s heart thumped vibrantly and he came to a stop immediately. Alcaeus drew a sharp breath and did the same.


    There was something ahead.


    It was too small to be a Blighted, but it was rather eerie.


    ''What¡­ what is that?'' Ginger thought.


    Was it a who instead, perhaps?


    There had been someone else here all this time?


    In the left corner of the way ahead a few meters away, something was sticking close to the wall, mostly buried in darkness as though that was where it belonged. It was a spindly humanoid figure, very tall and very thin, leaning on its side.


    The more Ginger looked at it, the more unnerved he became.


    It was impossible to make out it details, and Ginger didn''t try. Instead, he was drawn to the thing next to this figure, which moved.


    It was a thick chain.


    Ginger saw it whisk down silently. He couldn''t be sure, but he thought he saw a hand yank it down,


    The chain fell, disappearing into thickets of the surrounding black which Ginger''s eyes couldn''t fathom even when given an eternity.


    Then, a sharp, circular, border-like glow softly appeared ahead. It covered a wide range. A very wide range.


    It was bright, but it only lasted three seconds before vanishing from sight, allowing the darkness to settle back in where it had inhabited.


    Ginger frowned. His vision had turned a little worse from that light.


    ''What was that?'' he thought and looked to the left, where the spindly figure was.


    It was gone.


    "What is going on?" he asked with his voice trembling a little.


    "How should I know?!" Alcaeus snapped at him, also having noticed the disappearance of the thin, tall entity.


    None of this was making sense.


    Weren''t they here to fight Blighted? So where¡ª


    ¡­


    Ginger shook and froze.


    He felt it.


    He and Alcaeus finally felt it.


    Where the glow just now had appeared and gone, a fierce wave of heat belatedly wafted in, tickling their skin hatefully.


    They both heard a great breath, and a dull shimmer of reddish orange that illuminated the space brilliantly, bringing the attention of the two dragonlings to not one, not two, but three creatures before them!


    Ginger''s eyes, drowned in fear drank in the picture lit up by fire.


    Three Blighted stood before the duo, summoned through whatever that circle of light was.


    Two of them looked like overgrown versions of the Olarmanders Ginger had seen in the Pine, but that didn''t mean they were any less terrifying.


    They stood at nearly two meters tall, each with identical details to their frames. Both had thick, poison-green scales marked by countless scratches, scars, and cracks. They walked on four, tough, muscle-bound legs that looked like they could easily kick the Ample Forge into oblivion, each ending with razor-sharp black claws glinting with the same edge as Alcaeus'' saber.


    A row of curved, yellowish horns lined the top of their torsos to the ends of their long tails, twitching excitedly.


    What best expressed the malicious glee in the two Blighted, however, was not their bulbous, golden eyes on either end of their globe-like heads, or even the flaring of their nostrils to exhume what might have been soot.


    No.


    It was the curled mouths on their faces, open wide to reveal stacked rows of pointed, brownish teeth dripping with a black substance that sizzled as it touched the ground.


    Ginger gathered his wits as best as he could, but he, much like Alcaeus, wondered if the larger version of the two green Blighted standing further behind them, was truly necessary.

 Gingers Turn II

    The behemoth that ignited the hellfire from its large maw was clearly an aspiring herald of death. It instilled an odd sort of chill in the two boys'' bones that threatened to fry their bone marrow well.


    It too was laced in green scales, but the caliber and quality of them were thicker, rougher, and more scarred.


    It too had bulging golden eyes with pronounced black slits for pupils, but the size of them was much more intimidating than it was funny, a deep, sharp awareness livid within them. Ginger almost thought it was staring at him and no one else.


    He almost jumped back when the beast took a step forward, its large legs seeming to explode as they stomped down, though, that might have been the editing done by the fear he was pushing back in his mind.


    ''No one said there would be three of these things,'' Ginger said. He wanted to be angry that this hadn''t been announced in the description of the exercise, but well, him not knowing was the point.


    He gulped.


    Despite his fear, none of his limbs shook. His hand remained steady with the dagger''s hilt not slipping from his tight clutch. Anything less than this, in the Wild, was a sure application for a swift, stupid death.


    ''It''s just a different creature this time. I can do it,'' Ginger told himself. ''It has a green cast too. They all do. That means they aren''t anything special. On top of that¡­''


    On top of this, Ginger wasn''t fighting mundanely anymore.


    Kardia raced from his stok, into his second heart and spread like fire through his body. It was still a pitiful amount when compared to what someone like Vassilis could produce, but it would have to do. Beyond that, that little Kardia he had was unique.


    Ginger had Collapsing Alien and Pooling-type Kardia. His Kardia was the only one among those of other First Years ¨C excluding Caron ¨C that adopted two behaviors. He wasn''t sure what the significance of whether it was Collapsing or Surging was, but that wasn''t too important at the moment.


    Ginger looked at Alcaeus. The handsome boy looked composed too. Mostly.


    Alcaeus had Alien-type Kardia and seemed to be quite proficient at using it.


    None of the First Years were supposed to be able to use their Kardia''s characteristic too well at this point according to Professor Lyall. That could take the whole year. However, that didn''t mean they all hadn''t learned a thing or two.


    Ginger half hoped that Alcaeus was all talk and no substance, but that didn''t seem to be the case. To shed that opinion even further from Ginger''s head, Alcaeus acted first, lunging at the smaller Blighted directly ahead of him.


    The creature, as though offended by Alcaeus attacking it first, roared furiously while shaking its head in burning madness, an equal lack of sanity drawn within its huge eyes. It thrashed its way towards Ginger''s partner in a vicious charge.


    The plump dragonling shook. He saw Alcaeus waver just a little at the sight of the approaching opponent, but he didn''t lose his momentum.


    He had a clear goal in mind, made obvious by how, with a tight grip on his saber, he drew it back and stabbed forth with it. He was aiming for the eyes as Professor Aarons had stressed.


    The plump dragonling was forced to stop spectating as the other of the two smaller Blighted dashed towards him with a vicious roar that sent against him a truly foul storm of its breath.


    While Ginger didn''t like the smell, he didn''t let it stop him from rushing towards the Blighted like Alcaeus. As the image of the Blighted got closer and closer, he steadily focused on the area below it and decelerated in his sprint.


    When the Blighted''s snout was only a meter and a half away, and close to rising in order to more properly reveal a wretched maw, Ginger dropped and slid below the beast; between its four legs!


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    He had hoped that his Light Gear wouldn''t allow for too much friction, and he was right. His momentum didn''t suffer much.


    The green Blighted''s underbelly was also filled with scales, albeit smaller ones, but it hadn''t been Ginger''s intention to strike it. His goal was to safely get behind the creature.


    The large beast was stunned at how its prey had suddenly disappeared. There was a visible lag in its thoughts as it then started to make a turn. Unfortunately, the chamber wasn''t large enough for it to do that quickly, not to mention smoothly.


    ¡­And that was what Ginger was banking on.


    Right when the Blighted''s left eye appeared as it turned its head, he dashed at it.


    ''Pooling! Pooling! Pooling!'' Ginger chanted in his mind while summoning his Kardia and forcing it down to his legs.


    Pooling-type Kardia allowed one to strengthen themselves because it usually clumped in a small section of the body. To make the effect even better, one would have to Saturate Kardia in the blood vessels, which was what Ginger was attempting, however poorly the results were.


    Unfortunately, Ginger found to his dismay that his scant Kardia, once he attempted to pool it, only gathered in one leg.


    ''Shunting¡­ Shamans!'' he groaned in surprise.


    At this point, the Blighted was already opening its maw, a terrifying glow accompanied by a pungent smell reaching from within it.


    Ginger made a decision right then without any hesitation. It was do or die as far as he was concerned. His instincts which had been muddled by the school life cast away the fact that this was a monitored exercise out the window.


    Hardening the muscles in the leg that his Kardia rushed into, Ginger used it to leap forth!


    Unfortunately, this action turned out to have been muddied by a grave miscalculation.


    Ginger severely underestimated how much power was built up and released from that one leg because of his Kardia.


    "Whoooa!" Ginger spun as his body exploded high and fast towards the Blighted''s head. He found himself soaring upside down with barely any awareness of where was what.


    A moment later, Ginger collided with the side of the Blighted''s head and a hoarse impact ensued. The Blighted grunted in annoyance, its head forced back¡­ but not before Ginger viciously stabbed its left eye with his dagger!


    ROOAAAR!


    The creature screamed in agony.


    The moment Ginger slammed into its head, he had celebrated the halt in momentum, which allowed him to see, even if only for a second, his large, golden target. He hadn''t hesitated to strike.


    Blood splashed out of the Blighted''s eye in absurd volumes, much of it splattering on Ginger and his Light Gear. The plump dragonling kept applying as much pressure as he could.


    The Blighted thrashed around in both fury and pain, and Ginger was swung this way and that viciously.


    ''No, no, no!'' Ginger cried in his mind. There was a problem here, and it wasn''t him being spun and twirled like a ragdoll.


    While his dagger went in successfully, it didn''t go deep enough. Professor Aarons'' advice was sound, but she neglected to mention how tough the Blighteds'' eyes were. Ginger had and could feel the resistance even now. He had applied all the might he could, and barely two inches of his dagger had sunken into his target.


    ''Urgh¡­ If I was an Affixer, I probably wouldn''t be having this problem!'' he thought, and with great, strenuous effort, he pulled out his dagger and rolled away.


    Right as he thudded onto the ground, Ginger saw the other gleaming eye of the Blighted he had stabbed, snap in his direction.


    ''Shunting Sha¡ª''


    Before he could finish the rare curse, something long and hard blasted toward him from above with a force akin to that of a hurricane. It was the Blighted''s tail!


    Ginger could have sworn it had enough force to crush his torso into bony, red dough. He eagerly rolled out of the way and felt the ground get a generous share of crushing punishment.


    ''I need to add Mana Essence to my dagger. Qin Steel conducts Mana Essence and grows stronger because of it,'' Ginger thought while scrambling to stand, and he rushed to the Blighted''s blind spot, where it now couldn''t see with its damaged eye.


    Imbuing Mana Essence into a Qin Steel weapon was one of the basics that Ginger and everyone else had been learning with Professor Mara. This was why Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation was a course they needed to go through.


    Ginger had already gained the acknowledgment of Mana Essence, and as for imbuing his weapon with it¡­


    The plump dragonling took a swift breath and attempted to grasp at the cool, smooth-flowing energy.


    However, something tore his concentration immediately.


    Three vibrant booms like miniature explosions signaled the approach of a larger beast than the one he was currently fighting. Ginger''s eyes snapped to the source, and he found the larger rendition of the smaller, poison-green Blighted dashing his way from right behind his partially blinded foe.


    He saw Alcaeus dive out of the way, his chosen Blighted dropping to its belly to allow its elder to pass by leaping over it¡­on its way toward Ginger.


    ''What¡­Is it¡­ Is it looking at me?'' Ginger shuddered. The large eyes of the beast were locked onto him and him alone indeed.


    But why?


    Was it because he had dealt damage to its kin or something? Wouldn''t that be a bit of a delayed reaction?


    And what about Alcaeus?


    Ginger found no answers to these questions.


    All he got was furious hate that blasted from the giant enemy both literally and metaphorically.


    The large Blighted opened its vicious maw so wide its eyes became hidden by the ceiling of its mouth, and with one of the scariest hisses Ginger had heard, a jet of brilliant reddish-orange flame sprayed his way violently, drowning him and his bleeding foe.

 The Boss Gallops!

    Suffocating fear couldn''t have possessed Ginger to stand still as the bloated blanket of blaze galloped his way, its intent to drown him and the other Blighted on full display. The heat was immense, and to Ginger, giving that kind of praise to fire before it even so much as singed him was not a good sign.


    Thinking quickly, Ginger turned his back to the fierce conflagration, knelt down, and plunged his head to the ground with the sleeves of his Light Gear covering it.


    The moment he felt his forehead knock on the floor, the fire devoured him. He felt its fury heat him up as though he was in a microwave.


    While such an analogy would have been foreign to the plump dragonling, that was exactly how he felt. He wasn''t burned to a crisp ¨C just as he had hoped ¨C but the stifling heat was unbearable. Ginger''s already sweaty body sweated some more and dried off, and then his skin started feeling as though thousands of ants with red-hot feet were walking all over him, slowly cooking him to perfection.


    Ginger grit his teeth and took short, rapid breaths.


    The air seemed to grow thin. A tug of war for it began between his lungs and the torrent of flame which had a sickening, coal-like smell to it. Somehow, a dancing purple smoke was mixed in with the fire, or perhaps it was the flame''s inherent trait. Whichever it was, Ginger didn''t and couldn''t afford to care.


    The blast of fire began to let up.


    ''The Light Gear held!'' Ginger thought joyfully.


    He noticed this because the hoarse noise that accompanied the jet of fire was dying, and the agitating sensation on his skin lessened.


    In the next moment, Ginger shot forward, creating more distance between himself and where he assumed the large Blighted had been.


    He only turned after striding for four hot seconds and then came to a stop.


    The largest green Blighted looked at him with even more hatred than before. The dying tongues of flame in its mouth not only signaled its disappointment in its failure to get rid of Ginger in one blast of fire breath¡­ but also its devotion to default means of carnage.


    The creature lunged after its target, its steps booming across the floor.


    ''Why me?! What did I ever do to you?'' Ginger thought, thoroughly confused and shaken. This was bizarre.


    Why was he being singled out?


    Surely Alcaeus was a worse person than he was.


    The Blighted Ginger had stabbed in the eye was, much like him, mostly unharmed after being included in the blast. It pushed against the wall and dropped as its elder passed, charging menacingly.


    Ginger gnashed his teeth.


    ''I need to finish that one off, but with this big one in the way¡­'' he grumbled.


    His approaching enemy seemed to fill the entire path through the chamber. Ginger was almost disallowed from seeing the other injured Blighted. Well, almost.


    There was space enough, at least in the next three seconds, for Ginger to view a harrowing scene.


    Alcaeus lunged at the one-eyed Blighted and sank his saber into its other eye!


    "No!" Ginger screamed, and so did his former prey.


    The Blighted convulsed horrifically as Alcaeus'' saber sank to the hilt in its eye. While showing signs of fright and thrill, the Doukas boy turned to Ginger and gave him a mocking grin just before the larger Blighted blocked their view of each other.


    Ginger was enraged.


    His hands quivered.


    His kill had just been stolen!


    That bastard! What about the Blighted he had been fighting? Had he already finished it off or did he just decide to ride off the coattails of his work?!


    This was uncalled for!


    Unfortunately, Ginger didn''t have the luxury of throwing a tantrum. His enemy arrived in an unstoppable charge and swung its claws down at him.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Ginger turned a little pale, but he managed to dive out of the way and roll over to the wall. As soon as he found some semblance of stability, he saw a dark maw with double rows of sharp, yellowish fangs soaked in organic grime push towards him!


    Quickly ¨C and rather carelessly ¨C Ginger mobilized his Kardia and had it pool in one of his legs, which he then used to jump out of the way right before the wall that had been behind him exploded and caved in. The force of the large Blighted''s ram-bite was incredibly fierce.


    Unfortunately for Ginger, since the larger Blighted was so large and wide, he hadn''t exactly escaped. Now, he was trapped between the edge of its scaled belly and its snout, embedded into the wall!


    Ginger''s hearts beat like a drum.


    He had made a mistake.


    He should have jumped the other way!


    ''Shunting Shamans!'' Ginger cried inward, sweat drowning the details of his face. What was he going to do now? ''Think, think! There''s a way out of this!''


    The large eye of the great Blighted faintly illuminated Ginger''s body. Its dark, slit-like pupil the size of Ginger''s palm, constricted¡­ and its maw, which slowly withdrew from the wall, lit up again.


    Another jet of fire breath was coming!


    Ginger''s breaths hastened.


    This was too close!


    Would his Light Gear be able to withstand it?


    And speaking of the Light Gear, Ginger caught his first glance of it since it endured the last flaming ordeal, and¡­ it didn''t look good. It was torn, burnt, and leaking small puffs of smoke. The uniform beneath it was already showing.


    Even if his gear was able to persist again this time, Ginger didn''t know if his face would survive.


    The great Blighted turned its head, and its maw opened. There seemed to be hints of a smile on it. What predator wouldn''t like to see cornered prey?


    Ginger gritted his teeth. His first thought was to wonder what Ancor would do in this situation, which was valid. Ancor was able to live for so long because he knew how to think on his feet.


    However, an answer only came to Ginger when he asked himself a different question.


    ''What else have I learned?'' he thought as calmly as he could.


    What had he learned in the last two Strides?


    What had he learned since coming to Draggard-Phoenix Institute till today, here at the Beginner''s Den?


    ''That''s right!''


    The plump dragonling felt not only his spirits rise, but his adrenaline as well.


    What came to him was not the best answer, but it was a possible one.


    He was just going to have to try, after all, this answer was what had made him smile when he looked at the globes Professor Lyall had summoned for light in the cavern using the ambient Mana Essence.


    Ginger had felt that his Prime Instructor was reminding him and the others that there was enough Mana Essence here; that Kardia wasn''t the only available resource ¨C as obvious as that could have been.


    Better yet, perhaps she was encouraging them to go crazy with it, rather than using it conventionally.


    Perhaps that applied more to Ginger than anyone else!


    A sweltering heat came like a gust from Ginger''s right. There was little time!


    The plump dragonling closed his eyes.


    He brought his hands together.


    His first lesson with Professor Hennigar ¨C the Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation instructor ¨C flowed through his mind.


    What had the Dujka been trying to teach them that day again?


    Oh, that''s right!


    Right when flames gushed from the Blighted''s maw, Ginger felt the Mana Essence around him rush to him at his beckoning.


    He held his finger out against the Blighted''s maw right as the flames flooded towards him¡­and a piercing glow emerged at its tip.


    Rather than just a glow, perhaps it was more apt to say the light was jarring and intense. When it appeared, the darkness within the chamber was discarded, and the brightness of the flames was overshadowed!


    The golden flare on Ginger''s finger was just too radiant, so radiant that the great Blighted he was faced against turned its head, its eye closing shut. It grumbled, its maw closing!


    Yes! It had worked!


    Ginger was surprised that he had remembered this, but that day, when Professor Hennigar demonstrated this trick, he was the only one in class ¨C excluding the Professor, who wasn''t a Cinder-Born ¨C to not be affected by the light entirely!


    The plump dragonling credited this to his normal human eyes. Who knew this would come in handy?


    Ginger wore a strange smile, born out of a mixture of joy and pain.


    He had successfully warded off the Blighted''s attack, but his hand had been burnt quite badly. It was discolored to a dark brown and black, sizzling quite a bit. As a result, his sharp, summoned light was short-lived.


    "Urghh!" Ginger groaned, but he didn''t remain in place.


    Much like the smaller Blighted, this one had trouble moving laterally in the chamber because of its size.


    It attempted to turn away while temporarily blinded, but it bumped against the walls instead.


    ''Now''s my chance!'' Ginger thought and he used the opening in its confusion-sponsored motion to slip between the wall and its wide side. He dodged its viciously wagging tail and ran past it.


    As he raced forward, Ginger saw the corpse of the Blighted he had stabbed in the eye. As he thought, Alcaeus had killed it.


    Ginger clicked his tongue and bit his upper lip, frustrated.


    What about the other one?


    He couldn''t see very far after the exposure to the light but¡­


    BAAAM!


    Suddenly, the plump dragonling felt something strike him hard in the ribs.


    Before he knew it, he flew in a weird spin and slammed hard against the wall!


    The webs and pulses of pain from the right side of Ginger''s chest undulated rhythmically, not to mention painfully.


    For several moments, Ginger found it hard to breathe and he rolled on the floor with his eyes turning bloodshot.


    What had hit him?


    Why did it hurt so badly?


    Was it the large Blighted''s tail?


    No, that couldn''t be. It was still a distance away, trying to turn back.


    So then¡­


    Ginger heard hurried footsteps from the side moving towards him.


    "Not so fast!" Alcaeus emerged from the darkness, an insufferable look of triumph on his face.


    Ginger''s eyes popped in shock.


    What?


    "You¡­" he began, but stopped. There was a lot he wanted to say to this pompous dragonling, but it was all drowned by how his presence had suddenly changed.


    Alcaeus had an odd pressure about him, one which hadn''t been there four minutes ago. Somehow, he was stronger. He felt so. Something oppressive freely wafted from his body like a harsh odor, pressing on Ginger.


    The plump dragonling was stunned.


    "I thought you would distract that thing for longer, but oh well¡­" Alcaeus said as he twirled his saber.

 Fighting For The Kill

    The sudden imposingness of Alcaeus was too daunting for Ginger to simply ignore, and instead choose to start raving on about the foul play.


    It threw him off. For several moments, it was as though the biting, pulsing pain in his chest had vanished, but what felt like the ricochet of a small knife from the end of his chest to several of his ribs made him groan midway through his surprise.


    ''What''s going on? Why is he suddenly so¡­'' Ginger began to wonder when he abruptly stopped.


    Fortunately, the same active faculties in his mind that had allowed him to get out of the earlier pinch with the great Blighted, allowed him to figure out what was going on.


    Alcaeus cackled as he gripped Ginger by the discolored collar of his Light Gear and dragged him up.


    From up close, the plump dragonling felt the pressure Alcaeus exuded all the more. It was intense.


    "Come on now, where were you going? You know that was also my prey, right?" Alcaeus said to him.


    RAAAR!


    From in front of them, the last of the smaller Blighted charged in their direction.


    Ginger''s eyes, squinted because of the pain he felt, shot open.


    This Blight seemed more agile than the other one, or more driven.


    Either notion didn''t install any bit of ease in Ginger at all, and neither did the fact that the larger Blighted was finally making the right turn back to them.


    This was the worst situation possible!


    He and Alcaeus would soon be caught in a pincer attack!


    Ginger attempted to push away Alcaeus, but the young Doukas boy''s tight grip was impossible to dismiss even with all his raw might.


    "What are you doing?!" Ginger hissed. "We need to get out of the way!"


    It was a decent concern indeed.


    ¡­But Alcaeus didn''t seem shaken.


    "Oh, I''ll be fine. But you? You don''t look so good."


    Ginger seethed in fury.


    Seriously? This wasn''t the time!


    Right then, a glow stormed from right before the two boys. Ginger felt himself get shoved back. Alcaeus pushed him out of the way and jumped back to avoid the stream of fire the smaller Blighted spilled towards them.


    When compared to the one that the greater Blighted could spew, this jet was rather tame. Even a wounded Ginger felt that he would have been fine if he took it point blank ¨C with his Light Gear to protect him.


    As soon as he was loose, Ginger grunted as he rushed behind the Blighted. He managed thanks to the fact that the creature decided to target Alcaeus first with its breath.


    The Doukas boy nimbly dodged the fiery stream no matter how fast it surged after him. He even managed to kick off the wall and saddle the Blighted which turned furious and attempted to crush him against the wall. Unfortunately for the beast, Alcaeus had already jumped off by the time its back banged against the hard, dark blue stone, digging deep into it.


    The Young Doukas boy was grinning, clearly enjoying himself; enjoying his new self.


    He wouldn''t have been able to move like this just a few minutes ago, and Ginger had figured out why.


    It was simple really.


    Alcaeus had killed his first Blighted.


    As Professor Lyall had explained several days ago, for a dragon''s Kardia to be refined, they needed to kill unruly Cinder-Born; Blighted and Condemned. Doing this would sap some of the Kardia from these beasts, and that same Kardia would stimulate their own unrefined kind.


    Of course, the Professor hadn''t elaborated on the immediate benefits and changes, and while some among the First Years were bound to already know, the majority were quite oblivious about what would happen when one''s Kardia began refinement.


    The current Alcaeus was a model for the result.


    The Doukas boy didn''t waste the moment when the smaller Blighted struggled to pull itself from the dent in the wall that it had dug itself into.


    Ginger saw his classmate channel Mana Essence into his sword, making it attain a faint glow. From his feet, Alien-type Kardia then lividly exploded out in a great volume, propelling him forward.


    It was quite surprising that Alcaeus managed to balance himself after the burst of speed. When he touched the ground afterward, he leaped up, and jabbed with his saber, intent on piercing the eye of the enemy.


    Surprisingly, said enemy managed to dodge by moving its head out of the way, and Alcaeus'' saber sank into the wall instead. The Doukas boy muttered angrily.


    At that moment, a loud roar announced the approach of the larger Blighted.


    Ginger gritted his teeth.


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    The eyes of that great beast were on him. Again.


    ''Come on! This isn''t fair!'' he thought.


    He held his dagger tight, but it felt hopeless. Because his right hand had been burnt, which somehow also propounded an odd stinging sensation at the palm which slowly began to swell, Ginger couldn''t quite use it to grip his weapon anymore. He had to rely on his left.


    Thanks to the endless perils of the Wild, Ginger''s left hand had seen some real action on several desperate occasions, but he couldn''t count on using it to wield his dagger as well as his right could. Certainly not against the monstrosity charging at him, readying another fire breath.


    The plump dragonling rushed towards Alcaeus and the other Blighted.


    The latter immediately whipped its tail violently at Ginger as soon as it saw him.


    Ginger was alarmed, but he didn''t panic.


    Because of whatever felt broken in his chest, he didn''t think he could manage a decent dodge, thus, on impulse, and in the spirit of using everything he had learned, he channeled his Kardia and made it pool within his right fist despite the immense pain he felt at doing so.


    His bones and flesh seemed to glow as the Kardia slithered through and compounded.


    The effect of Pooling-type Kardia on the flesh couldn''t be underestimated.


    Ginger threw his fist with a grunt and it met the hard, large body of the Blighted''s tail!


    There was a rough, blunt impact, and Ginger felt as though his wrist had been crushed along with everything that followed past it. The pain was immense, but it was rewarded by the flailing of the Blighted''s tail in the opposite direction!


    Ginger would have laughed triumphantly if not for the fact that danger was still lurking in blatant sight.


    A great flood of coal-smelling fire exploded his way.


    The great Blighted''s attack had come!


    Desperately, Ginger dove behind the smaller Blighted''s body, and just before the chamber turned yellowish red, Alcaeus joined him in an equally desperate leap.


    As was apparently a common gesture between these Blighted, the smaller of two knelt and turned immobile at its elder''s approach despite the incoming, impartial fire.


    Different from before, however, the greater Blighted took more initiative.


    Normally, it was difficult for Cinder-Born to move freely while casting their fire breath, with few exceptions, such as when they were in flight. Unfortunately, the species of Cinder-Born employed for this exercise did not have wings, and even if they did, it wouldn''t have boosted their maneuverability.


    Despite this, the large Blighted powered through. It moved as fast as it could, its feet and claws digging into the ground.


    Ginger and Alcaeus didn''t miss this.


    Oddly enough, they both thought of the same thing.


    Rather than fearing that the great Blighted would simultaneously scorch and squash them if it reached this spot, they both shook at the idea that the beast would crush their cover without care.


    For Ginger, who had seen the benefits of killing just one Blighted from Alcaeus, that would leave him with only one hard target and no advantage against it.


    The plump dragonling gritted his teeth, but Alcaeus laughed. His voice was especially unbearable with the backdrop of the roar of the fire.


    "I wanted to give you the honor of killing the biggest one, you know!" he yelled with a grin. "I was going to take care of the smaller ones for your sake, and let you get the time to shine. Since you''re so special, killing that FAT thing should be simple, right?"


    Ginger fumed at the mockery.


    How petty.


    It seemed Fillys and Alcaeus shared this unreasonable grudge against Ginger and Caron for being ''special''. Ever since the Second Burning, their constant jabs and jeers at that fact, which seemed to make Ginger and Caron stand out in ways they didn''t want, bothered them. So much so that Alcaeus was willing to bring it up right now.


    "This isn''t the time!" Ginger said right before he rose, his dagger in his left hand, and leaped to try and stab the smaller Blighted''s eye.


    "FAT chance!" Alcaeus cried and he shoved Ginger hard, sending him knocking into the wall.


    Ginger felt the force shuttle through his bones. Alcaeus had become rather strong. Did his violet cast ¨C which was fourth among the five best casts ¨C contribute to the quality of his sudden growth?


    The Doukas boy cackled and sneered as he gazed at Ginger. The pounding of the great Blighted''s approach grew dangerously close.


    Ginger didn''t know if Alcaeus realized that for them to beat that creature, he would need to become stronger too.


    Why was he committing to such pettiness?


    ¡­But a moment later, Ginger recalled.


    ''Right. This is just a school exercise...''


    That''s right.


    None of them were in any real danger.


    Professor Lyall was watching.


    Professor Aarons was watching.


    And come to think of it, even though pairings in this context suggested cooperation, it didn''t really mean he and Alcaeus needed to help each other.


    Reiss and Vassilis sure wouldn''t have been passing their weapons in gleeful teamwork and it seemed Professor Lyall was satisfied with their performance.


    ''Since that''s the case¡­'' Ginger thought.


    He rushed up to Alcaeus, and the Doukas boy, wholly expecting his rage and anticipating crushing it, lunged at him as well. Instead of using his weapon, Alcaeus pushed his shoulder into Ginger to pin him back to the wall.


    When he made contact with the plump dragonling''s chest and heard him grunt in pain, he assumed that he had succeeded.


    He couldn''t have been more wrong.


    Something much harder and sharper than it actually was slammed right below Alcaeus'' left armpit and caused chilling agony to rush through his body.


    Alcaeus screamed.


    Ginger had landed a right hook, powered by his pooled Kardia right into him!


    Without wasting the instance where the insufferable Doukas boy was stalled because of the pain, he kicked him in the shin, making him kneel and hunch over, used his back as a foothold, and leaped up to stab his dagger into the submissive Blighted''s eye!


    Like before, when Ginger didn''t reinforce the dagger with Mana Essence, it didn''t sink too deep. It was even worse because he was using his left hand.


    RAAAAR!


    RAAAAAAAAAR!


    Both his stabbed enemy and the great Blighted roared. The latter had finally arrived, and as he guessed, it raised its powerful front right limb, and slammed viciously at its convulsing kin, which still refused to move!


    Ginger gritted his teeth.


    He heard Alcaeus scramble away from the incoming danger, but he remained.


    ''Just one second. Just one second!'' he screamed in his mind and took a deep breath.


    He needed just one second for Mana Essence to rush to him at his call and infuse into his dagger, giving the Qin Steel that made it a light glow.


    Then, deep within the assaulted Blighted''s head, the Mana Essence extended from the tip of the dagger and shot forth with precision as an extension of the blade!


    At the same time, the great Blighted''s attack landed.


    Ginger didn''t quite see what came next.


    He felt himself fly away and get pelted by shattered rocks, a cloud of heavy dust engulfing him right until he slammed hard into the ground.


    At first, he didn''t feel the pain of the harsh fall, but it quickly shuttled through him in the next moment. There wasn''t only that either. He felt that he had incurred some damage from the ridiculous attack of the larger, green menace just now.


    The power behind that crushing swipe was incredible. Ginger was tempted to attempt standing up and looking at the aftermath.


    However, something stopped him.


    There was a rapid influx of what he felt was Kardia more potent than his own into his body!


    It gushed bountifully and his body shamelessly guzzled it all.


    This was it!


    He had done it!


    This was his reward for killing the smaller Blighted a moment before its larger variant could!


    He had done¡­it.


    ¡­


    Ginger''s eyes shot open.


    Suddenly, a sensation he hadn''t felt in a while bubbled within him.


    His scant little Kardia, most of it stored in his stok, abruptly surged in volume, causing his stok to become bloated and overflow!

 Flawed Trump Card

    It had truly been a while since Ginger had felt this sensation. Well, rather than a sensation, it was much more proper to dispense with such a vague identification and just call it what it truly was; cruel torment.


    Ginger''s stok inflated, suddenly overflowing with Kardia that he was sure was far more than double or triple his usual amount. The bloated sack produced a scalding heat that the plump dragonling swore had instantly begun to fry his lungs and every organ wherever else it leaned towards as it expanded.


    "ARRRGH!" Ginger let out a scream.


    The pain was so phenomenal that it tore away his concerns ¨C and focus ¨C on his previously acquired wounds from the fall and made him hasten to his feet, only to drop to his knees and clutch his chest.


    Ginger''s fingers quivered, and before he could control himself, he was already trying to tear away his Light Gear so that he could rip open his skin, break his ribs and strangle his stok!


    ''Shunting¡­Ahhh! Why¡­Why is this happening again?!''


    The plump dragonling hunched over until his chest met his knees.


    He had experienced this only once before; back during his First Burning in Professor Alexandros'' office, when he had been cast into the golden flames from the Rebounding Seether.


    This feeling had only lasted a few moments back then because he had instantly been pulled out of the fire by Professor Mara.


    He hadn''t quite tasted this agony quite as wholly as now though. Worse yet, the overwhelming quantity of Kardia and its intensity wasn''t the only ordeal Ginger had to fight against.


    As it turned out, what caused the plump dragonling to hunch over wasn''t just pain. It took Ginger a second to figure that out himself.


    His flesh, his bones¡­


    They suddenly grew heavier, and if his ability to discern the changes to his body could be trusted, the boy also felt as though¡­ as though he had become tougher. It was impossible to tell if this was a good thing or not for Ginger, as his first, fright-induced diagnosis for himself had been that he was turning into a rock from the inside out.


    Or was it more apt to say that he felt like another frame identical to his own had been superimposed on him in the worst way possible?


    ''What¡­ is this?''


    Ginger grunted bitterly.


    Besides these two sudden experiences he was going through, Ginger felt something else. Perhaps this was the thing that staggered him the most.


    His eyes suddenly felt different, and it wasn''t because they too felt twice as large.


    RAAAAAAAR! RAAAAAAAR!


    Right as the demented roar of the greater Blighted came ¨C sounding even more furious than before for some reason ¨C its steps even more menacing and impactful, Ginger snapped his head towards the beast as fast as he could.


    That was when he noticed that what he saw now, wasn''t what he had been seeing before.


    The green-scaled frame of the beast, scarred and scratched, was nowhere to be seen in his vision. Instead, there was only an assembly of massive bones hurtling towards him, a thin fiber outlining them!


    Ginger recoiled.


    Sweat oozed like rain from his body and he struggled to lift his torso as he ground his teeth.


    ''Is that ¡­ Why are my eyes suddenly¡­?'' Ginger questioned with his hearts which felt cramped against both his lungs, thrumming wildly.


    The collection of huge bones grew nearer, and with each step, Ginger realized that it was not just the bones. He saw more. There were two large hearts within the beast''s body, stowed behind a surprisingly even rendition of a ribcage; one showing a faded connection to blood vessels, and the other connected to a long, ghostly membrane that held a bluish substance with a cloudy texture.


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    Kardia!


    ''I can see¡­!'' Ginger thought, but he couldn''t have continued to admire this sight for a second longer.


    The enemy was only five meters away, and it opened its maw which swelled with reddish-orange flames immediately. Worse yet, the beast was going to add the paste-making force of its limbs to its wrathful assault as well.


    Ginger roared as he heaved his torso up with both hands.


    This was hopeless!


    How was he going to stand up if this much was a heavyweight-tier chore?!


    The blaze came right then, acting as the mild preamble, and Ginger gnashed his teeth while trying to keep the thoughts of certain death at bay.


    It didn''t work.


    But then¡­


    Ginger could have sworn he saw something laced with Kardia soar over him with impressive speed and shoot straight into the large Blighted''s eye after a shocking curve!


    The creature didn''t quite manage to blink in time.


    It let a low grunt as its mouth swayed, its bellowing flame lessening.


    "You idiot! Why are you just sitting there?! Get over here!" Ginger heard Alcaeus'' disembodied voice cry out.


    Right.


    He wasn''t alone here.


    The large Blighted seemed to remember that too as it gave an evil glare somewhere beyond Ginger, but quickly looked back at him and leaped right at him.


    Ginger was aggravated. He was still the prime meal for this bastard!


    However, that momentary distraction saved him from giving in, as ironic as that seemed.


    ''Come on! I have all this Kardia¡­ Surely, I can¡­'' Ginger thought as he focused on the searing burn in his chest.


    Indeed. He did have all this Kardia, and as it turned out, the uncanny weight his flesh and bones attained helped a bit in lessening the furious pain such a thing had instilled.


    A glimpse of hope flashed in Ginger''s eyes, and instead of trying to stand, he pushed himself to lay back on the ground while facing up.


    That was all he could do before the massive maw of the great Blighted fell on him!


    Ginger screamed horribly. The Blighted''s bottom jaw pressed against his thighs with crushing force and continued to push.


    Surprisingly, as painful as it was, Ginger found that his bones did not break.


    Somehow, they held!


    He only felt the excruciating pain of being squeezed between the skeletal jaw ¨C as he saw it ¨C and the tough ground.


    The large, yellow teeth of the creature were on full display, as was its atrocious breath, and the prospect of another fiery breath incoming.


    The creature crunched the ground with its top sets of teeth to close its mouth shut and end Ginger for good.


    Things were looking grim.


    Ginger felt so too.


    ¡­However, the pain and stink only drove lucidity straight back to him and made him more desperate for victory.


    His mind churned and he found himself pointing his charred, right hand into the maw of the skeletal behemoth before him.


    Glimpsing the rock Alcaeus threw, laced in his Alien-type Kardia, made Ginger¡­ and his Kardia remember something he had wished to do since learning about the potential of Alien-type Kardia in Kartile.


    And he did it without a second thought.


    The Kardia in his stok was driven into his second heart and projected out into his body. From there, Ginger made it all adopt Alien properties, and it gushed as an awry blue beam from the two fingers he then erected!


    BOOM!


    Ginger heard a bitter screech unbefitting the mighty creature he had feared all this while and a flood of hot blood fell on his body.


    He felt himself get tossed violently from the Blighted''s mad convulsion before landing further away.


    After he spat out the repulsive Blighted blood and wiped off some of it from his eyes, Ginger saw the chilling scene of the creature ¨C a mass of bones ¨C knocking itself against the walls.


    The plump dragonling had hoped to kill the thing with that one blast, but he hadn''t done the best job with his aim, it seemed. He deflated.


    Rather than damage its spine, Ginger had done more damage to its flesh, though, a whole section of the beast''s jaw was shattered beyond repair.


    He couldn''t see much with this strange new vision, but he could detect Kardia rapidly leaving the beast''s stok and getting channeled furiously through its body.


    The Blighted was trying to do something; something reckless.


    There was no way it could live with such an injury, so perhaps¡­


    ''I still can''t move!'' Ginger screamed in his mind. And indeed, it was so. His stok had definitely lost a lot of its Kardia, but he still felt terrible. ''How am I going to get out of this one?''


    The Blighted thrashed violently, and its sockets ¨C as it appeared to Ginger ¨C turned to him again.


    ''Not again!''


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    RAAAAAAR!


    The creature shrieked and fire exploded from both its mouth and the disgusting hole behind its head as it charged.


    Ginger''s breath hastened, but right then, he felt a grip on his collar, and then his body was dragged away quickly.


    ''What?'' he thought in surprise.


    "What in the world did you do?! How did you do that?!" Alcaeus'' voice came again. He was panting, running away with Ginger deeper into the chamber.


    The plump dragonling''s first thought was to wonder if he didn''t weigh a ton or more to Alcaeus right now, but he discarded the thought.


    "Ah, forget it!" Alcaeus grumbled after a second without an answer. "Don''t go dying before actually doing something useful! There''s a reason we''re a pair, you know, and I just found it!"


    Ginger couldn''t believe what this apple head was saying!


    A pair?!


    Useful?!


    He was so flabbergasted that he made an effort to look at Alcaeus before attempting to fire his furious insults. Coincidentally, the Doukas boy turned to glance at him before he spat his own venom.


    Both boys froze at what they saw in one another.

 Enemy of My Enemy Is An Enemy

    Ginger was stunned.


    He secretly beat himself up for not entertaining the idea that if his current vision showed him the innards of the large Blighted, the same would happen when he looked at Alcaeus. It was common sense!


    However, the tension of the situation, paired with his rage at the gall of Alcaeus to say what he had just said, had steered his mind from his usual curiosity and keen thinking.


    In Alcaeus'' place, Ginger saw a pile of bones with a soft, boyish outline around them; two hearts were entrusted to their care, along with a stok and vague, complex networks ¨C the more pronounced one for blood, and the one traced along it, for Kardia.


    The whole visual caught the plump dragonling off guard. Suddenly having a skull with its two large sockets staring at you wasn''t at all pleasing, especially when you were least expecting it. Quite frankly, this was more daunting to Ginger when it happened with the large Blighted.


    On the other hand, Alcaeus was just as stunned as he looked at Ginger.


    "Your eyes!" he cried, and Ginger felt him almost loosen the grip on his Light Gear to drop him to the ground.


    "My eyes? What about them?" the plump halfling asked, horrified.


    But Alcaeus didn''t answer.


    The brash roar of the enemy tore through their interaction.


    The Blighted was still sending erratic jets of flame from its mouth, the hole behind its gouged neck, and its nostrils. Ginger''s head snapped back in the creatures'' direction. Again, he saw its Kardia pooling in its body for some kind of last move.


    ''Right! All Blighted and Condemned have Totality-type Kardia!'' Ginger recalled.


    This recollection filled him with even more dread.


    Alcaeus suddenly came to a stop.


    Ginger turned with difficulty, and found that¡­ they had reached the end of the chamber. The curve to the wall ahead dictated this fact.


    Alcaeus gave Ginger a strange look. He stared straight into his eyes and then shook his head, as though dismissing the many questions he had. Ginger was twice as curious.


    "Hurry! I found it. I found the pedestal. It must really only work when the two of us touch it," the Doukas boy said quickly.


    Ginger''s eyes bulged.


    That''s right!


    Professor Lyall had said something about a pedestal that would make this exercise easier!


    It then occurred to Ginger that this was the reason Alcaeus had seemingly vanished after the greater Blighted crushed the one he had killed with his dagger. He had started looking for the pedestal.


    Come to think of it, Alcaeus'' plan now made a little more sense.


    It was obvious that had been intent on killing both the smaller Blighted, leaving no room for Ginger to get stronger ¨C which was terrible since beating the last one would likely require them to combine their strength.


    What completed the shaky scheme, however, was the fact that Alcaeus wanted to use the pedestal to finish off the last Blighted, possibly on his own as well.


    Professor Lyall didn''t really explain what would happen when a pair touched the pedestal. She only explained how to get it to work; the paired dragonlings had to place their hands overlapping on the top end of the pedestal.


    Alcaeus was placing all his bets on this. That was why he had put in some mild effort in keeping Ginger ''alive''.


    ''Selfish idiot!'' Ginger grumbled inwardly.


    Alcaeus dropped him and hurried to a corner in the curved edge of the chamber. Ginger, pressed down by his immense weight again, struggled to take a look. Soon, he saw the pedestal.


    It was very thin and so small that it barely reached Alcaeus'' knees. It adopted a pentagonal shape and was clearly made from the same dark blue rock that formed the walls of this cavern.


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    It boggled Ginger''s mind why such a thing was called a pedestal, but that concern of his was quickly crushed by the booming of the Blighted''s feet. Ginger felt Kardia zooming like a violent spectrum from the ground.


    ''It''s spreading out its Kardia!'' Ginger realized. Alcaeus did too.


    "Get over here!" Alcaeus screamed at him.


    "I can''t move!" the halfling shouted back.


    Alcaeus clicked his tongue, his eyes staring into Ginger''s again. He then rushed to his plump classmate and pulled him up.


    As he turned to drag him to the pedestal, however, both dragonlings felt the great Blighted''s Kardia climb from the floor and flow into their bodies. The feeling was so outlandishly disturbing that the two shook vehemently, only to pause in place in the next second.


    This was possible?!


    Ginger panted heavily.


    The Blighted''s Kardia swimming within them was as cold as ice. It truly felt like everything within him that wasn''t Kardia had frozen solid. The same had happened to Alcaeus. The terror he felt was visible in his eyes.


    BOOOM! BOOM!


    The Blighted approached.


    It had quite the volume of Kardia. Ginger could see much of it swelling within its body while the rest was coiling within its prey.


    ''What do we do?'' Ginger wondered hastily. ''Should I try firing my Kardia again? No. I can''t aim in this state!''


    The Blighted arrived in front of the two. For Ginger, it felt like he was reliving the most intense moment of this exercise for a third time.


    The enemy, even through hollow sockets, sent a particularly nasty glare towards him. The Kardia in its body swelled even more.


    ''Is it trying to¡­?!'' Ginger panicked. No way! That was mental!


    What could they do if this thing really was planning on doing this?


    All of Ginger''s other options had been lost long before he was paralyzed. He couldn''t run with this new weight of his, make the gestures for any Kardia mechanism, and wield his dagger, which had fallen from his grip when he was flung back earlier.


    The same couldn''t be said for Alcaeus, however.


    While he was frozen as well, with his left arm wound around Ginger''s torso, his right arm was free, in its hand his saber, which had its tip facing the ground.


    As a deranged set of claws dropped on them, Ginger heard Alcaeus'' grunt as he shot his Alien-type Kardia out of the hand that wielded the Qin Steel weapon!


    It was a curious thing, why those with Alien-type Kardia couldn''t augment their weapons with it like Affixers. Qin Steel was conductive to Kardia in general, after all.


    But well, there was a distinction between how Affix-type and Alien-type Kardia reacted to objects they were infused into. A simple one.


    Affix-type Kardia burrowed itself into the object, while Alien-type Kardia did so too, but wasn''t fond of being detained, even from Qin Steel. Thus it rushed out almost immediately!


    As such, the torrent of Kardia Alcaeus sent into his saber simply flowed through the weapon, with only small bits of it clinging to the blade, as had been the case when he threw the stone that hit the large Blighted''s eye moments before!


    The Kardia streamed out with such force that it lifted him and Ginger off the ground right before they could be crushed to pudding¡­ or saved.


    The boys screamed and at the same, they noticed that they were free from the paralysis. Better yet they were flying towards the pedestal¡­ or perhaps not.


    There was also a chance that they would overshoot and knock into the wall.


    The duo wouldn''t miss their chance, however. If they fell back to the ground, the Kardia the Blighted was injecting into the it would instantly freeze them again.


    Without needing to signal each other, the boys stretched out their arms right as they began to fly past the small pedestal.


    Both their hands landed on top of the pedestal; Ginger''s first and then Alcaeus''.


    At the same time, the Blighted snapped in their direction with its mad fury, and Ginger saw its Kardia balloon outward.


    His assumption¡­ had been right. The bastard was going to blow himself up by pooling his Kardia and then releasing it at once!


    Ginger turned pale.


    This was a painful waste of talent!


    But be that as it may, what could the pedestal do to make him and Alcaeus strong enough to withstand the incoming danger?!


    The answer turned out to be odder than the prickly feeling Ginger felt at almost impaling his palm on the pedestal''s thin, top end.


    The two boys felt it right away.


    It started where their hands met.


    A scalding sensation rippled through their fingers, sprinted through the muscles of their arms and then the rest of their bodies. Once the feeling reached both their stoks, it prompted their Kardia to behave strangely.


    For Ginger, it became heavy. Or rather, it seemed to collapse to the bottom of his stok and stretch it out, as though trying to rip through it and escape through his lower half.


    For Alcaeus, it was the opposite. His Kardia surged, and smote the upper end of his stok, as though attempting to leave through his throat.


    It went without saying that both these sensations were excruciating, but the boys didn''t get to scream because what came after, astounded them.


    Their Kardia suddenly gushed from their stoks and permeated from their bodies rapidly. It gathered around them as one giant mass that swelled and became so concentrated that it looked like a vivid blue water bubble.


    Then¡­it all rolled out with whip-like intensity, creating a frightening shockwave that came with a convincing thunderclap!


    Both the dragonlings and their enemy were stunned, but the latter bore worse after the initial surprise!


    Ginger heard a blood-curdling screech from the Blighted as it crashed into the wall¡­ and remained planted within its depths.


    For some reason, the Kardia from him and Alcaeus did not stop shooting out. It burst once, then twice, then thrice, with each instance smiting the large Blighted with a brutal force that Ginger could have sworn turned its perfect set of ribs into crumbs!


    As for the honorable suicide scheme the poor Cinder-Born had planned¡­ Ginger didn''t know if it happened or not.


    No matter how strong it was, it couldn''t have been more devastating than the fate his and Alcaeus'' Kardia had pasted upon their opponent.

 Realisations

    Ginger and Alcaeus slowly and silently walked through the mutilated chamber. Their backs were stiff and straight, their eyes wide open, staring straight ahead and not daring to glance back.


    Behind them, an eerie scraping noise persisted, taking momentary stops that only inspired a potent chill within the boys; well, their spines, to be exact.


    The corpses of the Blighted were being disposed of. The scales on the beasts produced a strange, agitating sound when sliding along the rough floor of the chamber.


    The individual who was carrying out this rough task was the same Ginger and Alcaeus had peeped a glimpse of when they first walked in here - a thin figure stuck to the dark wall which had drawn the large chain and summoned the three Blighted they had just killed.


    That slender, spindly figure had emerged again right when the great Blighted fell ¨C dead ¨C crushed against the wall by the force of the two boys'' combined Kardia.


    The beast''s messy, grotesque remains ¨C a half-shattered head, a compact torso with a hole at the abdomen from which guts spilled like dark, chunky porridge, and two stumps where powerful limbs had once been attached ¨C were being dragged to who-knew-where.


    Ginger and Alcaeus had not even entertained the idea of studying the strange individual. In fact, they were compelled to look away and go about their business, which they did.


    Instead of compulsion, perhaps it was crippling fear that temporarily eroded any sum of reason from the two boys. They barely felt real. Their bodies seemed to act on their own as they rose from where they had fallen just now and briskly walked off.


    ''Just keep moving. Just keep moving¡­'' Ginger urged himself. He felt relieved as soon as the scraping was slowly tuned out of his head, replaced by the nearly in-synch sound of his and Alcaeus'' footsteps.


    It was only when peace cast a rainbow in Ginger''s mind that his eyes widened, realization finally setting in.


    ''I don''t feel heavy anymore!'' he thought, genuinely surprised that he had not caught on, or rather, processed it.


    But now that his mind was set on this, everything that had happened and was happening to his body started to become clear, an explanation for it all following right after as Ginger''s brain worked overtime.


    From the moment that he and Alcaeus had touched the pedestal, both their Kardia had gushed out voraciously from their stoks, compounded around their bodies as one large mass, and exploded out to wreck the great Blighted. Ginger had felt that all his Kardia had been exhausted then, but he hadn''t processed it until now. When it had happened, he had noted it as this vague feeling of emptiness.


    Now, the plump dragonling realized that this was the reason he was back to normal; why he didn''t feel the heavy sensation, and why his eyes no longer saw things in an odd fashion.


    ''So, that''s how it works? I suppose that makes sense. That load of Kardia I suddenly got, marked how everything changed with my body. How I got so tough and suddenly started seeing the insides of other living things... So, maybe it''s safe to think that when all that Kardia runs out, I turn back to normal,'' Ginger thought.


    This conclusion made the most sense to him. But more curious than that, why did he suddenly get this wild experience he hadn''t endured since a Stride ago?


    Well, the conversation that the plump dragonling had had with Ira surfaced in his mind, especially one statement the eccentric dragon had said.


    ''¡­I have never heard of a dragon with two souls.''


    What Ginger had just experienced was a side-effect of having two souls within his body.


    ''Ira did say that these abnormal effects are happening because my other soul was triggered. The last time it happened, my second heart was awakened by the golden fire during my First Burning ¨C my first ever experience with any draconic traditions. Now¡­''


    And now, this had happened because Ginger had killed his first Blighted, refining his Kardia; another important draconic event.


    ''Hmm, the enormous amount of Kardia, I can understand since I''ve experienced it before, but what about the other changes to my body? I didn''t feel like that back then. Is it something new?'' Ginger agonized.


    He had a mix of excitement and anxiety as he thought about these unusual powers.


    That heavy sensation was far from pleasant. It was phenomenally uncomfortable and made it hard for him to move. On the other hand, it seemed to lessen the burden he felt from the excessive amount of Kardia as it applied both inside and outside his body. Better yet, it made him really tough. The large jaw of the great Blighted would have crushed Ginger''s legs if he wasn''t in this state.


    Then there was the new vision he awakened.


    ''It doesn''t have any weaknesses, as far as I can tell. I wasn''t really thinking straight the entire time I had it, though, so it''s hard to say,'' Ginger thought before looking at Alcaeus who adopted a faintly agitated expression as he walked two meters away from him. ''He saw what my eyes looked like. Would he answer me if I asked about it?''


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    Ginger was about to commit¡­ when he stopped himself.


    Maybe that wasn''t a good idea.


    The reason was because¡­


    ''I still feel a rush of Kardia slowly oozing into me,'' Ginger thought. ''The Blighted''s Kardia¡­ Was I the only one between us who got a share of it?''


    After a Blighted or a Condemned was killed, a portion of its Kardia mysteriously flowed into its killer''s body, provided they were Cinder-Born.


    Since Ginger had dealt a fatal blow to the great green Blighted before the furious attack his and Alcaeus'' Kardia dealt to the creature, he thought that perhaps he had been awarded its involuntary prize instead of the Doukas boy ¨C if that was even how that worked.


    Maybe that was why Alcaeus seemed upset. He wouldn''t really have any good snarky comments since he was the one who lost, right?


    With that in mind, Ginger kept his thoughts to himself, and soon, he and Alcaeus emerged in the spacious, well-lit cavern.


    Both dragonlings squinted.


    There was an immediate reaction to their emergence, with a lot of finger-pointing and chatter spawning in their honor.


    The difference in the atmosphere from where he was coming from and where he had just set foot in, influenced Ginger greatly. He felt both relaxed and exhausted.


    ''I did go through a lot, didn''t I? How long were we in there anyway?'' he asked himself.


    Right in front of him, Ginger saw his thickly Professor standing proud with the same indecipherable V-shape on her lips.


    However, quite like when she faced him during the Second Burning, Ginger felt as though the older dragon expressed her emotions through the two eyes set behind her round-rimmed glasses.


    There was excessive thrill, swelling pride, and hints of joy in those eyes.


    ''Huh. Right. She was watching the whole time¡­'' Ginger thought.


    ''SHE WAS WATCHING THE WHOLE TIME!''


    Suddenly, the plump dragonling remembered the fatal ordeals he had faced!


    He had almost been cooked by the great Blighted''s flame while trapped between its maw and its torso!


    He had almost been crushed along with the smaller Blighted he had managed to kill a second before it was turned to paste by its senior!


    He had been pinned between the great Blighted''s jaw and the hard ground with barely any hope for escape!


    In all these circumstances and more, how come Professor Lyall didn''t come to his rescue?!


    Sure¡­ Ginger had almost forgotten that this was a supervised exercise and had treated it like a life-or-death situation at first, but since that wasn''t true, how come it still felt like he was in mortal peril till the end?!


    Was Professor Lyall so fast and so strong that she could have easily reacted if she truly felt that he was about to die? Better yet, could she read minds? Or perhaps see the future?! How could she have been certain without either of these abilities?!


    The guarantee of safety she had given the students before suddenly lost some of its attractiveness in Ginger''s eyes.


    The plump dragonling fumed.


    He nearly showed the intense emotion on his face as he drew closer to Professor Lyall, who, just like all the times when pairs returned from the chamber, didn''t speak. She simply gave him and Alcaeus a nod.


    Ginger wore a creepy, fake smile as he passed by her. His hand trembled as it formed a fist.


    Somehow, it didn''t sting from being swollen as he had expected.


    While grappling with his negative thoughts about Professor Lyall, Ginger''s chest swelled with even more fury as he saw Reiss looking up at him with a fresh, inviting smile.


    Immediately, his face turned ugly and Reiss had quite a hilarious reaction to it.


    "Good grief, Ginger! Since when can you wear a frown with such¡­ character?" the small dragonling shot from his seat ¨C an irregular mound on the floor ¨C and blinked several times.


    "So now you can look at me?" Ginger barked in response before realizing that all the other students on this side of the cavern were looking at him. He quickly sat beside Reiss and gripped the back of his neck ¨C with appropriate restraint.


    "Wait, wait! I can explain, you idiot!" Reiss yelped with his tiny hands reaching for Ginger''s.


    "Explain what? I was trying to get to your attention, to see if you were alright after what you had to go through in there! I was worried, you know? What happened to your hammer? Were you injured too badly?"


    "I know! I know! Shhh! Good grief! It was all Professor Aarons'' fault!" Reiss cried.


    "What?" Ginger finally loosened his grip. He donned a confused expression.


    Reiss massaged the back of his neck with both hands, a glimmer of hatred shooting from his eyes to Ginger''s face.


    "I was trying to signal to you too. But then, I realized ¨C well, all of us here realized ¨C that Professor Aarons cast some kind of illusion that stops those of us who have gone into the chamber and those who haven''t, from interacting. From that side, it looks like we are all resting or thinking or something, right?" Reiss said.


    Ginger''s fury waned.


    An illusion?


    He looked over to the students who had yet to be called up.


    He saw Caron looking this way. She was looking right at him, a little concerned.


    Ginger waved. Caron''s expression didn''t change.


    Oh.


    ''Now that I think about it¡­ It was pretty weird that Reiss ignored me like that. It''s just that¡­ If this really is an illusion, it''s a pretty good one!'' Ginger thought.


    "I see. That actually makes sense. So, Professor Aarons isn''t just standing between us with that scary look."


    The hunched Professor was indeed doing more than just attempting to threaten the two groups of students with sharp eyes.


    "Yeah. Apparently, she''s one of the instructors for the Phantoms Out Course. Seems like she''s really good at this," Reiss said, his judgmental gaze on Ginger making the plump dragonling shrink.


    Ginger muttered an apology which Reiss ''hmphed'' at, and then a back-and-forth argument persisted between them for a few seconds, with Ginger claiming that he hadn''t really been upset with Reiss and had used minimal force on his neck, a stance which Reiss refused to believe, demanding fitting retaliation.


    Soon, levity bloomed between the two, then a bit of silence as they observed the next pair heading into the cold, treacherous embrace of the chamber ahead.


    "So, did you use that ''pedestal''?" Reiss asked as he leaned against the remains of his hammer ¨C its handle.


    Ginger wore a faint smile.


    "Yeah," he said.


    It was funny, really.


    No wonder Professor Lyall and Professor Aarons insisted on keeping things about that thing vague and secret from the students who had yet to go into the chamber.


    There was never anything special about the pedestal.


    It was just a regular construct enchanted and emboldened by nothing.


    What brought on that supernatural eruption of Kardia that Ginger so vividly recalled¡­ had to do with the criteria for the pairings that he had been trying to figure out all along.

 How Did It Go?

    It was more than understandable if most of the students had forgotten another aspect of their Kardia which wasn''t tied to whether it Affixed, Pooled, or Alienated itself. This aspect had been purposefully glossed over by their Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies instructor, after all.


    For the Second Burning, all the First Years had been given flasks that they were told would indicate what kind of Kardia they had after they had ventured into the Rebounding Seether.


    The flasks would show either a thin, candle flame, which represented Affixing Kardia; tiny dotted spots of flame that sputtered, issuing bright sparks, a sign of Alien-type Kardia; a lava-like flame that covered a wide space, representing Pooling-type Kardia; and a swirling flame for Totality-type Kardia.


    The coloration of the flames would denote the strength of the individual''s Kardia. In order of the highest degree of heat produced, the spectrum went from blue, white, yellow, orange, and then red.


    While several students had kept track of such a thing during the Second Burning, what most of them failed to investigate further from the flames that appeared in their flasks, was whether said flames ascended to the neck of the flask or plummeted to the bottom.


    "So that was it the entire time," Ginger said. "She paired us based on whether our Kardia Surged or Collapsed."


    Ginger vividly remembered that Professor Lyall, during the Second Burning, announced not just the type of Kardia one had, but whether it fell or rose within the flask.


    Ginger''s flask had exposed his dual-natured Kardia with blue sparks of flame, as well as an orange splash of liquid fire nesting at its bottom.


    The plump dragonling had been identified to have Collapsing Alien and Pooling type Kardia.


    "Alcaeus had Surging Alien-type Kardia," the boy said before looking at Reiss. "And you have Collapsing Affix-type."


    "Yeah, and Vassilis has Surging Affix-type," the short dragonling said matter-of-factly.


    The criteria for who went into the chamber with whom was decided by this aspect of Kardia. A student with Surging Kardia was matched with one who had Collapsing Kardia, whatever its type was, and vice versa.


    This pairing was decided this way mainly based on the potential interaction with the mysterious pedestal. Professor Lyall had teased that the hard-to-find and not-as-big-as-Ginger-had-thought construct, would help make the exercise easier, but that wasn''t exactly the case.


    The pedestal had nothing to do with it.


    The instructions Professor Lyall gave ¨C for the students to place their hands overlapping on the thing ¨C were meant to force pairs into making physical contact.


    Why Professor Lyall didn''t just outright tell everyone that what was needed for this ''trump card'' in the exercise was physical touch wasn''t clear.


    Or maybe it was. Perhaps the thickly Professor was trying to make the deed less awkward.


    The First Years were prone to instances of hesitation when contact was involved after all. Pairings of boys and girls could be particularly tricky, or worse yet, what Ginger had been dealing with, a nemesis.


    "So, what then?" Ginger said while scratching his chin. "When Collapsing and Surging Kardia meet, they combine and explode out like that?"


    "Well, yes and no," Reiss replied. "If that were strictly true, then some of us who have been making contact daily would have destroyed a classroom or two by now." Reiss shook as though a chilly storm had suddenly assaulted his body. "This seems to only happen after you have killed your first Blighted and refined your Kardia. The fact that the Professor didn''t specify this must have - and probably will - mislead some of us into rushing towards the pedestal from the start. I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the idiots who try that."


    Ginger was infected by the same sort of chill that ran through Reiss.


    That was terrifying to think about. If he had rushed towards the pedestal immediately, he would have been in dicier waters than the ones he had already had to swim through. Alcaeus would have probably killed the two smaller Blighted and gotten stronger while Ginger got schooled by misinformation. Disinformation?


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    At that moment, a muffled roar issued from the mouth of the chamber. The pair who had just gone in¡­ Ginger prayed they were not helpless fools who hung on Professor Lyall''s every word.


    Speaking of the chamber¡­


    "You also saw that¡­ thing, right? The one that cleans up after you are done and summons new Blighted?" Ginger asked with a frightened visage. The picture was still fresh in his mind.


    "Good grief, don''t remind me," Reiss said, looking more repulsed than afraid. "I couldn''t wait to get out of there after it showed up. I think even Vassilis looked a bit pale when he saw it. I didn''t look back until I saw the light."


    Ginger narrowed his eyes. He hesitated.


    "About that¡­ How did it go? With Vassilis, I mean. He didn''t do anything funny, right?" he asked.


    Because of his own experience, Ginger assumed that Reiss had suffered through the same thing with an even worse candidate to be paired with. He even dreaded that Vassilis had been the one to break Reiss'' hammer.


    When Reiss wore an aggrieved visage, Ginger thought his worst fears had come true.


    "He¡­He helped me at the start," the short dragonling said.


    "What?"


    Ginger recoiled in no small volume of surprise.


    "Yeah. I made that same face too. As you might expect, I had a really tough time maneuvering with the hammer. The Blighted were also nimbler than I thought they would be, and they covered a lot of distance and space when they charged. Thank the great Ebony they didn''t have wings," Reiss said. "Vassilis nailed down one of the smaller dragons for me with his arrows. He pierced one of its feet to the ground. I hate to admit it, but his archery and control of Kardia are nuts. When the thing turned its attention to him, I knew that was my cue. I managed to kill it. I probably looked pathetic when I screamed at the top of my lungs while I swung that damned hammer."


    Reiss stroked the pole to the dead hammer with some manner of longing.


    Ginger grimaced.


    To think that Vassilis actually helped Reiss.


    He stole a glance at the young dragon. Vassilis was on this side of the cavern too, and a few other students, including Alcaeus (of course), were sitting around him.


    The plump dragonling allowed the look of his handsome enemy to bring his blood to a boil.


    HE helped?


    That didn''t make sense to Ginger. He wanted to ask Reiss why the pompous prodigy would do that but stopped. Instead, he asked:


    "Is that how the hammer broke?"


    "No," the short dragonling suddenly looked lively when he answered. "The moment I felt my Kardia get refined, the hammer turned a little lighter as my Kardia rushed through it. I was able to swing it significantly easier. Vassilis and I banded together to kill the last Blighted ¨C after he killed the other smaller one, of course ¨C and¡­it didn''t go so well. I swung my hammer a bit too freely and without managing how much Kardia I sent through it, and the whole thing shattered when it hit the Blighted''s shoulder. After that, Vassilis and I went for the pedestal."


    "Oh," Ginger said. "Sounds like you had fun. You even finished earlier than anyone else."


    Reiss harrumphed.


    "I wish. I did have a lot to think about though."


    "Like what?"


    To Ginger''s question, Reiss wore a strange smile.


    "Did you get any nasty injuries while you were in there?" he asked.


    "Of course, I did!" Ginger replied, sounding a little offended.


    "Where?"


    "Well, I got this pretty bad burn right her¡ª"


    Ginger froze just as he was about to show Reiss the chars on his hand where the greater Blighted had burned him with its breath.


    His hand¡­ his hand was completely healed now. There was not even a sign that it had been anything but whole and slightly chubby, livid with fresh youth.


    Ginger stared at his limb with a stupefied look.


    "I had the same reaction, more or less. Everyone did. It seems when your Kardia gets refined, you get a few benefits other than having your Kardia get stronger. Our innate healing factor as dragons also awakens," Reiss said, thoroughly pleased by the look on his friend''s face. "I didn''t know this was when it was supposed to kick in."


    Ginger barely heard what Reiss said. He simply nodded while checking himself for any other injuries he might have sustained. As a rather serious burn on his body had been completely healed, it went without saying that all the small scratches and scrapes on him had been smoothed over as well.


    "This is amazing," the plump dragonling said.


    "I guess. I wish I had known earlier. If only our upperclassmen were more loose with this information to us. Could we have asked Dorothea or Zale?"


    At this, Ginger snapped back to the moment.


    "We should try to ask from now on. Then again, we don''t really know what to ask, do we?" he said.


    "Would they have told us anything, though? It feels like as First Years, most older students alienate us except when they want to recruit us into Out Courses. Maybe they are instructed to keep us in the dark?"


    "Maybe."


    Ginger was starting to notice that despite Reiss having such a huge well of knowledge, he was not infallible in that regard. Most students didn''t seem to know what he expected to have been shared by their parents at least, or even the library. There was an odd sense of disconnect between students knowing something like not to read the True Names of the Ancient Dragons, and them not knowing about the benefits of refining their Kardia.


    Perhaps it all had an explanation, but Ginger found it odd.


    Knowledge was just as important as vigilance in the Wild, after all.


    ''Well, then again dragons rule these lands. They live peacefully as the beings at the top. They can afford to allow their children to learn things at school over five years, I guess,'' Ginger thought.


    "So, how did it go with you and Alcaeus?" Reiss asked with scalding curiosity burning in his large gunmetal blue eyes.


    Ginger groaned.


    Where to even begin?

 The Latter Half

    "Wow Ginger, you really went through it," Reiss said after his friend finished his narration, which took until the pair that had gone into the chamber came out, wounded and soulless like most others that came before.


    "Yeah," Ginger said, his eyes hiding a twinge of guilt.


    While Reiss mulled over everything he had said, everything except the bit about how he suddenly felt his body grow heavy, how his stok suddenly began overflowing with Kardia, how his eyes started seeing things that they shouldn''t, Ginger deliberated.


    He and Reiss shared a lot, but he didn''t share his deepest secret with his friend. The only person in Ravi who knew said secret was Ira.


    Speaking of the gatekeeper, Ginger had shared with Reiss what he and Ira had talked about right after the Second Burning. All except his dual-soul nature and his past, that was.


    And once again, Ginger was withholding information, and he didn''t know if that was for the best or not.


    The boy had Ancor to teach him that one''s secrets were not to be revealed lightly, and only someone Ancor trusted was worthy of knowing things he would rather take to the grave.


    ''It''s probably better this way,'' Ginger told himself. But was it?


    "Looks like you weren''t kidding ¨C not that I didn''t believe you. You really are pretty experienced in combat. I can''t imagine maintaining a steady state of mind to cast light through Mana Essence while being pinned by that big of a Blighted," Reiss said, his eyes sparkling.


    Ginger scratched his head.


    "You get used to keeping a cool head even when you are in real danger," he said with a small smile.


    "I''d say that''s a little more than just keeping a cool head, Ginger. Maybe on top of teaching me how best to use Mana Essence, I''m also going to need you to teach me how to fight. In exchange, I''ll do a bit of your homework. Willingly."


    Ginger laughed.


    "That sounds good, but we should probably learn from Professor Cain and Professor Mara first."


    At that moment, the pair that had just come from the chamber sombrely dragged themselves past them and sat down a few meters away.


    They looked dreadful.


    "Come to think of it, how long did Alcaeus and I take to finish the exercise?"


    Reiss looked up thoughtfully.


    "Maybe ten to eleven minutes. Why?"


    "I don''t know," Ginger shrugged and made a face. "Time flows differently when you''re faced with a threat. What''s funny is, sometimes it slows down when you are close to death, or at least when you feel like you are, you know? It''s always felt to me like the world is giving you a last chance in that moment."


    Reiss hummed while nodding thoughtfully.


    A pause lingered between the two.


    During that pause, a name was called that drew their attention away.


    "Caron Ester and Ophelia Burns."


    At Professor Lyall''s words, everyone turned to those who were next.


    Well, most looked at Caron. The redhead was pretty famous as she was the only one among the First Years to have Totality-type Kardia.


    Unlike the girl she had been paired with, Caron didn''t hesitate to walk towards the mouth of the chamber.


    "What? She doesn''t get paired with her obvious enemy?" Reiss said with apparent bitterness.


    "I guess not," Ginger said.


    He still hadn''t forgiven how Professor Lyall arranged his and Reiss'' pairs. He was sure they weren''t coincidences.


    "Was she still behaving like she was ready to kill someone AND herself?" Reiss asked.


    "Yeah. Though she was a little concerned for you."


    Reiss scoffed.


    The two watched as Caron in her yet-to-be-ravaged Light Gear, wielding her four-section staff, was devoured by the darkness of the chamber, her partner following close behind her.


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    Ginger was quite confident in Caron. Despite her lazy nature, she had proven more than once that she wasn''t simply a lucky dragonling blessed with a rare type of Kardia. She had shown that she could wield it pretty well, exceptionally well, in fact.


    Also, she still held onto her confident declaration that she would teach Reiss and Ginger how to control their Kardia better in three Strides.


    Right then, Ginger felt another twang of guilt.


    ''Reiss is talented too. He has one of the five best casts. But I was so sure he would get hurt,'' he thought.


    He had shown a bit of a lack of faith in his best friend before, and it ate at him that Caron was the one to call him out for it earlier.


    Ginger frowned.


    He had good reason to fear for his friend, right? Yeah!


    The cacophony of noises that all the students had finally gotten used to after the first few times, was heard once again; the roar of the wingless Blighted, muffled thumps and booms.


    What was made clear, even to those who had yet to go in to face the monsters, was that the caliber of enemies was the same. The Blighted selected for the exercise had the same unimpressive casts, and the same physiques, which gave a few students some much-needed confidence.


    That said, none were confident enough to think they would clear the threats they had to face in five minutes, or even less¡­ quite like the current pair managed to.


    Gasps were heard as Caron emerged from the mouth of the chamber at the four-minute and some mark, Ophelia trailing behind her by a few steps.


    "Good grief¡­" Reiss muttered in shock.


    Ginger merely stared wordlessly at Caron and her bloody four-section staff whose chains clinked every second.


    The redhead seemed to look a little livelier than before. The hollow look in her eyes was pretty much gone, and so were the dark circles under them. She even spotted a small smile as she led the way to Professor Lyall who gave her the same meaningless V smile.


    Intense murmurs filled the cavern.


    Superficial details were what the majority of the students fixated on mostly.


    How in the world had Caron and her partner beaten the Blighted so quickly?


    How strong was she, really?


    "She must be really good at using that thing."


    "I wonder what she used her Kardia for? If she was simply Affixing it to her staff so well that she was able to kill those things, maybe I¡­"


    "It''s not all that impressive."


    The last bitter comment came from Fillys who earned the nods of her fellow haters. She couldn''t stomach Caron getting some positive attention, especially after all she did to bring out the opposite.


    To her dismay, strength comparisons were quickly made between Vassilis and Caron. Their partners hardly mattered in the contention. Ophelia looked shaken while Reiss had gotten his hammer destroyed. They were taken as placeholders.


    While hearing all these things, Ginger turned furious, but before he could think too much about them, Caron approached him and Reiss.


    "No shame at all," the dwarfish dragonling said.


    "What?" Ginger asked, confused.


    "For people she''s been giving a good, cold attitude to today, she sure doesn''t mind our company," Reiss said. His awe at Caron''s achievements had vanished from his mind, it seemed.


    Finally, the redhead reached them and sat next to Ginger.


    Instantly, the attention shifted towards the trio.


    Ginger shivered at feeling it all. Now that his Kardia was refined, his body seemed to get even more sensitive to supernatural forces, and three hundred sets of draconic eyes honing in on him was definitely unnatural.


    Reiss seemed unbothered though. He leaned forth and looked at Caron beyond the wall that was Ginger.


    "Look who''s back. Got that attitude out of your system?" he said.


    Caron didn''t respond. She merely took a deep breath and started cleaning the sections of her staff on her Light Gear.


    Ginger and Reiss, staring hard, thought this was both disgusting and somehow¡­raw, in the best possible way.


    While they had more to think about with Caron than most besides her powers and how she actually compared to Vassilis, they did wonder for a brief moment. She seemed to have it way easier than both of them in the chamber.


    "Can I ask you something?" Caron suddenly asked the two in a low voice. Her eyes remained pinned on her staff.


    The two boys didn''t answer, but them staring at Caron''s face told her they weren''t against the idea of listening.


    "Do you think it''s possible for people to really care about each other, genuinely?"


    Ginger and Reiss recoiled.


    "Where did that come from?" the latter said.


    Caron turned to look at the two in the eyes unflinchingly.


    "N-never mind," she then said.


    The confusion Ginger and Reiss felt grew to turn into hesitation the more the seconds ticked by. When the hesitation grew, it in turn caused the emergence of an awkward silence between the three.


    The silence was so uncomfortable that Ginger felt it inappropriate to start a conversation with Reiss, as that would probably lead them to exclude Caron, who clearly had yet to find her normal, carefree butting-in quirk. Reiss felt the same way.


    Starting a conversation with Caron was also a non-option ¨C at least Ginger thought so. The only subject he could have possibly thought to talk about with the girl was what had happened with Fillys at the girls'' dormitories. That didn''t seem like the best idea right now.


    Thus, till the last pair for the exercise came out of the chamber after a dreadful eighteen minutes, the three didn''t speak. They only watched this side of the cavern fill up with other students.


    When it did, Professor Lyall came before all of them, her lips drawn taut, and she clapped to gain the attention of the chattering students.


    "I am pleased with all your performances. All of you managed to refine your Kardia and even incorporate what you learned over the last two Strides. I can safely say, as far as batches of First Years go, you are not subpar," she said, her eyes scrolling over the faces of the students from above her glasses. "Only a few of you required my intervention, but that is not at all a measure of failure. After all, I did say, this is not a competition, simply an exercise. The former is yet to come."


    Ginger frowned.


    ''Wait? She intervened for others? Who? She''s just been standing there the whole time,'' he thought.


    It indeed was curious. Many shared his thoughts as well.


    "To conclude, I have a few things to enlighten you on before passing you into the rest of your Breather. For some, I''m sure you have already discovered some of these things ¨C and loathe me for it ¨C and some are things you wouldn''t know unless you explored the library more than usual."


    The thickly dragon cleared her thought.


    "For starters, the tiny pedestal you encountered¡­" she said. "¡­I''m sure most of you were beginning to doubt it indeed is a pedestal. Well, I hope you will treat it with a bit of respect in the future. After all, it did belong to the smallest dragon in history, one whom a cult in the 103rd Tally of the Azure Dragon called the Great Godling."

 The Great Godling

    "I know this isn''t your Expired Times and Diluted Histories class, but you should know that dragon-kind has been through some dark times, especially since after the Five Ancient Elders passed on. Many prominent dragons rose in those dark times, claiming to be the second coming of the most prestigious of our kind there had ever been. They flashed their great casts, their unique Marka, their masteries of niche powers unseen to sway the frail of will. In those times, some grew to be seen as gods. Well, only by lesser races, that is," Professor Lyall said.


    The First Years paid rapt attention. Considering that most of them had reached and wondered about the small pedestal, they were more than willing to learn about the story behind it, which, apparently proved the pedestal to be special.


    "The Great Godling ¨C only a moniker, of course ¨C was one such dragon. He was the pioneer of a special technique of denaturing that cast away size and multiplied supernatural powers by nearly a hundredfold. The cult he made consisted of twenty dragons that he taught this technique to, and thousands of other lesser races that worshipped him like a god. Because he became exceedingly popular, the Great Godling inspired many more dragons to try and take a swipe at being seen as divine beings as well, which created chaos in those days. That little pedestal you saw, is where the Godling would rest while denatured, as his followers gave him offerings and praised him."


    Murmurs of several different emotions and thoughts rumbled among the students.


    The Great Godling''s pedestal.


    Ginger remembered vividly the size and shape of the thing.


    It only reached up to his knees and was roughly as thick as his arm. It had a pentagonal shape and was made from the same blue stone that made the cavern walls.


    To think the Godling could fit on top of that thing while denatured.


    As Ginger understood it, denaturing was the process of acquiring a true draconian body. Naturally, it meant the humanoid form of a dragon would grow in size, change shape, and become stronger. This was something dragons could learn before having their first growth spurt. If enrolled into a dragon institute like Draggard-Phoenix, they would learn to denature by the Fourth Year.


    Pretty much every dragonling looked forward to this. Who wouldn''t one want to attain that large, powerful form? To be able to turn into it at will was a marvel.


    But then¡­


    ''The Godling became so small after transforming that he could fit in my palm. I wonder how dangerous he could possibly have been,'' Ginger thought.


    It was certainly interesting to think about.


    He glanced at Reiss.


    The dwarfish dragonling had a complex look to his face that fit somewhere between excitement and apprehension.


    ''What''s got him so excited?'' Ginger thought.


    Professor Lyall continued.


    "Hmm. Hopefully, that recontextualizes how you see that thing. And indeed, this cavern was one of the many places the Great Godling met with his cult members in the past. It also goes without saying that you may find many other similar pedestals around Ravi if you explore it hard enough, but it''s all irrelevant now. That age when this was something significant has long passed."


    This bit of knowledge caused a few to feel a bit uncomfortable.


    If this truly was some hideout for dark cults, the many questions to spring into the heads of the students were what heinous crimes the cult committed and whether or not they had a¡­ bloody end. However, the fact that the Exalted Names of the five dragons were branded onto this place was rather calming.


    "Now, as you may have experienced, refined Surging Kardia meeting Collapsing Kardia creates a rather powerful reaction. The scope varies from group to group, pair to pair, but it''s largely within a certain range. In my many years, Tallies and Cycles of teaching, I''ve found that having young dragons learn how potent, flexible, and sentient Kardia can be in harsh practice, is the most effective way for them to truly understand the nature of what they have coursing through them," the thickly Professor''s lips drew a bit wider.


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    "I''m certain you can feel your Kardia showing more active traits now that it has learned to be refined. It''s healing you, it''s forcing your body to be more sensitive to things it hadn''t even been able to pick up on. That is what Kardia is. It is an active energy, vastly different from Mana Essence."


    Ginger looked at his hand which had been healed.


    Professor Lyall was right.


    He hadn''t even noticed it when his body closed up its wounds and replaced the burnt skin.


    His Kardia, embodying Alienating and Pooling traits was brimming with life. He felt the portion of it which was produced within his stok and whatever remained within his body constantly pulsing with a desire for action.


    No wonder this energy was named after the heart.


    Ginger saw Caron beside him flexing her fingers. Her Kardia danced around them. It was potent and vivacious, more so than his. It was also more voluminous.


    A small smile broke on his face.


    That was to be expected. He still couldn''t produce that much Kardia, even when considering that he received some from the Blighted he killed.


    What made Ginger happy, was the fact that he was actually growing.


    He was making progress.


    "I hope you will forgive my methods for this morning. You will also have to forgive me for my future methods as well. After all, discovering how we function as Qin Asha is best explored in the most uncanny of ways. At least that''s what I believe," Professor Lyall said. "Ah, and from now on, don''t get too excited when you''re making physical contact with a friend who has Kardia which opposes yours. Many of you saw how devastating that can be. Of course, while you''re at the school, it''s highly unlikely for anything to happen, but nevertheless, be careful."


    ***


    Ginger was tempted to just slam himself onto the bed, but he quickly reined in his reckless urge.


    He needed a long bath first. Reiss did too.


    After leaving the damaged and torn Light Gear at the Garbing and Accoutrement building, and returning their weapons to the Ample Forge, the two boys, as well as all the other students had dragged their tired bodies to their dormitories. Today was the first of the three-day Breather, but none of them had energy enough to head out of the school. Some rest was in order, not just for the body, but also for the soul.


    Even though Professor Lyall didn''t mention it, and no one had bothered to ask, the thin, spindly figure in the chamber was still perhaps the most unnaturally terrifying thing most of the students had seen. A good stretch of sleep over several days would probably be required to rid the image from the dragonlings'' minds. Hopefully.


    After a nice bath where Ginger thoroughly confirmed that he didn''t have any more scars than he did before he went for the day''s exercise, he rested on his bed and rummaged through the sling bag Ancor gave him to draw out something.


    It was strangely peaceful in the dorm. Normally, there would be a snide remark or two thrown his and Reiss'' way, but there was barely any chatter at all.


    All the heated discussions had ended on the way back from the Beginner''s Den, when Professor Lyall had chanted ''Along!'', once again dragging all the students through the air back to the school.


    Only then had he heard a few insults thrown at Reiss for supposedly being carried by Vassilis, which he snarled at.


    "Good grief."


    "What?" Ginger responded to Reiss'' motto of stress.


    The dwarfish dragonling was on the top bunk, lazily waiting for the full force of exhaustion to press him into sleep ¨C a very rare sight.


    "Professor Mara is going to eat me alive for breaking that hammer. We have his class early after the Breather."


    Ginger sighed.


    "Already thinking about future nightmares?" he said.


    "Might as well! It''s Professor Mara! I think he might make me forge another one from scratch. Or worse yet, what if I find that he''s somehow gathered the broken bits of my hammer, and then he makes me put them back together¡­ and use whatever I manage to recreate as my weapon for the rest of the year?!"


    "That''s stupid. You''re not the only one who broke or damaged your weapon. It''s something that''s probably expected. Besides, we haven''t even learned how to forge weapons."


    "It''s Professor Mara!" Reiss hissed.


    Ginger laughed, though, he didn''t know if Reiss was just kidding or if he truly believed that something like that would happen.


    "Think about something else for now. Aren''t you meeting your dad tomorrow?" he said.


    "Yeah," Reiss immediately started to sound a little more cheerful. "If today went badly, I was really hoping I could use tomorrow as a trump card to calm myself. Thankfully, it''s just a lucky break. Ah. Have you made up your mind? My invitation is still open, you know. You can come with me to meet my dad."


    Ginger didn''t answer immediately.


    He had thought about it for a bit. It would be nice to meet Reiss'' father. He wasn''t too worried about how that would turn out if he was revealed to be a halfling given how Reiss had taken it.


    Ginger wasn''t so shallow that he would believe that everyone would be prejudiced against him. That was one of the perks of living with an eccentric character like Ancor.


    If there was anything that made Ginger hesitate a little, it would be the fact that it felt like Reiss was a lot more open with him and would continue to be while he (Ginger) only continued to withhold a lot about himself, including almost everything to do with his family.


    That... he couldn''t talk about freely even with Ira who knew his whole story. For now, he felt like keeping some measure of distance was a good thing.


    And besides all that¡­


    "Um, I can''t. There''s something I need to do tomorrow. It''s a little important. Sorry," Ginger said while grimacing.


    He wasn''t lying.


    He did have something he wanted to do sooner rather than later, and it all had to do with the pamphlet in his hand. The more he had read through this since a few days ago, the more he had felt eager.

 To Proin, To Each His Own

    The next day.


    Ginger and Reiss were quick to wake up and prepare themselves for the day. This was to be their first time going out of the school, well, for reasons unrelated to class activities, at least.


    They were both excited, but their secondary reasons for this differed quite a bit.


    They joined a large group of students galloping their way out of the humongous cubical castle ¨C the Frost Mountain''s Tooth ¨C chatting away as they went. The freshest topic the two discussed was how Zale had invaded their dormitory just to ask how the exercise yesterday had gone. It was a heart-warming gesture to see the Third Year show such care, and even more so when he listened to brief narrations of how they handled the Blighted.


    Of course, Zale wasn''t the only upperclassman to visit his juniors this morning. Out Course hounds, most of whom donned fake smiles and pretended to give an Olarmander''s ass about the First Years'' needs also came and nearly flooded the whole dorm while barely showing signs of leaving.


    How unrefined.


    Thankfully, Zale wasn''t as clingy, though, that could have been because he had already made Reiss and Ginger sign up for Kartile.


    "That was nice of him, but I still don''t like him very much. I can''t forget that he pretty much coerced us into joining," Reiss said.


    Ginger only partially agreed. He viewed joining Kartile as a great experience, after all, when he was fighting the large Blighted yesterday, him managing to shoot out the gathering mass of Kardia in his body as a piercing projectile was something he had learned during the Out Course. Perhaps ''learned'' was an overstatement, but watching the older students show off did inspire him.


    Because of this, he was sold on the Out Course, though he did wonder if he should really keep to only one Out Course as Professor Lyall had encouraged. Ginger needed more time before he could make a definitive choice.


    Going down the path leading to the school entrance bordered on most sides by the massive bronze wall onto which the statues of the Ancient Dragons were placed, felt exhilarating. Neither Ginger nor Reiss felt a crushing sense of morbid anticipation like yesterday.


    The only thing that somewhat bothered the two boys was that passing through the entrance reminded them of the ordeal with Caron yesterday. She hadn''t joined everyone until they were here.


    "Do you think she''s alright? I mean, she wouldn''t tell us, but do you think Fillys and the others are giving her a hard time today too?" Ginger asked Reiss.


    "I don''t know. Unfortunately, we won''t be able to find out anytime soon. Knowing Caron, whether she''s being bullied or not, she''ll probably choose to sleep through the entire Breather," the dwarfish dragonling said as he pushed his scarf up. "Besides, after how she performed yesterday, do you think the other girls will still mess with her so casually? I mean good grief, she''s been named Vassilis'' rival."


    Ginger nodded.


    That made sense.


    His main concerns mainly stemmed from the fact that they didn''t speak to her yesterday when they flew back to the school. It just didn''t feel right to leave things as they were, but then again, as Reiss said, there was no way to know how she was doing for now.


    The two walked briskly among the other students on the large bridge which led into familiar civilization.


    Ginger clutched his sling bag tight while Reiss was practically bouncing with excitement.


    Before, the First Years had been taken out by Professor Lyall to be shown important spots in the town ahead, most of which were organizations affiliated with the school and leisure spots ¨C age-appropriate ones.


    Ginger and Reiss didn''t get such an orientation, but they had the option of finding a Monitor who could show them around.


    Fortunately, for their separate adventures, the two boys weren''t going to be needing a guide. Reiss'' father had sent the location they were to meet through Junns, his Olarmander.


    Ginger, on the other hand, would soon be face to face with his destination. He couldn''t have forgotten the location even if he wanted to. In fact, walking on the demarcated paths on the bridge made his memories of the first day he came to Ravi all the more vivid.


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    The approach of a few, wide beasts, quite like lizards with a lot more skin than they needed, made the group of students retreat to the two areas on the furthest parts of the road reserved for pedestrians.


    The great creatures pulled along large, luxurious carriages that Ginger felt were a bit ahead of their time. No one steered the beasts, which stunned him all the more.


    The carriages headed towards the entrance to the school.


    "Who do you think is in that?" Ginger asked Reiss.


    The dwarfish dragonling gave Ginger an odd look¡­ and then burst into laughter.


    The plump dragonling was stunned.


    "What? What''s so funny?" he asked.


    Only after Reiss wiped his tears did he answer.


    "What do you mean who? You think it''s someone important coming to the school? That''s a cargo carriage, Ginger. It''s got supplies and stuff."


    Ginger was flabbergasted.


    "What?"


    He turned and appraised the carriages a bit more. They didn''t look that big. Each was roughly five meters long and three or so meters wide. What cargo could they be carrying?


    "Is it like my bag? There''s more space inside it than you''d expect?" Ginger asked.


    "Yeah," Reiss said while glancing at his friend''s sling bag. "Something like that."


    Ginger had shown Reiss the unique qualities of his bag. There was no way he was going to be able to hide something like that forever, after all. Though the dwarfish dragonling wasn''t at all that impressed, one of the stories behind the bag ¨C Ginger''s favorite one ¨C did amuse him. He had remarked on how he would have loved to see the enchanted, house-sized toad Ancor had hunted down, killed, and fit in the bag for the crime of flattening his Shaman hat.


    "The school requires a lot of materials including food and the like on the regular. I wouldn''t be surprised if these cargo carriages come every week. But seriously, if those things look that luxurious to you, how would you react if you saw the proper transportation for important people here?"


    Ginger gulped.


    He really was too green. In his defence though, he didn''t have much of a choice but to remain ignorant about the world outside the school''s walls for the last two Strides.


    The two boys soon reached the bustling town and all its active glory amid its neat, relatively packed streets. They and the throngs of other students around them, all in uniform, bled into the town, populating it even further.


    The town was called Proin, which meant ''former''. Whatever could have been the meaning of this name did not enchant either Reiss or Ginger. Their focus immediately split on arrival, each to his own journey.


    Ginger was the first to speak when the straight road leading into Proin branched to the left.


    "I''ll see you later then."


    "Sure. I hope you''re smart enough to not get lost," Reiss said with a big smile.


    "You know I''m not."


    After a brief fit of laughter, the two boys parted.


    Ginger caught a last glimpse of Reiss who charged through the crowds while heading straight ahead before turning to face his own path.


    He was back here again.


    Good Yield Street.


    The words were written in bold on the road, just as Ginger remembered. It was somewhat nostalgic.


    Looking at the varying species ¨C lesser races, as many dragons called them ¨C he still felt a bit uncomfortable, but it was more bearable after yesterday. Nothing was as unnerving as that spindly figure in the chamber.


    Ginger tried his best not to bump into a shirtless, lizard creature built like a stack of boulders, walking on two legs with animalistic dignity.


    The creature gave Ginger a sharp look that he assumed to be annoyance, but that could have easily been a normal glance, given that the creature''s eyes looked to be eternally frozen in a squint.


    Strangely enough though, the lizard also made sure to not so much as graze Ginger''s clothing. The same was true for another creature that looked a little like a man from its top half and a giant snake below its waist. It also carried itself well, adorning a fuzzy long coat of thick fur, but when it came close and caught a glance of the plump dragonling Ginger, it avoided him.


    ''What''s going on?'' Ginger thought.


    He looked around. Just like before, he noticed some older dragons among the crowds, wearing scarves like him or using other pieces of clothing to hide their necks. He noticed that they walked in empty pockets on the street where no one else dared to approach.


    ''But¡­ this didn''t happen back then?''


    Indeed, it hadn''t. Two Strides ago, Ginger walked among everyone just fine. But¡­


    The boy stopped.


    ''Is it because my Kardia has gotten refined? Can they all sense it?''


    Right. That must have been it.


    Besides the fact that Ginger hadn''t even awakened his Kardia back when he last walked on this street, he also didn''t have features most dragons had, like the slit-like pupils. As far as he could tell, his eyes were still a humanly round shape after yesterday''s exercise. If not for his scarf, barely anyone would have thought he was a dragon.


    However, now he had Kardia, and it was even refined. There was bound to be a difference with his presence, and the other non-draconic races could sense it.


    Ginger didn''t know how to feel. He might have been proud of this discovery if he was in the Wild, but not here; being able to make dangerous beasts wary of him without even lifting a finger would have been a great asset back home, but the creatures here were different. They were civilized and reasonable. Probably.


    ''It''s good to know anyway.''


    Ginger continued on his way, trying his best to rein in his ego and appear as harmless as possible to the menagerie of different-aged creatures he met. For all he knew, he might be giving innocent, elderly newt men heartaches with ill-timed bursts of his Kardia.


    Soon, Ginger''s destination was in sight.


    A couple of meters away, a shack of a shop stood in between classy buildings that almost looked new.


    In front of it, a skinny and funny-looking man was holding out pamphlets and making a lazy attempt at handing them out with the worst bit of verbal marketing ever.


    "Hunters! Looking for Hunters! Strong Hunters! Come on in and sign up for perilous tasks and little reward!"


    Ginger wore a determined face.


    ''Here we go.''

 Hunting Limb

    Hunts.


    Ginger had first heard about these from Ira and then from other students as the second Stride went on.


    A Breather was indeed a three-day break from school classes, but it could be used for better activities than sleeping, relaxing, and doing homework.


    Students were allowed to join organizations in Proin known as Hunting Limbs, which primarily handled the liberation of areas that were haunted by monsters such as Blighted and Condemned.


    These organizations were closely tied to dragon welfare associations despite not being entirely run by them. In fact, it was rare to see a mature dragon employed in a Hunting Limb, whether at this level ¨C tied to educational institutions ¨C or higher.


    Missions in areas deemed to contain relatively insignificant threats, and in relatively remote areas where urgency wasn''t quite relevant, were outsourced to Hunting Limbs. As long as a student pledged themselves to a Hunting Limb, they could go on these missions, these Hunts, during the Breather.


    Of course, it wasn''t all about fighting monsters. There was so much more to discover and explore where certain variants of abominable creatures nested.


    ¡­


    Ginger sighed.


    ''Here we go,'' he thought as he approached the skinny man while pulling out the pamphlet from his sling bag.


    The man noticed his approach and his brows, as grey as his voluminous, messy hair, shot up.


    "Ah, look at this! We meet again, young dragon!" he said cheerfully.


    It was clear that he recognised Ginger, which, to the plump dragonling, was probably a good thing. This was the same man he met on the day he came to Ravi. The pamphlet he had, had come from him as well.


    "Yes¡­sir," the boy said awkwardly before freezing.


    He just now realized¡­


    It was rather curious that dragons had human-like forms while they weren''t in their denatured states. The only other creature he had met that resembled a human, was a Djuka, like his Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation instructor, Professor Hennigar, but even he had distinct traits that differentiated him quite a bit from a typical man.


    The same wasn''t true for this skinny man.


    There was nothing to make Ginger doubt that he was human, except perhaps the lingering suspicion he felt towards the man''s identity; a feeling of complete denial that he could just be a regular human in a street full of other unique species.


    Perhaps this was what made Ginger not question it the first time he met the man.


    "Spacing out, are we? Already? Best make good use of time, young dragon. What do you need? Are you here to sign up ¨C as I hope you are?" the man said, his rather large, green eyes widening with anticipation.


    Ginger gave a weird smile that he hoped appeared polite.


    Taking a good look at this man, he started to have doubts about whether or not his choice had been the right one.


    The set of wrinkled corduroy pants the man wore looked to be as ancient as the Wild. His white shirt, drowned in sweat and pressed against the skinny contours of his chest by a pair of suspenders, made the plump dragon even more unsure about him.


    But in the end¡­


    "Yes. I''m¡­ I''m here to sign up," the boy finally said.


    "Great! Haha! I knew you were ours the moment I saw you!" the man said as he drew closer to perhaps¡­ hug Ginger?


    The boy didn''t allow it.


    He politely side-stepped while keeping a gentle smile, but deep within¡­


    ''How could you already be sweating so much in the morning?'' he questioned this more than the man''s sudden action just now.


    To make things less awkward, Ginger coughed and pointed at the red crest on the wall next to the door of the pathetic building behind him and the man.


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    "I¡­ I see you are marked as up to standard by the school," he said.


    The skinny man nodded aggressively.


    "Ah, of course. There is nothing that any other highly-rated shop or Hunting Limb has that we don''t. I''d even argue we have greater integrity."


    Ginger stole a glance at the ugly building again.


    ''Really?'' he thought.


    He had learned in the previous Stride that Draggard-Phoenix Institute quality-checked all the services offered in Proin to their students every month.


    The large, red crest branded on the building was a sign that everything was in order for this Hunting Limb. There was another criterion used to measure the services provided by every organization in the town. It was tied to the large glowing orbs floating above the entrances of each building, but Ginger wasn''t knowledgeable about that yet.


    The boy grumbled.


    ''They are¡­ good?''


    Perhaps seeing that Ginger had a lot of doubts, the skinny man hopped to the door of the building.


    The structure was quite clearly a single story ¨C the only one of its kind on this street. In addition to being lopsided, a decent portion of its components were misaligned and chipped to the point where it almost seemed as though someone was trying to make a loud, unsavory statement.


    "After you," the skinny man said as he swung open the door.


    Ginger took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    ''Maybe it just looks like this on the outside. I mean, the inside could be¡­''


    Upon entering the building, the optimistic notion died in Ginger''s head.


    He couldn''t have been more wrong.


    Ginger was so shocked that he barely registered the door closing behind him as the skinny man joined him inside.


    ''Shunting Shamans¡­'' he thought.


    There was a lot of junk everywhere.


    Stacks upon stacks of paper heaped up to Ginger''s knees greeted him from the floor, making it hard to advance further. Old furniture; tables upon which thick rolls of maps, sets of mugs, bottles of ink, paint brushes, moldy bread, and chests sat, could be seen.


    A bold sign to Ginger''s right read, ''Reception'' but he didn''t buy it. This was barely a reception.


    A great snore stole his attention.


    A chair set on the somehow wet floor held a young man who was fast asleep, a thick, open book leaning against his head which was flat on a desk before him.


    Ginger blinked rapidly.


    "Excuse the mess, haha," the skinny man said as he kicked away the mounds of paper.


    ''Why should I?!'' Ginger wondered.


    "Oh, you actually found someone?" another voice suddenly came from the doorway to the far end of the room.


    A girl walked in, her features as human-like as the skinny man''s, only, she was rather pretty.


    She had a strange purple shade to her shoulder-length hair, and her eyes looked like two deep black moons. She was a bit taller than Ginger and was adorned in a plain, sleeveless black shirt as well as a piously long off-white skirt.


    The fact that she matched all this with a pair of thick, travelling boots that had a hefty thump per step, threw Ginger off quite a bit though. She was dressed like a typical resident of the Wild. Sort of.


    "Oh yes, my dear. Here we have¡­ uhm¡­ what''s your name?" the skinny man asked.


    Ginger was momentarily stunned by the girl, but he quickly reined himself in.


    "Ginger."


    "Right! Ginger! Odd, but Ginger it is! He has decided to join us!" the man announced.


    The girl sized Ginger up. When she unwaveringly stared into his eyes, he thought he noticed a bit of a dark, hateful look for a split-second, but that might have just been because her dark eyes were rather¡­ unnatural.


    The girl walked up to him.


    "I''m Shan. Nice to meet you," she said as she extended her hand. Ginger shook it.


    He shivered a little when he felt the skin texture on Shan''s hand.


    It was rough. Very rough.


    This surprised the plump dragonling, but it in no way unnerved him. In fact, this was the singular fact that made him start to think that perhaps he had made the right choice.


    *


    A few minutes later, Ginger was sitting down facing the skinny man and Shan, a warm beverage in his hand.


    "I am Shan''s father. You can call me Fai. I head this Hunting Limb. I like to believe me and my children are the best at this trade in Proin, haha," the man said with pride.


    Ginger nodded.


    ''So just these three?'' he thought and looked at the young man still sleeping by the desk. No one had bothered to wake him up.


    "Oh, don''t mind him. He''s a bit tired. He''s quite the hard worker," Fai said after noticing where Ginger''s attention fled to.


    The plump dragonling had a lot of questions to ask following that statement and several other things concerning this Hunting Limb, but Shan doled out her own inquiry first.


    "Why did you choose us?" she asked bluntly. "You are a First Year, right? I''m sure your parents or friends recommended some other Limb that has better ratings and all. Why did you come here despite that?"


    Shan''s eyes once again dug into Ginger''s without flickering. The plump dragonling didn''t shirk away from her gaze. It quite reminded him of the crippling stare of a Death-Seeking Moose from back home. It was best not to look away from it.


    He sighed.


    "A friend of my teacher said I should look for Hunting Limbs that are lesser known and unimpressive-looking instead of ones that most others go to. So, I came here," Ginger said.


    And that really was it.


    Ira had encouraged him to not join a Hunting Limb that was well known. He encouraged him to not take a safe choice.


    Since Ginger had already come across a Hunting Limb without knowing back then, one that looked rather shady, he decided to give it a shot.


    He feared that the way he phrased his words might have offended the duo, but that didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Interesting advice," Fai said with a deep smile, and then his face turned strangely stern.


    Ginger was taken aback.


    "Well, whether you will come to appreciate this choice or not depends on what you are looking to gain from joining us. I am rather eager to know about that, however, just as you have chosen us, we will have to decide if we want to choose you," Fai said.


    "What?" Ginger was surprised.


    The skinny man pointed to the wall above the stacks of maps to Ginger''s left.


    "Tell me. What do you see on that wall? Do you see a long-fang badger or a twin-tail snake?"


    At Fai''s words, Ginger turned to the wall, and immediately, his hair stood on end.


    He quickly leaped from his seat and dropped the cup which was in his hand.


    A pulse of Mana Essence cried and poured towards him with as much aggression as that of a storm.


    And within this outpour, was a shape¡­ a rather dreadful shape.

 Evaluation

    Ginger didn''t see the wall which had been peeking from his peripheral vision all this time. Maybe it was because the bulk of his attention was stolen by the nigh literal storm of Mana Essence that washed over him violently, causing his skin and clothes to ripple.


    The plump dragonling had always thought of Mana Essence as being reminiscent of a fresh, cool stream since coming to Ravi. This came as a result of him comparing it to Fetid Essence from the Wild, which he and everyone else who could perceive it regarded as sludgy and pungent. Till now, Ginger had never thought he could feel threatened by Mana Essence in its base form, but then again, this wasn''t exactly a natural outpour of the energy.


    There was some kind of active manipulation of it present here.


    The telling detail for the dragonling, was that within the storm of the cool energy, a distorted image snaked its way elusively, haggardly.


    It was strange. It looked like¡­


    ¡­


    Fai and Shan remained seated, their faces showing rapt focus. Neither of them could have blamed or ridiculed Ginger for being alarmed by the activation of the invisible mural which had been and was always pinned to the wall.


    Even Shan, who looked to only be slighter older than Ginger understood that a dragon in their First Year and second Stride of school couldn''t have acted any other way, especially when considering the emphasis that dragon schools put on learning Kardia and mostly nothing else.


    Fai took a deep breath.


    ''He noticed the Mana Essence from the mural rather quickly, all things considered. I''ve always gotten students who were seconds late in sensing it, but proved to be a little more skilled in it later on. Could this boy be different?'' he thought with his brows furrowing.


    He watched as Ginger collapsed to his knees, his face ashen but still lifted up, drawn to the contents of the mural.


    ''Hmm. Perhaps not. Draggard-Phoenix is the most flexible school out there. Some others in Ravi even refuse to teach how to manipulate Mana Essence to dragonlings. Maybe the school improved their stance on educating their students about Mana Essence this year.''


    Fai was convinced that might have been the case.


    ''Well, as long as he sees either one of the two beasts and describes them clearly, he''s good enough.''


    After a little more than a minute had passed, Fai cleared his throat and spoke:


    "What do you see, Ginger? A long-fang badger or a twin-tail snake?"


    Ginger stirred. He had almost forgotten that he was still in a room with three other people.


    The color returned to his cheeks as he blinked furiously and squinted.


    Shan was rather eager to hear what Ginger''s answer would be. Depending on which of the two beasts he saw, Ginger would either be a valuable asset or a very, very valuable asset. Then again, there was also the possibility that he would see neither of the two beasts.


    Ginger opened his mouth, at first failing to voice out his thoughts.


    "I... I think I saw both," he finally said.


    ¡­


    Fai drew his head back with a quizzical look.


    "Excuse me?" he said.


    Ginger, with visible strain, turned to him.


    "I saw both. One thin, black snake with grey spots and two tails, wrapped around a big, brown badger with two long teeth sticking out from behind its upper lips. That''s what I saw," he said.


    Shan suddenly clutched her father''s sweaty shirt tight.


    Fai didn''t even flinch at this. He was too busy gawking at Ginger with the face of someone who was trying to find the lies in another''s eyes.


    But he found none.


    Ginger was only starting to look unsure of himself because of how the two reacted, but a moment before, he had been firm in his answer.


    Seeing that his reaction was suspending Ginger in the worst way possible, Fai took a deep breath and relaxed his face while patting off Shan''s hand.


    "Oh boy," he said. "Ginger. Where are you from?"


    The plump dragonling was taken aback by the question. He stuttered. He couldn''t have divulged the answer to that so easily.


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    Fai reeled himself in again.


    "Sorry. Perhaps that''s the worst way to start," he said with a sigh. "You see, you weren''t supposed to see both of these beasts. No dragon that I''ve seen has ever been able to identify both of the beasts from the mural. It''s¡­"


    "Unheard of," Shan finished her father''s sentence.


    Her dark eyes bore into Ginger''s once again, and this time, Ginger avoided them.


    "I don''t understand," the boy said while standing up and looking back at the wall. The images he had seen were gone, replaced by a plain wall again. He turned to Fai.


    The skinny man beckoned Ginger to sit down, which he did.


    He then appraised the boy for a few more seconds before speaking.


    "Ginger, Mana Essence acknowledges people. Before it does, it is usually hard for anyone to perceive it, much less control it unless it is condensed considerably," he explained. "There is a mural on that wall. It is invisible to the naked eye. By taking advantage of Mana Essence''s reluctance to serve just anyone, I created this mural to help judge the quality of dragons who come here for Hunts regarding their potential for learning applications of Mana Essence."


    Ginger turned stiff.


    He then looked back at the wall again.


    A mural? He didn''t detect even a sign of it.


    Was Fai like Ancor?


    Was he a Shaman? No, a Sorcerer?


    Fai continued.


    "If a dragon sees the badger, it normally means they have high potential, but only for three specific mechanisms of Mana Essence or less. For a dragon, that is plenty. However, if they see the snake, it means they are capable of learning nearly all kinds of applications of Mana Essence, though unlikely to fully master them all."


    Ginger nodded with interest.


    He wasn''t quite clear on just how many of these mechanisms or applications of Mana Essence there were, or what they all even looked like, but he got the gist of the idea. If Sorcery was anything like the Pieyro of the dragons, it was bound to be very broad. Come to think of it, Shamanry was also quite diverse.


    "I see. I did learn that dragons aren''t the best with Mana Essence," he said while mulling over everything else Fai had said.


    ''So, seeing the badger just means a dragon is more or less destined to master a few applications - like the Charms Ancor used - while seeing the snake means they will be a master of nothing.''


    Ginger was both surprised and intrigued.


    "So, what does it mean when you see both?" he asked. His eye twitched.


    "What do you think?" Shan asked him with her dark stare.


    Ginger couldn''t have given the answer. It wouldn''t have sounded right to say it himself.


    Thankfully Fai interjected after a momentary stern glare to Shan.


    "Besides the Mimada, and perhaps the Djuka, only a few other species here on Ravi are ever given the title ''Friends of Mana''. We three ¨C Shan, Long, and I ¨C belong to one of those, Ginger. If you saw both beasts in the mural, it means your potential with Mana Essence might eventually grow to be comparable to our own," the skinny man said. He did not hide the immensely curious glint in his eye at all.


    Ginger had more or less figured that this was what seeing both the badger and the snake meant.


    On one hand, he was very excited, and on the other ¨C much bigger hand ¨C he was a little concerned.


    The boy had imagined that learning about Mana Essence would be much easier for him because of his background with Ancor, but never had he thought he would be touted to have such immense potential. Was it because he was a hybrid?


    But humans didn''t have a high affinity with Mana Essence, did they?


    "There have been several dragons in the past who have had astounding talent in Sorcery more than the powers to do with their Kardia in the past," Fai said, drawing back Ginger''s attention. "Some of them have even stood on the same stage as the Mimada with Mana Essence alone. Ginger, perhaps you are one of them. You seem to approach this level differently, but I believe you just might be like those few of your kind."


    Ginger didn''t miss that Fai said all this while sneaking glances at the scales on his neck.


    Since Vassilis exposed him a Stride ago, Ginger had begun wearing his scarf loose, exposing his unimpressive cast without a care, after all.


    This seemed to be the basis of Fai''s conclusion.


    He thought that since Ginger''s cast was, well, poor, he might excel in using Sorcery instead. The boy didn''t think so, for obvious reasons.


    "Don''t get your hopes too high. Potential only means so much in this world," Shan suddenly said. It was hard for Ginger to discern her intent because of her eyes. "Mana Essence is pretty impatient. If you don''t put that talent to good use, all that potential will disappear."


    Ginger groaned a little and secretly scratched his thigh.


    He understood what she was getting at.


    "Don''t worry about that. Shan here can get overly serious with simple things," Fai said while aiming another dark look at his daughter.


    Ginger nodded with a small smile.


    After all was said and done, he still felt like a lot had gone unsaid.


    He had a lot of questions but for some of these, he felt like he had already missed his chance to ask. Like what race did Shan and Fai belong to? They looked like humans with barely any features that could say otherwise.


    Also, what were Mimada? Ginger had heard this word, or rather name, twice now in this same room. He might have heard it before too.


    Perhaps the dragonling could have ignored the awkwardness he felt and just asked, but he felt like exposing his ignorance would perhaps give too many clues to the duo about him.


    It truly felt like some of these things were common knowledge.


    "Ah, of course," Fai said. "I said as much earlier, but I do indeed wish to know what you wish to gain by joining us. You see, despite how shabby our operation looks, we do have a decent bit of clientele. Our standards are also pretty high, especially when considering that, unlike other Hunting Limbs, we strive to create a balance between us and everyone who joins. We don''t particularly tolerate partners who neglect their Mana Essence on Hunts. Many dragons are revolted by the idea, but I get the feeling that besides your talent, you have some interest in Mana Essence. Am I wrong?"


    Ginger shook his head.


    "Not at all," he said. Fai was on point with that.


    He was rather attentive to small details.


    Fai gave a friendly smile.


    "Indeed. With that, I''m convinced we can work with each other well. But what exactly are you working towards, young dragon?"


    Ginger took a moment to think.


    This question and the one before highlighted who Fai truly was. What Ginger had seen outside was a mere fa?ade.


    The real Fai was an oddly strict man who didn''t distance himself from dragons like the other creatures Ginger had passed on the street. Fai seemed to see himself and Ginger as equals.


    To the boy, it wasn''t strange, but he imagined that someone like Alcaeus would take offense to this.


    Ginger smiled.


    So, what would his answer be?


    What was he looking to achieve here?


    There were several answers Ginger could have given, but the one that felt best suited for the situation was:


    "I want to test and overcome my limits. While I''m at it, I also want to learn more about everything on Ravi."

 Out In These Streets

    Ginger took a last look at the lopsided, shoddy building.


    What an experience, however short-lived it was.


    He considered himself lucky to have been able to meet Fai and Shan on his first try for a suitable Hunting Limb to join. Or was it better to give all the credit to Ancor instead, since he was the one who transported him to Good Yield Street in the first place?


    ''Maybe,'' Ginger thought, a small smile crept on his face.


    As he maneuvered through the still-crowded street, trying his best to ignore the stares and shaken reactions from other pedestrians, most of whom steered clear of him, he once again gazed at the two sheets of paper in his hands.


    Both had a bold print at their headers which read, ''Stalwart Stallions''.


    This was ¨C unfortunately ¨C the name of the Hunting Limb Ginger had just joined.


    While he admired everything else about the operation Fai was running, the Limb''s name was one of the two things Ginger absolutely despised. Granted, the name Stalwart Stallions could have had some thrilling inspiration behind it, but like several other things he hadn''t bothered with, Ginger hadn''t really wanted to infer more.


    The dragonling sighed.


    The first sheet in his hand was a formal certificate representing that he was indeed taken in by a legal and up-to-standard Hunting Limb. His name was also written in bold midway through the page.


    Overall, Ginger was happy to own this, though he couldn''t quite read everything that was written yet. While it was a bonus that everyone, dragon or otherwise spoke the draconic language, the plump dragonling still had challenges reading the more complex words.


    ''I''ll just have Reiss spend more time teaching me,'' Ginger thought.


    The second sheet was different from the first content-wise. It described the contents of Ginger''s first Hunt next Breather.


    Indeed, after Ginger''s bold declaration at Fai''s inquiry about what he hoped to achieve by joining the, uh... Stalwart Stallions, the skinny man had immediately hopped to discussing with him if he was interested in going on a Hunt, a minor one, as he said.


    Of course, Ginger agreed. He was eager to get started.


    He had goals he never forgot about.


    He had people waiting for him back in the Wild.


    People he hoped to be able to help after he maximized his potential.


    Thus, he was up for getting things moving as quickly as possible, hence this second sheet.


    By regulation, the details of a Hunt were supposed to be printed in text and submitted a Stride in advance by a participant ¨C the member of a Limb ¨C to a supervisor of whatever relevant kind.


    Basically, this second sheet was for Ginger to give to Professor Lyall, his Prime Instructor to vet and approve so that his three-day outing in the following Breather would be considered legal.


    The thought made Ginger excited. It felt like he hadn''t been on an adventure in a very long time.


    On this first Hunt, he was supposed to be going with Shan and her older brother, Long ¨C the one who had been sleeping on the desk.


    Ginger wasn''t sure he was going to get along with Shan very well. He didn''t know her well enough, and she certainly didn''t try to know more about him during the latter section of his interaction with her and her father minutes ago.


    Fai seemed to be as uncompromising as her father. She seemed to have steady ideals, just like Fai, whatever they were. They apparently involved not being too friendly.


    ''I''ll get to know her and her brother next Breather, I guess.''


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    That said, going on this little journey did make Ginger wonder if this following Stride wasn''t going to have a ton of homework. After all, while Hunting was encouraged by the school, it wasn''t supposed to affect the learning process behind Draggard-Phoenix''s bronze walls.


    ''It''ll probably be fine. Didn''t Reiss say he would do my homework if I taught him how to fight?'' Ginger grinned darkly.


    A few around him were spooked by this. Ginger realized belatedly that his Kardia must have spiked with his emotion, terrorizing other pedestrians.


    Stowing the two sheets in his sling bag, the plump dragonling made his way out of Good Yield Street and instead of heading back to the school, he turned to another street.


    It was best for him to get to know this little town, Proin, a bit better.


    Not all the adventures he had, had to be perilous and mystifying, after all.


    The boy spent the better part of two hours exploring the sheer variety and uniqueness of every street in town. Granted, there wasn''t much town, but it was sufficient.


    Underdog Maple Street stood out particularly to Ginger. It was packed with a lot of confectionaries, as he learned they were called. Shops that sold baked goods and sweets stole the bulk of the attention on the street, each with the same glowing bulbs right over the frames of their entrances.


    The smell of freshly baked bread sprinkled with sugary goodness had drawn Ginger in.


    The Wild had nothing quite like this. He knew a few bakers, but most of them were hardly just that. They were also warriors, carpenters, or physicians; holding to just one occupation in the Wild was pretty much suicidal. As a result, some of their best works in sugary foods¡­ were abominations when compared to what Ginger saw on displays in Underdog Maple Street.


    Seeing that there was such luxury even in a small town like this made Ginger feel a little weird inside, and that wasn''t just because his tummy was rumbling hungrily with each confectionary he passed.


    And since the baked sweets hadn''t been enough to pull Ginger''s attention entirely, Underdog Maple had presented the boy with a single, packed shop that produced some ridiculously fragrant fried meats.


    The aroma of the savory deliciousness had finally made Ginger remember that aside from whatever currency was in the pouches Ancor had told him to give Ira, he was given his own money to use.


    The temptation was immense.


    In front of a clean, white shop tagged "Hilly''s Red Meaties" was the only place where his presence was barely recognized by the Wolfmen, Snakemen, Stonemen (?), Ogres, and others that formed a long line, waiting for their chance to order.


    Ginger also saw a few of his upperclassmen in the line.


    Still, he managed to resist. If he was going to spend his money, it wasn''t going to be on food. At least not for now.


    Another stand out in Proin, was Rigged Innovator''s Avenue, where Ginger was finally confronted by the thought that Ravi wasn''t just more advanced than the Wild. It was leagues ahead.


    He had seen signs of this back at Draggard-Phoenix Institute, but the stores in Innovator''s Ave. proudly displaying magical devices that captured a variety of faces on their lit screens; hardware tools with runes that a few large, bat-like creatures in coarse overalls tested on broken metallic contraptions; complex, Mana Essence utilizing ''compasses'' which Ginger saw displayed in the middle of the avenue, absolutely floored him.


    Ravi had more uses for Mana Essence than the Wild had for Fetid, and that was on top of the immensely advanced technology.


    What shocked Ginger even more was that all this was within a small, probably insignificant town. As far as the boy knew, Proin was under the care of Draggard-Phoenix for the most part.


    What about the great cities all over Ravi? What kind of absurd things did they have?


    Ginger spent an hour in Rigged Innovator''s Avenue before finally leaving it.


    His next stretch of earnest exploration led him to discover something he hadn''t thought he''d come across but probably should have expected.


    The boy found the location of two other Hunting Limbs.


    By the looks of their grand, nearly majestic appearances ¨C in his opinion ¨C they were the more famous Hunting Limbs in Proin. The buildings belonging to these organizations were large, stylish, and most important of all, full of both his fellow schoolmates and others from different species, though in very low numbers.


    Fai had mentioned to Ginger that it wasn''t only dragonlings that came to work for Hunting Limbs. The organizations were set up to help young students grow, yes, but they also served to respond to low to medium threats that reached areas close to Proin. For those, it wasn''t reasonable to enlist a bunch of students to help. Professional Hunters would usually show up for the job.


    Ginger saw several students leaving for Hunts in lavish and purposefully large carriages drawn by different species of beasts. Of course, all of them without exception were wearing their uniform, which made the boy groan. The school was really adamant about making all the students go everywhere with it. Was it some kind of advertising tactic?


    ''I really should ask someone why,'' the boy had thought.


    After lamenting about whether or not the Stalwart Stallions had resources that could match those he had seen from other Limbs ¨C horses for better-than-average travel, at least ¨C Ginger finally decided to head back to school. His mind was littered with many different thoughts, so much so that he didn''t exactly mind the lonely trip.


    After reaching the bridge, however, Ginger felt that the weather suddenly turned windy. Too windy.


    Even in Ravi, the gust that suddenly came seemed abnormal.


    And indeed it was.


    The cause - vast and heavy - sped fast, casting a shadow on the ground that barely stuck around for a second.


    Ginger did his best to hang on to his scarf, but soon the winds died down.


    He and several others standing close gaped east, where a large set of wings kept a huge, red creature airborne, and cast it far into the distance.

 Details of The Hunt

    Ginger spent the whole way to the First Year dormitory thinking about the sight of the huge, red dragon he had seen flying overhead. He wished the dragon had flown a little lower so he could see its appearance vividly, but alas, he had seen just enough to keep his mind active, spurring its creativity.


    Upon reaching his bed and diving onto it with about as much grace as a whale jutting out and slamming back into the sea, Ginger gave a great sigh of relief. Reiss was yet to return along with many others; they were likely on their way back now though.


    Ginger took the chance to enjoy the mostly tranquil presence in the dorm room, yet to be saturated with sniggers, boisterous, borderline manic laughs, and an annoying degree of roughhousing.


    The plump dragonling was more than glad for today. The two Strides he had spent locked inside the school had begun to challenge his adventurous nature, and a little exploring, even in a town as small as Proin had quenched some of the thirst building from his adventure bone.


    Speaking of his adventures in the town, Ginger took from his sling bag one of the sheets he had been given by Fai; the one detailing the specifics of his Hunt next Breather.


    ¡®I hope it¡¯s as simple as it reads,¡¯ Ginger thought, but then a small smile broke on his face. ¡®Maybe not. I wouldn¡¯t really complain if it was a little more challenging. Shunting Shamans, if Ancor heard I was growing soft¡­¡¯


    A small chuckle wrestled its way out of Ginger¡¯s mouth.


    He read the sheet of paper again with a bit of difficulty.


    His Hunt mainly involved investigating a certain ruin that was located near a small village about forty kilometers from Proin. Apparently, the villagers were convinced that something was nesting in the ruins and there had been three cases of missing individuals in four Strides.


    Fai had assured Ginger that whatever it was the villagers were wary of ¨C if they hadn¡¯t invented it themselves, that is ¨C was bound to be a low-class monster at best. Typically, higher-class creatures didn¡¯t shy away from open violence and carnage, nicking one victim at a time. It was also unusual for stronger monsters to nest so close to prey. Blighted, for instance, were territorial. They would not co-exist with weaker creatures.


    Given this information, Ginger deemed the Hunt one where he wouldn¡¯t need to exert much of himself as he did during the exercise yesterday.


    After reading all the details on the sheet over and over again ¨C as best as his literacy could afford ¨C and running simulations about how exactly he was going to give it to Professor Lyall while balancing that occasion out with the flurry of questions he had for her regarding how she handled the Blighted-killing exercise, Ginger was delighted when he saw Reiss walking into the dorm room, a large, thick bag slung around his shoulder.


    The short dragonling was beaming, so much so that Ginger could have sworn he felt the air turn lighter when he, Reiss, reached his bed and dropped his bag ¨C which was quite heavy, as Ginger realized after it made their bunk bed groan.


    The dwarfish dragonling, without being given the go-ahead, began to blab excitedly about how his day had gone, using words like ¡®brilliant¡¯ and ¡®fantastic¡¯.


    Halfway through the seemingly unending tale, Ginger began to think that perhaps Reiss¡¯ father was some sort of benevolent deity because not an ounce of negativity carried over from his friend¡¯s mouth when talking about him. When detailing the places he had gone with his father and what they had talked about, which was mainly to do with his work and Reiss¡¯ studies, one would have thought the dwarfish dragonling was reading out a long itinerary.


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    ¡°¡­and then he said I looked thin, haha, and then he said we should get something to eat! We went to this shop, Red Meaties, I think, and he ordered us the largest plate of meat I¡¯ve ever seen. Even you wouldn¡¯t have been able to finish it alone. I thought he was testing me ¨C that he wanted to see if I even still had an appetite, because of school and all. Happens to me a lot, actually. He remembers that bit of me very well,¡± Reiss said delightedly.


    Ginger was a little offended by Reiss¡¯ remark about him and the meat, but not because it hinted towards his respectable gluttony ¨C all of which was mainly inspired by the new dishes to try on Ravi. He was more affected by the fact that Reiss had helped himself to the succulent meats Ginger had been tempted to buy hours ago, only to resist in the name of saving money.


    ¡®Maybe I should have gone with Reiss, after all¡­¡¯


    Ginger¡¯s growing sullenness was cured when he found, to his delight that Reiss had brought him some of the delectable delights he and his father had bought from the confectionaries Ginger had also chosen to bravely ignore. The plump dragonling nearly leaped in joy and joined Reiss in beaming almost too brilliantly.


    The rolls of soft bread with warm, creamy sweetness oozing from their cores, icing-coated cakes, and many other goodies tore Ginger away from his concerns. He found the motivation to listen more attentively to Reiss¡¯ tales.


    ¡°I told my father about you, you know? He looked pretty happy that I had already made a friend. Good grief, what does he take me for? I told him you¡¯d appreciate it if he bought you half of a store¡¯s worth of sweets,¡± the small dragonling said and the two boys burst into laughter, their lighter-than-normal air battling against the growing noise around them.


    Soon, it was Ginger¡¯s turn to spell what he had been doing. Reiss was stunned after hearing it all and seeing the evidence.


    ¡°Stalwart Stallions? Stalwart Stallions?!¡± he said in disbelief, Ginger¡¯s registration sheet in his hands.


    Ginger covered his face in shame.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said with a wince.


    ¡°Quite a name. Why didn¡¯t you just tell me you were going to register for a Hunting Limb?¡± Reiss asked.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know if it was going to work out. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to join that particular one¡­ even though I did in the end,¡± Ginger replied.


    Reiss nodded as he read through the two sheets of paper.


    ¡°Well, other than the name, I guess they do seem alright. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re already going on a Hunt though,¡± he said, and Ginger thought there was a subtle, bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a simple one,¡± he said quickly. ¡°You could join and then we can go on another Hunt together.¡±


    Reiss shook his head.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to be doing this just yet. My performance yesterday didn¡¯t give me much confidence. I think I need to harness every bit of skill in using my hammer that I can before anything else like this. I prefer to prepare thoroughly. And I certainly don¡¯t mind you going ahead of me for a bit,¡± he said with a smile to Ginger.


    Ginger immediately knew that the dwarfish dragonling had read his thoughts. Reiss wasn¡¯t upset by Ginger¡¯s choices as he, Ginger had begun to assume.


    Following the feast, Reiss exposed the rest of the items in his heavy bag, the culprits behind its malign weight. Of course, the answer was as obvious as it was boring.


    Books. Thick books.


    Ginger was stunned by the dignity (weight) on them, as well as their titles which made them seem more like they were from a couple of eras before now.


    There was Flying with the Night Kites; Hindhigger¡¯s Forty Measures of Distributing Weights; Records of the Thirtieth Cycle and several more.


    Reiss proposed that Ginger take one of the books, read it, and then they could share what they had read afterward, but the plump dragonling respectfully declined, muttering something about being legitimately illiterate on this side of the world.


    The next day didn¡¯t give Ginger much of an incentive to go out into Proin again to enjoy the last day of his Breather. He spent it with Reiss, catching up on homework and getting some much-needed rest before the start of the Stride. Since no foreseeable events were coming up this Stride, unlike the last, it was reasonable to assume that the atrocious learning hours were going to become even more severe.


    The only thing that salvaged how harsh it all could be was that Ginger, along with all the other First Years were now awakened through their refined Kardia. They were stronger and more resilient. Then again, perhaps this wasn¡¯t such a good thing; having high tolerance had its benefits in the wrong direction.


    Yet still, by the time the new Breather began, all the First Years were refreshed and renewed.

 Vested Interest

    The first day of the third Stride, since Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born was opened for the year, began with the First Years bustling about on their way to the classrooms excitedly. Even though their exercise during the Breather was rapidly losing its fresh flavor, the fact that pairs of students had no idea what exactly other pairs went through in the dark chamber of the Beginner¡¯s Den made for a great series of tales that remained untold.


    As Ginger and Reiss walked into the First Blue classroom, the former dreading that they had to start with a heavy course like Expired Times and Diluted Histories, they heard a lot of chatter about slaying Blighted casually and narrowly being turned to paste from their peers narrating to others. After the genuine retelling of events that occurred two days ago, it was reasonable to expect the attention hogs to modify their stories in the most engaging way possible.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it!¡± Ginger heard Nicolas Onasis, a comedy and sarcasm savant, as several of his fellow students and Professors had dubbed him, say. ¡°I¡¯m pretty handy with a sword, see. I cut off the Blighted¡¯s arm with one swing from its shoulder! It glared at me, see, very intensely. Would have thought I killed its mother, or worse, forced it to hatch prematurely with a kick back in the day.¡± There were a series of laughs. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t scared, see, and I don¡¯t shy away from nasty ways to win. Oh, Ebony knows, I crawled into the thing through the stump of its severed arm and jabbed at its heart from the inside.¡±


    Ginger scoffed.


    He had half a mind to break the immersion by asking why then Nicolas had emerged from the chamber as clean as a whistle but he held himself back. Well, that wasn¡¯t true. He simply found something else that beckoned his attention.


    Fillys and Alcaeus had gathered up a crowd and were, quite like Nicolas, sharing their experiences, the former to boys who seemed to fancy her and the latter to girls who hung on his every word.


    It seemed the exercise in the Beginner¡¯s Den did more than just to awaken the true properties of the First Years¡¯ physical properties as dragons ¨C as Qin Asha. It seemed to have either solidified or generated fame ¨C desirable fame.


    Ginger who neither sought nor lacked attention was repulsed when he saw Alcaeus at the centre of it once again. As he glared at the apple-green-haired boy, Alcaeus sensed his gaze and glared back. He scoffed, somehow willingly letting go of the chance to throw a jab at Ginger and Reiss today.


    ¡®He hasn¡¯t gotten over what happened¡­¡¯ Ginger thought.


    He had been in a most peculiar situation with Alcaeus in the chamber. The boy had seen what Ginger¡¯s eyes had looked like when he was under the influence of his second soul¡¯s arousal and he had been greatly shaken.


    That experience must have stuck with him, so much so that Ginger began to doubt whether he truly hadn¡¯t bumped into Alcaeus for the rest of the Breather or if the Doukas boy had avoided him till now.


    Upon taking their seats, Ginger and Reiss began to furiously discuss the topic that Professor Edelman, the Expired Times and Diluted Histories teacher had said he would love to find the class sufficiently privy to before today¡¯s lesson. Their back and forth had begun to get especially heated when they noticed a change in the atmosphere within the class.


    Looking up, the two dragonlings saw the source.


    It was Caron.


    She had just walked in, a look of one who hadn¡¯t slept so well on her face. Her springy red hair bounced as she walked towards the two, a yawn that forced her to seal her baby blue eyes for a few moments escaping from her mouth.


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    More than a few eyes followed after Caron, but there was no mirth or ridicule like before when everyone had seen her look her worst by far two days ago. There were hints of intrigue, curiosity, and subtle annoyance now.


    ¡°Ginger, Midget,¡± Caron greeted the two dragonlings before arranging her seat next to Reiss.


    Ginger and Reiss looked at each other, unsure what to say.


    ¡°Hey. Are you alright?¡± Ginger said after a few moments passed with Caron offloading her bag.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Caron said with her usual lazy tone, and she faced the two dragonlings, a determined look on her face. ¡°The tail end of last Stride taught me I¡¯ve been sort of relaxed when it comes to what I proposed. From today onwards, you two and I will be learning as much as we can from each other. Of course, as I promised, I will help you guys out after I¡¯ve mastered everything about your individual habits and skills. I¡¯m the sort to deliver where I make a promise, after all.¡±


    Ginger and Reiss looked at each other again, but this time, they knew exactly what to say.


    ¡°What? Are we just going to pretend as if you weren¡¯t a mess two days ago? Now you¡¯re suddenly alright and we can go back to being your test mules?¡± Reiss hissed.


    Caron looked genuinely surprised by the dwarfish dragonling¡¯s outrage. She looked at Ginger. The look on his face told her he shared Reiss¡¯ sentiments.


    Ginger had felt particularly strongly about Caron¡¯s behavior. She seemed to have non-verbally pronounced that she didn¡¯t see them as friends, or at least that¡¯s what Ginger imagined her unwillingness to confide in them about what was happening between her and Fillys was.


    Caron frowned and she had opened her mouth to speak when a familiar voice assaulted the classroom, ringing so loudly it caused one of the dragonling boys to fall off his desk where he had been seated while chatting to one of the girls.


    ¡°What is right is seldom presented obviously before the paths of the righteous, of heroes and heroines. It takes a keen eye and strong mind to even define where there is a fault which needs correcting, and likewise, how great said fault truly is,¡± Professor Edelman, straight-backed, dark-eyed, and stern, said importantly as he walked into the class, concerning himself as little as possible with the brats who raced to their seats.


    Ginger and Reiss gave Caron odd looks as she returned one of her own to them. There was much to be said, but clearly, now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Professor Edelman pushed back his indigo-colored hair and elegantly began his sermon of a lesson, half of which Ginger, Reiss, and Caron did not quite hear until he began a rather frightening exercise where he would suddenly point at a random student and ask what they researched for the lesson.


    A few blabbered and blustered meaninglessly, but others, like Fillys for instance, confidently gave well-researched details about the Primordial History of Ravi with their chests inflated.


    To this, Professor Edelman greatly expanded on what he felt his more¡­ serious students had expounded.


    ¡°It is, of course, no news to you that Ravi is but one rich continent in this wide realm. While our kind has yet to venture past Ravi¡¯s borders, there is little doubt that there are other landmasses out there, actively drifting away from ours ¨C repelled, I should say. Sadly, even for our most accomplished Fauress, it is a task and a half to draw close to these continents even when approaching from the sky. Once again, nature seems eager to remind us that beyond our strength, there is much ¨C too, in fact ¨C that we do not know,¡± the aloof dragon said.


    ¡°That said, it is not as though we do not have hints, or reasons to stay and appreciate Ravi alone. Many of you, I¡¯m sure have heard folktales from your great-great-great-great-great fossils of relations, some about the races that existed before the great mount Burmrag which birthed all Cinder-Born kind. It is true. We were not the first to lay claim on Ravi. This is why there are so many structures on this piece of land that we still investigate to this day, we, along with Blighted and Condemned as well.¡±


    Ginger was suddenly invested.


    He had yet to hear of this before. He had known for a little while that Ravi was just but a continent in this world, but¡­


    To think dragons were not the first to live on Ravi? This was news to him.


    The plump dragonling also couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what structures Professor Edelman was referring to ¨C ones in which dragons, Blighted, and Condemned all had a vested interest.


    For some odd reason, a thought crawled into his head, stunning him.


    That ruin mentioned in his Hunt next Breather¡­


    But no. It couldn¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t any Blighted or Condemned that nested there, was it?

 Revenant Relics and Rumours

    Professor Edelman continued, with growing vigour, to explain about the structures he had mentioned before in great detail, and as the normally dazed and dozing faces of the students turned to ones livid with focus, Ginger realised that many of them hadn¡¯t quite heard about these structures either.


    ¡°In our Primordial Histories, they are known as Revenant Relics ¨C because they are from times before us, of course, dead times. It has been rather difficult to cultivate a proper system to gauge their worth. In fact, finding these Relics can be an arduous ordeal indeed. They release no trail of energy that can be consistently traced, though there have been instances of lesser races having mysterious trances about them. These are unreliable at the best of times. When it comes to rating the value of a Revenant Relic, judging their size is useless as there can be nothing of note within one as large as the Frost Mount¡¯s Tooth. Smaller ones could also be devoid of anything valuable, or be full of interesting treasures,¡± the straight-backed dragon said as he paced among the students, some of whom had their interest piqued even more.


    A hand whipped itself in the air.


    One short girl was itching to ask the Professor a question. Edelman loathed this kind of behaviour mid-sermon¡­ mid-lesson almost as much as Ira hated letters, but he stomached the interruption just this once.


    ¡°What kind of treasures can be found in these¡­ Relics, sir?¡± the girl asked after being picked.


    Professor Edelman wore a strange smile that seemed to teeter between politeness and devilish evil.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that, young lady,¡± he said through his teeth and whisked himself back to the front of the class. ¡°As I was saying, we have no good measure for the worth of Relics with technology or supernatural abilities. However, there is something that has made the job a little easier: Condemned.¡±


    The class reeled.


    Condemned?


    Professor Edelman was suddenly in his element. Very rarely did he manage to grab the attention of the students like this.


    ¡°Unlike Blighted ¨C as I am sure you are learning from Professor Aarons ¨C Condemned are much more treacherous in nature. They are creatures driven by immense greed and they have an affinity for anything with value. It is something of a supernatural sense for them ¨C a dreadful curse. Many have long speculated that Condemned, while stronger and, of course, smarter than Blighted, cannot do much else with their intelligence because the majority of their mental faculties are drowned in fantasies of gold and lust for whatever else is prettier,¡± Professor Edelman said, now creeping among the students as though he was telling a scary campfire story. ¡°By trailing some of the stronger Condemned, dragon kind managed to find these precious Revenant Relics. These Cinder-Born are attracted by them, drawn to them.¡±


    Ginger was heavily intrigued.


    Condemned¡­


    He thought back to the Beginner¡¯s Den; to the exercise he had been participated in.


    It stood to reason that Blighted were used because they were weaker, but at the time, he hadn¡¯t put too much thought into it. He wondered just how much more dangerous the Condemned were when comparing them to the Blighted he had fought; those that hadn¡¯t had their first growth spurt.


    Hums of interest echoed through the class as the students talked amongst themselves but some of the more eager ones beckoned Professor Edelman to continue.


    ¡°I know, I know. You are quite interested in what can be found in these Relics,¡± the older dragon said with a dignified smile and a wave of his hand. ¡°Well, the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahhh! Ooooh! Ouch! It burns!¡±


    The Professor was cut off by the scream of a dragonling sitting in the right corner.


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    He had stood up from his desk and was leaping in place as though the floor beneath him was suddenly full of pointed nails.


    The boy was Nicolas Onasis. Smoke was jutting out of nostrils freely and tiny sparks of flame dropped from them, making it seem as though lumps of hot coal were attached to the mucousy insides of his nose.


    To this, most of the students didn¡¯t panic at all. Some of them broke into laughter while only a few dozen or so were a bit alarmed and rose to get a clearer view.


    ¡°Relax, boy. Stop dancing!¡± Professor Edelman yelled, his brows knit together with a mix of annoyance and fury. He zoomed towards Nicolas and grabbed ahold of his arm. ¡°It¡¯s normal to have a reaction like this after refining your Kardia. I¡¯m certain you have seen a few of your upperclassmen show the same traits.¡±


    Ginger was also amazed by what was happening to Nicolas, but he quickly realised that he had seen this happen to a student before, though likely not by accident.


    Zale, the Third Year who ¡®recruited¡¯ him and Reiss for Kartile had a habit of spewing smoke from his nose.


    ¡®So that¡¯s because of Kardia getting refined?¡¯ the plump dragonling asked himself.


    A sharp elbow poked at Ginger¡¯s side.


    Reiss leaned in close and whispered:


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool, isn¡¯t it? I wouldn¡¯t mind being able to snort smoke anytime I¡¯m mad.¡±


    Ginger was stunned. He thought his friend was joking until he saw the broad smile on his face.


    ¡°I will be taking Mr. Onasis to the Golden Wing for a check. Settle down, I will be back soon¡­ hopefully,¡± Professor Edelman said as he pulled Nicolas out of the classroom. He then poked his head back in and added, ¡°Do behave yourselves.¡±


    He might as well have asked a school of fish to grow pairs of legs.


    The students of First Blue immediately leaped from their seats and started chattering among themselves, some so loud that one would wonder if they knew where they even were. Most expressed disappointment, blaming Nicolas for ruining the reveal Professor Edelman had been about to spill.


    Ginger and Reiss did not shy away from doing the same, but of course, they couldn¡¯t express themselves freely with Caron among them. Instantly, it was as though the trio were back to the point before Professor Edelman had disrupted their tense interaction earlier.


    Reiss didn¡¯t hesitate to resume the discussion. He gave Caron a sharp look and raised his brow inquisitively. This much would have been enough for Caron to understand what he meant, but the dwarfish dragonling added vocally:


    ¡°So? Are you going to confide in us or not? If it¡¯s the latter, you might as well continue treating us like you did two days ago.¡±


    The sharpness of Reiss¡¯ tone as well as the harshness of his words seemed a bit overkill to Ginger, but he couldn¡¯t have stopped his friend from saying them anyway.


    Caron donned a deep frown and looked between Reiss and Ginger.


    Swiftly, she got up and left them to go sit elsewhere.


    ¡°Can you believe this?¡± Reiss said with a shake of his head, his eyes not leaving Caron who slammed her books angrily on her new, chosen desk.


    ¡°No,¡± Ginger replied, but he moreso meant he was surprised Caron could get angry at all.


    Why was it so hard for her to talk about what was going on? Didn¡¯t she need any help?


    As his thoughts reached this point, Ginger felt a guilty contraction in the pit of his stomach.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly innocent when it came to secrets. He had his own which he had been keeping from Reiss despite dubbing him a best friend.


    Because of this, Ginger barely said much in response to Reiss¡¯ furious outbursts about how Caron was unbelievable and unreasonable.


    ¡°Hey, Ginger,¡± the plump dragonling heard from his side and he turned to see a familiar face.


    It was Kairos Fayer, a dragonling from his class whom he¡¯d never talked to, quite like most of his fellow classmates. He was a bit taller than Ginger with an eerily gaunt face, shockingly vivacious, satin grey eyes and short, dark hair.


    Quite like Reiss, Kairos had a bit of a reputation as one of the smarter dragonlings, and also like Reiss, he was quite reserved, shying away from attention and friends.


    The boy leaned against Ginger¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ginger said uncertainly. He couldn¡¯t find a reason as to why Kairos would want to talk to him.


    ¡°Is it true? About your family, I mean?¡± Kairos asked with an even voice, but his eyes betrayed his immense interest.


    Ginger felt as though he had swallowed a cup of ice-cold water.


    What¡­?


    His family?


    ¡°What?¡± Ginger asked.


    Reiss frowned, listening closely.


    ¡°I heard¡­¡± Kairos said, getting impatient, and he leaned in closer, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve got parents, siblings and everything in the Wild, and they are all Halflings like you. Is it true? Oh, is it also true that you were all tutored by this human Sorcerer. Well, Shaman, I suppose. I heard that¡¯s the right ter¡ª¡±


    ¡°WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!¡±


    Before Kairos could finish his sentence, Ginger had shot up from his seat and shouted at the top of his lungs, his hand gripping at Kairos¡¯ collar.

 Who Told You That?

    ¡°WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!¡± Ginger yelled so loud that every head in the classroom turned in his direction, but he couldn¡¯t have given an Olarmander¡¯s arse about the attention.


    Reiss and Kairos had strikingly similar reactions.


    The latter immediately turned pale and his gaunt face turned gaunter. He shuddered.


    Reiss, on the other hand, gaped, horrified.


    ¡°Good grief, Ginger!¡± he cried and tried to pry Ginger¡¯s hand off of Kairos¡¯ collar. The plump dragonling¡¯s grip might have been a taut line hitch with steel cords. Reiss couldn¡¯t disentangle the fingers. He gave Ginger a panicking look and shook when he saw the expression on his face.


    The plump dragonling could have scared a Blighted with his visage. Darkness spread in webs across his face from wrinkles of a dense frown. His eyes imbibed a dark fury that was a lot more sinister than simple teenage temper.


    Reiss felt Kardia pool in Ginger¡¯s hand. Both he and Kairos exclaimed at the same:


    ¡°Ginger, stop!¡±


    ¡°WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT IT? TELL ME NOW!¡± Ginger commanded, almost oblivious to the fact that he was about to rip Kairos¡¯ shirt.


    The dragonlings in the class were gathering, curious as to what was going on. Even Caron was looking over with concern. Her view of Ginger was quickly obscured by the other students of First Blue.


    ¡°I¡­I only heard someone from First Red saying it!¡± cried Kairos, his eyes swollen to the size of oranges in fear. ¡°I-I only thought¡ª¡± He meant to pacify Ginger for anything wrong he might have said, but in the next instant, Ginger had tossed him away, over a desk and stormed through the wall of his classmates.


    A series of woahs and heys rang as Ginger pushed through harshly. Reiss followed after him, yelling his name and telling him to wait.


    The plump dragonling didn¡¯t listen. Even when Fillys shrieked something about him being on a roll when it came to hogging attention, he didn¡¯t turn. The boy secretly scratched his thigh and bit his lower lip as soon as he was out of class.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have dismissed it!¡¯ he thought, scolding himself. ¡®I took it lightly because it was only about my identity as a halfling, but I didn¡¯t bother to investigate what whoever spread that information knew!¡¯


    It had been Vassilis who had exposed Ginger that evening.


    A halfling from the Wild.


    It had caused a stir among the First Year dragonlings, and by the next day, everyone seemed to know that Ginger didn¡¯t fit in.


    Back then, the plump dragonling hadn¡¯t piled the blame on Vassilis. From the way the prestigious boy from a Flame Seeker Family had said it, it sounded as though he had heard it from someone else. Ginger had suspected Professor Mara, and he still did, but as much as he hated the handsome instructor, he didn¡¯t think he knew anything about his background ¨C his family or Ancor. Ginger didn¡¯t think any of the Professors knew about that. They couldn¡¯t know.


    The only one who knew was Ira, but would the eccentric gatekeeper really be careless with such information?


    Ancor trusted the dragon, and so far, Ginger had found reason enough to trust him too.


    ¡®No way. It couldn¡¯t be Ira,¡¯ he thought.


    All these observations yielded no figure to blame for Ginger.


    Unfortunately, when it came to irrational fury within sentient, intelligent beings, a wall was the worst thing they could encounter. Since Ginger didn¡¯t have a target, he reached for one he could strangle with his own hands.


    It must have been some measure of luck beyond the norm that First Red, quite like First Blue, was not graced with the presence of Professor right then. Ginger stormed in, Kardia livid in his fist.


    Different from the chaos that erupted in First Blue every time an instructor left, however, First Red was quite orderly. It held the same structure as First Blue, down to the number of students, but they either practiced a divine technique of restraint or were compelled by someone present to behave themselves.


    The answer was clear, and this answer was exactly what Ginger targeted.


    ¡°Ginger! Ginger, stop!¡± Reiss cried, a few paces behind. The plump dragonling ignored.


    He had Vassilis in his sight. The young, handsome dragonling sat in front of the class, garnering the attention of everyone in every positive way. They copied what he did it seemed, with some ¨C obviously girls ¨C sitting around him, asking him questions loosely related to schoolwork. Apparently, he must have been a model everything.


    Vassilis seemed to have sensed the hostility as soon as Ginger stormed into the class. He shot up from his seat at once and frowned at the dragonling. The brimming of his Kardia in a mellow shroud around him was the thing to finally give Ginger pause.


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    The plump dragonling noticed then that with his Kardia pooling to his fist, it looked like he wanted to slug someone in the face.


    He took a deep breath to expel some of his fury. It left his nostrils as two trails of red flame that singed the book of a girl sitting close to where he stood.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Vassilis asked icily.


    Ginger took his time to mold the words.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s spread a¡­ rumor about me. Someone from this class. I want to know who it is.¡±


    Vassilis took one step forward.


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    Ginger considered him. He stared him deep in the eye.


    Ancor had often said to him that the eyes were like a sieve for the fountain which was the soul. Admittedly, Ancor had been a little drunk when he invented this analogy, but Ginger had understood what he meant.


    Many things about the soul were filtered through the eyes. The greatest liars exposed this talent with the eyes¡­ but so did the worst liars.


    ¡°I want to ask where they heard it from,¡± Ginger said sternly.


    Vassilis scoffed. He glanced at Ginger¡¯s fist.


    ¡°It looks to me that you¡¯d rather do something stupid instead. Get lost. No one¡¯s spread a rumor about you. You¡¯re perfectly capable of making people talk on your own,¡± he said and sat back down.


    Ginger flared. Smoke lifted from his nostrils.


    Now, he wished he could slug Vassilis in the face,


    Didn¡¯t the bastard understand what it meant to Ginger for someone on this side of the world to mention anything about his family?


    No one had the right to know about it, let alone tell others about it.


    Ginger could bear all the burdens in the world, as long as they didn¡¯t fall on those he had left behind, those waiting for him to come back stronger.


    In his eyes, a pampered boy like Vassilis could never understand. His parents had a great reputation, as did his ancestor, the Vermillion Dragon, Avecsalot. No one could take anything away from him.


    But for Ginger¡­


    The plump dragonling felt as though he would explode.


    Right then, Reiss darted into the classroom. He grabbed Ginger by the wrist and pulled.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop, stop!¡± he hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle!¡±


    ¡°Listen to your friend, halfling. He has a thousand times more sense than you,¡± Vassilis said and he went back to entertaining the girls around him.


    As Reiss pulled Ginger back, a few boys from the class came up to shoo the duo away, shouting things, ¡°You heard him! Go away!¡± and ¡°You won¡¯t scare us with a bit of smoke and fire. Damian is already growing horns!¡±


    Reiss urged Ginger to block his ears if he needed to. Soon, he had pulled Ginger out of the classroom, and the first thing he did once they were a distance from First Red was to kick Ginger¡¯s shin.


    All of Ginger¡¯s fury turned into sharp pain.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± cried Ginger as he grimaced and pressed his hands against his leg.


    ¡°What was that for? What was that for?¡± Reiss looked hysterical. He even stumbled back, a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°Are you kidding me, Ginger? That was all it took for you to get all riled up like that?¡±


    Ginger looked affronted.


    ¡°Of course, that was all it took! That was my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kairos didn¡¯t badmouth your family or your mentor. He was asking a question. He didn¡¯t deserve that!¡± cried Reiss.


    Ginger deflated.


    Right. There was Kairos. He had long forgotten that he had probably traumatized the dragonling. Kairos might never ask a question in class again for fear that Professor Edelman would tombstone him into the floor for it.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Ginger made to speak, but Reiss wouldn¡¯t hear it.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t how you deal with things like this, Ginger. You feel offended? Sure. Don¡¯t go around showing it, even to people who don¡¯t know the status quo. Now everyone is going to be curious about why you were stamping in the corridor breathing fire, including the person who spread the rumor or whatever you believe it is. Think, darn you, think!¡±


    Reiss leaped to poke his finger at Ginger¡¯s forehead. The plump dragonling winced.


    There was nothing quite like being scolded by Reiss. He might have been a reincarnated mother.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ginger was ashamed.


    Reiss gave him a sixty-second sermon, regurgitating the same thing he had just said until they got back to class. By then, Ginger was dying to apologize to Kairos but unlucky for him, the dragonling had raced to the dorms to change his shirt. If guilt could put on weight, it must have done right then. He felt heavier on the inside.


    As the two took their seats, things only got worse. A Fourth Year Monitor stepped into class, a thin, straight-backed, blonde. She might have been a parody of Professor Edelman. She sentenced the class to a punishment on the last day of this Stride for the noise and would not hear a rebuttal.


    Ginger was glazed with hot looks after she left. Apparently, it was his fault in the eyes of his classmates.


    He couldn¡¯t believe how shameless they all were. He cursed.


    Professor Edelman returned just in time to meet the end of his lesson time. He kept the tease about what exactly could be found in Revenant Relics as a trump card for the next lesson. He seemed especially proud of himself. Many suspected he had deliberately delayed returning to class to maintain the mystery.


    The dragonlings of First Blue filtered out of class afterward.


    As much as they jabbed at Ginger for getting them punished, they were still curious about what had gotten his scarf in a bunch.


    Fillys kept making loud comments throughout the whole day about Ginger¡¯s outburst. The others kept trying to ask Reiss for answers whenever he parted from Ginger ¨C such as in Professor Mara¡¯s class. Some harassed Kairos who had returned before the start of the second lesson.


    The gaunt-faced dragonling evaded Ginger and his classmates like a plague.


    Ginger¡¯s guilt had put on more weight when Kairos had started running away from him after the end of Professor Mara¡¯s class. Ginger had raced after him but to no avail. He only awarded himself hysterical laughs from his classmates.


    ¡°He¡¯ll come around,¡± Reiss said, encouraging him after they had reached Pine for Universal Knowledge of Unnatural Creatures.


    Ginger wasn¡¯t so sure about that. The fact that Caron still didn¡¯t join them even after this didn¡¯t help assure him either. She remained stubborn, only giving him the occasional concerned look from afar.


    By the time the last lesson of the day came, Ginger felt miserable.


    The last thing he needed right now was rigorous activity, but unfortunately, that was all he got.


    It was time for Mortal Conflict.


    And as it turned out, all Professor Cain desired of his students for the day, was a review of how his lessons in the last two Strides helped the dragonlings face off against the Blighted in the Beginner¡¯s Den. But of course, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with a mere telling. He wanted to see it with his own eyes, and thus, as the class began in one of the school grounds, the dragonlings of First Blue were forced to face each other in short, elaborate bouts.

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 Smothered Into Normalcy

    Nomatter how much Reiss insisted, Ginger refused to sleep that night. Or rather, instead of refusing, he just could not bring himself to close his eyes and not feel like when he opened them again, he¡¯d himself drowning in darkness with the voices of many, many dragons begging him to use the Perfect Execution.


    And how thrilling was it to know that his other soul was now equipped with a weapon that had been used to try and assassinate the Ebony Dragon Cycles ago. Whether it worked or not ¨C something Ira refused to confirm when the dragonlings had asked ¨C wasn¡¯t relevant at all. All Ginger needed to know was that one use of it could harm any or all of the hundreds of dragonlings he shared a dormitory with.


    How could he close his eyes and sleep in such a situation?


    The only saving grace he had to hold onto was the fact that apparently, the Perfect Execution was not a single target Pieyro. It was an area of effect type Pieyro that could not be performed promptly. The only way to lessen the preparation was to use it with a group of allies in the target¡¯s range.


    Ira had explained this to further ease Ginger¡¯s troubles.


    ¡®I know you don¡¯t have much of an idea of the Ebony Dragon¡¯s powers, but I¡¯m sure you can imagine that creating a Pieyro he could dodge would have been useless. The Perfect Execution was designed to cover a massive range so that any hope of the target escaping would be minimised. And because of that, it takes a lot to cast the Pieyro,¡¯ Ira had said.


    But as much as Ginger took his word for it, he had wanted to ask the gateway why then he had rushed to guard Caron and Reiss when he thought he (Ginger) was going to use the Perfect Execution earlier, but he held his tongue.


    In any case, the plump dragonling resolve to not allow his second soul a chance to do something worse than whisking him away to somewhere far away in the dead of night.


    Even Reiss had run out of words to use to encourage Ginger to rest after the plump dragonling laid down all these facts before him.


    Like the last time Ginger found himself afraid to sleep, Reiss told him that he would watch over him for as long as was needed ¨C not that it made any of them feel any better with all the new series of factors involved now.


    Speaking of sleep, the dorm rooms were eerily quiet. All the First Year boys were out cold, all tucked into their beds neatly¡­ and messily.


    Ira had told Ginger and Reiss that he had sorted out the mess Ginger left behind when his second soul hijacked his body. He didn¡¯t go into specifics, but the two dragonlings had mostly figured out how exactly he had resolved the issue. He simply packed all the sound-asleep dragonlings into their beds, whether they were in their uniforms or their night clothes.


    He must have tempered with their memories as well, ensuring that when they woke up, they remembered having gone to sleep in such unrefined styles and without bothering to change.


    It showed the next morning.


    ¡°I swear by Argent, Professor Mara is trying to kill us with all this homework. I was so tired that after I finished that I fell asleep right when I sat on my bed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s getting worse by the Stride. Will we still be sane by Stride five? I have a Hunt this Breather. I don¡¯t think I can afford to go if I¡¯ll to have come back to all the notes I need to write for Edelman¡¯s class.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really just concerned about the strange dream I had. I haven¡¯t dreamt about my late uncle in a while. I mean, I miss him and all, but he¡¯s been dead for seven years.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t even remember falling asleep at all. I could have sworn I was in the study room. Is that kind of exhaustion normal for someone my age?¡±


    The dragonlings shared their stresses before going to bath. Even those that weren¡¯t well acquainted found themselves befriending each other over the talks of abuse as they changed their clothes; some lamented that they were just going to have to go for Classes as they were ¨C exactly as they were when they woke up.


    Reiss beamed at the sight.


    ¡°Ira is a little smarter than I gave him credit for,¡± he said, hanging from his top bunk to talk to Ginger. ¡°He altered the memories of some and kept the others as they were. That way, everyone doesn¡¯t remember the same thing ¨C going to sleep because they were tired.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. Smart.¡±


    Ginger¡¯s response sucked all the energy out of Reiss. His face slunk.


    His eyes were slightly swollen and spiritless. He rose from his bed and joined some of the other dragonlings to the washroom. Some of them gave him odd looks. The conversations spawned by the rumours this Stride were still alive in their heads, and they would have loved to poke Ginger with some questions, but the plump dragonling¡¯s temperament seemed to diffuse in the air and discouraging all attempts to approach him.


    The plump dragonling¡¯s mood didn¡¯t change even when he and Reiss went down to the classes. Reiss tried his best to cheer him up, but nothing he attempted worked at all. It all bounced off Ginger like stones on a wall.


    The dwarfish dragonling was thankful that they didn¡¯t run into Vassilis at least. That might have dragged Ginger to the nearest grave, as he saw it.


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    It was Caron who managed to get a reaction from Ginger first.


    She gave a great, dragged-out yawn in Ginger¡¯s face when he was entering the classroom. The plump dragonling sprang to life and dived back with a look of disgust.


    ¡°Your morning breath¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is the sweet sort. Thanks, I know,¡± Caron cut him off, her drooping baby blue eyes blinking a couple of times.


    ¡°It stinks!¡± cried Ginger. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you brush?¡±


    ¡°I forgot. I woke up late. I only realised I forgot to clean my mouth when I go to class,¡± she said and wore a lazy smile. She pulled Ginger into the classroom and past the chattering and grouped up dragonlings and hung on his shoulder like a huge zit.


    Ginger kept trying to shove her away, muttering something about how he had met a beast in the Wild with the exact kind of rancid breath Caron had, but her grip on him was as firm as a tick¡¯s.


    Reiss, following behind them, was a little jealous, but not to the point of showing it.


    The trio found their seats. Reiss and Caron sandwiched a protesting Ginger. Now that he was lively again, dragged from his cesspool of deep, ugly thoughts, Reiss found it hard not to laugh at the look of his swollen eyes when he frowned.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we joined Marvellous Impediments immediately, Caron,¡± he proposed. ¡°It will be easy, now that I think about it. Ginger and I got nagged by this one upperclassman ¨C Konstantina¡¯s older sister. If we can find her, we¡¯ll be good. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°HAAAAA!¡± Caron yawned in Ginger¡¯s ear, causing him to jerk back, horror-struck. He had thought a cow had magically joined the class and replaced Caron. ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, Midget. We¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were past that, but alright,¡± said Reiss with a sigh.


    After Ginger made sure he swatted the air around him thoroughly to diffuse Caron¡¯s breathe, he found it in himself to protest again.


    ¡°I get that this increases your chances of being able to¡­ subdue my other soul,¡± Ginger said, continuously lowering his voice after to, ¡°but have you really thought about this? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want your help, but managing two Out Courses in addition to our already packed schedule of lessons¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be doing the same thing,¡± hissed Reiss.


    ¡°Yeah, because it¡¯s my problem!¡± Ginger hissed back.


    ¡°It stopped being your problem alone when you confided in us!¡± came Caron¡¯s counter in a sharp whisper.


    ¡°Yeah. And I¡¯m not going to give you another chance to swim in your self-pity, Ginger. Not after last time!¡±


    Ginger crumbled under a weight of guilt. He remembered what Reiss meant. On the day when the Second Burning was supposed to be held, Ginger had been sinking in his own thoughts so much that he started to see everyone as an enemy out to get him. He had even begun to think that Reiss was against him too. That selfish feeling could be comfortable ¨C relaxing even.


    He didn¡¯t dare retort.


    All throughout the morning, Caron and Reiss didn¡¯t leave his side.


    It was especially wonderful having the drowsy dragonling around. Everyone was a little intimidated by her because of her new title as Vassilis¡¯ rival. Even as she hung on Ginger, dozing off in classes, she was an effective deterrent against those that sought to approach Ginger maliciously.


    The only time Caron¡¯s charm didn¡¯t work was when Vassilis had come over, when the trio were headed for Professor Mara¡¯s class. Caron didn¡¯t scare him, of course.


    ¡°The gatekeeper won¡¯t be able to protect you for much longer. You¡¯ll tell me how you found out about the Perfect Execution. I¡¯ll make sure you tell me truth ¨C everything you¡¯re hiding. Mark my works, halfling,¡± he said with a nasty look in his eye.


    Ginger didn¡¯t grace him with a retort. He hadn¡¯t wanted to and also, Vassilis didn¡¯t give the him time to deliver one. He was gone in a flash.


    ¡°It¡¯s that thing about his mother that he¡¯s angry about, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Ginger when the three were approaching the Forge.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Reiss. ¡°He was very upset about that. Apparently, he doesn¡¯t dream about his mother. It¡¯s not just him either. I heard a few others talking about how they dreamt about people they cared about it ¨C parents mostly, living or dead. I bet Ira tempered with the memories of some of them so they wouldn¡¯t remember dreaming about that. It would be strange if everyone recalled having similarly-themed dreams. Oh.¡±


    Suddenly, the dwarfish dragonling looked at Caron. Her expression had flickered at the mention of parents. She noticed the strange face Reiss made.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overreact, Midget.¡±


    Ginger was a little late in understanding what was going on. When he did, he felt the weight of selfishness sit on top of his heavyweight guilt. He had been thinking about himself since yesterday, almost completely forgetting that Caron had revealed a dark portion of her past.


    ¡®Right. She¡¯s never met her parents, and the only memory of someone who showed her the slightest bit of care isn¡¯t all that intimate,¡¯ he thought, scrunching his face.


    Caron punched him and Reiss.


    Both dragonlings winced. She hit hard.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t share that part of my life with you so you could feel sorry for me. I did it so I could prove to you two that really I wanted to be friends with you. Don¡¯t you start walking on egg shells around me just because of this,¡± she hissed and punched them again.


    ¡°I get it, I get it!¡± cried Reiss whose eyes were watering. Caron used Pooling-type Kardia with her last punch. It hurt like the devil.


    Ginger had guarded adequately. He simply waved his hands in surrender.


    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t do it again. I promise,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can just pretend that you told us about that. When you need to, we can talk about it. Even if it doesn¡¯t bring any solution to how you feel.¡±


    Caron considered him. The first sentence she thought of wasn¡¯t what she ended up saying. She smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°When I need to, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± she said.


    The matter ended there, but Ginger knew it was resolved only in speech. It didn¡¯t matter though.


    The trio were forced to drop it in the presence of Professor Mara¡¯s strict pressure. His class was the only one that grew exponentially worse as the Strides went by. The students couldn¡¯t even speak in his class anymore, not because he commanded it, but because they dreaded what he would do if he found out they were breathing.


    The collective relief the students felt when they escaped the clutches of the Forge was unreal.


    It was always nice to dive from Professor Mara¡¯s class into their Prime Instructor¡¯s.


    However¡­


    Ginger noticed a rare frown on Professor Lyall¡¯s face as the dragonlings of First Blue filtered into the Huddling Fury. She eyed each one severely behind her round-rimmed glasses. She must have been sensing or seeing something that no one else could. Her gaze lingered on several of the boys.


    Ginger¡¯s heart stuck in throat and Reiss¡¯ face fell.


    Caron, who had finally succumbed to sleep after holding it in during Professor Mara¡¯s class missed this.


    Ginger shook her awake as soon as they found their positions in the room.


    ¡°What?¡± the sleepy redhead asked, shuddering. ¡°What is it?


    ¡°I think Professor Lyall knows.¡±


    ¡°Knows what?¡±


    ¡°She knows that the memories of the others have been tempered.¡±


    Reiss was biting his fingers nervously.


    ¡°She saw through Ira¡¯s trickery. I think she managed to pinpoint everyone who has traces of foreign Kardia.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­bad,¡± Caron yawned as she said it.

 Dorothea Isnt So Bad After All!

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ bad.¡±


    If Professor Lyall really did notice something off about the First Year boys, she didn¡¯t mention a word about it. As soon as everyone settled, she began again where they had left off last time: fire breathing.


    The lesson was anything but stressful, but the trio of Ginger, Reiss, and Caron were more tense than they had been in Professor Mara¡¯s class.


    Professor Lyall did not just teach Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies in First Blue. Ginger suspected that if she had any lessons with the other classes today, she had likely sensed something amiss as well.


    But how could Ira be so sloppy?


    Was Professor Lyall just that perceptive?


    Ginger especially was beginning to question the power dynamics between all the staff members who worked at Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born. His second soul had somehow judged that Madame Agathe was stronger than Ira, but what exactly did that mean?


    Was it a measure of Kardia quantity and quality?


    Did his second soul have some unique ability to accurately gauge the overall prowess of a dragon ¨C specifying all their abilities one by one ¨C as Caron had guessed?


    There wasn¡¯t to be an answer yet unless Ginger got around to registering for Lesser Eved and learning about how souls actually worked ¨C however rudimentary the experience would be.


    ¡°What do you think she¡¯s going to do if she really did notice something strange?¡± Caron asked the two odd dragonlings when they were headed to the Feeding Hall for lunch.


    ¡°You¡¯re being pretty optimistic. She knows for sure,¡± said Reiss with a grave face. His large forehead was dunked in heavy bits of sweat. ¡°I think instructors and general staff tempering with the psyches of students is probably outside the school rules, on top of being morally questionable. Ira hesitated to do it to Vassilis before we knew he was able to snap out of the sleep you induced, Ginger. If I had to guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Professor Lyall could end up confronting Ira about this immediately,¡± Ginger finished the sentence for him. He gulped. ¡°But do you think there¡¯s a chance Ira did this on purpose? He could have known someone would find out, right?¡±


    Neither Reiss nor Caron had an answer. Reiss operated the Waiting Furnace to take them to the upper floors once they were inside. He then parted from the two as he rushed to the dormitories for his bowl.


    ¡°Why do you think Vassilis was able to wake up from this¡­ sleep my second soul caused while everyone else couldn¡¯t?¡± Ginger was asking Caron as they picked up their food in the Feeding Hall. They found a free table untouched by the other students complaining about tests and homework.


    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be the special sort, right? Just as Principal Phoenix is a descendant of the Ebony Dragon, Draggard-Phoenix, Vassilis is descended from the Vermillion Dragon, Avecsalot. Maybe he has special powers.¡±


    Ginger bobbed his head left and right.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said, but he felt it was a little weird to hear Caron call someone else the special sort. She was clearly special too ¨C a holder of Totality-type Kardia and a super sleeper besides. ¡°What about that thing you mentioned, about some dragons having special properties from birth?¡±


    Caron took a sip of something that looked like some blue berry juice from her cup elegantly and answered.


    ¡°Well, I think Reiss can explain that better than I can. It¡¯s just something I¡¯ve heard about in passing.¡±


    Ginger frowned.


    ¡°If you are from a¡­ place that didn¡¯t have dragons,¡± he said, lowering his voice, ¡°how do you know stuff like this? Dragon stuff, I mean,¡±


    Caron shrugged.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said and coughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s different for dragons, but most non-dragons have to learn about dragons in detail. There are courses dedicated to thoroughly studying most of the general things known about us. Believe me, most non-dragons probably don¡¯t know about the specifics of how we produce Kardia, but they know all about the four types. They know about Pieyro too. Somewhere between the lessons we had back there, our teachers mentioned some of the more¡­ uncertain things about us to take note of.¡±


    Ginger nodded sagely.


    This made sense, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel weird about the fact that non-dragons were forced to learn about the dragons while the dragons couldn¡¯t really be bothered with them all that much. Everything he¡¯d seen so far gave him that impression at least. His first experience with Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation and its instructor, Professor Hennigar was a great example.


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± Caron mumbled, her mouth full. She was pointing behind Ginger.


    The plump dragonling turned to find Reiss, bowl in hand, speaking to a tall, familiar upperclassman.


    The drooping of Ginger¡¯s shoulders spelled his exasperation.


    He grumbled when Reiss gestured towards him and Caron, and then led the upperclassman towards them.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d change your mind eventually!¡± Dorothea Flohr cried jubilantly, her eyes lancing Ginger¡¯s face. She sat down beside him while Reiss sat beside Caron on the opposite side of the table. ¡°Marvellous Impediments doesn¡¯t sound so bad, does it?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    This Dorothea might have just been plucked from that same evening last Stride where she had chased Ginger and Reiss to the library. The energy that flowed through her was the same.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make us sound desperate,¡± said Reiss with a frown. ¡°I only said we thought Marvellous Impediments would be useful to us. As you said last time, we might need protection from¡­ bullies.¡±


    ¡°Bullies?¡± Caron said, a wide grin growing on her face. Reiss tried to reach for her mouth to shut her up. He failed.


    ¡°I knew it! There¡¯s already been people making fun of you, hasn¡¯t there? I mean, of course,¡± she said, pushing up her glasses and turning to Ginger. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some things about you from the others in my class. I mean things other than the obvious. I guarantee no one in Marvellous Impediments will talk down on you on my watch.¡±


    The passion drawn on Dorothea¡¯s long face spoke to the three First Years. She seemed quite genuine. More than an open book, she was a book without a cover altogether.


    Evidence of this, as Reiss and Ginger recalled, was that she seemed to be somewhat¡­ pure. Dorothea¡¯s sister, Konstantina Flohr ¨C a follower of Fillys ¨C had said some harsh things about the odd duo to her, likely hoping to get a laugh from her older sister.


    Dorothea however had somehow interpreted Konstantina¡¯s words as a cry for help for Reiss and Ginger¡¯s sake. That was why she had targeted them so hotly that one time, encouraging them to learn to protect themselves with Marvellous Impediments.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ginger said to the long-faced Out Course hound. He smiled. ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    Dorothea beamed.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll really be joining too?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± said Ginger with a difficult expression. He pointed at Caron. ¡°But she will.¡±


    Dorothea turned to the redhead, and then back to Ginger.


    ¡°But why not you? I just told you I won¡¯t let anyone¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that at all. I believe you. There are some¡­ personal reasons involved,¡± Ginger cut her off. He winched inwardly. He was terrible at conjuring up a quick lie that would put a stop to Dorothea¡¯s misgivings for good.


    Frowning slightly, Dorothea gave a nod. Ginger hoped to Ancor she wasn¡¯t trying to guilt him into joining Marvellous Impediments. He was quite immune to such tactics because of the nature of humans in the Wild ¨C unless, of course, it was people close to him doing the guilt-tripping.


    ¡°Alright. All the same. I have two new recruits!¡± the upperclassman said as she looked between Reiss and Caron.


    Much to the three¡¯s annoyance, she decided to have her lunch with them.


    It turned out to not be the worst thing in the world only a few minutes in.


    To their surprise, Dorothea was quite an effective entertainer. She was different from Basilia though. Her type of energy was more mellow. If Basilia was a fun sister-type figure, Dorothea was like a nun who knew how to enjoy herself every other day.


    After lunch, Reiss, Ginger, and Caron went for their next course. On the way, Reiss introduced an idea that he had known Ginger would protest against. It was no surprise at this point.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your father had already arranged for a Hunting Limb you could join?¡± Ginger asked, his face like crumpled paper.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t joined yet. Besides, do you really think that we will let you go on future Hunts alone when your second soul could just pop out?¡± Reiss said with a raised brow.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t just pop out. It is triggered by certain things.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know all of those things yet. We don¡¯t know much about the soul at all,¡± said Reiss. ¡°Look. Ira would have told us to do this too if he hadn¡¯t already suggested that we join a second Out Course. He didn¡¯t impose this on me and Caron because he figured this should be our choice.¡±


    Ginger was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t thought about that. He was once again reminded that Reiss was smarter than he was. The dwarfish dragonling had picked up on Ira¡¯s intent swiftly.


    But when Ginger reasoned it out, it was plausible. Ira had rejected Reiss¡¯ desire to join Lesser Eved with Ginger, with the excuse that that would affect him and Caron¡¯s studies a bit too much, which was fair.


    The gatekeeper had made no further suggestions about how Reiss and Caron could aid Ginger, but not because he couldn¡¯t. Hunting Limbs were different from Out Courses, which had to be attended on a daily basis a majority of the time. While he didn¡¯t suggest that Ginger¡¯s friends join the same Hunting Limb Ginger joined, it was possible that he could have left them to make the choice for themselves.


    ¡°I like that. I hadn¡¯t joined a Hunting Limb of my own anyway and I¡¯m too lazy to look through them one by one and make my own choice,¡± said Caron and she yawned heavily and rubbed her eyes.


    Ginger didn¡¯t find it in himself to be timid about this.


    ¡°You¡¯re sacrificing way too much for me,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t say I hate all this. In fact, I love having you two by my side everywhere. But I don¡¯t want this to cost you a lot of your time.¡±


    Caron punched him. Reiss flinched.


    ¡°You¡¯re also going to be sacrificing your time for that deal of ours. So don¡¯t take it too personally,¡± Caron said.


    Ginger sighed and Reiss held in the desire to tell her off about that deal of theirs.


    She was serious about it. Three Strides was almost up.


    After Ginger relented, the trio proceeded to suffer through the rest of the day¡¯s lessons. Ginger half-lamented the fact that he hadn¡¯t gotten the time to brood about all his concerns. He had been smothered and shielded all day long.


    He only got time to wonder about the Perfect Execution again when Dorothea hunted them down and stole Caron and Reiss from him after supper.


    ¡®I hadn¡¯t thought to join Lesser Eved today. Should I look for an Out Course hound right now?¡¯ the plump dragonling thought.


    But that didn¡¯t sound like a good idea. He was exhausted since he hadn¡¯t slept.


    It was practically manual labor to convince himself to go for Kartile and along the way, his thoughts continued to haunt him.


    We don¡¯t know all of those things yet.


    Reiss words.


    When Reiss had said this earlier, Ginger was reminded of the fact that he hadn¡¯t told him and Caron about the fact that he could use the powers of his second soul.


    He hadn¡¯t told them what they were like.


    He hadn¡¯t even told Ira how he had used the second soul¡¯s Kardia to critically wound the Blighted he and Alcaeus fought in the Beginner¡¯s Den.


    Of course, when compared to yesterday night¡¯s ordeal, all of that had almost seemed like a dream too sweet to be told in the darkness.


    ¡­


    The next day started a little better than the last. The only thing that tainted it was how Ginger had locked eyes with Kairos for a moment as he left the dormitories for class.


    He had nearly forgotten that he still had this loose end. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Kairos refused to talk to him.


    Reiss didn¡¯t hear Ginger when he murmured that he just wanted to apologize to the First Year. He had his own monologue to spill.


    ¡°Dorothea wasn¡¯t lying. She was smothering me and Caron through the whole thing yesterday. The instructor is very kind too ¨C not to mention present for the Course. If they buy us beverages once in a while, Marvellous Impediments could be a little better than Kartile in my humble opinion,¡± said the dwarfish dragonling with a skip in his step.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯re always complaining about the smallest things. I worried that you¡¯d hate it.¡±


    ¡°I almost did.¡±


    Ginger never got to know what that meant partly because they were then distracted by a group of Third Years laughing at one of them doing an impression of one of their instructors; it was quite funny.


    Another part was Ginger¡¯s own fault. He had a few thoughts plaguing him furiously. They were more like the building blocks to a decision, actually, and they were soon to flourish when he went to Professor Hennigar¡¯s class that day.

 Sorcery Flame V. Dragon Flame I

    The thought accompanied Ginger the whole day. He had to make a decision on something he had thought was completely unnecessary before. In all honesty, after the pressure from the exercise Professor Lyall had facilitated during the Breather had subsided, Ginger had disregarded it completely.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Caron asked him after Professor Edelman promised a test before the Breather. He was still holding off on telling the class about the kinds of treasures that could be found in Revenant Relics. He was pushing his luck.


    Ginger gave the ever-sleepy redhead a narrow look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I make my decision,¡± he said.


    ¡°What decision?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. He won¡¯t tell me either,¡± said Reiss with an ugly look at his slightly plump friend.


    Ginger chuckled. It felt strange laughing after what he had just experienced yesterday, but he decided he was going to put a little bit more trust in Ira¡¯s words.


    I¡¯ll be watching.


    He had managed to sleep this time around. As soon as Reiss had come back from Marvellous Impediments, he had tucked himself in and given in to sleep. It went without saying, this made the Reiss feel a lot better. It might have been the real reason he was in such high spirits today.


    ¡°So, nothing came of Professor Lyall sensing something wrong with some of your dorm mates?¡± Caron said, choosing to leave things she couldn¡¯t force out of Ginger away from her mind.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re clear just yet,¡± said Reiss. He stopped to tie his shoe. ¡°If she had something to say, she wouldn¡¯t tell it to the class. She would ask around. Launch an investigation. I don¡¯t think she could just recognize that it was Ira who did it.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± said Ginger. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure Ira would tell us even if Professor Lyall found out it was him. He¡¯s busy looking out for me.¡±


    It was a somber thought indeed.


    To lessen the morbid prospects this topic promised, Ginger asked Caron about what she thought about Marvellous Impediments, intending to compare her experience to Reiss¡¯. Her side of the story was quite similar to the dwarfish dragonling¡¯s. Well, Dorothea¡¯s smothering was a common denominator at the very least.


    ¡°What kind of Kardia types do they accept anyway?¡± Ginger asked.


    ¡°They take all kinds,¡± said Caron.


    Ginger raised a brow.


    ¡°Even Pooling? How are Poolers supposed to create barriers and seals on anything away from them?¡±


    ¡°We are going to find out soon enough. It seems just like with Custos Zoe, there are secrets to performing some incredible Pieyro with Pooling-type Kardia.¡± Reiss grinned. ¡°We are getting pamphlets tomorrow that demonstrate details of basic barriers even an amateur can perform simply by following the instructions.¡±


    Because many First Years were likely to be grappling with what Out Course to choose up to the deadline, most Out Courses took things slow for the first few Strides. This was why most of the activity in Kartile as of yet was simply flinging the Qin Steel balls at the dummies.


    When it came to Marvellous Impediments, that exact kind of practice was impossible for newcomers since the Course mostly focused on defensive Pieyro rather than offensive ones. Thus, in addition to demonstrations by upperclassmen, the Out Course Instructor had just now decided to hand out this basic pamphlet ¨C an indication that the Course was starting for real.


    As the trio reached the Forge, Reiss spelled out a few of his complaints where the Marvellous Impediments was concerned. It wasn¡¯t the Out Course itself that was a problem, of course. Like most, it took place during the exact same time as Kartile.


    It appeared that Professor Lyall wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t endorse taking on more than one Out Course. To attend one, you needed to forgo another.


    Learning of this made Ginger scowl, but Reiss and Caron did not allow him the luxury of complaining about how their joining an extra Out Course was forcing them into this additional difficult situation. A few punches did the trick ¨C shutting Ginger up ¨C but so did Professor Mara¡¯s aura.


    ¡°As we are approaching the end of the Stride, I want to remind all those with Hunts during this Breather that if they fail to approach me to procure and assess their weapons of choice by tomorrow, they may have good tidings hunting without weapons at all,¡± the handsome Professor said, his eyes scrolling across the room with muted malice. Or at least the students thought it was malice. ¡°Do note that using weapons other than the one you chose for this Course in or out of the school grounds will be considered¡­ hostile behavior against my methods.¡±


    The students of First Blue gulped hard for the umpteenth time.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Hostile?


    Refusing to elaborate and successfully terrifying the students out of their minds, Professor Mara moved to the next of his rare slew of announcements.


    ¡°I would also like to remind you all that next Breather, we will be going for a trip to the Vermillion Valley, the birthplace of Qin Steel. I am not Edelman, so I will not give you an extensive backstory about what and where this place is, but I expect you to be able to answer questions I ask about it on a whim by the time we set off for this trip.¡±


    The students contained their excitement, if any at all erupted from them. Only Professor Mara could make a school trip sound like a funeral.


    Alcaeus and Fillys looked particularly pleased though, however much they wanted to hide even the slightest hints of their joy from the instructor. Ginger managed to catch a glimpse of their zeal. They were standing only a few paces away, after all.


    ¡°Reiss, please make sure to remind me to grab my dagger tomorrow. I can¡¯t afford to forget,¡± Ginger said, as they left the Forge. He gave a short funny laugh, but he was serious. If he didn¡¯t catch Professor Mara in time¡­


    ¡°You can count on me,¡± the dwarfish dragonling said. ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Reiss!¡± cried Ginger.


    Caron laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad we won¡¯t be able to go with you for this Hunt,¡± she said after Reiss was done messing with Ginger.


    She and Reiss hadn¡¯t joined the¡­ Stalwart Stallions and they hadn¡¯t submitted the forms officially denoting their participation in the Hunt Ginger was going for, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I have a good feeling about Fai and Shan. If it weren¡¯t for the name of their Hunting Limb, I¡¯d say I was completely proud to be a part of it,¡± said the plump dragonling. ¡°They seem capable too. I hope that nothing bad happens when I¡¯m with them, but if it does, I think they can take care of themselves. Come to think of it, I wonder if my second soul can even affect non-dragons.¡±


    Reiss¡¯ eyes lit up.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± he said. It went without saying that this time, he didn¡¯t find the subject as just some interesting topic for discussion. ¡°If non-draconic species aren¡¯t affected by your powers, that will give us something to work with. Somehow¡­ someway¡­ we could get someone of that kind to subdue you every time you lose yourself.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d have to be the sort that can contend with Madame Agathe in strength though,¡± pointed out Caron.


    ¡°Well, no one said it was going to be easy, but at least we have something we can work towards.¡±


    All three dragonlings seemed to have the exact same idea at the same time. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    The only non-dragon at the school was Professor Elmir Hennigar, a Djuka, and they were headed for his class right now!


    Ginger sighed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just tell Professor Hennigar what¡¯s going on with me though,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course we can¡¯t,¡± said Reiss with a deep frown.


    Caron shrugged.


    ¡°But if worse comes to worst¡­¡± she said.


    The two boys agreed.


    If anything beyond their capabilities came about, the Professor would have to step in ¨C if he was actually immune to Ginger¡¯s sleep-inducing powers. He already had an eye on Ginger, after all. A good one.


    During Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation, the trio observed Professor Hennigar much more closely than before.


    His tar black skin, dull grey hair, and yellow eyes almost looked foreign to Ginger, Reiss, and Caron now that they considered him a possible ally. The dark, webbed wings sticking out of his Professorial coat as well as his swishing tail did much to convince them that indeed, the Djuka must have been formidable enough to help.


    As bizarre as it was to think about, the fact that the Professor was clearly inhuman gave Ginger even more confidence. He couldn¡¯t put a finger on why exactly that was the case.


    ¡°Now, as we discussed in our last lesson, there is indeed a difference between a flame produced through Sorcery and one produced by a dragon¡¯s Kardia. There is a difference in strength and there is a difference in quality,¡± the Djuka said. ¡°Since Professor Lyall is teaching you how to control your dragon flame, I thought it would be good for you to get a chance to experience the difference in practice. Fire on fire, as I like to call it. But do keep in mind, it¡¯s not about one flame being hotter than the other.¡±


    ¡°Sorcery isn¡¯t strictly about the greater power, but the greater skill. I wouldn¡¯t dare say the powers of dragons only focus on measures of power, but it is a fact that an older dragon, even if they aren¡¯t trained properly, has a very high chance of overwhelming a younger dragon. If you were to face Professor Lyall, you¡¯d lose all your Kardia and by extension your dragon flame as soon as she blew a breeze at you. But Sorcery can alleviate such a problem. Maybe you¡¯ll lose the dragon flame, but you will still have the flames afforded to you through Sorcery.¡±


    Ginger grinned.


    Yeah. This was it!


    This was what he needed to hear!


    Right then, he made his decision. He had almost told Reiss and Caron about it when all three of them were smitten by the idea that Professor Hennigar could be a potential counter to Ginger¡¯s second soul but had decided against it. The plump dragonling had not been so sure of himself before now.


    But now, he was.


    ¡®In time ¨C as long as nothing really bad happens ¨C my second soul¡¯s powers will definitely become mine. It¡¯s very powerful when it comes to draconic power. But I have to focus on the Mana Essence side. Fai said I have high potential. I should put all my effort into learning Sorcery. Before my second soul becomes a willing friend, I will probably have to subdue it and maybe¡­ in more than just the soul.¡¯


    Ginger¡¯s eyes shimmered as he decided.


    Yes.


    He had some advantages with Kardia.


    He needed some advantages with Sorcery and Mana Essence too, likely in order to subdue¡­himself.


    The plump dragonling had more of a responsibility for the messes he could create than anyone else. He had to work harder.


    For that, he needed Professor Hennigar.


    The Djuka turned to the class after scribbling a few things on the board.


    ¡°Now. I have heard that a few of you are able to produce dragon flame already. Will those who can step forward? I shall have them demonstrate the difference between dragon flame and Sorcery flame,¡± he said.


    Ginger sighed as Fillys stepped up.


    She had surprised the class when she had managed to produce a flame through the method Professor Cain had introduced ¨C Saturation limit. Professor Lyall had encouraged the dragonlings to practice it if they were at all interested in producing dragon flame too.


    The other person as capable as Fillys in this regard was Nicolas Onasis ¨C the Class Clown.


    Ginger watched the two closely.


    ¡®Professor Hennigar had some interest in the Wild ¨C things he wanted to know through me. He offered to give me private lessons in exchange. If I want to keep his interest in me, I will have to learn things faster. At least, if and when he still wants to give me those private lessons, I can prove that I¡¯m worth the time,¡¯ he thought.

 Sorcery Flame V. Dragon Flame II

    Saturation Limit.


    Ginger had barely given as much focus to the exercise as he should have. He had justifications for himself, however. He was constantly distracted by the vile rumors that were spreading this Stride. They took up a lot of space in his head, especially when coupled with Caron¡¯s short-lived dissociation from him and Reiss.


    According to Professor Cain, while Poolers clearly had an advantage where Saturation was concerned, it was important for all types of Kardia users to know how much they could Saturate with their Kardia.


    Ginger could testify that since the day before last, he had not practiced Saturation Limit at all. The incident with his second soul had all but guaranteed that he wouldn¡¯t even give it a second thought, even if one or two of his brain cells tried to remind him.


    The plump dragonling grumbled.


    Of course, Fillys had all the time in the world to practice. She had no worries ¨C no socially debilitating facts, no flawed status issues. She was free to explore the great powers afforded to her by her violet Cast with many looking on with admiring eyes. It was even happening now as she proudly sauntered over to Professor Hennigar with a big grin.


    Ginger could have sworn she gave him a mocking glance just to reestablish that she was no friend of his despite barely jabbing at him over the last few days.


    He sighed.


    Professor Hennigar gave Fillys and Nikolas a bright smile. Well, it must not have appeared so because of how Nikolas recoiled. Fillys grimaced and half turned away. The Djuka didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°As I explained before, dragons can be exceptional at wielding Mana Essence and by extension Sorcery, but the one thing that usually makes them fall just shy of the greatest heights of this art is the fact that Sorcery requires a Mana Axis ¨C a profound nucleus for controlling Mana Essence,¡± he explained to the class. ¡°But creating a Mana Axis requires no small effort. It takes a very long time and intense focus. Of course, dragons would rather trade all that time and focus on cultivating their own strength in Kardia and Pieyro. Additionally, having both a Mana Axis and a Stok coexist in a single dragon body is rather dangerous, but we shall touch on that in a future lesson.¡±


    He beckoned Fillys and Nikolas.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s see how you two generate your dragon flame,¡± said Professor Hennigar. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go first, Nikolas?¡±


    Nikolas beamed.


    He jogged in place as though preparing for a marathon and after that, he checked his breath with a palm and nodded. He garnered a few muffled laughs from the class.


    Mirroring what Professor Lyall had done when she demonstrated how to produce dragon flame, he sucked in his gut and tensed everything above his chest. At some point, his face started to turn red and his cheeks inflated.


    Slowly, his lips parted and he blew out a sharp strip of air. It turned to smoke in the next instant, and then into a bright red flame with slivers of yellow firing with jet-like grace a meter past his lips.


    Nikolas kept it up as his classmates marveled.


    Some of them lathered him with glaze.


    ¡°Nikolas has always been first at many things, hasn¡¯t he? I mean wasn¡¯t he the first one to blow smoke out of his nose? Professor Edelman had to take him to the Golden Wing afterward.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was also the first to produce light with Mana Essence during our first Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation lesson too.¡±


    ¡°Despite being a jokester, he is kind of talented.¡±


    Nikolas¡¯ ears pricked. He heard all the comments and grinned as his flame died out.


    Professor Hennigar led the class in applauding him.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± commented Reiss as he and Ginger also clapped for the fellow. ¡°He¡¯s already capable of producing a strong flame. It¡¯s obviously not as strong as Professor Lyall¡¯s, but you could fry a ham with that kind of fire in less than half an hour.¡±


    Ginger gave him a weird look.


    ¡°That was¡­ specific,¡± he said. Reiss grinned.


    ¡°Very specific,¡± said Caron with a brow raised. She wasn¡¯t clapping.


    ¡°Now, Fillys. If you would,¡± Professor Hennigar said.


    The girl stretched her fingers and took a deep breath. She hardly looked as constipated as Nikolas as she too mirrored how Professor Lyall had demonstrated how this trick was supposed to be performed.


    To the surprise of many, she released her flame almost immediately.


    It was a pristine white serpent, delicate and elegant. It moved like a silken cloth in the breeze, perfectly controlled.


    It was a marvel how she was able to do it. Ginger, Reiss, and Caron had to admit, it looked impressive. That must have given Fillys an ungodly degree of satisfaction. She had wondered how the trio would react to her talent.


    ¡°Astounding,¡± said Professor Hennigar as Fillys¡¯ flame broke. ¡°Such control over dragon flame to the level of maintaining its power and keeping the natural, erratic behavior of it in check is something most dragons aren¡¯t capable of, even as adults.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Fillys might have grown a longer, sharper nose.


    Indeed, it was true. Most dragons wouldn¡¯t be able to control their flames so finely, but not because it was the most difficult thing in the world. It just so happened that most dragons didn¡¯t care to restrict their most basic form of power, especially when taking into account how much effort it took to control it.


    Reiss knew this, but he figured he would tell his friends later. They would love to know that what Fillys had just done wasn¡¯t all too special.


    Nikolas had withered. He had known he was matched with someone from a Carrier House, but he didn¡¯t expect to be outclassed to this extent. He could still feel the sharp, controlled heat of Fillys¡¯ white flame ¨C something the others weren¡¯t able to because of the distance. Even Professor Hennigar had made sure to steer clear.


    With another brighter smile, the Djuka clapped and took steps away from both Nikolas and Fillys.


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯m glad that I had some competent subjects to demonstrate the dragon flame. Now, I should note some of the strengths of this fire that many of you ¨C undoubtedly ¨C are unaware of,¡± he said as he beckoned only Nikolas over to him.  ¡°There are two distinct differences I would like to explore where Sorcery flame and dragon flame are concerned. First, the flame produced by a dragon is usually under the complete control of said dragon¡¯s conscious thought. Now, if you would please produce a flame once again, Nikolas.¡±


    Nikolas was as puzzled as the rest of the class, but he did as he was bid.


    Another raging red and yellow flame spilled from his lips.


    ¡°Good. Now, in the same manner as you would command your Kardia, command this flame to do something fire wouldn¡¯t normally do on its own.¡±


    As he sweated with the strain, Nikolas raised a brow at the Professor before looking ponderous. Then, with what might have been a shrug, he tried to do as the Djuka instructed.


    His red flame mixed with hints of yellow started to swirl about like a ribbon in the hands of a rhythmic gymnast. It lost most of its red hue as it did, but its new, relaxed movement looked pretty all the same.


    The class gaped. Even Nikolas himself was in awe. He hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d manage. His eyes went wide and he kept the fire swinging in arcs and swirls that grew wider and wider until he could no longer keep the act up.


    ¡°Well done!¡± exclaimed Professor Hennigar with a series of claps. The class followed suit with many murmurings and whispers. Nikolas beamed and punched the air.


    Professor Djuka turned to Fillys who had donned a frown. Her spotlight had been stolen and she wasn¡¯t happy about that, he knew. ¡°I didn¡¯t have you demonstrate this because I thought you¡¯d be incapable, young lady. I was only wary of the strength of your flame. Unlike you all, I am not resistant to intense heat, after all.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t his bright smile that made Fillys¡¯ frown go away. Her ego had been rebooted by his words.


    Ginger, Reiss, and Caron found themselves looking at each other with exasperated looks wondering why Professor Hennigar had to go out of his way to brighten Fillys¡¯ mood again.


    ¡°Now, on the subject of differences between the flames, indeed, dragon flame is subject to the whim of the caster. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case with Sorcery Flame ¨C Sorcery in general, in fact. The intent behind any spell cast through Sorcery lies within its Preparation. Anyone without a Mana Axis is incapable of using high-level Preparation, but that is not a problem. Standard spells up to a point can be activated using Incantations and Weavings ¨C lesser forms of Preparation. I will demonstrate.¡±


    There is ample space in the Huddling Fury, was the first thing Professor Hennigar had said to the dragonlings during the first lesson of the Stride. Ever since the students had been rather excited about what else the Djuka would be teaching them other than the bias of theory from the last Stride.


    Thus, it was no surprise that the dragonlings paid close attention when Professor Hennigar gave himself some space to work.


    Ginger was paying particular attention to Djuka¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Weavings are a supplementary form of Preparation that direct Mana Essence or entice it into taking on a particular form. They are usually performed using the hands,¡± the Professor said. ¡°Incantations are another type of Preparation. They are strict commands given to Mana Essence. One thing you should understand early on is that it is easier to make Mana Essence change its form than to command it to use itself as a conduit or fuel for an abstract purpose. In any case, using both Weavings and Incantations makes manipulating Mana Essence easier. What I will show you is a Standard fire spell called Small of the Back.¡±


    While the students frowned, thinking that the name of the spell was rather¡­ strange, Professor Hennigar made three gestures with his hands. He clasped the fingers from both hands together, then he grasped the thumb of his left hand with his right and clasped both hands together again.


    As he did this, he chanted:


    ¡°Littlest of fires,


    born for the small,


    condense from the stream,


    and strike where I aim.¡±


    Almost immediately, Mana Essence was sucked towards Professor Hennigar from the surroundings. It rapidly spun and ignited, forming a small ball of red flame the size of a fist, but then it condensed; it diminished to the size of a fingertip. Professor Hennigar then pointed to the free wall to his right, and the little flame shuttled there, smacking it with a tsssa!


    The students were as impressed as they were confounded. A black dot was left on the wall, smoking.


    Professor Hennigar donned a bright smile.


    ¡°I know it looks a little underwhelming in its final form, not to mention when coupled with its odd name,¡± he said. ¡°This spell isn¡¯t an official one recognized by the curriculum. I and a few friends of mine developed it in our school days. It was a trick for messing with people whom we had petty grudges against. Because we decided it was funniest when used to attack the small of people¡¯s backs, we decided to name the spell as such.¡±


    The students laughed.


    Reiss merely let out a snort livid with whatever scraps of mirth he could spare.


    ¡°Should he be teaching such a spell to us? I mean, he¡¯s giving bullies the perfect weapon to use,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, we have learned to defend ourselves with Custos Zoe,¡± countered Ginger. Reiss shrugged. He thought that was reasonable.


    Strangely, Caron didn¡¯t say anything. Ginger didn¡¯t miss it. She seemed particularly focused on the mark left on the wall by Professor Hennigar¡¯s spell.


    ¡°As I said, the Preparations for the spell ¨C Weavings and Incantations in this case ¨C direct its effects, not my whims and wants. The only thing I can control at this point is where the Small of the Back will hit, not its output, not its shape, not its size. This is true for all kinds of Sorcery flame,¡± the Djuka explained.


    ¡°This inflexibility ¨C as the clever majority of you can guess ¨C comes down to the fact that Mana Essence is siphoned from the atmosphere while Kardia is generated in your bodies. There is a deeper relationship between a dragon and their Kardia, than between any Sorcerer and Mana Essence. As such, you could say in a battle of basic attacks, a dragon has an advantage. Or is that really the case? How about we find out? We shall practice Small of the Back individually and see how it stacks up against a basic dragon flame, not just in terms of power, but in a mock battle.¡±


    Anticipation bred excitement within the Huddling Fury. Such a simple, funny spell was going to be fun to learn, the dragonlings thought.


    But someone decided to put a temporary pause to the thrilling prospect.


    Scowling, Fillys turned to Professor Hennigar.


    ¡°Excuse me, Professor,¡± she said before pointing accusingly at Ginger. ¡°If Standard spells like this one need both Incantations and Weavings, then how did Ginger manage to cast that gold lightning without an Incantation during our first lesson?¡±

 Sorcery Flame V. Dragon Flame III

    ¡°Good grief,¡± Reiss said with a lopsided face of disbelief. He looked like a melting snowman.  ¡°How petty can you get?¡± He didn¡¯t bother lowering his voice. Many had an opinion about his statement.


    Ginger himself was at a loss for words. Everyone in class turned to him and frowned as they pondered over what Fillys had posited.


    In the eyes of most of them, it did seem strange that back then, when Ginger had almost maimed them all with that flash of golden lightning, he had done it without an Incantation. A majority of the dragonlings in First Blue had celebrated when Professor Hennigar had eased their souls then, telling them that what Ginger had done wasn¡¯t anything special at all. Now, their egos were beginning to itch again.


    Had they been lied to?


    Was Ginger special after all? Because of that Shaman he knew from the Wild?


    Ginger was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the attention. It wasn¡¯t all just eyes stabbing at him, after all. The Kardia of his classmates limned their intent, donning a physical quality. It had a weight to it.


    But ultimately, that wasn¡¯t what crushed him.


    ¡®Why was I able to do that without an Incantation?¡¯ Ginger found himself asking the same question for his own sake.


    Professor Hennigar clapped to turn the attention back to him. His wide bright smile chilled more than a few of the dragonlings into calming down.


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a simple explanation to that, actually, though I¡¯m sure it will not assuage some of you,¡± he said.


    The Djuka repeated the Weavings for Small of the Back without the Incantation once, then twice, then thrice.


    A red flame exploded into existence before him again and condensed to the size of a fingertip.


    The class looked at it intensely, trying to extract Professor Hennigar¡¯s intent from its emergence. It was all but clear that he did not mutter the Incantation for the simple fire spell.


    Why then did it work?


    ¡°I do believe I said that both Weavings and Incantations are necessary up to a point. One of these points is when a user of a spell is unfamiliar with the spell in question. Weavings are normally a supplementary form of Preparation, but that doesn¡¯t mean on their own, they are irrelevant. Remember, Weavings apply when compelling Mana Essence to take on a different form ¨C the easier practice when studying Sorcery,¡± explained the Djuka.


    Fillys scowled. She had yet to find anything to disprove Ginger having a talent beyond her own in the Professor¡¯s sermon.


    ¡°Now, as far as I understand, during the lesson Fillys referenced, Ginger was attempting to perform a spell, a Charm he remembered from the Wild with Weavings alone. What he ended up with was Mana Essence changing its form into lightning. Isn¡¯t that right, Ginger?¡±


    The plump dragonling was taken by surprise but he nodded all the same.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said, feeling his skin burn lightly from Fillys¡¯ glare.


    Professor Hennigar gave a sharp nod.


    ¡°I believe I also mentioned that there are higher forms of Preparation beyond Weavings and Incantations. These can be applied to any spell, producing different effects upon casting. Thus, in short, you can shed away lesser forms of Preparation for a spell that you are familiar with while aiming for new types of Preparation. Additionally, familiarity can allow you to reduce the amount of Preparation required for casting a spell.¡±


    The dragonlings frowned in thought. Some stared accusingly at the plump dragonling and some sifted through their confusion to find the essence of what their Professor was saying.


    Yet Ginger might have been the most confused out of everyone.


    ¡®But¡­ I¡¯m not familiar with the lightning spell at all. It just happened to have the same Weavings as the Charm I was trying to cast ¨C the one that conjures a cool breeze,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Or does that not matter at all?¡¯


    Perhaps there was another factor involved here. Something already floating through people¡¯s heads. Yes. There was another factor here.


    Ginger noted it and his resolve turned stalwart.


    Reiss summarized the whole ordeal.


    ¡°So, the fact that you knew the Weavings ¨C because you had seen Ancor perform them multiple times ¨C made it easier for you, huh? Oh, and the fact that Weavings normally work when changing the form of Mana Essence in general? Easy enough to understand,¡± he said more to himself than Ginger.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call what I tried there to be Weavings though,¡± he thought, recalling those odd movements he tried in class back then. Apparently, they counted, even though they were supposed to work with Fetid Essence and Charms, rather than Mana Essence and spells. He hadn¡¯t even tried them as much as most would think. He¡¯d only seen Ancor do it¡­ dozens of times.


    Murmurs and mutters ensued. The dragonlings had many dark thoughts, but ultimately, some of them found their way to the light.


    The fact that Weavings and Incantations could be discarded the more familiar they were with a spell was quite a nice prospect to look forward to actually.


    Professor Hennigar didn¡¯t try to ease some of the dragons that continued to look at Ginger jealously. He had solidly established that, in a way, Ginger was a bit special after all. He went back to the subject of flame against flame.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Now, as I said, let¡¯s try the Small of the Back together. I¡¯ll demonstrate the Weavings and Incantations again.¡±


    And so, the Professor did and had the dragonlings practice.


    The result only a minute into the practice poured flammable oil onto the earlier controversy.


    Ginger, after only a single try of the Weavings and Incantations to Small of the Back, managed to bring the spell to life.


    His hands moved quickly, clasping together, grabbing the thumb to his left hand and then clasping tight again and he muttered quickly:


    ¡°Littlest of fires,


    born for the small,


    condense from the stream,


    and strike where I aim.¡±


    As he pointed his hand upwards, the condensed red flame zipped upward and smashed into the ceiling with a tsssa!


    The plump dragonling¡¯s classmates gaped. Fillys might have been eating hot coals. Smoke streamed from her nostrils and she clenched her hands tight.


    Reiss had paid more attention to her reaction than Ginger¡¯s perfect cast of Small of the Back. He stifled a mocking laugh with a big grin.


    ¡°Well done, Ginger!¡± Professor Hennigar said brightly and applauded, but no one followed his example. The students poured their focus into the Standard fire spell. They refused to believe that they wouldn¡¯t be able to perform it as easily as Ginger.


    Even Caron, oddly quiet, disregarded everything and furiously began Weaving and Incantating. There was an odd desperation to her face. It wasn¡¯t a desire to prove that Ginger wasn¡¯t talented ¨C unlike with the others. Not at all.


    The next one to perform Small of the Back perfectly was Kairos Fayer. His red flame smacked the free wall with the same potency as Ginger¡¯s flame.


    Then after a few others, Alcaeus managed, then Reiss followed, then Konstantina.


    The competitive atmosphere burned like the sun. The Small of the Back was hardly anything complicated to cast. Most dragonlings found that the only thing that tripped them up was the Weaving. If you were a bit slow in performing the simple three gestures, the spell would not work at all. Hence, more than a few had to try multiple times.


    Caron was among these types.


    She failed miserably.


    However, her Weaving wasn¡¯t entirely the one at fault.


    The problem lay in her command over the Mana Essence in general. By all means, forcing the Mana Essence to change its form was the simplest thing to do where Sorcery was concerned, but your draw over the essence had to be strict and swift.


    Ginger and Reiss were surprised by how Caron kept failing. Her face grew increasingly hard, laced with depressions and shadows.


    Soon, many of the dragonlings who had managed to complete the task started to give Caron odd looks, pointing at her and giving wild comments.


    How could the rival of Vassilis be struggling with something like this?


    Even the most average dragonling with the worst Cast had managed, so why couldn¡¯t she?


    By the time a red flame spawned before Caron and hearkened to her aim, everyone else had already managed at least a single cast of Small of the Back.


    The redhead could hardly celebrate. She donned a scowl.


    Ginger patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this after the lesson,¡± he said to her. He, much like Reiss, had an idea about what was going on with her. Caron sighed and nodded.


    Professor Hennigar broke the tension.


    ¡°Well done. Well done. I expected nothing less from such fine dragonlings,¡± he said, clapping. ¡°Now, I believe you¡¯ve noticed another crucial difference between Sorcery flame and dragon flame. Well, I suppose first and foremost you¡¯ve noticed that nomatter who casts Small of the Back, the output remains the same. It can¡¯t be increased or decreased; it just is. That, my dear students, is because Sorcery exploits constants. Even the cost is constant, unlike with Dragon Flame and Kardia machinations like Pieyro. A dragon determines the power and cost behind their Custos Zoe or Contra Parousia, but Preparation defines the characteristics of a spell.¡±


    The dragonlings mumbled collectively, nodding and scribbling notes.


    ¡°But as I had said before, do these differences really mean one is better than the other? After all, can we only take into account, flexibility, ease of casting, and output? How about we put this into practice? Let us take our most accomplished user of Small of the Back and pit them against our best user of basic dragon flame, shall we?¡±


    No words were necessary.


    The attention of everyone in the room fell on Fillys and Ginger.


    The two felt much of the same emotions after Professor Hennigar pointed them out.


    Excitement, anger, hatred, and the slightest twinges of anxiety.


    Ginger, after Reiss gave him a pat on the back, walked towards Fillys who also moved towards him. She whipped her apple-green hair out of her face and wore a cocky grin.


    The plump dragonling was unmoved.


    The other dragonlings tensed with excitement.


    When there were only about five meters between them, Professor Hennigar told Ginger and Fillys to stop.


    ¡°You will not move from your respective positions. This is not a brawl. It¡¯s just an exercise ¨C one I hope won¡¯t even last a minute. Demonstrate to me your skill in flame alone. Nothing more, nothing less,¡± he said and raised his hand.


    Ginger and Fillys nodded as they lanced each other with looks that could kill the average housefly. Their Kardia met in sparks in the middle and the air moved away from them in cowardly breezes.


    So much went unsaid between them¡­ but also a lot was said.


    Only Alcaeus, Reiss, and Caron could guess what the silent battle could have sounded like.


    ¡°On my mark,¡± said Professor Hennigar with his bright smile. ¡°One, two, three¡­Begin!¡±


    Fillys was quick. She had already Saturated her Kardia in her gut before three, and as her cheeks inflated, she had every intention of doing the most with her dragon flame. With Professor Hennigar close by, she imagined that her best wouldn¡¯t turn Ginger into a pile of ash.


    ¡­But the plump halfling was shockingly quicker than her. He drew the Mana Essence around him twice as quickly as before, shaved off an extra second from his Weaving, and sped through the Incantation for Small of the Back.


    Everyone was bewildered when a red flame roared, condensed, and shuttled towards Fillys before her white flame could even spill from her lips.


    But she refused to be outdone. Not like this!


    Her eyes opened wide. She had been watching closely. She couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate Ginger, not after what her brother had said about the plump halfling since the exercise at the Beginner¡¯s Den.


    She saw the Small of the Back coming and dodged without shifting her legs. The spell had a weakness, she noticed. Because the user had to point where it was supposed to go, its trajectory was all but clear.


    After dodging, she let loose her dragon flame. She discarded all restraint and let it fire off as a jet of roaring white, red, and yellow flame at Ginger.


    The First Year spectators were alarmed. Like Nikolas before them, they finally felt the intensity of Fillys¡¯ fire. An average human would be melted to the bone by such power, but a dragonling could be badly injured.


    The target in this, Ginger, wasn¡¯t supposed to move from his spot.


    He had fired off his attack already.


    He has lost, was the common sentiment as the fire barrelled towards him.


    But then Ginger performed the Weavings for Small of the Back again, twice in less than half a second¡­ and omitted the Incantations!


    Two fierce balls of red flame rapidly formed and condensed further than the size of a fingertip before him. Then, without a visible gesture from their caster, they sped around the incoming jet of fire ¨C one to the left, the other to the right ¨C and struck against Fillys.


    The young Doukas girl didn¡¯t see them coming.


    She was so focused on her victory that the stinging sensations that smacked her forehead and leg with sharp pinches of hard force startled her.


    She shuddered, taking a step back and her flame lost its strength.


    Before any of its raging remnants could touch Ginger, a stream of sparkling clear water circled him protectively.


    When steam rose from its contact with the flame, that seemed to mark the end of the mock battle, showering the winner with a cloak of white hot victory.

 Its Talent

    There was indeed another factor involved where Ginger was concerned.


    He had remembered it said about him somewhere a distance away ¨C outside the school walls.


    Besides the average mechanics of Sorcery, Ginger also had a striking talent for wielding Mana Essence that was unlike that of most dragons.


    Fai had evaluated him and compared his talent to that of a Djuka ¨C quite like his own Professor Hennigar.


    Admittedly, Ginger had not thought about the details of that evaluation at the Stalwart Stallions shack until just now. Well, to say he ever thought about it in-depth would be a lie. What galvanized his will to put his great talent to use were the words he recalled Shan ¨C Fai¡¯s daughter ¨C saying:


    Mana Essence is pretty impatient. If you don¡¯t put that talent to good use, all that potential will disappear.


    Thus, Ginger put it to good use. He found himself expressing this talent that most in his class feared he had.


    In a flash, he had beaten Fillys. He had bested her Dragon Flame in an indirect confrontation and he forced her to move her feet ¨C a rule that Professor Hennigar had said wasn¡¯t to be broken. And best of all, he did it without harming Fillys, contrary to what she had intended.


    After the steam started to clear, the First Years exploded into a shower of cheering, speculation, and nonsensical yelling.


    As Reiss and Caron rushed to Ginger, Alcaeus, Konstantina and the rest of Fillys¡¯ crew rushed towards her. A few dozen dragonlings also rushed towards the two mock battle contenders mostly to stare and shout.


    Professor Hennigar donned his bright smile. Well, he had had it on ever since Ginger decided he didn¡¯t need the Incantations to Small of the Back ¨C a feat he had not expected the plump dragonling to show.


    He allowed the students to devolve into chaos for a time.


    Ginger was bombarded with questions and a nigh-infinite series of faces. Reiss and Caron did their best to push the unwanted company away. The plump dragonling wished they could have blocked his view of Fillys¡¯ face instead.


    The word livid wouldn¡¯t have done justice to the look she donned as she glared at Ginger. She had a small, dark dot at the center of her forehead ¨C where Ginger¡¯s first Small of the Back had smitten her. It was almost masked by how red her face had become.


    ¡®She would eat me if given the chance,¡¯ Ginger thought with a sigh. But he did find it in himself to wear a smile.


    He had done it. He set his mind toward something in the heat of battle (mock battle, granted) and it worked perfectly.


    As Reiss and Caron led him away, the dwarfish dragonling proved to share the same sentiment as Ginger with a ¡°Good grief, man!¡±


    Caron merely gave Ginger an exasperated sort of smile that summarised all of her feelings. Ginger gave her a knowing look and nod.


    And it was then that Professor Hennigar culled the chatter.


    ¡°Come now, come now. This was not a brawl that you need to break up,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to say that both our participants made a spectacular show of exactly what I wished to express. No doubt you all saw more concerning the pros and cons of Sorcery rather than Dragon Flame?¡±


    The dragonlings nodded and mumbled.


    They had indeed seen a lot more about Sorcery through Ginger¡¯s actions.


    An eager one ¨C a girl with silky black hair tied in a ponytail ¨C raised her hand sharply. Many followed her example. With a chuckle, Professor Hennigar allowed the girl to speak. Naturally, she had a question.


    ¡°Professor, you said that you can only skip over some forms of Preparation when you are very familiar with a spell. But Ginger just learned this spell ¨C Small of the Back ¨C like the rest of us. How is he already able to skip over Incantations?¡±


    Professor Hennigar maintained his smile, but inwardly, he felt a powerful wave of weariness.


    Quite like Ginger himself, and perhaps the entire class of dragonlings, he knew that the plump dragonling had an unnatural talent for Sorcery. He had tried to ease the egos of the other students during the first lesson for the Course by masking this fact, but inevitably, it had reared its head.


    Ginger was able to omit the Incantations for Small of the Back because he was talented. That was just it. But instead of packaging the answer this way, the Djuka wove it into a blanket of overbearing, distracting facts and delivered it to his students.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look again at what Ginger did to circumvent his opponent¡¯s attack and manage a hit, shall we?¡± he said and he performed the Weavings for Small of the Back, conjuring a ball of red flame that swiftly reduced in size. ¡°Fillys managed to catch a weakness of the Standard spell. The user has to set its trajectory with a gesture, and thus, it is easier to see where the attack will land. Perhaps some of you did not notice, but the second time Ginger used Small of the Back ¨C twice, in fact ¨C the speed of the spell was drastically diminished. Why do you think that is?¡±


    The Djuka half-succeeded in luring the students away from their collective burning query. He gave them all just enough time to consider the new question posed as valid for thought before promptly answering it.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Indeed, Ginger skimmed over the Incantations. But in doing so, the spell lost some of its constants. It lost its original size ¨C becoming much slower ¨C and it lost its maximum speed. What does that tell you?¡±


    The girl to ask the previous question whipped her hand into the air again. Professor Hennigar allowed her to speak.


    ¡°You said before that Sorcery is about constants. So¡­ if the spell itself ¨C like Small of the Back ¨C is supposed to be a constant ¨C with a constant output, for example¡­¡± She seemed to realize the answer on her own. ¡°Preparation is what bears the intent of a spell!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± said Professor Hennigar energetically.


    Another student raised a hand. It was a gangly boy with large, downturned eyes.


    ¡°So¡­ Professor. Using a spell like Small of the Back with both Weavings and Incantations yields a standard set of effects ¨C like what we all did. And removing the basic Preparation ¨C the Incantations, for instance ¨C can cause the spell to lose that standard set of effects, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied Professor Hennigar. ¡°And what does that tell you about other types of Preparation other than Weavings and Incantations?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ other, higher forms of Preparation can increase the quality of a spell?¡±


    ¡°That is correct!¡±


    As some of the dragonlings scribbled notes and discussed amongst themselves, their eyes brightening, Ginger found himself applauding the Professor¡¯s way of skirting the real question and its real answer. He had noticed indeed.


    ¡®To skim over the Preparation of a spell without being familiar with it, like I did, still requires some kind of talent,¡¯ the plump dragonling thought to himself.


    He had skipped over the Incantations against Fillys because¡­ he just felt he could do it. Small of the Back somehow became akin to a familiar friend at that moment. He knew he could count on it. Even without the Incantations ¨C which did indeed weaken it ¨C it was still useful. It was slower and smaller, but he didn¡¯t need to point where it would go then. Better yet, it was just enough to distract an unprepared opponent in that state.


    And Ginger knew a lot about catching opponents off guard.


    As it so happened, Professor Hennigar had only delayed the inevitable with his skillful sidestep of the real question. Fillys cast her hand upward. The question she was about to ask was no mystery.


    Yet, it wouldn¡¯t get to be voiced. The lesson¡¯s allotted time elapsed and Professor Hennigar wasted no time putting a period on what he intended to teach for today.


    ¡°I look forward to our next lesson,¡± he said as the students, some satisfied and some quite the opposite shuffled out of the room.


    Ginger, Reiss, and Caron stalled until most of their peers were out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting outside,¡± said Reiss, and he and Caron parted from the plump dragonling.


    Ginger rushed towards Professor Hennigar. From the way the Djuka had not shown any signs of leaving the room, he surmised that the instructor had also wanted to talk to him before he left. A bit nervously, Ginger got the point.


    ¡°You made me an offer before. That if I share with you information about the Wild, you¡¯d give me extra lessons. Is that offer still¡­¡± He failed to find the last word he needed for the sentence.


    ¡°Of course, Ginger. I¡¯d be happy to oblige,¡± Professor Hennigar grinned. ¡°Just so you know though, what you tell me might get published. I was planning on writing an article, you see. Something that spreads a bit more awareness about the Wild and its conditions. Your input would help a lot. So, be sure to filter what you intend to tell for our little exchange.¡±


    Ginger pondered for a little while and nodded.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad trade if that was the case.


    It¡¯s not like he was going to be sharing personal information. He intended to share about Fetid Essence, the monsters in the Wild, and their habits rather than the lifestyle of the humans there. Well, at least not all of it.


    ¡°Er¡­ would you mind if I ask you a question, sir?¡± asked Ginger, his voice looking strained.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°How much do dragons and all other creatures on Ravi know about the Wild? I mean, I know they look down on humans and the Wild in general, but I don¡¯t see anyone giving any details about what they hate. Do people here even try to visit the Wild?¡± Ginger felt a bit of venom rise up his throat as he asked. He quickly swallowed it after saying his piece.


    Professor Hennigar gave him his signature bright smile before gesturing towards the open doorway. As they walked towards the exit to the Huddling Fury, he then answered:


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s a lot harder to traverse between Ravi and the Wild than you know. Your¡­mentor must be a very accomplished practician of whatever type of power you use in the Wild. I¡¯d delve into why it¡¯s difficult to spatially relocate between places like ours and yours, but ahaha, I¡¯m not so good at explaining such things honestly. You¡¯ll learn about it soon enough, I trust.¡±


    ¡°But concerning how much the races on Ravi actually know about the Wild¡­ the truth is most carry biases and rumors as their truths. They keep to that and since they don¡¯t have less costly ways of relieving themselves of these biases, and a staggeringly little drive to correct them, they well¡­ sit on their arses. Only Sorcerers and other more, curious folks try to learn as much as they can.¡±


    Ginger frowned. He didn¡¯t quite like the answer.


    The Wild had its evils and cons, yes, but it wasn¡¯t the worst place in the world.


    ¡°To the credit of those unwilling to learn about the Wild and the humans though, Ravi is vast. It¡¯s but one continent of many elusive ones that every single race here has yet to land on,¡± said Professor Hennigar as he patted Ginger¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The world on this end is very broad, Ginger. That is a fact.¡±


    Seeing that the plump dragonling wasn¡¯t moved, Professor Hennigar chuckled. They had reached a pathway leading from the Huddling Fury to other buildings in the school.


    ¡°But perhaps the Wild is bigger than most give it credit for. Maybe it possesses many geniuses like you who can run circles around the so-called talents of Ravi in Sorcery,¡± the Djuka nudged the dragonling. ¡°You can prove the worth and scope of the Wild single-handedly. Continue on this trajectory and soon, you won¡¯t just make a single class full of little dragons gape in awe. You¡¯ll be stunning the Bureau next, I bet.¡±


    Ginger chuckled.


    ¡°Thanks, Professor.¡±


    They split up after the Djuka told Ginger they could begin the extra classes next Stride. Ginger rushed to catch up with Caron and Reiss who asked him what the Professor had said. He explained in great detail. He might have quoted every sentence.


    Many eyes kept poking at the three, Ginger in particular. Some had half a mind to approach, but Caron deterred them with a glare.


    ¡°Well, I might not be a super prodigy in Sorcery, but I won¡¯t have any trouble punching the teeth out of annoying idiots,¡± she said, yawning. Ginger was happy to see she didn¡¯t look as miserable as before.


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Reiss asked him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You did this ¨C asking for extra lessons from Professor Hennigar ¨C so you could outdo me and Caron, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to deny it,¡± said Caron with a disappointed shake of the head. ¡°It¡¯s not like we blame you. It will help - getting those extra classes. I just wish you could be a bit more honest about the main reason why you decided to do it.¡±


    Ginger made to retort against this, but he deflated.


    ¡°I just think I should match the effort you guys are putting in for me. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well, there was a better sort of way to go about it,¡± said Caron with an accusing stare.


    Ginger frowned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You giving me extra Mana Essence lessons!¡±

 Not Lagging Behind

    ¡°You giving me extra Mana Essence lessons!¡± Caron cried.


    Ginger recoiled.


    ¡°Er¡­¡± He lost the words to say again.


    Caron had always had a strangely abysmal relationship with Mana Essence. Unlike her special qualities with Kardia, she was oddly below average when it came to manipulating Mana Essence. When it became a mandate to learn how to draw the cool, flowing energy for Professor Mara¡¯s class, she had suffered dearly.


    She only managed to get Mana Essence to acknowledge her after getting help from Ginger and Reiss.


    Thus, it had come as no great surprise to Ginger and Reiss that she lagged behind in today¡¯s lesson as well.


    ¡°According to you, we are going to be having extra lessons with each other all the time, Caron,¡± Reiss said, coming to Ginger¡¯s rescue. ¡°You¡¯ve said again and again how you want Mana Essence to be part of that arrangement you made us commit to.¡±


    Caron narrowed her eyes at the dwarfish dragonling.


    ¡°Honestly, I would have thought you¡¯d be good at manipulating Mana Essence. You know, since you were around uh¡­¡± Ginger said and it looked like his neck was twitching. He made it seem as though Moira ¨C the orphanage Caron grew up in ¨C was somewhere he could point to with his head.


    Caron sighed.


    ¡°Well, the matron I told you about¡­ She forbade me from doing any Mana Essence courses, especially with the other kids,¡± she said. Her mood worsened.


    Ginger was about to ask why when Reiss ¨C ever quick on the uptake ¨C explained.


    ¡°Mana Essence isn¡¯t something most dragons take seriously. Draggard-Phoenix Institute is probably one of the few schools that actually allows the Course. I¡¯m guessing this matron didn¡¯t allow Caron to study the manipulation of Mana Essence as a precaution.¡± He turned to Ginger with a grave look. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? Dragons don¡¯t take kindly to finding their young in unseemly places. Even if this matron had good connections, she would probably have been in trouble if she had delivered Caron here while she was good at manipulating Mana Essence. I¡¯m sure she even had an awful time simply delivering Caron here.¡±


    Caron¡¯s reluctant nod confirmed it.


    Ginger¡¯s face screwed.


    ¡°Dragons are¡­ hardcore,¡± he said. He whipped his head to Caron. ¡°But then¡­ That just means you¡¯re naturally bad at manipulating Mana Essence?¡±


    ¡°That hurts coming from you,¡± Caron said with a wave of her hand, and when Ginger tried to lessen the blow, she punched him. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re still not off the hook. In the end, you really are trying to outdo us.¡±


    Groaning and massaging his arm, Ginger sighed. ¡°Still? Why does it bother you guys so much?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re looking down on us.¡± Reiss had rebelled. Ginger turned to him, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Looking down on you?¡± he said incredulously. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Yep. You still think we can¡¯t handle everything we¡¯ve chosen to do because of you,¡± the dwarfish dragonling said and suddenly, he dragged Ginger around one of the buildings near the Frost Mount¡¯s Tooth. Caron followed hurriedly.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± Ginger said, frowning.


    Reiss grinned maliciously. The shadow cast by the building they were beside made him look a little menacing.


    ¡°Watch this,¡± he said and he took a deep breath. His cheeks inflated.


    Ginger paled, as did Caron.


    A slender white flame spilled from Reiss¡¯ mouth, snaking its way through the air. It toasted the breeze that had been passing by, minding its own business. Reiss didn¡¯t allow the flame to overstay its welcome. There was no need. His audience was flabbergasted enough.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Ginger stuttered.


    ¡°Midget, you could already¡­?¡± Caron ran a hand through her curly red hair.


    Reiss grinned and he stomped on Caron¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look all staggered too. This is all to prove our point,¡± he said, but the redhead maintained a look of shock.


    ¡°Since when?¡± Ginger asked. He looked at Reiss as though recognizing him as a genius for the first time.


    ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? Saturation was one of the things I wanted to master first because using my hammer is tricky business with my¡­ stature. Saturation Limit acted as all the motivation I needed,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°Do you think I do nothing but read books when I sleep way past midnight every day?¡±


    Ginger almost failed to respond.


    ¡°R-right. That¡¯s right,¡± he said sheepishly, still trying to recover. ¡°And I guess your Cast¡­¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yep!¡± said Reiss immediately. But Caron was confused.


    ¡°Your Cast?¡± she said, looking at him, a question mark over her head.


    The dwarfish dragonling pulled down his scarf, revealing the pale silver scales around his neck. Caron hadn¡¯t known about his Cast. Unlike Ginger, who wore his scarf rather loosely, allowing everyone to see his gingery Cast, Reiss was still determined to hide his own.


    A dragon¡¯s Cast measured their potential and quality. There were a total of five casts that held the greatest prestige among all of Cinder-Born kind: Ebony, Vermillion, Azure, Violet, and least of all, Argent. All these Casts had variants ¨C like pastel blue to Azure, or scarlet to Vermillion ¨C that also meant a dragon was recognized in the respective category.


    Reiss¡¯ silver cast fit snuggly in the Argent category. His potential was least among the great five, but it was still far better than every other kind of Cast outside the five like Ginger¡¯s gingery Cast, for instance.


    Caron¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Woah. Midget. You really have this good of a Cast?¡± she said, stricken with awe.


    Reiss ignored her. Instead, he addressed Ginger.


    ¡°See? We can handle ourselves ¨C handle things you think we can¡¯t ¨C and you just have to get used to that,¡± he said.


    Ginger considered his friend in silence.


    In as much as he would have loved to deny it or give some dismissive remark that he understood what Reiss was saying, he couldn¡¯t. Reiss was right. Perhaps Ginger himself hadn¡¯t realized it until it was pointed out to him. No. Rather, he had forgotten that he did indeed look down on his friends. Well, at least on Reiss.


    Caron had accused him of this back in the Beginner¡¯s Den, when it was Reiss¡¯ turn to enter the chamber, and with Vassilis as his partner to boot. The feeling of dread Ginger had felt at the possibility of something happening to Reiss with barely an ounce of him believing that the dwarfish dragonling had strengths of his own¡­


    That feeling¡­


    Ginger didn¡¯t know if he could truly let it go.


    It came disguised as mercy, compassion, and love. But was it anything other than pity?


    Or was it all of these things combined?


    That didn¡¯t matter. For the moment, Ginger could feel whatever that emotion was pulling away, proven needless by the flame Reiss had just conjured.


    The plump dragonling sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said and then repeated it. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not the only one growing because of this place.¡±


    Reiss gave a chiefly nod. It didn¡¯t take much to satisfy him.


    ¡°As long as you understand.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t!¡±


    Reiss and Ginger were taken aback by Caron¡¯s sudden outburst.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± the former said, his awkward face of confusion pointing at the redhead.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving me behind, that¡¯s what!¡± Caron cried. ¡°But you know what? All the better! This just proves me right. The sort of idea I had in the beginning was valid. You¡¯ll teach me every trick and skill you¡¯ve harnessed starting tomorrow.¡±


    And only after Caron said that, did she start bombarding Ginger with questions about how exactly he skipped over the Incantations for Small of the Back during his spar with Fillys. Reiss too wanted to know despite not having shown signs of such a desire after Ginger had bested the Doukas sibling during Class.


    Ginger was honest with them in a way he wasn¡¯t going to be with everyone.


    As they headed towards the next lesson, he and his friends soon found that no one was going to let Ginger¡¯s performance go without inquiring strenuously about it. Everyone was feverish about the details. Some made it clear that they wanted his tutelage when Professor Hennigar started teaching them the truly powerful spells. They were quite serious. Some even demanded assurance in writing.


    Honestly, it was a strange positive turn to the Stride.


    Even Kairos, who had been avoiding Ginger like a plague, finally mustered the courage to¡­ glance at him from a distance and don a partly friendly expression. He probably saw Ginger as a fellow dragonling again and not a fat budding bully.


    But all this was merely a fraction of the general response to Ginger¡¯s talent.


    The rest was overwhelmingly bleak.


    It appeared that many didn¡¯t care for tact when talking to Ginger. And even though the plump dragonling had been guarded against negative responses, he was genuinely surprised by how mean some of the other dragonlings were. And to no surprise, it was Fillys who headed some of the ugly talks that galvanized some of the First Years to approach him.


    ¡°So, you do have some crazy Shaman teacher back in the Wild? No wonder. Was he the one who¡­ you know? Made you?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re so good at Sorcery, why would you even come here? Did your parents really want you to come to this school? How about your siblings? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for them to go study with the non-dragons? This is solid advice, Ginger. You¡¯re wasting your talent here.¡±


    ¡°It all makes sense now. Why were we worried at all? If you didn¡¯t have talent in at least this, how else would you survive here? I¡¯ve heard the Othoni-Kardia measured your Kardia reserves to be so small that during classes, you¡¯re always trying to save them.¡±


    The second bit had been delivered with something that mimicked concern, but the grin on the student who had said it nearly pushed Ginger to do the Kairos-grip, as some of his fellow classmates had started calling it to his face. He barely held himself back, biting his lower lip and scratching his thigh furiously.


    But the third insensitive comment hadn¡¯t garnered much of a rage from him though. At least not for long.


    The dragonling who said it received a good right hook from Caron and flew back, her nose bleeding.


    That crunching noise that ensued on impact had both silenced the nearby dragonlings as they left Professor Aarons¡¯ class and deterred more of them from approaching Ginger.


    The plump dragonling had been more happy than shocked. There was something about Caron¡¯s eyes when they weren¡¯t drooping, heavy with sleep. They lit up like a fire ¨C a baby blue fire. Ginger had seen how they looked when she punched the hostile classmate.


    He beamed.


    Reiss, on the other hand, had been justifiably concerned.


    ¡°Someone is going to report this, Caron. Professor Lyall won¡¯t be happy.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Caron had said simply as she massaged her knuckles.


    As the day came to a close, Ginger split off from his friends. He had decided to register for Lesser Eved today. It wasn¡¯t that hard finding a senior who was advertising the Out Course. He registered but decided to start next Stride. He had too much on his plate for this one. The bulk of it concerned his Hunt, of course.


    And speaking of the Hunt, the next day began with Ginger ¨C after thanking the heavens that he had slept and woken up in the same place ¨C feeling uneasy. He felt as though he was forgetting something ¨C something crucial.


    Oddly, Reiss had an amused smile the entire morning. He relished in Ginger¡¯s subdued panic for some reason.


    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Ginger kept asking with a scowl and Reiss kept shaking his head.


    ¡­Until the dull red sun began to sink around noon.


    ¡°I guess you really want to go for a Hunt without a weapon, huh? Respectable. I mean, you can probably pry open any beast ¨C Blighted or Condemned ¨C with your bare hands,¡± the dwarfish dragonling had said with a grin.


    And Ginger had turned ashen, nearly fainting.


    His dagger!


    Professor Mara had told everyone who was going for a Hunt this coming Stride to come collect weapons today¡­ or pray that Professor Cain had taught them enough about unarmed combat.

 Prizes In Revenant Relics

    Ginger could hardly stand being in Professor Mara¡¯s presence. He kept gulping down mouthfuls of saliva. He was nearly full from that alone.


    The only saving grace was the fact that he wasn¡¯t alone. There were other dragonlings going for a Hunt this Breather like him. Ginger was among them, sharing the crippling anxiety that came with waiting to procure their weapons from the handsome instructor.


    Since it was lunchtime, Professor Mara wasn¡¯t in a rush.


    He whisked away one dragonling at a time and disappeared with them ¨C likely to have them sign a few forms. It felt extremely official and¡­ serious. A bit too serious, really.


    Suddenly, Reiss¡¯ concerns from back then, when he broke his hammer in the Beginner¡¯s Den, didn¡¯t seem so ludicrous to Ginger.


    The tall, broad-shouldered Professor appeared again with the latest student he had stolen from the rest. His face was as stony as always, yet also handsome. His ash blonde locks might have been stoic, lazy snakes that continuously fed his visage with eternal indifference.


    ¡°Ginger. Come along,¡± the Professor said with a piercing green stare at the halfling. He then turned sharply and stalked away. Ginger followed after him, racing as quickly as his heart was.


    Professor Mara¡¯s office was in the Forge, a floor above where the First Years had their lessons in Equipped Armament Creation and Usage. All the First Years knew this, and earlier, they had attempted to go directly to the instructor¡¯s only to find themselves pressed threatening by his oppressive Kardia midway up the stairs. That had been a clear sign for them to abandon their brazen mission.


    Climbing up the same stairs again, Ginger couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Professor Mara¡¯s deal was. Why was he so strict and sour? Was that just his style? It must have been. He had committed to the act religiously since Ginger had met him that day outside the school walls.


    ¡°I hear you are particularly gifted in manipulating Mana Essence,¡± he said in a voice devoid of positivity.


    Ginger felt his throat turn into a desert.


    ¡°It¡­it seems so,¡± he said.


    Professor Mara hummed.


    ¡°I hope that serves you very well in your studies¡­ for my Course. Rather, it better,¡± he said. That might have been a threat.


    Qin steel weapons could be augmented using both Kardia and Mana Essence. There was a clear disparity between the potency provided by each of these essences, but a skilled Sorcery could make it look as though there wasn¡¯t a difference at all, even when matched against an Affixer.


    Below Ginger¡¯s displeasure at hearing the threat, he begrudgingly saw Professor Mara¡¯s point. In a way, the instructor had high hopes for him.


    As they entered his office, which looked very much like Professor Lyall¡¯s, if a little neater, Professor Mara procured a form that he promptly placed his signature on. He then handed it to Ginger.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know Hunts aren¡¯t exercises entirely detached from school Courses. Give this to whom it may concern in your Hunting Limb. They will appraise your performance with your¡­ dagger during the Hunt, express their sentiments on the spaces I¡¯ve outlined, and sign,¡± he said. ¡°Bring the form to me intact when you return.¡±


    Ginger took the form hesitantly and nodded with a crooked smile.


    The rest went smoother than he had imagined. The only snag was that Professor Mara gave him his dagger¡­ in a scarlet box sealed with a ribbon that had hints of Kardia.


    ¡°To ensure that you don¡¯t murder your fellow dragonlings with it at your dorms, you¡¯ll only get access to your weapon after you have left the school grounds,¡± the handsome Professor had said.


    It was reasonable, but Ginger had wished the Professor had worded it differently.


    After tucking the scarlet box in his sling back and leaving the Forge, Ginger met up with Reiss on the way to Professor Edelman¡¯s class.


    The dwarfish dragonling couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Ginger¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Was it that bad?¡± he asked with a grin.


    ¡°Not really, but¡­ it¡¯s Professor Mara.¡± Ginger had no other way of expressing how he felt.


    After enduring Reiss¡¯ cackling for longer than he would have liked, Ginger inquired about Caron¡¯s whereabouts.


    Reiss instantly turned somber.


    ¡°I told her she¡¯d get in trouble for hitting a classmate. Professor Lyall called her to her office,¡± he said.


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    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ginger had expected that outcome too, of course. It stung though, since Caron had only done what she did for his sake (even though he didn¡¯t ask her to). But on the bright side, Caron¡¯s aggression deterred any more insensitive comments¡­ to Ginger¡¯s face.


    The plump dragonling was sure Caron wouldn¡¯t get into too much trouble, though, it wasn¡¯t out of the question for her to be delivered into Madam Agathe¡¯s hands for a punishment.


    Ginger continued to lament Caron¡¯s fate even in Professor Edelman¡¯s class. The straight-backed, aloof Professor began class with another stern line spoken by some obscure fossil of a dragon long ago.


    ¡­And then he finally delivered on the information all the dragonlings had been waiting for all Stride.


    ¡°Revenant Relics aren¡¯t always stores for great treasures. Of course, most of the time, a powerful relic or two can be found within them. As you can imagine, after slaying the Condemned that leads you to said Revenant Relics, finding an artefact that allows you to, say, warp from Proin to Merccina in an instant would be a delightful reward. It¡¯s said that Principal Phoenix¡¯s renowned set of one-of-a-kind artefacts ¨C powerful heirlooms passed down to her ¨C were taken from a Revenant Relic that had been guarded by a powerful Condemned with a Scarlet Cast. The creature would not part with the artefacts easily. Some say its strength was equal to that of the Vermillion Dragon, but of course, the Avecsalot Family would find such a notion blasphemous,¡± Professor Edelman said and chuckled.


    Ginger felt Reiss poke him with an elbow. The small dragon was furiously taking notes. He had about as much of a fascination with Principal Phoenix as Ginger did.


    ¡®A set of artefacts, huh?¡¯ the plump dragonling thought.


    Professor Edelman continued, speaking over the chorus of excited First Years.


    ¡°Ahem. I will go in-depth into some of the treasures that have been recovered from Revenant Relics another time. But as I said, that is not all you will find within them, nor is it the most valuable thing you can find in such ruins. History is every bit as important to dragons as power. And where power is concerned, all manner of older dragons will tell you that Ravi has a history that oozes with nectary promise.¡±


    ¡°The great mountain, Burmrag from which all Cinder-born ¨C Qin Asha, Olarmanders, Blighted and Condemned ¨C were formed is nowadays labeled a Modern Wonder by philosophers and historians in their self-important research publications. In a way, they are right. There are things that far predate Burmrag. Things older than the times we call ancient ¨C both living and non-living.¡±


    ¡°There are creatures who wandered Ravi long, long before the dragons. They were more intelligent than us, stronger, fiercer. Some say their fangs in the ugly morning would make the Five Ancient Elders cower, but that¡¯s up for debate. These creatures are the reason the wonders of Ravi are yet to be wholly known.¡±


    Caron came in just when Professor Edelman once again left the students of First Blue grumbling from yet another cliffhanger.


    She hurried to Reiss and Ginger before they could leave the classroom.


    The two boys were surprised she didn¡¯t look dejected. Glimmers of hope had begun to light up in their eyes when¡­


    ¡°No, I did get a punishment and a credit on my Points. Madam Agathe is having me help her create plaques with all the school rules written on them. She says it will help hammer into my head the sort of behavior expected of a pretty young dragonling,¡± Caron said with a terrifying yawn.


    ¡°She should have sent you to the Pine,¡± Reiss hissed indignantly. Caron must not have heard him though.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look¡­ you know¡­ bothered?¡± Ginger asked.


    ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s a lighter punishment than I expected, and I¡¯ll only be serving it in the evenings during the Breather. I¡¯m happy it didn¡¯t steal away much of the time I hoped to spend with Midget while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    Reiss groaned.


    Ginger laughed.


    On the way to another class, Caron had Reiss retell what they had learned in Professor Edelman¡¯s class ¨C the interesting bits at least.


    As he did ¨C however reluctantly, and after a passionate ¡°Good grief!¡± ¨C Ginger got lost in his own thoughts; he had much to consider from what Professor Edelman had told.


    The aloof Professor had hinted at the fact that Ravi was really old and had many rulers before the dragons, but the fact that these mysterious olden beings were connected to the Revenant Relics had an impact on the halfling.


    And where Principal Phoenix was concerned, Ginger found himself thinking about the bit of lore Ira had told him and his friends: that the Ebony Dragon, Draggard-Phoenix, had been plotted against by the other Ancient Elders led by the Vermillion Dragon.


    A thought of his strayed to the fact that if there was such an incident that truly occurred long ago, and it was well-known by the Flame Seeker Families ¨C as evidenced by Vassilis¡¯ reaction days ago¡­


    Was it fuelled by the fact that the Draggard-Phoenix Family had these powerful artefacts that they passed down as heirlooms?


    Ginger remembered hearing some of his seniors whispering something about Principal Phoenix being under the constant suspicion of being a dreadful disaster like her ancestor.


    The fact that she was apparently one of the scariest dragons to ever exist likely didn¡¯t help her image with those weaker than and afraid of her.


    ¡®I suppose the Avecsalot could have heirlooms of their own, but the principal¡¯s sound¡­ more well-known at least. That means something for sure. They must be more powerful than others. I bet the Avecsalot Family isn¡¯t really happy about that in particular,¡¯ Ginger thought.


    He remembered how Ira had bitten back against Vassilis¡¯ threat using Principal Phoenix¡¯s name. That seemed to have less to do with the fact that she was a principal and more to do with her standing¡­ and of course, her power.


    Another dark thought reared its head and he gulped.


    ¡®If Principal Phoenix is really some really powerful dragon that many people compare to Draggard-Phoenix¡­ could the Avecsalot Family still be holding the Perfect Execution on hand, just in case¡­ or for another purpose?¡¯


    Was that the reason why Vassilis was so furious when he found out that Ginger knew about the deadly Pieyro?


    ¡°Ginger?¡± Reiss said to him, rescuing him from the cesspool of dark theories. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Caron was eyeing him suspiciously too.


    ¡°Y-yeah. I was just thinking about what Professor Edelman said as well,¡± Ginger didn¡¯t want to entertain the what-ifs any longer, so he didn¡¯t share the entirety of his concerns.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t want any more concerns or distractions. He had a Hunt coming up and he wanted as little tangential stresses as possible.


    When the Breather finally came, Ginger was pleased to find that he was well-equipped to deal with it. Other than a few jabs from Fillys and her company, and even fewer aggressive stare-downs with Vassilis, nothing else disturbed his resolve for what was coming.


    He was expectant and hopeful and Fai, Shan, and Long met him with the same energy.


    Ginger¡¯s first Hunt was going to be¡­

 Delightful Prospects

    It pleased Ginger to no end that he didn¡¯t have to linger in the Stalwart Stallions ¡®office¡¯. The interior of the Hunting Limb¡¯s shabby, lopsided building was as untidy and wet as he remembered. It was all too understandable why some people didn¡¯t give the place a second glance.


    But as odd as the building was, Ginger didn¡¯t find its inhabitants to be bad as company. As soon as he arrived in Proin, mid-morning, Fai had struck up a friendly conversation with him while Shan locked up.


    Fai was a tall, thin man with great volumes of grizzled grey hair and sharp green eyes. He didn¡¯t look all that old, but his grey brows gave the illusion that he might have been in his late centuries. To Ginger¡¯s great relief, Fai wasn¡¯t adorned in another plain white shirt blessed with sweat, and an old pair of wrinkled corduroy pants. The mature head of the Stalwart Stallions had on what looked like a stylish long-sleeved jerkin the color of straw over some kind of maroon shirt, and tight-fitting pants.


    He looked like a different person. The only thing that tethered him to the versions of him Ginger remembered was his default cheerful personality.


    But quite different from her father, Shan was dressed in a similar fashion to last time. She also wore a jerkin, black, sleeveless and with pretty silver patterns. It hid a short of soft fabric under it. The girl paired the gloomy jerkin with a fairly long black skirt that bordered the sides of her waist with what looked like steel tassets. The tall black boots that she wore on her feet completed the moody look.


    The only thing remotely out of the ordinary about her (to Ginger) was that her long purple hair was tied in a ponytail.


    Her oddly black eyes turned sharply to Ginger when he spent a few seconds too long staring. He didn¡¯t hurry to look away though. That would have only made him feel even more embarrassed.


    He coughed awkwardly as he, Fai, and Shan walked up Good Yield Street.


    ¡°So¡­ where¡¯s Long?¡±


    Long was the only member of the Stalwart Stallions that Ginger hadn¡¯t been properly introduced to. The last time Ginger was in the Hunting Limb office, Long had been fast asleep and the plump dragonling hadn¡¯t even gotten a good look at him.


    Shan adjusted the way she was carrying the large duffel bag that hung from her shoulder before answering.


    ¡°He¡¯s off handling some of our other¡­ business.¡±


    If it had been Fai who gave the response, Ginger would have felt free to ask what this other business was, but since it was Shan, he lost the will to.


    The girl was not at all the cold type, at least from Ginger¡¯s present assessment. Last Breather, she didn¡¯t treat him any differently before or after she and Fai discovered that Ginger had a high aptitude for manipulating Mana Essence. She was just¡­ Shan.


    Fai must have sensed the awkward dissatisfaction in Ginger because he laughed and gave the rest of the information the boy desired.


    ¡°Working as a Hunting Limb is noble work. It pays, but with the amount of competition we have in Proin, it just isn¡¯t enough to cover all our expenses. So, aside from that, we run a few farms. Shan and Long are animal and plant lovers. When they were both younger, I invested in a few plots of land, seeds, fertile breeds of different sorts, and we sprouted endless grace from there. You should have seen the look on Shan¡¯s face. She rarely beams like she used to back when we lived among the poppies.¡±


    Ginger donned a wide smile and glanced at Shan.


    The black-eyed girl turned to her father with a barely expressive face and sighed.


    ¡°Why do you always bring up the poppies?¡± she said exasperatedly.


    ¡°So you know that soon, we¡¯ll be living among them once more. I know you miss them,¡± Fai said and nudged the girl¡¯s shoulder. She inched away, creating distance between them.


    Ginger didn¡¯t want to intrude on the intimate moment between father and daughter, but at the same time, he was quite curious about what they were talking about. What was all this talk about poppies?


    Thankfully for him, Fai was quite conscious of his presence and didn¡¯t exclude him from the conversation for long.


    ¡°Do you have a green thumb, Ginger? Or perhaps a fondness for animals, Ginger?¡± he asked.


    The plump dragonling sucked in his lips and his eyes popped out awkwardly.


    A fondness for animals¡­


    A vision of him being chased by a Death-Seeking Mouse with Ancor chasing after it in turn, surfaced in his mind.


    Another whipped by. It was of Ginger getting the snot poked out of him by a Rooster Fiend. The plump dragonling remembered almost crying after finally managing to get rid of the thing. The only saving grace he remembered from that time was the fact that Ancor had cooked the creature for him. It was delicious.


    But of course, whether or not Ginger preferred red meat or white meat wasn¡¯t the subject of Fai¡¯s question. He couldn¡¯t say he particularly liked animals, but he couldn¡¯t bear to say that to the father and daughter duo.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Noticing Shan¡¯s piercing gaze on him, Ginger became even more determined to not give a negative answer. He wouldn¡¯t give a blatant lie though. The Wild had taught him how easy it could be to spot a liar.


    ¡°Well¡­ I suppose. As fond as any average dragon can be of animals,¡± he said with an ugly cough. ¡°But honestly, I never really got a chance to be friendly with most animals. But¡­I would like to learn and see if I am an animal person.¡±


    Fai beamed and Shan went back to staring ahead with barely a reaction.


    ¡°Ah, then I was right. You were meant to join us, Ginger. We¡¯ll convert you thoroughly,¡± Fai said passionately, and he smacked Ginger on the shoulder. His eyes then shimmered as a wide smile bloomed on his face. ¡°Right, right, we were talking about Long. He is tending to one of our farms. There were a few snags in the season. Some weird, new type of pest wiped out a third of the gobbly cabbages. He¡¯s investigating it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Long wanted to meet you, you know? He gave me an earful for letting him sleep through your induction into the Limb. I have a feeling you two will really hit it off if you¡¯re willing to suffer through his spontaneous rants about animal rights.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be a problem. I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know him,¡± said Ginger with a smile.


    He hoped Shan didn¡¯t take his statement the wrong way though. He was looking forward to getting to know Shan too, but that was unlikely to happen as soon as he would have liked.


    The trio moved at a brisk pace. Proin was small by a measure and it would not take more than half an hour to see its end after a good trek.


    Ginger was pleased to see some of the sights he had seen last Breather while exploring. He saw some of the eateries that had nearly prompted him to buy their products, or at least, he caught whiffs of their fresh, delightful goods. Some of his upperclassmen were regulars in some of these places, he noticed.


    Ginger also spotted some of his fellow First Years going to their respective Hunting Limbs. Some were boarding gorgeous carriages and getting ready to leave for their Hunts accompanied by humanoid handlers.


    The plump dragonling didn¡¯t exactly feel jealous of his fellow schoolmates, but seeing all this made him wonder how exactly they were going to be traveling to their destination. Surely, they weren¡¯t going to walk. Right?


    Fai seemed like an accomplished Sorcerer. Perhaps he could fly.


    Ginger didn¡¯t dwell on this, however. Instead, he obliged Fai¡¯s inquiries about the nature of classes at Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born. The older man likely knew already but seemed to enjoy hearing people talk. He was trying to get to know Ginger better, the dragonling noticed.


    As they neared Proin¡¯s End though, Ginger felt conflicted. The more Fai probed him politely, and about subjects that were far from sensitive, he wondered if he should tell Fai and Shan about his true nature. Not about his second soul, of course, but about his origin and his hybrid nature.


    This dilemma was forced to a halt soon enough though.


    The buildings dwindled, and the crowds wilted the closer one got to Proin at this time of day. A large assortment of vehicles, some more advanced than carriages in Ginger¡¯s eyes, lined up in front of two great stone pillars positioned on either end of the road. Four individuals, two male, and two female, all from different species, were inspecting the vehicles, dictating their entry and exit.


    Pedestrians were allowed to filter in and out as they pleased. Or so Ginger had thought.


    As they passed the marker that stretched to the sidewalk from one of the pillars, Ginger felt a powerful, invisible field of energy block his way. Fai and Shan had passed through without any problems though.


    The former turned to Ginger and smiled.


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t fret,¡± he said when he saw the confused look on the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Just put in a bit of heft and you¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Ginger nodded nervously and then did as he was told. He pushed as hard as he could and surely, the barrier gave in and let him through. After he stumbled forward from the excessive force he had applied, the plump dragonling turned and narrowed his eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the nature of the barrier.


    ¡°It¡¯s a high-level screening field. It performs checks through twenty or so criteria programmed into it by the town¡¯s security,¡± Fai explained succinctly before beckoning Ginger onward.


    Ginger followed.


    Soon, he had forgotten all about the barrier.


    The world seemed to expand endlessly before him. It wasn¡¯t confined to Draggard-Phoenix Institute and all its extraneous facilities. The road past Proin dipped once before continuing into the distance, cutting through the lively green grasses that seemed to flourish to and through small houses and large farms.


    Everything beyond Proin had a different sort of vivacity. A series of creatures Ginger had never seen prowled and strolled as they pleased. They seemed friendly¡­ friendly enough to not trigger a shudder in the boy at least.


    As for the farms, neat fields of well-tended crops, most of which he ¨C of course ¨C couldn¡¯t recognize, expanded endlessly into the horizon with odd species of sentient, civilized creatures watching over them.


    ¡®Wow.¡¯


    As he marveled, Ginger recalled what Professor Hennigar had said.


    To the credit of those unwilling to learn about the Wild and humans though, Ravi is vast. The world on this end is very broad, Ginger. That is a fact.


    Indeed it was.


    Fai and Shan led Ginger towards one particular farm about half a kilometer away. Ginger didn¡¯t complain about the trek. He actually enjoyed it.


    Shan didn¡¯t seem to get that impression from him though.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly fit. I expected to hear you wheezing,¡± she said. It sounded rude, but Ginger didn¡¯t think she meant to come off as such.


    He promptly defended himself in a scholarly fashion.


    ¡°I actually do a lot of activity. Well, I did. The point is, dragons have unique physiologies. Even though I look a little¡­ round, I¡¯m probably just as fit as you are. You can¡¯t judge a dragon by their looks. It¡¯s very hard to change what we look like simply by exercising more.¡±


    And indeed, Professor Lyall had taught the First Years this basic trait of dragons.


    At first, Ginger had not been too pleased to hear it. He had grumbled about it, screaming that it wasn¡¯t fair. He and Ancor had always wondered why he continued to look out of shape despite being quite athletic.


    Shan wore a smile.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know that,¡± she said.


    Fai merely chuckled. He reserved his comments.


    Soon, the trio was approaching a large barn from behind. The smell of dry grass, dust, animal excrement, and manure bombarded them. It was quite new to Ginger. He crinkled his nose.


    But it wasn¡¯t the barn they were aiming for. It was the large, fenced field housing a stable that they headed for, next to the old, two-story house Ginger had been wondering about as they made their way here.


    Someone was by the stables, yelling something in an old, rough voice. A moment later, there was a whinny, and two horses ¨C geldings ¨C stormed out of the stable and began racing energetically in the field. Three more followed afterwards, stallions all, shaking their heads and excitedly crashing their hooves together in the air.


    Ginger gaped.


    ¡°Ah. It always feels so foreign, seeing them so early,¡± Fai said. ¡°Ginger, welcome to one of our many farms. This just so happens to be where we raise our transport.¡±

 Meeting Vess

    ¡°Ah. It always feels so foreign, seeing them so early. Ginger, welcome to one of our many farms. This just so happens to be where we raise our transport.¡±


    Ginger beamed at the sight of the horses. As they stood on their hind legs, their manes whipping about in the cool morning air, clashing against the early sunlight, he was momentarily dazed. He hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d be reminded of a distant, pleasant memory from the Wild because of the scene.


    ¡®Oh, Ancor¡­¡¯ he thought with a sad smile.


    There was a thud right then. Something had fallen to the ground.


    Shan had dropped her bag, and with more vigor than Ginger had seen her exhibit between today and the last time he saw her, she jumped over the fence in front of them and rushed towards the five horses. A small smile was etched onto her face, hardly enough to express all the joy twinkling in her black eyes.


    The horses circled around each other for a few seconds, and then they noticed the girl approaching. It was as though they had spotted a particularly large carrot.


    They all whinnied and galloped towards her. One of them, a silver gelding with a peculiar mane ¨C a tangle of braids woven with black and white hair ¨C left the others in the dust, charging more energetically towards Shan.


    Seeing this, Shan came to a screeching halt and then started sprinting in a different direction. She was¡­ fast. Ginger was taken aback by her speed. Her legs were a blur below her fluttering skirt and her hair, which lagged behind, drew a straight, black line in the air. It might have been Ravi¡¯s first serpent-shaped kite.


    The horses gave chase. Four of them galloped right behind Shan, quickly closing in, but the silver gelding took a different route. It drew an arc in its charge, intending to intercept Shan.


    It succeeded. Shan stopped before she crashed into the horse. Ginger heard her excitedly shout, ¡°Alright, alright! You caught me! Calm down!¡± as the silver gelding and the others bit at her jerkin and nudged her with their heads. She stroked their chins and muttered sweet nothings with a face that continued to constrain the fullness of her brimming passion.


    ¡°She¡­ really likes those horses,¡± Ginger found himself saying.


    Fai laughed.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s putting it lightly. They adore her in turn,¡± he said, a look of pride on his face. ¡°She raised all five of them on her own. They take after her. Silver Stroke is her favourite though. She tried to be impartial at first, but she couldn¡¯t help herself.¡±


    Ginger resisted the urge to say, ¡°I never would have guessed¡±, but he had indeed noticed how familiar and fond of Shan the gelding named Silver Stroke was. It was not a mystery which one it was.


    He was a little jealous¡­ and also, a little apprehensive. When Shan jumped onto Silver Stroke¡¯s back and rode him around the field with the others following behind them, he instinctively felt for the back of his thighs.


    It had been a while since Ginger had ridden a horse.


    There weren¡¯t that many creatures that could be domesticated in the Wild. Most of them were either enemies, food, or both. Those with qualifications for affable ¨C non-food related ¨Crelations with humans were scarce; and that was to say, horses were an endangered species in the Wild.


    Of the few that could be found, most were wild and extremely difficult to tame. Of course, that also meant that if you were lucky enough to find someone who was selling a horse, they were likely to be charging an arm, a leg, a heart, lungs, and a kidney for it.


    Once, Ancor had spent a fortune to get them two horses. (Those were the Shaman¡¯s words. Ginger suspected that he had Charmed the owners and stolen them.) They had already been tamed and trained, which made the experience all the more enjoyable.


    However, both Ginger and Ancor hadn¡¯t known how painful it would be to slowly but surely, adjust to having the flesh of their thighs turn raw and blistered after each long ride. Procuring horse-riding equipment, or the suitable equivalent hadn¡¯t been easy. By the time the two found some, they had already gotten used to riding raw.


    The bond Ginger shared with Bito continued to haunt him. If the horse had passed naturally, he wouldn¡¯t have agonized for years, as he had done, but, well¡­


    A loud voice came from the stables once again. Ginger turned away from Shan and the horses. Fai gave an ¡°Ah!¡± of urgency, picked up Shan¡¯s bag, and beckoned Ginger to the fence and then the stables.


    Ginger had once again been distracted by Shan and the geldings on the way when Fai suddenly yelled something in a language the dragonling couldn¡¯t comprehend.


    The dominant rule of dragons (as Ginger was beginning to truly understand) filtered into many facets of the social establishment. All races on Ravi were mandated to learn the language of the Qin Asha before any others. Ginger had gotten so used to everyone speaking it (and fluently too), even in Proin, that hearing the unfamiliar tongue just now took him by surprise.


    They had just reached the stable sentry when a figure walked out.


    ¡°Vess!¡± Fai cried, a bright smile blooming on his face. The figure didn¡¯t reciprocate his enthusiasm though.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    He barked something in an unknown tongue, something rather harsh, given Fai¡¯s reaction, but Ginger hardly heard it. He came to a stop, suddenly vigilant.


    The best way Ginger could have described this other figure was¡­ an overgrown caterpillar with shaggy vermillion furs. It towered over him and Fai, half its body upright, with six pairs of human-like arms adorned in dirty black gloves on their human-like hands. Twenty-eight other limbs, similarly humanoid, and almost certainly hands, held the rest of its body up from the ground.


    A small face was attached to the creature¡¯s front end, neckless. It was also human-like and nestled within the wild, vermillion furs. It had a triple threat of unsettlingly large features ¨C huge beady eyes, a huge button nose, and a very wide mouth that escaped the bounds of its face.


    When the creature opened its mouth to speak, great rows of sharp, yellow teeth showed from inside it, giving no reassurance that they were simply for civilized dinners prepared by a wife.


    Ginger was barely containing the impulse to jump back, but when the creature¡¯s glossy black eyes turned to him, he couldn¡¯t help but mobilize his Kardia.


    ¡°I thought I was mistaken. You really brought a little dragon here? Barely feels like one,¡± the creature said in the common Qin Asha tongue, and its unnervingly wide mouth stretched wide. ¡°You never bring dragons here, Fai.¡±


    Ginger shuddered. He hardly heard what the creature said. He was lost in its black eyes.


    Fai gave a sheepish smile and wound his arm around Ginger, giving him an invigorating shake.


    ¡°Vess, Ginger. Ginger, Vess.¡± His introduction was as passionless as it was passion-filled. Clearing his throat, he addressed the giant caterpillar. ¡°Ginger here is a little different, Vess. Astounding talent for Sorcery, niche goals, and a down-to-Ravi personality. I could sense it from the moment we met.¡± He gave Ginger a bright look, his ancient-looking eyebrows jumping up and down.


    The caterpillar, Vess, scoffed and moved deeper into the stable.


    He picked up a bale of hay and tossed it into one of the stable stalls. A large, grey horse within attended to it immediately. Fai followed the caterpillar, Ginger still tucked in his hold.


    ¡°What gives you the idea that he is any different? You¡¯ve had hundreds of little dragons on your little adventures and you¡¯ve never liked any of them nomatter how powerful they were. Some of them even had prodigious talent in Sorcery, you told,¡± said Vess, right when a few of the horses still locked in their stalls whinnied and snorted.  ¡°I¡¯ve grown distrusting of your judgment by the Tally.¡±


    Ginger, gulped. He didn¡¯t like how Vess¡¯ legs barely made a sound as he moved to and fro. It didn¡¯t help that where feet should have been, hands touched the straw-strewn ground, supporting his weight.


    Vess extracted a large syringe from what Ginger could have only described as somewhere, beckoned one of the horses he had yet to free, and with a surprising degree of gentleness, injected the creature.


    Only after he was done did Fai release Ginger from his grip and say something that made the plump dragonling feel a shiver run down his spine.


    ¡°Ahem, you see, Ginger here, isn¡¯t all the way dragon,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s a halfling, and he¡¯s not merely prodigious. He¡¯s a talent that could rival the Djuka and the Mimada. He saw both the badger and the snake in that little evaluation of mine.¡±


    Vess was just as dumbfounded as Ginger. It showed in how his legs suddenly lost all perfect coordination, nearly causing him to collapse in a literal heap to the ground.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    To Ginger¡¯s stutter, as he paled, Fai responded hurriedly.


    ¡°Indeed. I know, Ginger. But it¡¯s not exactly a secret, is it?¡± he said and his broad smile turned into a kind one. ¡°I have a few friends who deliver supplies for your school. They hear things. While they didn¡¯t have all the details, I had always been curious about why your eyes didn¡¯t quite look like those of a dragon. I figured then that you must have been the halfling they were talking about.¡±


    The panic the plump dragonling had been suddenly introduced to mellowed.


    Last Breather, he had seen one of those carriages drawn by bizarre beasts heading for the school and Reiss had explained that they supplied a majority of Draggard-Phoenix¡¯s Institute¡¯s resources ¨C raw and manufactured. It stood to reason that the individuals who dealt with this supply knew quite a bit about current news in the school.


    ¡®And here I thought I had the luxury of telling them when I was ready.¡¯


    ¡°Er¡­ I see,¡± Ginger said after the thought, and his eyes drooped. ¡°How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel so betrayed. I only got the suspicion after our meeting and snooped around for a bit of information. Sounds creepy, doesn¡¯t it? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it. Shan was eager to know more about you too. You can trust everyone here to keep it quiet. The whole of Proin does not know about you yet and I don¡¯t think it will bode well if they do.¡± Fai turned to Vess. ¡°And as wide-mouthed as he is, he is quite the introverted recluse. Gossip is not his strong suit. He¡¯s a friendless loner. A loser. Wouldn¡¯t bother anyone with enticing news.¡±


    Vess grunted but said nothing to the insults. Ginger hesitated to form an expression of relief lest the giant caterpillar took offense.


    ¡®What would happen if everyone in Proin knew though?¡¯ he wondered. Was there a support for halflings or something darker?


    Stabbing the dragonling with another look, Vess squinted.


    ¡°I know a thing or two about discrimination and the isolation it brings. I see spots of it in your eyes,¡± he said. ¡°It would take a hundred more Cycles for dragons to begin accepting hybrids as their own. You¡¯re not having the kindest time among the others, are you?¡±


    Ginger desperately wanted to retort, but he held his tongue.


    Indeed, he could see how even in this world, a creature like Vess would be met with¡­ dislike, to say the least, but Ginger didn¡¯t feel isolated ¨C starved of intimacy. Ever since he and Reiss reconciled with Caron, he¡¯d felt smothered by blissful attention, in fact. He had no lack of connection. After all, he didn¡¯t need many.


    What Vess saw ¨C and he did see something with those black eyes ¨C was the strange feeling of unease the plump dragonling had been hiding away ever since he saw the Great Godling and all those other dragons days ago.


    Ginger was not like many other dragons out there. There were things only he could see, things only he could sense. Things not many understood. The unease he felt because he had yet to solve what was going on with him was an odd kind of feeling he couldn¡¯t properly place.


    But he couldn¡¯t explain all this to Vess.


    The caterpillar didn¡¯t dwell on him for too long.  He turned away and resumed his work.


    ¡°It¡¯s far beyond me to judge your choices, Fai,¡± he said and produced another syringe. ¡°But I would wonder just how potent you hope to make a dragon you actually like and for what purpose? Ah!¡± Vess suddenly cried in pain.


    There was a whinny and a clatter behind the stall he standing in front of. He backed away.


    With the way he was shaking one of his hands, it seemed as though something had bitten him, something Ginger couldn¡¯t see because of the walls of the stall. The something in question was much shorter than the horses.


    What was it?


    Scowling, Vess glared at Fai.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, how about you do the injection, Fai? I can¡¯t handle this beast any more than Shan and Long! I told you to either kill it or discard it. It¡¯s too wild!¡±

 Bwoon

    Fai gave a sigh and stepped forward. Ginger couldn¡¯t resist. He followed along, curious to see just what exactly had bitten Vess. The great caterpillar shuffled back, giving Fai room. The man with the grizzled hair reached the door to the stable stall¡­ and beamed. He might have seen a gold nugget.


    ¡°Oh, my dear Bwoon. Why are you giving poor old Vess a hard time?¡± he said. He was looking down on whatever it was within the stall. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he take care of you well every day?¡±


    Ginger frowned and took a step closer to stand next to Fai, but one of Vess¡¯ hands barred him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± he warned. ¡°You might be a dragon, but I don¡¯t see any scales on you. Bwoon could bite your finger off without much trouble.¡±


    Fai turned to Ginger and supported the sentiment with a nod.


    ¡°Sadly, he¡¯s right, Ginger.¡± The man gestured for the boy to clear away. ¡°I think she needs a little trot to wear her out before her injection.¡± He looked back at the creature named Bwoon. There was a chilling snap! and Fai jerked back with a crazy smile. He laughed. ¡°I can bite too, you know?¡±


    Once Ginger had retreated safely to Vess¡¯ side, Fai opened the door and immediately, a short, stout figure darted out. It was so fast that Ginger only saw a stroke of gold cross his vision and then¡­


    ¡°Shunting Shamans!¡± he exclaimed and belatedly realized that Bwoon was already in the field. The diminutive thing had flashed away at an astounding speed.


    When Ginger turned and briskly walked out of the stable, he finally saw a more grounded mass of gold racing along the fence. Bwoon¡¯s identity was finally revealed to him¡­ but only because she was trotting.


    Bwoon was a pony ¨C a very round one. She had lustrous golden hair, her mane a wild tangle with a paler shade. She had powerful legs, however short they were, and her tail was bushy and white. Perhaps the most¡­ unique thing about her was the fact that it seemed all she had in her mouth were great buck teeth. Her jaw and mouth were deformed because of it. Her lips never touched. Most of the time, she had to wear a brilliant, toothy grin.


    The look in her eyes was nothing short of demented. She only spared a minute to bounce off the ground in a little prance and then started racing around the field, her eyes opened unnaturally wide. She once again became a long strip of gold that followed the circular fence.


    ¡°Uhh...¡± Ginger gaped, befuddled.


    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± said Fai. The look on his face was similar to the one Shan had on as she watched the pony.


    ¡°What exactly is¡­ she?¡± Ginger asked.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be better acquainted with monsters, Ginger,¡± said Vess as he folded four of his arms. ¡°That¡¯s a monster. A real one.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the recluse, Ginger,¡± Fai interjected. ¡°She¡¯s a pony. Very young. Of course, she¡¯s not wholly a pony. Vess has had to learn that the hard way.¡±


    Ginger had gathered as much ¨C that Bwoon had to be a mix of horse and not horse ¨C but what vexed him was that this explanation, or perhaps confirmation, made Vess¡¯ statement just now sound rather insensitive, to say the least.


    Had he been hinting at the monsters Ginger would know from the Wild, or had he been implying that Ginger, as a hybrid himself, was a monster? It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Vess happened to be a pure-blooded¡­ whatever class of species he belonged to.


    But Ginger didn¡¯t dwell on that.


    ¡°In any case, Bwoon is only going to slow us down for a little bit,¡± said Fai. ¡°I¡¯m the only one Bwoon tolerates enough to allow things like injections, and even then, she gets rough. I¡¯d use Sorcery to make the process easier, but Shan and Long have forbidden us all from doing so, I¡¯m afraid. Ah. It¡¯d be best if you keep that in mind too, Ginger.¡±


    Ginger slowly nodded while Vess grumbled.


    The plump dragonling didn¡¯t know what the caterpillar¡¯s role here was exactly, but if he wasn¡¯t allowed to use Sorcery to aid himself with tasks relating to the horses¡­


    ¡®No wonder he¡¯s so grumpy.¡¯


    Fai received a syringe from Vess and began after Bwoon. Shan, likely recognizing what time it was, mobilized Silver Stroke and the other horses to pin the pony. Or at least try to.


    But Bwoon also seemed to realize what time it was. She weaved and dodged all the formations the father and daughter duo composed with the help of the other horses. Fai collapsed a few times, courtesy of Bwoon¡¯s trickery, as did the other horses and Shan herself.


    Ginger barely bit back a laugh.


    He let it loose when he saw Fai give Shan a pleading look. There was no mystery there. He was begging her to allow them to use Sorcery to catch the pony. She refused, and they continued to fruitlessly chase after Bwoon for more than half an hour.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°A nice family, isn¡¯t it? Must be nice,¡± said Vess suddenly when Ginger was wiping away tears.


    ¡°What?¡± he said, composing himself.


    The caterpillar turned to him, his beady eyes drawing in his.


    ¡°Did you fit in back in the Wild, or did you move here because you couldn¡¯t find a place you belonged among the humans?¡± he asked.


    Ginger considered him, trying his best not to lose himself in the depths of those eyes.


    ¡°In the Wild, belonging is a luxury. And family¡­ Family is a treasure that has nothing to do with blood, but even then, it¡¯s rare. For most, there¡¯s only allies to count on,¡± he said. ¡°I have a family. Only three people. And in the Wild, only their opinions matter to me.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± scoffed Vess. He seemed jealous of even this. ¡°Allies, you say? Oh, I understand that. I¡¯ve worked for Fai for fifty-seven years and I¡¯ve never quite felt like family. Not that I ever asked to be included into the mushy circle.¡±


    Ginger frowned.


    ¡°Why do you work for him?¡±


    The question seemed to offend the caterpillar.


    ¡°Oh, you can guess why,¡± he said, and then his eyes narrowed. ¡°Judging by your reaction earlier, you know why for certain.¡±


    Ginger couldn¡¯t help but lower his gaze. The pangs of guilt felt like syringe needles to his brain.


    Indeed, he could tell why Vess worked for Fai.


    Despite the abundance of inhuman species here in Ravi, there was a clear divide drawn by intelligence and a certain degree of humanoid quality. The creatures that drew carriages, for instance, were valued less outside of the usefulness of their stamina and strength. But as it were, there were others that looked a lot like them, walking on two legs in Proin, and reading newspapers ¨C flaunting self-respect and dignity.


    It stood to reason then that the non-dragon society had standards and biases of its own. A creature like Vess with an¡­unusual build, yet also featuring intelligence was not quite welcome. He couldn¡¯t find employment. His appearance was met¡­ oddly, perhaps.


    But Fai must have taken him in and given him work, pay, and a place to sleep.


    Ginger didn¡¯t know about the more intricate details. He figured there was something missing from the reasoning he had constructed on his own. He remembered seeing lumbering giants on the sidewalk in Proin when he first arrived in Ravi. They fit in snugly with the rest.


    So, was Vess so bad by Ravi¡¯s standard?


    Emitting an awkward cough, Ginger found the courage to face the caterpillar again.


    ¡°Then¡­ why are you so put off?¡± he said and turned to where Shan and Fai were still chasing Bwoon. ¡°If you never asked them to see you as family, why does seeing them like that bother you? Isn¡¯t what Fai has given you already¡­ enough?¡±


    Vess considered the boy.


    ¡°Help me with the hay,¡± he said, instead of giving an answer. Ginger knew the many-legged bastard had weaved; he was likely the kind that didn¡¯t like being overly vulnerable. Perhaps, for a moment, he had imagined he and Ginger had much in common and decided to share.


    The plump dragonling didn¡¯t mind helping him. As Vess turned and pointed to what needed to be moved and to where, he followed.


    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡± cried a voice right then.


    Vess and Ginger turned sharply, hearts pounding.


    But it was too late. Before the latter could pull his head to see just what he was being warned against, a golden flash crashed into him.


    A jarring white light overtook his vision for a split second, and he slammed hard onto the ground.


    ¡­Yet, the ground wasn¡¯t nearly as hard as it was just a moment ago. It was like a giant pillow on Ginger¡¯s back, and he could sense Mana Essence brimming from it. The part of him that could process thought at that moment told him someone had used Sorcery to soften his fall.


    But why was Ginger heavy?


    Why was a hefty weight with four prongs pressing down on his torso from above?


    Ginger¡¯s vision adjusted. The first thing he saw was a great golden belly shifting ever so slightly. A bushy tail was whipping his pants, and four hooves were pressing on his grey jersey.


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Ginger grunted.


    Bwoon was standing on him, and it didn¡¯t seem as though she was planning to leave anytime soon. She whinnied and snorted energetically.


    ¡°H-hey!¡± he struggled to say with the weight squeezing the air out of him. Ginger¡¯s head scrolled left and right. He spotted Vess¡¯ many ¡®feet¡¯ backing further and further away. He wasn¡¯t going to help.


    The bastard!


    A sharp breath had Ginger coughing, dust having siphoned itself into his nose and mouth. Still, he managed a few words as the pony aboard his mass shifted its hoofing.


    ¡°Bwoon! Bwoon, get off!¡± the plump dragonling cried.


    At once, the pony¡¯s weight disappeared and Ginger felt sweet relief. He might have been weightless now. He hurried to stand up and began sweeping off the dirt from his uniform, scarf, and sling bag. Then, without missing a beat, he stabbed Vess with a glare.


    The giant caterpillar looked oddly stunned at first, but then he shrugged with all arms and shook his head.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t have saved you,¡± he said, almost in a way that made his sentence make sense.


    ¡°I thought so.¡± Ginger scowled and continued patting himself off.


    ¡°Oh. Well¡­ this is a surprise.¡± Fai had come running, Shan in tow. A bewildered look was on his face as he looked at Ginger. The plump dragonling imagined that seeing him get knocked down by the golden pony had not been what the head of the Stalwart Stallions had had in mind for his latest recruit this morning. Oddly though¡­


    ¡°Ginger. You¡­¡± It was Shan, failing to finish her sentence while looking at him with a look of confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Ginger said assuringly.


    ¡°No. Not that,¡± said Fai, scratching somewhere behind his thicket of old hair.


    ¡°What?¡± Ginger looked between father and daughter. ¡°What?¡±


    Shan circled around him. Fai continued to look dumbfounded. Vess, on the other hand, had a suspicious broad grin.


    Shan finally stopped right in front of the plump dragonling.


    ¡°What happened to Bwoon?¡± she asked him.


    It took Ginger a moment to process this. Bwoon? He frowned.


    Had Shan and Fai not seen how the pony had tackled him into the dirt? No. They did see it. They warned him beforehand and one of them must have used some spell to turn the ground soft so Ginger wouldn¡¯t get hurt.


    ¡®So why?¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ginger said and turned around. ¡°She jumped off me just now and¡­¡±


    His frown grew deeper. Only Vess was behind him. Bwoon was nowhere to be seen. Had she gone back into her stall?


    ¡°Er¡­ Did she run off again?¡± the boy said.


    Fai silently shook his head.


    ¡°No,¡± said Shan and she cradled his face with her hands. Again, the boy felt the rough texture on them, just like when he shook her hand last Breather. ¡°I think¡­¡± She hesitated and grabbed his shoulders and then his arms, scanning him. ¡°I think Bwoon is inside you.¡±

 The Ponys Other Half

    ¡°I think Bwoon is inside you.¡±


    Ginger didn¡¯t know why, but the wording Shan used made him feel a fondling chill grasp his spine. He shivered. It was the last thing he had expected to hear, and perhaps because it caught him in such an awkward situation, he saw himself in the darkness of the chamber in the Beginner¡¯s Den once again.


    But the false vision disappeared just as quickly as it had spawned in.


    ¡°W-what?¡± the plump dragonling asked.


    Shan continued to search him, the crease on her forehead growing.


    ¡°Bwoon was standing on top of you just now, but then she disappeared,¡± she said, but then shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s more like¡­ she just fed herself into you in the blink of an eye. I thought I¡¯d been see it wrong at first, but¡­¡± She stopped.


    She was holding out Ginger¡¯s right arm now and looking just behind it. A tense look was on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she ordered the boy, and he tensed as well, losing the grace to blush.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What do you see?¡± To Ginger, something horrifying was happening to him, judging by Shan¡¯s tone. She might have spotted a crazy lump born of some deadly plague on his arm, or perhaps some huge bite mark made by Bwoon.


    But no, no!


    Shan had just said Bwoon was somehow inside Ginger.


    What was it that made her look so worried?


    Fai rushed over. The moment he saw what Shan was looking at, he emitted an ¡°Oh!¡±


    That didn¡¯t make Ginger feel any better. He couldn¡¯t hold back his broken voice. What had that demented pony done to him?


    ¡°What is it?!¡±


    Right then, Vess threw his head (front end) back and laughed.


    Everyone lanced him with a glare.


    He waved his hands while shrugging.


    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± hissed Fai.


    ¡°Relax. It¡¯s nothing bad. Or at least I hope,¡± said the caterpillar, and he approached. He too gazed at what everyone except Ginger could see. ¡°Bwoon has grown a bit since the last time you saw her. Her other traits are starting to kick in. We couldn¡¯t tell what else she was made of before, but now, I think I have a pretty good idea.¡±


    ¡°You could have led with that!¡± Fai hissed again and then sighed. ¡°What is her other half?¡±


    Before Vess could answer, Shan, much to Ginger¡¯s added confusion, made several rapid gestures with her hands. She was Weaving. Mana Essence gathered around her hands and formed a small, borderless mirror. She held it up for the dragonling so that he could see what everyone else saw.


    It was a considerate gesture that Ginger was desperately grateful for, but he didn¡¯t show it immediately. His eyes zoomed in on the reflection.


    There was something indeed, under his jersey and under the shirt he wore beneath it. Something sparked with a faint, golden glow and then vanished for a few seconds. Again, it shone brilliantly, its radiance piercing through the fabrics. It was on Ginger¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Uh¡­ is that¡­?¡± the plump boy said nervously, paling, and failed to finish the sentence.


    ¡°Bwoon? I think so,¡± answered Shan, and then she turned to Vess.


    That was the caterpillar¡¯s cue to respond to Fai¡¯s question. He folded his arms against his ¡®chest¡¯ again, a grin on his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s part Bectorial,¡± he said.


    Fai¡¯s brows rose. It wasn¡¯t immediately clear if there was any negative or positive conclusion under his expression. He gave another, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Shan, on the other hand, beamed¡­ as much as her stiff face allowed.


    ¡°Bectorial? Are you sure? I didn¡¯t know they could force their hosts to produce young with their genetics, and safely at that,¡± she said and looked at the gleam behind Ginger¡¯s jersey.


    Vess shrugged.


    ¡°Eh, that complicated stuff with research and all is more your strong suit, Shan. I only know the basics,¡± he said and met Ginger¡¯s questioning gaze. He answered before the boy could ask. ¡°A Bectorial is a kind of sentient parasitic fungi. They are huge and can move on their own, but their bodies aren¡¯t all the way material. They need hosts, and because of their size and biology, they need large, strong ones. One must have infected a horse ¨C likely because it desired speed rather than strength. And then somehow, Bwoon was born. We never did find her mother.¡±


    ¡®Bectorial?¡¯ Ginger found himself thinking. He knew about fungi, but it was no more a threat to humans than common mushrooms. To think that here on Ravi, it was such a competent threat to the natural order of living things.


    Indeed, it was as Professor Hennigar had said. Ravi was vast.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he said, ¡°Bwoon¡­ infected me?¡± His own wording made his face sink.


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    Fai gave a sigh. He had been silently contemplating the matter.


    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like that,¡± he said, patting Ginger¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it took me by surprise that Bwoon was a mix of fungi, but it¡¯s not likely to be anything dangerous.¡± He shook his head and gave a short, sniffy laugh. ¡°I should have noticed. It makes sense now, why she likes running and knocking into things ¨C moreso than the average pony.¡±


    Shan frowned.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ginger also wanted to know.


    Vess, scoffing, was the one to elaborate before his employer.


    ¡°Bectorials need to accelerate the activity of each of their cells before they can infect a host. Their bodies aren¡¯t wholly material, so to make sure that their physical bits also siphon into their choice of vessel and meld in with their physical qualities, they move erratically for as long as they need to ¨C sometimes even months. They test their readiness by crashing into other organisms and checking the result. They are usually never in danger if an infection goes wrong. Only the host dies in that case.¡±


    It sounded a little terrifying to Ginger. He remembered Bwoon running about as a golden flash. There was a purpose to that? But she didn¡¯t go about knocking into the other horses or even Vess, Shan, or Fai though.


    ¡°Bwoon is not a pure Bectorial,¡± said Fai with a calm smile to Ginger. He must have sensed the boy¡¯s apprehension. ¡°She has a body of her own, and she can¡¯t infect others in the same way Bectorials too can. She¡¯s as much of a horse as Silver Stroke and the rest. She craves connections and recognizes her own. She¡¯s been trained too, so she knows what it means to play the role of carrier and steed. But of course¡­¡± He laughed. ¡°She despises us all.¡±


    Ginger sucked in his lips.


    ¡®Oh. But if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t like you all¡­ She chose me, then?¡± he asked and immediately collapsed in on himself with cringe. He didn¡¯t know what had come over him to make such a childish inquiry. Or did he?


    Shan and Fai smiled in the sort of way people holding back laughs did.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± said the latter. ¡°Like I said. Bwoon despises every one of us, but that¡¯s not exactly true in your case. She¡¯s only just met you. She must have decided to bond with you for her first try to exercise her powers.¡±


    The ¡°Oh¡± that Ginger gave off right then was more spiritless than any of Fai¡¯s.


    Vess snickered.


    Shan turned to him sharply.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t the research type, but you described things about Bectorials that even I didn¡¯t know about. You¡¯ve been reading in your spare time, haven¡¯t you?¡± she accused.


    Vess stuttered.


    ¡°You little¡­! I¡¯ve done no such thing!¡±


    Meanwhile, Fai beckoned Ginger to Bwoon¡¯s stall.


    ¡°Let me have a good look at you in there.¡±


    The two quickly slid away from Vess and Shan who continued to bicker. Once they were inside Bwoon¡¯s empty stall, Ginger took off his jersey and shirt. Fai Weaved and produced a mirror quite like the one Shan had. They were quicker with their Preparation than he was. The mirror-conjuring spell was likely a bit more complicated than Small of the Back, but they didn¡¯t use Incantations.


    Fai held out the mirror for Ginger to see. A spot of gold was shimmering on his skin. Ginger thought it was vaguely shaped like a pony, but that might have been a bias caused by his anxious mind. He couldn¡¯t feel anything from it at all, which suggested that Bwoon did not loosen her tendrils into his flesh, exerting some level of control over him. That was good.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing much I can say about this, unfortunately. She¡¯s just¡­ there. I had thought that she would jump out ¨C or maybe off ¨C after she was satisfied, but she doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving your¡­ skin,¡± Fai said, the slightest wrinkle of concern appearing on his temple. ¡°It could be that she simply hasn¡¯t learned how, but I can¡¯t be sure. We¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± There was a conflict in Ginger. He had regarded Bwoon as some demented, mystical horse before, but now¡­ he thought differently. Well, maybe his sentiments towards horses ¨C built upon traumas from the Wild ¨C were slowly overtaking him. It was hard to tell.


    ¡°I heard you tell Bwoon off when she was standing on you,¡± Fai said.


    ¡°Yes. That was when she¡­¡± Ginger gave a shrug that completed the sentence.


    ¡°Oh. Interesting.¡± Fai narrowed his eyes.


    Soon, the two were out of the stall. Shan was back with the horses and Vess was feeding and injecting the many of them still held in their stalls.


    ¡°Have you ridden a horse before, Ginger?¡± Fai asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s find you a steed. Feel free to choose from the ones inside or the ones outside.¡±


    Ginger wore a nervous smile.


    He had known it would come to this, and he was quite excited. There were so many choices, it was suffocating.


    Swiftly stepping away from Fai, he started considering his options one by one. The plump dragonling didn¡¯t know what criteria to use for his choice. The horses in Ravi seemed bigger and stronger than the ones from the Wild. In his eyes, they achieved a similar level of bulk and height, giving him the illusion that on that front, they were all the same.


    He switched to considering their colors and their¡­ teeth.


    One blew a raspberry in his face, spit raining on him. Its breath was atrocious.


    It lost a hundred points in Ginger¡¯s consideration.


    Another gave him an ominous look, as though promising him a kick as soon as it got the chance. It was a shame. Ginger had been entranced by its pristine white color.


    Fai and Vess had laughed.


    ¡°Wise choice! Bau¡¯s tried to kill me several times!¡± the latter shouted as Ginger moved away from the white gelding.


    The dragonling considered six ¡®normal¡¯ horses after that, but for some reason, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to pick any of them. He couldn¡¯t poke at the reason why.


    He had begun to think he should just choose one at random ¨C avoiding Bau, of course ¨C when finally¡­


    ¡°This one!¡±


    The plump dragonling chose a strangely reserved-looking horse with a thick coat of black hair and white spots over its eyes. It disregarded his presence when he stood before it, but when he called its name, Zeng, (kindly provided by Vess when he asked) it stepped forward and stood as close to him as it could from inside the stall.


    Ginger beamed. Now this was more like it.


    ¡°Oho. Great choice. Zeng is very obedient and composed. He rarely gets nervous in unfriendly terrain or when danger is afoot. I can think of no horse better for you. Well, at least for the journey we need to make,¡± said Fai. That reassured Ginger quite a bit.


    Together, they led the horse into the field, with Ginger trying his best to earn Zeng¡¯s favor. He fed the horse a bit of the treats Fai handed him and stroked the dark coat while muttering sweet nothings in the horse¡¯s ear. Honestly, he might have been begging the horse to go easy on him.


    Fai and Shan saddled up the dark horse and gave Ginger a crash course on how all the proper horse-riding equipment worked. The dragonling nodded more times than he had done in the last Stride. In the end, he was convinced he got everything.


    ¡°Alright. He¡¯s ready. Jump on,¡± Fai told him.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ginger said and breathed out a sharp fooo. It was a trifle getting on Zeng¡¯s back with a single leap off the ground.


    ¡­But he never managed it.


    Zeng suddenly panicked, stood on his hind legs, and darted ten meters away before turning to the trio and sitting on the ground.


    Ginger dropped from midair, gaping.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Did I do something wrong?¡± he asked while staring at the black horse. He couldn¡¯t understand. Fai had said Zeng was the most composed horse here. So why¡­


    Fai laughed, much to Shan and Ginger¡¯s surprise. Vess¡¯ laughter, bold and mocking came from the stables. He had been watching. Quite like the man with the grizzled hair, he knew what was going on.


    ¡°I suspected this was going to be the case. It seems a certain pony doesn¡¯t want you riding other horses,¡± said Fai.

 Pony Lord

    Again, Ginger was getting ready to ride, but with a more anxious look than before.


    Was he really doing this? Had the situation escalated to the point where this was the only conclusion and solution? Who would have thought?


    Well, Vess and Fai had seen it coming. They were watching him right now, the former grinning mischievously.


    With a cough that wasn¡¯t a cough ¨C hoping to delay the inevitable even by a little ¨C Ginger resigned to his fate. He would be riding today. There was no way around that. Even riding in a cart wasn¡¯t going to cut it.


    ¡®I bet Ancor would have enjoyed seeing this,¡¯ he thought and he prepared to get on his ride.


    It wasn¡¯t Zeng who was going to be his steed, however.


    It was the damned, grinning pony!


    The pony in front of Ginger whinnied and a bushy white tail smacked him in the face. It was a command to hurry up.


    Bwoon was a very rude creature, Ginger concluded.


    ¡°I get it, I get it!¡± he cried and stroked the pony¡¯s golden furs. A moment later, he jumped onto Bwoon¡¯s back and grabbed her reins. He took a moment, a part of him hoping the pony would buckle. She didn¡¯t, of course. In fact, she barely budged at all. She shook her head and her thick mane slapped Ginger¡¯s nose.


    The boy sighed and looked pleadingly at Fai.


    The man with the grizzled hair had been right, and frankly, he seemed glad that his assumptions were spot-on.


    As it turned out, the golden spot on Ginger¡¯s back ¨C where Bwoon had infected earlier ¨C had been more than just a beautiful intermittent glow. In that state, Bwoon was still capable of perceiving the world, even though, as Fai later explained, she didn¡¯t use Ginger¡¯s senses to do so.


    She was more horse than the horses at the farm. She could influence them in ways even Vess had never known. When Ginger had tried to ride Zeng, Bwoon had threatened the poor gelding, somehow making him refuse to yield to Ginger; that was why the black horse had fled from the boy.


    The threatening part was merely conjecture on Fai and Vess¡¯ part though. What Bwoon did to Zeng wasn¡¯t tied to Sorcery, so it was hard to parse with magical logic.


    It wasn¡¯t only Zeng who was coerced into leaving Ginger steedless.


    Fai and Vess had tried with all the horses that were outside including Silver Stroke. They all dashed away as soon as Ginger tried to ride them.


    Bau, the roughest and most murderous of them all ¨C thought to have been a garron in his past life ¨C was called as the finalist to the experiment. Surely, he would not be bullied by a pony. Right?


    But the mighty horse was left cowering too after falling prey to whatever influence Bwoon expelled.


    ¡°This is new territory for all of us,¡± Fai had said. ¡°Bectorials come in different varieties, even if they aren¡¯t too common. I imagine Bwoon is not only awakening her own brand of abilities as a half-Bectorial, but also qualities normal horses don¡¯t usually have access to. This must be one of them ¨C the ability to impress her will on other horses.¡±


    ¡°But as for why she¡¯s sticking with you, and perhaps even insisting to be your steed¡­ Well, I imagine it has to be tied to you being a hybrid yourself. That, or she¡¯s in an abnormally good mood.¡±


    After Fai¡¯s assessment, Bwoon had swiftly poured out of the brand she had marked on Ginger and stood firm and still in front of him. Her intent was clear.


    You will ride no one but me.


    Ginger had been unwilling. He wanted to ride a horse, not a pony. Bwoon¡¯s back barely reached his waist. If he were to ride the little thing in public, even residents of the Wild would give him shaming looks.


    The dragonling had argued that the little pony couldn¡¯t support his weight and would likely collapse of exhaustion midway through their journey, but Fai had reassured him that Bwoon was much stronger than she looked.


    ¡°Believe me. She can handle it,¡± he had said with great confidence.


    And indeed, Bwoon could. Ginger, seeing it for himself in real time, hesitated to frown. Perhaps the pony had some supernatural ability to see from the back of her head too. She wouldn¡¯t appreciate having an unwilling rider.


    Bwoon neighed, her grin ever wide.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± asked Shan.


    Ginger sighed.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ sturdy,¡± he said.


    ¡°There we go.¡± Fai nodded. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll see how well she¡¯ll tolerate you on the road.¡±


    And with that, it was time to leave. Ginger didn¡¯t like how awfully calm everyone was being about this though. Heck, even Bwoon was behaving like a normal pony. She didn¡¯t start galloping all around the field at freakish speeds like before.


    While Shan and Fai were preparing their horses, Ginger decided to see how easy ¨C or hard ¨Ccontrolling Bwoon was going to be.


    Oddly, she was very compliant. Following Fai and Shan¡¯s instruction from earlier, Ginger whipped the reins lightly and the pony began at a trot. She allowed him to steer and at times, she even adhered to the slightest instruction he gave by speech.


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    ¡®Did Vess really train all these horses this well? Fai did say Bwoon was trained, but how can she understand speech?¡¯ the dragonling asked himself.


    It was all vexing.


    While the pony¡¯s ability to handle his weight and still be able to run as quickly as she wanted could be attributed to her Bectorial half, it was also bizarre. Ginger knew onlookers wouldn¡¯t see all the mystical stuff about the horse though ¨C only abuse.


    Vess came over after he finished dosing all the horses and let them all out into the large field.


    ¡°Well, this has been a most unusual day,¡± he said. ¡°The dubious halfling astride a golden pony. It has a nice ring, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Ginger frowned at him. He imagined Reiss would have rolled on the ground laughing if he heard it. He swore right then that if he managed to lose the pony after this Hunt, he would not speak of it to his friends. Ever.


    But then again¡­ weren¡¯t they planning to join the Stalwart Stallions too?


    Groaning, Ginger made Bwoon draw closer to Vess. He might have looked like some impressive pony lord addressing his subject. Well, the pony was the lord in this case. Ginger even hesitated to dismount.


    ¡°What were you injecting into the horses?¡± he asked the caterpillar, prompted by the syringe he saw in one of Vess¡¯ hands.


    Vess put it away and began taking off his dirty, black gloves.


    ¡°Ha, you wouldn¡¯t know, would you? I¡¯m only now realizing that you¡¯re not just a halfling but you¡¯re also new to Ravi,¡± he said before sighing and answering the boy¡¯s question begrudgingly. ¡°It¡¯s the Neel-Rye vaccine. Horses are particularly sensitive, and while that is an indispensable trait for them as steeds, it can be a detriment to them as horses ¨C animals. There are countless illnesses that can latch onto them; parasitic organisms too. The vaccine prevents that. We lend these horses for all sorts of purposes.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Ginger asked, brows rising.


    ¡°Of course we do. How do you think I make a living? Fai doesn¡¯t pay me from his own pockets.¡±


    Ginger supposed that made sense. He had underestimated Vess¡¯ abilities. Even though he was shunned by most, it seemed some people were more than happy to approach the horse farm and tolerate him all because they trusted Fai¡¯s brand. The man had said he had many farms, after all. He must have had a great reputation.


    Bwoon snorted right then. She seemed eager to get on the road. Ginger could understand, but he wished she would stop grinning.


    Speaking of the pony, he had been about to ask why she hadn¡¯t been injected but surmised on his own that perhaps she likely didn¡¯t need it¡­ anymore. Instead, he asked:


    ¡°Where did you get Bwoon?¡±


    ¡°Long found her somewhere. I never cared to ask where, but apparently, her mother was dead and Long had to cut the pony out of her.¡±


    Ginger wished he¡¯d never asked. But not because the story was too bleak for his ears. No. He simply didn¡¯t want to start¡­ feeling things for the pony. It hadn¡¯t ended well the last time he had a loyal ride. Unfortunately, even he knew that as long as everything went smooth on the Hunt, that was bound to happen. Well, if things went bad, it would likely happen faster.


    Shan and Fai came over soon. The former was riding Silver Stroke, her duffel bag strapped to her saddle. The latter was riding a stallion that looked a lot like Zeng, only with a white tail and no spots over its eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way now, Vess. Take care,¡± said Fai with a dismissive wave.


    Shan rode Silver Stroke around the caterpillar, narrowed her eyes, and said her own piece:


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Long that you¡¯re reading.¡±


    Vess got hot about that all of a sudden.


    ¡°You can¡¯t prove it!¡± he cried, but it was all too clear: he had lost. Shan rode away, following after Fai.


    Bwoon began after them. As she did, Ginger turned to the caterpillar and waved.


    ¡°¡­Bye,¡± he found himself saying awkwardly. The caterpillar scoffed.


    ¡°Ride, dubious halfling,¡± he said and turned back to the horses.


    ¡­


    Even after they left the farm and reached the road streaming and meandering out of Proin, the three riders did not pick up their pace. Fai brought out a map and began mumbling to himself as he read it while Shan searched for something in her duffel bag.


    Feeling slightly awkward in the silence, Ginger brushed Bwoon¡¯s thick mane. He didn¡¯t know if she could even feel it, much less enjoy it. It wasn¡¯t quite clear if she liked him or not.


    He continued to do it anyway. It felt quite good on his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her behave so well,¡± Shan suddenly said to him. Ginger gave her a lopsided smile.


    ¡°I wish I could say it was because I was special.¡± Shan smiled at that. Nothing made other people laugh more than self-deprecating humor. It had been hilarious when Ginger had thought the pony had chosen him earlier. The boy still cringed at that.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit special at school?¡± the purple-haired girl asked.


    ¡°If getting teased and shunned makes me special, then I suppose I am,¡± he said, but with a firm face. He wasn¡¯t looking for sympathy. Not from Shan, at least. The last thing he wanted was to appear weak in front of her. He felt¡­differently about her than someone like Caron.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother you though.¡± That wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°No. Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then that makes you special. Father and I know many species out there that don¡¯t do so well when constantly pressured about their identities and genetics.¡±


    ¡°Like Vess?¡±


    ¡°Vess is one of the better ones.¡±


    Ginger considered. A slight blush rolled across his face.


    ¡°I have friends that help me keep my sanity. I think they are the special ones,¡± he said. He couldn¡¯t have taken all the credit. What would Ancor think if he heard his prot¨¦g¨¦ was getting a big head?


    Shan laughed¡­modestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to look down on yourself.¡±


    Ginger shook his head, his blush becoming blusher.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± He had wanted to reference how he had been bragging in his own mind about his talent at Sorcery in class last Stride.


    ¡­But then he remembered that just minutes ago, he had been measuring his amateurish skill in Sorcery against Fai and Shan¡¯s. Seeing how much better they were than him had made him feel a bit glum even though it logically shouldn¡¯t.


    Right then, a carriage rushed past them on its way to Proin.


    On the wide road, somehow pressed flat and lacking so much as a pebble, grooves marked out four lanes, two narrower than the others.


    The narrow ones, with one on both ends of the road, were reserved for horses, and the wide ones for larger vehicles. The trio was riding in a single narrow lane. All sorts of vehicles had been streaking past them. Ginger was happy that most of them carried individuals who didn¡¯t care to take a look outside.


    The further away they moved from Proin, the richer the surroundings got. Communities of strange, civilized creatures Ginger had never seen appeared on both sides of the road. Houses, wells, neat vendor stalls, farms, bridges as well as bold statues emerged, clean pathways branching from the main road towards them. There was chatter everywhere as the number of people grew and even riders as well. Some were far into the horizon, scaling hills and crossing rivers. It was enchanting.


    Beasts rode on beasts, some scarier than others. Some of the individuals the trio met were dressed like common men, but some might have been cosplaying as death¡¯s mercenaries.


    After successfully steering the conversation between him and Shan away from his low self-esteem, Ginger asked Shan about the names of each peculiar race they came across. He was particularly interested in the identities and occupations of those who seemed rather¡­ battle-ready in their attire.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shortage of mercenary work here in Ravi ¨C hired hands. Freelancers with some combat skill or knowledge about certain dangerous zones sell their expertise. It¡¯s not always dark though. Not everyone¡¯s out hiring mercenaries to kill someone or steal treasure. Some hire them as exploration guides or to find missing persons. The Bureau can be highly inefficient when it comes to everyone¡¯s needs,¡± Shan explained, a slight frown growing on her face.


    ¡°The Bureau?¡± Ginger asked.


    But right then, Fai looked up from his map.


    ¡°Oh. Look what we have here. Bad news with a deceptively bright glow.¡±


    Something bright was flying their way, shimmering in an emerald green. Indeed, it was a dark omen.

 News From The Horizon Glider

    It wasn¡¯t just the trio and their steeds who found themselves as targets for the green projectile. It hardly counted as a projectile really, given that it didn¡¯t move terribly fast, motivated by the intention to catch its target off guard.


    Besides, it had a shape unlike most projectiles. It might have been a thin, headless bird, judging by its design. It kept an erect set of flat little wings out on either side of its body while keeping a strangely steady trajectory. Plumes of something flatter than its wings sprang from its back end, no doubt to improve its stability.


    Several hundred such things were flying towards every vehicle moving along the road and every individual notable by the eye. Everyone Ginger could see received these ¡®creatures¡¯ ¨C as he assumed ¨C readily¡­ and then unfolded them.


    The boy reeled when Fai unraveled the little thing as though it were paper.


    Wait. It was paper. The green sort that Ginger had never seen before.


    As the man with the grizzled hair unraveled it, some image, illusory but detailed, rose from the paper, along with a crisp feminine voice.


    ¡°Good morning citizens of the Wester Region. This is Avarrel Moss, your ever-devoted bringer of brighter and darker omens. Hopefully, my voice is as sweet to your ears as always ¨C if you happen to have those. Alas, as beautiful of a day as we have this Breather, I must dilute it with a bit of darkness. The Living Storm, Avi, has returned to Ravi, and our hardworking team of Meteorological Sorcerers has discerned its path for the next few Strides. Be sure to note the following cities, towns, and villages in case your residence falls within any of them.¡±


    Ginger gaped lightly. The voice alone would have staggered him ¨C not unpleasantly, of course ¨C but the image that swam from the green paper did more harm to his mental unpreparedness.


    It was a rather vivid and colorful image detailing Ravi ¨C or part of it, as Ginger determined. A massive storm cloud, darker than he had known storm clouds to be able to get, was moving over this detailed landmass slowly, throbbing with tendrils of lightning. The image might have been very small, but Ginger knew that if it was ever drawn to scale¡­


    ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± said Fai, whipping up a hand between them.


    The voice from the green paper droned on:


    ¡°¡­Mallion, Ever-Mount, Fort Barrion, West Acre, The Barnyard, Crescent Crown, Vermillion Valley, Fort Carrion. For specific details ¨C concerning the exact dates and for which Strides ¨C refer to the locations I have stated and their respective marks on the Horizon Glider.¡±


    ¡°And this is the Horizon Glider, Ginger,¡± said Fai immediately after the voice of Avarrel Moss hit a pause. He gave the unfolded paper a quick shake. ¡°It¡¯s a messenger of sorts, a construct derived from Sorcery. It delivers all the important news from the Bureau to all registered citizens of Ravi above 100 years old. It was developed after an Eternal Mandate was passed to cater to non-dragons. Olarmanders don¡¯t exactly work well as messengers if you¡¯re anything other than a dragon. That¡¯s why the Gliders exist.¡±


    Reiss had explained to Ginger in excruciating detail what the Bureau was. The boy¡¯s father worked there, after all.


    It was a governing body established by the dragons during the rise of the Five Ancient Elders Cycles ago. As the Tallies progressed however, with prominent non-dragons fighting for the rights of their kind, many other species took on seats within the Bureau and were able to establish laws that countered the excessive authority of the dragons on society for the better.


    As Ginger donned a look of understanding, Shan and Fai¡¯s attention remained pinned on the surface of the Horizon Glider. Avarrel had moved on to a different topic.


    ¡°¡­thus Honorary Seat Holder, Antia Propyrgio Draggard-Phoenix, also known for her prestigious position as the Principal of Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born; her designation as First Anchor of the Ravi Defence Order; her astounding title as three-time Champion of the Crescent Crown Tourney, among other titles, has been maintaining a steady stance against the Eternal Mandate, however much the Conservative Union have been pushing to have it approved. And of course, the news regarding the famed dragon continues to flare ¨C as it has been for the last Tally. The Avecsalot Family has once again pushed for an investigation of the Draggard-Phoenix Family territory, claiming that a third of the lands belong to them as per the Scarlet Right supposedly left behind by their ancestor. Ooof! By Ebony, I¡¯ll say they are reeeelentless!¡±


    ¡°And as one might expect, Antia continues to deny the opposing Flame Seeker Family the right using her support from the Bureau. I imagine that some of you listening in have a stake in this matter, and frankly, I do too. My biased opinion is all but known by now, I think. Keep those petitions coming, dear friends. Let¡¯s keep the Avecsalots at bay!¡±


    Avarrel continued to spew news after news, but Fai and Shan were suddenly disinterested. The former packed the Horizon Glider away and then turned to Ginger with a bright smile.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re up to snuff about this bit of news,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, somewhat.¡± Ginger was quivering a little. He was filled to the brim with questions. He could have been boiling by now. ¡°I know Principal Phoenix is a¡­ scary dragon, and that she¡¯s being given a hard time because of her connection to the Ebony Dragon. I didn¡¯t know the details about this conflict with the Avecsalots. Well, I knew there was something there, but¡­ I didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with lands. What¡¯s that all about? And does Principal Phoenix work for the Bureau?¡±


    Confidently, Ginger could admit that Reiss might have answered all these questions in the last few Strides, but he usually filtered out information he wasn¡¯t interested in when the dwarfish dragonling began a sermon.


    Fai and Shan looked at each other. What was said in the delicate space between their eyes, Ginger would never know, but in the end, Shan was the one to soothe his boiling inquiries.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I think you heard much of it from Avarrel. Each of the Flame Seeker Families owns large masses of land in Ravi. The Wester Region, for instance ¨C here ¨C is largely the Draggard-Phoenix Family¡¯s territory. However, somewhere north, near the Norther Region, there¡¯s a portion of land the Avecsalot Family claims is theirs. They want Antia to relinquish it and are strangely adamant. The feud over that land began only a Tally ago, oddly enough. No one knows why the Avecsalot Family suddenly became interested in that land. It¡¯s no different from any other.¡±


    Bwoon snorted right then, startling Ginger, who had been intimately focused on Shan¡¯s account. He stroked the pony¡¯s mane, still unsure if that would mean anything to her.


    ¡°I see,¡± said the dragonling. Suddenly, what Ira had said to Vassilis made sense. When the boy had threatened to tell on Ginger because he mysteriously possessed information about the Perfect Execution, the gatekeeper had welcomed Vassilis to try and invoke his family¡¯s authority if he was confident about encroaching on Principal Phoenix¡¯s school.


    Back then, Ginger had thought he was merely referring to Antia¡¯s powers as the Principal of the Institute, which gave her power over the school and the students. However, a part of him had been a little vexed. As far as he knew, each of the Five Ancient Elders had apparently contributed something to the Draggard-Phoenix Institute for the Cinder-Born.


    Sopphira, the Argent Dragon, for instance, had created the Rebounding Seether, the gold flame nestled in the great mountain behind the school.


    In a way, that would mean that even if Principal Phoenix was well, principal, her authority could be challenged by the other Flame Seeker Family Heads since their ancestors had a stake in the school.


    But this new information made everything make a little more sense.


    ¡®He meant the Avecsalots can¡¯t just do as they please in Principal Phoenix¡¯s lands!¡¯


    Curiously though, there seemed to be some disconnect between how people treated Antia and how they considered her.


    Apparently, she was the scariest dragon in the present time, but there were still some people ¨C and quite a lot of them at that ¨C ready to challenge her. Why was that?


    Was it because they believed in the Avecsalots¡¯ prestige?


    But on the flip side¡­


    ¡°Why is¡­ Avarrel talking about supporting Principal Phoenix?¡± Ginger asked. ¡°I mean, I get it. The Flame Seeking Families must have some form of control over everyone who lives in their territories. Are the Avecsalots much worse than Principal Phoenix¡¯s Family?¡±


    The question must have meant a lot to Fai. He gave a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± He seemed to hesitate. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing Ginger. Because the Heads of each of the Flame Seeker Families and some of their Carrier Houses own such large masses of land ¨C a result of old Rights left by the Ancient Elders ¨C they all have Honorary Seats in the Bureau. They can even sway Eternal Mandates ¨C fundamental policies applied by the Bureau to govern social standards for dragons and non-dragons.¡± He gave another sigh.


    ¡°The Avecsalots are probably the better of the two Flame Seeker Families. They use their power to accelerate growth in their territories even if it means pressing the Bureau for benefits. They are quite strict but fair. Many in Ravi value that combination and choose to flock to their territory.¡±


    Ginger was a little disappointed to hear that. He had already conjured some exaggerated mascot in his mind with Vassilis¡¯ face, marching chin up and nostrils flared in streets where non-dragons were groveling and begging for money.


    He had imagined the Avecsalots were the worst sort, but as it turned out, they were better?


    ¡°What about Principal Phoenix?¡± he asked eagerly. He wished to preserve some semblance of the majestic, long-necked beauty he remembered from that one Assembly Strides ago.


    Shan pursed her lips.


    ¡°The Draggard-Phoenix Family is not really concerned with progression. The borders to Antia¡¯s territory are as lax as they can get and there¡¯s rarely anyone who checks up on who is living where. The Bureau handles that on her behalf. They favor her Family because she isn¡¯t always trying to pressure them with some Eternal Mandate or special favor she wants to pass,¡± the girl said. ¡°But¡­ the Draggard-Phoenix Family also doesn¡¯t have Carrier Houses so they don¡¯t have the manpower to distribute across their wide territory.¡±


    ¡°Carrier Houses?¡±


    Ginger remembered that Fillys and Alcaeus Doukas were part of a Carrier House. These were loyal followers of Flame Seeker Families. They were practically bred to handle the affairs of Flame Seeker Families. That was why the two Doukas siblings were also following Vassilis.


    ¡°Principal Phoenix has none at all?¡± Ginger asked.


    Shan shook her head.


    ¡°She used to, but Antia¡¯s reputation has declined so much over the Cycles that she lost her Carrier Houses to other Flame Seeker Families. There¡¯s also a rumor that the other Families know some secret of hers that they used to steal her loyal followers, but no one knows if that¡¯s true or not. The fact remains though: the only thing of Antia¡¯s that remains constant and firm is her undeniable formidability. She¡¯s very powerful, but in these times that doesn¡¯t count for a whole lot when laws, Mandates, and rulings are the standards of power. The Heads of the other Flame Seeker Families are powerful too.¡±


    Ginger¡¯s mood collapsed. He had taken a liking to Principal Phoenix after that Assembly when he saw her. His heart had leaped when she said she didn¡¯t care for everyone¡¯s backgrounds, and it was her saying that she preferred dragons not to cover their Cast that made the plump dragonling start wearing his scarf loose so his scales could be seen.


    The fact that Ira said she might have answers to what was happening with his second soul had also made Ginger favor the principal more. He had imagined that she had even more prestige than her supposed scariness but¡­


    Fai appraised the boy. It didn¡¯t take more than a glance for him to notice that Ginger saw Antia favorably.


    ¡°I settled here because I liked how loose everything is, you know? I wouldn¡¯t have been able to own as many farms as I wanted in the Avecsalot Family¡¯s territory. Sure, there¡¯s a lot more crime here, but that means more employment for freelancers.¡± He grinned. ¡°And of course, the Bureau is lax about development here in the Wester, however much authority they have because of Antia¡¯s loose grip. A shame. Shan, Long, and I used to hate that fact, but now¡­ it¡¯s one of the reasons we are thriving. I know for certain I wouldn¡¯t have been able to register a Hunting Limb anywhere else but here.¡±


    His grin revived some of Ginger¡¯s hopeful embers.


    ¡°I see.¡± He smiled. ¡°I did always find you a little¡­¡±


    ¡°A little what?¡± Fai raised a brow.


    ¡°N-nothing,¡± Ginger said hurriedly.


    Over the next few minutes, he considered what this new information changed about his circumstances. Surely, even with a plummeting reputation and some supposed dark secret under her belt that was enough to make her lose followers, Principal Phoenix was still a knowledgeable dragon. Ginger could still count on her.


    But if the heat was still on her like this¡­ would he really be able to talk to her soon? Apparently, some other Professor was currently handling Principal Phoenix¡¯s duties in her absence.


    ¡°Take a look at that,¡± Fai suddenly said when they were passing a rather noisy village called Oakboar ¨C likely because of the huge oaken boar statue that welcomed anyone who turned from the main road towards the village. He gave Ginger a small telescope.


    Ginger knew what the thing was and its purpose, but it had taken him a moment. The type of telescope he was used to wasn¡¯t quite so clean or refined. The Wild had geniuses, but they were all¡­ scruffy.


    Fai pointed somewhere North-West, beyond the great mountains on the horizon and urged Ginger to tell him what he saw with the telescope. As he put the instrument to his eye, Ginger had not expected to see so far. Worse yet, he hadn¡¯t expected to see something so¡­


    He paled.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± he said with an unintentionally broken voice.


    ¡°Indeed. That, my boy,¡± said Fai almost proudly, as though the thing were a second son of his, ¡°is a Living Storm.¡±