Bonding ritual

Today the magic training is held at the big pool of Liberum. We all practice some shape-shifting magic. The people of the Sea Realm have helped me master shapeshifting to every sea creature they know. The weirdest must have been to shapeshift into an octopus. It was super strange to have 8 arms all of the sudden. In return, I taught them how to make a vortex and a tsunami wave. They are not strong enough to create a tsunami wave on their own but when they work together and combine their magic it works.

Zeus and I are sitting on a rock watching them making big waves together. ''How did you start learning magic?'' I ask Zeus.

Zeus sits a bit straighter, ''Ever since I was a little boy, I have been different. No one wanted to play with me because they thought I was weird. My own parents avoided me as much as they could because they didn't understand me. My mother said she knew something was wrong with me when I was born, and one eye was brown and the other green. I discovered I could do magic when a storm flooded our village. Every house got soaked except ours because I put protective spells over them that I read in a book. Ever since that day I looked for as much magic information I could find and practiced in solitude. It changed when I was 16 because a group of travelers came to our village. With them, there was a girl with freckles and an upturned nose.''

I look at him, ''Faith?''

Zeus smiles, ''Yes Faith. She was the first person that didn't think I was a freak. We started to hang out and she told me that I was special. That I had a gift for learning about magic. She said you can either waste your gift in a place that doesn't appreciate you or come with us and learn everything you can in different parts of the world. I packed my bag and never looked back. We had some good years and she and her parents were always kind to me. However, Hella learned of Faith's gift with healing and sent assassins after us. Her parents lured them into a trap to protect Faith, but they got killed as well. Faith told me she once met with Gabriel and that he told her about Liberum. We tried finding it for over a year without success. Then we heard Hella wanted someone from the Mortal Realm assassinated so we waited in the dark for Gabriel to arrive. When he did, we asked him to take us with him and he did. Gabriel always treated me like an equal and not as a freak. I never thought it would be possible for me to have a group of friends, but it happened.''

I have never heard Zeus talk about so much personal stuff before, but I feel happy that he trusts me.''Thank you for telling me that,'' I say to him while squeezing his hand.

Zeus looks at the sun and says, ''You better go to the dragon pits I heard they have something special in-store today.''

I stand up, ''Ow? well I better go find out then. See you at dinner Zeus.''

He waves at me while I walk away. I walk to the dragon pits where I see that all the new dragon riders and their dragons are present. There are fires lit around the pit and Gabriel stands in the middle wearing a purple robe.

He nods at me when I arrive, ''NOW THAT EVERYONE IS HERE, WE CAN BEGIN. YOU HAVE ALL BEEN CHOSEN TO BE A DRAGON MASTER. TODAY THE MASTERS AND THE DRAGON WILL BECOME ONE BY AN UNBREAKABLE BOND. PLEASE GO STAND BY YOUR DRAGONS.''

I walk to Thorn who is standing on the left edge because he is the biggest dragon. His big eyes look at me patiently. Someone comes to us with a knife and a cup. He cuts my arm and Thorn his paw and puts the blood in the cup.

Gabriel holds up his hands and lightning erupts into all the cups.

''Drink and let your minds be one,'' he says.

I drink half of the cup and pour the rest into Thorn's mouth. I feel a bit dizzy and pass out a moment later. I wake up to a deep voice in my head, ''Mistress?''

I open my eyes and look into Thorn's big yellow eyes. I ask through my mind, ''Thorn is that you?''

Thorn stamps his feet like he is dancing, ''Yes, Yes, Yes it's me.''

I chuckle, ''Somehow, I thought you would sound scarier.''

Thorn holds his big head crooked, ''Why would I sound scary?''

I pet his head, ''Because you are enormous. But don't worry your secret is safe with me. I already suspected something when you were smelling flowers.''

Thorn puts his head in my lap and sighs, ''hmmm flowers.''

Gabriel walks to us smiling and Thorn opens his mouth to show his teeth and speaks to me, ''He likes you, if you don't like him, I can burn him for you mistress?''

I smile and pet Thorns snout, ''No, No it's okay but thank you maybe I will need you to burn someone else for me in the future. Now go have some dinner.''

Thorn slowly turns around but keeps looking at Gabriel before he flies off.

''I see the ritual worked,'' Gabriel says happily. I look at the others and see that some are crying.

"Doesn't it always work?'' I ask.

Gabriel shakes his head, ''A dragon bond is extremely rare and not everyone who is chosen is connected enough to make the final bond.''

I look at the crying people, ''What happens when it doesn't work?''

Gabriel points at the dragons that are leaving, ''The dragons leave them to look for a better master.''

I feel a bit sorry for them. They tasted the greatness of working with dragons only to let it be taken away from them again. Gabriel looks at the undergoing sun, ''We better go it's getting late. Tomorrow there is no dragon training because it is the last night before you and Holly leave. We will have dinner at the cafe remember?''

I feel excited when I answer, ''Yes, I remember I am looking forward to it.''

We walk back and have some dinner before I go to bed. When I lay in bed, I use my mind to contact Thorn, ''Thorn can you hear me?''

After a few seconds, I hear, ''Yes mistress? What is wrong?''

I put the blankets around me to lay comfortably, ''Nothing it just feels good to not be alone ever again. Good night, Thorn.''

I hear a purr which must mean he agrees with me, ''Good night mistress.''