While a war raged on in the south, if Leo hadn't been aware of it already, he wouldn't even know of it now.
He was probably one the very few in Juniper that was aware of the hellish deeds taking place in the southern plains. He could smell the smoke. Being an elf had its perks...and its curses too.
Leo was helping one of the farmers loading bails of grain into the wagons for the mill down in Trentelian.
The weather was beginning to feel more and more like spring. The snow was beginning to melt away to allow the earth to see the light. Small vegetation was beginning to grow through the cold ice as if impatient to bask in the sun's glow.
The dragon was beginning to grow as the weeks had drawn on. Leo would walk through the forest with it everyday. The hatchling had grown to his waistline, taking up the size of a large dog. Leo watched the dragon go from taking meat from his hand to catching birds from trees. Now he was watching the dragon catch things such as turkeys and deer.
The dragon had finally learned to glide. His flying was not without its failures. The dragon couldn't quite flap for a longer distance than ten feet before tumbling to the ground.
The dragon would paw and snort in frustration and try again.
Today, Leo watched as the dragon made yet another several failing attempts before he finally laid his hand on its scaly side. The dragon paused and looked up at him in slight confusion."I think it's time for us to give you a name," Leo told him.
The dragon folded its wings and sat on its haunches.
Leo sat on a log nearby and put his hand on his chin, his elbow set upon his knee.
"Well if you plan to give me a name, consider the timing of my birth."
Leo looked up with widened eyes. He frowned at the dragon and looked over his shoulder.
"What? Didn't expect me to know how to speak now?"
Leo looked at the dragon.
"That was you?"
The dragon snorted in humor.
"Obviously," The dragon said.
But he didn't speak with his mouth. It was almost as if the voice came from another source. But even though that's as it seemed, it was true that it was the dragon.
Well I guess it's true that the dragons always had more smarts than the other races. That's not fair to the rest of us...yet why did they almost die off before the rest of the world?
"By the way, I heard that. I take it as an insult,"
The dragon smirked as he licked his paw.
"WHAT? Hey, my thoughts should be my own. That's so not fair," Leo stuttered abashed.
"Well if it helps to ease your mind, I could tell that purple eyed human girl that you seek to have her hand."
"Oh what the hell!" Leo exclaimed, "No. Don't be doing that."
"Oh okay well if you insist, Rider. By the way, I'd like that name now. You've been calling me such things as
'Little guy', 'fellow', your 'dragon'.....
Oh not to mention the few times of you called me a scaly idiot?"
Leo huffed in annoyed frustration.
"Okay I'm sorry, alright? Now lemme come up with a name for you."
The dragon sat patiently waiting.
Leo considered the dragon's suggestion of the time he was hatched. He had been born from the egg in the early morning hours, just before the sun reached the edge of the sky. The twilight....
"I like that," the dragon stated as he sweeped the slushing snow with his tail.
Leo paused.
"Twilight?"
"Why not?" The dragon cocked his head to the side.
"I guess if you think about it, we are a new dawn to the next generation of Riders and their Dragons. Plus, Saphire, you are the Symbiote of my ancestors. I would hope that you will serve this world to the best of your ability. I've sensed fear and reluctance throughout the entirety of our partnership. However. You have given me the best upbringing that you could. So Leo.
Are you willing to be my Rider? Are you willing to allow me to carry you as your dragon?
Are you willing to carry the soul of Berlin Dashar as your symbiont?
Or are you going to be a bitch of an elf and cower, living a simple life with no significant purpose in this land?"Leo froze. He stared at the dragon in shock. That dragon had chosen his own name. And though, Leo didn't take too kindly to being called a bitch, he knew Twilight had a point. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Looks like this is my future. I'm a Dragon Symbiote now. And a rider. I guess I'd better get started.
"As you should, Leo," Twilight stated, "I've already been well aware that your world, your land, is in greater danger. If you still thought I was a Meer hatchling, you are sorely mistaken. So hear me out.
Being a dragon, I know more than I'll ever let on about. Being the dragon of a Symbiote, I must say, I am quite honored to have you as my Rider."
Leo stood up from the log. His blue eyes took up a slitted pair of pupils. He nodded with a smile.
"It's an honor to have you as my dragon."
Twilight nodded his horned head and turned toward a clearing.
"Now let me try and figure out my wings,"he said.
"I'm not much use as a dragon if I can't fly, right?"
He began a running jump into the clearing and began to flap as hard as he could.
The snow was melting so quickly that a mist was beginning to rise. Twilight disappeared into it.
Not a minute later Leo heard a small crash followed by a deep pitched roar of agitation. He chuckled as he turned back toward the town to assist his father in the library.
What Twilight said definitely gave Leo a lot to think about. If Twilight knew all of this at a young age, how much more was he aware of? Leo was doing his best to swallow his worries. He knew something major was going to happen. Being a Symbiotic Rider was going to be difficult but not impossible. He gritted his teeth as he felt the tattoo heat up on his torso.
He had felt it do this several times in the past several weeks, but not quite this intense. It began to burn up.
He started sprinting toward Juniper's edge.
The mist suddenly became thicker. So thick, Leo had to stop. He began to feel a strange sensation. He gripped his sword at his hip. He stepped into a fighting stance.
He could feel an ugly presence.
One that he was unfamiliar with.
The snap of a stick on the ground behind him diverted his attention. He slowly turned, his emblem burned hotter on his chest. He drew his blade halfway but stopped at the sight before him.