Return of a Symbol

"Smile, Azure," Opal hissed at the 15 year old who sat next to her on his now light blue feathered dragon, for the parade of his other sister's birthday who just turned 20.

Azure managed a scowl in his ill fitting ceremonial armour.

He and Icarus were exhausted. Since they came back to live at the castle their whole lives have been turned upside down. Knight training, flight training, sword training, étiquette studies, fencing, more studying... and he thought the monastery with their rigid training was terrible. But these days he actually missed the quiet of that place.

Still, Azure was already sick of all of it and they had just been here for 2 weeks.

Icarus, who was in an even more sour mood than usual, growled at Opal’s huge black scaled dragon bull next to them

She despised him as much as Azure despised his rider.

Opal had turned into an obnoxious prick over the past 10 years, given that she wasn’t a very likeable person from the beginning. So he did nothing to scold Icarus as she raised her light blue neck feathers and let out another dangerous hiss.

"My my. That's not nice to growl at the future father of your eggs like that," Opal scolded.

"Hey, what now?" Azure could only stare at her with horror. "Opal, she's not even 10! You don't breed them before 20! And even then she's still MY dragon." Opal only rolled her eyes at that.

“Given that you, as her rider, are already useless because you pulled that stunt with the wrong soul in the wrong body, AND stole the dragon destined to me, I would shut my trap if I were you.” Azure only snorted at that, they had this discussion daily for the past 2 weeks. “Given that you’re the soul who incarnated as an asshole I’m not sure which of us has the worst karma here.”

"And we decided to start as soon as possible for our own good, her mother already had so much trouble to get pregnant with one egg and then the daft thing died after birth." Opal continued.

Azure only continued staring at the stranger next to him with growing anger. Who was that person deciding like this over his soul-bound? But the older woman just kept rambling on.

"And there's also the representation of our values and orders of this kingdom. What will our people do when they lose their symbol of peace and hope?" Now she was blabbing about principles even she didn’t follow. If she respected the white dragon she wouldn’t even think of that.

"Stop being dependent on a dragon alone and start using your brains. Leave her alone, I will not stand for those stupid ideas you and the others have! I know you only do this because you hate me!" Opal shot daggers with her eyes at him.

"You can be glad we are in public right now." She growled at her younger brother.

Azure only squinted his eyes at her, unimpressed, but with growing concern.

"Or what? You're gonna beat me up? Why should that scare me? You have no idea what I went through the last 10 years in that monastery while Tiamat and you were allowed to play princesses!"

"Azure!" 

The young dragon rider only scoffed and tugged slightly on Icarus’ ropes, which made her jump straight in the air. With a powerful move of her feathered wings she rose up over the roofs. Azure flew a few loops with her over the cheering crowd who thought it was part of the program, before he turned and flew back with her to the dragon rider grounds outside of the castle walls.

He was so angry at everyone he wished he could just fly off and leave everything behind, but he couldn’t: he knew he would never make it over the border with a dragon like this. And leaving her behind was and had never been a question.

Icarus went into her first heat three weeks later.

It was a bit of a surprise for both, given that she was still so young, but Azure learned enough about it to be at least mentally prepared. He stayed in her stable box and stroked her flank softly, trying to give her some comfort at least, until suddenly the doors opened and Opal and three heavily armoured guards stomped in. 

Azure jumped on his feet, the growling dragon behind him. "Don't you dare!" He told his sister, but the older one only shoved him into the guards arms and stepped to secure the dragon with a chain. "Throw him into one of the free cells until it's over, he will not stay put in his quarters.”

And with this a new personal hell for Azure and Icarus began.

Dragon riders and their dragons are emotionally connected, and even if some recommend not being too attached to their soulbound, the bond grew stronger over the years. For young Azure and Icarus who were both dragged into the dragon rider monastery at a very young age, this bond was essential for surviving the struggles they faced over the years. That also meant they felt everything the other experienced.

Everything.

Azure tried to take his life for the first time at 16 years old.

He only survived because his squire Sari found him. Next to Icarus, in the straw, who didn't get pregnant again after the fourth try.

The King was in an uproar about that. Aaron had to confess that he was too occupied with his duties to check on his youngest . After he learned from an embarrassed Tiamat what they tried and what had happened he sent Azure off to the eastern gate.

Hoping when he got him out of their range the young rider and his dragon would at least find some peace.