Rose's POV

I sit next to Aiden in my Water Manipulation class, dwelling on Oceanus's words. Why would these Shadows begin appearing? Who controls the Shadow people? Why so early in the year? My questions just lead to more questions.

"Rose!" Aiden waves his hand in my face. I shake my head.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." I tell him.

"It's alright, I was just worried." Aiden responds, looking at my features trying to understand me.

"Good morning class. Today we will be working outside in the courtyard, near the dragon riders. We will be working with another Water Manipulation class on your water control while maintaining good posture. Please follow me outside." Mr.Kato states.

We walk outside and line up around the courtyard fountain. I see Oliver in the other water manipulation class and motion him over. I smile when he reaches me and I wait to be told what to do.

"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Mr.Kato. Mr.Sullivan and I brought you all here so that we could practice and perfect your balance and stance. As an example, Rose will manipulate a ball of water without any deformations, while balancing 4 books on her head." Mr.Kato says, motioning me over. I stand in front of him and he places the books on my head.

"Either manipulate the water from the fountain or get the source elsewhere. I will be criticizing your posture as you focus, do not let me deter your concentration." Mr.Sullivan instructs me. I want to nod in understanding, but then I remember about the books on my head.

I close my eyes, roll my shoulders and straighten out my back. I stabilize my breathing and focus on the humidity in the air. I concentrate on pulling out the H2O from the air molecules, forming a ball of water. When I gather enough water, I join the molecules together in hopes of the water forming covalent bonds. After the humidity is gathered together, I shape out the ball of water, making sure that my manipulation has a perfect round shape.

I open my eyes and and continue manipulating the water. I split my perfect circle into four, then into eight. I move the water balls gracefully through the air. I then combine the water once more and form a stream like water formation. I move it through the air, the breeze gliding along my manipulation.

"Sharper." Mr.Kato says. I forgot that he was here for a moment. I break down my stream into a protective force field and maintain its shape. The dome around me sturdy and unmoving. I think washing Belvedere yesterday and manipulating the water then has help me increased my range of abilities, though still new.

I turn my head being cautious of the books and look at my peers's reactions through the water. Some are looking at me shocked, Aiden and Oliver look proud, meanwhile Mr.Kato seems indifferent. Mr.Sullivan is just watching my movements, as if trying to reassure himself that I am real.

"Stop." My instructor orders. I break my dome and imagine the humidity returning to its previous spot. I will the water to break their intermolecular bonds, instead interacting with the oxygen and dust particles in the air. When I am sure that the air is just as humid from before my demonstration, I return to my spot in between Oliver and Aiden.

Aiden nudges me gently with his elbow trying to gain my attention. I look up to him and he gives me a nod of approval, as if saying that I showed everyone up. Oliver just smiles widely while shaking his head.

"Thank you Miss Wellington for your exemplary demonstration." Mr.Sullivan says. "As you can see, while she willed the water to her, the books never moved or became unbalanced. This is what we are going to develop. My class, please do your best to use the water from the fountain. Mr.Kato's class, you may also use the water from the fountain, but try and find the water from other resources. Because you all have a good level of understanding of the element, be more creative, look for alternative water sources." He instructs.

"Rose, because we have already seen your abilities, you are free to do whatever you may please for the rest of this class." Mr.Kato says. I have a plan in mind, so I immediately act on it.

'Are you busy?' I ask Belvedere.

'No, I am not doing anything currently. Why?' He questions.

'How about we go flying? I have 50 minutes to do whatever I please, but I want to make sure that you are comfortable with it as well.' I say.

'Of course, I'll be waiting.' My companion responds. I immediately walk my way towards the dragon stables, waving Oliver goodbye. As I am walking towards the dragon stables, I wave to my village dragon riders when I pass by, Jaxson and AJ as well, being that they were outside with their classes.

I excitedly wave to the other dragons, they nod as I make my way towards Belvedere's stable. Artemis and Apollo leave my side, whining at the stable gate. When I open it, my little dragons do the cutest thing ever. They rush up to Belvedere and snuggle him. *cue the mental awww moment*

I chuckle, hugging my companion as well. I let my dragon outside of his stable and say goodbye to Star. Nightshade and Oceanus are already outside assisting with the baby dragons. I saw that some of the eggs have not hatched yet, this just means that the dragon and their respective rider will not be very powerful.

'Alright, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do, but I think it would be really amazing if I learned how to shoot arrows off of your back.' I tell my dragon.

'When did you think of this?' Belvedere questions.

'I don't know really, but I read in my special edition dragon book that riders who have extremely strong bonds with their companions are able to coordinate with each other. For example, if I purposefully jumped off of your back, neither of us would worry because both of us know that you would never let me crash to the ground, and I would never do something without intention.' I sum it up to my dragon, remembering the few chapters about loyal dragon species.

'We could try, but it will take much practice for us to be able to completely trust the other with stunts like that.' My companion concludes.

'Agreed.' I respond. I walk towards the open field where the dragon riders are currently learning about how to communicate with their dragons. They are more off to the side because they aren't really doing anything other than listening. Perfect.

I grab some of the targets from a shed that is on the outskirts of the field. I stake them into the ground, keeping them sturdy. I analyze every inch of the targets, memorizing the circumference and area of the bullseye. I make sure to leave some targets deeper into the ground than others, just so that it would increase the difficulty. I then go back to the shed where spare weapons are kept and grab a sturdy bow with arrows. I put the arrows in the quiver and sling it on my back. I shoot a few at the targets to get a feel of the wooden bow. When I am feeling more confident, I put the arrows back in the quiver, preparing myself to take flight.

'What are you doing young one?' Nightshade asks.

'I'm going to learn how to shoot arrows off of Belvederes back. I read that riders with really strong bonds with their dragons are able to trust one another completely while in flight. I already trust Belvedere to protect me if needed, so I hope this will only make our bond stronger.' I tell both him and Oceanus.

I made sure to tell the latter dragon as well because I read his thoughts to see that he was wondering the same thing as Nightshade. Oceanus doesn't say anything, he just moves towards me and Belvedere, sitting next to Artemis and Apollo who are off to the side. I raise a questioning eyebrow at him.

'If you happen to fall, I am the backup incase Belvedere is not be able to catch you.' He tells me. I send appreciative emotions through our connection, happy that he was thinking of my safety. Marcus looks our way, but doesn't comment.

"Alright!" I clap with enthusiasm.

'Ready?' I ask, stepping up to my majestic white healer. He gives me a nod, lowering his back to where I am able to get on him. I grab the scales of his side, stepping up on his leg. With a little push, I force myself over the side of him and gracefully land on his back, my legs parted. I place my hands where I did last time for a sturdy hold.

'I am getting better at that, don't you think?' I gloat.

'Whatever you say little one.' Belvedere snorts. I roll my eyes at his response, then I notice the sun's positioning. I estimate that I have about 32 minutes before my class ends. Reassuring my positioning, checking that my foot holds on Belvedere's scales are in place, I reassure my dragon.

'Let's fly.' He nods, flapping his wings off of the ground immediately. I adjust the speed of his flight, being that last time he went slower for me. Although, I can still tell that Belvedere is not going full speed right now.

When I see that we are a good hundred feet in the sky, I ask my companion to level out. I can still see the targets from here, a perk of having extraordinary eye sight. I close my eyes, relaxing my leg muscles on Belvedere. I feel out the breeze and wind speed. I make a mental note of the direction the drafts travel in, for it will help me be more on target. I open my eyes and release I shaky breath.

'I am going to try and raise myself.' I inform Belvedere.

'Please be careful little one.' My dragon pleads. I send him reassuring emotions through our bond, making the both of us feel slightly better. Taking a deep breath of confidence, I contract my thighs together, pushing myself up on Belvedere. The wind almost sends my flying, but I tense my muscles more so that it doesn't happen.

I get used to the speed and take off my bow. I expertly grab an arrow from the quiver and string it. I take a couple of breaths before releasing the arrow. I do my best to make sure that the arrow is on target, given the wind speed, location, and impact. When the arrow lands on the target, I nearly burst into cheers. I notice that it is not as accurate as my usual aim, but I don't let that disappoint me. After all, it's my first time ever standing, let alone shooting an arrow off of a dragon's back.

'Did you see that Belvedere?!? I did it!' I smile through my words.

'Very good little one.' Belvedere chuckles.

'Good job Rose.' Oceanus praises me. I thank him and Belvedere, grabbing another arrow. This time when I release, I give it more force and manipulate the air to help guide the arrow to the center. I look at the second target, almost a bullseye!

I grab another arrow, following the same strategy as before. Soon, my quiver is empty, and I have 9 bullseyes and 3 slightly off course hits.

I guess after I figured that I could use my abilities to my advantage, it became way easier. I have always had a good way of figuring out my mistakes, partly the reason why many of my powders and serums are successful. Although, the next time I do this, I hope to gain enough experience to where I won't need to use my air ability. But that would not seem manageable today given my time restraint. I let Belvedere guide us through the air for a couple more minutes before we land on the ground again.

Artemis and Apollo rush up to me and tackle me with what I assume are kisses.

"Yeah yeah, I missed you guys too!" I laugh out. My twins release high pitched rumbling sounds at that, I guess they can understand me. After I clean up all of the targets and put away the borrowed bow and arrows, I make my way towards the dragons.

'Thank you so so much Belvedere! I love you more than you could ever know.' I tell him through bond-link, very appreciative at his willingness to let me try new things.

'I love you too little one.' My dragon replies. I give him a big hug as we send very loving thoughts to each other. 'Look at what you have turned me into little one, now I am a sappy dragon with feelings.' Belvedere jokes. I laugh at his attempt to make me smile wider.

'That was very good Rose. For your second time riding with your companion and shooting arrows off of his back, you have lots of potential.' Oceanus compliments, showing me a mental image of what I looked like. I gasp in delight. I am not going to lie, I looked pretty badass atop of Belvedere.

'Thank you Oceanus, when Belvedere and I trust each other more, I should probably begin trying some stuff with other dragons. But thank you all the while for being there just in case.' I say.

'Anytime.' Oceanus nods. Belvedere is now laying down, me laying my back against the side of his neck. The twins are at my sides, purring every so often when I soothingly rub their scales.

"What were you thinking? You reckless little girl!! You could have been killed!! Not only are you new to riding, but standing up and shooting arrows! ARROWS!!" Marcus bellows. The twins get up in an instant and growl at him, thinking he is a threat.

"This was not my first time riding Belvedere and Oceanus was here anyway for precautions. I also trust my dragon very much, so if I were to fall, I have no doubt that Belvedere would have caught me." I respond to my superior, grabbing the bodies of my younger companions to calm them down.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that your are too daring. One day your efforts are going to get you killed." Marcus states emotionlessly, I sense that there is a backstory to his words. The topic obviously upsets him though, so I won't press him for any information. I nod, knowing that he is just looking out for my well being.

"I do not regret my actions Marcus, so I won't apologize. I will thank you for caring about me enough to scold me for my actions." I tell him. I now notice Trent beside him, I wonder how long he has been here.

"What do you mean this wasn't your first time riding Belvedere? We were going to go over that in the next couple of class sessions." Trent inquires.

"Yesterday when you dismissed me and I went to the field with the dragons, also after school when Belvedere picked me up with his talons while he glided through the air." I tell him, not giving the full context.

Oceanus looks at me and sends a mental image of him smirking, remembering our elemental battle. I fight off a smile at the memory while looking at my instructors. I am really trying not to get into more trouble here. Trent nods while Marcus sighs.

"Just please tell us before hand when you are going to do something that may put you in harms way. On the other hand, your skills with a bow and arrow are exceptional." Marcus replies. I thank him and nod, acknowledging what he told me. "Alright, class ends in a few minutes. I can take Belvedere back to his stable because I was already going to take Oceanus and Nightshade. You may go and talk to .. um ... your fan club." Marcus says, motions towards his abandoned class. Some teacher he is, I shake my head in humor.

'Goodbye Belvedere. Goodbye Oceanus. Goodbye Nightshade. I will see you all in a couple of hours.' I bid the dragons, kissing my companion on his forehead. I walk away with my babies at my side.

"That was pretty cool huh?" I talk to Apollo. He huffs in amusement while Artemis looks at me excitedly. I understand his train of thoughts exactly. "You know, I will be able to do this with the both of you when you are bigger and strong enough." I shrug it off, as if it was no big deal.

Artemis bounces up and down in excitement bI make a mental note that I have an adrenaline junky on my hands. I look to Apollo and see that he is already looking at me, love and admiration swirling in his eyes. Ah, I bet I will be able to read my books to him, or meditate around him, seeing as how he is more calm.

"That was hot!" One of the boys from my instructors' class says. Okay, that comment was unnecessary.

"Hey! Buzz off dude." I look through the crowd to see who said that when my eyes land on a familiar figure. I immediately smile widely.

"Arthur!" I hug him. He is one of my friends who lives, sleeps, and breathes art. He is almost as big as Tony muscle wise, yet is as delicate as a flower. He and I have often spent time in the woods or near the lake just drawing or painting the scenery. Arthur and I have both helped each other become the artists we are today. He was also the one who reminded Aaron to say grace before eating two days ago.

"Hey Rose." He chirps. Many of the boys from my village are protective of me, knowing that I hold a lot of respect from our elders. "That was really cool. Isn't this only like your third day with your dragon?" He asks. I nod in response.

"His name is Belvedere, and he is really just a big softy at heart." I tell my friend. Belvedere snorts in my head, hearing my thoughts about him.

"How do you know his name?" Arthur looks at me as if I am crazy.

"He told me during my placement test. Yes, I am able to bond-link my dragon. Plus, I have already received my companion's mark." I reply, then going into detail about how companion marks work and the details of such.

"I recognize some of the symbols from your tattoo." Liam joins the conversation. I haven't talked to him too much, but he is good friends with AJ. I also know that he loves to read because I have found him in both the village and school library on multiple occasions.

"Yeah, me too. I think it's really pretty." I reply.

"I think it suits you. I saw it briefly when you showed those at your table, but the mark looks a lot darker now. It seems bolder almost." Arthur tells me. I wonder what he means, my mark got darker?

"Oh! I bet it's because the bond with your dragon is getting stronger. My powers of dragons teacher mentioned it briefly." The first boy to speak voices.

"Hi, I don't think we have met. My name is Rose." I introduce, holding out my hand.

"Dexter." The brown eyed boy responds.

"Nice to meet you." I say, he nods.

"It looked like it was a fine black, now it looks like you've overlapped it many times. Although the designs hold the same beauty and have not changed themselves." Arthur says, referencing to my mark. I just nod my head, taking in his words.

"Class is over, you may go to your next period." Trent tells the group. I recognize that some of us have Life forms and Mythical Creatures together, so about 6 boys stay and walk towards the class with me.

"So, did I really look cool back there, on my dragon?" I ask the group, breaking the silence.

"It was so cool!" One voices.

"You looked hot!" Dexter repeats. I only have so much patience to deal with comments like that. Breathe Rose, breathe.

"Your skills are impeccable." Liam says. More opinions continue and I just chuckle at the overflow of voices.

"It did look really cool. I mean, you are the only first year Level 1 in everything, you can already communicate and fly your dragon, and you seem very humble about it all." A boy closer to where I am standing tells me.

"You are too kind. My name is Rose, what is yours?" I question.

"My name is Klaus, I am from Pine Stream village. It's nice to meet you." He responds.

"Likewise." I smile.

"Look at my Rose making friends." Arthur teases from beside me.

"I have friends!" I argue.

"Yeah, half of them are years older than you, and the other half are extremely protective of your well being." He states.

"That is true." I smile at him.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is everyone around you so ... overbearing?" Klaus hesitates to ask. I look towards Arthur for him to explain.

"First off, she is very beautiful as you can tell, meaning that every boy in a 10 mile radius is pining for her attention. Second, she is a very close friend of mine and is extremely loyal to those she trusts. Third, many of our village elders hold great respect for her. Our village has many unspoken rules I guess you could say. One being that if you disrespect somebody who has proven to be nothing but an honorary person, your family is heavily criticized for raising someone who has no respect."

"Lots of the people in our village love Rose like a daughter, and practically every parent, including mine, have told us to be nice to her, some even going as far as wanting to adopt her. Rose is very close with many of the big influencers of our village, and has earned their respect from early on. So everyone from our home village are not used to people disrespecting her and making nasty side remarks." Arthur explains greatly. I look back to Klaus and he seems very shocked to say the least. He nods slowly, probably reminding himself to never mess with me, even if it is just for fun.

"Anyway, have your dragons hatched?" I ask, shifting the topic. Klaus and Liam shake their heads no, but Arthur practically beams with excitement.

"Yes!! His name is Maverick and he is a less common breed. Not as rare as yours of course," Motioning to my twin boys. "But he is a european stone breed. He is grey and can wield stones and other rocks." He sighs happily. I smile at my friend.

"I hope to meet him soon." I tell him, knowing his troubling past with being happy. "This is Apollo and this is Artemis. I don't know what breeds they are, but I am excited to have twins!" I conclude.

"Both are yours?" Liam questions. I nod my head.

"I assumed that you were caring for one of your friends' dragon." Arthur states.

"Nope, I'm stuck with these two giants." I laugh when the dragons' heads swivel to me.

"They are really big. When did they hatch?" Arthur asks.

"Yesterday night, just at sunset." I reply. They stare at me in shock.

"Wow." Liam breathes out. Arthur nods his head in agreement, along with Klaus. We arrive at class and I say goodbye to them, sitting in my seat by the window.

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