“But something changed,” Thane says.
Valen nods. “Yes. Something shifted in the balance of magics itself. The dragons felt it first. And Velkar was the first to say that their survival was tied to ours. That they could no longer exist as separate forces.”
“So, the bond didn’t exist before him?” I ask.
Valen shakes his head. “No. They were untamed forces, respected but feared.”
“So why’d Velkar bond with anyone at all?” Lyra asks, brow furrowed.
Valen exhales, choosing his words carefully. “Because he saw the shift coming—the change in magics and the world. And he knew the dragons wouldn’t survive alone. They had to stand together or risk extinction.”
I glance between them, the firelight dancing in their eyes. “So when Isandor leapt, when Velkar caught him . . . that was the moment everything changed.”
Valen nods. “It was the first proof that dragons and humans could be more than allies. They could be stronger together. They could create more powerful magics once bonded—something entirely new. The Elements themselves responded differently to a bonded pair. More focused. More potent. Expansive. It wasn’t just fire or air anymore. It was firewithwill. Airwithintention.”
He looks into the flames, voice quieter now. “Some say it was the first time the Elements trulychoseto follow.”
Thane’s voice is quiet, steady. “And now, centuries later, we still honor that choice—for the rare few who are called.” He pauses, gaze flicking toward the fire. “Dragons don’t choose lightly. And these last several years, fewer dragons are calling.”
Valen takes a sip of water from his flask.
“When one calls a rider, it’s not just a bond—it’s a declaration.A recognition of something extraordinary. It’s an honor few ever receive.” He glances at me then, just for a second. “And it’s never by accident.”
Centuries.
A bond forged not through war, but through trust. And tomorrow, I’ll stand where Isandor stood. Tomorrow, I will leap. And for the first time, I truly understand what that means.
Lyra exhales, shaking her head. “So . . . the first rider wasn’t chosen because he was the best. He was chosen because he had faith.”
Valen tilts his head thoughtfully. “Dragons choose for their own reasons. Sometimes it’s faith. Sometimes it’s something else—alignment, instinct, a shared wound or a spark of recognition.” He glances toward the fire. “But faith is always required to complete the bonding. Perhaps Isandor had nothing left to doubt. Or maybe the dragon saw something in him that matched something in itself.”
My fingers tighten around the plate. Tomorrow, I’ll stand where he once stood. I’ll face the same unknown. And gods help me—I think I already understand it. What it means to fall.
The fire pops, casting flickering light across Thane’s face as he tears off a piece of bread in silence.
I watch the flames shift, shadows dancing along the rock walls around us.
The first Trust Fall. The first time a human and a dragon became one.
I glance at Thane. He knows this story well. He’s done it before. I imagine him here, sixteen years old, staring into the same firelight.
Valen leans back, rolling his shoulders as if the weight of the past still lingers there. “The first bonding between Isandor and Velkar became the foundation for all future bondings. The cliffs where it happened—now known as Velkar’s Descent—aresacred. It’s the place where riders have the chance to fulfill the bond with the dragon who called them.”
He pauses, gaze distant.
“Dragons are creatures of memory. Of meaning. They don’t choose locations at random. History shows us they return to the same places again and again—places laced with power, with resonance. “Velkar’s Descent is one of those places. Not just for what happened—but for what it still holds.”
I think of the history books. The volumes on dragon lore, old magics, forgotten places. Every spare moment these past few months—I spent reading. Studying. Trying to understand. Sometimes late into the night, sometimes in the quiet just before sleep.
I didn’t just want to know—Ineededto. Because all of this . . . it matters. Not just for the world. Forme.For the Spiritborn and the role I am to play in this war.
I glance up. “You mean like Mythren Valley.”
His gaze flicks to me, then nods. “The Guardians.”
Thane shifts beside me. “The Guardians don’t bond with riders.” Thane’s voice is calm. Certain. “They exist for something else: protect dragonkind; preserve their knowledge.”
“Like protecting the dormant dragon eggs,” I offer.
