Alex Dragon Training

Story
"Jen"''Swirls of mist greet Alexander as he passes through the rift, the soft crunch of mountainous terrain underfoot at enough of an angle to confirm that he is, in fact,   climbing a slope of some kind. The faintest image of majestic golden wings passes through his field of view, mist swirling as their owner seemingly lands before him in hidden splendor. Out of the now thinning mist walks an old man, elegant in his age and holding himself with a posture that denotes both power and humility.''

"And who might we have here?" He asks, kind smile on his face as he smoothes short Tufts of silvered hair back into place, "I realize you carry dragon's blood in your veins and their fire within your soul, but I'd like to know who you see yourself to be.""Alexander Varias"He still found himself hesitant as he stepped through the rift. Having told himself for years that it was best to keep his draconian blood as docile as possible, that belief being confirmed by the people and society around him, actively seeking help going against that felt wrong. Uncomfortable in a way, but he also realized that it wasn’t something he could hide anymore.

The familiar beat of dragon wings overhead caught his attention just in time to see golden wings through the mist. He could hear them land in front of him as their weight settled into the ground and he braved himself to be face to face with a creature much larger than himself.

And he was met with the old man.

Shocked, but not undeterred, he listened to the man’s question. “Who am I?” He asked back, realizing quickly that he wasn’t just asking for his name. “In another life I led my country alongside my brother and our colleagues. I was known as the High Mage of the Phoenix.” His title didn’t even reflect his draconic heritage. How deep did this side of him get pushed down? “I did my best to help my people and fight for their survival.”

“Who I am now is more complicated. I’m still figuring that out.”"Jen""Well, give it a try. Only you can share what's truly happening within yourself right now, I can not pull that from you like a plucked hair. I've led many lives myself, for instance I was once known as the great knight Borch, I've travelled many lands, met many interesting individuals, but even those who've been in my company over the years would not be able to divulge my own, personal self image."

He makes his way, rather gracefully, over to a more evened out dip in the hill, selecting a large rock out of several prospective seats and eases himself down onto it, gesturing with a hand for Alexander to pick a seat of his own.

"Come chat with me for a while, who are you today?""Alexander Varias"Following this man as he makes his way up the hill, Alex listens as he talks a bit about his own lives. His own experiences. In a way, wasn't he hiding certain things as well? Or maybe it was different. He always knew who he was at the end of it.

Alex didn't.

As they made their way to the dip in the hill, and the man took his own seat, Alex moved and found a place to sit himself. He sat across from the man, wanting to be able to face him as they spoke. When all was said and done, he was at the very least willing to try his best here.

"Today I'm here to learn so I guess I'm a student." He thinks a little harder on the question. Using all of his braincell. "Since I left home I've tried my best to be kind. I've made... a pretty big mistake that I'm still trying to own up to, and it's been shaping a lot of my choices recently. I've traded my status as a fighter to that of a doctor."

"So I guess today I'm a Doctor, and I'm a Student. And as always I'm still the Elf I was when I left Acrea.""Jen"''He thinks for a moment, a low rumble in his chest sounding out instead of a hum, no less controlled or poised than if he'd made the more 'civilised' sound. While eyeing Alexander, he twists his wrist like a magician procuring a card, and holds out a single scale- rich gold in colour, polished to a sheen so spotless Alex can see his own reflection in the cellphone sized mirror.''

"I'd like you to tell me about what's tormenting you. However much you can manage, there's no need to dig to deep. My only condition is that you hold your own gaze while doing so. Meet your mistakes as you admit to them. Could you do this for me?""Alexander Varias"He seemed visibly uncomfortable at the prospect. He felt a lot of guilt about his mistakes, the most recent of them the most so. He took a deep breath as he looked into his reflection, his eyes flickering between it and the man’s eyes for a second.

“How far back?”"Jen""If I may suggest? Whichever point denotes the start of your life's most recent chapter."

"Alexander Varias"His life’s most recent chapter, huh? That could be one of two points... when the War started with the Architect or when he arrived at the Archive, but when he thought about it, didn’t he come to the archive to become strong enough to go back and finish his fight back home? That part of his life wasn’t done. The mistake he’d made that day still weighed heavily on him. He took a deep breath.

Making eye contact with himself, he stared at the scale, anxiety building in his stomach. If whatever was supposed to happen here was going to work he had to be honest. “Almost three years ago now, I froze for the first time when I watched my brother fall into a pit I thought was going to kill him. I convinced people I cared about, and who cared about me, to join me in a fight that I thought we could win if there were enough of us... But I was wrong, and it ended up getting all of them killed.”

He lifted his hand and started rubbing at his arm. He could feel his heart beginning to pound in his chest. “Most recently I tried to make a friend. And while that wasn’t the mistake, I...” he paused. For a moment he looked away. He could feel guilt welling in his chest and the rubbing became slight scratching as his tail swayed from side to side.

He regained eye contact as he continued.

“I killed her, knowing she would come back I made the decision to kill her.” He watched himself as he could feel his eyes beginning to water. It was painful looking at himself like this. “And I didn’t ask, and I was _wrong_ And I’m sure I’ve hurt her deeper than just what I _did._ And yet all the same she’s the reason I’m here because she noticed before I did that I’m pretending to be something I’m not.”"Jen""Pretending to be something that you're not? In which manner?" *The old man asks, still holding the scale up for Alex to peer into. it shimmers slightly, as if containing potent magic all on it's own.*

"Alexander Varias""... A few days ago, there was an incident where I... saw something that made me completely lose control of my instincts. There was a point in time where she came into my room, and I growled at her as she came in. I didn't feel safe and I was defensive, and when I realized it was her I apologized. She told me to take comfort in my instincts and... At the time I brushed it off? I've always brushed off my instincts it's how I fit in. I didn't want people to fear me for something I couldn't control so my brother taught me to control it."

He paused, thinking. "Suppression isn't control though... I know that well enough from having dealt with my fire for so long...""Jen"''As Alexander speaks, a ghostly visage slowly appears within the scale, overlapping his own with draconic features he's never manifested before. Curved horns, scaled patches of skin, eyes slit like a lizard's... It's still his face, the motions are all his own, but the overlap moves alongside his reflection as if they were one and the same.''

"I see... You've grown into who you are today by simply casting aside your heritage for the sake of convenience. A poorly way to live for a dragon, though no fault of your own. You have many trials ahead of you, and though I can't pass judgement for your sins, I can tell you that before you understand those around you, you must first understand yourself. Know who you are so that they may know you as well."

''Seemingly dissipating the scale with a wave of his hand, the old man stands. He stretches out his arms and legs, takes a step up onto his prior seat, and after inhaling a large lungful of air far greater than what his lithe form should be capable of, he lets out an enormous, primal bellow. The cry of a golden dragon, pointed towards the heavens.''

"What I just did may terrify those who do not know me, but I myself am not afraid. I am one with born instinct, I know which impulsive actions will cause harm to those around me, and which will not." *He gestures towards Alexander with an open palm,* "Now it is your turn. Listen to the thrumming or your own powerful heart, hear the voices of your ancestors within it's beat and tell me, what wishes to break free?""Alexander Varias"Confused, Alex finds himself staring deeper into the scale as his features shift and change, bringing his hand up to touch where the scales on his reflection were. He felt nothing but the smooth surface of his own skin. But, the image felt right. He took in the reflection as the old man spoke, feeling a pang of guilt and understanding as he admitted to not being able to pass judgement on him. He didn't expect him to be able to, but he knew someday, someone was going to.

The scale disappears, and Alex watches the man as he stands, rising onto the rock. An intake of breath like a small breeze, and a word came to Alex's mind.

Glamour.

He knew when he appeared from the mist that this wasn't a normal old man, how could he under the circumstances, but that roar confirmed it. And as he heard it, and as he listened to it, Alex found that he didn't feel afraid. He felt like he was among the company of a friend. His blood felt hot in his veins, and there was a part of him that wanted to Roar back.

Then, without meaning to, he caught it in his throat, and his stomach churned as his body had to swallow the energy he couldn't release. Something in the back of his head reminded him that this wasn't allowed.

Alexander stood in spite of it though. Because despite the rules, despite the training, he found himself wanting this, whatever this was.

"I'd be lying if I said I was sure. It rises and I feel something else eat it down and I don't know how to give it the path forward. But I know it's there. I can feel it.""Jen"A look of both understanding and sadness crosses his mentor's face, and he steps down from the rock to face Alexander more as an equal.

"Could it perhaps be the fear you now associate with the fire in your veins?"

"Alexander Varias""I-"

No. He couldn't lie. He was terrified of his own fire at the moment. The prospect of hurting someone he cared about with it again was overwhelming.

"I don't know. It could be? I've lost all control over it since I left home, it's weaker than it once was, I can't predict it's behavior anymore.""Jen""Could be, may be, possibly... Fear isn't a factor of possibility, it either is or is not, and I think you know the truth of the matter better than I do. As for your control, you have not lost it. It is clear to me that you have simply lost the potency required to utilize it in ways you are accustomed to. It is still there inside of you, building up and waiting"

He walks the few paces required to come almost toe to toe with Alexander, a palm placed on each of his shoulders as he steadies the Elf's posture.

"You will harm no one with what you do here today, there are no innocents who could be consumed by the flames you wield. So set them free. Breathe deep, and let out that which desires so desperately to escape. Allow yourself the right to fit comfortably within your own skin.""Alexander Varias"Breathe deep huh? He could do that. Deep breaths. He had an idea on what to do with his magic. Find his baseline again. Figure out how to control his fire from it's absolute weakest. The fire was _his_ and he should be able to do at least that.

Holding out his hand in front of him, Alexander attempted to light his hand ablaze. A simple technique shown to children back home. Focus on your hand, picture it warming up. Don't be afraid, your own fire can't hurt you. Let the magic breathe. He could feel his heart pounding and making him feel sick as he tried to ignite his hand. The first attempt he'd made to use fire since the incident with Florence."Jen"''As Alex comes to somewhat of an internal understanding surrounding the nature of his inner dragon, the stream of breath he releases is... different. The burning in his lungs seems to vanish, and instead, soft warmth spreads through his chest as he exhales. the slight shade provided by his mentor's cover is chased away by a brilliant flame. It floods their small space, warming both dragons pleasantly as Alex feels his muscles relax, long held tensions melting at least temporarily.''

"Ahh, I see. Very well done. A dragon's breath is the very essence of their being, you've made your ancestors proud today."

He allows a moment longer of enclosed safety, before gently pressing his snoot to the top of Alexander's head and pulling back fully.

"I'm afraid this place will not remain safe much longer, so it is time for both of us to depart. Should you ever wish to request my tutelage again, it would be my pleasure, you need only request they send you to Villentretenmerth."

Brass Dragon Physiology: Dragon's Breath
The breath of a brass dragon is that of a passionate flame, high in both temperature and volume as it seeks to spread itself over anyone that stands in your path. Channeling your ancestral blood, you may now convert any large inhale of breathable air into an exhale of magical fire. Based on Appeal."Alexander Varias"Alex watched as he breathed his fire, the warmth bringing him comfort that he hadn't felt in a long time. For a moment he felt comfortable in who he was as the warmth spread through him, not something he had to control, or force out, just, a simple breath that lit up the tent of wings up over the two dragons, the shine of scales catching his eyes.

And then he was out of breath, and the light became dim, and he listened to the dragon as he spoke, finding himself smiling. Not the bright, happy smile he usually showed, but one that seemed calm, contented, one that didn't hide any of the stress he was normally concealing.

"I hope so." He answered in a soft whisper.

When the dragon pressed his snout to his head, Alexander couldn't help but press back, feeling detached when the dragon pulled away fully.

"Thank you, Villentretenmerth." He had the feeling he'd probably seek this dragon out again. He didn't have to explain anything to him. He didn't have to pretend with him. He wanted to see him again. "I'll see you next time."