Once You See The Ocean (II/VII)
Title: Once You See The Ocean
Pairing: Fanxing
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mentions of dragon abuse, slight gore (later chapters), Fight scenes with everything they encompass
Length: 8.7k (52k in total)
Summary: In all his time as a dragon trainer, Yixing has never felt a connection like the one he feels with Yifan; strong and instant, right from the very first moment he lays eyes on the dragon.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
The hallway where the acclimatisation chambers were housed was eerily quiet upon Yixing’s return, but it didn't really surprise the dragon trainer. It was lunch hour-which was something his growling stomach could attest to-so everyone who’d usually roam the lowest level of the fortress were up in the dining hall, enjoying a hot meal. Yixing, however, had no intention of taking his usual seat for a bowl of soup and pleasant conversation with his colleagues that day. Instead, he came to a halt in front of the door of the newcomer's room.
Adjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder, the metal of his gloves scraping slightly against the material of his shirt, he raised his free hand to rap his knuckles against the door, an exact mirror of the scene that unfolded barely an hour ago. Although this time there was no commotion on the other side of the metal, and no merchants in the room together with the young dragon, thankfully. He was convinced the hatchling had heard his steps as soon as he set foot into the corridor, but that didn’t stop him from knocking to signal his arrival. It was common courtesy, after all.
He waited for a second, just enough to give the dragon time to brace itself for his entrance, before pushing the door open. As Yixing expected, the hatchling was on his feet when he entered, head held high and tail twitching slightly, his whole posture speaking of alertness. He was still in the corner farthest from the door. The walls surrounding him gave the young dragon a sense of security, and the distance meant he’d have enough time to prepare for attack if need be.
But as soon as he saw Yixing, he visibly relaxed. He flapped his wings once before folding them back against his body, huffing out a gust of hot air that condensated in the cold air as he shook his body a little, like a dog trying to get rid of water from its fur after a walk in the rain. Yixing wondered what the hatchling was trying to shake off, whether it was his own nervousness, the insecurity his posture gave away, the trainer's gaze, or the whole situation. For a moment, Yixing expected the dragon to turn around and coil up on himself in the corner, facing away from the trainer as a sign of protest. But even though the tension faded from the other's posture at the sight of Yixing, he stayed cautious.
"I’ve brought lunch," Yixing offered as he closed the door behind himself, letting the bag slide from his shoulder and into his hand to hold it out towards the hatchling.
The dragon tried to stay disinterested and wary but Yixing could see his nostrils flare slightly as he studied the leather bag, his gaze giving away his curiosity. It was very common for newcomers to be hungry. Merchants often preferred to keep the young, unpredictable dragons sedated for the journey through the mountain pass. It meant that the hatchlings usually hadn’t been fed for at least one day, sometimes even longer than that, when they arrived at the fortress. So it was no surprise to Yixing when the hatchling’s focus immediately shifted from the trainer to the prospective meal.
With a small smile playing on his lips, Yixing pulled out one of the chickens he had fetched from the cold storage room where they kept all their fresh meat for the dragons. At the sight of the bird, the hatchling's wings started to quiver slightly where they were folded against his body, the vibration a sign of his instinctual anticipation of being fed. It had Yixing fighting to keep his expression under control, knowing that any hint of a grin on his lips might have been interpreted as amusement and could rile the young dragon up again.
In order to not lose the fight against the twitching corners of his mouth, he distracted himself by throwing the feed in the direction of the hatchling, the body of the bird making a dull thudding sound as it collided with the floor. Yixing knew better than to try and approach the dragon to actually “hand over” the chicken. The action might be seen as either a trick or a threat, possibly even a provocation, and that was not Yixing's intention. They already had had their confrontation, now it was time for conciliation.
The chicken still startled the hatchling when it came hurtling towards him, making him jump back slightly. He remained a small distance away from the feed, darting measuring gazes between Yixing and the lifeless bird in front him, as if expecting the trainer to ambush him once he started feeding. The sight dampened Yixing’s good mood slightly. He knew that the other's skepticism was most likely founded on his past experience but he found relief in the knowledge that from now on the dragon would be treated well.
"Go on, eat," he urged, gesturing to the chicken with a wave of his hand. "You must be hungry. I know I certainly am."
Reaching into his bag again, Yixing took out the cloth he had used to bundle up the pork-filled steamed buns he’d snatched from the kitchen on his way back down into the dungeons.
The dark eyes of the dragon followed his movement warily but Yixing didn't pay it too much mind as he placed the bag onto the floor, sinking down into a cross-legged seat right next to it. The position left him vulnerable, practically defenseless since he would not be able to get up fast enough to fight back if the dragon should decide to charge towards him once more. Still, it was a calculated risk Yixing took.
He busied himself with untying the knot that kept him from reaching his lunch, and for a short while the rustling of the cloth beneath his fingertips and his breathing were the only sounds to be heard in the room. Then there was the low, clinking sound of the dragon’s claws clicking against the stones of the ground, but Yixing waited until he had completed his task of undoing his lunch’s wrapping before slowly looking up, careful not to move too quickly lest he scare away the hatchling again.
Their gazes locked for a split second before the dragon lowered his head to sniff at the bird lying in front of him. His snout scrunched up a little as he gave the chicken an experimental nudge before retreating to study the bird from a distance once again.
"What, do you not like chicken?" Yixing asked, amusement colouring his voice. "It tastes good, believe me."
The dragon threw a gaze full of mistrust at him, making the trainer chuckle at the hatchling’s antics. He figured the other wouldn’t get mad at him for showing amusement when he was too invested in examining the chicken. "You need to try it, at least."
Another glance was followed by a huff, then the young dragon tentatively took the tip of the chicken's wing between his teeth and dragged the bird with him towards the corner he had chosen as his place of comfort. Yixing, knowing that watching the hatchling might make him uncomfortable, cast his eyes down to pay attention to his own food instead. He only looked up again when he heard the dragon take a careful bite, the action making the bird scratch lightly over the floor. The sound of it echoed off the stone walls, seeming even louder in contrast to the silence of the cell.
The first taste of the chicken was followed by an expression that looked so human in it's wary examination of the unfamiliar food that Yixing had to muffle his amused laugh with a bite of his steamed bun. He swallowed the "See? I told you it's good," down together with the yeasty dough when he saw the hatchling devour his feed with a sense of hungry haste after having determined that the chicken was indeed edible.
Yixing was glad he had brought two birds with him when the first one disappeared with just a few big bites. "Here," he said as he threw the second chicken over to the unsuspecting dragon, making him jump once again.
"Try not to eat so fast,” he advised. “There's no hurry, and it will only make your stomach hurt if you gobble your food."
The hatchling threw him a calculating gaze, which Yixing replied to with a smile, making the other huff in supposed protest as a result. It amazed Yixing how much the dragon’s reactions fit in reply to his word even though the other didn’t understand human language just yet. Like he had advised, the hatchling didn't devour the bird within three bites like he had done the first time, instead letting himself sink down to the ground before starting to gently nibble on it. The sight made Yixing's smile widen, his own posture relaxing significantly in reaction to seeing the hatchling assume a more comfortable stance around him. "So, I guess it's about time for introductions," Yixing noted, taking up another bun from his bundle. "I am Yixing."
The dragon's tail twitched slightly, the only sign that he was aware Yixing was talking, but the trainer didn't let himself be deterred. "I was told you've been named Yifan," he continued, and at the sound of the name the hatchling looked up from his meal, scales rustling slightly as if he was humming in recognition of the sounds.
"' Ordinary* '," the trainer scoffed a little in disbelief, "I don't think they could have chosen a less fitting name," he mused, more to himself than the dragon, his voice low, contemplative, losing its conversational tone. The disbelief at the merchant's poor choice was spurred on by the admiration he held for the potential he saw in the young dragon, both emotions colouring his words.
The hatchling, Yifan, just tilted his head slightly to the side in question, as if he didn't see the point behind Yixing's statement before exhaling audibly and getting back to devouring the chicken. Watching the tip of the dragon's tail twitch in excitement from picking the bird in front of him apart, Yixing couldn't help the fond chuckle that escaped him. For all the fire burning underneath those scarlet scales, and for how intimidating the hatchling could look like when he was set on confrontation, as soon as he allowed himself to relax a little he really was still just a baby, easily entertained by a treat he could nibble at.
"Yeah, you're right. We should eat," Yixing agreed, taking a bite out of the bun in his hand and letting the room fall into a companionable silence.
☙❈❈❈❧
In the coming days, Yixing spent most of his time in the dungeon, sitting in one corner of the acclimatisation chamber while the young dragon sat in the other. Yixing talked, often about inconsequential things, just to fill the eerily silent room nestled deep below the ground while Yifan studied him with folded wings and a curious gaze. He knew that the dragon couldn't quite make sense of his words, not yet. The hatchling would learn, with time, to understand the human's language, but before then he could still follow the intonation of the words, studying Yixing's posture to get an idea of what the trainer was trying to tell him. And Yixing speaking to Yifan wasn't meant to be an exchange of information, after all.
His only purpose for spending hours on end on the rough stone floor, his back leaned against the cold wall until the temperature seeped through the multiple layers of clothes he was wearing, was to give the dragon a chance to get used to his presence. A dragon who didn't trust its trainer couldn't be trained. Yixing knew that there were a lot of dragon rearing fortresses all over the country that didn't consider that to be a rule but it was the one basic concept he had been indoctrinated with ever since arriving at the fortress as a boy.
So the first step in his training plan was to gain Yifan's trust, to show the young dragon that he had nothing to fear from Yixing. During the first few visits, the hatchling stuck to his three metre safety distance to seek the refuge of his corner for the whole time Yixing was in the room with him. The trainer didn't mind, not trying to approach Yifan as long as the young dragon didn't seem comfortable with it. There was no necessity, either, to force physical closeness.
It was still too early to try and attempt a true mental connection with the dragon but Yixing made sure to exude a wave of calm the best he could whenever he was in the same space as the other. He knew that Yifan wouldn't be able to truly read the aura surrounding the trainer yet, still too young to understand his own telepathic senses. But even if the hatchling couldn't understand it yet, it was pivotal to get him used to Yixing's mental presence, so that it wouldn't provoke a total lock-down from the dragon’s mind when Yixing would start prodding him for a connection.
Like this, days turned into weeks. It was in the course of the second week when Yifan started to move a few curious steps towards Yixing whenever the trainer would open the door, tail twitching and his snout scrunched up as he tried to figure out by the smell what kind of food Yixing was hiding in his bag that day.
By the end of the second week, Yifan had shed most of his cautious behaviour. Yixing's first impression of Yifan had been coined by the fire he could see in the young dragon's actions during their first confrontation, and the control the young dragon displayed over it, but within the course of the two weeks he spent with the hatchling, Yixing was able to refine his impression of the other. Sure, Yifan was fiery when felt he needed to be, but when he didn't feel like he had to prove his position or demonstrate his strength, the dragon exhibited traits one would not have expected going by his intimidating looks.
After two weeks, the thought of Yifan was a feeling of fondness spreading in Yixing's chest, a smile on his lips. If anyone would have asked him to describe the young dragon, the first word he'd have used would be adorable. It was the way Yifan's tail would whip from one side to the other once he got excited, the way he would flap his wings and prance on the spot whenever he wanted Yixing's attention, and the scrunching up of his snout when he did not like something. All of that combined made it hard for Yixing to keep his smile from splitting his face in half for most of the time he was with Yifan. The dragon's behaviour reflected his age, reminding Yixing over and over again that Yifan was still a hatchling; inexperienced, easily excitable and, most of all, looking for someone to trust, someone he could rely on.
That part became particularly apparent when Yifan's mind unconsciously started reaching out for Yixing's, seeking to form a resemblance of the bond he lost when he was separated from his kin. Dragons also expressed themselves with their body language, and a variety of noises to emphasize their emotions but their main form of communication was a mental bond. They needed these kinds of bonds to sustain their mental health, and to nurture their innate telepathic abilities. So it was unhealthy for Yifan to be without a bond of such nature for too long.
It chipped away at Yixing's self control; knowing that young dragons needed a mental connection but knowing at the same time that he needed Yifan to be accustomed and used to him before he could try to forge a bond. Still, Yifan's mind seeking his, latching onto the calming presence Yixing was surrounding himself with, was the signal for the trainer that he could finally get to the next step of training.
☙❈❈❈❧
When Yixing opened the door to the acclimatisation chamber, Yifan's head whipped up. The dragon had grown significantly since he first arrived at the fortress, turning the hatchling into a fledgling, and Yixing knew that the growth spurt would keep up a similar pace for a few weeks at least. When Yifan skipped towards Yixing, it only took him two leaps to cross the room, as he was obviously outgrowing the size of the cell. The fledgling didn't initiate any physical contact like the other dragons Yixing was training, didn't rub his head against Yixing's arm the way Li Jie always did in greeting, and didn't nudge his chest in the way Yanmei would always express her affection.
Yet it made Yixing's heart beat a little harder against his ribcage with excitement when the dragon didn't pull away from where he had come to a stop as Yixing reached out his hand. The fledgling looked a little startled at their sudden closeness, as if he hadn't expected that jumping towards Yixing would mean that they would end up standing with only an arm’s length separating them. However, he didn't flinch or try to widen the distance between them again even as the trainer’s fingers came steadily closer. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, as if to make it easier for the trainer to reach for him. Yixing moved slowly, pausing every so often to carefully study the dragon's reaction, giving him time to reconsider. But Yifan didn't move, his gaze locking with Yixing's, instead.
Yixing could see the tension in the fledgling's body, in the shiver traveling from his neck down towards his tail, making his scales rustle softly as they moved and rubbed against each other. And still the young dragon didn't back away, remaining transfixed in a state of anticipation, so Yixing only hesitated for the blink of an eye before splaying his hand against the dragon's cheek.
Yifan was not the first dragon Yixing had ever touched, far from it. He'd had his fair share of stroking over reptilian bodies, snuggling against scaled necks or being tugged under wings. And yet, touching Yifan felt special. There was a rush of exhilaration and relief alike, not too dissimilar to the sense of accomplishment in finding a missing puzzle piece. Later on he would reason that it was because Yifan was the first dragon who was truly his -and his only-to train, the first dragon he had been charged with from day one, and with whom it took weeks before he was comfortable enough with Yixing's presence. In that moment, however, when his hand came into contact with Yifan, his mind was wiped empty of thoughts, only emotions remaining as all his senses were heightened.
Yifan's scales were smooth under Yixing's fingertips, smooth and warm as Yixing let his thumb glide across them. Yifan's gaze softened as his eyelids started drooping, before eventually falling shut. The dragon exhaled contently, and for the first time Yixing could actually feel the heat of the air permeating through the fabric of his coat. They both remained still for a few heartbeats, then Yifan leaned into the touch, the way one tightens an embrace to signal its end, before opening his eyes again and lifting his head up.
"Good morning." A fond smile played over Yixing's face and he could still feel the lingering shadow of the dragon's cheek pressed against his fingertips. At the same time, Yifan looked kind of wary, as if he didn't quite know what to make of what had just transpired.
In accordance to the dragon getting used to Yixing's presence, growing appreciative of it even, he had taken to being more boisterous around the human. Even going as far as to jump around in excitement whenever he realized Yixing had brought him some of the cookies the kitchen personnel kept baking as treats for the dragon. So seeing Yifan this contemplative was a change from the norm, but Yixing couldn't deny that he himself had been thrown out of the loop a little as well.
He had come down to the dungeons with the intention to start their bonding process but he hadn't expected Yifan to allow physical contact just yet. It was a very welcome surprise, however, and it affirmed his belief that the dragon was ready for taking the next step. The original plan had been to sit down the way he usually would, to let Yifan calm down a little from his initial excitement at seeing the human and throw out a chicken or two for the young dragon to munch on before Yixing got started.
It was a split-second decision, a sudden urge fostered by the instincts he had honed over years of dealing with dragons, telling him that this was the right moment. He had Yifan's full attention, so he lowered his hand down to his side, the dragon's gaze following the motion before darting back up to meet Yixing's eyes. The first part of Yixing’s own training had been to learn how to control his own mind, how to be able reach out to other living beings without moving a muscle or making any sound. It had taken years for Yixing to work on his telepathy, to be able to control not only his own mind but to also connect to others. Nonetheless, he had trained, worked hard and gathered a lot of experience ever since he first had been drawn into a mental connection.
So it was easy for him to focus, to take a deep breath and use the exhale to sharpen his own mind then open his perception towards the energy around him. The whole room was rather dull, the low ambient energy making the young dragon stand out even more. Yifan's mind was calling for Yixing like the light of a bright beacon in the dead of the night to an insect, impossible to miss or look away from. Now that he was actually focusing on sensing the other, Yixing could physically feel the tendrils of Yifan's mind reaching out for his own like energy licking over his skin. It was clumsy, uncontrolled, and a perfect reflection of the fledgling's inexperience, much like Yixing had expected.
Fully grown dragons, by nature, were generally more skilled at controlling their mind than humans. They could shield themselves off from unwanted mental infiltration or let only certain thoughts slip into a mental connection while keeping others hidden. Since they were instinctual abilities, they came easier to them than to humans, who used verbal or physical language for the primary sake of communication. And yet, just like babies could only babble with their inability to form proper words, young dragons were not in proper control over the ways their minds reached out yet, they merely clumsily sought any kind of connection, even if they didn't yet know how to go about it.
Whenever Yixing established a mental connection with any of the adult dragons he trained from time to time, it felt similar to knocking on a door and asking for entrance. By default, the mind of a dragon was guarded and closed off, as was Yixing's. It was possible to invade a mind that refused a mental connection but these kind of practices made Yixing's skin crawl with a sense of utter disgust. Forcing one's way into a dragon's mind was immoral, to say the least, and taking control over it by blocking out the dragon's own will was simply cruel in Yixing’s eyes. He knew how common these practices were in the profession of training dragons, because they were the easiest way to break a dragon's fighting spirit thus rendering it obedient and easy to control. The very idea made Yixing feel sick to the stomach.
Yifan, however, being as untrained as he was, was not even able to put his mental defenses up yet, leaving his mind wide open for anyone who cared to look for it. It would have made it easy for Yixing to force a connection with the fledgling, but it was not his goal to enter Yifan's mind, least of all uninvited. What he wanted was to familiarize Yifan with the touch of his mental presence, to lay the foundation for forging a bond that would allow him to show Yifan how to use his mental abilities and enable him to finally properly communicate with the dragon.
So he gently reached out towards the other's mind, his first attempt at contact being nothing more than a gentle nudge. Yifan's reaction was immediate, his eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected sensation. The dragon took a startled step back, and then froze to study Yixing. The feeling of having someone else's presence knocking on his mind must have been familiar, as he used to share a similar link with his parents before being caught, but all of his instincts had to be screaming at the fledgling that this kind of connection was something found with other dragons, not with humans.
Yixing dropped all his attempts to reach out to the dragon's mind when he saw Yifan move away. His only motive was to let the other know that Yixing was capable of controlling his own mind. He was trying to test the waters with the young dragon who had finally started to trust him.
To Yixing's relief, Yifan didn't seem to be afraid of the sensation of Yixing’s mind grazing his. The dragon’s gaze remained inquisitive, almost intrigued, even in spite of his momentary surprise. Then, his tail started twitching in a way that was expressing nervous curiosity, as Yixing had come to learn. Yifan pranced a little then tentatively moved closer to the trainer once more.
Yixing expected the foreign mind brushing against his own, so he opened up his consciousness and made it emanate a pleasant, welcoming warmth. Their contact was short, barely more than a prod on Yifan’s side as well. As the dragon withdrew, he huffed out a breath and shook his head slightly, similar to the way he had first reacted to chicken. The fledgling mustered him with a gaze that was equal parts disbelief and intrigue and Yixing didn't even try to hide his smile.
☙❈❈❈❧
Yixing was an early riser. He was usually out of bed only shortly after the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountain tops; sometimes getting up in time to catch the sun starting its ascent into the sky. He spent such mornings either with his spear in hand, working up a sweat through exercise to chase away the cold, or sitting on one of the benches in the courtyard, bundled up in one of his warm coats to battle the chill of the night. There was a sense of serenity in listening to the silence. Being located high up in the mountains, there were barely any birds chirping, or any other animal sounds. There were no carts bustling over busy main streets on their way to a village's market or dogs barking in excitement whenever someone passed by their house. So with most of the inhabitants of the castle still asleep, the only noise to fill the silence was the wind howling over the ragged stone edges.
Always getting up together with the sun meant that Yixing usually was one of the first people to arrive in the dining hall, but as much as he always liked to keep himself busy, breakfast was the one thing he only rushed when it was absolutely necessary.
"Why does breakfast always have to be so damn early," Zhixiang whined as he slumped down into his usual seat next to Yixing almost half an hour after the younger male had arrived, letting the tray which held his food clack against the wooden surface of the table.
Knowing that it was a rhetorical question, Yixing didn't bother with answering directly-uttering his usual good morning greeting and shoveling more rice into his mouth, instead.
The male with the dark brown hair was the exact opposite of Yixing, preferring to remain in bed until the sun had already neared its peak, if he could. But, in turn, Zhixiang often took to spending his nights sitting together with others from the fortress with a cup of ale while Yixing was already in bed. It wasn't that Yixing was unsocial, or that the elder man preferred drinking time with colleagues over work; their body clocks were just running differently. Their biological rhythm was one of the only things that wasn't in tune between them, as they clicked almost perfectly in pretty much all the other aspects.
When Yixing had first come to the fortress, he was 14 years old and resolute to not be a burden to his family any longer. It wasn't like his parents and grandparents were in danger of starving if they had days when they didn't sell all their goods at the market, but they also were far from being rich. It meant that Yixing, as soon as he was old enough, decided to take the trek up to the doors of the most prestigious dragon rearing fortress he knew, based on the rumour that the dragon training profession yielded better money than a lot of other jobs, and that he would get a roof over his head and food to eat while he was working there. He didn’t know any other dragon trainers personally, nor did his friends, but working with mythical creatures surely had to be a promising profession. His mother wasn't happy with his choice but Yixing had always rather been on the stubborn side.
He had traveled the harsh way up together with a group of merchants, tempted to turn and follow the streets back home countless times, but the hope of independence, of earning money himself each month which he could send back to his parents' house, kept him from actually following the calls of his home. No matter how alluring they were. When he had decided on being a dragon trainer, the only dragons he knew were those from stories and paintings in books. Only rich, noble houses owned dragons, and Yixing's home village lay too far out in the countryside, where no nobles ever showed up, and too far out from the mountain range to ever catch sight of wild ones.
He still remembered the feeling of wonder bursting in his chest when he had first seen a real dragon, alive and breathing. Their group had been taking a rest on a little plateau, halfway to their destination. Yixing had been sitting on a boulder by himself near the cliff while the merchants watered their horses and checked up on the fastenings that kept their goods secure on the carts. He was studying the higher mountain he could see in the distance, knowing that the fortress was located there.
There was no warning when the dragon appeared, no sound of wings, no rush of air. It was just there, all of a sudden, gliding through the rift Yixing was sitting at the edge of. The dragon wasn't particularly big, its scales were a dark yellow that shone almost golden as the sunlight reflected from the reptilian creature. It made Yixing's breath catch in his throat as he stared in wonderment, his mouth and eyes hanging wide open. The moment barely lasted for a heartbeat as the dragon disappeared deeper into the mountain range with three beats of its powerful wings. None of Yixing's fellow travelling companions noticed the creature pass by their camp but Yixing never forgot the sight. The grace with which the dragon had sailed through the air, the ethereal glow of its scales; all these impressions had burned themselves behind his eyelids.
So when he finally arrived at the fortress, two weeks after having left his home, he was exhausted, weighed at least 3 kilogrammes less than he had at the beginning of the journey since his stomach had not taken well to the altitude difference and his eyes were shining bright with determination. It had been a gamble, to travel to the fortress' gates without knowing anyone inside the solid stone walls and without any certainty that he would even be accepted as an apprentice. But he was in luck, Huang Lei’s predecessor in running the fortress, a sturdy old man who went by the name of Wu Xian, liked the conviction in his eyes-and the feel of his mind, as Yixing found out a few months after he had started his own mental training.
Zhixiang Luo had been 21 when Yixing first met him, and Yixing was the first apprentice the elder male ever took on. Despite his young age, Zhixiang proved to be the best mentor Yixing could have ever hoped for. He was patient and smart but always up for a joke; serious when he needed to be while full of grins and crazy ideas when he could let his guard down. Yixing’s younger self spent hours sitting under the open night sky, listening with fascination to stories he was sure were equal parts truth and fiction as Zhixiang let his hands dance through the air while speaking of epic battles he had witnessed and giant dragons he had tamed. Over the years, their student-teacher relationship had grown and changed, turning into a solid friendship, and as Yixing aged, their age difference grew significantly more irrelevant. What did seven years matter to someone in their late twenties.
It did not mean, however, that Yixing stopped seeking the elder's advice whenever he was unsure of how to go about something. He had had ample of time to collect his own experience when it came to dragons, and he had left behind his apprentice status years ago but a second opinion from someone he fully trusted was something Yixing would never be foolish enough to deny.
"So, how're things going with Yifan?" Zhixiang asked, downing half his soup before turning back to his bowl of rice as he waited for the younger's reply.
"Quite good, I think." Yixing swirled the tea in his cup around gently, as if he could warm up the ceramic walls of the container like this. It was winter, and his fingers were still freezing after having forgotten to bring his gloves outside. "His mind no longer seeks out others' unconsciously. He can reach out and shut himself off consciously, although he doesn't quite manage to communicate his emotions properly yet."
"Well, he's still young and he hasn't had many chances to form a mental connection yet, it's to be expected."
Yixing hummed in agreement.
"Do you plan to take him out to meet the other dragons soon? He's been here for quite a while already. He should mingle with others of his kind," the elder's words held a tinge of a lecturing tone, reminiscent of their former mentor-apprentice-relationship, but Yixing knew that it was a genuine question and not an urging cloaked in an inquiry.
"Yes, I want to take him outside within the next few days. He might still be a bit clumsy, but, I think he's ready. And besides, he is a dragon, he needs to fly and no matter how high the ceilings in the acclimatisation chambers might be, I know he's becoming impatient… And, you know, too big," Yixing told the other with a contemplative tone, before huffing out a disbelieving breath. "I swear to god, I can basically watch him grow whenever I'm with him. He's already reaching past my shoulder and not even a month ago he still only went up to my waist!"
Zhixiang answered Yixing's exasperation with a small laugh, the edges of his smile turning slightly teasing as he faced the younger. "So, I guess the two of you are bonding well?"
As a rule, dragons in the fortress were not allowed to be taken outside before they had formed a solid bond with a trainer. It was a precaution to prevent the dragons from escaping. Unlike with horses, cattle or other livestock, one couldn't just put up a fence to keep them contained. Especially because dragons needed the open sky, needed to be able to fly, both because it was essential for both their physical and mental health, and-speaking from the financial interest of the fortress-because a dragon who could not fly was only worth a tenth of the price of a dragon who could.
The nurturing of a dragon's flying skills was an essential part of a trainer's task. Thus it was necessary to replace the physical restraints the thick stone walls of the acclimatisation chambers provided with something else to keep the dragon tied to the fortress' grounds. That was the point where the bond a trainer formed with a dragon came into play, posing an immaterial restraint. As soon as the mental connection was properly established, forcefully tearing it meant pain for a dragon, the kind they would never willingly want to experience. So as long as a the trainer didn't give them a reason to choose the pain over staying at the fortress, a dragon would keep close to the fortress and its trainer.
"Yeah," Yixing answered Zhixiang's question with a sense of contemplation, the feeling of Yifan's mind brushing against his singing like a constant reminder of the dragon's presence in the back of his consciousness. "Yeah, I think we are."
☙❈❈❈❧
Communicating with Yifan wasn't something done through words, it was accomplished by linking their minds to connect their thoughts. Dragons didn't use the same speech patterns as humans did, they didn't have a language that relied on the concatenation of distinct sounds in order to transport information. Instead, they communicated through pictures and feelings, ideas and motivation.
It was part of the training process to teach the dragons to understand spoken language, so that even humans who were not good at controlling their telepathic abilities would be able to communicate with the reptilian creatures on some level. Dragons were quick learners, especially while they were young, so teaching Yifan didn’t require any big efforts. The only thing Yixing had to do was back up whatever he said with the corresponding thought or feeling for the dragon to understand which meanings were linked to the sounds the trainer was producing.
"How are you doing today?" Yixing asked, reflecting the words with the matching sentiment through their connection, patting along Yifan's scaled neck as means of greeting. The dragon humming low in his throat in appreciation of the gesture.
An overwhelming wave of boredom hit Yixing and he laughed in sympathy. Of course Yifan was bored, he always was. It was to be expected that after more than a month, the only thing the dragon was wishing for was a change of scenery from the drab acclimatisation chamber. Yixing did his best to keep the young dragon entertained with all kinds of games, both physical and mental, but there was only so much he could do.
"Well, I have good news for you then,” he told the dragon, an expectant smile tugging the corners of his mouth apart as the eagerness to finally get the other out of the acclimatisation chamber filled him up.
Yifan’s answering excitement filtered into their mental connection, paired with curiosity as he turned his head to face Yixing.
In the beginning, the young dragon had only been able to communicate with raw waves of emotion, indistinct and almost overwhelming, but the more Yixing connected his mind with Yifan's, the more the dragon had learned to refine the emotion or thought he wanted to let the other know. He still had a long way to go, but Yixing couldn't help but be fascinated by how Yifan grew and learned so quickly. Experience told him that it was only a question of time until the dragon would be able to shape his thoughts and feelings so distinctly that even though he never sent actual words, Yixing would be able to translate Yifan's thoughts into sentences.
☙❈❈❈❧
Taking Yifan outside for the first time was, for lack of a better word, nerve-wracking. There were a million uncertainties and worries running wild inside Yixing's head, from the way the other dragons might not accept Yifan to how the young dragon might not get along with the others. For most of his life, Yifan had only had human company, which made Yixing worry that Yifan might be unable to properly adjust to the way his kin behaved.
Sitting together with Zhixiang in one of the common rooms of the fortress the night before, the trainer had questioned whether he should have taken Yifan outside a lot earlier already. He had waited longer than was strictly necessary, wanting to be sure that the bond he had forged with Yifan was actually strong enough to ensure that the dragon would not attempt escape.
Even though Yifan had turned into a tame, affectionate young dragon around Yixing, willingly letting the trainer pat his scales and using their solidifying mental connection to call for Yixing's presence even when they were apart-leading to Yixing sneaking into the dragon's room when the bell was about to ring midnight already-the trainer still remembered the fire in Yifan’s eyes from their first meeting.
The dragon was stronger and more resolute than pretty much any of the other dragons Yixing had been in contact with so far, and he had decided to better be safe than sorry when it came to trusting the strength of their bond. Zhixiang had reassured him that it had been a good choice, that Yixing didn't have to fear Yifan turning into an outcast. If anything, his strength and intimidating looks might make it easier for him to connect with others of his kin. Dragons, just like humans, liked to flock around power, and even if Yifan was still just a fledgling, Yixing would not be the only one to recognize his potential.
The words of reassurance from his mentor’s mouth helped in easing him a little, even though both of them knew that there always was the element of the unknown. As intelligent and wise as dragons were, there was still always an unpredictable, feral element to them. Their instincts could take over at any time, leading them to behave in ways that were not fueled by logical decisions but rather by natural urges that were raw and uncontrollable.
Yet Yixing tried to persuade himself that everything was going to be fine, and having Yifan's presence by his side actually helped to relax him a little. He hid all his nervousness from the young dragon, instead letting the other's excitement wash over him. There was a hint of hesitation in Yifan as well, Yixing could tell because the dragon still wasn't able to filter the emotions he wanted to keep to himself from the ones he wanted his trainer to know. Or perhaps, Yifan didn't mind that Yixing could feel his slight insecurity.
Either way, the young dragon let himself be doused in the waves of calm Yixing emitted, a serenity the human wasn't necessarily feeling himself. But he had trained hard enough to be able to send the emotions he wanted to send over the connection, even if they didn’t match with the ones he was actually feeling.
With his hand resting on Yifan's shoulder, he led the dragon through the corridors and up the stairs, the dull thudding of his shoe soles mixing with the clicking of claws, resounding on the walls. Yixing could feel the muscles below the dragon's scales with every step Yifan took, testament to the strength contained within the other's ever-growing body.
The higher up they got, the more people they ran into, all busy going about their daily routines. Most of them acknowledged Yixing with a short nod, some greeted him and wished him good luck, but no matter who they ran into, everyone was staring to some degree. Yifan had been contained within the acclimatisation chamber ever since his arrival, and only very few people had actually come eye to eye with the scarlet dragon, so the whole fortress was eager for a chance to finally see their newest addition that had created such a buzz.
Naturally they were all well accustomed to the sight of dragons, but the dragon's colour and whole demeanour simply commanded respect, which made him the focus of a lot of admiring attention.
Meeting all these other humans could have been unsettling or intimidating for the fledgling, but as Yixing had expected, Yifan didn't really seem to care about the fortress’ personnel bustling around. In spite of that, Yixing kept the dragon's attention focused on himself, drawing the other's mind towards his own. Just to be on the safe side. Yifan eagerly responded to the connection, seeking refuge in the calming, familiar presence of the trainer's consciousness. Yixing could feel the fledgling wanting to hurry, to run along the hallways until he could finally feel the fresh wind against his wings again and see the open sky above him, not through a tiny square high up in the wall, but the human doused the other’s enthusiasm enough for them to be able to walk at an unhurried pace.
When they turned the final corner, Yifan halted, making Yixing stop dead in his track as well. Before he could even turn towards the dragon to ask what was wrong, an overwhelming wave of excitement paired with disbelief hit him, strong enough to make a shudder run down his spine as he was a second too late in dampening their connection. A dragon's emotions were raw, so much stronger than a human's, and with time Yifan would learn to adjust the intensity of the ones he passed to the trainer. But in his inexperienced state, Yixing was the one who had to make sure that the dragon wasn't overwhelming him with the rawness of his feelings.
Yixing knew that Yifan had been watching the sky from the acclimatisation chamber but there was a difference to watching through a barred opening that was too small for the dragon to even fit his head through and seeing the courtyard stretch into the distance through the gate at the end of the hallway. True to Yixing's expectations, Yifan only remained still for a split-second before throwing himself back into motion, his pace faster than before as the dragon rushed outside, leaving Yixing behind.
It had the trainer's heart beat faster in accordance to the dragon's quickening pulse, spurred on half by the fledgling's excitement that was dominating their mental connection and half by the fear that as soon as Yifan was outside, it would not take more than a few strong beats of his wings and he would disappear into the mountains, to never be seen again. Watching the dragon race towards the courtyard finally unfroze Yixing from his stupor, and before he knew it he was following after Yifan at a brisk pace, not quite running because he wanted to retain some of his composure but definitely moving faster than his usual walking speed.
He emerged from the gateway only a few moments after the dragon, just in time to see Yifan come to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. The dragon’s head was tilted upwards, taking in the blue sky dotted with white stretching above his head, and the mountains which lay beyond the cliff, rising up so high their peaks were obscured by the clouds.
Yixing felt a million new sensations filter through their connection; the scent of the fresh air, the wind hitting Yifan's scales and the membranes of his wings as he flapped them around a little in excitement, the sunlight being reflected from the snowy mountain faces and the stones of the courtyard blinding him for a heartbeat before his eyes adjusted. The plenitude of impressions knocked the air out of Yixing's lungs as he stumbled to a halt after a few steps out into the open. Even with his years of experience about dampening emotions, Yixing was having difficulties controlling the onslaught of feelings which were coming through their connection.
Perhaps it would have been the best choice to cut off their connection until Yifan had gotten a little more used to the new situation. Yixing was pretty sure that that was what trainers who took their protégés out for the first time usually did, but Yixing kept holding onto it tightly, as if letting go of Yifan's mind in that moment meant losing their bond-it did not, Yixing knew that, technically, but he blamed it on the effect of the dragon's emotions overtaking his mind that he was not being very rational in that moment.
The dragon seemed to have pretty much forgotten about his trainer in the light of the newfound freedom that presented itself to him. He stood there, his wings quivering and his chest heaving with the deep breaths he was taking, facing left and right as if to watch everything at once. And then, with his head thrown back, Yifan let out a cry that could have almost sounded desperate, but was a sign of the dragon's overflowing excitement instead.
Full-grown dragons rarely ever communicated over sounds, but fledglings did. Still too inexperienced with mental connections to reach out for their kin, the young one's often used cries to get the attention of other dragons. Yifan was trying to call for those he could feel the presence of as much as he was trying to give the feelings running rampant inside his ribcage some kind of outlet.
His call was answered instantly. At first it was just one dragon's voice that could be heard, then a second and third joined him, and soon dragon cries were filling the air. Their fortress was housing 23 dragons, Yifan included, but the echoes which were reflecting from the face of the mountains around them increased their volume and made it sound as if there were dozens calling to answer the fledgling.
Yifan took in the response to his instinctual cry with a new wave of intrigue, wonder and excitement, and before Yixing fully knew what was happening, the fledgling had fully unfolded his wings from where they had been quivering just a hair’s breadth above his back. Yixing had been worried about Yifan having difficulties flying, because like every other muscle, a dragon’s wings had to be trained, and the acclimatisation chamber wasn't exactly the perfect place for such a training to happen. But his worries proved to have been unwarranted as Yifan started beating his wings, the rush of air created by the motion letting dust rise from the ground, and with one strong leap, the dragon took off.
Seeing Yifan fly for the first time- really fly-took Yixing back to that moment almost 13 years ago, when he had seen a dragon for the first time in his life. It was the same feeling of amazement and fascination that made him stare with his mouth open as his heart raced so fast it felt like it was bursting with an emotion he couldn't quite classify. The fledgling rose higher up into the sky as if he had been flying all his life and not as if he had spent most of it caged inside a room that could only offer a high ceiling for practicing his flying skills. Yixing watched in awe as Yifan moved through the air with strong beats.
All his worries that the dragon would disappear into the mountains the first chance he got were dispersed when Yifan spun around in the air to look back at Yixing, as if to make sure the trainer was still there. The dragon's jubilation filtered through their bond, and Yixing, despite being stuck to the ground, couldn't fight the instinct to spread his arms as well, a liberated laugh bubbling from his chest as Yifan cried out once more in excitement.
__
* 亦凡(Yifan) - “ordinary”
Pairing: Fanxing
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mentions of dragon abuse, slight gore (later chapters), Fight scenes with everything they encompass
Length: 8.7k (52k in total)
Summary: In all his time as a dragon trainer, Yixing has never felt a connection like the one he feels with Yifan; strong and instant, right from the very first moment he lays eyes on the dragon.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
The hallway where the acclimatisation chambers were housed was eerily quiet upon Yixing’s return, but it didn't really surprise the dragon trainer. It was lunch hour-which was something his growling stomach could attest to-so everyone who’d usually roam the lowest level of the fortress were up in the dining hall, enjoying a hot meal. Yixing, however, had no intention of taking his usual seat for a bowl of soup and pleasant conversation with his colleagues that day. Instead, he came to a halt in front of the door of the newcomer's room.
Adjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder, the metal of his gloves scraping slightly against the material of his shirt, he raised his free hand to rap his knuckles against the door, an exact mirror of the scene that unfolded barely an hour ago. Although this time there was no commotion on the other side of the metal, and no merchants in the room together with the young dragon, thankfully. He was convinced the hatchling had heard his steps as soon as he set foot into the corridor, but that didn’t stop him from knocking to signal his arrival. It was common courtesy, after all.
He waited for a second, just enough to give the dragon time to brace itself for his entrance, before pushing the door open. As Yixing expected, the hatchling was on his feet when he entered, head held high and tail twitching slightly, his whole posture speaking of alertness. He was still in the corner farthest from the door. The walls surrounding him gave the young dragon a sense of security, and the distance meant he’d have enough time to prepare for attack if need be.
But as soon as he saw Yixing, he visibly relaxed. He flapped his wings once before folding them back against his body, huffing out a gust of hot air that condensated in the cold air as he shook his body a little, like a dog trying to get rid of water from its fur after a walk in the rain. Yixing wondered what the hatchling was trying to shake off, whether it was his own nervousness, the insecurity his posture gave away, the trainer's gaze, or the whole situation. For a moment, Yixing expected the dragon to turn around and coil up on himself in the corner, facing away from the trainer as a sign of protest. But even though the tension faded from the other's posture at the sight of Yixing, he stayed cautious.
"I’ve brought lunch," Yixing offered as he closed the door behind himself, letting the bag slide from his shoulder and into his hand to hold it out towards the hatchling.
The dragon tried to stay disinterested and wary but Yixing could see his nostrils flare slightly as he studied the leather bag, his gaze giving away his curiosity. It was very common for newcomers to be hungry. Merchants often preferred to keep the young, unpredictable dragons sedated for the journey through the mountain pass. It meant that the hatchlings usually hadn’t been fed for at least one day, sometimes even longer than that, when they arrived at the fortress. So it was no surprise to Yixing when the hatchling’s focus immediately shifted from the trainer to the prospective meal.
With a small smile playing on his lips, Yixing pulled out one of the chickens he had fetched from the cold storage room where they kept all their fresh meat for the dragons. At the sight of the bird, the hatchling's wings started to quiver slightly where they were folded against his body, the vibration a sign of his instinctual anticipation of being fed. It had Yixing fighting to keep his expression under control, knowing that any hint of a grin on his lips might have been interpreted as amusement and could rile the young dragon up again.
In order to not lose the fight against the twitching corners of his mouth, he distracted himself by throwing the feed in the direction of the hatchling, the body of the bird making a dull thudding sound as it collided with the floor. Yixing knew better than to try and approach the dragon to actually “hand over” the chicken. The action might be seen as either a trick or a threat, possibly even a provocation, and that was not Yixing's intention. They already had had their confrontation, now it was time for conciliation.
The chicken still startled the hatchling when it came hurtling towards him, making him jump back slightly. He remained a small distance away from the feed, darting measuring gazes between Yixing and the lifeless bird in front him, as if expecting the trainer to ambush him once he started feeding. The sight dampened Yixing’s good mood slightly. He knew that the other's skepticism was most likely founded on his past experience but he found relief in the knowledge that from now on the dragon would be treated well.
"Go on, eat," he urged, gesturing to the chicken with a wave of his hand. "You must be hungry. I know I certainly am."
Reaching into his bag again, Yixing took out the cloth he had used to bundle up the pork-filled steamed buns he’d snatched from the kitchen on his way back down into the dungeons.
The dark eyes of the dragon followed his movement warily but Yixing didn't pay it too much mind as he placed the bag onto the floor, sinking down into a cross-legged seat right next to it. The position left him vulnerable, practically defenseless since he would not be able to get up fast enough to fight back if the dragon should decide to charge towards him once more. Still, it was a calculated risk Yixing took.
He busied himself with untying the knot that kept him from reaching his lunch, and for a short while the rustling of the cloth beneath his fingertips and his breathing were the only sounds to be heard in the room. Then there was the low, clinking sound of the dragon’s claws clicking against the stones of the ground, but Yixing waited until he had completed his task of undoing his lunch’s wrapping before slowly looking up, careful not to move too quickly lest he scare away the hatchling again.
Their gazes locked for a split second before the dragon lowered his head to sniff at the bird lying in front of him. His snout scrunched up a little as he gave the chicken an experimental nudge before retreating to study the bird from a distance once again.
"What, do you not like chicken?" Yixing asked, amusement colouring his voice. "It tastes good, believe me."
The dragon threw a gaze full of mistrust at him, making the trainer chuckle at the hatchling’s antics. He figured the other wouldn’t get mad at him for showing amusement when he was too invested in examining the chicken. "You need to try it, at least."
Another glance was followed by a huff, then the young dragon tentatively took the tip of the chicken's wing between his teeth and dragged the bird with him towards the corner he had chosen as his place of comfort. Yixing, knowing that watching the hatchling might make him uncomfortable, cast his eyes down to pay attention to his own food instead. He only looked up again when he heard the dragon take a careful bite, the action making the bird scratch lightly over the floor. The sound of it echoed off the stone walls, seeming even louder in contrast to the silence of the cell.
The first taste of the chicken was followed by an expression that looked so human in it's wary examination of the unfamiliar food that Yixing had to muffle his amused laugh with a bite of his steamed bun. He swallowed the "See? I told you it's good," down together with the yeasty dough when he saw the hatchling devour his feed with a sense of hungry haste after having determined that the chicken was indeed edible.
Yixing was glad he had brought two birds with him when the first one disappeared with just a few big bites. "Here," he said as he threw the second chicken over to the unsuspecting dragon, making him jump once again.
"Try not to eat so fast,” he advised. “There's no hurry, and it will only make your stomach hurt if you gobble your food."
The hatchling threw him a calculating gaze, which Yixing replied to with a smile, making the other huff in supposed protest as a result. It amazed Yixing how much the dragon’s reactions fit in reply to his word even though the other didn’t understand human language just yet. Like he had advised, the hatchling didn't devour the bird within three bites like he had done the first time, instead letting himself sink down to the ground before starting to gently nibble on it. The sight made Yixing's smile widen, his own posture relaxing significantly in reaction to seeing the hatchling assume a more comfortable stance around him. "So, I guess it's about time for introductions," Yixing noted, taking up another bun from his bundle. "I am Yixing."
The dragon's tail twitched slightly, the only sign that he was aware Yixing was talking, but the trainer didn't let himself be deterred. "I was told you've been named Yifan," he continued, and at the sound of the name the hatchling looked up from his meal, scales rustling slightly as if he was humming in recognition of the sounds.
"' Ordinary* '," the trainer scoffed a little in disbelief, "I don't think they could have chosen a less fitting name," he mused, more to himself than the dragon, his voice low, contemplative, losing its conversational tone. The disbelief at the merchant's poor choice was spurred on by the admiration he held for the potential he saw in the young dragon, both emotions colouring his words.
The hatchling, Yifan, just tilted his head slightly to the side in question, as if he didn't see the point behind Yixing's statement before exhaling audibly and getting back to devouring the chicken. Watching the tip of the dragon's tail twitch in excitement from picking the bird in front of him apart, Yixing couldn't help the fond chuckle that escaped him. For all the fire burning underneath those scarlet scales, and for how intimidating the hatchling could look like when he was set on confrontation, as soon as he allowed himself to relax a little he really was still just a baby, easily entertained by a treat he could nibble at.
"Yeah, you're right. We should eat," Yixing agreed, taking a bite out of the bun in his hand and letting the room fall into a companionable silence.
☙❈❈❈❧
In the coming days, Yixing spent most of his time in the dungeon, sitting in one corner of the acclimatisation chamber while the young dragon sat in the other. Yixing talked, often about inconsequential things, just to fill the eerily silent room nestled deep below the ground while Yifan studied him with folded wings and a curious gaze. He knew that the dragon couldn't quite make sense of his words, not yet. The hatchling would learn, with time, to understand the human's language, but before then he could still follow the intonation of the words, studying Yixing's posture to get an idea of what the trainer was trying to tell him. And Yixing speaking to Yifan wasn't meant to be an exchange of information, after all.
His only purpose for spending hours on end on the rough stone floor, his back leaned against the cold wall until the temperature seeped through the multiple layers of clothes he was wearing, was to give the dragon a chance to get used to his presence. A dragon who didn't trust its trainer couldn't be trained. Yixing knew that there were a lot of dragon rearing fortresses all over the country that didn't consider that to be a rule but it was the one basic concept he had been indoctrinated with ever since arriving at the fortress as a boy.
So the first step in his training plan was to gain Yifan's trust, to show the young dragon that he had nothing to fear from Yixing. During the first few visits, the hatchling stuck to his three metre safety distance to seek the refuge of his corner for the whole time Yixing was in the room with him. The trainer didn't mind, not trying to approach Yifan as long as the young dragon didn't seem comfortable with it. There was no necessity, either, to force physical closeness.
It was still too early to try and attempt a true mental connection with the dragon but Yixing made sure to exude a wave of calm the best he could whenever he was in the same space as the other. He knew that Yifan wouldn't be able to truly read the aura surrounding the trainer yet, still too young to understand his own telepathic senses. But even if the hatchling couldn't understand it yet, it was pivotal to get him used to Yixing's mental presence, so that it wouldn't provoke a total lock-down from the dragon’s mind when Yixing would start prodding him for a connection.
Like this, days turned into weeks. It was in the course of the second week when Yifan started to move a few curious steps towards Yixing whenever the trainer would open the door, tail twitching and his snout scrunched up as he tried to figure out by the smell what kind of food Yixing was hiding in his bag that day.
By the end of the second week, Yifan had shed most of his cautious behaviour. Yixing's first impression of Yifan had been coined by the fire he could see in the young dragon's actions during their first confrontation, and the control the young dragon displayed over it, but within the course of the two weeks he spent with the hatchling, Yixing was able to refine his impression of the other. Sure, Yifan was fiery when felt he needed to be, but when he didn't feel like he had to prove his position or demonstrate his strength, the dragon exhibited traits one would not have expected going by his intimidating looks.
After two weeks, the thought of Yifan was a feeling of fondness spreading in Yixing's chest, a smile on his lips. If anyone would have asked him to describe the young dragon, the first word he'd have used would be adorable. It was the way Yifan's tail would whip from one side to the other once he got excited, the way he would flap his wings and prance on the spot whenever he wanted Yixing's attention, and the scrunching up of his snout when he did not like something. All of that combined made it hard for Yixing to keep his smile from splitting his face in half for most of the time he was with Yifan. The dragon's behaviour reflected his age, reminding Yixing over and over again that Yifan was still a hatchling; inexperienced, easily excitable and, most of all, looking for someone to trust, someone he could rely on.
That part became particularly apparent when Yifan's mind unconsciously started reaching out for Yixing's, seeking to form a resemblance of the bond he lost when he was separated from his kin. Dragons also expressed themselves with their body language, and a variety of noises to emphasize their emotions but their main form of communication was a mental bond. They needed these kinds of bonds to sustain their mental health, and to nurture their innate telepathic abilities. So it was unhealthy for Yifan to be without a bond of such nature for too long.
It chipped away at Yixing's self control; knowing that young dragons needed a mental connection but knowing at the same time that he needed Yifan to be accustomed and used to him before he could try to forge a bond. Still, Yifan's mind seeking his, latching onto the calming presence Yixing was surrounding himself with, was the signal for the trainer that he could finally get to the next step of training.
☙❈❈❈❧
When Yixing opened the door to the acclimatisation chamber, Yifan's head whipped up. The dragon had grown significantly since he first arrived at the fortress, turning the hatchling into a fledgling, and Yixing knew that the growth spurt would keep up a similar pace for a few weeks at least. When Yifan skipped towards Yixing, it only took him two leaps to cross the room, as he was obviously outgrowing the size of the cell. The fledgling didn't initiate any physical contact like the other dragons Yixing was training, didn't rub his head against Yixing's arm the way Li Jie always did in greeting, and didn't nudge his chest in the way Yanmei would always express her affection.
Yet it made Yixing's heart beat a little harder against his ribcage with excitement when the dragon didn't pull away from where he had come to a stop as Yixing reached out his hand. The fledgling looked a little startled at their sudden closeness, as if he hadn't expected that jumping towards Yixing would mean that they would end up standing with only an arm’s length separating them. However, he didn't flinch or try to widen the distance between them again even as the trainer’s fingers came steadily closer. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, as if to make it easier for the trainer to reach for him. Yixing moved slowly, pausing every so often to carefully study the dragon's reaction, giving him time to reconsider. But Yifan didn't move, his gaze locking with Yixing's, instead.
Yixing could see the tension in the fledgling's body, in the shiver traveling from his neck down towards his tail, making his scales rustle softly as they moved and rubbed against each other. And still the young dragon didn't back away, remaining transfixed in a state of anticipation, so Yixing only hesitated for the blink of an eye before splaying his hand against the dragon's cheek.
Yifan was not the first dragon Yixing had ever touched, far from it. He'd had his fair share of stroking over reptilian bodies, snuggling against scaled necks or being tugged under wings. And yet, touching Yifan felt special. There was a rush of exhilaration and relief alike, not too dissimilar to the sense of accomplishment in finding a missing puzzle piece. Later on he would reason that it was because Yifan was the first dragon who was truly his -and his only-to train, the first dragon he had been charged with from day one, and with whom it took weeks before he was comfortable enough with Yixing's presence. In that moment, however, when his hand came into contact with Yifan, his mind was wiped empty of thoughts, only emotions remaining as all his senses were heightened.
Yifan's scales were smooth under Yixing's fingertips, smooth and warm as Yixing let his thumb glide across them. Yifan's gaze softened as his eyelids started drooping, before eventually falling shut. The dragon exhaled contently, and for the first time Yixing could actually feel the heat of the air permeating through the fabric of his coat. They both remained still for a few heartbeats, then Yifan leaned into the touch, the way one tightens an embrace to signal its end, before opening his eyes again and lifting his head up.
"Good morning." A fond smile played over Yixing's face and he could still feel the lingering shadow of the dragon's cheek pressed against his fingertips. At the same time, Yifan looked kind of wary, as if he didn't quite know what to make of what had just transpired.
In accordance to the dragon getting used to Yixing's presence, growing appreciative of it even, he had taken to being more boisterous around the human. Even going as far as to jump around in excitement whenever he realized Yixing had brought him some of the cookies the kitchen personnel kept baking as treats for the dragon. So seeing Yifan this contemplative was a change from the norm, but Yixing couldn't deny that he himself had been thrown out of the loop a little as well.
He had come down to the dungeons with the intention to start their bonding process but he hadn't expected Yifan to allow physical contact just yet. It was a very welcome surprise, however, and it affirmed his belief that the dragon was ready for taking the next step. The original plan had been to sit down the way he usually would, to let Yifan calm down a little from his initial excitement at seeing the human and throw out a chicken or two for the young dragon to munch on before Yixing got started.
It was a split-second decision, a sudden urge fostered by the instincts he had honed over years of dealing with dragons, telling him that this was the right moment. He had Yifan's full attention, so he lowered his hand down to his side, the dragon's gaze following the motion before darting back up to meet Yixing's eyes. The first part of Yixing’s own training had been to learn how to control his own mind, how to be able reach out to other living beings without moving a muscle or making any sound. It had taken years for Yixing to work on his telepathy, to be able to control not only his own mind but to also connect to others. Nonetheless, he had trained, worked hard and gathered a lot of experience ever since he first had been drawn into a mental connection.
So it was easy for him to focus, to take a deep breath and use the exhale to sharpen his own mind then open his perception towards the energy around him. The whole room was rather dull, the low ambient energy making the young dragon stand out even more. Yifan's mind was calling for Yixing like the light of a bright beacon in the dead of the night to an insect, impossible to miss or look away from. Now that he was actually focusing on sensing the other, Yixing could physically feel the tendrils of Yifan's mind reaching out for his own like energy licking over his skin. It was clumsy, uncontrolled, and a perfect reflection of the fledgling's inexperience, much like Yixing had expected.
Fully grown dragons, by nature, were generally more skilled at controlling their mind than humans. They could shield themselves off from unwanted mental infiltration or let only certain thoughts slip into a mental connection while keeping others hidden. Since they were instinctual abilities, they came easier to them than to humans, who used verbal or physical language for the primary sake of communication. And yet, just like babies could only babble with their inability to form proper words, young dragons were not in proper control over the ways their minds reached out yet, they merely clumsily sought any kind of connection, even if they didn't yet know how to go about it.
Whenever Yixing established a mental connection with any of the adult dragons he trained from time to time, it felt similar to knocking on a door and asking for entrance. By default, the mind of a dragon was guarded and closed off, as was Yixing's. It was possible to invade a mind that refused a mental connection but these kind of practices made Yixing's skin crawl with a sense of utter disgust. Forcing one's way into a dragon's mind was immoral, to say the least, and taking control over it by blocking out the dragon's own will was simply cruel in Yixing’s eyes. He knew how common these practices were in the profession of training dragons, because they were the easiest way to break a dragon's fighting spirit thus rendering it obedient and easy to control. The very idea made Yixing feel sick to the stomach.
Yifan, however, being as untrained as he was, was not even able to put his mental defenses up yet, leaving his mind wide open for anyone who cared to look for it. It would have made it easy for Yixing to force a connection with the fledgling, but it was not his goal to enter Yifan's mind, least of all uninvited. What he wanted was to familiarize Yifan with the touch of his mental presence, to lay the foundation for forging a bond that would allow him to show Yifan how to use his mental abilities and enable him to finally properly communicate with the dragon.
So he gently reached out towards the other's mind, his first attempt at contact being nothing more than a gentle nudge. Yifan's reaction was immediate, his eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected sensation. The dragon took a startled step back, and then froze to study Yixing. The feeling of having someone else's presence knocking on his mind must have been familiar, as he used to share a similar link with his parents before being caught, but all of his instincts had to be screaming at the fledgling that this kind of connection was something found with other dragons, not with humans.
Yixing dropped all his attempts to reach out to the dragon's mind when he saw Yifan move away. His only motive was to let the other know that Yixing was capable of controlling his own mind. He was trying to test the waters with the young dragon who had finally started to trust him.
To Yixing's relief, Yifan didn't seem to be afraid of the sensation of Yixing’s mind grazing his. The dragon’s gaze remained inquisitive, almost intrigued, even in spite of his momentary surprise. Then, his tail started twitching in a way that was expressing nervous curiosity, as Yixing had come to learn. Yifan pranced a little then tentatively moved closer to the trainer once more.
Yixing expected the foreign mind brushing against his own, so he opened up his consciousness and made it emanate a pleasant, welcoming warmth. Their contact was short, barely more than a prod on Yifan’s side as well. As the dragon withdrew, he huffed out a breath and shook his head slightly, similar to the way he had first reacted to chicken. The fledgling mustered him with a gaze that was equal parts disbelief and intrigue and Yixing didn't even try to hide his smile.
☙❈❈❈❧
Yixing was an early riser. He was usually out of bed only shortly after the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountain tops; sometimes getting up in time to catch the sun starting its ascent into the sky. He spent such mornings either with his spear in hand, working up a sweat through exercise to chase away the cold, or sitting on one of the benches in the courtyard, bundled up in one of his warm coats to battle the chill of the night. There was a sense of serenity in listening to the silence. Being located high up in the mountains, there were barely any birds chirping, or any other animal sounds. There were no carts bustling over busy main streets on their way to a village's market or dogs barking in excitement whenever someone passed by their house. So with most of the inhabitants of the castle still asleep, the only noise to fill the silence was the wind howling over the ragged stone edges.
Always getting up together with the sun meant that Yixing usually was one of the first people to arrive in the dining hall, but as much as he always liked to keep himself busy, breakfast was the one thing he only rushed when it was absolutely necessary.
"Why does breakfast always have to be so damn early," Zhixiang whined as he slumped down into his usual seat next to Yixing almost half an hour after the younger male had arrived, letting the tray which held his food clack against the wooden surface of the table.
Knowing that it was a rhetorical question, Yixing didn't bother with answering directly-uttering his usual good morning greeting and shoveling more rice into his mouth, instead.
The male with the dark brown hair was the exact opposite of Yixing, preferring to remain in bed until the sun had already neared its peak, if he could. But, in turn, Zhixiang often took to spending his nights sitting together with others from the fortress with a cup of ale while Yixing was already in bed. It wasn't that Yixing was unsocial, or that the elder man preferred drinking time with colleagues over work; their body clocks were just running differently. Their biological rhythm was one of the only things that wasn't in tune between them, as they clicked almost perfectly in pretty much all the other aspects.
When Yixing had first come to the fortress, he was 14 years old and resolute to not be a burden to his family any longer. It wasn't like his parents and grandparents were in danger of starving if they had days when they didn't sell all their goods at the market, but they also were far from being rich. It meant that Yixing, as soon as he was old enough, decided to take the trek up to the doors of the most prestigious dragon rearing fortress he knew, based on the rumour that the dragon training profession yielded better money than a lot of other jobs, and that he would get a roof over his head and food to eat while he was working there. He didn’t know any other dragon trainers personally, nor did his friends, but working with mythical creatures surely had to be a promising profession. His mother wasn't happy with his choice but Yixing had always rather been on the stubborn side.
He had traveled the harsh way up together with a group of merchants, tempted to turn and follow the streets back home countless times, but the hope of independence, of earning money himself each month which he could send back to his parents' house, kept him from actually following the calls of his home. No matter how alluring they were. When he had decided on being a dragon trainer, the only dragons he knew were those from stories and paintings in books. Only rich, noble houses owned dragons, and Yixing's home village lay too far out in the countryside, where no nobles ever showed up, and too far out from the mountain range to ever catch sight of wild ones.
He still remembered the feeling of wonder bursting in his chest when he had first seen a real dragon, alive and breathing. Their group had been taking a rest on a little plateau, halfway to their destination. Yixing had been sitting on a boulder by himself near the cliff while the merchants watered their horses and checked up on the fastenings that kept their goods secure on the carts. He was studying the higher mountain he could see in the distance, knowing that the fortress was located there.
There was no warning when the dragon appeared, no sound of wings, no rush of air. It was just there, all of a sudden, gliding through the rift Yixing was sitting at the edge of. The dragon wasn't particularly big, its scales were a dark yellow that shone almost golden as the sunlight reflected from the reptilian creature. It made Yixing's breath catch in his throat as he stared in wonderment, his mouth and eyes hanging wide open. The moment barely lasted for a heartbeat as the dragon disappeared deeper into the mountain range with three beats of its powerful wings. None of Yixing's fellow travelling companions noticed the creature pass by their camp but Yixing never forgot the sight. The grace with which the dragon had sailed through the air, the ethereal glow of its scales; all these impressions had burned themselves behind his eyelids.
So when he finally arrived at the fortress, two weeks after having left his home, he was exhausted, weighed at least 3 kilogrammes less than he had at the beginning of the journey since his stomach had not taken well to the altitude difference and his eyes were shining bright with determination. It had been a gamble, to travel to the fortress' gates without knowing anyone inside the solid stone walls and without any certainty that he would even be accepted as an apprentice. But he was in luck, Huang Lei’s predecessor in running the fortress, a sturdy old man who went by the name of Wu Xian, liked the conviction in his eyes-and the feel of his mind, as Yixing found out a few months after he had started his own mental training.
Zhixiang Luo had been 21 when Yixing first met him, and Yixing was the first apprentice the elder male ever took on. Despite his young age, Zhixiang proved to be the best mentor Yixing could have ever hoped for. He was patient and smart but always up for a joke; serious when he needed to be while full of grins and crazy ideas when he could let his guard down. Yixing’s younger self spent hours sitting under the open night sky, listening with fascination to stories he was sure were equal parts truth and fiction as Zhixiang let his hands dance through the air while speaking of epic battles he had witnessed and giant dragons he had tamed. Over the years, their student-teacher relationship had grown and changed, turning into a solid friendship, and as Yixing aged, their age difference grew significantly more irrelevant. What did seven years matter to someone in their late twenties.
It did not mean, however, that Yixing stopped seeking the elder's advice whenever he was unsure of how to go about something. He had had ample of time to collect his own experience when it came to dragons, and he had left behind his apprentice status years ago but a second opinion from someone he fully trusted was something Yixing would never be foolish enough to deny.
"So, how're things going with Yifan?" Zhixiang asked, downing half his soup before turning back to his bowl of rice as he waited for the younger's reply.
"Quite good, I think." Yixing swirled the tea in his cup around gently, as if he could warm up the ceramic walls of the container like this. It was winter, and his fingers were still freezing after having forgotten to bring his gloves outside. "His mind no longer seeks out others' unconsciously. He can reach out and shut himself off consciously, although he doesn't quite manage to communicate his emotions properly yet."
"Well, he's still young and he hasn't had many chances to form a mental connection yet, it's to be expected."
Yixing hummed in agreement.
"Do you plan to take him out to meet the other dragons soon? He's been here for quite a while already. He should mingle with others of his kind," the elder's words held a tinge of a lecturing tone, reminiscent of their former mentor-apprentice-relationship, but Yixing knew that it was a genuine question and not an urging cloaked in an inquiry.
"Yes, I want to take him outside within the next few days. He might still be a bit clumsy, but, I think he's ready. And besides, he is a dragon, he needs to fly and no matter how high the ceilings in the acclimatisation chambers might be, I know he's becoming impatient… And, you know, too big," Yixing told the other with a contemplative tone, before huffing out a disbelieving breath. "I swear to god, I can basically watch him grow whenever I'm with him. He's already reaching past my shoulder and not even a month ago he still only went up to my waist!"
Zhixiang answered Yixing's exasperation with a small laugh, the edges of his smile turning slightly teasing as he faced the younger. "So, I guess the two of you are bonding well?"
As a rule, dragons in the fortress were not allowed to be taken outside before they had formed a solid bond with a trainer. It was a precaution to prevent the dragons from escaping. Unlike with horses, cattle or other livestock, one couldn't just put up a fence to keep them contained. Especially because dragons needed the open sky, needed to be able to fly, both because it was essential for both their physical and mental health, and-speaking from the financial interest of the fortress-because a dragon who could not fly was only worth a tenth of the price of a dragon who could.
The nurturing of a dragon's flying skills was an essential part of a trainer's task. Thus it was necessary to replace the physical restraints the thick stone walls of the acclimatisation chambers provided with something else to keep the dragon tied to the fortress' grounds. That was the point where the bond a trainer formed with a dragon came into play, posing an immaterial restraint. As soon as the mental connection was properly established, forcefully tearing it meant pain for a dragon, the kind they would never willingly want to experience. So as long as a the trainer didn't give them a reason to choose the pain over staying at the fortress, a dragon would keep close to the fortress and its trainer.
"Yeah," Yixing answered Zhixiang's question with a sense of contemplation, the feeling of Yifan's mind brushing against his singing like a constant reminder of the dragon's presence in the back of his consciousness. "Yeah, I think we are."
☙❈❈❈❧
Communicating with Yifan wasn't something done through words, it was accomplished by linking their minds to connect their thoughts. Dragons didn't use the same speech patterns as humans did, they didn't have a language that relied on the concatenation of distinct sounds in order to transport information. Instead, they communicated through pictures and feelings, ideas and motivation.
It was part of the training process to teach the dragons to understand spoken language, so that even humans who were not good at controlling their telepathic abilities would be able to communicate with the reptilian creatures on some level. Dragons were quick learners, especially while they were young, so teaching Yifan didn’t require any big efforts. The only thing Yixing had to do was back up whatever he said with the corresponding thought or feeling for the dragon to understand which meanings were linked to the sounds the trainer was producing.
"How are you doing today?" Yixing asked, reflecting the words with the matching sentiment through their connection, patting along Yifan's scaled neck as means of greeting. The dragon humming low in his throat in appreciation of the gesture.
An overwhelming wave of boredom hit Yixing and he laughed in sympathy. Of course Yifan was bored, he always was. It was to be expected that after more than a month, the only thing the dragon was wishing for was a change of scenery from the drab acclimatisation chamber. Yixing did his best to keep the young dragon entertained with all kinds of games, both physical and mental, but there was only so much he could do.
"Well, I have good news for you then,” he told the dragon, an expectant smile tugging the corners of his mouth apart as the eagerness to finally get the other out of the acclimatisation chamber filled him up.
Yifan’s answering excitement filtered into their mental connection, paired with curiosity as he turned his head to face Yixing.
In the beginning, the young dragon had only been able to communicate with raw waves of emotion, indistinct and almost overwhelming, but the more Yixing connected his mind with Yifan's, the more the dragon had learned to refine the emotion or thought he wanted to let the other know. He still had a long way to go, but Yixing couldn't help but be fascinated by how Yifan grew and learned so quickly. Experience told him that it was only a question of time until the dragon would be able to shape his thoughts and feelings so distinctly that even though he never sent actual words, Yixing would be able to translate Yifan's thoughts into sentences.
☙❈❈❈❧
Taking Yifan outside for the first time was, for lack of a better word, nerve-wracking. There were a million uncertainties and worries running wild inside Yixing's head, from the way the other dragons might not accept Yifan to how the young dragon might not get along with the others. For most of his life, Yifan had only had human company, which made Yixing worry that Yifan might be unable to properly adjust to the way his kin behaved.
Sitting together with Zhixiang in one of the common rooms of the fortress the night before, the trainer had questioned whether he should have taken Yifan outside a lot earlier already. He had waited longer than was strictly necessary, wanting to be sure that the bond he had forged with Yifan was actually strong enough to ensure that the dragon would not attempt escape.
Even though Yifan had turned into a tame, affectionate young dragon around Yixing, willingly letting the trainer pat his scales and using their solidifying mental connection to call for Yixing's presence even when they were apart-leading to Yixing sneaking into the dragon's room when the bell was about to ring midnight already-the trainer still remembered the fire in Yifan’s eyes from their first meeting.
The dragon was stronger and more resolute than pretty much any of the other dragons Yixing had been in contact with so far, and he had decided to better be safe than sorry when it came to trusting the strength of their bond. Zhixiang had reassured him that it had been a good choice, that Yixing didn't have to fear Yifan turning into an outcast. If anything, his strength and intimidating looks might make it easier for him to connect with others of his kin. Dragons, just like humans, liked to flock around power, and even if Yifan was still just a fledgling, Yixing would not be the only one to recognize his potential.
The words of reassurance from his mentor’s mouth helped in easing him a little, even though both of them knew that there always was the element of the unknown. As intelligent and wise as dragons were, there was still always an unpredictable, feral element to them. Their instincts could take over at any time, leading them to behave in ways that were not fueled by logical decisions but rather by natural urges that were raw and uncontrollable.
Yet Yixing tried to persuade himself that everything was going to be fine, and having Yifan's presence by his side actually helped to relax him a little. He hid all his nervousness from the young dragon, instead letting the other's excitement wash over him. There was a hint of hesitation in Yifan as well, Yixing could tell because the dragon still wasn't able to filter the emotions he wanted to keep to himself from the ones he wanted his trainer to know. Or perhaps, Yifan didn't mind that Yixing could feel his slight insecurity.
Either way, the young dragon let himself be doused in the waves of calm Yixing emitted, a serenity the human wasn't necessarily feeling himself. But he had trained hard enough to be able to send the emotions he wanted to send over the connection, even if they didn’t match with the ones he was actually feeling.
With his hand resting on Yifan's shoulder, he led the dragon through the corridors and up the stairs, the dull thudding of his shoe soles mixing with the clicking of claws, resounding on the walls. Yixing could feel the muscles below the dragon's scales with every step Yifan took, testament to the strength contained within the other's ever-growing body.
The higher up they got, the more people they ran into, all busy going about their daily routines. Most of them acknowledged Yixing with a short nod, some greeted him and wished him good luck, but no matter who they ran into, everyone was staring to some degree. Yifan had been contained within the acclimatisation chamber ever since his arrival, and only very few people had actually come eye to eye with the scarlet dragon, so the whole fortress was eager for a chance to finally see their newest addition that had created such a buzz.
Naturally they were all well accustomed to the sight of dragons, but the dragon's colour and whole demeanour simply commanded respect, which made him the focus of a lot of admiring attention.
Meeting all these other humans could have been unsettling or intimidating for the fledgling, but as Yixing had expected, Yifan didn't really seem to care about the fortress’ personnel bustling around. In spite of that, Yixing kept the dragon's attention focused on himself, drawing the other's mind towards his own. Just to be on the safe side. Yifan eagerly responded to the connection, seeking refuge in the calming, familiar presence of the trainer's consciousness. Yixing could feel the fledgling wanting to hurry, to run along the hallways until he could finally feel the fresh wind against his wings again and see the open sky above him, not through a tiny square high up in the wall, but the human doused the other’s enthusiasm enough for them to be able to walk at an unhurried pace.
When they turned the final corner, Yifan halted, making Yixing stop dead in his track as well. Before he could even turn towards the dragon to ask what was wrong, an overwhelming wave of excitement paired with disbelief hit him, strong enough to make a shudder run down his spine as he was a second too late in dampening their connection. A dragon's emotions were raw, so much stronger than a human's, and with time Yifan would learn to adjust the intensity of the ones he passed to the trainer. But in his inexperienced state, Yixing was the one who had to make sure that the dragon wasn't overwhelming him with the rawness of his feelings.
Yixing knew that Yifan had been watching the sky from the acclimatisation chamber but there was a difference to watching through a barred opening that was too small for the dragon to even fit his head through and seeing the courtyard stretch into the distance through the gate at the end of the hallway. True to Yixing's expectations, Yifan only remained still for a split-second before throwing himself back into motion, his pace faster than before as the dragon rushed outside, leaving Yixing behind.
It had the trainer's heart beat faster in accordance to the dragon's quickening pulse, spurred on half by the fledgling's excitement that was dominating their mental connection and half by the fear that as soon as Yifan was outside, it would not take more than a few strong beats of his wings and he would disappear into the mountains, to never be seen again. Watching the dragon race towards the courtyard finally unfroze Yixing from his stupor, and before he knew it he was following after Yifan at a brisk pace, not quite running because he wanted to retain some of his composure but definitely moving faster than his usual walking speed.
He emerged from the gateway only a few moments after the dragon, just in time to see Yifan come to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. The dragon’s head was tilted upwards, taking in the blue sky dotted with white stretching above his head, and the mountains which lay beyond the cliff, rising up so high their peaks were obscured by the clouds.
Yixing felt a million new sensations filter through their connection; the scent of the fresh air, the wind hitting Yifan's scales and the membranes of his wings as he flapped them around a little in excitement, the sunlight being reflected from the snowy mountain faces and the stones of the courtyard blinding him for a heartbeat before his eyes adjusted. The plenitude of impressions knocked the air out of Yixing's lungs as he stumbled to a halt after a few steps out into the open. Even with his years of experience about dampening emotions, Yixing was having difficulties controlling the onslaught of feelings which were coming through their connection.
Perhaps it would have been the best choice to cut off their connection until Yifan had gotten a little more used to the new situation. Yixing was pretty sure that that was what trainers who took their protégés out for the first time usually did, but Yixing kept holding onto it tightly, as if letting go of Yifan's mind in that moment meant losing their bond-it did not, Yixing knew that, technically, but he blamed it on the effect of the dragon's emotions overtaking his mind that he was not being very rational in that moment.
The dragon seemed to have pretty much forgotten about his trainer in the light of the newfound freedom that presented itself to him. He stood there, his wings quivering and his chest heaving with the deep breaths he was taking, facing left and right as if to watch everything at once. And then, with his head thrown back, Yifan let out a cry that could have almost sounded desperate, but was a sign of the dragon's overflowing excitement instead.
Full-grown dragons rarely ever communicated over sounds, but fledglings did. Still too inexperienced with mental connections to reach out for their kin, the young one's often used cries to get the attention of other dragons. Yifan was trying to call for those he could feel the presence of as much as he was trying to give the feelings running rampant inside his ribcage some kind of outlet.
His call was answered instantly. At first it was just one dragon's voice that could be heard, then a second and third joined him, and soon dragon cries were filling the air. Their fortress was housing 23 dragons, Yifan included, but the echoes which were reflecting from the face of the mountains around them increased their volume and made it sound as if there were dozens calling to answer the fledgling.
Yifan took in the response to his instinctual cry with a new wave of intrigue, wonder and excitement, and before Yixing fully knew what was happening, the fledgling had fully unfolded his wings from where they had been quivering just a hair’s breadth above his back. Yixing had been worried about Yifan having difficulties flying, because like every other muscle, a dragon’s wings had to be trained, and the acclimatisation chamber wasn't exactly the perfect place for such a training to happen. But his worries proved to have been unwarranted as Yifan started beating his wings, the rush of air created by the motion letting dust rise from the ground, and with one strong leap, the dragon took off.
Seeing Yifan fly for the first time- really fly-took Yixing back to that moment almost 13 years ago, when he had seen a dragon for the first time in his life. It was the same feeling of amazement and fascination that made him stare with his mouth open as his heart raced so fast it felt like it was bursting with an emotion he couldn't quite classify. The fledgling rose higher up into the sky as if he had been flying all his life and not as if he had spent most of it caged inside a room that could only offer a high ceiling for practicing his flying skills. Yixing watched in awe as Yifan moved through the air with strong beats.
All his worries that the dragon would disappear into the mountains the first chance he got were dispersed when Yifan spun around in the air to look back at Yixing, as if to make sure the trainer was still there. The dragon's jubilation filtered through their bond, and Yixing, despite being stuck to the ground, couldn't fight the instinct to spread his arms as well, a liberated laugh bubbling from his chest as Yifan cried out once more in excitement.
__
* 亦凡(Yifan) - “ordinary”