Daichi

Daichi was sent to the Cupid Clan's Combat School at a young age with the intention that he should learn to fight before joining the Earthshaker's side. While at school, however, he fell in love with the clan, and they accepted him into his ranks. He thereafter studied as a historian at the Sedimentary Court. He left the Cupid Clan out of a desire to see the world and expand his views as a historian. It is his intention to return eventually. His heart still lies very closely with the Cupid Clan.

-

Daichi’s mother herself draped the crystal-laden cascades on her son, a task too precious to entrust to servants. Glade placed the thin circlet on his forehead, clasped it shut on either side of his head feathers, then fastened the band around his neck. They were the two points that held the weight of the cascades, but in truth, they weighed nothing. The clasps were of fine filigree, but not pure gold. The crystals, on the other hand, were very real, and served to inform the world of Daichi’s status, not to remind Daichi of it. Daichi could hardly forget. His mother stepped back and smiled at him and his siblings from the same nest, proudly, and tearfully. Daichi wondered why she sent almost all her children away as soon as they could walk if it made her cry, but only out of mild curiosity. He didn’t resent her for it. After all, there could be no greater honour than serving one of the eleven deities of Sornieth - it was exaltation.

Daichi had no real interest in his fate. He was too young to fully understand it. Hs father, however, had often assured him and his siblings, that they would have a wonderful time at school, learning valuable lessons and making friends with people whom they would be with forever, serving the Earthshaker together. If he was not yet interested in serving the Earthshaker, Daichi was certainly interested in leaving the grand halls of his family home and seeing the world outside. There would be a lot of that in his training, his father had said.

‘Rocks shift,’ his mother murmured, kissing each of her children in turn, ‘and when all else crumbles away, we will remain standing.’

One of the mantras of the citizens of Dragonhome, the children of the Earthshaker. Daichi liked the saying. He did not think himself strong and unmoving like the illustration of the Earthshaker that hung on the wall of their nursery, but it made him feel that he did not need to feel his strength and solidity - it was something that was within him, could never be taken away from him, because he was born in the land of the World Pillar.

Daichi had 3 siblings, and they would all be sent to different schools, until the time came that they were to join the Earthshaker’s side. He alone would be going to the Cupid’s Clan Combat School, where dragons learned to become warriors.

‘Have a safe journey, my loves,’ Glade said softly.

Amatsu, their father, entered the chamber, nodded with satisfaction at their ensemble, and the hatchlings said goodbye to their mother for the last time.

-

In his childhood home, everything was done properly, solemnly, and with ceremony. So when they arrived at the bustling crystal caves, where Amatsu weaved his way through the crowd, and approached an elevated perch where a Nocturne hung upside down by his tail, Daichi was shocked when Amatsu announced Daichi’s name and all the Nocturne did was nod and point his quill at the doorway next to him without a word. Amatsu, however, was unfazed, and ushered Daichi through.

The caves had more dragonmade touches here, the natural stone carved into pillars, stalagmites and stalactites still lingering, but obviously curated, some removed to make a clear pathway, others moulded into elegant shapes. Crystals clustered around the base of many pillars, jutting out the ceiling or the floor, as if they were flora. The residence stretched far and wide around them with no end in sight to the pillars. The caves were an open affair, the natural sunlight being more than enough to illuminate every part of the structure. Here and there, candle brackets were nailed into pillars, so that the caves could remain bright during nighttime, aided by the twinkling crystals.

In a few seconds, a Coatl with a glimmering blue belly bustled up to them. Daichi swallowed nervously. It was his first time meeting a Coatl properly, and he was much bigger than the two Skydancers. ‘New student?’ the Coatl said briskly. ‘Name?’ ‘Daichi,’ Amatsu provided. The Coatl glanced at the parchment in his hand and nodded. ‘I’m Bombora. I’ll show you the first year’s quarters. Sorry, but you’re not allowed past here,’ he said to Amatsu. ‘Well, goodbye son,’ Amatsu said. He clasped Daichi on the shoulder. ‘Study hard.’ ‘Goodbye,’ Daichi said politely. Amatsu turned away, and left the way they had come. Before Bombora could lead him away, two more new students appeared, a Guardian and a Spiral, looking around and clutching sacks of personal belongings. Daichi was taken aback. He had come completely empty-handed, save for the clothes on his back. Was he meant to bring his own supplies? Bombora asked them their names, then finally guided the three of them through the pillars, weaving through them as if he was following a set path, until they burst out into dazzling sunlight shining down on a courtyard. Older students milled around

here, sitting on benches and on the plinth of a statue of the Earthshaker. Two of them fenced with blunted rapiers while a crowd of their friends cheered them on. As Bombora passed by them, they hastily dropped their swords. Bombora’s swirling eyes rolled, and he thumped each of them on the head with his tail.

Behind the courtyard, the caves continued, but these were more natural and less touched by dragon hands. Here, it was a maze, and Bombora deftly lead them through without offering any instructions in case they should get lost while moving through classes. They met a flight of stairs, up which Bombora floated. Daichi and the Spiral followed suit, but the Guardian scampered behind them as fast as her legs could take her.

On the next floor, they passed several cave entrances, which sparkled faintly with the light of crystals and hummed with the sound of voices.

‘Here we are.’ Bombora stopped at one of the entrances, seemingly identical to the rest. ‘This is where you’ll be staying. Don’t leave until someone comes to talk to you all, and you’re not allowed to leave without supervision until after your first term here. The residential area behind the courtyard is strictly out of bounds for students. Anyway, pick whichever bed you like and make yourselves comfortable.’

The young dragons thanked him, and went inside.

-

Daichi listened to the clock tolling midnight. It was the second day for the new batch of students, and they were all exhausted by their orientation into the school. The chatter that accompanied bedtime had died away, and Daichi was surely the only one still awake.

He was tired too, but he didn’t want to sleep. Ever since the day he arrived, he had been burning with curiosity about the crystal caves and the Cupid Clan. By now, he had met all of the schoolmasters in addition to Bombora: Tsukuyomi, Crystal, Sorell, and the roughly-spoken head schoolmaster, Rafflesia. But they had only spoken of lessons, of the things they would learn, of serving the Earthshaker, and it was not what Daichi wanted to know. He wanted to know about the clan, about their family, about the dragon-touched caves where they lived. Almost all of them were Coatls, and they were so different from his grave, traditionally-minded family.

If he could just get to the resident caves by himself, he would be happy for the night. Careful not to disturb the sheets and leaf litter lining his bed, Daichi stood up, stretched his legs and his wings, and stole out of the room. Light chatter still drifted out of the rooms of the senior students. Clearly, the longer one stayed in the school, the less sleep one required. Daichi paused before passing the next room, listening to the soft voices, holding his breath. What would he do if he was caught? Would he be punished? Rules had been mentioned in the past two days, but little of the consequences of breaking them. Would the older students report him if they found him wandering around the caves at night? After several minutes, though, the beating of his heart slowed, and Daichi calmed down. He absolutely did not want to return to his room without trying now. He moved to the other side of the corridor, the part in deepest shadow, and crept past on the pads of his feet. He breathed more and more easily as he approached the stairs. It did not occur to him that there would be anyone patrolling the lower floor of the school - the only

danger he perceived was being caught by his schoolmates - and he flew down the stairs, buoyed by triumph.

Daichi well knew the way to the courtyard by now, so getting there was simple. If there had been any breeze, Daichi would have flown across the floor, but the plains of Dragonhome were so often still and dry. Tonight, he was forced to walk. It was painfully slow, and the school was torturously large.

At last, the courtyard came into sight. His heart leapt. Completely forgetting himself, Daichi bounded towards the statue of the Earthshaker, and by the time he heard the voices, it was too late. His claws clattered on the cave floor when he stopped, and he was suddenly looking up at the astonished faces of Tsukuyomi and a pearl-coloured Coatl he had never seen before.

‘Hello,’ said the pearl-coloured Coatl. ‘Having a midnight wander?’

Daichi couldn’t speak.

‘Are you looking for something, Gaia?’ Tsukuyomi asked, addressing him by the title given to all students of the school. Daichi’s name was Gaia Daichi now.

‘Um,’ Daichi said.

‘Would you like us to take you back to your room?’ the pearl-coloured Coatl said in a gentler tone.

Inexplicably, Daichi found himself shaking his head.

The Coatl laughed. ‘Oh, I see. Students aren’t allowed out of bed after hours though. If you don’t want to go back to bed just yet, why don’t you walk with us for a while? We’re just doing a quick check before we go to our own beds.’ Daichi nodded. She beamed at him. ‘Good! My name is Pixie, by the way. What’s yours?’ Finally, he unstuck his throat and said, ‘My name is Gaia Daichi.’ ‘Alright. Come on, Daichi, and maybe you’ll see some parts of the school you haven’t before.’ The female Coatls resumed their stroll, and Daichi followed cautiously behind. Tsukuyomi glanced uncertainly at him once, but appeared to think no more of the situation as they walked.

‘Well, as I was saying,’ Pixie said, ‘Arcanist bless us, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! They were practically cuddling by their standards. They sat on Cleisthenes’ perch, chatting the evening away. I’ve never seen those two look so comfortable. I tell you, my dear, it was worse than seeing Lullaby and Osiris exchanging loving looks.’

‘I’m very glad Tichaona is settling into the clan,’ Tsukuyomi said demurely.

‘Yes, and Cleisthenes too, don’t you think? He’s been here longer than we have, but haven’t you always got the feeling that he acts like a stranger to us all?’

‘I hear he has been through a lot.’

‘Oh, of course, and so has Tichaona. Isn’t it fitting that they found each other? Well, I say they were cuddling, but …’

The dragons wandered the school, talking in quiet voices all the while. The clan gossip thrilled Daichi. He did not know the names of any of the dragons the women mentioned, and he was ablaze with interest in each of them. If he visited the clan, would he be able to match their names to their faces just by the tales Tsukuyomi and Pixie told? Probably not. But if he were to be introduced to them, he would feel a jolt every time he matched a face to a story. They did indeed pass many rooms that Daichi had never seen, chambers of equipment, books, and food, but he paid them no mind, enthralled by the women’s talk.

A clock tolled one o’clock when they arrived at the stairs to the students’ quarters. Pixie stopped and turned to Daichi.

‘It’s been fun, Daichi,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Thanks for keeping us company. We’re going to bed now, and so should you, okay?’ Daichi nodded. ‘Don’t make a habit of night wandering now, or you’ll be too tired during lessons, you hear?’

‘Yes,’ Daichi said. ‘Thank you.’

Pixie patted him on the shoulder, Tsukuyomi gave him a small smile and a nod, and they left him to return to his room.

-

Daichi did not venture out his room at night for several days out of gratitude towards Pixie and Tsukuyomi. He had noted, however, that Pixie had not explicitly banned him from leaving the student quarters at night - she had merely cautioned him against doing it often. Thus, he reasoned, it would be perfectly alright for him to go again sometime.

Next time, though, he would be careful not to be caught so early. Not that he had not thoroughly enjoyed the women's company. Next time, he simply had to reach the clan's residence and catch a glimpse of what it was like.

The openness of the cave layout presented a slight problem in regards to stealth: there were no corners to lurk in, and whether or not he was spotted was entirely up to which direction any newcomer approached from. He could only hope to be very quiet, and be lucky enough to see any schoolmasters before they saw him.

He held his breath for so long when Rafflesia swept past, he was dizzy when he finally allowed himself to exhale. He waited until he could no longer see the back of the head schoolmaster before creeping onwards. As soon as he reached the side of the courtyard closest to the residences, sounds of life burst over him. Not as lively as the day he had first come to the clan, but it was clear that the residents of Cupid’s Clan were not yet asleep. Daichi walked inside the network of caves until he came across someone, and shrunk behind a pillar. It was the Nocturne from Daichi’s first day at the clan. A couple of Coatl hatchlings hung onto his back as he floated across the floor, another asleep in his arms. The young dragons chattered at him and to each other, but Daichi couldn’t understand their hissing, murmuring words. It was difficult to tell if Osiris understood them

either, as he made no reply at all. The sound of his footsteps cloaked by the hatchlings’ voices, Daichi went the other way.

At first, he skirted around pillars and crouched in the shadows whenever he saw another dragon. Eventually, however, he realised that none of them were paying him any mind. They probably had enough dragons living there that the sight of one they did not immediately recognise perturbed none of them, and Daichi became bolder in his steps. The only dragons who could put his journey in danger, he thought, would be the schoolmasters, and even then, perhaps only Tsukuyomi and Pixie would recognise him for certain.

The realisation slowed his heart and his footsteps. He began to look around, at the occasional Coatl slipping past him, at the decor on the pillars and the ceilings. Now that he was here, he didn’t know what he was looking for, but he certainly wasn’t satisfied with flitting glances of passing by dragons. Perhaps if he came across a clearly lived-in chamber, or a group of dragons gathered in conversation …

It became colder and windier. The breeze picked up dust and brushed it through Daichi’s wings. He shivered, and realised he had never noticed before how warm it normally was within the caves, and even the courtyard. Did that mean that he was approaching the outside?

A few moments answered his question. A fiercer wind than before tugged at his feathers; he blinked, and found himself standing on desert. Moonlight shone down on him, weak on its own, but reflecting brilliantly on the crystals that grew at the base of the cave walls. Daichi looked around, unsure of where to go, or even how to head back to the school. He backed into the caves and followed the wall.

‘...most delectable, that I had to ask Rafflesia if I was dreaming,’ said a voice that somehow contrived to both hiss and purr at the same time. ‘My family home have had twenty chefs, some still there, some long gone, ever since I was a hatchling, and none have your skill with a trout, dear Zinnia.’

‘Thank you,’ said a voice which Daichi presumed to belong to Zinnia. He had come up to a wall with a doorway, and he peeked around the entrance. The chamber beyond held a kitchen, within which a female Coatl was storing ingredients, while a most dashing-looking male in a cape and beautiful ovalcrown followed her and simpered.

‘I see that you have just finished preparing tomorrow’s breakfast,’ the male said. Zinnia nodded. ‘Oh, you know how I hate to ask you a favour - you do so much for us, after all -’

‘I don’t have any extra portions,’ Zinnia said curtly. She turned around sharply and gave the male a cool look. For the male’s part, his smirk did not falter. ‘We’ve had more students this term than anticipated, and I have nothing to spare in between them and the clan’s regular meals. If you’re going out, then hunt for yourself. You’re so good at it after all.’

The male laughed. ‘How kind of you to say so. Why don’t you come with me, Zinnia? When we get to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, you need only point to any creature you desire to eat, be it fish or crustacean, and I shall gather a thousand for you.’

‘I’m sure you don’t need my company to do so. Now please leave me be, I still have a lot to prepare for tomorrow, Hershel.’

Hershel bowed handsomely, with a flourish of his cloak and his hat, and turned away. Daichi was too much in awe of the charming Coatl to hide, though it turned out to be unnecessary. Hershel did not even notice him as he left.

‘Well, I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, have I?’ said Zinnia from behind him, and he nearly swallowed his tongue in shock. He looked around, and then up, into eyes that were faceted, just like his; Zinnia’s eyes, however, were pink instead of brown, and they seemed to reflect the light.

‘I’m s-s-sorry,’ Daichi blurted out.

‘If you’re sorry, then that’s alright then,’ Zinnia said kindly. She almost looked different from the cool expression she had had on while talking to Hershel. Perhaps it was only Hershel to whom she had a particular objection to, Daichi thought, and relaxed.

‘Are you a student? What’s your name?’

‘My name is Gaia Daichi.’

‘Come and have a snack before you go back to your dorm.’

In very short order, Daichi found himself perched on a stool with a bowl of strawberries before him on the table. He felt exceedingly pleased - not just at the treat, but at the discovery that the Cupid Clan were, indeed, well worth knowing.

Zinnia nodded in satisfaction when he tucked into the food.

‘Warriors need their strength,’ she said. ‘So make sure to head to bed soon. Are you in training to serve a clan, or a deity?’

Daichi of course knew the answer to this, but the question gave him pause all the same. He had never considered the possibility of serving a clan before - although upon second thought, he realised it was natural that some of his schoolmates must be training to become combatants in order to protect their family and friends. He had always known that he would never become a senior student, and now he knew that this was because senior students were dragons who would one day return home, or set out on their own to make their own home, with the skills they had learnt from their time in the Cupid Clan.

‘Maybe you haven’t made your mind up yet,’ Zinnia said when Daichi made no answer, and the words surprised Daichi even more. To think he might have a choice in whether he would come to serve a clan or a deity was ... well, he had simply never considered it before.

When he finished eating, Zinnia asked if he would like help returning to the school. Daichi shook his head, and she said, ‘Alright. It’s easy to get to the school from here, anyway. Just head south from here. When you reach a wall, go south-west until you come to the hall - the area with all the pillars - then continue south to reach the courtyard.’

‘Thank you very much for the food,’ Daichi said humbly, and Zinnia smiled. ‘Um, you asked me what I’m in training for. My father sent me here to train to serve the Earthshaker.’

‘I see. Since your father has surrendered you to us, then that means you are your own man now.’

Once again, Zinnia’s words left Daichi completely stunned.

-

Daichi was deep in thought for several days - so much so that he didn’t wander outside of his rooms at night for some time. During the day, he observed his schoolmasters carefully. They were dragons who had undergone the same training as him, but theirs and his fates diverged. What would be the difference between serving a clan, as they did the Cupid Clan, and serving a deity? There were not many dragons who returned from serving a deity, largely because it was such a huge honour to join their side, it was shameful to leave them and return to live amongst dragonkind once more. But Daichi had heard the tales his parents told him, of glorious battles, of being surrounded by the rare and mysterious sprites and goblins so seldom seen in dragon clans, of the dragon warriors almost as old as the gods themselves, and of course, of the deities too.

It sounded wonderful to be sent away for such a glorious purpose, of having one’s name always remembered as having given themselves to protect the dragons living in Sornieth ...

... but the dragons of the Cupid Clan were wonderful too.

There was Bombora, who taught them to fight underwater, leaving no trace of his presence except for flashes of white as he weaved and darted through fish and water. There was Crystal, who taught healing (sometimes aided by Pixie, who waved the first time she spotted Daichi in class), whose spells were both intricate and beautiful. Then there was Rafflesia, who taught them everything they needed to know about fighting on land with every type of weapon on Sornieth. Tsukuyomi was his protégée, who specialised in fighting with magic, and her teamwork with Rafflesia was impeccable.

The day after Daichi met Zinnia, he went down to breakfast (slightly bleary-eyed) with his classmates, and on their way to the dining hall, he saw Hershel. He shrank back in case Hershel should recognise him, but Hershel did not look around. Rafflesia came up the corridor from the other side, and Hershel sauntered over to his side and threw his tail around Rafflesia’s shoulders.

‘Oh,’ said Rafflesia. ‘You’re back.’

‘Yes, I am. I’m terribly sorry to have left you for so long this time.’

‘Not long enough,’ Rafflesia retorted, and Hershel laughed.

‘Come and admit that you will be glad for my assistance,’ Hershel said, giving Rafflesia a loud thump on the chest. ‘Take a load off, my friend.’

‘I will, for about 5 minutes until the next girl takes your eye and you go gallivanting off.’

The two Coatls walked through the crowd of students, chatting, or perhaps bickering, all the while. Daichi stared after them in awe.

A week later, Daichi was about to depart from a lesson with his classmates to retire for the day, when Crystal appeared next to Bombora, who had been leading the class, and beckoned Daichi to her.

‘Good evening, Gaia Daichi,’ she said. ‘Would you mind having a chat with me for a bit?’

Daichi shook his head.

‘Come along, then.’

She lead him away through a different passage from the other students. Bombora followed them, although it was difficult to say if he did so deliberately, as he appeared absorbed in scribbling notes on a clipboard.

‘How are you liking your time here?’ Crystal said kindly. ‘You’ve been here almost a month, haven’t you?’

‘Yes.’ Daichi hesitated, then said, ‘I - I like it here. I would like to stay here for a long time.’

Crystal beamed, showing all of the molars lining her jaw. ‘I’m so happy to hear that. Do you think you would like to stay with us as a permanent resident, if you had the chance?’

Daichi inhaled so sharply that Bombora looked up from his clipboard.

‘Is that a yes?’ Bombora said mildly.

Unable to speak, Daichi nodded. Crystal chuckled.

They emerged in the courtyard, where the summer sun stretched out her evening rays onto students lounging around, enjoying the end of their lessons for the day. Some of them waved or nodded at the tutors. Daichi himself, though he knew quite a few of his classmates’ names by now, had yet to make any close friends. He had been too fixated on exploring the Cupid Clan. ‘Hey, is Hershel still around?’ Bombora said as their steps clicked over the floor of the clan residence. ‘Maybe,’ said Crystal. ‘I saw him last night.’ ‘You should take him with you.’ Crystal laughed merrily. ‘Maybe, if he would consent to it.’ They went through a different path than the one that had lead Daichi to the kitchens, and walked on, further into the lair than Daichi thought possible. The caves were so much larger than he had imagined. Crystal asked him if he was tired of walking, but he shook his head and plodded on. ‘In the central hall?’ Bombora asked. Crystal nodded, and he lead them into a corridor that faced south-east which quickly opened into a large open chamber.

Half a dozen hatchlings, mere days or weeks old, gambolled around under the watchful eye of Osiris. A few other dragons - all Coatls - littered the room, chatting to one another, or tending to their own work. Daichi spotted Sorell, curled up and dozing, and Pixie, speaking to another female Coatl. Almost in the middle of the room sat an older female Coatl, her body speckled in white. She was large and intimidating, with eyes like gemstones. When he, Crystal, and Bombora entered, the dragons (save for Sorell) looked around at them, and the female Coatl fixed her golden stare upon him.

‘Here he is, Lullaby.’ Crystal nudged Daichi forward to stand in front of the Coatl. ‘This is Gaia Daichi.’

‘Hello,’ Lullaby said and, to Daichi’s hugely relief, she smiled. ‘Daichi, my name is Lullaby. I am the leader of this clan.’

‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Daichi said.

‘The pleasure is all mine. I’ve heard a lot about our curious nighttime wanderer.’ Daichi blushed. ‘How do you find our clan?’

‘I - I think it’s wonderful,’ he mumbled.

‘I’m happy to hear that. Although this clan is very old, we are relatively new to Dragonhome, and we are still finding our feet in many ways.’

‘I see. But these caves seem very old.’

‘You noticed? I’m impressed.’ Lullaby’s expression didn’t change, but her tail flickered with renewed interest. Daichi was embarrassed, but pleased. ‘Yes, we bought this land from a clan of Snappers who wished to begin a nomadic lifestyle. Still, as new as we may be, we have already introduced ourselves to the Crystalcourt. Dragonhome is a beautiful place, and we all agree that we would like to stay here for the foreseeable future. Thus, we should have a representative of the Earthshaker, one who can guide us, and be our face as a clan that serves him.’

Daichi nodded somewhat uncertainly. He understood what Lullaby was saying, but didn’t see what it had to do with him.

‘To that end, would you like to be our ambassador?’

He took an involuntary step back in surprise, and his mouth sagged open though he could think of nothing to say.

‘I think you would be an excellent fit to the clan.’ Lullaby’s eyes were fixed upon his own, and he couldn’t look away. ‘Pixie and Zinnia have already taken a liking to you, and Rafflesia and Bombora report that you are diligent and studious. If you become our ambassador, you will complete your junior training, and thereafter spend some time with the court we are affiliated with: the Sedimentary Court. You would become a student of the history and culture of Dragonhome, a privilege not given to many on Sornieth. Then you would come home, here, and share with us what you have learnt. What do you think of that?’

‘I - I - I th-think -‘ He cleared his throat and said in a small voice, ‘I don’t know if I’m s-suitable to a job l-like that.’

Lullaby put her head to one side. ‘Would you like to do it?’

‘W-well, I would -‘

‘Then you’re perfect the job.’

Daichi ducked his head, red-faced and happier than he had ever felt.

‘Thank you,’ he mumbled. Then he remembered that when all else falls, we will remain standing, and looked up again. He said, ‘I won’t let you down.’

‘Of course you won’t.’ Lullaby stood up, so much bigger on her feet than she had been sitting down, that Daichi’s heart quivered. He clenched his claws slightly to stand his ground. She came over to him, and bent her head down, down, and nuzzled him gently. ‘Welcome home, Daichi.’

His antennae brushed against Lullaby’s head, the close proximity making him shiver, but it was pleasant. He felt so small, like a hatchling, cosy and comfortably nestled against its mother’s side, buried under the downy lining of its nest.

Then, the others present in the cavern stood up and approached to welcome him too, and it was like being back in his nursery, romping and running around with his nest siblings without a care in the world - but no, not quite like that.

‘After your training at the Sedimentary Court, I am going to teach you to be my partner on the field, so that we can explore the parts of Sornieth that are too dangerous for any dragon to go alone - even Rafflesia or Bombora,’ Crystal said. ‘What do you think of that?’

It was better than that; it was not that he had no cares, but that he had a family that would support him whatever came his way. He had responsibilities now, people who would put their trust in him, and it was better than being carefree.

‘I would love that,’ he said, and threw his arms around Crystal’s neck.

She made a sound of happy surprise, then lifted him up into the heaviest embrace imaginable.

Daichi knew now he would always remain standing when all else crumbled away. Because now he had people who would always hold him up.