Official Growth Rates at the End (Many retcons along the way)
The flight back was... A bit slow. Figuratively, of course.
"..." Ashter looked at the hair stick, a hairpin, and wondered... Did he mean that?
'Oh god, he just offered me his daughter's hand in MARRIAGE.' Ashter thinks, confused, but also thinking about it.
'If I did... Accept it... What would come of my mother?' He wondered, unsure if she would get the obvious benefits of him being married to the KING'S DAUGHTER.
"Hey, Principal Janus?" Ashter soon turned to him,
"Hm?" Janus soon responds, as magical ropes are seen being held, the man growing curious by the sudden question.
"How... Never mind." Ashter quickly shakes the question off,
"No, I am curious about your question. Ask away." Janus, however, was insistent. He wanted to know his question, and soon explained,
"If you keep that question bottled up, I don't think it'll do you well in your studies." He said, as if having personal experiences with bottled-up questions goes haywire. As Ashter blinked, he quickly asked,
"H-How do you use the "Bonk Skill" like you use on your dragon?" He asked, as Janus blinked a bit,
"Hahahaha!" He then laughed,
"Do not worry about such things. (Possible retcon) Usually, it takes around five years after a dragon's birth for them to mature enough for such techniques. Looking at your dragon, he seems to be on the verge of adulthood." Janus said, as Bismuth, being bigger for its age,
"U-Uh huh... And how large would you say an adult-sized dragon look like?" He wondered, as Janus said, assuming he meant Bismuth:
"Bigger than the walls of kingdoms. Their growth is magnificent, especially when it comes to the Elder stage of their life." Janus goes on to explain so much more than Ashter asked for, and he nods, taking in all the information the man grants.
"W-What if Platinum Dragons grow faster for their species?" Ashter then asks another question, as...
"Huh? What do you mean?" Janus asked, confused by such a question, as...
"THREE MONTHS!?! B-But he looks like a (Possible retcon) Young staged dragon!" Janus was CONFUSED, with Bismuth's age, he should be the size of an adult dog! But nope, he's the size of a Young staged dragon!
"Y-Yeah..." Ashter chuckled, petting the head of Bismuth,
"Ever since he hatched from his egg... He always grew quicker than we expected. We theorized it's because he's from a rift." He chuckled,
"But it seems I have my answer. He's special." Staring at Bismuth, Janus watched... Seeing himself in the young man.
"..." Janus continued, looking back forward, as they eventually landed on a designated area for the flight and landing of dragons.
"?" Janus looked to see the Silver Order. Every "Order" is are groups of Dragon Riders of specific ranks who go on varying missions to defeat (Retcon) monsters that are mutated animals turned into beasts. They vary in strengths, similar to dragons.
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum.
"Mr. Janus!" Soon, the Silver Order Dragon Riders salute-
"!?!" But then...
"!!!" Ashter recognized these men...
"I-It's the kid-!" One said,
"Krrr...." Bismuth growls, as if knowing these humans from somewhere.
"... Is something the matter, Ashter?" Janus wondered,
"These bastards are the ones who tried to steal Bismuth when they were an egg!" Ashter immediently calls them out,
"!" Janus was surprised... Then turns to-
"A-Absolutely not! That's preposterous! Why would we-"
"When Bismuth was an egg, a rift spawned in the 5th Circle, and these... Ooo..." Ashter recalls the events as Janus stared at the Dragon Riders.
"I expect you know how this makes the Silver Order look, correct? You may be under the command of the 5th Prince of Castalix, but you, alongside the other Order members, are products of the academy. I expect you won't make the same mistake, got it?" Janus wonders as Blackfire's nose exhales a tunnel of hot breath.
"Y-Yes, Principal Janus!" The Dragon Riders from the first chapter nod profusely before they run off, and their dragons awkwardly follow behind them.
"... Sigh..." Janus sighed,
"I am sorry for the trouble the Silver Order caused. I promise you, the Gold and Diamond Orders don't act like this." Janus cleans up the mess they caused,
"Is there a Bronze Order?" Ashter wondered, as Janus nodded,
"While they are incapable of feats unlike the Silver Order, they're tasked with many jobs such as cleaning, scouting, and other small odd jobs fit for them. While I wish they had better conditions... It's the unfortunate outcome of a Bronze Rank Dragon." Janus explained,
"Some Bronze Rank Dragons could give birth to a Silver Rank Dragon if their magical power nourishes the embryo of which will develop into the soon-to-be baby dragon. However, this is extremely rare and sometimes results in the mother's death due to the size difference in eggs." He explained,
"Sometimes?" Ashter questions it,
"Some Dragon Riders have one of four dragons: Combative, Healer, Support, and Tanker. These four make the system of draconic powers, of which Combative Dragons can be those of physical or magical strength, the others being self-explanatory. Healer Type Dragons, however, are hard to come by." He said to him, as Ashter nodded,
"And when will we get to know?" Ashter wondered,
"Generally, a Dragon Rider would know when the dragon turns 6th months old. (Possible retcon) During this age is when a dragon should be capable of transforming into a weapon." Janus points out the hairpin, a long golden metal stick with a wing design on the end.
"You can check the royal archives if possible, for that information."
"..." Looking at it, the scene shifts. Ashter walks alongside a road in the 1st Circle. While there are 5 in total, they're HUGE. There are many noblemen and upper, middle, and lower class people, so having tons of space was the architect's priority when making the circles.
But due to the lack of care for the 5th Circle, even from one PRINCE of the KING, it suffers from attacks often, and the higher ranking Dragon Riders take pride in keeping it on its knees.
After all... It allows for better control over the peasants.
"Man." Ashter looked around, seeing the women and men here so carefree, eating decent food, and walking around with their children.
"...!" He even noticed some of the dragons they have. A small Bronze Rank dragon, multiple of them have them, tiny things with varying patterns, colors, etc.
"These things don't look normal at all." He is confused, concerned even, as...
"?" Some of them take notice of the pair, some talking about how Bismuth looked peculiar... Some even stating,
"The scales look divine...!" They stared, as if...
'No, they're just complimenting him.' He tells himself-
"Is that its owner?" Then many contorted in disgust,
"It's a 5th Circle rodent!" They are APPALLED by his mere presence ALONE.
"A 5th Circle rat?"
"Why did the Diamond Order allow... This here?" But like before... The only thing people care about is their wealth and appearance.
"..." Many dragons... They're only mere decorations to them!
"..." And the silent anger boiled in Ashter's veins, as Bismuth only grapples to his back, resting their head on his shoulder,
"Krrkkk..." Bismuth purred, as since then...
He was keeping Ashter company.
***
"The Bond Skill." Ashter comments to himself,
"..." He then stared at Bismuth. If he wanted respect, he needed the power to do so. Allowing himself to look weak will only spoil and ruin the Lake name.
"Mom... I told you I would give us a better life... But... I think that'll have to hold out for a while." His green eyes seemingly glowed as Bismuth stared in curiosity,
"Bismuth." His voice was stern, but...
"Hahaha, you're... So goofy." Seeing Bismuth's head perked up, curious by the personality shift, it made Ashter chuckle.
"We're going to practice the Bond Skill." He said, as it was still the same day he had Bismuth appraised, the run-in with the king, etc. It was soon night, as...
"Shiinnnnn..." The marking on his hand glows, as...
"I don't even know if this'll work... Since you're not of age...!" Ashter was determined,
"But we have to try!" And a faint glow comes from Bismuth, as...
"!!!" He felt something surge,
"Ah...!" So this is magic, he thinks, as he smirked,
"Alright! Cast... Whatever!" Ashter ordered, but the glow surrounded his body,
"?" He then grew confused. He expected something grand, like a fireball like Blackfire... Or... Just something! Maybe lightning...
But nope, he felt nothing different,
"...!" But his eyes widened,
"Wait... You aren't of age yet...! How... How?" Ashter knew that Bismuth was, at his age, a Wyrmling.
"Maybe... Maybe your growth contributes to... Maybe...!" He realized that it's likely due to Bismuth being a Platinum Rank dragon, he can do this!
"So I can cast magic because of this... While normal ones need (Retcon to be a Juvenile of one year to access their magic. (Huge retcon)
"Hm... But what does this do?" He did feel something around his body, tightly pressed against him, the invisible force had to do something.
"..." As he looked at the moonlight...
"..." He was in his dorm room, having spent the rest of the day exploring and such, he just stared...
"Krr?" Bismuth's head lies on the window frame.
"Hehe..." Petting him, Ashter can only promise,
"One day... We're going to make history, Bismuth." Promising, Bismuth only purrs slightly, and...
"Zzzz..." Sleeping, his shirt was removed, showing a rather skinnier build, his brown skin a bit patchy with hair here and there, his head of hair was a dark brown like his father's.
"Hnn..." But feeling something, Ashter wiggled.
"Krrr..." Bismuth growls,
"...!" Suddenly...
"HOLY CALABAN-!" Ashter shouts, as...
"BAM!" He was thrown onto the floor, as Bismuth growls, as if...
"D-Damn it, Bismuth...! That hurt!" He complained,
"KRRRR!!!" Keeping to his promise to Zariah, Bismuth was going to ensure that the man gets up, everything. So...
"Hngg..." Groggy, Ashter is seen in the cafeteria.
"?" But he noticed most people were staying far away from him deliberately. Many only stare, fascinated by him...
'You suck.' Thinking, Ashter also theorized they're staring at the star of the Dragon Rider Academy, Bismuth.
"More than a reason to get stronger, I guess. Most students should have basic access to magic." He said to himself, as...
"You'll need something to eat." Ashter shows the now glowing marking,
"Say hi to him for me." Soon, Bismuth vanished, mainly to get his morning care.
***
Eating, he walked around the campus, soon heading to...
"Welcome, my dears." In a LARGE classroom, Lola is seen. Her blonde hair in a ponytail, everyone stared at one asset of hers... A properly covered chest, saggy clothing to hide it, but it's obvious there's a large pair of breasts underneath the shirt-
"FWOOSH!!!" But suddenly, a gust of wind from mana is felt, and...
"I am hoping none of you students are doing anything rash to provoke my dragon." Smiling, this is Lola... A woman of grand power utilized by Galewind, a Diamond Rank Support Type Dragon.
"Now... Let's get started. Hello, everyone. I am Lola, the professor of Dragon Care and Grooming. I hope we ALL will have an enjoyable 2 hours of learning and education." Lola smiled, her blue eyes twinkled, and all the girls wanted to know her secrets.
"Wow...!" They gushed,
"Beautiful and powerful!"
"Pssh, it's only a Support Type Dragon." Others disagreed,
"Women these days-"
"What was that?" Suddenly...
"DING!"
"HNG!" The man yelps as a dart is seen, a quill of sorts, curved as if a knife.
"..." Lola stared as the man just hushed,
"Here in this class... We will learn the ways to care for your dragons. Including proper hygiene, diet, care, etcetera. While we believe our dragons are there to fight for us... We fight for the sake of their well-being." Lola said, going over the lesson.
Anatomy, care, tools, everything that the people should and would use to care for their dragons.
"Many dragons have scales..." She continued, explaining many interesting facts, making the two-hour wait just worth it.
"Messaging is great as well. It loosens the legs and muscles to ensure a properly rested dragon. Such as..." Lola soon finds herself asking someone else's dragon to come up to the table.
"Don't worry, little one." A decently sized Silver Rank dragon lay down, as the dragon wasn't sure if-
"KRRRR!!!" They felt insane relief and an unexpected feeling.
"K-Krrr..." It purrs, as Bismuth perked its head up, curious,
"It's like messaging another human. Just a little scally." The Bronze Rank dragon flaps its tiny wings, awed by the message, as multiple students are seen rubbing their dragons. Some preferred soft and harder rubbing, but...
"Kkkkkkrrrrr...." Bismuth was enjoying it, as Ashter had experience messaging his mother, he employed these techniques as the more visible skin is seen being rubbed and pressed down on.
The neck, the face, this was more luxurious than the meals Bismuth gets.
Next up was...
"HELLOOOOOOO, EVERYONE!!!" Shouts...
"GROOOO!!!!" Fran and her dragon, the dragon just as loud and energetic as their master.
"Welcome to Dragon Riding and Combat! I will whip you losers into tip-top shape in the next 4 years at this academy! I will teach you many things! How to perform magical attacks AND if everyone's dragon is at Silver Rank and above... I will teach you how to take to the skies!" Fran smirked as multiple Bronze Rank Dragon Riders frowned.
"... But to those less fortunate... I have a plan for you." Fran's smirk was cheeky and calculative,
Continuing, Fran's dragon lies on the floor, watching, as the professor goes on and on with the concept of magic, the utilization of it, including...
"The Bond Skill utilizes magic to transform the dragon's body into an entirely different form. It's one of the two basic forms of Bond Skill, where instead of making a weapon, you can merge your body with your dragon to transform your body into a draconic-like super warrior! OBSERVE!" Fran said, as her marking glows, as...
"WHOOSH!" Swinging a weapon, Fran is seen managing to lift a HAMMER larger than her body.
"Woah...!" Everyone gasped, as Ashter looked on, as Bismuth did too...
"..." Looking at the dragon, he wondered...
"This skill will be available at the middle of this year when the majority of your dragons should be mature enough to utilize their magic, body, and to bond enough with your dragon for them to trust you," Fran explained...
"Dragons aren't our companions but our friends," Fran said, as her dragon shifts from the hammer, as her dragon, being red and with pink spots, is seen rubbing its chin onto her palm.
"That's why a lot of the Dragon Riders do that... Ride their dragons and that only. I hope to gift you emotions for your friends to hopefully make use of their capabilities just like they wish to make use of your presence as their owner and friend." Fran explained, as she smiled,
"But enough of that! Let's continue!" She continued, as Ashter looked at the sleeping Bismuth, smiling.
'I hope we've bonded just enough to utilize such skills.' He thinks, last but not least.
"..." A presence like stone, a beast of a man.
"..." Everyone never dared to speak, as behind him ,a stone dragon with veins of lava is seen... A Tanker Type Dragon... Like Fran, like Lola, and like Janus... Diamond Rank.
Quietly, Lukas told his things, straight to the point, he wanted them to know EVERYTHING he knew. After all, he was explaining about the study of dragons, Lola being care, Fran being combat, and Lukas being the educational side of dragons.
It was just...
"..." Even one stare caused slakers to sit up straight, as Bismuth was the only exception, as despite Lukas' dragon's attempts...
"Grrrooo..." The dragon can't intimidate a Platinum Rank dragon.
"Grrr..." Breathing a sigh, the dragon just continued to watch.
Soon, lunch and dinner started. The men and women goes to the academy for breakfast at 7, the academy starts at 8, then lunch at 12 after the second class, then lastly the rest of the other classes and the school day ends at 2.
Then...
"..." Ashter's body glows slightly once more,
"What does this thing do?" He wondered to himself, as Bismuth only lay there,
"Hngg..." Throwing a piece of meat, Bismuth bites it from the air, chewing as he rests soundly and unbothered.
'If only you can talk.' Ashter thinks that his control was becoming more or less refined.
The marking fades, the glow fading as well.
"..." He thinks the concept of the "Bond Skill." It's a skill that utilizes the bond between the master and their dragon. A friendship, magic control, everything.
"Seems I am going to have to perform some sort of mana control if I want to try this Bond Skill," Ashter said, as he heard from Lukas that when a master bonds with their dragon, gradually, the master will obtain portions of the dragon's mana, before it matures enough to make the master and the dragon have nearly identical mana reading. Almost as if the dragon is in two separate places at once.
Once the master uses mana, the amount of mana used affects the dragon, hence why they need to have some form of control.
"..." Hopefully, it won't take long to have the control needed for the Bond Skill. He'll just need to wait for 3 more months.
"Welp." Ashter grabs the large dragon,
"Ready to go for a walk?" He wondered, as Bismuth purrs a bit,
"Krrrr..."
***
Soon, Ashter is seen wandering the 1st Circle streets once more. But he was on a mission to find a job! If he finds one that utilizes a dragon's aid... Who knows!
"I think you should find someone else."
"Sorry... We're full on staff here!"
"We don't accept some peasant born scum." Tens to twenties, the places he wished to be hired rejected him,
"Man..." Mourning, Bismuth only rubs their head on this cheek,
"Hehe, don't worry... I'll find a job sooner or later." He wanted to find a job to give Bismuth as much entertainment as possible. Dragons surged a rise in toys, figures, and even plushies made with materials like wood and cloth, alongside other normal items.
The plushie is what he wanted for Bismuth, hoping he'll like it. So, upon entering another place...
"Grroowww!!!" A Bronze Rank Dragon is seen, a small green guy with a light green belly,
"Now now, Druid." Spoke an older man,
"Ah, and what do we have here? A boy with his dragon, what a sight, I say." Spoke the man, around his 50s, definitely beyond his prime,
"Hello, sir. I was wondering if you're hiring." Ashter asked, having said it a bunch of times, he gets straight to the point.
"A job for which you seek? That I shall see. However, do know, I might not have what you expect." The older man, speaking in some riddle-like tongue, walked around the store.
"..." It was a carpenter's store.
"Hm..." He looked around...
"I might have a job, something of value, something of great labor. Yes, I do. Please, come with me." The older man guides him.
"Carpenter, I am. I had been caring for this place. People, children, and dragons come to me for all sorts of things." Guiding him, many buildings next to him are his stores.
"Jewelry from dragon scales and gems from drops." Dragons upon death have jewels inside of them, as if item drops from video games, and their scales, when getting to a certain age, drop. Hundreds drop in their lifetime.
"Armor... Furniture... I am Boss, a man who worked his entire life to get where he is. This, my friend, is Druid."
"GROO!!!"An adult Bronze Dragon, as big as a dog, the dragon roars in pride.
"Your dragon is unique, I like that, but you're their master, that I see. I wish to hire you, for you I need to help me with labor, such as carrying and storing. You see, I might be well off, but Dragon Riders are expensive to hire." Boss said, despite his being well off, hiring a personal guard is a LOT. Even Gold Rank Dragon Riders are expensive.
"Come." He said, guiding him to a storage.
"Whenever needed, please carry these to the main buildings whenever needed." He explained as he trailed off to the main buildings.
"..." He just sighed,
"Got to get to work."
End of chapter 4.