"Bonded creatures are given a more balanced diet and tend to fight less than unbonded creatures, resulting in fewer levels and more time to grow into their skills and grow with their bond. This results in both bonded getting better future classes and outpacing their wild counterparts in later grades." -Bonds and Knowledge by Kaber Ketine.

  Aster

  I had been about to speak when the ground shook slightly, not enough to move anything but still causing a noticeable vibration. Roslin looked towards the door, her eyes ever so slightly unfocused before speaking.

  "It looks like they're back."

  A moment later, I heard Umbra speak through the bond, "Have you ever heard of a sheep?"

  I blinked. A Sheep? What in the gods was a sheep? I looked at Roslin and curiously repeated the word, "Sheep?"

  She smiled, then got up from her seat and stretched. "It's an animal from which we get wool. I think you'll understand when you see it, but I have to be going. I am required to check in with the Flight Master. I had more time because I needed to meet you, but I do have to go. Try not to leave the walls of the Tower unless you need to."

  I could do that. I had enough time to explore the area and talk with Umbra. The fact I didn't want to meet anyone else who I didn't have to meet today was also there. Roslin continued speaking as she started walking.

  "Umbra should be able to find the outside entrance to your room. For you, it'll be the third door to the right on the second floor. A white circle on the door will tell you it's yours." She waved a hand goodbye as she made it to the arch and started down the hallway to the main door.

  I yawned, shaking my body and letting my tail fluff itself back out. I also spent a moment letting Umbra know what Roslin had said about the room. I made my way up the stairs as I attempted to find the room myself. It wasn't hard; only one door held the white circle and was exactly where Roslin had said it would be. Looking down the hallway, I tilted my head curiously towards the stairs I knew would be around the bend. Nope, no way. I didn't know much about the city, but I wasn't going to make problems. It was weird that they had left me alone, though. Was it a test? Now that I thought about it, leaving me alone was rather annoying. I had questions and wanted the answers to many of them.

  Shaking my head, I turned and opened the door. I felt my ears straighten up in surprise as I looked in.

  Unlike the other areas and hallways, the room was huge and square. On the left side, a big bed sat next to a desk, cabinets, and a bookshelf. On the other side, a couch table stood, and another door was in the corner.

  A check to lessen some of my greed for information showed it was the bathroom, which took a second to piece out, to my embarrassment. Closing the door, I looked at the biggest difference compared to my old room. The far wall didn't exist. Well, a big part of it didn't. In its place was a massive balcony rimmed with a small railing, easily able to hold what I assumed it was built for: a dragon.

  "Can you follow the bond? I'm in the room. It's massive! You have to see it.”

  "Yes, I think I found it. One minute," Umbra responded, and I could feel her take off through our link

  I explored the room while I waited. The bed was huge and comfy, but the area was empty, lacking the feel of anyone living there, so trying to fix the feeling, I started putting my clothes up while I waited.

  After finishing that, I visited the bathroom again, and after a moment of messing around, I figured out how to get water.

  It required touching a small blue symbol, or rather a rune next to a similar red one. When activated, it lit up with a blue glow. It was my first real taste of other magic after the portal, and I memorized the shape. I didn't notice the water coming out of a hole in the ceiling until it was too late.

  To my displeasure, I got my head soaked for that, but thankfully, a cloth was hanging on a pole, so I used it to dry myself off, feeling the ground shake slightly as I did.

  Peaking my head out with the cloth over my ears, I was in time to see Umbra land.

  Tossing the cloth back into the bathroom, I walked out of the room and up to her, rubbing her neck with a feeling of relief. She let out a pleased rumble at the physical touch.

  "How was it?" I asked her as she stretched.

  Umbra turned, and I looked out beyond the balcony.

  Our room was just over the walls, being on the second story, able to see on the other side, and I stared in shock. A stone landscape sprawled in front of us. Buildings stretched almost as far as I could see, only stopping after a massive stone wall that towered in the distance. It made the one next to us look like a mound of rocks.

  There were a few specks of green here and there, but only a few places held large enough swaths to be more than a single tree.

  I spotted a large open square in the distance with what I assumed was a lake in the middle based on its blue color. Much closer, but in the same direction, there was what looked like a small grove of different types of trees next to what I could only assume was a castle, a real castle! The building was massive, not as tall as the tower, but it had higher walls around the fort, which towered over the area around it like a, um, well, a castle!

  Some buildings stood tall, some stood wide, and all were interesting.

  "It's amazing, isn't it? It's almost like a stone forest," Umbra asked, stretching her neck higher to see as she looked on. “You should see what it looks like from even higher.”

  I nodded. It was something that left me dumb-struck. Even the books I had read couldn't possibly have described a place like this. I didn't know what to feel about it all. No, I did. Overwhelmed.

  "Look at all the elves and humans. There are so many. I wonder what they're doing," I said, pointing at open areas where they were most grouped up.

  They were walking and talking to each other. There must have been something going on because crowds of people were spread around specific areas of the city that had colored paper flying on poles, and every so often, a cheer would go up.

  I spotted another building that caught my interest. It wasn't as grand as the castle, but it was wide, had multiple spires, and stood taller than any other building nearby. Every piece of glass had a glow behind it, and the banners draped down some of the spires matched the flags I could see.

  It wasn't too far away from us, and with what looked like a small gated wall surrounding it, I assumed it might be the academy. What would it be like inside? I watched the entrance, seeing lines of people walk in and out.

  As we watched the city and the people in it, I explained what I had learned from Roslin, and we both came up with a few questions I could ask her.

  After a while, I had had enough of the view and finished my side of events so we went back into the room, and Umbra shared how her time with the dragons had gone.

  It had been chiefly laying in the sun outside the tower and talking, like Roslin and I had, to get an idea about each other, but they had also visited a place called the Pin.

  Apparently, it was an area where live animals were kept for the dragons to eat. Umbra then went into great detail about all of the new different types of animals she had seen. Most of all, the sheep.

  The sheep was a white, fluffy, and small animal and sounded rather cute. Even the noise, a baa sound Umbra tried to imitate, sounds adorable. The one she ate had been delicious, according to her, but had way too thick of a coat that caught in her teeth, but the meat had apparently been worth it. “Next time I go, I want to try something called a cow! They are larger than me, and they make a weird noise when they see me. Emyr says they're tasty.”

  After eating, she and Silt had talked about both of their hatchlings and the types of affinities they had. At that time, Emyr had taken off to rest. Silt, it turned out, was a fire dragon but could also affect the earth with her second class. The idea had interested Umbra, and she had started planning what she wanted to work toward for her second class unlocking. Not to my surprise, she wanted something that made her colder.

  "You still have around two years until you're unlocked, don't you? Did you learn what level you max out at until then?" I questioned after she had started listing different ideas on how to get a good class option.

  Umbra nodded, her tail curling slightly in delight. "Yes, apparently it's at seventy-five," Frost billowed from her nose. She rumbled in amusement as I looked up at her, my mouth hanging open in surprise.

  "How is that even fair?" I burst out. Having been locked at thirty so long and then hearing that she could get all the way to seventy-five. I wanted to be upset, but I was actually excited. That meant she wouldn't stall as much as I had. Could she even reach seventy-five before her grade advancement?

  "Well, I learned humans are locked at twenty-five, and elves are locked at twenty-seven. But it also means I'll get fewer attribute points from my next class. Silt says it's not a big deal for dragons," She said as she made her way around the room, her tongue tasting the air now and then doing her own inspection.

  I paused in the pacing I’d started. "Oh," That made sense. I'd be missing some extra attribute points as well, as my current class offered quite a bit, and the levels before my unlock were almost pointless compared to them.

  Letting out a long breath, I walked over and sat on the bed. I had been more affected by Kulni than I realized. Three levels compared to humans didn’t seem like a lot, but it did put me behind slightly at the same time, and earlier unlocking meant I could start getting levels faster. It really was a give-and-take.

  "I think tomorrow I'll see if it's possible to leave the city by flying. I'll ask Emyr or Silt if there is a place I can hunt. I like the Pin and want to try all of the animals, but it is boring with them being trapped. " Umbra said.

  I tilted my head. "Are you not coming with us tomorrow?"

  She let out a snort. "Remember? Mother wanted you to keep the bond hidden, and even if I could, I’d be bored. Walking around the city isn't as fun as flying."

  I didn't like the idea of being separated all day, but she had a point, and I wouldn't try to force her anyway. I slumped, my mood dropping, and fell backward onto the bed, looking at the roof, which I noticed was painted with swirls and random designs that drew the eye. I almost thought I could spot a dragon in one of them.

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  The bed was comfortable, really comfortable. I felt myself sinking into the sheets and let out an involuntary yawn. Umbra slithered onto the bed next to me, and with more than enough room compared to mine, it was comfortable even if the wood creaked ominously. As she laid her head on my chest, one of her purple sparkling eyes looked at me.

  "You know we can't always be side to side. Eventually, I'm going to be too big to go into most buildings." She said slowly, blinking her eyes, and her voice had taken on a gentle tone. She sounded much older than she was, almost wise.

  I knew she was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

  Making a grumbling noise, I finally nodded under her watch. "I know, I just..” I lifted my arms, waving them. “You’re my bond, Umbra. I don't like the idea of leaving you when I go to do things. It doesn't feel right. Unfair almost"

  Her laugh sounded like a hiss mixed with the sound of falling stones. "I feel the same way, but I've come to accept it. We'll always be bonded, and I look forward to it, but I've accepted that there are things we have to do separately. Like how I'm going to train with Silt, and you're going to the Academy. We can't do those together, I think."

  I turned my head, looking outside at the sky, nodding at her logic. She was right. Giving her my best attempt at a hug while lying down, I nodded again. Rubbing her scales, I enjoyed the cool feeling they gave off.

  After that, there was a peaceful silence. Both of us were content to lay there enjoying the bond.

  At some point, I drifted off because the next time I opened my eyes, it was completely dark out except for the moon's glow. Umbra was half wrapped around me, her tail over my legs and wings splayed out, managing once again to have the entire bed. The rise and fall of her body let me know she was asleep.

  Not wanting to wake her up, I pulled the book about the races out of the spatial gem. I was glad that there was light from the moon I could read off of. Even if it was dim, my eyesight had gotten noticeably better. Thoughtfully, I wondered about getting a skill to see better in the dark as I skimmed the first few pages. It came as a surprise when a system message appeared.

  [Through work and late nights, you have gained the skill, Night Eye - Rank 1]

  I nearly sat up but stopped myself as Umbra shifted. Instead, I pulled up its description with a thought.

  [Night Eye - Rank 1 - Provides improved sight in the dark as long as there is some form of light in the area. Sight Range improves with rank.]

  [Notice: This skill is only available because of your bonded companions' race and their ability to see in the dark.]

  That made sense, but at the same time, it was a fantastic skill. The effect was noticeable just by looking at the pages in my book. Grinning, I made full use of it.

  Time passed faster than I expected as I reread page after page, the light growing brighter outside as the sun rose on the other side of the building, and I eventually had to get up even if I didn’t want to.

  I moved the tail off of me, ignoring the displeased rumble from Umbra, and went to the bathroom, washing up with the water. I was surprised as the water that hit me steamed with heat.

  Squeaking, I pushed the button again, looking down at the one I’d pressed. It had been the red one. I pushed the other one, the blue one I had last time, and cold water started to fall. I sighed in relief and washed in the cold water, not understanding how anyone could want hot water.

  Once done, I put on one of the new tunics, a brown one with a similar but darker-colored pair of pants, and walked out. Umbra opened one eye to look at me, then snorted frost and closed it. I debated prodding her until she started to get moving but realized I didn’t need to; she had her own day to look forward to, and I rolled my eyes.

  “I’m going downstairs. Be safe, please,” I said through the bond, then hugged her before I left, smiling at the sleepy but pleased emotion I got back. No one was downstairs when I got there, so I did what I’d seen Roslin do yesterday, pushing away my feelings about taking their food. They had a pin full of trapped animals. I found the plate behind the counter and made some food from the baskets sitting at a table.

  The food was a bit stale, but there were a lot of different options. To my curiosity, there were some foods I didn’t know. I got some berries and meat but loaded my plate with a type of tree nut I’d never seen after tasting it and finding it delicious. While stuffing my face at one of the tables, I heard the faintest creak of the wood above me, a signal someone was there. Looking up in surprise, I saw Baldwin walking down at the top of the stairs. I finished what was in my mouth as he walked over, giving him a wave.

  He looked amused as he sat at the table. “I take it you found the food, and it's to your liking, but you should know the food hasn't been replaced yet. That's still yesterday's food.” He said as he sipped on something he’d been holding while walking down the stairs.

  I shrugged. One day didn’t mean the food was terrible. Yes, it was a bit stale, but I enjoyed it. Pointing to a brown nut on my plate, I said, “These nuts are amazing! What tree did they come from?” I held one up for him to look at, and he laughed before he answered.

  “From a hazel blossom tree, they're just called a hazelnut. Did you not use Identify on them?” He asked

  Feeling my face grow hot, I looked away. It hadn't crossed my mind while I'd been eating.

  He looked even more amused but gratefully changed the subject. “Roslin, let me know you're going out into the city today with her.” cocking my head to the side, I nodded. I didn’t see why he’d have to know, but I guess it didn’t matter.

  “Well, as the flight’s financial manager, I wanted to check to ensure you had coin. While you’re not part of the flight, the king has put you under our supervision."

  I frowned. I did have coins. I brought out one of the bags Kulni gave me from the storage gem and placed it on the table. It was the one with silver coins. I slid it over to him.

  Baldwin undid the twine, bringing one of the coins out, he turned it over. His brows wrinkled as he brought it closer to an eye.

  I finished off the rest of my food as he looked them over.

  "These coins are mana infused." Baldwin eventually said, "Not just one or two, but all of them have mana in them."

  I felt my tail flick as I looked at the one he was holding uncertainty. When I'd looked at the coins, I could feel the mana in them but didn't think much of that. I knew coins were for buying things or trading. Did mana in the coins mean that they were useless?

  "I, well, that's what I was given. I have copper and gold ones. Will they not work?"

  Baldwin rolled the coin in his hands, speaking, "These coins will work just fine, probably too well. Do you know the difference between an infused coin and one that's not infused?" I shook my head. I could tell one held mana, but I didn’t know anything about why they had mana in them.

  Baldwin pulled a coin out of the air, probably using his own storage space. It was the same size, but instead of the symbols mine had, it had a crown on it and looked dull. "An infused coin means that first, its metal is pure enough to absorb mana and that it has a crystal of some kind inside the metal to act as a storage. Almost all coins are pure enough, but mana in a coin proves it. Second, it actually has mana in it. That process can only happen in two ways. Finding a coin in the dungeon, or a coin is left sitting in a really high mana area for a long, long time." his eyes looked down at the coin.

  There are some stories of dragons who hoarded piles of coins and items. Those coins, over time, would gain a shimmer with how much mana had bled off the dragon. Those are just stories, though."

  I perked up at the idea of dragons hoarding stuff. I'd caught Umbra on one of our first outings picking out leaves that she declared hers, but somehow, it didn't feel the same. "What does that mean for my coins?" I asked.

  Baldwin thought for a second before he held up my coin. "May I take this to the castle mages to have it inspected? I don't want to presume, but I don’t know the runes on them, and they could add value to it as well." I nodded. I didn't see a problem parting with one of the coins.

  He waved his hand, and a bag appeared. He pushed it and my own bag to me. I opened it up and peeked inside. It was full of silver coins similar to the one he had held up. All were marked with a crown.

  "The average change rate for a mana coin is the same as it would be to go up a grade. One silver mana coin is equal to one hundred normal silver coins or a gold coin. There's a hundred and fifty silver there and two gold pieces."

  I stored it in my bag, doing the quick math, a gold piece and a half of silver. I assumed it worked the same backward, meaning fifteen hundred copper in silver.

  Baldwin leaned back as he looked over the coin. "I'd recommend finding something fancy to wear while you are out in the city for tonight."

  I wanted to ask him what he meant, but the sound of someone else coming down the stairs had me looking up to see Roslin. She was yawning, looking as sleepy as Umbra had.

  Unlike Baldwin, who was still in his flight suit, she wore a tunic that looked similar to mine but red in color. She nodded to Baldwin as she sat in the chair to my right.

  "You're up early, Baldwin," Roslin said as a cup appeared in her hand that steamed slightly. She took a long drink from it. The smell that came from it had me lifting my head to see what was inside. I looked at the dark brown liquid with interest.

  "Unlike you, I still have the duties of a rider to attend to, but it looks like Aster was up before me," He said, then angled his head up and stood, giving a slight bow.

  "It seems Emyr is ready, so I'll be going to do my rounds. Enjoy the city, Aster and Roslin take care."

  I turned to Roslin, the question on my face giving away what I was going to ask. She rolled her eyes as Baldwin left. "He and Emyr like to keep to a tight schedule, so him getting up and leaving out of nowhere is normal. A bit of a pain, though."

  Not wanting to think about it, I asked the second thing on my mind that I'd thought of when I was reading. "I thought my bond was meant to be hidden. If I go out with you, won't other people know?" I was guessing, but it seemed likely people would recognize her. That's how cities worked, right?

  She shook her head. "Most people have no idea what we look like under our helmets. Even our bond symbols are well-hidden secrets. Not that it's a bad idea to hide it like you're doing, with the necklace or whatever. It actually looks quite cute and matches your style." She finished her drink in one large gulp and set it down on the table with a clang.

  I pulled on the leather around my neck, my ears prickling uncomfortably at the comment. I shook my head. "When do we leave?" I wanted to get moving.

  "We can now. There's a lot to show you, and we have to get you the books for the academy, get you ready for tonight, and visit a few stores." Roslin made a motion in the air. "It's going to be a long day. Did Baldwin leave you some coin?"

  "Oh! He did leave me some coin, and he also mentioned I should get something to wear for tonight. I have a few sets of tunics, and they are self-cleaning, so I think I should be fine."

  Roslin grimaced as she looked at my clothes. "They're good for everyday wear and probably adventuring, but he has a point. You're going to need something that suits the nobility. We can stop by a clothing shop and find something suitable." I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to someone I'd only known a day. She seemed friendly, and unlike Baldwin, who seemed more formal, she always seemed relaxed when she spoke.

  As we left the tower, I sent Umbra one more mental nudge of goodbye. I didn't want to bother her when she was with Silt, but I wanted her to know I was leaving.

  Once outside, we took a gate different from the one Baldwin had taken yesterday, a smaller one that looked less used with the iron partly rusted. When Roslin pulled her stone out and pushed it into a slot nearby, it opened soundlessly, the iron raising into the wall above.

  "It's an entrance that usually isn't used, but it only opens for goods that enter. Usually, no one watches this entrance except for the guards stationed at the alley's start, and they won't ask questions."

  She took the stone as she passed through, and I followed as the gate bars started to clank shut slowly.

  Outside the gate, we were met with an empty alley except for two people on either side, the guards Roslin mentioned, I guessed.

  The armor they wore was mainly leather except for a metal helmet colored blue with the imprint of a crown on the front. They must have felt the wind as the gate was opened, as they were stiff and standing tall. They didn't say anything to us as we passed, even though I waved, which was a bit rude.

  Walking down the alley, I heard a clamoring of noise start to grow: voices, the sound of moving carts, people stepping, clanging bells, and other various sounds.

  I shivered as all of it rang in my ears, and taking a moment to steady myself, I closed my eyes, trying to let them fade into the background. It was so loud and disorientating I could hear it all but couldn’t focus on anything. Even as my ears were pressed against my head with my hands covering them, the noise was still too loud.

  A second later, all of the sounds were muffled, not gone but almost distant sounding. I opened my eyes, looking up to see Roslin holding a blue rune-etched cube. I let my hands move away slowly, looking at her.

  "This will be a problem. The tower has a noise-canceling rune built into the wall." She frowned and held out the item. "This should work for now, but we'll have to find a way for you to get used to the city noise." She held out the object for me, and I identified it.

  [Sound Reduction cube - Uncommon - Reduces all noise after 5 feet for all people entirely in the radius; muffling noise occurs for people outside the cube trying to listen to people inside.]

  I took it, clutching it tight in my fingers for a second before nodding slowly. "I didn't think it would be this loud," I whispered.

  Roslin nodded, then shrugged. "I can’t say I understand, but with this being your first city, I can see why you’ve never had this problem before. The cube will work until we can get to a shop to get an item to fix it. That'll have to be our first stop."

  Making our way around the end of the alley, I looked at the street of people in front of me, then took a deep breath and took a small step after Roslin as she walked into the crowd.