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Ruari scribbled furiously in his scroll, drawing lines and forming runes with his ink-tipped claws. Every so often, he would dip his white claws back into the black inkwell and hastily go back to writing his runes, spilling black splotches on his wooden desk and some specks on his paper.

After he was finished, he let the scroll sit still and dry as he admired his work. He didn't have the best penmanship, but he was certain that his parents would look at this and whole-heartedly agree with his opinion.

Yes! This will definitely work! he thought with a bright grin painted across his muzzle. He grabbed a rag and cleaned the ink off of his claws, feeling quite accomplished with himself.

Laid before him, spread open by rocks that weighed the paper down, was his latest thesis on Why I Should NOT Attend School. It brought up several excellent points of how his own private education was much more lucrative to him than spending his time in a public school, where other dragonets his age went.

Ruari knew for a fact that he was smarter than all the other four-year-olds, and he was fairly certain he was smarter than the fives and sixes too--at least most of them! Attending school with them would only be a waste of his time.

Not only that, but a normal school day consisted of six WHOLE hours of required attendance. Ruari only devoted about four hours each day toward learning. What would he do with an extra two hours?

But his parents always said that school would be good for him, and that he needed to make some friends. It was true that Ruari didn't have any friends, and now that his older sister, Raegan, was gone, he did feel rather lonely. She was the only one he had the chance to play and wrestle with, but she moved away just over a year ago to marry someone from a different clan, leaving Ruari to himself and his scrolls.

Ruari sighed and picked at the edge of his desk with his talons. Maybe I should go to school... At least I could make a friend or two... maybe. But I doubt anyone shares the same interests as me. Plus, I could make friends by other means; I don't have to go to school for that!

He shook his head. There were still so many things he needed to learn and fast! He had only just learned how to use his magic by using energy created from his kor. There were so many more levels he needed to figure out and learn, like what his element was, how to infuse his energy with his element, and how to project his energy. He didn't have time to be dawdling now!

With the ink dried, he rolled up the fresh scroll and stuffed it in one of the many cubbyholes in the cupboard next to his desk. Already, there were at least twenty other scrolls stuffed inside the cupboard, but Ruari didn't mind the clutter. His desk was a mess, with ink stains splattered nearly everywhere over the wooden surface.

And the rest of his room wasn't tidy either. Crumbled wads of paper were scattered across the wooden floorboards, his bed was never made, some of his blankets were lying on his floor, and he had a hoard of shiny rocks shoved into a corner--a hobby his mother wasn't fond of because a lot of the rocks would crumble and leave dirt everywhere.

Ruari grumbled and used his tail to slide some clutter under his bed. It was the least he could do before going to bed for the night.

"Maybe if you wouldn't spend so much time in here, you wouldn't have such a mess," his mother said, grinning at the doorway. She always had the worst timing!

Ruari meeped in surprise and pretended like he wasn't just shoving his trash elsewhere. He fidgeted his wings and shuffled on his paws as he smiled reassuringly at her. "I-I uhm... Yeah, probably."

She chuckled softly and beckoned him with a sky-blue wing. Ruari thought she was very pretty, and that was probably why his father fell for her. Her scales were a deep blue color, like the ocean, but there were splotches of light-blue ripples along her underside akin to stripes.

"Your father just returned, but he's at the infirmary. Let's go see him!"

"Infirmary!" he squeaked. "Is he alright? Is he hurt bad?"

Mother shook her head and nuzzled him as he came running up to her. His head reached nearly as tall as her shoulders now, but he still had quite a lot of growing to do!

"No no! He's perfectly fine. He looked a little cold, but he said that he wasn't the one hurt."

Ruari walked beside her as they made their way down the hall and out the front door into the city. The moon had just begun climbing into the sky while the western horizon had a faint, orange glow.

Houses lined their road on both sides, built from hard stones and metals by Earth-dragons. Very few houses reached past one story, but there were a few two story ones around. Ruari's family lived in one of the nicest districts in the city, since his father was the leader of their clan.

Fancy decorations hung on houses while lanterns lit with everlasting crystals created by Light-dragons stretched up and down the street, providing a warm glow that illuminated the night. A lot of the houses in the district were large with small courtyards walling the front lawn.

The cobbled streets were never very busy, as most of the citizens flew where they needed to go. So, the skies were oft speckled with different shades and hues of glinting scales, ranging from all the colors of the rainbow. However, no one really ventured during the nighttime, and even if they did there was hardly a chance to see them against a dark sky.

"Is Uncle Dorian hurt?" Ruari asked his mother, an anxious expression etched across his face as he looked up at her. He had to take quicker steps to keep up with her longer strides. He liked to cling to her, at least a wing's breadth away.

Ruari always felt safe with his mother. He had difficulty keeping a level head with so many different sights and smells surrounding him. Living in a well-populated city meant that there were lots of other dragons, and that also meant that there was a higher chance for him to be harmed--statistically speaking. He'd look back and forth, left to right, and up and down, constantly worrying about what could happen to him. That's why he rarely ever stepped outside of their house without one of his parents--mostly his mother, since his father was normally busy leading the clan--even though both his mother and father reassured him that there was nothing to worry about.

"No, sweetie. He's probably resting at home now after their long hunting trip."

Ruari's mother was always more than happy to bring her son along when she went out too, mostly to show him off as well as keep her company. They rarely flew. It was easier to boast about him that way--and to stop and have a very long conversation with a friend or two. Her friends often complimented him about how handsome he was, and that he was the perfect blend of genes.

He inherited his ebony-black scales from his father, shiny and as dark as a moonless night sky. Not many dragons had black scales in the city, so he and his father were somewhat special. From his mother, he had a dark-blue underbelly, where large, plated scales lined all the way from his neck to the midway point of his tail, each plate overlapping the next--a typical male trait in his clan. He had two pairs of white horns crowning his head; the pair on top was larger than the bottom, and they had a slight angular curve to them as well as ridges engraved into the bone. They looked a lot like his father's, but much smaller and less imposing in his young age.

"So, who is hurt then? I thought only Dad and Uncle Dorian were on that trip," Ruari asked and tilted his head curiously to the side.

"I'm actually not sure... something about a dragonet. He took off in such a hurry that I didn't even get a chance to welcome him home!"

Ruari nodded and sighed. Even his mother hardly ever saw his father.

She nudged him and Ruari lifted his head. "He wanted you to come so you can see what it's like to be a leader."

He gulped as they stepped up to the small, infirmary building, designated by a water droplet painted on a sign. Deep down inside, Ruari felt like he could never be a leader of anything. He wanted so badly to prove that he could just like his father, and his father before him, but he was too afraid that he would fail.

"I don't see how visiting a sick dragonet is going to be beneficial to that regard..." he said. He hoped his mother was paying attention to his wider vocabulary, in case he'd have to bring that up later!

She chuckled but gave no sign of her recognition. "I don't know either. I guess we're going to find out."

His mother pulled the sliding door to the infirmary open and let Ruari step inside first before closing it behind them.

Ruari had only visited the infirmary a few times before... and none of his visits were pleasant. Stepping inside only brought back dismal memories of his grandfather. He remembered the fresh scent of blood mixed into the cleanly and fresh smell of healing water and herbs. It was if he was walking back into the past, and he almost expected to see his grandfather lying there on one of the beds, as well as a room crowded with injured soldiers.

Instead, he saw an empty room besides a healer, his father, and a dirty, white dragonet lying on her side on a raised bed with her back facing the doorway. She looked like she was about his age, but he couldn't really tell. She was shaking too, so that at least meant she was alive.

But what struck Ruari as he stepped closer was her crest of feathers that poofed out of the back of her skull and cheeks. They were just as white as her scales, and they ran from between her horns and partly down her neck. He'd never seen anything like that before on a dragon!

Ruari's father hovered over the bed, having a conversation with the green-scaled doctor. He hadn't noticed Ruari or his mother yet.

"Dad?" Ruari said, his claws clacking on the stone floor as he stepped into the main room.

His father turned and bared a toothy smile, a look of relief in his eyes. "Ruari..."

Ruari quickly padded up and nuzzled his father lovingly before leaning against his larger body. His father wrapped a warm wing around him and pulled him close. He melted into the embrace, not wanting to leave it ever.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"Me!?" Ruari squeaked. "You're the one who was out on a hunting trip!"

His father chuckled and nodded, but his thoughts looked to be elsewhere. "I suppose I was."

Then his mother rubbed her snout with his and licked his cheeks. "Don't think I'm going to forgive you for all this secrecy, Fallon," she said.

"I'm sorry, but as you can see, this is something the rest of the clan doesn't need to know about... Not yet."

Ruari wondered what the big secret was. He watched the doctor help the dragonet drink with his eyes peering just over the table. He assumed that whatever he was having her drink was helping her feel better from the inside, as it appeared she didn't have any wounds on the outside; although, her white scales were covered in all sorts of grime, from mud and what looked like to be dried blood.

"Why did you bring back a Northern dragonet? She shouldn't be here..." his mother said. She looked serious, with worry-lines etched into her furrowed brows.

His father sighed heavily. Ruari could see the concern brimming in his eyes. "I couldn't just let her die, Mara. She lost her entire village... It was burned to smoldering ruins by the time Dorian and I arrived."

"She's a Northerner?" Ruari asked. That must be why she has feathers, he realized. He had read somewhere in a scroll that most Northern dragons had tufts of feathers or fur, depending on their clan. There were even some dragons covered entirely in fluff instead of scales!

But why was her village attacked? He thought the war was completely over.

Father nodded. "I had Dorian gather a few council members. I want their opinions before I decide what to do with her."

Ruari grimaced. He didn't like the idea of being near a Northerner or even the same city as one. He heard nothing but bad things about them. From what he read in some recent scrolls, they were the reason a war broke out and thousands of dragons lost their lives. The Northern dragons started attacking some Southern clans because they wanted more territory. This had all happened before he had hatched.

Clans near the border gathered to defend their homes, and that was how Ruari's grandfather died. He was the leader of their clan before his son--Ruari's father--and he led a border patrol nearly every day. Their city never once came under attack, and it was thanks to them.

Since the war ended, Ruari's father spent the last year recovering what had been lost. The war had torn his father away from his family and his newly hatched son, and responsibility has kept him away even into Ruari's fourth year. Things were starting to slow down now, making Ruari hopeful to see more of his father.

"How is she?" Ruari asked.

Ruari's father looked to the healer for an answer, and she replied, "She is healing exceptionally fast, almost unbelievingly so. Her heart rate is quick, but her temperature is settled as well as her fever."

"She is still shaking," his father added. "Is she cold?"

The doctor shook her head. "She's just enduring the aftershock of hypothermia. She should stop shaking before too long, but his should help." The green dragoness laid a soft blanket over the dragonet and tucked her in.

Ruari heard the sliding door open and several pairs of talons clacking on the stone before his uncle stepped inside, followed by three old dragons that reminded Ruari of his grandparents. Then he realized that one of them was his grandmother--the only female elder. The colors of their scales seemed to be fading away and looking duller every time Ruari saw them.

Ruari and his mother stepped off to the side and let the council members gather around the dragonet's bed. Ruari sat sejant on his rump, curling his tail around his paws as he watched all of them file in like statues that could walk. His grandmother flashed a brief grin at him and walked past.

"I couldn't find Turi, but I've gathered the rest," Dorian said with his head held high.

"That is fine," Dad said. "Thank you for coming on such a short notice."

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Fallon," a brown-scaled elder grumbled. "I don't enjoy wasting my time on a dragonet, especially at this hour."

Ruari's father kept a straight, expressionless face as if he'd practiced holding that for a long time. "Then let's get to the point. Dorian and I found this dragonet in the burning ruins of her village. Her family was slaughtered, and so was the rest of her community. It could have been their own kind attacking them, but I feel that we should be prepared for any sort of retaliation. Have we heard any news of Southern clans trying to continue the war?"

The room fell silent.

Ruari's father sighed and looked down at the bed. "Whatever the case, the current issue standing is that we have a Northern dragonet in our city."

"Why did you bring her back? You should have let her die with the rest of them," the same bronze dragon said. "There's no point in saving her."

Still, his dad kept a vacant expression. Ruari shifted on his paws and fidgeted his wings. Even though he couldn't see it, he could almost feel the tension between the brown-scaled elder and his father. And it was obvious that this wasn't the first time his father had dealt with the elder's brazen attitude.

"Dorian and I found this dragonet in a very unfortunate position, and I decided to pluck her from the grasp of death, with little to no chance of her survival. I didn't expect her to make it this far, but I had to do something. Now that she is here and living, we need to decide what to do with her."

"Take her back to the North," the red-scaled elder said. "Let her live with her own kind."

Ruari's father shook his head. "We could be attacked on sight, especially since we have one of their dragonets with us. I don't want to just abandon her in the wild like this, either."

"Let's give her a week to recover, a few supplies, and then send her survive on her own," Ruari's grandmother offered. "She looks plenty old enough to make it by herself."

Ruari gulped. Would I be able to survive by myself in the wild? I barely know how to hunt, let alone find water and a shelter...

"I can agree with that," his father said, "but if we give her a month to recover. Even if her body is healthy, there's no telling what will go on inside her mind."

Ruari found himself nodding in agreement. He liked his father's idea the best. It seemed the most fair and just in his opinion, but the elders didn't look like they full-heartedly agreed, and neither did his uncle.

"Where would we keep her?" Dorian asked. "I don't think the orphanage is a good idea. We already have too many of our own whelps in there."

"I'll take her under my wing," Ruari's grandmother said. "But only for the agreed amount of time: one month."

Father looked relieved to hear her say that. The other elders exchanged irritated glances, but otherwise kept their maws sewn shut.

"Thank you, Evelyn," he addressed her formally. He gave her a brief smile before his expression switched back to being stern. "Now that that is settled, I'd like to discuss the other matter at hand. I'd like to send a few scouts to gather some information about the attack. If we can prevent another war from breaking out, I think that would be in our best interest."

For once, the brown-scaled elder appeared to be in agreement. "I'll send our best. They won't take long."

His father nodded at the elder. "Very well. We'll reconvene later to discuss locations." Then he looked to Uncle Dorian and asked, "Is there anything else we should cover while we're gathered here?"

Dorian shook his head. "Nothing more for the council, but since school is starting back up soon, you should talk to Ruari about it. He seemed really excited to go this year!"

Traitor! Ruari wanted to shout. He remembered explicitly telling his uncle the many flaws and issues he would have with school, and why he didn't feel like he should go.

Now, all eyes were turning to Ruari, making him fidget on his talons. He pulled his wings tightly against his body and refrained from hiding behind his mother, even though he really wanted to!

His mother giggled beside him, and even his father was chuckling and smirking back at his son. Ruari was sure he remembered the conversation they had last year, which was entirely the reason he didn't attend any of the prior years. Surely they wouldn't believe Uncle Dorian!

"Thank you for your time, council."

The older dragons all shuffled out and even the healer seemed to have disappeared by the time the elders left. Just Ruari, his mother, his father, and his uncle remained--as well as the passed out dragonet on the medical bed.

"So, you're looking forward to going to school this year?" Father asked as he sat in front of his son, beaming down at him. He looked hopeful... a little too hopeful.

Ruari stubbornly shook his head and stamped his talons. "No! Uncle Dorian made that up!" He had to look up at his father who still had several feet on him. But Ruari knew that in a few years, he'd be almost as big as his father.

Then his father's expression softened as he dropped his head so it was level with his son's. His deep blue eyes were soft and adoring. "Why don't you want to go?"

Ruari grit his teeth and glanced away as he furrowed his brow. He had planned out this talk and passed through several different scenarios of how this conversation could go, but he had never thought that he'd be away from home without his thesis! Words stuck in his throat, and he could hardly think of anything to say on the spot, especially with his father staring down at him.

"I-I don't know... I learn so much better on my own."

His father looked up at his mother as if to ask her if it were true.

"He's been reading a lot while you're away," she said, nodding. "He's definitely smart."

Ruari felt his pride swell in his chest. "I am! I read every day, and I've learned how to use my magic! Well... almost. I'm still working on that."

Father chuckled and shook his head incredulously. "You're only four, Ruari. Your kor doesn't open up until you're at least six or seven years old."

Ruari scowled and snorted. "That's not true... I can use magic!"

"Well, let us see it then," Uncle Dorian said with a cheerful smile. "It's not impossible."

Ruari grinned and nodded as he cleared a little room for himself and sat up on his haunches. He closed his eyes and held out his forepaws with his talons facing up, focusing the flow of his energy to them. He dug deep down inside, searching for that pool of energy until he found it. With a deep breath, he let that energy move through his body until it welled at his paws, like the many times he had practiced before. He let his muscles relax to feel that energy surging through them. Then his scales and pawpads started to glow until small orbs of light formed just above his palms in perfect spheres.

Then, he released the energy and let two bright, glowing orbs hover just an inch above his forepaws. He could see the reflection in his father's, mother's, and uncle's wide eyes. They actually didn't expect him to use magic! He grinned proudly from horn to horn as the light remained.

"See! I told you I could," Ruari said smugly.

"You read how to do this in scrolls?" Father asked while closely inspecting the light orbs.

Ruari nodded. "But I'm still not sure how I can infuse my element into the source... Every time I try, I just get this ball of white light."

"You are using your element, Ruari," his mother said softly. "Your element is Light."

Ruari's mouth dropped as he stared at the light with disbelief. "O-oh... So, I already have control over my element?"

His father nodded. "If you didn't, your energy would have just turned into an invisible force that would have just dispersed in all directions, like the wind."

Ruari frowned. He had been hoping he would have the element of Fire like his mother, something cool and destructive, or the element of Ice like his father. Still, he was pretty glad to already be able to control his element, even if this was the only thing he knew how to do so far. He released the energy and watched the lights disappear.

"So... I don't have to go to school?" Ruari asked hopefully.

His father grinned and chuckled. "We'll talk about that later, Ruari. Your uncle and I are going to go talk with Elder Ryke." He nuzzled Ruari affectionately and then patted his head. "You did an excellent job."

Ruari beamed happily and padded alongside his mother as they all left the building, leaving the Northern dragonet to her rest.

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