The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Oleg hurried to the matron's office. The temple grounds were large, more a community than just a place of worship as it often was in larger cities. In this small town the temple was both that as well as a school and an orphanage. It offered housing to those living and working there and the occasional traveller passing through.
Today Oleg had been given a mission. Although missionary work wasn't what he hoped to be doing, it was a task he'd need to complete all the same. In the future Oleg hoped to secure a position in the school, or maybe even go on to be a scholar in one of the cities. But he was far from there yet.
"Mam!" he called when he spotted the matron.
"Yes, son." the elderly woman answered.
She treated everyone as if they were her actual children and though she ran a tight ship, she did spoil them occasionally.
"I was told to come to you to ask for an attendant on my mission."
"Where are you going?"
"The mountains. I'm to go check up on the small settlements of sheep and goatherds."
"Hmm." the matron's wrinkles deepened.
"Go to the kitchens and ask for Ize."
Oleg knew better than the ask for more.
"Thank you!" he called after the retreating figure and then made for the kitchens.

Ize was waiting for lunch. She'd worked in the yard that morning and was expected to help with the repairs of one of the stables in the afternoon. Fieldwork was okay. People had their own space to work in and had little time to look around. Building had people need to be that much closer and Ize dreaded the thought.
So she felt quite relieved to hear someone ask for her:
"Matron Mara told me to ask for Ize."
"I'm here!" she said and stood up.
The young student at the entrance looked up and up and seemed suddenly very quiet.
"You needed me?" she prodded, hoping he would snap out of it.
"I was told to go check up on the mountain settlements. Record births, see if they need extra hands and such." the young man squeaked.
"And you need someone for protection?" Ize asked, feeling hopeful.
"Among other things." the young priest nodded.
"When are we setting out?"
"Tomorrow morning at sunrise."
"I'll be there."
Ize returned to her food. She'd have to work on the stable after all, but at least she'd be on the road tomorrow. A missionary journey should take a couple of weeks if all went well. She just hoped none of the sheepherds were the superstitious kind.

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A week had gone by with Ize and Oleg having established an easy routine. When in rural areas Oleg bartered for food while Ize hunted for them while they were in the forests. They took turns keeping watch and usually camped outside, which was how Ize preferred it. Oleg didn't mind either and he could sympathise with the hybrid human. She had been an asset on his journey, having saved his hide more than once so it was the least he could do.
They were on the way back now and Oleg had to admit that he almost felt sad to see the adventure come to an end. Maybe he should reconsider missionary work when he got back to the temple.
"Keeping first watch?" Ize asked.
"Yeah, I don't feel sleepy yet." Oleg answered.
"Wake me up when you do." she told him and then turned in.
Oleg didn't think that there would be any danger out this close to a village but then you never knew. Bandits might think them an easy prey even if they didn't have anything of value. Unless the report counted. But he doubted bandits would see it's worth.
The young priest studied by the light of the fire until he felt his eyes droop.

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Wervik was travelling the woods, going from his home to a place where he hoped to find work. He was young and would do a range of jobs if they paid him to do them. He could hunt, was a decent guardian but he wasn't opposed to farming, herding or learning a trade.
Walking down the road, he suddenly came up against a towering woman. The darkly-coloured humanoid with the carrot-orange hair would have been frightening if she didn't look so desperate. Never one to act rashly, Wervik looked and waited.
Luckily this seemed to be the right way to react as the woman started speaking:
"Good traveller, would you be willing to help me out?"
"That depends on what you need." Wervik answered, "I believe you are stronger than me."
The woman let out a sigh, "I'm too big. My companion went crawling in a crevace but is not getting out. I'm worried he might be stuck."
"You lost contact?"
"Yes. He might be hurt."
Ize looked over her shoulder, her worry evident in the tenseness of her neck and shoudlers.
"Lead the way."
Wervik followed and soon they came upon the crevice in question. It was a small opening in the ground below a toppled rock. Digging it out might have been an option but could just as well collapse the ground. Luckily Wervik wasn't all that big himself so he could definitely fit through.
Just to be safe he wetted his shawl and put it over his mouth as a makeshift filter. Then he crawled in and hoped for the best. Once inside, he waited for his eyes to adjust. Ize's companion, Oleg, wasn't anywhere in sight but several tunnels led away from the chamber. Wervik very much suspected this to be a smuggler's hideout. It was too well-kept to be an animal den.
Which meant that calling for Oleg might not be a good idea. Wervik crawled back out.
"I think Oleg might be caught in a trap. It looks like a smuggler's storeroom. If I can make some light I can probably determine which tunnel Oleg took." he explained, gathering everything he needed to make a torch.
"I'll keep an eye out here;" Ize promised.
"I'll whistle when I need help. When that happens, just start digging."
Ize nodded and proceeded to wait.
Luckily that proved not to be necessary as Wervik and Oleg, who had been trapped, emerged about half an hour later. The three relocated to a safe distance and ate together.
"I didn't know there would be smugglers so close to the road." Oleg said.
"It might be an old stash for all we know." Ize argued.
"It seemed to clean for that." Wervik argued.
"I didn't know it would be this dangerous out." Oleg sighed.
"I don't think you need to worry much. People will leave you guys alone." Wervik said and regretted it immediately when he saw Ize's reaction, so he followed up with: "There's strength in numbers. I'm on my own. I should be more careful going forth."
"How about you join us?" Oleg suggested, "At least until we reach the next town."
"That's actually not a bad idea."

.~'°'~.~'*'~.~'°'~.

Flore meditated in the patch of flowers. She felt the change on the wind and tried to feel what it was about. Sadly she had little actual power to divine that. But sometimes meditating among the green cleared her mind and her intuition would do the rest.
Sounds of people approaching made her lose her focus and she looked up to see who had disturbed her. She was reasonably far from the village and there were no houses in the vicinity. So these three must be travellers. She could ignore them but something told her to reach out to them.
"Hello!" she called.
"Greetings!" the young priest in his white robes replied.
Two dark-skinned stood behind the man, Flore noticed the unusual woman first who seemed to also have some non-human blood running in her veins. But you could never be sure so Flore did not disclose this thought. Instead she asked where they were headed.
The three told them they were headed in a general direction but would part ways when the time came. Flore felt this resounding true in her chest. But something niggled in her gut. Probably her intuition. Change was afoot.
"I don't think you'll be reaching your destination...." was all she could say before a large shadow obscured the sky.
The dragon let out a bugle and soon started circling to find a place to land.
"I guess this is what I'll be doing then." Wervik said.
"Same here." Flore agreed.
Maybe there was more than one in the party with non-human blood after all. It took a few minutes for the dragonrider to reach them, but as expected he asked them to join him as his dragon had identified them as promising candidates to bond a dragon. As they were all young and unattached this seemed like a likely case. The four agreed and joined the dragonrider who ferried them to Armaina.

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HATCHING
Their waiting time had seemed very short with the amount of information and skills they were taught. The group of four Khylarians had grown closer over the course of the weeks since they shared a worldview and heritage - even if every one of them was different in their own world.
But change is certain to come and it was no different on an entirely different world. The eggs started wobbling as the dragonets inside were ready to hatch. Flore, Ize, Oleg and Wervik hurried to the sands and waited nervously as one by one the hatchlings appeared.
"Hey, I like your flowers!" a purple female said as she sat down next to Flore, "My name is Linaeth."
A few minutes later, a bright white, stately hatchling walked toward Oleg and introduced himself:
"I am Vanyat. I'll align myself with you."
A silver hatchling followed not much later. His gaze had fallen upon Wervik and he quietly nudged the young man as he stood at the back of the group.
"You can't hide from me. Call me Zargex."
Time ticked on and as more and more people and dragonets went to eat, fewer people remained in the circle around the eggs. Ize felt uncomfortable but she realised for once that it had nothing to do with her appearance. Everyone around her had that same desperate look in their eyes, straining to will one of the remaining eggs to hatch the dragon that was meant for them. To be left standing would be a tragedy.
And then there it was, a warm blue dragonet with his head held high, approached Ize:
"You're mine. Rider of Volkyth."

.~'°'~.~'*'~.~'°'~.~'*'~.~'°'~.~'*'~.~'°'~.~'*'~.~'°'~.

 [FLORE] ° [OLEG] ° [IZE] ° [WERVIK]

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Lantessama Isle