It's finally time.

After finishing work and saying goodbye to everyone, I take off and fly away, closing my eyes as I let my instincts guide me. Using my powers to sense any auras I might accidentally fly into, I allow my mind to wander a little.

I feel the tug of magic pulling at my gut, begging me to answer its call. Instead of ignoring it as usual, I allow it to beckon me across Skylands. The long flight is something I enjoy a lot. The wind in my scales, the strength behind each beat of my leathery wings, the infinite pool of blue surrounding me in a way that's somehow liberating rather than suffocating... what's not to love?

It takes me nearly a full day of flying to reach the Aurascale Citadel, but the flight was so worth it.

The Citadel is invisible to the naked eye, but my abilities show me where it is; directly ahead of me, shrouded in ancient magic to keep it hidden to those who don't belong here. I can feel the strong magic here. It's almost as strong as the Core of Light, which is saying a lot.

The magic briefly pulses around me as I fly through the illusion, the Citadel suddenly becoming completely visible to me. Aura Dragons fill the rich lands, living peaceful and worry-free lives. I could sense in their auras that they were satisfied with their ways of life, either being relaxed and enjoying their free time or being focused on their training they were doing. I smile, awed by the place.

As I land, I see a dragon approach me. He looks old and wise. I feel the instinct to bow and do so respectfully. He must be an elder. "What brings you to our Citadel, young one?" He asks me. "I have come to complete the rituals and earn my full power," I answer in what I hope comes off as a humble yet confident manner.

"I see..." the Elder nods. "I will make sure you have a fair trial. But not now. I can tell you have been flying for a long time. Come, let's get you fed and rested first, then tomorrow you will begin your rituals."

I'm mildly disappointed, but I agree wholeheartedly with the Elder's words. It's better to go in at my best than give it a sub-par shot. "Of course," I nod. "Thank you."

He leads me to a river, where several other Aura Dragons are drinking or catching fish. They glance up when we approach, then return to their own personal lives. I settle and start drinking, lapping up the water thirstily.

Suddenly everyone's heads snap up, alarm being expelled through their auras. My own begins to indicate this as I look up as well, though it's only due to the other dragons. None are looking at me, but behind me. I turn.

"Woah!"

"This is incredible!"

"Oh for the love of... you guys?!"

Spyro sets Stealth Elf down before landing. "Vexelle, this place is just as amazing as you said!" Spyro said eagerly to me while Stealth Elf looked around. It seemed she was also picking up on the other dragons around us.

"You know them, young one?" The Elder asks me. He's masking his aura, so I can't read his emotions, only feel his strong, somewhat foreboding presence. "Yes, I do. I had no idea they were following me, they must have stayed out of my range or something. I'm sorry, I'll take them right back if-"

"No need," he assures me. "It's perfectly fine. I can see they have no ill intent."

"Of course not!" Spyro shakes his head. "We're just here to support Vexelle!" "And allies can be a great strength," the Elder nods. "More valuable than we sometimes realise..."

He looks back to me. "Just make sure they stay with you, young one. I doubt there will be any intentional trouble, but I know you can never be too careful."

"Of course," I agree instantly, bowing my head. Stealth Elf does the same. "We promise we won't cause any trouble, sir," she says. "I'm glad to hear it." He seems pleased with Stealth Elf. "You can stay as long as your friend does. I'll send someone who can help you find somewhere to stay tonight." He strides away regally, light blue scales shimmering in the fading sunlight.

I then turn to Spyro and Stealth Elf with a pointed look. "Okay, explain yourselves."

"We just wanted to support you!" Spyro defends them both. "That's fine, but you can't just tail me here!" I sigh. "Look. I'm glad that you're here, I really am. But you've got to think about this stuff, okay? I didn't even think you'd be allowed here."

"Yeah, that's fair," Stealth Elf admits. "Sorry." "Let's just move on," I shake my head in a 'what am I going to do with you?' manner. "Hope you guys like fish."

I grab another fish from the river in my jaws, tossing it back into the air before catching it in my mouth and essentially gulping it down with three quick snaps of my fangs. I notice most of the other Aura Dragons share my feeding technique, though Spyro and Stealth Elf gawp at me like I'm crazy.

"What? It's easier," I shrug. "Aren't either of you gonna eat?"

Spyro sighs and attempts to catch a fish, but ends up falling in the water. The dragons around us laugh at him, including myself. Stealth Elf laughs, too.

I stab a fish with my tail, skewering it, then use my breath to cook it. "And one for the lady," I joke as I hand it over to Stealth Elf. "Heh, thanks," she smiles, eating the fish.

Spyro tries this trick and ends up with a fish kebab on his rear. Pleased with himself, he roasts it all, only to set his tail on fire. The other dragons are startled, but Spyro only shrugs boredly and eats the fish, not caring that he's burning himself to a crisp.

Damn indestructible scales.