4. The Hatchery #2
“Some of you are right there. Thorncrown and Ironshell make great Support Aer-Kin. Some breeds of Barbtails can be used in a Support role but also in a Scouting role. Can anyone tell me why they could also be used in a Scouting role?”
“Because of their ability to see in the dark,” Vivienne said.
Lyric beamed with pride, “Absolutely, Miss . . .”
“Vivienne O’Rourke,” she replied.
“Brilliant, Miss O’Rourke. You have shown great understanding. Am I right in saying you have a history of Barbtails in your bloodline?”
Aeden wasn’t the only one who had a look of shock on his face as Vivienne confirmed this was correct.
“A Stormfang would fall more into a Scout role, too. Does anyone else care to list any more species?”
As the students continued to rhyme off Aer-Kin species, Lyric nodded along in agreement. Those he confirmed as being correct were Thickhorn, Burrower, Razorwing, Rockmaw, and Frillthroat, to name a few .
“Now, what is the difference between a common beast and an Aer-Kin?”
“Their size,” Aeden said, without raising his hand. “Aer-Kin are big enough for humans to ride on. That is achievable through the bonding”
“Correct,” Lyric said. “Aer-Kin also grant their riders abilities based on the powers that they possess. And this in itself can range from a wide variety of abilities. Enhanced speed, strength, vision, hearing, telekinesis, mind manipulation . . . There is so much that can be achieved with the power of the Aer-Kin that we are bonded to.” Lyric looked at the eggs longingly, a sudden sadness appearing in his eyes – certainly enough for Aeden to notice, though he couldn’t speak for the other students.
“This is why we accept students based on their bloodlines,” Lyric continued.
“The powers that lie dormant in your bodies are hereditary, meaning we know which Aer-Kin to bond with riders from the start. This improves our successful bonding rate just by connecting the right bloodlines with the right hatchlings. That said, each bloodline has a variety of powers that can manifest, but we won’t know what they are until you have successfully bonded.
Now, would you like to see your eggs?” he said with an excited smile.
Chatter started around the room as the students grinned at one another at the prospect.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Come this way, your eggs are just over here.”
Lyric directed the students to around halfway down the hatchery before stopping and leaning against the barrier in front of a batch of mid-sized eggs, some slightly larger than others. It was interesting to see all the different varieties with their diverse patterns and colours.
These were some of the smaller eggs in the room, which was common for the Support class.
Aeden knew their riders didn’t need to be overly big – they were needed to dart in and out of combat zones, supporting the Offence and Guardian classes in battle.
Aeden didn’t care how big the eggs were.
He was simply overjoyed to be in their presence.
Potentially one of these was the Aer-Kin that he was going to bond with himself.
Aeden’s heart skipped a beat at the thought.
“Ain’t they stunning?” Lyric said, his eyes wide like it was the first time he was seeing them.
It was clear to Aeden why he was master of the hatchery.
“Now, it is my job to make sure the Aer-Kin are ready for breeding each year, which is by no means easy. But once you get the compatibility right, it is just a case of giving the Aer-Kin space and time to let nature do its work. We did lose a couple of the males this time around, which was a shame. The females have become more aggressive since their numbers have lessened, ever since” – Lyric stopped himself as if he was drawing on a painful memory, and for a moment, Aeden thought he saw a tear forming in his eye.
Lyric shook his head and regained his composure. “If you close your eyes, you may be able to hear the eggs’ weaves forming. Go on, it will be interesting to see just how in tune you all are with the weave.”
Aeden wasted no time. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for his whole life, and he was not going to waste it.
Closing his eyes, he tried his hardest to concentrate, but it was difficult with all the noise from the other students. Still, he tried, even though he had no idea how to connect with the weave, even on a basic level.
“Just try to block out all of the outside noise,” Lyric said in a hushed voice. “Those still talking, either see if you can hear the weave or leave, I don’t want you spoiling this for the others.”
That sounded like it was easier said than done given that Aeden had no clue what he was doing and felt like a bit of an idiot. He opened one eye to take a look at the rest of the group and felt reassured when he saw all of the students with their eyes clamped shut, their faces concentrating.
Aeden focused, but he couldn’t hear anything other than his slowing breath, and as his breathing shallowed, he tried to keep his own noise to a minimum.
He stood in darkness, his eyes firmly shut as he concentrated.
After a few moments, his focus was drawn to his own heartbeat, the rhythm of which was slowing, calming him.
It thrummed loudly, and for a while, that was all he could hear.
Aeden wasn’t sure how long he and his classmates had remained in this state, but he was just about to open his eyes when something garnered his attention. It was faint, like a whisper caught in the wind.
There was something there.
Slowly, a second beating heartbeat joined his own.
They were out of sync, but Aeden could definitely feel something.
It was weak, and a warm sensation washed over him, along with a feeling of fear and loneliness.
It was a sensation that left Aeden hollow on the inside.
He tried to keep his connection – he felt like he was grasping on to the weave with the smallest of grips, but the harder he concentrated, the harder it was to keep hold of.
The sense of panic became too much to bear.
His eyes snapped back open with a startle, causing him to take a short, sharp gasp of air.
Lyric was staring at him with the widest of smiles. “Now that is the face of someone who just connected to a weave for the first time.”
The other students opened their eyes, a lot more calmly than Aeden had.
Was he the only one to react like this? The feeling of loneliness had left a cold, blackened void in his chest that he simply didn’t like. It felt almost nauseating, but Aeden squashed down the urge to vomit as another hot flush came over him.
“Now, can any of you point to the eggs that you were feeling a connection to with the weave?” Lyric asked.
“If you can, that’s a great sign that you will share a great bond with your Aer-Kin when it hatches.
But don’t take that as a given that you’ll survive the process of getting to the bonding ceremony. ”
Some of the students laughed nervously with one another as they pointed at different eggs that they had connected to in the weave. Aeden, however, felt nothing.
“You okay, boy?” Lyric asked.
Realising he was talking to him, Aeden said, “That didn’t feel particularly nice.”
“Your first time connecting with the weave can leave you feeling a little nauseous, but did you not feel the warm tingle in your chest when you heard it for the first time?”
Aeden shook his head as some of the other students started to focus their attention on him. “No, it felt like quite the opposite, if I am honest. I got an overwhelming sense of sadness and loneliness, ”
“How strange.” Lyric turned and examined each of the eggs. “All of these eggs are happy and content. Let me tell you, they are well looked after. How well could you hear the weave?”
“It was barely a whisper. I could definitely hear something, but it was so faint.”
“Yet you felt a physical reaction as strong as you did?” Lyric removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes before placing them back on. “And you don’t feel a connection with any of these eggs? Sorry, what I mean is . . . you don’t think it was from any of these? Because trust me, you would know.”
Aeden shook his head. Strangely, he felt guilty about the experience, which was a far cry from how he thought he would feel by the end of this class.
“What’s your name again?”
“Harrington,” Aeden replied, “Aeden Harrington.”
“Well, Aeden, seems like I may need to keep a closer eye on you.”