Word Count: 5106

Day 3!

“Wait for me!” Sorrel shouted after his brothers who were rapidly disappearing; their legs were much longer than his eight year old ones. “Don’t be mean,” he said with his mind.
“Fine.” Toz replied as he stopped. “Hurry up, we don’t have all day.” He shifted his bow over his shoulder as he and Gurro waited for Sorrel. With a push of magic, Sorrel sent himself careering towards them, colliding with a yelp sending all three of them sprawling across the floor.
“What was that?!” Toz shouted as he pulled himself from underneath Gurro’s torso, “you weigh a bloody tonne.”
“I think that was me...” Sorrel said his pale grey eyes wide in shock. “I don’t know what I did but suddenly I was flying!” Toz looked at him with a furrowed brow.
“Come on, we need to speak to Papa.” He turned back the way he had come with Gurro and Sorrel in tow.
“Why do we need to see Papa? I thought we were going hunting.” Sorrel jogged along beside Toz as they strode back onto their land; as they made their way into the courtyard, Toz called for their father with his mind. Bending to duck under the door frame, Rohyr entered the courtyard.
“What’s this I hear about you flying?” His voice deep and booming echoed across the small space.
“I don’t know what happened Papa, I put my foot down and suddenly I was flying.” Rohyr nodded slowly.
“Boys, looks like we’re making a visit to the Elders.” He turned back to the house; “get your packs ready, Gurro, you’ll stay here and look after your Mother and your sisters.”
“Yes Papa,” he replied and wandered away into the big open barn leaving Gurro and Sorrel standing together.

Mycah stroked the egg gently, watching her young dragon twist and squirm in the egg; she had woken early to visit the egg before she began her studies and was joined quickly by Sorrel and Dio.
“I wanted to see him before going to the Dojo” she said quietly.
“It’s a boy?” Dio asked. She nodded not taking her eyes off his small form;
“He feels manly,” she paused. “Does that even make sense?” Sorrel laughed,
“Mine feels feminine, so I’ll say it does make sense.” He said gently, his hand caressing the smooth surface of the egg.
“Mine feels masculine too” Dio added. “I wish I could see him like you can, Mycah. It would be nice to see him growing and his colour...I wonder if he’ll match his egg.”
“I bet he will,” she said. “Mine looks like he has pure white scales, like my tunic. I bet yours will be black and Sorrel’s will be red. Just like their eggs.”
“I wonder how long ‘til they hatch” Sorrel said dreamily. All three of them jumped when one of the young apprentices poked his head around the door;
“Chenyo says you’re late.” They bolted for the door causing the apprentice to run backwards quickly and stumble. Mycah jumped over his prone form and shifted in mid air, landing heavily on her front paws, she tucked her back legs underneath her and powered across the lawn. Bursting through the Dojo door she was tackled from behind by Sorrel; quickly shifting she pinned him and the two begun to wrestle. Each time Sorrel thought he had the upper hand he found himself getting flipped and pushed down onto the rush mat. Dio entered and moved to stand beside Chenyo who was watching the match with interest;
“He does alright until he gets over confident, then she wipes the floor with him.” Dio said, making Chenyo chuckle.
“You really think he could be Mycah?”
“You don’t?” Dio asked in disbelief.
“Not even close. She is stronger and fast as all Shifters are, add in the telepathy and magic stronger than I’ve seen in many thousands of years, he doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Well...when you put it like that, you’re right!” Dio said with a laugh. “She does fight extraordinarily well.” They stood in silence to watch the rest of the fight until Sorrel finally conceded, dripping in sweat and gasping for breath. Mycah untangled her arms from his and pulled him to his feet.
“You were so out of your depth, Sorrel” she giggled.
“I don’t think I’m going to deny that” he gasped, resting his arms on his knees.
“I assume you were tending to your eggs,” Chenyo said to them all and watched as the same protective look passed across each of their faces. As they begun to voice their protests he held up a hand. “I will not punish you for it. I am glad you are taking this seriously, you need to train even harder and push your mind and body to limits you didn’t think you had if you will ever be ready in time for their hatching.”
“When will they hatch?” interjected Mycah.
“Will it be soon?” Dio asked.
“On the next blue moon.”
“But that’s in two weeks time!” complained Sorrel.

As Mycah ran down the track, her coat caught the sun; making her seem an even brighter white. Turning a quick left into a side path her paws thudding against the hard red ground she jumped a barrel that had been left lying in her way; as she landed she turned sharply left and collided with the Orphan Mistress. Hauling herself up, Mycah assisted her in standing again.
“Sorry, Miss. I didn’t see you.”
“Ah, young Mycah. I hear you caused quite a stir at the Ring today.” Her voice slow and gentle, reaching down she took Mycah’s hand and led her along with her for a way. “I believe the Ring Master’s are still coughing up water and they’d very much like to speak to you. I will of course be with you.”
“Can Lux and Bria come too?” she asked nervously.
“Certainly, my dear. We shall go on the morrow. I expect you to be in your best.” Mycah sigh heavily. “Come now, it won’t be for long.” She paused momentarily, “where were you off to in such a hurry?”
“One of the Caylo Trees has fresh fruit, its half Caylo half Tifra. We’ve had it before, it tastes fizzy!”
“Fizzy, indeed. Would you be willing to bring me one, Mycah? I have not had the pleasure of tasting it before.”
“O’course!”
“Off with you, I shall see you at the house tonight. You need to bathe.” Mycah pulled a disgusted face and bounded off, weaving between the legs of people and animals alike before leaping into the air and shifting into a small delicate bird of paradise; her wing feathers long and bright orange. Her eyes stayed her striking amber; they swept across the colony as she flew just above the roof line. As she made her way she was joined by Lux and Bria both as small sparrows; she quickly connected her mind to them.
“Mistress wants some fruit too, I said we’d bring some” their wings faltered as they heard her voice in her mind.
“It’s so weird hearing you in my head!” Lux thought. They dipped down and started heading towards the canopy, Mycah switched just before they hit into a small capuchin monkey. She caught herself on a Caylo branch with her long tail; swinging upside down she righted herself quickly and ran across a long twisting branch, her tiny hands and feet making no sound.
“We’re here,” she said internally. Hanging from her tail she pulled a fruit from the tree and bit into it animatedly; with a fruity grin she shifted and wrapped her hand around a branch. Dangling her legs she looked across to Lux and Bria who both had juice dribbling down their chins and grinned widely. The fruit smelt tangy and strongly of coconut; inhaling deeply Mycah sneezed violently and lost her balance on the branch; with a yelp she tipped backwards tumbling from the branch. Instinctively magic poured from her hands stopping her fall, as she floated head down she flailed until her hand caught a branch and she managed to pull herself the right way up. The three of them collected some fruit and holding them in their hands they walked back to the orphanage.

The three of them threw themselves into their studies and tried to improve their minds and bodies. Mycah, Dio and Sorrel stood in a line and struck pose after pose, slowly the movements became fluid and ran from one to another. Each time Mycah struck a pose, she felt either the earth or air shift; slowly she began to work fire dance into her routine until she could conjure fire from seemingly nothing but air. The twisting motions and complicated movements rolled from her body, blurring together until they were no longer distinguishable. An urge over took her and she combined parts from all four dances together and found the air about her changing. Flames spun around her, water whipped through the fire and she begun to float. The ground beneath her was rolling and twisting until she stopped on one knee, both hands flat to the floor, her head lowered. As she slowly raised her head, she looked Chenyo straight in the eyes, except hers did not see. She had no pupil or iris, just a pure white glowing light; she swung her arms out and her head tilted up as she was lifted three foot from the floor. Slowly at first the others could hear a single pure note getting louder and louder until it became so loud it was echoing in their chests. With no warning it stopped and Mycah dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut; she landed in a heap on the floor, unmoving. Chenyo ran to her and gently lifted her head to his lap.
“Mycah?” He said as he gently shook her shoulders. With a groan she slowly opened her eyes, Chenyo gasped as he looked into her eyes. One was no longer the bright amber it had been; instead it was a pale blue infused with a multitude of colours whenever she moved her eye.
“He is coming.” She said in a voice deeper than her own.