A Polite Invitation

"There weren't always dragons in the valley. Though perhaps that is a story for another time," Thesme said just loud enough so the children would hear her but not suspect her intentions.

The end of the school day had approached quickly and in order to release the innocents to their guardians Thesme knew she would need them quiet, captive, and listening.

"You see, dragons are not just beasts of great power but symbols of unity. They are the essence of peace for our people."

"You mean the Sumni?" piped a smallish girl of only a hand full of years.

This will surely grasp their attention, Thesme thought as the children quieted and lended their ears.

"Indeed, sweet one. Though I speak not just of the Sumni! The Ashkaracks, Ruids, and even the Thron tribe were brought together as one thanks to some six thousand dragons on the brink of extinction many years ago. If not for their salvation, tis likely you nor I would be here today."

Her plan was working. The children who had been whispering near the back of the cluster had hushed and now a dozen pairs of youthful eyes stared back at Thesme, entranced by what she might say next.

"Of course, it was not an easy feat. Before the mergence of our lands, dragons were but a distant luxury. To learn to live in harmony with them took a great deal of patience and dedication. Each nation needed to learn to trust one another and unite under one sigil after the war to ensure our Kingdom's success. Very much like how we must all share our toys and complete our daily tasks in order to earn play time in the pasture."

"But Maiden Thesme! Maiden Thesme! My mother tells me the only reason the Sumni shared their dragons during the war was to trick us into giving up our land!"

Some of the other children nodded in accordance with their parent's disapproval of the Sumni, while others looked vaguely confused. Thesme knew she had to choose her words wisely lest she want a slew of tempered parents at her door.

"Well, small one... If I were to graciously lend you my parka to shield you from rainfall, you would want to return the favor, yes?"

The little girl nodded.

"And after lending you my parka, wouldn't you wish for me to have a safe night's lodging?"

"Yes, Maiden Thesme. I should think so!" the girl exclaimed.

"Well then, that is precisely how the Sumni were repaid after they enlisted their dragons to fight in the war."

The girl was only of six years from Thron descent, yet no one's fool. Though the young ones might not fully understand the complications and tactics of war, they understood very clearly that if you were Sumni you were treated differently, with the respect given to those of the highest station. It was an unspoken truth that even the simplest of minds knew well.

"My father says that Sumni pies are the finest in the world! He told me that everyone wants to be Sumni- that without us the Kingdom would be in ruin!" preached the son of a prominent Sumni rider.

Keep calm, remain vague... Thesme thought as she bit her tongue and chose her next words carefully.

"Let us quiet down, children! Each and every one of us makes a valuable and important contribution to the Land. Now let us recite our daily Pledge."

In unison, the children spoke:

"Under four peoples, in the name of honor and of duty, I pledge my allegiance to the Empire of Sapphos. In trials we shall fight as one. In peace we shall prosper as one. Forever we shall stand as a single nation!"

It was tradition to bend on one's knee, right fist to one's heart while reciting the Pledge. However, every once and a while Thesme conveniently allowed her pupils to recite the Pledge while standing. It made her grin to disavow the rules, knowing that if any Officials were to witnes such grave error it would raise questions about her loyalty and even risk her position as a Scholar of Education.

"Class may be dismissed! We shall continue our learning of Sapphos history next lesson."

Immediatley the children gathered their belongings and formed a line before her to be formally released. Then one by one they bowed their heads and said, "Salutations, Maiden Thesme," before exiting the learning quarters and walking down the winding path to meet their guardians.

One child, however, strayed from the group and chose to stand outside near the pasture's fencing, looking far in the distance with a solmn gaze.

Seeing the child in distress, Thesme gently shut both doors to their humble classroom. It was a singular structure perched on a grassy mountain ledge that overlooked the entire city of Parth. With only an outhouse and modest study for Thesme to grade her papers they were very much secluded from the rest of the Temple of Knowledge; the perfect sanctuary to call a second home.

"Loni, is everything alright? It's best you journey with the others down the path to the Temple now or else you'll be late!" Thesme said, approaching the girl with a motherly tone.

Loni shrugged and kept her gaze on the city, crossing her arms and spawning an agitated frown.

"Is there something I should know that happened during your play time in the pasture?"

"No, Maiden Thesme," she said sulkingly, "nothing happened in the pasture."

Thesme bent down to meet her gaze, combing through her windswept hair with a smile. Sometimes all Loni truly yearned for was Thesme's attention away from the other children.

"Well, perhaps I walk with you down the path so we may keep each other company? I assure you I'm not one to bite! And who knows... maybe we shall sing a song or two along the way."

Loni pondered the proposition for a moment, unable to bear her frown any longer. Children are privledged in that they are naive to the harsher plagues of the world and as Loni embraced her with love, Thesme longed for such innocence in her own life.

"I should like that very much!" she said, pausing for a brief moment of hesitation.

"Is there something else troubling you?"

"No Maiden Thesme... I was just wondering, will you be at the races today?" Loni said, not wishing to leave her side.

"Of course! All of our region will be in attendance," Thesme said with the voice she reserved specially for children.

Although truthfully, the dragon races were not an event she looked forward to at all. Thesme fervently despised them, knowing they guaranteed long hours of standing in the sweltering heat and flippant conversation about the city's newest gossip.

"Will you attend with me? Please! Oh, please?" Loni pleaded, not for the first time. She enjoyed playing with Thesme and often longed for her attention outside of the Temple, though was not yet old enough to understand the rules of rank.

"Oh how I wish I could! You must attend with your family, as they wish to spend time with you. I will be watching from my own station, waving at you from above!"

"Oh please, Maiden Thesme! You must join us!" Loni begged, holding Thesme's hands in her own with a look of unabandoned hope in her eyes.

"Loni you know I would love to join you but I--"

Though before she had time to manufacture a witty response, a gust of air knocked her off her feet into the grass and the sun suddenly became shielded by a triumphant pair of scaled wings.

"Papa! Papa!" Loni called over the loud cries of what could only be made by the mightiest of beasts.

Thesme turned her head towards the sky as a dragon made haste for landing. The reflection of its scales alone was enough to blind her as they glimmered beneath the sun. She could not help but admire all the shades of deep cerulean, gooseberry, and many hues of silver and bronze that adorned the creature. She estimated it had to be at least twenty feet long with a head as large as a tavern barrel as it landed willfully in the pasture in front of them.

How something can be so beautiful and so deadly... Thesme pondered, unable to make use of any words as Loni's father pulled his reigns and the dragon settled onto the grass.

Barely regaining her composure in time to greet him, she stood and dusted her skirts from the fresh dirt they had aquired. Thesme had been aquainted with dragons throughout her life, though she had never ridden one- especially not like the creature eyeing her now. It was usually only those of the highest ranks who were wealthy enough to actually own a dragon, let alone compensate for the training to learn how to ride them.

She surmised that Loni's father must be a peculiar guardian, as it was certainly unconventional to pick up one's child in such a wildy manner. Clearly the man was not an advocate of proper instruction.

"Greetings!" he shouted, springing off his saddle onto the ground with a thud. He resembled his daughter with his untamed, dark locks and slightly crooked nose. They of course weren't so similar in stature, as he was ten bricks tall and a slight more brawny than his daughter of six.

"Papa! Papa! Guess what? Maiden Thesme said she will attend the dragon races with us today!" Loni exclaimed as her father picked her up and twirled her in the air.

"Oh I never agreed to such a proposal, my Lord! I'm sure Loni is mis--"

"Nonsense! What a grand idea, Loni! We would be honored to have you as our guest, Maiden Thesme."

"Really, I assure you I have my own station and best not burden you and your family..."

"Really I assure you that it is no trouble at all! I am eager to extend the invitation, as Loni could use a companion for the day. I will have my hands full at the races conversing with old friends and placing my bets. I should think that Musco shall win this time in the water tournament. I've placed a rather large sum on his name already... So truthfully, you would be doing us both a favor to join us for my little Loni!" he said, bowing his head in respect to formal Sapphos customs, despite their uncustomary first encounter.

"Of course, sir. It would be my pleasure," Thesme conceded while bowing her head in return. "Though I am not yet aquainted with your name?"

"Ah! Yes! My mistake. You may refer to me as Lord Chiron. I will send my fastest flyer to pick you up at your residency within the hour. You are comfortable riding, yes? Oh, and please sport the Sumni colors. We shall all be in red and silver for the races."

"Of course. Many salutations Lord Chiron," Thesme replied with her best feigned enthusiasm.

"It shall be an occasion to remember!" he said, hoisting Loni onto the dragon before climbing on himself and soaring back towards the city.

Thesme let out an exclamation of disbelief at her newfound plans for the day, feeling her heart pound out of her chest as the world seemed to mock her. The city in all its glory appeared gleeful as ever in the afternoon light, contrary to Thesme's own chagrin. Though she needed to play his game, at least for a few hours...

It can't be so bad she thought, imagining the entire city of Parth laughing at her with jests of irony. Though there was no time to think. No time to breath.

Now I must find myself silks of red and silver coloring.