(1) Becoming an apprentice.

Myung's Sykkuno's POV:

My stomach twisted in anxiety, as my legs nearly went slim and weak. I slowly approached the leader's den, where my father usually stayed when he wasn't off to a trip or on a long time break. As the cave-like den grew closer and closer I could hear two furies talking, one of which was my father's deep voice and a voice... I didn't recognize it. I cloud feel my mind racing as I step right outside my father's den, the vines blocking the view from the inside.

I lift my hand on the edge of the entrance and shallow quietly, I cleared my mind and knocked. The voices stop for a moment, then I hear a deep voice. ''Come in.''

I pull aside the vines and peek my head in, with nervous eyes my gaze catches my fathers, once our gazes have fixed he gives me a wry smile,

''Ah. Myung you finally arrive, I've been waiting.''

Once he murmured, my gaze moves on the fury in front of my father on their own, I suppose he's gaze first landed on me as I knocked, he's silver gaze cough my eyes. I cloud feel how my anxiety fades, as I can't break my gaze. His silver eyes forming a thin line in the center of the black sclera. I started feeling calm...

''Come in Myung, we were just talking about you. Sit here.'' My father lifted his tail and pointed me to sit down next to the unknown Fury I haven't seen before. I obey and sit right next to him, my gaze hovers on the ground, feeling guilty for intruding in their talk.

'' Father. I'm sorry for intruding in your conversation..'' I muttered, my gaze still hovering on the rock hard ground. I could hear my father chuckling.

''No need to apologize Myung. I was about to send Shade to get you.'' Vex said while giving the dragon in front of him a calm gaze.

I knew Shade, he was a friend of mine. He became an apprentice not long ago, you see. My father is a leader of a Clan called CY, but he never told me what it really means. There are 30 fury's in total, but I only know 7 people, My father, mother, my 3 brothers, sister, and Soo. I don't know other people in this clan, which makes me nervous. I don't have to come here often though.

I am Myung Sykkuno Ringwell, I am the firstborn within my siblings, I have 3 brothers and a sister. My father has told me that I should be as powerful and loyal as him, if so I might even become a good leader like him. My mother is not a warrior, but she is a healer of the clan, and she has an apprentice Soo. Most of the warriors have apprentices, yet I don't have a mentor. My father's voice made me snap out of my thoughts.

'' Myung, I want to introduce you to Spade, a very good friend of mine, my most loyal warrior, and my left hand,'' Vex said lifting his head to point at Spade. I lift my head to look at Spade, he's silver gaze was calmly fixed on me, he gave me a warm welcoming smile.

''Since you are old enough, he will be your mentor till you become a warrior.'' Vex finished and gaze a friendly gaze. ''You may leave now, Spade will choose what you both will do.''

The black fury got up and with its white paws walked to the exit of the cave, he turned his head, with a wry smile he muttered '' You comin'?''

I snapped out from staring at him and followed him out of the den, he stood near the exit and turned around to wait for me to come near, I only now realized he's scales weren't black, but were gray. ''We will start learning tomorrow, and we won't be learning alone, Vex said he will get your siblings mentors too, I have spoken with them, and they agreed for us to train together with all your siblings.'' He said and gave me a wry smile.

''Oh. That's great!'' I retrieved a smile, feeling excitement curve in my stomach. I can't believe it, I'm going to train with my siblings! I never got a chance to do anything with my siblings, due to my father always kept me busy with talks and spellbooks. True, my father knew spells, and as his favorite son and oldest, he thought me about potions and spells... But yet we haven't found my aura, which is really important, he says it might show up when I feel flustered or angry.

'' Come now, since you're an apprentice now, you will have to sleep and rest at camp, I'll show you around,'' Spade said with a warm voice and with his tail guided me to follow him. Witch I obeyed and followed.

We walked into the center of the camp, the area was big, and the walls reminded more of a cave, they were covered with vines, as I looked around there was a hole in the ceiling where the sunlight lit the area, there were some torches lit with purple fire, which is the most powerful fire, cast with a spell to be bright enough to light up the entire area. Not to mention this camp was actually in a mountain, which my grandfather made years ago, to when he made the clan, yet he isn't among us anymore. The cave has a section where there was a waterfall, usually, fury's went there to get a drink and to fish, it was actually pretty rare tough. But the fishes were delicious.

''This is the elder's section. Where furies stay when they are not able to serve the clan's rights anymore. Usually, apprentices catch them food, since they can't do that themselves. Sometimes when an apprentice has done something wrong they will have to serve them for a long period of time, for example, cleaning their scales and feeding them medicine.''

Spade murmured as we slowly went past a cave section witch had a couple of old vines covering the entrance, yet we were still able to see the elders laying there and 'sharing tongues'. There was a single purple torch in the cave, the elders were laying on which seemed to be soft silk.

As we kept walking we went past a slightly bigger cave, where I could sense some medical herbs and some materials to use in spells or in making some necklaces for enchanting skills. Yet when the herbs smell was powerful I could still sense my mother's soft smell, which reminded me of home. When I got a chance to peek in the cave there was a straight line carved deeply into a wall, reminding of a shelf, where multiple leaves and herbs were stored, I could also see a couple of silk beds and a separate room for the healer fury's to sleep. I couldn't help but notice a white fury and a smaller fury making some mixtures of medicine. My mother and Soo.

''And this is the healer's cave and den, there are multiple silk beds to where the wounded usually stay, under the care of your mother and Soo. They are nearly as important to the leader's route, as for a thing none has, they have the ability to receive any sign from Void clan, and rarely enough even speak to them.''

I have heard of the Void clan before, it's a place in the sky where the fallen fury's go after they have served their clan. Rumors have it that every single star in the sky is one of the furies. My mother told me a lot about them in the past. Before the earlier healer fury died.. we use to have 2... now it's just 1 for now.

We kept walking till a sweet, yet metallic smell hit me, it was a cave where I could see food in. There were bears, big birds, fish, some different dragon leftovers, and even humans. I could see multiple light torches in the area, and I could feel a slight hint of magic in the cave, which usually helped the food from spoiling.

We kept going and I saw a cave, the cave was almost dark, no purple torches at all, just something that reminded me of a stove, full of coal and blue fire. I suppose it's supposed to be a blacksmith, where enchants necklaces were made, and if needed claws of steel as well.

'' This is the blacksmith, where steel claws are made and such as necklaces and other required stuff. Lately, it hasn't been used but we do have one who knows how to curve steel just right, and while there are no requests he serves as a normal warrior fury.''

'' And that is a den for hatchlings who are too young to do anything, they usually sleep there, or also eggs for that matter. They usually just stay there for the night or when there is an attack.''

The den was quite small, but the walls are covered with a lot of vines and leaves, with one torch lighting up the area. I could see one wide bed of silk, I think they all sleep in that one bed, then when I repeated what Spade said in my mind, a question hovered in my head. Yet I let the curiosity get the better of me. ''You said that the hatchlings stay in the bed during an attack? Has there ever been someone attacking our den?'' I asked softly and quietly, then once again my gaze caught Spade's calm eyes.

Spade let out a long sigh, as he stopped walking to look at me. ''We.. have been attacked once, right at our den. We didn't even see it, I was still an apprentice then. But I didn't know that the fight might make me a warrior... We lost many members, 9 in fact. Their new deputy had such power we have never seen before. Vex, me, and another warrior were just powerful enough to beat him. It took us a long to recover from that. We did recover atlas and they haven't, but since I'm your father's deputy he says that there is a new power growing very near this base... Sometimes even in here.''

What he said made shivers run down my spine. Growing powers near our base? and sometimes seven in here? ''What was the group that attacked?'' I asked nervously. Spade turned his head away, avoiding my eyes.

''Not a group... XY Clan...''

Spade shook his head and pointed with his claw at two dens. ''That's the apprentice's den and warrior dens, since you are a new apprentice you should sleep in that den..''

I looked at the apprentice's den, It was a particularly large cave, with at least 20 silk beds, the walls were almost entirely covered with vines and leaves, there were about 3 purple torches with a hole in the ceiling where the sun was shining through, the cave was nearly empty, but I cloud see 3 dragons, two white, one black with dark blue paws, I knew who they were, they were my siblings. I looked at the warrior's den, it was just the same as the apprentice cave, but mirrored. Yet no one was in there, I guess they were on a hunt or patrol.

Spade lowered his head to be at the same height as me. ''Sleep on the silk bed near Zachary, but away from Lilith, that's the warmest and most cozy place.'' He friendly nudged me shoulder to shoulder and chuckled. I gave him a warm smile. ''See you tomorrow morning!'' I muttered. Spade chuckled and walked away back to the warrior's cave.

I watched him leave then I chuckled and flowed to the apprentice cave, the white fury by the name of Zachary lifted his head and lightly waved at Myung with an excited smile. Myung chuckled to himself and lay down next to Zachery in front of Woo and Lilith, while Hester was sleeping next to Woo. Myung tilted his head ''Why is Hester sleeping? Isn't he excited?''

''Oh, he was so excited he didn't sleep last night at all, so now he is resting because he is tired'' Lilith said playfully. ''I can't wait till we will learn to be Warriors soon!''

''I know right! And the best thing is that we will learn together! We can compare our skills with each other! OH, I'll be so good I will make the other clans shake in their scales!'' Woo said very excitedly.

Zachery laughed ''We don't have to compare our skills, we just need to be good to serve out clan the best out of all!'' Zachery said with a smile.

''Yeah... Let's be the best of the best!'' Myung said his eyes lighting up in excitement and determination.

I can tell you that we will have lots of fun during this apprenticeship. Oh, I can't wait!.