THE SHADOWS WRITHED AROUND THE figure of the massive dragon standing among them, unseen by the many others of all shapes and colors passing it by, chattering away without any idea that the stranger observed them quietly, even its breath silenced in its throat.

     A small group of chatting dragons passed it, vibrant hues rippling across their scales. They were followed by a few deep blue and gray individuals, who were loud, and acted boisterous.

     There was a rainbow of color all around the massive courtyard, fitting for the place, if the stranger was being honest. This place was called the Academy of Divided Light, a name which indirectly meant a school of rainbows, and looking around, there was an entire canvas of dragons mingling.

     Finally releasing an audible exhale, the massive dragon emerged from the shadows, folding its wings against its sides and side-stepping to avoid stepping on a small white dragon who darted in front of it. As they passed, a freezing chill emitted from their scales, causing the larger, paler dragon to wince slightly.

     IceWings, always cold. It told itself, carving an arc around where the clustered dragons gathered and talked to one another excitedly. Most were grouped together according to their tribes — it could see some SandWings chatting together, recognizable by their pale golden-yellow scales. There were also one or two visible HiveWings among the more vibrant SilkWings, beautiful scales shining in the partial light of the rising sun.

     Perched on ledges high above the other dragons were the regal SkyWings, massive wings similar to that of the wanderer. It caught the gaze of one, the color of bright flames, and saw her dip her chin slightly in acknowledgment, which the stranger did not return, dropping that gaze and slithering toward the admissions table.

     Better get inside before it was crowded at the front, the wanderer decided, approaching a large MudWing standing near the doors. He was bulky, but it had seen many of them in its lifetime, so his stocky build didn't deter it from halting a few paces away.

     He lifted his amber eyes, taking in the strangers build and color, before tapping a talon upon the clipboard he held. "Name?"

     Swishing its tail, the wanderer replied, "Aether."

     The MudWing glanced back down at his clipboard. "Tribe?"

     "Hybrid."

     A SeaWing that the dragon had not noticed before cleared their throat. "Um, hybrids are referred to as 'DustWings' here," they piped up, receiving a sideways glare from the MudWing.

     DustWings? Aether internally rolled its eyes. Of all the possible names we could have been called, they chose DustWings? However, not wanting to alert any potential mind-readers, it wisely dismissed the thoughts, returning to the calm and collected headspace it had learned from its friends back home.

     "Fine, DustWing." It replied calmly.

     There was no further questioning; the MudWing handed it a few scrolls and a metal bracelet and flicked his tail. "Be sure to pass through Scorch's lair to get your tag welded."

     Aether tilted its head at him. "Welded?"

     He nodded, gesturing with a claw toward a NightWing student with a bracelet melted onto her wrist. "It will hurt at first," the MudWing told it. "But you can choose where the band will go. Most choose their wrists for easy access, though I've seen a few have theirs welded to their horns or tails. So long as it's on your body and we can access it."

     Seems rather dramatic, Aether swished its tail, but said nothing, talons curling around the metal in its palm and passing through the gateway into the main part of the academy courtyard, where only a talonful of dragons currently resided. It caught sight of its first LeafWing as it stepped into the warmth of the greenhouse-like center of the Academy of Divided Light. Draped across tree branches or tending to the flowers along the pristine white walls, the beautiful green and brown dragons seemed to be right at home where the sunlight filtered through the canopy which served as a roof overhead.

     Besides the LeafWings, Aether spotted a SandWing, two NightWings, and one Silkwing all huddled by themselves in different areas of the circular gardens. A few glanced in its direction, but none of them held its gaze very long before going back to their own conversations, which didn't bother Aether too much.

     Behind it, more dragons were starting to trickle into the courtyard, and it noticed some larger dragons swooping overhead — one brightly-colored RainWing flanked by one NightWing and two LeafWings. A HiveWing brought up the rear.

     The adults swooped down and landed on multiple ledges, the RainWing taking the highest perch as he turned around to face the gathered crowd of dragons.

     Folding his wings to survey the crowd, the RainWing — who Aether noticed had what appeared to be lotus flowers woven between his iridescent greenish scales — proclaimed in a loud voice, "My name is Peacock."

     As his powerful words drifted across the courtyard, the young dragons gathered beneath him quieted their chatter, turning to stare up at him with wonder.

     "You might know me as the prince of the RainWings," he continued, staring down his snout at the dragons below. "But I am also your principal, the intelligence behind the Academy of Divided Light." Lifting a talon, he gestured around the courtyard, showing off the beautiful marble walls slithered with ivy stalks. "As you read in your acceptance letters, this place was created by hard work, careful planning, and powerful LeafWings who lent us their abilities. Please take a moment to applaud Pennyroyal and Beebrush for their hard work and dedication toward this cause."

     The two LeafWings lifted their muzzles as a hesitant applause rose up from the crowd, and Aether took a moment to observe their demeanor. Proud and haughty, clearly thinking they had made some great contribution to the world.

     Peacock waited for the clapping to die down. "You young cadets are the first to see the most glorious display of power and education in Pyrrhia, and tonight, you will be given a chance to explore the corridors and find your favorite places. Lights out is strictly at sundown, so don't miss your curfew, and classes start at the crack of dawn, so get some rest." He paused. "And if you have not, please see your Strategic Warfare Instructor, Scorch, to have your identification bracelets welded on. He is the red SkyWing standing to your left, near the wall."

     Glancing over as directed, the hybrid caught sight of the mentioned dragon, towering over most, but not very large compared to Aether itself. He had a permanent scowl etched onto his crimson features, glaring over the dragons and snarling when anyone met his gaze.

     He seemed charming.

     "Lastly," the principal spoke, "be sure to take a look at your scrolls. one is a map of the entire facility, one has your squadron cell number as well as the cadets you'll be sharing with, one has the names of all staff on duty, and one is your schedule." He smiled brightly, folding his talons. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. If you have any issues during the night, simply call for a guard."

     With that, he spread his wings out wide, the membranes shifting from blue to a rose pink, and took off into the air, followed closely by the NightWing who had not spoken a word.

     The LeafWings and the HiveWing remained on the ledges above to oversee the clusters of dragons filing inside, and, not wanting to accidently trample someone, Aether turned and headed toward the SkyWing who looked as though he had been in an inconvenient fight with a porcupine.

     Scorch was standing on an elevated platform, looking down as a small line began to form near him for those trying to get their bands welded on. A young IceWing was at the head, followed by a hybrid that looked to be part NightWing, and then two RainWings. Aether fell in at the back, behind a small, light-colored SeaWing, who turned back to look up at it with awe.

     "Are you a hybrid?"

     Surprised, Aether glanced down its nose at the SeaWing, a female, who looked to be quite young. "I am, yes."

     She smiled up at it, flicking her tail as an agonized scream came from the IceWing at the front. "That's really cool! I'm Candy Crab, but most dragons just call me Candy."

     Amused now, the hybrid replied, "I'm Aether."

     "Cool," Candy Crab's eyes brightened with wonder. "I've only met one other hybrid — my squadron-mate," she gestured ahead of her toward the hybrid getting his band welded onto one of his jagged horns. "That's Blackband. He's a SeaWing mixed with a NightWing, apparently. Isn't he handsome?"

     Aether frowned. "Aren't you like, eight?" It glanced toward the hybrid as he winced when fire bathed his skull. "He's at least sixteen."

     "So?" The young SeaWing waved it off, "he's really good-looking. The black makes him stand out."

     "Mhm, whatever you say, Candy." The hybrid stepped forward as Blackband left the line, his head smoking. "Do you know the purpose of these bands?" It asked, pulling the metal accessory from the pile of scrolls it held. "Seems kind of . . . odd."

     Candy Crab watched as the first RainWing opted for the wrist. "Apparently they have identification numbers, and are animus-enchanted to alert the guards if we leave the premises after curfew."

     It snorted. "Animus? Is that what they told you? Because I hate to break it to you, but animus magic no longer exists."

     She sniffed at its tone as her face was bathed in dragonfire. "That's just what the SandWings said."

     "I wouldn't believe everything you hear." Aether told her, as the second RainWing was engulfed in fire, choosing her wrist as well.

     As she limped away, her pink scales smoking, Candy Crab pranced forward, smiling up at the SkyWing who looked as though he would rather be anywhere else at the moment. "Where do you want it?" He growled, snorting a plume of smoke in annoyance.

     Undeterred by his harsh tone, Candy Crab lifted her arm to display her wrist. Scorch wordlessly snapped the band around her arm, before bathing her scales in fire to melt the metal together. She shrieked in pain and surprise, but the SkyWing only released her when the band had been fully welded together, and to her scales, burned into her flesh to keep it from being removed.

     Candy Crab gasped, choking back what could only be tears as she limped away, not even bothering to look back.

     Aether stepped forward, holding eye contact with Scorch intently so as to not show him any fear. He took the band from its talons. "Where do you want it?"

     A moment of thinking led the dragon to flick its pinkish tail under his nose. "Tail. It won't get in the way."

     He gave it a very long look, but didn't question the decision, grabbing Aether's tail roughly and snapping the band just above the most sensitive spot. A moment later, flames engulfed it, but they yielded no pain, only a warm sting that barely lasted more than a moment.

     Once Scorch was finished, the hybrid glanced at the blackened scales of its tail, now welded with the metal of the brand. It glanced up at the SkyWing, who waved it off boredly. "Give it a day or two to heal. If the black doesn't fade within that time, go see the healer for some aloe to ease it off."

     "Noted . . ." Aether snorted, folding its wings and walking away toward the entrance to the castle, which was now no longer congested with multiple dragons trying to enter at once.

     Slipping through the entranceway, the hybrid entered the achingly-long corridors lined with pristine white walls, hung with torches to light the way. There was something almost ethereal about the entire setting, and as Aether walked, its talons clicked against the marble floor beneath it, echoing throughout the silent hallways. One of the many scrolls it held was unraveling in its talons — the scroll detailing the squadron where it would be staying, and who it would be sharing its quarters with.

     The Orange Squadron; the Barracks. It read, narrowing its bicolored eyes with a twitch of the blackened tip of its tail. The more it studied this place, the more it seemed to resemble a prison than an actual school, and when it looked up, spotting a stone sign bearing an orange arrow pointing to the hallway on the left, an odd sense of dread overcame it.

     Aether moved fluidly down the directed corridor, tail swaying from side to side rhythmically as its talons continued to click across the marble floor. It swept its gaze over each doorway, until it came to the one with an orange fire symbol painted over it.

     Not bothering to knock, the captain entered the room it had been assigned, finding itself in an open common area with the same painted walls of blinding white. five doors, each with different designs, led the way into what it assumed to be private sleeping quarters.

     The first door, closest to it, bore a HiveWing symbol and a SkyWing symbol, with names written beneath each design. A few feet to the left of that door was the second, a door painted with a SilkWing symbol as well as a MudWing symbol.

     The largest door was noticeably taller and wider, with three symbols painted upon it — those of RainWings, NightWings, and LeafWings.

     On the other side of that center door was one painted with the symbols of IceWings and SeaWings, and the final door, noticeably, Aether observed, bore a SandWing symbol, and beneath that, a symbol it had not seen before.

     A dragon painted in all hues, with a disfigured body and multiple wings. Beneath the design, it could decipher its own name.

     With a sigh, the young dragon pushed open the door and slithered inside, taking note of two ledges on either side of the surprisingly wide room. One seemed to already have personal belongings on it, while the other stood empty, and it moved toward that one, pulling off its bag to set upon it.

     This place will be your home for the next few years, it exhaled sharply through its nose and turned around, observing the cell-like conditions with a feeling of disgust. This would never be home.

     There was no home like the ship it had claimed years prior.

     The scent of its supposed SandWing roommate was stale, leaving Aether to assume they had left nearly as soon as arriving. It couldn't blame them — this wasn't a particularly homey environment.

     It turned away from the ledge after discarding its things on it, heading back for the door and glimpsing the other name posted there.

     Mirage. Seemed SandWingy enough. It hadn't met one personally before.

     As the captain returned to the common area it would be sharing with ten other dragons, Aether became aware of the other doors opening slowly, and was greeted by an array of colorful scales from all sides.

     Its fellow Squadmates.

     There were nine dragons, none of which were SandWings, meaning that Aether's roommate was not among them. They all stared at it in surprise, though the IceWing with near-gray scales was the first to make a move.

     "Oh, wow! Are you the DustWing?"

     What a stupid name. Aether rolled its eyes, but nodded, answering his question rather simply. "Yes."

     "What tribes are in you?" The female SeaWing asked, circling it before poking its horn curiously. "SkyWing for sure, but I'm torn between MudWing or SilkWing."

     "The antennae give that away," the slender RainWing gestured to its head. "SilkWing for sure."

     The MudWing with scales nearly as dark as the night gawker at the hybrid in wonder. "Three moons, you are huge."

     "It's the SkyWing blood in her," the male SkyWing with bright fiery scales boasted.

     Aether cleared its throat awkwardly. "I'm not actually a she."

     Blinking in surprise, the SkyWing paused, then immediately backtracked. "Oh, moons, I'm so sorry. I didn't even bother to ask — how rude of me."

     "It's quite alright." It waved him off with a slight smirk. "I'm Aether, and I tend to use it as my form of address."

     The brown SilkWing with orange undertones shrugged his wings slightly. "That's pretty unique. You said your name was Aether?"

     The captain nodded. "Typically, other dragons call me Captain, but it's whatever you prefer."

     "Well, Aether, it's nice to meet you." The SkyWing bowed near-dramatically. "I'm Prince Fire Opal, though I like to go by Opal, much to my mother's dismay."

     "Because it's a female name?" The IceWing guessed, to which the prince nodded.

     "She says she has enough daughters without her son insisting on being called something she would have named her pretty daughter." He shrugged his wings, staring over at the IceWing. "What about you?"

     "Cryofreeze," he replied.

     The SeaWing glanced at Fire Opal. "Well, You aren't the only royal in our Squadron — I'm Princess Siphonophore."

     "Two royals?" The NightWing which Aether had seen lurking in the shadows stepped out, revealing a smaller dragon with dark gray scales. "Three moons, we've got some snobs among us." He rolled his eyes, before pointing a jagged talon at the hybrid. "And you. You are a female, so just make it easier on us all and actually use the right terms of address."

     Aether bristled. "Excuse me?"

     The MudWing shoved the male dragon out of the way with her shoulder, laughing nervously. "Ignore him. He clearly has issues." She tilted her head slightly. "I'm Rosewood, and the shadowy creep with a stick up his tail is Bladewielder."

     The captain narrowed its bicolored eyes at the dark dragon, who bared his teeth in response. "Some issues," it mumbled, turning away to glance at the dragons whose names it had yet to learn. "MudWing, Rosewood. SeaWing, Siphonophore. SkyWing, Fire Opal. IceWing, Cryofreeze. NightWing, Bladewielder." It recited.

     Raising a talon, the brown LeafWing who appeared from nowhere chirped, "I'm Appleseed." She glanced over her shoulder. "I'm roommates with Bladewielder and the RainWing over there." She gestured to the pale orange dragon, with lime-green blotches blooming across his scales.

     "Hey," he waved. "I'm Chimpanzee."

     "Funny how they put all of the rainforest inhabitants in one room," Siphonophore commented in amusement.

     Chimpanzee laughed. "Just like how they shoved you with the IceWing, because you both are technically water-based."

     "They put me with the HiveWing," Fire Opal said, smirking. "Her name's Termite."

     "I can talk, you know," The sand-brown dragoness huffed, shaking her head.

     Aether looked around at them all, waving its tail. "And I haven't met my roommate yet, but they're a SandWing named Mirage, apparently."

     "I saw her leaving as I was coming in," Chimpanzee offered. "She's huge, bigger than you. Scary to look at. She didn't notice me, just sort of took off."

     "Well, that's comforting," the SilkWing huffed sarcastically, flicking his tail. "She could be a vicious murderer for all we know." He paused. "I'm Metalmark, by the way."

     "She could also . . . not be a vicious murderer," Siphonophore offered, but a moment later, their conversation was cut short by the presence of another dragon appearing in the room.

     "Oh, no, the SilkWing was spot-on, actually."

     A shadow cast over the ten dragons occupying the chamber, the light blocked by a SandWing who stood there with her wings spread wide in a menacing manner.

     Aether's gut twisted at the sight of her.

     Mirage had arrived.