A candle flame flickered as a figure paced back and forth in front of it. Her wavy russet hair had been recently tied up in a bun, but her bangs had fallen out within minutes of being put up. Her heart pounded in her ears. "You can do this." Her voice was breathy as she looked to the mirror behind the candle that flickered wildly at each of her ragged breaths.

"Calm down Celia. Calm down." She breathed as she looked at herself in the mirror to attempt to pep talk herself. Her face was the same pale, narrowish face as everyone else that lived under the mountain. Although it didn't have any freckles, her face still had a few blemishes that were typical of a teenager of her age.

"You're sixteen, you went through twelve years of school, and you passed the test to be one of the Potentials in the Choosing. You even got the third highest score in the class...." She stepped away from the mirror and groaned again as she paced around the small room for the who-knows-how many-nth time, "...out of five...only four of who passed.... Ugggggg...I'm never going to be picked."

Celia groaned and rung her hands through her hair, momentarily returning her wayward strands of hair to the position it was supposed to be in until her hands were removed again. "I'm average! I'm not the best."

The human girl paced around the small personal waiting room and remembered why she had to stay in the cramped minimal room. Because of some boys a few years ago, all the Potentials were separated in their own small rooms in order to limit fights. They had lost their chances to become dragon riders and caused everyone in the future to be separated in one swift movement.

"What if that happens to me? What if I do something stupid and ruin my chances to be chosen? That's even worse than not being chosen at all!" Celia stared at the door and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, okay, calm... caaaalllmm... calm down, Celia." She slowly inhaled but released the breath as fast as she could manage. After calming her heart rate a bit, she attempted to regain her focus by explaining what she had to do in the simplest way possible. "All I have to do is go out there when I am called, stand in front of the dragons, then open my mind and soul for examination by the draga."

She gazed around the room again, but except for the mirror, the small table with the candle on it, and the chair, the bricked division of the cave room was empty. She could hear muffled sounds of other Potentials in the rooms on the left and right of her as they fidgeted on the other sides of the stone and dragon-fired mortar.

"There are other people here, probably just as nervous as I am. There's no guarantee any one of us will be picked. At least there is a Choosing this cycle. That's lucky." Her attempt to assure herself fell mostly flat, but she felt somewhat better about her situation.

Celia's body tensed as she once again stared into her mirror reflection's blue eyes. They quivered slightly as she stared for several moments. When her eyes could stare no more, they swiftly diverted their gaze and reflect on the clothes the reflection and herself wore for the day.

All of the Potentials wore the same outfit: an ejon coat that had been died a brownish yellow with pollen. The pants and shirt under the coat were her normal clothes. A dark ejon shirt and pants, the same clothing as all the other students had, were under her cloak. She had one other set of the same exact clothes but in different colors. As much as she would have liked to wear her other clothes, her current outfit was what she was required to wear.

Celia's attention darted to the door, tired of the distraction of contemplating her clothing. "What's taking them so long to call us?" She muttered and walked over to the door, then rested her forehead again the rough stones of the wall. "Why can't they just call us already? How long have I been in here, waiting?"

She groaned to herself, then whimpered. "Why am I here? I'm just average. I'm not anywhere close to being impressive. I'm not pretty, and I am definitely not strong. I do not stand out among any crowd! Am I even worthy of being a dragon rider?" She stood up straight again and sat at the chair, then looked in her mirror again. The candle illuminated her face, but cast a long shadow on the wall behind her that seemed to loom over her in the limited space of the room.

There were sudden creaks and an inflow of light that caused Celia to spasm once with enough force to cause her to fall backward in her chair, which banished her shadow but also left her with an embarrassed blush on her face. The human groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"Um...are you...alright?" The door's opener, a young man, looked surprised and unsure of how to react to the girl on the floor. After a few moments of standing there with Celia on the floor, he awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of his head with the hand that was not carrying a torch, then offered the same hand to help her up.

"I'm fine." Celia groaned as she uncovered her face and accepted the offer for help. He nodded in understanding as he pulled Celia to her feet.

Celia looked up to him and became even more nervous because of how cute she perceived the boy to be. In her opinion, he had perfect features, a handsome face with cute well-kept red hair, and stunning greenish-blue eyes. He was in the Initiate Rank, as shown by the single brown line marking the sleeves of his coat.

Although he only wore standard dragon riding clothes, Celia thought he looked amazing in them. His long blue-green riding coat matched both his eyes and the color of his dragon.

The man blinked, then stepped towards the door. "You can come out when you're ready, but don't dawdle more than a few minutes or you will miss the Choosing and have to wait until next cycle for your chance." He backed out of the room with a bewildered and slightly embarrassed look on his face, then turned to the next door to open the door for the next Potential.

Celia rested her forehead against the doorframe and emitted soft a whimper. "Why?" She released a hiccuped groan. "Why do I feel like everything is going wrong tonight? Why can't I catch a break?"

She took another shaky deep breath and stood up straight. "Even after all that, there's no turning back now." She whispered to herself, "that would be even more embarrassing than what I've already been through tonight."

With one last calming breath that barely calmed her nerves, she stepped into the hallway and accepted whatever fate was on its way and prayed that she wouldn't experience further embarrassment.

There were six other Potentials, four boys and two girls, waiting in the hallway as the handsome rider finished opening their doors as a sign that the draga were ready. All of them complied with the dress code.

All the boys had the same basic short hairstyle, though some were more unkempt than others. Meanwhile, the girls had their hair up in buns, though the girls with curlier hair or longer hair had a bit of a harder time containing their hair. Three of the boys held confident grins on their faces, while the other Celia perceived as mostly calm. The other two girls were excited, but at the same time, their fidgeting could be perceived as a bit of nervousness as well.

Before Celia made further note of her fellow Potentials, she looked to the bluish green dragon watching over them as insurance against fighting.

The five arms tall dragon with an even larger wingspan was laying down near the one exit to the room with a calm body language, but Celia knew they were smart and watchful creatures.

One roar in the enclosed space would be enough to freeze everyone in place in sheer surprise, and if that still didn't quell the fight, the dragon had plenty of bulk in its build to separate anyone and make them wary of fighting again in fear that the dragon might swipe at them with its retractable claws or snap at them its dangerous incisors and impeccable jaw strength.

Even though no Potential had ever been actually hurt by the dragons, no one wanted to be the first to anger the one assigned to them on the night of the Choosing.

Celia looked towards the oldest and most confident of the Potentials as he spoke with the other boys. His name was Kyle, and this was his fourth and last Choosing. "I'm so going to get my dragon this cycle." The grin on his face widened. "I can feel it. This has to be my cycle."

Kyle's class had been small with only three Potentials that passed the test, and he was the last one left of his cycle that had not been chosen yet. There were rumors that he barely passed the test on his first try, and over his three other attempts he has only managed to improve his score a small amount.

Students were only eligible to attend the Choosing for four years. Celia knew that if Kyle did not get picked this cycle, then he would have to enter one of the other trades in the town under the mountain that did not require a dragon, such as farming or taking care of animals such as horses.

"I hope I get one. Dragons are so awesome and soft and just awesome!" Han was one of the other overzealous boys. This was his first cycle, and his blue eyes were wide with excitement. "They can talk into minds with the mind link!" He bounced on his toes as a release for his energy. "How cool is that!"

Han had managed to get the best score in Celia's class and was proud of his accomplishment since he had trouble remembering things. His blond hair had been thoroughly combed, probably by his mother, though there were a few strands of hair sticking up vertically on the back of his head. Celia thought a dragon with the right person would be good for him.

"I have to get a dragon this cycle. Imagine all the fun we could have! The pranks! The jokes! There's so much I could do with that much more strength and firepower. It would be so epic!" Another boy chuckled mischievously. Griffin was also from Celia's class, though his test score was only three points above the cutoff point between a passing grade and a failing one.

Celia knew him as a class clown and was always looking for attention. His strawberry blonde hair was extremely messy and unkempt, and his pale green eyes and wide smirk always looked like the mind behind them was plotting some devious prank or trick. He had the same confidence that Kyle had, but wasn't as showy about it and instead preferred to act out and make unnecessary jokes.

"The dragonets will pick one of us if they think we are worthy." Griffin's older brother, the third cycle student Lucas, released a small smile as he spoke. "We'll be chosen if we're chosen." He knew fretting was futile, and thought his strawberry blonde hair was just as spiky as his brother's, his pale green eyes reflected a much calmer and less destructive personality.

Lucas's relaxed composure made Celia question if anxiety made dragons less likely to choose her, and she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He seemed to be a popular person among both his class and all the other classes. Celia often wondered if his popularity was the reason Griffin continually acted out.

After turning her attention away from the boys, Celia turned to the other girls in the room with her. Persephone had hair that stuck straight and a darker red color than anyone else's in the room, and her grey eyes were simply stunning to look at because they always seemed to shift colors at the slightest movement.

Persephone was from the second year class, one year ahead of Celia's, and was extremely focused on her dream of becoming a rider. The dark redhead constantly talked about how she was going to do her absolute best to keep her dragonet happy and healthy. "I hope I get chosen. I have a better feeling about this cycle than last year." She smiled in her optimistic outlook about this cycle's Choosing and believed her dragon waited for her in the cave.

The other girl, Amelia, was the one who got the second highest score on this cycle's test. "I know you'll get chosen Persephone!" She had a bubbly personality and always had a smile on her face.

Unlike everyone else, Amelia was never annoyed with Griffin's antics to the point that Celia wondered if she liked the class clown. Whenever she watched Griffin during one of his exploits, her blue eyes always seemed to get larger and shimmer as she stared without blinking at Griffin while her performed.

It was often one of the only times Amelia was still for any length of time, but at the same time, Celia regarded it as a bit on the creepy side. She could not fathom how and why anyone would want to stare for that long, especially at Griffin of all people. Celia barely was willing to look at him.

Amelia's curly red hair had tight corkscrew curls that make everyone a bit jealous of her hair, but it also had the odd habit of being more than twice as long when it was wet then when it was dry.

Celia felt rather average when standing among them and was prepared for worst, but that didn't mean she didn't have hopes to get a dragon of her own. Celia wanted a friend more than anything. It was not like she didn't have friends, but she always felt like the extra wheel.

In social situations, most people tended to talk whenever she attempted to herself. Celia felt like she had no idea when it was her turn to speak when attempting to have a conversation with a group. Although he could talk one on one just fine, group socializing was a bit harder for Celia. After she seemed to continually fail to successfully converse in groups, she became so insecure after that it was harder to talk about the more personal stuff as well.

However, the human girl wanted a real friend that she could tell anything. She had her mom and the dragons she grew up with, but there were still things she would never tell them.

The cute dragon rider stood by the entrance now and watched the Potentials as if he was a father waiting to spring into action the moment a fight came out, but then glanced back as if he heard something from behind the curtain covering the entrance to the cave. "All right," he stated and immediately gained the attention of all seven Potentials, "it's time for you to move into the Choosing Arena."

Kyle and Griffin were the first ones to move and shoulder each other as they attempt to beat the other through the curtain. They ran as fast as they could, but neither of them was prepared when the dragon in the room stuck out his tail and caused both of them to trip and land flat on their stomachs.

After they fell, the dragon emitted a series of deep choppy noises as he threw his feather-crested head back. His tail retreated away from the scene, but the tip of his tail waved as he continued to make the dragon version of human laughter.

"Yoshi!" The rider scolded with his eyebrows lowered in a rather furious glare. "What was that for, you naughty dragon?" He lightly pinched his forehead as he sighed and muttered softly under his breath. "So much for earning my next stripe and impressing the next generation of riders." Lucky for the rider, none of the Potentials heard his mumbling. In response to his rider's disapproval, the dragon ceased his laughter, but still held the dragon equivalent of a smirk on his smug face. He hauled the two other riders to their feet. "Let's do this more calmly and not push, shove, or run. Agreed?" He said to the two boys.

"Yes sir...." They replied in unison and seemed rather embarrassed, but mostly unharmed other than a bruised ego. Celia hoped that their ego had been permanently taken down a few notches, while Persephone giggled a bit at the event and Amelia felt empathy for Griffin.

"Now, why don't you line up with the rest of the Potentials and calmly enter with everyone else." The rider stood up straight as he sternly gazed at the Potentials. His taller stature made him almost as intimidating as the dragon in the room.

Neither one of the boys wanted to aggravate the rider further, so they nodded and retreated back towards the remaining Potentials. After Kyle and Griffin brushed off their cloaks, other Potentials gathered themselves and mentally prepared themselves for what would happen once they exited the room through the curtain. Luckily, the floors had been slightly damp, but clean, so there was not much evidence of any skirmishes between the boys or their tumble.

The dragon rider moved the curtain to the side and watched the Potentials walk through the dragon-sized opening. After all seven of them had walked through, he mounted his dragon and followed them. Since Yoshi was not wearing his harness, The rider used his hands to grip the dragon's mane and kept his balance by squeezing the dragon's sides with his knees.

Celia focused ahead, where at the end of a tunnel, another rider was waiting for them. When the potentials were at the door, the rider opened the door and revealed what was in the space behind the massive doors.

Three young dragons were playing together in the ground level center of the room. Only one of them donned the feather crest of a male, which meant that only one of the boys would be chosen since male draga only chose male riders and female draga only chose female riders.

At least four of the Potentials were not going to get a dragon this cycle, and as long as the draga found someone in the room they approved of, one boy and two girls were going to begin their official dragon rider training.

Celia glanced at the four boys. Lucas simply watched it and waited for it to notice him, but Kyle stared at it greedily as if the dragon was going to be his. Griffin looked just as ready as Kyle to impulsively run over to the dragon and take it by force. The only surprising reaction was Han's reaction, as he sat down on the ground and held his back vertically and with his eyes closed.

Celia's fellow female Potentials focused on the two females, each expecting to get one and ignoring the possibility that Celia could be picked. "Look at that blue." Amelia awed in a soft whisper. "She's gorgeous."

Celia agreed with Amelia's sentiment and thought the blue's coloration reminded her a night sky. She had seen similar markings before, but she had never seen a draga in that combination with those colors.

Persephone nodded in agreement. "The green is also really cute."

Celia looked to the green and noticed that she was noticeably smaller than the other two and looked younger in comparison. The male was about four arms and a hand tall, while the purple was a bit shorter at roughly four arms. The green, however, was closer to three arms and a hand tall.

Instead of focusing on the competition, even more, Celia glanced up. Overseeing the Choosing were six adult dragons higher up on a ledge watched alongside their riders, and both species were prepared to jump into action at the first sign of trouble. Out of the teams overseeing them, Celia noticed one dragon and rider team in particular that everyone knew about Valiant and Guild Master Orthos.

Guild Master Orthos was not only in charge of the Dragon Academy, but he was also the leader of the entire town of Rien, nicknamed the town under the mountain. He had been chosen by the previous Guild Master, who trained current Guild Master Orthos. The current Guild master had been in that position for as long as Celia had been alive, and while he was a bit on the older side, showed no signs of retiring anytime in the foreseeable future.

The Guild Master was the only one allowed to be present at every Choosing. He looked calm, but Guild Master Orthos was known to just as watchful and patient as a dragon. The lack of a seventh dragon made Celia think that one of the draga was Valiant's son or daughter, which added even more pressure to the Potentials.

Celia's breath snagged in a nervous hiccup. "Reciting directions helps you calm down. Just open your heart and mind. Just open your heart and mind." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Open," Celia ordered her mind in a soft whisper to help her follow the given instructions.

In compliance to her thoughts, she relaxed and allowed her mind and soul to drop all of the walls and to leave her mind defenseless. All of her insecurities, her secrets, her hopes, and her dreams were available to all those able to view them.

After continuing to wrestle and play for a few more moments, the draga noticed that they were not alone in the pit and turned their attention towards the Potentials. Their noses twitched as they tested the human's scents in the air and studied them from afar before they opted to approach.

Celia had been told that people felt different things when the draga searched someone to see if they would be the correct rider for them. For some, the event felt like splinters were poking them, while other people described the feeling as getting hit in the head with a stool. For Celia, it was like walls of air from the wingbeats of a dragon taking off into the air were going through her as if she wasn't there.

Despite Celia's expectations, the prodding sensation did not hurt at all. Instead, it put her further into a state of calm and she could feel the two female draga sweeping her mind in hypnotizing waves. To her surprise, Celia noticed the faint difference between them. She didn't know which set of gusts belonged to which draga, but she could tell that both of them were searching her.

Celia looked at the where the two draga stood a few paces away as one of them stopped scanning her, though the other continued. The green draga approached, and Amelia began to bounce up and down in excitement as she believed the small green was going to be her dragon.

Celia felt the waves of air turn into a constant breeze, and she accepted the feeling. The stream strengthened and turned into a ribbon and tied itself to Celia's mind in a strong knot as the green ran towards her.

Thinking she was the one that had been chosen, Amelia held out her arms in a joyous acceptance. To Amelia's dismay, the draga dove under the girl's outstretched limbs and continued towards Celia, who struggled with balancing the emotions of happiness and surprise. The two and a half arm tall draga pressed her head into Celia's chest and purred as the human girl stroked her. Her top coat was like soft silt, while the shorter fur under it was softer than anything Celia had ever felt.

Her soft yet childish voice purred into Celia's mind as the draga briefly nuzzled the human. When the draga finished the affectionate nuzzling, Celia's green eyes locked with the draga's pale blue eyes and spoke with a voice as soft as a dragon's fur, 'I am Verbena, and I choose you to be my rider.'