In the afternoon the plants competition took place. The dragons brought back to life the wood burnt during the previous competition and created new life.

Rorik made flowers bloom along Bosko's whole body, formed a dragon with the flowers on the ground and called Lynae from the audience, ordering his dragon to make a rose appear from behind her ear, like in a magic trick. Then he gave her the rose and kissed her knuckles.

He got third place.

- We've won everything we could win - gloated Yorick. - Let's go celebrate.

- Go without us - said Leif. Mira gave him a perplexed look, before thinking that maybe the Dragontamer wasn't feeling well and wanted some company. - See you tomorrow at lunch.

- Why? - asked Yorick, surprised. His friend shrugged, inviting Mira to leave.

- Don't worry. Have fun - he dismissed them, smiling.

They went to their place. Leif grabbed his bag, which was full of who knows what.

- Leif? Where are we going?

He smiled, mysterious.

- I'm going to take you to a special place - he answered, taking his hand. They went out and mounted on Ruby.

- But is it far?

- No. We'll be back for lunch, don't worry - reassured him the fire Dragontamer.

Flying at evening was weird, but weird in a good way. They saw the sunset and the sky blend with the sea, until just the stars stayed in the endless blue that the world had become.

They landed on a very small island, uninhabited, occupied by a huge cave. It was big enough for a dragon to go in.

- Ruby, light - ordered Leif, and the dragon obeyed, lighting up a small flame on the point of his tail.

The walls of the cave were decorated by drawings of simplified dragons and human beings, drawings which told stories of battles and death, but also friendship, protection, loyalty.

- When I need to meditate I always come here - said quietly Leif. Mira was fascinated. - They say that one of the first Dragontamers lived here.

The blue eyed boy went to a wall on which there was a drawing of a small sized white dragon, and put his hand on it.

- It looks like Cloud - he commented, hiding the nostalgia of his dragon behind a smile.

Leif hugged him from behind.

- The last time I came here I noticed that dragon and I thought of you - he said, putting his chin on his shoulder. - Tonight we'll sleep here. I brought the covers, and also Ruby will keep us warm.

They prepared a bed near the dragon's body, that had laid down and formed an u. The small flame on the point of his tail trembled from time to time, when the breeze came in the cave. The Dragontamers laid down next to each other. The ceiling of the cave was decorated by some white stars.

- I wonder how they drew them - said Mira. Leif smiled.

- We'll never know - he paused. - Tomorrow evening there'll be the closure dance. Will you dance with me?

- What if I say no?

The fire Dragontamer chuckled.

- You're awful - he said tenderly, before turning around and getting on top of him, serious. - Mira...

- I'll dance with you - blabbered immediately the boy. Leif stared at him, and his piercing eyes made him blush. A sweet smile appeared on the fire Dragontamer's lips, his gaze became full of tenderness.

- I love you - he whispered, and the world stopped.

Mira gulped. Leif loved him, he was aware of that. There was love in the way he looked at him, in the sweetness of his kisses, in his small actions.

But he had never told him like that, they had never said it to each other like that. Because he loved him too. He loved him with the intensity of a fire dragon, with the softness of a plants dragon, with Cloud's tenderness.

- I love you too - he whispered. Leif leaned in and kissed him, before pulling away slightly to give him a burning look, a bit unsure: a question he wasn't able to ask him out loud. But they didn't need words to understand each other.

Mira nodded, then brought a hand in the Dragontamer's blonde hair and led him again to his mouth.

***

The morning after Mira woke up alone, near Ruby's face that kept him warm.

He rubbed his eyes, yawning.

- Good morning, Ruby - he hummed, wrapping the cover around himself and getting up.

Leif was outside the cave to admire the sunrise. For a few seconds Mira watched him, then went to him.

The fire Dragontamer turned around and looked at him, before smiling softly.

- Good morning, Mira - he whispered, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him to press a kiss to his temple.

Mira hugged him and they stayed like that for a long time, looking at the sky becoming clearer and the sun lighting up the sea. The morning breeze ruffled their hair.

- I took some fruit for breakfast - broke the silence Leif. They went back to the cave. Mira left the cover in the bag and went out again with his boyfriend.

They sat on the sand, near the shore. The plash of the waves was their background sound while they ate their first meal of the day.

- I had a weird dream - began Mira, once he finished eating.

- What was it about?

- My parents. They had white dragons very similar to Cloud, and flew in front of me...

Leif nodded.

- It's happened to me too to have weird dreams in the cave. I think I've had a dream about you before meeting you.

They both blushed.

- It's time to go - grumbled Leif, embarassed. - We'll come back here as many times as you want.

They picked up their belongings. Mira stopped to look one last time at the white dragon on the wall, moving his gaze from it to the white feather on his wrist.

He closed his eyes. The energy emanated by that place was really intense.

- Mira?

He roused, went to Leif and kissed him. The fire Dragontamer smiled on his lips.

- Let's go.

The sky was clear and the morning breeze was chill. It was going to be a nice day.

Mira held his boyfriend closer and pressed a kiss onto his neck. Leif smiled.

- We have the whole day to ourselves, until this evening - he said, while they were flying. - Is there something you'd like to do?

- Can we go shopping?

- Anything you want, my love.

They landed on the island right before lunch. Leif fed his dragon, then invited his boyfriend to meet up with the other Dragontamers at the square.

- Congratulations! - exclaimed Yorick, seeing them arrive. His friend glared at him.

- Yorick.

He laughed.

- Come on, it's written on your faces that you didn't just sleep last night!

- YORICK.

The air Dragontamer got a warning look even from Rorik.

- Okay, okay, sorry. I didn't want to embarass you, sweetheart... but you have to admit that when your boyfriend gets angry or jealous he's quite funny.

Leif rolled his eyes, and Mira caressed quickly his arm to calm him.

They went shopping like Mira had asked; he was looking for a souvenir of the first competition he had been to. Eventually he bought a bracelet with a charm of solified lava.

That evening the Dragontamers wore their outfits for the competitions to dance with their partners.

- Who will dance with Elin? - asked Mira, worried. He would have been sad if she had no one.

- Probably with some water Dragontamer - answered Leif, not worried at all. - I know what you're thinking, but you have no reason. She doesn't like these things very much.

The announcements man took place at the center of the square. All around it some torches had been lighted up.

- Thank you for being here reunited one last time and for the effort put into the challenges - he said. - The competition ends now. Let's welcome winter!

Leif took his boyfriend's hand and put the other on his side, smiling.

The music started playing. Mira didn't tell him he didn't know how to dance; he just followed him.

- You move well - praised him the fire Dragontamer. His green eyes said how proud of him he was.

Rorik and Lynae danced near them. Danced was a big word, because they were just swaying around hugging. She was on her toes, he held her up by the waist.

- What are you thinking about? - asked him Lynae, noticing that his mind was somewhere else. Rorik caressed her cheek, putting a lock behind her ear.

- About you in a wedding dress, while we dance. And then about you with our kids on your lap, and about you after many, many seasons, with wrinkles and grey hair - he answered, letting his hand rest on her face. - I'm thinking about growing old with you, baby.

Not very far from them there were Yorick and Jun. The two Dragontamers twirled with grace, making the couples around them envious of them.

- I can't believe I'm here with you... - mumbled almost to himself Jun, without losing his concentration.

- Why? - whispered his boyfriend.

- I felt like I wasn't enough for you, moreover without a dragon.

- Jun... I don't care if you have a dragon or not - retorted softly Yorick. - It doesn't matter. Not to me.

And he stopped to take his face between his hands and kiss him.

Elin had danced for a while with a dark haired water Dragontamer with hazel eyes, before changing partner and switching to a plants Dragontamer who was alone. Eventually, with an excuse, she left to go to Marat, to watch the stars with him.

- Someday it will be just you and me - she told him, caressing his neck. - And we'll have nothing to think about.