What Walker, Midnight, and Su did not realize, was that this step was necessary.

For most of the dragon champions, they would face a moment where they properly stepped in to adulthood. Whether it was due to their age or their accumulation of their specific affinity mana. Either way, they would step beyond where they would need to be protected by a guardian.

As most of the dragon race of today knew, that would take years and years. Some would even never grow beyond the need making their bond be a lifetime bond. Something that was common enough even for those who had worked directly under the royal dragons or had risen to the standard of an elder dragon.

Yet, that was because most of the dragonkin who became a guardian were stronger because of their bond. Would maintain their strength and even grow it because of their extended age. Keeping them stronger than their champion.

This alone would cause an interesting situation where the bond was not enhancing the strength from dragon to guardian, just lifespan for the most part.

Currently, no dragon champion of any affinity has reached a point where they were strong enough according to the ritual and bond they created would be unnecessary. Therefore, the bond remained and the tradition held.

As such, the dragon had mostly lost that part of their tradition. The part where they separate and their bond changes to the closest partners in battle while not relying on one another for pure protection and growth in strength.

That was what was changing now.

Midnight had formed a core. Something also lost to the dragon race within the world. She had stepped beyond what a "young" dragon would be capable of. She had gone beyond what a dragon three times her age should be able to do.

For Su, she felt a change. One that was like feeling pressure on her mind. It wasn’t great, it actually felt like it was pushing her forward. Like she had been running while holding a lot of weight but that weight was gone now. Now she had to figure out how to deal with the sudden gust of wind on her face she hadn’t had while running just a moment ago.

Yet, as she felt the bond with Midnight lessen in strength and shift to a different form, she realized that she had let the flowing mana form Midnight, the change in emotions, and her own sudden growth spurt cloud her mind.

She calmed and stood there just looking at Midnight.

She knew that they had missed something. That they were walking through territory that the dragon race had left in the fog. Missing for the time being but overall clear to her now. Before she could say anything, she felt her own mana spike again, this time within her own rotation.

It followed how she used to feel her mana move before she forged her bond with Midnight as her guardian. It wasn’t wrong, it was just like she had finally drunk a glass of ice water after being out in the hot sun for hours. It felt relaxing.

What neither realized, was that both of their bodies were sharing mana whether they realized some of that or not. It was subconscious to hold to the ritual and promises made amongst one another earlier.

Without the reason for that bond to exist for the tradition and culture, it left the situation open. The bond was there, but it was being reforged. Altered. Renewed and changed. It was not the same and both Midnight and Su found themselves compelled to speak their intentions.

"I wish to be your champion too. To fight with you. To grow stronger. To be equal. To be family as we always have."

Midnight said a lot for her. But her words released mana in the same way they would if she was full of any emotion and not controlling herself. Su felt it, deep in to her bones.

"I offer you, family. I promise you an ally. I challenge you to keep up with me. We will enjoy what we have as sisters, and I will guide you as the older. Midnight, stay by my side while we see what else existence has to throw at us."

Su’s promise was what she expected and hoped for all along.

The two knew one another and they knew themselves. They did not have to think or push themselves to say more, their intentions responded as their mana shifted and the part of their bond always sharing something unconsciously became something they controlled.

This entire time, they had been intertwined with the ritual and traditions they knew but not educated on the parts that had been lost by the dragons as though it was fantasy or just didn’t happen. Now, they knew, they had completed part of what a dragon champion and draconic guardian would have naturally completed, they were just the first in a very long time.

They would also be the example set by all others like them in the future to come.

’The dragon race within the world has rediscovered two paths.’

’The path of the dragon core has properly returned.’

’The path of the awakened dragon guardian has returned.’

As Su’s eyes drooped, Walker knew that her class had changed.

Su no longer protected just Midnight, she had become a guardian for the dragons as a whole. Her race would speak to how she represented the drains and how her blood ran the same as theirs. But it also stood for who she was. A protector. Someone who used the strength they possessed as a dragon in their own way to protect others, not just the dragon race.

Midnight, fully found herself accepting the mentality of a dragon core in her heart. Like she had shed the final baby scale and felt herself taking full ownership of being older and more responsible. She had taken the last step she didn’t realize she was missing from walking a path related to the core she formed.

Once they stopped this process, Midnight lay down and watched as Su sat down too. Understanding flickered in their eyes as they recognized a change in their bond.

It wasn’t for the worse.

It was a change that felt necessary for their own development. For who they were.

"You two have grown a lot. I can’t tell you if you’ve just caused a huge ripple in the dragon and dragonkin races or not, but I believe you both are greater than you were moments ago." The two glanced at Walker, both showing a hint of happiness at his recognition.

However, Su soon dropped her head and fell asleep. Her body had some growing to do. But even more, she had exhausted herself for the last few days. Pushing her body past limits while channeling more and more mana.

It set her strength higher but also stressed her mind as well. Once she had rested and settled her growth, she might find herself even stronger than before in ways she would need to explore through real fights. If that was the case, Walker knew he would be able to trust in her strength and not need to support her.

After resting a bit, Walker lifted Su and used his teleportation skill to get her home. It was more comfortable for her to rest there and recover as she adapted to the changes she was undergoing. It also gave him a chance to get some snacks an think about the future more.

He knew that testing on the floating islands was underway. The elemental dome project didn’t need him so much so. And he might get pulled away to the elemental planes at any moment... it was a lot he wished to work on but also be prepared for.

The academy also was presenting more unique instances but that was in its own category.

His mind drifted toward Remey and how her new focus on crafting related potions might drive her to create something new. Something interesting that he partially wished to stick his nose in.

Knowing that certain potions were used for construction was already interesting and somewhat fun to explore. But seeing what Remey was cooking up for crafting and construction?

That was something that could break the mold.

She always worked toward more forms of alchemy. She’d played with her innate fire affinity and alchemy so much that it could be said she was a mad scientist more so than an alchemist. Yet, her mind was always turning toward refining something she already knew. Improving even the smallest aspect of what she felt was necessary for alchemy to step forward even once.

The best part was, that there was going to be a larger delivery of herbs soon, and well worth stopping by and grabbing a few for Remey too.

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