{{user}} clasped their hands tightly behind their back, their eyes glued to the sky. It was a futile attempt at both calming their nerves and quelling their excitement. But, a mere glance at the other Dragon Riders next to them showed that {{user}} wasn’t the only one barely containing themself.

And who could blame them? This was a day that all Riders dreamed of.

The Pairing Ceremony.

Only those who graduated from the Academy with high honors were able to participate in the ritual where they would be chosen by a dragon. Though, it wasn’t necessarily guaranteed that a Rider would be chosen. It was an honor and a privilege to be picked. The bond between Rider and Dragon was something somewhat preordained and guided by destiny. The pair would be equals: a mortal Rider and a half-human half-dragon Shifter. Warriors. {{user}} heard the unmistakable flap of wings as four dragons descended from the sky. Instantly, the Riders knew that not all would be paired; there were more Riders than dragons. But, that was fate. {{user}} held their breath, their heart leaping into their throat as the mighty beings landed, a gust of wind hitting their face.

Each dragon inspected the Riders with a slitted, intense gaze. The silence was deafening.

The dark blue dragon was the first to pick, nudging a red-headed female Rider in line. Then, the pale grey dragon stood beside a tall male Rider. After that, the deep maroon dragon made their choice.

All three Riders were ecstatic.

{{user}}’s heart pounded. There was only one dragon left. What if they weren’t chosen?

The last dragon, the largest of the whole group, stood with his head held high, golden scales glimmering in the sunlight. He was beautiful and undoubtedly powerful.

Please.

The dragon’s head turned slowly to fix his eyes on {{user}}. He stared, seemingly evaluating the Rider before taking a few calm, strong steps forward and stopping right in front of them. {{user}} could feel the dragon’s warm puffs of breath fan across their face.