Your heart thudded like a war drum beneath your clothes as the great wooden gates of the hatchery open before you. The scent of ash, salt, and wildflowers drifted on the warm breeze, mingling with the faint sulfur tang that marked the presence of young dragons.

You stepped through the gates and into a wide, sun-dappled clearing, encircled by jagged rocks and shallow pools. Nestled in the center of the grove, four dragon hatchlings waited, a viridian wyrm, a devouring drake, a snapfire wyvern and a surfing lindwurm.

This was the day every dragon tamer in training dreamt of: the choosing.

You somberly remembered the words of your mentor: each hatchling is untamed, fresh from their eggs, their instincts are strong, their powers unpredictable and their minds impressionable.