For the next week, I was pushed to my limits, both mentally and physically.

Between Asher training me and Obsidian in every way possible and Orpheus pushing me to control the vampiric side of me, I was exhausted.

That's why I was beyond happy when Mr Stoneheart called a break day, where we could all go into the human town for a day to explore the village.

"I wanna go horse riding!" shouted Chase excitedly

"Horse riding? really?" I questioned watching him bob up and down excitedly.

"I can't believe you would want to do something so mortal" sighed Asher.

"Life is not all about combat and war" reasoned Chase.

"Yes I know, but you have a bloody DRAGON!" exclaimed Asher.

Chase shook his head at Asher and pulled his attention towards me.

"Come on Aurora, we always used to go riding together" he pleaded.

He stared at me for a moment looking like a kicked puppy.

"Fine" I sighed throwing my arms up in surrender.

"Yes!" he screamed before running out of the room for some unknown reason, but it was Chase so I chose not to question him.

"What was that all about?" questioned Asher.

"I think he just misses the way things were, we all have been riding since we were young children," I said staring at the door that Chase had disappeared through.

"You do know that things will never go back to the way they were," said Asher thoughtfully.

"Of course I do, and I think that he does too, but we all still hold on to things from our past, whether we want to or not" I replied turning to face him.

He nodded his head in agreement, ending our discussion.

We walked along the school's long corridors in silence, and to pass the time I studied each painting that we passed. The paintings were like windows into the history of the school, and to a well-established mind, showed it through movement and animation. I looked into the canvases in amazement as warriors cheered and flew to victory on their great dragons.

After a few more hallways, we finally began to climb the stone, spiral staircase up to the dragon nursery and opened the large double doors.

Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by Kai.

"You're late" he huffed crossing his arms.

Out of nowhere, Chase pushed through me and Asher and smiled.

"A wizard is never later, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to!" shouted Chase in a raspy voice.

Chase span around and gave me a high five as Kai stood there and tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"But you're not a wizard," he said earning a gasp from Chase.

"And nobody in this school has a TV apparently!" he groaned.

I watched with amusement as he facepalmed and walked away shaking his head. I didn't have the heart to tell him that not everybody had access to mortal things like a television, although if I did tell him he would probably make it his life mission to get the whole school to watch his favourite films.

"What the h-" started Kai.

"Don't ask" I said cutting him off as I noticed Orpheus attempting to tack up Obsidian.

I walked past him, Asher in tow and used my vampiric speed to sneak up on Orpheus.

"What are you doing!" I screamed in a dramatically low voice.

He screamed hysterically and backed up from Obsidian who was now the size of two large horses.

"I see you've been practising," he said nervously.

I laughed watching him move from foot to foot in embarrassment.

"I thought I'd be nice and tack him up for you... but he won't bloody keep still" he admitted pointing at the large saddle that was singed and thrown to the floor.

"That's because I don't use it" I laughed.

"Of course... I knew that" he laughed.

I gave him a warm smile and watched as Zack and Max approached us.

"You still riding with me?" I asked looking in Max's direction.

"Yep, let's go" he called excitedly.

I walked up to Obsidian and reached my hand up towards his humungous head, he gladly lowered it and rested his nose upon my outstretched hand and gazed down at me with his radiant purple orbs.

"Ready?" I whispered.

He sent me his happy emotions and lowered himself to the ground. Vaulting up onto his back effortlessly I held out my hand for Max, he quickly accepted it and vaulted up behind me.

"Everyone! get ready to move out!" shouted Asher from his jade green dragon Viretae that was at least twice the size of Obsidian.

He turned around and flew effortlessly off the edge, soaring up into the clouds.

"Hold on tight" I instructed Max.

He wrapped his arms around my torso securely.

"Obsidian, Avolare!" I signalled.

He turned to the open wall and began to run, his steps echoed throughout the room signalling the others to follow. He jumped off the edge with a triumphant roar and spread his wings propelling us up into the sky, the wind gushed passed my face as we effortlessly caught up with Asher.

"You're getting better!" he shouted over the roaring wind.

It was true, my first flight lesson ended up with me and Obsidian crashing through the schools oldest forest and me getting stuck in a branch of a 40ft tree by my jacket.

Obsidian sensed the memory and dipped cheerfully through a cloud sending me his love. I laughed at his attempt at an apology and looked at Max who had loosened his grip slightly.

We flew for about half an hour and I sensed that Obsidian began to get bored.

"Wanna have some fun?" I questioned turning to face Max with a grin appearing on my face.

"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve death" he laughed.

I looked at the pine-covered mountains that stretched out either side of us like a protective barrier and the lake that lay glistening below us.

"Obsidian Cadere!" I instructed.

He roared happily and closed his wings completely to allow gravity to pull him down. Chase and Orpheus noticed what I was doing and followed my lead.

We plunged downwards at an impossible speed towards the lake.

"AURORA! I SAID NOTHING THAT INVOLVED DEATH! " screamed Max tightening his grip.

I laughed quietly and lent forwards, tapping Obsidian's neck just before we hit the waters unforgiving surface.

He spread his wings out and glided swiftly across the lake, leaning to dip the edge of his long wings into the waters perfectly still surface causing ripples to travel outwards.

"Amazing" whispered Max regaining his usual calm attitude.

I smiled and looked to my right to see Chase and Zack speed past us reenacting Titanic humming the theme song. I laughed quietly and looked up to notice that the rest of the students including Asher had noticed our absence and flew down to join us.

"What's up with all the Latin commands anyway?" asked Max as Obsidian dipped his black wing into the water.

"Latin is one of the few languages that most mythological beings understand, it also has a certain amount of power over demons" I explained running my hand over the waters blue surface. "So we can use it to our advantage, meaning it's the language that we use to try to command or control demons, but it also used to communicate with other, older species within our world"

He hummed gently in satisfaction before the air grew silent once more. Nearing the end of the lake we all ascended back up into the creamy, formless clouds to continue our journey to the mortal town.