122 Reiko’s Upgrade

The three young dragons seeing their mother rushed over, their small yelps conveying to everyone just how much they had missed her. After giving her little ones attention and assuring them that she was okay, Yinxin lay down on the grass, her large wing covering the three small wyrmlings while they nursed.

While Yinxin nursed her children Jayde turned to Isha.

"So what happened to Reiko?" she asked.

"Somehow during your battle, Reiko's ancient bloodline was triggered," Isha said simply.

"Huh?"

Seeing the confused look on Jayde's face Isha explained.

"It must have happened when Reiko was dying, all his magic activated stimulating his bloodline. All the great beasts on Doha have the potential to activate their ancient bloodline, but very few are able to do it. The ones that can become the leader of their species."

"Oh! Wow does this mean that Reiko is now the leader of the Shadowbeasts?" Jayde asked.

"Well, technical yes, but he is still very young and while his potential has been activated, he still has a lot of growing up to do before he can challenge the current leader," Isha said.

Leaning over Jayde stroked Reiko's head, the poor cub still looked dumbfounded.

[Reiko are you okay?] Jayde asked him using their private path.

Standing up Reiko shook his body trying to release the tension, before lying back down again. He placed his head on his paws, looking slightly dejected.

[Yeah, it's just...] Reiko said his voice trailing off.

Realizing that Reiko didn't seem very happy, Jayde sat down next to him, gently stroking him.

[It's just what?] she asked him her mental voice gentle.

[I just wish it had happened sooner. Maybe if it did, my mother wouldn't have been chased out of the pack, and then we wouldn't have been attacked by those Auraflayers and she might be alive today,] Reiko said sadly.

[I too wish Kameko was still with us, even though I only knew her for such a short time, she was an amazing female, she loved you so much, Reiko. One I do know your mom would be so proud of you today. The only thing she desired was for you to grow up strong.]

Reiko felt a bit better after listening to Jayde words.

[Reiko, do you want to return to your pack?]

Reiko was surprised at Jayde's question, he had never once considered going back to the Shadowbeast pack in the center of the Dark Forest. Up until now, it was mainly due to him being too weak, but now while he might not be strong enough to challenge the pack leader, he was strong enough to fight for a position in the pack.

After careful consideration, Reiko stated implicitly [No!, they are not my packmates, you, Yinxin, Isha and the wyrmlings are my pack.]

Jayde let out the breath that she had been holding after hearing Reiko's answer, she had been worried that Reiko might consider going back to the pack if only just for vengeance.

[Yeah, we are family,] Jayde said, looking around the strange group around her. Shaking her head, Jayde thought wryly to herself, strange that I had to die and move to a whole other dimension to find the one thing I always wanted — my own family.

[Hey aren't you going to test out that fancy new wings of yours?] Jayde teased Reiko, trying to cheer him up.

At Jayde question, Reiko perked up. Yeah, he hadn't even seen how much faster he could fly now, he thought.

Jumping to his feet, Reiko immediately sprinted away before leaping into the air. Jayde, Isha, and Yinxin watched as the young shadowbeast darted across the skies above them, performing a stunning display of aerobatics.

[His flying maneuvers have improved drastically,] Yinxin commented.

"Hmmm," Jayde nodded in agreement.

***

After an hour Reiko landed back on the ground and pounced over to Jayde.

[Jayde, did you see? Did you see?] he asked excitedly.

"You were amazing Reiko," complimented Jayde.

[Yeah, I was so fast,] Reiko boasted throwing his head up proudly as he strutted around.

Looking at the proud Reiko strutting around like a proud peacock, Jayde tried to stifle her laughter.

Yinxin had no such restraint and burst into laughter. A dragon's laughter was the funniest thing Jayde had ever heard it was a mixture of a drill, donkey and squealing pig: "Rizz-hweaww-HEEE-hee-heghgh!"

With Yinxin laughing, Jayde lost control and her peal of laughter floated the air like a sweet melody. Isha just sat there, chortling away and shaking his head as the two girls laughed.

Seeing the three laughing at him, Reiko threw them all a dirty look, before flouncing off to play with the three wyrmlings.

Reiko's dirty look set them all off again, and the three felt a divine bright moment of pure euphoria.At that moment in time, they forgot all their worries and just enjoyed the blissful moment.

***

On the eighth day, since she had awoken from her coma, Jayde tried to use her magic, relieved that she felt no pain when activating her magical senses, she immediately scanned her body to check her current condition.

Happy to find no anomalies, Jayde then tested some basic magic spells, while disappointed that her spells were so much weaker than before, Jayde consoled herself that she had been incredibly lucky, if not for the fire spirit and her contract with Yinxin, she wouldn't have progressed to being a Knight in such a short period of time.

I should be grateful that I am still a Knight of the 6th class after such a short time, Jayde scolded herself. From being unable to perform any magic to being Knight in such a short period of time was indeed a blessing.

Thinking about the past soul's life, bought a problem a mind that Jayde hadn't thought about. She didn't have a life disk. Jayde immediately set off to find Isha to discuss this latest problem. Thank the gods she had remembered in time, else she would have had a massive headache trying to explain the lack of a life disk once she reached the magic school.

Isha berated himself for forgetting something so important when Jayde bought up the issue about the life disk. Since Jayde only had five points left on the inter-dimensional market, they couldn't buy one, which left them with only one option which was to make her life disk themselves.

While Yinxin and Isha handled the issue of making a life disk for Jayde, she and Reiko decided to practice flying together. Jayde only had two days left before she and Reiko had to leave for Aeris. Jayde took out the saddle she had made.

Reiko flew near the ground, while Jayde had mental notes of what adjustments she had to make for her saddle, to ensure both her and Reiko were comfortable and safe. The morning quickly rushed by as Jayde and Reiko continuously made adjustments to the saddle.

Stopping for lunch the two were discussing the latest changes when Isha and Yinxin arrived. Isha handed over the silver life disk to Jayde, on the front of the disk was a red flame and a brown circle with a cross, designating her fire and earth attributes.

And on the back was the name Jayde Centauri, Jayde felt a warm feeling when she saw that Isha had named himself her uncle, while Yinxin and Reiko were named as her sister and brother, even the three wyrmlings were listed as her nieces and nephew.

The rest of her family tree was made of the people who had played a role in her life on Telia. The Ryunzo's were listed as her parents.

Thanking Isha and Yinxin, Jayde placed the silver chain around her neck. The magic within the chain immediately activated and the chain shorted until the silver disk hung just below Jayde's suprasternal notch [1].

Yinxin and Isha joined Jayde and Reiko in their discussion about flying. Yinxin was really surprised that Jayde had no fear about flying with Reiko and was so excited about the whole thing.

[You really don't fear that you will fall and die?] Yinxin asked curiously.

Jayde delighted smile, showed off her two cute dimples, as she answered: "After being a starfighter pilot and being through hundreds of dog fights in space, this is a walk in the park."

Yinxin, Isha, and Reiko knew all about Jayde past in the Federation, she often told then small antidotes of her life there.

"I still find your people so fascinating," Isha said.

[Same here, but I still don't understand what made them what to climb into metal boxes and think to sail the heavens,] Yinxin mused. She found the whole concept of Jayde's Federation amazing, but perplexing.

Chuckling Jayde said: "Because it was there."

Seeing the bewildered look on trio faces, Jayde clarified.

"Humans in the Federation were born with an insatiable desire to explore. If they saw a mountain they wanted to climb it, they saw the ocean and wanted to know what was at the bottom, they looked up into the night sky and saw their moon, and they desired to walk on it."

"Your humans in the Federation are really different from the ones on Doha," Isha said. "I have never heard of any creature on Doha looking up at our three moons, and wanting to travel there."

[But I must admit, now that I know that one can travel to the stars, I have a desire to see what it out there,] Yinxin pathed to them.

[Me too, I wonder what it might be like to fly in the heavens?] Reiko pondered.

Jayde laughed at the two. "I don't think you could fly in a spacesuit."

Seeing their questioning looks, Jayde sent them a mental image of a spacesuit.

[Ah no, I can't fly in that]

With that Reiko gave up the idea of flying in space.

--

Notes

[1] The suprasternal notch, also known as the fossa jugularis sternalis or jugular notch is a large, visible dip in between the neck and the two collarbones of the human anatomy. (the hollow or dip below your throat)