He stood on the precipice of a new beginning and stared back at the life he had left behind. The trees were thick, dark and closed off, providing the walls to shut him out of his former home. His kin were nowhere to be found. They would scarcely give a sendoff for an outcast like him if they would not for a hero like Siltek of the Blackrose. Celebrations amongst the liron occurred only during times of war, maturity, or a good hunt. Tamik was none of the above.

The tan liron adjusted the pack that hung over his shoulder, turned around and began walking. He had no real destination in mind, but anywhere was better than here. He could not spend his life alone on the plains. He may as well find the hydra first and tell it to eat him. The end result would be the same.

There was nothing but sky and grass for miles around. Even the Dragon Tooth Mountains, which were a part of everyday life for thousands of people, were invisible from this position. He was far South, close to the rift that divided Northern and Southern continents. And while the thriving city of Tahome was no more than a good month's march away, his path lead North-West. What was up there? He really had no idea. He'd only heard a few stories of the North, and most of them centered on the dragon riders. The epic quests, heroic actions, intrigue and controversy surrounding them reached as far as the liron tribes in the far South. Not to mention that some of their own legendary heroes were now dragon riders.

Tamik was, by far, the least legendary of any liron every born. He was notable, but the only stories that would ever be told about him were the ones that mocked his height and beliefs.

Tamik, formerly of the Sampei tribe, was a midget (according to liron standards) and a pacifist. The only animals he had ever killed had been done for the good of the beast. Old herd stock that could no longer walk, calves that had broken a leg, or sick creatures who would not last through the night. Half the time, the meat from these animals was too gamey or diseased to provide food for the odd hunter. Tamik had learned to eat in moderation whenever he could get his hands on a meal. Now that he was grown, his family would not provide for him anymore. Even when he was young it was a struggle to get scraps away from his siblings. As such, he had always been thin, supporting more fur than muscle.

That was not an understatement either, for Tamik was possessed of a thick and full mane that had made his peers jealous since puberty. He was the first to grow one and had never had any trouble keeping it looking its best. All he had to do was wear long robes so that the lironesses didn't see the oddly red fur that covered his belly and he was a hit.

Tamik had learned to love long robes at a young age anyway. They fit into the pacifistic stereotype and made him feel important. He chose blue silks with silver threaded designs brought in from the elven nations scattered across the continent. They cost a good deal, but so did his skills. Tamik was a self-taught healer. A druid in some societies, though he didn't get the same respect as them.

Tamik's trade had been difficult to come by. It had also been the final straw for his tribe elders. Only lironesses of a certain age were allowed to take up the sacred art of herbalism and healing. When they discovered that Tamik, a young, virile male had been training under a blind, deaf hag in secret, they had screamed for his banishment immediately. His parents had been so shamed by his actions that they helped pack his bags and willingly threw them into the bushes for him to find.

So now here he stood. Alone, unwanted, and uncaring. He had his supplies and his beliefs. That was all he needed. Though a lift would have been nice given his destination was nearly a year's walk away.

Tamik walked for many hours in silence, his thoughts contemplative. Nature was tranquil out here, but not entirely at rest. The mice scurried away at the slightest noise and birds took to flight if he passed a glance their way. The animals were fearful of predators, but with so little protection in the plains, it wasn't hard to see why. There were no larger animals out here. They would be closer to the forests and rivers, where they could find food and cover. Out in the middle of the plains, they were more likely to become food. Feral Hathians, roaming beasts, and the ever-present threat of a rogue hydra kept populations low.

Although the war had wiped out many hydras and sent many more to isolation on Sistarrist Drakan, some had escaped the culling. They haunted the forbidden forests scattered around the Northern continent, preying on whatever creature was stupid enough to wander into their territory. The plains were also a favourite habitat, for hydras loved to rampage over the tall grasses and crush dozens of miniscule lives under foot.

Tamik, thankfully, was large enough to run away and smart enough to listen for the thunder before the storm. Today was pleasant, filled with the chirping songs of birds and the occasional mating call of a buck. Tamik was content to listen to their songs for the rest of the day, and was considerably surprised when they ceased without warning.

The tan liron stopped dead in his tracks and quickly scanned the horizon. There were no dust clouds to speak of and no distant roars of thunder. It wasn't a predator that had scared the animals so. At least a ground based one.

Overhead came the sound of wind being scooped up under massive wings and howling away behind them. The whooshing gust barreled down on the plains, flattening grass and tossing Tamik's mane into a flurry. He threw himself to the ground quickly, using his hands to press down on the mess of tangled locks covering his head.

While Tamik lay prone on the ground, the winged creature passed over him and landed with a sound and sudden thud not ten feet away. The leathery wings ruffled, resettling thin membranes before folding up to its sleek sides. It craned a long neck around to look at the spot of blue sticking out in a sea of golden grass and snorted.

~Yep, that's the one.~ A bass rumble spilled through the mind of the dragons' rider. K'lter swung his leg over Penorith's side and dropped to the ground.

"You shouldn't have snuck up on him like that." He chided the blue as he strolled towards the bewildered liron. A big smile spread across his youthful face, lighting up the depths of his bright eyes. K'lter was generally a friendly search rider, but he'd seen his fair share of angry protests. He was not taken by surprise then, when Tamik leapt to his feet and swung around, ready to defend himself.

"Woah now." The rider soothed. His hands went up, palms out to show that he meant no harm. "We just wanna chat. No need to start a fight."

Tamik sniffed the air, narrowing his orange eyes against the sunny glare coming from behind the man. His amber hair was a distracting feature and managed to shade his face just enough so that the liron couldn't pick out any defining features. The dragon, however, was a dead give-away. "You are a dragon rider?"

"Yeah. I'm a Search Rider, to be specific. Me and Penorith-" K'lter began to ramble but found his long-winded explanation cut short by the impatient candidate-to-be.

"Good. You will suffice. I am in need of a ride."

"Uh… okay, but I only go one way." K'lter pointed out. He thumbed back at Penorith, hoping that would further make his point clear.

"That will do. My destination is non-specific."

"You mind making it specific?" Tamik gave him an odd look for that response. Feeling that the time of danger had passed, K'lter dropped his arms to his sides and started using them to help in his explanation. "Penorith says you'd make a good dragon rider. He wants you to come back with us so that we can find the right clutch for you to stand at. Assuming you want to go, that is."

"I have no reason to affix my mind to that of another." The tan liron stated bluntly. And truthfully, he had no desire to do such a thing either. His mind was a crowded enough place without adding another voice to the mix. Besides, he'd heard the stories about feeling the same sensations as one's bonded. Tamik, being a conservative man with very rigid morals, did not want to partake in a dragon's thoughts on mating or hunting.

~Friendly, isn't he?~ Penorith chipperly put in. The sky blue dragon had spread himself out on the grasses and was currently watching a mouse scurry between his forepaws. He could be occupied for the next few hours by something as simple as that.

Oh, he's a peach. The amber-haired rider retorted. Hey, what was that place we scoped out recently? We've had a lot of dragons coming back from it… Their latest clutch can't bond at birth, remember?

~Oh yeah! That's the BWR. Odd name for it, but what can you do?~ The blue yawned as he spoke mentally, then turned his head around to eye the sun. It was nearer to the horizon now. The sky was turning a beautiful shade of red and gold.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Tamik butted into their mental conversation, ire rising on his deep voice.

"Uh… no. I was just talking to…" K'lter trailed off and pointed back at Penorith again. The dragon, being wholly uninterested in his rider's problems, didn't offer any help by acknowledging that they'd just had a private chat. K'lter cleared his throat and started again. "Anyway, I think I know the right place for you. No bonding, but you would be responsible for a dragon kit. They can be very helpful for someone on the move."

Tamik lowered his head, staring intently at the ground. He mulled over the prospect carefully, weighing the pros and cons with such meticulous detail that anyone who happened to be partial to his thoughts would wonder how he ever came to a decision on anything. At last, the liron healer nodded to himself and looked up to meet the gaze of his new companion with determination. "I will consider your offer. Bring me to this place."

"Don't you want to see the Warren first?" K'lter inquired.

"No. I am sufficiently prepared. I will see the kits directly." Tamik brushed past the confused rider and strode right up to Penorith's shoulder. The dragon was watching them with mild interest at that point, waiting for his turn to act.

"You're the boss." The blue rider gave a dismissive shrug, then followed his new charge. He received an inquiring look from his bond as the two of them mounted up.

~He is?~

Shut up. K'lter grumbled. He loved Penorith to death, but sometimes the blue was too dense to breath. Alright, BWR it is.

* * *

Tamik had heard of void travel before. It was a common practice among mages who wished to cover long distances in a short period of time. Some also sold their trade to travelers for a hefty price. Teleportation was a handy skill to have, but Tamik had never tried it before. He was not very pleased when, without warning, Penorith had popped between, depositing him in a world devoid of all senses except for a chill that clung to the bones.

The trip only lasted a few minutes, and then Tamik was warm again. He was not, however, anywhere on Tris'Hath. K'lter told him they had landed at the site of the BWR; a genetic experiment involving dragons of three specific colours. Tamik couldn't see the point in it, but he had agreed to check it out.

K'lter departed soon after dropping him off so that he could go fill out paperwork back home. He promised to return within a few hours. Enough time for Tamik to get oriented and meet a few of the kits.

It wasn't too hard to find the bay where the dragons were staying. There was a man standing just outside the door. Slouching, actually, and reading a paper.

"I am searching for the twelfth generation-" The liron began, directing his proper tones at the man by the wall.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go in." The man waved him in with one hand, holding his paper with the other, and never looked up from the page. Had Tamik cared at all, he would have been insulted.

Inside the bay, Tamik was greeted by the sight of the dragon parents protectively watching over their frolicking lot of kits. Most of the little balls of fluff and hide were white or off-white. Only a few were other colours, and even then they had white on them.

The outcast liron stopped mid-way into the den, hesitantly scanning the crowd. Some of the kits took interest in him and wandered over. Two to be exact. One was a pure, colourless white and the other was a red so deep that he had never seen the like before. The red greeted him first, bowing her snub nose low to the ground.

"Hello." She chirped. "Are you one of the new candidates?"

"I am considering it." Tamik retorted plainly. He bent down and scooped up the white in his arms, holding him at arm's length so that he could better study him.

"My name is Suyella." The red continued. "And that is my brother, Aunodo. What's your name?"

"Tamik." The liron did not move his eyes away from Aunodo, impressed by the kit's willingness to stay put. The others looked like they would squirm away in an instant.

"Why don't you come meet my parents, Tamik?" Suyella suggested. "Perhaps once you get to know us a bit, you'll know if you want to stay."

Tamik set Aunodo back on his feet and watched the colourless dragonet scamper off to hide behind his mother's tail. He turned bright orange eyes on Suyella and nodded once. "I will."

Tamik was still talking with Suyella and the other kits when K'lter returned for him. He sent the rider away shortly thereafter along with a message that he would be staying on at the BWR until the kits bonded.

Outcast from one world; welcomed by another. Tamik knew that the natural order of life had put him here for a reason. It was his time to help the world.

Tamik is standing at: The Black, White and Red All Over Giveaway