Valley of Thorns

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.

Colt had just opened his Dragon History textbook, and that was the first sentence that really caught his eye.

Before the Sylvan Grove Academy was established, the surrounding areas were largely unoccupied. However, when one of the Founders discovered the first Saplings, the landscape was permanently changed. On an expedition into the nearby mountains, Lucida Tenebris found a grotto full of small venus flytraps.

Seemingly.

Upon further inspection, she realized that they very much weren’t flytraps, but some form of sentient plant-creature hybrids.

These grew into the first Flora dragons.

Through some form of magic or another, a witch or wizard had created familiars for humankind by fusing the souls of dragons with the local plant life. This created a multitude of intelligent, powerful creatures that could harness different elements depending on how they were raised. While Lucida found no signs of the person responsible for this having lived in the cave, she certainly found many of these Saplings, along with a journal that detailed their capabilities and skills.

Calling in a backup team from the mage’s college, Ms. Tenebris evacuated as many of the plants as possible with help from the greenhouse staff, and they studied all of the specimens that were retrieved. Over time, they figured out how to recreate this phenomenon, as well as the best ways to care for them with the best results. According to the textbook, these Saplings could change elements based on the environment if they were fed and raised in a certain way.

Fire dragons were incubated periodically in a furnace or exposed to open flames, and they were fed only spicy foods.

Water dragons would spend their nights absorbing moonlight underwater in the lake, and could be fed only a liquid diet.

Storm dragons, who would develop either wind or lightning abilities depending on the quality of their upbringing, would be brought to the highest tower in the Academy every morning, surrounded by clouds and the occasional tempest thanks to a lightning rod. They were only fed small scraps of meat hunted from birds, bats, and other skybound creatures.

Lastly, the earth dragons had to be left in dark, underground spaces like caves or the Earth Dormitory to gain the ability to manipulate stone and steel. They ate pebbles, dirt, and other various pieces of the earth to absorb the minerals and elements from them to create energy.

When properly cared for and treated under these conditions, the Saplings could properly mature into plant dragons with unique flowers, colors, and elemental powers that reflected their trainers in some ways. They started raising these Flora dragons in the Valley, and now they have enough to supply every first-year student at the academy with their own Sapling. Usually.

Glancing out the window of the library into the forest, Colt thought about what he had just read while he listened to the soft rustling of pages and tapping of pencils. He had yet to receive his own Sapling, but that was supposed to happen a few days ago. There had apparently been a shortage of Saplings this year, and a couple of students would be called later on to pick their own from the next batch.

The noises surrounding him eventually pulled Colt from his reverie when he heard his name, and he glanced up to see what was going on. Soft whispers and flutters from people chatting and reading flowed out from between the mazes of books formed by the aisles. Each section ended in a small nook where students could huddle together and study, or more than likely catch up on the latest gossip in hushed tones.

In particular, he spotted three of his friends lounging on beanbags in a corner, each one holding a small potted plant. They waved excitedly at him, and he got up to make his way over there and see what they were talking about.

“Colt, have you talked to the headmistress yet? Do you know when you’ll get your Sapling?” his raven-haired friend, Gwendolyn, smiled up at him. She was holding a small porcelain pot with a tiny Sapling, little white rosebuds and the beginnings of thorns adorning the stem. A white rose dragon, fitting for her elegance and grace. They had known each other since childhood, and she was always interested in learning about different Flora dragons and how they harnessed their elemental powers. He always knew she would be the most excited to see what kind of dragon they would all get.

“Uh, no not quite yet… I’m still waiting for her to summon me. Nobody’s called me about it or anything,” he shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment. When mages were accepted into the Academy at age 18, they were allowed to specialize as Trainers and get their own dragon familiars. It was one of the highest distinctions that a young mage could achieve, since it was a more specialized branch of the esteemed mage’s college. Looking around, he checked out what Saplings his other friends had chosen.

“Well tell them to hurry up, you don’t have all year! You have to start growing your familiar or else you’re going to get stuck a year behind the rest of us!” Blake, a red-haired freckled boy with a short fuse, chimed in. He was another friend Colt had known since they were all young; the trio had grown up together, and were practically inseparable. Blake had more energy than a nuclear reactor, and blew up like one when he was angry, too. He had seemingly picked a gray marble pot that contained a dark stem, with jagged-edged leaves and delicate pink petals. A cherry blossom dragon. Colt, knowing that Blake had always wanted a fire dragon, thought this was very fitting.

Next to Blake sat Bryn, a newer friend, who happened to be dating Gwen. Colt nearly gagged at the thought of the two of them and how they seemed to be made for each other, names and all. While Gwen was calm and cool, Bryn was headstrong and ill-tempered, similar to Blake but much more volatile. Most of the time they got along well enough, but sometimes he didn’t exactly see eye to eye with him. The sapphire haired hothead held a black ceramic pot with a tall, bright stem that was covered in clusters of drooping, bell-shaped purple flowers that resembled cloaks or hoods. Aconite, or wolf’s bane. Colt scoffed at how appropriate he found that choice, as well.

All three of their Saplings had small heads at the top, looking like flytraps from a distance. However, on closer inspection, they were actually tiny baby dragon heads. They needed regular feeding and consistent care, and they could withstand certain extreme conditions in order to be trained to use one of the different elements. These Flora dragon Saplings were hearty and healthy, and they would someday grow into intelligent, incredible dragons like the ones that roamed the valley now.

“COLT FAUGHN, YOU ARE BEING SUMMONED TO SEE THE HEADMISTRESS IN HER OFFICE AT ONCE. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE YOUR SAPLING,” the booming voice of the announcement system made all of the students in the room jump a bit, the sudden loud noise jarring against the soft, gentle ambient backdrop of the library. Colt’s eyes widened, and all of his friends jumped up to congratulate him and drown him in a group hug.

“Wow, go get ‘em, tiger! You’re gonna do great, make sure to pick a good one!” Blake exclaimed, clapping him on the back in a brotherly show of affection as he got pumped up for the start of his best friend’s new journey.

“Finally, Colt! We’re all so excited for you!” Gwen smiled dazzlingly, kissing Colt on the cheek and making him blush from her proximity. Her raven hair brushed his arm when she leaned in, raising the fine hairs on the back of his neck and arms, giving him goosebumps. He looked away timidly, and she gave him another warm hug on her own after Blake and Bryn had returned to their beanbags.

“T-Thanks, Gwen… I’m gonna go see what they have left up there for me. I’m hoping that the others didn’t pick them off like vultures, but I’ll let you know what I get,” Colt gave a tiny, nervous smile to the rest of the group and turned to make his way to the admin building. As he was walking away, he could feel Bryn’s angry, jealous gaze burning a hole in the back of his head.

Colt could already tell this was going to be an amazing year.