[ WP ] When everyone turns 18 , they receive a pet which is figurative of their personality . You 're the first person to receive a dragon ...

The Calling 
 
 Everyone looks forward to their 18th birthday, wondering how they will Call their Animus. Everyone over that age has a story about how they first spoke their Animus ’ s name, and the creature appeared. They say it comes to you when you ’ re displaying the personality trait it represents. That seems true enough; my father spoke the name of his Hound Animus while swearing his undying love for my mother, and Taburnus simply stepped out of the brush. My mother, for her part, giggled her Lemur Anima ’ s name while playing a joke on my father, and Trokanter plopped from the ceiling onto her shoulder. My sister Elia whispered her Doe Faerys into being while trying to speak to a boy at her Calling Day party. And Faerys simply…peeked out from behind her as if she ’ d always been there. 
 
 But those are stories of Callings in times of peace. There was no peace on my Calling day; the Kellen had invaded weeks before, and I was forced to answer a different kind of call. 
 
 We ’ d marched for several days before we encountered them in the Lomayne Valley, beneath a cloudy sky. There were three of them for every one of us, and we a ragtag band of conscripts. We never stood a chance. Attack and retreat, attack and retreat. The commander had us harrying them for the better part of two hours, slowing their progress, until they cut off our retreat, and slammed into us. A great deal of that battle I do not remember, only slash and defend, slash…and defend. Who fell when and how…for the most part I can ’ t say. 
 
 But somehow, I got separated from what was left of my Contingent. The Kellen soldiers surrounding me were vastly better soldiers than I, and they were many. They decided, separated as we were from any who could help me, that it would be more fun to make my death slow. A ring of steel formed around me. I caught sight of their Animae as the soldiers leveled their weapons at me. A coiled serpent, a snarling wolf. This was it, then. This was to be my end. Even if I didn ’ t have a man ’ s Animus, at least I could have a man ’ s death. I charged the one ahead of me, but he deftly parried my blade and shoved me back. His companion to my right swung at me and I barely managed to drive his sword away from my neck. I stumbled back, and pain shot through my calf as an Animus bit at my leg. To my right, another lazily attacked me. I parried with my blade but the soldier to my left brought the haft of his pike down on my shield arm. White fire lanced through my shoulder as the bone snapped beneath the flesh. I staggered to my right in time for the barbarian in front of me to kick me in the stomach. I fell to my knees, gasping for air. Something hit me from the back, knocking the rest of the wind completely out of me. More of them had gathered round. Kellen soldiers were all I could see. 
 
 I was alone. 
 
 I struggled to take my feet again. My sword lay what seemed miles away. I was able to get one foot under me, but my body could do no more. 
 
 One of them strode forward and leveled his sword at me. I looked him in the eye and struggled to bring forth my last words. 
 
 “ rrngh…***HDALGYR! *** ” The name burst from my lips with flecks of blood, tearing my throat as it went. The force of my Calling caused the soldiers to take a step back as I climbed, panting, to my feet. 
 
 The clouds split apart above us as a shape hurtled towards the place I stood. It moved too quickly to make out details, a dark missile spinning as it fell. It struck the ground ten yards from where I stood, sending dirt and what soldiers it didn ’ t crush flying in all directions. From within the cloud burst forth a great roar and a gout of flame. 
 
 The Kellen standing in the path of the flame have time to cry out before they were reduced to ash. A great, spiny head and serpentine neck raised out of the dust, great wings unfurling. A sweep of a great tail sent thirty of the enemy flying backwards, clearing a wide space around me. 
 
 The mighty beast moved to stand beside and over me, the great head swinging from side to side, daring any around us to move. The battle had stopped; it was over the moment I Called him. The soldiers, Kellen and Kanien alike, gaped. One of the Kellen in front of Hdalgyr lay down his sword. Then another, and another, and for a moment the sound of swords falling was like metal rain, until there was only one Kellen left with his sword in hand. 
 
 The ranks parted to allow the Kellen commander through. He knelt before me and held out his sword. His Lion bowed its front legs. I took his sword, and his Oath. 
 
 And that, my child, is how I created the First Legion of the Dragon Emperor.
