the reason for fear and his guilt

she returned to Christopher's home to get the missing peace of this puzzle and asked for him to come out he did so

"may I help you" Christopher asked

"I heard your story from the headmaster and I feel as if even he was missing something" Athena said

"yes he probably was but do you really wish to know it isn't something I am proud of nor is it pleasant" Christopher said she nodded

"as he told you I learned that what I was doing was wrong at age 11" Christopher said she nodded

"alright what you or anyone don't know is how I felt during those four years between my revelation and leaving was that I enjoyed hurting him I enjoyed hurting the dragon I rode I feel terrible and guilty about it but it still holds true that I enjoyed how I was able to control him how I could be as rough as I wanted" Christopher said this honestly surprised her

"and because of that guilt and how I feel I don't think I can ride another dragon anytime soon if ever" Christopher said and she now understood why he refused her he was scared he would do it to her as well but that just made her choice easier she wanted him as her rider and she would do quite a bit to get him she laid down on his front lawn

"fine I will keep coming her from sunrise to sunset

everyday until you change your mind" Athena said he eyed her for a moment but said nothing and instead went inside his house and she kept to her word and laid there until sunset where she returned to the academy before curfew

she did as she said and returned each and everyday some days she would see him training his combat skills weather they be hand to hand or long range with a bow or using short range with his katana or his naginata but she could tell he enjoyed the katana most one day as she was preparing to leave for his house she noticed a girl walk up to her

she was a beautiful asian woman with blonde hair and eye catching emerald eyes no pun intended she wasn't heavily armored however she was wearing light armor she was wearing a iron breastplate that stopped at the top of her breasts she wasn't wearing shoulder pads her upper arms and legs wear completely bare she was wearing iron gauntlets but her hand were also bare her lower legs and knees were armored in iron greaves and she was wearing high healed sabatons and at her back was a duel axe bladed halberd she carried herself like a valkyrie too full of confidence yet not aggressively so she was going to rub it into your face

she walked up and knelt before Athena

"lady Athena I am celica campbell" she said

"I see and what is it you require of me" Athena asked

"as I am sure your aware a behemoth has spawned and they are gathering riders with dragons to attack and kill it" celica said

behemoths were monsters that randomly spawn and attack riders are then sent to deal with the problem

"yes I am aware" Athena said she was actually going to broach the subject with Christopher and hope he would finally agree to fly into battle with her

"I was hoping if you would allow me to fly with you into battle" celica said Athena didn't respond for a moment

"I shall think about however as I am certain you are aware I am trying to talk an individual into becoming my rider so even if I agree it will only be for that battle and that is if he refuses" Athena said

"yes of course lady Athena" celica said

"you shall receive my answer on my return" Athena said before she opened her wings and took flight in all honesty she didn't mind others temporarily riding her so long as she gets the permanent rider she wants

she landed to see that Christopher was actually waiting for her

"your later than usual" Christopher said she looked at him for a moment a small hope that he had finally agreed to become her rider

"I have a favor to ask of you" Christopher said

"of course I have been basically living on your front lawn it seems only fair" Athena said

"I haven't had a live opponent to spar against in over two years would you mind sparing with me" Christopher said she thought about it and then smiled inwardly I got you

"only if you fly with me" Athena said he eyed her before sighing

"let me get my saddle" Christopher said

"wait really" Athena said

"my swordsmanship is all I have so I have no choice but to meet your demand" Christopher said it was at that moment she felt bad for the boy as he entered his house to fetch his saddle she began to realize that she just kinda hung the most important thing in his face and said do what you hate in order to do what you love

he came out with his saddle and bridle in hand

"stop" she said he did so

"I'm sorry I did that I didn't know how much your swordsmanship meant to you" Athena said he stared at her

and sat down in the grass

"would you listen to a madmans ramblings" he asked she nodded she knew he was upset and wanted to comfort him

"I miss my home I miss my family I miss my previous life before I left I keep rejecting you even though you would deal with my sadistic tendencies you and you don't care that enjoyed hurting my previous dragon but I don't know what else to do I don't want to hurt someone who cares for me so much and yet still you want me to ride you why" Christopher asked it was at that moment that she learned something very vital about Christopher he was lonely yet he tried not to complain about himself at all

"all you see is the bad what I see is the good that has trumped the bad I'm a dragon I can take a bit of pain but you don't want that and I understand that you may enjoy bringing us pain but you also care deeply for us and that I believe trumps anything else I know for a fact that you miss being on the back of a dragon i know you miss flying through the sky yet I also know that you would are my ideal rider even through the fact that you enjoyed bringing your previous dragon pain you set him free and that proves one thing and that is that you are a person with his flaws and I want you to know something when you decide to finally become my rider you can be as rough as you want you are my rider as I am your dragon" athena said and the first time in forever Christopher cried he never truly and someone who understood and it felt nice allowed him to place his head on her snout and just cry

"thank you" he finally said she smiled

"I think I am starting to understand you never really felt love did you" Athena asked he shook his

"my parents didn't really show affection like at all" he said she decided now was the time to broach the subject

"there is a mission coming up where we have to kill a behemoth would you..." she trailed she knew that he knew what she was asking

"I need just a little more time when you comeback I should be ready but I'm sorry I know I'm weak i just..." he trailed off

"sh it's alright do you mind if I let someone else ride me on this mission since you can't yet" Athena asked

"of course not I understand" Christopher said