Tate- What Should Have Been

The summons came early the following day. He was to report to the palace in the evening for dinner with the Emperor. He left the house at mid-morning though because he had a few places to visit before the Palace.

His first stop was the Academy. He took his family's smallest carriage on today's outing because he wanted Benny to have a while to rest. When the guards at the academy saw the crest on the carriage they snapped to attention. As soon as Tate alighted the vehicle they bowed deeply.

"Lord Tate, it is good to see you, sir." The older guard greeted cheerily.

Tate nodded at the older man. He had been a guard here for as long as Tate could remember. He had seen Tate grow up. "Good to see you too Robert."

The younger man just nodded looking a little awe-struck. Tate realized that he was new since he'd last been here. The young man must have been taken aback by seeing Tate without warning. Tate had a reputation that varied slightly depending on what level of the Empire's society you were in, but where all opinions on him agreed was that he was a genius and a war hero.

The Academy was a mixture of aspiring dragon riders and support personnel. Children who wanted to work in the Dragon Corps but couldn't hatch an egg were given the opportunity to test into the academy and learn subjects related to administration, dragon husbandry, and healing. Due to this, the academy was always full of hopeful children. Only those who hatched a dragon were guaranteed a place after graduation for the others it was a competition to the very end. If they did not prove their worth here they would not be allowed to serve the Dragon Corps but would only have the chance for regular government jobs.

He walked through the campus looking around at what had been his home for over half his life. He'd spent more time on these grounds than he had anywhere else. People and dragons were everywhere. The campus itself was on the very edge of the city, it actually served as a defense point for the south of the city. The buildings and pavillions were large and widely spaced to make sure there was plenty of room for all sizes of dragons. The Academy was surrounded by large stone walls on all sides. Built into the walls were the dormitories and man-made caves for the dragons. The next layer in from the wall was the indoor classrooms for the human students and the open pavilions for the dragons. In the very center of the Academy was an expansive battlefield that could accommodate ground and air training. Of course, it was not uncommon to do many drills in the air that ranged far beyond the range of the Academy walls.

Nothing much had changed since he'd been here last. His last days as an instructor were not ones he remembered clearly. He was so involved in inspecting his old home that he didn't notice the countless students who had to double-take when they saw him.

He was oblivious to the stares and the whispers as only someone who had received them for his entire life could be.

"Tate!" He heard his name called with excitement. He searched for the source of the sound and smiled when he saw Jillian rushing towards him. She almost tackled him in a hug.

"Eh? I know you're glad to see me but if my understanding is correct my bother might have a problem with this greeting."

She blushed, stepping back and swatting at his shoulder. "Oh, you. Dian won't care."

Tate grinned at her. "It's good to see you. How is your job?"

She nodded. "I love it, this is so much better than raids, patrols, or campaigns."

"I'm glad it suits you like you'd hoped."

"What brings you here today?" Jillian asked falling into step beside him. They walked shoulder to shoulder.

"I'm going to ask the headmaster where Aliya is."

She stopped. "Ah!" She raised a finger. "No need to bother that grump. I know where that girl is. Did you come to see her?"

Tate nodded and changed course to follow her without question. "She's a good girl, her skills are perfect, which I'm sure you already know. She's impressed all of the instructors except, Skilark. But, you know how he is, I'm pretty sure he is impressed but he'll die before he admits it."

Tate nodded. "It's good to know some things don't change, even if that thing is Skilark."

"She's a credit to you either way. Some of the instructors were speaking of her like she was going to be a burden when she arrived. They didn't see how you could teach her a full base-level curriculum, but she showed them." Her voice was full of satisfaction.

They were approaching a building that housed the human classrooms. As they approached lots of young people started pouring out of the door. His eyes scanned them in hopes of seeing the face he was anxiously looking for.

"Is there something I should know?" Jillian was looking at him with a smirk and gesturing towards the crowd meaningfully.

Tate sighed and shook his head, how many more times would this be a misunderstanding? "It's not like that."

"Oh...okay then." She replied still smirking a little.

He finally spotted her black hair among the crowd.

"Aliya." He called. Everyone in the crowd froze and stopped to look at her. This was convenient for him because they made a path for him unintentionally. When she saw him, her face lit up and she dropped the book she was holding and ran to him. He caught her when she launched herself at him.

"You're here! How was the journey? I thought you'd be back sooner!"

"I just got back yesterday. I came straight to see you." He said into her hair.

He put her down and someone held out the book she'd dropped. "Tate, welcome back it's so good to see you!"

Tate looked at the young man standing next to Aliya dumbfounded. "Cade?"

Cade grinned. "I guess I'm a little different than the last time you saw me."

Gone was the boy Tate had watched grow up. In front of him was a tall and handsome youth. He looked every inch his father's son. "You've grown up. How have you been?"

"Really good. Everything is set to transition into the Corps later this year."

Tate clapped him on the shoulder. "That's great to hear."

After the crowd dispersed Cade tried to walk away. Tate gripped him by the arm. "Do you and Aliya have plans for lunch?"

They both excitedly shook their heads no and that was how he, Jillian, Aliya, and Cade ended up in the dining hall together. Tate was oblivious to the attention they were getting and shoveled food into his mouth but the other three could barely get food in their mouths the stares made them so nervous.

They caught up on each other's lives and had a nice lunch. Tate left them from the dining hall saying he was going to visit the Corps before an appointment later that day. When he walked out of the room it was like the entire dining hall took a collective breath.

Aliya commented. "That was the strangest thing I've ever experienced. What's wrong with everybody?" She asked looking around in bewilderment.

Cade shrugged a smile on his lips. "It's always been that way, it's the effect of Lord Tate."

"It was strange," Aliya murmured looking a little lost. "He suddenly felt like someone I didn't know."

Jillian patter her hand. "Don't let it bother you dear. I think you are close to him on a different level than anyone here can fathom. To the people of the Empire, especially those here at the Academy we may as well have been having lunch with a deity."

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Tate walked to the West Gate of the Academy. In the stone wall was a single Iron Gate that was locked at all times.

Tate took out a key from his pocket and the lock disengaged easily. He pulled the heavy gate open and stepped through.

Closing the gate behind him and making sure the lock clicked to reengage he looked around and the familiar environment just as he had at the Academy. This was another place that may as well have been home. He'd spent half of his time here since he was ten all the way until the end of his days as a rider. He'd been called up to the Corps as a special circumstance. He'd always lived in the Academy Dormitory even when he had left during the war, but this place had been where his real work and training had been.

It was quickly apparent when he started learning dragon riding at the age of eight after Aquana had gone through her third metamorphosis, that he was quickly going to outstrip the abilities of the Academy instructors. Due to this, he'd taken a special test by his would be mentor in the Dragon Corps. It had been absurd really, it was a task designed to kill a boy, but he and Aquana had not died. As a result, he'd become a direct student of the General of the Dragon Corps, Atlas Marks.

The key he'd used to get through the gate was owned by only a few in the Empire, he'd been the youngest rider to ever receive the key due to the necessity of having to go back and forth so often.

In the Dragon Corps, much like the Academy housing was built into the walls, only this housing felt more permanent. It was for Dragon Riders only and was set up to live your life in, not just spend your school days. There were even residences for families. Tate could see the children in the distance in a play yard built for the children of dragon riders who lived in the family housing. The yard was fenced in to prevent accidents in the busy dragon yard.

To his left and right were the caves built into the wall for the dragons to live. The middle of this place was bigger than at the academy and didn't have the other buildings like the classroom buildings of the academy. Its other noticeable difference was that in the front stone wall which seperated the Dragon Corps from the city, there was a section that was built out more than the housing. This place was where the administration of the Dragon Corps occurred, and it was his destination.

Dragons swooped overhead. They were coming and going, landing and loading. As always it was a busy place. Here everyone was too busy to notice one man alone walking across the grounds. It was accepted as fact that if he wasn't supposed to be here there was no way he could have entered.

He approached the administrative building and opened the familiar door. He found himself in a large antechamber that was full of polished stone. All around the room were exquisite stone sculptures of dragons. The walls seemed alive with glorious battles that had been etched into them by master craftsmen. He loved this room, he had since he'd first seen it as a child. He went to the woman waiting behind a table and informed her who he was and who he wanted to see. Her eyes had gotten wide and she'd scrambled from her seat. Bowing to him frantically and stammering she left her post to go and get the person Tate wanted to see.

Tate walked to the mural of the ancient battle of Torris. He ran his hand over the etchings his chest heavy. His hand glided over the image of the "Dread Dragon Ika and his rider Sliy." His chest hurt. This is what should have been. He and Aquana should have been taking to the sky until his dying day and maybe one day they would have been honored with their own mural on these walls, now what should have been could never be.