This story is a continuation of Ceremony of Bonding. Considering reading the short story contained within that piece before proceeding with this one.

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Aldrich, the eldest of the blue dragon tribe, was providing a tour of the village for a young Shiro. The griffin had recently been found in the depths of the forest surrounding the settlement; alone, hungry and frightened. His home had been razed to the ground and all other inhabitants were slaughtered; including his parents and siblings. The leaders of the blue dragon tribe sympathized with Shiro and provided him refuge, as he is a particularly rare species of griffin. The elder dragon not only wanted to familiarize Shiro with the layout of the village, but he also fancied finding him a friend, and there was one dragonet that he believed would be the most welcoming. The young griffin stayed close to Aldrich, as he was incredibly scared of all the other dragons. Shiro examined his surroundings and noticed several younger dragons staring at him, with some even pointing and laughing at the poor griffin. There were adult dragons around that were mostly focused on their current tasks, such as harvesting crops, chopping wood and forging weapons. Some of the settlement guards, however, glanced at Shiro with a disapproving demeanor; doubtlessly unimpressed with the young cub being allowed inside the village. The two began walking past the dining hall when Aldrich suddenly stopped. The young griffin hastily concealed himself behind the elder dragon and clutched his scaly physique as tightly as possible, all while trembling with intense fear. He then heard Aldrich speak: "Good afternoon, Kuro."

Kuro: "Good afternoon, elder Aldrich!" Shiro slowly moved his head to the right and saw a youthful dragon standing in front of the elder. The dragonet gazed directly at Shiro, smiled enthusiastically and waved with excitement. The terrified griffin quickly obscured himself again. Kuro looked upward at the elder dragon with a surprised expression. "Whoa, cool dragon!" Aldrich quietly chuckled before correcting the youngling.

Aldrich: "Shiro isn't a dragon Kuro, he's a griffin and quite a rare variety of griffin I might add." The young dragon carefully moved closer, as he was intrigued by this fascinating creature and eagerly wanted to earn its trust. After taking a few more steps, Aldrich halted Kuro's advancements and proceeded to gently hold the dragonet's chin. The elder dragon then delicately tilted Kuro's head upward, so the two were staring directly at each other. "As a future guardian, not only will you be responsible for defending the entire forest, but you will also be expected to protect all the living souls that dwell within it. This is especially true for any species that is scarce and close to extinction. Do you understand?" As they carried on with their conversation, Shiro continued to hold firmly onto Aldrich; quivering, with his eyes shut tightly. He began to focus his thoughts on his mother and about how much he needed her warmth and affection. The elder dragon then looked down toward the young griffin. "Shiro, I think Kuro would like you to go with him." Shiro opened his eyes, reluctantly peeked around Aldrich's frame and was surprised to see that the youthful dragon was much closer now; with his left arm outstretched and hand wide open.

Kuro: "C'mon Shiro, there's something I want to show you. I think you'll really like it." The young griffin nervously turned his attention upward to the elder dragon, undoubtedly seeking advice on how to respond to this surprisingly hospitable dragonet. Aldrich gave the young cub a comforting smile.

Aldrich: "It's alright Shiro, you can trust him." Shiro faced the young dragon and slowly reached out for his hand. Without warning, Kuro seized hold of the young griffin's arm and pulled him away from the elder dragon. The dragonet quickly ran in the opposite direction, while maintaining a strong grip on Shiro. The griffin cub struggled to retain his balance at first, but promptly managed to stabilize himself and keep pace with the swift young dragon. As they headed toward the village entrance, Aldrich could be heard giving out a word of caution: "Don't go too far Kuro! You two better be back before it gets dark outside!"

Kuro: "I know!" The two youngsters rushed through the settlement gates and into the great forest beyond. Kuro did not slow down for a single moment, as he was keen to reach his destination. He expertly guided the young griffin past low-hanging branches and large jagged rocks, with the occasional leap over fallen, decayed logs. As the duo traveled further into the dense woodland, Shiro could feel himself becoming increasingly fatigued. Suddenly, the dragonet stopped, with the griffin cub nearly crashing into him. The youthful dragon released his firm hold on Shiro's arm, allowing the weary griffin to walk forward and observe the vicinity. They had arrived at a large pond, surrounded by many deciduous and evergreen trees, as well as an assortment of perennial flowers of various hues and types. Shiro was astonished at the sight before him. The water looked incredibly clean and inviting, with several chrysanthemums floating gracefully on the surface. The aroma of the diverse flora was truly exquisite. A warm, gentle breeze flowed through the air, brushing up against the griffin's soft fur, providing a loving embrace that brought back memories of a more innocent time. Kuro watched the young griffin from behind, with a confident expression. "I'm still learning how to be a guardian, so they only let me protect a small part of the forest." The young dragon scanned the area carefully, ensuring nothing had been disturbed since his previous visit. "Do you like it?"

Shiro: "It's beautiful." His voice was barely audible, but Kuro still managed to understand the words that left the bashful griffin's beak. The dragonet flashed an appreciative smile, then proceeded to saunter toward the edge of the pond. He settled down on the dirt-covered ground, with his blue toes almost touching the water. To the dragon's left was a large rock protruding from the ground, which he began patting gently, motioning for Shiro to have a seat and rest his little paws from the long journey. The young griffin was nervous initially but did as Kuro instructed. Shortly after sitting down, Shiro's wings flapped slightly, signaling that the young cub was content. Kuro glanced at the griffin's back only briefly before directing his attention toward the pond.

Kuro: "Cool wings." Shiro continued to flutter his wings, grateful for the compliment from his new friend. The griffin blushed a little due to the attention received and then tilted his head down, while faintly smiling.

Shiro: "Thanks." He then peered at Kuro's back. "Where are your wings?" The young dragon produced a more serious expression before answering the griffin's question.

Kuro: "I haven't learned how to summon them yet. Even if I could, I'm not allowed to show anyone my wings. Only the elders can have theirs out." He paused for a second, but then remembered something important. "I was told by my mom that the only time I can have my wings out, is when I find that special someone and seek approval from the dragon gods. I'm not sure what that means though." Kuro looked down at the ground with a disappointed demeanor.

Shiro: "Oh..." Kuro's attention was then drawn to Shiro.

Kuro: "Hey, maybe you're that special someone." The young dragon grinned at the griffin, with the belief that he had finally figured out what his mother meant.

Shiro: "Huh?!" The griffin cub was taken aback; he could feel his face becoming significantly warmer.

Kuro: "Yeah, the elder dragon said you're a rare kind of griffin that needs to be protected. That sure sounds like a special someone to me." Shiro tilted his head downward and closed his eyes.

Shiro: "I don't feel special." Kuro leaned closer to the young griffin, beaming with confidence.

Kuro: "Well I think you are, and as a guardian, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe." The griffin blushed again and smirked slightly.

Shiro: "Thanks." Kuro stood up and then looked toward the sky.

Kuro: "It'll be getting dark soon. We should head back." Shiro opened his eyes and stared directly at a red chrysanthemum dancing in the glistening pond.

Shiro: "Would it be alright if I stayed here a little longer? I'll catch up soon." The dragon smiled softly at Shiro.

Kuro: "Of course, and we can come here whenever you want, just the two of us." As Kuro started walking back to the village, Shiro quickly arose and fixed his gaze upon the young dragon.

Shiro: "Kuro?" The dragonet stopped, then focused his attention on the young cub.

Kuro: "Yeah Shiro?"

Shiro: "When you get your wings, will you show them to me?" Kuro appeared surprised at first, then honored that Shiro would make that request.

Kuro: "You'll be the first one I show them to!" The young griffin flapped his wings excitedly.

Shiro: "Promise?" Without hesitation, Kuro responded.

Kuro: "Promise!" The young dragon continued his journey back to the settlement, moving noticeably slower this time. Shiro faced the clear pond and was captivated by how it shimmered. He felt incredibly relaxed as he listened closely to the subtle movements of the water, as well as the wind delicately blowing through the grass and trees. The young griffin observed all the colorful flowers, studying their composition and enjoying the lovely fragrance each kind produced. While appreciating the scent of a particularly curious blue flower, Shiro closed his eyes and began to reminisce about the life he had shared with his loving family; something the young griffin had done daily since losing everything. His thoughts then shifted to Kuro. The time spent here with the dragonet would surely be another moment he would cherish and remember forever. However, this memory was not accompanied by any sadness, but genuine happiness. Thinking about his new dragon friend also brought about an unusual feeling in his stomach, in addition to a warm sensation around his beak. The griffin cub was unsure what caused these strange reactions, but over time, he would come to understand exactly what occurred at this precise moment.

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Note from Kuro: Shiro would have told a more condensed version of this story during the ceremony of bonding. Originally, the recounting of the events that resulted in each of them falling in love was going to be included within the previous art. However, I wanted to give each story their own piece of art, as well as an expanded story. The next part of the ceremony will involve a retelling by Kuro of the events that led to him falling in love with Shiro (this occurs much later, when the two are young adults). The detailed version of this narrative will likely not be released until sometime next year though. XD Unfortunately, commissions have become quite expensive and the stories take a very long time to write.

Illustration by   jadan

Story by   kuromino

Kuro and Shiro are © Kuromino
Artwork is © Jadan