Mirkwood

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"Here, here, I need your attention, hatchlings!" Mirkwood's words strained against the cacophony of giggles, yelps, and play voices of the gaggle of younglings he oversaw. He sighed. He did not have the authoritarian tone that some of his contemporaries (Magyara) did. At twice the age of the other caretakers, Mirkwood wondered why he didn't retire to the Sancta and leave the job behind. He sighed. Perhaps it was time to employ new techniques.

Mirkwood cleared his throat and then sung out cheerfully. "Class, class!"

Suddenly all the little eyes turned to him as if they were tiny sleeper agents suddenly awoken by his words. "Yes, yes!" They chirped back at him, moving closer to gather around the Skydancer.

He would have to thank Hinata for drilling this teaching into all the hatchlings at a young age. "Thank you, class." He said respectfully, mentally counting the number of heads (minus one for the Aberration) to ensure he had each dragon accounted for. "You are nearing the end of your time as hatchlings and I'm sure you are all excited to start your next journey into adolescents. After all, you've been taken care of as eggs and newborns from Caretaker Hinata. Caretaker Magyara ensured you were loved and learned as hatchlings. Now, you are with me. You will spend time continuing your education, of course, but primarily we will focus on your natural skills and the exploration of the world as a whole. Some of you will stay with the Clan, but most of you will go off to find new homes or serve greater powers-"

"Yeah, we know that!" A particularly wiggly Undertide interrupted.

Mirkwood feigned injury. "Thank you for telling me that, Mariana, but next time please wait until I'm done speaking to talk."

The blue Undertide flapped her wings and huffed. "Yes, I'm sorry," she added. Clearly it was not her first time being reminded to not speak while others were.

The Skydancer dipped his head in thanks. "How about this...would you like a change in scenery before I continue my lesson?"

A chorus of 'yes's fell from the hatchlings maws as they got up and cheered. Mirkwood, with the ease of a natural born Water dragon, led the class out of the constructed school house. The Clan had built many structures since its formation by the First Matriarch, one of which was the school house. Situated at the bottom of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, safely within the Clan's territory, the walls were formed from shaped coral, hardened and enchanted against erosion and intrusion. Thick ribbons of kelp, grown and braided with water-thread magic, swayed gently around the entrance, acting as both camouflage and guidance. Wide arches replaced doors, allowing dragons to swim freely in and out no matter their size.

Inside, the schoolhouse opened like a great atrium. Carvings etched deep into the coral allowed soft currents to pass without disturbing the stillness of the chamber. Pearls embedded into the walls pulsed with a steady glow, their colors shifting to reflect the light of the world above.

At the rear of the schoolhouse, the coral gave way to the mouth of an enchanted cave system, a network of magically altered chambers where the Clan taught by immersion. There were kelp forests for herbology, thermal vents for metalwork, and echoing hollows crafted with illusions where students honed their spellwork or tactical skills. Just like each dragon could create their own private dwelling within the cave systems, so too could Mirkwood direct his class to a new environment simulating the topside world without the dangers of moving younglings out of Clan territory.

Mirkwood's personal favorite was the wooded section. He had to admire the work done by the Nature dragons, they were able to craft an environment that felt like you had stepped foot into an autumnal forest. Leading the way, Mirkwood directed the class to the cave system, swimming into the currents as he led them left, left, right, higher still, until finally they all clamored through one of the cave openings where the water stopped and they could walk out into the leaf littered soil. The cave system vented fresh air from the topside, along with the assistance of specialized plants rich in oxygen. It was truly a testament and specialty of the Clan's work to see the cave system as a living breathing ecosystem.

Switching between swimming in the pressure of the sea and walking and flying in the cave systems helped the hatchling get used to all kinds of environments. After all, one never knew where a Clan dragon would eventually call their home. Mirkwood himself had been born in the Thousand Currents, but had spent a good portion of his adulthood topside. It was only when he found his passions in caretaking did he return to the sea.

"Now, settle in, please. We can cover this lesson and then you will have some free time." Mirkwood smiled as the hatchlings-- no, no-- the adolescent dragons cheered once again. Perhaps it was their joy, the possibilities they represented, that kept him from retiring.