This place was no stranger to her.<br/><br/>This was among the first rooms she was introduced to after the king had began crafting her into what she was today. But perhaps that was giving him far too much credit, for it was ultimately with his support that her mother's house had been turned into a pyre. Goddess knows that there were others-human others- who were also subjected to this training. Some dropped out while they were allowed, others died at the mercyless and impossible tasks. All witnessed horror after horror, but some survived to see the end.<br/><br/>Noxaura however, was in a different league...and not simply because she was not a human. No, that did certainly have its weight and perhaps part of the cause...but not the entire reason. The king saw her as his exotic pet...something even he would dare not touch. Like a captive tiger he enjoyed watching her hunt those he deemed fit for such a fate, and without that she would likely not have recieved the care she did from terrified slaves.<br/>However...this, in addition to her race...made her already difficult teachers hate her. Constantly walking the tightrope between teaching her and trying to outright kill her, they subjected her to harder trials...sometimes entirely different trials and tasks from what the other students were taught.<br/><br/>Yet she persevered. And each of these tasks put her an edge above the others...until inadvertently, the teachers succeeded in creating something even they dared not tamper with...and so she was then sent on personal missions they themselves could not handle...<br/>And after each return and kill, the more fearful and desprate they became as graduation approached the other students. Placed as "technically" in the same class as the other students, she would graduate when the rest did...and become a weapon of the king. Something that the master swordsmen and archmages could no longer reach.<br/>And so it became a macabre race to the finish line. The teachers gave her task after task, thier teachings and training methods no longer sufficient against the monster they were commanded to create. The tasks grew harder as the deadline approached...until finally the day arrived...and they had lost.<br/><br/>One solitary task remained between her and graduation...and this time, the teachers could not tinker with it. The last pure dragon to speak to the king had deemed that this task be done just so...and so it would be.<br/><br/>Over the course of sixteen long years the chosen had been taking care of the dragon eggs as if they were the brood's true mother.  And with them, the eggs grew and sometimes changed size and color, bonding with them from the confines of thier shells.<br/><br/><br/>Now...she and the others of her class would be reunited for the awakening ceremony. Today thier eggs would hatch, and the being within a reflection of thier dedication and work. It was here, in the building where her training started that they would perform thier ritual.<br/><br/>The other students gathered on the other side of a gilded, royal hall. Each holding with them eggs of varying sizes and shades. They stood in thier best dress clothes and ceremonial garb, waiting for thier name to be called so they could step beyond the golden doors and begin.<br/>Waiting anxiously they teased and encouraged one another, trying to settle down. However, none of them said anything to her aside feom the cold whisper to one another.<br/><br/>Noxaura was flanked on either side by the tight lipped forms of the two teachers. They wanted to protect her as much as the students did...but the hidden truth was that they were there to stop the students from doing anything foolish...like trying to become the next "monster" hunter. The students did not know of her capabilities, and the teachers did thier best to keep it as such.<br/><br/>"Lauren!" The archmage snapped as one of the boys lobbed a half eaten apple at the huge inky black egg held in noxaura's arms. the only thing to have depended on her since she was forced from her home. "If you are going to manipulate another into doing your dirty work for you...take more care into ensuring noone sees you speaking with the individual before hand." The archmage scolded her, causing the other students to snicker.<br/><br/>Fortunately that was the only physical thing thrown her way as the great golden doors opened and the first student stepped in...the "champion" of thier class...herself not included of course. No, she would be the last to go in...as usual, the last for anything. The only satisfaction that came with this was seeing lauren be dead last, just before her...and as she was brought to the doors, some of the ritual could be seen...one she would need to repeat<br/><br/>The golden doors opened to a room that seemed to be made of a piece of the star lit sky. Thousands of diamonds glimmered in the inky black stone all around, while at the center of the massive room was a wide ring of moonstone with hundreds of warm rubies, the only source of light in the room.<br/>Like the others before her lauren slipped off her shoes and tossed them behind her before stepping into a bowl of cold sand like substance. Once her feet were coated she turned about and entered the room.<br/>Her barefeet moved quickly across cold stone, and each step left behind a glowing print and a ripple, as if the stone was water. The entire scene was to try and represent the daughter of the moon's meeting with the son of the sun, resulting in the first dragons.<br/>Kneeling before the moonstone ring she carefully placed her blue egg atop the rubies and silk, then stepped back and knelt. Looking like an offering from days long forgotten, she paused for a moment before she began to sing, pouring all the emotions, thoughts and aspirations she had ever developed in those long years into the language of the fae.<br/><br/>Moments passed as decades of life were vocalized in a mere fifteen minutes. Then with labored breathing and tears in her eyes, the girl was done.<br/>A moment followed...and soon after cracks slipped over the surface of the womans egg, and bit by bit the shells fell away as  a figure larger than what an egg that size could truly hold rose up!<br/>The blue and purple wyvern stretched its wings wide and let out a high pitched roar! Many of the other graduates muttered and whispered to one another.<br/>A wyvern was close to true dragons of old. Though nowhere truly near to them, they were a grand sight in the kings army...it seemed lauren had just moved herself up quite a ways. And judging by the smug look she threw at Noxaura, she knew it.<br/><br/>But now it was the "monsters" turn, and the rough shove from one of the teachers proved it. "Get it done, wretch." The archmage commanded her and pointed to the white sand.