Drakeblades

The Drakeblades are the elite fighting force of aerial cavalry that defends the walls of Urbana al-Sona. They are highly versatile warriors, adapted for combat from land, sea, or sky.   As part of their training, a novice drakeblade raises a shoredrake from an egg by hand. Once the drake is mature at roughly 8-10 years of age, the warrior is inducted into the Drakeblades. Their close bond with their mount, who understands their language and shares a pseudo-telepathic emotional bond with the rider, engenders the kind of close trust that allows the drakeblades to perform their signature daring aerial maneuvers.   Drakeblades are armed with shortbows for fast-draw ranged combat, light crossbows for medium-distance and amphibious combat, and shortswords for melee, although they try to avoid the latter. In a pinch, their drake can use its claws and teeth as effective melee weapons. They keep the rest of their gear as light as possible, typically wearing armor of mithril and drakeshide. The Drakeblades themselves tend to be short and slim—many are elven or half-elven, and a majority of them are women.   Given that Urbana al-Sona has gone over a century and a half without seeing major combat, today's Drakeblades perform most of their duties in a ceremonial or entertainment role. They practice showy, advanced variations on the traditional aerial formations and perform them in air shows on major holidays and important events.  

"No one thought to inform me that a small—albeit still far too large for my liking—dragon would be swooping down through the streets, low enough to snatch a tall man's hat! It was not until I had already ducked into a patisserie for cover that I realized the rest of the street was cheering for the damnable serpent, not screaming in terror. Apparently, this is some sort of military tradition, and capable riders keep the creatures well under control. I regained my composure with haste and treated myself to a packet of kolompeh to soothe my nerves, so all was well in the end."
—Merriweather Jaunt, The Homesick Halfling's Guide to Urbana al-Sona

  The Drakeblades are thought to be the historical inspiration for the drake piece in traditional chess. (Outside the Aquatic Kingdoms, these are shaped like horses or bankhurim instead, and called riders or knights.)