It's not fair that people have to make choices like this one, but the world isn't fair. And people do have to choose whether to stay where they are, with current friends, or move elsewhere, all the time. And some friends stay friends long distance, some let you go with congratulations, and some mourn you as lost, whether with anger or understanding. But no one said the world, real or fictional, is fair.

As to your friends, I'm quite certain they would understand. Many would cheer you on!

With your love of big cats, why be a dragon instead of a gryphon?