The Night Rider

Chapter 18 - Conviction

"Please rise for the arrival of our honorable Regent of Opalis and the last Mist Maiden of Caldor. Lady Nivara Cross!"

Nivara winced internally at the less than welcome introduction as she made her way back into the main hall. The silence was deafening, her heart lurched with panic as the small crowd of onlookers and fellow Masters of Trait stood resolutely in front of her. 

The large training hall had been sectioned to hold three large bandstands. The elite nobles and other Excelliars were in the front stands nearest the door and the previous and potential candidates lined up near the sides awaiting to see who would be next. The Masters sat at the back, mostly concealed within the endless group of onlookers so the crowd to the sides wouldn't feel singled out and the nobles couldn't crane their necks in front to gawk and pick from them like a throng of geese. It was all Nivara could do to quell the gossip but as the audience lowered into their seats it all seemed for nought.

"Is that the Red Lancer, Master Halberd?" 

Nivara attempted to mentally block out the noise of the crowd as they started up again no more than seconds after she entered. She sighed, fixing her hood as the game of cat and mouse began before she had even gotten to her seat. Her eyes took in the full view of the room, the noble houses all clustered together at the top of the stands, avoiding the pointing fingers and howling voices. It was easy to pick out the glint of regal armour concealed by layers of cloaks and silks. Blues, reds, golds and purples adorned only the finest of Masters positioned as commanders of their own posts from Pelt to the borders leading into Caldor.

"Look! It's the Piercing Mage! Master Shatter herself!"

Nivara couldn't help but smile fondly at the group of young kids fighting the urge to get up off their seats. They were mesmerised by the prospect of discovering their heroes hidden within the very same crowd they sat in. The sight was tainted however by the sight of Domino jeering a few seats above them, House laughing as she made what seemed like a crude remark towards the precariously seated competitors for today's Trait showcase.

Nivara scowled, sitting into her own seat a little ways in front of the right aisle with the majority of the nobles to the right of her and raised her head high towards Domino's antics. Nivara was fully aware of the silver liquid in goblet in front of her, taunting her to drink in fear of poisoning herself willingly. But it was not a quick death the nobles wanted to give her. For some reason, it was laced with Silvertongue potion. She scoffed at the irony, debating on drinking just to see just how many secrets these nobles knew about her. 

They would probably attempt to frame her with it and call for Ethros or another dragon to probe her with questions but she was well prepared for that eventuality. She tapped her cluster of notes gratefully hidden under the crook of her arm. Ethros intended to make his way towards Axis by flight and would be gone for half a day once the sun rose to its pinnacle. Nivara had until then to put her plan into motion.

She was not only a front row seat to the shenanigans of Svalbard and Chimera but could see the nervous faces of those who were about to present themselves. Celtic and the other 'Outsiders' as they had been newly dubbed by the awaiting apprentices would go last much to Nivara's dismay. She had no choice but to agree in exchange for having the Masters hide their identity. It was a hefty cost but it had to be done. Not like they bothered with concealing themselves against the greedy gaze of children but Nivara knew you could never be too careful.

The dragons and other Agars mostly stayed by their partners sides as other worker dragons hung on beams and ledges while inspecting the room and their work. One of those dragons was a Soundboom dragon, capable of amplifying its voice to deafening levels thanks to its large lung capacity and split maw which stored air and its sound with its Trait. These large dragons acted as speakers for the event and allowed Nivara to address everyone equally. Gathering her notes and her courage to one side, Nivara stood up to all of those who got the last chance to showcase their Traits in front of the entire clan.