Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 8

His announcement has hardly had the chance to fade when the three riders spring into action and quickly clamber onto their dragons backs. The air seems to shimmer before it becomes hazy, like a dome of thick glass is covering the field as it ripples and shudders like water before it stills and clears.

The three riders urge their dragons to take flight and they circle the field within the dome, their dragons flying at an easy pace before they start to speed up. The dragons dive down and rise up randomly and I'm reminded of what air shows with planes look like as they soar with a gracefulness that takes my breath away.

They look like gigantic kites with their own free will as they whip past the bleachers and do a lap around the field before they break off their formation and do swoops and dives that would be insane to do in an airplane. I'm queasy for a moment as I watch them and fear for their safety before I notice that they have harnesses on the dragons that attach to a harness for the rider via a strap that clips them in place.

After a minute of air acrobatics there's a horn that sounds, one that is deep and bass-like that throbs beneath my skin like a second heart. The riders circle around to the football goalposts where Violetta and Finn land their dragons next to one goal while Blaize's dragon lands at the opposing one.

A silence settles over the crowd like they're waiting for something with held breath as I find myself pausing with them. It's then that orbs of green light the size of beach balls begin to flicker and float in varying heights around the football field.

"Riders, ready your weapons," Headmaster Hallewell commands as his voice echoes across the field.

In unison, the riders summon ethereal looking bows that ripple like the flames of a fire. Each of the riders have a different colored bow, Blaize's being a bright gold while Violetta's is a dark shade of purple-blue and Finn's is black as they hold them at the ready.

"You may begin," Hallewell says.

Their reaction is immediate as their dragons heave themselves toward the sky, their wings snapping open and flapping powerfully as they take flight and their riders take aim. I watch in awe as Violetta is the first to shoot, an arrow whistling from her bow as the arrow hits one of the floating orbs that is bobbing far away from her.

The color of the orb changes from green to an iridescent, purplish hue, like paint has been dumped into the orb as it floats down toward the ground. She has another arrow notched and is aiming for her next target before she can pause to inspect her handiwork as she breezes past the cheering crowds on her dragon, a gale of wind blowing over us.

Blaize has made quick work of two targets as they gleam with a golden hue while Finn has already shot one of the targets, the orb glittering like onyx. Violetta speeds along ahead of them, claiming target after target as a majority of them glow with a purple hue. She pulls ahead of Blaize's score by one, the number of points for each target being projected on a scoreboard across the field.

There is a fresh eruption of cheers for each target that is slain and I clap and cheer along with the other students and keep my eyes trained on the tournament as I forget my previous, bitter feelings.

There are ten targets left and Violetta leans back as her dragon rockets skywards toward the other targets that are hovering higher over the field. She's ahead by one point when Astrid sits up, like something has caught her attention as she watches Blaize with a sudden intensity. She wordlessly pulls out her phone and starts to take a video with it as I watch her with confusion.

Someone cries out then, a high pitched, panicked scream that makes me look back at the field.

It takes me less than two seconds to realize that Violetta's dragon is riderless.

My heart leaps in my throat when I catch sight of her falling through the air a dozen feet below her dragon, her familiar oblivious to the fact that its master is no longer on its back. Gasps rise from the crowd, along with a couple of screams and shouts of terror as more people focus on Violetta. Some of the students stand, like they're trying to cast spells to catch her, but the dome seems to prevent them from casting their magic through it as it ripples violently.

Violetta plunges like a bird that has had its wings clipped, her arms and legs pin-wheeling uselessly. She just manages to flip herself over right as the dome disappears and a blue glow surrounds her, stopping her fall maybe ten feet above the ground.

She remains frozen and stiff as she lies cradled in the glow, like she's lying in a hammock and I can feel the tension release from the crowd as there are sighs of relief before some of the students launch into action as they head for the field. Astrid is among them and I get up to jog after her as we descend the stairs and run across the field where Violetta is gently lowered to the ground.

There's a low growl as her dragon lands beside her, its teeth bared and its wings spread wide to cover her like a canopy as the beast cautiously eyes the people approaching its master. One of the female riders of the Draconic legion is the first to reach her as the glow fades and it becomes obvious that she was the one who had saved her.

The rider crouches next to her and they speak in low voices as Blaize and Finn land their dragons several dozen yards away before they dismount. Violetta shrugs off the rider and strides toward the other competitors, her chin held high.

"My harnesses and straps were enchanted to prevent them from coming undone and the dome prevents all magic from coming through it," Violetta says in a surprisingly strong voice that echoes across the field, "which means that it could have only come from within."

I can hear the accusation in it, along with the barely contained anger.

The other students coming across the field stop walking except for Astrid, who continues to stroll across the field toward Blaize as I reluctantly follow her.

"I saw him cast a disenchantment spell," Astrid says in a charming, matter-of-fact tone as she stops several feet away from him, "thought you were being sneaky were you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Blaize spits as he glares at her, his golden eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Oh, really?" Astrid asks and holds up her cellphone to wag it tauntingly as she calls over her shoulder, "Care to have a look, Headmaster Hallewell?"

The headmaster, who has just made it down to the field, steps over and takes the phone from her as the other riders of the Draconic legion cluster around him to see what's on her phone. I can't see what they're looking at, but it doesn't take long for them to look up at Blaize, disgust curling across their faces.

"Cheating is forbidden," the headmaster says as he frowns deeply.

Blaize clenches his jaw as he meets the headmaster's eye for a long moment without blinking. The headmaster shakes his head slowly as his eyes darken with anger.

"I wish you had taken the time to study and practice rather than figure out how to cheat and deceive by disenchanting others equipment mid-flight, you disappoint me, Blaize. I had high hopes for you," Hallewell says in a grave voice, "therefore, I am banning you from future dragon tournaments and you are hereby placed on academic expulsion. Return to your dorm to collect your items, you are expected to leave Greenwood Academy tomorrow. We will speak later about any possible return."

Blaize's eyes drop and he looks down at the ground, unable to look the headmaster in the eye now as he nods, his lips setting into a firm line as his jaw clenches. His dragon disappears as he leaves and walks in the direction of the dormitory without looking back.

"That being said, we still have a winner," Hallewell announces into the microphone that he still has in his hand, drawing the crowd's attention away from the banned student as all eyes turn to him.

"Violetta Grimsbane, you have proven your worth," the ebony skinned dragon rider says in a low voice as he steps forward and takes the microphone from the headmaster, "and we, the Draconic legion would be honored to have you among our ranks, do you accept?"

Violetta stands taller as she meets his gaze with a stern look, "I do."