The Hidden Mark

The True Crucible

It's an executable offense to attack any cadet while sleeping.
Article Three, Section—
The Dragon Rider's Codex

"How would you know that? Did you try to kill him, Melgren?" Jack sneers at me from a group of cadets near ours.

"For the love of all the gods shut up you idiot!" Rhiannon growls loudly, everyone stepping back a little in shock.

Violet elbows me softly, "We have to pay attention. Commandant Panchek scares me, and he is staring at us..."

"As the Codex says, now you begin the true crucible!" Panchek shouts to gain all five hundred or so of us that I estimate are in the courtyard. "You will be tested by your superiors, hunted by your peers, and guided by your instincts. If you survive to Threshing, and if you are chosen, you will be riders. Then we'll see how many of you make it to graduation."

Statistically, about a quarter of us will live to graduate, give or take a few on any year, and yet the Rider's Quadrant is never short volunteers. Every cadet in this courtyard thinks they have what it takes to be one of the elite, the very best Navarre has to offer... a dragon rider.

I can't help but look at my best friend and wonder if I will have to bury her or if she will last to become a rider. Commandant Panchek was right, this will be the true crucible. Seeing who I become along the way, as all the bullshit gets cut away and walls get torn down, that's the easy part.

"Your instructors will teach you," Panchek promises, his hand sweeping to the line of professors standing at the doors to the academic wing. "It's up to you how well you learn. Discipline falls to your units, and your wingleader is the last word. If I have to get involved..." A slow smile spreads across his face. "You don't want me involved."

I look at Liam and imitate his attempt at a sinister smile, "Did I get it right?"

Liam tries not to laugh, "That is genuinely terrifying. How did you learn to impersonate his smile?"

"He helped train me; everybody has to follow the general's orders." I look to the ground, "But I realized how scared Violet was of him, so I taught myself his smile to freak her out."

Liam looks at Violet to see the fear in her eyes while she is looking at the commandant. He subtly steps closer to her, like he would protect her, as I wiggle my eyebrows at Rhi. She just smirks back, having noticed as well.

"With that said, I'll leave you to your wingleaders. My best advice? Don't die." He walks off the dais with the executive commandant, leaving only the riders on the stone stage.

"How is that advice?" A guy standing near our small group asks us.

"No idea, but he isn't wrong." Violet jokes back with a kind smile.

A brunette woman with wide shoulders and a scarred sneer stalks forward, the silver spikes on the shoulders of her uniform flashing in the sunlight. "I'm Nyra, the senior wingleader of the quadrant and the head of the First Wing. Section leaders and squad leaders, take your positions now."

Violet gets hit in the shoulder as someone walks by, pushing between her and Rhiannon, before Liam pulls her into his arms. Xaden can't keep his eyes off of our group and seems to just be getting angrier the more Liam spends time with us. The other leaders follow suit until there are about fifty people in front of us, spaced out in formation.