Aithne Melgren has been in the shadows too long. She has been forgotten, she has been ignored. But she goes for the Riders Quadrant in hopes to escape, to have freedom. To soar through the skies with her very own dragon.
But she has something speci...
The sparring ring is where riders are made or broken. After all, no respectable dragons would choose a rider who cannot defend themselves, and no respectable cadet would allow such a threat to the wing to continue training.
–Major Afendra's Guide to the Rider's Quadrant (Unauthorized Edition)
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"Elena Sosa, Brayden Blackburn." Those were the two remaining names read from the death roll by Captain Fitzgibbons who was flanked by two other scribes on the dais as we stand in silent formation to honour the dead. "We commend their souls to Malek."
But frankly, I couldn't care any less. Why? Because death is what drives me, it is my one and only motivation. Honestly, yesterday when that blue dragon talked to me, I genuinely thought I was going to die. I spent the whole day yesterday trying to figure out how it was possible that a dragon could talk to someone other than their bonded rider.
But I could find nothing.
"Second-years and third-years, I'm assuming you know where to go," Dain the arse continues. There's a matter of agreement from the senior cadets ahead of us. As first-years, we're in the back two rows of the little square that makes up Second Squad.
Dain runs his mouth about how one of us first-years should have an amazing memory by already memorizing the schedule which was handed out yesterday. 'What, does he think we're superhuman or something?'
"Stick together, I expect you all to be alive when we meet this afternoon in the sparring gym."
I had almost forgotten that we're sparring today. A Cheshire grin slowly spreads on my face as I bask in happiness. I let my eyes glide across the area we're in and I peek a glance at Violet. Vi. She has to spar as well. But I just know that she'll do well. She always does.
However, we still have time to prepare for the Gauntlet, the vertical obstacle course which we have to complete in the coming two months. If–no–when we complete this course, we'll walk through the natural box canyon above it that leads to the flight field for presentation.
That's where this year's dragons willing to bond will get their first look at the remaining cadets. Two days later, Threshing will occur in the valley beneath the citadel.
"And if we're not?" Ridoc-the-smart-ass behind me asks. I found out his name when he was mentioned as the almost-falling-off-the-Parapet-first-year. That brought a snort out of me.
Violet glances my way with her brows furrowed in confusion but looks forward anyway–towards Dain.
"Then I won't have to be concerned with learning your name since it will be read off the roll tomorrow morning." Surprisingly, he has a good point there.
"Sawyer?" Dain looks at the first year to my left. I follow his vision and see that he is the guy who I smiled at when I got my wing switched. Then I realise, he's one of the repeats–a cadet who didn't bond during Threshing and now has to do the entire year over.
