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...
There is an art to poison not often discussed, and that is timing. Only a master can properly dose and administer for effective onset. One must take into account the mass of the individual as well as the method of delivery.
–Effective Uses of Wild and Cultivated Herbs by Captain Lawrence Medina
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The women's hall is quiet as I dress for the morning, the sun barely peeking above the horizon in the far windows. I take the dragon-scale vest, Codagh's scales, from where I left it to dry on the hanger at the end of my bed and slip it on over my short-sleeve black shirt.
'I have to get the berries from Violet quickly, otherwise, I'm fucked.' I see Violet slipping out from the barracks and follow her. My eyes wander around the corridor in search of my brown and white-haired friend, and when I spot her figure, I find that my effort is futile.
Violet is walking side by side with one of the worst-ever people known to man. The rule-following Dain. I sigh and roll my eyes as I saunter past them. They don't seem to notice me, continuing their bickering.
🐉 ~🌷
"Keep the temperaments of each specific breed in mind when you decide whether to approach a dragon or to run from one during Threshing," Professor Kaori says, his serious, dark eyes slashing towards his nose as he studies the new recruits for a beat, then he changes the projections that he conjured from a Green Daggertail to a Red Scorpiontail.
He's an illusionist and the only professor in the quadrant with the signet ability to project whatever he sees in his mind, which makes this class one of the best-ever classes. The Red Scorpiontail in the center of our circular tables is a fraction of its actual size, six feet tall at most, though it is a replica of the actual firebreather waiting in the Vale for Threshing.
"Red Scorpiontails like Ghrian here, are the quickest to temper," Professor Kaori continues, his perfectly trimmed mustache curving as he smiles at the illusion like he's the dragon itself. I take notes because I know that I'll forget whatever I learn. "So if you offend the dragon, you're—"
"Lunch," Ridoc says from Violet's left, and I snicker. The whole class laughs, even Jack Barlowe, who hasn't stopped his glaring. 'Maybe his eyes are just stuck in that position. Who knows?'
"Precisely," Professor Kaori responds. "So what's the best way to approach a Red Scorpiontail?" He glances around the room. I raise my hand and answer, "They prefer that you approach them from the left and the front, if possible."
"Excellent," Professor Kaori nods. "For this Threshing, there are three Red Scorpiontails willing to bond. The image in front of us changes to a different dragon. "How many dragons are willing to bond this year?" Rhiannon asks.
"A hundred this year," Professor Kaori responds, changing the image once more. "But some might change their mind during presentation in about two months, depending on what they see."
