Sang's Dragon

Chapter Fourteen

"You care deeply for him," I state. It was then that I realized that Sang might be rough around the edges, but if she let you in, she would love you like you had never been loved before.

"I do. Him and his wife have done a lot for me. I don't know where I'd be today without them."

I nodded thoughtfully. I felt the same way for Uncle. He had been like a second father to me the moment I arrived at the Academy. All of my brothers looked to him for guidance, even the ever controlled Owen. We didn't get to see our families often enough for them to have played a big part in how we were raised so it was mostly all Uncle's doing.

She cleared her throat for a second time and I watched, enraptured, as she swallowed roughly. It seemed she wasn't used to such deep talk. She eyed me for a moment before breaking the tension, "I have plenty of weaponry in the back. You can choose a new blade from there if you find one that's to your liking."

Without another word, she spun around and stalked toward the back of the building with me on her heels. It didn't take long until we reached a locked door and the clinking of keys grated at my ears. Pausing over the threshold, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness but barely got a reprieve before Aggele knocked back the curtains, bathing the room in light.

The walls were filled with all different shapes and sizes of knives, swords, daggers, and axes. There were some weapons that I had no idea what to name, too. Every weapon looked craftily made with different characteristics that attracted all kinds of different wielders.

Gabe's inner artist would have perked up at the sight. I didn't think that even him could come up with faults regarding the craftsmanship. 

"Did you make all of these?" I asked as she caressed the edge of a blade like a lover would their partner.

She shook her head. "No. Most of them are mine and Henry's but Wil and Derek have made a few as well. They come in to mess around with new designs every now and then, but not often."

Speaking of the little guy...

"Are you and Wil...?" I trailed off, knowing that she fully understood where the rest was going.

"Engaged to be married?" She snorted bitterly. "Gods, no. The villagers have been pushing it on us since we were children, but we don't see each other that way. Him and Derek are both dear friends of mine, but never like that. Those old gossips get to be so bored that they hardly have anything better to do than meddle in other's affairs."

I chuckled while I thought back to the wrinkly old gals at the bakery twittering about the younger females of the village. When Marie's name was brought up, they all gasped in outrage, completely scandalized by the mere mention of her name. They certainly adored Aggele though, which was hardly surprising. I adored her, too. 

It was quickly learned that you either love her, or hate her. There was no in between. Still, Sang balked at the attention.

"I couldn't imagine living like that. The females at the Academy are bad but not that bad."

She cocked an eyebrow at me, looking endearingly curious. Based off the way my frame towered over hers, and the innocent expressions she always made, it was easily forgotten that she could turn into a tigress in no time at all.

Hell, she even took North down with little to no effort. We all teased him mercilessly about it once we heard and North defended himself by explaining that he was taken off guard and that a rider could do practically anything when they were stuck on the high of protecting their dragon. Which was slightly true. A rider with a dragon in danger was a rider possessed. Your body would become pumped with so much adrenaline that you would pay no mind to your own actions.

"I've heard that name from your brothers. What is the Academy?"

Although the school was no top secret, we didn't parade around the kingdom informing everyone of its existence. The less people who knew, the safer its students would stay. But since she was confirmed a rider by my team...

"It's a school for the dragon riders, where we all train in combat and get an education on the magical world. All riders are forced to attend."

Her eyes quickly narrowed. "Why are they forced to attend? What happens if they don't?"

I held back a growl as I thought of three specific councilmen who corrupted the Academy with nonsense and treachery. What used to be a favorable and safe place for all kinds of creatures, was now slowly reverting back to what it was during the Great War. I decided right then and there to be fully honest with Aggele, especially because she was just as much involved as the rest of us.

"Right now? They will hunt you and your dragon down, then most likely terminate you both. They will see you as a threat as long as you're not under their control."

Protectiveness and anger began to gleam brightly in her eyes as soon as I mentioned someone harming Gideon. "Do you people not see how wrong that is? You think that you can just control someone's life like that? Give them no choice at all in what they do?"

"That's not us, Aggele. Yes, I believe what they're doing is terribly wrong, and no, I have no wish in controlling anyone. Why do you think we want you to come to the Academy so badly? Not only do we want to keep you from being harmed, there's something big brewing, and right now, it's the safest place for you to be. I'll leave the details for Owen and Kota to discuss with you but just know that harming you is the farthest thing from our minds."

With her arms crossed, she stared deep into my eyes until her body slowly lost its hostility. I knew what it was that she was seeing. Complete truth. "I thought you were all testing me? You and your brothers—just like everyone else in history—believe me and Gideon to be evil, just because of what he is."

I looked away in shame. I knew she wasn't evil from the moment I saw her but when you learned nothing good about the Tenebrous breed while growing up, it was difficult to get past prejudice beliefs. They were just too powerful. When everything was revealed to her, she would get an idea of why people thought the way they did. She didn't have to understand, but a Tenebrous and a Tenebrous rider weren't to mess around with.

Humans didn't know everything about riders, only the bare minimum. Secrets had been kept for centuries to protect our kind. My father was obsessed with learning everything he could about dragons and even he didn't know everything.

"We were wrong at first, but we don't feel the same anymore. We've all grown up learning about the Tenebrous breed and how they are, and Gideon's actions were slightly...concerning to us. I understand that you have no reason to trust us but just hear us out."

"Is this a group decision and not just yours? I refuse to do this only to be shunned because I'm different than you guys."

"Have you seen us?" I smirked. "We're all different in our own way. You're just a little more different than the rest of us, which also means you're even more special," I added with a wink.

She gave me a pointed look. "I'm being serious."

I cocked my head to the side. "Owen and Kota might be a little more wary, but that's only because they're trying to look out for their brothers. Owen likes control while Kota often over-calculates every situation. They agree that you should come to the Academy, but give them a little time before they begin to trust you completely. It's already a good sign that Gideon and Saxon formed that bond because that means Saxon thinks he can trust him. Owen will follow soon."

Aggele pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long suffering sigh. "Fine. Pick a darn blade already and let's go. You can get the others and meet me at Henry's because there's not a chance in hell Gideon will allow you guys near me without him being there."

I took a wicked looking sword from the wall and Aggele nodded her approval, which made me grin. The little vixen loved her blades just as much as North and I did.

Gabriel's nickname suited her well.