Rainbow Magic (Dragon Rider #1) {EDITING}

Chapter One: The Stone of Fate

"You're going to fail." Green clashed with grey as their eyes met, the air seeming the crackle with tension as they stared each other down. "I've told you before... green like grass, grey like thunderclouds... I'll always be above you."

Sora didn't bother to try and stop her eyes from rolling. Whether it be hair colour or eye colour, Tabitha always used it to try and irritate her. To be honest she had no idea why. The only times she'd ever got her annoyed, it'd ended up with her eating dirt and Sora owning the foot pushing her face into it. "How poetic," she muttered.

"Why'd you even bother to bring a suitcase?" Tabitha continued. "You know you'll only be heading straight back home."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said, brushing past the annoying blonde, heading ever closer to the front of the hall where the Stone of Fate waited – ready to spill out the truth about her magic, or lack thereof.

She'd be lucky to get accepted to the school over in Fallsbrooke, let alone a place like Central City. That was the heart of the continent of Astal and it was home to some of the greatest mages who'd ever lived. Similar to how the Outer City was home to pretty much all of the greatest dragon riders who'd ever lived. Though dragon riders rarely mingled with anyone outside their base in the Astral Mountain Range.

"You'll do great, Sora-bear!" her mother called, waving at her as she went through the door, ignoring the snickers that rang around the room at her pet name.

Sora smiled, wandering to where the crowd of teens was gathering. "Thanks, mum," she whispered, holding her head high as she took her place at the back, fighting the urge to sigh in exasperation as Tabitha walked to her side.

"You're so going to fail."

"You've said that before."

"Aren't you going to be embarrassed?" she asked, leaning towards her.

"You know..." Sora turned, grinning at her annoying companion. "I could ask you the same thing."

Tabitha snorted. "I'll be fine... you on the other hand..."

"Go back to Crony Number One and Crony Number Two already, Tabby Cat. Whatever you're plotting won't work."

"I will," she sneered. "They're much better company."

"Glad to hear it," Sora said, patting her on the back as she sent her back to the group of friends she knew all too well.

Mainly from beating them up, but that wasn't really the point.

She'd have preferred not to have to beat them up in the first place.

She'd have also preferred to have shown some form of magic before she put her hand on the Stone of Fate, but apparently the universe didn't bother listening to any of her requests.

Sora doubted it'd start anytime soon, either, so she wasn't holding out too much hope.

Only those with green magic or above were in with a shot of heading to the Central City, and only those who lit up the little dragon cracking from its egg could go to the Outer City. Those were the places which housed the elites. Places for the gifted, which Sora wasn't.

Tabitha could make the temperature rise ever so slightly in her presence. Sora made her own temperature rise when she punched people in the face.

Tabitha was gifted with magic. All Sora had going for her was brute strength.

And that was the crux of the matter.

A loud clap startled her out of her thoughts, the sound echoing through the gigantic room inside the town hall. Despite being a small town, their tiny little council had gone overboard on what they considered to be the very heart of the town. White marble adorned the floor and the walls, forming the same columns supporting the ceiling which towered above their heads. Marble wasn't that expensive for them, considering it was mined from a nearby quarry. Besides, it was money well spent. The building had, after all, been listed as one of the most beautiful places in the entire Eastern Sector.