Talon's of Life and Death

2

"Thank you!" He yells, his rich voice carried the crowd, lifted everyone. Every girl here giggled with excitement, eager to listen to anything this Rider had to say.

I scoff. Please.

"My name is Nikos Alexia." He states, his eyes glimmering in the sunlight.

Ivan breathes a short gasp beside me.

I quickly look up at him. "What?"

"Alexia..." He mutters, an uncomfortable scrunch to his eyebrows. "His father must be Josep Alexia, commanding general of all of Palin, the Dragon Rider Capital. He holds the strong governing seat in the Council of Sphere. That boy is a legacy." He explains to me. I wasn't surprised that he knew. Ivan loves gossip, it was a weird contrast to his brooding behaviour, but somehow connected.

"No wonder he was sent," I say. "He has big shoes to fill."

"Very big shoes."

"Myself and my companion, Flora Osier..."He gestures to the second Rider. She probably stood around the same height as me, her body was slender but curvy in all the right places. Unlike Nikos, her body was padded with brown leathers, not black. Her hair was a light brown, tied into a high ponytail to authenticate her slender neck and high bone structure. What was most piercing about her, was her eye colour. They shone a deep purple, rich, almost otherworldly. Intoxicating to say the least.

"Her eyes." I whisper to Ivan. That eye colour was impossible to have.

"...Are here to issue the test. Every teenager between the ages of seventeen and eighteen are to be tested." He pauses to reach into his pocket and pull out a stone. "The stone of Almere was created by Seekers, a group of Mages with the ability to see past, present and future. This stone can foresee the Dragon inside of someone, it can more or less predict their future. The stone can only seek this power before a child enters adulthood, it is when their power is most vulnerable." He explains to the crowd, his voice was demanding and flowing, as a true leader should speak.

"Like father like son." I mutter to myself, enough for Ivan to hear. "The stone can only detect a Dragons Rider?"

"Of course," Ivan grumbles. "The Dragon is what gives they're Rider their power. The power comes from the Dragon. You forget that they are celestial beings, they have walked this earth from the dawn of time."

I did know. He would never let me forget my history. I never found a reason as to why, but Ivan was full of secrets. Secrets he would never share, especially with me.

"So the stone can only predict the future power the Rider will have when they find their Dragon." I summarise.

"Precisely."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Once you touch the stone, if you are destined to be a Rider, it shall give you a small glimpse of your future. But only small. The window is minuscule." Ivan explains to me as a pair of young siblings in front of us giggle and wave their toy dragons into the air.

I frown, easing my gaze. "How would you know this Ivan... your not a Rider."

Before he could respond, the Alexia boy started to speak again. "One by one, we shall call every child's name between the ages of seventeen and eighteen, living in this village. You will have the opportunity to touch the stone and take the test. If you are worthy, you shall join us on our journey back to Palin. There you will live and train at Palin Academy to become a Dragon Rider and find your flame, your Dragon."

Everyone bursts into whispers and excited chants. Every teenager was ready to get started, to take their test.

Mayor Blacken clears his throat before announcing each name individually. One by one, each teenager fails. Their left heartbroken, waltzing away in disappointment. Most girls walk off the stage sobbing. Some don't even look affected. Perhaps their like me, they don't care if their chosen. Either way, you'll probably end up dead. The life expectancy of a Dragon Rider only reaches their forties. Most Riders are killed in battles, raids, all sorts. They give their lives to save lives. A courageous gesture, but what does it give you? A life without a life. A family losing a mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife...child.