The Dragon's Gift

Chapter 7

The same horn that woke Kai and I sounds once more, signaling training time.
"Want to be my sparring partner?" Kai asks.
"Sure. You seem to handle Alex quite well. What better way to become better friends?" We continue towards the field outside the barracks. We find the training field and wait for Commander Jett to begin. Just as the last few stragglers get to the grounds, Jett starts talking.
"As you know, this is an army. What's an army if they can't fight? A group of organized idiots. This is why you will be trained based off of your skill. You will spar with one of our greatest warriors and will be placed in a training class accordingly. Clear?"
"Yes sir!" shouts the entire audience.
"Get in line behind any of the eight men before you." Jett continues, "Once everyone has finished, you will be placed. Go."
I get in line behind a tall blonde guy and wait for the others to finish fighting. Finally, it's my turn. I step up into the large stone ring.
"Do you know the rules?" asks the man.
"No."
"You will cover your blade with an edge-guard and you will cease fighting once a clear winner is declared, be that you or I. Got it?" he asks.
"Yes sir," I say. I place a guard over my glaive and he puts on his sword.
"Then let's begin."
I draw my weapon, as does he. I watch for any sign that he might move first. Just as I think I'll have to move first, he strikes at my side. I spin and knock his aside. I then continue to jab at his chest. He lazily knocks the weapon away and counters by feinting towards my side moves to strike my ribs. The blow lands. I grab my side and I slash across his body. Of course, the guard prevents anything from happening. I spin the blade around and strike with the pole. I land a few hits on his side and legs before he grabs the pole and pushes me to the ground. I yank the weapon from his grasp and slam the blade into his blade before he can put it to my throat. I jump up from the ground and strike his shoulder and push him back. I keep on the offensive and push him farther and farther back with each strike. Just as I think I won, he picks up and charges me with his sword up. Before I can react, he slides and grabs my leg, forcing me to the ground. I'm about to get up when a blade his held mere inches from my neck.
"Good fight, kid. Just watch your stance and improve your focus and you'll be a force to be reckoned with. I place you in the second level class. Once you graduate from there, you will be placed in first level. After that, you'll be a great soldier," says the man.
"Thanks. You're really good at fighting. Maybe someday I'll beat you."
"We'll see kid." I finish just in time to see Kai step up to fight his opponent. He draws his swords as the dark headed man he got behind does. He spins and elbows the man in the side. The man turns and brings his two handed sword into Kai's hip. Off balanced, Kai stumbles and falls. At the moment I thought it was over for Kai, he takes both of his swords and makes an "x" with them to block the man's downward strike. The man doesn't see Kai bring his knee up an into his jaw. Dazed, the man takes a step back. Kai seizes the chance to leap from the ground and make a series of quick, precise cuts and slashes. The man, unimpressed, kicks one of Kai's swords out of his hand sending it flying. With one sword, Kai gets up and again starts fighting. The man easily blocks each of Kai's swings and eventually pins Kai against a tree.
"Good job, little man," grunts the large man Kai fought. As Kai goes to look for his sword, I follow.
"You were really good Kai."
"You too, Phoenix. I've never seen anyone fight with a glaive. It was really cool."
"Thanks. My grandfather taught me. Wait, what's that?" I ask, pointing to a glimmer behind a bush. We move towards it and find Kai's sword. We also find a beautiful stone that seems to pulse with life. I pick it up and I'm shocked to feel some sort of energy move from the stone and into me. I hand it to Kai and he has the same reaction.
"What was that surge of energy?" I ask.
"I don't know, but I feel like I should've always had it. Like, it belongs inside of me," I say.
"Yea, it's really strange though." We get back to the training grounds just in time. Jett is just starting to speak.
"You have all done well. Going off of your opponent's feedback, I will now place you in your classes. Class level one, Elliot, Jerome, Stevens," he continues on with about twenty more names. I zone out until I hear level two called. "Level two, Summers, Phoenix Winters, Stone Winters, Matthews, Harrison," he continues all the way to group 5, the worst of the worst. "Now that you have been placed, you will have a day to go home and catch up with your families. You're all expected back here by seven o'clock tomorrow. Dismissed."
I'm overjoyed to see my mother again. I put the strange stone in my pocket and start home with Stone beside me. Taking the same route home we took here, we walk and catch up with the few days that separated us. I learn that he met this girl and they really hit it off. They're apparently dating now. I tell him about the stone and allow him to hold, and he gives me the same reaction Kai did. We arrive home and find our mom sitting outside in the porch chair.
"Mom, what are you doing?" I ask.
"Nothing. Just waiting for you two to get home. The general told all the mothers that their children are staying home today," she says.
"Oh. Can we talk?"
"Of course. What is it?" she asks. I show her the stone and allow her to hold it. To my surprise, she doesn't react.
"I was wondering when this day would come," she says to herself, seemingly oblivious to my confused expression.
"This stone, it's more than just a stone. It's called ethenolite. I am its guardian. Once held by a human, it gives them control over a certain element. It was how the dragons decide to even the odds between humans, elves, and dwarves. I'm going to place the stone on the pedestal."
"A pedestal? That's it? It's going to become some old antique?" I say.
"No. The pedestal is a device that was created by the dragons for this moment. It will remove the energy from the stone and do the same thing it did to you to the entire human population."
"Oh. That sounds awesome. When do we do it?" Stone asks.
"Tonight. Boys, you will come with me to the elemental cave to place the stone on the pedestal."
"Yes ma'am," I say. We walk out of the house together. We walk through the forest and into a cave that I never noticed before while hunting. We walk down twists and turns, low ceilings, slippery floors. Eventually, we find grand doors set into the cavern wall that seems to be centuries old. My mom procures a gold key from within her pocket and unlocks the great doors. Once inside, I see rows upon rows of red torches. I look down the chamber to see a great red dragon. It has some orange scales here and there along with an orange underside. Black horns and orange eyes.