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"I realized in that moment that I have survived threshing."
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I have never been so happy to see Xaden in my entire life—and that's saying a lot.
I stare at Jack, the fear in his eyes making me almost smile. After all the shit he's done to me and Violet, finally, he gets to feel the same terror and pain as Violet and I did.
"And if we don't want to rethink our actions?" Jack shouts at me and Xaden.
Xaden looks down at me then back up to Jack, looking at the first year like he is a complete idiot. I suppose Jack probably is, not many people would dare question Xaden, not with Sgaeyl standing right behind him.
"There's nothing you can do, right? Wingleader?" Jack bellows, standing up tall.
I guess he does know the rules.
"It's not me you should worry about today," Xaden responds, just as Sgaeyl lets out a puff of steaming hot smoke.
"You really going to do this?" I ask Tynan. "Attack a squadmate?"
"Squads don't mean shit today," he says back, though I swear I can see a tiny ounce of remorse.
"So I guess that's a no on the flying?" I say to the golden dragon that had slowly made its way closer to me and Xaden. "Well, can you at least back me up with your claws? Or maybe fire?" I say, raising my eyes at the dragon.
It chuffs twice, making me look down at it's claws...or rather lack there of.
"You have got to be kidding me." I mutter. "You don't have claws?" I hiss at the dragon.
The dragon just chuffs again and I roll my eyes. Before I can say anything again, I see Jack charging towards me. I dodge him as Xaden jumps out of the way. Before I know it Oren and Tynan are running at me. They know they can't attack Xaden, and Xaden can't attack them, so that leaves me as a target.
I grab a dagger that rests on my thigh. I quickly unsheathe it, rocketing it at Tynan so quickly he doesn't even see it coming before it hits his arm. He lets out a cry, ripping the dagger from his arm.
Oren takes a swing at my head but I duck quickly. Jack has picked himself off the ground and now runs at me with his sword, aiming right at my stomach. I dodge but I take a hit from Oren.
I swear I see Xaden tense from the corner of my eye as I hit the ground hard. I quickly jump back up, another dagger in my hand, this one coming from the sheath at my hip. I see Jack coming towards me, and as quickly as I can manage I rocket the dagger at his shoulder—and it hits true.
"She's destroyed my shoulder!" Jack cries, ripping the dagger from his skin and throwing it at the ground. He tries and fails to move it. "I can't move it!" He says as he clutches the bleeding wound.
I shrug with a smile.
"Kill her!" Jack orders as he turns and runs into the forest. Tynan and Oren charge at me.
I scowl. Jack was a coward. He couldn't even face me his self. He had been calling me weak and praying on me for weeks, and yet now he's afraid of me? Running away?
Tynan takes a swing at my side, which I dodge. I trip though, making me fall back hard, stars filling my gaze for a few moments. I push myself up even though my head still spins. Tynan is charging at me again, my dagger in his hand, the one I had thrown at Jack's shoulder. I quickly pull out my third and final dagger, dodging my squad mate and putting the blade into Tynan's side before pulling it out as I almost tumbled to the ground again.
"You fucking bitch!" Tynan bellows, clutching his hand to his side.
"Such an original"—I take advantage of the shock this whole incident had caused Oren, running into his stomach and making him fall down—"insult!"
The move costs me however, Tynan had had time to grab his sword—which he was now using to stab me in the arm. A scream escapes from my lips as I stumble back and grab my bleeding right arm.
I can feel Xaden's eyes on me as I back away from the Tynan. My right arm is busted, everything is bruised and I pant heavily, trying not to take much notice to the blood pooling down my arm.
"Behind you!" Xaden yells, making me turn my head to Oren who has his sword held up high above his head, ready to come down on my shoulder.
Before he can though, a small breath of fire direct at his body makes Oren back away and drop his sword. I look over to the golden dragon, what I swear is a smile plastered on the tiny creature's face.
"You can't interfere!" Tynan shouts at Xaden, but I don't look, don't take my eyes off of Tynan.
"No, but I can narrate," Xaden says back. I still feel his gaze directed at me, I don't think he has taken his eyes off me this entire time.
"Your arm is shot, Mairi," Tynan hisses, pointing his sword at my arm.
"I'm used to being in pain, unlike you, I didn't grow up in a warm and sheltered home. The question is, can you handle the pain?" I ask, looking down at the wound at his side which had not yet slowed its bleeding. "I know exactly where I sliced into you. If you don't get to a healer soon, you'll bleed out internally."
Rage fills Tynan's features as he charges at me, this time slower. It seemed the wound was affecting him.
I used my last dagger, it's now somewhere in the bloody grass. My arm is done, I have no hope that I will be able to out run Tynan, and even if I can, I need to have my wound on my arm dealt with soon.
Tynan's sword is about to come down on my head. I have a few things I think about as I know I may die:
1). I made Jack run away in fear. I would say that is something to celebrate.
2). Xaden came to help me. That thought alone fills me with emotions I don't even know how to explain.
3). My final thought is knowing—I'm not sure how I know, I just know—that my friends and brother are going to make it out of this alive, and they are going to live long lives filled with love and happiness.
My eyes are wide as I prepare for the inevitable—but it never comes, the end never comes.
Tynan stumbles back, fear etched on his face. I slowly look over my shoulder, expecting to see Xaden and Syaeyl, ready to attack, but instead I see a large sliver dragon, it's scales the colour of moonlight, it's eyes as blue as the sky.
"Step aside, Brave One." A low, male voice echoed through my mind.
Confusion fills me. Did the dragon standing in front of me just...speak to me?
"Yes. You. Move." The dragon says to me. I stumble out of the way as I see the dragon move forward, towards Tynan. Oren's burnt body lays in the grass, proving to be an obstacle that Tynan tripped over.
The sliver dragon narrows its eyes before blowing a large breath of fire, incinerating everything in its path, including Tynan and Oren.
Flames crackle and sparks fly as I turn my head to the sliver dragon, wondering if I'm next.
I look over to Xaden, wanting to get some answers from his eyes. Instead he stares at me before hopping onto Syaeyl and flying off into the yellow and orange sky.
The silver dragon's nostrils flare as I hear his voice in my head again. "You're bleeding. Stop it."
I look down at my arm which still pools blood, then up to the large dragon and raising an eyebrow.
"It's not quite the simple." I state. The dragon stares me down. "You know what? That's a great idea." I manage to rip off a piece of my shirt and wrap it around my bleeding arm. "There. Better?"
"It will do." He says and I rest my hands on my hips. "Let's go, Elaine Mairi." He lifts his giant wing, revealing the small golden dragon.
"How do you know my name?" I ask as I stare at the two dragons.
"And to think, I'd almost forgotten just how loquacious humans are." He sighs, taking a thundering step towards me. "Get on my back."
Oh. Fucking. Shit. He's choosing me. I am being chosen.
"Get on your back?" I ask, staring up at the massive dragon. "Have you seen you? Do you have any idea how incredibly tall you are?"
He looks down at me like I am an idiot. "One does not live a century without being well aware of the space one takes up. Now get on."
The golden dragon moves from under the protection of the sliver dragon's wing. "I can't just leave it," I say. "What if Jack comes back?"
Both dragons chuff at me.
The golden dragon hops into the air, its small golden wings carrying it far into the air.
So it can fly.
"Get. On," the silver dragon says in a tone letting me know that he will not ask again.
"I-I'm not sure I'm really who you want—" I say.
"I'm not going to tell you again."
Point taken.
I push the nerves in my stomach down as I take steps towards the dragon. I look up at the large scales lining the dragon's legs. I'm not quite sure how I plan on getting up. Somehow I manage to get hold after hold, pulling myself up till I'm on top of the large dragon.
"Sit." The dragon says.
I see what seat the dragon is talking about. It's built into the dragon, but looks entirely like it's made for humans. I carefully place myself into the spot, grabbing the thick scales lining the neck of the dragon.
"My name is Caelestinus, son of Caoimhe and Dannacha, descended from the ancient Zephyr line." He stands to his full height, bringing me up higher in the air. "But I'm not going to assume that you'll be able to remember that once we reach the field, so Cal will do until I inevitably have to remind you."
I take a deep breath. I have no time to process anything that he has said because a second later we are in the air.
I squeeze my legs hard into Cal, my hands gripped tight around his scales.
"Holy shit!" I yell as we ascend upwards.
My body threatens to fall off Cal's back, but I refuse to let it. I only squeeze tighter as we level out. I squeeze my eyes shut against the wind that whips against my face.
When finally it seems we are going slightly slower, I open my eyes.
The sky is lit with the colours of the sunset. Orange, red, yellow and purple cover the sky, making the clouds look more like Cotton Candy than clouds. I let myself enjoy the view as I soar through the sky.
It's so calm up high, nothing to worry about—well maybe falling. But I don't feel as if I will fall. I trust Cal, and more than ever I trust myself. I still squeeze tight against Cal, and my hands never leave Cal's scales. But for a moment, I let myself be free.
I let out a cry of happiness as I fly through the air, and I can swear I hear Cal laugh. I realized in that moment that I have survived threshing. I knew that whatever came next would be anything but easy, but I was going to let myself celebrate this small victory.
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Scenes from chapter 14 of Fourth Wing were used.