"Doria Merril," Captain Fitzgibbons says from the dais. Every one his futures and expressions crystal clear on this cloudy day. It's Presentation day, probably the most deadly day after Parapet.
"Kamryn Dyre." He continues.
"Arvel Pelipa." Two first years from the front row suck in a breath to gain composure. It's not only the first years who die here, it's everyone else at risk of death. We're just more likely to die during the first year.
"Michel Iverem." Fitzgibbons closes the roll and hands it over to the scribes. "We commend their souls to Malek." The formation breaks as he finishes.
"Second- and third years, unless you're on Gauntlet duty, head to class. First-years, it's time to show us what you got. Various senior cadets come to wish us good luck and give us their last tips before going on with their day.
"I didn't realize Heaton actually knew how to speak." Two lines appear between Ridoc's brows. He's talking about a bulky third-year that has just talked to us for the first time.
"Maybe they figured they should at least say hi before we're potentially roasted today," Rhiannon says.
"Back into formation," Dain orders.
"Are you coming with us?" Violet asks. He doesn't look at her but responds with a nod. We fall into two lines of four, the same as the other squads around us.
"They really need to get over this whole thing going on between them." I scowl.
"Yeah they should just fuck it out, I've been saying it since we got here, haven't I?" Ridoc responds.
"Why is your solution to everything, Fucking it out." I say the term feeling unnatural coming out of my mouth.
"Because it works." Ridoc shrugs his shoulders. "We're the biggest squad," he says looking around, changing the topic.
"What are we down to?" Tynan asks from beside me. Not too long ago he apologized for being such a dick. I punched him and he's the one that said sorry?
"Hundred and eighty?" I guess.
"Hundred and seventy-one," Dain answers.
"For a hundred dragons? But what will we..." Trina asks, nerves cutting off her words.
"Stop letting fear leach into your voice," Luca snaps from beside Ridoc. "If the dragons think you're a coward, you'll be nothing but a name tomorrow."
"She says, inducing more fear." Ridoc narrates.
"Shut up," Luca fires back. "You know it's true."
"Maybe you two need to fuck it out." I whisper to Ridoc mocking the way he says it, earning a scowl from him.
"Just portray confidence, and I'm sure you'll be fine." Violet offers, a tone of encouragement in her voice.
We're up next and I can already feel my hand getting clammy. My thoughts snap back to last night and remember Liam's advice, and his goddamn face. This is why I said no boys, I might die on the Gauntlet imagining his stupid face. I shake my head, clearing it of everything that happened last night.
"Fourth wing!" Xaden calls out from a distance. "Move out!"
We file off, Flame section, then Claw, and finally Tail. The gate is a bottle neck shape so there's a bit of a hold up, but when we're through, walking into the mage-lit dimness of the tunnel that we take each morning to reach the Gauntlet. Shadows blanket the edges of the rocky floor along the path. I breathe in trying to steady the shakiness of my breath but it's no use.
"Just pretend we're practising." Ridoc says grabbing my hand, giving it a squeeze.
"Yeah, just with my future relying on how I make it up or if I make it up at all." I respond, my voice getting shaky at the end. I hate myself for it. I hate that I'm so nervous about this and that I'm letting myself be so vulnerable. I remind myself that only Ridoc can see my face, and that only he can hear me at the volume I'm speaking at. I trust Ridoc, I really do but it's still so scary being vulnerable. He doesn't say anything else as we walk along the hallway, but he never lets go of my hand which keeps me from completely zoning out. As we emerge from the pathway the sunlight stings at our eyes after walking in the dimmed lights. We're high up on the mountain, thousands of feet above the valley, and the greenery stretches as far as we can see, patches of colourful wild flowers popping up between the trees. But even all that can't take my attention away from the Gauntlet carved into the ridgeline.
...
An hour later it's our turn and we're all on the Gauntlet. I swing off the last ball propelling myself to the ledge and run my way up the U-turn. I suck a breath in as I see the rods come into view. No hesitation, I tell myself as I take the last few steps on the cliff. I launch myself off the ledge and grab onto the rod moving one hand in front of the other. They're clammy as fuck. I get to the end of the first one and swing to the next one. For a moment between the rods, I feel like I'm going to fall and die just like Aurelie, But I reach and grab the next one successfully. I'm barely on it when I can feel my hand start to slip off, my finger one by one letting go. One after the other I throw my elbows over the rod and breathe out in relief. I scoot them across the bar and there is a horrible burning sensation rushing across my forearms, I'm literally peeling the skin off as I go but at least I'm not falling off. I swing to the third one, then the fourth and by the fifth I'm pretty sure I've rubbed my skin off raw, but I didn't slip, not once. I grab the last bar with my hands and swing myself onto the shaking columns. I make my way across with ease barely fazed by the shaking of them. The spinning logs are coming up next. I jump onto them and start making my way up not letting my feet get caught in between. Pushing off the last one I haul myself into the chimney and start moving upwards.Hand, foot ,hand, foot. I throw my hands over the edge and push myself out with my legs. That fucking wall. I stand up and jolt at it, my legs taking me faster than they ever have. I reach the wall and keep running upwards trying to defy gravity, hoisting my self upwards and just at the last moment when I begin slipping, I throw my hand out blindly and catch the ledge. Gripping it with my other hand I pull myself over the edge onto my knees and stand. I walk away from it like I haven't just busted my ass and that I'm not terribly out of breath.
"We made it," I smile stupidly as I approach Ridoc and Sawyer pulling them into a hug.
"Of course we did," quips Sawyer, but I can see the utter relief on his face. "Nice move with the elbows. I really thought you were going to fall."
"Thanks." I reply, deciding not to tell them that it wasn't my idea. I look around but don't see him.
We move to the edge of the cliff to see the rest of our squad mates makeing the ascent, but when we look over we see the most creative thing ever. Violet is using her daggers to get up the wall.
"Hell yes!" Ridoc hollers down at her. "That's our girl!"
She lets out the most violent scream as she throws an elbow over the edge and rolls the rest of her body up. She yanks her dagger out of the wall and stands up, immediately getting hugged by Rhiannon from the front and Ridoc from the back.
"That was really fucking cool." I say to Sawyer, smiling in disbelief and shock. It's one of the most badass things I've seen her do. She may not notice it, but she's changed.She's stronger, braver, and her hardships make her stronger than the rest of us in more way than one.
"Better than I would have come up with." He laughs and grips my shoulder. The intense moment raised all of our nerves.
"She can't do that!" Someone shouts from the distance.
"Yeah, well, she just did!" Ridoc tosses over his shoulder, still hugging Violet. A moment of relief passes between the three of them, through all of us. Whether we want to admit it or not, these past weeks on the Gauntlet have brought us closer together. They weren't lying when they said your squad would become your family.
"Cheating!" A shrill voice screams from behind us. Amber Mavis, Dain's year-mate and close friend. A stickler for rules, they're perfect together. I scoff as she storms closer towards us.
"Back the hell up, Mavis," Garrick, our section leader threatens, putting himself between Amber and Violet.
"The cheater clearly used foreign materials not once but twice," Amber shouts. "It's not to be tolerated! We live by the rules or die by them!" Gods, she would fuck that stupid codex if she could.
"I don't take kindly to calling anyone in my section a cheater," Garrick spits out. "And my wingleader will handle any rule-breaking in his own wings." He moves to the side revealing Xaden standing close to Violet.
"Sorrengail?" He asks, arching a brow at Violet.
"I accept the thirty-second penalty for using the rope," is her answer.
"And the knife?" Amber narrows her eyes at Violet. "She's disqualified." She states. But when he doesn't answer she turns to glare at him. "Surely she's out! You can't tolerate lawlessness within your own wing, Riorson!" But Xaden only looks at Violet not even glancing at Amber.
"A rider may only bring to the quadrant items they can carry-" She begins.
"Are you quoting the Codex to me?" Amber scoffs.
"- and they shall not be separated from those items no matter what they may be, for once carried across the Parapet, they are considered part of their person. Article three, section six, addendum B." She finishes and looks at Amber.
"That addendum was written to make thievery an executional offence." Amber snaps.
"Correct, but in doing so, it gave any item carried across the Parapet the status of being a part of the rider," Violet unsheathes the blade showing it to everyone. "This isn't a challenge blade. It's one I carried across and therefore it's considered a part of me." Violet defends, then looks at Xaden who's looking at her with pure satisfaction on his face.
"The right way isn't the only way." She adds.
"She has you, Amber." Is his response, still staring Violet down. Maybe Ridoc was right, maybe people should fuck it out, I think as I stare at them.
"On a technicality!" Amber screeches. Gods, it sounds like an actual screech. I rub my ears trying to rid myself of the sound.
"She still has you." He says finally turning towards Amber, giving her the most terrifying look.
"You think like a scribe," She barks at Violet before storming off.
"I know." Is her response, but there's no tone of shame in her voice, not like when she first came here.
"Sorrengail, you're leaking." Riorson points at her hands. "Do something about it," He orders.
"We should probably get you bandaged up too." Sawyer says gesturing down at my arms, which I've completely forgotten about. The skin is almost completely rubbed off of them and there's blood drying on the burn. Suddenly I feel all the pain hit me at once . The throbbing in my knees and the burning in my hands.
"Damn, I forgot about these after getting up here." I say.
"Yeah, the adrenaline tends to do that." He responds.
"Let's wait for the others to get up, then we can deal with these."
"Whatever you say, Saeri." He sighs, raking his gaze along my forearms.
We cheer as our last two squad-mates make it up the cliff.
Defying all odds, we made it.