*Trigger Warning: Explicit Language used*
~~~
"I can't believe this." I mumble. The journey back into the village had my feet aching. I had been home for barely an hour and I already had to trudge back.
They were early. Too early.
There was something dreadfully unsettling by those words.
"I didn't think you'd come." Ivan says to me as I stand outside his shop. He was closing it, like every shop owner was. Every villager was spread out in the street, heading towards the village hall. There, the Rider's would present themselves and start the testing.
"I was tempted not to." I grumble, glaring at everyone that passes, their excited expressions already made my stomach queasy.
"If anyone was to defy the Dragon Riders, it would be you." He states, locking the door and standing beside me. He still reeked of raw meat but managed to look presentable. It was one of those rare occasions I saw him without a blood soaked apron wrapped around him.
"What's the point?" I sigh, following him as he heads into the crowd. "My life is meaningless, this test will prove that."
His expression darkens at my words, a deep scowl forms his lips. "Your hunting isn't meaningless."
I scoff, glaring up at him. "What does that have to offer me?"
"Instinct. And skill. Your twice as skilled at fighting than any man in this village. You know a thing or two about what it means to survive. You've been doing it all your life." His words are strong and never falter. It almost makes me look at him in a new light. Almost. Ivan will never change, his next words will be different, sharp.
"I had you." I mutter.
He snorts. "Barely."
"I forget," I growl. "Your only using me."
An emotionless smile twists his lips as we stand outside the village hall where everyone else stood. Every child had their face painted like a Dragon, decorations had already been hung, igniting a festive occasion.
Could it count as festive?
Children were being chosen to fight for their country, to give their lives to a cause they knew nothing of. To be taken from their home, everything they ever know.
Is this something to celebrate?
I saw it as something else entirely.
"This is a death sentence." I whisper to Ivan as he converges in a conversation with some of the towns men.
He hears me, but decides to ignore me as Mayor Blacken takes the stage. Everyone claps upon his entry, eager to get started. My gaze lifts to the sky, I was waiting for their arrival. Riders were all for the dramatics, surely they could not resist making a grande entrance.
"Welcome!" Mayor Blacken yells, his voice surging across the crowd, meeting the ears of those stood the furthest away. "Choosing day has finally come for Falor!" Everyone claps, cheering and hollering until they can't no more. "Momentarily, we shall start gathering every child to be tested! This is a grande day for all of us, those who shall be chosen will be remembered, honoured in Falor's history. But, not everyone can become a Dragon Rider. We must accept our fate as it is. Now, we will welcome the honorary Riders representing Palin Academy!"
Everyone screams in delight, awaiting the glimpse of a Dragon, only for it to never come. Instead, two figures ascend the stage and stand beside Mayor Blacken. The prime figure that was the main focus of everyone's gaze was a tall man, just older than me it seems. A Riders uniform was strange. The man was dressed in black leather armour. It matched his dark, rusty brown hair. From here I noted his tall, muscled frame, tightened by the leather. His skin was olive toned with a sharp jaw, straight nose and piercing green eyes. He held a leading aroma over his head. He was born to captivate every sole person in a room, he sure held the whole villages attention.
"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.
My throat tightens, pushing myself away from my head to focus on the Riders and Mayor Blacken.
I can't do this.
I turn to move away from the crowd, only for Ivan to stop me before I could move any further. "Don't do this Sith." His large arm held strong like a barricade across my chest.
I take a breathe. "This isn't meant for me."
"If you do this, and they catch you... the punishment will be high. Even if you become a Rider." He hisses, his face pinching in anger.
I knew that. Running is pointless, they'd always catch me, and when they do, if I'm not chosen to become a Rider, I'll be imprisoned. But if I am chosen, I'll still be punished. It's a lose, lose.
"Sith Cylon."
I blink. My name has been spoken. The crowd starts to whisper, gossiping about the towns outsider, the lone girl, and the fact that she will be tested in Falor. When she doesn't even belong.
Nikos Alexia spoke my name. Ivan turns me around to watch as Mayor Blacken steps forward and starts to hurriedly speak. We were close enough to hear what he was saying. Mayor Blacken has no filter, he did not care who heard.
"She's an outsider. She was not born in Falor."
"Her name is on the list." Nikos responds, his gaze unsettling, barely nerved by the Mayor's angry stare.
"It's a mistake!"
"We'll see about that." He responds with an icy snap. His gaze settles back on the crowd, Mayor Blacken steps back, knowing he's lost.
Now he's searching for me.
With Ivan distracted, I grab my hood and cloak myself. Slipping away through the crowd, I make my move.
"Sith Cylon!" Nikos Alexia speaks my name, again.
That name clips my heart. My parents name. He has no right to say it. None of them did.
"There!" I hear the female Rider yell.
My eyes widen in alarm when a loud clap of thunder echoes from above. Dark clouds start to form with a strong burst of wind, dropping my hood to reveal my face. A small shadow disperses from the sky and lands on the outskirts of the street. People scream in surprise, everyone steps back, leaving me stood in my place, out in the open. The purple Dragon prowls towards me with sinister intent. It's muzzle pulls back to reveal narrow teeth, thin enough to be needles, snarling at me. I don't dare turn away from it.
"Thank you Zola." Nikos Alexia speaks to the Dragon behind me, as if it was normal. "Please, join us on stage, Sith Cylon." My teeth grate together at his voice. Zola pulls away from me, it's muzzle dropping. The clouds depart to reveal a blue sky and shining sun. Did I just imagine that?
Ivan.
I search the crowd for him, but fell empty. He must have left me, like he always did. "If you'd please join us on stage, Sith Cylon." My jaw twitches after he addresses me a second time. With clenched fists, I approach the stage. The crowd parts, letting me through, afraid to get too close to me. I don't blame them. Maybe I was a plague.
I approach the stairs, pushing my cloak out of the way so they can truly see me as I am. That includes the knives strapped to my belt. The female Rider, Flora is the first to see, her striking purple eyes narrowing as she watches me approach.
"Welcome," Nikos Alexia starts. Even up close, his beauty was intimidating. Every detail was hard to pass by, his clear skin, sharp jaw and cat like eyes. Up close, I could clearly see the yellow ring around his pupils, with the dark green decorating it. Extraordinary. "Simple enough instructions; please place your hand on the stone, and let the stone test you." He states, offering a small, genuine smile. I try not to feel affected by that alone. I hesitantly glance at the large stone in his palm. It was a large, iridescent Crystal. My reflection glowed on it's edge, I almost smile at the simple perfection of it. Doing as I'm told, I reach a hand out and carefully place my fingertips on the stone.
After a few seconds, when nothing happens, I expect that to be it. Nothing happened. Just as I knew it would, I wasn't born to be a Rider.
But when I look back up at Nikos, I find him gone. And in his place, stood a tall mirror. My face stared back, but it wasn't me now. It was someone else entirely. My eyes glowed gold. Not it's usual full brown, with a golden sun drawn into my forehead, everything about me looked heightened. My hair was thick and healthy, my cheekbones were sharp, my brown skin glowing like the gold in my eyes. I was dressed in a Riders leathers, black, like Nikos Alexia. I smile, surprise stealing my senses at my reflection. Only then did a shadow appear from behind me. A black scaled Dragon lowers it's head towards me, it's eyes glowed like mine, the same.
"What is this?" I ask, but the reflection does not move. The dragon and me stare back for a short time before I'm sucked away, back to the present. I push myself away from the stone, breathing heavily. My whole body was reeling with an energy I'd never felt before.
What was that...
I glance all around me. To the Riders, and the crowd gawking at me like I was somebody else. What had happened?
"What did that thing do to me?" I pant, trying to calm my racing heart but I was panicking too much.
"It's alright Sith, just take deep breathes." Nikos tries to assure me. He stashes the stone back inside a bag Flora produced. "What you are experiencing is normal," He tries to touch me but I pull away.
"She's a Rider?!" A voice in the crowd yells.
I'm a what?
"What I'm experiencing," I blink, my chest rising. "Was that..?"
"A vision? Yes. You passed the test. Your a Rider, Sith Cylon." He says, his eyes looking through me. Panic builds inside my throat, I'm searching the crowd for Ivan, for someone familiar that isn't glaring at me. Their looking at me in a way that was worse than what their used to.
By the Goddess.
My vision spots Ivan's bulking back at the edge of the crowd. He was walking away, leaving me. Nikos follows my like of sight until he spots Ivan in the distance. "Is he your father?" He whispers to me, low enough for no one to hear.
I shake my head, unable to form words. Ivan was no father.
"This is impossible!" Mayor Blacken approaches Nikos and me. Flora steps forward, glaring holes into his chest. "She can't be! Surely another teenager will suffice—"
"You can't just force a child to become a Rider." Flora spits. "You have to be chosen by the stone, not to mention the Dragon that has not hatched, waiting for her."
The mayor scoffs, disgust evident on his face as he looks at me. Nikos and Flora notice, it was enough for them to push him back. "The tests are complete. We'll take our leave now." Nikos orders, barely waiting for a reply before facing the crowd. "Thank you to the children who participated. Palin notices and respects the village of Falor. Until next year!" He waves. The crowd claps, not as much as before but still honours the Riders, just not me.
"Come with us Sith," Nikos gestures for me to leave the stage. My hands clench into fists as I descend the steps, my mind whirling.
How can I be chosen to be a Rider? It's just not possible.
"I understand you must have questions—"
"I don't want to go." I state, turning around to face them. They look surprised at my words. I'm probably the first person to ever admit that they don't want to become a Dragon Rider.
"I'm afraid, that's not an option." He smiles again. What's with the smiling?
I sigh, of course it's not. "Do you have any family?" Flora ponders, her voice was soft, elegant like. She looked rather giddy than she did before, as if her true nature was finally showing away from the crowds of people.
"No, it's just me."
Nikos' eyebrows knit together in confusion but that look quickly vanishes. "A guardian perhaps?"
I nod, my body itchy at the thought of confronting Ivan after he walked away. "Ivan Usia. He's the village butcher, his shop is this way." I gesture for them to follow. They do so, they walk behind me with open movements, they held themselves together with convergence. Because if they faltered, who would the people have left to rely on?
Ivan's shop was open when we approached. Ivan could see us coming, I watched him as I approached from the window. He rounds the counter and meets us in the doorway. "Ivan Usia." Nikos shakes his hand, "I understand you are Sith' guardian?"
"Of the sorts," he grunts, barely meeting my narrowed gaze. "She found this village when she was ten, all but a girl. I gave her a place to live, in return she's my personal huntress. She catches my kills that I sell in my shop."
Nikos nods, glancing down at me. "Your a hunter then?" I shrug in response.
"That explains your knives." Flora smiles shyly at me, "you were the only child to carry a weapon."
"I've been by myself for a long time." I mutter.
"You understand the oath she must now pledge?" Nikos asks him with a stern stare.
"Of course, her service to me is all but done." Ivan grunts, a heavy weight crosses his gaze before it quickly disappears.
He nods in a thankful manner. "Very well," he turns to me. "I'll allow you to say your goodbyes and pack your things."
"I don't live here. My bungalow sits on the edge of the village." I tell them, the thought of leaving my little home behind did not sit easy with me. That place had kept me alive for the most part.
"How far?" He questions.
"A half an hour walk," I sigh. I've trudged the journey four times today. Ivan could tell by the look on my face that I wound not enjoy the journey. I liked walking for the most part, exploring was always something to look forward to when I hunt. But making the boring journey into the village time and time again was what got on my nerves.
"We'll fly then." He states, crossing his large arms over his padded chest.
I blink, trying to comprehend his words. "You want me to fly... on a Dragon?"
His lips lift into a coy smirk, looking down at me with mild intrigue. "Not alone. Your not ready for that." He teases. My anger spikes. I narrow my eyes at his joke, half amused, yet not letting him know that. "You should say your goodbyes now," he gestures to Ivan with a nod of his head before him and Flora step away and into the street. People immediately crowd them, mainly children. I watch them curiously as they converse with the kids. Flora and Nikos look happy, joyful as Nikos picks up a young girl into his arms as she shows him her toy dragon.
"I told you, you couldn't run from this."
I almost forgot that Ivan still stood beside me. Suddenly, his presence was like a large over passing cloud, making his presence known, so no one would forget.
"You seem to know a lot of things that I don't." I state with a blunt edge, looking up at him. It was as if I was seeing him finally in a new light. After everything that has happened today, it appeared that everything was different. Maybe it wasn't them, but it was me. I'd changed in some way.
He lifts his head higher, his round jaw clenching. "That's how it's supposed to be."
"What secrets have you kept from me?"
"All kinds," he whispers, now watching the Riders like me.
"You were right to teach me not to trust anyone. Did you always know? That one day this would be my fate. A Dragon Rider." I hiss, scaling the people, their years of torment. And now they finally know, I'm supposed to be greater than all of them, and they hate that. Maybe Ivan is the same.
"I guessed as much. Your boisterous ways—"
"Don't antagonise me!" I yell, my gaze moving to his, standing straight as I look up at him. "Is it jealousy? You wanted this and now you can't stand that I finally have it?"
He lifts his head back and laughs loudly, mocking me in a stupendous way. It's what he always does. "I did have it." He snaps, grinding his teeth together as his dark eyes gloom down at me.
I blink, stepping away from him. "You were a Rider?" My voice softens.
He clenches his eyes shut, sighing heavily. "Listen to me when I say that this will give you answers to questions you don't even know you have. Trust in this journey, in yourself and your Dragon. A flame is not something to take advantage of, it's the best thing that will ever happen to you, understand that Sith."
I glance away, scared to meet his gaze. "You've never been this honest with me before."
"I'm an old man. Why would I burden you?"
"It's not a burden to tell me your past, Ivan." I shake my head, "your story is important." I add softly.
"It was once, not anymore."
"I'm sick of your riddles."
He laughs again, but not out of spite. "I'll miss your troublesome humour my dear." My lips twitch at his nickname, it's never shook. It always made me feel like an old lady, but to him, it was a nickname he chose to call a small, curly haired girl with a bad temper.
"Will you visit me?" I already knew the answer, but I can't understand why my voice felt obligated to speak.
He takes a moment to answer my question. He takes a long moment to watch the Riders. They stood out, I think they did anywhere. Their beauty, the clothes, the way they held themselves together. How could that ever be me?
"I can picture it now. You walking these streets one day, with a dragon pinned to your back, your eyes glowing with the colour of your Dragon's essence. I can vision it so clearly." He takes a long breathe, he was staring and admiring an image that only he could see, that was only meant for him.
"I can't."
He grins, peering down at me like I was a small cat. "That's what makes you so different Sith. You didn't want this, but you were chosen either way. You were born for greatness."
"Is that what makes us so different?" I ponder, my voice timid.
"Yes." He prolongs the word.
I take a strong look at Ivan, then his shop behind him, everything that reminded me of him. "I can't believe I'm saying this... but I'll miss you." I struggle with the words.
He shrugs, chuckling lowly. "I'll miss your hunting skills."
I snort, stepping down from the steps of his shop and strutting into the street, never looking back. "Good luck trying to find someone to replace me!" I call back as I approach Nikos and Flora.
My mind may have been playing tricks on me, but I swear I could have heard him reply...
"You're irreplaceable anyway, my dear."
~
~
I realise now how long this chapter was :/