Death, Dragons & Dumb Decisions
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Surviving the Riders Quadrant is hard enough, but surviving it while keeping a massive secret? That's just plain reckless.
Nyx Greycastle-well, that's the name she's using-has spent her life surrounded by dragons, but pretending to be just another first-year cadet at Basgiath War College is proving more difficult than she expected. Between sadistic instructors, bloodthirsty rivals, and an annoyingly handsome wingleader who keeps looking at her like he knows something, staying under the radar is impossible.
Oh, and there's also the minor issue of not dying before Threshing.
With secrets, enemies, and an ever-growing number of dumb decisions piling up, Nyx is in for the deadliest three years of her life. But if she wants to claim a dragon-and live long enough to turn the tide of a secret war-she'll have to prove she's more than just a name.
Because in the Riders Quadrant, survival isn't guaranteed.
It's earned.
Updated on AO3 first under the same name.
I do not own the characters, only Aelin Tauri/ Nyx Greycastle, please let me know if you are enjoying
All Rights Reserved
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Wings of Desire
A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead. - Article One, Section One, The Dragon Rider's Codex "Anyone else feel like changing their mind?" Xaden shouts, scanning the remaining rows of cadets with the same shrewd gaze of the navy-blue dragon behind him. "No? Excellent. Roughly half of you will be dead by this time next summer." The formation is silent except for a few untimely sobs from my left. "A third of you again the year after that, and the same your last year. No one cares who your mommy or daddy is here. Even King Tauri's second son died during his Threshing. So tell me again: Do you feel invincible now that you've made it into the Rider's Quadrant? Untouchable? Elite?" No one cheers. Another blast of heat rushes - this time directly at my face - and every muscle in my body clenches, preparing for incineration. But it's not flames... just steam, and it blows back Rhiannon's braid as the dragons finish their simultaneous exhale. The breeches on the first-year ahead of me darken, the color spreading down his legs. They want us scared. Mission accomplished. "Because you're not untouchable or special to them." Xaden points toward the navy dragon and leans forward slightly, like he's letting us in on a secret as we lock eyes. "To them, you're just the prey." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Who is that?" "Rhae Sorrengail, the forgotten daughter. She's Violet's twin, they're nothing alike though. Violet is the calm before a storm, and Rhae is the hurricane. The anger and stubbornness of that woman are insane." "God forbid she and Xaden stay in the same room for too long. Someone would likely end up dead." Started: June 5, 2025. Finished:
¹ SWEET OBLIVION, xaden riorson ✓
𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 rhysa aetos crosses the parapet into the riders quadrant despite her fathers orders and her training of five years to enter the healers quadrant. alongside her friend violet sorrengail, they must face the challenges of life or death that test their strength and intelligence. rhysa is left questioning herself and her life after she meets xaden riorson, a marked one who holds the burden of his fathers loss in the war of aretia where he led a rebellion against navarre. he and the other marked ones were sent to basgiath war college under strict orders to either live as a rider or die as a cadet. things take a turn when she bonds with a night fury, the rarest black dragon of them all. the pressure is on now, especially when she and xaden form a bond themselves and things are revealed. secrets that have been erased by the officers of navarre. there was a war happening but not just on the outside, but the inside too. xaden riorson x oc fourth wing started; 8/26/25 finished; 12/28/25 cover by @-moonsdxst COMPLETED.Complete
Beneath the Ash
Rheanyra Silvarra has always known what it means to survive. Born to a disgraced noble house and branded a rebellion relic before she could walk, she's spent her life training in the shadows, carrying the ghosts of Aretia and the weight of a past no one dares speak of. At Basgiath War College, she's not just another first-year crossing the Parapet-she's a threat. And everyone knows it. Especially Xaden Riorson. They've known each other too long, fought side by side in silence, and now face each other across squad lines with carefully constructed masks. Their hatred is a language only they speak-a shield against the danger of letting anyone too close. Because walls are safer than attachments. Safer than hope. Thrown into Fourth Wing under Xaden's command, Nyra finds herself surrounded by enemies, allies she doesn't trust, and a squad that's as fractured as her heart. With every glance, Xaden dares her to fall back. With every order, he reminds her who holds power. But she didn't survive the slaughter of Aretia to be silenced. As dragons descend and the deadly crucible of Basgiath begins, Nyra must face not only the dangers of Threshing and the brutal hierarchy of the Riders Quadrant, but the truth she's buried for years. Because war is coming. Secrets are stirring. And for rebellion kids like Nyra and Xaden? Survival was only the beginning. XadenXoc
The Secrets We Hide from the Dark
Kathleen didn't want to become a dragon rider, but she had no choice. To support her family she has to go and try to make it through all three years of the famous Riders Quadrant. She makes new friends, discovers feelings she's never felt before, and tries to keep a secret that if known to everyone, or rather, one specific person... would mean her death. Can she keep her secret? Will she live? This story is written in first person and present tense. A fanfiction based on Rebecca Yarros's novel and series Fourth Wing from the Empyrean series. Most characters and the world are by Rebecca Yarros, but a couple of characters are created by me. It is recommended that you read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame before reading this, but this may also be read without reading those books. This fanfiction was written before Onyx Storm came out, so some theories might be incorrect. Nevertheless, enjoy! Also available on AO3(Archive of Our Own)Complete
Shadows of the Fallen ~ Empyrean Series
Six years ago, Aelin Riorson was believed to have died at the hands of Colonel Aetos, with her brother Xaden helplessly watching as her throat was slit. But Aelin survived - and went into hiding, assuming the alias Lillian Parker to protect herself, her brother, and the rebellion. She looks little like Xaden, with pale skin, strawberry-blonde curls, and a gentle demeanor. But her mismatched eyes - golden onyx in one, emerald green in the other - and the knife scar across her neck are the undeniable clues to her true identity. Now, as she enters the Riders' Quadrant, Aelin must keep her past buried. She bonds with Zyphira, a dragon tied to her family's lost legacy, and her signet manifests a dangerous power: a fusion of light and shadow, like her brother's own. As Aelin grows closer to Liam, another rebel, the weight of her secrets grows heavier. But when Xaden begins to question the night she died, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. In a world where secrets can kill, Aelin's survival hinges on keeping her true identity hidden - but the truth may be impossible to deny. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO REBECCA YARROS EXCLUDING MY OWN O/C. All books with Aelin's story will be under this one story. Fourth Wing - Complete Iron Flame - Complete Onyx Storm - Currently Writing Book 4 - TBD Book 5 - TBD
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