It meant our very lives.
The wind was cool as we took to the skies, and I had to resist the urge to lean further into Ignimitra for warmth. The air at this temperature was always a bit chilly, but today it was like ice.
Ignimitra flew steadily, leading the formation to an energetic pace. I could feel her confidence radiating through her scales. It was infectious, burning away my nervousness.
Behind me, Titan gave off the same energy. He and Irikai brought up our right flank, keeping up well with the pace that Ignimitra had set.
As we approached the roll, I tugged on her scales lightly, and verbalized my command. Ignimitra slowed and we twisted sharply through the air.
Her dive was fluid, moving seamless into the mid-air roll. We had flown this formation so many times that being upside down felt like a burst of euphoria.
Then, as quickly as we had dove, Ignimitra came up, righting us. Her wings sliced through the air, bringing us back to our original pace. I glanced over my shoulder, happy to find Titan and Irikai where they had been before the maneuver.
My heart felt full.
We did it!
I grabbed Irikai into a hug as soon as we were on the ground. Against all the odds, we had done it. Titan nearly flattened Ignimitra in celebration. But our happiness was short lived. The silence reminded me of where we were, and who was in our presence. Everyone was staring at us, even Headmaster Archer.
I was breathless.
“Nicely done Kaos and Irikai,” Sergeant Vera said, and for a second, her bubbly personality shined through.
It was quickly overshadowed by the storm cloud in our presence.
“You!” The headmaster barked, pointing a finger in our direction.
My heart was in my throat.
What had I done?
“Yes, sir?” Another voice answered.
It was Janshaik. He was standing behind me, wearing a worried look.
“Are you satisfied with your performance?” He asked.
Janshaik looked at his dragon, running a hand along her snout, then turned back to the Headmaster.
“Yes, sir. I am.”
A mirthless laugh echoed from Headmaster Archer. It sent chills to my toes.
“Your performance was pitiful. You don’t deserve to be a Dragon Guard soldier,” he spat. “Jethro, chain them!”
What followed seemed to happen in slow motion.
The Dragon Guard soldier, Jethro, appeared out of nowhere, bearing chains. Janshaik drew for his cadet sword, standing between the guard and his dragon.
Undaunted by the challenge, Jethro drew for his own weapon—a sword twice as long. The two looked as if they were about to spar, until the unexpected happened. Janshaik’s dragon reared up on its hind legs, pushing past its tamer and stormed towards Jethro.
He raised his sword, accepting the dragon’s challenge.
And then it was over as quickly as it started. A heart-wrenching cry pieced the air, followed by a loud thud as Janshaik’s dragon collapsed. Janshaik was chained shortly after. He had fallen over his dragon in tears.
I was frozen in my soles, disbelieving of what I had just seen.
The Headmaster didn’t reprimand the soldier for slaying one of His Majesty’s Dragons. Instead, what he said turned my blood to ice:
“Take this as a warning example, cadets. You only ever get one chance.”
He had a sinister glint in his eyes.
“Yes, sir,” Our voices were weak.
I found Solra in the crowd—she had been standing so close to it all that blood had splattered on her uniform. Her eyes were open so wide, I wasn’t sure if she was about to cry or scream.
Ignimitra was agitated, I had to wrap my arms around her neck to stop her from moving. I couldn’t allow her to be the next casualty.
We stood motionless as Janshaik was led to the soldier’s dragon in chains. Lyle was a mess—tears streaming down his face, pulling on his own hair—as powerless as the rest of us.
A dragon had just fallen in front of us. At the hands of a Dragon Guard soldier, who had taken an oath to protect the Drakkendom and everyone in it. He had slain a dragon for doing exactly what it had been taught to do, protecting its tamer.
If the Headmaster had chosen to come to our class just two days earlier, Ignimitra and I could have been in their place. The thought made my eyes burn.
The bringers of death left soon after, the corpse carried in the talons of Jethro’s dragon. Sergeant Vera left without her usual goodbye. In their absence, I couldn’t keep the tears at bay. I fell to my knees.
It felt like I was stuck in a nightmare. Only thing, it was entirely real and there was nothing I could do to escape it.
“WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK about what happened to Janshaik?” I whispered.
It had been on my mind all day, though I’d only found the courage to speak about it now that we were at supper, safely tucked away from prying ears in a corner of the mess hall.
Solra hadn’t touched her food at all, and Irikai had been working on the same piece of meat for as long as we had been seated.
Solra was the first to speak, meeting my gaze with glassy eyes.
“It felt wrong,” She said slowly, as if she was afraid to say the wrong thing. “His dragon was just trying to protect him.”
Irikai flung his fork down.
“He drew his sword first!” He whispered coarsely. “The minute you draw your sword, you’re showing that you accept whatever happens as a result of that.” He paraphrased one of the tenets of sword fighting that Sergeant Sadon had drilled into our heads. “You’re only protected when you follow the rules, and he chose not to do that.”
“That’s all well and good, Irikai.” Solra’s voice didn’t have the edge it usually did. “Not everything is as black and white as that. Look me in the eye and tell me that if it had been you, you wouldn’t have drawn your sword.”
“I would have drawn my sword.” He said through gritted teeth. “But I also would’ve known what doing that meant.”
“It could’ve easily been you or I,” I said to him. “It happened so quickly.”
He nodded solemnly. “It’s a high stakes game, up here.”
I was scared beyond belief. The moment we set foot on this mountain; we became like fish trapped in a bowl. Headmaster Archer was the fisherman.
A GRIM PALLOR HUNG over our cohort for the next few days.
Lyle had returned with tales of Janshaik’s incarceration awaiting his sentencing. He had been charged with treason and destruction of government property—on the premise that if he hadn’t drawn his sword, his dragon wouldn’t be dead. Their father was a Dragon Guard soldier, so he had been able to get the death penalty off the table. Still, he could be incarcerated for most of his adult life.
So, when the announcement came that we would get two days off, I saw it as a way to do something that would lift my spirits. When we gathered for supper on the eve of that vacation, the light had returned to Solra’s eyes. Even Irikai was in a good mood.
“Dragon’s Bay is just a couple hours away, why don’t we go to the beach?”
“I think we should visit the other end of the island,” Irikai huffed. “I’m not a swimmer.”
“What about Port-of-Pyr?” I said.
They looked at me with quirked eyebrows.
“I overheard other cadets talking about it. It’s a village right on Dragon’s Bay. Merchants from the mainland are in town this week.”
Solra’s eyes sparkled.
“Merchants!” She squealed. “I’ve been craving some eel skewers, I bet I can get some there.”
I had a different agenda.
Many of the dragons here wore jewelry—Slade wore a jeweled earring, Slavidi had a plaited gold necklace—I wanted something like that for Ignimitra.
We had received our monthly stipend from the Academy just a few days earlier. It was much more than I had expected. The amount of coin I got would’ve taken me a year to make. Treating Ignimitra
to something nice had been on my mind ever since.
Irikai was silent.
“Will you come?” Solra asked, putting a hand on his arm. He glanced at it, then her, then me.
“Sure, I guess.” He chuckled lightly. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
“It’s a plan!” Solra squealed, stretching over the table to bring us all into a hug. “We’re going to have so much fun!”
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, we set out right after breakfast.
We flew east, catching a delicious breeze that buoyed us all the way there; it turned damp and salty towards the end of our journey. When our dragons ducked below the clouds, the bustling village of Port-of-Pyr came into view.
It was huge. A vast network of houses, shops and a harbor that opened out into the pristine waters of Dragon’s Bay. A kaleidoscope of vessels was docked in her harbor, with sails of green, pink, gold and blue. In the veins of the city, stalls were set up and people bustled around, buying, selling and bartering. I spied a few dragons mulling around in an open field. Other visitors from the Academy.
By the time we landed, I was light in the chest with excitement.
We had only landed a few seconds when a young boy, no older than ten ran up to us. Along with him were a few other kids his age.
“We’ll take care of your dragons for ya while you go into town!” The tallest one said. He had thick black hair and was missing a front tooth.
Solra, Irikai and I exchanged glances.
What harm could it do? Other dragons from the Academy were being tended to by the children as well. It seemed like our visit was as much of a treat for us as it was them.
After a brief introduction—and a warning for Ignimitra not to frighten them—we left our dragons in their care. We were still in earshot when I heard one of them say: “When I grow up, I want to be in the Dragon Guard, just like them!”
Hearing that brought me back to my awe and intrigue whenever my father returned home with Jairyn. Nothing seemed cooler than becoming a dragon tamer. Now, I was so close to that dream I could taste it.
But it wasn’t nearly as sweet as I had hoped.
The city seemed to be alive, all on its own. The waves crashing against the dock were the backdrop for the squawking aquatic birds stealing food from vendors and the furor of voices in the street. The smell of salt water, sweets and hot meals was high on the air, mixed with the slightest bit of ale. We took care, for the streets were almost full to their capacity. Carts filled with goods lined them, their bright colorful banners billowing in the strong breeze.
My mouth fell open. This kind of beautiful chaos, I had never seen. The market in our village had never been this vibrant. Here, the stalls bore everything you could think of—produce from faraway lands, spools of fabric, jewels, pastries, even cured meats.
“This is amazing!” Solra exclaimed, running ahead of our group.
Her nose was in the air.
“I don’t know where to start,” I glanced around, trying to pick the most interesting stall.
“There!” Solra pointed to a stall that was drawing a crowd. “Let’s start there.”
The three of us weaseled our way through the gathering of people.
A game had drawn the crowd.
A merchant sat with three upside-down cups in front of him. Anyone who dared gave him a gold coin to play his game—he’d place the coin under one of the cups and shuffle it at a maddening speed, then give them the chance to pick which cup the coin was under. If they were right, they got to choose any of his treasures—I recognized some silks, precious jewels and even a Dragon Guard sword.
If they were wrong, they would lose their coin.
Why would he give away such precious items for so little money? I knew there had to be a catch. Solra wanted to find out for herself.
She weaseled her way into being the next to play.
The entire time we had stood there, nobody won. Despite this, Solra was giddy with excitement, following the game with interest. She had already decided on the treasure she wanted—a ruby necklace.
“Ah, a lady from the mountain!” The merchant exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He was a slight man, with tawny skin, beady eyes and wispy hair that fell down his back in loose curls.
Solra smiled at his acknowledgment. We weren’t dressed in our full cadet gear, only long-sleeved shirts with the Academy’s crest.
“For you, I’ll sweeten the deal. For three gold coins, I’ll give you your pick of five of my treasures.”
The treasures he had were worth hundreds of gold coins, why would he give them away? One gold coin was already steep for us—we only received six of them for our stipend. If she lost three, she wouldn’t be able to buy much else today.
Irikai touched Solra’s shoulder, shaking his head in disapproval.
“Sure!” Solra chirped, doling out three gold coins.
The crowd oohed, and the merchant quickly snatched them up. Irikai kneaded his temples. I held my breath.
I had always believed that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. For Solra’s sake, I hoped I was wrong this time.
The merchant took one of her gold coins and placed it under the cup. I kept my eye on it through a succession of deft hand movements. For nearly a minute he slid and shook that cup around the table. But my eyes hadn’t left it. To my delight, Solra picked the same cup.
But when he lifted it there was no coin.
“No, this is the one!” Solra exclaimed, disbelief coloring her features. Her ears got pink.
“It’s not,” the man smiled, raising another cup to reveal the gold coin.
When did it get over there?
Solra rose from the chair slowly, her lips twisted into a frown. I took her arm. Irikai’s jaw was set, upset. He had been right, and he wouldn’t miss a chance to remind Solra of that.
“Who’s next?” The merchant surveyed the crowd.
“Me.”
My eyes widened. Irikai? Solra’s mouth fell open.
“Which of my treasures can I interest you in, sir?” The merchant gave Irikai a wiry smile. “For you, three gold coins will give you six of them.”
Irikai folded his arms.
“How about this,” He produced his pouch of gold coins. “Six gold coins.” The coins clinked as he dropped the coins on the table, the merchant’s eyes were glued to them.
“I’m listening,” He was already reaching out to take the coins.
“If I lose, you get them,” he began. “If I win, you give me twelve.”
The merchant’s eyes flickered to Irikai in surprise, but then his expression melted into that wiry grin.
My jaw went slack. Irikai was risking his entire stipend! He was from a higher Order, so perhaps this money wasn’t as valuable to him as it was to us. But it didn’t feel right. Solra tried pleading with him, but he ignored her, focusing on the merchant who was considering his offer.
“You drive a hard bargain, soldier,” The merchant grinned, his eyes glimmering devilishly in the mid-morning sun. “Deal.”
Irikai smiled.
The next minute was tense—even the crowd around us had fallen silent as all eyes were glued to the high stakes game unfolding. The merchant placed one of Irikai’s coins under the cup and began to shuffle at a maddening pace. Halfway through, even I couldn’t keep up.
Irikai, I hope you know what you’re doing.
When he stopped shuffling, the man’s smile was wide.
I held my breath, waiting for the moment of truth.
Suddenly, he grabbed the merchant’s wrist. The sound of a coin clattering to the table drew our attention. With one swoop of his arm, Irikai toppled all the cups.
They had all been empty.
The merchant’s bravado was gone. Now, he was like a rat caught in the traps of a cat. Angry cries came from the crowd as it became clear.
He had been cheating them of their money.
“Here, take your money and leave!” The merchant hissed, p
ushing a small pile of coins in Irikai’s direction. He took it with a smile, the three of us disappearing right as the crowd began to close in on the merchant.
We found shelter in an alleyway that led to the sea.
“Here you go,” Irikai said, handing Solra three gold coins.
She took them slowly, looking at them as if she’d never seen gold coins before.
“That was stupid,” his lips twisted into a scowl. “Don’t do anything like that again.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Irikai!” Solra grabbed him into a sudden hug, his scowl slowly softening into a smile. He didn’t say anything else, only hugged her back.
“How did you know he was cheating?” I asked.
We had started walking down the streets again, this time avoiding the stalls that drew the biggest crowds.
“I saw him duck the coin into his sleeves and move it to another cup while we watched him the first time,” he said simply. “That’s why I struck him that deal. I knew he’d want to win so bad that he wouldn’t even try to put it back. He couldn’t risk losing twelve gold coins.”
Solra looked at him sheepishly. “Were the treasures even real then?”
Irikai nodded. “They were. Swindlers like him usually work with someone rich. They give him the treasures to display in exchange for half of what he makes.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Solra asked, then said: “Wait, let me guess. A book.”
Irikai smiled, swatting her away. “I spent a lot of time in villages like this growing up.”
She hummed, but didn’t ask any further questions. Growing up in a village like this would have made Irikai Trito—two orders above Solra. Was she thinking about that in her silence, how different they were?
Our path had taken us along the perimeter of the village. In the distance, I could see the dock—alive with trade as people moved between the ships. What I wanted to get Ignimitra was probably there.
“Let’s go down to those ships.” I said.
The dock was big enough to land a full-size dragon, made of dark wood and fenced in by thick golden rope. With each crash of the waves, sea-foam sprayed us. Ships of every conceivable size were moored here—some of them taller than the biggest dragons I had seen.
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