Dragon Academy

by Devonnie Asher

The idea that Dragon Guard cadets could’ve been hunting dragons—the very animals that they had sworn an oath to protect—to extinction as part of training made me feel nauseous.

  I tried to keep the conversation light for the rest of the night. We traded ideas on who we thought already got a tine and the kind of welcome we would get at the Academy.

  That night, I fell asleep in my tent.

  Chapter 15

  While we were preparing to set off for the Academy, I overheard a conversation between Irikai and Solra that made my breath falter.

  “I finally understand what you mean,” Irikai said. They were standing knee-deep in the river, cleaning the dragon blood from their swords.

  “Yeah? What did it feel like?” Solra was excited.

  “I could just hear his voice in my thoughts.”

  I didn’t know if they realized that I was close enough to hear their exchange—I probably looked busy packing up my tent and supplies.

  My blood felt like lead.

  Irikai never joked. He and Solra wouldn’t have been putting on a show for me. They could actually hear their dragons; they could talk to them.

  Ignimitra was busy shaking fruit from a tree. Why couldn’t I hear her?

  That question was on my mind the entire flight back to the Academy. Had I done something wrong during the bonding process? Did my intentions when I first took her from the ruins mess something up? Could the other cadets hear their dragons too?

  A tendril of guilt made my neck cold. Was this happening because I had stolen Ignimitra? Solra and Irikai still didn’t know that. Was this my reckoning for cheating my way into the Academy?

  My stomach was in knots.

  The night with Avek came back to me. What he had said didn’t make sense at the time, but now I understood. He and Nurik did have a mental link. It was how he knew somebody was coming. It was why he was so sure about jumping out the window. They could talk to each other.

  I ran a hand along Ignimitra’s neck.

  Why couldn’t we?

  DESPITE HOW EARLY WE had finished our mission, we were nearly the last team to return to the rendezvous point. I hid the tumult raging inside me as Sergeant Vera called us to attention.

  “Congratulations cadets!” She clasped her hands, wearing a small smile. “Most of you are already here, so I’ll begin. If the others come, I’ll brief them.”

  On her instruction, a member of each team lined up with their tine. She collected them from us, marking down receipt and the names of the team members in a thick, aged book. Solra represented us.

  “By now, I believe that some of you have discovered the true meaning of this exercise!” Sergeant Vera exclaimed.

  My eyes widened. Excited whispers erupted. Cadets were exchanging knowing glances. I was queasy when I made the connection. They were moving in sync with their dragon the way Solra and Irikai were.

  “This Mid-year Test was a lesson in fusion bonds!” She began. “Being marked by your dragon is only the first step in bonding.”

  She peeled off her gloves, revealing a dragon mark on her hand. But it looked completely different from mine or anyone’s I had seen.

  Her dragon mark was the color of parchment, stretching from her wrist to elbow. It looked like interlocking squares, something like scales.

  “I started out with a small dragon mark too,” I looked down at my own hand, the amethyst mark more of a curse than a privilege. “But, after Slade and I forged a fusion bond, it grew. Every time our bond deepened, it expanded.”

  The class was so silent, I could hear the bustling activity in the Artisan District above us.

  “There are different tiers of fusion bonds, but this Academy Session test was to help you access the first tier,” She continued. “From our research, we’ve discovered that fusion bonds are formed in the middle of life or death chaos. This exercise was our attempt at stimulating yours.”

  My breath caught.

  Her voice took on a somber tone. “Things are changing in New Terra, cadets. We need you all equipped for anything that may happen. By now, you should all be able to communicate telepathically with your dragon. It is a core part of your Dragon Guard training, and we cannot teach you about something you haven’t experienced.”

  It felt like I had been stabbed through the heart. Ignimitra’s eyes were sad. She understood what was happening. Maybe it showed on my face too.

  In Sergeant Vera’s silence, the cadets chatted excitedly. Even Solra and Irikai seemed oblivious to my silence, indulging in speculation about what their fusion bonds meant.

  I had stumbled into the Academy by accident, found Ignimitra by accident. I didn’t even know she had bonded with me until Avek pointed it out. I lacked the Placement School training that all these other cadets had. It only made sense that my bond with Ignimitra wasn’t as strong as theirs.

  Heat licked my insides. I couldn’t believe that I had fooled myself into thinking that I could’ve done this. My father had been successful because he did it the right way; he had the advantage of money, connections and the best Placement School training. What did I have? Pre-Placement School combat training and rudimentary knowledge of alchemy. It hardly compared.

  I was just a scrappy orphan who didn’t know when to give up.

  Sergeant Vera broke the commotion.

  “The rest of your training hinges on strengthening your fusion bond. As your connection deepens, you’ll get a taste of what it truly means to be bonded with a dragon.” Her smile was wide. “Well done, cadets.”

  Ignimitra nuzzled her huge head against my body.

  “It’s alright,” I stroked her snout. “It’s me, not you.”

  She looked up at me with big amethyst eyes.

  I thought they looked like she was in pain, but what did I know? I couldn’t know what was going on in her head because of my own failings. I shouldn’t have taken her from the Ruins. She should have gone to a cadet who she could truly bond with.

  During our long conversations in her cave, the thought had often creeped up on me. In my mind, Ignimitra’s voice kind of sounded like mine. But all the other cadets could actually hear the voice of their best friend, they didn’t have to speculate. They could have conversations; they could learn and grow together.

  I wanted that for us.

  Sergeant Vera’s words washed over me, bringing with it an anxiety that froze my heart and stomach. The rest of my training at the Academy depended on strengthening my fusion bond with Ignimitra.

  What if we couldn’t bond any more than this? What would they do to us?

  My eyes burned.

  I would’ve preferred to die in Firesabre Mountains than come back to lose my place in the academy like this. The scarlet thread of destiny had become a noose.

  WE HAD TO KEEP IT A secret. At least until I could figure out why Ignimitra and I hadn’t bonded yet. It was easier to do in my head. Fusion bonds were all Irikai and Solra wanted to talk about at supper. Luckily, they were so caught up in talking together, that they didn’t realize I wasn’t contributing much.

  “No, it’s more of a stream of consciousness,” Irikai said, pointing his fork at her across the table. “His words don’t feel invasive in my head. It’s like they just appear.”

  “Ooh!” Solra exclaimed with a smile, “Yes! Like they belong there,”

  They had been at it for a while, long enough that I was able to polish off my supper before they had even halved theirs.

  “I promised Ignimitra we'll fly tonight,” I said over the din of their excitement.

  Their conversation halted.

  “You’re leaving already?” Solra pouted, “I was thinking that we all could go up after supper.”

  I bit back a scoff.

  “It’s fine,” I said, waving her off. “We want to be alone,”

  And then I left.

  I didn’t dare look back—Solra was either stewing with anger or hurt by how I had put her off. But I didn’t care much. I had much bigger problems.

>   My future at the Academy was at stake.

  Darkness had slipped over the grounds. The streetlights had just begun to flicker on, competing with the starlight. Tonight was beautiful—cloudless sky, big beautiful moon and a crisp breeze. The beauty did nothing to quell my sadness.

  This was the second time in my life that what I desperately wanted was just outside of my grasp. The first time I had been a kid. This time it stung more because I was seventeen. I was nearly an adult.

  I should have something like this figured out.

  Ignimitra could tell that I wasn’t worthy of her power. She didn’t choose to consciously, but she was a dragon controlled by instinct. Her instincts didn’t trust me.

  Taking the long way, I slinked off to my room.

  Ignimitra knew her way to her cave. I couldn’t bear to face her now.

  In the darkness, I stripped out of my clothes and crawled into bed. There was no judgement here. Only warmth and acceptance.

  Something hard jutted into my torso as I wrapped myself with the blankets. I ran my fingers along it. It was unfamiliar, but felt like a book.

  I turned on my lamp, bringing the book close to the light.

  My jaw slacked.

  Embossed on the cover were the words Fusion Bonds.

  What was this doing here?

  I scrambled to my feet, plucking my knife from my discarded uniform. Somebody had been here, in my space. My window wasn’t ajar, and the lock hadn’t been jimmied.

  How did they get in?

  And how did they know I would need something like this? I hadn’t breathed a word of my struggles to anyone.

  My fear melted into appreciation. Somebody out there had my back.

  Just like I should have Ignimitra’s, regardless of whatever I thought was happening between us. We were still bonded.

  Quickly, I got into my clothes. Whatever was in this book, she needed to hear it too.

  After stowing it away in my pack, I left for her cave.

  I FOUND IGNIMITRA CURLED tightly into a ball, shrouded by darkness in the depths of her cave. Gathering all the bramble I could find; I quickly made a fire so I could see her clearly.

  “Ignimitra?”

  She raised her head slightly, pinning me with a glare. Anger rolled off her in buckets. It was unmistakable. My dragon was mad at me.

  In our months of companionship, I’d never left her after supper. I always took her to her cave and told her goodnight.

  Electricity spasmed through my chest.

  I had abandoned her the same way I had been, for something she didn’t deserve. I had screwed up one more thing. I tried to stroke her head, but she shifted out of my reach.

  “I-I’m sorry, angel,” I said.

  She turned away, closing her eyes.

  “I was only thinking of myself. It was a stupid move,” I pleaded. “I’m so sorry.”

  An amethyst eye observed me.

  “I should think about your feelings more. I’ve been sad ever since we got back from the Firesabre Mountains. I don’t know how to keep myself from thinking all these bad things.”

  I moved closer. She didn’t move this time.

  The feel of her skin was like a salve. She always made me feel better. I took small steps closer until I sandwiched in the crook of her forepaw. Like old times.

  “I found something that I think you’d like,” I said.

  She opened her eyes, turning to look at me.

  “I found it on my bed when I went in tonight,” I smiled. “Can I read it with you?”

  My heartbeat was loud as I waited for her approval. She pushed me forward with her tail, her version of yes.

  “It’s about Fusion Bonds.”

  She was suddenly interested now, shifting her body weight to peer into my pouch more closely. It was as if she wanted to read the book for herself.

  When I opened it, it was written in an entirely different language.

  There was a rough translation above each sentence.

  I cleared my throat before I spoke.

  Fusion bonds existed from the very first dragon-human partnership. Forged at the apex of understanding, trust and devotion, fusion bonds are a physical transmutation of the partnership between dragons and humans. The duo’s strengths are amplified, while their weaknesses are dispelled.

  Ignimitra was just as enamored as I was.

  There is little specificity about when they form. However, it is true in all cases that they occur when the heart of dragon and human become one, often in the first few months of the dragon’s life. The more dragon and human grow and the closer they become, the stronger their bond becomes.

  A fusion bond’s power depends on the dragon’s breed and strength, as well as the tamer’s own physical and mental strength. At least, this is true for the first few tiers. After both dragon and tamer had become one in totality, their individual strengths matter less, as they would have achieved the mythical Complete Meld.

  In the first tier of a fusion bond, the ability to communicate through thought is unlocked. By the second tier, both are able to lend the other the power of their sight, hearing, taste, or smell for as long as either party can sustain the connection. Dragon strengths like breath ability, strength, stamina and longevity can also be exchanged.

  The third tier involves enlightenment on a new level. Dragon and human are able to exchange consciousness at will, and are permanently tied into the other’s minds. The human is imbued with a duplicate of their dragon’s strengths, and the dragon empowered with a duplicate of their human’s senses.

  Little is known about fusion bonds beyond the third tier. It is believed that the Great Dragons and their humans achieved the mythical Complete Meld, allowing them to access the power they used to reshape New Terra after the Great Dragon War.

  Few ever surpass the second tier. By New Terra law under the Treaty of the Nations, only those who have third tier fusion bonds and higher can be considered worthy of holding the title of Strongest in the Land.

  My mouth fell open.

  The strongest in the land.

  The strongest in our land was...The Fire Drakken. He had a third-tier fusion bond.

  Did all of the Dragon Guard soldiers have this kind of bond with their dragons? Did all the instructors too? Had my father been bonded to Jairyn like this?

  We sat staring off into the cavernous silence of the cave, punctuated by the crackling fire and the tune of crickets. Fusion bonds weren’t just a Dragon Guard thing. They were a rite of passage for dragons and humans alike.

  It was a law of nature.

  The thought didn’t even get to settle in my mind. The distinctive toll of a bell in the distance made my hair stand on edge.

  The assembly bell.

  “Keep this safe,” I said to Ignimitra, placing the book near her. “I’ll be back.”

  Before I could slip past, Ignimitra rose to her feet and blocked the exit with her body. She gave me a harsh look. Was she afraid that I would abandon her again?

  No, that wasn’t it. There was something different about her expression.

  “Yes, we will work on becoming fusion bonded,” I said. I didn’t know how, but I knew that I wanted it. She wanted it too. “I promise.”

  Satisfied, she let me pass.

  There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I raced to the assembly hall. My promise to Ignimitra was true, but nothing was ever easy on this mountain. As of now, we weren’t fusion bonded. That made us sitting ducks for the Headmaster.

  Bad things always happened when we were summoned.

  I WAS ONE OF THE LAST to make it there, ending up in one of the rows closer to the back, sandwiched between two cadets from another cohort.

  What was it with this guy and late-night announcements? Was there no other way to disperse information? It got old very quickly.

  “It’s nice to see that most of you are back from your Academy Session test,” He began with a bright smile. “This year's group of cadets has been the most successful
to date. Only three were lost to the Firesabres.”

  A wave of sickness flooded me.

  Only three were lost. It was like someone had ripped out my stomach and replaced it with swamp water. The sound of a hunt that we had heard as we settled in that night, had that been our fellow cadets being killed by the dragons?

  When my eyes found the Headmaster again, it felt like I was seeing him for the first time. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had a vial poison where his heart should have been.

  Three cadets, just like me, with dragons just like Ignimitra had been mauled, and it didn’t even matter to him. What if they had died because they were unable to awaken their fusion bonds? Could I have had that fate? And, if I had been one of the fallen, would my death be treated this way?

  My blood was ice by the time he spoke again.

  “Fortunately for all of you gathered here, by passing this test you now have the opportunity to participate in the real Mid-year test.”

  I didn’t think it was possible to feel colder than I already did, but alas, my fingers and toes became sticks of ice.

  “Awakening your fusion bonds was only the first half,” he smiled like he was actually enjoying this.

  I wanted to hurl.

  Chapter 16

  My ears were blocked by shards of ice

  The test that almost killed us—and actually killed some cadets—was only half of the equation? My mind raced, neck-in-neck with the pounding in my chest.

  “Usually, what you did would have sufficed as your Mid-year Test. But these aren’t usual times,” Venom dripped from his words. “There is anarchy in New Terra, and the Fire Drakken needs us to quell it.”

  What?

  “Our enlisted soldiers are needed for A-Class, B-Class and C-Class tasks arising from the disorder in our territories. Dozens of D-Class tasks have become available, and you will be completing them as part of your Mid-year Test this year.” Another grin. “Your first real taste of military action.”

  It was like I fell through the floor into a vacuum of darkness where only my thoughts and I existed.The fact that we were being prepared for roles in His Majesty’s Dragon Guard to do our part in keeping New Terra balanced wasn’t new to me. It was the path my father chose.