by Jada Fisher
13
The Final Test
Eist licked her lips as she stared at the door in front of her. She had endured so many weeks, and months, of training, but now the time had finally come. It was time for her to prove that she was ready for a dragon.
Her stomach squeezed, sweat beaded on her brow, and the muscles in her shoulders clenched, but she was ready. Or, as ready as she would ever be, at least.
She looked around the corridor, seeing the ten or so other students who were waiting for the trial as well. Dille and Yacrist weren’t there, though. Their tests had been scheduled on different days.
Ale’a stood in front of her, guarding the door with arms crossed. She waited there, impassive, until a horn sounded. She gave Eist a small grin, then stepped aside.
“Eist of W’allenhaus,” she said, opening the door. “Good luck.”
“Thank you,” Eist replied before walking into the challenge that would decide so much of her future.
The door closed behind her and she was left in a dark room, not a single torch to illuminate it. It was a bit intimidating, but she closed her eyes and told herself to concentrate, feeling out the space as best she could.
There was plenty of air flow, which meant that it was fairly wide, and she could feel movement somewhere deeper within. She took a cautionary step, slamming her foot down hard enough to make reverberations that went quite a way.
Then, just when she was feeling more confident of her surroundings, torches blazed to life, blinding her for a moment. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a table strewn with all of her belongings, meager though they were.
“What is this?” she asked the air, as if it would suddenly open up and tell her.
So naturally, she was surprised when a voice spoke up and her eyes flicked to a robed figure standing in the shadows just behind the table. “This is your test. At the end of this corridor stands the white dragon. You will bring her a gift, and she will judge you worthy.”
“That’s it?” Eist asked uncertainly. “Just give her one of my things?”
“Give her your best thing, and I never said the path would be easy.”
Eist looked over the table, her mind spinning. They really had rooted everything from her room. Her few pieces of clothing, her scrolls, the clay figures of dragons she had made when she was young that mostly looked like lumpy, green bread. She considered each one, before her eyes flicked to the only piece of jewelry she owned.
It was just a coin on a necklace, but it was the last thing her father had given her before he was killed. She had wanted sweet-bread from the market that day, but he was called to action before they could go, so he had pressed the coin into her hand and lovingly ruffled her hair, promising that next time he’d go with her.
There never was a next time.
But could she really give that away? A memory so cherished? It was her last physical vestige of the man who had smiled so easily and laughed without a care.
Yes. He would want her to do so. If there was anyone who believed from birth that she had been meant for dragon riding, it was him.
Carefully, she put it about her neck and nodded to the man in robes. She couldn’t see his expression, but she had a feeling that he approved of her choice. “You may continue through the next door, but be wary, this is the last moment of peace you will have.”
Eist nodded and headed toward the entrance, swinging it open and marching forward. Once more, she was greeted by darkness, but the faint light of the open door reflected off of something polished to a high shine.
A metallic dragon.
She dove forward, tucking herself into a roll just as a shape sailed over her head. She felt it land not too far from her, and another glint told her it was a golden dragon. That meant it could spit acid that would melt anything except the metal it was named after. Definitely not something she wanted to get close to.
But would the academy really let one of the creatures spit acid onto a student? Eist wasn’t sure, and she decided she didn’t want to find out.
She heard nails scrape loudly against stone as the dragon turned. She rolled once again. This time, however, she felt herself collide with something that felt like wood. Reaching up, she recognized it as some sort of altar and quickly stood.
She could feel the dragon advancing behind her and hurried her hands along the surface. She felt a fire bowl, as well as a flint and stone. There were two other bowls as well, but no kindling to speak of.
Bending down, Eist wafted the scent from each bowl to her just like she had been taught in class. Almost instantly, she recognized one as old, ground moss, while the other was definitely dragon’s bane.
As quickly as she could, she dumped the dragon’s bane into the bowl then grabbed the flint, striking off sparks until the bowl blazed in front of her in a silver light.
The golden dragon behind her coughed and backed away, keening its irritation. Now that she had light, Eist could see that it was quite young, which explained why the smoke pouring from the bowl had such an effect on it.
Dragon’s bane was a type of mint that all of the beasts hated. While most just found its smell repugnant, some had allergies and almost all young ones could grow sick if exposed to it for too long. So, while it certainly wasn’t an effective battle strategy, it certainly worked for corralling the young beasts.
Well, at least that was taken care of. Now all Eist had to worry about was the rest of the challenge.
She turned and looked down the hall to see the great head of the white dragon resting on a massive pile of pillows at the end. The rest of her body was obscured from her vision, somewhere behind the double doors that her neck wove through.
It…it couldn’t be that easy, could it? Just one golden dragon?
Suspicious, she jogged forward only to hear loud footfalls to her right. She jumped backward, just in time for what she was sure was one of her teachers to dive where she had been just standing.
And then, it was like they unleashed everything at once. Someone grabbed Eist’s arm and she spun, kicking out at the form then rolling forward to get away. But as soon as she was on her feet, her hair stood on end as she felt electricity bolting toward her. That meant a blue dragon was nearby.
She had less than a breath to get away, so she looked around for some sort of escape. There she saw one of the cloth tapestries hanging from a rafter, and she jumped up to haul herself from the ground.
The bolt of lightning missed, streaking past her feet to hit the wall, but the element hit a bolt of metal and lanced through the struts of the floor, causing several bodies to fall as it lanced through them.
Eist took that as her chance and dropped to the floor, rushing forward while the other bodies twitched.
But that running wasn’t enough, and she felt a shape rushing toward her. She slid to the ground, barely avoiding teeth sinking into where her arm had just been.
When she lost her momentum, she tried to get to her feet only to have someone tackle her when she was on one knee.
They tumbled forward, head over heels, until they came to a stop with her on the bottom. She grappled with the person over her, but she could feel that they were bigger and stronger than her.
Even as they fought, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was it. A physical fight and a few dragons didn’t seem to be enough to prove herself worthy.
Pulling her knees up, she managed to launch them off her and scramble back to her feet, pelting forward. She was so close to the end, she just had to pass a small barrier and she would be right in front of the white dragon.
But then in front of her, she saw a line of attackers rush forward. There were humans and dragons, although none of the dragons seemed to be beyond five years, but they formed a solid wall.
Eist slowed to a stop and they all stared at her, the humans with masks over their faces. Surely this couldn’t be it. The great test had to come down to no more than just a brawl.
Perhaps it was because they had never been in such a
situation before. But she couldn’t help but feel…disappointed.
She steeled herself, tucking her worry away to be dealt with at a different time, when the human at the center moved. But instead of attacking, they held up a hand from which a familiar chain hung.
“My necklace!”
Eist hands went to her neck to find that it was gone. He must have yanked it off when they were grappling! What would she—
“You cannot face our queen without a gift,” he said, and she thought she caught the familiar tone of their always-shirtless trainer. “You must give an offering!”
Eist looked at her necklace, knowing that there was no way she could take all of them on at once. No, she needed to be smart about this…
She looked at her surroundings, taking it all in. The hallway was bare save for the unlit torch-stands every dozen feet or so. But perhaps there was her answer.
Grabbing the one next to her, she whirled and threw it at the closest humans with all her might. They dodged, and she used that moment to charge toward where they had just been.
Others dove for her, but she slid once more, going under their range. Her spine protested angrily, but she twisted mid-slide, aiming so her foot would connect with the joint of the hastily built barrier.
Somehow, she managed to hit true, and the wood cracked ever-so-slightly. Fighting to her feet, she pulled her foot back once more and slammed her heel in just enough to get a foot hold.
She could hear someone diving for her, being much louder than they should have been, but she was already vaulting herself upwards. Her fingers grabbed the top of the wood and she hauled herself over to safety.
It was a much farther fall than she had thought, and the breath was knocked from her when her back collided with the hard floor. She lie there a moment, wondering if the world was going to ever stop spinning, when she felt a warm mass gently set itself down beside her.
Rolling onto her side, she saw the white dragon’s head beside her, its jaw easily the length of her whole body. It was awe-inspiring to be so close, and Eist tentatively reached forward.
For a moment, she was sure she was committing some sort of unforgivable sin, but then her hand touched the smooth, almost silky scales of the white dragon and she felt peace flow through her.
“I’ve been told you need a gift,” she murmured weakly, her jaw feeling strange as she spoke. “So, I give you myself.”
She felt more of her breath come back and she sat up with a groan, her eyes never leaving the lavender orb of the queen’s gaze.
“You’re a queen of dragons. You don’t need things, or memories, or my necklace. You need trust, and honor. I give you that and so much more. I give you my life. I give you everything I am and everything I can be. All my potential, all my dreams, they’re yours.”
That calm, beautiful eye continued to stare at her for several moments before raising to the ceiling. From there, she let out a melodic sort of howl that moved Eist right down to her core.
There was another moment of silence and then a door opened to her right, revealing a bright path of light and the silhouette of a robed man.
“Come, your trial is over.”
Eist looked from him to the dragon, wondering if this really could be it and if she had passed or not, but neither of them gave any indication. But she could only make him wait so long, so she got up weakly and followed him out.
“You did well, little one,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Now go and rest.”
“But have I passed?” she asked, her whole soul aching to know.
“We cannot say until everyone has gone. It is the top half of finishers, not merely a numbered score.”
Eist nodded, but in her heart, she felt as if she couldn’t have offered more. She returned to her room and slid into her bed, more at peace than she had been in ages.
14
Hello, New Friend
Eist looked around her at the group of people who had all passed the final test. They hadn’t been able to see each other since the whole thing started, and she was happy to see that Yacrist, Dille, and even his cousin Yelvin had made it.
She was also unhappy to see that Ain and Aether had as well. So much for Marquis’s threats that he might be ejected. It seemed the bully was just as much at home as he had always been.
But Eist didn’t allow that to dull her mood, because after so many years of dreaming, it was finally time to meet her true destiny.
She had passed the test, and they were all gathered in front of the mostly-repaired hatchery. It was time.
Once more, Elspeth stood before them, but instead of being wracked with sorrow, she looked hopeful.
“Today is the day you have all been waiting for,” she said, smiling sweetly. “And I will not stand in your way with another speech. Goodness knows that you have been through enough. Now go! Go and meet who you were born for!”
They ran forward as a mass, bursting through the open doorway and pouring into the deep cave that rested behind the front house.
It was tall, nearly as tall as a castle, and all sorts of perches lined the walls. Sitting on them were many dragons and dragon riders, all intently watching the eggs below.
Several people around Eist gasped in wonder, and she could only smile weakly. She had seen the hatchery many times in its full glory, and seeing it so blackened in soot made her stomach churn.
Was this where her grandfather had been so hurt? He was still not allowed to awaken, but by now, much of his skin was almost done growing back, and he would occasionally twist his fingers and toes.
Or was it in another part of the chamber where he had been struck down?
She pushed that thought from her mind and forced herself to focus on the joy of the situation, not the blackened streaks that lined some of the walls, or the occasional fleck of egg she could see strewn on the ground. The workers of the hatchery had obviously tried their hardest to make sure that everything was repaired, but there was much work to still be done.
A soft chipping sounded behind her, barely audible to her, and she whirled to see a little egg-tooth sticking out of a shell. Gasping, she wandered closer just as a tiny, beautiful head popped out.
It turned its gaze to her, and for a moment, her heart thundered in her chest, but then it let out a warbling cry and she knew it wasn’t hers.
A happy shout sounded behind her, and another girl ran up, throwing her arms around the egg. “I found you! I can’t believe I found you.”
Yeah, that was what she remembered watching when she was incredibly young. She didn’t know what it was that let a young dragon rider know that they had suddenly been chosen, nor how the little ones could call someone from across the entire cave. She just knew that was what they did.
And so, she forged on, waiting for that moment she had been dreaming of.
And waiting.
And waiting.
More initiates found their dragons, and soon the large space was filling with the sound of happy newborns and even happier future riders, but Eist couldn’t feel herself being pulled any way at all. Had she really come this far only to fail at the end?
No… It couldn’t be.
Could it?
Her eyes scanned the entire room, hoping and praying for some area that she might have missed, only for her eyes to land on a far corner. There was a section maybe the size of two dorms that was roped off, clearly not having been restored yet, and despite her mind telling her better, Eist found herself stepping forward.
With every stride, she felt more and more drawn to the pile of ash, crumbled timbers, and stone. It was as if someone had tied a string around her very soul and was drawing her in bit by bit.
She walked, a woman possessed, and ducked under the rope. What sounds she could hear behind her faded and she dropped to her knees.
This had been her dragon.
Tears welled up in her eyes, ugly and fat, and she cried over the fractured, charred shell pieces and other debris. There had been meant to be so muc
h life here, and now it was all gone.
A wracking sob worked its way out of her throat, making her blood rush past her ears. But it was as she hastily wiped away the salty little daggers that she noticed the soot shifting ever-so-slightly in front of her.
Her body reacted before her mind did, and suddenly, she was digging into the pile like a dog on a mission. Dirt and soot flew everywhere, but after a few moments, the side of an intact egg was revealed in the dirt.
Eist pressed her palm to it, and it felt like the entire continent of Aithris spun off into oblivion. There was only her, and the slightly cracking egg in front of her.
Bit by bit it went, and Eist watched breathlessly the whole time. It was as if a golden, healing light from the All-Mother herself was pouring out from the tiny vessel, and she felt it soothe all her fears and erase all her woes.
After what seemed like the most beautiful eternity that she could ever ask for, a chunk of egg fell away and two iridescent, diamond eyes stared back at her. They were the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen and suddenly, her heart was soaring higher than she ever knew it could go.
“Hey there,” she whispered, hardly daring to speak. For the first time in a long, long while, she finally felt contentment and certainty fill her. There was no more doubt. No more wondering if the fever that took part of her hearing would take away her dream as well.
Finally, she had found her dragon.
It was time for their story to start.
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for reading Chosen, the first book in the Brindle Dragon series. That was quite a moment there at the end, wasn’t it? I can’t wait to share the next story with you.
I really enjoy hearing what readers think so if you could leave a review for me on Amazon, that would be really cool.
The next book in the series is called Awakened. All I can tell you is that there was far more than just a unique dragon that was awakened. You can order the book on Amazon now.
