Dragon Trials (Return of the Darkening Book 1) (3 page)

The room seemed filled with noble names—and a girl who stared at me as if I was dirt, which I was, in a way. All the others chosen by the dragons wore fine clothes, and had clean hands which looked as if they had seen little work. I knew I would not fit in with them. But I didn’t care. A dragon had chosen me. I turned to stare at the commander who had called everyone to order.

This Commander Hegarty was a short man, but I could see immediately he had a wiry kind of strength. He led all the trainees down the stairs from the platform and into a huge, stone room at the base of one of the towers. Flags of all the noble families of Torvald—all past Dragon Riders—hung from the one the thick wooden beams that held up the ceiling. The room had no furniture, but staffs and swords hung from the walls, and thick, wooden planks covered the floor. I glanced around and tried to keep my mouth from falling open. I’d never seen such a huge room. So I tried to focus on the commander.

He looked a stocky-man much like some of the woodcutters did, who came into Torvald. Sort of like he’d never eaten very much, but everything he did eat got used up to make muscles. I respected that. This man wasn’t like my dad, with a podgy belly and forearms the size of my head. Looking around the crowd of us with steel-gray eyes, he seemed to be taking us all in with a measuring stare. He gave a nod and I hoped that meant he approved all the choices. He looked every bit the military commander in an open-faced helmet with sweeping-back horns and a shirt of dull steel mail and sturdy canvas and leather trousers and boots. His face had a couple of white scars threatening the line of a thick moustache. I thought he seemed stronger than any of us who must be a third of his age.

“Candidates, you have all had the good fortune to be chosen to be trained here on Hammal Mountain to become Dragon Riders. I’m sure most of you know what this means, but let me go over the basics for you.”

He coughed and shifted, his leather not making a sound, which meant it was oiled, and his armor, the metal plates made to look like dragon scales, fit him like a second skin. “The Dragon Academy has been up on this mountain since the city of Torvald was just a keep on the slope of Dragon Mountain. It was once an ancient monastery for friends of the dragons—people who were attracted or drawn here because they wanted to get to know dragons, and the dragons wanted to get to know them. After a long, long
time, some of those gathered here began to think about the future and they set up a community. Others flocked to their banners and so Torvald was born. The great noble houses—I see House Flamma and House Veer represented here—are the descendants of those first dragon friends.”

Beside me, someone moved. I glanced over to see the girl—Agathea Flamma she’d called herself—smile proudly. She was a little thing, a head smaller than me, with bright red-gold hair that seemed to curl and pull itself from how she’d tried to tie it back. She looked slim and slight, and I wondered how it was that a dragon could possibly want her for a rider. But, then, the dragon had chosen me, too, so perhaps the dragon had seen something I could not see. I was glad for her, but it made me feel a little out of place to see all these nobles here. I wondered what it was like, how great it must be, to be able to say that you are part of a tradition that went back centuries. All I could say was that my father was a smith, and his father had been one, too. I knew nothing more of my family’s history. But the commander was talking so I turned back to listen to him.

Arms crossed, he stared at the trainees, his gaze not unkind. “And so, the monastery turned into the Dragon Academy, to train those who could protect the city of Torvald and our realm. Here we train riders on how to work with their dragons, how to fly, how to read the landscape, how to attack, defend and signal to each other. As you know, the relationship between a dragon and its riders is a very special one.” The commander scowled as he looked us over, and I was wondering if he thought our lack of experience a bad thing for he punched his words out as if to reinforce this point.

To me, it was obvious what he meant. How anyone could mistreat, or not feel in awe of, their dragon.

“As you know, it takes two riders to properly accompany a dragon. The rider sitting up near the neck is called the navigator—they help fly, direct and commune with the beast. The protector’s saddle sits further back, behind the dragon’s shoulders. They are the ones who must protect the dragon and the navigator, and the protector is the principle warrior whenever the dragon takes to the ground.”

There was a murmur from the students around me. I could see a lot of them nodding as if all of this was old news to them, but I’d never known any of this.

“Commander?” this was from my very own partner, Thea. She looked splendid in a pale blue tunic that matched her eyes. With her golden hair, she looked a true noble, and she sounded confident and resolute as she spoke. Not like I would. Words tangled my tongue. I stumbled over them whenever I had tried to speak out loud in a group. And I knew what my clothes looked like—like they didn’t fit me and had once been my father’s. I wondered how I would actually be able to fit in with these others.

“Yes, Candidate Flamma?” the commander barked out the words.

“Will we get to work with the Tremain saddles, sir?” she asked, displaying just how much she knew about dragon riding already. I’d heard about these saddles, but only through secondhand reports from other smiths who had made minor repairs to them. They were a fancy dragon saddle that allowed the protectors and navigators to be much more maneuverable in the air. I didn’t really know how they did that. I was just happy to be here at all.

“Ha. Points for being eager, trainee, but you’ll only get some actual flying experience after the academy has put you all through your paces.” The commander gave a firm nod. “Now, as I was saying, every dragon has two riders and those riders are chosen by the dragon itself. It can sense which humans it will be able to work with. Both of you, whichever is a navigator or a protector, are here because you have something—a trait, an aptitude, a way of approaching a problem—that the dragon recognizes in you. I cannot impress enough how it is your dragon that is the reason why you are here. Respect that choice.”

The commander paused for a second as if to let that thought sink in. I shifted on my feet. This meant I should not question why I was here—my dragon had wanted me and that should be that. The commander’s voice dropped lower. “That being said, your teachers will be testing you and watching you. Over the next two weeks we will have a routine of training and learning that will draw out your strengths and expose weaknesses. At the end of that time, there will be a test to see whether you are fit for protector or navigator material. You will both be expected to learn as much as you can about your dragon, about each other, about the different roles of each rider before the selection is made. Understood?”

“Aye, Commander.” The voices rose up around me, one by one, going down the line of all the trainees who stood in this great hall. When it came to my turn, I gulped loudly before I could speak. My voice cracked. I could feel all eyes on me. My face heated, but I could see the commander was looking at me not unkindly. His gaze held on me steadily, like I was a young horse that he was about to shoe. Assessing me, measuring me, I thought. Wondering if I would be trouble.

After a second, he broke off his gaze. “You’ll be staying at the Academy, but every two months until you graduate or fail you can have a day to yourself, which you can spend in the city or visiting your family should you wish. However, I need not remind any of you that tardiness will never be tolerated. Nor will intoxication, fighting, bullying or any other manner of behavior not fitting a Dragon Rider of Torvald.” He glowered sternly at everyone. “If you break any of our rules, even once, then you will have training and flying privileges revoked until we feel you have learned your lesson. If you break any of our rules more than once, you may expect harsh punishment. A third violation and you will say goodbye to your dragon, and your fellow rider will also be out. Your dragon will return to the enclosure. So…failure means you will be letting down not just yourself, but also the whole city of Torvald, your family, your fellow rider and the dragon which chose you!” the commander glanced around the room. Silence held everyone—I couldn’t even hear anyone breathing, but my heart thudded in my ears.

This wasn’t just an opportunity for me, it was also a chance for my whole family to get out of Mongers Lane. If I did well, if I flew and proved myself, I might be able to make a real difference to the people of my home district. Dragon Riders were respected—and well-paid. And what would happen if the other poor kids could see that one of their own—a Mongers Lane brat with no shoes—had made it all the way to the top as a Dragon Rider? It would make such a difference.

The commander seemed to relax. He spread his booted feet wider and his moustache even twitched in an almost-smile. “For now, however, all of you will be free of duties until tomorrow morning when the real training begins. You may use your time to explore the Academy, or go down into the city to pack what you need and return. I would urge all of you to say goodbye to your dragon before you leave.”

“Goodbye?” my voice sounded startled and a bit strangled. What was the commander talking about? A sniggering sounded behind me, coming from some of the other students.

“Yes, trainee.” The commander’s voice was not quite so sword-stern as it had been. “This is the last time that you will be seeing your dragon for these first two weeks of training. The more experienced dragon handlers and riders will be preparing your beast, and you have to get used to working with your fellow rider. After two weeks, you will be presented to your dragon as a complete unit, making it much easier for your dragon to accept and follow you.”

“Uh-oh. I see,” I said, my face hot again and feeling stupid.

“Until tomorrow, trainees, your time is your own. Let me say one final thing—congratulations and welcome to the Dragon Academy of Hammal. May you make your families and your city proud.”

A rousing cheer lifted from the other students. I started out of the hall with the others. I was wildly glad to be here, of course, but the thought was tinged with a sadness that we wouldn’t actually get to be with our dragon for the first bit. She was so very lovely that I wanted nothing more than to stare at her for hours. Around me, the rest of the students seemed to be nudging each other and swapping congratulations. Out in the grounds, they pointed up at their dragons, still perched on the landing platforms. One of the trainees—a tall, thin boy— commented on another’s dragon, saying that it looked wyrm-like, meaning round in the belly and heavy. I frowned at him. All dragons were beautiful, fierce and utterly amazing creatures.

One of the stockier boys with black hair called out, “Hey, Thea? You coming down to the Troll’s Head? A few of us are going down to celebrate. Last night of freedom, hey?”

I guessed the place must be some sort of tavern—a better one than any in Mongers Lane. Thea looked pleased to me, for she straightened and smiled. She was going to be included in their little gang, and I noticed she was standing a little way from me.

But she turned to me and frowned. “Uh—Sebastian? You want to come?” She didn’t sound as if she wanted to make the offer. “We’re going down to a tavern in the northern district of the city.”

I waved to the landing platforms, one foot already on the bottom of the stone stairs that led upward. “Don’t you want to hang out with our dragon? We’ve got to say goodbye to her, so I thought maybe we could spend the evening just, you know…hanging out with her. We won’t get a chance to see her again for two weeks.”

“Her?” Thea tipped her head to one side. “I thought fighting dragons were all drakes?”

I shook my head. Was not her gender obvious? But, then again, how did I
know with such certainty that she was a she? It just seemed obvious in the way she held her head, the look in her eyes as she regarded us, and how she spent time preening her wings rather than flapping them and pushing out her chest like some of the other dragons.

“No, she is definitely a she,” I said, certain of it. “Come on, let’s say goodbye at least.” I grabbed Thea’s wrist and dragged her up the stairs with me, ignoring how her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

At the top of the stairs, I stopped, breathless. Our red dragon gave a musical chirrup. She cocked her head to one side, and I knew she was interested in what we were doing. She unfolded a long neck, leaning forward to huff air over us, as if she was checking that we were the ones she had chosen.

“Don’t worry, girl, it’s us, Seb and Thea.” I kept my voice low and smooth. Reaching out, I gave her nose a rub. Her chirruping turned into a deeper, almost throaty purr.

“Lady Dragon,” Thea said beside me, her tone strained and careful. I turned to see her kneeling on the floor, head bowed. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing me and I hope I can serve you well.” She looked up, and I saw real fervor and honesty in her eyes as she said, “I promise I will treat you well, just as all of House Flamma have treated their dragons with respect and honor.”

I thought it a pretty speech, but also a bit weird. The dragon just wanted to get to know us, not see us bow and curtsey. I wondered what our dragon would do.

The red dragon paused, looked at Thea and very slowly, very gently, put her snout down in the air in front of Thea’s earnest face. She gently rubbed the side of Thea’s face with her own scaly snout.