Despite how unprepared I felt, I always chalked it up to being a new cadet. By the time graduation came, I expected to feel better about it. I expected to have the confidence that would make doing what we were being trained for easy.
Having to do it now blindsided me.
By the time I had managed to pull myself out of the recesses of my mind, Headmaster Archer had disappeared from the stage. The cadets were already talking among themselves.
Irikai and Solra were in the distance, walking towards me. I didn’t want to see them. Not now when I was so vulnerable. The panic reverberated through my thoughts wouldn’t allow me to have a coherent conversation, and the last thing I needed was their prying questions.
Using the buzzing crowd as cover, I slipped out the door, sprinting all the way to Ignimitra’s cave.
I TOLD HER EVERYTHING, tears streaming down my face.
“I’ve failed you,” I said, burying my head in her scaly skin. “If you had bonded with someone else, someone stronger and more prepared, maybe this wouldn’t be happening to you.”
I heard Ignimitra grunt, then felt a wet sensation on my neck. She was licking me.
“Stop,” I swatted her tongue away. She didn’t listen. The heat in my head was blinding.
“Licking me won’t make me feel better. I want you to talk to me!” I shouted.
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Ignimitra recoiled, turning away from me. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to remind her of my promise to her and pledge my hard work.
But all I could do was cry.
We failed.
That night, I didn’t sleep. I spent my night pouring over the book on Fusion Bonds for something that could help us.
The sun rose too soon. I found nothing.
With dread in my heart, I roused Ignimitra to get ready for the day.
It was now a matter of life or death.
THAT MORNING, I WENT to breakfast later than I usually did, hoping that Solra and Irikai would’ve already eaten. My plan didn’t work.
The moment I walked in, Solra waved me over.
She and Irikai were sitting at our usual table with three plates of untouched breakfast.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Irikai huffed, tearing into his food.
I didn’t respond, only picked up my fork and spooned some porridge into my mouth. It was bland, tasteless. But I didn’t complain. Maybe I was the problem.
“Did you oversleep?” Solra chirped, looking at me with those all-seeing eyes.
It was only a matter of time that they picked up that something was wrong, but I didn’t have the energy to pretend.
“Yeah,” I lied.
I had only gotten an hour of sleep last night. Sleep was for people who were sure of their place at the Academy, who had activated a fusion bond. My head was on the chopping block. Sleeping didn’t seem prudent in a situation like mine.
“Doesn’t look that way,” Irikai pointed at my face. “You have enough bags to carry three days’ worth of supplies under there.”
Solra glared at him, but leaned over sniffing.
“And your hair could use a washing,” she said.
Heat gathered in my blood, thawing the ice that began to feel like a permanent part of me. How dare they? They had no idea what was happening to me. They had no idea how I felt. They had no idea that what came so easy to them was currently the bane of my existence. Irikai spoke before I could remind him of how crappy he looked despite a full night’s sleep.
“We want to know what’s wrong,” He said.
“You’re not doing a good job of hiding it,” Solra added.
My blood cooled a little.
“It’s not something I want to talk about,” I said through gritted teeth.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t wanna talk about it,” Solra said. “Clearly, you can’t handle it alone.”
“We want to help.”
“You can’t.” I rolled my eyes.
Just like them to think that they were the solution.
After two spoonfuls, I was full. Any more and I would’ve felt sick. Leaving this interrogation was what I needed.
“See you on the training field,” I said, getting up from the table.
I felt their stares on my back, but I didn’t care.
Outside, I found Ignimitra off alone, the charcoal that I had left her largely untouched. We flew off towards our first class.
I WAS LOOKING FORWARD to Sergeant Sadon’s sword fighting class that morning. I couldn’t think of a moment when our fusion bonds would matter in this class, and I desperately needed to blow off some steam.
It was Sergeant Vera who met us in the clearing.
She had five soldiers and their dragons with her. Were they here to drag us away like they had done to Janshaik? My stomach was in knots. But then, I recognized one of the pairs.
Avek and Nurik.
I hadn’t seen him since our encounter in the clearing, right before our fake Mid-year Test. Seeing him now—in the bright sunlight, wind tousling his hair—only made me angrier about how things went down between us.
If he had given me some advice about the test, maybe Ignimitra and I would be in a better position. Just then, Solra and Irikai came to stand beside me, flanking me on either side.
Sergeant Vera began her address.
“Cadets, your real Mid-year Test is upon us!” She seemed excited. “Going into the field is no easy task, so give it your best!”
I scoffed.
“Even though you all are stronger with your newly awakened fusion bonds, this mission will still be dangerous. Many of you have never seen the world outside of the Drakkendom of Pyralis, let alone interacted with enemy soldiers who will stop at nothing to kill you. We know you are unprepared for the realities that await you on your mission, so,” She gestured to the five soldiers standing beside her. “At the behest of the Fire Drakken, each three-man team will be appointed a captain to guide you on your mission.”
My mouth went dry. I would take anyone but Avek.
“This is your first real operation in the field, cadets! Enjoy it, but also remember everything that you have learned here.” She looked like she was getting emotional, proof to me that this woman was nothing but crazy. “For the next week, there will be a break in classes to allow you to prepare for your mission. I will leave you in the care of your captains! They already know which three-man squad they are assigned to.”
Sergeant Vera left us with another of her wacky smiles. How carefree life must have been when you graduated from the Academy.
Solra, Irikai and I stood in silence as we watched the soldiers approach their groups. I hoped and prayed that we would get someone, anyone but Avek.
Apparently, I wasn’t in the good books of heaven either.
Avek approached us, wearing a smirk that I desperately wanted to wipe off his face. With my fists.
“Team Sigma!” He said. “Great to see you again.”
Solra and Irikai greeted him, but I kept my lips sealed, only offering him a harsh look. He wasn’t fazed.
“Get on your dragons and follow me. I’ve got a spot for our first meeting about the mission.”
Soon, we were in the air.
The joy from flying together had faded. In its place was a deep sadness that rotted my bones. It was nostalgia for something I hadn’t yet lost, but that I would eventually. Tears beaded in my eyes.
I knew Ignimitra felt the same. I felt it through her skin—the way her heartbeat wasn’t as vibrant as it usually was, the way she seemed to be putting more effort into keeping us in the air. She was disturbed, troubled.
Again, I wanted to comfort her.
But what could I say? Nothing I said would make it better. It was all my fault. That brought me the most pain of all.
AVEK LED US TO A GRASSY plateau down the mountain, tucked away beneath the Administrative District. The lawn was well manicured, complete with stonework seating and an impressive marble wate
r fountain in the shape of a grand dragon. Perhaps it was a regular hang out spot for the soldiers who had made it as far as he did.
He directed us to one of the seats, a round table with benches all around it.
I averted Solra and Irikai’s eyes when we sat. It was only a matter of time before they wrestled the truth out of me. I’d keep it under wraps for as long as I could. When Avek joined us, he had a bound book with yellowing pages.
“If Sergeant Vera wasn’t clear, we leave for this mission in a week,” He said.
He had shifted into Serious Avek, the one I had met the night we snuck into the records hall. The memory was painful, but focusing on him hurt even more. The wound on my heart was still fresh.
“What’s the mission?” Solra said excitedly.
Avek held up a finger.
“I’m getting to that, Rushing.”
The pun would’ve made me chuckle on any other day. Irikai did in my place.
“Our task is easy enough,” He unfolded a piece of paper, revealing a map. “It’s a courier mission. We’ll fly to Hydralia,” He pointed to it on the map. “Receive the package and fly back to Pyralis.” He traced his hand to our current location.
It was easy to spot what made this so dangerous.
All the possible routes took us directly through Astraphotian territory.
The Drakkendom of Astraphotis, or Lightning Country as we called it, was our closest neighbor. Their country was home to breeds of dragon that could summon lightning and control storms. Despite our proximity, the Astraphotians were not friendly with us. Sergeant Vera had once regaled us with tales of her fight against them in a spat that had erupted over the use of the Astra Strait. And according to my father’s death log, they had killed him.
Simply flying through their territory would be interpreted as an act of aggression.
“The Astraphotians don’t play nice,” I said. My voice sounded foreign to me; a bit croaky.
Avek’s eyes met mine suddenly, dripping with something that I couldn’t read. Solra and Irikai looked at me too.
“There’s no other route,” He said sharply, “We either fly through Astraphotian waters, or risk freezing to death taking the long way through the Ryme Tundra.”
“So, the choice is between freezing to death or being electrocuted....to death,” I retorted.
Anger flashed in his eyes. I was overstepping, but I didn’t care. I wanted him to feel something for me, even if it was burning rage.
“Fortunately, you’re not leading this mission,” He spat.
I expected him to say more—to dig into me like I knew he wanted to—but he didn’t.
Solra and Irikai looked between us tensely.
“Kaos isn’t feeling herself today,” Solra offered, placing a hand on my palm. “Excuse her outburst.”
I shot her a sharp glance, recoiling. She didn’t make eye contact with me.
“Very well,” Avek hissed. “We have a week to get ready. The most important things are speed and stealth. Our fusion bonds will come in handy, as we’ll need to communicate with our dragons without speaking. Hydralian dragons have some of the best hearing known to man.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Ignimitra and I were as good as charred meat.
Chapter 17
Avek’s dismal briefing included a breakdown of the training paces he would be putting us through during the upcoming week. So much of it depended on fusion bonds—how would Ignimitra and I survive this?
My eyes stung.
Luckily, I got some reprieve. Our first lesson would be in hand-to-hand combat.
We didn’t need a fusion bond for that.
“We’ll spend the least time on this,” he said. “So, it makes sense to get it out of the way.”
The three of us were arranged in line. He stood in front of us with his arms akimbo.
“These techniques are for two specific situations. If your dragon is too injured to fight, or if you can’t use your sword for some reason.” His eyes were like cut steel. “Hand-to-hand combat should never be your first choice. It’s a last resort.”
Would I be able to remember any of this in the field?
“What if we’re fighting someone stronger than us?” Solra asked.
“Strength doesn’t matter. You use your enemy’s strength against them,” he pointed at Irikai. “Wilder, come at me.”
Irikai lunged at Avek, throwing a punch aimed at his face. Avek took a single step to the side, using his palm to guide Irikai’s fist away from him. He ended up in a pile on the floor.
“Like that.”
Solra stifled a laugh as Irikai scrambled to compose himself.
Avek showed us basic defensive and offensive moves rooted in that technique. Then, he split us up.
“Wilder and Rushing, practice together,” He pointed a finger at me. “You, with me.”
I followed him to another spot in the clearing.
Heat pricked my skin. Why choose me? Sure, I would love to bash his face in. But choosing to spar with me felt like a slap in the face. It proved that I was the only one suffering.
It proved that he didn’t care.
“Hit me with your best shot, Kaos.”
Don’t need to tell me twice.
He didn’t have an obvious weakness.
I stormed towards him then quickly feinted. While he moved to block my false swipe, I hit him square on the shoulder. He realized too late.
I fell back into my defensive position, shifting on my toes.
“Nicely done,” There was no approval in his tone. “But let’s see if you can pull that off again.”
I lunged at him again.
This time, he blocked my blow with a palm on my fist. I punched him again, but he blocked that one too. We stood there, eyebrows furrowed, eyes burning with fire, sweat beading on our brow, locked in a dead heat.
Until I brought my knee up to hit him in the chest.
He stumbled back, just enough for me to sweep my foot along the floor, knocking him off balance. But Avek didn’t stay down for long. He was back up in a split second.
The fire in his eyes had become an inferno.
He came at me with a flurry of punches, each one quicker than the last. Blocking them was getting increasingly difficult. The whisper of his fist kissed my cheek. He was angry too.
But I wouldn’t let him win.
I dodged by bending backwards, using the momentum for a back flip. When I was upright, I let him come at me. When he went for my face again, I used a palm to guide him away from me.
I aimed for his face with all my strength.
He stopped my palm by the wrist.
Our faces were inches apart. His breath was hot on my skin, eyes burning holes into mine. There was an inferno inside him too. His composure was a façade. He did feel something, and I would make him feel it till it consumed him. This was his fault.
“Good job,” He rasped, almost too quiet for me to hear.
I didn’t reply, only stared at him.
Beyond him, Irikai and Solra’s spar had ended too.
“Okay team, take five!” He shouted, then jogged away from me over to Nurik.
Solra and Irikai hurried over.
“Nice job, spitfire,” Solra said, folding her arms. “Did you let off enough steam?”
I didn’t reply to her either.
“Kaos, we’re not taking no for an answer this time,” Irikai said. “We’re worried about you.”
“You’ve been weird for days.”
They wore concerned looks. They actually cared about me.
My heart ached. Somewhere in between the flames of my hatred for Avek, another pain resided. The pain of missing my friends, and the realization that I had been a crappy friend.
“You have to promise not to say anything,” I said in a low tone.
They nodded, Irikai putting his palm over his heart.
I took a deep breath.
“Ignimitra and I aren’t fusion bonded,” the
words were foreign in my mouth, like they weren’t real words. Like I wasn’t the one saying them.
Solra and Irikai’s faces were aghast. They knew the implications.
“Then that means...” Solra began, but Irikai put a hand over her mouth to stop her from talking.
She didn’t need to say it. We all knew.
During the silence, I looked down at my hands. They were bruised. I could count Avek’s fingers on my wrist. They hurt, but not as much as I expected them to.
Was he that strong? So why did it feel like a dead heat?
I would need to visit Betheka to get them looked at. At least I could tell her goodbye. Irikai and Solra each put a hand on my shoulder.
“We’ll help you as best as we can,” Solra said, squeezing. “Let’s meet in the clearing tonight.”
“There’s got to be a way,” Irikai offered. “We won’t let you go so easily.”
My heart was full of something. It wasn’t as bright and carefree as happiness. Instead, it was just a flicker of something else. A possibility that maybe things could change.
A possibility that there was hope.
We gathered in another clearing in the Administrative District—this one behind the library. It was much bigger than the plateau we had sparred on, even bigger than the clearings we used for classes. There were stakes dotted around the landscape, along with huge boulders. They were worn with scuffs and char.
According to Avek, this would be where we did the bulk of our training, starting at dawn each day.
“Now, I’ll be showing you an added benefit of a strong fusion bond,” He said, walking over to one of the boulders.
“On my own,” he put his arms around the boulder. It didn’t budge. “I can’t move something this heavy. But with Nurik’s shared strength,” the dragon in question was a way off, lying down with his eyes closed, “I’m able to...”
Avek lifted the boulder slowly, dirt and grass falling from the rock. When he dropped it to the ground, the earth shook.
Dragon Academy Page 18