Dragon Academy

by Devonnie Asher

  I found Ignimitra where she said she would be.

  She was pinned to the ground, forced onto her belly by chains restricting each of her legs. She couldn’t move an inch.Quickly, I loosened the stakes one by one until she could do the rest herself. It was easy with her strength.

  Now that we were reunited, we were truly invincible.

  Ignimitra was different to me. More human—the way she stood, the expressions on her face. Even the way her amethyst eyes glistened during our silent moment. I knew that she was thanking me, that she was happy.

  Watch out!

  I ducked instinctively, feeling something whiz past me. She crushed it in her teeth.

  An arrow.

  I turned around just as the other guard crouched behind the smoke pit. A dragon stood menacingly behind him. Beyond them, a dragon was shaking sleep from its eyes.

  We’re outnumbered.

  But not defeated.

  In one huge jump, I was on Ignimitra. Her scales secured me in place, reminding me of our first flight together. How far we’d come.

  Another arrow came our way, this one flaming.

  Let’s get to Titan and Zelkor first.

  We were up in the air with a few flaps of her wings.

  The sleepy dragon realized that I had struck down its tamer, and the guard with the arrows climbed on to his own dragon. They took to the air too.

  This high, I could see Titan and Zelkor. They were pinned down by the other edge of the camp.

  Hold on.

  Ignimitra flew a breakneck pace towards the oncoming dragon.

  With a sword in each hand, I leaned flat against her body. The other dragon didn’t let up.

  We were on a collision course.

  Lightning dragons had immense power, but they need time to recharge. A storm as grand as the one we had been caught in would have taken much out of them. Summoning another would be difficult for them, especially on land.

  They needed open water.

  At the last moment, Ignimitra dived out of the way.

  As we passed under the dragon’s belly, I reached up to drag my swords along the soft flesh. The squelch surprised me, digging deeper than I thought—I still possessed some of Ignimitra’s strength.

  Ignimitra was already unmatched in speed and the wound would slow them down, buying us the precious moments we needed to get to our dragon comrades.

  We managed to free Zelkor before they were on us again.

  I’ll hold them off.

  Ignimitra was in the air before I could tell her to stop.

  We’re a team, you can’t go alone.

  You can’t withstand another lightning strike. I probably can.

  Begrudgingly, I allowed her. We needed Titan’s strength and size for this fight. Zelkor flew off as soon as we freed him. To find Solra, I hoped.

  Titan’s chains were heavier than the rest. Even with our combined strength, I was having trouble. He writhed beneath them, anxious for freedom.

  The sounds of battle made it hard for me to focus.

  Ignimitra was up against both dragons now, both of them angry at us. Terror seized me. I wish she hadn’t tried to do this alone.

  We’ve trained for this.

  Her words were a fool’s comfort.

  She sped towards the closest dragon with outstretched talons. She was smaller than them by a tail’s length, her ivory skin standing out against the dark night. They nearly blended in—dark scales, dark eyes.

  She dove in, raking her talons along the dragon’s side. It shrieked, while Ignimitra circled for another attack.

  The unwounded dragon evaded her.

  Titan was getting restless. I couldn’t divide my attention between the two.

  Free him. I’ll be fine.

  Even she didn’t believe her own words. But with Titan free, we stood a chance. I wrestled to get the pegs free. It took every ounce of my willpower not to look at the fight behind us.

  It didn’t take long for me to feel guilty that I didn’t,

  A piercing shriek reverberated in my head. Pain soaked into my blood, teasing every nerve. Emanating from my ribs. When I turned around, Ignimitra was spiraling out of the sky, a huge gash on her side.

  I crumpled to my feet.

  Two more pegs were free. Enough for Titan. He roared, his big wings kicking up dust around us. I couldn’t even move to cover my eyes.

  She wasn’t answering me.

  “Ignimitra.”

  Still nothing.

  The pain was getting worse, seeping into my fingers and toes. Fighting against it as best as I could, I started crawling towards her. Above, Titan was at odds with the two dragons. I prayed he stood a better chance.

  Have faith in me.

  Ignimitra’s voice was weak, barely a whisper.

  I’m coming to you. I’ll protect you.

  No, I must protect you.

  The pain was deepening by the second, but I watched in disbelief as Ignimitra staggered to her feet, then into the air. Titan was caught in a close-combat challenge in the twice-wounded dragon. The other, had taken an interest in us.

  At first, I thought he was just hovering there, planning an attack.

  But then it opened its mouth towards the sky.

  No, it couldn’t be trying to...

  Dark clouds began to gather. The wind shifted to an erratic symphony, licking up dust and debris. The dragon was desperate to destroy us, to avenge its tamer.

  Even at the risk of burning itself out with a storm this strong.

  Ignimitra was just a dragon’s length away from it. She’d get the brunt of the attack.

  Get out of there, now!

  I cannot do that. I must end this.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

  The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion.

  The column of Ignimitra’s neck glowed a deep purple, and when she opened her mouth more than a roar came out. Obsidian flames engulfed the lightning dragon. The storm died down in an instant. The dragon didn’t scream or cry.

  It just fell to the ground, reduced to a slab of ash.

  Ignimitra swooped down to me, and I got on with much difficulty. When I was secure, we found Titan still sparring with the other lightning dragon. He had the upper hand.

  “We’d betta retreat!”

  The voice surprised me—it was low and guttural and eerily familiar.

  And it came from the lightning dragon.

  “Let’s warn the cap’n.” Its rider said.

  They dove away from Titan, angling towards the east. Titan seemed eager to follow them, but Ignimitra dissuaded him by blocking his path.

  They shared a moment, before he flew off towards the camp.

  I told him to find Irikai.

  We need to leave quickly.

  I felt her agreement. We flew off to round up everyone.

  EVERYONE WAS ACCOUNTED for.

  Everyone except Avek and Nurik.

  Solra and Irikai were as good as they could be after being held captive. They were smeared with dirt all over, their wrists raw from where they had been bound.

  More than that, their spirits were shaken.

  “Where’s Avek?” Solra’s voice was distant.

  I shrugged, not trusting my voice to speak about him.

  I’d thought of that question tens of times since coming into the tent. If these Astraphotians knew the Dragon Guard well enough, it would’ve been easy for them to tell that he was the highest-ranking soldier among us.

  He was worth the most.

  “We can’t wait around,” Irikai said. “If we try to find him, we might get captured again. Next time, we might not be this lucky.”

  His words ruptured in my chest. He was right, but I hated it. I hated that there was no room to feel upset, no room to grieve, no room to do anything other than keep our focus.

  We had already searched the camp. Avek couldn’t be hiding here, let alone a dragon as big as Nurik. Even the cargo they had been carry
ing was gone.

  Images of their lifeless bodies in the ocean flashed into my mind. Avek’s body would float, but would Nurik’s? The lightness in my head was coming back.

  I showed them a map and compass that I had found in one of the tents. Our location was marked on it.

  “I’ve chosen a flight plan,” I said, swallowing the tightness in my throat. “We have to move quickly and quietly.”

  Their eyes held a burning that I recognized. Determination.

  We piled our swords on top of each other. Solra and Irikai were my friends. They were my teammates. And we would protect each other with our lives. Even with the odds stacked against us, there were no other people I would’ve rather faced this with.

  “Dragon Guard!” Irikai started the chant, and we joined in.

  My heart was heavy and my limbs screamed. I wasn’t sure if I could make it all the way back to Pyralis, but I would try. We had to.

  Epilogue

  The day of the ceremony was bleak.

  Gray clouds hung low, threatening us with a downpour. They made me uneasy,

  But today, I refused to allow it to dampen my spirits.

  I was seated in front of the large mirror in my room, Solra busy in my hair.

  The girl staring back at me looked nothing like the one who had ventured into the Forbidden Ruins half a year ago. My hair was lighter, bleached from spending all my days in the sun. Solra was busy pinning it up in an elaborate style that I didn’t care much for.

  The gray leather of my cadet uniform stood out against my cinnamon-colored skin.

  Even from this distance, my dragon mark was dominant—a huge splotch of purple lines that wrapped around my wrist and disappeared into the sleeve of my uniform.

  The girl looking back at me had seen more than she should have at seventeen.

  She had experienced and overcame more than many Tertaro teenagers dreamed of. She had bonded with her dragon and achieved a second-tier fusion bond—the only first-year cadet to have ever done it in the Academy’s hundred-year history.

  And she, according to the Headmaster, had shown impressive bravery in the face of danger and brought her squadron home.

  It didn’t feel like bravery. In fact, I felt weaker than ever.

  I couldn’t close my eyes for too long without images of it haunting me. The feeling of tumbling out of the sky. The smell of the wretched camp had soaked into my skin, for it followed me wherever I went. The feeling of twisting the Astraphotian’s neck. Even the ghost of the searing pain in my ribs still lingered.

  And there was still no word of Avek and Nurik.

  That hurt the most.

  “Smile, today’s a big day for you,” Solra’s voice cut into my thoughts.

  Even she had changed. She was still loud and bubbly—but it didn’t reach her eyes. I often caught her slipping away into some faraway thoughts, so consumed by that she fell quiet for minutes on end.

  I knew where she went.

  “For us,” I said. “The medal is ours.”

  Solra chuckled, her fingers moving nimbly, braiding a portion of my hair.

  “The thought is nice,” She whispered. “But you and Ignimitra earned it. I don’t know where Irikai and I would be without you two.”

  Her tone was deceptively light-hearted, but we both know where we all would be. Dead, stuffed and strung up in an Astraphotian’s tent.

  I put my hand over hers. Our eyes met in the mirror.

  “I’ve always got your back,” I smiled, squeezing her hand. “Promise.”

  She smiled back.

  I found Ignimitra in her cave, clutching her bracelet.

  I want to wear it today.

  “Of course,” I said, taking it from her.

  She lay at the entrance of her cave, the sun streaming in just enough to make her ivory scales glimmer. Her wound had gotten infected, but thanks to Betheka she was on the mend. Now, it was just a blue-black stretch of impacted scales.

  With her bracelet fastened, Ignimitra rose to strike a pose.

  How do I look? She craned her head.

  I chuckled.

  Beautiful, like always.

  Your hair is nice. It’s refreshing to see you look more feminine.

  “What do you know about femininity?” I scoffed, attaching her saddle.

  Because the ceremony was a formal one, Ignimitra and I had to show up in our best. When we got back last week, she had been fitted for a new saddle. This one was of way better quality, made of tan leather.

  “How do you feel?” I said, scaling her to affix the buckles.

  I’m nervous.

  I paused just by her haunches. She met me with those big eyes.

  In our time together, Ignimitra had grown out of my sight. She was now twice my height from shoulder to foot, and was longer than I could fathom. Her horns had grown to frame her face entirely, giving her the look of a fierce dragon queen.

  “Why?”

  We’ve never been the center of attention like this. I don’t believe these people would celebrate us. They would’ve killed us three weeks ago.

  She voiced a feeling that I had been keeping hidden under my sadness and the trauma of being Astraphotian prisoners. Hidden under missing Avek.

  “We’ve done something that no other first year team has ever done, angel. We’ve changed,” I said, stroking her snout. She exhaled sharply, the smell of sulfur in the air.

  But they haven’t.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I rubbed my cheek against hers. “Things will be fine today. We have each other, that’s most important.”

  I can tell that you don’t want me to cause a ruckus.

  I nodded.

  She sighed, raising her head defiantly.

  “Come on, the ceremony will begin soon,” I looked up at the sun, creeping towards its highest point.

  We took to the sky together.

  THE CEREMONY WAS BEING held in the Administrative District, in a large clearing with enough hewn stone seating to accommodate the entire Dragon Guard and guests. I didn’t expect to ever be allowed in this place until graduation.

  When we arrived, much of the Dragon Guard was already there.

  Everyone I made eye contact with greeted me with a smile or a hug and some version of congratulations. I wasn’t invisible anymore, it seemed. Even people from our cohort who usually ignored me—even Vulknor begrudgingly congratulated me.

  There was a special seat for me at the front, beside Solra and Irikai. Ignimitra was one of the few dragons in attendance, finding a place between Titan and Zelkor off to the side of the stage. It felt like everyone had been waiting on our arrival, for the ceremony started almost as soon as we sat down.

  A fifteen-piece band played a rendition of our National Song, then we stood when the Headmaster appeared on the stage.

  Even after coming face-to-face with death, the man still unnerved me. But not as much as before. As of right now, Ignimitra and I were the stars of our cohort. He couldn’t hurt us, even if he wanted to.

  “We’re gathered here today to celebrate Cadet Kaos Kressin, and her dragon Ignimitra,” He began.

  A thunderous applause rattled me. There were cheers, there were hoots.

  “They represent everything the Dragon Guard stands for. They not only escaped enemy capture, but successfully killed a bonded pair. A victory for Pyralis.”

  More cheers and hoots.

  Put so simply, it almost made me feel bad. Almost. Those savage Astraphotians would have turned us into stuffed toys if we hadn’t struck first.

  “Today I have the honor of bestowing on them the Fire Drakken’s highest honor, The Bronnyn Badge of Honor.”

  I walked toward the stage to a roaring ovation. Everyone was standing, chanting our name, shouting Ignimitra’s. She was beside the stage as soon as I got on.

  Smile, you’re brave.

  Her taunt did make me smile.

  In the crowd, I saw the faces of our instructors, soldiers I’d seen around, Solra and Irik
ai, they were all so proud of us. I tried to imagine what my father would look like if he was here. Would he be screaming my name, or just standing with a happy smile on his face? It hurt that I would never know.

  One of the Headmaster’s guards appeared beside me, holding the medal.

  Headmaster Archer took it from him, and put it around my neck. He held my gaze, taking one of my hands.

  “You did well, Cadet Kressin,” He began. “Your father would be proud.”

  He gave me a curt smile, then with the help of two of his guards he put Ignimitra’s medal around her neck. Despite her resolve earlier, she was bashful, excited by the gold.

  The Headmaster returned to the podium.

  “Congratulations, Cadet Kressin and Ignimitra,” He paused for more maddening hoots from the audience. “After an audience with the Fire Drakken, it was decided that your display of bravery was worthy of more than just a medal of honor.”

  What was he talking about?

  “You will be provisionally advanced to full Dragon Guard duty, pending the completion of the rest of your first year of study. We need soldiers like you out in the field, protecting our great country!”

  My heart sank to my toes.

  In the midst of all the cheers, I saw Solra and Irikai’s faces painted with horror.

  What happens next?

  Find out what happens next in

  DRAGON GUARD

  Book two in Devonnie Asher’s Dragon Tamers of Pyralis series.

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  Acknowledgements

  For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be an author. At eight, I wrote my first “book” (it was all of twelve loose leaves stapled together). In high school, I filled countless composition notebooks with the stories of the characters that lived in my head. And when it was time to choose a career, I became a copywriter so I could spend my days doing what I loved most—writing. Yet, this book wouldn’t exist without the help of some amazing people.