by Jada Fisher
Finally, Elspeth and a different council member stepped up to the main platform. She was Keyln, if Eist remembered correctly. A young woman who was less than a hundred and had joined the council only thirty years earlier, she was known for her incredible bond and tenacity with her bronze dragon, Varlfarvis. Eist wondered if the other two had left, or if they were attending to other tasks.
“May the blessings of the Three be upon you,” Elspeth said, raising her hands.
“And also with you,” the crowd intoned out of habit. Eist didn’t repeat the words however, as they had always felt clunky on her tongue. While the large majority of Aithris worshiped the Truth of the Three, Eist wasn’t quite sure what she believed. If the trio of spirits were real, why would they have let her parents be killed so violently when she was young? Certainly, they couldn’t have deserved that.
“Be proud, all of you. You have succeeded where many others have failed. No matter where you rank, you can wear that badge with pride.
“Now, we have graded each of you on a combination of your initial interview, the speed with which you completed the physical trial, as well as your ease with the challenge, and lastly, while there were no right or wrong answers to our mental evaluation, we awarded points based on the attitudes we think are most aligned with our own mission and charter.
“It is with that I bid you good-bye, and Sister Keyln will announce your rankings one by one. Those of you who are called, please stay in your seats. Those of you who are not called at the end will all have a chance to file out, and you will be led to your love ones who are waiting for you.”
The excitement in the air turned a bit grim as she walked away and Keyln stepped up with a long scroll. Eist tensed, waiting to hear her name, but the woman seemed to take her time unrolling it.
“Ranking the highest among you is number seventy-two!”
Eist felt a bit of confusion before remembering that she too had been given a number. For the first time, she looked down at her front and actually noticed what had been written on the cloth that she had pinned to the front of her tunic.
One hundred and seventeen.
So, she wasn’t first in her class. Looking around, she tried to spot a happy face or someone silently cheering, but everyone was still. It wasn’t until the person beside her leaned forward that she caught sight of the skeletal, dark-skinned girl from before sitting kitty-corner to her. And sure enough, the number seventy-two was pinned right to the back of her worn tunic.
Interesting.
“Second in the class is three hundred and eight!”
Eist felt movement behind her and turned to see a strapping young lad let out a whoop. She had never seen him before, so he must have been in one of the other groups. Well, at least he wasn’t Ain.
“Third is number one hundred and seventeen!”
It was like a lightning bolt came down and struck Eist right where she sat. It took all of her energy not to get up and shout, or dance, but even she couldn’t stop an excited squeak from escaping her mouth.
She had done it!
She had really, finally done it!
Of course, she had always believed she would, but she would be lying if she denied the presence of the soft voice of doubt within her. It did so love to whisper at her when she was at her weakest, and now she could shove her victory right into its metaphorical face.
Naturally, it was quite difficult to contain her excitement as Keyln prattled through the rest of the long, long list. In the end, only a hundred and five people were chosen, leaving the rest to file out mournfully.
Eist allowed herself a moment to feel bad for them. No one wanted to lose their dream, but they could always try again in ten years or move on to another venture. As for her, she was going to return home triumphant.
“Congratulations to all of you!” Keyln said once all of those who had not qualified had left. “You are the latest generation of dragon hopefuls. You too will be led out to your loved ones, but must return here after the harvest to continue your lessons. There is still a long road ahead of you, and many will not make it. May the Blessing of the Three be with you.”
“And also with you.”
She stepped away and more robed adults came in, ushering people down a hall and back out into a courtyard where their families and loved ones were waiting. Of course, Grandfather was nowhere in sight, but Eist knew he wouldn’t be. With the hatching less than a year away, he was needed for the midday to night shift to make sure that each of them was cared for properly. She didn’t begrudge him that at all. After all, it was his expertise with caring for the unborn beasts that was helping make her dream come true.
She wondered what her grandfather would have to say about all this. Third in her class? That was certainly nothing to sneeze at. There were a hundred and two people who ranked below her, and that was pretty satisfying—especially since one of them was Ain.
But really…she just hoped her grandfather was proud of her.
6
The Hardest Part of a Dream is Letting Go of the Present
“And you’re sure you remembered your sleeping roll?”
“Yes, Grandfather,” Eist answered for what just might have been the tenth time, but the elderly man ran his hand over her pack anyway, and she could see the worry written across his face plain as day.
“My little girl,” he murmured softly, his mouth barely moving with the words. Gently, he stroked the side of her face before pulling her into another hug. “How did we get to this day? It seems just yesterday that you were losing teeth and climbing the trees around the bakery.”
Eist’s heart stung for a moment. As much as she knew she had the call of a dragon rider in her blood, she still loved her grandfather dearly. It hurt to see him so pained, even if this was a pain that all parents and guardians were doomed to face eventually.
“You know that you’ll always be able to visit me, and we will have holidays together.”
“Ah, the advantages of being a caretaker,” he said with a soft laugh. “If not for that, I worry I’d end up a senile old man with worry.”
“I’m not quite so sure you’re not there already,” Eist countered, feeling accomplished when she elicited a stronger smile from him.
“Careful there, you’re not so old that I can’t tan your hide.”
“You’ve never tanned my hide in my life and I doubt you’ll start now.”
“Aye, because I knew hitting you wouldn’t work and is just the tactic of a person who doesn’t actually understand a child. You’re a W’allenhaus. Beating you would just make you sneakier and more determined to do what you were going to do anyway.”
Eist chuckled at that. She’d never entirely thought about it, but he had a point. She was throwing herself into a life of pain and a most likely tragic death, and she couldn’t be more excited. “I suppose pain has never been much of a deterrent to me.”
“Nor your mother, nor me, nor my father before that. We’re a stubborn lot, and that will do you well.” He offered his hand and Eist took it, feeling that bittersweet mix of love and loss rising in her chest. “Shall we go to your next big adventure?”
“Let’s,” she said with a smile, letting him lead her out.
Their small, cozy shack was set slightly apart from the workers, atop a very small hill that was just big enough for a vegetable garden. As they passed it, Eist belatedly wondered if her grandfather would be able to care for it without her, but he just squeezed her hand gently.
“Don’t worry about me. I took care of this lot before you, and I’ll be able to do it after as well.”
That gave her some comfort, and they continued to the short path that lead to the Dragon Academy.
Normally, they would turn left at the fork in the path and continue down to the adjacent hatcheries, infirmaries, and caves that the dragons occupied when they were unborn or unoccupied by their riders. That was where Grandfather worked and would continue to do so until the day he finally rested his head for the last ti
me.
But this time, they turned right—just like they had during the admittance trials—and headed toward the massive doors of the academy entrance.
Unlike last time, the doors were already open, and Eist could see several people trickling in, while several more were giving hug-filled and tearful good-byes to their family. She recognized that she was incredibly lucky in the fact that her grandfather would be so close by. She would always have him for support while many of these people would be completely alone for the first time in their lives.
It was unfair, but it wasn’t like Eist didn’t have other things stacked against her, so she turned to her grandfather with determination.
“Please let me settle in before coming to visit,” she said, pulling him into a hug this time.
“Of course. I wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re getting special treatment.”
“Even though I am, somewhat.”
He shrugged. “Life isn’t always fair, and it’s not like it hasn’t given you a difficult deck.”
Eist smiled at that, amused at how similarly they thought. She would certainly miss him, and no doubt be seeking him out earlier than she would like to admit.
“Good-bye, Grandfather.”
“Good-bye, my little spitfire.”
The moment hung heavy between them, neither of them wanting to break contact, but eventually Eist let go. With one last nod, she stepped away and walked toward her future. With each step she took, excitement grew over the melancholy and by the time she was inside the gates, she was beaming.
After so much work, she was finally at her first day of the illustrious Dragon Academy.
Almost immediately after the entrance was a long table with several men sitting across it, leather tomes in their hand. Eist approached the closest one, who didn’t even look up.
He muttered something right into the table, his words just a mishmash of sounds, and Eist withheld the urge to sigh.
“What was that?” she asked as politely as she could.
“Name,” he repeated, looking up with an annoyed expression. That was definitely not all that he had said at first.
“Eist of W’allenhaus.”
“Last scribe on the right.”
Eist looked to the end of the table to see a young woman dutifully handing a package to another first-year before they walked off nervously. Heading over there, she made sure to address her right away to avoid any of this table-talking nonsense that they seemed so fond of.
“Eist of W’allenhaus,” she said with determination.
The woman looked up, seemingly surprised at her sudden appearance, before dutifully leafing through the book she had. Eist tried to see what was on the pages as they flew by, but she only caught the occasional name and some scrawled details before the woman landed where she was apparently looking for.
“Ah, I see now. You are in the Belvin Dorms. Your room number will be in your welcome tome. Here is a package that has all of the introductory things you’ll need to get settled in.”
She reached behind her and grabbed at something from a chest beside her, and Eist found herself being handed the same packet as the previous person.
“If you go to your right and continue through the open green door, you’ll find a group waiting for your introductory tour. Wait there, and soon you’ll be shown around all the most important places.”
“Thanks,” Eist said, feeling her guard relax a little. “I’m so excited.”
“Everyone always is.”
That certainly wasn’t the comment that Eist was expecting, but she shrugged it off and headed in the direction she’d been told. She was sure that sitting at a table and helping wide-eyed newbies find their way around like lost little ducklings was less than thrilling, so maybe the woman had every right to be less then genial.
She quickly pushed those thoughts away and returned her mind to the positives, which was quite easy to do when she reached her touring group and saw neither Ain nor his mountainous friend with him.
Granted, they could always join later as there was no one but first-years standing around and no guide, but she was certainly grateful for the reprieve.
Time passed, but not quite enough to be tedious, when another figure finally walked through the door. She recognized the shirtless man from her second trial and wondered if he was one of the teachers here. He had to be, right? Why else would he still be present even after the trials were over?
“Alright, you lot, I’ve been told that it’s time to get this group going before the next sorry bunch of you arrives. So, let’s go show you where everything you need to know is just so you can forget about it tomorrow and pester the staff for directions.”
Ah. It seemed everyone here was in a prickly mood. Hopefully, the whole academy year wouldn’t be like that.
They all tottered off, following through another door and several more halls until finally, they passed through another large doorway.
“This is the entrance into the main building of the academy. Everywhere you have been before this has been our outer facilities, which you will become very familiar with after your first few months of training.
“In this building, you have your dorm, the cafeteria where you will all eat, and most of the classrooms. Prepare to spend the majority of your first few months indoors, filling your head with so much information that your eyes cross.
“Oh…and running. Lots and lots of running.”
There was a shuffle of discontent through the crowd but Eist just smiled. Her grandfather had warned her that part of the plight of the first year was perpetually working on endurance, and he had made sure to make her run drill after drill after drill.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t very fast with her short legs and stocky body, but she was relentless, and she could endure most of the burn and torture that came from muscles begging for relief.
“Most of you in this group are in the Belvin Dorms, which means we’re turning right here. This way.”
They did indeed turn right and headed through a stone archway into a long, long hall. There was door after door down the corridor, probably totaling around twenty on each side. “This is where almost all of you first-years will be staying, with a few going over to the Malcrest Hall. Yes, your rooms are small. Yes, your cots are lumpy. Yes, you are the farthest from both the baths and the cafeteria. Deal with it. Comfort has to be earned here, and while we don’t go out of our way to make your lives harder, we also do not go out of our way to make it easier.
“The life of a dragon rider is one of trial, one of discomfort and pain. If this is too much for you, then this isn’t the life meant for you.”
He nodded and Eist felt a strange sort of admiration for this guy. He was rough, that was for certain. Abrasive even, but she felt as if he was someone that she could always trust to be honest, no matter what, and that was a rarity.
One of the main reasons that she had so few friends was because so many people were duplicitous and self-serving. Or if they weren’t one of those things, then they were turned off by her incessant drive to always be working toward her end goal, which of course was becoming a dragon rider.
“Your room numbers will be in the welcome bags that each of you was given. Please, do not unwrap them now so that you have to carry around the contents like the bumbling newbies you are. Wait until you are at least in the cafeteria, enjoying your first meal as potential dragon riders.
“This way now, we’re going to your classes and to meet the people who will help you to become so much more than you are now, if you let them.”
They marched off again, going back out toward the main hall and crossing through what looked like some sort of storage room. Already, Eist could feel her innate sense of direction starting to get confused, and she wondered how many hours they all would lose just wandering around in confusion. She would need to adapt fast.
When they reached the classrooms, she was greeted by a hall not that much different than the dorm corridor, but this one on
ly had five rooms on each side, which she guessed meant that their interiors were larger. Standing just outside the first one was the hawk-nosed woman from the trials.
“This is Kraven of Dalor,” their tour guide said, tipping his head to the woman. She returned the gesture and they shared a smile that seemed to have quite a bit of history behind it. “She will be teaching you strategy and the basic rules of battle. I’m sure that sounds boring to most of you, but that is because most of you know nothing. If you want to survive in the big, bad world out there, you will need to know how to anticipate and interpret your enemy’s moves. Pay attention, and you might just stay alive long enough to have a shot at a second tourney.”
Despite the clear message that no one should speak at the moment, someone close to Eist raised her hand. The shirtless man looked at them once with a withering gaze, but when their hand didn’t descend, he gave a long, pained sigh.
“What?”
“Why a second tourney? Wouldn’t we want to win our first?”
The man paused for a long moment and Eist got the feeling that he enjoyed his theatrics. “One of the hardest lessons you may have to learn here is what you want and what actually will be are on two completely separate paths.
“For those of you who actually are chosen by a dragon and then complete this program, you will be released into the world as a dragon rider. You may take up a specific post on the borders. You may work as an emissary, or a roving aide. You will have only a month of that, maybe two if you’re lucky, before the tourney festival will take place and you all will be fighting over one or two positions. Three if you’re terribly lucky, but remember, for every extra spot open, that means one of our council has succumbed to injury or old age.
“Joining you in that tournament will be all our previous students who just barely lost the previous decade, the decade before that, and even the decade before that. Hundreds upon hundreds of them with all of them having more experience than you fresh little grasslings.
“So no, you won’t win your first tourney. Most likely, you won’t even win a single battle. Prepare yourself for that eventuality if councilship is what you seek.”