The warmth on her face all felt surreal. She had survived. Somehow she had scared the dragons off. Her purple eyes opened to view this world. Walls of the red with shelves of ancient books, she laid on a chair, her silver hair sprawled behind her back still stained by blood. Her tattered clothes still glued to her skin. The familiar face before her, clipped hair and perfect jawline, Silas cadisbury sat before her with a devilish grin. '' our princess survived, marvelous. I hope you survive the next fright, you only kill to survive here. '' He smirked pushing a frothing wine glass across. She sat up glancing around, this was like a Gothic room, each corner holding secrets. Silas watched her with the corner of his eyes. She turned to him with fear. '' how do I get out of here? '' she asked. Silas laughed wholeheartedly and sat up to gaze at her.
'' Darling, there is no out world, you are a forbidden. You have been quarantined from the academy, from Audrigald. To them you are a threat. '' Silas said standing to meet her. She turned to meet him, surprise in her eyes. Silas turned to her with a grin. '' your life is not guaranteed here, every single time you close your eyes, death hangs in the distance. Every time you trust, your life suffers the pain of betrayal Elara. You have no choice but to become a tyrant, a villain. Because in this world, that's all you will ever be.'' Silas said.
She blinked back the tears fighting a battle within her, she must charge forward, but each step determines her humanity, who can she survive n a world where she had to kill to survive, have to pretend to overcome, have to die to live. This was worse than death. Silas knelt before her gazing into the inky purple void in her eyes, he could see her, could see them all. Lies. '' no crying here ashwood. Your only strength is fear, fear brings control and control brings dominion. Make them fear you.''
***
The hall was filled with a hundred students like her. Waiting for leadership. She watched in silence at their faces. They weren't in despair like her, they were willing, willing to be black, to see a black world. She had to be too. She stepped in, their eyes turned to her with angry whispers. What was that in their tone? Spite. As she moved forward curses followed. She turned behind Silas cadisbury was gone, the hall filled with balconies and open air spaces where dragons flew around to burn the entire hall.
Was this another test? She could feel her heart pound, feeling the knife in her vest. Someone pushed forward to meet her. A girl with amber coloured eyes in tattered vest. '' had she just ended her own trial? ''. Elara thought moving a bit backwards. The girl stopped in front of her with a polite bow. Her red braids falling with her. Elara was gone taken aback. She thought titles were not regarded. The girl smiled holding her hands. Elara flinched at the coldness.
'' oops sorry. My name is relma fenigton of oaks. '' the girl said mildly pushing vibrantly through the spiteful crowd. Someone grabbed her hair and slammed her to the floor. '' hypocrite!! '' the person cackled. Relma turned pushing the girl backwards and ramming her palms into her face. '' can't you obey royalty?? '' Relma snarled moving down to help Elara up. Elara turned as the fallen girl rose with a jaunted knife to stab her. Relma intercepted her amber eyes illuminating a fluorescent yellow glow. '' retreat I order. '' Relma said in a husky bully like tone .
The fallen girl, dazed at first obliged and moved away. Elara was shocked that the girl obeyed. She turned to Relma a shocked look on her face. Relma gave a tiny smile that did nothing to help Elara's condition. '' I will explain later before we miss the fun. '' Relma smirked pushing past the others to the front. The balcony was no longer empty at all the elders were here to dictate the rules to the new intakes. These cursed forbidden. Relma smiled and turned to Elara. Elara was conference used, how can someone be so happy to be in a death zone, others were not showing any optimism at all, just brutal vengeful snarls.
Elara turned to Relma taking a good note of her. She was Nice, too nice for a forbidden. The elders gave disapproving expression at the population this year. They were too much. Elder marrouc was there, glancing at her with pity. She was not instead giving her best snare at him but he remained unchanged. The rules were read slowly and with emphasis. Elder Elaine the second glanced at them after all the rules had been read.
'' any disobedience results in death. I hope you understand. '' elder El aine said wryly. Elara turned to Relma who was giggling uncontrollably now. She turned behind to see a boy in emerald green vest and poised hands as if playing a piano. Elara turned, looking up. A tiny flickering arrow was taking form, about to ram into elder Elaine head. Her eyes glistened in shock. They were about to murder an elder. Elara turned to Relma trying to free herself but relma was cautioning her against such betraying behaviour against her fellow intakes. She was still glancing at the arrow which was malevolently becoming more deadlier.
Elder Marrouc glanced at her sensing her glowing dread, his signet could judge not decipher. He could see the dread, could read her fear but not the source. She turned to relma and at once the arrow launched into trajectory. As elder Elaine lifted her head a deafening roar was head. A blue feathertail dragon was struck by the demonic arrow. It's left wing burning with a pale blue flame. The hall became rowdy, each candidate seemed petrified and satisfied at the action. A mild laughter erupted from the candidates and Elara could feel Marrouc's eyes on her, dread and anger for them all.
'' Silence!! '' Elder Marrouc yelled. The hall went as silent as a graveyard. He vanished through the balcony as security and medical personnel surrounded the dragon. Marrouc turned to the forbidden, a deadly glare in his face. She saw it now, why a forbidden was a threat. Their abilities were the only ones that could harm a dragon. Elder Marrouc turned to her. '' who did this ashwood? '' he said in a whisper. Elder Elaine looked up at ashwood, relma squeezed Elara's palm and all the forbidden turned to her, what would she do now. Tell the truth obviously. But all the forbidden glared at her in malice as if knowing her choice.
'' you would be immediately admitted to black ash Elara. Who did this? '' he asked again with authority. The blue wave of magic surrounding him, Elara wanted that, wanted freedom for herself. She swallowed slowly opening her mouth but no words came out. Relma turned away as if disappointed at the friend she had chosen. Elara swallowed and began to speak. '' ...''
***
He sat at the front row, his golden hair in a perfect position behind him, his eyes locked on the book before him. He turned to see the professor continue the teaching about dragon bonds. Professor Enoch stewalds glanced at the chosen cadets this year. Twenty nine of them. Perfection surrounding them. Most of all he glanced at prince ashdod telayne. The dragonstar of the decade. He could destroy the forbidden. '' bonds are not Just a connection, they are a relationship binding a dragon and a rider. Your bond allows you to wield, to hear your dragon, to let them trust you. '' professor Enoch said. He turned to them as if giving a speech to the whole of Audrigald.
'' you were not chosen because of royalty, it was because you are special... You are unique. ''. Professor Enoch said. Ashdod could feel all eyes on him, his heart did nor escalate, he was still the best intake. He was born a leader, and he would lead the dragons, the riders and Audrigald. He turned to scribble something down. As he looked up his eyes was masked by a black void, the class had vanished Enoch's voice was Luke a distant whisper. All he could hear was beats of wings and a serene heart beat.
'' Perfection, perfection, perfection. You will lead Audrigald, you are chosen you are nice. When will the lies end? When will the deceits stop? '' a voice asked. He stood inhaling slowly. He tried to harness his blessing like at the entrance exams. A soft cackle rose mocking him. '' you want to fight a dragon, unbelievable. '' a husky baritone sounded. As if by force, an arrow spear rammed between his chest cavity, splitting his rib cage. Pain flooded his being and he could feel burns around had s back. '' and you are to lead Audrigald...despicable. '' the voice laughed.
'' from now on I will pass my message through you, you will be an instrument for my HEART to destroy Audrigald. You will lead her to me, and she would lead me home. His does it feel like when all your prophecies turn lies.'' The voice smiled. He knelt in pain holding his ears and crying madly. '' how does it feel like when... When all you see is black.''
She steeled, her expression hardened and she gripped relma's palm. Her eyes shimmering with a yellow glow. '' listen to her. '' relma said. A laughter escaped Elder marrouc's lips, he turned and called out the culprit. '' maleek!! '' he yelled out in a loud cry, the culprit coming out with bowed head. Elara's eyes revealed shock, how had he known, did he have a second signet for knowing is secrets? She turned to maleek, hoping to pacify him but he brushed past her in anger. He blamed her, they all did, after all she caused it. Her presence is destroying every thing. He stood before the elders, Marrouc and the forbidden.
'' under violation of the riders codex, maleek is hereby sentenced to death for attempted assassination of a dragon. '' Marrouc said in a loud cry that announced blasphemy. Elder Elaine rising from beside her dragon, a purple sword forming at her palm as she walked forward. She would avenge her dragon. The temperature in the hall dropped to zero, freezing every moisture around.
She drew closer, every one watching in mixed emotion. She raised the sword and it size tripled unleashing a cold wrath on the hall. The cold gripped her like a blanks of bad memories. Fear in every marrow of her being, Maleek's face was filled with indifference as if happy to die. She moved with the stride of a cheetah, anger for what he had do e. She screamed, every fibre in her was retaliating. The sword came up and down. Her eyes growing as big as saucers. The tears slid down her cheeks. All the energy she had saved was gone. Melted away like the morning dew. She fell to her knees. Palming her face and shaking terribly.
Silas cadisbury pulled her up without mildness. Forcing her to gaze at the corpse before her. A once energetic, headless prankster. Elara Ashwood glanced at the corpse, watching as a pool of blood began to stain Elder Elaine's boots. Her dragon expressing satisfaction as well as disapproval. Relma knelt down sobbing. She picked up maleek's coin, it was an odd looking coin with two wrong sides.
Elara watched Silas leave. No concern for a dead cadet. Not even remorse. She hated him. Hated all of them. But it didn't matter any way, maleek was dead because of her and Audrigald was in danger because of her. She stood up the Elders returning to the balcony as all the team leaders were introduced. They were third years,each having a black tattoo spiral at a particular spot in their body.
'' these are your team leaders. Your academy has four wings. North, south, east and west. Each wing is divided into three sub wings. Gold, silver and bronze. '' Elder Marrouc said. He snapped his finger and ivory cards appeared in each of their palms. Relma rushed to open hers agitatedly. She was dead in the North silver wing. Their weren't in the same sub wing. Elara was in the North bronze wing.
After allocation of rooms and class rooms, the elders slowly walked down the stairs. Elara had the same class room schedule as Relma except on Thursday when Relma had dark survival classes and Elara had air diving lessons. As every one began to sort themselves. The flapping of wings was heard. The elders were already wary Knowing that the monster dragons were coming. Elara's bones began to vibrate in darkest fears. She hated to return back to that nightmare again.
Elder Elaine's dragon scampered backward rushing to the extreme end, roaring desperately and trying to flap it's hurt wing. '' Tell them to stop!! '' Elder Elaine yelled. Elara turned sighting the first dragon and moving away as it sped past her, destroying the tiles and taking ng off again. Two more came down in green and blue colours and spiked plates on their backs. The last to alight was the biggest, and most magnificent black dragon. The dragon sighted her at once, moving to her and roaring.
Her heart began to thump madly, threatening to destroy it's constraints. Every fibre in her body tried to escape but all her limbs disobeyed her, rooting in place. She had turned blue in nervousness. Every one bit their fingers timidly. Elder Elaine stood in front of her dragon as it f shielding it from all the forbidden, from all the hurts and pains of the world. These were not eldest but wing leaders. Elara blinked twice as she saw the silver rings scattered on the dragon's back. A flash memory ran across her mind. She saw how much fear the others feared it.
A young man jumped down from the dragon, moving towards her with an icy stare. His hair was a mixture of grey, silver and peach black. His eyes was a perfect bead, translucent and filled with a swirling vortex of white and black. He was built and you could easily tell he was nineteen. He moved closer to her, she could feel those contemptuous, angered breath fall on her cold face. Her body melted in fear. He was the one, he one who tamed the most strongest dark dragon in the entire realm. She should feel afraid, but no, she wasn't.
'' princess Ashwood. '' he said in a husky tone, nearly the same as the one Relma used on the deceased Maleek. She planted a grim scowl across her face hoping to annoy him the more. He loved that, loved how feisty she was. How fearless she could seem to be. She had to. She had just met her Waterloo, and no damn curse would save her from him... From the wrath of an orphan.
'' you don't remember, do you? '' he smirked. She narrowed her eyes and gave a cold grimace at him. '' I hoped so. Revenge isn't sweet when your victim doesn't know. '' he said with a lazy yawn. Dipping his arm into his pocket with a scary look. '' Does the name TIDAN ring a bell? '' he smirked. Her steel expression faltered and her hands hung limp. '' T ... TIDAN?? '' she muttered. She hadn't heard of that name in years.
***
The surrounding was white, crystals floating around him. He was in the infirmary with tens of healers surrounding him. What a lucky life he had here. The professors watched him while they talked in hushed whispers. Ashdod Telayne sat up holding a weird grimace. Alaric watched him moving to him.
'' what did you hear? '' Alaric asked. Ashdod was baffled. '' don't believe in what it said, you are your own master. You are the hero Audrigald needed.'' Alaric said. Ashdod inhaled. They were right. It was all a weird, never to come true dream. What ever that was it didn't happened. He tried to move when a sharp pain bursted in his chest. Blood spotting his chest. It was wrong. They were wrong. The dream was real and they don't know. It's coming!!!!