Chapter 10 - Multiple POVs

Andarna - 

I stood at the end of the line of dragons, waiting for the Silver One that had Sgeayl and Athana so constantly annoyed. 

"I still do not agree with your decision to try and bond as a juvenile," Athana said from where she stood behind me in the line. 

"I don't think anyone does. She does it anyways, doesn't she." Allani said, dismounting from Allani to run her hand along my scales. 

Finally, I noticed the squad of riders approaching us, the Silver One whispering with her friend, glancing up to look at the dragons lined up on the sides occasionally. They passed the last brown dragon standing in line, one that I didn't know, and the Silver One's head snapped up, taking in my golden scales and my size compared to Athana's at my side. I rose to my full height, which wasn't too tall over Allani. I would grow soon, and get my tail and color, but for now, I was a feathertail, so it was natural that they were shocked. 

The Silver One's gaze traveled to Allani standing at my side, her eyes widening in shock for a second. People weren't allowed to enter the Vale other than on Presentation, so it was expected that she would be shocked that the wingleader was there. What she didn't know was the placement that Athana held in the Empyrean, and by extension, her rider, who at the moment, was Allani. 

The Silver One's gaze stayed locked on me until she walked straight into the back of the one in front of her. 

"Tynan," Allani told me, putting a name to him. 

He didn't seem like someone who got along with others well, and I could tell that the Silver One didn't like him, and neither did Allani or Athana. Athana's tail carved ruts into the dirt as she swept her whiptail back and forth, the spikes digging into the ground. 

Time for them to present. 

Violet - 

"Get off me, Sorrengail," Tynan hisses and shoves me back. "Who the hell would bond that thing?" 

 My chest tightens. "They can hear you," I remind him. 

"It's fucking yellow." Luca points right at the dragon, disgust curling her lip. "So not only is it obviously too small to carry a rider in battle, but it's not even powerful enough to be a real color."

Athana, the purple dragon who was bonded with Allani, snarled, her head lowering slightly so we were at a perfect scorching angle. Allani didn't make any move to stop her, instead continuing to run her hand along the feathertail's scales. Her face was blank, but you could tell that she was one wrong word away from giving her dragon free reign to burn us all down. 

"Maybe it's a mistake," Sawyer says quietly. "Maybe it's a baby orange."

Allani let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with her free hand as she muttered something under her breath about the stupidity of first years. 

"It's full grown," Rhiannon argues. "There's no way the other dragons allow a baby to bond. No human alive has ever seen a baby."

 "It's a mistake all right." Tynan looks at the golden one and scoffs. "You should totally bond it, Sorrengail. You're both freakishly weak. It's a match made in heaven."

He called me weak. In front of them. Athana growled, her tail curling forward, claws digging into the dirt as she snapped her teeth in his direction. 

"It looks powerful enough to burn you to death," I counter, heat flushing my cheeks.

 Sawyer lunges between us, grabbing Tynan's collar. 

"Don't ever say that about a squadmate, especially not in front of unbonded dragons." 

 "Let him go—he's just saying what we're all thinking," Luca mutters.

I turn slowly to stare at her, my mouth slightly agape. Is this what happens to us the second we're out of hearing range of any superior cadet? Well, one who gave a fuck about what happened to us, unlike Allani, who was watching us like we were the least exciting thing to happen today, and not like we were in the middle of a bunch of dragons that decide whether we walk off this path today, or join Malek in his realm. We turn on one another. 

"What?" She gestures to my hair. "Half your hair is silver and you're... petite," she finishes with a fake smile. "Golden and...small. You match." 

Trina puts her hand on Sawyer's arm. "Don't make a mistake in front of them. We don't know what they'll do," she whispers. 

And now we're grouped up. I shuffle backward a little as Sawyer drops Tynan's collar. 

"Someone should kill it before it bonds," Tynan sputters, and for the first time in my life, I actually want to kick someone while they're down...and keep kicking until they stay down. "It's just going to get its rider killed, and it's not like we get a choice if it wants to bond us."

"I would be careful, Tynan. Athana's another word away from turning you into another scorch mark on the path, and I'm too bored to stop her." Allani warned, leaning against her dragon's foreleg, who was currently lashing her tail back and forth, curling it around her claws once or twice as though she couldn't decide whether or not to just scorch us, no matter what her rider told her. 

Tynan shot a quick look in her direction. "There has to be some rule against interfering with Presentation." 

Allani smirked. 

"Nope," she answered, popping the P. "Since no one has ever been allowed to be in Presentation other than the cadets. So I have free reign, and so does Athana." 

Shit. I needed to redirect this conversation quickly before the wingleader lost her patience and let her dragon on a rampage.

"You're just picking up on that now, are you?" Ridoc shakes his head. 

"We should go back," Pryor says, his gaze darting around the group. "I mean...if you think we should. We don't have to, of course."

"For once in your life," Tynan says, pushing past Pryor to start down the path, "make a damn decision, Pryor." 

 Thank Amari that Pryor couldn't make a decision. He probably just saved us all from death by fire because of an impatient rider. We take off one by one, leaving the suggested space between us. Rhiannon goes before me this time and Ridoc follows behind, with Luca bringing up the rear.

Now we just had to make the trip back, and then we would be safe. 

For today. 

Allani - 

My gaze tracked Sorrengail's squad's path as they went back in the direction they came, letting the dragons get another look at them. Eventually, I turned away. 

"So? What did you think of her?" I asked Andarna. 

Her entire decision to bond this year was because of all she heard about the youngest Sorrengail from Athana, Sgeayl, and Tairn. Athana didn't agree with her decision but didn't protest her Right of Benefaction, so she got to try and bond. If she had though, then it was certain that Andarna wouldn't have been allowed out of the Vale, in the sight of the cadets. 

Andarna's golden gaze followed the squad until they disappeared from her sight, which was a long distance past mine.

"She was... different from what I expected. She's different from the other riders. Smaller. As though she doesn't belong." Andarna said. 

Like how I always feel, is what she didn't add. Andarna always said that she felt like she was different when Athana, Tairn, and Sgeayl couldn't hear of course, but she told me. 

"Think you're going to try to bond her?" I asked. 

Athana's head swiveled to face us, her molten gaze fixed on the feathertail, waiting for her response. 

"I think so," Andarna answered, her voice contemplating. "I like her."

"Of course you do." Athana sighed, or the dragon equivalent of it. 

"Did you honestly expect something different?" I asked. "You should know that once Andarna sets her mind to something, she isn't going to give it up without a fight." 

Athana let out a slight growl in agreement. 

Here's a new chapter for you guys! I still have no idea where this story is headed, but I didn't want to make you guys wait for too long. I also mentioned something about Athana and Allani's relationship with the dragons and Empyrean, and that'll come back in later chapters, but I'll expand more on that idea. Hope you liked this chapter!