I didn't want to lose my best friend, even if it was temporarily, when she was gallivanting around the world on assignments.
Shovia snorted. "As if riding a dragon over these cliffs and fighting off murderous hordes of monsters is safe."
"I'm not going to get selected, but speaking of dragons—" I intended to tell Shovia about my encounter with the two this morning, when our instructor flounced into the room with a whoosh of billowing skirts.
"Good afternoon, class," she chirped. "Are you looking forward to another fascinating lesson about the wonders of Aurorys?"
The woman was much too chirpy most days, and today her high-pitched voice exacerbated the slight headache I'd been nursing since the excitement with the dragons earlier.
I tuned her out.
I didn't need a comprehensive refresher to pass the last test before the pilgrimage. I still remembered everything I had learned about physics, and I had my books to look up anything I was iffy on.
Instead, I turned to look out the window.
Skywatcher's modest academy building enjoyed one of the most spectacular views of Elucia. It was nestled on a narrow ledge carved into the side of a towering mountain, and thebuilders had incorporated large windows into the classrooms, saving the students from the boredom inside by providing them with a magnificent view of the rugged landscape outside.
Raw, untamed mountains jutted out of a vast ocean, while curtains of ethereal light danced across the sky, their colors shifting from deep greens to vibrant purples with streaks of red and blue weaving through the display.
Shadow and light played across the faces of the mountains, revealing and concealing their features in a constant, subtle flux.
In the distance, I could make out the faint silhouette of a dragon and rider gliding through the sky, a dark shape gracefully navigating the rivers of light. They moved in perfect harmony with the shifting magnetic currents—the ultimate conquerors of our world.
Was it one of the two I had encountered on the trail?
I had assumed that they had strayed from their training quadrants in the heat of battle, but seeing another dragon sailing through the sky over our area caused me to reassess that conclusion.
The Citadel and the aviary were not far from Skywatcher's Point, but it wasn't often that dragons flew over the town. Their training grounds were on the other side of the Citadel, and to see three of them in one morning was alarming.
As I considered possible reasons for their presence, dread pooled in the pit of my stomach.
Had worm tunnels been discovered nearby?
Were the dragons patrolling the area?
I shuddered as I imagined the vile demonic creatures pouring out of a tunnel dug out by one of their enormous worms. That was how they managed to sneak up on our villages unseen. The mountainous terrain of Elucia was impossible to infiltrate with a substantial ground force. There was only one port where people and merchandise were transported up from the valley,and it was extremely well guarded. No one we didn't want to let into Elucia could cross into our country through the official route.
The alternatives were either to fly over or to tunnel up.
Only Elucians could ride dragons, so that left the tunnels, which were dug out by the Sitorians' giant worms. They were as exclusive to them as dragons were to the Elucians, but unlike the dragons, the worms had no say in what they were forced to do. They were dumb creatures, enslaved and controlled by the Shedun.
I watched as the dragon twisted and dove through the air. As it got closer, I could see that it was black, but I wasn't sure it was the same one I had seen earlier. The rider leaned low, appearing as one with the beast's sinuous neck.
They plunged toward the ocean, pulling up at the very last instant. I recognized the maneuver. It was definitely the same one I had seen before.
The dragon twisted mid-air, jaws opening wide, and released a thunderous roar that echoed off the mountain's face and rattled the windows of the academy.
It wasn't a warning cry.
It was a victory roar.
I let out a shaky breath, my pulse slowly returning to normal as I watched the dragon glide away and disappear beyond the eastern peaks. Most likely, it had just been another practice run, but if there had been danger, it had been dealt with, and we were safe.
Still, three dragon sightings in one morning?
Danger must be close, even if we didn't realize it yet.
6
