I couldn't breathe.
"They are just human, Little Warrior—flesh and blood like you. Don't make them into more than they are."
Onyx was right.
They were not the giants I had imagined. General Soren Bardaky was actually quite short, with silver-streaked hair and pale blue eyes, but he was powerfully built and had a commanding presence.
"Cadet Strom." His voice carried across the roof. "Three nights ago, you raised the alarm and saved countless lives."
He turned to accept a wooden box from Commander Langston. Inside, nestled on blue velvet, lay the most prestigious medal an Elucian could ever receive. The gold dragon was rendered in such detail that I could make out individual scales, its wings spread wide as if in flight. A small sapphire glowed at its center, ringed with silver.
He lifted the medallion from the box. "It is my honor to present you with the medal of the Hero of Elucia, our nation's highest honor for valor."
I stood still as he pinned the medal to my jacket.
"Wear it with pride, Cadet Strom," he said, offering me his hand.
"Thank you," I said. As I shook his hand, I remembered what Shovia had told me about humility and giving credit to others. "This medal belongs to every defender who fought off the Shedun that night," I said, my voice sounding stronger and more confident than it had any right to be.
The applause was thunderous, punctuated by roars from the dragons. I caught sight of my brother among the riders, grinning and clapping.
Turned out that Shovia had been right about the impromptu acceptance speech, and Saphir's words about getting help from my friends echoed in my mind. If not for Shovia, it would have never occurred to me to speak those words aloud to the entire assembled Dragon Force.
As I returned to my place, walking on legs that felt like noodles, a new voice joined the cacophony.
"Well done, Cadet Kailin Strom."
I nearly stumbled, recognizing Nyxath's voice. The dragon queen had spoken to me.
"Thank you,"I managed.
"We should speak soon, you and I."
Before I could respond, her presence withdrew.
"You did beautifully," Alar whispered.
I wanted to tell him about Nyxath, but this wasn't the time or place.
Finally, mercifully, the ceremony concluded, and as we filed back toward the stairs, my brother's booming voice cut through the crowd.
"Kailin!"
I turned to find Dylon pushing through the dispersing cadets with that huge grin still plastered on his face. As soon as he reached me, he swept me into a crushing hug that lifted me off my feet.
"My little sister, the Hero of Elucia," he said against my hair. "I'm so proud of you."
"Can't breathe," I gasped.
I hadn't seen or spoken with Dylon since my arrival at the Citadel, and I had been disappointed that he hadn't come to see me. He wasn't a cadet with limited mobility. He was a rider, and he could have requested permission to see his sister, at the very least, after returning from defending Podana.
I was still mad that I had to find out he was okay by asking Ravel through Onyx.
Dylon set me down but kept his hands on my shoulders, studying me with that protective older brother look I knew so well. "You are skin and bones, and you look exhausted. What have they done to you?"
Naturally, he assumed that I looked like that because of the grueling training.
"I'm fine." I glared at him. "Why haven't you visited me? I'm sure you could have found a moment to spare to say hello to your sister."
