You couldn’t determine a dragon’s worth simply by its bloodlines. There were too many other factors to consider. I thought of G’lornie, the little brown who had brought me to the Academy. Jorn’s whole family loved that little dragon, and he had served the Academy well and faithfully for years. He might not be flashy or as big as a Midnight Gold-wing, but he was loved and loving and hard-working.
I also thought about my father’s Crimson Gold-wing, F’lorn. Gold-wings were at the very top of the Dragon weight class. Their bloodlines were the most Noble and their fire was the hottest—they were the only dragons capable of making Dragon Glass.
But F’lorn had always been in a violent temper—probably partially because my father was bad-tempered as well—but some of a dragon’s temperament is his own. I wouldn’t have dared to get on his back—he would have bitten me in two before I got close enough to even try.
If I had to decide who to save—G’lornie or F’lorn—I knew which one I would pick.
At last, after a lot of thought, I wrote:
"The value of a dragon cannot be measured by mass. A Gold-wing may coordinate an entire Wing of dragons. A Silver-wing may be bonded to the Academy's only healer. Two Bronze-wings may transport more riders than either. Tactical value depends on mission requirements, emotional bonding, temperament, and other factors—not just bloodlines or physical size."
There—that was as good as it was going to get, I decided. I hoped the professor grading the test agreed with me. If not, I was going to lose a lot of points on that one.
The final problem was one that required a lot of thought as well.
Problem 100 was an essay question that read:
A mature Silver-wing dragon and rider have successfully flown together for twelve years. During a routine patrol, the rider unexpectedly experiences intense fear after witnessing a fellow rider fall to his death.
The Silver-wing immediately begins to:
— lose altitude,
— overcorrect during turns,
— flap harder while generating less lift,
— eventually enters an uncontrolled spiral.
No physical injury has occurred to either dragon or rider.
Using your understanding of Dragon Bond Psychology, Aerodynamics, and Emotional Amplification, explain why this occurs.
Your answer should discuss:
— the dragon/rider emotional bond,
— how amplified emotions affect decision making,
— why increased physical effort alone cannot restore stable flight,
— the proper procedure for recovering control.
That one took me a long time, and I had to raise my hand for extra paper to complete it. By the time I was finally finished proofreading my answer, several other cadets had gone to the front of the classroom to turn in their tests.
Larson was one of them. He gave me an angry glare, his thin lips curling with rage, as he walked past me. I tried my best not to notice but my stomach felt icy cold as I finally finished checking over all my work and brought my test to the front.
“Ah, Cadet Lysandra, let’s see what we have here,” Professor Griven remarked when I handed him my thick sheaf of parchment.
He began rifling through the papers, nodding as he did so. When he got to the ethics question about which dragon to rescue during an evacuation, he gave me a sharp look. He started to read my essay at the end, but then simply nodded.
“I’ll have to save this for later,” he told me.
I felt my heart beating in my throat.
“Did…did I pass?” I asked. The answer would determine my entire future.
“I can’t very well grade it right this minute, Cadet,” Griven said dryly. “Rankings will be posted in the common areas and the Mess Hall tomorrow at breakfast. Now go and enjoy your dinner—you’ve earned it.”
