Page 75 of City of Secrets and Shadows
The flight trials were held in the western courtyard, where massive stone pillars had been erected at varying heights. A half-dozen dragons lounged at the far end, their scales gleaming in the midday sun — bronze, emerald, and slate blue. They were smaller than Sirrax and the majestic bronze, but still large enough to swallow a cadet whole. Sirrax turned his head as I entered the courtyard and I felt a surge of connection and joy as our bond awakened. I couldn’t help but smile at him.
Legate Ferris stood before us, his weathered face impassive. “Flight is the foundation of dragon warfare. Without mastery in the air, you are useless to the Empire.” His eyes swept over us, pausing briefly on me. “Today, you will demonstrate basic mounting, signalling, and dismounting techniques with training dragons. Each of you will perform a flight around the academy before the end of the day. Those of you who already possess a dragon may mount and move away from the beginners.”
I moved toward Sirrax while several cadets whispered behind me, grateful to see him again. The other bonded cadets — only five of us — separated from the group, while the rest approached the training dragons with varying degrees of confidence. To my surprise, Jalend was one of those who already had his own dragon - the bronze. I watched as he approached, but unlike the others, he didn’t immediately mount. Instead, he stood before the beast, their eyes locked in silent communication. The dragon lowered its head in a gesture that seemed almost... deferential.
Sirrax lowered his head as I approached, a rumble of greeting vibrating through his chest. I placed my hand on his warm snout, our connection humming between us.
“Cantius already has a dragon?” someone muttered. “How is that possible?” I ignored them, focusing instead on the beast before me as the now familiar bond filled my mind with a warm reassurance. Dragons bonded mentally with their riders to some degree — that was fundamental academy teaching and generalknowledge — but this felt different, more substantial than the vague empathic connection described in our texts. This felt almost... conversational.
I closed my eyes and tried to reach back, focusing my thoughts toward Sirrax. We’d practiced a few times now, and it seemed to be getting easier each time. I concentrated on my own feelings — determination about the trials, appreciation for his strength, and a question, unformed but present, about what was happening between us.
The response nearly buckled my knees. Not words, but a complex web of emotions and impressions flowed back toward me — approval stronger this time, satisfaction, and to my surprise, genuine affection.
“All this time,” I said softly, “you’ve been waiting for me to listen properly.”
Another pulse of approval flooded through our newly forged connection.
“Well then,” I murmured. “Ready to show them what we can do?”
His amber eyes blinked slowly, amusement rippling through our bond. I felt his eagerness — and beneath it, a predatory satisfaction at the chance to display his prowess. Dragons, I’d learned, were as proud as any noble.
“Mount up!” Ferris bellowed. “Bonded riders will demonstrate the basic flight pattern for our novices.”
I swung onto Sirrax’s back with practiced ease, settling into the familiar hollow between his shoulder blades. No saddle — we’d never needed one. His scales were smooth beneath my hands. I gripped with my thighs, finding that perfect balance point that had become second nature and feeling the heat of his body seeping through my training leathers.
“Riders, take formation!” Ferris commanded.
Sirrax shifted beneath me, muscles coiling with barely contained energy. I leaned forward, one hand resting against his neck, feeling the rhythm of his breathing.
“Easy,” I whispered, though I knew he felt my own excitement mirroring his.
Across the courtyard, Jalend mounted his bronze with fluid grace, as if he’d been born to ride dragonback. The beast was magnificent — only slightly smaller than Sirrax, with scales that caught the sunlight like burnished metal. There was an arrogance to both dragon and rider that was unmistakable, yet also earned. They moved as one, no wasted motion, no hesitation. Our eyes met briefly, and I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a smile touch his lips before he looked away.
“First formation!” Ferris called out. “Circle the academy grounds, maintain an altitude of five hundred feet…”
Sirrax tensed beneath me, ready. I tightened my thighs against his sides, leaning forward into the position we’d practiced.
“Let’s make this interesting,” I whispered.
Sirrax’s muscles bunched beneath me, and I felt his anticipation surge through our bond. Before Ferris could give further instructions, Sirrax launched himself skyward with explosive force. The ground fell away as we rocketed upward, wind tearing at my hair and clothes. I heard startled shouts below, but they quickly faded beneath the thunderous beat of Sirrax’s wings.
The academy shrank to a collection of toy buildings as we climbed higher than the prescribed training altitude. I should have been terrified — we’d never flown this high during our secret practice sessions — but the exhilaration flowing between us eclipsed any fear. This was freedom. This was power.
“Cantius!” Ferris’s voice sounded faintly below. “Return to formation immediately!”
I felt Sirrax’s contempt ripple through our bond, matched by my own defiance. Instead of descending, I leaned forward, pressing myself against his neck.
“Show them what you can really do,” I urged.
Sirrax banked sharply to the right, then plummeted in a controlled dive that sent my stomach into my throat. At the last possible moment, he pulled up, skimming so close to the ground that dust billowed across the ground towards Valeria and her shadows. I laughed at their screams as Sirrax pulled up neatly into formation with the four other dragons next to Jalend and his bronze.
Jalend’s bronze dragon snorted, sending a plume of steam into the air as we settled into formation. Through our bond, I felt Sirrax’s smugness at the display we’d just put on. The other dragons maintained rigid positions, their riders stiff-backed and proper. Only Jalend seemed unperturbed, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
“Impressive,” he said, voice carrying just enough to reach me but not the others. “Though Ferris looks ready to have you scrubbing latrines with your tongue.”
I glanced down to see the Legate’s face contorted with rage, his finger jabbing upward as he shouted commands we could no longer hear.
“Worth it,” I replied, the wind whipping my words away. But Jalend heard, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
