Page 12 of Court of Rivals
“That’squitethe compliment. It’s nice to know I’m better than a sheep,” I mumble.
Sweeping down low above the treetops of the woods we’re flying above, I shout with happiness. I don’t know what happened to me, but over the past few days I've come to love flying. I love everything about it. The wind. The sun on my back. The way I’ve never felt so alive. It’s like I was made to be a dragon rider, which is silly, but it makes me feel better about my decision to go along with this crazy plan.
“How do you think it’ll go when we reach the academy? I’m kind of nervous about it.”
He gives a little snort laugh.We will arrive. They will bathe us in appreciation and admiration. We will leadall the dragon riders, and they will give thanks to us on our hands and knees. The females will show me their excitement for me in a different way.
I don’t know how to takethat. I doubt the dragon riders will be that happy about us, and I don’t even want to think about how Ebron pictures the female dragons showing their excitement for him. The last thing I want to do is watch a bunch of horny dragons banging.
Ebron picks a place, and we land. It’s a nice clearing next to some apple trees, and I’m glad. Over the past few days, Ebron has been finding places to drop me, then returning with charred animals for me to eat. He lets me eat first, then devours everything I’ve left behind. I appreciate it. And dragon-cooked meat is actually pretty good, but I’ve been craving something else.
He lifts his wing and helps me climb off his back. I slide to the ground, then stand back as he takes off into the air. Going to the apple trees, I go nuts, eating seven of the suckers before Ebron returns with something that looks like it used to be a cow.
I start eating, while he sits back and watches. “Is this the way it usually is with dragons and their riders?” I question as I rip off strips of meat.
He cocks his head, seeming to think.I don’t know. My mother told me some tales of riders and their dragons, but dragon females are very different from males. They learn to be cautious in all things, given that they’re smaller. The world is a more dangerous place for them. We males have the luxury of behaving however we want to behave because few creatures can harm us.
His words make me think. “That’s kind of what it’s like to be a human female. My best friend, Arthur, was once confused why I was nervous walking home from town at night. He thoughtwith how much my father and grandfather trained me to fight, I’d feel confident walking home alone, but I don’t. I can have all the training in the world, it doesn’t mean I want to put myself in dangerous situations. The world isn’t a safe place, mostly due to men.”
That is one difference between dragons and humans. A dragon male would never harm a dragon female. The reason they seek us out and wish to be our mates is because our first instinct is to protect females and hatchlings. I would protect any female or hatchling, even if they were strangers to me, because that is what it means to be a male dragon. That is our duty.
“You kind of make me want to be a dragon,” I say with a laugh.
Everyone should want to be a dragon.
I smile. “You make me happy, Ebron.”
You make me happy too. I couldn’t have picked a finer rider.
His words make me feel warm, but I hope he’s right. I hope I’m the rider he deserves. And I hope the male riders are half as nice as he’ll be to the female dragons.
Pulling away from the meat, I say, “I’m done.” Then get as far away from the meat as possible.
Ebron devours it with no effort at all. I don’t even know if he swallows. The meat’s just there one second, and gone the next. It’s both impressive and terrifying.
“Sleep?” I ask.
He settles back down, so I can lie at his side, which is nice. The heat from his body keeps the chill of the night away. I head over, set my pack down as a pillow, and lie against him, already half asleep.
Yawning, I ask. “So, we’ll reach the academy tomorrow. Then, what’s the plan?”
We become epic warriors of legend and amaze everyone with our ability to fight the Hollowborn. Then, we’ll be worshipped like gods by all mankind and dragonkind alike.
“Good plan,” I say, smiling.
As I drift off to sleep, I think about what the academy will really be like. But as hard as I try to be realistic, my thoughts keep moving to an image of Ebron and I surrounded by dragons and dragon riders alike, being celebrated by all. Not worshipped, but loved and valued by all.
5
Gareth
I take another bite of my apple as I watch the fools below. My two younger brothers, Lucien and Alaric, are showing the other dragon riders proper hand-to-hand battle technique. The problem? The three of us hate each other, so a simple practice fight between the two of them has turned into a real one pretty damn quick, and right now they’ve changed from simple moves to brutal attacks on each other.
Grinning, I wonder which will win. Lucien doesn’t take anything seriously, anything except the rivalry my father has so carefully crafted between us. When he gets going, he can actually stand his own against the two of us. Studying the two battling idiots, I take another bite of my apple. Lucien’s shoulder-length blond hair wasn’t properly secured back, so it’s tossing around as they roll on the ground. Something I’m sure he’ll be upset by later, since he loves his golden good looks.
Alaric suddenly manages to get on top of him. Alaric, as the youngest, always has something to prove. He acts tough as nails, as tough as I am, but he’s soft and gooey on the inside. He might have the balls to deliver fatal blows in battle, but he controlshimself down on the practice yard, and that control is going to cost him the win.
All around them, dozens of dragon riders are chanting and screaming. They love to see their princes in action. There’s something about knowing their rulers are fighting alongside them that drives them to push themselves harder and faster. It’s one of the reasons father raised us from birth to be dragon riders. We must do everything in our power to keep our people safe from the Hollowborn, regardless of what it costs us personally, and that includes leading them into battle.
