Chapter Text
Prolog
Life has always been different for me. I can read minds. I haven’t seen my mother in years, ever since my dad took me to Tyrrendor at the start of The Rebellion. It was a struggle at first. I never understood why I had to leave. My father always said that it was because he wanted us to know the truth, to have a better life. I have friends. Xaden Riorson’s father was the leader of The Rebellion. Xaden is three years older than me. We were pretty close, yet I knew we could be nothing more than friends. He was betrothed to a gryphon flyer. I never liked Catriona. She just wanted the throne.
My brother, Arran, always protected me. Whenever my father went on a mission for Fen, my brother would always convince me that he would come back. That I had nothing to worry about. My father was Colonel Byrne. He was one of Fen’s most trusted officials.
I did always have a voice in my head which was Freya. Technically, you are unable to bond a dragon until you make it to Threshing at Basgiath War Collage. You need to cross parapet, make it up the Gauntlet, survive Presentation, and then survive Threshing before you bond a dragon. Freya's voice started appearing in my head ever since my last trip to see my mother, which was before the war. She always tells me not to tell anyone about her choosing me, so I am not killed. She told me she would start channeling after my Threshing. I have been training for the riders quadrant ever since Freya chose me. Xaden always helped with my training.
Towards the end of the war, we acquired a new, important member to The Rebellion, Brennan Sorrengail. After what I knew about the General, I was sure he would betray us. It turned out that he would be one of our greatest allies.
Colonel Mairi was an expert at weaving runes. She created a protective rune to be used once to save all of the rebellion kids. It was activated with dragon fire, the way Navarre executes trators. We all kept them on us. We knew we would be punished like our parents if they ever found us. When they find us. Some are convinced we are safe, others are not. I am one of those who are sure we will get caught.
– –
Smoke. It was in my room, in my lungs, there was no escape. I see Imogen running to my bed. “Get up!” Freya screamed at me. “Alyth, we need to get out of here!” Her voice was calm, yet demanding. Her thoughts weren't even thoughts, her mind was swamped with fear. Imogen was never afraid. I got up quickly. I knew what was happening. They found us. Navarre found us. We were all dead.
There were soldiers. I saw fire coming from one of them. Riders. This was a full assault. Everyone will be executed. “Focus!” Freya always got to the point. She never was soft or nice, but neither was I. The smoke blinded me as we ran. Xaden, Imogen, Arran, and I ran through the halls of Riorson House. I heard someone aprotching. A wall of ice appeared in front of us. An ice wielder. We were trapped. Nowhere to run. We were all dead. “You will live, you are mine.” Her reassurance couldn’t calm my nerves.
Xaden stepped in front of our group as the riders approached us. I am sorry Alyth. Why would Xaden be apologizing to me. We were trapped, nowhere to go. They put our hands behind our backs at an uncomfortable angle and walked us out into the courtyard where we could see the rest of our families. I scanned the crowd as we were lined up. I locked eyes with my father. The Colonel was next to Fen Riorson. General Melgren’s brute of a dragon, Codagh, stalked forward. “Fen Riorson. This war was unnecessary. You and the people who followed you are traders to Navarre. You all will be executed for your crimes against Navarre.”
Codagh inhaled and his throat turned a bright orange, his tongue curled as he prepared to exhale fire. “Your all cowards!” Fen shouted at them as Codagh turned him along with our families into ashes. I didn’t cry, I schooled my emotions like everyone else around me. We knew that it would come to this. Everyone of us, the rebellion kids, clutched the protection rune in our hand. Our only guarantee was to survive the execution.
My eyes landed on Major Byrne. She didn’t seem to care that her husband was just killed. She didn’t seem to care that her children were next. The fire came. There was a burning sensation through my arm and shoulder. “Breathe. You are alive.” I opened my eyes and only then I realized I was holding my breath. We all learned to do that over time because we were around dragons. If you breathe, you could singe your lungs.
The fire was gone, but the burning was still there. How am I even alive? I didn’t understand. We all should be dead. “The rune.” Freya reminded me. I looked at Xaden and my brother. They have a silvery mark on their arm like mine. All of us were confused. All of them were the same, except mine, like my brother’s, was different. The bottom was faded and hardly visible. “The Major stayed loyal,” she could read my thoughts, Freya was always with me, “ so, your mark is faded at showing your mother’s loyalty.”
– –
The Rebellion was over, as it has been for a year. All the kids from The Rebellion we spread out into foster homes. Most siblings were separated. I got lucky, I was fostered by Duke Lindell. Xaden and Liam Mairi were also fostered with me. The Duke allowed us to continue training. Xaden made a risky deal with General Sorrengail which I am mad at him for, but also grateful. All 109 Rebellion Kids would be conscripted into the riders quadrant at Basgiath as punishment for our ‘crimes’ against Navarre.
“Tell him. You should be properly trained so you can survive challenges and so you are strong enough to be the guardian.” Freya finally decided I should tell someone about her bonding with me. “Xaden, I have to tell you something.” Liam had just left, so I told him. He was shocked. He had never heard of a dragon bonding someone who was not old enough to enter the riders quadrant. I told him everything. Well, almost everything. I didn't tell him about my ability.
Training intensified. I was glad, a greater distraction. I needed it. I trained hard every day. My dragon always convinced me to do more, try harder, when I felt like I was done. When I felt too tired to continue.
– –
The day Major Byrne showed up was shocking. She was taking me to Basgiath. To where she lived. My brother was there too. I was so confused. I packed up my rucksack, and left Xaden and Liam.
– –
Two years later, Xaden went off to Basgiath. The year after, Arran. My mother was ignoring my existence. To her, I was a disgrace. Everyone at Basgiath hated me because of the mark on my arm. Everyone hated me for something my father chose for me. I get scolded for not choosing to stay with my mother. So many things I am told I should have done. My father was a noble man. I am glad he took me with him. I learned the truth, and now I have lies being shoved down my throat.
Xaden had informed me that my brother bonded an Orange Scorpiontail named Aodh. He was a truth-sayer. I was told he was doing well. I was told so many things. Now it was my turn. My turn to cross Parapet, my turn to climb The Gauntlet, my turn to be Threshed. I would survive. I knew I would. Xaden and Freya trained me. I would finally get to see the voice in my head. I would become a rider.
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