Reynold did not go straight to his dorm.
He took the direction toward the professor quarters instead.
If Nymeria could help him and his name ended up on the tournament list, he needed to be ready.
He was already far behind in both rider class and magic-user class. Worse, he still did not know which list his name would appear on—rider or magic user. He could not even ride a dragon properly yet.
He stopped in front of the door with the name tag Professor Dayne. He knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Reynold pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Professor Dayne."
Professor Dayne looked up from a stack of papers. Seeing it was Reynold, she let out a small smile.
"You’re back, Starweaver."
Reynold nodded. "Yes, professor Dayne."
Reynold paused, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I checked my schedule..... the next dragon-riding class is next week. Because of the leave I took... I’m far behind... I was thinking if you would be willing to give me a private session this week so I can catch up."
Professor Dayne studied Reynold for a moment, then opened a thin leather book on her desk. She flipped a few pages.
"I can do that. I’m free tomorrow morning by 9:30 AM."
"Tomorrow morning?"
"Yes."
Reynold nodded. "Okay... I will be there at 9:30."
He thanked the professor and left.
Instead of heading to the dorm, he turned toward the school cafeteria. The bell for the evening meal just rang.
He took a tray and filled it with a plate of roasted boar, thick black bread, and a bowl of spiced stew.
He carried it to his usual quiet corner and sat down.
He glanced around. And there was no sign of Gwyn.
Then, a sudden bang on the table made Reynold turned.
A fair-skinned boy with a dark tattoo curling around his neck slammed his hand on a table and shouted at the dark-skinned boy wearing chains.
"I want to change my bet! Ironcliff Academy and Stormpeak Academy are pulling out of the tournament!"
Another voice sounded from a nearby table.
"By the flames, is that true? I need to change mine too. I had Ironcliff and Noble-High advancing to the final before."
A third student stood up, walked over to the chain-wearing boy, and said, "Put me down for Noble-High winning the whole thing."
Just then a boy rushed into the cafeteria, with a brown cross-body bag bouncing against his side. He spotted the dark-skinned boy and called out in a rough street accent.
"There you are, Matthew!" the boy yelled. "I have been looking for you all bloody day!"
He stopped in front of the table.
"I wanna change my bet."
Then his eyes lifted and landed on Reynold in the corner.
"Hey, Starweaver boy! Did you apply for the tournament?"
Reynold kept eating without saying a word.
The brown-bag boy threw his hands up. "Oi, mate, you’ve got to tell me before I place this bet!"
The tattooed boy snorted. "Save your breath, mate. You have to bet on Noble-High to win. Even if Reynold somehow made the list, he can’t carry an entire academy against their senior cadets."
Someone else laughed. "Yeah. That Starweaver boy won’t even get past their third-year cadets."
The brown-bag boy shook his head and sneered. Leaning over the table, he said. "Yeah, I know that. But if Reynold and Nymeria are both representing Wyrmwood? Then we’re winning. Because no motherfu*ker is getting past Nymeria."
A voice from another table muttered, "Shit... you’re right, mate."
The same voice called across the room. "Hey, Starweaver! You representin’ our academy for the tournament?"
Reynold took another bite and said nothing.
The brown-bag boy threw his hands up. "Fuck it. I’m bettin’ on us. No motherfu*ker is gettin’ past Nymeria. And if Starweaver’s on the list too... it’s over."
Reynold let out a quiet chuckle and kept eating. When his plate was empty he stood up, left the tray, and walked straight out of the cafeteria.
He went to his room.
Once the door was locked, he sat and cross-legged on the floor. He closed his eyes and reached for the storm inside him.
He needed to get prepared incase if he make the list. He doesn’t want to get his ass kicked.
Almost immediately, thin channeling threads that has wind colour gathered around Reynold’s hands.
Then he shaped them, held them for some minutes and then released them.
He did it again and again to master the act of control.
When his arms started to ache, Reynold stopped.
He washed his face, and slept off.
.....
The next morning Reynold wake up yawning. He did not waste a second as he rushed into the bathroom to wash up.
He dressed, grabbed a piece of apple from the one he brought back from Aldenmoor and headed straight for the training grounds.
He was the first to arrived.
His three dragons were already there, waiting near the open field. Aurion, the black one, sat with his wings half-folded. Pyreus, the dark-red dragon, was watching Reynold with glowing eyes. Thornox, the brown one, flicked his tail once.
Reynold approached them carefully. He did not want to get burned.
Then Professor Dayne’s voice sounded from behind him.
"You are already here."
Reynold turned and nodded. "Yes, Professor Dayne."
"Good. We start now. Today you learn how to maneuver while on a dragon’s back. Listen carefully."
Professor Dayne explained the rules. How to grip, how to lean, how to read the dragon’s movement before it happened, what to do if the dragon rolled and what to never do.
When he finished, he looked at Reynold.
"Choose which one you will ride with.."
Reynold walked to Aurion. The black dragon lowered his neck just enough. Reynold climbed up and settled into the saddle.
Immediately Reynold was up, Aurion pushed off the ground.
The first part of the ride was smooth. The wind rushed past Reynold’s face and for a moment it almost felt natural.
Then Professor Dayne’s voice sounded from the ground.
"Use the physical signal to Maneuver to the right, Starweaver!"
Reynold quickly dig his right heel into Aurion shoulder-ridge.
Aurion tilted hard to the right immediately.
Reynold’s grip slipped and he flew off the dragon’s back.
Reynold screamed as the wind tore past his ears.
Aurion folded his wings and started dropping fast and in a second, the dragon leveled out.
Reynold slammed onto Aurion’s back again, with his arms and legs scrambling anything to hold.
Reynold just clung there as he was breathing hard, and his stomach turning. He almost threw up.
Aurion landed gently.
Professor Dayne walked over with her hands behind her back.
"Not a bad first try." Dayne said and then added
"Now, get back down here. We’re going to do it again.
Reynold stayed on the dragon’s back for a moment, with his heart still beating, before he finally slid down to the ground.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter