She stood among the candidates for black Ash riding academy. She stood out, not because of her title, but her looks. A frail looking, innocent inky purple eyed, silver haired teenager. She seemed more of a dark,frightened prey than a harmonious predator. As her title demanded, she was expected to carry herself with the aura of pride as a princess, and give out contemptuous sneers, but instead she was the one receiving them. How ironic!
It wasn't something she enjoyed, being part of the academy left her no choice than to yield to her father's wish. coming from a wretched girl like her. she would have chose to sit all day reading books and watching the horses than to be in this ride or die academy. Audrigald was fortunate to have the academy, the strongest dragons and dragon riders, but it was not enough, every royal family at the age of sixteen, was expected to try for the dragon riding academy.
The young man before her move into the seal circle, the headmaster, Alaric fouston motioning to a brown scaled wyvern towards the boy. Alaric's signet was called unveiling. A magic of detecting how viable a person could bind with a dragon. The dragon closed it's eyes and a warm silence enveloped the hall. The young man gripped the blessing in his palm. The gift he was born with.
The crowd gasped in sweet relief as a warm incandescent flow of Mana. His gift was capable, viable being the word. Such warm, sweet, harmonious gift could attract a dragon to him. " How lucky!" She shrugged indifferently. Being pessimistic or was it being utterly useless was her gift, either way she hoped that it turned out well, all the family were watching her. She had to display something...unbelievably good.
"Audrigald finest. Princess Elara ashwood of Audrigald." The reader announced. She could feel the rush of adrenaline, the jagged edge of her gift meeting her palm. She inhaled sharply with both fingers crossed. The dragon meirnach could also feel her title. Welcoming her with a low grumble if respect. Weird. Dragons do not normally acknowledge human titles nor respect them, but her case was highly unusual.
She stood inside the seal circle. Letting her blessing dance slowly in her right palm. She exhaled. Allowing meirnach incandescent warmth pervade her. Everyone watched. What was the country's princess unique gift, could it be light or perhaps future seeing like her mother. Or maybe chronomancy like her great grandfather. The previous warmth turned to icy harshness. Filling the people with dread, a mixture of sadness, anger and dread.
A shadow red vortex formed around her, forcing a command of dark dominion around her. Every one could feel it, despair, hopelessness and fear. Every heart became burdened as f a bad memory had returned. Meirnach roared in fear, scampering backwards and bowing with a loud cry. Other dragons followed likewise.
Alaric's eyes transforming to fear, anger and shock. '' Heresy!!!'' He muttered rushing down the fleet of stairs. His dragon refused to come any further. '' She deserves to die. Such heresy deserves to be exorcised. '' An elder yelled, he seemed to walk right through the balcony and appear in front of Alaric. Elder Marrouc the fourth clasped his hand as blue hue shone brightly and the ground shook.
There were rare signets that were only available to a selected few. Marrouc not exempted. The power of inevitable judgement was among such. The signet that can contain evil and any dark aura. She was a threat, to the kingdom, to the realm. No sane dragon would been and her. It was that energy, she was filled with every atrocity the nation exorcised. And for once, in the history of Audrigald, Marrouc's signet could not contain n another dark entity. Shock ebbed into every one in the Hall at the outcome.
The elders muttering in hushed whispers among themselves, Alaric was busy calming his terrified dragon while marrouc stood with despair in his cynic eyes. His dragon ' blameless' had flown n, with shimmering blue polished scales and golden eyes. Spreading it's wings over marrouc as if protecting him from her, and at the same time warily watching Elara in fear. She dared not look back at the spiteful crowd. Even her head couldn't proudly lift up. Yes, her gift was mind blowing, extraordinary but just... Utterly unacceptable. A gift that defiled every thing they stand for, that hangs the fate of Audrigald on a balance.
'' we can't keep her in the academy. '' called to Marrouc. He scowled and glanced at the elders as if communicating an information. They looked at him grimly and then, at the source of the abomination. Her. They rose in unison, their dragons rising behind them. Little admiration from the crowd lightened the atmosphere. This was the first time the elders dragons had surfaced. Dragons that looked like gods. Air of authority and dominion revolving around them. Elder marrouc turned and raised an arm. Bluish energy of majestic dominance covered the entire Hall, soaking up all the misery, fear, and hatred the crowd had felt. She could feel it too. Such signets that defy the psychology of the mind, reinstating a warmth in the hearts of the crowd. That was what a gift was, elder marrouc's sgnet was breathtakingly food and she hated it. Hated the ignominy of what she had suffered. He turned, his face returning to his steel expression.
'' upon an unanimous decision, the elders have decided that Elara Ashwood would not be offered a place in the academy. She is hereby sentenced to the dark zone. '' elder marrouc said. Instead of a relaxed atmosphere, the tension in the hall tripled. The dark zone? No one who entered there was heard of again. That was how the elders wanted together rid of her. Allow monsters to feed on her. Letting them do the dirty work. They were cowards afraid of a frail looking girl like her. Elder marrouc turned to her he s expression tightened. '' I hoped...'' He muttered under his breath. '' You can't even behead a girl right? '' she cursed.
'' Sending you there is not a choice miss Ashwood. I hope you understand.'' Elder marrouc said. '' I imagined better. '' Elara scowled wearing a vengeful scowl on her face. '' We must Contain the dark entity. '' Marrouc said feeling his dragon's touch. She turned with a horrid look. '' is that what we call things we fear? '' she asked sarcastically. A sneer in her lips as she was cuffed. Elder marrouc turned vanishing back to the balcony, his dragon taking to flight after him. Meirnach, nearly recovered from that show, stood proudly to unveil the next gift.
***
The man in the carriage offered no look of pity, only a scowl on his face, unlike the others he didn't flinch when she stretched to make contact. He moved the carriage down a steep alley with mighty fences. She wondered why he didn't have his own dragon, every one in the academy did. She sat in solitude, forcing herself to swallow the anger and resentment she felt. They were right, she was cursed. Her blessing was cursed. Her gift was an instrument of terror, but she wasn't evil. She was sane enough to know that.
The rebellious clanking of metals seem to warn her. As if yelling her to retreat. She walked past soldiers lying side by side. Each was a non bonded high rank assassin. '' escape is futile. '' she muttered. A silhouette image stood in the dark far end of the corridor. His form seemed to scare her off, but somehow she was not afraid, maybe her curse had made her have an higher threshold for fright.
'' how ironic! Out nations' own is condemned to death. '' his husky baritone cackled. His form finally materialized. Clipped red hair, amber eyes and firm jawline. A tal five feet seven inches man. She knew him, had seen him on the newspaper. What was his name again? She bit her bottom lip, each step closing the gap. '' Silas cadisbury, headmaster of dragon black academy, what is called death zone. '' his lips thinned. Yes! He was the one. Tortured twice for allowing a dragon escape from the death zone.
'' The is isn' t the palace Elara Ashwood. No titles are regarded, you are a forbidden, one that must be expelled at all cost. '' Silas said without any iota of pity, but bitter sarcasm. He was perhaps overjoyed at seeing his enemy daughter under his control. He turned without loss of energy, a flawless action from the most imperfect man. '' how can such graciously harmonious man be part of the forbidden.'' Elara wondered. '' if you are hoping to be pampered, I am so sorry, but you will be treated like the ugly beast you are. '' Silas said as they entered the last corridor before a massive vault door. He turned to her, '' tacky isn't it? '' he smiled wide spreading his arms. '' your first lesson miss Ashwood. The cursed arts of a forbidden rider.'' He laughed and the door opened. The sight sending a full rise of adrenaline in her. Those onyx eyes glancing at her with predator instinct. A push from behind. '' survive!!''