Page 20 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

She trained until the evening hours. No break and no food. Constant new weapons, constantly against Magg. With each hour, the cadet became faster and more aggressive. Perhaps the blazing midday sun had spurred her on even more.

Ava's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. At times, she had been tempted to simply lie down on the sand, but the fire in Magg's eyes had spurred her on—and probably a tiny bit of fear of what her fellow student would do to her if she took an unauthorized break.

The others were training as well, but Ava barely had time to observe them.

The master didn't call her to him again, so she was left to her own devices.

Therefore, she studied Magg's maneuvers and memorized step sequences and attack tactics.

Otherwise, she would probably have suffered far more bruises and abrasions.

As the sun set, a bell rang, and with that Magg immediately turned away from her and Ava, panting, supported herself on her knees. The remaining cadets put their weapons in the cabinet and left the arena. All except Magg. She checked the bandages on her hands and grabbed a sandbag.

Ava watched her in disbelief and struggled to her feet. "Don't you want to eat something first or at least drink?"

"There's no break on the battlefield either!" She struck the punching bag energetically. Her hard blows were targeted and relentless, as if she hadn't been training for hours already. Where did she get this seemingly boundless energy?

She would think about that another time.

Now she needed a plan for making it to the dining hall.

The distance seemed endless to her. She didn't even want to think about fighting her way up the stairs to her room and pulling the tunic over her head to shower.

Who would have thought that the days of jogging hadn't been enough to physically prepare her for combat training?

But the prospect of sleeping on the hard sandy ground and getting neither food nor drink was by no means desirable. It was pure willpower that set her in motion, one leg in front of the other, as she slowly dragged herself towards the exit.

Draco and Lilly were sitting in the stands.

They gestured to her enthusiastically. While Lilly waved, Draco wagged his enormous tail, sweeping it across the wooden seats.

It was a wonder they didn't break. The dragon's purple scales glowed in the darkness, giving off a soft shimmer of light.

Lilly had also brought a lantern—otherwise she wouldn't have been able to see the girl at all.

Only on second glance did Ava catch a glimpse of Marcus. He sat next to the girl and watched Ava with concern. Warmth flooded her stomach as she ran towards the three of them and a smile spread across her lips.

"Hey Ava, looks like you still need a bit of practice, huh?" Laughing, Lilly pointed to the torn tunic and the abrasions Ava had on her hands and arms. If she interpreted the burning sensation on her cheek correctly, she had another wound gaping there.

"You're welcome to take a round against me, then we'll see who needs practice."

"I'm ready!" With a swing, Lilly jumped over the lowest row of seats and landed in the arena. She raised her fists and swung her fists at Ava, who laughed, holding her stomach.

"Stop, stop, you've won. I urgently need a break."

Heavens, she was going to be incredibly sore.

"And something to drink." Marcus held out a canteen to her, which she gratefully took and drank from. After she had set it down, she wiped her parched lips.

"I've been dreaming of this for hours."

"It's inhuman how you're being taught. You should rather train your mind. And if there's an attack tonight..." He pointed in warning to Ava's exhausted posture while leaning on the stands to stay upright. "You might remember the suspicions I expressed..."

Yes, she remembered, but she didn't believe them. "I trust the master."

"I hope that's not a mistake..."

Lilly jumped to Marcus and boxed him in the stomach. "Stop insulting Master Boom, or you'll have to deal with the most feared aspiring dragon fighter in the whole empire!"

Marcus grinned as he fended off her blows, while Draco puffed out a few clouds of smoke. "That would rather be Magg."

"You're right about that..." Ava glanced over her shoulder before turning back to her dragon. "Were you with Lilly all day?"

"Yes, she took me to class with her. Lynn is a great teacher."

"Hey!" Lilly planted herself between them, legs apart, hands on her hips. "No secret conversations. Where's Kilian?"

Ava forgot to breathe for a moment. The question felt as heavy as at least ten blows from Magg. She swept her eyes gaze across the arena, but there was no sign of the dragon fighter. "No idea. I assume he's gone."

"Which is a good thing!" Marcus patted her on the shoulder as if he were proud of her, while Lilly shook her head, frowning.

"Why would he leave right away? He loves you!"

That girl always had to say what was on her mind...

Although her chest tightened, she tried for a casual shrug. "After all, he's the leader of the dragon fighters. He can hardly be here day and night. Besides, he has other obligations and has absolutely no business in this training facility. And I told him what Rob did."

"Oh-oh. He's in for it..." Lilly shook out one hand before dramatically clutching her chest. "Ah, how I would have loved to conquer his heart."

"I haven't conquered his heart."

"Yeah, right, and I'm the future princess." Lilly made a face at her and decisively pulled her towards the dining hall. "Time for dinner!"

"You don't have to convince me today." She let herself be dragged along without protest and cast a final fleeting glance at Magg.

The student had paused her fighting and was watching them.

But as soon as she sensed Ava's attention, she turned back to the punching bag and doggedly continued her training.

The sounds of combat would surely be heard until midnight.

Lynn joined them for dinner, just as she did every evening.

Since Draco still fit in the dining hall and caused quite a stir, the other combat students also sat with them.

It was a fun group that Ava enjoyed, even though she was physically exhausted.

But the cheerful conversation, the laughter, and the relaxed atmosphere did her good.

Ralph couldn't stop praising Draco. Every time he looked at him, his eyes shone like polished sapphires.

"Your dragon is incredible. Such beautiful scales, amazing color.

.. It's insane that you bonded with one so quickly!

Usually, that happens only in the last stage of training—if it happens at all.

" An unusual melancholy sounded in his words, which prompted Ava to lean forward and lower her voice.

"Is that why you're training here?"

He looked at her in surprise, but an amused wink followed immediately, instantly dispelling his gloom. "So tired and still sharp... One has to be careful around you, huh?"

Marcus sat next to her and placed a hand on hers. "Around her and her team." He moved closer to her, as if wanting to make something clear. Ava did the same, which was why she removed her hand from his and fished a piece of meat from her stew with her spoon.

"Is the official training harder?"

"Different, but Master Boom is and remains the best." He winked at her and admired her dragon again. Draco had made himself comfortable on a fur on the floor. Although he looked relaxed and content, his eyes darted attentively back and forth. This didn't escape Ava's attention.

"Everything alright, little one?"

"Sure, I'm just fulfilling my duty to protect you."

She snorted grimly. "Why does everyone think they need to protect me?"

"You're asking that? You're the prophesied dragon guardian, the mages and the king's soldiers are hunting you, and you're also one of the best dragon fighters. And you've already bonded with a dragon, which all the students in this room want to achieve."

Discreetly, she let her gaze sweep over the cadets.

The idea that the training students could have something sinister in mind didn't fit the image she had formed of them.

Ralph was far too nice, the other three boys far too young.

They were sixteen years old and in the middle of their training, as she had learned over the course of the evening.

Unlike Ralph, they hadn't trained with the dragon fighters before but were preparing for the entrance exams with the help of Master Clark.

"I trust them."

"You're welcome to do so, I'll keep an eye on them anyway." He blew out a cloud of smoke contentedly, as if they had only shared innocuous thoughts.

Firm footsteps were heard outside in the corridor, and moments later Magg entered the dining hall. She paused for barely a second and looked at them before taking a portion of stew and retreating alone to her usual spot.

"Do you trust her too?" Draco wanted to know.

"She's a different story." She leaned towards Ralph, her voice lowered.

"What about Magg? Was she there with you with the dragon fighters?

" Age-wise, it could fit. Ava estimated she was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties.

Especially since her fighting technique was outstanding and certainly based on many years of training.

Ralph didn't look over his shoulder but took a deep breath. When he raised his gaze, he looked serious. "She's been through quite a lot. Believe me, she's one of the good ones, even if she doesn't seem like it."

Ava perked up. She hadn't expected such an answer, although she had already suspected that something important was driving her fellow student.

She let her gaze wander to Magg, who had sat down with her back to them.

Her blonde hair flowed down her back as if she were the princess herself. It practically shone gold.

"Has she been here long?"