Page 33 of Flameborne: Chosen

I scanned every face in the group before muttering at them to be at ease. “Please wait until I’m finished briefing you to raise your questions. Most of them will be answered before I’m done.”

Reminded that this was a serious meeting, the men settled down and waited, but their posture was tense, and their gazes avid. They werefascinated.

I sighed. “Yes, this morning there was a womanChosen.And her dragon aims for battle. SheisFlameborne.”

Several of the men blew out breaths or shook their heads. I kept going.

“Yes, it’s also true that Akhane isyoung to have Chosen, though she’s large for a female. She’s also gray, so it’s possible her skills don’t lie in the Flame Wing. Yet, Kgosi says she shouldn’t be underestimated, so she won’t be. Am I understood?”

A dragon’s scale color usually indicated which area of expertise their talents would lean towards. But the complex nature of our ranks meant there were dragons of every color in every Wing.

Redscales were combat fighters through and through, though some would choose stealth as their approach. Greens were generally skilled healers, or talented at soothing tensions and building unity. Blues possessed incredible stamina while goldscales had the ability to link andcommunicate over massive distances and were useful to coordinateanywing or squad.

Akhane was a grayscale, the dragons who camouflaged well and usually embodied calm, which meant if she was intended for battle she’dprobablybe a great stealth fighter, but she was also very large, and strong enough for frontline combat. We’d have to wait and see how her talents evolved.

“Yes, Sir!”the room chorused.

I nodded once, then let my expression turn grim. “I don’t know if any of you were present for the absolute shitshow in their stable, but that is the last timethat will occur. I don’t care how different or surprising she is, we do not overwhelm women, and we donotagitate already tense dragons. All of you will speak to your squads tonightand be very clear on that point—if they have questions they should bring them to you, and you can bring them to me, or your Captains. But we will notbe using intimidation or crowding against a Flameborne under any circumstances, do I make myself clear?!”

“Yes, Sir!”

“The Captains will determine exactly what changes in protocol will be required for her,” I said uneasily, “We’re working out the details now. By morning we’ll have a new set of guidelines and rules designed to make her position and all codes of conduct clear. But a big part of our experience in embracing a female will be how her squad brothers regard her, and how they lead others in conduct towards her. Your job this afternoon is to propose where she might best fit. I will choose her squad based on your recommendations. So, speak up.” I looked around the group, eyeing them individually. “Who among your squads has the maturity, the strength, and the patience to bring along a Flameborne who will require a great deal of conditioning and likely some unique, er, challenges along the way to the Trials?”

The trials were our testing grounds. Intentionally brutal and difficult, designed to push new riders and dragons to their limits—both to bond them as a Pair, and to weed out those not strong enough to be relied upon in battle.

Given that one in ten fit youngmencouldn’t make it through the trials even after training, I couldn’t see how she’d manage it. But I remembered Kgosi’s growled warning not to tell God what He couldn’t do, and kept my mouth shut.

Besides, if I undermined her inanyway, she’d never survive. It was a lesson I’d learned early in leadership: My conduct taught others where their boundaries lay. Anything I allowed in myself, they’d expect me to allow in them.

These men would see no hint of a question, mockery, or dismissal of Bren from me.

Unfortunately, right now they were also unusuallysilent.

Taking on a new Flameborne was typically anticipated eagerly. It offered every man in the squad greater power—since rank and file superiority was assigned primarily by time served—and if the Flameborne was strong, or had been Chosen by a particularly talented dragon, even a newcomer could boost a squad’s overall strength.

Additionally, given our annual Squad Games, which were essentially battle tests thinly veiled as competitive sport, and the bragging rights that went with winning, every Squad was always on the lookout for new blood.

Except, apparently, a woman and a barely adult, unproven battle dragon.

I stared at each of the men in turn, eventually arching one brow in disapproval.

I’d expected a lukewarm reception. But notsilence.

I supposed I should have been grateful they weren’t clamoring to have her with morepersonalactivitiesin mind.

I sighed. “I find myself suddenlyverygrateful that she is not here to see this,” I muttered. “When we leave this room, these events remain here. Neither she, nor any other Furyknight will be informed that she was the first Flameborne ever to be outright rejected by the Squads on first offer. Am I clear?”

“Sir! Yes, Sir!” they all barked in response.

“Very good, now, let’s try again: I have an untried grayscale dragon who’s Chosen a female Flameborne. She’s from a farm and not afraid of hard work. She’s intelligent and willing to learn. She’s also utterly unschooled, and will likely need extra strength and fight training to keep up. We are men of honor and ambition. Who here believes their squad has the testicular heft to take her on andsucceed?”

“Sir, could I ask a question?” one of the Lieutenants at the back said carefully.

“Is it about the Flameborne or her dragon?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead.”