Page 42 of Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy #1)

Ronen shook his head, but his lips curled up on one side. “I’ll admit, I’m not great at giving gifts. A book, you said? You like to read?”

“Yes, I love it.”

He looked a little surprised, but nodded. “I have stories you could read. When you’re finished with that one, let me know. You can borrow mine until your earnings come through and you can buy your own.”

I froze. “Earnings?” I breathed.

Ronen huffed. “Yes. Did you think we work for free?”

It had never even occurred to me to ask the question. “No, but I thought since everything is provided and I’m only Flameborne, and—”

“You will earn a great deal more when you’re Furyknight, it’s true,” Ronen said with a shrug. “But you’re young and unattached. The Flameborne stipend will keep you in clothing and books, and perhaps even a few meals at the tavern each month.”

I was stunned. I would be able to buy books?

Ronen offered that, then kept speaking as if it weren’t a miracle.

‘Bren, you’re Flameborne. It is a great honor. Your life is with me now. Of course the crown will provide for you.’

I was speechless. So speechless, that when Ronen told me that I needed to mount Ekko with him to ride double so I could get a feel for launching without having to help the dragon, I didn’t even think it through.

Ekko knelt on his knees to make it easier. Ronen clambered up first, then shook the mounting strap out for me to follow. Though only halfway because Ekko had humbled himself for me.

My cheeks were hot, and I asked Akhane to apologize to him for needing to do that. But as I took a grip on that strap and braced myself, she assured me Ekko was pleased to help.

My hands were mostly healed from those early days, and my strength increasing.

It still took me three tries to heave myself up the mounting strap, and I still couldn’t have gotten myself in my seat alone—but with Ronen’s grip to haul me up in front of him, I made it.

And even though it was awkward, it felt like another milestone.

My head spun as Ronen clipped me in to Ekko’s neckstrap, then explained how to ride the launch.

“…the most important thing is to grip the sides of his neck with your knees, and pull up on that strap to keep your ass planted flat. The moment you bounce, it’s over,” he said with a chuckle.

Then, when he’d checked my seat and showed the most effective posture for pulling on the strap, he put his arms around me to grip the other strap in front of me, and suddenly we were moving .

Launching on dragonback was earthshattering.

I would have fallen every time if Ronen hadn’t clamped his arms around me and crossed my body, pulling me down when I wasn’t strong enough to keep my seat.

Ekko’s launch was a power I’d never felt in my life—like straddling the apex of our cottage roof as my home heaved itself across the hollow, then into the air.

The moment Ekko raised his wings, then thrust forward with a massive down-flap and those powerful legs, the jarring was so extreme, I bounced straight off his back and would have flown free, except for Ronen pinning me down.

The earth had to be trembling under his feet—it tilted under me with every teeth-clattering stomp. I suddenly understood why Ronen had recommended I grit my teeth when I bit the side of my tongue and squeaked.

“Hold on!” Ronen grunted. There was a sense of Ekko’s bulk gathering, bunching underneath us, and then we were thrust into the air.

My stomach swooped, then hung—not nearly as bad as when Akhane dropped us off that cliff, but there was a weightless moment before Ekko down-flapped again and the grassy bowl of earth beneath us eased away.

There was a high, piercing cry from my right. Akhane had taken off too and flew alongside, her mouth open and wings flapping faster than Ekko’s because she was smaller.

I took a deep breath and smiled, pulling up on that strap and settling myself better—then gasping when Ekko banked. But far from being thrown aside when he tilted, our momentum pressed me into his back as we wheeled.

“We’re going to land in the hollow. The slope makes it a little less jarring, but remember to pull up on the strap and soften your hips.”

I blinked, a whisper of a memory stretching across the months—a different Furyknight.

A different reason for instructing me to soften my hips.

But there was no time to look at the memory closely, because we were already losing altitude, and moving so quickly as we descended, it seemed the ground rushed up to meet us.

Before I was ready Ekko’s head reared up and his rump tipped down as he back-flapped, hard and fast, the strong gusts throwing up dust from the ground even though he hadn’t landed yet.

When his feet hit the earth, I felt it in every bone of my body. Once again, Ronen’s strength kept me in my seat, though tipped awkwardly over his arm.

We came to a stop moments later, and Ronen heaved me back upright. I trembled and breathed heavily, but my heart raced with thrill.

“That wasn’t bad,” Ronen said, his arms going slack as Ekko walked to the base of the hollow. “But we’re going to need to work on your upper-body strength. You’ll need to be a lot stronger to keep yourself in your seat when you’re alone. ”

My cheeks heated because I knew he was being kind. I’d been helplessly thrown from the moment Ekko did more than walk.

But Akhane chattered in my head, and Ekko huffed happily.

“You ready?” Ronen said a moment later.

I blinked. “Ready for what?”

“We’re going again. We’re going to do this a dozen times, at least. I’d say more, but I need to let Ekko rest before patrol tonight.

This is all to help you find your seat and strengthen your legs.

Eventually we’ll practice with Akhane so you can get a feel for her—every dragon feels different.

But for now, this is how you learn. Each of the brothers will spend mornings with you so you can work on strengthening and sitting the bumps… ”

And he wasn’t joking.

I spent the next hour sitting all those bone-jarring, teeth cracking strides, then sweeping into the sky, elated, for a few seconds, before we landed once more, discussed how I could have ridden it better, then tried again.

By the time Ronen said we were done, I was exhausted, my tailbone aching and bruised, and I deeply doubted Akhane’s decision to Choose me.

But even those short flights raised my spirits and gave me a reason to keep going. So, as I thanked Ronen and hobbled back to the stable alongside a jubilant Akhane, I smiled. Maybe it turned into a grimace when I missed a gutter and took a jolting step, but I still smiled.

It wasn’t until I made it back to my room and saw the book that I remembered it wasn’t from Ronen.

I frowned and reached for Akhane in my mind. ‘Someone came yesterday and left a book for me here while I was out. Do you know who it was?’

‘The Commander. Your General.’

I blinked. ‘Donavyn? General Donavyn Arsen?!’

‘Yes, he came to get Kgosi and had a small parcel that he left for you.’

‘I… that wasn’t… Akhane, he’s not my General! He’s all of ours. He’s—’

‘Don’t splutter, Bren,’ Akhane laughed in my head. ‘Your General is yours the way our Primarch is mine. Those who lead, a piece of them belongs to us.’

That soothed me a little—the last thing I needed was for the dragons to be telling each other—and their riders—that I somehow thought the General belonged to me!

I blew out a breath as that moment when he’d smiled at me played in my head and my heart squeezed remembering that tugging. But the thought made me squirm. The General was kind and generous to every Furyknight and Flameborne. Ruin had spoken of him often and—

As always, thoughts of Ruin sent me fleeing my mind .

I wanted to go back to my book immediately, but I knew I needed to bathe properly today. And Akhane had just told me that it was Donavyn who’d brought the book.

I found the note he’d left with it and read it with fresh eyes.

~

This small gift recognizes your achievements in overcoming obstacles, and reaching new heights. I hope you find it inspiring.

Well done, Flameborne.

~

My cheeks warmed and I smiled.

I hope you find it inspiring.

The story was about a young, strong woman who found herself completely out of her depth, but rose to the challenge and won an entire Kingdom.

At least, that’s where I hoped it would end. Things were rather dire at the point where I'd fallen asleep.

But the message was received.

The General wanted me to rise. And as I turned that humbling and exciting thought over in my mind, I found I wanted him to keep believing that I could.

Then I took a step and my tailbone screamed and I groaned. I needed a lot more practice, and a lot more strength before I’d be able to ride Akhane taking off. Even if she wasn’t as jarring as Ekko, I didn’t stand a chance.

I wanted to go practice more immediately, but I knew my brothers were all scheduled for patrols this afternoon and evening.

Asking them to give up these last precious hours just to exhaust themselves and their dragons was hardly fair.

And besides, it was embarrassing that they had to hold me onto their dragons.

Surely it was better to be riding my own and understanding her better?

But how?

‘Akhane,’ I said hesitantly as a loose plan began to unfold in my mind. ‘Are you too tired to fly more today?’

In the stable beyond my door, Akhane huffed audibly, and laughed in my head. ‘No, Bren. I would fly all day if I could do so responsibly.’

‘What about the launching though. That’s the hardest work for you, right?’

‘Yes. And for you, as well.’

I nodded, because I understood that now.

‘Well, how do you feel about some private practice? Tonight? When it’s dark, after the evening patrols leave.

Do you know a place we could go? I know I’ll fall, but I think I need more practice than my brothers can give.

I want to show them. I want to achieve something quickly for a change.

Would it exhaust you too much if we practice with my brothers in the morning and alone at night? ’

‘No, Bren. It wouldn’t be too much for me. But your orders— ’

‘We won’t leave the Reach. We won’t go flying. They’re worried about me falling or getting lost. We’ll just do as we’ve been doing in the mornings, except on flat ground. That’s how we usually take off during battle, or on a mission, right?’

‘Yes,’ she said unevenly. There was a sense of her considering my words. ‘Very well, Bren. Yes. I think we should. But, we need to find a way to help you up and down. If you fall, you’ll need to be able to free yourself.’

‘Don’t worry. I’m going to see the Leathersmith this afternoon. I’ll take care of it.’

‘Very well then, if we can do so safely, and not fly… I think it will be fine.’

She didn’t sound entirely certain, but I shoved a wave of excitement and gratitude at her through the bond, then started planning.

Tonight I would begin the process of learning to ride my dragon’s launch if it killed me.