Page 48 of Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy #1)

~ brEN ~

“…do not take this lightly. Though this is not one of your trials and you will be given another opportunity if you do not pass today’s assessment, it is an important step in proving that you’ve absorbed your training, and are ready to begin working with your team.”

I didn’t know the Captain who walked up and down the line where we all stood to attention.

We had been told to refer to him as Captain Gunnar.

He was Wing Commander of the Flight Wing and would be assessing our ability to fly today.

He was extremely handsome, which was disconcerting, because his expression was stern and cold.

I hadn’t seen him before, but he’d spoken to Donavyn like they were friends before launching into this very stern lecture.

But now he stared at the five of us, Flameborne, who’d been gathered for assessment, and his gaze was piercing.

Like he looked through our clothes to what was underneath.

I wanted to shrink and had to brace myself to stay at attention.

“Flameborne who prove they can mount, launch, fly, obey simple formation commands, and land will be cleared to take the first trial on the date their Wing Captain measures them ready. Make no mistake—this assessment is simply to see if you are ready to function in our world, up there,” he said, tipping his chin up, towards the clouds.

“Only after your first trial will you be allowed to fly patrols and work with your squads.” His expression softened slightly, which surprised me.

“Fear not. Passing today does not make you a Furyknight. But neither does failure mean you will never be. It is simply a step. Do your best to take it with pride. But if you cannot, accept defeat with humility and keep working.”

I swallowed. I had been pleading with God ever since Ronen told me I could take the assessment to help me pass the first time .

They all thought I didn’t hear the whispers, but in the past week I’d heard the stablehands twice, and one of the female servants in the kitchen pulled me aside.

There were rumors flying in the Reach that the female Flameborne was a fake. An indulgence. Allowed to fly only to draw attention, but never a true contender for the pin .

The first time I heard the stablehands discussing me—they didn’t know I was outside the stable they were cleaning—they weren’t being malicious. They were confused by my presence. I’d taken longer to do everything. And as far as they could see, that meant I wasn’t supposed to be here.

Only Benji, who still visited me every morning to see if Akhane needed help, or to run errands for me if I was training, had stuck up for me.

“She’s a real Flameborne, she’s just learning!”

I didn’t want the others to target him, so I coughed and accidentally kicked a bucket in the aisle before hurrying past the door and they all went quiet until after I’d passed.

I knew they were young and ignorant. But the memory still burned.

I needed to get this right today.

I was one of five Flameborne being assessed for solo flight. If we passed this assessment, we no longer had to be with a Furyknight to fly.

I’d been so proud to finally get here—until I learned that two of the men had only been Flameborne for days. The other pair for less than a month. Those two probably would have been cleared a couple weeks earlier if the Captain hadn’t been consumed with other duties.

I was the only one who’d taken nearly two months to get here.

It was embarrassing.

When he first called us to attention, Captain Gunnar had stared at me like a horse brought to market that he suspected was lame. I’d never met the man, yet he clearly had opinions about me.

I needed to do this. I had to.

‘Be at peace, Bren. When it is meant to be, it will be.’

I tried to send Akhane as much reassurance as I was capable of. But the truth was, I didn’t want peace. I wanted success. It may have taken me longer to gain the strength to get this far, but now that I was here, I didn’t want to take a backwards step.

My brothers had been very patient, taking their turns to train me. But I was done being the little sister who had to be babysat.

I wanted to be part of my squad.

I wanted to stop collecting expressions of pity—or indulgence—in the dining hall.

I wanted to show these fuckers what we could do.

‘You can do this. There is nothing we will be called upon to do today that we haven’t done before,’ Akhane assured me .

I nodded and took a deep breath, reminding myself of that. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I’d been given more training than these men. Donavyn had been broader in his training than Ronen and my brothers, who solely focused on the practical foundations, and formation commands.

Donavyn challenged me. And I was getting better—Akhane having to make fewer and fewer adjustments to help me stay in my seat.

Three nights ago, I even managed to get myself back into my seat after a fall while Akhane was still flying. Donavyn told me that kind of maneuver wasn’t expected of a Flameborne until they passed the first trial.

I’d walked on air that night even after we landed.

But now I stood here in a line of men a foot taller than me, all with dragons older and most of them larger than mine, and suddenly it didn’t matter whether I was ahead of the game or not. I just didn’t want to fail.

“Since there are five of you, we’ll need you to break into a pair, and a group of three to run formations with the Wing Captains. At ease, Flameborne. Find your partners.”

I blinked and my jaw slackened.

I had to find a team? No one had said that! I thought we flew with Furyknights and—

“You’re Bren, right? Did you want to partner with me?”

I turned, startled, to find the newest of the Flameborne, a tall, brunette man I guessed to be in his early twenties. He’d been Chosen by a massive greenscale who towered over all the other Flameborne dragons, not just Akhane. Yet, he was very lean compared to the grays and reds.

“Yes. That’s me. I’m Bren,” I said lamely. “And thank you. That would be… great?”

He smiled and his face lit up. His hair was a deep, rich brown, and his eyes matched, though they twinkled with good humor when he smiled.

“Bren, I’m Saul. It’s great to meet you.”

He offered his hand to shake and it took me a moment to stop frowning.

I’d grown used to the men watching me curiously every time I walked around the Academy or the stables.

A few even flirted harmlessly at times. But most in the Reach treated me with a certain amount of wariness.

And some with downright contempt. This was the first man outside of my brothers who’d seemed genuinely eager to be near.

I swallowed hard. “It’s nice to meet you too, Saul.”

“Oh, the pleasure is mine. One of these days I’ll tell my grandkids that I flew my first assessment with the famous female Furyknight,” he said with a wink. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, I guess?” Uncertain what else to do or say, I threw a hand awkwardly towards his dragon. “What’s your dragon’s name?”

“Oh! That’s Bitch. Isn’t she awesome!” he said happily, tipping his head towards his massive dragon. I almost swallowed my tongue.

“You’re dragon’s name is… Bitch?”

He snorted. “It’s spelled B-i-c-h, but, yeah. I had to take a moment when she told me, too. ”

‘The human fascination with Bich’s name is baffling to me,’ Akhane said softly in my head. ‘My sister is already self-conscious of her size. She doesn’t understand the humor of her name.’

‘It’s because it sounds like a swear word.’

‘We understand that, Bren. But to us, names are… images. She is not the word. She is herself. When you meet her, smile. She is pained by human ridicule.’

I frowned. ‘Why would she fear how I felt? She could burn me where I stood!’

‘Bich is a healer, not a true battle dragon. She feels the feelings of those around her. She can guide her Chosen in diagnoses and assist in treatment. She is a deep well. But a healer, not a fighter. Be kind.’

‘Of course! Of course.’ Were the healers Furyknights? I’d always thought they were separate, but if Saul was being assessed…?

I opened my mouth to ask him, but Captain Gunnar spoke up again.

“Very good. Now take a moment to discuss your positions in flight. Your assessment will begin the moment you grasp your mounting strap, and it will not end until you have followed every order to the best of your ability, then returned your dragon to this clearing and dismounted. God be with you, Flameborne. You have five minutes. When the whistle blows, mount and take your positions in the sky.”

We all saluted as Captain Gunnar returned to the edge of the field where Donavyn and several other Officers stood, watching.

Saul and I trotted towards our dragons. But we were only halfway to them when Saul tipped his head down to keep his voice low in my ear.

“The others are planning to work against us if they can,” he said quietly when we were almost at our dragons’ feet.

“What?” I stopped dead and turned to look up at him. “What others? How?”

He gestured to me to be quiet. “I heard Faren talking to Lorr. They think you’re not a real Flameborne.

That the King has set you up as entertainment.

A showpiece to keep the Court enthralled.

I don’t know. I just wanted to warn you.

Watch out for them. If they have a chance to make you look bad, they’ll use it. Stay out of their way.”

I’d already had a nervous, fluttering belly. Now that flutter became a swarm. And my irritation turned to rage.

An entertainment?

They thought I was a fucking jester?

“You can fly, right?” Saul asked me nervously, looking over my shoulder towards the other Flameborne who were gathering on the other side of the clearing.

“Of course I can! I earned my place here exactly like you!” I snapped.

He put both hands up, palms to me. “Sorry, sorry. I just want to help. I just need to know if I need to—”