Page 78 of Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy #1)

~ brEN ~

I was in that meeting room again, with Ronen and Gil. Both of them were on their feet, but leaning over the table between us which was covered in a large map of the region. A smaller, more specific map was spread out over the top of it and weighted down with polished stones.

“Remember, this trial is focused on your dragon—on their confidence in you and yours in them. This is about how the two of you work together in a fight. The tower’s here, near that cove—the easiest way to find it is to follow the coastline up, then head directly east from the center of that cove.

There’s no real wind today, so the mists will be thick.

You’re going to have to keep your eyes peeled.

The first part of your test will be finding the tower, then approaching it properly before you’ve even met a conflict. ”

I was sweating. “What makes an approach proper?” I asked nervously.

Ronen straightened and folded his arms. “You have to decide whether you’re choosing attack or defense. Once you’ve made that determination, we’ll explain.”

I frowned. “I have to decide without knowing what the task is?”

Ronen nodded. “Choose what you believe suits you and your dragon best.”

“But, if I don’t know the terrain or the assignment—”

“Bren, none of us enters battle knowing what we’ll face. If you’re a Furyknight, you have a role with the squad, and a role in combat. Your role won’t change based on the event—only your expected goal.”

Gil nodded. “This isn’t about the assignment, Bren. This is about you considering yourself and your dragon. What suits your skills? What do you enjoy? Where do you find the most success? ”

We’d been doing a lot of flight maneuvers and practicing firing recently.

But those were general skills in which every Furyknight was expected to be competent.

Even in the war games as a squad, I hadn’t practiced in specific roles consistently.

They’d been moving me around, letting me try different roles and tasks.

Now I understood why.

They kept talking, reassuring me that there was no wrong answer because the Trials were only a minor test. Simple. Uncomplicated. Any Furyknight would be able to fulfill either role when they were practiced. But I wasn’t a Furyknight.

I turned over the question and reached for Akhane in my mind. She’d followed me to the building this time and was sunning outside, waiting for me.

‘Attack or defense? Do you have a preference?’ I asked her.

‘Attack,’ she said without hesitation. ‘We’re too impatient for defense. Kgosi teases me about it.’

I frowned. Kgosi teased her? About impatience? I was dying to know the context for that. From my perspective, Akhane was breathtakingly patient. But I didn’t have time to question her now.

I looked at my brothers and nodded. “Attack,” I said firmly.

They didn’t question.

“In that case, you’ll fly twenty minutes after the defenders.

Your role will be twofold: attempt to fire the tower—with steam and vapor only, remind Akhane of that.

And in the unlikely chance that you get an open approach, there’s a flag at the top of the tower.

If you have time to dismount, retrieve it, and launch again, you’ll receive extra points and a commendation. ”

I smiled, but Ronen shook his head. “That’s not your primary goal, Bren.

Honestly, it’s part of the test. Don’t try to be a hero.

Try to live—and remove enemies. Don’t lose focus: this is an important part of the trials.

The evaluators are going to be far more concerned with whether you’re making wise, strategic choices, than whether you take a stab at the flag.

I’ve been watching the trials for over a decade.

The Defenders always win this one. Always.

I’ve seen the flag taken twice. In fourteen years.

It’s why we don’t tell Flameborne ahead of time what the assignment is: your success isn’t based on winning—or keeping—the flag.

It’s based on how you handle the conflicts and the rapid changes of battle.

Keep your eyes on the prize: that tower is storage for your enemies, and it’s full of munitions.

It’s your job to fire them. Get your dragon on flying passes as often as you can, and fire the windows and doors.

Don’t try to blow the tower down. It’ll outlive all of us.

Stone may crack, but it wouldn’t burn without lengthy dragonfire. You won’t have time.

“Stay out of the way of the defenders, fire the openings in the tower whenever you can, and don’t fly under the defenders nose. If they steam you, you’ll be taken out. Considered dead. That’s an immediate fail.”

“What?! ”

Gil smirked. “Their job is to keep you away from the towers enough that they save the munitions and keep the flag. But if you get close enough that their dragon steams you, and the evaluators measure it as a fatal burn if it had been fire, you fail.”

I blinked. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because the reverse is also true.”

Ronen looked at him sideways. “God, you’re creepy sometimes.”

Gil shrugged, but when Ronen turned back to the map to point out important landmarks on the terrain, he caught me gaping and winked. I grinned, but made myself focus as Ronen pointed out the tower’s placement, the locations of the thick woods, the clearings, a nearby ravine.

“They choose this spot because it’s near the ocean.

In standard maneuvers, the sea is the safest part of the sky.

It gives the most space to maneuver, and especially for pairs like you with speed, you’ll be able to flee if you need to.

When in doubt, always head for the coast. Get out of your enemy’s grip, then recoup, and re-attack.

You won’t be marked down for taking space to make sure your dragon is safe.

But only go as far as you’re chased. The moment your pursuers stop, you bank and figure out how you’re approaching for another attack. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Half an hour later, we were gathered in the launch hollow.

Donavyn was at the other side of the big bowl in the earth, and I caught his eyes on me a couple of times and my belly trilled.

But he was with Mont, the Captain of the Flame.

The Captain was a grumpy man. My brothers claimed he was a lot of fun when he was relaxed.

But he stood with Donavyn, arms folded, eyes dark, and nodding towards whatever he spoke about.

He looked aggressive. I supposed you had to be if you were the primary Captain of battle attack.

Donavyn’s eyes drifted to me again. There was a split second where my mind conjured one of those moments when he’d scaled Akhane and gripped me, pulled me against his side.

The images spawned a crackling heat in my chest. I looked away quickly.

He’d made his position clear, and he’d been avoiding me. I didn’t want him to catch me staring.

After the night he attacked Faren and he was so concerned for me, I thought maybe he’d be more present again. But in the weeks since he’d returned to the same, careful distance he’d kept before.

I knew I shouldn’t complain. With him so distant I’d grown closer to my brothers and felt solid with them, more sure of myself and Akhane. But there was a strange, hollow space in my chest that only eased when Donavyn was near .

Twice, when my brothers were all out on patrol for most of the night, Ronen had let me know that Donavyn arranged a guard. Twice I’d hoped that he’d bed down with Kgosi and we might talk.

Twice I’d been disappointed.

The ache of those thoughts wouldn’t help me. I made myself turn away from them and focus on remembering the map and instructions while I waited for the Trial to begin.

The sky was just turning pink over the trees, but it would be an hour or more before the sun was bright. And another before the mists burned off.

I took a deep breath and turned in the other direction, reminding myself how incredible it was that I stood there in the bottom of the launch hollow wearing flight leathers. No other woman had ever stood here with her own dragon. None.

Aside from me there were only five other Flameborne for this challenge because Faren and Lorr weren’t here.

Thinking of them made my spine go cold. I looked up at the gathering crowd on the top lip of the launch hollow, wondering if they were among the messengers and stableboys.

But I couldn’t pick them out and it seemed silly to try.

Even if they were watching, they wouldn’t be allowed to fly.

Thankfully, the horn was blown and the dragons all raised their heads. We turned to face Donavyn and Captain Mont, and now I had a reason to stare at him. My chest still burned, though.

“Flameborne, if this was true battle, your orders would be assigned by your Wing Leaders. Defenders, go to your Wing Captains now to receive your instructions. Attackers, remain where you are and do not interfere .

I found myself bobbing on my feet with anticipation and remembered Akhane’s words about impatience. I would have to ask her about that.

Moments later, the three men who’d chosen Defense left their Wing Leaders and ran to their dragons. They all mounted faster than I could. Akhane and I moved to the edge of the launch hollow so there was plenty of room for them to launch.

The men crowding at the top clapped as they took off. Then, as quiet fell, a tension settled in the hollow more impenetrable than the dawn mists.

Twenty minutes was a long time to wait when there was no distraction. But finally Donavyn barked at us to receive our orders, and I raced to Ronen.

He smiled at me grimly as I saluted. “Orders, Sir?”

“Your orders are clear, Flameborne, First Rank: attack the tower. Fire the windows and doors. Ignite the munitions within. If you can take the flag, your team is victorious. No matter what you face, react as you would in true battle. This is every man for himself—no coordination with other Pairs and no real fire. Are you clear?”

“I’m clear, Sir!”

“Very good. You’re released. Go!” I squeaked and took off, but didn’t miss Ronen’s quiet words behind me. “God go with you, Bren. ”

I sprinted straight to Akhane’s side and up the mounting strap as quickly as I was able. We were the last to launch, but only just behind the others. And once we were in the sky, it hit me: this was the second trial. If I made it through this I’d be almost there.

I leaned forward, making myself as streamlined as possible as Akhane sought to catch and pass the other dragons to whom we’d lost ground with my slow mounting.

‘We can do this, Akhane,’ I sent, thrilled and terrified in the same breath.

‘Yes we can, Bren. Yes we can.’