8. The Discovery
Coming into the couryard Arxet found a massive open space in the center with reinforced stone blocks supported by countless columns. A large round courtyard in the center contained a single raised platform for a speaker. Two dragons had already alighted on the stone roof to look down into the courtyard for any applicants to keep an eye on for bonding. It was common knowledge that the dragon chose the rider. You can’t really say no to a giant fire breathing monster that’s probably smarter than you and can smell you from a half mile away (or more if you’re scent-marked, apparently).
Arxet found a dark alcove beside one of the pillars where he’d be out of the way of everyone and less likely to have draconic eyes on him. He didn’t want any part of being a rider. He had already found out that flight did not agree with him. Amjazel and Rubis seemed to like him for some reason he couldn’t comprehend but the feeling was hardly mutual. Amjazel had essentially kidnapped him and Rubis was making sure he didn’t wander too far or get in trouble. He could only assume most other dragons would be similar.
Once registration had finished and the three hundred students had wandered into the courtyard Fatima Mattar ascended the steps to the platform and gave her speech to the body of applicants. Arxet couldn’t care less. He caught a few bits and bobs about ‘mutual trust’ and ‘Tiamat’s divine love for her children’, but for the most part Arxet spent the entire speech fuming about his lost money and sapphire. The damned stone hung in his mind like a bad smell. He’d never held anything as nice before. He’d never been allowed to have nice things at all before this. Maybe that was why all of this felt so wrong. He kept trying to act like he deserved it and tell himself his luck was turning around but deep down it felt deeply wrong for anything good to happen to him. Maybe losing the money and stone and being arrested was the world’s way of righting the scales, of punishing him for being too happy. It wouldn’t be the first time, just the most drastic.
“Arxet.” He was broken out of his train of thought by a voice. The Mattar lady was back. The rest of the students were gone. “You didn’t hear your schedule assignment, did you?”
“Uh- n-no. Couldn't hear from here.” He averted his gaze. That woman could see straight through him somehow, he wasn’t sure how she even knew his name.
“Can you read? I have a written version here if you need, or I can try to tell you.” She held a scroll out to him.
He eyed the scroll with suspicion. What was with this city? Every third person wanted to treat him like royalty and the rest wanted him in prison or pounded into the dirt. “I can read a little. My mother taught me. I just never practice.”
“Your mother must be very proud of you, coming to this school and making something of yourself.” She smiled warmly and watched as he unrolled the scroll. “You’ll do well here, if you apply yourself.”
“No, she doesn’t give a rat’s ass about me.” He rolled it back up and slid it back into his bag. “Why do you care?”
“I think you misunderstand me.” The same blasted kind smile wasn’t going anywhere. It drove him mad when Emren did it and it was no different from her. “But I care because you’re a chosen. A dragon, a daughter of Tiamat no less, saw potential in you, and it’s my job to make sure this academy sees that potential put to use. Don’t listen to people like miss Tifse.”
“Is that the angry bitch’s name?”
“Yes, that’s her name.” She nodded sagely and let the profanity wash over her. “Don’t be too hard on her. Everyone is going through their own difficulties. She’s under a lot of pressure to get this right. Twelfth daughter to a major noble house like her doesn’t have many options to make something of herself and not be left behind. No inheritance, no chance of a ladyship. It’s become a rider or be married off for an alliance really.”
“Boo hoo. I’m so sorry for her, it must be so terrible to have the fallback plan of marrying a noble and never worrying about food or money ever again. I’m gonna go find my dorm.” He sidestepped the woman and made his way to his new living quarters for the next few months.
His classes didn’t turn out to be too serious. He had History of The Ministry, hand to hand combat, beginners magic, dragonology, and got to skip out on scribing since he already knew how to read and write. The first round of classes before riders began to bond with dragons were supposed to just be basics. If you didn’t get a dragon at the bonding ceremonies in three months you got to leave or go to priest school, if a dragon chose you then you got an apprenticeship under another rider, so the stuff before was just there for a primer.
He didn’t care much about history, blah blah blah there used to be three gods, blah blah one of them went evil and froze the entire continent and killed Tiamat’s husband Apsu. Tiamat thawed the cold and made dragons to do it or something. Who cares? It was all thousands of years ago.
Hand to hand was useful, he needed to learn how to swing that knife and use that armor to his advantage, and even once he got out of here it would always be useful to know how to get out of a jam.
Beginners magic was really where it was at. He’d gone in looking forward to learning how to shoot fire from his hands or whatever, but it ended up being a lot more telepathic magic. “Dragons lack the same vocal chords that anthronoids possess, and because of this cannot ‘speak’ the way we do. Instead they use magic to communicate using their minds. From one dragon to another this process is completely natural, but it runs into problems when they attempt to communicate with us anthronoids. For those unaccustomed to psychic communication it can be distressing, and could lead to stray thoughts meant to be private being shared with the dragon. This is why it is so important for all who are going to work with dragons understand the basics of telepathy. If you become a priest you’ll need to be able to take instruction, and if you become a rider you will be your dragon’s partner, and need to be able to have a proper back and forth.” Very disappointing. Mostly just having boring conversations in his head with other students for practice. No flash, no fun. When would he learn to shoot fire from his hands?
Dragonology was also a bore. It was all about scale and dental care, diet, growth over time. The only thing of importance he really learned was that Rubis was about a century and a half and Amjazel was close to 1000. As if she could be any more terrifying.
Tifse didn’t do much more to annoy Arxet outside of classes directly, but word got around fast that he was coldmarked, and he could only imagine who might have told everyone. She got to lay his ass out on the mat twice in hand to hand drills, he only managed a bit of progress in the first two weeks. He was scrawny and uncoordinated, an easy target in any team fight. He got targeted and beaten to a pulp in the first few seconds almost every time he went in. It seemed the prevailing sentiment in the school was to hate his guts. Between magic classes not being what he expected and getting to bed beaten and bruised every night he was greatly regretting every decision he had made leading him to this point.
Miss Mattar made herself at home in many of his classes. She took a special interest in all of the students chosen by dragons that year. Including Arxet there were five. Two had even been chosen by the same dragon, each sporting a broach with a matching pink garnet, and both seemed to take it as a challenge to prove themselves the most worthy over the other. One was an old woman with a black-gemmed broach, so ancient that Arxet actually managed a single win in the ring, though even for him it felt like a hollow victory. He didn’t understand at all how she could be picked with how frail she was. It was hardly fair for either of them. If she hadn’t spat at his feet when she found out about his coldmark he may have even empathized, but she was a bitch so he couldn’t bring himself to care much.
On the evening of his twentieth day at the academy Arxet was spending his evening limping back to his room from the infirmary. His ankle had been rolled unnaturally after being tackled and pinned by a lizardfolk twice his size and his arm had been dislocated. Sure, he’d pocketed a few coins off the brute while he wasn’t paying attention, but he wasn’t sure if he could keep going like this for two more months. He’d been given an exemption from combat drills for two weeks, but he knew he would just fall more behind with it.
He felt lucky he didn’t have to worry about passing any kind of exams for priesthood or proving himself to a dragon, but he wasn’t sure he would live that long at this rate. Everything hurt, and he couldn’t even sleep right most nights, which only made it more difficult to keep up with his courses.
It had taken time to be fixed up, even with healing magic. The rider on staff who handled the medical concerns of the academy wasn’t as gifted at healing as Emren apparently was, and it took him far longer to reach worse results. It was well past dark now, and most of the academy grounds were empty as most students were asleep or studying.
This was the final straw. He couldn’t handle another night like this. He made up his mind to pack up his shit and ditch while everyone was asleep. He could use some of the coin left over after the necklace to charter a boat and get the fuck out of here, far enough Amjazel couldn’t track him down. If she did manage to find him then he would really give her a piece of his mind, her size and age be damned. He slunk back to his room and began to pack what few belongings he had. If he just waited a little longer there shouldn’t be anyone else in the halls of the academy to bother him. He could slip out the front gate and be on the far side of the lake by the time anyone even knew to call for Amjazel.
As he rushed back out of his room he slammed face first into the last person he wanted to see: Tifse. “You just never look where you go, do you?” She goaded him as she blocked the door before her eyes fell on his rucksack. “You’re running away, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, you win, I’m gone. I don’t give a shit enough to hang around for this abuse, chosen or not.” He growled above her, his tail whipping dangerously. “Now move.”
“What? Not gonna run me over again?” She stepped into his room and growled back eagerly. The fox had been looking for an excuse since her first day, now the two were alone. He wasn’t sure how far she’d go. “I don’t know what dragon decided to choose a disgrace like you, but they could at least choose someone who could look where they’re walking. After all, you’re just gonna lose valuables that way.”
His mind screeched to a halt at the last comment. “You. You took it, didn’t you!”
“Guilty as charged.” She flashed the massive sapphire between her index and middle finger with a cocky smile. “You probably stole it first anyway. Takes a thief to know a thief, so of course you’d spot my little heist.”
“You bitch!” He threw himself at her and slammed her into the stone doorway. “THAT’S MINE!” He had lost all sense of himself. The sheer violation of having the first true luxury in his entire wretched existence be stolen from under his nose by this self righteous little noble’s daughter had put him over the edge. He wasn’t even going for the stone, he just wanted blood.
She threw her arm up to block him, but she wasn’t in her usual steel armor, instead having donned a sturdy and utilitarian traveler’s shirt. His teeth sank into her flesh and he wrenched to go for the face, as he did the sleeve tore, and she managed to get a boot under him to send him flying back against his bed. “You’re insane! You’re not leaving, I’m going to- to see that you’re locked up!”
Her confidence was shaken, this much was immediately apparent. Arxet shot to his feet, ready for a second round, but instead found his eyes locking on her arm, below where he’d bitten her. A snow white mark stood out against her darker fur around her forearms. A white snowflake. A coldmark. A laugh began to bubble up in his chest, a mad sounding, sinister laugh. “You hypocrite. You can do whatever you want to me, but I’ll make sure everyone knows about you too. If there’s one thing someone hates more than a coldmark they can see, it’s one they didn’t know about.”
Fear struck the girl’s features at the threat. Arxet had her where he wanted her and she knew it. No one in the school would trust her or take her seriously again if this got out. “You can have it back. Just go.”
“No. No I don’t think I will.” He took a shaky step towards her. The adrenaline pumping through him had his legs feeling like jelly and his vision swimming, the pain in his arm from the dislocated shoulder being agitated didn’t even register. He felt high on this feeling of victory over the smug bitch who’d caused nothing but problems for him for weeks. “I’m gonna stick around, and you’re gonna give me my rock back. And you’re gonna drop this high and mighty act of yours. You’re no better than me, you’re tainted just like me. Just another kid of a noble family that no one gives a shit about. You’re just like me, aren’t you.”
The venom in his words caused her to shudder. “Fine! Fine! Take it!” She chucked it at him and sprinted out the door. He caught the sapphire with a snap of his arm. The world felt as if it were in slow motion and his head was pounding, but he was starting to come down already. He collapsed on his bed and tried to catch his breath. His fist had begun to squeeze down on the sapphire so hard his bones hurt.
“Oh Arxet…” Another familiar voice whispered from the doorway. His eyes snapped up to find Emren in hall. “Is that really how you see yourself?”
“Does it matter how I see myself? That’s how everyone else sees me.” He slipped the sapphire into a pocket and tried to stand again, only to find his legs to still be jelly.
“Of course it matters.” Without any invitation she stepped into the room. “Arxet, you-”
“What do you want?” He cut her off. He wasn’t in the mood for a pep talk.
“Amjazel and I have a surprise prepared for you. I came by looking for you earlier but-”
“Was in the infirmary. Got my arm dislocated in hand to hand earlier.” He was severely lacking in patience after the day he’d had. He didn’t have much interest in whatever surprise those two had for him. Their previous ‘gift’ had ended up with him suffering through this bullshit academy.
“Let me take a look.” She glided across the room to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The pain eased immediately. “There. Better? Good. Now come along with me. The surprise isn’t until the morning, but it has to be at sunrise. Oh good, you already have your things packed.” Did she just wink at him?
“Look, your last ‘gift’ hasn’t exactly worked out great. I’m not cut out to be a rider or a priest, I’m getting my ass kicked in the ring on the regular, and everyone here hates me. Unless you-”
“This gift is very different, I can assure you, friend.” She finally took her own turn to interrupt. He could tell by her expression it was some level of intentional. “You’ll have all night to sleep on it and decide if you want to accept it, but after tonight you’ll be free to stay or go, I’ll even give you some coin for the road. Have you been practicing your mental communication? Amjazel wants to speak with you for herself.”
“Yeah. Fine. I’m clearly not gonna get any clear answers, just ‘oh you have potential’ and ‘oh Amjazel likes her sad little fixer-uppers’. Just take me to her.” He grabbed his bag and slid his helmet back down into place.
Emren lead him back out through the winding halls of the academy to the courtyard where Fatima Mattar’s speech had taken place. Now rather than a throng of students Arxet found Rubis draped in moonlight, leaving a dull sparkle across her scales. Jiru sat saddled above her wing’s shoulders and threw a friendly wave to Arxet as he came out into the moonlight with them. “Hey, kid. Ready to go?”
“Is everyone going to be here for this?” Arxet grumbled and stopped short of Rubis’s reach.
“Not the whole family, Rubis’s older sisters are busy.” Emren patted his shoulder in an attempt at comfort. “Relax, Arxet. We have nothing but good intentions for you.”
“Oh, sure, when you phrase it that way this whole shady situation just seems perfectly normal.” He crossed his arms and started to tap his foot. His nerves about the entire situation were getting to him. None of this screamed normal, but he was past the point of no return. Whatever these people had planned for him from the start was coming to fruition. “Where are we going, then?”
“Rubis is going to fly us to he Grand Ziggurat where Amjazel is waiting for us.” The catfolk gently clasped his hand between hers and pulled him toward her daughter. “I know dragonback doesn’t agree with you, but this will probably be your last time you have to do it, if you want it to be.”
He froze as she mentioned his destination. The Grand Ziggurat was Tiamat’s home. It was said whenever she wasn’t doing her work among the heavens to do whatever goddesses do she lived there. The entire ministry complex was built around it. People left offerings at it, it was forbidden to even enter without permission, but a street urchin like him was being invited inside. “Is- is Tiamat-”
“It isn’t my place to say. None of it is. I’m a part of all of this, but it is Amjazel who chose you, not me. I’m just helping my wife to see it through.” She stopped tugging Arxet’s had and held it to her heart, a symbol of familial trust and vulnerability in Ti’avalian culture. “I promise you, you will come to no harm. You will be permitted to leave regardless of your decision in the morning. She hasn’t dragged you along for no reason. You aren’t going to be smote for speaking out of line, or punished for insolence, or any other ludicrous thought you might have about visiting the ziggurat. You will be safe, I swear on my life.”
Arxet could only nod in stunned silence at the gesture. Every time he thought these people couldn’t surprise him they’d do something else to make him question his judgment of them. Emren lowered his hand again and slowly lead him up to Rubis. The dragon winked at him and lowered a wing for him to climb up and onto her saddle. Jiru patted him on the shoulder and grinned full-toothed at him while Emren saddled behind him. “Good to have ya aboard, kiddo. It’s a short flight, you should be fine. If not try to vomit to the side and not on me.” With that, Rubis launched herself from the courtyard and into the moonlit air.