Chapter 46 Kailin #2
As Onyx flew toward one of the massive stone protrusions that extended from the cliff face like enormous shelves, my thoughts scattered on the wind.
Terror seized me again as the reality of where we were about to land hit me hard, shattering the modicum of calm I had gained thanks to Onyx and Ravel distracting me with their stories.
The stone platforms jutting out into the open air had no railings and no barriers. There was nothing to prevent a fall into the abyss except one's own balance and judgment.
"The supports extend deep into the mountain," Ravel said as if reading my mind. "They've held for thousands of years, and they'll hold for thousands more."
Had Onyx told him what I'd been thinking?
As the dragon flew toward one of these impossible platforms and started his descent, my fingers dug into the leather straps of the saddle.
The platform was rushing up far too quickly for my comfort, and I was about to close my eyes and pray when, at the last moment, Onyx's wings snapped out, catching the air and slowing our fall.
It still felt like we were about to crash.
We landed with a bone-jarring thud that somehow didn't crack the stone platform beneath us, though I remained convinced that it should have. Onyx's talons gripped the edge of the stone as he folded his wings, and my heart lurched at how close to the precipice we were.
"Welcome to the Citadel, Kailin." Ravel started releasing the safety straps that had kept us secured.
I glanced down at the edge of the protrusion where nothing but thousands of feet of empty air waited. "Shouldn't we move further in, away from the edge?"
"It's perfectly safe to dismount right here," Ravel said.
I wanted to argue, but he was already swinging his leg over and sliding down Onyx's side with practiced ease. He landed on the platform and turned to me with an expectant look.
"Your turn."
I stared down at him, then at the narrow strip of stone between the dragon and the abyss, trying to calculate if I could manage the dismount without stumbling over the edge.
"It's simple," Ravel said. "Swing your right leg over and use the handholds on the saddle to guide your descent. Onyx will not move until you are safely on the ground."
I swallowed hard and nodded.
After the terrifying flight, this was a piece of cake, right?
Funny how everything was relative. Maybe that was the key to overcoming my phobia—the shock of exposure. The more dangerous stunts I took part in, the more of the ordinary stuff I could handle.
Yeah, right. As if anything about this place was ordinary.
I was sitting on top of a massive dragon and thinking of him as a new acquaintance or maybe even a friend.
"Thank you, Kailin," Onyx's amused voice sounded in my head. "I think of you as a friend as well."
"I appreciate that, but we need to set boundaries. Is there a way you can stay out of my thoughts until I give you permission to enter them?”
The horrified voice of my dragon lore teacher suddenly sounded in my head. "Are you insane, Kailin? How dare you talk like that to a dragon?"
"It is quite alright," Onyx said. "You were not disrespectful. And as for guarding your thoughts, you will learn how to do this in due course."
"Come on, Kailin." Ravel waved his hand in encouragement. "We don't have all day."
With a sigh and as much dignity as I could muster, I swung my leg over and started to slide down, my fingers closing over the leather handholds with a white-knuckled grip.
Halfway down, my foot slipped, and I slid the rest of the way in an ungraceful scramble, landing on my rear end on the stone platform with a jarring thud.
At least I hadn't fallen over the edge.
Ravel's lips twitched, though to his credit, he managed not to laugh. He offered his hand to help me, and as I took it, he pulled me up.
"Sorry about that," I mumbled, brushing myself off and avoiding looking down the abyss that loomed behind me, far too close for comfort.
Onyx's head swung toward me, his massive golden eyes regarding me with what seemed like warmth or even amusement. "Don't apologize, Little Warrior. You are pure of heart and courageous, and that is what matters. You will learn the rest in time."
Without thinking, I lifted my hand and put it on the side of his snout. "Thank you. I appreciate your words of encouragement. I needed them."
Ravel shook his head. "Most cadets count themselves lucky if they can hear the voice of the dragon they are bonded to, but Onyx is bonded to me, and dragons never bond with more than one rider." He studied me with interest. "Do you hear any of the other dragons?"
I shook my head. "The only other dragon voice I heard was the one calling me to rise and come forward in the Circle of Fate. The other potential riders heard it too."
"Saphir's dragonia has the unique ability to speak to all riders and all dragons."
It occurred to me that Nyxath didn't sound like a nickname, but it also wasn't difficult to pronounce.
"Saphir named Nyxath like he had all the first hatchlings," Onyx said. "She was happy with it and never saw the need to choose a dragon name even though she's our queen."
I hadn't known that, and I also hadn't known that she was the only one with the ability to communicate with all riders. Maybe it was a trait that only the queen had.
I turned to Ravel. "If something happens to Nyxath, how will riders get called forth?"
He shrugged. "I guess a new dragon will be hatched with her ability, or maybe it will be passed to another. Supposedly, there is only one such dragon alive at a time." Ravel smiled. "I think dragons have magic."
Onyx chuffed out a puff of sulfur-smelling smoke as if to say that was obvious.
Ravel's expression turned serious. "Your talent is as rare as Nyxath's, and if it extends to include other dragons, it is incredibly valuable.
Right now, our communications are limited.
Having a rider with the ability to communicate directly with all dragons at once will give us a huge advantage, but until we know more about your ability, don't tell anyone about it. "
"Not even the shaman?"
I was sure Saphir needed to know what I could do.
"I will tell him, but first I want to tell my wing commander. He will probably want to test your ability with other dragons before we tell the shaman, so we have something of value to report."
As the weight of his words sank in, panic bloomed in my chest. I'd barely come to terms with the idea of becoming a rider, and now there was this additional expectation that would require a cool head during battles.
I wasn't sure I was ready for such tremendous responsibility or that I ever would be.
I forced my expression to remain neutral, not wanting Commander Ravel to see my doubts.
He and Onyx thought that I was brave, the fierce little warrior they'd seen that night five years ago, and I didn't want to tarnish that impression by showing the side of me that was anything but fierce and courageous.
"Let's get moving," Ravel said, gesturing toward an arched doorway set into the mountain at the back of the platform. "Captain Odinah is waiting for you."
As we walked into the chamber, my eyes were immediately drawn to Shovia, who had arrived before me. She looked perfectly fine, but a couple of the others who had been delivered in the first round looked a little green.
Not being the only one terrified of riding on the back of a dragon was comforting. It made me feel a little less of a freak.
The woman standing in front of them turned her sharp eyes on me, but only for a split second, and then shifted her gaze to Ravel.
"Commander," she greeted him with a nod and a shadow of a smile, then turned her assessing gaze back on me.
I felt as if I were being catalogued and classified, my worth determined in that single glance and found wanting.
"Allow me to introduce Kailin Strom of Skywatcher's Point," Ravel said. "Dylon's sister."
Something flickered in Captain Odinah's eyes. "Your special pick," she said, her tone carefully neutral, but her words causing heat to flood my cheeks.
Had Ravel made it clear to everyone that he'd singled me out?
And why had he done that?
Was it because he liked my brother and wanted to make sure that his little sister got a special welcome?
Or was it because of what he had seen five years ago?
"I look forward to seeing what you bring to the Dragon Force, Cadet Kailin," Odinah said, her expression giving away nothing of her true thoughts.
Ravel gave me one last smile before turning to her. "I leave her in your capable hands, Captain."
As his attention returned to me, I thought he might reach for my hand or say something personal, but he maintained his professional demeanor. "Good luck with your orientation, Kailin."
And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out the way we had come.
Through the row of expansive windows, I watched as he vaulted back onto Onyx's saddle with effortless grace. The great dragon rumbled once more, a sound I felt in my bones rather than heard, before spreading his wings and launching off the platform.
As they dropped from view, a gasp escaped my throat, but then a powerful upward sweep carried them skyward again, and I let out a breath.
"Take your place with the others, Kailin," Captain Odinah said.