Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
The skies above us churned with color. Wings of red, emerald, silver, and brown cutting through the wind like banners of war and freedom. I turned my face to the sun, wind catching the ends of my hair as the dragons circled overhead in deliberate, sweeping arcs.
Major Ledor stepped forward, his voice loud and clear. “Free flight!”
The command echoed across the Ascension Grounds like a ripple of hope, and for the first time since I’d arrived at the guild… we were being given permission to ride not for battle, not for a test or punishment, but for joy.
I blinked, stunned.
We’d never been given that before.
Ledor’s green Catalan, Prian, landed with a heavy thud, scales shimmering like heated iron.
There was no ceremony to it, no posturing or commands.
Just the raw, honest yearning of a man who’d been too long grounded.
He mounted in one fluid motion and took to the skies, his silhouette shrinking against the clouds.
Then came Crownwatch. Their dragons launched upward in waves, flame trailing behind a few of the more eager Strikers.
Warborn followed with green and blue tails slicing through the morning haze.
I felt someone behind me and turned in time to catch Remy. He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t moved toward me… just stood at the edge of his squad. Watching. His eyes locked on mine for the briefest second, unreadable.
Then he turned, mounted his dragon, and shot into the sky with Warborn.
And then the wind changed.
The air shimmered as Thrall Squad’s dragons descended from the clouds.
Zola landed first, her silver hide glowing in the sunlight. Riven ran a hand along her shoulder like it was second nature.
Kasstovian dropped down in a small whirl of leaves and grit, nuzzling Cordelle’s side affectionately. His freckled cheeks lit with a grin.
Temil touched down in a spiral of golden wind, and Naia let out a breathless laugh as she reached for her saddle.
Narvea prowled in next, green tail lashing, and Ferrula just shook her head like she was trying not to smile.
And then Kieren swooped in with his usual flair, wings tilted to give the perfect dramatic entrance. Tae clapped once. “Now that’s how you make an entrance.”
Jax was already nodding to Koddos, his expression uncharacteristically soft as his armored dragon lumbered closer with practiced ease.
They didn’t mount right away.
Instead, my squad gathered around me and Zander.
“You fixed it,” Naia said, tossing me a lopsided smile. “I mean, it took a possible public execution and a rebellion, but… you did.”
“You saved more than just Zander,” Ferrula added, voice quiet. “You gave us our wings back.”
Cordelle stepped forward, green eyes shining. “I didn’t know how much I missed him until he landed. Thank you.”
Riven nudged my arm.
“No more trials today. Just flying. You earned it.”
Tae grinned. “Well, if you two are done stealing the spotlight with all your royal family drama, I’d like to enjoy my freedom before we’re sent to babysit another outpost.”
“I vote we fly high enough to scare the couriers,” Jax said, already slapping the side of Koddos’ thick neck. “Maybe drop some ash on Theron’s fancy outfit.”
We all laughed.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn’t forced.
They mounted one by one, wings flaring around us like a salute to the skies.
And then they flew.
Zander and I stood alone, watching them ascend into the air.
It seems you had quite the adventure in my absence.
Kaelith’s voice curled through my mind like a velvet ribbon—familiar and fierce and so achingly missed that my knees nearly gave out from the relief.
Kaelith! I answered, the word bright with emotion.
I swallowed hard, heart thudding as I smiled into the wind. Are you all right?
I am… intact, she replied with a rasp of humor. Though dragon mating is far less romantic than your human stories imply. And far louder.
I almost choked on a laugh. I didn’t want to ask, but she’d answered the question I didn’t say aloud. Still, the weight of concern hadn’t left my chest.
Are you coming back soon?
I am already on my way to you, little storm.
I glanced toward the sky as the air shifted above us. Zander, standing just a few paces off, met my eyes, and I knew immediately Hein was in his head too. His whole body had relaxed. The storm inside him stilled.
Kaelith, I asked as we waited, about the shifting thing… the tail splitting, the color change. Is that finished?
My evolution is incomplete, she said simply. But it will change over time. For now, I am… stable.
Stable didn’t sound particularly reassuring, but I’d take it.
And then the wind split open overhead.
A shadow arced above us, deep-violet edged with flashes of silver. Kaelith.
She was beautiful. Terrifying. Power incarnate.
Hein flew beside her—his bulk a shining wall of silver and steel as the two of them circled once over the field. Cheers erupted above the Ascension Grounds as the bonded dragons flew.
They landed with twin thuds that shook the stone beneath our boots.
Kaelith lowered her massive head until her golden gaze met mine.
You were brave in my absence, she said with a touch of pride. Now, let us remind them who they were messing with.
Zander and I shared a glance. No words, just instinct, and then we were running.
I didn’t wait for a rope. Didn’t need one.
My legs coiled, and I launched, catching Kaelith’s neck mid-leap.
Her scales were warm beneath my palms as I scrambled up her shoulder and swung onto her back with practiced ease.
Zander mirrored me on Hein’s back, vaulting up with the kind of fluid strength only a lifelong rider could master.
And then—
We soared.
Kaelith’s wings snapped open, and the world dropped away beneath us. Hein rose beside her, their wings beating in tandem like some ancient rhythm only bonded pairs understood.
They flew so close our dragons’ wings nearly touched, catching the sun between them like mirrors of flame and amethyst.
I’ve missed this, I messaged, wind tearing at my hair as my heart lifted with every beat of Kaelith’s wings.
Me too, Zander responded, his voice warm, threaded with something soft beneath it.
I blinked, startled. Wait… Zander? That wasn’t Kaelith—
I have tethered your communication, Hein’s deep voice added, almost smug. It is more efficient.
I blinked again. I love group chats, I said with a grin.
Kaelith chuckled, a low rolling sound in my mind like the rumble of a distant storm.
Hein, of course, practically sighed. If a dragon could roll his eyes, he did.
But then I felt it—another presence. I turned slightly in the saddle and spotted a flash of green rising below us.
Major Ledor.
His dragon joined us in the sky, keeping pace but falling just behind, as if giving us space. Not quite watching. Not quite not watching either.
We’re being followed, I muttered.
He’s not following, Zander messaged, his tone more thoughtful now. He is curious about Hein and Kaelith’s bond.
Kaelith’s wings shifted slightly, catching the breeze. Then let him witness what it looks like when dragons fly as one.
And just like that, the sky belonged to us.
Kaelith tilted her wings, and Hein mirrored her with such precision it was as if they were carved from the same breath of wind.
They dove together, slicing through the sky like twin blades, flashing silver and violet streaks across the clouds.
Their bodies moved in perfect harmony—a roll, then a spiraling climb, then a stall so sudden my breath caught in my chest.
But they didn’t falter.
Hein dipped his wing slightly, and Kaelith followed. Not a second late. Not a scale out of place.
They weren’t performing.
They were being.
They share the same soul, I thought, heart aching at the beauty of it. The same heart. The same air.
Every beat of their wings was a vow.
Every loop and dive and breath a whisper—We were made for this.
When we finally descended, the wind curling around us like ribbons of silk and storm, I slid from Kaelith’s back and landed softly on the packed earth. Zander dismounted a heartbeat later, his dark hair windswept, eyes still bright from the flight.
But what caught me off guard wasn’t the afterglow of flight.
It was the silence.
Every single squad was watching us.
Warborn, Stormforge, Crownwatch. Even Iron Fang.
Their dragons had landed and turned their heads skyward, watching every twist and arc, every seamless maneuver Kaelith and Hein had made.
No one said a word.
Not until a familiar red shimmer caught the edge of my sight and I turned to find Siergen stepping forward.
His wings were tucked neatly, scales gleaming like fire-glass, and his eyes—
They gleamed like he’d just watched history write itself in the sky.
“Hey, Red,” I said, brushing wind-tangled hair from my face as I stepped closer to the Courier dragon whose presence felt like power barely sheathed.
Siergen’s lip twitched, the closest thing to a smile I’d ever seen on that wickedly regal face. Hello, beauty, he messaged, the words curling through my mind like fire-smoke and silk.
I turned slightly, glancing over my shoulder at the assembled riders, at the way conversations had stilled, and the air had thickened. Every eye was on us, on the dragons who had just rewritten the sky.
“It seems we attracted an audience,” I muttered, trying to keep the flush out of my cheeks.
Let them watch, Siergen replied, golden eyes gleaming. They’ll see what true riders look like.
Then with a gust of wind and an effortless leap, Siergen unfurled his wings and launched upward, a streak of molten crimson against the blue.
The ground vibrated with the force of his takeoff, and just as the tension around us began to stretch thin—
Clap. Clap.
Major Kaler’s hands came together sharply, breaking the spell.
“Free time is over,” he called out, his voice carrying across the Ascension Grounds with practiced command. “Since all dragons are now accounted for…” His gaze cut briefly to Kaelith and Hein. “We will begin the next trial immediately.”
Groans and scattered mutters followed. Armor shifted. Saddles were being fastened again.
But I could feel it in my bones. The dragons were watching.
And the real test hadn’t even started.