39. Confrontation #2
“We don’t want any trouble,” Aeden said, “we’re just out here getting some practice while it’s quiet. If you need to use the training field, that’s fine, we’ll just leave.”
“You’ll leave when we say it’s okay to leave,” the woman on the red Aer-Kin said, her voice gravelly and threatening.
“As second years, we’ve been told that we can expect you both to be joining our classes.
I think that’s a piss take from the academy.
I mean, look at her. Your Aer-Kin isn’t fit to be in the same ranks as ours.
Shiba,” the woman said, and her Aer-Kin’s ears fanned out from the side of its head.
They were almost the same size of its head as the creature took in a huge breath of air .
Aeden panicked. He had no clue what its powers were, what the students were capable of. If it was able to breathe fire, they would both be screwed.
The Aer-Kin opened its mouth, and to Aeden’s relief, no fire emerged, but he quickly questioned whether this was a good thing or not.
The Aer-Kin’s chest heaved as it opened its mouth and an ear-splitting screech came out, sending a powerful shockwave towards them.
“Shit!” Aeden shouted as he tried to hold on. The force was so powerful that it forced Nyra backwards, too.
“ Now!” Aeden said. “ Don’t forget Harrison .” There was no denying the students’ intentions now as Nyra bucked and set off at speed.
“Get them!” Ramona yelled.
Aeden reached down to grab hold of Harrison as they passed him. He raised his arm up in the air, which Aeden grabbed hold of before dragging him up onto Nyra’s back with him. There was nothing graceful in the motion as Harrison held on for dear life.
“Wrap your arms around me as best you can,” Aeden shouted.
“What’s their problem?” Harrison said as Nyra started to pick up speed. “She’s fast!” He gripped Aeden’s back tightly. “Like, really fast!”
The attacking Aer-Kin roared, their wings flapping wildly as they took flight.
Nyra was fast, but on foot, against Aer-Kin in the sky, they didn’t stand a chance.
The red Aer-Kin, Shiba, screeched again, sending down another blast of a sonic wave.
Nyra slowed instantly, and a pressure rose in Aeden’s head, like he was at the bottom of the lake.
It was intense and unbearable. Both he and Harrison clasped their hands over their ears in a vain attempt to block out the noise.
It worked slightly, but the damage was already done; all three of them were incapacitated as the larger black Aer-Kin swooped down on them.
Before Aeden could do anything, the claws of the Aer-Kin crashed into them, sending Nyra sprawling onto her side, churning through the ground. Aeden and Harrison were flung off her back, slamming into the ground with unforgiving thuds.
“Nyra!” Aeden cried. He desperately climbed to his feet, darting back towards her as fast as he could.
Nyra let out a pained cry, shuddering as she tried to get back to her feet. The black Aer-Kin, Kayan, was simply too large for her. She had never been in a fight, and this was a mismatch to say the least.
“Leave her alone!” Aeden screamed, vitriol burning the back of his throat. He was furious, desperate.
Neither the student nor the Aer-Kin listened as Kayan dived atop Nyra and pinned her down with its huge feet.
Aeden had never felt so powerless. He picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it towards them, trying anything to distract them.
The rock bounced off Kayan’s side, who lowered its head towards Nyra’s, snarling and baring its teeth.
It could have chomped down on her head in one as Nyra struggled against them.
It was pointless. She was still a youngling and no match for the larger Aer-Kin.
“LET HER GO!” Aeden picked up a second rock, this time aiming it at the student. He was a good aim, and the rock smashed into the student’s shoulder, almost sending her off balance. His attempt only served to enrage her further.
Shiba landed in front of Aeden, spreading her wings wide as if trying to block Aeden from view. She was trying to intimidate him, but with how he felt – the rage that was building, the desperation to get to Nyra – nothing would get in his way.
Nyra was terrified and confused, her blind panic flooding into Aeden through the Weave. It took every effort just to push it to the side and stop it from engulfing him.
“ Hold on, Nyra, I’m coming ,” he said, trying his best to reassure her. But what could he do? He was a human, facing an Aer-Kin and a rider, both of whom hated him and Nyra with such vitriol for merely existing.
“Why don’t you come down here and fight me!” Aeden said. He had no weapon, but he had his fists, and he would fight with everything he had until he didn’t draw breath anymore.
The other student laughed. “Why would I come down there when we have the advantage? Do you know nothing about battle tactics?” The student laughed, and Shiba opened her mouth, ready to fire another sonic blast at Aeden.
Aeden knew a full sonic blast from this range could be catastrophic for him. He glanced around him. No rocks or cover for him to dive behind. Even the columns were too far away for him to reach in time.
An ear-splitting roar came from above as an even larger shadow descended upon them. Looking up, Aeden was unable to see what it was, the sun shining too brightly above him as the large creature dropped like a stone.
When it landed, that was a different story .
It was Master Storme atop his Aer-Kin, Vegar.
Vegar’s grey and white scales were unmistakable given it was the first fully grown Aer-Kin that Aeden had seen at the academy.
Its roar was thunderous, reaching Aeden’s very core, but he still stood defiantly against the red Aer-Kin.
Vegar landed with a thud, the ground trembling like a small earthquake had hit them.
He eyed the two students and the Aer-Kin they rode, his golden eye darting between the two of them, his scarred white eye making him look even more menacing.
He let out another roar and slammed his feet onto the ground, a flicker of storm-like energy gathering in its wings.
“I suggest you both stand down right now,” Master Storme roared, “or I will have Vegar incapacitate both of your Aer-Kin right now.”
“M-Master Storme,” Ramona said, stammering. Vegar roared again, and the two students froze in their spots.
“Stand down,” Master Storme growled.
Kayan let go of Nyra as Shiba lowered her wings, and both of them cowered to the ground in front of the dominant Vegar.
“I don’t know what happened,” Ramona said. “We were just at the garrison when we heard someone talking about the wingless Aer-Kin. Next thing I knew, we were riding here. I didn’t mean to.”
“We didn’t mean to,” the other student added, pleading for forgiveness.
Seizing the opportunity, Aeden rushed towards Nyra. She was curled up in a ball, licking her hind. A large talon had raked down her, leaving her with a nasty gash. Aeden’s heart lurched at the very sight.
“ It’s okay, girl, I’m here .”
“ Aeden .” Nyra’s voice was tearful. She was scared – no, she was petrified – and confused as to why they had been attacked.
“You attacked a youngling, a much younger and defenceless one,” Master Storme raged.
“What’s worse, you lost control through the Weave.
You allowed your Aer-Kin to control you.
” Master Storme was furious as Vegar padded the ground, as if he was barely managing to control his rage.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t have you both kicked out of the academy right now.
All you’ve shown today is you have no control over your connection to the Weave. ”
Aeden didn’t realise that such a thing was possible. Their Aer-Kin had taken control – was it a form of compulsion? Or just an excuse? After all, that would be easier to hide behind. The truth was they had just tried to kill Nyra.
“I’m sorry, Master Storme,” they both said in tandem, their heads lowered in shame.
“Get back to the garrison. I’ll speak with the director about what we do with the two of you!” Master Storme stared into both of them as if he was going to breathe fire himself. “NOW!”
He had startled both of them, and their Aer-Kin took off as directed by Master Storme, leaving Aeden, Nyra, and Harrison in the field with Master Storme and Vegar.
This was not a situation that Aeden had envisioned, not only being attacked by second-year students, but also Master Storme being the one to protect them .
“Th-thank you,” Aeden said as he continued to inspect Nyra’s wound.
“ It hurts ,” she said.
Without thinking, Aeden felt his connection to the Weave intensify.
His and Nyra’s bond flashed as bright white light in his vision.
It was akin to a compulsion as he lowered his hand onto the wound.
Thick blood seeped over his hand as he searched for Nyra’s energy in the Weave.
She was right before him, so it was easy; he could see her outline like a constellation of stars as he impulsively channelled magic into her hind.
His hands pulsed, throbbing wildly as if they were vibrating with an intensity he couldn’t fathom.
Magic flowed through him into Nyra’s wound, a light forming where his hand was placed. His hand glowed red as the light illuminated his skin from the other side until Aeden felt an urge to stop.
When he did, his connection through the Weave ended, and all he could see was Nyra in front of him, her hind still covered in thick, congealing blood.
There was no sign of the wound anymore.
“Well, that is interesting,” Master Storme said.
“ Thank you, Aeden ,” Nyra said.
Aeden didn’t know what to say. He had no idea how he had done it. He had channelled magic as if it were second nature to him, with no experience of tapping into his shared Weave with Nyra.
“Come, Vegar and I will escort you back to the hatchery. It clearly isn’t safe for you two to train out here on your own.”