The Broken Scale (The Dragon Riders of Arvain) (51 page)

             
The green dragons were the closest to the metallic dragons. They had the same basic body structure but their jaws were thinner and came to a sharper point. Estraken had told them that the green dragons had caused them a lot of trouble during the war because they could blend in with the forest around them.

             
They spent a lot of their time in the forest and they could move on land just as fast and elegantly as they could maneuver in the air.

             
The black dragons had more in common with bats than just their appearances. They liked to hide in dark caves where it was hard to see them and they could hook their claws in to stone and hang upside down.

             
Estraken had warned them that the black dragon’s fire was one of the worst out of all the dragons. Since the black dragons lived in the shadow desert they would accidently eat sand that had gotten on their prey. The sand would stay in their system until they released their fire and when they did it wasn’t only fire that came from their mouths but a rain of hot liquid glass.

             
“If you avoided their fire but happened to get some of the glass on you”, Estraken said, “It was an unthinkable pain. The liquid glass would not only burn you immensely, it would also stick to you as it melted through your skin.”

             
The white dragons were the most interesting to Hayden. At first he had thought that the lack of scales and spikes or horns would have put the white dragon at a distinct disadvantage but Estraken told them otherwise.

             
The white dragons were the most nimble and agile, they could move and bend like a snake and they were the fastest fliers because of their lack of scales. They did not have the extra weight to hold them down.

             
The biggest advantage that white dragons had was what they could do instead of breathing fire.

             
They spit out this liquid that is supposed to be able to freeze anything on contact,
Hayden told Draek as he tried to describe the dragons.

             
How is that better than fire?
Draek asked.

             
Well, during the war they would freeze soldiers in their tracks. Make ice walls in the middle of roads so that they could not get supplies or reinforcements where they needed to go.

             
They could freeze riders and dragons just as well. But Estraken said that they also sweat out the same liquid but in a way so that they kind of control it. They could cover themselves in ice armor, creating spikes where they wanted to as well as thicker armor over more vulnerable spots.

             
If their armor got melted or cracked off they could make more to replace it. If they felt like they were going to lose the battle they would shake off all the armor and extra weight and fly away. The ones chasing them wouldn’t have a chance to catch them.

             
Hayden told Draek everything that he had learnt and seen, and they tried to imagine what the other dragons would look like in flight. They had seen a red dragon before but the other dragons seemed so strange to them.

             
Hayden watched as Draek blew fire all around the clearing, melting the snow and ice and burning up the tan grass beneath it.

             
Is something wrong Draek?
Hayden asked as he watched his silver dragon finish off the last of the clearing. When they had arrived it was white and untouched, but now all that remained was mud and charred dirt.

             
There is so much we don’t know. There is a whole world out there and we can’t even go see it yet. We have to do whatever someone else tells us to do until they decide something else for us to do.

             
Draek let out a puff of smoke as he continued to tramp around in the mud, making what had been his shinning scales brown and dirty.

             
I know how you feel.
Hayden couldn’t say anything else. As much as Draek was in Hayden’s mind, Hayden was in Draek’s. He knew just how his dragon felt about being stuck in one place for so long and being told what to do every second of the day.

             
I feel like we are wasting our time, time we won’t get back,
Hayden said. Draek stopped what he was doing and looked at him. They both had the same feeling deep inside.

             
Hayden got back onto Draek’s back and they flew over Celestial City for the hundredth time.

             
Two more months, then we will get leave,
Hayden said, happily awaiting the day when he wouldn’t have to stare at the metal city.

             
Then we get to watch some other fortress for a year, then another one after that. A few more after that and then we get to come right back here again.

             
Hayden had given himself a false hope as he thought about his future until Draek popped it before it could get anywhere. Draek was right, but Hayden did not have to like it.

___________________

             
The next month crept by as they got closer to the end of their training; now that Estraken was done teaching them it allowed them to have more free time. Hayden took this time to go back to Estraken’s library and back down to see the dragons and eggs.

             
Cass and Shane both joined him when he went to learn more about the other riders around Arvain, and Estraken loved to answer their questions. They enjoyed spending their free time together flying and just being in each other’s company.

             
Hayden returned to Fendrel’s abandoned house every few nights; hoping that his friend would return. Each time he went all he found was a locked door.

             
With only a few weeks to go before winter started to let up and they ended their first years training, their physical training and battle training both ended. They spent their time with Elizabeth as she prepared them for their last hill to climb.

             
“After the first flight ceremony is over you will land right in front of the pyramid where you had first began your training. After that we will begin the celebration with the people and move into the pyramid to finish, and declare you all full riders.”

             
The plan did not seem that difficult but Elizabeth insisted on being the one to tell them. She made sure not to tell them what the first flight was, and Hayden still thought it was a pointless exercise because the whole city knew that they could fly, but Elizabeth told them it was tradition.

             
“Now after the ceremony is over you will not leave Celestial City immediately. There is no more training, but we do want you all to have a few weeks to get your selves ready; say goodbye to your families and friends.”

             
Elizabeth had asked to speak with them in the Hall of Stories, and she sat in the golden throne in the center while the five riders stood in front of her.

             
“Your first year will be spent with the Sea Serpents. They are human, and the easiest to handle, so it won’t be too hard for you all to adjust. The five of you will be together every year and there will still be other riders helping you.”

             
She unrolled a scroll that she had resting in her lap. It was a map of Arvain, much like the one they had seen with Estraken, but this one was simple drawings.

             
The map had no detail as to where, if there even were any, the other race’s cities were located. The map only showed Celestial City near the center, the city was even drawn with metallic ink so it shined on the paper, and five different towers; one in each territory that had been given to the five races.

             
“Now you will be living in this tower.” She pointed at a tower that was on the edge of the coast. The map showed five islands off the coast that were all within flying distance of the tower. “There is a small settlement around the tower so you will feel more at home.

             
“Blacksmiths, cooks, leather smiths and almost anything else you could ask for will be there ready to serve you. It shouldn’t be too hard for the five of you to adjust.

             
“You will have work to do while you are there though, so I hope you weren’t thinking this was going to be a relaxing year on the ocean. You will be asked to learn all you can about the race that you are with. We like it when our riders are familiar with every race, so if there ever is an uprising we can try to predict what they will do. It also helps if we need to force them to do something.” A servant brought in a tray with drinks and fruit slices for the riders.

             
Elizabeth emptied to contents of her drink in one swift motion, but she passed up the fruit slices.

             
“They are from the Orchard of Souls; I hate that infested forest and everything that comes out of it. I was glad when that dwarf burnt it down; I thought it was going to allow us to build something new there. Who knew that we would be replanting and making it even bigger?” Elizabeth leaned back against her throne and closed her eyes for seconds as she gathered her thoughts.

             
“Your training is finished and you have one month till first flight, so I want the five of you practicing flying together and working together. When you are at the different towers you will have to fly patrols together and I want you all to be able to cooperate.

             
“Lastly, and then you are dismissed, I want every one of you to remember that, while you are out there dealing with these other races, they are not us. They do not follow the same rules as we do and I don’t want you to hold them up to our standards. If one of you die or get hurt then we have lost something great. If, during a confrontation, you kill a few blue riders that is no big deal. Do I make myself clear?”

             
All five riders nodded their heads, but only two actually believed what she said. She took her time looking into their eyes to make sure that she had been understood. When she was satisfied that her point had gotten across, she let them leave with the promise that they would practice flying in formation that day.

             
As soon as the five riders made it out of the Hall of Stories, Giles and Sebastian, without even speaking to them, turned and walked away from them. Shane, Cass and Hayden decided to make their way to the dining hall and eat before they did their flying.

             
“Well what do you think?” Hayden asked.

             
“I am thinking that it would be great if they didn’t have that nasty green paste that they say is mashed vegetables for lunch,” Shane replied. He sighed to himself as they walked into the dining hall and saw the thick green mounds on everyone’s plate.

             
“I think he was talking about what Elizabeth said, Shane,” Cass laughed softly as Shane realized what he had done.

             
“Oh, right,” Shane responded. “Well I am thinking we don’t have a choice in the matter. This is what new riders have to do, whether we agree with it or not,” Shane got back on topic.

             
“I know that, and it’s not what we have to do that bothers me. I know we have to try to keep the peace and guard the land, but I don’t like how she talked about the Sea Serpents. She made it clear that she thinks that they are worthless and not as important as we are.”  Hayden spoke quietly so that only Cass and Shane could hear him.

             
They all got a plate full of food, or what they were told was food, and found an empty bench to sit on that was away from everyone else. As Hayden sat his plate down he cringed when he saw the green paste slightly jiggle.

             
“I remember when you used to talk like that, keeping the five races submitted and at bay.” Shane spoke mockingly, but Hayden did not get mad. He knew that he was playing with him, but he also looked back and saw the truth in what his friend said.

             
I really was like her.

             
But you are not anymore. That is what makes your paths different.
Draek’s voice was stern and left no room for doubt. Draek had answered his question before he even got a chance to ask it.

             
“I was kidding, Hayden.” Shane made sure that Hayden knew that because Hayden hadn’t responded right away. Hayden nodded at Shane to show him that it was fine and to leave it be. He tried to scoop a spoon full of the green paste into his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

             
“I don’t see a problem here though. I know we don’t agree with what she says, but the next five years will keep us away from here and her ideas. You said it yourself, Hayden, what we have to do is not bad. How much trouble can one person cause?” Shane shook his head as he looked down at his food, but he did not have the same problem that Hayden had. He dove right in and shoved spoon full after spoon full into his mouth.