The Proving - Part 1

For better or worse, I was indeed different after completing my training with Zolmann. The technique he taught me wasn't what I was expecting to learn but I was sure it would help me not only compete with, but completely overpower a dragon.

The proving was to take place on the floating mountains of Thoravive, a kind of holy land to the dragons. Since I couldn't fly, I had to rely on Lumia for transport. She flew high but below the clouds so that I could appreciate the beauty of Aeros.

I gazed below, marveling at the many fantastic landscapes we flew over. We soared over the mist-covered forests of Faerelle, a desert alive with shark-like beasts swimming through the sands, then there was the ocean. Great beast could be seen just below the water's surface. A tortoise like a swimming island dove deep as we passed over it.

Even flying hundreds of miles per hour, everything seemed slower and less rushed. The atmosphere was calm and serene and I felt far removed from the anxieties of life.

As we came to the edge of a frozen landscape, Lumia rose higher and Thoravive came into view. From a distance the mountains looked comparable in size to mountains I'd seen on Earth, however these were more a rhombus shape than a triangle—I should have expected that since they were floating in the sky. A flock of birds swarmed the peaks like moths drawn to a flame, their shadows merging with the rock as they landed.

"What kind of birds can fly this high?" I asked Lumia.

She huffed, puffing smoke from her nostrils and bellowed a hearty laugh, the vibrations of which rumbled between my thighs.

As we drew closer, I realized they weren't birds, but dragons. The mountains were at least three times larger than I initially believed, making the dragons appear smaller than they were.

Instead of landing immediately, Lumia flew over the mountains.

Thoravive was a chain of mountains that floated thousands of feet above the ground. I wondered how these massive chunks of earth could maintain such altitude, though ultimately that mattered little.

Even more perplexing was a network of winding rivers that flowed between them, at times drifting through the air for more than a hundred yards and yet not one single drop fell to the ice below. It was as if there were invisible pipes containing and directing the water, but winged fish, leaping in and out of the streams, proved that wasn't the case.

When we landed, we did so atop a deserted plateau. With only the two of us present, Lumia transformed into her human form.

"Silv," she said, "do you remember our promise?"

I nodded. "I'll avoid direct conflict if I can, but with the magic Zolmann taught me, I'm confident I would win."

"What exactly did he teach you?" She asked.

I didn't actually know. "He never told me the spell's name, but trust me, everything will be fine."

I could sense she was unsatisfied. Likely, she could feel my emotions as well and while

She wouldn't know exactly what I was planning, she probably knew I wasn't content to settle for a simple finish.

We both knew that in order to earn the dragon's respect, I'd have to do more than just survive the proving. I'd need to finish with the dragon gem and doing that would make me a target.

Lumia came closer. "You don't want me to give anything up, but…" Putting an arm around my neck, she placed her forehead against mine. A series of images flashed in my mind—memories, her memories.

Her childhood was unlike mine. Lord Andrhei was cold and unrelenting, only concerning himself with displays of power and achievement. Outside of her time with me, Lumia was isolated, forced to train constantly and ridiculed when she failed.

"...if it comes to that, I won't be losing much." She whispered with a sad smile as she pulled away.

What she showed me only confirmed that I was right. Her father wouldn't accept me unless I achieved the impossible and even if she didn't want or care about a relationship with him, I wasn't willing to allow her to live as an embarrassment to her race.

Behind her, two men in amber scaled armor approached us. Each had a pair of bronze horns pointing up and backward from atop their heads. The man on the left had two auburn braids twisted around the base of his horns. The other man's burgundy hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.

Despite being heavily armored, neither man carried a weapon, though their claws would more than suffice.

"Princess!" One called as the other rushed around Lumia to grab me. "The High Lord waits above the pit."

Without moving to acknowledge them, Lumia answered, "I'll stay with Silvon until the proving starts. My father won't miss my absence."

I bit my lip to stifle a yelp as the dragon—ponytail head—tightened his grasp around my arm, purposely digging his claws into my skin. "This flesh bag is unworthy of your presence." He growled. "Have you not shamed us enough? letting this insect ride on your back like some—."

Lumia narrowed her gaze on the man, her eyes glowing brightly. "Release him, or do you not know that we are bonded?"

The man faltered a moment, backing away from me, before grabbing me again. Swiftly, he pulled me to the edge of the cliff and shouted. "It can be said that half the proving is reaching these peaks; and yet, you carried him. So how can he prove?"

An overwhelming pressure descended on the area like thunder clouds rolling across the plains. All sound ceased except for Lumia's voice echoing throughout the mountain range. "You dare challenge me?" She demanded angrily. Then she shifted to draconic form. Standing tall, she glared at the guardsman who trembled beneath her.

Again he released me. "N…no Highness, I dare not." He said cowering.

"Threatening my bond is no different than threatening me," Lumia said as she returned to human form. "Remember that, when next you think to lay a claw on him."

The dragon lowered his face further, though not before giving me a seething glare. "Yes princess."

I thought of using what Zolmann taught me to heal my arm, but this wasn't the place for that. The scratches hurt, but they wouldn't slow me down and it was still too soon to reveal my hand.

The other guard, the one with braids, knelt toward the path behind Lumia where a large golden dragon was descending. His visage oozed elegance and grace, as he landed regally behind Lumia.

Observing the scene the golden dragon shook his head. "You only just arrived and already you've caused a scene." He snarled through his teeth, each one larger than me.

Lumia rolled her eyes. "It was your soldier who caused the scene, Lord Bjorn." Spinning on her heels, she looked up at the dragon. "Does my father know that you presumed to send an escort for me?"

Lord Bjorn nodded, his wings spread out wide, creating a shadow over the plateau and sunlit lands below. He stepped closer towards Lumia and bowed low. As he did so, his tail lashed around him and caught ponytail head unawares.

"Ow!" The man shouted as he stumbled forward. A bloody lash now ran across his back, though it began healing in the space of two breaths.

"I meant only respect, your highness. I apologize for this fool who stepped beyond his orders."

As more dragons gathered in the sky above, Lumia turned toward me. "Sorry, Silv. I wanted to stay together, but it looks like I'll have to leave you here before things get more complicated."

Understanding her situation, I nodded. I felt angry as I watched her transform and fly away with the other dragons. Angry because of what had happened earlier—but even angrier at how they treated Lumia. Even in showing their respect, it was clear that she was like an object to them—or some prize to be won.

All personal feelings aside, what did it matter if Lumia wanted to be with someone beneath her station. Why shouldn't she have the right to choose?

I was certain the young guard, and perhaps even Lord Bjorn, meant to intimidate me. I wouldn't let them. Instead I let the experience strengthen my resolve. Soon, I'd show those arrogant reptiles that even they could be made vulnerable.

***

There was only one path off the plateau. Fortunately, it brought me to a cave where young dragons gathered. They mostly spoke draconic and ignored me, as Lumia had warned they would.

Only one, a female in her human form, approached me.

"So you're the one all the fuss is about." She said in perfect English.

"Walu en no mein." I said, making use of the one sentence I'd learned to properly pronounce in draconic.

The girl laughed, her curly hair bouncing with her shoulders. "Did you mean to say Vwalu?" She asked, having calmed down. "Walu means swalrus. You're quite clearly not a swalrus so…"

"Yea, I meant to say I'm not so impressive—why do they sound so close? The words aren't even related."

The girl shrugged. "You're called Silvon right? My name is Lila. This might seem a dumb question, but do you actually plan to compete with us?"

I nodded. "Yes, but—"

"Word of advice then, stay away from Borin." She tilted her head in the direction of a black dragon across the cavern. His harsh gaze was firmly fixed on me, even as other dragons passed between us. Lila continued, "He's one of the older competitors this year, and word is, he's aiming for the dragon gem. Do you understand what that means?"

"More or less. He wants to marry Lumia, right?"

"Correct." She nodded. "My si—Lumia doesn't want to see you hurt so, don't be stupid okay?"

I couldn't help but smile. Lumia hadn't told me about any sister, but Lila must've cared for her deeply, otherwise, why bother warning me?

"I don't know if I can avoid him, but if it does come to a fight, I'm sure I'll be okay." I replied.

"You really don't know what you're up against. Just trust me and stay away from him. If you follow directions, I'll help you if I can." With that she pivoted and mingled back among her own kind.

The top of the cave chamber pulled apart, letting sunlight pour into the dark space. The light illuminated a body of water I hadn't noticed before. It was a deep pool large enough to hold several adult dragons at once.

Above the opening, a large white dragon soared, his voice thundering through the air like a storm. He was speaking draconic so all I understood was a few words here and there. He mentioned the word puvon—proving—a few times, and there was something about bravery. He sprinkled vul-aé in regularly, roughly, it translated to foolish elf. Lumia reluctantly taught me the word so I'd know if someone was talking to or about me; although, I was sure it's actual translation was something harsher.

When the white dragon was done speaking, he breathed a pillar of fire down into the cave, burning away some enchantment over the pool.

"Anin," he bellowed once the fire was gone.

At once, dragons poured into the water—mostly just the smaller ones. Some larger, probably older drakes, sat away from the pool unlike the young who rushed in crazed fans trying to get the best seat at a concert. Both Lila and Borin among them.

All around me, dragons continued to dive in without hesitation, eager to start the trial. I stayed back even as some of the larger dragons began diving into the pool. Lila and Borin didn't move, instead each stared directly at me. After several minutes, there were only a few dragons left in the cave.

Borin's eyes seemed cold, almost threatening—a stark contrast to Lila's gentle and concerned gaze. The black scaled beast looked ready to devour me where I stood, but when his eyes drifted toward Lila, he shook his head and dove into the pool.

Lila gave me a nod before jumping in herself, and I followed after her. In truth, despite wanting to win, I hoped it wouldn't come to violence. I wanted to respect Lumia's wishes and keep my promise to her, but I got the sense that Borin wouldn't just ignore me, even if I didn't go for the gem.