Reynold watched as Jaxon and his Iron Fists group turned and left.
A heavy sigh lefr his lips. He already knew that his score would attract some many eyes to him and he was long prepared for it.
Now, it was time for the fifth and final trial. He had a smile on his face as he made his way to the fifth trial ground.
The crowd followed him. They murmured as they followed him..
"98, 93, then 89... do you think if he get bond to a dragon, his will acquire Magic, and have his sword fighting and martial arts upgraded?"
"Respect the Starweaver score, sure," another person from the crowd scoffed, "but a rider gaining magic and having their martial and fighting skill boosts? Nah! It is only a myth. Only the dusty history books claim such things, and who trusts those scribbles anyway?"
"Myth or not, I'd trade my left arm to be in Reynold's shoes. And who cares about being a magic user when you are a rider," another person from the crowd admitted.
"I do. Being a great rider with my fighting and martial skills upgraded plus being a magic user, damn! I will be a bad ass and unstoppable.." Another chimed in.
Among them, Kael gritted his teeth hearing all the murmurs. He let out a snare.
Just then, his bootlace however, chose this moment to unlace. He hiss as he bent stiffly to fix the knot.
Before Kael could tighten the lace, a punch landed into his back. Since he was unprepared and kneeling, Kael gasped as he lost his balance. He fell, his face hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
Alert! Kael scrambled to his feet. Recognizing the attacker, he let out a hiss. "What the hell, Theron! What has gotten into you?"
Theron didn't answer instead, he followed his punch with a slap. He slapped Kael hard on the face.
"Where is the Starweaver boy?" Theron snarled.
Kael instinctively held his cheek. "Fuck, so it's about the Starweaver boy you're hitting me for?" He spat the words out.
"Yes!" Theron hissed back. "Answer me, or I hit you again. Where is he?"
Kael cursed under his breath. "He's on his way to the fifth trial," Kael ground out.
The words hit Theron like a physical blow. His face went ashen that he nearly lost his balance.
There is always a professor at the fifth trial ground waiting to go through all the candidates plate and sign on them. If the Professor checked Reynold's plate and saw the blank space for Trial One and Reynold told the truth... it was over for for him.
Ignoring Kael's protests, Theron bolted, pushing through the crowd toward the final testing ground.
Meanwhile, Reynold was already standing at the ground for the fifth test. A senior cadet, tall and lean, was giving him the explanation.
"This is Test Five and we call it 'The Weighing of the Feather," the cadet explained. "It is all about focus, precision, and control. Think of it like this, Candidate. We give you an impossibly light dragon feather. You have to balance it perfectly on your fingertip while you move through a slow, disciplined sequence, like Tai Chi. Or just Imagine holding a single puff of dandelion seed on your pinky tip while doing a slow-motion dance. If you breathe too hard, it flies away. That's the level of stillness they want."
The cadet paused slightly before emphasizing the next part. "It is not about being fast but about being perfectly still inside. Any tremor or even a heavy breath, and poof, the feather falls and you lose points. Buy you pass if you keep it up for a solid time and your moves are pure. Pas score is 50 points."
Reynold looked past the cadet and spotted him. He was an elderly man sitting a few steps away, from his uniform, Reynold guessed he was one of the high-ranking Professors.
The cadet nodded. "You get four attempts. Each one is a minimum of ten minutes. Good luck."
Reynold took his position ready for the test.
He placed the feather on his finger. He was focused as he started the slow movement. On the third turn, there was a slight twitch in his wrist making the feather skip. It tumbled off his finger before the five-minute mark.
It was the same for the second and third attempts. Both attempts ended like the first one.
On the third try, he lost his balance and the feather fell off.
He was now down to his final and last attempt.
Reynold closed his eyes before he start the fourth attempt. This was his last attempt, he needed to be in control and not rush it.
Right now, he could feel the crowd watching.
He took a deep controlled breath, it was a slow exhale that seemed to empty his lungs completely.
He pictured the backyard in Terraverde City. His father stood there, the noon sun was hot
.
His younger self was trying to balance a simple stone..
"Reynold, listen," his father's voice sounded. "A dragon is the most massive, powerful creature you will ever meet. It is pure and has raw power. To control it mid-flight and to guide its instincts, you need absolute control over your own minute, your physical movements and your breath. If you shake when you lift a pebble, how will you guide a wing or how will you command a creature that breathes fire?"
Reynold snapped his eyes open. The feather was back on his fingertip.
He started the sequence for the Fourth Attempt. This time he took it slow. And he did not force his movements. He wasn't fighting the feather rather he was simply existing with it. His breathing suddenly became a rhythm, matching the pulse of the feather.
The ten-minute mark passed. The feather hadn't moved..
He finished the attempt, holding the final, still pose.
The senior cadet stared at the feather. It was was perfectly still. He stared at his timer, then at Reynold, then back at the feather, which finally, gently, drifted down as Reynold relaxed his hand.
Seeing the scoreboard, the senior cadet was shocked but he was quick to regain himself as he announced.
"Reynold Starweaver! Score: 90 points! Three minutes and zero seconds remaining on the attempt!"
The cadet quickly scribbled the score onto Reynold's wooden trial plate, then cleared his throat and gestured toward the elderly man sitting nearby.
"Take your plate... and report to Professor Valerius."
Reynold nodded, collected the plate, and walked toward the professor. He offered a respectful nod. "Professor."
Professor Valerius nodded and took the plate. He scanned the plate and seeing the name Starweaver, he raised his head to stare at Reynold for a moment before shifting his eyes back to the plate.
After going through the scores, he handed back Reynold the plate.
"Your scores, Starweaver, are very good. You've broken the high mark on every single trial you took" Valerius stated. He then tapped the wooden slate. "Tell me, young man. Why is your first trial space left blank? You did not take the first test."
Reynold opened his mouth to answer truthfully, but before he could, a voice cut in.
"Here you are, Starweaver!"
Theron appeared panting, and stopped dead when he saw the Professor. He immediately panicked and bow slightly.
Professor Valerius turned his attention from Reynold to Theron.
Recognising him, he asked. "Ah, Theron. You are overseeing the first trial, are you not?"
Theron nodded his eyes darting between the professor and Reynold.
Valerius pointed a single, accusing finger at the plate Reynold was holding. "Then perhaps you can explain to me why the space for Trial One is empty. Why is Reynold Starweaver's first trial space blank?"
Author's note!
Thanks for taking your time to read my book. It means a lot to me. Don't forget to always penned down your thoughts using the review comment section, I'll be there to read em'.
Meanwhile, below are few characters descriptions and look so it could help you envision the characters. As we proceed, I will be dropping more characters descriptions and look.
Reynold Starweaver :
Lean to medium build. Light olive skin. diamond face shape. Straight nose and well proportioned. Lips are medium in fullness with a natural cupid bow.
Dark brown hair, always worn in a bun or top knot tied high on the back of his head.
Laena Aerthys:
Tapered oval face. Fair in complexion, but often slightly wind-burned from dragon riding. blue eyes. Ash blonde hair, always pulled into a severe, tight braid. Defining Feature: The small, quick muscle ticking in her cheek when she's stressed or emotional.
Kael Vynsar:
His face is smooth, round features, slightly boyish despite his age. Pale, perfectly clear skin. Pale grey eye. Dark brown and glossy hair.
Theron Vynsar:
Face is angular in shape. Skin tone is slightly yellowed, often appears greasy. Brown eyes. Dark, thinning and slicked back hair.
Xoxo,
Favypen!