The advanced training began the next morning.
Seraphina had expected more of the same—combat drills, meditation exercises, history lessons. But when Kestrel led her to a part of the Citadel she had never seen before, she realized she had been wrong.
The chamber was circular, its walls covered in runes that pulsed with a faint blue light. In the center was a raised platform, and on the platform stood something that made Seraphina's breath catch in her throat.
A dragon skeleton. Massive, ancient, its bones carved with the same runes that covered the walls.
"What is this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"This is the Remains of Valdren," Kestrel said quietly. "The first Dragonbound. She gave her life to seal the barrier three hundred years ago, and her bones have been preserved here ever since—as a memorial, and as a tool."
"A tool for what?"
"For the advanced training." He moved to stand beside the skeleton, his hand resting briefly on one of the massive ribs. "The bond between dragon and rider is more than just a connection. It's a conduit—a channel through which power can flow in both directions. The advanced training teaches you to use that conduit intentionally, to draw on Pyre's strength without burning yourself out."
"And the skeleton?"
"Valdren's bones still carry traces of her power. Traces that can be... awakened, for training purposes." Kestrel's expression was unreadable. "It's not without risk. The power of a dead Dragonbound is unpredictable. But if you can learn to channel it safely, you'll be that much more prepared for what's to come."
Seraphina looked at the skeleton, feeling a mix of awe and unease. This was the woman who had saved the world three hundred years ago—who had given everything to seal the barrier and protect the people she loved. And now her bones were being used as a training tool.
"I don't know if this is right," she said slowly. "Using her remains like this."
"It's what she would have wanted." Kestrel's voice was certain. "Valdren knew that others would come after her, that the Conjunction would return. She left instructions for exactly this kind of training."
He was silent for a moment, something flickering in his golden eyes. "She was my grandmother, you know. Fourteen generations removed, but family nonetheless. I wouldn't dishonor her memory."
Seraphina hadn't known that—hadn't known anything about Kestrel's history beyond what he'd chosen to share. But there was something in his voice that convinced her he was telling the truth.
"Alright," she said. "What do I do?"
"Stand on the platform. Place your hand on the skull. And open yourself to whatever comes."
She climbed the steps to the platform, Pyre following close behind. Through the bond, she could feel the dragon's concern—and something else, something that felt like recognition.
What is it? she asked silently.
I knew Valdren, Pyre responded. In another life, before the barrier was sealed. Her power was... considerable. Be careful, little flame. Don't let it overwhelm you.
Seraphina nodded and placed her hand on the dragon skull.
The runes blazed with light.
Power rushed through her—not the controlled, steady warmth of Pyre's fire, but a torrent, a flood, an ocean of flame that threatened to drown her in its intensity. She gasped, her knees buckling, but forced herself to stay upright.
Within the fire, she heard voices—fragments of thoughts, memories that weren't hers. A woman's laughter. The sensation of wind beneath dragon wings. The terrible weight of knowing that she would have to sacrifice everything.
Valdren's memories. Valdren's power. Flowing through the conduit of the bond, into Seraphina's own consciousness.
She tried to control it, to channel it the way Kestrel had taught her. But the power was too vast, too wild. It pushed against the edges of her mind, threatening to break through, to consume her entirely.
And then Pyre was there.
The dragon's consciousness wrapped around her own like a shield, holding back the flood, giving her something to anchor herself to. Through the bond, Seraphina felt Pyre's strength—not as overwhelming as Valdren's power, but more stable, more familiar.
Use my strength, Pyre said silently. Shape the power. Don't let it shape you.
Seraphina reached for that strength, pulling it into herself. The fire didn't stop, but it became manageable—still vast, still dangerous, but no longer threatening to tear her apart. She could feel Valdren's memories more clearly now, could see fragments of the past as if through a fogged window.
A battle. Dragons falling from the sky. A tear in the fabric of reality, and beyond it, something vast and terrible stirring.
The Voidwalkers.
She saw them only in glimpses—shapes that were almost humanoid but wrong somehow, their forms shifting and flowing like smoke. And she felt their hunger, their absolute certainty that the barrier would fall and they would consume everything beyond it.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The runes faded, the power receded, and Seraphina found herself kneeling on the platform, gasping for breath.
Kestrel was beside her in an instant, his hand on her shoulder. "What did you see?"
"The Voidwalkers." Her voice came out hoarse. "They're waiting. And they're... they're more terrible than I imagined."
"You touched Valdren's memories of them." He helped her to her feet. "That's dangerous—the memories of a Dragonbound can overwhelm an unprepared mind. But you held on. You didn't lose yourself."
"I had help." Seraphina looked at Pyre, who had moved to stand beside the platform. "I couldn't have done it without her."
"The bond saved you." Kestrel's expression was thoughtful. "This is good. It means you're integrating with Pyre faster than expected. But it also means the training will have to proceed carefully—the more powerful you become, the more dangerous it is to push too far."
"I can handle it." Seraphina's jaw tightened. "I have to handle it."
"You do." He studied her for a moment, then nodded. "We'll continue tomorrow. For now, rest. You've been through a significant strain."
She left the chamber with Pyre beside her, her mind still reeling from what she had experienced. The Voidwalkers were real—more real than she had ever imagined. And in nine months, she would have to face them.
But as they walked through the corridors of the Citadel, she felt something else stirring within her—not just the fire, not just the bond with Pyre, but something deeper. Something that had been awakened by Valdren's power.
Purpose.
For the first time since arriving at the Citadel, Seraphina felt like she understood why she had been chosen. Not because of her bloodline, not because of destiny, but because she was willing to do whatever was necessary to protect the world she loved.
Even if it cost her everything.