Misfits of Aquila (Aquila's Originals 1)

Chapter 23: Outcasts, Part 1

[CW: Bullying]

THE REST OF the day was a bit of a blur, separating out into new groups, meeting future flurry-mates, taking official tours as guided by real Riders. Lesson schedules were handed out, dinner was eaten and finally everyone moved into their permanent dormitories.

Taryn looked around the room and sighed. Of the thirty-one students freshly assigned to Stirla's flight, fifteen were girls, and unfortunately for Taryn and Orla, Jylana and best pair of snobs were amongst them.

It was an interesting mix. Five girls from Nimbys, three from Storm Peaks, two each from Sutherall and North Point, and the remaining three from Etheria. Taryn had no idea what had made Stirla and his lieutenants choose them, but they'd done a good job of mixing things up. The selection on the boys' side was equally mixed and Taryn could see interesting times ahead.

Unfortunately, she could also see trouble brewing now as Jylana and her friends took one side of the room, alongside the Etherians and North Pointers. Even though they'd been mixing together all day, most of the girls still clung to at least one person they'd trained with so far. Except for Caelo. She seemed to go where she liked, when she liked and never mind the protocol. For now she wasn't even in the room, leaving her choice of bed up to fate and whichever space no one else wanted.

Taryn had been the first into their new dormitory and had immediately picked the beds beneath the windows. Yet another black mark against her, as if she cared. She sat cross-legged on her bed now, watching the whispering huddle of girls opposite. Jylana kept glancing at Taryn with narrowed eyes, obviously plotting some sort of coup to regain control of the nicer side of the room. Taryn stared back, daring the girl to try.

Orla pottered around the bed beside her, tucked up close against the wall. She seemed happy enough with her placement, no doubt enjoying the freedom from at least one neighbour. Taryn had been tempted to take it herself, but had left it for Orla. The Ihran needed the security of a wall more than Taryn did, besides she had Rhiddyl on her other side so she was hardly vulnerable to nasty neighbours.

Speaking of which, the girls opposite were moving apart. Jylana smirked at Taryn and she braced for the attack to come.

"When my uncle told me the Riders were desperate enough to take anyone these days, I didn't believe him. But it seems he was right."

The speaker was one of the Etherian girls, short-haired, broad-shouldered and belligerent looking. Taryn bristled, preparing to leap to Orla's defence.

"What are you, anyway? Some sort of kaz-naghkt half-breed?"

The room fell silent.

Taryn met Orla's startled eyes and turned slowly around. The Sutheralli girls had been making friends with the Storm Peakians, but as the silence stretched, they drew slowly back.

Everyone stared at Rhiddyl.

The pale dragon had been organising her uniforms in the trunk at the end of her bed. Now she stood up, turning to face the crowd who had gathered unnoticed at her back.

"Excuse me?" she asked, her voice light and polite. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course she is, freak," Ierani, Jylana's little stooge, barked. "You only have to look at you to see you don't belong here."

Rhiddyl blinked, clearly startled by the attack. "I -"

"My father and sister were killed by kaz-naghkt," the other Etherian said, her voice soft and haunted. "My mother's disfigured for life. I saw them attack. I saw their claws. Their unnatural feet. Their teeth. Vicious monsters."