Torin the dragon rider (TOME 12 of the TIAMAT'S WARS SERIE)

Master Gamblin

The selection day went relatively well except for some nobles who had to lower their ambitions, and some had not learned their lesson.

The examiners gave them a tool to measure virtues and their lack of humility and overinflated ego were mostly the reason for their failure.

But the tool also showed those who were involved with the lords of corruption.They were stung, and the academy and the dragoonry tried to remain neutral, not wanting to get involved with reason.

Sylon especially hated me, and I could feel his murderous aura growing day by day.

My parents had made the trip as well as my friends' parents, but you could tell that the nobles were laughing and giggling.

They had a plan. They were planning something bad, you could feel it, but I couldn't know. I was still a child. Well, almost a 14 year old adult.

That was the legal age to get married. But at 12, you still think like a kid.

As planned, we were assigned dormitories according to our orientation and I found myself in the dragonnerie, right next to the barracks for future knights.

I had Milo staying with me, and the nobles would make fun of me and tell me to go to the stables.

Basically, they were jealous of the closeness I had with my horse friend.

Milo was used to the smell of dragons and was not, well it was relative... as for the knights... not afraid of them.

At least he didn't panic and run away.

The others were in the dorms at the academy but nothing was set in stone at least until the day of the call

.My scholarship was financed by Lex, who was a guarantor, and my father, who had saved a considerable amount of money during his heroic adventures.

But I had a bad feeling... And my intuitions never betrayed me.

Our things were already brought to our rooms and I only had to climb a few stairs to go from the stable to our dormitories, passing by the wash house where a source of volcanic water provided the necessary comfort for a good bath.

The water, often loaded with soap, was recharged with soda to be drained to the washhouse. Everything was planned, even the recycling of resources.

As I approached my room, there was someone in it. 2 beds on either side of the room and 2 tables with 2 chairs.

And 2 chests with our stuff. There were canopies. I walked in and saw the guy doing pull-ups on the beam of his bed, showing his big pecs.

He paid no attention to me. Focused on his workout.

So I took off my shirt and stood in front of him and did pull-ups. His eyes popped out of his sockets when he saw my "Muscleman" or "He-man" stature.

Quickly, he picked up the pace but had to stop and when I was done, I was doing push-ups.

Quickly, he moved to my side and we each passed 100 pushups and, taking a sheet, he squeezed my hand around my wrist and I did the same.

"JIM" "I'll be your workout buddy!"

"Torin..Hi Jim..By the way, you're muscular too.."

"Yeah, selection is hard..."

Then, naturally, we did our sit-ups and took turns holding our feet. It was great...At least I had a new friend... All muscle... and I liked it better so....

Jim was honest and without ulterior motives. Training was going to be a joy and not a hassle...In bodybuilding, there was no place for gold or status.

We were partners, point, nothing else. He introduced me to his few friends and slowly a spirit of camaraderie was formed. But the nobles grouped themselves together, especially around Amon Goeth.