Dragons Trust Book 1 - The Start

Complaints

"You don't really have a choice Noah," the man standing beside me said. I sulked. I had no need or want to go help collect the new riders for the year.

"Take Micah he likes this kind of stuff!" I tried to argue.

"You are one of our strongest riders. All you have to do is make sure we have protection from possible threats," he said. The man was becoming slightly annoyed at me.

"Even if I am just protection, people will try and talk to me. Especially because of Ares," I whined. The man let out slow breath.

"Enough. We're heading out at dawn," he said.

"Fine," I grumbled. Clinton was a tall, buff man. He had trained me and my twin brother, Micah, when we first arrived at the academy. Along with some of our friends.

Even as he walked away I trailed after him. He knew I was following. This was pretty normal honestly. My eyes roved over the academy that stood tall and proud.

The building is hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. It was a place where dragon riders could come and learn to bond with dragons, and learn to control their powers they inherit from their dragon.

I had been here for only a few years, but it was enough for me to completely graduate from the school. I learned fast. Now I'm in command of eleven of the strongest legions in the country. Possibly the entire continent.

The ground below us shook slightly as a massive crimson beast landed a few yards away from us. Muscles rippled as the dragon made its way towards me. He shook his body, his wings unfurling for a moment partially revealing the lighter scales underneath made to look like stars.

"I'm offended. You should be happy people love me," the dragons voice sounded in my head. I huffed at my dragon.

"It's people Ares. I don't like people," I respond to him. Smoke left his parted jaws and wafted around me forcing me to waft it a different direction. As much as I want to be annoyed by him, I couldn't be.

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Wind clawed trying throw me off of my dragon. Ares enjoyed the long flight. The only problem would be returning.

Up at the front of our group Clinton lead the way to the village we were going to. The earth underneath us streaked past. Clouds left us covered in a light mist.

I watched the ground ahead of us. The village rapidly coming into view. Ares, feeling what I'm thinking, pushed a little harder to catch up to Clinton and his dragon, Ongreth. The light green dragon glanced at us as we evened out next to them. Clinton looked to me with a raised brow.

"Ongreth said to fly ahead. And to take the others with us," Ares said in my head. I twisted my body to face the rest of the group. A sharp whistle leaving my lips as Ares shot out of the group and towards the village. Micah and Marcus, my best friend, followed after us.

Within minutes we were circling the village. Ares banking so hard he was almost completely sideways. The only thing keeping me on was the straps meant to keep me in place.

A man waved his arm to get our attention. Our smaller group slowed to a stop and hovered looking down at him. The man pointed to a large park that held a lard cement stage in the middle. Our dragons angled toward the park to find a place to land. The villagers kept a good distance as the dragons landed.

My fingers worked deftly to unhook the straps so I could slide off of Ares. He shook himself as I stretched my tense muscles.

"Welcome dragon riders!" A voice boomed. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "We were beginning to wonder how long you would be. Good to see it was all for nothing! Usually there's more of you."

Orange eyes met green as I looked to Marcus. He sighed knowing I wouldn't answer the new man.

"We're just extra protection. We won't be involved in the actual ceremony very much. The others are still a ways out. You'll have to wait for them to get here," Marcus said. He enjoyed talking to some people. Not everyone, but a few people here and there.

"Oh, well then. We will wait on the rest of your group and then we can begin. You're the last ones to arrive," the man said. He looked between all of us. The man was so obviously a high noble, it was irritating. His eyes landed on me and took a minute to study me. With a dismissive wave of my hand, I turned and began walking to the area I was posted to. "Not very....uh... welcoming."

"Don't feel special. He doesn't like anyone," Micah chuckled. I held up a not so nice finger as I continued my walk.

It only took about fifteen to twenty more minutes before the others landed and did whatever it was they were supposed to do. Clinton walked up onto the stage with the other representatives of the other factions. The crowded seats that surrounded the stage was full of chatter. Some were trying to peer over others heads to get a look at the dragons lazing about.

I leaned against one of the pillars on top of the stage, right next to where people came up to see which faction they belonged to. All of the ones getting tested stood in a line that curved around and went behind the stone bleachers so everyone could still watch. My eyes grazed over the line of students. It was a cluster of girls and boys waiting to see if they had any magic.

Anyone could be a mage, wizard, shapeshifter or, just regular human, otherwise known as a commons. The difference with dragon riders though, only males could be one. No female in history had ever been a dragon rider. But that didn't mean we excluded females from being able to test for a dragon rider.

The girl that stood second in line looked up at me and fluttered her eyes in a flirtatious way. She sent me flirty smile and puffed her chest out. Not that she needed to since her curves were very pronounced. I didn't much care to give her so much as a second glance, going as far to roll my eyes very clearly. She cursed quietly.

My spot against the pillar gave me unhindered view of the area in front of the stage. My arms and ankles crossed in lazy way. Having only been here for not even an hour, I was ready to go back home.

"Welcome everyone to the annual Choosing! I hope you're all ready to see what these young ones have in store!" The noble from earlier boomed. The crowd broke into a modest cheer. "For those of you who don't know, I am Alexander. I am the representative of the wizards-"

"No body cares," a voice yelled out from the crowd. I quietly snickered knowing exactly who it was. "Just get on with the ceremony!"

Alexander didn't seem to like that. He retreated to stand behind the items that would reveal who a person was meant to be. His eyes snapped over to me. An instigating smirk on my lips. He looked away from as if I was nothing more than trash. I didn't care though.

My body itched to do something. Anything other than just stand here and look pretty for an ungodly amount of hours on end. Without thought, my fingers pulled a small knife from its sheath on my belt and began twirling.

The first kid in line made his way up the small rise of stairs. He looked at me with secret fear of what I could do with the knife in my hand.

"It's not for any of you unless I have valid reason for it to be," I spoke quietly doubting that my words brought any comfort. This was going to be a long day.