The weather was perfect. Not too dull but not too bright even as the sun peeked through the clouds. Rider loved days like this. She never handled sunny days well and it felt like things were finally falling into place. The opalis trees were in full bloom with pinkish purple leaves that were dotted around the entire country. It's what gave Opalis its name.
The apprentices had just started to gather within the courtyard and half expecting the ominous whispers to dampen her mood Rider veered around the Watchtower instead. She lowered her treasured hat over her eyes to block out the sunlight and attempted to ignore the nagging ache of her body. Not even her curse could ruin this day.
Tucked protectively under Rider's arm were the last batch of redderbie buns from the local bakery that had just reopened outside the main city. The demons had torn the area apart and the Treetop Patisserie had fought to remain in the Central District.
The leftover Guilars she had saved up from teaching rattled in her pocket. Her mouth tweaked upward at the promise of seeing Aria's face light up. They had even given her the treats half off as thanks for her help during the skirmish and each time she went they stared a little less than normal.
She smiled. Maybe Aria was right. Maybe people were getting used to her.
After all, Rider had woken up especially for it and ever since they started selling them she and Aria had woken up early just to share them together on their anniversary. Picking up the pace, Rider circled the large stone white tower out of habit and looked up expectantly at the grey sky dappled with sunlight and blossoms.
They had met on a day just like this.
Growing up she had been tossed around from caregiver to caregiver and throughout it all Rider had read everything she could. Dragons were her favourite subject and with her less than conventional Trait the likelihood of her surviving long enough to meet one was always a sore subject. Until she met Ethros.
Rider grinned at the thought of her partner, still exhausted from their late night board game session and sleeping off a well deserved hangover. She scanned the Watchtower, half expecting to see his tail peeking out from one of the slits in the wall. She frowned. No luck. Perhaps he was still asleep or maybe he had gone hunting with his brother.
Undeterred, Rider pressed on toward her destination and looked for the domed roof of the Opalace: the main hub of every Traited who was part of the Excelliars. It took her breath away every time she saw it. The white crystalline stone glinted in the sunlight, the main entrance heavily guarded by dragons and Traited alike but Rider didn't want to bother them. Being saluted by all those people just because she was the Regent of Opalis made her cringe.
The only Throneholder she could ever accept was Lady Aria and the thought of her being the next in line was ridiculous. Rider only wanted to remain by Aria's side. She snuck around the edge of the Watchtower, avoiding the black dragon general that was Nightshade: Aria's Agar. Each Traited had a choice between a temporary partner and a permanent one: an Oathed.
Night was berating an aquamarine Scale Screamer, a two headed hydra like dragon that had crash landed into the courtyard accidentally. Rider's mouth tweaked into a smile, recognising the familiar duo listening to the stick in the mud lecture them for several minutes. Hydra winked at her, the Shadow Traited wordlessly thanking them and was incredibly grateful that the dragon wasn't her partner.
Being an Agar with Ethros was far more carefree and meant Rider could choose for herself whether to stay with him or not. Not that she had any intentions of doing so. She had heard the stories of the Oathed: people who forced their dragon's to die alongside them and shuddered, the treasured box of redderbie buns shaking in her grasp.
Tucking it under her arm, Rider searched for the loose stones on the edge of the Watchtower and pushed them in combination. The tall pillar slowly revealed a secret door and Rider stepped through, her heart pounded with excitement and nerves every time the secret passage revealed itself. The door grinded shut but the endless darkness was like an old friend, Rider making her way up the rickety marble stairs with ease. Provided she didn't drop her gift.
"If she finds out..."
Rider caught the edge of a conversation, the muffled voices obscured by the thick, stone walls.
"She won't. It's fine."
The thought of Aria giving her a similar anniversary surprise made her giddy, picking up her pace just to reach her destination a few seconds faster. Rider stumbled on the last step, almost falling through the hidden panel until the last bit of conversation made her stop.
"I won't let her die."
Rider's heart warmed at the thought of her girlfriend being so worried about her scars, her face flushed at her touching concern but the niggling feeling that she should've been confided in. It was her problem not theirs.
"Aria?"
Rider guiltily opened the secret panel, the large painting surrounding it creaking loudly enough to make Aria jolt. Nervously, Rider adjusted her hat and tried not to look like she had been caught in the act. The crumpled box under her arm almost fell onto the ground but she somehow managed to set it only on the table without itself combusting.
Rider couldn't help but be intrigued by the unfamiliar room, her present of redderbie buns forgotten in the clutter and sheer size of the two single beds in the corner. Normally, she would've made a crude joke to break the tension but the gaunt expression on the patient's face made her anxiety spike. Ixis.
Her bright red hair was a steel grey, the clammy sheen on her skin made Rider want to turn away in horror but her eyes were fixated on the blazing aura around her. The familiar warmth of a Fire Traited felt wrong like the smell of a burnt battery or dying crops left out in the sun. Ixis' unconscious body barely made a sound, the lack of the rising and falling of her chest terrifying Rider. But there was no sign of her turning to ash. Her Oathed was outside. Rider had seen them.
But what scared Rider the most was the set of grimoires surrounding Ixis' scarlet one. A black grimoire and a white one. Rider clutched at her chest, cursing herself for leaving such a lifeline in the care of someone she loved. She didn't want to ask. She didn't want to know what Aria had done. She wanted to go back down the secret passage and forget any of this ever happened. But her curiosity always got the better of her.
"What are you doing with my grimoire?"
YOU ARE READING
Who The Fire Favours (ONC2023) gxg
Romance#SHORTLISTED 2023 When Ixis became the second in command to the Throneholder of Opalis she expected rules, patrols and structure for her Fire Trait to shine. Not being caught in the middle of a looming war and a botched assassination she should've s...
