Child of Ardor

iv

TEAGAN RIORSON

"Elena Sosa, Brayden Blackburn," Captain Fitx gibbons reads from the death roll, flanked by two other scribes on the dais as we stand in a silent formation in the courtyard.

This morning, everyone is in riders black. After I met some of my brother's friends (most of them I already knew) I had to go and pick up my standard issued uniforms, like all of the other first years. They were summer-weight tight-fitted tunics, pants, and accessories (such as the single silver four-pointed star on my collarbone to mark that I was a first year) after Parapet was over, but not flight leathers. There's no point handing out the thicker more protective combat uniforms when half of us won't be around come Threshing in October.

After picking up my uniform I spent the night in the first-floor barracks. I don't really have that many friends yet but luckily Liam is in the same barrack as me so I slept on the bottom bunk and he slept on the top.

"Jace Sutherland." Captain Fitzgibbons continues to read. "Dougal Luperco."

By now we were at name 53, but once he reads off the previous ones, I just forget the names. I didn't know them and they're dead now anyways. I've only noted two marked ones have made the list so far. That should make Xaden happy.

"Simone Casteneda." Captain Fitzgibbons closes the scroll. "We commend their coils to Malek." The god of death.

"Hopefully you all ate breakfast, because you're not going to get another chance before lunch." My squad leader, Dain, says, sparing a single glance at Violet — who seems pretty close to him — before taking off with all of us following. "Second and third-years, I'm assuming you know where to go," Dain continues and there's a mutter of agreement from the senior cadets ahead of everyone. As first-years, we're in the back two rows of the little square that makes up Second Squad. "First-years, at least one of you should have memorized your academic schedule when it was handed out yesterday." — nope, didn't even get it — "Stick together. I expect all of you to be alive when we meet this afternoon in the sparring gym."

We have to go to the gym twice a week, which I'm not too worried about because I'm a decent fighter — not amazing like Liam, and probably Xaden, but I'm fine, a little higher than average.

"And if we're not?" A smart-ass first-year behind me asks.

I roll my eyes but don't bother to turn around to face whoever said that.

"Then I won't have to be concerned with learning your name, since it will be read off tomorrow morning," Dain answers with a shrug and I stifle a laugh.

A second-year ahead of me snorts a laugh, the movement jangling two small hoop earrings in her left lobe. She's Imogen's friend, but I don't know her name yet, Imogen stays quiet.

"Sawyer?" Dain looks at the first-year a little to my left.

"I'll get them there." The tall, wiry cadet whose light complexion is covered with a smattering of freckles answers with a tight nod. He's one of the repeats-a cadet who didn't bond during Threshing and now has to start the entire year over. I won't be a repeat like him.

"Get going," Dain orders.

Our squad breaks apart around the same time the others do, transforming the courtyard from an orderly formation to a crowd of chatting cadets. The second-and third-years walk off in another direction, including Dain. I mill around for a second, deciding where I want to go.