Golden Flames //Fourth Wing

A glimpse of the Past

"I am faster then you!" I laugh as i climb the old Oak Tree near the place where our Parents are stationed together. Violets laugh is almost quiet given the distance between us and the flapping wings above our heads. My hands grap the Bark tightly as another dragon rushes past and a stroke of wind hits us hard. I gasp in awe as I spot the red scales and the sword like tail. " What a beautiful red swordtail" someone next to me whispers.

My head snaps to the side and Violet smiles at me before we both break into a small giggle and continue fastly mounting the tree till we reach our spot of desire . A large Branch just long enough to fit us both framed by gorgeous green leaves comes into our view and i help Violet take her seat, taking her satchel with our food placing it behind me on a rather tiny branch, which is just right for this occasion, before taking my place next to my best friend. The leaves are doing a perfect job at shielding us from the reality of being on a outpost created for war when we let ourselves relax after the long climb. Violets eyes find mine and for a minute we look an each other in total silence.

So 6 years left, i joke and she scoffs. " I have only five left dumbass" she states with a smile. I look at her, admiring her courage, even though she would not join the Riders Quadrant like i was supposed to, she would still have to leave our home to go and learn with the scribes. Horror crowds my system. In five years she would join the scribes in Basgiath, the war college of Navarre, our soon to be home and in six years i would walk the death trap called parapet to join the Riders Quadrant and only if i would survive the Riders Quadrant we would ever see each other again. In other words: The possibility of us ever seeing each other again was near 10 out of 100 and i knew that she knew. Our whole lives we've been training for this part of our lifes and still i felt like i would never ever be really ready to face my death sentence of collage even though going to another Quadrant was also not a possibility for me.

I've always loved watching the riders and dragons arrive and fly away from the outpost my parents where stationed and my family, which were riders as long as i could think, never even gave me a chance to dream of something else anyway, making sure that dragons and the feeling of leather on my skin would feel like home. Training me everyday for passing the parapet or surviving sparring and the gauntlet. Often in my free time I've still managed to sneaked away with Violet and her dad to study in the libary and even though i would've never admitted it to anyone but my diarys i really liked the feeling and smell of books stacked to reach the sky. The chances of me really falling in love with books was small tho because they did their best job at always hauling me back as soon as they noticed repeating the same words afterwards over and over and over to me "You have to protect our legacy, you are a rider Deyanira Tempest, you now it, Uncle Augustine knows it and we know it" and then forcing me to practice again. I loved my parents and i knew they loved me but sometimes it got hard to talk to them after knowing they would never give me a decisions to decide myself wether i want to be a rider or not.

I knew that i was destined to be a rider and to protect Navarre but I've never really accepted my fate, somewhere deep in my core I've ever since longed for freedom and not a traing camp for war to become a goddamn weapon.

I quickly stuff the memories away, burring the pressure of time handing Vi her apple before getting mine,biting into it before looking up to see a brown clubtail pass the air.

Violet has been my best friend since 14 years now and even tough she's one year older than me, i always been watching out for her since she is the most fragile person I've ever known. Whatever bone could be broken or whatever join dislocated, i am sure Violet could get it, or already had it. I overheard her mother discribe her as weak once but i do totally disagree with that statement of hers, while i am faster with daggers and swords and basically any weapon and our smartness is almost equally matched violet possesses the art of being postive and never, never giving up. If someone would ask me who of us is the strongest I would no doubt answer her name just because she has the fire in her heart that makes her stand up for herself and take up any challenge. We eat in silence, looking at the riders hurrying around in the air and on the ground.

I just lifted my arm to point out a something weird on the sky what at first looked like a white flash which almost laughs like a a white drago- i stopped my thought. Everybody knows whites are just a legend. I nudge Violets side with a chuckle "Vi, i just saw a white". She cocks an eyebrow and laughs. "I should get you to the healers Deya, you never hallucinated before with clouds"

Suddenly a loud bark disrupts our laughs "Vi, Deya get down here now!" I look down and meet the hard eyes of Dain Aetos which not surprisingly soften when he meets the ones of Violet.

I sigh and take the now empty satchel. Not 15 mintues have they waited before letting Vi's Personal Guard Dog after us. When i finally reach the ground and dust of my hands i only hear a muffled yelp next to me as Violet falls the last meters down the tree and then a slight crash sounds as she collides with Dain who tried to catch her but miserably failed. I quickly turn around to look at them but my eyes instantly get caught on Violets leg and i shriek.

"Shit, Shit, Shit, that looks broken" i whisper and Violets pained face tells me that i am sadly right. Seconds later i am shoved away by an angry Dain who glares Daggers at me and brought into my room by my Uncle, and i hear a angry General Sorrengail from next door with my Father and Mother trying to calm her down but not really doing any good, happily the bickering dies when my Mothers Brother steps into the room, General Melgren, and suddenly the whole outpost is silent.
And then the chaos of war breaks loose.