Dragons Trust Book 1 - The Start

Long Treck

Nobody warned you when it came to the trip back to the school. On average, it took about four days to get there by carriage. With that being one of closer towns to the school. The storm didn't help any either. It slowed us down and lengthened the trip to about twice the amount of time.

Ares and I were above the caravan. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but something felt off. There was a sense of dread. Normally, I would have pinged it on nerves from the freshies but this was different. My hand went to the ear piece I wore. Other riders had something like it. Some had the ear piece and some had the walkie-talkie type radios.

"Checking form," I said. the wind couldn't be heard through the radios because they were enchanted. Humanity had moved so far with technology we started to go backwards.

"Clear," a bunch of voices echoed one after the other. Even with confirmation that it was safe I couldn't help but feel like something was watching us.

"Pulling out and circling. Hawks spilt the sides, Vultures spilt the front." I ordered. Almost immediately dragons split and went to their respective places. Ares tilted his wings and we started to circle the Caravan.

"Report, students are getting scared by the sudden orders," Clinton demanded. He knew as well as anybody that I knew what I was doing. I also knew this was more for the new students than him.

"Nothing to report. Just giving others an excuse to move. We've been flying for almost a week and we're getting restless." That was a blatant lie. Almost everyone knew it too. It was just some words strung together to calm down the newbies.

"Ranata Mountains in view," Marcus reported in. He was at the front. His dusty yellow dragon was hard to miss. Well, once you got to know her anyway.

Out in the distance a range of mountains could be seen. That was where the school was located. Well, kind of. It was actually based on the floating mountains above the ones on the ground. Most of the islands were held together by vines thick enough for a full grown dragon to nest on. There was really only one problem with having the school on the floating islands. A dragon riders first flight had to be on their own dragon.

When the new students first got to the school they stayed on the ground until their dragon found them. Most had to have the bond unlocked. But, there were some that didn't. An instructor has to teach a student to fly properly and then they can go up to the actual academy.

Nobody except dragon riders were allowed there. Not even family.

It was for protection. Sure mages, wizards, and the commons people could use air ships to get up there, but it never ended well. What else would you expect from an already territorial species that had a massive nesting ground? No air ship has ever gotten close enough to the islands to get any good readings. Very few ever returned to wherever they came from.

"Movement to the east, it's big!" The radio crackled. I looked over and sure enough there was. A dust cloud billowing behind whatever was running straight for the caravan. Trees made thunderous noises as they were broken and snapped.

"Protect the caravan. If we can't redirect it, kill it." Ares turned sharply and we headed towards the cloud of dust along with other riders.

Shit.

A Brandokan was headed straight for the caravan. There was no way we could stop this thing besides killing it.

"I need front line fighters out here now. The rest of you go back and protect the caravan at all costs. Get those oxen moving, a Brandokan is heading straight for you." The orders flew from my mouth like it was second nature. At this point it was. Ares opened his jaws and sprayed the monster with green flames. The trees that were in the way instantly disintegrated. Shadows and flora lurched up and wrapped around the creatures legs. They held it as much as possible. I held my magic until the others got to us.

More and more magic blasted the creature as it made its way closer and closer. Someone was trying to ask for an update on what was happening. No one was bothered to respond Ares, after showing me a plan, dove down and dug his claws into the Brandokan's back. He pulled it down and began to fight with it. Claws and teeth snapped and slashed. I unhooked the straps and waited for my opportunity.

There.

The area where the legs met up at the neck was open. A soft spot that led straight to the heart. A knife was in and out of my hands faster than even I could blink. The knife dug into the soft flesh and sank to the heart of the monster, effectively killing it.

"Gods damnit someone give an update!" Clinton roared over the radio after a moment of pure silence.

"Noah killed it," Micah said a few seconds later.

"I want riders posted around the area until researchers can have it transported. The rest of us will continue with caravan." This wasn't normal. The Brandokan were night creatures. Why was one out in the middle of the day, and so far out from where the nests usually laid?

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Finally, after a few more days of traveling, we were back at the academy. It would take a few weeks for some of the dragons to sense their riders and then the actual school year would begin.

"I bought you a drink, don't worry about paying me back," a voice said from next to me. A teenage boy that looked to be about Octavia's age, obviously as all of the new students were, put an open bottle of some kind of alcohol in front of me then sat down. He looked cocky and smug, like he had just won my favor or something.

A much bigger hand took the bottle and tossed it to a trash can a few feet away. Thank the Gods for Clinton.

"Sorry son, you aren't supposed to be up here. You're not even supposed to be able to buy that yet. Now go to your cabin like your supposed to." The words were authoritative. I nodded a slight thank you to the man. He nodded back and stepped aside to reveal Octavia. His hand gestured towards the open seat next to me.

"I thought-" she was cut off from him raising his hand. I saw the way she slightly flinched when he did. My own muscles tensed, ready to tackle anybody that hurt her. But, she just sat down next to me without any other words.

"Keep her with you until she gets her dragon. There's already been some "incidents"," the man said. We nodded before going back to our food. My leg moved and pressed up against Birdy's. She moved away for a moment before pressing back into me.

"What does a Brandokan look like?" She asked quietly. Marcus began to explain without hesitation.

A brandokan was large. It had a snout and teeth like a crocodile. The body was close to a crocodiles as well. Only, this creature had long legs. Tuffs of hair sat on its back at the base of the neck and nowhere else. Skin kind of sagged off its bony frame, like a hairless cat.

My muscles screamed to be able to hold Octavia like I used to. There was nobody that I wanted as much as I wanted her. She had almost been mine. Then we were split and we couldn't protect her anymore. I couldn't protect her anymore. I wouldn't allow her to be taken from me again. The first time had almost killed me. Who's to say the next time won't?