Defy (Dain Aetos Story): The Empyrean Series Fanfiction

Fourth Wing: Chapter 20 - Amber Mavis

- One Year Ago -

Exhausted, I sat down on the lawn where some of the cadets were eating their dinner. I wasn't hungry and honestly, I didn't think I could handle the chewing.

I touched my jaw. I sucked a sharp inhale when I felt the pain from challenges all over again. I had to work on my dodging. I tasted iron in my mouth and knew my lip was busted too. At least my teeth were intact because it sure didn't feel like it.

"Are you okay?" A voice called out.

I looked up to see a pair of blue eyes staring down at me. Her neck-length strawberry blonde hair fell forward, framing her face.

"Mavis, right?" I asked and she nodded. She was a Squad Leader for the Third Wing. There were a few upperclassmen who stood out as strong leader candidates and she was one of them. Her skills on the sparring mat and analysis during Battle Brief were exceptional. She was going to be a wingleader next year.

"You took that punch straight to the face," she said as she sat down next to me. "You might want to get that looked at."

"This is nothing," I replied. "I saw it coming too, I just couldn't dodge it in time."

"It might scar that pretty little face of yours," she said nonchalantly and my mouth dropped open. I looked over and she was smiling at me. I felt the heat rushing to my face.

"You can call me Amber, by the way, only my parents call me Mavis when they are mad at me." She reached out her right hand towards me.

"Uh," I started to say and she eyed my hand. I took her small hands in mine. "Dain Aetos."

"You were slow dodging the punch because your fighting stance is too rigid. You need to relax your posture and be more fluid."

I mentally noted that. Her advice gave me something to work with. "Anything else you think I could work on?"

"Hm," she thought for a second. "Letting go of hands after a handshake?"

Shit. I pulled my hand, now sweaty hand, away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry, Dain. You're cute when you are flustered."

"Article Five, Section Seven of the Codex discourages strong romantic attachments," I muttered under my breath and she laughed. Her whole body laughed along with her.

"Well, I like you a whole lot more now," she said as she stood back up. "At least ice your jaw okay? I was being serious about that face of yours."

I didn't know what she meant by the first part of that. "I will," I managed to get out.

"I'm going to meet up with a friend for dinner, do you want to join us?" She asked and I shook my head, pointing at my jaw. She nodded and started to walk off. She stopped in her tracks a few steps out and turned to look at me. "Oh, and the first part of Article Five, Section Seven says, 'though not forbidden'," she recited back and winked.

My face felt hot again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dain," she turned and walked off with her short strawberry blonde hair bouncing with each step.

❈ ❈ ❈

- Present -

"Are you seriously not hearing me, Dain?" Amber paced up and down the empty classroom. "When are we not on the same page when it comes to rules?"

I secretly glanced over at the clock on the wall and realized I had been sitting for almost an hour now. Clearing my throat, I sat up from my slouching position. Amber was ranting to me about Violet's "dishonorable" acts during the Gauntlet like I could do anything about it. I watched Violet at the Gauntlet and heard her quote the Codex in front of the two wingleaders, Xaden and Amber.