Black Sapphire | Xaden Riorson | S/H

XXXIII

・・・　・・・　・・・

     I stretch my back with my arms draped in the air. I can hear at least four distinct pops along my spine and I sigh out. We'd been flying for hours toward the east. I don't mind flying for long periods, really, but I'm mostly alone in that thought process.
     Once my arms come back down, I'm pulling off the thick leather gloves we'd been issued and stuffing them into the pouch on my hip. I grab my glaive from where I'd slung the loose strap around Tairn's pommel and then slide down his scales.
     There are light grumbles across the group already on the ground about how terrible they feel. We'd been in flight for six hours straight before we got here. Once Tairn is free, all of the dragons begin to move away.
     "Welcome, cadets," a man calls. I look over to see Professor Devera standing beside a tall man in all black. He crosses his arms over his chest and I can tell that the leathers he's wearing are pretty light. "I'm sure you'd all like to get settled into something a little more appropriate for the climate. Then we'll show you around Montserrat."
     I stretch my arms across my body, feeling the leather on my shoulders resisting.

     He waves us toward him with his hand and then begins to move for the outpost. It's basically just a box of stone with a medium-sized gate into the courtyard and a tall door into the actual building.
     "We've got some barracks reserved for you all. As always, your Squad Leader gets their own room." Dain bows his head toward the man he's walking almost next to, he's so close. "They fit two people each so divvy yourselves up."

     He leads us down a hallway that intersects another as he laughs out a comment about us being a big group. Right in front of us is a door that he announces leads to one of ten rooms. Three are already taken by some other visitors. Violet and Rhiannon step forward into it immediately, and Liam quickly walks over to the one on the left. Dain gets the one to the right in the corner. The man boasts about how it has windows on multiple walls, and it's noticeably bigger. To me, that just sounds like you're waiting to get attacked in your sleep.
     Imogen and Quinn share a glance before beginning down the hallway together. Nadine glances over at me and then immediately—and rather loudly—begins to beg Cianna to stay with her. When I look down the hall again, I see Heaton and Emery are already walking into a room in the middle, talking lively.

     When I turn forward again, I'm met by Ridoc and Sawyer both obviously avoiding my gaze. I cock an eyebrow before looking over down the hallway. There are only two with open doors and one of them Liam has already started getting settled into.
     "Oh," I hum quietly. I look at them to see Ridoc's sneered his nose like he's in pain and Sawyer's face is flipping through a few exaggerated expressions.
     "I mean this in the nicest way possible, (Y/N)," he starts with a strained voice and meek expression. "I genuinely think of you like a sibling."
     "I'm gay," Ridoc offers and throws his hands up. I glance over at Liam who's now standing in the doorway giving me a cheeky grin.
     "I trust you all, you know," I say quickly. "You don't have to try to earn it right now. But I appreciate your concern."