Metal, Blood and Fire -- A fanstay dragonish story

Chapter two -Olive

Naturally, the first stone i put my foot on is cracking and then falls into the river under me. I can't even hear a splash, that's how fast and loud the river is. Fuck, I'm gonna die.

The next step is safer, but wet and my foot slips to the side a bit. I manage to holf myslef onto the collum of the bridge but that won't be an options for later. There are five: Two on each side at the beginning, two on each side at the end and one in the middle. I suspect there was a fifth once but if there was then it's long gone.

The next few steps are safer and soon I am almost at the middle of this hell of a bridge. Oh, Brozmera, give me strenght. But what would a Goddess do for fragile human being like me.

Again I shake the thought of just juming into the river and just ending this right here and take the last steps towards the middle collum, reaching out for it, but the Gods have different plans. The stones beneath both my feet break and I notice I forgot walking in the middle. Shit!

To my suprise my insticts allow me to jump and grab onto the pillar for safety. This time I hear a splash because it wasn't just a few rocks, it was a fucking part to the other side and now the ones behind me have to jump over it, with the risk to slip and fall. Great, amazing job, Olive.

I sigh and turn around to the part that is still ahead of me, my heart lurching into my throat: Kaia is forced to fight with a guy that wants to push her off the edge into the river. And of course the guy is a Fae and heals fast. Kaia punches him in the face , making him turn his head from the pressure. In that time Grain is pulling out a dagger and cuts his side open. Instead of healing he holds it in pain and shouts at Kaia in frustration, no effect. She puts tha blade back into the shaft and jogss towards the wall. Oh gods, the wall.

The wall is really fucking high and I see some climbing it up with ease, some struggle a lot. Calm down, you still have to get across the bridge before-  I widen my eyes when I notice I'm already on the other side. The distraction of watching Kaia fight that guy made me forget about the bridge and just walk the half without a problem nor mistake.

"Olive!"

I look up and spot Kaia again, waving at me in front of the wall. It's huge. It would take so long to climb up there and then across the hanging bridge. Fucking hell.

I jogg over to Kaia who signals me that shegoes ahead again. I manage a nod, before freezing in my position.
"Olive Leavgrow. What a suprise." The clapping off the man behind me is making it even worse. Slowly, I turn my head and wish I didn't. He wouldn't dare to kill me now, right? Not when we are in war. Not when I am a possible Cadet.

"Zayne Xuvir..."  Ugh, I want to punch that erogant grin off his face but my arms are too weak and I need the strenght to get up the wall.

"Wow, you even know my name," he laughs. "What an honor. But don't you regret-"
"I regret that and looking at you," I call back and he just chuckles wryly.
"You should stay down here and we settle this once and for all."
"Why would I waste my time fighting you for the mistakes my mother did?"

And then I run. He's still far away and that gives me a headstart. I jump up on the wall and grib onto it, climbing for my dear life. One foot after the other, one arm after the other. Soon enough my arms get tired and I am forced to climb slower, mainly using my legs to push myslef up instead of oullig, but that won't work for long, I barely reached half.

I really hope I will never make the mistake of looking back because that only gives me another punch in the guts. Xuvir pulled out a dagger and is indending to throw it at me, probably hoping I will fall and then he will have his wished revenge. Dammit.

Then the dagger flys past my face and cuts into my arm. I grit my teeth in pain at the same time as someone next to me catches the dagger. One look to the side and I almost slip. The woman next to me with this asshole's dagger in his hand has tanned skin, dark brown eyes and her long, curly, brown hair is tied into a high ponytail. How can it be that everyone is so attractive?

Without words she puts the dagger into an empty shaft of mine, climbs a bit and reaches for my hand. "Don't worry, I won't drop you, at least not on purpose."

I arch an eyebrow. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Fair point." She does a quick head tilt to reveal the tattoo on her neck. "I'm a Grayfiel." The tattoo shows three triangles that are connected. Every family has their own tattoo, so they are reconized. They are actually birthmarks but no one says that. The Leavgrows have a crown that that looks like it's getting fluid at the bottom and runs down our necks. The Grain bloodline has a snake around their neck and only the very powerful ones have a double headed one.

Now a bit more confident I take her arm and she helps me climb the wall. A nice person, really, she even stops me from looking down to see how close Xuvir is. And finally we reach the top. One last time she pulls me up to her with my help. We both breath heavily as we lie down on the soft grass.

"I don't get how Elodie Leavgrow sends her only daughter to War collage," she suddenly says, the sun shining in her face and lightining her eyes up.

"I wish I knew." I really do.

She turns her head and for another few seconds we just look at each other.

"Allison."

"Olive."

"Nice to meet you, Olive." She grins and jumps -literally jumps- up on her feet. "I would love to continue talking but my dad will kill me if I don't at least hold our family record if not break it."

I force my tired body up and smile. "Go ahead." My hand reaches for the dagger Xuvir threw at me, but Allison shakes her head.

"Keep it, you need it."

I nod thankfully and she turns to jog towards the suspension bridge. Hands slapped in my face, I let out a frustrated groan. I just want to stay here and rest but if I fall asleep I might never wake up according to the hand that just grabbed the top to pull himself up.

Quickly I run over the field, reaching the second bridge and last test for the election. I know I said this at least a hundred times, but finally. The steps behind me are getting closer, making my heart almost jump out of my chest. This time without hesiation I jump on the bridge and run over the old planks. That was a mistake because now the bridge is moving a lot. The good thing is that Xuvir lost his balance and his foot is stuck between two planks, another headstart for me.

My feet slow down and I walk towards a guy with very mess light brown hair that covers his ears partly.

Then we all stop. No moving. Slow breathing.

Dragons.

A group of five fly towards the bridge. Under us are two and above us three. Since we are all unbonded we have to stay still out of respect, otherwise they will burn us alive, some black spots on the planks are proof.

The only thing we hear are the giant wings of the reptiles and the wind in my ears. Stay calm. Calm breathing...
That's when I see it, the dragon that flies to low. I notice too late and am unable to have something to hold on to as the tail of the red one crashes against the bridge. Immediatly everyone stumbles aroundand grabs something but I grab onto nothing and feel my body falling over the railing.

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Tysm for reading!!

Word count: 1430