*Book 2 of 2*
Every year, hundreds die within the walls of Basgiath War College. It's no surprise that many are those who choose the Riders Quadrant. Dragons do not tolerate much, but neither do the ruthless gryphons on the outside of the war...
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Three shots in, my throat aches, my stomach feels like it's going to explode, and I have never tasted anything more delicious than these spicy pretzels. Ridoc bobs his head as Rhiannon pours him another shot with a roll of her eyes. I excitedly push my glass beside his. We tap them together and then on the table with a shout that's drowned out by the other loud groups in the canteen.
I did take up her advice to grab some lemonade, opting for the standard, unalcoholic one as a chaser. I chug it down after the sizzle of the liquor and then stuff my face with pretzels again. "Dude, you fucking gotta have these," I grumble Ridoc's way as I push the bowl toward him. "You two are ridiculous," Quinn lectures with a smirk. "First-years," Imogen dismisses with a shrug of her shoulders. "Not anymore," Ridoc grumbles. The moment graduation finished, we were technically second-years, with all the privileges that come with it. "Don't lump us in with that," Violet chimes in. "Love you, Meira, but you're acting wild." "Cheers to that," I grumble with a raise of the empty glass.
"Try these things out. Fucking weird." Ridoc pushes his plate around my bowl so we swap dishes, and I raise a brow at the heavily seasoned tentacles. "Funky." They have an odd texture, but the mucus on them seems to get rid of the lingering alcohol at the back of my throat, so I eat a couple.
"Glad you two are having a fun time." Sawyer sets down a glass of sweet wine before Rhiannon, then takes a swig of his third mug. "Are you not, brother?" I squawk louder than I mean to. "I wouldn't be if I was taking shots," he laughs, sending the whole table into a cackle. "This ale is working just fine for me." "Suit yourself," Ridoc announces. I look over with a grin when I see he's managed to grab the bottle from Rhiannon without her noticing. She does now that he spoke, but he's already got our shots poured out, and I cheer.
The dais is empty up from, the only spot even remotely so, but I try not to think about it. No leadership tonight, as we all move between roles and years and ranks, but it also means no Xaden. The sharp sting of the liquor almost makes me cough before I grab the lemonade and down the rest of it. "Ridoc!" Rhiannon calls. "Look how much is left," he says as he swings it back and forth in front of me. "Just one more. Wanna split it?" I nod greedily, then simper as my head swims. "You know it," I bark back. "You two..."
"What privileges are you all excited for, second-years?" Quinn asks us, drawing in the attention from our spat. Ridoc and I choke down the last bit of alcohol and he coughs as he draws in a breath. "Going into town," he wheezes before pounding a hand to his chest. I stick my hand into the bowl of pretzels. "Chantara?" Violet questions. "Out of every privilege that comes with being a second-year, and you choose a rumor?"
"I'm just saying. I heard they might lift the ban finally, and we've been stuck with this dating pool for the whole year." Ridoc swings his empty shot glass around the room. "Even the possibility of getting to leave to spend a few hours in Chantara every week is definitely what I'm looking forward to the most." "It is getting a little..." Sawyer pauses, drawing out his words as he glances around. "Familiar around here." "It'll feel downright incestuous by third year," Imogen gripes with a nod.
