(COMPLETE)
Lady Mhysra Kilpapan was blessed from birth with a distinguished family, a glorious home and a giant eagle miryhl of her own. Fully aware of her luck, she wants for nothing in life - except a chance to become a Rift Rider. The elite force...
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"NOT... WHAT... I... expect-ed," Derrain puffed as they completed their laps. They were among the first to finish, though plenty had claimed to be done earlier. Except the little man with the big voice had the eyes of a hawk. The cheaters probably wished they hadn't bothered now, Mhysra thought, watching the stragglers stump out two extra laps.
"Evil," she gasped, bending over to catch her breath. Before this morning she'd thought herself fit. At Wrentheria she regularly ran with the fledgling miryhls, encouraging them to fly, or played chase with her cousins and the nakhounds. This was torture, with every breath stabbing frozen knives inside her chest. Even Derrain was worn out and he was used to scrambling around skyships in the middle of a storm, hauling himself up ropes and other such daring stuff.
"Still alive, though," Derrain said as he straightened. "I feel ready for anything now." He stretched his arms and went to fetch their coats from the pile of discarded clothing.
"Unnatural," Mhysra grumbled, noticing some of the other girls eyeing her friend. She smiled when one walked over and introduced herself.
"I'm Corin."
Derrain shrugged into his coat and grinned. "I'm Derrain, and she's Mhysra."
Mhysra straightened and nodded politely, surprised when the girl dragged her eyes away from Derrain long enough to nod back. Short and stocky, Corin was pretty when she smiled, lighting up her amber eyes. "You both did well back there. I don't think you got barked at once."
"All right for some." A scrawny girl limped over, clutching her ribs. "I never moved so much in me life, and all to get back where we started. Ain't what I was expecting. Ulla."
"Corin," the short girl replied, and pointed at the others. "Derrain. Mhysra. I've seen you around the docks."
The scrawny girl nodded, scratching her tight brown curls. "Aye. Me da's a gladhand." Which was docker slang for men who turned their hand to anything to earn a coin. She nodded at Corin. "You're merchant stock." She looked at Derrain. "You're off the ships." Turning to Mhysra, she narrowed her eyes. "You're new. Don't know what you do, but I seen you about."
"Impressing people again, Ulla Bright-Eyes?" asked a tall boy with a broad grin.
"Harlan," the girl grumbled. "An' Mouse." This was said to the small lad in Harlan's shadow. Whereas one boy was tall and exuded confidence, the other was small and fidgety. "Thought you said you weren't gonna bother."
"I needed to do something over the winter." Harlan shrugged. He looked too fine for the Riders, with his artfully arranged curls and brightly polished boots.
While they waited for the rest of the new students to finish, they got to know each other a little. Corin and Harlan's parents both ran moderately successful skyships, Mouse was Harlan's cousin, fresh from the mid-Imercian country and Ulla had grown up on the docks. Being his usual charming self, Derrain quickly fitted right in. He was just explaining how he knew Mhysra when their instructor clapped his hands.
