The Golden Rider Book 1: The Golden Traitor

Chapter 3.5

I didn't fully regain consciousness all at once. I could feel that laying down in a bed that was much more comfortable than anything that I had ever slept on in the last year. I was warm but not over hot which felt nice and relaxing even though I couldn't move my body. It felt as if some force were holding my body in place, but I doubted it.

Soon after I was aware of my ability to feel, I began to hear. I could hear footsteps walking somewhere around me as people bustled about. I could hear the many sounds of people talking around me; however, everything sounded like we were underwater. I couldn't make out any words, but it was comforting to know that I wasn't alone. As time went on, I became aware of someone turning pages right next to my head. I counted to sixty in my head and then the page turned again. On almost every count of sixty the page turned. Every once in a while I felt someone place a damp cloth on top of my head and fiddle with something on my arm before leaving. After the cloth was replaced for the second time, I slipped back into unconsciousness.

The next time my mind awakened, everything was silent. It wasn't because I was unable to hear anything; it was just that there were no noises except for the sound of someone breathing close to me. The breaths were deep and consistent, so I figured whoever it was was sleeping.

My fingers twitched slightly moments before my eyes flew open. I was staring at a dark stone ceiling. There were large holes in the ceiling where I could see the stars in the clear night sky. Everything was silent and peaceful, and I knew that I was back in the First Academy. I looked to my left towards where I heard the breathing.

"Headmaster?" I tried to say but all that came out was a slight groan. Headmaster was sleeping hunched over in a small wooden chair on the side of my bed. He must have been there for a while because he had a large book on a nightstand with a bookmark marking he was three quarters of the way finished along with two empty plates and mugs. My groan must have been enough to wake him because his eyes bolted open. He slowly smiled and leaned forward in his chair, placing a cool hand on my forehead.

"I'm glad to see you're awake Val," he said. A single tear of joy dripped down my face as I tried to smile but all that came out was a grimace. I'm sure I looked a mess. "Here. Let's get you sitting up." He helped to pull me into an upright position and supported my body with a few pillows. The world spun as I moved, but I closed my eyes for a second and let everything settle down before opening them again.

"My head-" I managed to squeak out and attempted to point to the side of my head that was starting to ache. My hand lifted a few inches off the bed before falling back down.

"Grace gave you a mighty hard blow to the side of the head. You'll be dizzy for a while now. You also completely shattered your left forearm. Our medics are saying you must have tried to see how badly you could break it. It'll take a while to recover. You're also bruised all over."

"I can...imagine..." I stuttered.

"Try drinking a little water," Headmaster said. He reached forward with a mug of water and gently dripped a few drops of water in my mouth. It felt great on my sore throat, and soon I drank the entire mug. I was able to move my head side to side to look around the room and saw that every bed in the infirmary was occupied with sleeping bodies. Many appeared to be wrapped in all sorts of plaster casts, and only a few were sleeping peacefully. In the dark room, I couldn't recognize anyone's faces.

"How is...everyone?" I managed to get out. Headmaster's expression darkened a little.

"There were many casualties on both sides for both Riders and Dragons alike. To see so many of my students-" Headmaster broke off for a moment before continuing. "501 total Dragon and Rider pairs fought outside this Academy meaning 1,002 total Dragons and Riders. In the end, we lost 98 Riders and 84 Dragons. Almost everyone else is nursing some kind of injury from small scrapes to occasional loss of limbs. Riders and Dragons have many broken bones, puncture wounds, concussions and bruises. Our medics are working long hours to make sure everyone is comfortable, but it is a taxing job. The only thing getting everyone through this is that the New Order has officially left this Academy thanks to the Metallic Warriors and their fearless leader."