Dawn's Light

Chapter 1

A candle flame flickered as a figure paced back and forth in front of it. Her wavy russet hair had been recently tied up in a bun, but her bangs had fallen out within minutes of being put up. Her heart pounded in her ears. "You can do this." Her voice was breathy as she looked to the mirror behind the candle that flickered wildly at each of her ragged breaths.

"Calm down Celia. Calm down." She breathed as she looked at herself in the mirror to attempt to pep talk herself. Her face was the same pale, narrowish face as everyone else that lived under the mountain. Although it didn't have any freckles, her face still had a few blemishes that were typical of a teenager of her age.

"You're sixteen, you went through twelve years of school, and you passed the test to be one of the Potentials in the Choosing. You even got the third highest score in the class...." She stepped away from the mirror and groaned again as she paced around the small room for the who-knows-how many-nth time, "...out of five...only four of who passed.... Ugggggg...I'm never going to be picked."

Celia groaned and rung her hands through her hair, momentarily returning her wayward strands of hair to the position it was supposed to be in until her hands were removed again. "I'm average! I'm not the best."

The human girl paced around the small personal waiting room and remembered why she had to stay in the cramped minimal room. Because of some boys a few years ago, all the Potentials were separated in their own small rooms in order to limit fights. They had lost their chances to become dragon riders and caused everyone in the future to be separated in one swift movement.

"What if that happens to me? What if I do something stupid and ruin my chances to be chosen? That's even worse than not being chosen at all!" Celia stared at the door and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, okay, calm... caaaalllmm... calm down, Celia." She slowly inhaled but released the breath as fast as she could manage. After calming her heart rate a bit, she attempted to regain her focus by explaining what she had to do in the simplest way possible. "All I have to do is go out there when I am called, stand in front of the dragons, then open my mind and soul for examination by the draga."

She gazed around the room again, but except for the mirror, the small table with the candle on it, and the chair, the bricked division of the cave room was empty. She could hear muffled sounds of other Potentials in the rooms on the left and right of her as they fidgeted on the other sides of the stone and dragon-fired mortar.

"There are other people here, probably just as nervous as I am. There's no guarantee any one of us will be picked. At least there is a Choosing this cycle. That's lucky." Her attempt to assure herself fell mostly flat, but she felt somewhat better about her situation.

Celia's body tensed as she once again stared into her mirror reflection's blue eyes. They quivered slightly as she stared for several moments. When her eyes could stare no more, they swiftly diverted their gaze and reflect on the clothes the reflection and herself wore for the day.

All of the Potentials wore the same outfit: an ejon coat that had been died a brownish yellow with pollen. The pants and shirt under the coat were her normal clothes. A dark ejon shirt and pants, the same clothing as all the other students had, were under her cloak. She had one other set of the same exact clothes but in different colors. As much as she would have liked to wear her other clothes, her current outfit was what she was required to wear.

Celia's attention darted to the door, tired of the distraction of contemplating her clothing. "What's taking them so long to call us?" She muttered and walked over to the door, then rested her forehead again the rough stones of the wall. "Why can't they just call us already? How long have I been in here, waiting?"