Ryns.
The soldier caste of dragonlings, a particularly vicious species of shapeshifters.
Dragonlings are dangerous.
Ryns are deadly.
Born and raised to be a bloodthirsty soldier, Anita's life has never been her own. She always knew her fa...
Importance does not lie within our castes. What good is a leader without soldiers to fight? What good is a soldier to fight without a smith to make weapons? What good is a smith without a miner to collect ore? We all have our role in society and we must remember that no one role is more important than the next.
This is Our Law.
~ From the Dragonling Grimoire
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I grunted as Dmitri swung his staff, knocking mine to the floor and nearly taking me with it. Swearing, I straightened up, panting heavily. "Did you really have to hit so hard?"
Dmitri used his foot to lift the staff and toss it at me. "Yes. You haven't been training lately, have you?"
Catching the polished wood, I couldn't help but scowl. "I've been busy." It was true. Ray had become my mate a week ago and I'd had no free time since then. Between trying to talk with Cedric and Mako about the Coup they're planning - with no one to spearhead it, mind you - and dealing with all three of my mates, training had slipped my mind.
"A Ryn always makes time for their training." Dmitri said, striking out like a snake and jabbing me in the ribs with the end of his staff. I growled and tried to hit his arm before it retreated, but no luck. He twisted away before my weapon had even gotten close to him.
"I thought we already agreed I'm pretty bad at being a Ryn." I replied, rolling my eyes. Dmitri took the opportunity to crack his staff against my leg, making it crumple beneath me. I hit the ground hard, huffing as the air left my lungs.
Dmitri bent down with a frown, helping me to my feet. "Ani, you were better than this before we left Lord Edgar's city."
I bit my lip, feeling my ears burn in embarrassment. It was something I didn't particularly want to admit to. Dmitri took my shame as an opportunity to jab my stomach with the end of his staff. "Can you not?" I hissed, swinging my staff several times in an attempt to hit him back. He dodged with ease.
"Not until you're able to avoid it." Dmitri replied. "You've already taken your Trial. You should know to train every day, even if it's on your own."
"Yeah, I know." I muttered, going on the offensive as I struck out one, two, three times. The last hit barely managed to clip Dmitri's shoulder, but it rebounded so hard that my weapon fell out of my hands. "Damn it!"
"Keep your grip secure." Dmitri said as I bent down to retrieve the staff. "Staffs don't have hilts to hold like your sword does. You need to learn to adjust."
"Says the fyn with a fan." I muttered. After a moment, I glanced at Dmitri and chunked my staff at him. He cursed and jumped out of the way, but I tackled his side.
Thinking I'd finally scored a hit, I tightened my arms around Dmitri's body and moved my leg to trip him.
A few heartbeats later, the world shifted around me as Dmitri literally flipped me over his shoulder like a sack of vegetables and slammed me to the ground. For a few moments I laid still, the breath knocked out of me and my vision blurry.
