Chapter 25: You Are Forever Stuck With Me
Reynold’s fist were still very tight at his side. For the first time, Kael’s comment got to him and he wanted nothing more than to rip the rich kid apart.
Sighting Reynold’s frown face made Kael’s smirk deepened.
"That is enough," Professor Daryn’s voice sounded in the lecture hall. The noise in the hall hushed almost instantly. Daryn shifted his attention fully to Reynold. He shake his head in something that look like a disappointment. "Starweaver, I suggest you pay attention into listening, rather than sleeping in my class. If you choose to sleep in my class again, I assure you, you will not only get detention but you will be scrubbing every public toilet in the academy with a toothbrush. Do you understand?"
Reynold managed to let out a low groan that was followed by a sarcastic "Thank you," before he sat back on his seat.
The lecture resumed, with the Professor instantly returning to the topic of the day.
Reynold sighed still trying to keep his eyes opened. He was already getting bored by the lecture.
To stay awake, he pulled out a small parchment and a pen trying to jot down what the Professor was teaching. But it sounded like Daryn was speaking latin. Reynold groan again, he was lost.
Professor Daryn was fast and Reynold parchment was a total mess, even his spelling were all wrong.
By the flames, he was screwed.
He slapped the notebook shut with a slight frustrated sigh. To stop himself from still sleeping, he then started tapping his fingers on his thigh, the sound was low, and keeping up with the movement of his foot.
Maybe a simple distraction will stopped himself from sleeping so he started counting as he also tapped his fingers on his thigh.
One... two... three...
The class was from 8 AM to 10 AM. Twenty more minutes left for the class to end.
He mentally cursed his younger self as the memory of him pretending to be sick just to avoid his father’s Draconic lessons back then in Terraverde city came flooding back to him.
Now he regretted those skipped hours with his father. Perhaps it was time for him to take the course seriously. He was a future Rider, and he needed this language.
When Professor Daryn finally ended the class, Reynold was the first to be out of his seat before the professor even finished the last word.
He let out a relief sigh and hurried outside, taking a deep breath. "Damn it," he hissed, kicking a small stone. He had never felt so bad at anything in his life before.
Two hours until the first meal of the day and three hours until his next class. He need to find something to kill time.
He turned toward the courtyard, ready to find a calm place, but then the cadets beside him started to murmur.
Before he knee what was happening, there was snapping sound in the air.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Reynold looked up. It was dragons. Different kinds of dragon breeds with different sizes breached the ridgeline outside the academy walls. They were dozens of them, flying in to the academy in a single line formation.
The air was now filled with the WHOOSH-K’THUMP of their wings.
The Dragons were not heading to the dragon stable rather they were peeling off and flying towards the open sprawling field near the year two training facilities.
More murmurs erupted around Reynold as other cadets coming out from the lecture halls, all looking up in awe.
"It’s the Second Years! They are back from the outside training camp!"
"Gods, look at the size of that red marrow-born dragon! It is freaking awesome. "
"I can not wait anymore to bond to one."
" Just imagine that i am the one flying one of those!"
"They should just fast-forward semester already. This is cool."
A Green Cinder-Plate Dragons pass over the crowd, making Reynold’s eyes to kept looking at it. The dragons was rumbling sounds as they pass.
Reynold’s eyebrow furrowed. He knew the Dragon. It was the same green dragon that had flewn into the trial grounds weeks ago. It was Laena’s Dragon.
He stood stood fixed, watching the dragons flew into the building.
When the last Dragon was safely at of sight and the ground and the noise of their arrival had subsided, Reynold finally turned and left.
.....
Reynold ate his first meal quickly at the cafeteria. Soon after he was done eating, he headed to his next lecture: the Dragon Rider Sparring grounds.
The facility was something that looks like a sandy ring, made with wooden fences and over it was more like a a sturdy canopy that was designed for rough push and cushioned falls during sparring.
The course title was displayed on a small electronic slate near the entrance: RID-104: Fundamentals of Mounted and Dismounted Combat.
The professor who is a muscular woman with cropped red hair and she look like a a veteran Rider, was already addressing the assembled cadets when Reynold arrived.
Reynold slipped into the back side, putting on the provided practice padded armor over his cadet uniform.
"Welcome to RID-124," The professor stated, her voice sounding with authority. "This course is about learning the limits of your body and the strengths of your opponent. It is also about balance, speed, and endurance. Today, we start with a simple introduction to know our strengths. Now, pair up with a partner. I want to see you push each other."
The cadets immediately started scrambling, forming a partnerships.
Reynold was just standing there, adjusting the elbow guard on his left arm.
He noticed the nervous look snd how the cadets eyes glanced at him, then quickly looked away. No one stepped forward to partner with him. They clearly did not want the embarrassment of having their ’ass kicked’ on the first day.
Soon, the only ones left unpaired were Reynold and Kael.
Kael walked over, a sneer playing on his face as he fastened the strap on his chest plate. "Well, well, well, Starweaver. Looks like you are forever stuck with me."
Reynold let out a chuckle in return. He saw the perfect opportunity to kick Kael ass after that nasty remark during the Draconic Fundamentals. He was so not ready to hold back.
"It look like you are the one stuck with me," Reynold replied.
Seeing all the cadets with a partner, the Professor stepped back to the center of the ring. "Alright, Cadets! Listen up for the rules. When you are called, you will both enter the box boundary line here." She kicked a line drawn in the sand. "The match ends when one of this three things happens: First, your opponent has fallen completely out of the line. Second, you are so exhausted, or your opponent clearly has the definitive upper hand, that you choose to Tap Out, just a physical slap of the hand or a loud declaration is needed. Third, I stop the match. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, Professor," sounded back.
"Alright, first pair!" The professor called the first. "Cadet Elias and Cadet Seraphina!"
Elias gave Sera a quick nod as they walked into the sandy ring. Seraphina was smaller.
Elias waa the first to make a move first. It was a quick fake to the left, trying to make Sera move. Sera instead she threw the first kick at his leg.
Elias shifted, catching the kick on his thick thigh guard, and then punch straight at her chest with his hand.
Sera jumped sideways, the force rushing past her ear, but the force of his blow made her hop back quickly. She was almost out of the line. Elias charged again, trapping her left arm tight against her body.
He leaned in, ready to sweep her leg and knock her down. Sera steady her feet into the sand, matching his strength. She was holding her own, but Elias was using his size perfectly against her. He used his shoulder to jammed right into her collarbone, and she was stuck and balanced on one foot. She was inches from stepping out of the line again.
"Push back, Sera!" someone shouted.
Sera was strained trying to hit with her elbow, but he blocked it easily. She knew she could not break his hold or match is strength, and she was about to be pushed out of circle.
In that second, she did not have to wait to be thrown down. She tapped her right hand down hard onto her own left thigh.
"Tap out!" she called out.
Elias let go immediately and stepped back.
Sera stumbled, catching her balance, and rubbed her sore shoulder.
"Not bad!" the Professor called, walking over. "Cadet Elias wins. Good call, Sera. Knowing when your opponent has the clear advantage is smart. Go get a drink. Next up!"
The next set called were two male. The male with the pink hair was easily leveraged out of the ring. The third match ended when the Professor called a stop.
"Next pair! Starweaver! And Vynsar."
Kael was the first to jumped into the circle.
Reynold walked into it’ meeting his eyes.
Kael had a good smile on his face like someone who had already won. Reynold one the other end, had a cold expression that makes hard to guess what he was thinking.
They both stepped up to the line.
Kael smile turned into a smirk as he raised his padded fists. "Don’t worry, Starweaver. I will go easy on you."