Beneath the Wings of Breaking Dawn

Kadyah

You know most stories like this either start out by throwing you into the world and slowly letting it build, or completely immersing you into something you couldn’t even begin to understand. I’m not going to do that. Mainly because I don’t have the time for it, but also because I barely understand the rules of this land myself. Nor do I fully understand the complexities of human nature either. The societal structure is something I’ve learned is damaged, but they don’t see it like that and it’s considered treason to voice it aloud. Human nature can ruin everything and this society tries to beat it out of you. I’m literally risking my life to tell you this. I’m not going to try to explain every minute detail to you either because no one explained it to me. No one even began to try to help me understand the rules for either. Instead, I’m going to let it unfold for you the same way it had for me. Hopefully you take advantage of whatever breathing techniques you’ve learned when your confusion inevitably turns into anger. Hopefully you won’t paint me as the villain by the end of this.

The warm breeze envelopes me as I exited the sliding door, my feet touching the heated patio floors. It’s just barely tolerable as I force myself to keep moving until I’m in the grass. A small voice in my head tells me that I should’ve used a mat when my toes realize that the grass isn’t any cooler than the wood like I’d hoped. It’s just as hot, if not hotter. Ignoring it, I center myself, digging my bare feet into the grass until it begins to tickle in-between my toes. Moving my right leg until the v forms as I stretch my arms to the sky hearing as my joints begin to pop. There’s a little bit of pain that lingers there, but I ignore it bending over until I’m damn near kissing the ground while keeping my legs straight. I’ve become good at ignoring things that could potentially end with me being hurt.

I can hear my teacher trying to explain that for someone in hopes of bonding a dragon, flexibility is our most important asset. That emotions and vulnerability isn’t the asset we deemed it to be. No dragon wants someone so weak that can’t control their own emotions. No dragon would risk their lives for an emotional rider. My hands are behind my back as I turn my torso sideways before my leg follows suit.

“Maintain the balance Kadyah.” I mumble out my one leg already starting to shake. Irrational anger fills me as realization dawns on me, that all the workouts to strengthen my non-dominate leg have been pointless. That all exercises to block out my thoughts are needless. I can barely stand on it for thirty seconds… I can barely ignore the ache nagging at the back of my mind to be heard, but I continue pushing. Just as I’m about to fall over, I thrust my hands out in front of me going into a half-assed cartwheel to catch myself. “Fuck!” I growl loudly before going back into my starting position. I’ve become just a little over decent at maintaining my balance everywhere, but my right leg. It’s like it hates me and refuses to cooperate. It’s not the only thing that will hate me if I can’t get it together. I’ve managed to balance on my head for over an hour without getting dizzy and breaking my neck, and it seems like my own right leg will take me out. I can hold my entire weight on my less dominant, right, hand without fear of breaking my wrist anymore and this damned leg is going to kill me. Trying to shake off the anger, I made up my mind to just try a different position for now. A simple yoga one and see if we could go from there.

I center myself again, pressing my legs as close together as I could and bringing my hands in front of me already clasped together. Trying to clear my mind, I imagine my leg being cemented into the ground for balance. I try to clear away everything else besides that one little block of cement. Every emotion, every feeling, everything that’s holding me back. I can feel my left leg slowly lifting up as the rest of my body begins to lift forward. My arms thrusts out on either side of me helping that cement block to maintain my balance as my leg stretches out behind me. There’s no shaking this time. I feel strong. I know it will work.

Concentrating on the image in my mind, I mentally chip away at the block until it is gone. My ankle rattles a little and fear tries to surge its way into my throat at the thought of falling forward and not being able to catch myself before breaking my neck. It symbolizes so much. I shake off that thought too and wait for my balance to try to stabilize again. It takes three beats. Just as the courage pushes through again, I find the strength in my right leg to propel me up as I spin kicking the air. Sticking the landing I can’t help it as a grin takes over my features.

I did it.

Just to be safe I try the spinning high kick a few more times, landing each one as intended. There’s pure joy in my heart as a shadow casts over me. I look up to see my mom’s dragon and scurry out of the way just as they land. There’s bags of groceries hanging off of her saddle and I laugh. She could’ve taken the car.

“Do you need help mom?” I asked kindly, quickly taking a sip of my water. She starts to open her mouth but groans and dismounts. The thoughts begin to creep back in and I try my best to block them out again.

“Sizzle says groceries can wait. That I need to help you first.” She rolls her eyes. My mother isn’t one of those mushy moms. She was once our sector’s best warrior. Her and her dragon retired when they found out they were going to be moms. Twice they had children simultaneously. I’m not supposed to mention this, but if everything is going to be documented, I might as well. I have a brother. An older brother. Sizzle had laid two eggs at the time. A girl and a boy popped out the same day my brother was born. She laid one egg when my mother got pregnant with me. She also had a girl, but they were focused on their sons. Their hope was that my brother would bond with her son within the year after his graduation day. I’ll explain what that is in a second.

They’re hopes had been so high that my mother began training him before he could even walk. As a baby, she trained his legs and arms with exercises strengthening them. Her and Sizzle came up with the best nutritional diet. As a baby, my brother consumed my mother’s breast milk with four drops of dragon milk. It made him stronger than he should’ve been. I got the same treatment. When he finally learned to stand and walk, they began a game of ‘chase the dragon’. That taught him hand/eye coordination. By five he was being taught how to fight. I was only two and just starting my own game of ‘chase the dragon’. It was simple maneuvers at first and then he became the best in his class. He adapted both mom and Dad’s fighting styles. They all knew he was going to be an amazing dragon rider. Cain, Sizzle’s son, began approaching him. We all waited for when they would begin communicating, but it never came.

Let’s pause here. In our society, high school is completed by eighteen. Then we have two years of training until we reach what we call graduation day. At twenty, we all pack our belongings and move to the section housing where every twenty or twenty-one year old waits for their insignia. Insignia’s are branded tattoos that just show up on a part of your skin. We never know when it’s going to happen. From the moment we enter the section house, all creatures are watching us. Dragons, Winged horses, Gryphons and Dogs. Each creature has a subsection of different creatures who belong to their species.

We are the children of dragon warrior riders. The thought of bonding outside of that is unfathomable, but it can happen. Three months after his graduation day, he got his insignia. We were all excited waiting for the day he and Cain would arrive back home. Instead my brother was escorted home with a fleet of dragon patrollers. Cain was nowhere in sight. I was only seventeen when I learned the hard lesson of what this society is really like. The minute I saw his face I squealed and ran to him wrapping myself around him. He hugged me back so tight I got scared. The last hug like that, he was saying goodbye. Mom ran out of the house screaming how something was wrong. To let him try again. I was so confused. He looked at me and showed me the mark on his neck. A dog, specifically a wolf. A gasp escaped me as I latched myself on to him. There was no such thing as trying again, that much I knew. I didn’t know exactly what was wrong but that hug had me scared.

“You know the laws.” The officer spat at my parents before gesturing to me. “Grab her.”

“That child is just as strong as him,” my dad spat hurt taking over his tone. What was happening? Why was everyone so angry and sad? “You can try if you want.”

“Fine.” The officer snapped and then I felt his hands on my shoulders trying to force me off of my brother. It clicked then. All the reasons every person I’ve ever known only rode dragons when we knew of the others. They were taking him away. “Let go little girl.” He demanded and that gave me another reason to be pissed off.

“I will not leave my brother. You can’t take him.” I spat, shrugging him off, my voice surprisingly leveled as tears stained my cheeks.

“You no longer have a brother.” He spat, grabbing me again and pulling tighter. Anger enveloped me as I spun around landing a right hook to the side of his face. He growled as he stumbled back, wiping blood from his lip. I sturdied myself, planting my feet into a fighting stance like I’d been taught as he approached me again. “Get out of my way.” He spat, once again advancing on me. An evil smirk took over as I waited until he was right where I wanted him before landing a spiraled roundhouse kick that ended with both my feet kicking him. They all looked like they wanted to advance on me as their leader landed on the ground unconscious.

“Leave my brother alone!” I roared, refusing to let go of the anger. He raised his arms out to me and I ran to him begging him to change his insignia.

“It’s ok Kay. It’s the law. I was chosen, which is a good thing. Some people never get chosen.”

“What about Cain?” I cried. “It was perfect.”

“I agree.” He whispered so that only I could hear. “He wasn’t fast enough to mark me though. It broke both of us. I have to go. You have to forget me. Just know that I’ll always love you and that everything I’ve done was always to protect you. There’s nothing left that I can learn here. It’s up to you now.” My heart broke as I finally... Willingly let him go. I ran to my dad burying my face in the space just below his chest as I cried. We were supposed to be a family of dragon riders and now my brother will be a big dog. Wind came from nowhere, almost knocking us off of our feet as the family of dragons joined us. Sizzle, Steak, dad’s dragon, their two daughters (one named Amethyst) and Cain. We watched as he approached my brother, the officers taking big step backs and then he stretched out a wing pulling my brother forward into what I could only assume was a hug. “I’ll miss you too buddy. Take care of her for me. Remember what I warned you about.” He sighed. I knew that they were talking about me, but I was clueless what the warning was for.

My stomach dropped as I watched my brother dejectedly return home to grab his things. Every picture that included all of us, except for the ones I secretly had Sizzle hide, were thrown into a fireproof canister and burned. There was nothing we could do as the law destroyed all of our sacred family memories. I cried as I hugged my brother goodbye knowing that no one here, not even the dragons, would let me lose control again. This was our law and there was nothing I could do to combat it.

“Be good Kay.” He cooed, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear and leaning in for a kiss. “Remember me where it matters most. Stay safe and beware of Ryder. He’s not to be trusted.” He whispered so that only I could hear him. I nodded my okay before letting him go and burying my face in my mother’s chest.

“Make us proud.” They cried simultaneously. I couldn’t watch it as they forced away the last remaining bit of my heart.

“Do as I taught you.” My dad whispered into my ear. I nodded my head subtly as I imagined the safe in my head, locking away all memories and pictures of my brother. Then I locked it and secured it in cement placing a protective charm on the entire thing. There was a flash without warning and I got a little dizzy before passing out.

“Kadyah!” My mother yells, bringing my attention back to her. She gives me a knowing look and I hold my head down ashamed. She never told me if they still remembered him also, but sometimes I get the sense that she knows. Sizzle huffs a huge cloud of steam at me and embarrassment heats my ears. I stayed away from Ryder like my brother warned even though it pained me to do so.

“Okay okay. I’m focused now.” I whine, trying to push down the thoughts and emotions once more.

“Good. Your flying spiral kick is good but it’s basic. You’re trying too hard to make it perfect like the instructors taught, but that’s their way of doing it. Do what works for you best. I’ve seen you do it perfectly Kadyah. Don’t over think it. Now, positions!” I straightened up, her warrior voice instilling a fear in me that I still didn’t know how to escape. She gives me a sly smirk as what she says finally registers in my mind. She remembers and now she knows that I do too. I grin allowing myself to go back into the feelings I had when trying to protect my brother and pair it with the balance technique I just did. My foot is in cement again as I breathe air deep into my lungs. Mentally I chip away concentrating all of my strength to my right leg and push myself up. I’m nearly three feet off of the ground as I spin myself around backwards bringing my legs with me until both feet are once again planted firmly on the ground.

“Like that?” I asked cockily. She laughs.

“Exactly like that.” The amount of pride on her face fills me up as Sizzle’s approving growl fills my ears. I’m definitely going to be a dragon rider and I have my sights on bonding with Cain. “Now help me with the groceries.” She beckons me forward and I get whiplash from the difference in her mother’s voice versus when she’s training us... I mean me.

“You’re the perfect rider for my Cain.” Comes a voice that I haven’t heard since I was a child. Part of me wonders if she misses Amethyst who left shortly after Kadeem was taken. “You’re chosen.” Tears rush to my eyes as my mother stares at me in complete admiration.

“You’ve been chosen.” She whispers, echoing Sizzle’s words and my eyebrows quirk up. What does she mean by I’ve been chosen?

… … … … … …

The rest of the day is spent helping Mom clean the house and cook which is a different kind of training with her. She teaches me how to literally have eyes in the back of my head. For the exercise she gets permission from Sizzle for something. I’m confused, just shrugging it off to flip the steak only to see from behind me. It’s quick and barely lasts five seconds as I turn and stare at my mother.

“Is that how you always knew what we were doing? Why I got punished when-” We both freeze as the words almost slip out but I force them down and swallow them. She gives me a look like she knows what I almost said and Sizzle is getting into a fierce protective stance. I fake a cough. “Excuse me.” I breathe deep to make it seem real. “Inhaled some smoke there. Is that why I got punished when I accidentally broke Zediah’s leg? I always wondered how you knew.” They both relax from their tense stances as she smiles gratefully at me. I don’t know what will happen if they know we remember. I just know we aren’t supposed to be able to. The flash I remember so clearly was a charm to erase my brother, Kadeem, from our memories. Dad taught me how to ensure that wouldn’t happen.

“I should’ve known then how strong you would be.” Sizzle breathes as her words settle in my head, interrupting my thoughts.

“I always knew you would be strong. I’m proud.” Comes Steak’s voice as I search looking for them. A few beats later they land in our spacious backyard and Dad comes racing towards me, picking me up in his arms and spinning me around. He does this every time it’s something he thinks seems exciting. Steak must have told him what happened.

“You’ve been chosen!” He squeals as I giggle. There are those words again and I’m terrified of what they could mean. The dragons give me a look I can only assume is pride easing the bit of fear that’s settling. When I get the chance I’ll see if Zediah knows what this ‘chosen’ thing means. Or maybe I’ll suck up the nerves and finally have a conversation with Ryder again. I miss him. Mom just laughs. I’m still muddling over just how I knew Steak’s voice and I’ve never heard it before. His voice is yet another memory I hadn’t realized I had.

“I didn’t know that part. I just saw when he broke your ankle. His mom and I agreed to punish you both because you aren’t allowed to use your training on your best-friend unsupervised.” She teased, coming over to throw her arm around my shoulders.

“What do you think we’re going to do in the section housing?” I grin, leveling them both with my best fighter look.

“That’s my girl.” Dad laughs. “Don’t break him this time.”

“It was an accident.” I whined.

“You did it on purpose, little fighter. I saw the whole thing.” Steak teases. My mouth drops open as I stare at him and he winks at me. HE FUCKING WINKS. Damn dragon. Dad laughs and I know he’s only shared that little information with us. Okay, so maybe I had done it on purpose. We were twelve and I had a crush. Then I saw him kissing someone else. At least now I know that I was sneaky enough and that wasn’t why I got caught, but I never thought it would be because Sizzle had shown her what I did.

“I won’t break him.” I sighed defeated. One parent knows what I did, the other knows it was on purpose. That was more than enough for me. They teased me for another thirty minutes or so before Mom kicked us out of the kitchen. Rolling my eyes, I follow Dad into the backyard. He’s the parent I have to watch. I never know when his lessons are coming. He says it’s because that’s how it is in the real world. We’ll never truly know when and who will attack us. My thoughts barely ramble off just as I see a fist flying towards me. I throw my hands up in a x shape dodging it just in time as I flip myself backwards out of his reach. “Not fair dad.” I growl.

“You dream of being a dragon warrior. That life isn’t full of fairness.” He spits back taking on a look that reminds me so much of Kadeem when we trained together. My heart squeezes as memories invade my mind. A foot comes from my left knocking me on my ass. I didn’t even see it coming. “Focus princess.” He demands. I grunt, lifting myself up and locking away the memories again. I barely blink before his fist is coming my way again. Grabbing it, I spin myself towards him, my back pressed against his chest and throw my head back until I hear a satisfying crush. Blood drips on my shoulder, but I don’t stop long enough taking advantage of his slightly dazed state. My elbow comes up and strikes him in the same spot right before I throw him over my shoulder. Just when I think I’m finally going to beat him, he switches positions and I’m eating grass. My arm is twisted behind my back and there’s pain in my shoulder like he might actually pop it out of place. I can remember Ryder trying to teach me how to break out of this exact position, but I can’t remember. Instead I remember- “Focus Kadyah. Counter!” He demands.

I breathe deeply once again trying to clear my mind as I try to remember the move he taught me without breaking my own arm, but I can’t remember that one either. My body goes limp as I relax it. This is why being flexible is so important for female riders. My legs come up kicking him in the back of the head just hard enough to get him to loosen his grip. Spinning until he’s thrown off my back, I keep the momentum until my fist lands on his face splitting his lip. He grins, standing up and clapping his hands.

“Dad.” I mumble, my cheeks starting to heat up.

“It’s okay to be proud, princess.” He grins again as I watch his lip mend itself. The blood is still there but the cut no longer is. I often forget that he has healing abilities. Those far greater than others with the same ability. It makes him a great warrior being able to heal himself before he could lose too much blood. “You’re almost as good as the rest of us, but you must focus, Kadyah. Losing even a millisecond of focus could be the thing that kills you. Now up on your feet.” I listen to him, jumping up and getting into my fighting stance. I barely swing a punch before he swings his leg kicking me in the ribs. “Protect yourself!” He roars and I growl. This old man really should not be this fast against me. It’s pissing me off, but he’s the one that helped train. How could I-

Realization dawns on me. He doesn’t know yet. We circle each other for a minute as I allow all of those feelings from that day to build again and just when he’s where I want him, I push myself up, jumping with one leg as I swing the other backwards, until both come into contact with his face and land on my opposite leg. An evil grin is on my face as he falls. Quickly I’m on top of him swinging one fist over the other until his face is a bloody bruised mess and he taps. Joy overwhelms me as I realize I’ve finally beaten him.

“Yes little fighter!” Roars Steak and I laugh.

“Traitor.” My dad mumbles, flipping his finger at his dragon who just laughs harder.

“Oh yeah honey, she’s mastered the double high flying spiral kick.” My mom blurts from her spot in front of the sliding door.

“Fine time to tell me that, dear.” He groans. There’s only one thing I can think of over the immense joy I’m feeling. I wonder how Kadeem would’ve reacted.

Zediah

Sweat is dripping down my back as the sun beats down on me, but any signs of weakness and it’s over; he’s made that much clear. The tire on my back is starting to feel like the rubber is burning me, but I had to push through. I have no choice but to ignore the ache and pain as I push myself until it feels like my arms are going to break.

Down. Up. One.

Down. Up. Two.

Down. Up. Three.

“Start again.” He yells and anger burns through me. Every time I get to the third push-up, he makes me start again. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve done already. It’s like he’s punishing me for something I have no clue that I’ve done.

“Ryder, I fucking swear.” I seethe. He’s being cruel, intentionally trying to make me lose it, and this time I don’t even know what I did to deserve it. Yet, the voice in the back of my head is telling me that he has his reasons. That he’s only toughening me up.

“Do you think you’re finally ready to take me on for real, little brother? That you’re the better man? Let me tell you that you can’t and you aren’t. Especially not if you don’t get out of your head and do these push-ups correctly! What’s wrong, little brother? Is the tire too heavy for these weak rubbery things you call arms Zediah?!” He taunts, his laugh haunting me. I groan as I try to ignore it, clearing my head as much as possible, but this feels personal. In two weeks, I’ll be away from here permanently with Kadyah in the section housing, but I also know that I’ll miss him. So I grit my teeth, fix my position and start the push-ups again.

Down. Up. One.

Down. Up. Two.

The grass is starting to feel like solid ground. I’ve been doing this for so long, but I won’t give him the satisfaction by quitting. The sun is hitting the metal blade nearly blinding me from the light it’s giving off. I can’t wait to hold the small dagger with a blade that’s the length of my hand from the palm to the tallest finger, feeling the weight of it and letting every evil thought I’ve ever had come forward until it’s dripping with blood. First, I have to train. Unfortunately, this idiot is the only one home right now and I swear his dragon, Bacon, is laughing at me.

“I wouldn’t laugh at anyone if my name was bacon, ya beast.” I spit out, getting a quick snort out of my brother before he fixes his composure.

“I will incinerate you where you fail to do push-ups, little weak one.” He huffs and now Ryder is bent over, hands on knees as he laughs. A puff of steam is blown my way and I know they’re both laughing at me.

“Fuck you both.” I mumbled ignoring them and finally completing my first set of push-ups. I clear my mind again, repositioning myself so that my legs are spread v shape and then start again.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. One.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Two.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Three.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Four.

My thighs are already burning. My wrists feel like they’re going to snap, but they’re already laughing at me. I think about the dagger. About the way it will feel to protect Kadyah when I unsheathed it letting the thirsty blade suck up as much blood as it wants. I think about how she’ll be right alongside me having my back with a dagger of her own. A feral scream erupts from me and I continue pushing myself to the brink. I can feel it. Feel what my brother means when he says to push myself past my limits and I’ll know my true strength.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Eleven.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Twelve.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirteen.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Fourteen.

The warm breeze wraps around me, caressing me like she would. She’s the reason I push through. She’s the strength within me when I can’t find a single reason to push through for myself. My strength seems to catch a second wind as adrenaline rushes through me, a kind of determination taking over.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirty.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirty-One.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirty-Two.

“Okay little brother, enough.” He grunts, his voice teetering on the edge of being impressed. I know this is a test. He doesn’t really want me to stop, he just wants to see if I’ll take the bait. He just wants to see if I’ll finally prove that I’m man enough.

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirty-Five

Down. Up. Bend right leg, touch chest. Bend left leg, touch chest. Down. Up. Thirty-Six.

“Good job, little weak one.” Bacon’s voice fills my head and pride swells in my chest just as Ryder kicks the tire off of my back. Somehow I know what’s coming next before it even happens. I roll over grabbing the dagger narrowly missing his foot crushing my face. I’m on my feet before I can even comprehend what I’m doing. My stance is shaky but it holds as I quickly sheath the dagger, but hold on to the anger, as he comes at me swinging with unnatural force. I’m barely dodging the punches before he starts another round on me. Trying not to panic I drop, kicking my leg out and swiping his feet from underneath him. I turned on my palms, lifting my leg and bringing it down on his ribs before he could collect himself. He lets out a grunt of pain that’s more than satisfying to my ears. “Focus, weak one!” Comes Bacon’s voice again and I propel myself, in a nearly perfect kip up, on my feet just as his fist crushes into the side of my face with an awful thwacking sound that leaves me dazed and my ears ringing.

The pain radiates until I can feel it in my shoulders. I stagger a bit on my feet. Somehow I’ve pissed him off and he’s letting me know. He’s a blur in my eyes as he moves in on me and I lift my arms up in an x position blocking the punch just in time. He’s just as surprised as I am as I maneuver, using my arms to thrust him backwards following with a harsh right hook which seemingly dazed him also.

“Good one Zey.” He praises before wiping a bit of blood from his lip. “Now focus! Don’t let me strike you again!” I flinch, his loud voice almost dizzying me again. Did he really have to yell it? I take a fighting stance. Training with Ryder is always about pushing my limits. Testing how far I am truly willing to go. Testing what I’m willing to do to secure the win. Even Bacon gets in on it so they’re attacking me two ways. His laugh is in my head as I weakly throw a punch at my brother. The evil thoughts are back and I want nothing more than to slice up him and his dragon until there’s nothing left but a pile of bones to burn. “Oooo someone’s getting angry.” He teases and admittedly it rattles me a bit. “Use it weakling!” He yells again. There’s a roar building in my chest as I let the evil thoughts go and race forward with a speed I didn’t know I possessed as I jump and come down landing a solid punch to his jaw. My knees are connecting with his stomach before I can tell it to do so. He’s doubled over as I bring my knee up for a third time knocking the breath out of him. My elbow hits his back like I’m trying to break his ribs and he roars in pain, but I’m seeing red and it just won’t stop.

A fury of fist rains down on him as he tries to back away, but I’m there following him with every step. I spin bringing my leg up and kicking him with a powerful roundhouse kick knocking him off of his feet. I don’t even stop for a moment to wonder if he’s okay as I rush over to him, my dagger drawn.

“Fucking yield.” I spat a low growl stuck in my throat as I held the blade millimeters from his neck. If I slice through here with enough force he’ll be taking in blood with every shallow breath until he chokes on it. The red is slowly dimming from my eyes as I realize exactly what it is I’m doing and who I’m doing it to. Still, I know my brother and although I can’t kill him, I can’t show mercy either. “For fucksakes Ryder, yield.” I demand pressing the tip of the blade deeper into the taut skin on his neck.

“Do it.” He grins evilly. I sigh. Him and his fucking training. Slowly I pretend to remove the blade and when he least expects it...

...I knee him in the balls. He groans as Bacon roars with laughter in both of our heads.

“Do you yield now? I’m hungry.” I asked cockily. He reaches for my hand and like an idiot I take it only to be pulled down to the ground. I’m eating grass as he sits on my back. Anger fills me again, I was so close this time.

“Now we can go eat little brother.” He teases. I’m no longer hungry. I want to stay here and work out, but I need to gather all of my energy again. I watch Ryder as he walks away. He’s top of his class and one of the best warriors we have. Jealousy eats away at me at the same time a pain clutches at my heart. I can’t imagine what it would be like if he had to leave. If I was forced to forget him. I can’t see myself as an only child. It doesn’t seem possible. I only know of this possibility because it happened to our mom. She doesn’t know why she remembers the twin sister who’d been branded with a winged horse insignia, but she does.

It’s only little clips where it’s two of her, but it’s still there. That’s why I trained so hard. I must be deemed worthy for the dragons... For her. I need to be able to stay here with them. So that my mom doesn’t have to go through that again. So that Kadyah will never have to experience the possibility of forgetting me only to remember the pain of losing me. I train this hard because it’s the only time I can truly get with my brother and the fear of losing him is too much to bear the thought of. Yet, I still want to be better than him. I want to be on the front lines with him, us watching each other’s backs. A thought clicks together as realization dawns on me.

Do they erase our memories so that those who end up on the front line will choose their section over blood? It makes so much sense now. It-

“Kadyah has been chosen.” Roars Bacon stopping both of us in our tracks. There’s so much pride in his eyes even though he’ll never speak to her directly, but now that she’s been chosen it means he can. Ryder and I share a look of bewildered astonishment before he gives me a nod and I’m racing towards the car when a voice stops me. “Zediah, you have been chosen also.” I skid to a stop, flabbergasted. How is this possibly even happening right now? What does this mean?