Child of Ardor

xiv

October first is always Threshing.

Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday, it doesn't matter where it falls on any given year. On the first of October, the first-year cadets of the Riders Quadrant enter the bowl-shaped forested valley to the southwest of the citadel and pray they come out alive.

To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

What am I going to do if I don't get picked? Or even if I die. Being Xaden Riorson's sister and Fen Riorson's daughter is not all it's cracked up to be. It's fucking hard to always keep up with my family and not disappoint people who expect certain things out of me.

Especially after what happened at Presentation — where I quite literally got scorched I am super nervous.

World spread around the Riders Quadrant of what happened to my squad and how the dragon fire clipped my arms. Xaden was pretty worried. It was very annoying at first but now I kinda like it — only because he's being so nice to me.

It was rough for us growing up and even rougher when I first got to the Rider's Quadrant. But now I finally feel like we're getting on the same terms again. I finally have my big brother back.

"Remember to listen here," Professor Kaori says from in front of the 147 of us here, tapping his chest. "If a dragon has already selected you, they'll be calling." He thumps his chest again. "So pay attention to not just your surroundings but your feelings, and go with them." He grimaces. "And if your feelings are telling you to go in the other direction...listen to that, too."

Everyone around me is whispering about which one they're "going for." But from talking to Xaden, Garrick, Bodhi and all of those people I'm not worried about that. You don't ask for a dragon, they tell you that you're there's. I just hope one of them thinks I'm good enough.

Besides, there's not a single dragon that caught my eye — I was too worried trying to stay alive.

"If you go in groups, you're more likely to be incinerated than bonded," Professor Kaori argues with someone near the center of the valley. "The scribes have run the statistics. You're better off on your own."

I don't have a group to go with anyways.

With getting closer to Xaden I have also become acutely aware that I haven't really found any friends here. Liam is of course another brother to me and he's my best friend but he's far off in a whole other squad. It's just me and Violet's crew left — that's hard.

"And what if we aren't chosen by dinner?" a man with a short beard to my left asks.

"If you're not chosen by nightfall, there's a problem," Professor Kaori responds, his thick mustache turned down at the ends. "You'll be brought out by a professor or senior leadership, so don't give up and think we've forgotten about you." He checks his pocket watch. "Remember to spread out and use every foot of this valley to your advantage. It's nine, which means they should be flying in any minute now. The only other words I have for you are 'good luck.'" He nods, sweeping his gaze over the crowd of us with such intensity that I know he'll be able to re-create this moment in a projection.

Then he leaves, marching up the hill to our right and disappearing into the trees. My mind whirls. It's time. I'll either leave this forest as a rider ... or likely never leave.

Everyone exchanged words of encouragement as people's eyes stray in the direction of where they're headed first.

"Don't die," Ridoc orders everyone, laughing.

That's our only goal as what's left of our squad separates, each heading in our own direction like we've been flung apart by centrifugal motion, at the mercy of a spinning wheel.