Dragonborne - 3. Chapter 3

“What are the other clans like? Do all of our dragon nature look alike?” Levi asked Merlin as they hurried along to the reception.

“There are clans from many different parts of the kingdom with a wide array of abilities and appearances, but you will learn more of this as time goes on. I will offer this word of caution young master. Be wary of the Red Wyverns, they have a fire disposition and are quick to anger.”

Merlin’s outstretched arm block his way as they stopped before large ornate metallic doors. He reached up and placed his hand on the surface before instructing Levi to do the same.

“The hall of dragons is only for us dragonborne, one of the few places that we call our own here are campus.”

A cool sensation run over the palm of his hand before the doors began to retract. Once the doors had opened everyone’s attention was drawn to them. Merlin simply ignored the stares and nodded for him to follow along before they were approached by a titan of a man. His large black wings and clawed hands coupled with his size made him an imposing figure.

“Merlin, good of you to join us. We were just in the process of the exhibition trials. Surely you would like to witness, to perhaps pick a pupil after all this time.”

Merlin raised his hand to stop the man from continuing.

“I will indeed take part in observing the trials Thade. However, I have already taken this young drake here are my new pupil,” Merlin said as he gestured towards the youngling beside him.

Levi could feel all eyes on him, and when he dared to look around, he could see them all. Judging, assessing, and scowling.

“What a runt. We are trying to seek a worthy successor to the throne and you jest with this weakling.” A tall muscular lad walked over, looking me up and down with a disapproving stare.

“Your time would be better training me to take over as the new king,” the young drake sneered.

Levi gave him a quick once over, careful not to catch eyes with him. He was almost as imposing as Thade, but his arms were covered in deep red spike scales and he did not appear to have wings on his back, but instead a thin membrane connecting the spikes.

“That will be quite enough Jin. You are not to disrespect the decisions of an elder dragon.”

Jin scoffed at the remark before turning and walking through the crowd.

“I apologize for him; he is as hotheaded as ever and his growing power only adds fuel to that fire.”

“It is of little consequence, we have all been on edge for many years and we must make our best efforts to restore the balance to the kingdom,” Merlin motioned for the young drake to come to his side. “Allow to introduce Levi, he will be joining with the rest of the new wave this year.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, young drake,” Thade offered his hand.

He had a firm grip and his eyes widen in shock as the robes slide back revealing the cyan scales.

“Merlin! What is the meaning of this?” Thade whispered. “There hasn’t been a drake of this color since.”

“That will be quite enough, for now, Thade, I do believe the trials are set to begin,” Merlin motioned us forward.

“What are these trials that keep getting mentioned?”

“Young Master, the trials are a display of prowess for the new wave and a way of measuring their abilities. It is not mandatory to participate, but it has become more a display of the strong overpowering the weak for hopes of being named a candidate for the throne.”

The room then broke out in applause as the room began to shift. A large circle was formed in the middle of the room and slowly began to descend as the room morphed into a coliseum. At one end of the circle stood Jin a smug expression on his face. Across from him was a lean man. He too lacked any wings on his back, but his tail was much more elaborate than any I had seen so far.

“That is Sune from the far south of the serpent clan,” Merlin whispered to me answering the questions wandering around in Levi’s mind.

The crowd again erupted in cheers as Jin removed his robes revealing a broad chest his scales arranged in an ornate pattern the swirled into his abdomen. Levi gasped when he leaped forward, but his attack was skillfully and swiftly evaded. Sune conjured up an orb of water before smashing it on the ground at his feet.

Jin jumped in the air, the spikes along his arms elongating as the membrane between them increased in size before his arms shifted into wings. He stared down at the water below as it began to swirl into a whirlpool and a deafening roar filled the arena.

Sune’s tail sprouted from the water and wrapped around Jin’s leg pulling him down towards the swirling waters below. Jin was just above the water when a serpent-like head emerged from the water, mouth wide as if to devour him. Jin roared as his body began to double in size, his legs shifted into claws and the remainder of his clothing ripped to shreds until a deep red wyvern roared from above. The transformation caused Sune to lose grip on Jin as he retreated beneath the waves.

Levi stared on in disbelief, they both shifted into full-fledged dragons and the coliseum was alive with energy as the crowd ate it all up. Merlin simply looked down at the youngling with a raised eyebrow before returning his attention to the battle at hand. All eyes are drawn to Jin as an orange glow was emitted from his mouth, moments later a stream of flames was released down towards the water below. Intense steam was released when the two forces of nature collided.

Merlin as well as many others in the arena had raised barriers to ward off the damaging effects from the collision of power. When the smoke cleared Sune was trapped beneath the claw of Jin who towered over him. Sune shifted back into his more humanoid form.

“I yield to you red wyvern of the skies; I have been bested in this fight.” Sune bellowed out.

Jin either did not hear him or simply ignored him as he applied pressure, causing Sune to scream out in pain under the weight of the wyvern until he was knocked off the sea serpent by a heavily armored black tail

“That will be quite enough Jin,” roared Thade as he leaped into the air, completing his change into a black dragon. “Sune has yielded to you in this fight, and now you will submit to me or face my wrath.”

The black dragon’s threat was clear as Thade stood tall, his massive wings spread open and his deadly claws poised to strike. When Jin roared in response Thade’s massive claws came down with blinding speed leaving a large gash across the wyvern’s eye as a second claw pinned Jin’s head to the ground.

“Your final warning Jin, submit or perish young drake,” the deep voice echoed again.

Jin seemed to finally heed the words of the larger dragon as he shifted back to his humanoid form. His hand covering his left eyes as blood seeped through his fingers, his undamaged eye filled with rage as he looked up at Thade who hovered in the air who had reverted to his humanoid form.

“You dare to continue challenging me young drake? Was the damage to your eye, not punishment enough?” The black dragon asked as energy swirled in the palms of his hand revealing large claymore. “This contest is over, you have shown your prowess, but you have also shown your lack of respect, discipline, and judgment. You would make a poor candidate for the future of the clans if you were to be named ruler in your current state.”

There was a hush among the crowd, as Jin was scolded in front of all those in attendance. The crowd watch on not knowing if he lowered his head in shame, embarrassment, or some combination of the two. All attention was on Thade as his tremendous voice filled the arena.

“Witness before you the strength of our new generation, but their immaturity. They all have so much to learn. We respect each other, we listen to each other, we learn from each other, but most of all we protect each other. We live on the example and ideals of the last royal family even if they are but a fragment of what they once were. If we are fighting amongst ourselves, how are we to survive an attack from the outside?”

Levi felt as if it must have been his mind playing tricks on him but he could not help but feel as if Thade was directing some of what he was saying at him alone.