The School of Dragon Riders [Dragon Riders #1]

Chapter 22 (edited)

Tanya's point of view

I felt sadness grip me as I watched my sister getting pulled around by the guards. I knew that she was a good person, but they were doing this to her anyway. I wanted to stand up and free her, but I didn't.

When the Headmaster said that she wasn't coming with us, I saw her mask of calmness shatter as her face expressed true horror.

I knew how much she hated the dragon stealer, since he was a Datonx as well, and she didn't want to become like him. I watched them free her, and she immediately turned around and ran for the exit, followed by mocking laughter.

"MEDEA!" I shouted, but she either didn't hear me, or she ignored me. I felt bad for her, but I knew that she was going to sneak out and come with us anyway.

I shot a hateful glance at Snow. It's because of him that she had to get punished.

"It had to be done. If she doesn't come, she won't go berserk and ruin our mission," he said as he noticed me looking at him. I used to be in love with him, I believed he was a good person, but now I see how he truly is. Jack was unusually quiet. After all, he was the one whose life was in danger, but he was against punishing Medea.

We were just sitting there for a while. Then I saw Fox approaching us in a hurried pace.

"She left. She's going to the thief alone," she said. I stood up.

"It can't be.... Why wouldn't she wait for us?"

"She hates us. She thinks we hate her, because of this idiot we call Snow. She would have helped us a lot, but sir Know-it-all-dangerous-assassin had to send her away," she said, shooting words like poison at Snow. I couldn't blame her.

"It had..." Snow started, but was cut off by Jack's fist. I immediately stepped between them, trying to prevent a fight. Jack frowned and then turned around to leave. Snow frowned, and after a few seconds, he turned around and left as well.

We were falling apart already. Fox sighed, leaving as well. I was left alone among other students. They knew that I was going on a quest, but they didn't know what the quest was about, so they asked me questions, but I told them nothing.

I pushed through the crowded hallways, going to the roof. I had hoped that Medea might have come back to wait for us. In spite of our differences, Medea and I were close. Closer than she might admit, and I considered her my sister.

She was misunderstood, but I think that she hates herself for being a Datonx. I reached the rooftop, but Areton was gone and there was no sign of Medea in the sky. I was afraid. Going out alone towards the north wasn't a good idea. Ogres could kill her anytime, although I knew that her Elements were strong. I noticed that she wasn't a good fighter, but it seemed so because she used Darkness to make her blows harder to see, and I don't think she realized that she did that.

I sighed, deciding to go back to my room. The day was ending, and we were leaving early. Tornado won the flight competition today, and they kept bragging all day.

As I was about to enter my room, Jacob, the guy that tried to kill us, interrupted me.

"The Headmaster wants to see you and everyone that's going on a quest. They got the word already, but you were hard to find, which is surprising, considering your size," he said. He was right. I was almost a head taller than he was with much broader shoulders. The voice he said it with was what made me annoyed.

I ignored that as I followed him to the office. As he said, everyone was there already.

"Now that we're all here, there are some changes. Since Medea isn't coming, I decided to add another member to your team. Jacob, from Tornado," Headmaster said as all of us opened our mouth in surprise and denial.

"Medea flew away to kill Shade," Fox informed the Headmaster. He immediately frowned. Shade was the name we decided to use for the dragon stealer.

"Oh no... She will get herself killed. I was a fool. I shouldn't have given her a punishment like that! You need to leave, now. Fox, lead them to the packs. Travel by day, but make an exception now and fly as far as you can. Maybe you'll catch up to Medea, but don't let that be your main objective. She is capable of taking care of herself. Go," he said, and we were on our way immediately.

We barely managed to keep up with Fox, who was taking hallways I never saw before. After a while, we reached a room of some sort that was empty except for five packs on the ground. Each of us took one.

"We all have our armour on, so we will leave now," she said, taking the lead again. Jacob seemed unhappy about being a follower, but he knew better than to object.

We reached the roof after a minute, using a shortcut I knew nothing of.

We mounted and rode off into the darkness. The moon was covered by clouds, and we used the bit of starlight left before I decided to light up our way with some floating flames.

The ride was long and boring, since there was nothing to see and feel but cold.

At dawn, we reached a town. We were still close to the school, but we decided to eat and then continue travelling.

We left our dragons to fly around and hunt as we found a tavern that wasn't crowded.

"Why do we need to find that girl, Medea, anyway?" Jacob asked as we sat down. Jack and I frowned.

"She is my sister and our friend. She is a good person and nobody can say otherwise. I'm sure that she could kill the dragon stealer by herself, but I don't want her to die," I said. Snow smirked.

"But what if she joins him? They're both Datonxies after all, and it's their nature to unite against the light," he said, and Jacob nodded in agreement. That disgusted Snow, so he slumped lower in his seat.

"She won't," Jack said simply, since the arrival of food made his hunger overwhelm his anger.

After we ate, we spoke of Medea no more. We made travelling plans instead.

We decided to travel now until darkness, then rest during the night. We called our dragons and continued the flight.

The flight wasn't very exciting, but I did have small conversations with my dragon. We were exchanging feelings, and she let me look through her eyes. Our minds connected, and we were one. I was seeing the world as she saw it, but it was over soon.

We thought about the experience for the rest of thejourney.,[�E�rB>�