The School of Dragon Riders [Dragon Riders #1]

Chapter 33 (edited)

I roared and charged. Jack kept shooting.

This was it.
This is the end.

The air seemed to thicken around us. I summoned shadows, ready to attack. Citro met my attack with his shadows, and we crossed swords.

He blocked my first attack. I enchanted my kick with shadows and hit him in the stomach. He stumbled back, giving me an opportunity to get a hit. Driven by rage, I slashed at his stomach. He dodged it by throwing himself on the ground. I tried stabbing him, but he rolled away. Before I could try again, he stood up at a great speed.

"You need to learn control if you wish to accomplish anything with this," he said calmly. That made me even angrier. I attacked again and he blocked. His concentration was on me, and he didn't notice an arrow flying towards him. It hit his shoulder and he stumbled again. I took the chance to kick him again and he fell. Before I could attack, he pulled out the arrow and thickened the air with shadows, making me slower. I moved my sword arm as fast as I was able to, but to no avail, I was too slow to do anything. Citro laughed as he pulled out the arrow from his shoulder and stood up. He grinned and took a step towards me.

"There's nothing you can do now." I was getting ready for him to kill me, but he didn't. Instead, he turned around walked towards Jack. I tried speaking, but I couldn't move my mouth. I was frozen in place and losing control.

I couldn't control the Darkness much longer. I tried moving again, but I was stuck.

Citro walked towards Jack, blocking his arrows with shadows, but Jack wasn't afraid. He pulled out a dagger and got ready to fight, but something was wrong. I saw panic in his eyes as he stood still.

Then I realized that Citro did to him what he did to me. We were both frozen.

"No!" I managed to yell as I broke free. Citro turned around in surprise.

"I knew you were strong," he said as I attacked him violently. Blow after blow, he either blocked or dodged. I let the dark side of me use all of its power. I used shadows, enchanted my blow, my strength, my speed...

However, nothing helped. He didn't even seem to use his power fully. I looked at Jack.

"Jack, you need to leave. Go back to the school, get the Headmaster," I told him while dodging Citro's blow. I knew that he wouldn't kill me. I also knew that I couldn't control my darkness any longer. Jack was in danger. He was the only person I loved that was still alive.

Tanya was probably dead. She died for me. I couldn't let Jack die too.

"I'll never leave you," he said, moving slowly.

"You have to, Jack," I said. Citro was laughing to himself. I growled. I hated him, and I just met him.

"I love you, Medea," he whispered so low I barely heard him. Those words filled me with determination. My attacks were faster. I felt love surging through me, but once again, it wasn't enough.

"I love you, too," I said, meaning it. "Now leave," I added. Sadness made my heart beat hard. I saw him hesitate, but I gave him a pleading look. I didn't want to lose him, too.

"I'll bring help," he said. I nodded. He gave me one last look before turning around and running. I felt sadness overwhelm me. I knew what would happen next.

I stopped attacking and dropped my weapon. There was no use in fighting the Darkness. It consumed me already. My destiny was set to join the person that took everything from me. Citro was confused, but smiling.

"I knew you'd come to your senses, child," he said, sheathing his sword. "Will you join me now?" he asked.

"Yes, father," I said. I felt the Darkness consuming me. I couldn't fight it, so I might as well embrace it. I could change Citro, he had good in him, after all, he let Jack live. I looked back at Tanya's lifeless body, and closed my eyes.

Then I opened them again.

This time with a different view on the world. The darkness consumed me.

Citro was my father. I needed to join him. My friends were dead, Jack was gone, so there was nothing left to do. I knew that help wasn't coming because the Headmaster would realize it was too late. I hoped he would. At least Jack was safe, and that was the only thing that mattered.

"Good, Medea, now I'm sure of your loyalty. Follow me," Citro said. I nodded and gave him a slight bow. He was my King now. Lord Citro, my father.

Medea followed Citro into the castle, up the stairs and into a weapon's room. It was poorly lit, but Datonxies could see well in dark surroundings. She gave in to Darkness.

"Pick what you like. I have your old sword here, but you need new armour," he said, and then he walked over to a closet. He opened it to reveal helmets, armguards, and armour.

"It's made from light but strong steel. Put that on and meet me outside," he said. Medea nodded, happy to obey. She liked what she was wearing. The armour was black, and she wanted to wear black.

She put it on quickly and decided to take a different sword. She took a completely black one with the weight and hilt shape that suited her. After finishing that, she opened the door and left. Her father, Citro, was waiting outside.

"You need practice. You are strong, but you don't know how to control your strength. That's what you need to learn, and I will teach you. You and I will rule the lands," he said, not even looking at Medea, but she nodded anyways.

"As you say, Father," she answered. He smiled at her obedience.

"Good. Now, you must be starving, so let's go to eat. The cooks are really good here. After that, we'll discuss ruling. You'll help me make battle plans. You were the War Commander, after all. Young minds are the key to victory," he said. Medea didn't bother asking how he knew that she was the War Commander.

They walked down the steps and through hallways until they reached a dining hall. It was filled with tables, and Citro and Medea sat at the head table. Cooks brought food: meat and vegetables, what she used to have at school.

The thought of School didn't bring up any pleasant memories. She forgot all that was nice about her past. She remembered being punished, attacked, and hated, but that was it. Nothing good.

After finishing their meal, Citro led Medea to his office.

Hours of discussing strategies followed.

***

Weeks passed since Medea joined her father. Jack arrived at the School. The Headmaster was immediately informed about what happened.

The whole school mourned the loss and the training was doubled. The Headmaster refused to send riders to Citro, in spite of Jack's non-stop pleas.

"Jack, no. Medea knows what is going on. She knew she would join her father. She saved you. You can't go back there, and neither can anyone else. They already took over north of the Human Kingdom. The king sent his men there, but they lost instantly. All we can do is wait."

"We lost some great riders, and Medea is now ourenemy, and with Citro training her, she is unstoppable. Tynan advised me towait and to train more riders. There is a prophecy that we thought was aboutMedea. It's about a rider that is destined to stop the Darkness and we mustwait for that child. We must wait," was all Headmaster would say. Jack stillbelieved that Medea could be saved, but if the prophecy was true, he had towait for the rider. He or she was their only hope.-la'5-