Rainbow Magic (Dragon Rider #1) {EDITING}

Chapter One: The Stone of Fate

It taunted her.

The damned insentient lump of rock – as she'd so fondly called it earlier. Only it wasn't any ordinary rock. This one would be deciding her fate or, in other words, what the hell she'd be doing for the rest of her life. Sixteen years had flown by, and now she was faced with the same ordeal her parents had gone through all those years ago.

The Test.

It wasn't just any test though. No. Nothing was done on paper, aside from the register to ensure they were all present. The Test was mandatory for everyone, and even if it wasn't people would still turn up. Why? Because they could become a mage, or even a dragon rider if they were fated to bond with an egg.

Fun.

Well, so long as you didn't turn out to be a complete dunce with no magic... exactly like her two parents had turned out to be... which meant there was a ridiculously high chance she'd turn out just the same. Either that or she'd end up with some ridiculously low-level brown magic which would earn her the same amount of teasing from her classmates.

She was colourless to them. She hadn't shown any proof of containing even a spark of magic, and that only added to her doubts.

"It'll be OK, Sora." Her mother smiled. "No matter what happens we'll always love you," she said, evidently having spied the way her daughter was eyeing up the so-called Stone of Fate.

It was a beautiful piece, Sora had to admit as she silently admired the sheer detail the glass-like stone had been shaped into. The lump of rock was clear like glass and had been made to look like a dragon cracking out of its egg... and soon it'd be deciding what the hell she'd be doing for the rest of her life.

Her father grinned, clapping her on the back. "Besides... if anyone gives you any trouble, then you have my permission to beat them to a bloody pulp."

Sora was no weakling. Magic shields didn't stand for anything in the path of an enraged Sora, so much so, the adults of the town had eventually started calling her the human cannonball behind her back... and yet she still hadn't shown any sign of having any sort of magic. She hadn't expected it, but some small part of her had hoped for some form of magic to suddenly materialise from her. She'd even take brown.

But she knew her chances were slim, just like her parents did.

Still, that didn't stop her from hoping and praying that some miracle might occur and grant her an awesome colour, like green or yellow... she didn't dare imagine that she'd reach beyond that, if she even gained the lowest ranking on the scale of all things magical.

"You actually turned up?" The words yanked her out of her daydream, pulling her attention onto the girl standing in front of her.

Her parents had left her to go and wait outside only a few moments ago, and she was already face to face with one of the few people she actually enjoyed punching. She cursed her luck. It had never smiled on her.

Sora fought the urge to scowl. "Nice to see you too, Tabitha," she said, silently wondering why the hell she was being so polite.

Everyone knew about Tabitha Charleston, and her habit of picking on those she considered to be weaker than her. She got away with it too. People generally turned a blind eye to all of her troublemaking ways – mainly due to the fact her father was a mage. He was retired, but it didn't make people any more willing to cross him.

Sora was the exact opposite of her, in every way – including looks. Her hair was a dull boring brown, the same colour as the magic she was bound to get according to Tabitha, whilst hers was like gold. It wasn't really. It was an ordinary blonde, but Tabitha liked to brag one day she'd be able to use the fabled gold magic and her hair was apparently a sign.