Blood of the Dragon King

The day of the assessment was cold. Ryn had eaten his bowl of warm porridge in less than seven bites. He picked up his tunic, his hands quietly working through the buttons. He adjusted the collar of the stiff and nearly worn out fabric as he walked proudly out of his dorm room.

He had managed to build his resolve and somehow convince himself that he wouldn’t fail the final assessment that would make him join the Royal Knights this time. He had worked on his grades and knowledge on the use of runes and channeling magic at the academy.

His heart was beating so loud he feared that he might have a heart attack. Ryn took a deep steadying breath, as if to stir up his reserve of non existing magic.

A first generation pyromancer stepped forward, Solaris Goldfyre. The son of house Goldfyre, the noble house of coin. Ryn watched as he took measured steps towards the magic orb.

The Archmage stood on one side, his eyes carefully watching the pyromancer as he approached. Ryn took a slow look around the arena, his eyes sweeping lazily across the rest of the students present. A blinding light pulled his attention back to the front. The orb had split, causing a side of the Archmage’s robe to catch fire. It was immediately put out by one of the junior instructors.

His lips lifted up in slight humor.

“The test does not include you setting your instructor on fire, Solaris.” The Archmage said as he looked him over with admiration. Ryn could swear that through all his years at the Academy, he had only seen the man with the very same look of disinterest.

Ryn’s heart started beating heavily as Solaris walked down, he was next in line.

The irritated look on the Archmage’s face as he walked up was undeniable. That was expected, afterall, he had failed three previous assessment that would determine if he was to graduate or keep living on the school’s resources. Everyone had always reminded him of how he was wasting the opportunity he was given and how he should quit to give space to other talented low born.

He placed his hands on the orb, trying to shut out the whispers of the student’s behind him as he closed his eyes in concentration. He could feel the heat building slowly in his core, he focused on it while silently pleading to the orb to give even the slightest reaction.

A snicker forced him to open his eyes. The Archmage was now staring at him with open disgust as the orb remained cold in his palm.

“What do you think would make the conduit respond to you,”

It was the first time the Archmage had ever addressed him directly. Ryn opened his mouth and then closed it. He knows he could feel the heat at his core but his hands remained cold.

“Next person,” the Archmage calls

“I can….” a dead stare forced him to swallow the rest of the words back in his throat. He gently placed the orb down and turned to walk away.

“Scum should stay where it belongs,” Solaris whispered as he passed by him. The group around him let out taunting sounds.

“Don’t say that.” A voice says making Ryn look up. His eyes met that of Prince Drakon, the heir to the throne of Aetheria. He smiled warmly at Ryn, “Don’t listen to anything they have to say. You might not be good with magic but you’d define make an excellent diplomat.” Drakon gave Ryn a slight nod.

Ryn quietly makes his way to the back of the hall. His eyes quietly looks up towards the dais where the Elven mages and the High Lord of the Academy was. The mages are whispering amongst themselves. No doubt about his repeated failure and it looks like he won’t graduate as a Royal Knight this time either.

He could feel his throat clog up.

“Cheer up. Maybe one of the noble houses would recruit you this time,” Anya whispered as she sent a sharp jab to his sides.

Ryn tightened his fists, his nails pinching hard in his palm.

“That hurt,”

“As it should. I’m not about to have you drowning in self pity in front of these snot faced nobles.”

He and Anya were from Oakhaven, run by the House of Harvest. One of the six noble houses that ran their kingdom.

Three previous assessments, three failures and rejection from three different noble houses. He had applied to this house in hopes that he would be recruited this time since he grew up in the town.

As the test drew to an end, the students walked back to their dorm rooms, talking animatedly amongst themselves. Anya locked her arms in his and begins to talk excitedly about their graduation.

Though a low born, Anya is a second generation Geomancer. Her ability to manipulate materials like metals and crystals were skills that Ryn greatly admired. She had turned down an offer from two noble houses and he could barely score one. Ryn felt a pain in his chest.

“If Oakhaven doesn’t recruit you, maybe we could do some ass licking and get the prince to give you a position.”

“As long as it gets me into the Royal Knights.”

“See you at dinner!” Anya called as she ran off. With his hands in his pocket, Ryn sulked off towards his dorm room.

As soon as he got into his room, he took off his clothes and laid on his bed. He raised his hands up, looking at them in the dim light as the trembled from tiredness.

He had barely passed on his admission into the school, and only his brains had kept him in. Whatever he lacked in magic, he made up for it with his fast thinking and intellectual strength.

The loud lumbering steps of the sorting Golem, the schools assigned delivery system, as it walked down the hallways forced him to sit upright on his bed. He listened carefully as it moved very slowly. The noise stopped abruptly at his door and an envelope was slipped under his door.

Ryn walked towards it and picked it up. It had the stamp of house Verdentia, known as the house of harvest. His heart raced as he opened it, desperate for some good news.