Page 100 of The Scars Within
I couldn’t help but grin at how silly he looked.
“Hi,” Lakota chirped.
Chapter 40
The first light of dawn filtered through our window, casting soft rays across the room just as a sharp knock echoed at the door, followed by the faint whoosh of something slipping beneath it. I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I pushed myself up in bed. Laney swung down from the top bunk with effortless grace, landing silently as she stooped to pick up the envelope.
She stretched lazily, stifling a yawn, then tore it open.
“What is it?” Cleo mumbled, her voice half-drowned by her pillow.
Laney’s eyes widened, and she held up the letter for us to see. “Campaigns.”
I knew this day was coming, but the bold heading still made my stomach flip. Starting this week, first and second-year cadets will be randomly selected to participate in War Campaigns that run through the weekend. These campaigns combine Arcane Battle Simulations and Survival Training elements, testing cadets on their ability to survive outside of base while working together to protect their dragon egg and capture the opposing teams.
Laney folded the letter into a sleek triangle and flicked it across the room. It glided through the air and landed neatly in my lap. I unfolded it, scanning the contents.
“Looks like we’re up first, Thorny-Pie.”
After hurriedly dressing in our leathers and packing a few essentials, we snagged apples from the cafeteria and set off for Dragon Valley. The crisp autumn air bit at our skin and the damp dew still clung to the grass. Laney and I were grateful for our leather jackets, though we regretted not bringing our cloaks.
We haven’t even started the campaign, and we’re already failing.
“You’ll be fine,” Lakota muttered groggily. He clearly isn’t a morning dragon.
We showed our letters to Professor Lamport, who waved us toward the left with a simple flick of his wrist. Aunt Cora walked over to us, handing me a map of the mountains. The teams were made up of three first-years and two second-years. Laney cupped her hands and blew into them, trying to fight off the chill.
As dragons started to descend on the valley entrance, I spotted Lakota circling above before landing gracefully nearby. A flash of movement caught my eye—Spear, Davis’s dragon, arriving not far behind.
“Good morning, ladies!” Davis greeted with a wide grin, his arms spread in dramatic flair. Thank the elements he is one of our second-years. Now, who is the other…
The crowd parted slightly, and a cloaked figure strode towards us.
Shayde.
We locked eyes for a brief second before he cleared his throat and looked away. I quickly busied myself with braiding my hair.
“Well, this is awkward,” Lakota chimed in unhelpfully.
I shot him a glare.
“Hi,” Laney said, breaking the tension and offering a greeting to both boys.
Davis clapped his hands. “Shayde and I will be your team leaders this weekend,” he declared, glancing between Laney and Shayde, who was still avoiding me. “Ready?”
“Ah, ah, ah. Now we’re ready, team leader,” a voice called behind me.
You have got to be kidding.
Pehper sauntered up, tightening her cloak with a smug smile. I exchanged a glance with Laney, who was now twisting her lips.
“This just got interesting,” Lakota huffed.
“Can you walk a little faster?” Pehper snapped from behind.
“Can you bitch a little less?” I shot back over my shoulder.
She huffed but didn’t reply.
