Page 101 of The Scars Within
Professor Lamport had given each group a map of the stony mountains that covered the entire eastern side of Kalymdor. We were free to choose our destination so long as we stayed within the mountains and below the Barrens. Every team received a fragile, ceramic dragon egg to guard—not just from the opposing team but also from our own blunders. Shayde carried our purple egg and carefully tucked it into his bag.
Dragons were allowed to join us, but fire elementals had to travel on foot—no flying permitted.
“This is ridiculous. You and I could scope out the perfect spot in no time,” Lakota grumbled from above, his wings slicing through the chilly mountain air.
“I think that’s the point. They’re leveling the playing field,” I replied.
As a team, we’d agreed to head south. The map showed uneven terrain but plenty of arches that we hoped signaled the presence of caverns. A cave would offer shelter from the biting mountain winds andgive us a decent place to plan our next move: stealing the other team’s egg.
We had been climbing the narrow, winding paths of the peaks for three hours without stopping. Laney and I had filled our canteens to the brim, rationing out small sips to keep our thirst in check. Pehper, on the other hand, had been guzzling water like she was running a marathon. She’d already bragged several times about her ability to conjure fresh drinking water for the team, but honestly, I’d rather eat dragon shit.
The only sounds were the rhythmic flap of our dragons’ wings and the steady crunch of our footsteps. The morning chill had faded, replaced by the heat of our uphill trek. Sweat dripped down my back as I tugged off my jacket, tying it around my waist.
“Hm. Never noticed that hideous mark on your arm,” Pehper cooed from behind. “It really adds to your... features.”
I bit back the urge to respond, but Laney wasn’t as restrained. She spun around, eyes blazing.
“What is your fucking problem, Jelli?” she shouted, stepping past me and getting right up in Pehper’s face.
Jelli? Pehper Jelli? I had to stifle a laugh, but Laney looked ready to toss Pehper off the cliff, which would, well… probably disqualify us.
As the argument escalated, Shayde stepped between them. “Stand down, cadets!” he commanded, his voice firm. “We’re here for one reason: to win the campaign. And we can’t do that if we’re too busy fighting each other.” He held out his hands, pushing the two apart. Laney’s anger simmered, but Shayde turned to Pehper. “Pehp, take point. Salvitto, fall back.”
I gave Laney a quick pat on the shoulder and mouthed, “Thanks.”
“I spy level ground to your right if you can squeeze through those cracks in the stone,” Lakota said from above.
I repeated the suggestion to the group.
“We aren’t supposed to be utilizing our dragons, cadet,” Shayde called out, not even turning around.
Lakota sent a thin stream of fire ahead of him, just enough to make Shayde pause. He glanced up at Lakota soaring away before continuing down the path.
We trekked through the maze of peaks, the gravel crunching beneath our boots, the lifeless landscape stretching on for hours. We only stopped for a quick lunch, pulling snacks from our personal bags. Laney and I had each packed bread, cheese, jerky—and potato crisps?
I pulled out the crisps and glanced at Laney, who smirked and whispered, “Cleo.”
By the time we packed up, the sun was dipping low. I couldn’t shake this weird feeling of unease in my gut. My instincts kept telling me we were going in the wrong direction. Maybe it’s just the altitude.
We only had an hour or so of daylight left when we finally rounded a stony peak and found a narrow cave entrance just off a cliff’s edge. After scouting the cave, we agreed it was deep enough for the five of us, with enough space for a fire.
We spread out our bedrolls, claiming our spots for the night.
“Is there a place for you three to camp?” I asked Lakota.
“We’ll be right over the cliff,” he replied, his voice gruff. “Whistle if you need help.”
“Oh, you’re funny.”
I slid my bag off my shoulders and stretched, feeling the subtle tightness in my muscles. The soreness hadn’t hit yet, but I knew it would come by morning. The cavern we’d found was eerie but peaceful. Darkness swallowed the deeper parts, making it impossible to tell how far it stretched. Maybe we could explore once we had a fire going and a game plan set.
Davis and Shayde had spread the map on the ground, already discussing strategies and pointing at different spots. Pehper, now out of water, tossed her empty canteen aside and wandered over to interrupt their conversation. Meanwhile, Laney and I gathered stones to form aborder for the fire. The sun was dipping behind the peak, and the faint sound of our dragons’ wings flapping overhead filled the air.
“You know, I think this will be fun,” Laney said, her voice light.
I caught Shayde glancing over his shoulder at us. I turned my body away from him as I laid another stone in place. “I don’t think anything about this will be fun,” I muttered to her.
My thoughts drifted to Rhodes. I hadn’t seen him in the valley before we left, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t out there—maybe even on the opposing team. Then again, perhaps he was back at Mageia, lounging on the rooftop with a book in hand.
