Page 79 of The Scars Within
Is this an ‘I’m sorry for being a dick’ coffee?
Or an ‘I’m sorry you called me out and I backpedaled like a butthurt little boy’ coffee?
A horn echoed through the valley, signaling the official start of the Burn Trials. The participating cadets in the first row of our bleachers rose and descended the platform.
My heart thudded.
The professors below moved quickly to guide each cadet to their position twenty feet apart from each other. The entire valley seemed to hold its breath as the cadets took their places.
The second horn echoed through the valley, this time to announce the arrival of unbonded dragons. Everyone’s attention snapped to the sky, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the cadets in the pit.
Four cadets stood with their heads bowed, arms clasped tightly behind their backs, bracing themselves for what was to come. The fifth cadet kept her gaze fixed on the sky, her eyes wide with awe as she marveled at the creatures soaring above.
The sound of wings filled the air, clapping like thunder as two dragons began their descent. Laney reached for my hand, her grip firm and steady, grounding me in the moment. Time seemed to slow as the dragons drew nearer, their enormous forms casting shadows over the pit.
The thought of being so close to a dragon again sent a thrill through me, but it was tempered by the fear of witnessing the unimaginable—cadets reduced to ash in the unforgiving flames.
A blue dragon gracefully landed on the northern outskirts of the pit, the sunlight glistening off its scales. A heartbeat later, a green dragon landed on the western point. Their presence commanded the attention of everyone present, some in awe, some absolutely terrified.
Both dragons prowled through the cadets in the pit, assessing each one. I held my breath, waiting to see who would be chosen—and who may not survive the trial.
The green dragon suddenly shot back into the air while the blue prowled among the edible– I mean, eligible– cadets, its intense gaze assessing each one like prey. I was transfixed by the blue dragon’s movements until a sudden burst of flames yanked my attention away. The green dragon had chosen its rider—the male cadet standing on the outermost corner of the pit—and in a swift, terrifying motion, it soared into the sky, unleashing a torrent of fire upon him.
The acrid stench of sulfur burned my nose, and I could feel my heart nearly stop in my chest. I’m certain a shriek escaped my lips as the bright red and orange flames rained down on the cadet’s position. The blaze seemed to last an eternity, consuming the very air with its heat.
The entire valley fell silent. The other cadets in the pit abandoned their positions, turning to face their friend as he disappeared beneath the inferno. The girl who had stood tall and unflinching before the dragons dropped to her knees, hands covering her mouth in shock and horror.
The green dragon ceased fire and soared back into the sky, perching on a stone cliff above. Smoke billowed from the scorched earth, and the grass where the cadet stood was still in flames.
Professor Scrivens moved swiftly, dousing the burning land with water, while Professor Yearwood followed close behind, restoring the charred foliage to its former state. Professor Skuttlezwagon descended into the pit, using her air to send the remaining smoke spiraling high into the sky.
As the last traces of smoke evaporated, the cadet emerged from the haze, kneeling on the now plush and verdant grass. He was hunched over, arms shielding the back of his head, but unmistakably alive. Faculty members rushed to his side, wrapping him in a blanket and helping him to his feet. They quickly escorted him into the triage tent for further care.
A wave of relief and triumph swept through the crowd, and the entire war college erupted in cheers. He had entered the Burn Trial—and succeeded. He was now bonded with the green dragon and a fire wielder—the most coveted elemental at Mageia.
But the blue dragon, not to be outdone, stole the excitement from the crowd as it chose its own cadet from the pit. The flames were beautiful yet no less deadly. The crowd fell silent; the only sound was the ominous crackling of fire as it engulfed the chosen cadet. Professors immediately rushed to the center of the pit, prepared to intervene as they had before.
“That’s Rainae!” someone shouted from the stands, their voice tinged with hope and fear.
But then a scream ripped through the valley, echoing off the stone mountainsides, and the hope that had briefly flickered was snuffed out. When the flames finally let up, there was nothing to cheer for. Theprofessors moved swiftly to extinguish the fire, dispel the smoke, and restore the grass, but it was clear the outcome was grim.
All that remained was a charred skeleton lying in a bed of ash, still smoking.
My heart plummeted to my stomach, and the rising nausea forced me to close my eyes, desperately trying to keep myself composed. Cries erupted from the cadets around me as the reality of what had happened sank in—we had lost a friend to the fire.
Rainae had not survived the Burn Trial.
She did not have the fire element within their veins.
Meaning that she was officially deemed a mundane. The possibility of evolving into an elemental at Mageia was forever lost to her, with her life as the price for daring to play against the odds. The brutal reality of the Burn Trials hit us all at once, the high stakes and unforgiving nature of the challenge laid bare in the ashes of what once was a cadet with dreams of power and glory. The crowd’s earlier excitement now felt hollow, replaced by the somber weight of the cost of loss.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of emotions. Most cadets thankfully passed the Burn Trials, but sadly, four did not. Each time we felt the relief of someone surviving the trial, it was quickly followed by the devastation of mourning another loss.
We were given a midday break for lunch and were free to roam throughout the valley. As my group exited the bleachers, Shayde was waiting at the bottom of the platform, holding our lunches in his hands. My friends sent me off with teasing whistles as they went to grab their own sack lunches, leaving me blushing as I approached Shayde.
We found a quiet spot against the mountainside, nestled in a field of wildflowers, where we could escape the weight of the day for amoment. Shayde held up the two sack lunches and asked, “Turkey or ham?”
“Hmm. Turkey,” I replied.
