The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 15

Elena

July 1429

F irst day of training. Crap, crap, crap. I paced through the room like a trapped animal. Maybe this was a mistake. I began chewing my nails like they were French fries. Nope, it was definitely a mistake.

My back already hurt from sleeping on a rock bed. How would I be able to fight anyone while riding dragons the size of an airplane? I was screwed. I put on the leather uniform, clearly designed for men. Every buckle on the vest seemed like a test for what was to come. I was glad I could stay at Moltenclaw Keep. Tarra shared the sentiment. But what did I know about fighting or dragon riding? At the same time, my future as a healer looked as bland as the Solomonari baked bread tasted.

With Mel’s death, I knew something was different this time. Was it my last chance at breaking the time loop and surviving? The Pure said I would die either way. But Mel said I needed to stay alive no matter what. Who was correct then? Gosh, I missed her so much. She always knew the answer, even when I didn’t ask the question. What would she say this time? “ Elena, don’t be an idiot. Focus on the task at hand and don’t die .” Easy for her to say. And she would definitely not call me an idiot. Maybe an ignorant fool, the bears’ favorite snack, a failure at dressing according to raccoon fashion trends.

One thing I was certain Mel would advise: don’t show weakness. Not in front of Tarra, Lord Valkorian, and especially not Killian.

The man had the voice and body of a god, was the definition of hot literally and figuratively, and had the power to destroy half the world. The only problem was his shitty personality. If only there was such a thing as a personality transplant. I would sign him up immediately. They would probably put him first in line to save us all from eternal torment.

The bigger problem wasn’t his arrogance, though, but his complete hatred toward me. This fire dragon shifter from hell wanted me gone, despite everyone around us singing a completely different tune. He was willing to go against his family, the village, and the fucking Fates. Unfortunately, he was now my main obstacle. I had to prove to Hades here that I deserved to become a rider. Luckily, his father would be training me, so I wouldn’t have to face his smug face for a while.

After figuring out every buckle on my vest and tying all the laces, I put on the same boots Mel gave me. I hoped Lord Valkorian wouldn’t make me climb on Tarra today. I exited the dragon lair toward the daylight and was immediately blindsided. It took me a minute to adjust. The darkness of the cave made me feel like a grumpy troll, and I probably looked the part as well. I walked on autopilot to the platform we flew from the other day.

As I ambled, head low, struggling to wake up, I raised my head slightly and saw two pairs of boots. One had to belong to Lord Valkorian. I wasn’t sure about the other. When I looked up, I saw Lord Valkorian and Killian staring at me. My heart dropped like a boulder. What was he doing here? Wasn’t Lord Valkorian supposed to teach me?

With his arms crossed, Killian looked pissed. Was he angry I was late? Well, excuse me if I didn’t bring my pocket watch to training. I looked around and saw Tarra and several other men joining the team.

“Rider, you were supposed to be here at dawn,” Killian roared. “For a time traveler, you sure don’t know how to be on time.”

Why did he care?

“I thought Lord Valkorian was supposed to be training us.” I ran close to Tarra and adjusted my outfit .

“Soldiers, I have an announcement to make. I will no longer be your Commander,” Lord Valkorian said.

Fates, be kind to me. Please don’t let Killian be the next Commander. Please, Please.

“On His Majesty’s decree, the new Commander will be Prince of the House of the Crimson Dragon, bearer of the Death Mark, Killian Valkorian,” Lord Valkorian said.

Fuck.

“But Father, you’re such a great teacher,” Tarra said, though Killian didn’t appreciate the compliment.

“Thank you, daughter of mine. But I can no longer bear a rider on my back,” Lord Valkorian said.

I never realized his wings were that badly hurt. When I looked at his arms, though covered in tattoos, I could see multiple scars, including a massive cut on his left arm. They were probably broken too many times, causing such a tragic situation.

“Father, may I speak?” Killian asked.

His father nodded.

Killian took a step forward. “First off, I am honored to stand before you as Commander of the Fire Legion. I do not take this role lightly…”

He could say that again. I crossed my arms just to spite him.

“…I wish to bring victory in any battle, and winning the war is all that matters. Secondly, I am not here to teach. We are here to fight, thus I am here to train you as soldiers and riders. We must rebuild the same glory our legion once had. My goal is to convince the So lomonari family that winning is not just a myth, but a reality carved through our sweat and blood.”

“Very well,” Lord Valkorian said. “I will take my leave. I entrust the legion in great hands.” Everyone bowed as he left. I looked at Tarra as her head fell lower and lower. She hadn’t expected this turn of events either.

“Are the men behind us Solomonari?” I whispered to Tarra.

“They’re part of a Solomonari family, but they have no powers. None of the air-wielding ones came,” Tarra said, keeping her head low.

“Is something bothering you?” Killian asked, stepping closer.

“No, Killian,” I murmured.

“It’s Commander for you. What is your last name again?” he asked.

“Costin.”

“Stand closer to the other soldiers, Costin.” He pointed with his chin.

As I walked toward the three men twice my size, I realized this newly appointed commander planned to torment me every chance he got.

“Excuse me, but where are the Solomonari?” I asked the man next to me.

“You will speak only when you are given permission,” Killian barked.

“Commander, may I have permission to ask a question?” I asked.

“No, you may not,” he said .

He was so infuriating. A growl escaped my lips. And of course, he heard it.

“You can use those sounds on the battleground, Costin.” He marched solemnly toward me and, as he got awfully close, half-whispered in my face, “Just make sure next time you sound more menacing than a kitten’s mewl.”

Everyone, of course, giggled like school kids. The big, bad dragon was also a comedian. Ha-ha. I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but then he appraised me from top to bottom.

“You’ll need to work on filling out this uniform.” He grinned.

He decided to take the humiliation route. More fun for me. Yay. My right knee itched to kick in the direction of his precious dragon balls. But just then, Tarra said excitedly, “Someone’s coming.”

Who was coming?

We all turned as a young man appeared over the hill. He looked much younger than me, with long, bright red, almost orange, hair. “This must be a Solomonar,” I spoke without realizing.

Killian shot a fiery glance at me, then ordered, “Stand fast.”

I glanced at my companions and mimicked their posture. I straightened my spine, spread my legs shoulder-width apart, and clasped my hands behind my back.

He still looked displeased. Maybe he suffered from resting jerk face. Another matter to discuss with the plastic surgeons. Not that it mattered now, as he turned his massive back to me and awaited the young man.

To my surprise, he wasn’t alone. A horde of women joined him behind. They all had dark copper-ish hair and resembled him closely. They had to be his family. Genes never lied.

Once they arrived, all the women began hugging him, patting him, and kissing him on the cheek. Several tried and failed to hide their tears, and one began wailing uncontrollably. It looked like they were mourning his death.

“His name is Laszlo Taddeus,” Tarra whispered as she walked closer. Thank the time-traveling gods. I was already neck-deep in this and needed to understand who I was dealing with. “He’s seventeen and the only Solomonar to be born in their family. They usually don’t let Solomonari this young join the legion, but his father perished in the Time War, and he must carry the familial duty. These are his aunts and sisters. And right next to him is his mother.”

Laszlo’s mother stood stoically. Not a single emotion appeared on her face, though you could tell she had a lot to say. “My Laszlo is here without my approval. Like all the other Solomonari families, I too refused to let my son join. As you can see, he didn’t listen. Consider it a gesture of respect to the Wallachian voivode Mircea’s glorious past. Your deeds have yet to grant you any. I hope you won’t let him die like you did with his father,” said Laszlo’s mother as she blinked away the tears.

“Laszlo’s father died an honorable death defending his country,” Killian said .

“How long do the Solomonari need to defend these lands? Till they go extinct?” Her anger seeped into every word. “I see you’ve debased your honor to the point where you appoint women as riders?” She pierced me with her gaze. She was just as scary and unhinged as Killian. “And a human at that? We’re a dozen women directly descended from an esteemed Solomonar family. Why not choose any of us?” the mother asked.

Killian’s jaw tightened to the point I assumed it might crack. And by the looks of it, he didn’t plan to back down from her accusation. Shots had been fired, and I was in the middle.