The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 19

Elena

July 1429

T ears flooded my face and neck. The tattered choker, soaked from all the tears, felt cold against my skin. I still felt the hatred seeping through his fingertips. The most humiliating part was that he didn’t hurt me that badly. He just gripped me in the exact spot I feared the most. Somehow, he had figured it out—my secret. The aftermath of my greatest mistake and the price I had to pay for it.

Tarra helped me recover from my panic attack, but her kindness couldn’t heal the hurt festering inside. No matter how much I wanted to be a rider among them, I knew it was an impossible dream.

“What are you going to do now, El?” Tarra asked.

“I don’t know,” I murmured.

“Are you going to quit?”

“How? Where am I going to go? Will your father keep me here just to face my tormentor every day and be reminded of my failures?”

“But did you fail?” Tarra asked.

“Didn’t you see what he did to me?” I pointed at the entrance of the cave.

We walked silently to my chamber. I sat on the bed and Tarra on the chair opposite me. “What happened, El? With your neck, I mean.”

“I was hurt. Badly. By people I considered friends.” I lowered my head.

She nodded, staying silent to give me space. I sighed. “One of the friends in my group got a boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?”

“A betrothed.” I sniffled.

“Oh, I see.”

“But I didn’t know about it, and the guy she betrothed, asked me to betroth him as well. Basically, he was dating both of us at the same time.”

“The scoundrel.”

“You can say that again. When my friends found out, they sided with her and blamed me for stealing her boy—betrothed. ”

“No way. They didn’t believe you?”

I shook my head. “They decided to gang up on me without my knowledge. So one night, they called me to our spot in the park, pretending they wanted to make up. But I was attacked and strangled by the girl who thought I stole her boyfriend. The other girls stood and watched my life being drained out of me.”

Tarra gasped. “They tried to kill you?”

“I was still breathing when they left, so I guess not. But I lay there all night, drifting in and out of consciousness until a jogger found me in the morning.”

“Did they suffer any repercussions?” she asked.

“I didn’t want there to be any. It was my fault after all.”

“What are you saying? They hurt you. For a boy, which is even worse.” Tarra couldn’t hide her disgust.

“I brought it all on myself. I should’ve talked to them and explained the situation better. Their rage felt justified.”

“There is no place in any of our worlds where this could’ve been your fault. Do you know how many times I want to throttle my brother? And nine out of ten times he deserves it. That doesn’t mean I’m out here planning his assassination.”

“You both lost your mother. She died to save him. That’s a heavy burden to bear.” I wiped my tears.

“True. And still, he’s here talking only about winning. Who cares about winning when your army is getting wiped out? We’re just a part of the whole Wallachian army, and even if our alliance doesn’t support the current ruler, risking your troops’ lives for a victory is, at best, arrogant and, at worst, suicidal. You need strategies that minimize losses while maximizing gains.”

“Wow, you could be a commander yourself,” I said.

“That’s what I told my father I want to do when I’m more experienced.”

“And?”

“He said Killian comes first because he’s the oldest and I still need to grow in size as a dragon.” She looked away and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. “But I fear it’s because I’m a girl. All the other girls are married off so soon and are required to birth sons. Dragon shifters can’t have kids unless through the Prism Lake. And for that, you need a Mother of the Dragon. There’s no Father of the Dragon. So, I’m useless for that part as well. I don’t even like boys that much. I only want to be a leader of something. A legion, a squad. Anything. I was the miracle in the family when Mother had a second child. But now my light is slowly being dimmed by things out of my control.”

“Don’t say that. Great things take time. Small steps still get you where you want.”

“True, great things do take time. And you are one of those great things.” Her face lit up.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve never fought before, am I right?”

“No, but I have to if I want to be a rider.”

“But no one expects a beginner to fight in a lion’s den. Just as you said––small steps.” Her smile stretched wider.

“What do you think we should do? ”

Her excitement felt like a light at the end of the tunnel. “What Killian admires most is good swordsmanship.” She wasn’t looking at me at all. Her mind was busy making up a plan.

“Um, I can barely fight without one.”

“I know, but we can catch two rabbits at the same time.”

“You mean, kill two birds with one stone,” I corrected.

“It doesn’t matter. Practicing with a sword will strengthen you while mimicking one-on-one combat. We can make a few dummies and gradually increase the weight and speed. We’ll win time while taking small steps.”

“Can we call the dummies Killian?” I asked.

She laughed. “Of course. As long as it helps you become a rider.”

Tears welled up and flowed down my cheeks.

“Why are you crying? I thought you liked the idea?” Tarra grew concerned.

“They’re tears of happiness. I’ve never had a friend like you before.”

“Well, I hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“The bar is very low.”

She hugged me and said, “I hope to raise that too.”

The next day, Tarra made good on her promise. She brought me to an isolated spot a mile from the Rotonda and set up two dummies made out of logs, dressed them, and stuffed them with wool. I made a wig with some corn silk from a few wild patches nearby. Tarra brought ink and drew Killian’s face on one of the dummies. It wasn’t as handsome as he was in real life, but it captured his true nature. After we had a good laugh at our creation, Tarra handed me a small sword.

“This is a sword for kids. I want you to start with a real one, even if it’s small, instead of a wooden one. The weight is different, and we need to bulk you up.”

“Okay, what do I do next?”

“You need to strike. Many, many, many times.”

“Many as in one hour?” I asked.

“Many as in a day.”

“If you’re not sore tomorrow, you’re doing it wrong.”

“I see.” I stared at the tall dummy in front of me. All the pent-up rage bubbled up in my throat. I screamed my lungs out and pierced the dummy in the heart. “That’s for all the pain you’ve caused me, Jerk Face.” Then I went for the neck, over and over. But after ten strikes, my arms felt like noodles. It was clear I had a long road ahead.

“I’ll make sure to fly to the village and bring you everything you need—food, water,” Tarra said.

Only then did I realize she was still there.

“Could you bring a wooden tub filled with water?” I asked. “The river is fine, but it’s too far, and I’m assuming I’ll need a cold bath at the end of every day.”

She smiled warmly. “I’ll bring the tub tonight. You only need to focus on your training. ”

I nodded.

And so, my toughening-up training began. From dawn to dusk, I would hit those logs over and over. Sometimes I used my legs, sometimes I aimed for the head, and sometimes I went for their dummy balls just for my personal satisfaction. At first, the sword would get stuck, and the hardest part was pulling it out. Evenings usually ended with my braids soaked in sweat, sticking to my neck, along with dust and grime on everything I wore. Then I would soak my sore muscles in the wooden tub for hours.

The next day, I would do the same, but with a bigger sword. No more nail-biting for me. My hands would only be used for fighting with or without a sword. And nothing would stop me from getting where I wanted to be. Not even a cruel. Thwack . Evil. Thwack. Malicious. Thwack. Dragon shifter jerk. Phew.

Days passed where I would wake up early just to avoid Jerk Face and run off into the woods for more training. The less he knew, the stronger I had to become. Lord Valkorian suspected something when he bumped into me at the Keep, and I didn’t flinch. He smiled softly and nodded.

August came and went without me even realizing it, and by the time September hit, I felt ready to face him. If not as a rider yet, at least as a fighter.

“I’m not sure you’re ready, El.” Tarra wrung her hands as she paced from side to side.

“By his standards, I’d never be ready. But I know I can defeat him. Especially after you explained how dragon anatomy works. ”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you planning?”

“You’ll see, and I hope to make you proud.”

“I’m already proud of you, El. You only need to make yourself proud.”

“Yep, you’re definitely made to be a leader.” I smiled wide.

Tarra mirrored my smile. “Then let’s go.”

I buckled my sword belt around my hips and marched to the Rotonda with Tarra.

There I saw Laszlo clashing swords with Novak while Killian scrutinized their technique. A pang squeezed my heart. I really wanted to be in their place.

By the time they noticed me, I already stood in the middle of the circle.

Killian stepped forward. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to fight.” I stood tall.

“Last time, it was days apart. Now it’s every other month? Do you ever learn?” His brows furrowed.

“I’m here to fight with swords.”

“There’s no need for that.” He pulled his gloves off. “I know exactly where to strike.”

I gulped.

Without hesitation, he sprinted toward me, aiming for my throat. I let him. He, of course, didn’t plan on killing me. Only to scare me. That was what I needed to remember.

He grabbed my throat and began strangling me enough to restrict my airways, but I didn’t budge. I looked him straight in the eyes and, through gritted teeth, said, “You can break my body, but never my spirit.” Tears trickled from my eyes uncontrollably. Still, I would never let anyone, especially him, humiliate me again.

Little did he know, I’d asked Tarra to desensitize me daily. Not only through choking, but with kicks, grabs, and punches. If a body full of bruises was needed to build resilience and show this prick I deserved to stand here amongst other riders, then that was what I planned to do.

I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at the hollow of his neck. “I’ll pop that, and you’ll no longer breathe fire until you heal. For a while, you’ll be nothing but an oversized winged lizard.”