The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 24

Elena

September 1429

T he following day, Killian began a grueling weapons practice. He looked just as cool and composed as he had before Terek died. But grief hung in the air. Still, we persevered, and by the second day, he found other ways to work us out. And the day after. Was this his way of dealing with the loss? Or was he giving us a way to cope? Either way, his plan worked. After a week of intense practice, we slowly focused on Killian’s tasks and less on our legion’s loss. Even Kovak and Novak seemed more grounded by the end of the week.

During the mounting-takeoff maneuver practice, poor Tarra had to be worked twice as hard. Our jumps didn’t hurt her, but she was bored stiff. So every time I mounted her, I would whisper, “When Killian goes hunting, he doesn’t kill two birds with one stone. He kills two stones with one bird.”

Tarra would puff out as her body would shake hard. We would then finish the flight maneuver and return to the Rotonda.

On my next jump, I quipped, “When Killian touches fire, the fire gets burned. He is never wrong, the truth just sometimes lies.” Tarra cackled and snorted in rapid succession, her body shaking so much that I was thrown off her back. Poor Laszlo caught my fall involuntarily.

“It seems Rider Costin has time to talk.” Killian clenched his fists. “One hundred push-ups. Now,” Killian barked.

My jaw dropped. “Yes, Commander,” I muttered.

I heard a displeased growl.

“Yes, Commander,” I yelled. I lowered myself to the ground and began doing the push-ups he ordered. I guess, he liked seeing me in a horizontal position. By the time I reached fifty, every single muscle in me burned. At the sixtieth mark, I fell.

“Who told you to stop? This is what war is about, Rider,” Killian said.

“How is the Fire Legion doing today?” Lord Valkorian walked toward us. “You may take a break, Riders.”

Everyone stopped in their tracks .

“She must finish her punishment,” Killian said. “If she disobeys my order, she’ll have to execute double tomorrow.”

I glanced between father and son and continued my torment.

“Elena, you know you can stop if you can’t take it,” Lord Valkorian said. “Tomorrow is another day.”

“Thank you, Sir…” Huff. “But I need…” Huff. “To execute an order.” Huff. By the time I reached ninety-nine, my arms felt like twigs about to snap. Once I finished, Killian ordered all of us to stand fast. But I couldn’t get up. Laszlo and Novak rushed over, lifting me to my feet and helping me stand in line. Lord Valkorian greeted us nobly, but we all looked like we had just eaten dirt.

“We are in training, Father. Anything you wish to speak about can be done later,” Killian said.

“It is to be admired what you’re doing, but tomorrow is an important day. It’s Harvest Day,” Lord Valkorian said, and everyone turned to him wide-eyed.

“Did the Pure already pick the next Sacred Goddess?” Killian asked.

“Yes, the honor will be bestowed on one of your sisters.” Lord Valkorian turned to Laszlo.

“My sister?” Mixed feelings sketched across Laszlo’s face.

“Darya. For this reason, everyone is exempt from training today,” Lord Valkorian said.

“It’s not for you to decide,” Killian retorted.

“I am still head of this house. You might not care about it, but Harvest Day with a Goddess requires great preparation,” Lord Valkorian said.

“Lord Valkorian, may I stay at the Keep tonight?” Laszlo asked. Everyone was confused by his request, except me. “With Darya chosen as Goddess, there’ll be a great ruckus at my house.”

“You can stay. There’s plenty of room,” Lord Valkorian said.

“Thank you, Sire,” Laszlo said, visibly relieved. And with that, he left.

All of us pivoted to Killian’s raging demeanor. “You may go. But do not lose focus, enemies do not care about celebrations. They attack when you least expect it.”

Everyone cheered with joy as if we’d skipped a strict teacher’s class. Kovak and Novak left for their homes while cloak-covered Tarra, Laszlo, and I ran to the Keep.

The Keep brimmed with servants and cooks. For a second, I wondered if I had entered the wrong Keep. As if that would ever be possible. We were invited to sit at the table in the dining room, one I never dared to enter before. The massive marble table had dragon limbs for legs. The chairs shared the same shape. The chandelier above included crystal surrounding the candles and all the walls had historical engravings. Despite its monochrome style, these people knew how to make a statement.

Laszlo, Tarra, and I sat at the table, feeling like royalty as servants brought in plates filled with this year’s harvest.

“It feels like the end of the year party,” I said.

“In a way, it is. Harvest Day marks the culmination of a year’s hard work.”

“How about we toast to what we want our culmination to be?” I suggested.

“Agreed,” both Tarra and Laszlo chimed in.

“I’ll start,” Tarra said, raising her goblet. “I want to be a Legion Commander.”

“I want to become a great dragon rider,” I added, raising mine.

“I want to win The Time Tournament,” Laszlo declared. “I want them to remember my name.”

“The Time Tournament?” I asked. “Wasn’t that what started the Time War?”

“The Time War began because the Viridians cheated. But competing in a tournament like that is an honor for any rider.”

“From what I know, only element-wielding riders are allowed to compete. I don’t think I’ll even be considered,” I said.

“I’m not sure I want another one,” Tarra murmured.

“You have to if you want to stay in the Order,” Laszlo reminded her.

“I know. But—”

I sensed Tarra might tear up. “Let’s talk about our plans for tomorrow,” I said.

“That’s a great idea,” Tarra said with a smile.

After that, it was smooth sailing. We feasted, drank wine, and chatted about everything and nothing in particular.

By the time, we finished our little feast, it was so late my eyelids began closing on their own. I went to my room but was immediately awoken by my freezing bed. I remembered Killian’s menacing face, sighed, and went back to sleep. I didn’t think I could do another push-up.

After a couple of hours of sleep, I felt something on me. A spider? I immediately woke up and saw a... blanket? A thick, woolen blanket. But who covered me? Was it Laszlo, Tarra? Killian? Nah. Jerk Face would never. It wouldn’t even cross his mind. Of that, I was sure.

But in that moment, it didn’t matter who. Wrapped in the warm blanket, I drifted off to dreams of happy sheep instead of terrifying dragons.

The following day took us all by storm. Village women arrived at the Keep in traditional dresses and invited Lord Valkorian to the ceremony. They handed him a woven circle bread wrapped in a white rectangular cloth and a clay cup with salt in it. Lord Valkorian accepted the gift, handed it to Tarra, and left for the village. Tarra and I had till noon to prepare for the day. She already had a dress prepared for me. Since arriving here, I had forgotten how a dress felt. I only wore two types of clothes: a leather uniform and a nightgown.

The dress resembled the ones the village women wore but was much more detailed. It was a long white linen dress with puffed sleeves and red embroidery on the cuffs and collar. It was accompanied by a suede vest and a black apron with an embroidered belt. The details, though not explicit, resembled dragons.

“The detail in this outfit is incredible,” I said to Tarra .

“I know, they’re made specifically for our house. As you can see, the red is everywhere.”

“So what are we going to do today?” I asked.

“Have you seen Laszlo or Killian this morning?” Tarra asked.

“Um, no. I was too invested in this Harvest Day thing to notice.”

“I think they flew out earlier. Killian doesn’t like this tradition very much.”

“How come? Isn’t it all about cornucopias, bales of hay, and pumpkin patches?”

“Yes, but also, Mother was once a Sacred Goddess too. And it brings back too many sad memories. And Darya being chosen makes it––”

“You always think of everyone else except yourself. How do you feel about today’s event?”

“I don’t know. Mournful, maybe.”

“It’s understandable. None of you have mourned her properly.”

“I have a shrine for her in the woods. But I haven’t visit it in a long time. I’ll go there soon and tell her all about you.” Tarra’s eyes brightened.

“That’s the spirit. But I’m not sure what you would say about me. I’m a nobody.”

“Are you kidding? You’re the only one who can put Killian in his place.”

“Can I though?” I scrunched my nose.

“He’s probably shivering in his boots when he thinks about you.” She laughed .

Shivering in boots and Killian were two things that didn’t go together. “Speaking of shivering. Did you cover me with a blanket late last night?”

“No, were you cold?”

“It got cold a bit, but––”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tarra asked. “I could’ve brought plenty from the village.”

“I didn’t want to be a bother.” I placed my hand on hers. “But if you didn’t, then who did?”

“There’s not many to pick from. It’s either Father— But Father left the Keep late last night and returned early in the morning. It could be Laszlo, but he didn’t have anything on him yesterday. So maybe, Killian?” Tarra counted on her hand.

We both looked at each other and burst out laughing. “No way,” we both said.

“He’d rather fight an army of bears,” I said. “He’d probably win, though.” The laugh turned bitter. “He’s just too...”

“Enough about my brother. Let’s get going,” Tarra said.

“But if you’re all dressed up, how are we going to get to the village?”

“We’re going to walk around the ravine. The celebration will take place on a crop field about halfway through from the village. It’s a short walk.”

When Tarra said it would be a short distance away, I assumed a leisurely walk in the park. It turned out to be more like a four-mile stamina training session with rugged terrain. Killian would be pleased. The cool weather was the only thing on our side. Since we fussed so much, by the time we reached the crop field on foot, it was dark.

Once we reached the hill, we could see the entire valley alive with festivities. The sweet smell of grapes mixed with bonfire smoke swept me into a mesmerizing world. My eyes darted around, trying to take it all in.

“Ready to join the festivity?” Tarra asked.

“I want to admire it from here a little longer,” I said, as people greeted us on their way to the ceremony.

“What? You don’t want to stomp the grapes? Check out that enormous barrel over there. You could fit ten people in there, easy.” She saw my captivated expression and gave in. “Alright, I’ll go find Soraya. She’s probably already down there, helping her sister.”

She hurried downhill and was immediately welcomed by the villagers and invited to the grape stomping.

I, on the other hand, wanted to take my time. I’d never seen anything like this in my life. Besides the grape barrels, the giant bales of hay, and the pumpkin pyramids, there was a ten-foot strawman right in the middle of the field. Not far from it, young boys and men were jumping over multiple bonfires. Though I couldn’t spot the musicians, the music filled the entire valley. Women and men of all ages danced in circles.

As night approached, more and more people gathered, which made me think the main rituals were yet to come.

“Elena?” A voice called from behind.

I turned and saw my fellow rider. “Hey, Laszlo. ”

“Guess what? I’m eighteen today.”

“Congratulations!” I hugged him.

“I’m a real man now.”

“You were a real man before. Are you going to celebrate?” I asked.

“Not when my sister is a Sacred Goddess.”

“I see. Too many celebrations. Like having a birthday on Christmas Day.”

“Something like that,” he murmured.

“Tell me where you went with Killian this morning?”

“Oh, Elena. It was magnificent. We flew so far and high we reached the Hungarian border.”

“No way.” I couldn’t imagine how far the border was, but based on his reaction, it must have been pretty far. “Where is he now?”

“He’s coming,” Laszlo said. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, but before we go, I need to ask you a question.”

“What is it?”

“Last night did you bring a woolen blanket in the Keep?”

“Not that I know of,” he said. “Why?”

“Nothing important. I’m just trying to figure out something.”

He stared at me intently and narrowed his eyes. “I think you have something on your cheek.”

“I do?”

“I think it’s a tiny straw.” He tried to grab it and then blew it away. “All good.” He grinned. “Where’s Tarra?”

“She went to find Soraya,” I said .

“Not surprising. Those two have become inseparable,” he replied.

“Wasn’t it always like that?” I asked.

“Mates, how long are you going to stand here?” Tarra appeared with Soraya. “Let’s dance.” She tried to coax us by grabbing our hands.

“Let them warm up by the fire first,” Soraya suggested.

“You and Soraya seem close,” I said, looking at Soraya. Her curvy frame was complemented by her luscious long hair.

“We’ve known each other since childhood,” Soraya said proudly. “But we only recently became close friends.” She looked at Tarra with the same tender eyes as before. Unexpectedly, Tarra blushed.

“You can say that again,” Laszlo said, folding his arms across his chest.

Was he jealous? Could there be more than just friendship between them? Tarra was usually open with me, but in such matters, it wasn’t surprising she struggled to say more.

“So, are you coming?” Tarra asked.

“I’d rather watch from here,” I said. “There’s so much to see.”

“What are you doing here?” Killian appeared from the grove. His low voice gave me a heart attack.

“You finally decided to join us, brother?” Tarra asked. “Please don’t ruin our joy with your attitude.”

“What joy? Dancing around the fire like puppets and burning hay? I’d rather pull an arrow out of my arm than be here. And before you ask, Father insisted I come as a Commander.”

“You always do this, Killian,” Tarra retorted, her eyes welling with tears. “You know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so why not make this the best night for Darya? She asked me to.”

“I only care how foolish you act on the battlefield. Any other time you can play dumb for all I care.”

This guy was the worst party pooper I’ve ever seen. “If Darya wants a celebration, she’ll have a celebration.”