The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 32

Elena

February 1431

T he following months of training were brutal. Killian didn’t give us a moment’s rest. We had ground practice, air practice, and combined ground and air practice. He’d make us fight each other. I knew every maneuver Laszlo threw at me. I got pretty good at controlling the buzdugan —at least when it was cooperating. Honestly, that spiky ball chained to a stick seemed to have a mind of its own. More than once, I had to duck to avoid it smashing into my forehead. Until one time it did, and it dodged me. Strangely, despite its wild behavior, the morningstar never actually harmed me. It was as if it had a protective instinct—or maybe it just pitied me. And if Laszlo’s sword or Novak’s axe got too close, it would retaliate.

But the worst training of all was learning Hungarian. It wasn’t because I didn’t like studying languages. On the contrary, I always loved learning new things. But after being battered from dawn till dusk, there was barely room in my brain for coherent thoughts, let alone foreign words. Focusing on both physical and mental training felt like another excruciating challenge I somehow had to endure.

As the tournament approached, Killian became even stricter. No more sweet talk, no more subtle flirting—just business.

Harvest Day came again, a somber echo of last year’s tragedy, heavy with the same inevitable outcome. The Pure selected the Cerulean House to bring forward their potential Mother of the Dragon. But since no one in their house had a betrothed, a pregnant woman from their village was chosen. She died, just like Darya did last year. The entire Crimson House had to be there. I refused. I had enough grief from last year.

My only comfort was Patches, my pet lizard. He found a good home in my room. Sometimes, he would sneak into my uniform and fly with me on Tarra’s back. During the day, he’d hunt for insects, and at night, he’d return just in time for bed. The prismwater colors still radiated on his tail, making him the most unique lizard in the land. He was lucky to be alive, just like me .

Unfortunately, I couldn’t take Patches with me to Nuremberg, but I made him a little bed out of blankets and placed it on my bed.

In the days leading up to our trip, Tarra asked if I could help her bring Soraya along. So, when we flew to Nuremberg a day before Vlad II’s coronation, Lord Valkorian and Killian, along with Laszlo, took off first. Kovak and Novak went by horse, while I snuck Soraya onto Tarra. I didn’t know if Tarra had ever carried two people at the same time, but she looked too happy to even notice. And when pink-reddish dragons were happy, everyone was happy. My ten-year-old self would be very sad when Tarra would start outgrowing her pink color and start showing more red.

From what I understood from Killian, Germany as I knew it in our times didn’t exist. Instead, there were many principalities under the rule of a king, or in this case, The Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary Sigismund of Luxembourg. He started as co-king of Hungary and Croatia through his first wife, Maria who later died in a riding accident along with their unborn child. He also organized an uprising against his brother, Wenceslas, and took the throne of Bohemia from him. He secured the throne of Germany and ultimately became The Holy Roman Emperor, a title his father initially held.

Now, married to his second wife, Barbara, he planned to maintain his power either through treaties or war, for which the Order of the Dragon was intended. One of the most strategic places was Wallachia, hence his decision to make Vlad II the official claimant to the Wallachian throne.

As we approached the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, where his coronation would take place, I saw not only one castle but many buildings connected with one another, forming a complex of castles and other buildings fortified by a stone wall. The imperial residence was located on top of the hill, overlooking the city—a great way to see your enemies before they see you.

When we landed, they welcomed us like royalty, showering us with flowers and presenting us with bronze badges, each adorned with the twisted dragon emblem of the Order of the Dragon.

When they saw an additional member of our entourage, they looked at Lord Valkorian. But Tarra said Soraya was her personal attendant, and the problem was squashed immediately. Though Lord Valkorian’s displeasure was clear, surprisingly, grumpy Killian didn’t object.

Before each of us was led to our own personal chambers by an attendant, we had to figure out where Soraya would stay. Finally, they agreed to let her sleep in Tarra’s room. The sheer excitement on those girls’ faces was indescribable. Lord Valkorian and Killian didn’t know what awaited them in the future regarding those two. But we would live and see.

As we walked through the massive archways, I turned my head to take in everything my eyes could catch: stone walls adorned with tapestries depicting historical scenes, royal banners, and weapons on display. Expensive rugs beneath my feet muffled some of the echoes from the vaulted ceilings. From a distance, I could still hear the clinks of armor. The arched wooden doors, each with a crest attached, felt inviting every time I passed one. I felt the urge to barge in and see who lived there and what their history was. The sterile smell of stone and beeswax mixed with the fresh scent of pine wood filled the entire place.

These were the only scents I noticed. Considering how many folks trudged through these halls with dirty boots, keeping the place spotless was a real struggle. The castle maids had a tough job on their hands. Besides the bronze sconces, the ornate but narrow windows intensified what the king wanted to show here: the grandeur, the wealth, the glory, and the power.

While absorbing all the new sights, we arrived at my chamber, which bore Vlad II’s and The House of the Crimson Dragon’s coat of arms. By the red color, no one would misunderstand who we belonged to.

The attendant let me pass through as she opened the door. Once inside, the room took my breath away. For a medieval castle, this was state-of-the-art décor. All the tapestries were woven with golden threads. One depicted a deer being chased by a dragon, which felt almost too real. The fireplace was surrounded by an embossed mantle, sturdy writing desks with ornate carvings stood nearby, and an oak table held a bowl of fruit, a pitcher of wine with goblets, and a plate of various cheeses. Once I saw the food, all admiration had to be put on pause. Food first. The Valkorians took great care of me, but a royal lunch hit differently.

In the evening, we were officially invited by King Sigismund to a feast in honor of our arrival. Dressed in military uniforms, we were led by our attendants to the Great Hall.

We took seats among other people who somehow resembled Tarra and Killian. They didn’t look unusual by any means, but something about them suggested they weren’t human. Most of the royalty, including Vlad II, sat at a table across from us. The variety of ages in that corner baffled me, from old men who looked like they needed a nap to six-year-olds who looked like they also needed a nap. Kids as kings always seemed like a weird concept to me. But here they were, representing their countries at a deadly tournament. Why did they call it the Time Tournament?

“Why is it called the Time Tournament, though?” I asked.

“Killian didn’t tell you?”

“As if you hadn’t met your brother. He’s so short on words it feels like they cost a fortune to spill.”

“Well, it’s called that because, besides the support of the king, we win a prize.”

“What prize? Money?”

“No, we get that either way. We win stones that only the king owns. Once ignited with dragon fire, they gain magical powers. One dragon winner equals one Eye of the Dragon. So if we win, we get three, though one will go to Vlad II.”

“What does the stone do?”

“Usually, they grant the ability to time travel. Sometimes five years into the future or the past. Sometimes ten.”

“Wait, I had such a stone. Maybe I got it from this time.”

“But you said a witch sent you here.”

“Yes. But first I traveled to the time of Halley’s Comet.”

“I don’t think it’s possible. Since the king started the games, there have never been stones that could travel by the tail of a comet. That’s too great of a distance. If we get ten years, we consider ourselves lucky.”

“So what do you do with the stones?”

“They can be used as trade between people with unsealed fates. We use them to ensure loyalty among our human allies, as we dragons can’t time travel.”

“Why would the king give you such a generous gift and not keep it to himself?”

“Unfortunately for him, his fate is sealed. Many fortune tellers have told him. It is the plight of kings. Some of them have their fate sealed once they’re born.”

“It’s not surprising, given some of them become kings as infants.” I pointed at the six-year-old who shuffled continuously in his high-backed chair.

“That is Prince of Poland Ladislaus III, and though he is the king’s heir, he is not yet king. His father sent him here on his behalf. They are represented by the Cerulean Dragon House, Smok and his son, Cyprian Wulkanov.” She pointed at the two men in front. Long, pin-straight black hair cascaded down their backs, and when the light struck just right, a blue hue glimmered through their strands. One of them looked at me with the most brilliant blue eyes I had ever seen. Their movements were so fluid that I struggled to take my eyes off them. If I didn’t know they were dragons, I would’ve assumed they were vampires. Yep, definitely not human.

“Well, that makes sense. What about the one next to the boy? He looks close to our age.”

“That’s János Hunyadi. He’s a nobleman from a Wallachian family. He was chosen to train the Viridian Dragon House, Atlas, and his son, Volokh Ashenwold.” She pointed at another set of father and son with the greenest eyes. Though their hair was different. The elder Viridian had long white hair, similar to Killian’s, while the son, had dirty blonde strands. Still, with their looks, they probably would’ve earned a pretty penny modeling.

The father appraised everyone in the room, but the son didn’t care much about what was happening and continued necking wine goblet after wine goblet.

“Why does Hunyadi choose to represent Hungary when he’s Wallachian?”

“He’s one of the best warriors out there. Sigismund did everything possible to bring him to his side.”

“I hope he doesn’t claim the Wallachian throne.”

“Why should he?” Tarra asked.

“His name seems familiar. But I can’t recall why.”

“Either way, they’re the ones we should fear. They’re as cruel as it gets.”

“Didn’t the Viridians cheat by using magic last time?”

“Yes, but Hunyadi himself didn’t know a thing. He fled with the king to protect him. In dragon wars, few people stand a chance. But after all was over, he refused to reprimand them and continued the training as if nothing happened.”

“What about the other two houses?” I asked, eager to have the full picture.

“The dark-haired man with a beard is Prince Fruzhin, Tsar of Bulgaria. He fought bravely in many wars and is a big ally to Sigismund. But he only has one dragon to represent him from the Aurelian Dragon House, Zariya Voglen.”

She pointed at the golden-haired, golden-eyed, golden-everything woman keeping to herself. She didn’t care about whatever was happening, not because of boredom, but because she seemed above all this, as if in a class of her own.

“Why is she the only one?” I asked.

“The Aurelians have a unique golden pattern on their scales. Believing it was real gold, humans risked hunting them. And they succeeded. They didn’t realize that their scales were more valuable than gold, but only to dragons. The problem is that dragons can’t die, so humans captured the dragons through deceiving methods, cut their wings, and tied them. Then they would pull one scale at a time. This caused excruciating pain for the dragon, but they weren’t able to die. Only after being discarded, they were freed from their agony and killed mercifully. The father, by Atlas Viridian, and his son, by Killian.”

“What the hell was wrong with humans?”

“You can imagine how Zariya must feel,” she said. “The last one is the Cimmerian Dragon House, Feroz Castellano.” She pointed at a man with curly dark grey hair and eyes. “He’s the first of his kind. He’s allied with King Alfonso the Magnanimous of Aragon.”

“Where is Aragon located?” I asked.

“On the Iberian Peninsula, close to France.”

“That’s much further than everyone else.”

“His father went to a fortune teller who told him if he found the right woman she would bear him a dragon shifter. From what I remember, she had to be the opposite of him in everything. In the end, he found a woman walking down the stairs of a cathedral with whom he felt an undeniable connection. And that’s how their love story began.” Tarra sighed. “But––”

“Who are all the giant men sitting next to the houses?” Some wore their country’s military uniforms, others chose leather, and a third chose metal armor, but all of them looked ready to rip those outfits with their muscles. Kovak and Novak had nothing on these guys.

She smiled softly, surprised I didn’t realize it yet. “They’re all riders.”

My jaw dropped. It was as if they rummaged through their countries and found the strongest, tallest, most fit people on their land.

“I need to fight them? ”

The clink of metal resounded across the hall. Everyone turned to Sigismund, who used a sheathed dagger and his goblet to bring everyone’s attention. “Welcome, welcome our esteemed members of Societas Draconica ,” Sigismund spoke in Hungarian. Finally, those Hungarian language lessons paid off. “It is an honor to have you all at the same table, sharing wine and food. We stand united through great victories and unfortunate defeats.”

The young Viridian coughed, “Battle of Nicopolis.” His father immediately reprimanded him.

“Despite challenges, we remain victorious. And through these peaceful times, we can find leisure.”

And by leisure, he meant people falling to their deaths from high places. Fun.

“The games will start in a week, but until then, we have great matters to attend to. First off, Vlad, son of Mircea, will be crowned Voivode of Wallachia tomorrow.” Everyone clapped and cheered in his direction. Vlad II bowed and soaked up the attention.

“Secondly, we will have a ball in honor of our guests.”

Everyone looked at one another in surprise.

“I know it’s not what we usually do, but the queen has insisted.” He turned to the queen as she confirmed with a nod.

“Ladies of the Dragon Houses, if you didn’t bring appropriate attire, the royal dressmaker will be at your service,” the queen said.

“Well now, let’s feast,” the king said and ordered the musicians to start playing .

Servants upon servants holding plates of food entered the hall, from cheese and bread to stuffed ducks and pigs.

By the time I finished eating, I felt like a stuffed bird myself. When I looked around, most dragon shifters had finished their food. Though few ate at all, probably because, like Killian, they preferred their prey fresh. They awaited the king’s order to leave.

That order followed soon, and all, as if synchronized, excused themselves and left. Only the Crimson Dragon House stayed. Did they not like being at the same table as humans or our house?

Eventually, we stood as well. Lord Valkorian and Killian remained to exchange a few pleasantries with Sigismund and Vlad II. Tarra and I left, but to our disappointment, we realized our chambers were on opposite sides of the castle.

“Is Soraya waiting for you?”

“Yes, we finally have some time to ourselves. I never imagined living with someone you love could feel so fulfilling,” Tarra said with starry eyes. “I never want to be apart from Soraya. I’ve never experienced such tenderness in my life. It’s not just physical—though she’s a great kisser—it’s her care and love that make my heart swell twice as much.”

So this was what people truly in love looked like from the outside. “Feel free to go ham for yourselves and for those who can only dream about it.”

She patted me on my back. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your time will come. But it’s probably not going to be my brother.”

“You don’t need to preach to the choir, sister.”

“I’m going to head out. You know where you need to go?”

“My attendant was supposed to be here. But as you can see, not everything is perfect at Sigismund of Luxembourg’s castle.”

Turning slowly in the opposite direction, I released Tarra from the torment of talking to me. I headed toward where I assumed my chamber was located, but I found myself at the door in front of a green coat of arms.

“What’s a lowly Crimson rider doing in our territory?”

I turned and faced a Viridian dragon shifter.

“I was looking for my room and got––”

He cut me off mid-sentence, twisting my arm with brutal force, slamming me against the cold stone wall beside his door. Don’t scream or you’ll look weak. Keep calm, he won’t dare hurt me for now.

His mouth came closer to my ear. He reeked of alcohol. The bastard was too strong and too unhinged to let loose. He was so strong, he reminded me of Killian but much crueler.

“Release me. As a Crimson rider, you’re not allowed to attack me unless in the air.”

“Who said so?” He smirked.

No one, but it made sense. “The rules.”

“You might be right. But your sole presence should be against those same rules. A human girl… an affront to all element-wielding riders. Your only role in life is to open th ose thighs and accept what is given to you.”

“Release me now or I won’t have any other choice but to...”

“Any other choice to do what?”

I pulled out Tiny, my dagger, and stabbed him in the leg.

He began laughing. “You think you can hurt me with a toothpick? I was born in the Prismatic Lake, fool.”

“If you kill me now, Killian will tear you apart.”

“What did you say, bitch?” Instead of the intended effect, the young Viridian exploded in anger. He grabbed my head and began smashing it into the stone. Pain exploded through my skull as blood trickled down my forehead.

Desperation clawed at me as I mustered every ounce of strength left. “Tarra, Laszlo… Killian!”