Slay the Dragon

CHAPTER 5 - MAVE

The morning session was definitely her most hated part of the day. Mave Snowford had to sit along with these people—who either secretly or obviously despised her. She might not see or hear it too often, but she could feel it all the time. Their stares every time she passed by them said it all. She wanted to go out already, go back to Librad, and sneak inside the Ardrad. She could’ve even skipped today’s session, but she chose not to. So she would have to wait until sunset after Harlin’s shift.

Mave took the seat at the back of about fifty young hunters. Each student had to sit on a square mat of cotton over the white quartz floor while listening to Grand Hunter Arien Homeli who stood in front of them. All of them paid attention—but not Mave. She was gazing at the open windows and waiting for the fort bell to ring. Her thoughts went wondering what could be there waiting for her in the Ardrad. Hoping that she now had the right key, she would try to sneak in and search for clues about her village inside the red door. What if she’d find a clue to the dragon who did it? Would she dare to hunt the beast? Mave shook her head. The sight of fire had already traumatized her. How much more of a dragon? She might stay here where she felt safe from all the fires and beasts. But then she figured—there’s no safe place in this world at all.

“Dragons have long been able to shape-shift even before the Great War had started, or what history called as … the Red Century,” Arien Homeli continued, standing in front of the hunters. He was one of the four Grand Hunters in Ravareth, the third in the highest rank before the Archon and Master Hunters. “Although they could transform into humans like us, they do have distinct features we should look out for. One … their eyes … Dragons have different eye colors from ours …”

All of a sudden, the young hunters slowly turned their heads to Mave, as if she had been the first to come into their thoughts.

Mave stormed her eyebrows. Great. Now they got another reason to despise her, thanks to Grand Arien. She lowered her gaze to the quartz floor. So what if she didn’t have black or brown eye colors like them? That wouldn’t make her any dragon or whatsoever.

“Dear hunters … dragons could only have three eye colors—amber, hazel, and gold. I’m certain a color of bright blue is not one of them,” Arien said as he noticed the students looking at Mave. “Besides, Ms. Snowford here came from another place—“

“So why is she here?” Barded interrupted—a long-haired, stupid guy, whom Mave had probably hated the most in this class, aside from Harlin and Archon Stein.

Mave answered it herself, saying, “Because I passed the hunting test.” They had let her take these sessions for months after she refused to take part in the final test for hunters where they would venture north and only come back when they had slain a dragon. Mave could never dare do it. She might have been victorious during the entrance test, where they hunt as many beasts as possible. She was even one of the top hunters who had slain most. But dragons were a different matter already.

“No, I mean, why are you still here?” Barded raised his eyebrows, twisting a smirk.

This stupid guy’s trying to get into Mave again, she noticed. “It’s none of your concern, Barded,” she said, giving him a glare.

“It’s none of our concern?” Barded looked around him. “Isn’t it our concern to have a member who only wastes her time being here … when she’s even scared of the enemies we’re fighting against?” He shifted his glance at Arien Homeli. “Grand Arien, this coward is bringing shame to our name and our flag in front of the Dravalon Empire. Why’s there no one doing anything? We all know she’s scared of fire—“

“I’m not scared!” Mave snapped as she squeezed her fists. Her hands suddenly grew colder with each second. The curse was slowly coming out again … but she tried to hold it.

Mave stood up and Barded stood up.

“Show us, then,” he replied. “Right now.” He turned his head and nodded at his friend. “Hand me a torch—”

“Enough of this nonsense!” Arien interrupted, his dark voice echoing around the court. “No one is lighting a fire inside the Acadrim.” He pointed at the two. “Mave and Barded, you two mind your actions. Another of this and I’ll send you both to the Fortresi.”

Mave dug her nails deeply through her palms, wanting to give this stupid guy a piece of her over swords. It seemed like he needed some pain. She suddenly wished she had her rapier with her now. However, she couldn’t say he’s wrong. It was indeed a shame for her to be here in Ravareth, training to be a dragon hunter. Everyone knew her weakness … her fear. That’s why nobody accepted her. There’s no one and no place in this world where she could belong. A few tried to approach and enter her dark life, but when they learned her poison, they left—all of them.  

Grand Hunter Arien was about to continue his session when the fort bell finally rang. He gave a heavy sigh and said, “That would be all for today.”

The students all stood up and turned to face the crimson flag of Ravareth. It depicted a black sword pointing down with a pair of white dragon wings on both sides.

One hunter stomped his foot twice as a signal.

Together, they all hammered their right fist on their left chest and said, “Slay the Dragon!”

“Slay the dragon,” Mave muttered too late.

Right after walking out of the Acadrim building, Mave glimpsed the dark clouds in the sky. Light raindrops fell over her black hair and the scent of dry soil, growing wet under the rain, came straight through her nose. She was about to walk down the wide sandstone steps when Barded’s voice called behind her.

“Hey Snowford,” he said. “Didn’t you say you’re not scared?”

Mave shut her eyes in frustration. She took a deep breath before turning around to face him. “What do you want?”

“Prove it. In front of everyone,” Barded challenged. He glanced at one of his friends who carried an unlit torch with him and gave it to Barded. “Arien said we can’t do it inside. So we’ll do it here. Now.”

Mave took a step back. She looked around, only to find young hunters going in and out of the Acadrim—mostly were new members. This stupid guy must be insane, she thought. It would be very shameful if she’d freak out in front of Ravareth, only because of fire.

Mave swallowed hard in her throat. “Get that thing away from me.”

Barded twisted a smirk on his lips. “Can I have your attention?” he called out to the surrounding hunters. Many have heard and turned their heads to him. The noise in front of the Acadrim building fell into silence.

“This girl right here is about to take a test of courage,” he pointed at Mave. “Or … it might only turn out to be a mere entertainment for all of us.”

Barded’s two friends walked forward and grab a hold of Mave on both arms uptight. Their grips brought pain that she had to wrench her muscles. She struggled hard as she tried to reel back from Barded … but the two guys overpowered her.

“Let me go,” Mave warned them. She tried to reach for her belt, but she remembered she left her rapier in her chamber.

The raindrop had stopped, unfortunately.

She muttered a curse.

“I thought you said you’re not scared, Snowford?” Barded lit the torch, and it blazed up with orange flames.

Mave gasped—her heart racing wildly. Everyone watched as Barded stepped forward. Sweat immediately broke from her forehead, down to her neck.

“Stop,” she said in almost a whisper. She couldn’t breathe properly anymore as she grasped for air.

“Stop, please.” Tears came out of her eyes. From the flames, she saw it—her village burning … her parents’ bodies burning alive.

Barded’s smirk spread wider in amusement. “Can you see this?” He glanced around the new hunters watching over. “Look at her. How can she join and stay here with us when this is how she reacts with fire?”

Some hunters laughed—some murmured to each other.

Mave couldn’t handle this anymore. She wanted to let the curse go all out of her … but she’s afraid she might hurt someone—or worse, kill someone … like how she killed those men before …

“Barded,” one guy holding Mave said. “Her skin’s turning cold.”

Mave squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control the curse. She felt her blood raging through her veins along with her hard-pumping heart. She must not. She had to keep her fear under control or else … she couldn’t imagine what would happen.

“Barded!” the other guy said as his grip on Mave’s arm slowly froze.

Barded’s smirk faded as he furrowed his brows at her. “What the hell …”

Heavy rain poured down suddenly from the dark clouds, forcing everyone to run inside the building. The four of them stayed, but the flames instantly faded from the torch held by Barded.

“Oh, dammit …” he frowned.

This was Mave’s perfect opportunity. The hold of these two guys turned cold and numb. She could do it.

Mave twisted her body in full force, successfully freeing herself from the guys. She turned and ran down the stairs, but Barded was fast enough to grab the back of her neck. His hand slipped, but then he caught Mave’s necklace. He pulled it back.

Mave gasped as the silver necklace broke out of her neck. “No …” she paused and then turned around, only to find the most precious thing for her, destroyed in her own eyes. The blue locket fell down, flashing back the memory of her mentor, Rakim the Swordmaster who gave it to her before he died. It was the only thing she’d gotten from him … and he was the only person she had ever trusted.

“Take this …” Rakim said with a raspy, weak voice, lying on his bed. “I was supposed … to give this to my son … but he probably … still hate me …”

Mave was sobbing as she received the necklace.

“But you …” Rakim let out hard coughs, grasping for air. “You’re my daughter already …”

“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded. “You’re the only one I had left.” She couldn’t imagine what her life would be without her mentor. After the burning of her village, Rakim kept her, trained her, and raised her like his own daughter. He mentioned his past of being a dragon hunter before from Ravareth … but he had been banished in the country of Drava. So he traveled overseas, then far north where the country of Glacia could be found. He taught Mave how to wield a sword—a kind of a sword under his own expertise, a rapier. Its lightweight and quick movements were perfect for Mave as a girl.

Rakim gave her a weak smile. “Grow strong, my little Snowford.” He held her hands tight. “Slay the Dragon …”

Slay the dragon—the last words of her mentor before his last breath. It all came to her like a flash of thunder, but she instantly went back to the present as the broken necklace fell with the rain. It bounced on the sandstone stairs, shattered into pieces like water splashing on the surface.

“No …” Mave’s eyes went wide open. She knelt down, trying to bring the pieces back together, but it’s hopeless. Her tears mixed with the rain as she closed her eyes in defeat. She had enough of this already. Her heart went wild along with her raging blood, as if they would already burst out of her veins.

Mave slammed a fist against the stairs, where it instantly flashed in blue light.

Ice spread out in her hand.

With rage burning inside her, she raised her gaze to Barded. The ice expanded forward, climbing up to the stairs, and freezing everything in its path.

Barded stepped back, but he was too late. The frost caught his foot up to his legs, spreading rapidly as it covered every inch of his body with thick, colorless ice. The sight frightened the two guys and sent them running away, but the crowd slowly grew back to see what had happened.

“He … help!” Barded cried out in the rain as his head was the only thing left unfrozen.

“What is going on here?” The loud voice of Arien Homeli silenced the crowds of hunters.

“Help me, Grand Arien! I … I can’t feel my body! The coldness hurt! She … she did it!” Barded yelled out helplessly.

Arien’s lips parted after seeing the situation in front of him. He quickly shifted his gaze to Mave. “Snowford, into the Fortresi with me … Now!”