Chapter 27

Per doctors orders, Evelyn was barred from physical training until her stitches healed. As much as she wanted to protest, the aching in her arm forced her to comply. Though Isak insisted she still practice on the flight simulator.

“Ye never know when you’ll be injured and your dragon must fly ye to safety,” he said. It was risky, but she understood to an extent.

She could not shake the feeling that her training was being rushed, however. It seemed like Isak was pushing her too hard, too fast. According to Lumin, Safir would push him, but would never risk injury. She even started praising him. From what Evelyn could gather, started warming up to the young dragon, in her own way at least. There seemed to be a gulf in how their mentors were training them.

At first, Evelyn figured it was due to the gulf in talent, but something else lingered in the back of Evelyn’s mind.

It seemed Isak started pushing her even harder after she told him about their latest dream. The day after Anemara’s incident, while the others were doing their normal workouts, Evelyn gave Isak the details.

He listened intensely, his brows furrowing more as the story continued. When it cut off at the gangly man, he winced.

“That’s it?” He asked.

“Fortunetely, yes. I hope we don’t see that man again. That was an image I wish I could burn from my memory.”

Isak hummed and scratched his beard. “Safir is not going to like this,” he said, his voice sounding serious. Evelyn didn’t like it either, especially how grim Isak seemed. “What Safir and I can gather, they are not just dreams, but visions of the past. Cain and Kryn were a real pair from long ago, before the great ichneumon war. You are not having these visions by accident, either. Something, or someone is sending these visions. Who and why, I can’t say.”

Can’t, or won’t? She thought, resisting the urge to say it aloud. “What should we do?”

“At the moment, there’s nothing you can do. Just focus on your training… and healing. I want you on the simulator again tomorrow.”

Something about the way Isak said that worried Evelyn. His voice was strained and he spoke quickly. There was more he was not telling her, but she held her tongue.

Since then, training seemed to be rushed. Even with her injury, Isak went beyond the norm for attempts on the apparatus. Fortunately, Jalibamawt had mercy on her. Despite Isak requesting otherwise, he was not as relentless as before, though Evelyn still fell many times. He even softened her landing with his stone manipulation as she learned it was called —the Aonachan translation at least— by creating slopes or buffers.

After each session, Lumin tried to help Evelyn fix or redress her bandages, but his sharp claws cut through the fabric to his frustration. He playfully glowered at Riley when she offered to help.

This went on for a week, and the days blurred together. The only thing Evelyn truly noticed was Benjamin’s absence. Since joining the resistance, they never missed consecutive dinners. After their fight, she hadn’t seen him. Not even Heba knew where he was, though she seemed less worried than Evelyn. She remembered him mentioning missions, but the details were hazy.

She was still upset with her brother; dragons and ichneumon were not mere pets, they were their friends, their partners. Joining the resistance was right, Evelyn knew that. If only she could help Benjamin understand.

Still, she missed their talks, even if he never went into detail about his training, whether with his squadron or with Heba, the latter being of greater interest to Evelyn. She just hoped he was alright and they could make amends. No matter how mad they were at each other, they were still family.

Then came the day. Her stitches were taken out and, while her arm did not feel completely normal, the bite was mostly healed. More importantly, Safir deemed Lumin prepared to fly with Evelyn.

It was obvious to everyone when Safir told Lumin as his roar echoed in the cavern. When their groups merged, Lumin looked ready to throw Evelyn onto his back and immediately take off. The only thing stopping him was a stern glare from Safir.

They were led to the far edge of the cavern where the dragons trained as it was hidden from the ocean. All of the other riders stayed to observe, which made Evelyn even more nervous than she already was. They stood around a large, raised stone that was flat on the top. Lumin explained it was their launch pad.

They were not the only spectators, either. Not only were Majadon and Jalibamawt there, but Fukayna and Hafara were in attendance.

When Evelyn looked at her curiously, Fukayna explained, “this is a momentous occasion, why wouldn’t I be here? This alliance between ichneumon and dragons is historic, and the first flight of a bond forged through it is a significant landmark.”

No pressure at all, Evelyn thought as her nerves only increased.

Lumin gave her a reassuring nudge with his wing and leapt onto the launch pad. Evelyn climbed after him and stood at his side. They looked to Isak, who stood with his own dragon. The aquafin lowered her head next to them.

“You are small enough for Evelyn to climb onto you as is, however, you won’t always be. Lean down for her, like so, little one,” Safir instructed. She crouched low, leaning her shoulder down toward Isak. The rider climbed her shoulder and sat in a conveniently placed gap in her frills at the base of her neck.

Lumin nodded and did the same. “C’mon!” he said, watching Evelyn with anticipation.

She tried to swallow her nerves. Of course she was excited as Lumin , it felt like not only the next step in their training, but the next step in their bond, their relationship. However, it frightened her as well. What if she screwed this up, too?

After a deep breath, she swung her leg over his back and sat between the spines on his withers. Another conveniently placed gap, as if dragons were born to have riders.

This was nothing like the simulator she practiced on. His scales rubbed roughly on her thighs; if she were wearing shorts, they would tear her skin. The spines on his back were not as tall, but sharper and pointed directly at her chest. It would not be enough to slice her (yet), but they were more dangerous then when he was a hatchling.

Sensing her concerns, Lumin snaked his head around to look at her. “You alright up there?” He asked. Even with his concern, his smile was wide as ever.

She couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m fine, sweetie. What about you?”

“I’m great! This just… feels right.”

She agreed. Though it was not like riding a horse, sitting upon a saddle designed for her comfort, and despite how uncomfortable it seemed, it felt like this was where she was meant to be. The thrum through their bond felt equal to when they were fused.

“Riding a dragon is sacred, rarely do they just let anyone on their backs,” Isak said. That explained why Safir was adamantly against taking them across the gulf.

“Remember what I told you, little one. Observe your surroundings and plan your flight path. That becomes essential with your rider on your back,” Safir said.

He scanned the cavern and Evelyn tried to follow his gaze. The cavern was tall, so height would not be an issue. Distance might be an issue, but Lumin’s rumble of confidence squashed her doubt. If he was sure, so was she.

He unfurled his wings and kneaded the ground with his claws. The first few beats of his wings only kicked up dust; it took multiple attempts for him to lift off. Once he was off the ground, he started flying forward. At first, it was slow and low to the ground, as if she were riding a trotting horse. Even so, it felt special.

“You’re doing it, Lumin!” She called out.

He let out a soft, strained roar and started flying circles around the cavern. He maintained the slow speed, but it felt like he was ready for more.

After a few minutes, Isak waved them over. They hovered near the rider, now at eye level with him on Safir’s back.

“How do ye feel?” Isak asked.

“Amazing!” Evelyn said joyfully. “This is better than I imagined.”

Isak hummed and scratched his beard. “Meant that fer Lumin, but tis good ye feel so.”

Evelyn blushed and shrank behind Lumin’s spike.

“What Evelyn said. Flying alone is great, but this… this is beyond that!” Lumin said. He panted, but Evelyn sensed he could fly for a while, whether it be because of his energy level, or his sheer will.

A deep rumble of satisfaction bellowed from Safir. “If you are able, attempt the beginner maneuvers,” she said.

With a quick nod, Lumin twirled around, nearly throwing Evelyn from his back. “A little warning next time,” she said, readjusting her posture. Lumin looked back with an apologetic smile.

“Remember, use his spikes fer stability,” Isak called out.

She put hands on either side of the spine in front of her and gave Lumin a gentle pat on his neck. With a single beat of his wings, Lumin lurched ahead, tripling his previous speed. The force pushed Evelyn back, and she used every ounce of strength to stay upright.

Just as they were nearing the cavern wall, Lumin jerked to the left, tilting nearly perpendicular to the ground. Evelyn felt herself compressed against his back. It felt like enough to keep her seated, but she leaned to the side. With all her might, she tried to stay upright, it was overwhelming. She felt her hand slip from Lumin’s spine, and she fell.

The air was forced from her lungs as she slammed against the stone and tumbled across the cavern floor, hitting a stalagmite along the way. She came to a stop as her back cracked against the cavern wall.

The blurred shape of Lumin skid to a halt just in front of her, narrowly avoiding his own crash.

“Are you alright?” He asked in haste.

She could only utter a groan at first. There was a deep, throbbing pain in her leg on top of the rest of her body pulsing with cuts and bruises. If she had not been training and building her muscles, surely she would have broken multiple bones. It was hard for her to gauge, though, as her head spun.

Even as her body throbbed with pain, she said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Why are you upside down, though?”

“I’m not… you are.”

Only then did she realize her neck was craned against the ground. With a gruff chuckle, she rolled herself over and used the wall to stand up. She limped to Lumin, averting her gaze from the others.

Evelyn climbed onto Lumin’s back and he took off again. He hovered for a moment and glanced back at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” she bellowed. Lumin whimpered and she realized her tone was harsher than she intended and petted his side in apology.

He hovered for a few more wing beats before he accelerated. They weaved through the air, making zig zags that left Evelyn clinging onto his spike. She managed to hang on until he tried making the sharp turn around again. Like before, she could not overcome the forces on her and slammed into the ground, sliding to a halt just below the general.

Jalibamawt winced and Majadon did her best to hide her grimace. Fukayna and Hafara, however, remained stoic. Even if her vision wasn’t whirling from the dizziness, there was no way Evelyn could read the general’s emotions. The ichneumon slowly glanced at Isak, who rubbed his temple.

Evelyn melted into the stone, wishing it would absorb her and hide her for eternity. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself alone in a void, away from the pitiful, cringing eyes.

She cracked one eye open when a scaly snout pressed against her forehead. As Lumin nudged her, she could see the deep worry in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry,” he said between heavy breaths. “I should’ve… I don’t—” Lumin stuttered and cut himself off, unable to find an excuse.

Because there wasn't one, she thought.

“Wasn’t yer fault lad. She needs t’ stay on yer back,” Isak said as he slid down Safir’s leg and walked toward them.

Lumin helped Evelyn to her feet, letting her use him as a crutch given the throbbing pain in her leg. She suspected there was deep bruising in her muscles and worse, a possible fracture. She tried to push those thoughts away, though.

Her mentor glared at her, scrutinizing her very existence. Briefly, his gaze wandered to Fukayna, who didn’t react. He took a deep breath, lifting his shoulders high. Evelyn braced for a long, tense lecture.

Instead, Isak let out a long sigh, expelling a mountain of frustration. “Rest up, ye’ve taken a mighty beating today, and you, Lumin, are exhausted. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

For the next couple of days, they repeated the exercise, always with the same results. At slow speeds, Evelyn fine, but when Lumin increased speed, Evelyn struggled. On sharp turns or quick changes of pace, she’d either be twisted into an impractical position, or be flung off entirely. None of Isak’s advice seemed to help, either. She engaged her core, clamped her legs around Lumin’s neck, and practically hugged the spine in front of her. Nothing was working.

Only Lumin improved. After a day, he could lift off almost effortlessly, and the maneuvers he performed were sharp and calculated. Even Safir couldn’t hide her admiration. While she shared in the admiration, Evelyn couldn’t help her own frustration deepening. No matter how hard she tried, she always seemed to be falling behind, watching Lumin outgrow her day by day.

Despite his best attempts to hide it, frustration bellowed in Isak’s voice as well.

During the third day of practicing, she fell just in front of him again, skidding to a halt on her heels. At least she was learning to stick the landing better. Isak could only muster a sigh and look to the ceiling. He stood quietly for a few moments, likely conferring with Safir, whom he was fused with, allowing Lumin to recover and lift Evelyn to her feet.

Neither Evelyn or Lumin spoke a word to each other. He was growing frustrated as well. He vehemently denied Evelyn’s apologies, insisting he needed to improve, but he could not hide his feelings from her, not well at least. He knew it, Isak knew it, the other riders knew it, everyone knew it. The fault was hers, and hers alone.

A familiar voice called out for Isak in the direction of the base entrance. Fukayna approached with Hafara close behind her, the former beckoning Isak to them. Ever since the general witnessed her shortcomings first hand, Evelyn’s stomach churned whenever she saw either of them. Even when she walked by their tower, she felt a mixture of embarrassment and worry that Fukayna thought less of, or even grew to detest, Evelyn for not living up to whatever reputation her mother had.

Isak nodded to Fukayna in acknowledgement and defused with Safir. “Lumin, go with Safir, she has some tips for ye. Evelyn…” he paused and looked her over. “Dress that cut, I’ll be back.”

As Isak joined Fukayna and Hafara, Safir gestured to Lumin with a grunt.

Just before he followed her, Lumin whispered, “I told you it’s me, not you.” He walked away before she could respond.

Her eyes followed him the entire way. Even in his ‘failure’, he seemed excited to learn from the aquafin. He learned quickly and adapted to everything she throws at him.

Why can’t I just do the same? She wondered.

Evelyn sat upon the launch pad and cleaned the cut on her leg with the medical supplies kept on hand just for her while she watched Violet and Landon spar. It was more of an annoyance than a hindrance.

She inspected her body, noting all of the scabs and bruises she’d acquired. The scrapes on her elbow from falling backwards from the recoil of the breath weapon. A bruise covering her ribs when sparring with Landon —he landed a kick that Evelyn should have easily blocked. The many scrapes and bruises falling from Lumin’s back, fortunate the leg injury was only a bruised bone.

She shook her head and gripped her shirt. Stop! She thought. Stop focusing on your many… many failures. Focus on what matters: improving. She looked back up at Lumin, who was absorbing every word Safir uttered with intense focus. For him.

A shout startled Evelyn from her thoughts. She turned and saw Fukayna staring at Isak, her arms crossed, mouth curled into a frown, and eyes narrowed into slits. It was the most emotion she’d shown since Evelyn met her. They spoke in hushed voices, so Evelyn knew not what they spoke about. Clearly the general was upset at something Isak said. She wondered if it was about her, or worse, Lumin.

The two stared at each other for a long, drawn out minute. It looked like they were trying to break the others' minds with their looks. Eventually, the general sighed reluctantly and looked down at Hafara. He met her gaze and gave her what looked like a shrug.

“Fine,” the general said, her voice now loud enough for Evelyn to hear. “It is your call, rider.” Fukayna walked away, Hafara at her side. Isak waited for them to return to the base before he returned to Evelyn and signaled her to stand.

“Lass, let’s talk.”

She stood and straightened her back despite the pain it caused her aching spine. “Is it something else I need to be doing? Anything that will help me?”

He just frowned, and Evelyn could see the pity in his eyes. That worried her more than anything. “You… could say that.” He shifted his weight and his voice grew serious, more so than she’d ever heard.

“Evelyn… the best thing you can do to help yourself is to break your bond with Lumin.”