Chapter 95: Not Untouched

By the time Reynold reached the academy gates, the principal was already standing there with an angry look on his face.

Reynold muttered, "Shit," under his breath seeing him.

He pulled the reins, and Aurion to a stop. Reynold climbed down from the back.

Aurion, Pyreus, and Thornox shook their large wings before flying back into the sky and toward the dragon stables.

The principal marched straight up to Reynold.

"You left this academy with three dragons without a single piece of clearance from the school authorities," the principal yelled.

Reynold lowered his head and kept his eyes to the ground. "I am sorry, sir. I only went to make sure my father’s house was still standing."

"You should have reported to the authorities!" the principal snapped. "We would have sent guards to secure your father’s house." He paused and narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the sky. "Those things up there would have torn you apart and eaten you alive if you were flying on non old blood or non-war dragon."

He stepped closer, pointing a finger at Reynold’s chest. "This is your first warning. You get two more, and you are expelled from this academy, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Reynold nodded quickly.

"Do not thank me," the principal said coldly. "Go to the stables and thank your three dragons. They are the only reason you are standing here alive."

Without waiting any further, the principal turn and walked away.

Reynold let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... that did not go as bad as I thought," he muttered softly.

He turned toward and started walking towards the dormitories, but he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

Just a few feet away, Nymeria and Nyx were walking side by side with a cloaked figure.

Reynold froze as he recognized the cloak immediately. It was the exact same figure who had told him go back, go back!

Reynold changed his direction immediately and followed behind them.

He started walking lightly, and hiding behind stone pillars to stay out of sight.

He needed to find out what happened to Gwyn.

They suddenly stopped walking as Nymeria bend down to picked something..

Reynold pressed his back flat against a wall, holding his breath until the trio resumed walking.

He peeked his head out, and seeing them a bit far, he started following them again.

They head to the magic users’ building and passed the dorms and head straight toward a private quarters.

Then they stopped in front of a door.

It was Nymeria’s private dorm room.

Reynold hide himself behind a corner wall as Nymeria pulled out her plate and unlocked the door.

Before she could push it open, the figure said in a calm voice.

"You can come out now, Starweaver."

Nymeria and Nyx turn around, and their eyes widened in shock when they saw Reynold step out from the corner.

Reynold walked forward slowly ad he scratched the side of his head. "I... I only followed you because I wanted to know if Gwyn is fine.."

The figure turned toward the open room.

"Come inside."

Nymeria and Nyx walked in first. The figure followed, and Reynold entered inside last.

Reynold stayed close to the window, and leaned himself against the wooden frame with his arms crossed.

The figure took a seat on the sofa, and Nyx sat down beside her, looking pale and nervous.

Nymeria walked over to a table as she uncorked a bottle of a wine, and poured herself a glass.

It was her usual habit of drinking wine when ever things were going wrong or when she had too much on her mind.

The cloaked figure reached up and pulled her hood back. She then wave her hand across her face and her appearance changed.

She pull the cloak off her body entirely. She was wearing a white robe that is similar to the ones the white mages wore with glowing silver patterns.

A glass sword was attached to her hip.

Reynold stared at her. "You are one of them... I saw them fighting those invisible monsters up in the sky."

The woman nodded. "They call us the White Mages and those invisible monsters took your friend."

Reynold furrowed his eyebrow. "What do you mean they took my friend?"

The White Mage let out a slow breath. "Centuries ago, our kingdom of Valdris joined hands with the people of Aether to defeat and lock away our common enemy, the Queen of Death snd her army. But somehow the Forsaken found a healer girl carrying a pure healer bloodline that is strong enough to break the seal and raise the Queen and her army." She paused. "That healer girl is your friend, Gwyn."

Reynold looked at Nymeria who simply sip from her wine, he then shift his gaze to Nyx, and then back to the mage.

"What I don’t understand," Reynold said as his voice tightened, "is how they took her straight out of the academy with out any one seeing them. The rumor going around was that she just fainted during the tournament."

Nyx swallowed. She was nervous and her palm were sweating. "We... we went to buy snacks before the final round," Nyx stammered with her shaking voice. "Gwyn bumped into another student on our way. Right after that, she said she was feeling dizzy and strange. I told her we should go back to the dorms so she could rest, but she refused... she wanted to stay and watch the Year One or maybe you."

Nyx stopped, swallowed a lump in her throat before she continu. "The moment the tournament ended, she collapsed. I panicked and rushed her straight to the infirmary. A healer met us at the door, took Gwyn inside, and told me to wait in the hallway. I didn’t know she was fake.... They left with her through the back door."

Reynold’s jaw clenched. "So you are telling me a Forsaken walked right into this academy, disguised themselves as a student and a healer, and took a girl from the infirmary? Is this place not supposed to be safe?"

Nymeria swirled the red liquid in her glass. "No place is completely safe, Reynold. It could have happened anywhere"

Reynold bit his lower lips... "So how do we get her back?"

"To fully awaken the Queen of Death, they need Gwyn’s magic at the fullest," the White Mage said. "Draining and preparing that kind of power will take them at least a few months. That gives us time to locate them and strike before it is too late."

The White Mage stood up and turned toward Nymeria. "I must return to the high council. Nyx will stay here for now."

Nymeria nodded. "Understood."

The White Mage waved her hand over her face again, and her appearance changed to ordinary person. She grabbed the cloak put it around her shoulders. She then left.

Reynold watched the door closed, then pushed himself off the window frame.

"I am leaving too."

"You are not going anywhere," Nymeria said firmly, putting her glass down. "You are staying here too."

Reynold frowned. "Excuse me? I do not need you babysitting me, Nymeria."

"Oh, spare me the tough talk," Nymeria replied, rolling her eyes. "I do not need you running off to play the hero and getting yourself killed. Nyx stays in this room, and so do you."

"Bullshit," Reynold snapped. "What I do with my time is none of your business. And since you are locking up everyone close to Gwyn, are you going to lock up her cousin too?"

"As long as you are a student in this academy, you are my business," Nymeria said. "And for your information, her cousin was smart enough to pack his bags and go home to his family."

She stared directly at Reynold. "Look me in the face right now, Reynold, and tell me you are not planning on mounting your dragon to go look for her yourself."

Reynold look away without saying anything.

"You might be a Two who is bonded to three dragons," Nymeria said quietly, "but you are not untouched. And It is time you start using your damn brain instead of making stupid choices with your emotions."

Location: The Inn

Valerius was sitting on the bed. He groan in pain as he pressed the wet cloth on his wound.

The door suddenly banged open, and Sabel rushed inside.

Seeing the the blood on his shirt, she threw her hands up in anger. "Another wound?! What the fu*k is going on with you, Valerius? You can not even leave the inn with out me worrying if you are going to end up here with another wound or not!"

Valerius gritted his teeth, as he pressed the cloth down. "I am fine, Sabel."

"No, you are not fine!" Sabel yelled as she crossed her arms. "I am so fu*king sick of all these secrets. Every single day it is something new that you refuse to tell me!"

Valerius let out a sigh. "I ran in to one of my mother’s old enemies. She stabbed me just to send a message back to my mother." He let out a dry, bitter laugh and winced. "If only the woman knew how much I h@te my mother too." He hissed through his teeth as he pressed the wet cloth again.

Sabel pressed her lips together and shook her head, muttering under her breath, "You are damn lucky I still care about you."

She walked over, snatched the wet cloth out of his hand, and gently wiped the blood away from the skin.

Holding her other palm flat over the wound, a soft, warm light glowed from her fingertips. Slowly, the open flesh knitted back together, and the wound closed.

....

Author’s Note

Hi guys, I need your opinion on something.

I have been thinking about changing the title of the novel because I think that "The Almighty Dragon Rider Returns" does not completely fit the story any more.

Don’t worry, i am not changing the story. The characters, storyline, and world building is still the same. I just want a title that fits the story better.

Which one do you prefer?

1. The Starweaver

2. The Blood of Valdris

3. Keep The Almighty Dragon Rider Returns

I’d genuinely love to hear your opinions before I make the final decision so drop a comment.