The massive dragons continued to hover in circles above us, and their silhouettes crossed over the field like great, dark clouds shadowing the earth. They screeched and roared until the ground trembled beneath our feet, and their glittering emerald bellies sparkled across the dusty sky. Each time their massive wings beat up and down, a wave of heavy wind came swarming down on us and nearly knocked us over.
“Do not be alarmed,” Evanora said as she glanced upward, “as I said, if you were able to control their replicas… then I’m sure you will be able to handle them at their full size.”
“She doesn’t sound too sure about that,” Akira groaned by my side.
“We’ve got this,” I said with my most reassuring smile. “You just need to maintain a positive mindset.”
“Exactly,” Faye added with a broad grin across her freckled and flushed face. “This will be a piece of lemon newt pie.”
“Easy for you to say,” Penelope mumbled.
The dragons continued to fly above us in circles, and when I glanced at the pink-haired professor, she quickly flicked her green eyes downward and began to flip through her red book. When she seemed to locate the correct page, her face scrunched up in concentration before she lifted her head to glance back toward the burning, rosy sky.
“Class… stand behind me,” the professor ordered. “Right now.”
We didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as the hasty command left the pink-haired professor’s lips, we all hustled behind her, and when I glanced around, I realized a large chunk of students were missing. My coven, as well as Nyx and Beatrix, stood close by my side, and I could feel everyone’s fear and apprehension as we stood obediently behind the pink-haired professor.
“Ivy and Iris aren’t here,” Beatrix said as she looked around with her wide, dark eyes.
“That’s probably because they couldn’t even tame the fucking lizards,” Akira scoffed. “I bet they’re still in the classroom practicing.”
“That makes the most sense,” Morgana breathed in both amazement and horror as she stared up at the shrieking dragons. “Professor Evanora did say we’d be in groups.”
“Well, they’re certainly missing out,” Faye added in a giddy tone. “These dragons are amaaaazzzzzinnnngg!”
“I’m glad to see you’re excited about this, Faye,” I chuckled as I squinted up into the sky.
The dragons continued to fly high above us, and I could tell Evanora was waiting for the right moment to make her next move. She finally took in a deep breath before slowly turning around to face the students.
“Alright,” she said with her chin raised. “Firstly, I will summon the dragons down here to our level. Once they land, you must find the dragon you think is most drawn to you. Be cautious when approaching these creatures… do not show them any fear, and be sure to let them know you are the ones in control. They are perfectly capable of sensing distress, and I cannot stress this enough, they’ll kill you for it. Understood?”
I could hear several students collectively gulping in terror as she uttered those words. I knew they were afraid, but at the same time, we needed to learn how to control these beasts. They would be useful to us, especially during combat. So, I took a small step forward and then gently placed my hand on the professor’s shoulder.
“May I have a quick word with you, Professor?” I whispered softly into her ear.
Evanora whipped around and then focused her bright, emerald eyes on me. Her pink eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, but she sighed and let her shoulders fall down as she slowly nodded.
“Fine,” she relented, “but be quick.”
I gently pulled her away from earshot and then stared deeply into her vivid eyes.
“Look,” I started, “we’re going to have to find a way to encourage the students… not frighten them into perfection.”
“Are you trying to correct the way I’m teaching my own class, Cole?” she asked in an icy tone before she crossed her arms over her chest. “I certainly hope that’s not the case.”
“Not at all, Professor,” I answered with my hands raised in defense. “I just… believe a slightly different approach would be more advantageous.”
“Oh?” she hummed with a raised, pink eyebrow. “And just what exactly do you propose we do, Cole?”
“Let me try and tame one of them first,” I urged. “If the class can watch me successfully control one of these beasts, then perhaps an imminent and painful death will not be their first concern.”
Evanora regarded me with a quizzical, arched eyebrow before she sighed and then rubbed at her temples.
“Fine,” she said after a long moment, “but if you fall and break every bone in your body or are devoured by the beast, then Theodora will never let me hear the end of it.”
“I promise I won’t die,” I responded with a repressed chuckle. “You can count on me, alright?”
“Alright.” Evanora pressed her rosy pink lips together and firmly nodded in my direction. She then took in a slow, deep breath and gradually turned around to face the students once more.
“Class,” she began, “it has been decided that we will first demonstrate what needs to be done, and Cole has so graciously offered to be the first one to tame his dragon. I will summon them down to us, and again, please do your best not to show any signs of fear. They’ll smell it off you like a wendigo smells blood.”
“Yes, Professor,” the class responded in unison.
“Very good,” she answered as she tossed back her long, wavy pink hair.
Evanora turned to look at me and then gestured for me to take a few steps forward. We walked together through the lush, green field, and when the professor stopped in her tracks, I did the same. She still had the crimson book held tightly in her grasp, and after she glanced at it one more time, she lifted her head to stare at the flying, deadly creatures above us. Then she closed the book and raised both hands into the air.
“Fugere et iungere mihi magna creatura in caelum,” she chanted.
As soon as the words left her lips, the sky darkened for a moment, and then the dragons began to screech louder as their wings beat like echoing thunderous drums. I stood my ground as they began to lower their massive bodies down to the earth, but I swallowed hard as each creature swiftly landed on the ground with a heavy thump, just a few feet in front of us.
Now, we were face to face with death, but it didn’t frighten me. If anything, I felt more alive as I peered into the eyes of the beast right in front of me. It was the largest of the herd, and like his small replica, he had shimmering, emerald green scales spread all over his massive body that glittered and gleamed under the rose-colored sunlight. The creature was as tall as the trees of the black forest and was large enough to take down an entire village on its own. Its haunting eyes were as bright as a flickering flame and filled with a desire for blood and freedom. Its claws were black and sharp like curved ebony daggers that could lacerate the heftiest of creatures into mere, bloody ribbons, and it had a pair of deep green horns on the top of its head that appeared to be as piercing and lethal as the finest crafted knives.
As soon as our eyes met, the dragon took a step forward, beat its wings, stretched out its elongated neck, and then roared. I didn’t flinch, and I didn’t even shift my feet. Instead, I continued to stare right at the creature and then raised my hand. My wand didn’t shake as I kept it aimed at the beast, and its eyes refused to leave mine as I lifted my arm even higher.
“Don’t alarm him,” Evanora whispered. “Just keep eye contact with him, and when you feel as if you’re ready… recite the spell.”
“Got it,” I whispered.
Evanora didn’t say another word as I took a small step forward, and not one of the beasts moved an inch. For some reason, they didn’t even growl or hiss as I drew nearer and nearer, and the most enormous dragon simply stared at me with his golden-green eyes and flared nostrils. Finally, when I was close enough, I parted my lips and recited the spell.
“Et erunt morietur!”
A swift blast of orange light hit the beast right in the chest, and he roared as the spell illuminated his massive body like a current of electricity coursing through every single vein in his gigantic frame. He then swerved his head in protest, and the other dragons all cried out in unison as if they were speaking their own language.
“Stay calm, Cole,” Evanora advised in a loud whisper. “Do not falter.”
“I won’t,” I muttered without taking my eyes off the giant beast.
He continued to sway his head in protest, and then finally, when the spell seemed to have taken its full effect, the dragon stared deeply into my eyes with its nostrils flared and its mouth parted slightly open.
I stared at his sharp, yellow jagged teeth and bleeding gums, and for a moment, I thought he was preparing to burn me to a flaming crisp, but instead, he lowered his head and then bent one knee slightly forward, as if it were bowing before me.
“Well done!” Evanora exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.
The class softly clapped alongside her, but the sound seemed to agitate the other beasts, which were not yet tamed. Aside from the largest one, they all began to beat their wings and then screech at the witches behind me.
“Calm your brothers and sisters,” I found myself whispering as I stared into the dragon’s eyes. “Tell them we mean them no harm.”
I had no idea what compelled me to speak with the leader, but as soon as my words drifted through the air, he turned his elongated and elegant neck and stared long and hard at his counterparts. Then he lifted his massive body and let out a long, drawn-out, commanding screech.
The other dragons immediately fell into deafening silence and remained as still as stone, and I could hear the other students gasping and whispering feverishly amongst each other as I took another step closer toward my dragon.
He was mine to command now.
“Easy there,” I whispered as I took another step closer.
I raised my free hand, and when I was inches away from the creature, I gently placed my palm on his chest. His skin was warm, rough, and thick, and I could feel fierce vibrations pulsating against my hand as I rubbed his scales.
“Would anyone else care to try?” Evanora asked in a perkier and hopeful voice.
“I would!” I heard Faye’s voice echo from behind me.
I gently retracted my hand and then turned to look at the eager redhead, and her freckled face broke into a small smile as she took tentative steps toward me. She had her wand raised and hand steady as she approached the line of ferocious beasts, and I didn’t sense any fear radiating off her body as she stood next to me and stared at the dragon to my right.
“She’s a beauty,” Faye whispered as her golden-green eyes locked onto a smaller, paler green dragon. “I want her.”
“So, tame her,” I encouraged. “You’ve got this.”
Faye nodded in agreement and then took a steady breath as she faced the dragon of her choice. The gigantic creature stared back at the redhead, and its glowing, yellow eyes narrowed at the wand in Faye’s hand.
“Et erunt morietur,” the redhead shouted in a firm and commanding voice.
Another orange light hit the dragon right in the belly, and her entire body glowed as if a fire were burning her from within. She tossed back her massive head and roared as the spell took over her whole body, and then when it all came to a stop, she gazed at Faye with a curious but harmless pair of eyes.
“Well done, Faye,” Evanora praised. “Now, I’m sure the rest of you can give it a try, no?”
Each student slowly approached the dragons, but I didn’t feel a twinge of fear from any one of them, and I couldn’t sense the same hesitation and terror I felt before. In fact, each witch seemed to be filled with determination and excitement, and as blasts of orange light began to hit the countless number of dragons, Evanora continued to praise and clap for each successful spell.
Finally, when each dragon seemed to be tamed, Evanora took a small step back and then regarded each student with pride and enthusiasm.
“Now,” she began, “since you’ve all excelled at this… I believe we can move on to the next step.”
“Err, Professor?” Morgana raised her hand into the air. “This wasn’t the full objective of today’s lesson?”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Evanora chuckled. “Miss Morgana, I’m sure you can answer this for the rest of the class, but tell me, what did witches use for transport before we perfected shadow porting?”
“Dragons, and other flying creatures,” the brunette answered without missing a beat.
“Then you just answered your own question,” Evanora replied with glittering, green eyes. “You’re going to fly.”
A chorus of gasps filled the air, and everyone turned to gawk at each other in excitement. For a full minute, Evanora allowed it, since this was such an unusual experience for everyone, but then she clapped her hands, and everyone fell deadly silent.
“Now, the first thing you’ll have to do is obviously climb on top of the creature,” Evanora explained. “You must hook your foot in between their scales and then clamber on, as if you are climbing a stone tower.”
The pink-haired professor folded her hands patiently in front of her and then regarded us with a serene smile.
So, I quickly turned around to face my own dragon and took another deep breath. Everyone slowly approached their tamed beasts, too, and as I drew closer to mine, I could hear a deep growl resonating in his chest.
“Easy,” I whispered before I placed a gentle hand on his scaly side. “I’m not going to hurt you… we’re just going for a little ride.”
He puffed out two great clouds of silver smoke from his nostrils, and then he slightly lowered his head as if to say he understood me. My face broke into a smile as I tucked my wand safely into my waistband and slowly began to clamber onto his giant back, and as I made my way up, I could feel his growls vibrating through his entire body. Sweat dripped from my brow as I scaled higher, and finally, when I reached his back, I situated myself as best I could. Then, with two legs over each side, as if I were riding a horse, I placed my hands on his neck and spoke as clearly and as loudly as possible.
“Fly,” I ordered.
The witches all gasped with shock and awe as the dragon kicked off from the ground and then bounded into the sky. I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs as we soared upward, and the feeling of the wind beating against my skin as I flew higher and higher sent electric currents coursing through my entire body. My heart beat like a manic drum, and I could hear the blood pumping in my ears as we sped through misty clouds and toward a white-wine colored sun.
At that moment, I felt invincible, as if nothing could ever take this feeling away from me.
“Fuck, yeaaaah!” I cried out as we dove through clouds and past acres of green fields.
I could hear faint voices echoing through the air, and when I turned around, I saw other witches flying not too far behind me. Each witch I spotted had a broad, sunshine-filled smile plastered across her face as she flew through the misty clouds, and various cheers and cries of exhilaration filled the skies.
Suddenly, Nyx was right behind me, and as I met her deep plum-purple eyes, something like a giant hawk or crow came flying directly by her head. She gasped, and her eyes went as wide as dinner plates as she tried to dodge the mysterious bird, but it was still enough to cause her to lose her balance and slide right off her dragon.
“Nyx!” I called out just before she let out a terrified scream. Then I grasped tightly onto the sides of my dragon’s neck and leaned down to shout into his ear. “Go after her!”
The beast didn’t seem to move or even care until I clutched him even tighter, and it felt as if my nails were about to penetrate his scales and draw blood.
“I said, go after her!” I ordered in a firmer and clearer voice.
He must have sensed my urgency and finally understood my meaning because, in the next moment, he made a sharp turn and then dove down toward the falling blue witch. Razor-sharp gusts of wind blew past my face, and my hair was flying back as we flew faster and faster.
Nyx continued to scream her lungs out as she tumbled through the air below me until finally, my dragon extended his claws and caught her as if she were as light as a drifting feather.
“Great job!” I cried out, and my voice was filled with immense relief.
“Cole!” Nyx shouted over the wind as she laid in the massive claws of the dragon. “You saved me… thank Satan.”
“You’d think I’d just let you fall?” I grinned. “Not on my watch… come on, let’s get back on the ground.”
We swiftly returned to the lush, green fields, and my dragon gently placed Nyx back onto the earth as lightly as he would carry a porcelain doll. Other dragons and witches soon began to return to the ground, and I figured they must have witnessed Nyx nearly falling to her imminent death.
As soon as my coven climbed off their creatures, they began to run toward the two of us, but I turned to check on Nyx first.
“You alright?” I called down.
“Yes, thank you, Cole,” the blue-skinned witch panted as I climbed off the beast.
“Don’t mention it,” I answered and stared into her grateful, purple eyes.
“Are you alright?” Faye gasped as she neared us. “Nyx, we saw you fall, and I was so sure that was the end of that... you would have broken every bone in your body.”
“No shit,” Akira added with a nervous giggle. “Glad to see you’re in one piece. Literally.”
“Thanks,” Nyx replied as others began to swarm around us.
“Alright, everyone, move aside and make room,” Evanora’s voice echoed as she approached us. “Miss Nyx, are you alright?”
“Yes, thanks to Cole,” she replied, and her voice was still slightly trembling.
“Well done, Cole.” Evanora smiled at me.
I nodded in response and then looked at the hundreds of dragons and scattering students who were either buried in conversation or still petting their beastly companions. As I stared back at my own dragon, I sensed a deep connection with the creature, and although it wasn’t the same bond I shared with Alexander, it still felt meaningful and unbreakable.
“Professor?” I said as I stared at the pink-haired witch. “Where are we going to keep these dragons?”
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” she confessed and chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. “Perhaps we can create a protection spell on this realm and keep them here for our use.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to bring them back to Scholomance?” I urged. “We could have training pits for the students.”
“Oh, yes, please, Professor!” Faye gushed, and she started to bounce on her heels in excitement. “There are endless creatures in the realm of the academy they can hunt.”
“I think that would be most productive, and the dragons would like it,” Morgana added with a slight nod.
“Not to mention they are quite beautiful creatures,” Vesta sighed, “I’d love to gaze out the window during class and see one flying through the clouds. I could even paint a picture of it now in my head.”
“It would totally be badass.” Akira grinned with a twinkle in her coal-black eyes.
“Please, Professor?” Penelope pleaded with a small, endearing pout.
“We’d need to ask Theodora,” Evanora relented after a long moment. “She would need to expand an area on the grounds for them.”
All the witches who were crowded around the professor began to cheer with excitement, and she allowed it for a minute before she raised her hands into the air and gestured for everyone to be quiet.
“While I’m delighted you’re enthusiastic about the notion,” she began, “we need to return to Scholomance. It’s getting late, and I do not want to keep an entire class out in the dark in a different realm.”
Evanora glanced at the hundreds of students and dragons that surrounded her, and then with a snap of her fingers, giant clouds of purple smoke wrapped up each student, and we were sent tumbling back to the academy.
When all the smoke cleared, and we found ourselves back at our seats, we didn’t even have time to catch our breaths before Vanessa came running into the classroom, clearly fraught with panic. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were brimming with tears.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her like this, and it made my stomach drop and my heart beat like a hummingbird’s wings.
“Vanessa?” Evanora gasped. “Whatever is the matter?”
“It’s the headmistress,” Vanessa breathed in a trembling voice. “She’s been attacked.”