"It is a grave offense against Malek to keep the belongings of a dead loved one. They belong in the beyond with the god of death and the departed. In the absence of a proper temple, any fire will do. He who does not burn for Malek will be burned by Malek."

—Major Rorilee's Guide to Appeasing the Gods, Second Edition

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The following weeks of intensive training on the Gauntlet proved significantly better for me. With each successive run, I could feel my legs growing stronger and more powerful, capable of propelling me higher and farther with every leap and bound.

Poor Violet, however, struggled mightily. No matter how diligently she attacked the course, her relatively slight frame and slender limbs seemed to betray her when confronted with the most demanding obstacles requiring explosive bursts of strength.

I shook my head sadly as I witnessed her failed attempts, knowing in my heart that I should offer to train her and help her develop the skill and muscle she desperately lacked. Yet, for some baffling reason, I hadn't broached the subject. Perhaps some of me feared she would reject the offer out of pride or embarrassment.

My contemplation was interrupted as I launched myself over the final towering barricade, tucking into a tight barrel roll to absorb the impact as I slammed onto the rain-soaked summit. My bare shoulders and knees skidded harshly against the damp earth, scraping away layers of skin, but otherwise, I emerged unscathed.

As I rose gingerly, fresh rivulets of blood mingling with the persistent drizzle, I caught Xaden's assessing gaze from nearby. His emerald eyes shone with evident respect for the sheer power and grit I had exhibited. Even Dain, the hardened squad leader known for his unshakable strictness, afforded me the faintest nods - his silent acknowledgment that my performance had been more than satisfactory.

It was then that the realization struck me. Supposeppose I hadn't taken Violet under my wing and imparted the lessons I'd so painfully learned in mastering this Gau. In that case,tlet. In that case, she may never have progressed far enough to survive the even deadlier challenges that still loomed ahead. Protectiveness swelled in my chest as I resolved to approach her after our next water break. Her struggles would become my struggles. I would ensure she surmounted this obstacle, even if I had to carry her weight alongside my own.

Soon enough, I found the opportune moment to approach Violet. As she so often did, she was speaking animatedly with Rhiannon and Sawyer, seeking their counsel and camaraderie. Steeling my resolve, I walked over to them.

"Violet, can I talk to you?" I asked. She nodded and bid farewell to our friends before following me off to the side, away from the bustle of the training grounds during our water break.

"Vi, I want to help train you," I stated plainly once we were out of earshot. "Rhiannon tries to help, but she can't properly train you to master obstacles like this Gauntlet."

Violet's eyes widened briefly before she gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. "You training me would help a lot, just like when we were younger, right?"

A fond smile tugged at my lips as I recalled those carefree days. "Oh yeah, but it will not be that easy this time. We help each other push past our limits or die trying together. That's our motto, isn't it?"

She chuckled softly, the musical sound suffused with nervousness and steely determination. "Sure is."

We shared one last resolute look, an unspoken vow passing between us, before rejoining the rest of our squad. Professor Emmetrio was calling out instructions, reminding us to be mentally and physically prepared - for tomorrow marked the beginning of the Presentation.

A flutter of excited trepidation pulsed through my stomach at his words. I eagerly awaited this pivotal event, culminating all our grueling training. Yet apart from that initial, fleeting glimpse of the green dagger tail soaring overhead during one of our first trials here, I realized I hadn't seen dragons around the outpost as much as I would have liked.

My anticipation mounted as I wondered what magnificent beasts awaited us come the Presentation's dawn. Steeling my nerves, I vowed to fully immerse myself in the moment it finally arrived, to take in every glorious sight and sound. After all, I had worked too fiercely toward this moment to let it pass by in a blur of anxiety. I would seize it wholly, revel in its splendor, and, most importantly - prove my worth as a dragon rider.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

"Doria Merrill," Captain Fitzgibbons' voice rang out clearly from the dais. Every chiseled feature of his weathered face was rendered in sharp detail, not only because the sun remained obscured behind a veil of clouds but because our formation had grown increasingly compact with each cadet who fell during the arduous training.

It was a sobering thought to be reduced to mere "cadets" now - nameless recruits awaiting our ultimate judgment. We were nothing more than possibilities yearning to be realized, our true worth and identities as Dragonriders remaining tantalizingly obscured until the inevitable winnowing occurred. We would transcend this liminal status if we proved worthy and only if the dragons themselves deigned to choose us.

Soon enough, the death toll sounded, and we were allowed to break formation, mingling about as the weight of judgment briefly lifted from our shoulders.

"So, what dragon do you think will choose you?" Rhiannon asked Violet, a teasing lilt to her voice.

Violet snorted derisively. "I don't think a dragon will choose me at all."

I jabbed her sharply in the side before she could wallow further in self-pity. "Don't say things like that. Of course, a dragon will choose you when the time comes, and today could very well be that time."

She sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. Are we going to train after this?" Her eyes found mine, a glimmer of desperate hope burning behind them.

I nodded firmly. "Yeah, if you have time. Just know my training regimes won't be easy."

Rhiannon let out a loud snort of derision. "You're far from hard, boneheaded Emberlyn. But I know you can at least hold your own against three yearlings."

Bristling at her jibe, I drove my elbow into her armored shoulder with a dull thud. "Watch it; you don't know the half of my strength."

My bravado drew raucous laughter from the other girls as they shoved me playfully. But beneath the cheerful bonding thrummed an inescapable tension, a sense that the lighthearted camaraderie could shatter like glass if the wrong dragon -- or no dragon at all -- designed to claim one of us in the looming crucible.

Swallowing hard against the lump constricting my throat, I forced myself to remain defiantly optimistic. Rhiannon's mocking words echoed through my mind - I would show them all the depths of my tenacity soon enough. Nothing could dissuade me from earning my place among the Dragonriders, not even the prospect of failure more devastating than death.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

An hour later, my feet flew over the spinning posts of the rigorous staircase obstacle, and I launched myself toward the safety of the gravel path beyond. The third ascent was complete - only two more feats remained. I didn't need to rely on a single rope for assistance.

Soon enough, bursts of speed and acrobatic leaps carried me through the fourth and fifth ascents. As I executed a final barrel roll upon sticking the landing atop the summit, Sawyer caught me before I could careen over the opposite edge.

"You did it!" he hollered euphorically, enveloping me in a congratulatory embrace.

Rhiannon came bounding over as well, beaming with pride as the two of us stood as the first members of our 'girl squad' to conquer this portion of the Gauntlet officially.

Now, only Violet remained. I watched with bated breath as she attacked the course with the same hopelessly acrobatic ferocity I had drilled into her. She moved with lithe swiftness, never once relying on the safety ropes except in dire need - just as I'd instructed. Those emergency tethers were meant for potential life-or-death situations, not crutches.

I flinched slightly as Violet drove her dagger into the wooden surface just below my feet to use as an anchor point. But she deftly swung herself up and over in one smooth, catlike motion, sticking the landing mere inches away while gulping down ragged breaths.

"Good job!" I shouted, pure elation swelling within my chest as I swept her into my arms, holding her trembling form tightly.

Of course, such a triumphant moment couldn't last. A harsh voice rents the air, shattering our reverie.

"Cheating!"

I whirled toward the accusatory shout to find Amber Mavis, the feisty strawberry-blond leader from the Third Wing, storming towards us with unbridled fury across her features. Her glare bored through Xaden, who stood only a few paces away, idly recording our times with a stopwatch and an utterly bored expression.

My teeth clenched as my embrace around Violet loosened somewhat. How dare this interloper question our hard-earned achievements?

"Back the hell up, Mavis," Garrick's gruff warning rang out as the sun flashed off the twin swords strapped across the curly-haired section leader's back. He swiftly interposed between the angry Amber and Xaden, ready to defend his best friend if the volatile situation escalated.

Though Xaden hardly seemed fazed and needed protection, I also felt a swell of protective instincts rise within me. I stepped forward, gently releasing Violet into Rhiannon's comforting grip behind me. Squaring my shoulders, I fixed the fiery strawberry-blonde with an unwavering glare, daring her to challenge Violet's integrity - daring her to challenge mine.

"You've got a lot of nerve throwing around accusations like that, Mavis," I stated coldly. "Xaden was right there timing us according to protocol. If you have an issue, take it up with him and the other judges, not us."

Amber's eyes narrowed to slits as she opened her mouth to unleash what was sure to be a blistering retort. But Garrick cut her off with a harsh slice of his hand through the air.

"Don't even think about it," he growled in a tone that brooked no argument. "You know the rules - we follow orders of the professors and sergeants, not jump down each other's throats over petty jealousies. So back off...now."

The muscle in Amber's jaw worked furiously as she seemed to weigh the consequences of escalating the confrontation further. For a moment, I feared she might be reckless enough to throw the first blow, damn the disciplinary repercussions.

Then, just as abruptly as her outburst began, she deflated with a disgusted snort. Whipping around, she stormed off without another word, though her hands remained clenched into white-knuckled fists at her sides. An uneasy silence hung in the air after her departure.

"Ignore her nonsense," Sawyer said, stepping beside me and clapping a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You three conquered this section fair and square by the rules. That's all that matters."

I released the pent-up breath I'd been holding and nodded, forcing myself to unclench and relax. Rhiannon and Violet joined us, their expressions mixing residual tension and hard-won triumph. We had prevailed and earned our accolades through blood and grit alone. No baseless accusations could tarnish that achievement.

"Let's go down," I said, reassuringly squeezing Violet and Rhiannon's hands. They smiled in return, the previous tension melting away in the face of our shared accomplishment.

Together, we descended from the towering heights of the Gauntlet, every muscle protesting from the grueling exertion yet gloriously alive with the thrill of victory. We had conquered this diabolical trial through sheer tenacity and teamwork alone.

As our boots struck the welcoming earth below, I couldn't help but feel an effervescent sense of pride and relief. This arduous leg of our training lay behind us, one more imposing gauntlet conquered. Next came the pivotal Presentation—the ultimate proving ground where our destinies as Dragonriders would be eternally sealed.

A frisson of nervous anticipation lanced me as we trudged toward our barracks to grab some hard-earned rest. The fires of our forging had purged away any lingering self-doubt; we had been rendered blades hardened and honed, ready to shine radiantly before the discerning gaze of the majestic dragons.

My only hopeful uncertainty was whether any mythical beasts circling high above would deem us worthy mounts and eternal partners. After all, we had endured, suffered, and sacrificed to reach the hallowed summit, I could only trust that our worth would blaze brilliantly enough to catch their enigmatic eyes.