The rest of the morning blitzes by. Rhetoric is just speaking drills. Frase and I pair up, he absent-mindedly goofing off for most of the time. We learn about current events, Ms. Trrystehn-Bluhnndehlll droning on for a half hour. It's basically a history lesson on the Rujan festival, and the Day of the Dragon. I have to admit; Her words, as monotone as they are, are distracting. I can't wait to win my dragon. And then, maybe, claim a spot among the Black Dragons during the Day. We have some big group discussion on the world outside our kingdom. I remain quiet. (Not so) Shockingly, Vivvy carries most of the discussion. That is until Elton tells her looking outside the kingdom is bad. Then she decides to shut up. I huff, eyebrows narrowed throughout most of the discussion.

Before I know it, the morning has dripped away.

We're dismissed for individual study. I stand up, legs sore from sitting for so long. Niko slips away, already headed off to his mentor. He's studying language. Wants to be an interpreter, I think. He's good at it, too. He can speak all four of our different languages a mile a minute. Frase and I walk together, leisurely moving out of the fields. He needs to go into town. His individual study is masonry.

"You alright?"

"Hmm?"

I look at him, blinking.

"Is it Elton?" he says. "You've been staring off into space for a while now. Lookin' angry, too. It's gotta be Elton, right?"

"I guess."

"That's all you gotta say?"

"I need to get to the garage. The twins are probably there already."

He stares daggers as I sprint across the grass. Not sure why, but his words are like hot nails digging into my skin. I just need to start doing the only thing I'm good at; Be it the only place I really belong. My individual study is a fairly new one. Officially, it's Erdian Tech. Some people call it Terro-magic. I know it as a hidden puzzle, begging to be put together while being drowned out by the entire world. Something incredible. Something no one takes seriously, or worse, view as a threat.

It takes me a good fifteen minutes of running just to get there on time. I move north, towards the hilly sea ports. Most studies are held somewhere in town, or in some academic building. Mine is held at my mentor's house. Samuel's house. It's elusive, stranded off on a random hilltop. It's put together enough, but odd, the materials it's made from a mix and match game. I get there in thirteen minutes. I don't bother knocking, the porch sagging under my weight. As usual, nobody's on the top floor.

His house is a complete mess. The first time my two classmates and I walked in, one of them almost fainted. Trash and old clothing is strewn everywhere. Half finished gadgets litter the table. I can't see most of it from the doorway (But I can sure smell it), just the poorly lit hallway leading to the stairs. I go down two flights and take a left. The handle to the garage stinks of grease.

"Heyo."

"Hi, Pearl- YEESH!"

I enter the garage only to immediately fall flat on my butt. Pearl and her sister, Phe, laugh hysterically. The drone whizzes in the air right where I should be standing. It bobs up and down as if taunting me. Pearl has the controller, dangling it from her left hand. The two sit in safety atop their work desks. I roll my eyes, pushing myself up. Looks like another normal day for those two.

"Don't you have something better to do-"

"-Then tormenting the poor Micha child? Course not. Unlike you, we're halfway down with our projects. They're due in four days."

"Pearl, I know, trust me."

She giggles. The two return to work, hopping off their desks with identical plops. Considering the fact that they're fraternal twins, it's scary how similar they act. One has red hair the other mousy brown, sure. But their senses of humor are not only scary but the same. I move over towards the end of the garage.

The garage is large, with a high ceiling the lights don't fully touch. It's filled with mechanics and scrap metal, a million half-finished gadgets centered around three desks My work desk is at the end of the room. It's next to the window. Given that Samuel lives on the hill, he thought it would be a great idea to put his workstation right on the side of the cliff. Glass planes separate us from icy sea blasts. It's a great sight. Honestly, it's why I insisted on being right at the end. Nothing like nature's fury to inspire my inner crazy.

"Pearl," says Phe. "Have you seen my tape measurer? I need it."

"Keep your desk more organized, girl!"

I laugh at her retort. Pearl sticks her tongue out at her sister, Phe huffing. I sit down at my desk, looking away from them and down at my papers. For the last two weeks, I've been working on an engine. Samuel whipped up something similar last year. Only, it weighs more than a full grown dragon. I want to make it lighter. You know, so someone can actually use it. We have enough problems to face already without having our inventions being practically useless. Or, having them fall and kill someone. The entire concept of Edrian Tech would be scrapped! Banished by the royal family!

I work in peace for a solid hour. The twins bicker and buzz, their projects already in the prototype stage. I'm still re-examining his original design. I'm almost there. Almost. Maybe by the end of the day, I'll be ready to make a working prototype. Emphasis on working.

"Kids!"

The door bursts open. My hand jerks, pencil tip breaking. All of us stop, standing up for Samuel. There's a swagger to his steps. It's off-kilter. I roll my eyes, knowing he might've been drinking. Again.

"Alright, whata got f-for me?"

Scratch that. He's definitely been drinking.

"Phe and I are working on the projects," says Pearl. "I'm almost finished with mine. It just needs a battery tweak and a good paint job."

"I'm working on mine, too," I say.

"You're still writing on paper."

"Doesn't matter!" snaps Samuel. "Just keep working. I'll be upstairs if you need any help. Try not to burn the place down."

"Will do," mutters Phe.

He's about to turn the door handle, until his jaw drops. 

A/N:  

This book reached fifty reads! Holy cow, thanks! Might not seem like a lot, but it's a big deal to me, so thank you. Lol, have a nice day!

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