What's gotten into him? I'm thinking it's the drugs until I follow his stare. Dragon riders are at the window.

We all run towards the glass. I sprint, then pressing my nose into the cold material. Their scales tint in green patterns, magnificent wings brighter than the sun. They glide with purity. Smoke snorts from their nostrils, framing their riders, their hands bound by the reigns. It's impossible for me to shut my eyes. In a flash, they're gone.

"Alright, back to work."

The other two head back, but I'm glued in the moment. That single glimpse is a breath of fresh air. I simply can't live without a dragon. It means far too much...I have to win at the Rujan Festival.

I just have to.

I don't like it; She's too quiet.

Vivvy stirs at her stew with her spoon. Her eyes promptly focus on the blurring brought, frowning. I sigh. I'm not used to it being so silent. She's usually bubbling with things to say, making the cluttered kitchen lively. Now, it's as dreary as the piles of dirty dishes in our sink.

"Do you know where-"

"Working."

"Oh," I mutter. "We'll, how was medicine today?"

"Fine."

She slurps a glop of soup, munching on a bit of the potato. I nibble on my piece of bread. It tastes stale. I should've bought some more at the market today. I glance at my soup. It's almost empty, bits of carrots and tuna wadding up at the bottom. I was wrong; Despite the spices, I can still taste the fish.

"So," I start again. "Feel like you're ready to save lives?"

"I guess."

"Or save a dragon's life, maybe? The Rujan festival is only three days away."

Her eyes brighten, spoon dropping. Plop. I grin. She's hook, line, and sinker now.

"I'm studying human medicine, you goof. Not a dragon's. But maybe I'd be able to save someone from dragon-related injuries."

"Save the Black Dragons?"

She laughs.

"Of course! You're going to try and join them, right? I think it's going to be great. Saving lives, watching over the kingdom. Even, maybe, sneaking a peek at the rest of the world."

She sighs, pushing her soup away and collapsing into her own hands. Vivvy has a dreamy look on her face. I raise a brow, rolling my eyes.

"You want to leave, don't you? Get away from here?"

"Yeah...it's just, things are so small here. So tight and boring. I want to see the other side of the ocean...see if the Ember's empire is still kicking, you know?"

"Ah yes, the people that tried to eradicate us."

She sticks out her tongue. I return the gesture, taking another bite of bread. It tastes lighter all of the sudden.

"What do you think they'll make us do to get our dragons?"

"Not sure," I say. "Fight each other? Complete a maze? Battle a gigantic, talking parrot? My money's on the last one."

"Definitely the last one, oh for sure," she snorts. "But really. What if we're just not up to the task? What if we don't end up with a dragon of our own?"

"That won't happen."

"How can you be sure?"

She looks at me with doe eyes. There are a few tears in there, buried deep but present. I reach out and grab her hand.

"We have something not everyone has."

"Are you referring to our God everyone hates or your Terro-Magic?"

"Determination."

She smiles, crinkling her eyes. I take the final swig of my soup. Maybe things would go better. A few days from now, they'll definitely be better. People treated dragon riders fairly. They respected them. I smile. Yeah, things will be better.

Crash!