"Presentation Day is unlike any other. The air is ripe with possibilities, and possibly the stench of sulfur from a dragon who has been offended. Never look a red in the eye. Never back down from a green. If you show trepidation to a brown...well, just don't."

—Colonel Kaori's Field Guide to Dragonkind

There were only 169 of us remaining by the time that fateful morning dawned - the harrowing Presentation where we would parade before this year's unbonded dragons, willingly subjecting ourselves to their piercing scrutiny as they weeded out the weak.

Our squad had managed to secure the eleventh placement out of thirty-six for the ordering of the Presentation. It was a respectable rank, though the knowledge that twenty-four other squads would precede us into the ravenous gaze of the dragons did little to quell the rising tide of anxiety seizing my legs.

I wished, in that moment, that we had placed dead last instead. The concept of striding mere lengths away from those ancient, discerning beasts as they evaluated whether I was fit to become their eternally bonded rider nearly paralyzed me with dread. What if I was found sorely wanting? Could I endure that mortifying rejection before my peers?

My rapid breathing began to shallow as these primal fears took root. But then I caught sight of Liam, whose innate confidence and skill had secured him the honor of leading our squad's procession. The young man fairly radiated an aura of steadfast determination, seemingly unruffled by the colossal stakes awaiting us.

Drawing strength from his example, I willed my turbulent emotions into an unyielding core of resolve. I was undoubtedly one of the fastest cadets to surmount the Gauntlet's heights. Though the Presentation would prove my most daunting trial yet, I had more than earned my right to succeed through relentless perseverance and grit.

Squaring my shoulders, I fell into step directly behind the self-assured Liam, pushing all extraneous thoughts aside. All that existed in this singular moment was the burning desire to prove my worth as an elite dragonrider, capable of bonding with one of those mythical beasts presiding over our fates. I would not simply endure the Presentation - I would conquer it.

Violet and Rhiannon fell into step directly behind me, with Tynan bringing up the rear of our solemn procession. The line began to move forward, each of us instinctively maintaining the suggested seven feet of distance.

I was hyperaware of every precise step as we traversed the hard-packed dirt trail, my boots crunching softly underfoot. A definite lingering odor of sulfur hung thick in the air, adding an ethereal weight to the atmosphere.

We passed by a trio of massive red dragons first. Their wickedly curved talons alone were nearly half my height - I shuddered to fathom the full, gargantuan scale of their forms.

"I can't even see their tails!" Tynan called out from ahead of me, voice laced with a hint of nervousness. "How are we supposed to know what breed they are?"

I kept my gaze firmly locked on the rippling, muscular plane of their shoulders as we slowly paraded past. "We're not supposed to know what breed they are," I answered evenly.

"Fuck that," he scoffed over his shoulder. "I need to figure out which one I'm going to approach during the Threshing."

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "Pretty sure this little walk is so they can decide whether we're worthy before the Threshing even happens."

As if in response to my words, I suddenly felt the weight of eyes burning into me from the crimson behemoths. Despite every instinct screaming at me not to meet their penetrating stares, I couldn't help but glance upward.

That single moment of eye contact seemed to yank the very air from my lungs. Searing draconic breath washed over me in an overwhelming wave of heat and power. I heard Violet gasp and stumble away from the force of it.

Then, as if plunging into the depths of a scorching forge, I felt the unmistakable brush of consciousness against my mind - alien, ancient, yet beguilingly mesmerizing.

"Sageyl was right...we're going to love you," one of the crimson wyrms rumbled in a resonant, profoundly inhuman timbre that seemed to reverberate through every fiber of my being.

I immediately stiffened, cold dread seizing my muscles. Unbonded dragons were expressly forbidden from speaking directly into human minds! What sort of depraved power play was this?

The other dragon snorted derisively, as if reading my very thoughts. "Oh yes, we can speak this way if we choose. We simply elect not to, for most unboundeds are unworthy of that intimacy."

I sighed, but went ahead and scratched the two red-nosed beasts' snouts anyway. "Alright, be so kind as to let me pass," I said. The crimson one on my right sniffed. "Fine, but you'll belong to us when the great threshing arrives." I snorted derisively. "You must be joking. You can't claim me yet, and I'm quite certain it won't work out for you regardless." 

The ruby-colored beast on my left exhaled heavily and nudged his brother. "Come on, Elzraym. Let's go. I don't want Tairn on our bad side during any part of the year." He then stepped back, his brother following behind. They took to the skies and soon disappeared from view. The other dragon-kin did the same, and my company and I made our way back to the beginning of the flying field. Those of us who weren't burned to ashes, that is.

"Well, well, Nightshade, it seems some dragons have already taken a liking to you," said Bodhi as he approached with Sawyer. I sighed. "So it would appear. Let's just hope they don't break the rules to try and claim me before the threshing," I replied.

Sawyer shook his head. "Dragons follow the rules much as we humans do, but sometimes the smaller, younger ones can be a bit defiant about it," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

I nodded before turning to Violet. "I saw you were nearly set upon by two greens. Did they recognize you?" She nodded. "They caught the scent of Teine on me, so yes, that's why they were so interested."

I nodded my head. "Very well, some sleep before the threshing would be wise." My companions gave their assent, and we took our leave of the flying field. Yet I could feel the dragons' eyes lingering upon me as we rounded the hill below. An interesting affair this threshing was like to prove.