The Broken Scale (The Dragon Riders of Arvain) (13 page)

Guess not.
Hayden thought.

“So what happens now
? How long do we wait here until we get our eggs?” Hayden asked.

“
They will make us wait to get our eggs. They like to make a big event out of the whole thing,” Cass said as she replaced the helmet behind her; even though Giles had made a joke about the helmet, he hadn’t stopped staring at it since he had first seen it. “Right now we just wait till they come to get us I guess.”

They had to wait almost an hour
until the riders finally came to get them. Before Giles had come in, they were very talkative and building off of each other’s joy about getting their items, but after Giles had joined them all that changed. They sat it complete silence while they waited; after their initial exchanges, no one spoke anymore. They just sat there, each staring at their own item and listening to the faint crackling sounds that came from the torches on the walls.

The door that Giles had c
ome through finally opened again and this time Benet walked in. He gave Shane, Cass and Hayden warm hellos and congratulations on their accomplishments, but only nodded at Giles, which he returned in kind.

He led them out of
the room and through a hallway, then making their way up a long set of stairs and ended before the most decorative door Hayden had ever seen. The door looked to be made out of solid metal like all the other doors that were in Celestial City, but this one had detail carvings of what looked like the three dragons Hayden and the others had just seen. Each one was
carved in the exact color of their scales in real life. The carvings seemed to be alive and Hayden was worried that if he stared too long they might come to life and fly away.

T
he door opened through a crease Hayden had not seen in the middle of the door. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed when he had jumped back slightly; however no one but Cass was even looking at him but she was laughing quietly to herself. This caused Hayden’s face to feel like it was on fire as he blushed.

Benet ushered them all in to a giant room that was just as elaborately decorated as the door they had just passed through. It had vaulted ceilings that were high above them
. There were four large columns that seemed to support the structure, and every inch of the room was covered in beautiful carvings depicting dragons and fights that, if the pictures were even half way accurate, must have shaken the ground with its ferocity. There were even small torches hanging from the ceilings and the walls were almost completely covered in fire places that were all lit
so that the room danced and sparkled with the reflections of all the fires.

On the opposite side from where they had entered was a door three times the size of the one they had just entered in from
, big enough to fit a dragon. To their right, and all the way up against the far wall, stood a platform where upon three large thrones sat the Rulers of Three.

Each was dressed in the same armor
, but more decorative and cleaner
than when they had first met them. They were entering the Hall of Stories, named after all the battles and histories carved on every surface, Benet told them. They walked towards the thrones, shoulder to shoulder, until they were only feet away from the stairs in front of the platform that led to the thrones.

T
hey stopped and they tried to bow in unison. Giles was left standing alone with his chest pocked out for a few seconds before he realized the others had dropped to one knee. They kept their heads hung low and did not make eye contact as they stayed in this position until they were told otherwise. They had each laid their items in front of them so that the Three could see them outright. Benet said they would act surprised but they did not like real surprises.

Hayden heard what must have been the giant doors open and a rush of hundreds of metal boots walk in and come to stand behind them, but even with so many people in the room no one spoke and Hayden dared not look behind him to see who all had entered
. The next sound was that of a couple hundred armored people all bowing down. Hayden heard their armor clink together as they bowed and all their knees hitting the floor at the same time making a giant thud. Hayden still waited with his head bowed and his eyes closed.

“Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the first flight from last year’s trials. They have shown bravery, loyalty
, and determination and shall from this day forth be recognized everywhere as Dragon Riders of Arvain!” Elizabeth spoke over the hushed crowd that Hayden could not see. “As we welcome our newest members, let us also welcome this year’s trial winners. They have taken the first steps to joining our ranks. Let us wish them luck that next year we will be welcoming them into our ranks also. Now arise brothers and sisters, and see our new first years.”

Hayden heard the people behind him stand up, but he did not move. Benet had told them that all of this was based off of very old tradition and it had to be done exactly right or bad things would be following the wrong doer, bad things like angry dragons. Benet had told them: wait
until Elizabeth calls you by name to stand up and then do exactly as she says, no more and no less.

“Cassidy
, my dear, stand and present yourself.” Elizabeth spoke like a mother to her child after her child told her she had a gift to give her.

Hayden heard Cass stand up and climb the first few stairs to the throne
. Benet told them not to go any more than halfway up and he assumed Cass did exactly as Benet had told her.

“I am Cassidy and I have, by right of the three trials, been chosen to ride a golden dragon.” She spoke strong and sure, and Hayden heard more than a few people
gasp as she told them she was to ride a golden dragon. They were told to show their items as proof of their claim to an egg, therefore he knew she was holding her golden helmet aloft for everyone to see. Amongst the gasps, there were a few hushed whispers spread throughout the crowd, but only Elizabeth spoke out.

“It has been some time since a golden has been chosen, but in
just one year, you may truly be my sister. All welcome Cassidy The Gold.” Cheers and clapping came thundering from behind Hayden and were magnified off the walls. Cass made her way back to the lineup, but she did not bow again. “Giles, stand and present yourself.” Giles stood and walked to the stairs as Cass had done before him. Hayden listened to his footsteps as he climbed.

“I am Giles
, and I have, by right of the three trials, been chosen to ride a silver dragon.” With that said he raised his shield for everyone to see. Giles had spoken loud but almost bored. His pride of having a silver seemed to be wearing off as he realized all eyes were going to be on Cass and her gold.

“A silver is always needed in our city. All welcome Giles
The Silver.” More cheers rang as he made his way back down the stairs and to the line. Hayden was beginning to feel his heart racing again as he waited to hear his own name called. He would much rather climb the outside of a giant pyramid than stand up in front of a large crowd and speak. His palms got sweaty and his stomach began to feel tight as he anticipated his name to be called next.

“Shane
, stand and present yourself.” Elizabeth spoke after a few seconds of silence, only after the cheering had subsided. Hayden listened as Shane’s heavy feet hit the ground while he lumbered up the stairs. Hayden heard him take far fewer steps than the others.

“I am Shane
, and I have, by right of the three trials, been chosen to ride a copper dragon.” His voice rang out with great pride for what he had accomplished. Hayden listened to the sound of a sword being drawn swiftly out of its sheath.

“We can never have too many coppers
, dear, we need riders willing to do hard work.” Elizabeth spoke down on him in a way that she had not spoken to the others. “All welcome Shane The Copper.” There were fewer cheers for him than anyone else and there were even a few laughs at what Elizabeth said. Shane walked back into line and now all of them were standing with the exception of Hayden.

Knowing that he
was next made him so nervous he almost started shaking as he knelt there. His legs were already cramping from having done all the trials and then having to bow for fifteen minutes.

Why hasn’t she called me yet
? She didn’t wait this long with the others.
He thought to himself after Shane had gotten back in line.

“Hayden
, stand and present yourself,” she said smoothly.

Finally
he thought.
Oh no, now I have to speak in front of everyone.

He slowly rose
and made his way to the steps. He held his shield out in front of him as he had been instructed to do. Once on the middle step, he turned and faced the crowd that, up until this point, had been a mystery to him. Now he saw that there where hundreds of people looking at him, but they weren’t ordinary people. They were all dressed in armor of either copper, silver and even a very few gold. They were all dragon riders.

He did not remember opening his mouth to speak
but he heard “I am Hayden, and I have, by right of the three trials, been chosen to ride a silver dragon.” Then he realized it was him talking.

When he finished
, he raised his shield up so everyone could see the proof that he made it through the trials. Everyone cheered loudly, but not as loud as with Cass. He watched as some nodded their heads and some smiled at him.

“Well
, this has been the best trial since I earned my golden dragon. Another silver: my my, this will be an interesting year to come. All welcome Hayden The Silver. All welcome our four new first years!” she shouted. Her speech is accompanied by roars and cheers from the crowd.

Suddenly
a shout came from amongst the riders. “Wait! Where is my son?” The man inquired whilst lost in the crowd.

“Step forward rider
, so we may see who speaks. Who is your son and why do you ask now, during our ceremony to welcome our new riders?” She asked as a man clad in silver armor made his way in between the four new first years and the riders behind him.

He was tall and well built
. He had a thick mane of black hair that flowed freely over his shoulders and down his back. He wore brilliant silver armor, showing himself a rider of a silver dragon. His face was red with anger as he stood in front of the crowd.

“I am Ricen
The Silver, rider of Fennet the dragon. My son’s name is Sebastian and he participated in these trials. I am wondering why I do not see him amongst the four victors?” He shouted, even though they could clearly hear him.

“Well Ricen T
he Silver, if your son does not stand up here, then obviously he did not make it through,” Elizabeth said. She did not respond to his shouts and yells, but instead spoke in the same calm tone that she had with the others.

“That cannot be
. He has been preparing for this his entire life. One of them has done something to cause him not to make it; one of these four is a cheater.” He pointed at each of the four as if his finger would cause them to admit to the crime he assured them they were guilty of.

“Did any of you see what happened to this rider’s son?” Elizabeth asked the four first years.

“I did, ma’am,” Giles spoke up, and the moment he started making a sound Ricen’s finger found its way pointed at him.

“Go ahead
and tell me what happened to him.” Giles turned around so he could face Elizabeth. He took a deep breath and started telling her what he witnessed.

“He had made it through the first trial with no problem, then we both made it through the maze with a few
tough spots. Then we made our way up the stairs that we found while Hayden and Shane decided to leave us behind to whatever evil lurks in the darkness of that labyrinth. The climb took a mighty toll on us and once we found out we had to climb the outside of the pyramid, he told us he could not endure such a task. That is where he failed the trial,” Giles told her.

It infuriated Hayden to hear him hint around that Hayden and Shane might have been to blame.

“See, it was his own doing that did not place him here. Before you ask, there is nothing we can do about it. These are the rightfully chosen and we would never place one person from our glorious city above another no matter who their fathers are.” Elizabeth cut Ricen off before he could try to argue another point, but the next person to speak was Giles.

“He is not from here
, ma’am,” Giles said. No one made a sound, they just looked between Hayden and Giles’s outstretched hand that pointed at him.

“What?” Elizabeth said.

“While we were climbing the stairs we heard Hayden and Shane talking.  Hayden told Shane that he was not from Celestial City, he said he was from some small town some three days out from here.” Giles spoke louder than he had since they first entered the hall, although he wore a mask that showed he was only trying to help.

It was clear by the look in his eye that he was enjoying every minute of the story he was telling. Hayden was not worried about it though
. He had won his dragon egg, so he wasn’t from the city, what did that matter? He felt calm until he looked at Cass and Shane. Shane held his head low and Cass was looking into his eyes, while hers were full of tears and she was biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling.