Gemina zoomed in low, and Alura executed a perfect dive roll onto the sand floor. She whipped up, removing the sword strapped to her back, and ran at a full sprint. Gemina dipped down, grabbed her in one claw, and tossed her upward. Kerrigan’s eyes widened as Alura did a flip and landed in a standing crouch on the back of her dragon, an effortless shield forming around them. She thrust the sword back into its sheath and then side-rolled down the leg of her dragon, dangled from the ankle, and released, using air to cushion her descent and landing on one knee.

She slowly rose to her feet and surveyed her charges.

“Congratulations. You have completed your thirty days of basic training and are moving on to dragon training.”

Gemina soared around overhead once and then landed primly next to Alura, whipping her tail in tight around her.

Hello, littlings, Gemina mind-spoke to them. Today is the first day of real training. You will leave here a different person, a different dragon, a different bonded team.

Kerrigan glanced at Tieran worriedly. A bonded team was anything but what they were.

“The training will progress over the next eleven months with a final test with your dragon next summer. Passing that test means getting official robes and membership into the Society. But first, you have to be able to do everything that I just did and more. Any questions?”

Audria, of course, shot her hand into the air.

Alura glared at her until she pulled it back down. “Good. Then, we’ll begin.”

Begin wasn’t quite the word. Thrown in headfirst without warning was more like it. Alura had a very unique method of teaching. Which basically meant figure it out until you get it.

“Shield up,” Alura shouted from the distance.

Kerrigan lay in the sandy arena, staring up at the clear blue sky, drinking the humid air, and trying desperately to breathe.

Again, Tieran grouched.

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled.

She hoisted herself back to her feet, prepared, and ran at top speed. She completely understood the last thirty days of training because to execute this move, she needed to be in top shape and to land with the shield up, and not floundering would use all of her magic skills. And she was still struggling.

Tieran flew in low, snatching her up in both of his claws. She winced as his nail dug into her shoulder. Then, she was soaring through the air. She flipped backward with her eyes closed, a shriek escaping her mouth. She landed on Tieran’s back.

“Scales,” she yelled as she scrambled for purchase on her dragon.

“Shield up!” Alura barked again.

“Crap.” She reached for her shield, but she was off-balance. She certainly hadn’t landed on her two feet. Her body slid sideways, and then once again, she was falling through the air. She dropped a few feet and landed hard on her back.