CHAPTER SIX

ADELE’s POV.

Even after reporting for the morning assembly, I still can’t shake what happened earlier out of my head. I am married, I got married to General Cahir and I can’t even say anything about it. I am still clearly shaken and it feels like I am going to collapse with each step I take towards the courtyard.This is too overwhelming for me, I don't even know how to go about it. I just stand in a daze as the soldiers tell us our assignments for today.

“Hey you” a voice says beside me and I raise my head to see Bastian. Gods, how I want to hug him and tell him everything but how can I do that? Cahir threatened me with the lives of everything and everyone I love.

“Hey” I flash him a weak smile.

“I have been looking for you all morning, are you okay?”

“No” I scream in my head but instead I nod, “yes. I went to bed pretty late last night so that’s why I look a bit dull”

“Hey you!!” One of the soldiers call out to us, “keep shut or I make you”

Luckily Bastain agrees, he doesn’t say anything again and turns his attention to the front.

Today, we will be taken on a tour round the barrack, get accustomed to it before we can start our real training. This should make me happy, this has been my dream ever since but right now, I just want to lie in bed and just..

“You all will go into your respective groups and we can start” the soldier says again, “your leader will come to you”

“Adele?” Bastian calls out to me again, this time his whole attention is on me, “are you okay?”

“Yes..”

I raise my head to wipe my face and he immediately grabs it, a huge frown settles on his face.

“What happened to your hand?”

My heart skips a beat, if I tell him this was the general’s doing, what is he going to say? But Cahir warned me.

“I injured myself this morning” which is clearly a lie and as I thought, he doesn’t look like he is going to buy what I said.

“You are not the clumsy type, Adele”

“Well, it happens” I pull my hand away from him as my attention is turned to the two dragons circling the courtyard. They are not as big as Cahir’s dragon but they both look formidable. I didn’t know outside the walls of Drakesworth, dragons paraded around even in broad daylight.

“I hear that we get to ride a dragon during one of our lessons” the girl beside me squeal with excitement, “I certainly can not wait”

“Only if the general approves” the it’s chips in, “not everyone can ride a dragon. My father said if you try to ride a dragon that has not given you permission, you will be burnt to death by its breath”

“I will make sure of them give me permission then”

She looks strong, from her poise and her confidence.

“Group x” someone calls out and I bid Bastain farewell before rushing towards my group. The man calling out to us was not here yesterday but I know he is the leader from the way he looks and talks. He is not as tall as the general but he has a very bulgy body, like a killing machine.

“I am your leader and you can call me Xerxis” his eyes travel round the lot of us and he nods in approval.

“The main reason why you have been shared into groups is to make sure learning is easier and more accessible. This means that you have to put your whole experience Into cognizance because a little mistake can cost you your life. There is no segregation between boys and girls, you all are equal and you will be treated as such. After the tour, those of you who are more important in running other officers instead of becoming worthy soldiers of Drakesworth can come to me”

“When can we go on the barracks tour?” A random guy asks and the leader glares at him, making him shift back a few feet.

“We have the armory, the archives, the training ground for the elite soldiers and a whole lot more. We have exactly two hours for that after you have had breakfast. Anyone who comes back here a minute late is in for a big punishment. Am I understood?”

“Yes, leader”

“Good, you are dismissed”

Some of the groups are still meeting with their leaders while some have also been dismissed like us. I look around and it strikes me, I haven’t seen the general all morning. Did he not come here purposely? Is he avoiding me? The thought of this makes me scoff, why will he avoid me? Who the heck am I for him to avoid me?

A whizzing sound filters through my ear and I immediately duck, catching the dagger mid air.

Someone starts to clap and I turn around to see Bastain and Zen coming towards me, smiles etched on their faces.

“Despite being absent minded all morning, you still have good hearing skills” Bastain says and I roll my eyes.

“Is that why you wanted to kill me?” I ask, “what if I wasn’t fast enough to grab it?”

“Hey, Adele” Zen waves at me.

“Are the two of you in the same group?” My brows raise slightly and zen nods.

“So is Agatha and Caroline and also Lance”

“What?”

“Yes”

“So I am the only person in another group? Why?”

“During the brief meeting we just had, the four of them including Greta came over. I thought you would come too but you didn’t”

I let out a sigh placing both hands on my waist. Why? Is this the work of the general? Did he purposely do this?

“I thought the general said he didn’t want to see us in the same group” I ask Bastain again who nods.

“I am also surprised”

“We should get going for breakfast” Zen chips in, “we have been standing for too long”

When we reach the dining area, it is almost filled up then I hear someone call out to Bastain.

“We kept seats for you” Caroline says and Bastain mouths a thank you.

After picking up our food from the counter, the three of us walk towards the table but I notice there are only two seats left.

“This is for you and Zen, Bastian” Caroline says.

“And Adele?” Bastian inquires.

“She is not even a part of our group” she answers, “she can sit with her group members, that was the order given” a mocking smirk is dancing at the base of her lips.

“You can take my seat” Bastian tells me but I shake my head in the negative.

“It’s fine, I will find somewhere to sit”

“Red hair” someone calls behind me and I turn to see a girl beckoning on me, “aren’t you a part of group X? There is space for you here”

“I will just sit over there”

Not waiting for his response, I make my way towards the table.

“Thank you” I say to her, sincerely.

“You are welcome” she flashes me a smile, “my name is Zara”

“Adele”

“I saw you in the group earlier so..” she picks up her soup and start to scoop it into her mouth, “we should stick together as a group, it’s more convenient that way”

“Thank you, Zara”

The others at the table also introduce themselves. I get to find out that compared to the rest of them, I am the one who can hardly perform any magic. Zara is a fighter and she can do almost everything she wants with her magic, she was a member of the female guards in the palace before deciding to become a full fledged soldier. For a moment I can’t help but feel inferior to them. They all have something to offer and I can only lift cups with my magic and only use the dagger?

“What about you?” Aida, another girl asks me, “what can you do?”

“I’m good with daggers”

“Oh, that’s good” Zara chips in, “and…

“I am still learning to get accustomed to my magic”

“Oh, I see” Zara touches my hand lightly, “not to worry, they teach everything here”

“Hmmm”

We continue chatting as we eat our food while I get accustomed to them, I have a feeling that we might get along well.

“We should better head back” Zara says as soon as we are done, “Xerxis looks like he would feed us to dragons if we are a minute late”

Despite the lump hanging in my throat, I can’t help but smile lightly.

“Adele” someone calls behind me and Bastain’s face comes into view, “Let’s leave if you are done. The earlier the better”

“I will go with my group members, you should go ahead with the rest”

“But…

“Please, Bastain”

Signing heavily, he turns on his heel and storms out of the dining room, the others behind him.

“Boyfriend?” Caspian, one of my group mates asks and I nod in the negative.

“Friend”

“Oh, I see”

“We have twenty minutes to report back to the courtyard,” Aida says, pulling her body from the bench.

Soon enough, we all file out of the dining room towards the courtyard.

“Cadet Macalister” I hear my name from far off and I come to a halt, turning to see another soldier whom I have not seen before, “Come with me”