The night continued on, oblivious to my inner conflicting thoughts. People were conversing amongst groups, happily laughing at jokes made or memories shared. I watched this from afar, taking in this moment of careless serenity as I could only think of the chaos that would soon plague this place like a fog. I wasn't ready to ruin my friend's moods or this atmosphere, but either way, this night would eventually be ruined. It would be better to let them know about it sooner rather than later.

I excused myself from my family and made my way towards Fin, who was at the snack bar picking off a few appetizers for himself. Having his back turned to me, I thought of stopping where I was before making a mistake, but he turned his eyes to me as if he knew I was coming. "Navi?" His voice sounded full of concern as he looked me over.

My facial expression must've given away my mood. I was experiencing anxious and confused emotions. It felt like my nerve endings were playing a game of tug of war. "Fin," My words felt weak as they left my tongue, "There's something I need to tell you, but I need to round up a few others first. There's something you all need to hear."

Fin's eyes worked their way over my face as he analyzed the situation in deep thought. He was silent for a moment, the appetizers in his hand not meeting his mouth. "I'll find Tomi. You gather who you need to." He said as he placed the food he held onto a table. "We'll meet at the caves."

Nodding my head in thanks, we went our separate ways. I was glad he didn't bombard me with questions right then and there.

I tracked down Baylen and Kayne, telling them the same thing I told Fin. They tried asking me questions right there, but I insisted I needed to find more people first. Reluctantly and with hesitation, they made their way towards the caves, where I told them Tomi and Fin would be. I watched as they left through the crowd but couldn't help but feel someone else's eyes were watching me. Turning to the group I pulled the two away from, I came to find everyone had ignored my intrusion and continued on with their conversation.

Shrugging away my paranoid feelings, I went in search of the remaining people I needed to find. I rounded the four riders up like a bunch of cattle and herded them to our destination, where the others were most likely squirming in suspense.

"Something is wrong, isn't it?" Sige asked as he fell back to walk beside me. From the first day I met him on the dragon island, I could tell he was a worry-wart. He was so much different from his dragon, who had a calming aura but was determined to be involved in everyone's business. Maybe this was the reason the two of them were paired together so Sige could come out of his comfort zone.

I nodded my head in confirmation. "I will explain everything when we are with the others."

He hesitantly nodded his head but didn't push the matter further as he knew he would get his answers soon enough. He walked a few steps faster than me until he was standing beside Roland. The Airis rider was quiet in nature, just as his dragon was. The two of them always stood back in silence as they watched the instructor demonstrate something for them to carry out, only speaking if needed. While Roland was quiet, the other Airis rider, Ton, was the opposite. He was talkative and very social, sometimes talking too loud as his excitement would take over his rational thinking. The others would often tell him to quiet down when he was talking too loud, but, amazingly, he would push their buttons by talking even louder.

Shaking my head as I watched Aelric punch Ton's shoulder, I couldn't believe how he never took things seriously. I thought my voice had been dead serious enough, but it didn't matter to Aelric as he was always the least bit concerned about serious situations. It would get him into trouble one of these days.

Even though these first-year riders were less experienced than the others, I trusted them due to the bond we had formed over the course of our time together. We trained, worked, and studied with one another, forming a mutual bond that I didn't take unnoticed. They treated me with the same respect as anyone else, if not more so. I found this part highly annoying, as I didn't want any special treatment.

As the group I was in approached the caves where our dragons were resting, I noticed the other four riders pacing in anticipation. I was cryptic in my brief discussion with them, but I did not feel like explaining myself more than once tonight. It needed to be done all at once. I just hoped I was making the right decision by warning them of what was to come.

"Trusting friends is important," Naxan spoke through the bond as I neared the awaiting group and he shared a memory of the countless dragons we saved on the dragon island. They had trusted us after we freed them from hunters' traps. They became friendly after realizing we were no threat to them and welcomed us whenever they saw Naxan and me again. They were truly wonderful creatures who were full of wisdom and loyalty. They were not ill-natured, nor were they to be feared as this academy liked to teach. A wild dragon was no different than meeting a stranger on the street and later getting to know them.

I would never forget those dragons.

"Alright, now that we're all here and present, do you mind telling us the reason why you've dragged us all out here?" Baylen's voice was full of sass as he stopped pacing back and forth. His eyes were darting from the sky and back to me as if he were scared the looming clouds would spew a downpour onto him.

I watched him as I momentarily pieced my thoughts together. My attempts to compose a statistical plan forming a well-spoken out explanation were futile. I couldn't control my overbearing thoughts, and it was driving me to a near point of insanity. All I needed to do was tell them the Academy was under attack and that we all needed to have our weapons at the ready. Simple enough. Wrong. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news on such a night.

"Navi?" Roland spoke softly as if he were afraid I would break into a million pieces. I sure felt that way.

I cleared my throat, avoiding their eye contact for a moment before finally telling them what has been troubling me all night. I felt relieved that this weight on my shoulders could be shared amongst others, but I also felt a large weight in my stomach as I watched their faces fall in disbelief and shock.

"How can you be so sure?" Kayne asked, scrutinizing me with a harsh glare. I felt taken aback by his harshness, but I didn't let that falter my explanation.

"I have a sixth sense or whatever." I began but realized how far-fetched I sounded. "Remember when the Academy was first under attack? And I felt something was off. I have the same feeling tonight." It wasn't a lie. I had felt strange the first time I arrived at the Academy and later found out I could sense the Kellso when they attacked, but that wasn't until they were knocking at the front door. I wouldn't be able to sense them coming unless they were closer, but when that time came, we would be ready, something they probably weren't expecting.

"I remember that," Aelric said. "You said something like "they're coming" in this very ominous-sounding voice, and then those hellspawn's came rushing out of the mountains."

I refrained from pinching the bridge of my nose and instead looked towards the group in expectancy. Their conflicting gazes were a mix of confusion and terror. Seeing this, I felt a small twinge of pity building behind my breastbone. I had hours to maul over the words spoken by Alec, to assemble my thoughts and emotions, and all they had were a few fleeting moments to grip this unexpected news.

I didn't want to, but I looked over each and every one of them to gauge their reactions. It was troubling to see Sige so worked up. He looked as pale as a ghost as this information flitted around in his head. The rest had mainly the same expressions. However, when I looked at Kayne, I felt animosity rolling off of him in waves. His forehead beaded with sweat as if he were anxious, and his brow was furrowed together like he was contemplating something. He looked just as lost as I felt, but something felt wrong when his eyes met mine, and I could see the sparks flashing within his eyes.

He stayed quiet, but I still kept an eye on him in the corner of my eye as Baylen began speaking. "I think it would be best if we geared up as well as have our dragons patrol the perimeters. They can be our eyes and ears."

"Shouldn't we warn others? Get our families and everyone else out of here?" Ton asked. His voice was pitched low, but he was talking at a higher volume, amplified by his fear.

I shook my head in disagreement. "That would alert the Kellso that we've figured out their plan. The only thing we have is the element of surprise."

Baylen nodded his head in agreement. "This could be an inside job. There may be someone working with the Kellso. Why else would they attack on a night where we have our guards down?" Baylen's words sent a chill through my body. Someone working with the Kellso? But why? "This needs to be kept between us."

"Agreed." Kayne's voice sounded strong, but I could see the swirling pit of emotions in his eyes. It unsettled me, and I wasn't sure why. "Grab your weapons. Have them somewhere you can easily access them. If the Kellso are attacking tonight, we'll be somewhat ready for them. That's all we can hope for." And with that, Kayne walked into the shadows, where he disappeared. I could still sense him even when the blackness of the night cloaked him in its mystique veil.

"Go back to your families," Baylen spoke as he addressed the group. "Act normal. We must keep this as quiet as possible."

The younger riders wavered in their spot as they shared glances of uncertainty and conflict. SIge, of course, looked the most worried as his gripped hands were fidgeting over top of the other.

"What is it?" Baylen asked.

Sige nervously swallowed as he thought of what to say. He repeated this action multiple times before his shaky voice spoke up. "Will this work?"

Baylen stared long and hard at the terrified riders in front of him. His orangish-black eyes bore holes into their heads as he stayed silent, contemplating what to say.

Tomi clasped Sige on the shoulder, causing his head to swivel in Tomi's direction. "The only thing we can do now is hope for the best." He softly spoke as if he were talking to a distraught child. And really, these boys were children. They had barely reached the age of adulthood, and they were being forced into a battle so early into their training.

"C'mon, lads. I saw some tasty food in there that is calling our names." I smiled softly, remembering I had interrupted Fin feasting on pastries.

The riders seemed to perk up about the mention of food. Leave it up to Fin to always think of his stomach. Me on the other hand, I couldn't think about food without feeling more nauseous. As they left toward the Academy, their voices dimmed with them,

Then, there were two.

Baylen let out a long sigh as his head tilted back to look at the dark sky. The clouds had spun together in a thick web, overlapping each other and clashing head-on like two sides of a war rally. Thunder rumbled lowly overhead, but the sound was barely audible as the ringing in my ears seemed to be far louder.

"They're not wrong to feel scared, you know." I quietly spoke into the silent air.

The corners of his mouth twitched into thin lines as he closed his eyes. "They're not the only ones scared." He brought his head down, and his eyes met mine. I furrowed my brow as I stared at him, my face blank with shock. "It would be foolish of me not to feel worried about this situation."

"I'm scared too," I said like it was unknown.

Baylen gave me a look of amusement as he stared into my eyes. "I know." After a few moments of staring at each other in silence, Baylen's face suddenly fell into seriousness. "When the Kellso attacked the first time you arrived at the Academy, I couldn't help but wonder if it was coincidental or not. The first Valariex rider in centuries making an appearance into the world for everyone to see." His eyes were intense as he stared at me. "The Kellso had been quiet before you arrived, and then out of the blue, they attack. Something didn't add up."

I nervously bit my lip as I listened to what he was saying. I wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at, but it made my stomach churn and my throat tighten as I felt a small pressure of bile rising.

"Especially when they started calling you Salic. That name was attached to the most feared Valairex dragon rider. There were others before him, but he was the most vicious out of them all." I remember hearing about this rider from one of the dragons I had saved on Aeberuthey and in a few books in the library. He was talked about with such hate for the destruction he left in his wake. He was depicted as a monster. What Baylen didn't know was my relation to him.

"Kellso are mindless; they can't act on their own accord. They are controlled by someone who knows what they are doing." Baylen ran a hand across the back of his neck as he contemplated his words. "This is why I think the person controlling them thinks you are of the Salic bloodline."

I stopped breathing. My lungs constricted against my ribs in rigged pain as I stood troubled by his words. He was too good at figuring things out. All on his own he managed to figure out I was related to the very monster who destroyed these lands. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Baylen's eyes met mine with such intensity I thought flames would soon crawl along my skin, "They're here for you."