A dragon shifter novel Chapter 23

Obstacles

The rest of the day passes in a blur. I sit through the motions of class after class, notes scrawled, teachers droning, my mind elsewhere. The dragon pin on my blazer feels like it weighs ten pounds, and every time I catch someone staring at it, I want to rip it off and shove it in my bag. When the lunch bell rings, I don’t even bother with the food hall; there are already too many stares and too many questions I’m not ready to answer. Instead, I drag Tessa back up to my attic dorm, and we sprawl across the couch with the leftovers from last night’s run into town. Gold pastries and enchanted juice taste better than anything that Hall could’ve offered anyway. All too soon, I’m back at the training grounds. The air is cooler out here, thick with the scent of grass and sweat. Students mill about the field, already stretching, and eyeing one another like they’re waiting for the fight to start.

I head to the changing rooms, weaving between benches and the chatter of shifters tugging off their blazers. My locker creaks open under my hand, and instead of the skimpy training uniform from yesterday, I find something else folded nearly inside–a large, white shirt. My breath catches. I pull it out, the fabric soft and far too big for me. It isn’t regulation, not even close. It’s Evander’s shirt. The same one he stripped off yesterday to hand me when the whole class gawked at my scars. I stare at it for a long moment the noise from outside the room fading around me. I… don’t know how to feel about this, but I slide it over my head and allow myself to be swallowed whole by the fabric.

I stride back out onto the field, tugging at the hem of the oversized shirt. The fabric brushes my thighs, and it smells faintly of soap and something warm, something distinctly… dragon. I keep my chin high as the coach’s eyes flick over me, lingering just a second too long, but he says nothing. He turns and barks at another pair of students to stop dawdling. Fine by me. Once the last of us files out, he blows a sharp whistle, the sound cutting through the chatter. “Listen up!” His voice carries like thunder across the grounds. “Today, we’re starting something simple. An obstacle course. You’ll be running it throughout the semester, and you’ll be expected to improve your times if you plan to pass this class.” Murmurs ripple through the group. The coach points toward the looming treeline beyond the field. The woods stretch wide and dense, their shadows dark even under daylight. “The course is set through there. Normally, the woods are off limits.” His gaze sweeps over us, hard and unyielding. “Today, they’re yours. Somewhere inside, you’ll find a path. It’s marked with runes. Follow it all the way through, and it’ll spit you back out on the far side. Simple enough.”

“Simple, my ass,” someone mutters–the coach’s lip twitches. “The course is timed. Your goal is to beat your own best with each run. I don’t care if you’re the fastest or the slowest. What matters is that you improve.” I glance toward the woods, the shadows shifting like they’re already waiting to swallow me whole. Oh good. As if I don’t already stand out enough. Kael cracks his knuckles nearby, grinning like he’s been waiting for this. Evander stands further off, calm and unreadable, though when I catch his eye, his lips quirk just slightly. Yay, go me.

The coach’s whistle snaps the murmurs dead. “One more thing,” he barks. “Shifting is allowed. Magic is allowed. In fact, use every damn thing you’ve got. Whatever gives you an advantage, use it. The only rule? You don’t help anyone else. This course measures your ability to work independently. Understand?” A ripple of excitement shoots through the students. Shifters drop to their knees, bones snapping, skin tearing into fur and feathers and scales. A grey wolf shakes out its coat, lips curled in anticipation. A hawk bursts upward in a flurry of wings, circling overhead. A massive boar paws at the ground, snorting steam. The magicals spark to life too, faint glows haloing their fingers, the air buzzing with ozone and power. One boy’s hands burn with flickers of fire. A girl shimmers, her whole body flickering translucent as she tests some phase–walk. Fucking great. Meanwhile, the coach drags a chair across the grass, plops down, and pulls out a clipboard and stopwatch, as if this is his morning entertainment. He gives us all a single, sharp look. “Off you go.”

Chaos explodes. Shifters barrel for the treeline, claws tearing into earth, wings beating. Magicals hurl sparks of light to clear the brush ahead. The air fills with snarls, laughter, and the pounding of boots. I stand frozen for a heartbeat, staring like an idiot,

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19:38 Mon, Jul 6 TMD

Obstacles

wondering how in the hell I’m supposed to keep up with any of this. A sharp crack sounds in front of me, and I nearly jump out of my skin. Cage stands there, smug as ever, magic still humming around him from the teleport. His green eyes glint as he leans down just enough to pat the top of my head. “Don’t get lost, little stray,” he sneers, before vanishing again in a shimmer of air. My jaw tightens, fury crawling up my neck. Fine. If they want me in the woods, I’ll go. I’ll go at my own damn pace, though. I pull in a breath, square my shoulders, and shove myself forward into the shadows of the trees.

The second I cross beneath the trees, the world changes. The chatter of students vanishes, swallowed whole by the thick canopy overhead. Branches tangle so tightly above that daylight can barely squeeze through. The air grows damp and cool, heavy with the scent of moss and old bark. Darkness presses in around me, thicker with every step, and there’s nothing but silence. Not a single student in sight. Of course not. They’re probably halfway through the course already, claws tearing, magic blazing, leaving me to trail behind like a lost child. I grit my teeth, forcing my boots forward across the uneven ground. Roots jut up like traps, and every shadow looks like it wants to swallow me whole. Then, faintly, I see a rune ahead. It glows faint blue on the side of a tree trunk, curling like flame. My stress eases just a little. At least I’m not wandering blindly. I step closer, following its glow until the trees part just enough to reveal the first obstacle. A gorge cuts through the forest floor, at least fifteen feet across, with dark water rushing far below. A slick wooden beam spans the gap, no wider than my foot. I stare at it, my heart pounding. “Fucking hell,” I mutter under my breath. “First obstacle: plummet to my death.”

Comments

R Visitor

just chuckling away here