Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-34320391-20181119131046/@comment-34572969-20181215180857

Katina

Dust fluttered down around me as the wooden support beams over my head began to break loose of their holds.

"Who builds a house with wood anymore? That's a serious fire hazard," I murmured, mostly to provide something positive to myself. In actuality, I was terrified. My heart was beating faster than a rabbit's as I whistled for Flame to come. A squawk of fright was all I needed to know that he was already outside.

I bolted for the door, only for another support beam to slam into the floor in front of it and inches away from my face. I backed away in terror. This must have been some sort of world record for bad timing.

I felt my breathing getting sharper as I stared awe-struck at the bar of wood that was so close to hitting me. My fight-or-flight reflexes- or, flight-or-die, really -were beginning to kick in as I looked around for some other way out.

Seriously?! I thought to myself as my eyes continued to scan the room for an exit, of which there was none that I could get to in time.

Pumped up on adrenaline, I tried my luck with the door again and charged against it with my shoulder as it finally swung open. I fell forwards, but used the boost to my advantage and quickly ran forward, away from the house.

I was still heavily breathing as I turned back to look at the partly destroyed building. It was damaged, badly damaged...but it wasn't beyond repair. The internal destruction was hardly even noticable on the outside.

I whistled once more for Flame, and he quickly came flapping over to me with a gleam of concern flashing in his yellow eyes. He gently butted his head against my cheek and licked it affectionately, scuttling around over my body to check for injuries.

I sighed in relief and picked up the Terror from my shoulder. "Don't worry, boy, I'm fine..."

I looked up to check the position of the sun in the sky. "...and I'm also gonna be late for the next trial. Fantastic."

I leapt onto my feet and sprinted down the road with Flame in suit.

(Time skip because I'm lazy and uncreative)

I entered the crowd of Initiates, panting as I regained my breath from running the entire way. Luckily, I wasn't too tardy, and managed to make it there as Freygair was explaining the Trial.

It was basically improv, creating a presentation stating why you're worthy enough to become a Guardian. And I had to pass this one if I ever wanted to become one.

Time seemed to pass slowly- or quickly, I couldn't really tell -as Initiate after Initiate presented their dragons' skills and talents. After what seemed like an eternity of tapping my foot, humming tunes to myself and watching Flame play with a couple other dragons, it was my turn.

"Katina Erikson, you have the floor," Freygair announced. I nodded and stepped into the centre of the crowd, breathing deeply and somewhat shakily to compose myself, and turned to Freygair.

"There are three important skills for a dragon to be worthy enough to become a Guardian: loyalty, intellect and skill," I stated, my tone becoming unintentionally formal with my nervousness.

"Loyalty-"

I put two arms to act as a shield in front of my chest, mumbling, "Defend," to Flame. He immediately let out a jet of orange flame from his mouth in front of me, then set himself on top of my head growling as if there was some sort of foreign beast.

Jack, who just happened to be in front of me, snorted in amusement. "Ha! What can a puny lizard like that do to me?" he scoffed, evoking some murmers of agreement throughout the crowd. It wasn't long before Flame's surprisingly sharp jaws were clamped on his nose again, growling as the bully attempted to tug him off.

I whistled for Flame to return, which he reluctantly did. The rest of the crowd was either staring at my dragon with wide eyes, laughing at Jack or attempting to help him as I stiffled a snicker at his state.

"Still think he's a 'puny lizard'? And, you're way small than...let's say, a Bewilderbeast. Does that make you a rat?" I challenged. He stayed silent as I smiled in victory.

"That about does it for loyalty. Now, Terrible Terrors are generally highly intelligent and mischevious, and they know how to sneak around."

At that, Freygair raised a puzzled eyebrow, but his confusion quickly turned into one of pleasant surprise as his eyes landed on my dragon.

"Impressive, Erikson. Very impressive," he commented. Jack mirrored his puzzled look.

"What's there to be impressed about?" he mumbled, before looking up at Flame sitting nonchalantly on his head.

"Freygair! She's targetting me!" Jack whined, turning to Freygair.

"No, really? What makes you think that?" I teased. He waved the dragon off, eyebrows furrowed together in frustration.

Flame simply landed on the person next to him, which happened to be Garmal. He didn't seem to take notice either as he snapped his head around, looking for Flame. The scene was admittedly quite comedic.

Garmal only at last looked up when somebody next to him pointed it out. The bully simply shook Flame off, yelling, "Get your pinprick of a creature off of me!"

The Terror leapt off and onto my shoulder, allowing me to continue with the last part of my presentation.

"Now, skill."

I picked up my kransen from my head and readied my dagger. With a nod to Flame, I tossed the dagger like a dart towards a wall, much like I had done whilst in the forest earlier. Parroting what we had practised, Flame immediately followed the dagger and managed to catch it in his jaws.

I threw the kransen up into the air and in front of Flame, who quickly flew through it, twirling through the air as the headband purposefully snagged onto the end of his tail.

He dropped the dagger in his teeth first, allowing me to catch it, then the kransen. I threw the dagger one last time at a wooden post with the band of leather catching onto the handle.

Yet, we still weren't done. Flame swiftly flew by the targets, hitting each and every one either at or relatively close to the centre with fire, staining the white with blackened scorch marks.

I turned to Jack as the audience broke into applause.

"Bested by a girl, nonetheless," I stated smugly as he glared intimidatingly at me. Well, intimidating for anyone else, anyway.

Now there was only one trial left.

Let's hope I don't die.