The Odd Dragon Out: Reckoning of the Cinder-Born

The bushy-browed girl was named Abela Mires, as Ginger heard from her classmates who began talking about her as she went up for her Burning.

The mixed tales he heard of her exploits seemed to confirm what he imagined was likely to happen.

She was supposedly something like Reiss, only taller and feminine.

Ginger already knew of her haughtiness and pride from the instance during his First Burning when she had refused to give up her chance to go next into the fire, even when Professor Mara was standing behind him.

Even now, her steps showed that the part of her which he met that day, was very much alive.

Abela walked into the fire gracefully and with a raised nose, intent on showing no weakness.

She emerged moments later, and with...

"Surging Alien-type Kardia," Professor Lyall announced.

Ginger was a bit disappointed.

He had thought for sure that she would be the first to get Totality-type Kardia.

Unlike Alcaeus and Fillys though, she didn't look unsatisfied. A pleased smile was on her face as she carefully scrutinized the flame in her flask.

As soon as she sank into the crowd, many other students eagerly stepped up. The sparked zeal brought on disorder, but Professor Mara quickly quelled it. His piercing eyes and stern face as he now stood before the first line of students, monitoring their activity, turned the dragonlings into humble soldiers.

"I think I'm going up now," Reiss suddenly said to Ginger with a tense breath outward.

"Really?" Ginger asked incredulously.

"No," Reiss deflated and shook.

At that moment, another familiar face stepped out, making her way toward Professor Lyall.

It was Caron Ester, the notoriously lazy dragonling of First Blue.

She appeared to be more daring than Ginger had thought her to be before. Because of how she behaved in class, he had written her off as a slouch without the backbone to do something like march up for her Second Burning without being forced.

"I didn't think she would go," Ginger said, his eyes not leaving Caron's slow-moving figure.

Reiss seemed more insulted than shocked. Unlike Ginger, his form of 'writing off Caron' was motivated more by a measure of intelligence.

How could that slacker show more backbone than him?

As someone intellectually superior, wasn't it a disgrace to be shown off by someone like that?

Spoiled brats like Fillys and Alcaeus, he could turn away from, but not Caron.

Speaking of the redhead, she finally reached Professor Lyall, her flask in hand, and the thick woman gave her a proud nod which Reiss muttered a friendly curse at. Caron had probably earned some points in their Prime Instructor's books just for being in the first half of students to walk forward.

Caron looked at the gleaming fire and then walked toward it without any hesitation in her steps. Soon, she had sunken into it, and her figure was gone.

Professor Lyall encouraged her to remain calm while keeping a close eye on her position.

The seconds passed by quickly, and the crowds paid intense attention, Reiss, more so than others.

His grip on his flask increased, but thankfully, the glassy object kept true to the description Professor Lyall had given. It had one job after all.

Soon, Caron walked out of the large fire and the glinting in her flask was slowly revealed.

There, in the perfectly transparent, clear glass, a red flame swirled, coiling around its limited space like a spring without pause. It nested at the bottom, as though held down by an odd gravitational pull, never to reach the mouth of the flask.

Professor Lyall's lips grew taut before rising closer to her nose, and her eyes sparkled.

Then, a plethora of reactions erupted among the students, most of them being absolute surprise and shock.

Reiss' eyes bulged.

"T-totality! She... she has a Collapsing Totality type!" he cried while pulling on Ginger who had been a second slower in comprehending what had just happened.

"Even Vassilis didn't get it..." Ginger said, stunned.

"Of course, he didn't!" Reiss screamed.

The First Years were in an uproar. The Professors looked on in delight, though some were not entirely pleased that the famous slouch was showing talent that exceeded some of the more... deserving students.

While the students hadn't been told what Totality-type Kardia would look like through the flask, it became obvious when Caron showed a different kind of reaction in her flask from the other three.

As incredible as it was though, Caron herself didn't look as delighted as Professor Lyall who rushed up to her and gripped her shoulders.

"Lovely result, Caron. To think you have such profound Kardia..." the thick woman said.

Caron gave a weak smile and looked at her flask. It was hard to tell how she was actually feeling. She soon walked back to the crowd which gave her precious attention and respect more profound than that which had been afforded to Vassilis.

Professor Lyall quickly drew everyone's attention with a remark.

"We might just have a special student on our hands. While Kardia type isn't the end-all-be-all, it is indicative of high potential in more than a few aspects. And this shakes things up a bit. Last year's lack of a student with Totality-type Kardia made everything a bit too... standard. I hope this means more good for us," she said.

The excited whispers from the students only grew louder.

A few of the other First Years quickly rushed forward simultaneously, spurned by Caron's results. Juvenile juices forced their feet, and Professor Mara found himself having to calm everyone down again.

The adrenaline never did fully die though.

While others were amazed at Caron's achievement, there were obviously others who were far from pleased.

"So what if she has Totality-type? I've gotten a peek at her cast. It's as pathetic as the rest," Fillys said with a scowl while the numerous girls around her gave light nods of agreement.

The berating seemed to spread through the crowd like a plague, dousing the earlier excitement.

If not because of this, then the mood plummeted when no one else showed as much talent in their Kardia type as Caron. Twenty students went up, all coming up with Affix, Alien, Affix, Affix, Alien, Pooling, Pooling, Pooling, Affix types.

Reality finally smashed the students in the face again, and some Professors looked on with savage glee at the humility that was introducing itself to the youngsters again.

"I'm going up," Reiss said with a determined face

Ginger turned to him with a difficult expression.

Was he serious this time?

It seemed Reiss really was.

The dwarfish dragon assumed his familiar stone face as he pushed through the crowd.

Of course, having found a distraction, some of the First Years made fun of Reiss, with some blocking his way. Reiss wasn't fazed.

He soon reached the front, and met Professor Lyall's gaze. She gave him a nod as he walked to the fire and disappeared within its belly.

Seconds later, Reiss emerged.

As always, everyone looked expectantly at his flask, with some of the dragonlings hoping to get another jolt of hope.

A tall, thin white flame, like that from a candle showed, rooted to the butt of the flask.

Collapsing Affix-type.

Professor Lyall gave Reiss an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and he retreated into the crowd with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Affix-type. This is what you wanted, right?" Ginger asked when the short dragonling returned.

Reiss scratched his chin with a grin.

"Of course, but I was pretty much ready for any possibility. Good grief! I sure would have loved to get Totality type though. The look on my mom's face..." he said with a wide smile.

Ginger didn't know how someone could entertain a fantasy like that with as much happiness, as though it would happen eventually. He certainly couldn't. Even if he imagined himself as the strongest dragon ever to exist, he wouldn't be delighted by the thought as much as Reiss.

He sighed.

"Alright. Your turn now," Reiss suddenly said while pushing Ginger.

"What? No. Not yet!" Ginger protested.

"I went, and so should you. Besides, if you want to redeem yourself even a little bit with Professor Lyall, now is your chance. Fewer others are going up now. Go!"

Ginger attempted to resist again, but with the piles of logic that Reiss kept throwing out, like "You want to be the last one to go and also get a bad result?" or "Assert yourself instead of showing everyone that you're scared!", Ginger finally relented.

He took a deep breath and steadily walked through the crowd.

The moment he did, he felt like a magnet.

Everyone turned to him, including the Professors.

'Of course. Some of them are as curious as I am,' Ginger thought.

It had almost seemed like yesterday night didn't happen. Of course, everyone saw him as different, and not in a good way. He could see the condescension on the other First Years' faces.

Ginger stifled the urge to scratch his thigh which suddenly turned itchy.

From deep within the crowd, he heard a scoff and an obnoxious laugh.

"Back away. The halfling might just explode in the Seether," Fillys said, and her company laughed.

The laughter spread like a virus, and soon, it was like an inescapable ghostly wind swirling around Ginger as he pushed forth while hardening his face.

For a moment, he couldn't think about anything else outside of how much he hated the Doukas siblings. Their stupid bet and stupid taunts!

If he ever got the chance, Ginger wanted to...

"Good grief, man! Walk faster, will you?"

From behind, Ginger heard a sharp whisper and was pushed hard. Reiss had followed after him to give him a boost. This boost sent him briskly skipping out of the crowd.

A small smile of relief crept on Ginger's face. He turned and saw Reiss retreating into the shadows of other dragonlings while mouthing, "You've got this! Go!"

Ginger smiled.

He locked eyes with Professor Mara as he walked up to Professor Lyall. The stern dragon of course didn't express anything with his face. The man could wink for encouragement and it would look like he was merely twitching.

"Alright then, Ginger," Professor Lyall said to the plump dragonling when he reached her. "Go in."