After a a while of kicking and clawing, he finally let her go but kept a firm hand on her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't try to bolt.
"Stay," he ordered, pinning her in place with a stern glare.
"You can't tell me what to do," she retorted, lifting her chin defiantly.
"You don't seem to understand the concept of authority, woman," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous.
She gritted her teeth, refusing to back down, "I understand authority, just not yours."
The door in front of them flew open, revealing General Sylveryon, his stern face contorted with irritation.
"General Sylveryon," Thorndyke straightened up.
"Captain," the General nodded, then looked at Gwen, "Cadet Evegheden. Is something the matter?"
Gwen fumbled for words but Thorndyke replied instead of her, "We need to talk."
The General raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between Gwen and Thorndyke.
"Very well," he said, stepping aside and gesturing for them to enter.
However, before Gwen could move, Thorndyke spoke, "You stay here," making her frown. General Sylveryon raised his eyebrows as Thorndyke stepped inside the room and slammed the door on Gwen's face.
Her cheeks flushed with anger, her fists clenching at her sides, "Ugh!" she grumbled, "This is ridiculous!"
Zyre's frustration mirrored her own as he growled through the bond, "I am not surprised why that insufferable spitfire Saya chose him as her bonded one. That dragon is as stubborn as a mountain and as irritating as a thorn in the paw."
"Tell me about it," Gwen muttered under her breath. "Thorndyke is the most stubborn, arrogant, and infuriating man I've ever met. I swear, if I had a coin for every time he's annoyed me, I'd be richer than the King of Calypso himself."
"You might be right," he replied sarcastically. "The boy does have a certain talent for pushing everyone's buttons. I'd be surprised if the entire Academy hasn't wanted to throttle him at least once."
He paused for a moment, his tone becoming more serious, "But there's more to him than meets the eye, unfortunately."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Oh?" she said, leaning against the wall, "What do you mean by that?"
"There's something about that boy," he explained, his tone quieter, "I can sense it. It's like there's a power within him, dormant but strong. I'm not sure what it is, but it feels... familiar... yet different at the same time."
Gwen's eyes widened in surprise, and she straightened up, suddenly more interested. "Familiar and different?" she echoed, "Are you saying he's got some sort of power, or something? Although, it is rumored for him to wield the Poison ability although, I have never really seen him wield it. But at the same time, he is basically the most skilled cadet in the Academy. So, I guess that explains it all?"
"No, it's difficult to explain," he continued, "but I can almost feel it crackling under his skin. It's like a low hum of some type of turmoil that I can't quite place. It's not the Poison Stone, I can tell you that much. But it's... powerful. And there is always a purpose behind his actions, even if it's something only he understands. It's almost like he's playing some complicated game no one else knows about."
Gwen listened intently, her eyes narrowed in thought, "It's hard to believe, especially coming from someone as annoying as Thorndyke."
"I understand your disbelief," he reassured her. "Believe me, it annoys me as well. But it doesn't change the fact that he has a certain intelligence that shouldn't be underestimated. Some of my loyal subjects in the circle have told me that he and Saya have been trying to resolve the disputes between the dragons due to my arrival. I do not completely believe it, of course, but at the same time I am suspicious of the pair. Saya might be annoying and infuriating, but she is not stupid. She and her bonded one seem to be well aware that her father will not stand a chance against me."
Gwen's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you're saying Saya and Thorndyke have been trying to defuse the whole dragon conflict?" she asked, her tone tinged with disbelief, "I have to admit, that does sound a bit... out there. I mean, Saya is fiery and unpredictable, and Thorndyke... well, he's Thorndyke. But you're saying they're actually working together to prevent a war?
"It does sound ridiculous when you think about it," he admitted, "but from what I have seen, they have been making efforts, albeit subtle and mostly secretive, to try and resolve the tension between the dragons. It's perplexing, to say the least."
Gwen was silent for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought, "But... Why?"
"I'm not entirely sure," he sighed, "but if I had to guess, I would say they might have their own reasons, their own agenda."
"I don't like the sound of that," Gwen echoed, her expression darkening. She stood there trying to absorb the information. It did make sense in a way, though. The dragon-rider pair was cunning and intelligent, so it wouldn't be all that shocking if they had some endgame in mind. But she still couldn't understand the power that Zyre mentioned. Maybe it was the same dark aura that she always felt whenever he was around her? She wasn't sure.
Suddenly, someone crashed into her, knocking her off-balance, but she managed to steady herself against the door. When she looked up, she found herself face-to-face with a rather imposing figure. The man had a muscular build, with dirty blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, and his mismatched eyes glowered at her. Despite his average appearance, there was something about him that was intensely intimidating.
Gwen scowled back at him, refusing to show any sign of weakness.
The man's eyes narrowed as he took her in, his gaze running over her in a somewhat condescending manner. "You're Evegheden, right?" he asked gruffly.
Gwen raised an eyebrow, not liking the tone in his voice. "Yeah, that's me," she replied, crossing her arms. "What's it to you, pal?"
The man's gaze darkened at her insolent tone. "Watch your mouth, doll," he warned, taking a step closer, "I don't take kindly to disrespect."
"Chosen one—" Zyre spoke in her head but she ignored him.
"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes, "You can take your empty threats and stick them where the sun don't shine. I'm not intimidated by some muscle-headed buffoon."
The man scowled, clearly not pleased with her comment, "Careful," he shot back, stepping even closer so that he was nearly nose-to-nose with her, "I could kill you and hide your body parts where no one will ever come across them, little girl."
"This may not be the best time to be stubborn—" the dragon's tone was a bit hurried, but Gwen didn't hear him, refusing to back down, her eyes blazing with defiance.
"Oh yeah?" she retorted, squaring her shoulders, "Bring it on, big guy. I've dealt with bigger and meaner tough guys than you."
"Gwendolyn—" but before Zyre could say anything, the guy stepped forward, his eyes turning dull violet and suddenly, Gwen became paralyzed. As if all her energy was drained from her and she was forced to stay still. He was a Paralycist.
Shit.
She began panicking when she couldn't use her limbs and widened her eyes, as the guy raised his hand, about to attack her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.