Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

•—•

Decelis Academy,

An Updated Entry by the Citadel of the Scribe Quadrant

 

Decelis Academy: the most sought-after destination among youths. As the name suggests, it is a college designed to teach the youths the art of War so that they may use the knowledge to defend their country. The school has four main units, each that serve the country in their own ways. The First Quadrant is the Infantry, the bulders, workers, and everything else are trained and taught here. The second Quadrant is the Healers, who heal, mend, and save. The third Quadrant is the Scribes, the preservers of History, the gatherers of Information. The fourth and Last quadrant is the Rider's Quadrant. They are the protectors, fighters, soldiers, and weapons of the country. They defend and protect all others.

Among the Riders, there is one separate group that works to eliminate any inside threats or outside threats at a moment's notice, the ones entirely independent of the Codex: the Six Flames. The enrollment for this Wing is high, the trials harder and they are the hidden weapons. It is composed of the six survivors of the great war that happened in the year of Silwel. The only six riders alive of their generation. The ones responsible for the destruction of thousand enemy posts. The greatest defenders.

Their selection criteria is strict, they weed out all the weak from the riders enrollment and only those who survive, are enlisted under the Six Flames.

Many have vied for it, but none have been selected to serve as a part of it yet. Even the most excellent battle riders have been rejected from enrolling. The group remains masked, and we are yet to know them as anything more than their code names. So far, it has come as follows;

 

Evan: He has been considered the commanding officer/general

Daniel: He is suspected to be the executive officer

Mair: He is suspected as the leader of the Flame Section

Terry: Suspected leader of the Claw Section

Shadow: Suspected leader of the Tail Section

 

There was one more commanding officer who was suspected as the leader for the wing section, however, for his betrayal against the squad, he has been ordered for flame on sight. Despite the craze and the heavy training to enlist as one of the Six Flames, many dreams have remained as such; dreams. As we approach the year of Tenieth, we hope to see at least one addition to the Six Flames.

Scripted By: Josephine Lawren Downwriegth, Historian of Scribe Quadrant

•—•

Flames, Violets, and Roses

The Journey of Vengeance, Loyalty, and Love

Scripted By: Liyana⋇

Chapter Text

Decelis Academy

•—•

Yang Jungwon's Journey to the Parapet

—An Extraction from the Journal: To Death I Said Not Today

Authored By: Cadet Yang Jungwon

Translated to the common language by Josephine Lawren Downwriegth, Historian of Scribe Quadrant

July 28th, the Year Of Tenieth, is the day for enrollment. Thousands of youth from the country of Wolverton apply for Decelis Academy. At the age of 20, it is finally time for Yang Jungwon to enroll.

Jungwon is curled up against his brother's bed, a brother he hasn't seen in a year. Yang Yang was supposed to enroll a year before him to Decelis Academy, but the night before his conscription day, he found his brother's dead body instead.

A clear knife through the heart. No, wait, it's not a knife. It was a dagger through the heart. He was said to have been caught, unfortunately, between combating dragons. The death roll called his name on conscription day, and though they never state the reason or tell you when they died during the roll call, they had called for Yang Yang.

That he had died before he could even make it to Decelis for his enrollment. He had wanted to be a rider but got caught in an active battle. Jungwon calls bullshit. No one is going to fool him. The dagger had been thrown with a precise aim. They had pierced right through the heart. While his parents believe its from the gryphons beyond the border, Jungwon damn well knows it wasn't. Because the dagger was the standard issue for the Rider's Quadrant.

He just knows that his brother had been killed. Accidentally or on purpose, he is going to find out and put the murderer to justice. Which is why the quiet Yang Jungwon, destined for the Healer's quadrant, had given his name to enroll in the Rider's quadrant instead.

Tomorrow morning, Jungwon will cross miles from his home near the Eastern Outpost and go to the heart of his country to Decelis Academy. And here he lay, curled up in his brother's bed and wishing he could see him. Jungwon admits that he misses his brother. Losing Yang Yang had left a gaping hole in him. While Jeongin stays stationed at his assigned post, Jungwon is left to pick up the pieces his brother's death has left them in, on his own.

Jungwon is youngest child in the Yang family, starting from his older brother Jeongin, Yang Yang, to him. All three sons, now destined for the rider's quadrant. His parents have been quiet all week. They are afraid and don't want to think about if he will return or if they will gear his name on the death roll someday.

Burning his brother's remains had taken a lot from his parents. They remained a thin, hollow husk of what they used to be. And Jungwon will be loathed to put them through the misery of losing a child again.

So when Death comes at him, Jungwon says, Not today.

Come morning, before the sun even graced the horizon, Jungwon was up and ready to say goodbye to his parents. They are gaunt and he can see the fear in their eyes. So despite the way his heart threatens to burst at the seams, he smiles at them. Its more of a grimace  but at least he tries. "Whatever happens, I will still see you on the other side."

From the other side of the Rider's quadrant, or on the other side of life, he doesn't know. But he wants his parents to know that he will go down fighting. His parents, despite having eyes full of tears, refuse to let them fall for his sake. They won't shed a single drop until they hear his name on the death roll. And Jungwon is damn well determined to not be just another name on that piece of parchment.

His mother cups his cheeks and strokes the baby of fat that remains from his youth. Her thumb rubs carefully along his cheekbones, under his eyes, and sometimes, over his eyelashes too. She is taking him in, memorising the face of the last child she has left to give to the country in the name of service. They can choose not to go; they can be civilians and do their mundane business or continue in some other sectors, but that is only possible if the scribes fail their exam and the infantry don't make it. In Rider's quadrant, failure is death.

"Be brave, Jungwon." That's all she can say. She can't tell him to be safe because going into the Rider's quadrant means courting danger every second of his life moving forward and making death his old friend. All he can do is be brave. If he were to fall, he would fall as a brave man.

His father weakly claps a hand on his back, a suspicious sheen of crystal gathering under his eyes but Jungwon knows better than to address it. So, in a last farewell, unsure if he will live or be dead in the next twenty four hours, Jungwon hugs his parents. He hugs them tights, and doesn't let go.

His heart thumps the same pace as his mother's does, and his breath rattles the same his father's does. They are terrified; the uncertainty of tomorrow leaves them clutching onto each other in a vice grip. It takes a long time for Jungwon to pull away. But it takes an even longer time for his mother to relent her death grip on his waist.

"If you make it," she whispers in his shoulder, "Please write me letters until you cannot anymore."

If he makes it off the parapet, she wants him to write letters every day until he dies. And there is no guarantee he will even make it through the parapet. "I will," he whispers back in answer. Whether he means he will survive or write her letters is unclear.

The wagon that is supposed to take him to the capital for tomorrow arrives just then, and Jungwon's mother tightens her grip one last time. "Goodbye, Jungwon."

Jungwon gives her a sad smile, hands her back to his father, who is holding back his tears and then turns. He places his things on the cart behind and climbs it. With one last look back to his parents, he waves at them. Goodbyes are always bittersweet, but the ones where this might be the last? They are the shittiest of them all.

Jungwon doesn't stop waving until his parents disappear from his sight.

By the time the sun is halfway through the sky, the wagon he travels on is full of other candidates for Decelis Academy. There are three girls and two boys. They have been chatting all the way through, and while Jungwon has not participated in the conversation since giving them his name, he has been listening.

To be honest, there is no point in memorizing their names. They have no idea where they will be, and three of them are trying to get into the Rider's Quadrant. They don't know if they will see each other again. The ones who want to be riders may not make it past the parapet, and the ones who want to be healers might not pass the exam and may be sent home.

So, Jungwon doesn't bother getting close to them. Lee Chan, the boy on his left was the first to join Jungwon in this journey. He had climbed up and waved goodbye to his parents then immediately started the conversation. "Decelis?" he had asked.

Jungwon had simply nodded. Chan smiled and shuffled to sit across from him, their boots knocking into each other in the limited space. "Me too," he says. "My brother is in the Rider's Quadrant, but he wants me to be a healer."

Jungwon nods. "I am also going for the Rider's Quadrant."

Chan's eyes light up in wonder. "Really? But aren't you a little too short for the requirements?" Then he seems to realize his words and turns beet red. Jungwon chuckles when Chan sputters in humiliation and quickly apologizes, "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any offense."

"No worries," Jungwon says. He knows he is short and scrawny and doesn't not make the cut for being a Rider. If he isn't tall, he cannot mount a dragon, if he is scrawny, the wind is going to knock him off the dragon's back. Or the parapet.

"I am Chan, by the way," he had then introduced himself. His arms were outstretched for a handshake. Jungwon takes it and returns the courtesy, "I am Jungwon."

Chan smiled at him again, "Nice to meet you, Jungwon."

Jungwon had smiled back, and they were silent for the rest of the journey until the other passengers joined in. The other to join was a girl named Yeji. She had sharp features and was hoping to be a healer, too. She and Chan hit it off right from the bat and quickly went through all the necessary things they had to remember for the exam.

If last year hadn't happened, Jungwon would be here joining in on the conversation. He listens to them list the number of herbs and poisons, their properties, combinations and antidotes. Jungwon remembers them all, having prepared for it his entire life. But in his brain, all he remembers is the extensive physical training he has been doing from the manual his oldest brother Jeongin left him and the descriptive letter that describes the parapet.

Later, another girl named Eunchae joins him. She is a cheerful person and has a wide smile. Her eyes crinkle at the corners. She looks like a baby, and Jungwon is horrified at the thought of her dying when she says that she is applying for the Rider's quadrant. Because she very well might.

The third one to join them is called Daniel. He says he has a fiance waiting for him back home, but he wants to be a rider. Jungwon finds himself hoping that he will make it through. He doesn't want to see a girl be widowed before she even gets married.

Then, an uptight girl joined them. She remained silent and only gave her name, Song Yuqi. She, like Jungwon, kept to herself and sat beside him in silence. The journey is a full day from their village near the border, and when they arrive at the town at the foot of the mountain that holds the academy, they are exhausted. They drop at the inn, take their dinner and go to sleep.

Come morning, Jungwon will either be cadet in the Rider's quadrant, or he will be just another name on the death roll parchment. But when Death comes knocking, one should always say, Not today.

Jungwon is packing his things when dawn arrives. There is a knock on his door, and when Jungwon goes to open it, he sees his brother on the other side. Jeongin smiles at him before he takes him in his arms. Jungwon is crushed beneath his strength, but he doesn't mind.

The safety that having his brother this close brings him is something he wants to soak in until nothing is left. "I've missed you," Jungwon murmured in the leather draped over his brother, and Jeongin squeezed him tighter. "I missed you too, little brother."

When they pull back, Jeongin grabs his hand and leads him to the bed. They sit side by side before his brother says, "Tell me what you have been up to."

Jungwon tells him all. He talks about their parents, the last-minute tutoring, and the people who accompanied him on the journey to the capital. Jeongin listens to everything he has to say with rapt attention.

"I hope you know that it's useless to make friends now," Jeognin tells him, "Especially before threashing."

Jungwon nods sadly. "I know."

Lots of people die before threshing. Some die even after they have bonded with a dragon. So for the next six months, it is nothing but foolishness to make friends. They are going to die anyway, so why victimize yourself to that inevitable hurt?

"Are you ready for the parapet?" Jeongin asks him quietly. Will anyone ever be ready enough for the parapet? Seeing his brother's hesitation, Jeongin immediately launches into telling him all that he needs to know.

"The stones are slippery, so wear leather. They will hold. Arms out when you walk for balance. Don't look down. No matter what happens, keep your eyes in front and don't look down. If someone before you falls, don't panic; just keep putting one foot in front of the other. It's not the time that matters, it's your life. If the pack hinders you, let it fall; better the bag than you. The wind is going to try to knock you off your feet. Hold your core strength, and no matter what you do, do not look down. The moment you do, the fear will consume you, and before you know it, you will find yourself 300 feet in the ravine below."

Jeongin doesn't stop giving him more ideas and instructions to prepare as he ties Jungwon's leather boot laces. He lightens Jungwon's pack, taking away the books and unnecessary articles of clothing. "The heavier the pack, the more of liability it will be. You will get standard-issued clothes when you reach the other side, so don't fret."

When he is done re-packing Jungwon's bag, Jeongin turns to Jungwon and reaches for his own pack by the door. He takes out an armor. A beautiful teal shine to the plates on it. "Arax shed nine months ago. It took a long while to melt it and make this armor. It's for you," Jeongin says as he hands him the armor made from dragon scales. Jeongin's bonded dragon, Arax, is a species with teal and white scales.

His brother collected the scales and melted them down to make this beautiful armor for Jungwon to wear. Besides, dragon scales are hard and cannot be penetrated by anything but sharp dragon teeth. Jeongin ties the armor for Jungwon then the latter dresses in the standard black uniform for the riser's candidates.

"No matter what, don't take this armor off. Sleep in it if you can and don't trust anyone outside of your squad. The code does not allow squad members to arm another member of their squad. So until you cross that parapet and are part of a Wing, everyone is your foe."

The sun is up by now, and in an hour, Jungwon will be climbing the stairs to the parapet. Fear seizes him for a bit, and Jeongin sees it. "Don't. Mask your emotions. One sign of weakness and then you're dead." His voice is hard, and it instantly works to snap Jungwon back to reality and keep his emotions in check.

Jungwon nodded, and the two brothers climbed up to the gates of Decelis Academy.

As Jungwon focuses on his brother reminding him to balance on the parapet and stay clear from anyone beyond his squad, he feels himself calming down. No matter what happens, Jungwon will not die today.

The ninth bell rings, signifying that it is 9 o'clock and it's time for the candidates to climb the stairs to the parapet. The thousands of candidates who are here to enroll in the four different quadrants, file into the respective lines for it. The scribe candidates line up for the archives that lead underground, the infantry line up to the south of the building, and the healers line up for the east.

Jungwon can spot Yeji and Chan lining up together, and that prompts him to look for the other three who had accompanied him on the journey. The Rider's quadrant is on the other side of the cliff, joined by the parapet to the rest of Decelis Academy. A few miles off is the Vale, the sacred hatching grounds for the dragons.

Jungwon looks at the intimidating double doors ahead, one that opens up to the stairs leading to the parapet beyond. The stairs themselves claim a third of the population, it is narrow and steep with no railing to hold on to. Only one person can walk on a stair and has no room for the other to fit into.

The line moves slowly as the scribes at the foot of the door record the names of the candidates and lead them to the stairs. "How many stairs do you think there are?" Jungwon startles at the sudden voice by his side and turns to spot Daniel beside him.

He calms his heart before answering him, "Hundred and seven."

Daniel whistles, "That's a lot. How many people do you think fall from the stairs to the cliffside?"

The stairs around the cliff on the back of Decelis lead to the parapet that sits on top of it. One side of it presses to the sharp rocks on the left side while a steep drop lies on the right. It's narrow and fits only one person at a time. It's about a hundred feet drop to the valley below.

"Around 30, I would assume," Jungwon mumbles. At least, that had been the number of candidates who fell to their deaths before even seeing the parapet last year.

"Damn," Daniel says.

Eunchae joins them shortly after and seems to be dragging an unimpressed Yuqi behind her. "Hey! We meet again!" Eunchae is still cheerful and glowing even when they are about to walk the treacherous journey to death.

Daniel and Eunchae talk, and Jungwon's eyes land on her shoes. They are brown boots. And, thankfully, leather. Only if it rains will she slip and fall. He turns his gaze to the sky and sees that while it's cloudy, there is still enough time before it rains. Jungwon is loathe to think about her falling to her death. He turns his gaze to Yuqi and sees that she is not wearing leather shoes.

He shuffles to her side and lightly tells her under his breath, "You are not wearing leather shoes. You might slip and fall. What's your shoe size?"

Yuqi whips to look at him, her eyes wide and wary. "7."

Jungwon sighs in relief, "Mine is 7, too. Let's exchange one shoe. So that at least you don't fall."

Yuqi is stupefied for a bit before she agrees. They slip off to the bench at the side quietly and exchange their shoe. Eventually, it's time for them to climb the stairs. Enchae gives her name first, the scribe notes it down and ushers her to the stairs, then he takes Daniel's name and does the same.

Eventually he turns to Yuqi, records her name then sends her on her way. It's when Jungwon gives his name that everyone pauses. "Yang Jungwon you say?" The scribe asks in awe, "Are you Liutenant Yang's youngest brother?"

Jungwon nods, suddenly feeling overshadowed by the reputation of his brother's name in the battlefield that he had forgotten. "Yes."

"Yang Jeongin? The pompous prick? I'll obviously be better than him when I become a rider myself!" A distinct voice bellows from behind, and Jungwon feels a vein in his head tick at the words. Jeongin had a reputation for being fierce and irreplaceable on the battlefield. The countless medals and badges on his uniform are a testament to that. But never once has his brother flaunted that to anyone.

"You still have a long parapet to cross before that, Candidate." The guy beside the Scribe, dressed in black rider leathers, answers. 

The scribe takes Jungwon's name and lets him pass through. As Jungwon steps on the first stairs behind Yuqi, he hears the guy record his name, "Bae Soren."

The walk to the parapet is strenuous. Occasionally, Soren talks shit about his height and weight behind him. But Jungwon pays him no mind, only concentrating on the count of the steps he has taken.

34, 35, 36,

"Honestly, the wind is going to knock you off your feet before you even step on the thing." Soren keeps throwing remarks behind him. And Jungwon is too busy treading the nine between life and death to mind him.

45, 46, 47,

"How about I throw you off from here?" Soren snarks, "It will be a great favor to you, seeing as you will not be a liability to your friends?"

50, 51, 52, 53—

"Stop antagonizing him, asshole." Yuqi snaps from before him. "You're being a nuisance to everyone around."

Jungwon sighs. While Soren is two people behind him, his voice is loud enough to be heard at the front. At least after that, Soren stays tame enough. A distant scream echoes in front, but the line keeps moving. Jungwon can hear his heart pounding in his chest and tries his hardest not to look down.

No matter what happens, don't look down.

Jeongin's words echo in his head, and Jungwon clings to it. His hand is sweating along the rocks but in no way does he loosen his hold on them. Jungwon will not die today.

78, 79, 80, 81, 82,

He doesn't dare think of anything else but the number of steps he has climbed. His muscles scream at him, cramping up as he pushes his limit. He will not die today. He will keep telling Death not today until the day he finds out what happened to his brother and puts his murderer to justice.

Not Today.

100, 101, 102,

Not Today.

103, 104, 105

Not Today.

106, 107.

Jungwon heaves as he steps onto the grass. The wind blows, chilly and high as they gather around the cliff. Jungwon scruches his eyes shut, trying to get his breathing under control. "Hey, you okay?" Daniel asks him worriedly.

Jungwon gulps the sir and nods, "I'll be fine."

And he will be.

Because he will not die today.

When he opens his eyes again, he comes face to face with the road to death. The Parapet.

•—•

Chapter Text

The Parapet

•—•

Yang Jungwon's Journey to the Rider's Quadrant

—An Extraction from the Journal: To Death I Said Not Today

Authored By: Cadet Yang Jungwon

Translated to the common language by Josephine Lawren Downwriegth, Historian of Scribe Quadrant

The air is misty. When the wind blows, it carries light spray with it, causing their face to sport light water droplets. Jungwon wipes a hand over his forehead and comes up wet. Whether it's the remaining sweat from the deadly hike or the mist, he isn't sure.

Two officers are taking their roll. Daniel slides up beside him again, "Hey, you okay?" his voice is soft and concerned.

Jungwon glances at him and gives him a strained smile, "I hope so."

He turns back to the walk of death known as the parapet and gulps. Jeongin's words echo in his mind. The line moves as people step onto the parapet one by one and start to cross. The parapet is a long, narrow stone path that is only wide enough to fit one foot at a time. It always remains misty and foggy on top of the mountain and is slippery when rainy. To date, it has caused more than 10000 deaths of participants over the years.

There is one pair of riders on the left side of the parapet. They are masked and hold an intimidating presence. The six flames. There is a hush around the candidates as they behold the legendary figures. The ones who fought the war four years ago and were the only people alive from their group of cadets.  Only six survivors. Onyx eyes lock onto him, and Jungwon turns away.

There is another pair of riders taking the roll call. They record how many fell off the stairs to the parapet this year. Every challenge in the rider's quadrant is designed to weed out the weak and mimic a dragon's flight. The stairs symbolise the jagged edge of a dragon's feet, one that they will have to climb to mount a dragon. The parapet symbolises the Dragon's back.

Winding path with high wind, and once you fall, you will not live. When you are on the back of a dragon mid-flight, the wind resistance will unbalance you. And any rider who falls to their death is not a rider. And dragons don't catch riders that fall off their back. It is proof that they were unworthy.

When it's his time to give his name for the roll call, the riders taking the roll call look at him in awe. The other pair does not react whatsoever. Jungwon has a long journey ahead if he doesn't fall off the parapet in the middle. Daniel, who was ahead of him, made it halfway through.

Eunchae, who went ahead of him, is already walking the last part of the parapet, a few steps off from the safety of the ground. However, a gust of wind blows and knocks Daniel off balance. Jungwon's heart drops as Daniel flails and slips.

A horrified scream bellows throughout the valley as Daniel falls to his death. The ravine below swallows his form, the mist hiding his body from view. Maybe, he will float up somewhere down the valley, and his remains will be given to his parents.

The thought makes Jungwon sick.

The riders beside him are quiet while the assassins remain impassive. They are both tall, and their features are obscured. Only a pair of eyes staring back. Only the top of their hair is visible from the mask. Both have black hair.

Somebody chuckles behind him as Daniel's scream fades into the void. Soren. Jungwon feels his blood boiling. His fist clenched beside him. Yuqi, who was already on the parapet, gulped. She looks back at Jungwon, something fierce but quiet in her eyes, "See you on the other side." Then she starts walking. Hands out, eyes up, balanced precariously on the parapet.

Jungwon holds her words to heart. They will either meet on the other side of the parapet or the other side of death. But when death comes knocking, he will always say, Not Today. When Yuqi is hallway through, the rider beside him calls for him, "Time for you to cross."

Jungwon nods stiffly. He can hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears. He faces the winding road of the parapet and takes a deep breath. "Are you not going to walk?" He hears Soren yell from behind him. Jungwon gulps. "Or do you want a little push for motivation?" Soren sounds uncomfortably close for that statement.

When Jungwon starts to turn back to snap at Soren, one of the six flames, quiet up until now, speaks, "You might want to cross before he does, candidate." Jungwon turns to him instead. Both pairs stare at him, waiting for him to cross.

Jungwon steels himself and steps up on the parapet. There are wide stone pillars on either side for the first ten steps, and Jungwon uses both hands to cling to them. His heart rate doesn't slow. Black spots dance around his vision, and he starts to panic. When Jungwon panics, he recites. "Mandrake roots are the rarest of herbs that cure paralysis." His healer brain starts, latching onto whatever information comes to his mind first.

"The fuck is he doing?" He hears Soren behind him, but Jungwon ignores everything else. He focuses on his vast pit of knowledge that he has prepared for his entire life and delves into it. His legs stop shaking and steady themselves.

"When Hibiscus is mixed with moonstone, it creates a type of chemical that scribes use to preserve their texts. The art of healing starts with intent. Without intent, healing someone will be impossible. Healing is not possible if you cannot give yourself to others. In a healer's eyes, no one is big or small. No one is friend or foe. A healer heals, mends, and saves. Healers are not allowed on the frontlines."

Jungwon keeps talking, his voice losing the cracked edges that it had when he recited the first sentence. He gulps when his hand slips from the stone pillars and meets the air. His heart rate spikes. Jungwon breathes deeply. "Okay, I can do this."

Jeongin's words echo in his head as he keeps his eyes straight on the steps in front of him. 'Don't look down. No matter what happens, keep your eyes in front and don't look down. If someone before you falls, don't panic; just keep putting one foot in front of the other.'

So Jungwon does just that. Keeps his eyes on the path before him and puts one foot in front of the other. The wind knocks against him, fierce and strong. But Jungwon tenses his body muscles and holds on.

'The wind is going to try to knock you off your feet. Hold your core strength, and no matter what you do, do not look down.'

The misty clouds are cold, unforgiving, as a drizzle starts. The first drop of water on his skin is the starting spell of doom. But when death comes knocking, Jungwon says Not Today. He holds his core strength, uses his weight to his advantage, and holds on. His balance is knocking, but Jungwon holds on.

The wind blows harder, the stones turn slippery, wet with the rain. One of Jungwon's boots, the one he exchanged with Yuqi, slips. Jungwon's heart drops to his stomach as one of his legs dangles off the parapet. His other leather boot digs into the stone. His hands come down to clutch the stones with all his might.

Jungwon is shaky. His panic rose tenfold as death loomed below him. Jungwon makes the mistake of looking down the parapet. The mist covers the ravine below, but he can hear the force of the river. The way it slams against sharp boulders with its current.

Shadows dance around him as the rain pours down harder. Somewhere behind him, he hears a scream. Jungwon makes another mistake of looking back. Soren has a candidate dangling off the parapet from his hand. Jungwon's heart comes up to his throat when he watches him violently push the candidate off the parapet.

The codex only applies to a wing. And you are not a part of the wing until you cross the parapet. So everyone is free game here. Jungwon gulps. Soren looks up at him and makes eye contact. "You're next." He yells.

Jungwon will not die today. Especially not in the hands of Bae Soren. He scrambles up on his feet and tries to calm down. The shadows intensify below him. "Moonflower is poisonous. Its properties make it harmful to any who inhales its pollen. It grows in the deep valleys of the Vale, a beacon of light under the night sky as it lights a path."

"It's a symbol of blooming under adverse conditions. The cold mountains do not allow growth, but despite it all, moonflower blooms under the dewdrops in the night and litters the path to the mountains in the Vale. Once purified, Moonflower has the most medicinal properties, that is believed to bring a man back from the dead."

"I am coming, Yang!" Soren yells from behind him. His voice was scarily closer than before.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Jungwon keeps reciting. One foot, in front of the other. The ravine below goes dark. "Alyssum, also known as Sweet Alyssum or Lobularia maritima, is a small, fragrant flower with tiny, four-petaled blossoms that grow in clusters. The flowers are often white, but can also be pink or purple. They are commonly used in gardens, especially as ground cover, edging, or in hanging baskets. Alyssum is native to the Mediterranean region and thrives in warm-temperate climates."

"Stop remembering shit Yang! If you had gone to the quadrant where this knowledge was useful, you'd have survived." Soren sounds closer than before. Jungwon tramples on the rising panic. He can hear Soren walking along the parapet faster. Only five steps remain between Jungwon and the intimidating pillars at the end of the parapet.

"The flower Alyssum, which was believed by the ancient Greeks to cure madness, is still experimented on to prove this hypothesis." Jungwon is so close to the pillars.

Soren catches up to him.

In the last two steps, Jungwon makes a run for it. Soren's grabby hands brush against his pack as Jungwon jumps off the parapet to the grass below and swirls around. A dagger from his holder near the ribs stays trained on Soren's balls.

Jungwon heaves, but his grip on the dagger and his sharp eyes on Soren do not waver. The rider beside him clears her throat and asks for their names. "Yang Jungwon," he says. "Bae Soren." Soren glowers down at him and tries to step closer. Jungwon presses the dagger closer and nicks his pants. "If I were you, I would be careful about taking another step." Jungwon threatens.

He is not above castrating Soren for all his dickass comments the entire way.

"You think you can use that dagger, Yang? You? The weakling on the entire candidate square?" Soren scoffs. "I can still kill you." Soren grins, devilish. "Cadets are free grounds until they are a part of your wing. You will beg for your life when I'm through with you, Yang. Your life is in my hands!" Soren yells.

Jungwon opens his mouth to retort, but someone else beats him to it. "Technically, only Yang is off the parapet. Which makes him a cadet. You, however, still dangle on the parapet, with a dagger threatening your balls nevertheless. It's clear to us who is going to be begging for their life here." Jungwon turns to look at the speaker.

It's a member of the six flames. They have a mask obscuring their face, but the black hair falls in elegant bangs over their face. Their dark brown eyes are narrowed on Soren. "Unless Cadet Yang decides to let you off the parapet, you will not be a cadet yourself. So, realistically, it's your life in his hands."

Jungwon is gaping at the man. And he is not alone; the other riders behind him on the other side are staring at the assassin in awe, too. The badge on his uniform has the emblem of the six flames on the right, a wing leader badge under it. On the other side is the Rider's quadrant emblem sewn into it. It's clear who this is.

Evan, the leader of Six Flames. Rider of Teraxes, the blue flame.

The dark eyes shift and lock onto Jungwon's, and the latter gulps. "Cadet Yang," his unwavering voice calls. Jungwon gives a meek yes. "It is your decision if you want to let this candidate off the parapet as a man or eunuch." Jungwon jolts, his dagger dangerously close to brushing past Soren's balls. "Well?" An eyebrow raises.

Jungwon contemplates, then looks at Soren, who is looking back at him, jaw clenched, eyes blazing with the promise of murder. He withdraws his hand, leaving Soren's balls intact. Soren growls at him, malice evident in his body language. "You will die, Yang Jungwon. Mark my words."

He pushes past Jungwon, bumping his shoulder, and walks away. Another candidate approaches the end of the parapet, and Jungwon stares blankly at the stone path. He is alive. He made it. He did not fall. He made it to the rider's quadrant.

"Shit." Jungwon mumbles. His legs start shaking, his stomach churns, and before he falls to the ground, a gloved hand grasps his elbow and keeps him upright. It's Evan. The other member stays in his place, watching them, but silent as he has always been the entire time.

Evan leads him off to the bench to the side and sits him down. Someone approaches them and he hears the man ask, "Cadets are to assume formation on that side," he points off to the other side.

"I am aware," he hears Yuqi say. "But he saved my life. I owe it to him."

Evan is quiet before he warns, "Then you better have a bucket ready."

Yuqi understands quickly and sprints off somewhere as Jungwon tries to breathe. Holy shit. One of the people who came with him fell to his death in front of his eyes. The girl he exchanged shoes with made it off the parapet because they did that; he made it off the parapet despite having bloodthirsty Soren on his tail. Fuck, he made it off the parapet. Fuck. He almost died.

Jungwon's stomach lurches violently as he doubles over, and what little food he had with Jeongin this morning comes back crawling up his throat. Evan grasps the back of his shirt and pushes his entire face to the side, where a bucket awaits him as he empties his stomach.

Acis burns his throat as he gags and heaves. Yuqi rubs his back the entire time, and Evan doesn't loosen his grip on his shirt. When Jungwon is done, Yuqi pushes the bucket to the side. Her sharp eyes look into his as she asks, "Are you alright?"

Jungwon gasps, nodding lightly, "Yeah. Just shaken."

"The formation will begin soon," Evan informs, his tone clipped. "Up you get, Cadet."

Jungwon stands up, accepts the bottle of water that Yuqi hands him, and chugs it down. The adrenaline was still burning in his veins.

Yang Jungwon made it. He looked death in the eye and said No.

He looks up and silently thanks Evan. The assassin does not acknowledge it. He doesn't nod or offer any empty words. Simply point him in the direction of where the formation is gathering. The Riders and Cadets all gather around on one side. The Six Flames stand off to the side, far but close. And then, an aged man climbs up the makeshift dais and pulls out a scroll.

"I will now begin reading the death roll of the journey to the Rider's Quadrant."

Jungwon is grateful he is not a name on that parchment.

•—•