Chapter 4 - Whispers in the Scale
The first two days of the trial were a brutal blur.
Winn had no formal flight gear, no noble riding posture, and no magic. What she had was two years of observing Kestrel's habits, knowing which side of his neck was sensitive, and understanding the subtle rumble in his chest that meant he was about to move.
While the academy cadets watched from the bleachers, laughing and placing bets on how many minutes she would last, Winn sat on Kestrel’s bare ridge. Instead of using harsh iron spurs like Colonel Maro, she guided him with gentle taps of her boots and low, calm murmurs.
By day three, Kestrel was obeying her every command on the ground. But whenever she tried to push him into a takeoff run, the dragon would abruptly stop, drop his head, and press his snout against the stone floor of the eastern wall, growling ominously toward the deep catacombs beneath the academy.
"He's stalling," mocked Maro, who stood by the gates with his arm heavily bandaged. "The beast knows she's an imposter. You're wasting your time, girl!"
Ignoring the taunts, Winn slid down Kestrel's flank and walked over to where the dragon was rubbing his horns against the ancient masonry. She pressed her ear to the cold stone wall.
Deep beneath the bedrock, past the water cisterns and forgotten wine cellars, she heard a strange, rhythmic hum — a low, pulsing vibration that made her teeth ache. Kestrel whined, a sound so full of distress that it broke her heart.
She looked up at his massive eyes and realized the truth. He wasn't resisting flight because he was weak or untamed. He was refusing to leave the academy grounds because something down there was calling to him — or crying out in pain.
That night, Winn sneaked into the lower archives using an old key she had taken from her late aunt’s ring. Deep within the dusty blueprints of the facility, she found the structural maps of the lower vaults. One entire section beneath the east wing had been wiped from the official ledgers two years ago — right around the time Chancellor Reev assumed total control.
A shadow fell over her desk. Winn snapped the ledger shut and looked up to find Deputy Commandant Kalen standing in the aisle.
"You're digging in dangerous dirt, Winn," Kalen said, though his tone held warning, not malice.
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"Kestrel isn't broken, Kalen," Winn said fiercely. "Reev is hiding something under the academy. Kestrel knows it's there. That's why he fought Maro. Maro was trying to force him into a saddle to fly him away from here!"
Kalen stared at her for a long moment, then reached into his coat and pulled out an iron key. "The entrance to the old sub-vaults is behind the forge. If you're going to go down there, do it tonight. Tomorrow is day four. Reev is already preparing the execution pikes."
