Neveah lay down in the snow, gazing up at the sky. Her eyes were only slightly open and her quiet gasps for breath echoed across the quiet snow field.

There was no other sound but Neveah’s breathing and the barely audible trickling snow that fell to the ground to take it’s place among the field of white.

With each breath in, Neveah only sought for more and so she inhaled even deeper, her lungs expanding to their maximum capacity but it still did not feel enough...not nearly.

Pain was truly an interesting concept, Neveah had only ever craved air as much as she did now after an encounter with Alessio.

Neveah was certain she had stepped into fire yet somehow, the pain made her feel air deprived, like one who had been drowned instead... completely contrary to how she should have felt.

Though Neveah’s will was as strong as ever, her body reacted to the pain in ways that were beyond her comprehension.

Tugging at every sense it could, desperately seeking Neveah to acknowledge it.

But Neveah already had enough screaming for a day and that was all the acknowledgement Neveah knew.

The snow fell at a slow and steady pace, flakes dropping down on Neveah’s skin and melting away at the point of contact with a sizzling sound.

Neveah dug her arms further into the snow, had she a choice, she would even bury herself beneath a layer of the freezing snow.

The snow was chilling cold, but it provided a welcome relief to her skin that was covered with various blisters and burns.

Lord Skiren had said the green fire would not kill her, but he never did say Neveah would step out of the fire unburned.

How she had made it out of the green fire and out of the Ever-burn cave, Neveah could hardly remember, her mind still reeled from the intensity of pain she had just endured.

Neveah had made it through... somehow, she had survived the merging of fire and now she felt like her body was no longer hers.

From within and without, Neveah felt as though her entire body constitution had been turned upside down and still turned with no relief soon in sight.

Somewhere along the line, Neveah had felt the urge to retch, but her stomach had no contents and so she could only dry heave.

Neveah’s veins and muscles were strained, blood surged through her blood vessels at an alarming rate, triggered by the strange ritual she had just gone through and every bit of it was painful.

There had been so much pain that Neveah was not even sure her brain could register anymore of it and now, all she wanted to do was lay out here and wallow in this excruciating experience.

Neveah could not even spare a thought to finding her way back to the academy from wherever this mountain was, all she wanted was for the world to be still...so she could be as well.

No words, no movement... nothing, this was the only way Neveah felt she could regain her strength and get back to her feet.

Neveah had always believed she had tasted the worst of pain and as such, would not be fazed by it.

Neveah had died once, had she not? At the hands of her own mate, no less. Left to bleed out in a cold, damp forest all alone, a slow and painful death.

Was there anything more excruciating? Was there anything Neveah could not face after that? These were Neveah’s convictions, the confidence Neveah’s every action was centered around.

’I have tasted pain in it’s truest form... I know it and it knows me, I do not fear it... it fears me.’

Those were the words Neveah bore on the back of her mind and so far, that had worked just fine for her.

But Neveah had realized in that moment when she had been unable to hold back her scream that not even she had tasted the truest extent of pain that could be felt.

In a dark abyss, one would have to face pain and even when walking to the light, pain was still right there to bid it’s greetings.

Was there ever a path were one would not face pain? Neveah knew there was none, everything that was worthy was acquired through pain... Neveah had always known this.

The green fire had burned right into her skin and through her veins, it had burned through every cell and every organ in her body...still, Neveah bore through it.

’Veah, this has taken us a step closer to solidifying our bond with Menarx...do you regret it?’ Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

"Regret?" Neveah murmured, chuckling quietly to herself.

"Menarx is worth more...how can I dare hope to accept his heart if I cannot give this much in return?" Neveah asked back.

Neveah’s skin was red and raw and her back and palms still bled, but Neveah felt something she had not felt in a long while...a sense of accomplishment.

’We should head back then, I believe we are expected to report back to the academy after the trials are done.’ Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

"Let me rest a while...the rest of the world can wait." Neveah murmured in response, letting her eyes flutter closed as her breathing finally calmed.

Neveah’s peace was only short lived, the next moment, a tremble shook the earth along with the loud thud as a dragon made it’s landing.

Neveah knew whoever this dragon was, it was not someone she was familiar with but she was far too exhausted to even care.

"You are Neveah." A gruff voice stated in a matter of fact tone.

A quiet sigh escaped Neveah as her eyes fluttered open again, she struggled up to her feet, facing a dragon lord dressed in black leather breeches and a loose white tunic.

"Who is asking?" Neveah asked.

"Conrad of the fourth squadron." The dragon lord replied.

The name sounded familiar to Neveah and she tried to recall where she heard it but her thoughts were difficult to concentrate after the ordeal she had just faced.

"For what purpose does My Lord seek me out?" Neveah asked, she knew well enough that every dragon lord was to be regarded with utmost respect.

"You hurt Fiona." The dragon lord Conrad went straight to the point.

Neveah raised a brow slightly as she recalled Elina had mentioned Lady Fiona was bonded to a dragon lord of the fourth squadron and a direct subordinate of Lord Lodenworth, bearing the name Conrad.

Neveah was not certain what response she was meant to give the dragon lord, his words were not a question but a statement.

The surest way to trigger a dragon’s wrath was harming his rider, no matter how small or insignificant the harm was.

Davina had made this clear to Neveah repeatedly and so Neveah was not surprised at the aggression of Lord Conrad.

Neveah guessed the dragon lord was already fully aware of what had transpired that led to Lady Fiona sustaining an injury to her head and Neveah could not deny responsibility.

"I did." Neveah replied directly.

Lord Conrad’s eyes narrowed slightly as Neveah admitted to it.

"You are Menarx’s intended and so I must treat you with cordiality...as much cordiality as an intended deserves."

"I will be direct, were you aware that Fiona is purely human and unlike the other riders, she has no Asvarian blood and will not heal quickly?"

"Were you aware she could have truly been killed in your anger?" Lord Conrad demanded coldly.

Neveah did not respond immediately, as it was when Lord Skiren had asked a question of similar concept, Neveah had never truly considered the origins of riders. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Neveah only saw them as riders and so she was not aware of this fact at all.

And Fiona was a rather fierce woman right from the moment Neveah had first met her, Neveah could not have even guessed she was human.

"I did not intend to hurt your rider, if that is what you are asking." Neveah replied after a moment of quiet.

"That is not what I have heard...you are known for being wilful and destructive. Since the moment you arrived Dragon Keep, you have stirred one trouble after the other." Lord Conrad deadpanned.

"I am not certain how any of that is related to this. I would appreciate it if you are direct with your intention, My Lord." Neveah replied with a frown.

"You wish to know if I have come here to harm you? To leave the same mark you have dealt my rider?" Lord Conrad asked in a low tone, taking a threatening step forward.

"Are you?" Neveah asked, watching Lord Conrad’s movement with a blank expression.

Lord Conrad did not get to answer as a massive shadow soared overhead, shifting mid air and landing right before Neveah,

"I also would like to hear your answer, Conrad." Came that familiar voice Neveah had not heard since she left his bedside.