Bloodwing Academy, #1
On Wings of Blood
by Briar Boleyn
Contents
Chapter 12
Overview
Medra navigates a calmer school day: Rodriguez schedules thrallguard training, and Sankara pushes her toward speed and endurance. In Basic Combat, Professor Magda Stonefist (the famed Grimblade) teaches survival tactics for blightborns. Medra excels in sparring, hears of the recent civil war’s fragile peace, and resolves to research more.
Her conflicted reaction to a tattooed, distant Blake highlights dangerous attraction amid political tensions.
Summary
Medra starts her day cautiously optimistic, avoiding Blake’s circle and focusing on classes. In Restoration and Alchemy, Professor Rodriguez drops yesterday’s hostility, schedules her first thrallguard training, and insists she devote spare time to a dragon essay. Medra keeps her own pressing goal—ousting her mother’s voice—private.
In Advanced Weaponry, Medra spots a shirtless Blake whose dragon tattoos unsettle her with unwanted attraction. Professor Sankara assesses her skills, notes her mortal-speed limitations against vampires, and assigns weighted forms to build speed and reflexes. Blake keeps his distance, and class ends without incident.
Medra joins Basic Combat for Blightborns, led by dwarven instructor Magda Stonefist, who frames the course as survival training for the “weak” in a world of highbloods. Stonefist reveals her past as the renowned scout “Grimblade” and emphasizes evasion, quick, efficient strikes, and hand-to-hand pragmatism.
Paired first against Lace Ironstride, a stronger Second Year dwarf, Medra uses speed to pin her cleanly. She then edges out Vaughn Sabino after a swift exchange, earning respect and feedback to build strength and endurance. The class atmosphere proves supportive, contrasting with highblood brutality.
Afterward, Naveen shares limited context on the recent civil war: Drakharrow allied with Orphos against Avari and Mortis, with Viktor Drakharrow now dominant and peace uneasy. Medra, sore but encouraged, chooses a bath over food, then heads to the library to dig into the conflict and its implications.
Who Appears
- Medra PendragonProtagonist; trains rigorously, excels in survival sparring, struggles with attraction to Blake, decides to research the civil war.
- Professor Magda Stonefist (Grimblade)Dwarven instructor of Basic Combat; no-nonsense scout veteran emphasizing survival, evasion, and practicality for blightborns.
- Naveen SharmaFriend; eager for combat training, shares limited knowledge of the civil war and house alignments.
- Professor SankaraAdvanced Weaponry instructor; evaluates Medra and assigns weighted drills to build speed and reflexes.
- Blake DrakharrowBound highblood; trains separately, reveals dragon tattoos, stirs Medra’s conflicted attraction, keeps distance.
- Professor RodriguezRestoration and Alchemy teacher; schedules Medra’s thrallguard training and enforces academic expectations.
- Lace IronstrideSecond Year dwarf assisting in class; stronger opponent whom Medra pins through speed.
- Vaughn SabinoFast, slender mortal student; spars competitively with Medra and loses narrowly.
- FlorenceFriend; attends Restoration and Alchemy, potential strategist, discussed as preferring study over combat.