The Dragon Scales, #2
Emberclaw
by L. R. Lam
Contents
30. Sorin: The Green Sword
Overview
Amid the Second Trial, Sorin battles Kala under Arcady’s faltering ward and suffers fugue flashes that reveal a hidden mind-knot likely planted by Magnes. Sorin chooses to break through and wins, but the arena erupts when Lowe turns Starveling. With Magnes gone and classmates missing, Sorin rejects His authority and resolves to free her mind with Arcady’s help.
Summary
Sorin enters the amphitheater confident, Elixir sharpening her strength as Arcady blankets her in wards. Kala attacks relentlessly, and Sorin’s control frays as ringing turns to fugue flashes of flight through a dawn forest, watched from above like a wyvern’s gaze.
As the duel grinds on, Sorin blocks Kala by reflex while the visions mount. Under Arcady’s ward, she senses a hidden knot in her mind, a spell so deep she realizes only Magnes could have planted it. The discovery chills her as Magnes watches from the dais.
Arcady and Delin strain to hold their wards. Sorin considers surrender to end the ordeal and flee, but instead commits. She floods her sword with green magic, times her strike, and slices through Delin’s ward; Arcady drops theirs a breath later. The team wins.
Victory collapses into horror: screams, blood on stone, Healers rushing, and Lowe Balcil turning Starveling—black eyes, distended mouth—before professors subdue her. Sorin and Arcady search for Willem and Edin, who are missing. Magnes has vanished from the dais.
Shaken, Sorin retreats to her room, fixating on the sea and recognizing she will no longer honor Magnes even in thought. She resolves to confront the mind-knot and seeks Arcady’s aid to untangle whatever Magnes hid in her skull.
Who Appears
- SorinDuelist in the Trial; suffers fugue flashes, discovers a Magnes-planted mind-knot, breaks the ward to win, then rejects His authority.
- ArcadyMaintains wards for Sorin, strains under the duel, cues the attack, horrified by the aftermath, potential ally to free Sorin’s mind.
- KalaFerocious opponent; presses Sorin hard but is ultimately disarmed and defeated when the ward is cut.
- MagnesObserved from the dais; implied to have implanted a mind-knot in Sorin; disappears after the chaos.
- DelinTeammate maintaining the opposing ward that Sorin slices through to secure victory.
- Lowe BalcilStudent who turns Starveling mid-chaos, is subdued by professors, shocking the arena.
- JaculusSorin’s wyvern; cries from the Rookery, echoing her peril during the duel.
- RahelaStudent traumatized by the Starveling turn, sobs into Iona’s shoulder.
- IonaComforts Rahela and is led away by a professor amid the panic.
- WillemUnseen after the chaos; his absence alarms Arcady and Sorin.
- EdinAlso missing post-trial, adding to the uncertainty and fear.
- TeaselFlees the amphitheater hand in hand with Jordin during the panic.
- JordinEscapes the scene with Teasel as the arena erupts.
- CindLeft rocking in shock after witnessing the Starveling turn.
- Oran WinwardFrozen by shock until Vilm pulls them away.
- VilmGently urges Oran to move amid the stunned crowd.