Dragon Flight Academy 3, page 12
“Disqualified!” Sunderland shouted.
While we’d been playing, Roberta had come back with a second roasted ham, so there was no discontinuation in the game. Already, eleven cadets had been benched, and luckily, my team had one more member. Of course, it didn’t last since I suspected that Sunderland was blowing his whistle every minute or so just for the simple pleasure of telling us off. By the sounds of it, both he and Hale were enjoying themselves as much as we were, and soon each team was down to three members each.
Jonas and I were still in the game along with another third-year, and Bailey’s team consisted of Koko, Jonas’ second-in-command, and two second-years. Everyone else had been eliminated, and the roasted ham was seconds away from being destroyed for the second time. So far, my team had scored eight points, and Bailey’s was right on our tail with seven points.
“Five minutes left,” Hale announced as he and his dragon threw the ham back into the air.
“Let’s go, Storm!” I shouted at my dragon.
He flew into the air and swooped low to snatch the ham from Koko’s dragon. He might’ve held it in his talons, but I saw the exact moment his head lowered toward his feet.
“No, Storm!” I yelled and yanked on the reins.
My dragon let out a roar and pushed his head further down. I motioned for Jonas to take the ham from him, but before he could do that, an opposing dragon collided with Storm and snatched the ham. I urged Storm after him, but even though all three members of my team chased the pair, they managed to score.
“We’re tied!” Jonas shouted.
Down below, both teams were cheering on the remaining cadets that were still in the air. Sunderland was a referee on the ground while Hale was flying around us and looking for foul play. Our instructors had been merciless, and they hadn’t hesitated to bench cadets for the most ridiculous reasons they could find. I’d laughed the hardest when someone from Bailey’s team had tried to score but had dropped the ham on Sunderland’s lap instead. He’d been benched immediately, but I’d never forget the surprised look on Sunderland’s face before it’d morphed into contempt and disgust.
“And now for the win,” Sunderland announced. “The next team who scores wins the Final Fry.”
“We’ve got this,” I shouted at my teammates.
Hale threw the ham in the air one last time, and Jonas swooped in and snatched it first. He was getting closer to the marker when an opposing cadet collided with him. The shock of the collision caused Jonas’ dragon to drop the ham, but Storm and I were too far away to grab it before it fell, and so were the other cadets.
I fully expected the ham to splatter on the ground and rain meat again, but a dragon miraculously flew underneath the ham and caught it in his mouth. The crowd of cadets on the ground cheered so loud I felt it rumble in my chest, and when I looked down, I noticed that it was Hale’s dragon that had caught and eaten the final ham.
“Hale, Hale, Hale!” The cadets began chanting his name while they applauded him.
Even the dragons were congratulating Hale in their own way with roars and rings of fire.
“Not bad, sir!” I shouted at him when Storm flew toward him.
“It’s all about precision and timing, Randall!” Hale yelled back.
“I can see that, sir,” I laughed.
Storm tried to pick a fight with Hale’s dragon, probably because he wasn’t happy about losing, so I forced him well away from the other dragon. When we landed in the middle of the field, my teammates congratulated me for organizing the Endflight Games.
“Man, it was so much fun,” Jonas was saying as he tapped my shoulder and shook my hand.
“Even I have to admit I had a hell of a time,” Pierce said.
The other team was doing the same with Bailey before they came up to me and thanked me for my creative initiative, and then the referees gathered us.
“To conclude the unofficial end-of-year tournament, Captain Hale and I have some prizes to award. First of all, the Ham Slam.”
The crowd roared with laughter at the name, and when Jonas started hooting and whistling, the other cadets imitated him.
“Silence!” Hale shouted.
“The Ham Slam unsurprisingly belongs to Cadet Encino,” Sunderland announced. “For trying to score way outside the marker’s limits.”
Encino was the second-year cadet on Bailey’s team who’d dumped the ham on Sunderland’s lap instead of the marker. There was still a greasy spot on the lieutenant’s uniform, and I wondered if it’d ever go away.
“Thank you, Sir!” Encino yelled and raised an arm to salute the crowd.
“Moving on,” Sunderland said. “The Showboat award goes to… Cadet Donovan. For his constant flashy moves that added nothing to the game.”
“This is a compliment, sir.” Pierce smirked and saluted the crowd, who cheered for him.
“Not where I come from,” Hale said.
“The Snackjacked award goes to…” Sunderland trailed off. “Cadet Mercer! For having more hams stolen from you than anyone else.”
I laughed hard when I saw Caleb’s face turn red with embarrassment. The whole point of the lieutenant’s award system was to ridicule anyone who’d performed the worst. It added more layers of amusement to the game than if he’d rewarded us for what we did well.
“And the last one is the Chaotic Champion award, and that goes to Captain Hale!” Sunderland shouted.
“Woooohooo!” I cheered with the rest of the cadets.
It didn’t surprise me that Sunderland would’ve declared him the winner after the stunt he’d pulled right at the end of the game. Even if Hale hadn’t participated in the Final Fry game, he’d been the referee, so his ham thievery had certainly created more chaos than anyone else.
I was just glad that both Hale and Sunderland had enjoyed themselves as well. It wasn’t often we had a chance to just relax with our instructors, and it was nice to see the stony façade drop for a little while.
Of course, the day wasn’t over, so there was plenty of time for the pair to crack the whip again.
Chapter 8
The official banquet didn’t start until eight-thirty in the evening, and I knew that I was to blame for the delay.
After the epic event that I’d organized, we’d had to clean up not only the field but our dragons and ourselves, too. It’d taken a lot longer than any of us had anticipated, and by the time we were done and had given our dragons a treat for their involvement, it was already eight o’clock. I assumed that either Hale or Sunderland had gone to General Harlow to inform him of the slight delay, and luckily, Harlow didn’t say anything when my squadron finally showed up in the main hall.
Several round tables had been set up around the room, and six places had been set at each table. An oval table had been added at the end of the room where Harlow and his guests sat. There was enough room for every member of the faculty to be present, including the squires and the soldiers who worked in the hatching grounds with the newborn dragons.
We’d been told the dress code was relaxed, so the cadets were in either their daily uniforms or civilian clothes. Most of the faculty members, though, were wearing their official uniforms, and I thought it had everything to do with the three guests that were currently speaking with Harlow and Colonel Cage.
“Who do you think they are?” Caleb whispered as we quickly found a table.
“Not sure,” I said. “But maybe it has to do with the assignment for the class leaders?”
Caleb nodded in agreement as we were joined by Brie, Anji, Nick, and Byron. I shook hands with each of them and then looked around at the rest of the tables. I had a perfect view of the squires’ table where Gracie sat. She’d chosen a seat that faced the entire room, so we could look at each other the whole night without raising any suspicions. With Brie on my right and Caleb on my left, I felt like everything was right in the world.
“Hopefully, they won’t serve us pork tonight,” Caleb grumbled when we were served our first course, which was a simple cold salad. “I don’t think I’m ever going to look at ham the same way.”
“I think I still have some bits in parts of my body I’d never thought could retain meat,” Anji said and grimaced.
“Admit it,” I laughed. “It was awesome, and you had a heck of a great time.”
“Oh, of course.” Anji nodded. “But it doesn’t mean I appreciate having pig parts stuck in weird places.”
“It was fantastic,” Nick agreed. “I can’t believe you managed to do all that on your own.”
“Or that Hale and Sunderland didn’t make you clean all the gear on your own,” Byron added.
“I had help,” I reminded them. “It was a team effort, and look how it turned out. The Endflight Games will become an unofficial tradition, I’m sure.”
“It had better,” Brie said. “I had way too much fun. I want a rematch next year, and this time, I won’t let Hale steal all the glory.”
“That was a genius move,” Caleb chuckled.
“Be that as it may, my friend, you better step up,” Brie threatened him lightly as she waved a finger in his direction. “If you end up on my team again, I won’t have you win the Snackjacked award again.”
“Hey, at least I earned something,” Caleb pouted. “Which is more than I can say about any of you.”
“Just don’t let Pierce hear you say that,” Byron whispered as he glanced at the table where Pierce had taken a seat. “I don’t think he’ll ever let us forget that he got a Showboat award.”
Our table laughed loudly, which earned us a few stares from nearby tables, but we didn’t care. Today had been one of the best days at the Academy, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from us.
“Oh, thank God,” Caleb muttered when the second course was brought out. “No ham.”
“I love duck,” Brie sighed happily.
I dug into the tender duck, roasted potatoes, and stir-fried vegetables with gusto. The duck had been smoked at some point, so it melted in my mouth, and the potatoes were smothered in a rosemary butter sauce that made me drool. Even the veggies, which weren’t always my favorite, had been given a bright citrus flavor that danced on my tongue. Everything was delicious, and while the cafeteria crew always served up good food, they’d outdone themselves for the final dinner.
Just before dessert, though, Harlow stood up, and the whole room fell silent.
“I want to congratulate every person in this room,” the general said as he looked around the room. “You’ve all exceeded the academy’s standards and expectations with your fine work this term.”
“I second that,” Hale said and raised his glass.
The rest of the staff, and then the rest of the guests, did likewise. Hale nodded, and everyone took a sip.
“I’d like to offer a toast to our third-year cadets, who are leaving us to join different NATO bases around the world,” Harlow said when the noise died down. “And I guess now’s as good a time as any to announce the assignments. So, Squadron Leader Jonas, if you’ll step forward. You’ve been assigned to West Germany.”
The room applauded the general’s announcement, and I clapped along with everyone else, though I couldn’t help the knot that had appeared in my stomach. West Germany was right on the front lines, and cadets who were sent there would be the first to fight if war broke out.
In all fairness, Jonas accepted his post with squared shoulders and confidence. He walked up to Harlow’s table and shook the general’s hand, who whispered something that no one but the people at his table could hear. Then one by one, Harlow called the other third-years and announced where they’d be posted. Every member of the squadron had passed their exams, and yet, none of them were sent to the same base. They were being sent to bases across the world with very little chance of seeing each other again.
Once all nine third-years had been accounted for, the room settled down again, and Harlow resumed his speech.
“I’d like to pay a special thank you to our second-years,” he said. “We might not have any announcements to make about what they’ll be doing this summer, but you’ve done the academy proud, and I’m happy to say that you’re all welcome back in the fall.”
The room clapped, and I saw Bailey’s friends tap his shoulders and bump their fists together.
“It’s our turn now,” Brie whispered as she leaned into me. “Harlow’s going to announce the two cadets who have been chosen for the assignment.”
“God, I hope it’s not me,” Caleb murmured. “I’m going to Stanford. I don’t want to be stuck on a mission for Harlow.”
We fell silent when the general looked in our direction, and we quickly straightened in our seats.
“And finally, I’d like to say a few words about our first-years,” Harlow announced. “There’s been only one death for them so far, which is the best record in five years.”
The room applauded, and I heard a few whistles and cheers here and there. I clapped along with everyone else and glanced at Pierce’s table on my right. The cadet didn’t look guilty or remorseful about what happened, though it didn’t surprise me. I’d given up trying to make him see reason a long time ago.
“I’m also happy to say that every first-year cadet has passed their exams,” Harlow added and waited out another bout of clapping. “This year, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming some of the brightest cadets the academy has seen since its opening days. Not only will they continue studying at top colleges like Stanford, Brown, and Harvard over the summer, but they’ll continue to make us and our country proud.”
“He’s talking about you, man,” I whispered as I leaned toward Caleb.
“I’m sure he’s talking about more than one student,” Cal murmured back.
“Just accept the compliment.” I nudged him.
“Now, you all know that I’ve been told about a special assignment for our top finishers,” Harlow said, and I held my breath in anticipation. “The two first-year cadets who have been chosen for the mission have exceeded the academy’s expectations. They’re the top of the class by a mile, and they deserve the opportunity to learn from the best this summer. Cadets Randall and Lennox, well done.”
Harlow clapped politely as his eyes zoomed in on Brie and me. I tilted my head down at him in a silent gesture just as Caleb forcefully patted me on the shoulder.
“Well done, man,” he said. “That’s exactly what you wanted.”
“It was,” I agreed and grinned.
I felt Brie’s hand discreetly brush against my thigh, which was her way of letting me know that she was equally proud of me and of herself. It was a relief to know that we’d get to spend the summer together while on a secret assignment. It was intriguing, and I wanted to know more about it, but I assumed that we’d have a private meeting with Harlow so he could share everything that he knew.
As I glanced around the room, I was relieved to see that none of my friends seemed to hold a grudge against either me or Brie for being chosen. I knew that most of them already had organized a Plan B in case they weren’t chosen for the assignment, so I didn’t feel guilty in the slightest.
“This concludes tonight’s celebration,” Harlow said. “Enjoy your desserts and your last night on campus. I want you all out by noon tomorrow.”
As if on cue, Roberta and the other people who worked in the kitchens entered the hall with trays filled with sugary food that would be more than enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. They even set up a chocolate fountain surrounded by plates of diced fruits. The banquet was officially over, and we were now able to walk around the room as we pleased.
I noticed that some of the faculty members had already made their escape, though the majority of them hung around the desserts. Harlow was still here, and so were his three guests. There was already a growing mob closing in on them, though, so I patiently waited for a quiet moment to approach the group.
I was in the middle of filling my plate with fruits, pastries, and melted chocolate when a shadow fell over me.
“Cadet Randall, I expect you and Cadet Lennox in my office tomorrow morning,” General Harlow instructed. “Ten on the dot. We’ll discuss your assignment then.”
“Thank you, sir,” I replied. “We won’t be late, I promise.”
“Good.” He nodded once before he turned on his heel and rejoined the crowd of people.
“I wonder what the assignment is,” Brie said as she appeared next to me with a plate filled with equally sugar coma-inducing food. “Did Harlow say anything?”
“Only to see him in his office tomorrow at ten,” I relayed the information. “I guess he’ll brief us then.”
“Do you think it’s going to be a secret mission?” Brie asked.
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Another hour ticked by, and the hall was noticeably less crowded. The faculty members had already left, so it was just the cadets and the squires who remained, and none of us showed signs of wanting to call it a night. After all, it was our last night on campus. I wondered if it’d be the same for Brie and I since we didn’t yet know what we were going to do this summer, but either way, the campus would be eerily empty come noon tomorrow.
It was surprisingly difficult to say goodbye to Jonas and his squadron. I might not have known him for long or as well as the members of my own unit, but I respected the man. He’d given me excellent tips on how to survive my first year and how to be a good leader, and I owed him a lot.
“Soooo… this is goodbye, then,” Jonas said when I walked up to him.
“It is.” I nodded and extended my hand. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you enough for everything you’ve taught me this year.”
“You have,” Jonas laughed as he shook my hand. “I also took the games you organized today as a way to say thanks and good riddance.”
“Not quite,” I laughed. “It’s going to be different without your squadron here.”
“Not as much as you’d think,” he said. “I’ve been in your shoes before. It’s daunting to move from first to second year, but it only means that you can help other cadets. You can share everything you’ve learned. It feels like a reward, believe me.”
