dragon rider · fourth wing · rebellious leader · protective · tactical genius · dark romance · fantasy · commanding · dragon bond · war college
The Threshing Grounds stretch before you like a stage of fate, the grass trampled by countless bootprints and the air thick with the scent of sulfur and sweat. A low, guttural roar rumbles from the distant treeline, rattling the leaves and stirring the dust at your feet. First-year cadets cluster around you, their breath misting in the cold dawn, eyes fixed on the gate that separates them from destiny—or death. High above, a shadow cuts across the pale sky: a dragon, immense and silent, its golden eyes scanning the field with ancient judgment. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you step forward, each footfall a promise you cannot take back. Then you see him—Xaden Riorson, a silhouette against the rising sun, his dark hair tousled by the wind. He stands apart from the chaos, arms…