Elite

“Can you walk okay?”

“I’m fine, Switch!” I snarled, getting to my feet shakily. “You don’t need to baby me!”

Despite my tone, Switch helped stabilize me. I scowled.

“That was quite the beating you took,” Switch said worriedly.

“I said I’m fine!” I shouted.

“Okay,” Switch said quietly. I was touched that he cared, really. I would have been glad for him if it weren’t what he had learned tonight. As we approached my home, Switch asked suddenly, “Why didn’t you tell me, Sunrise? I could have helped.”

“How?” I grumbled. “You can’t help. Nobody can. This is the only way, Switch.”

Then I shoved my way into the den. Mother was already asleep in her chamber. I dragged my four feet wearily to my nest and dropped into the soft feathers. Tonight had been the worst night of my life. Not only had Grill beaten me again, but my best friend would probably never trust me again. I wouldn’t, if I were him. I lay my head on my front feet and curled my long, white, scaly wings around my body. I turned my head and blew softly until the whole chamber was illuminated with a bright, white light. Despite being a nearly fully-grown dragon, I still needed a bedtime light. I then settled down and closed my eyes to sleep.


When my eyes lurched open, the light was gone. It was still dark in my chamber. Weird, since I usually woke up well into the brightness of the day and light would filter into my chamber.

“Psst!” came the voice. I stretched my sore body and stood, looking around.

“Where are you, Hiss?” I hissed. Hiss chuckled.

“Over here, darling,” he sneered. I squinted into the darkness and saw him. I was tempted to run away, to hide in the darkness and never to come out. But instead, I made my way over to him. He’d be able to find me anyway. As a Dark Dragon, he could see in the darkness fairly easily.

“What do you want, Hiss? It’s late. I’m supposed to be asleep. I did my share of fighting tonight.”

Hiss chuckled.

“Dearest Sunrise, to become an Elite you must get used to pushing yourself. Grill has called you for a morning session.”

I stared at him blankly, and he sighed in exasperation.

“You must fight again to prove yourself worthy to become an Elite!”

I gasped.

“You’re joking!” I nearly shouted. Hiss shook his head.

“I never joke, milady,” Hiss said, sarcasm dripping from the word “milady.”

I frowned.

“But...but…”

“You are taking far too long to beat him. I wouldn’t blame you for losing a couple of times—he’s one of our strongest, after all—but seven times? You must fight twice every night, and even so, If you cannot beat him by the end of the week, you shall not become an Elite.”

“But I need to!” I was nearly sobbing. “I need to become an Elite! My Mother cannot support herself without extra care. She is weak. I need to be able to care for her!”

“Then try harder, Sunrise!” Hiss snapped. “If you do not come with me tonight, you will automatically fail and lose out on all the extra care your Mother requires.”

I nodded and followed him out of the den, glancing into my Mother’s chamber on my way out.

“I’m doing this for you, Mother,” I whispered so quietly that Hiss, who was directly beside me, could not even hear.


Grill was a Fire dragon. It was quite rare that a Common dragon could join the ranks of the Elite, but as anyone could see from his thick muscles and determined expression, he was no ordinary dragon. I trembled slightly as I stepped into the arena. Grill grinned at me.

“Ready to get pummeled again, sweetie?” he asked. I clenched my jaw and tried to regain the confidence that I had had before encountering this foe for the first time.

“Don’t be too sure about the outcome, Grill,” I said with as much fierceness as I could. Grill chuckled.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

I wasn’t ready. Grill slashed his front claws and knocked me off my feet. Fire licked across my scales, which shimmered with perspiration already. I began to breathe shallowly. Grill’s front feet were on my back, claws digging into my spine and making me itch and tingle. It was agonizing. I screamed as loud as I could and struggled to throw him off, but he wouldn’t budge. Light streamed from my mouth as I struggled desperately. The weight lifted off of me, and I immediately jumped to my feet. Baffled, I looked at Grill, who was glancing around him, almost as confused as I was. I trembled weakly, glaring at him. He stared at me like he’d seen a ghost.

“You’re glowing,” he whispered. Startled, I looked over myself. It was true. I was emanating a bright light, illuminating the ground around me. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed before. Grill stepped toward me, and I opened my mouth to talk. Instead, light blasted into Grill’s face. He cringed, squinting. I closed my eyes.

“Back to the fight!” Hiss shouted from the tree he was watching from, where he couldn’t quite see the light difference.

I realized how well my light could help in the fight, and I opened my mouth, shining light straight into Grill’s eyes. I leaped up and slashed his face. Grill stumbled back, expression one of unmasked shock as I dove below his belly and clawed furiously. Grill screamed in pain and tried to retaliate. But I sped away, using my speed to dive in and claw, then dart away again. Eventually, I knocked Grill to the ground and pinned him there. With my ferocity, I had dislodged a few of his scales. Finally, Grill shouted, “Leave me! I’m done!”

I stepped away from him just as Hiss leaped from the tree and grinned at me with the sneaky grin of his.

“Congratulations, Sunrise! Grill was the last challenge. I hereby proclaim you an Elite!”

I stared at him, feet rooted to the ground, feeling numb. An Elite? I was an Elite? After all this time of training, I was an Elite? It was unbelievable.

“Really?” I asked in a whisper.

“Absolutely,” Hiss replied. Absolutely, he said. I was absolutely an Elite. My Mother would absolutely have the extra help and resources she needed. A smile broke out on my face. A silly, immature smirk.

“At last!” I wailed into the sky. “At last!”