Chapter 49: Lesson’s Over
Chapter 49: Lesson’s Over
No one fears an honest enemy. It’s the smiling one that keeps the students awake at night.
~ Rebel Beast
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Thamas let out a very undignified yelp as Rhydian roughly hauled him out of his seat, the desk screeching loudly across the classroom floor.
All the students, excluding the dragons, broke into excited chatter, the Therion and Ophidian beasts eager to see the scene about to unfold. Today’s lesson had never been so exciting.
All members of House Aetheris wore nervous expressions, knowing shit was about to hit the roof. Unfortunately, Tamara wasn’t part of this class, which meant there was no one close enough to talk Rhydian out of whatever he was about to do.
"What do you think you’re doing, Rhydian?" Selene recovered, attempting to restore order to her classroom.
"Attempt" being the key word.
"Don’t worry, Selene," Rhydian said as he dragged Thamas toward the front of the classroom. "It’ll all be over before you know it. Just a little lesson on..." His eyes drifted toward the large digital screen mounted behind her.
He paused, right before a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Talk about coincidences."
Displayed across the screen in bold letters was today’s topic:
Royal Hierarchy: Authority, Duty and Obedience.
Underneath were bullet points discussing the chain of command within the different beast clans, the responsibilities of leaders, and the consequences of insubordination.
Rhydian barked out a laugh, pointing a finger at Thamas, who had suddenly lost every ounce of confidence.
"This fool right here apparently skipped this Chapter."
The students burst into laughter. As much as the serpents hated Rhydian’s ass, it didn’t mean they couldn’t laugh at his joke. Besides, the dragon prince was about to tear one of his own apart. What better spectacle was there than that?
"So here’s what we’re going to do," Rhydian enthused. "Professor Selene will handle the theory while I’ll demonstrate the practical."
He flashed Selene one of his trademark smiles. "Perfect teamwork, don’t you think?"
Selene simply stared at him, speechless. The Drakhar heir had always been insane, yet somehow, he found a new way to redefine the word.
After a long moment, the llama shifter quietly stepped aside. She knew when a situation was beyond her. There were some battles that simply weren’t worth fighting.
Selene might have been the professor, but she was still a llama standing in front of a dragon prince.
The academy had strict rules forbidding students from laying a hand on their teachers. Unfortunately, those rules only mattered when the person breaking them respected the consequences. She knew exactly how far she could push before the dragon in him reared its head.
If there was anyone in this academy bold enough to stand toe-to-toe with Rhydian Drakhar, it was Professor Maverick Nightshade. She wasn’t Maverick and had absolutely no intention of discovering where her own limits ended.
"So..." Rhydian began, forcing Thamas onto his knees in front of the entire class.
While fear lingered beneath the surface, Thamas’ expression remained hardened with rage. Being made to kneel as a dragon was humiliating enough. But being made to kneel before the serpents was worse. His pride was never going to recover from this.
"I’m sure some of you have already heard about the crow attack this morning..." Rhydian’s gaze swept across the classroom, taking note of the conveniently empty seats where some of the crow shifters should have been.
"At least the crows were smart enough to crawl back into whatever little nest they’re hiding in right now. But apparently, Thamas here believes being a dragon gives him the right to disobey my orders."
Thamas lifted his head with a sneer.
"I was simply doing what you should’ve done. After what happened last night, every last human had every reason to be wiped out of this academy." His lips curled. "But I guess you’ve suddenly gone soft."
The words had barely left his mouth before Rhydian’s fist crashed into his face, the crack echoing through the classroom.
But instead of gasps, the room erupted into cheers and whistles. Violence was simply another language to beasts. Only Selene remained frozen in the corner, two fingers pressed against her temple as though she could massage away the headache forming behind her eyes.
"Don’t start that bullshit with me," Rhydian growled, seeing straight through Thamas’ attempt to twist the narrative. "I don’t care what you think should’ve happened."
His voice turned colder. "As long as you wear House Aetheris’ colors, my orders are absolute. And when I say the humans are not to be touched..." He leaned down until they were eye level. "...you do not touch them."
Thamas slowly recovered from the punch, a dark bruise already blooming across the side of his face. Although he remained on his knees, there was no remorse in his expression. If anything, his hatred had only deepened.
Rhydian suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair, and Thamas hissed as pain shot across his scalp, his head forced upward until he was staring directly into the dragon prince’s eyes.
"I told beautiful Selene I’d keep this practical lesson brief, and I intend to keep my word."
Even from her corner of the classroom, Selene felt heat rush into her cheeks. Rhydian Drakhar was going to be the death of her.
Though, now that she thought about it...
Was the skirt really that nice?
Her eyes subtly dropped to the black A-line skirt that stopped just above her knees, the modest slit at the back allowing for easier movement.
Maybe... she should wear it again next week.
Rhydian resumed, "Tell me, Thamas, just how much does flying mean to you?"
A confused furrow crossed Thamas’ features because that was a stupid question. Flying was life to dragons.
"I love it—" The words had barely left his mouth before realization struck him. It wasn’t a question but a sentence.
A sinister glint flashed in Rhydian’s blue eyes. "Thought so. I’m a dragon after all."
His smirk turned downright fiendish, so much so that chills raced across Thamas’ skin. Before he could even blink, Rhydian’s hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder.
Crack!
The sickening sound reverberated through the classroom.
Pain exploded through Thamas’ body as Rhydian intentionally shattered the shoulder joint where a dragon’s wings anchored in their shifted form. It was a precise strike, one only another dragon would know how to inflict.
Thamas’ scream was so full of anguish that this time, no one found amusement in it. The classroom fell deathly silent as every beast stared at Rhydian.
In that moment, they remembered exactly what the carefree Drakhar heir was after all. An apex predator.
Rhydian only released Thamas after making absolutely certain the damage had been done.
The wing joint had been completely shattered. Even if Thamas shifted right then, his wings wouldn’t respond properly. Healing magic could have repaired the injury within hours, but without a healer, the bone would have to mend naturally. Until then, the skies were closed to him.
Thamas collapsed onto the floor, clutching his ruined shoulder as his body writhed in agony. Rhydian straightened his uniform as calmly as though he had merely finished adjusting his cuffs.
Then he looked around the classroom.
"Thamas Draco is not permitted to see a healer. He will recover naturally, no matter how long it takes."
His gaze swept across every dragon, serpent, and Therion beast in the room.
"Anyone who goes against my order or assists in his recovery will have me to contend with."
The threat settled over the classroom like a heavy fog, and not a single student dared utter a word.
Satisfied, Rhydian gave a single nod.
"Lesson’s over."