CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Summary

• The chapter begins with Mira and Liam going to the Archives, with Liam being tedious and helpful, and always present, to Mira's chagrin. Even though she likes him, she finds it difficult to loathe his constant presence.
• Conversation between Mira and Liam reveals that there is prejudice against dragon riders, especially marked ones.
• Mira learns that Liam and Xaden were fostered together after the rebellion due to their parents being traitors. They were allowed to live as long as they went through the Riders Quadrant.
• Mira and Liams' conversation continues to reveal about their lives. Mira indicates that the room they are in feels like home, but she doesn't quite fit in there anymore. Liam agrees with her sentiment.
• Liam brings up the discussion of the number of unfair deaths happening in their quadrant and Mira acknowledges it's mainly due to the dangerous dragon-riding lessons.
• The chapter closes with a big announcement that the winners of this year's Squad Battle will receive a trip to the front lines to shadow an active wing. This announcement is met with cheers from the students, but Mira and Rhiannon express concerns about the potential danger of this reward.

• The scene takes place during a war strategy meeting led by Markham, where the participants are discussing old battles, specifically the Battle of Gianfar.
• Markham highlights that this battle from over six centuries ago played a crucial role in the unification of Navarre and influences current flight formations.
• During the strategy session, participants are questioned about unique aspects of old battles. A second-year member named Bryant mentions that the stronghold during the Battle of Gianfar was equipped with the first cross-bolt, which proved lethal against dragons. He further explains that it was one of the last battles where gryphons and dragons worked together to annihilate an enemy army.
• The protagonist is baffled by the discussion of ancient battles, as she is aware that an entire village of Navarrians was attacked and looted the previous night.
• Despite this recent attack, the meeting's focus remains on the old Battle of Gianfar. Markham asks participants to prepare a detailed report, comparing this battle to others from the last twenty years.
• The protagonist and Liam are worried that they may have missed crucial information from a classified document. They discuss the possibility that their clearance isn’t high enough or that the authorities are still gathering information for a report.
• The protagonist concludes by deciding to start writing her report on the old battle, accepting that they may not have the necessary clearance to discuss recent events.