Chapter Fifty-Two

Summary

• Chapter fifty-two opens with Rhiannon offering warm drinks and company at a squad gathering hosted by Raegan, with members of Second Squad socializing together. This is part of the efforts to ease tension between riders and fliers.
• Despite progress and routine, the protagonist, the narrator, harbors concern over the threat of wyvern attacks and how quickly their position can be jeopardized.
• The protagonist acknowledges Rhiannon's strategy to unify the riders and fliers through these gatherings and pairing up members as study partners.
• Skepticism remains about the current truce between groups, as the protagonist discusses the possibility of dangerous individuals testing wyverns in offensive maneuvers.
• Conversation turns to language skills when the protagonist asks Aaric about speaking Old Lucerish, an ancient language relevant to their shared mentor, Markham.
• Aaric denies knowing Old Lucerish and redirects the question, reminding the protagonist to be cautious about revealing too much to the others.
• There is playful banter amongst the squad members about getting to know each other better, particularly the younger cadets.
• Rhiannon eventually calls for attention to address a serious matter regarding the discovery in Warrick’s journal about the wards meant to protect Aretia from wyvern attacks.
• In revealing the method to activate the wards, the protagonist discloses that it would inhibit the fliers from wielding magic, causing shock and concern among them.
• The potential activation of these wards sparks a debate about loyalty, power, safety, and the difficult choices that lie ahead for the fliers. This debate reveals underlying tensions between the riders and fliers.
• The protagonist promises to seek a delay in activating the wards, offering the fliers a chance to consider whether they want to stay or seek refuge elsewhere where their powers will remain intact.
• To support the fliers in the case the wards are raised, alternative weapons—conduits with enchanted arrowheads made of explosive Maorsite—are presented.
• The scene transitions to the protagonist's nightmare involving the Sage, a recurring tormentor, who coerces her to use her dark powers and suggests that love might be a motivator for her actions.
• Upon awakening, the protagonist finds comfort in the presence of Xaden, her partner, and the reassuring routine of sharing the bed with him.
• The chapter concludes with a training mission for the squad—to find summoning runes hidden within a twenty-mile radius—which turns competitive with the promise of a weekend pass as the prize.
• Rhiannon and Bragen coordinate the squad, dividing them according to abilities, preparing for the upcoming scouting mission.
• Xaden returns from a mission, and there's a moment of personal connection between him and the protagonist before she must return to her duties with the squad.
• A hint of deeper revelations and strategies at play is left hanging as the narrator joins her team for the training exercise, parting ways with Xaden until after the mission.