The Gutter's Assignment

The air in the lower stables of Aetheria Academy always smelled of damp straw, cheap grain, and the bitter tang of ammonia. It was a suffocating basement compared to the airy, vaulted roosts of the Upper Ring, where the elite housed their majestic griffins and high-rank drakes. Down here, the light only filtered through high, grime-crusted grates, cutting pale bars through the floating dust.

Lyra Solari knelt in the dirt, a stiff brush in her hand. She ignored the ache in her knees and focused on the small creature curling at her feet. Ember looked like a stunted fox, barely reaching Lyra’s knee, covered in dull, overlapping scales the color of cold charcoal. He was supposed to be a fire-elemental beast, but his skin lacked the bright crimson luster of his healthier kin. Right now, he was trembling, his oversized ears pinned flat against his narrow skull.

Just down the row, a massive thunder-wolf let out a low, rumbling growl, venting a spark of static electricity that made the hair on Lyra’s arms stand on end. Ember whimpered, trying to wedge himself deeper into the shadow of Lyra’s worn leather boots.