The Broken Scale (The Dragon Riders of Arvain) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and four riders clad in their copper armor came in sets of two through a doorway off to the judge’s right with a stretcher in between each pair.”
                  “Sitting on each stretcher was a silver dragon egg. They brought them both in and set one on either side of the judge. After they set the eggs down, the riders left, leaving us with the judges again. Hayden, when I first saw the eggs, saw them up close, my whole world changed and I couldn’t think about anything other than that egg. My egg. I couldn’t tell you anything about the egg in front of my brother, but I could tell you everything about the one they placed in front of me. It was beautiful, it had the same shape as a chicken egg but almost five feet tall, and it looked like it was made out of one giant sheet of silver. It was completely smooth and spotless except for one small diamond spot that was darker than the rest of the egg. At the time I thought it was strange because the judge made a double take when he saw it. I later learned that it was the only metallic egg that had a mark on it. I could not stop staring at the egg, but I was finally drawn back to what was going on around when the judge began to talk again.” Hayden walked closer to Fendrel to hear him better. The old man was all but whispering as he continued speaking.
    ”’ Boys, these are your eggs. Well, they will be if you pass this last test. The riders are a family, they answer to no one but each other and there is no favoritism as there must be complete obedience at all times. You have to obey every order that is given to you no matter what. Your last test is an obedience test, to see if you can do what you are told to do . ’” Fendrel lowered his head as he continued his story. Hayden could do nothing but listen, he felt like he was there watching all this happen in front of him.
                  “’You must be willing to kill on command. Kill without thinking. Can you do that, boys?’ The judge had an evil grin to his face when he asked us, though we both nodded at him. We had seen the eggs. We were so close, we would not let them slip out of our fingers. ‘Good, good, that’s what we like to hear. I want you to prove it to me boys. Prove to me that you have what it takes to be a rider, to do the hard things no matter what.’ The judge leaned forward in his chair and I can still see him lick his lips before he spoke. ‘Face each other . ’” Hayden was not putting together what Fendrel was saying but the old man did not notice.
                  “I turned and faced my brother and saw the confusion on his face as I am sure he saw it on mine too. Then the judge said one final word. ‘Go.’ We continued to stand there just looking at each other. Then I realized what he was asking us to do. Just a few seconds later I saw the look on my brothers face change as he realized it too. We both turned and looked at these eggs, our eggs, sitting next to the judge. I made my decision and shook my head no. I was not about to kill my own brother, not for all my dreams, not for anything in this world.”
    “ Right when I was about to open my mouth to speak, I turned to tell my brother that I was not going to do this, that I wanted no part in it. As I turned I was just able to see the look on my own brother’s face as he swung at my head with a rock he had picked up. I didn’t even have time to think about what was happening before he hit me. Everything flashed white and then there was intense pain, I barely managed to open my eyes and realized I was on the ground; although I didn’t remember falling.”
    “ I must have blacked out because my brother was standing in front of his egg with his hands outstretched and I watched as he hatched his silver dragon with my blood still on his hands. I saw him look at his dragon and smile. I saw his dragon and there on his head, were my brother’s hand had been, was my blood.”
    “I looked to the other