Exploded's heart hammered. He felt confused, awkward, afraid. What did the commander want from him?

"From this day forward", the commander continued, "rank will be earned through trials - real deeds. Hunts, missions, and trials that reveal who a dragon is, not who tradition claims they should be."

The commander began to pace again, tail sweeping the stone floor with a soft scrape.

"Dragons of cunning will face cunning. A dragon of strength will face claws and wings to rival them. Each dragon will face what they excel at."

Exploded found himself agreeing with the commander; he, too, did not find the hierarchy fair. So he dared a glance upward. The commander's expression was still neutral; neither cruel, nor kind, but calculating.

"Tese tests will not be announced," the commander said. "They will not be explained, nor questioned."

"The others will belive the trials are natural. Let them. Ambition grows best when it believes it is unseen."

Exploded made to speak, then stopped himself. Why was the commander telling him this, anyway? How was he special or different?

The commander's gaze suddenly fixed on Exploded, pinning him to where he stood.

"You are the newest member of the Fittus. New. Unshaped. And... Hungry."

Exploded's breath caught. He had never been addressed so directly.

You wonder why I tell you this," the commander murmured. "It is because new blood adapts fastest."

The commander stepped closer, staring at Exploded directly in the eye. Exploded wanted to look away, but the commander's eyes pulled him into their fathomless depths.

"If you are worth, you will rise. You will fall if you are not. And only you will know that the trials are chosen - not random."

"Carry this knowledge carefully. Power is sharp; when mishandled, it cuts."

The commander dismissed Exploded with a flick of his tail. "You may leave."