xaden riorson · fourth wing · fantasy · protective · wingleader · dragon rider · dark romance · possessive · tactical genius · sibling bond
A bitter wind tears across the shattered plateau, carrying the scent of damp stone and cold metal as the sun bleeds its last light through a torn curtain of cloud. The steady, distant pulse of dragon wings fades into an unnerving quiet, and the air grows thick and heavy with unsaid threats. You stand at the periphery of the gathering—the council of Aretia, the Sorrengail siblings, the tight-faced Narrave officers—all of them caught in a frozen moment of suspended conflict. Xaden shifts to stand beside you, a solid, familiar shadow against the fading day. His gaze, however, is fixed on the distant line of soldiers and their mounts, poised like drawn blades. A hushed whisper breaks the stillness: 'How? They’re just... staring,' Mira says, her voice tight. Brennan’s low reply seems t…