This scene may or may not make the cut in Trial By Fire. I thought it was fun and wanted to share. I hope you enjoy it.

In Elemental science, Bryn noticed another one of Mr. Stanton’s seating charts on the board. Today she was grouped with Octavious, Rhianna, and Garrett. It was probably the first time in a month that she hadn’t been grouped with Jaxon. Maybe fate was finally smiling on her.

“Class, today, you will learn to work together with your fellow dragons using your different breath weapons to solve a problem,” Mr Stanton walked around the room and placed wooden boxes on the desks grouped together in sets of four. “Figure out the most effective ways to solve the puzzles. You want to open the boxes without destroying them or the object inside.”

Valmont pulled a chair up to sit next to Bryn. Octavious nodded at them. Rhianna smiled in greeting. Garrett immediately picked up the box and started studying it from all angles.

“How do you know it’s okay to turn the box upside-down like that?” Rhianna asked.

Garrett paused. “Mr. Stanton turned the box over and around after setting it down which means whatever is inside isn’t bothered by motion.”

“I knew you’d have a reason,” Rhianna said, “I just didn’t now what it was.”

The corners of Garrets mouth turned up in a amused grin. “I am a Green. We rarely do anything without thinking about the repercussions first.”

“Did you think about the repercussions of forming a mixed Clan group?” Octavious asked.

Garret set the box down. “Yes, both negative and positive.”

This line of conversation was almost more interesting than the locked box. Bryn leaned close and spoke in a quiet tone lest Jaxon hear their conversation and throw some sort of hissy fit. “Which reaction have you seen more of?”

Garrett traced his fingertips along the edge of the box before answering. “More positive, I think.” He flashed a grin at Rhianna, who returned the expression.

The old fear that Rhianna might run off with Garrett stranding her with Jaxon came knocking at Bryn’s subconscious.

“Back to the box,” Bryn said, “anyone have an idea?”

“There’s a keyhole,” Octvious stated. “I could direct a small sonic wave into it and see if it sets off the locking mechanism.”

“Has that worked for you before?” Bryn asked.

Octavious nodded. “Sometimes Orange dragons use keyless locking mechanisms which can only be opened by a particular pattern of sonic waves.”

Garrett set the box down with the key hole facing the Orange dragon. “Interesting. I’ve read about such things, but I’ve never seen it done. Give it a try.”

Laying his hand on top of the box, Octavious concentrated. Since his waves were invisible, Bryn didn’t see anything, but she felt vibrations go through the desks. The box remained locked.

“That would have been so cool if it had worked,” Valmont said.

“Could the key be something hidden on the box?” Rhianna asked, like a recessed button of some sort?”

Garrett waved at the box, indicating Rhianna was free to investigate. Funny how the Green dragon took charge when it was a puzzle of logic. Maybe that was innate to their Clan.

Rhianna inspected the box, running her hands over it. “I can’t find anything.”

“Could we make a key?” Bryn asked.

“Try using ice to fill the keyhole,” Garret said to Rhianna. “Maybe by adding a bit at a time you can jimmy the box open.”

Rhianna did as he suggested. When that didn’t work, she shoved the Box at Bryn. “Your turn.”

“What can I do that none of you can?” Bryn asked.

The sound of Valmont unsheathing his sword startled her.

“Calm down, I’m just helping you assess your resources.” He held up the sword. “Think of it as a giant lock pick.”

Bryn laughed. “Why not?” She touched the tip of the blade to the seam where the lid met the rest of the box.

“Be careful.” Valmont warned.

Too late, Bryn’s hand stung as she received what felt like the mother of all paper cuts. She winced against the pain and pulled her hand back to inspect her thumb.

The sword glowed red as the drop of blood rolled into the keyhole and Click, the box popped open.

“Your blood opened the box?” Garrett sounded appalled and intrigued.

“So it would appear,” Bryn wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“And the way your sword glowed, was that normal?” Garrett asked Valmont.

“I’ve never noticed it before, because as Bryn’s knight my job is to keep her from bleeding.” Valmont grabbed Bryn’s hand and kissed her fingertips. “Are you all right?”

A happy warmth flowed from her fingers to her heart. She felt her face heat. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Do you mind?” Garrett gestured at the mysterious contents of the box which were shrouded in black silk.

“Feel free.” Bryn wasn’t so sure she liked the box or its contents if it was after her blood.

Taking great care, Garrett pulled away the silk cloth without touching whatever was inside.

“Another box?” Octavious deep voice broadcast his displeasure through the room.

“Someone else can bleed on this one,” Bryn muttered.

“There’s a button on the side,” Rhianna pulled a pencil from her bookbag and used the eraser to press the button.

Something gave an audible click and then a faint ticking sound emanated from the box.

Bryn pushed back from her desk, “Mr. Stanton,” she spoke loud enough to gain his attention, “tell me that’s not a bomb.”

“No bombs,” Mr. Stanton called out. “Just the puzzle mechanism.”

“Not that I don’t trust you,” Valmont said, “but Bryn has a history when it comes to things that go boom.”

Rhianna, Garrett, and Octavious  glanced at the smaller box nestled inside the bigger box.

“Just to clarify,” Garrett glanced at the other students huddled in small groups. “Is anyone else’s box ticking?”

A quick glance around the room showed no one else had managed to open their box yet to reach the contents.

Garrett slammed the lid shut on the big box. Rhianna blasted it with frozen flames encasing it and the entire desk in a giant block of ice.

Mr. Stanton sighed. “Students, while I understand your caution, I can assure you–

Ka-Boom!

Shards of ice flew. Rhianna blasted more frozen flames creating a wall on one side of the desk.

Garrett created a twister keeping the the shards of ice turning back on themselves in a twisting motion. Bryn blasted flames at the shards of ice that escaped.

On my mark, stop your wind,” Octavious yelled.

Garrett nodded.

Octavious held his hands out palms down. He moved closer to the twister and angled his hands so they were facing each other. “Now,” Octavious yelled.

The twister stopped and it looked like invisible hands crushed the ice, the desk and the surrounding chairs into a tangled ball of wood. Bryn felt the wave through the soles of her shoes. The ball of wood ground together, pulverizing itself. The air pressure shifted. Bryn’s ears rang and then popped.

Where the desk chairs and puzzle box had been, there was what appeared to be a small mound of wet sawdust.

Silence filled the room, and then footsteps sounded as Mr. Stanton approached and knelt down to touch the remains of their classroom project. “I’d say you earned an ‘A’ for today.”

Wait a minute. “That was the assignment?” Bryn asked.

“We did use our breath weapons to work together,” Garrett frowned. “I’m not sure of the ethical implications of trying to blow up a classroom full of students.”

Mr. Stanton stood. “There was only a small charge in the box, it should have gone off like a balloon popping. Something you did increased the power of the explosion.”