Violet’s Dragon-Scale Armor

The armor is a vest-style corset that covers Violet from her collarbone to just below her waist and crosses over her shoulders. Hidden diagonal dagger sheaths run along the rib cage, giving her a place to carry blades beneath the outer layer.

Its camouflaging mesh and scale shimmer blend closely enough with standard sparring attire that it mostly fits among the leather tops issued from central supply.

Mira designed the armor for Violet and had Teine's shed scales shrunk and sewn into the vest. At Presentation, Violet says only Mira and Teine know about the scales and asks Rhiannon to keep the secret after the armor is exposed.

Violet wears the armor under both regular clothing and her issued flight leathers, keeping it as a constant layer beneath the visible uniform.

Brennan recognizes the armor as Mira's work and immediately guesses that it helped Violet survive her first year.

The armor is meant to be worn at all times, even before Violet has earned rider black. Besides guarding her torso, it helps protect against rubbing and gives her concealed storage for daggers.

The vest is non-regulation, but it can be concealed under rider black and does not immediately stand out among the modified uniforms worn by other cadets.

The Teine scales can be detected by green dragons. During Presentation, two greens approach Violet because they smell the scales beneath the vest, sniff her ribs and back, and withdraw after she explains what the armor is.

The scales are too hard for a needle to pierce. When Violet adds her Fourth Wing, Flame Section, and Iron Squad patches, she has to sew only through the corset fabric rather than through the scaled portions.

Blades cannot penetrate or split the scaled sections, so attackers who know about the armor have to target exposed areas such as Violet's throat. The armor does not remove all impact force: a sword strike leaves Violet badly bruised, though Xaden recognizes that the injury should have been much worse without the vest.

The armor still has ordinary care limits, including time spent off Violet's body to dry after washing. Violet treats those gaps as dangerous and chooses a watched sparring session over sleeping without it.

The armor first proves its life-saving value during sparring when Imogen tries to stab Violet in the ribs. The blade fails to penetrate, and Violet realizes the vest has saved her life.

During a night attack, a sword slams into the side of Violet's back while she is in bed. The blade rebounds from the scales, protecting her from a strike that the winter blankets alone could not have stopped.

In Jack's challenge, the vest deflects his knife when he thrusts straight at Violet's chest. The blade skims along her ribs and lodges in the mat instead of stabbing her.