《The Dragon Healer》


 Prologue

    A thunderous boom reverberated through the room, waking Mason from his slumber. He jerked and turned to the open door. Standing there was a burly figure, though the dim, yellow light from outside did not reveal any immediate details. Mason stared blankly at the figure for a moment before realizing they were saying something. Though the words were muddled and jumbled in his ear, he recognized the voice as his mentor, Graham. As he gained his bearings, he managed a half hearted, confused grumble.


    ¡°¡ªneed to get up you lazy brat! You¡¯re getting your first assignment.¡± Graham¡¯s words finally broke through Mason¡¯s ears, at least that last part.


    ¡°At two in the morning?¡± Mason grumbled as he looked at his alarm clock. ¡°What is so important this early?¡±


    ¡°Get dressed and wake Kastari, meet us at the airfield in fifteen minutes,¡± Graham barked with a growl of frustration. After Graham slammed the door shut, Mason contorted his face and stuck his tongue out at the door. He contemplated returning to his deep slumber and dealing with the mission when the sun was up. The bed was so cozy and comfortable after all; sinking deep into the warm foam with a thick blanket like he did before.


    Bah, he¡¯ll just come back and drag me out himself. Not worth the pain.


    With the mutter of a curse, Mason rolled out of his bed and moseyed over to his wardrobe. He pulled his nightwear off and donned his pristine flight uniform in a minute. At this point, it was second nature for him to change into it that fast; Graham saw to it that it was drilled into his muscle memory during his training.


    In the mirror, Mason made sure everything was straightened and tidy. The midnight black leather of his flight suit was snug against his lean build, the Empire Dragon Corp¡¯s insignia pinned directly over his heart, the pure black gem in the center glimmering in the low light of his desk lamp; he smiled at the newly adorned bar above his emblem, identifying him as Lieutenant. Just one rank below Graham¡¯s Second Lieutenant rank. He adjusted the collar to make his uniform perfectly symmetrical, though he never understood why this was even necessary. The uniform was always in disarray after a flight. Why put in all this effort to make everything perfect?


    Mason reached for his Drake Call on his nightstand, holding down the red scale embedded in the middle. ¡°Kastari, wake up, we¡¯ve been summoned for a mission,¡± he spoke into the device. Pressing the scale brought a bit of comfort to him as each Drake Call was fitted with the scale of the dragon it was meant to reach. It made it convenient to get new scales when the magic died out, but also comforting to have a part of his dragon at all times.


    ¡°I told you we¡¯d get a mission in the middle of the night. You owe me a cow.¡± The raspy, snake-like voice of Kastari responded through the device, followed by a deep, growling yawn.


    ¡°Whatever lizard-brain. Meet at the airfield in five minutes.¡± It seemed the majority of the conversation on the flight was going to revolve around cattle. Loads of fun for me.


    The walk to the airfield was enveloped in silence. Dormitories stood shadowed with their windows dark, as if the buildings themselves were asleep. This stillness was merely the result of the other inhabitants enjoying their well-deserved slumber¡ªa luxury that Mason too should have been partaking in, if not for the duty-bound guards who roamed the grounds during the nocturnal hours.


    After a few minutes of walking, Mason came upon the end of the dirt path. A field of grass spanning hundreds of yards, large enough to field as many as a hundred full-grown dragons. There were spots where overzealous Flamebreath dragon¡¯s fire had something to say about the grass. A cool, low mist hovered over the field, giving it an eerie, haunted feel.


    As Mason stepped onto the field, a blur of red scales entered his vision from above, landing directly in front of him, less gracefully than what was probably intended. At three years of age, she finally reached her full size, something Mason expected her to get used to soon.


    Extending out her peach wings, Kastari flashed Mason a smug smile. Her crimson scales glistening against the light front he lamp post, her deep yellow eyes glaring into his, smoke rising between her sharp teeth.


    ¡°Beat you again,¡± Kastari hissed, puffing her chest out with pride, her light red underbelly expanding in an attempt to look more imposing, failing to intimidate Mason as she intended.


    ¡°Congratulations, you big orca, you¡¯ve won your special prize of being extra tired!¡± Mason responded, clapping slowly.


    With a twitch of an eye, Kastari¡¯s smirk wavered at the mention of orca. ¡°One of these days, I will bite Graham¡¯s head off for that comment.¡± Mason seized every opportunity to remind his dragon of Graham¡¯s comparison of her adult size to that of an orca whale.


    ¡°Besides, I walked this time. I bet if I ran I¡ª¡± Mason was cut off by someone clearing their throat, causing Kastari to whip around. Her tail wrapped around Mason, sliding him to her side where he could see his mentor standing arms crossed, feet tapping. Strands of hair extended it multiple directions in his beard, his cold, disapproving eyes hovered over deep bags. For once, Mason could not blame Graham for looking grumpy, he must have been awoken unpleasantly as well. Next to him stood a man, taller than Graham, but his build seemed stockier, his face showing more wear in with age. Behind him stood a large, brown Groundclaw dragon, taller and wider than Kastari twice over; he built as if his main task was running through buildings. They looked familiar, but their identities eluded Mason; he was supposed to memorize all superior officers, but that task put him to sleep every time he tried.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Ulbhag, Graham¡¯s loyal Groundclaw, was nowhere to be seen. As hard as he tried to hide it, a smirk creased his face. So he¡¯s not coming on this mission, fantastic. The smirk quickly evaporated with his mentor''s gruff, booming voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re late again,¡± Graham grumbled, disapproval evident in his voice.


    ¡°Ten minutes before being assigned, right? We were here in five minutes.¡± Mason retorted. Though not a requirement of the Corp¡¯s, Graham made clear at the start of Mason¡¯s training he was to be early to every scheduled assignment. While Mason consciously figured he was just strict with time, in the back of his mind he knew it was because he tended to be late to everything as a youngling squire.


    Graham pulled out his rusty mechanical pocket watch and snorted, ¡°Six minutes. If we were not short on Flamebreaths at the moment, you would never be chosen.¡± It was then that Mason noticed they were not alone in the airfield. In the distance, another Flamebreath took off with their rider, followed by a deep blue dragon, an Aquafin dragon.


    Were.. we the last ones here? Mason took a deep breath, trying to combat the tightening in his chest.


    ¡°All Flamebreaths are needed? So the mission is to burn a lot of stuff?¡± Kastari exclaimed. Her tail thumped the ground, causing the dirt around them to vibrate. .


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, dragonet,¡± the other man interjected.


    ¡°Dragonet?¡± Kastari cried. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I am at full growth.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tone, young one.¡± The deep, growling voice of the Groundclaw made the hair on Mason¡¯s neck stand up. ¡°Three years of age is barely a dragon, so speak accordingly with your captains present.¡±


    Captain? Mason thought, noticing the claw shaped pin above the unknown man¡¯s Corp insignia. That¡¯s when Mason recognized him. He straightened his posture. ¡°I apologize, Captain Oliver. Kastari was just¡­¡± With a quick glance, he could see Kastari had also stiffened, recognizing her error: talking back to the champion dragon, Fionan. ¡°Impassioned. We are both excited to go on our first mission together, sir.¡±


    The captain looked over Mason with curious eyes. ¡°Keep calm, youngling. You will accompany us in pursuing one of several escaped powerplant dragons.¡±


    Youngling? I¡¯m no longer a youngling, I made the rank of Lieutenant, Mason thought. As much as he wanted to speak it aloud, he bit his tongue.


    ¡°Some of those pathetic dragons escaped? How amusing.¡± Kastari stifled a chuckle after a glare from Graham.


    ¡°This one in particular is of importance.¡± Captain Oliver handed Mason the mission brief document which he read over, the description of the dragon catching his eye.


    ¡°A Shockwing? I thought those were extinct?¡± Mason exclaimed. Reading further, he realized that was not the strangest detail. ¡°And it has a¡ª¡±


    ¡°An egg. I hope you see the importance of this mission, youngling.¡±


    All of them turned their heads to the new voice; A slithery, discordant voice, as if two people were speaking through one source, one a higher pitch with a regal serenity and exuberant confidence, the other a soft, but deep, reserved voice. Neither voice overpowered the other, speaking in perfect unison down to the tone and inflection of each word. In place of the voice was a dark figure, a shadow brought to life. It had a midnight blue hue that would fluctuate with the curling smog that rippled the outline of the figure. Despite it having no eyes, a chill ran down Mason¡¯s spine as if it were staring straight into his soul.


    Everyone immediately bowed as low as possible. ¡°My Lord!¡± They all called at once, followed by what felt like an eternity of silence. The emperor rarely ever graced Corp members directly. The only other time Mason had seen the emperor was at his rider initiation three years ago.


    Mason finally realized the emperor was expecting a response from him, ¡°Y-yes, my lord. A loose egg is a potential wild dragon, and a wild dragon is a danger to us all.¡± His voice almost caught in his throat, his heart pounded against his rib cage.


    ¡°Good, assure this nuisance is dealt with by any means necessary.¡±


    The shadowy mist disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving no trace of its presence anywhere outside Mason¡¯s soul. They stayed bowed for a moment, frozen in place waiting for the emperor to return any second. If the Emperor himself came to this briefing, this must be really important. Once he was sure the emperor would not return, Mason looked back up to Graham, who already had his head raised. His expression was still its usual gruff, mean demeanor, but Mason caught glimpses of fear in his eyes. Captain Oliver¡¯s composure did not falter. He must have encountered the Emperor many times by now as a Captain.


    ¡°My patience grows weary, let us go, Lieutenant.¡± Captain Oliver effortlessly climbed onto Fionan¡¯s back and took to the sky in a swift motion. Mason looked back to Graham who took a deep breath and nodded. Kastari leaned her shoulder low for Mason to ease his climb onto her back. With a few beats of her wings, they took off after the Captain.


    ?  ?  ?  ?


    Commander Leif watched from the balcony as the last team departed the airfield. He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stepped back into the command room, the oval table in the center was littered with papers, the chairs crooked and out of place. The rush of the captains as Commander Leif gave the situation briefing left its mark. Feeling embarrassed by the state of the room, he shuffled the chairs into order around the table and collected the papers into neat stacks.


    As he tapped the last stack against the table, aligning all sheets together, he felt a familiar, eerie presence from the balcony. He turned and bowed to the shadowy figure of the emperor looming over the railing. Unsure if the shadow was looking at him, or gazing upon the empty airfield, Leif approached the emperor slowly.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Leif started, ¡°All available Flamebreaths have been deployed. I assure you this breakout will be extinguished efficiently.¡±


    ¡°I expect nothing less, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me if I overstep, but must we execute these dragons? We are already short dragons in the powerplant as is. Wild dragons have been¡­ problematic to capture lately. Not even riders have been able to go into their territory and come out unscathed.¡±


    ¡°If they do not willingly return, examples must be made. We cannot have these sorts of incidents again. I know you understand.¡±


    Lief wanted to push further, but felt the pressure exuding from the manifestation to not continue. Instead, he decided to try to get information another way. ¡°Why show yourself to the Lieutenant, my lord? It is unlike you to speak directly to anyone lower than a Captain.¡±


    A moment passed before the Emperor responded, ¡°That egg must be eliminated. My presence was to instill the importance of that into the youngling.¡±


    ¡°More than one dragon had an egg with them, I understand it is a Shockwing egg, but why send Oliver after it over the others with a fresh Lieutenant? I¡¯m sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°That information is none of your concern, Commander. I expect a report of success in the coming days of not just this, but your other operations as well.¡± There was a tension in the Emperor¡¯s voice Lief never heard before. With the Ichneumon gone, the scouts to the south should be called back to aid with the wild dragons to the west and let the Guards Corp handle any lingering rebellion. However, questioning the Emperor¡¯s decision now would not go well. He could only give a bow of acknowledgement. When he raised his head again, Lief was alone once again.


    Gods, I pray we are on the path to maintain peace, for the sake of humans and dragons alike.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°Evelyn?¡±


    Evelyn turned her head to the shaky voice and continued scouring her cyan scrubs over the wash station. She had successfully washed away the majority of the dog bile, though a small wet spot that gave off a sour, acidic smell¡ªall too familiar to Evelyn remained. Her fellow veterinarian technician, Abby stood in the frame of the door, breathing heavily while her hair band sat crookedly over her forehead, her own scrubs having small tears around her belly and on her sleeves. A small trickle of blood dripped from her forearm from what looked like tiny claw marks.


    ¡°Are you alright, Abby?¡± Evelyn responded with concern.


    Abby took a moment to catch her breath from her run. ¡°For the most part. Dr. Mary needs you in room two.¡± Given Abby¡¯s apologetic look, Evelyn knew she did not hide her disappointment well. ¡°Sorry, I know your shift just ended, but it¡¯s that dog.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Disappointment quickly shifted to guilt. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s go.¡± She laid down the soaked cloth, turned off the faucet and followed her coworker through the long hallway. Putting up her blonde hair into a ponytail, she glanced at the hanging pictures of various animals being treated in their offices. Memories came to her; the cat in the second picture had a tumor in its chest. The poor thing knew something was wrong, and not being able to do anything frightened it, becoming a shell of its former self. Evelyn had aided in the surgery to remove the tumor. Seeing the cat go from the operation table with its chest cut open to its happy, lively self post recovery made her smile each time she passed the picture. A reminder of why she was here.


    The two technicians entered the room to see Dr. Mary holding a syringe of what Evelyn assumed was a vaccine. On the fold-out operating table in front of her was that dog; A small, growling chihuahua with the fury of a hundred Flamebreath dragons in his bulging, brown eyes. His owner, a short and fragile old woman, was frantically trying to hold down the aging dog. A difficult task as he was still agile for his age, ducking under her shaking hands, jumping left to right avoiding any attempts to block his path. Every time the vet would get close, the dog would start barking in its high pitched, ferocious voice. After a moment, Mrs. Lintone noticed Evelyn and Abby standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Eir, thank goodness. I apologize, but little Maximus is much too agitated. He cut himself on our fence and is in deep pain,¡± she called out. Two deep cuts ran a short distance along his ribs, blood dripping from the wounds down the small dog''s side, staining his tan fur red. It all started to click for Evelyn; Dr. Mary was trying to give a numbing shot to Maximus. He was scared and in pain.


    Dr. Mary turned and held out the syringe. ¡°Here, see if Maximus will let you give him the shot.¡± With a nod, Evelyn accepted the syringe and stood over the table to face the scared dog. She looked into his big brown eyes from the doorway, and under that fury she could see the fear. He was in pain and a random stranger was trying to stab him with some unknown sharp object. What animal wouldn¡¯t be scared?


    Fortunately, Evelyn was not some random stranger. Maximus¡¯ ears perked up with recognition and his growls turned to whimpers as he recognized his neighbor. With a soft smile, she leaned toward the dog.


    ¡±Hey there, Maxy. Be still, it will be over in a moment.¡± She reached her free hand out. Maximus sniffed her open palm to presumably confirm her scent before leaning his chin down into her hand. She started petting him while keeping his face turned to her own as she slowly reached her other hand around with the syringe to his wounded side. Delicately, she planted her hand perpendicular on Maximus¡¯ side just above the cuts; the needle hovered just above his soft hide. Keeping that hand as still as her nerves would allow her, the free hand kept softly petting his cheek. Fortunately for Evelyn, Maximus didn¡¯t react poorly. Biting her lip, she risked a glance to the syringe, assuring it was in the right spot. In one smooth motion, she turned her hand to lower the needle to the skin and used her fingers to push it into his side. After it was in, her thumb pressed down on the plunger and she watched the anesthetic medicine flow into the dog.


    Pulling the syringe away, she looked back to Maximus¡¯ face, placing the syringe on the cart next to the table. He was still calm thankfully, leaning his head into her hand. She let out a deep sigh, realizing she¡¯d been holding her breath.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Evelyn praised, turning to see Dr. Mary had already gathered the materials needed to stitch the wounds closed.


    ¡°Thank you, Evelyn. Just keep him distracted and I will stitch him up,¡± Dr. Mary said with a smile. Evelyn shifted to give the vet room next to the table. With Maximus calmed down, Dr. Mary started her work.


    ¡±You are such a sweetheart, my dear.¡± Mrs. Lintone¡¯s voice was calm, no longer frantic and panicked. Evelyn turned to see her sitting down on the patient chair by the window, a soft yellow light seeping through the blinds and onto the elder¡¯s gray, curly hair, her glasses glinting into Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Blinking away the temporary blindness the flash gave her, she looked back down at Maximus, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be lightly sleeping, his head resting softly in her palm.


    ¡°So, what happened? I¡¯ve seen him chase cars along the fence all the time and he¡¯s never gotten hurt,¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡±Well, he saw Dahlia on her horse heading into the forest, so he ran along the part of the fence that is broken and got caught on one of the jagged edges.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Mom left with Runner?¡± Her fingers slowed against Maximus¡¯ cheek, she felt like her whole body was going stiff. ¡°I figured she wanted to stay home with us tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, your dragon acceptance letter thing should come in today, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± Abby asked from the edge of the room, staying as far away from the table as possible.


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the reason I applied to the Dragon Healer Academy. It would have been nice to open the letter with her, even if I get rejected.¡±


    ¡±I still don¡¯t get your obsession with dragons. They¡¯re not that impressive. They just lay around and let humans harness their magic for power,¡± Abby said.


    Evelyn rolled her eyes. That was a trend she started to notice, not just with her peers, but with everyone around her. Why were people taking dragons for granted? They were amazing, magical beasts with similar or even greater intelligence to humans. Sure, only a handful of people could actually speak to dragons, but that made them all the more fascinating to Evelyn. It could be that everyone takes them for granted since they are rarely seen anymore aside from seeing some high in the sky with their riders. Never close enough to really tell what type they were.


    Memories of her mother flooded her mind. The nights her mother would read ¡®Tales of Dragons Past¡¯ before bed, the wonderful stories she had about seeing wild dragons fly over town before the Great Ichneumon War. Every mention of dragons filled her with joy and excitement, despite never seeing a dragon up close for herself yet. It was one of the few things Evelyn and her mother connected over¡ªwell, when she was home that is.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear,¡± Mrs. Lintone¡¯s voice broke through Evelyn¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for every one of your nineteen years. I see no reason you would not be accepted.¡±


    Evelyn gave her a shy smile in response. She wished to be that confident, but the rumors of the dwindling number of accepted students plagued her mind. In fact, she¡¯d be the first student to attend from Banrigh in nearly a decade.


    Turning her attention back to Maximus, she watched Dr. Mary finish the sutures, paying attention to the techniques she used. She had it down to a science, weaving the thin, translucent strings through the dog¡¯s skin and pulling the gap shut with one swift move. Evelyn wondered if dragons also needed sutures, or if their scales would even allow something like this to penetrate their skin. Part of the growing disinterest in dragons was a lack of reading material involving them, the only books she was able to find were ones her mother owned. Of all the books her mother collected, only one had medical information for dragons. Though she was never allowed to read it; Something about it not being allowed.


    Once the suturing was complete, Dr. Mary set the needles back onto the cart and stood up with a sigh of relief. ¡°All finished, Mrs. Lintone. Abby here will get the cone so Maximus can¡¯t bite the sutures out. Thank you for your help, Evelyn.¡±


    Evelyn nodded and gracefully laid Maximus¡¯ head down. The Chihuahua¡¯s eyes opened and looked sadly at her. Thankfully, his owner came over and took over the petting, keeping the little dog calm and comfortable. Mrs. Lintone gave Evelyn one more smile, silently saying thank you. Evelyn gave her a smile in return and left for her locker down the hall.


    She checked the time on her phone, hoping the extra work didn¡¯t hold her up for too long. Just as she read the time, the screen went black, displaying an icon the shape of a cracked dragon scale.


    ¡°Oh, already?¡± she muttered as the locker door squeaked open. As she placed her phone down screen first, she peered inside and found a small box with a similar scale icon printed on the front. The box rattled in her hand as small, colorful scales fell into her hand, the scales tingled with magic against her fingers. She replaced the pale, dispirited scale on the back of the phone with the vibrant red scale, clicking it into place. She watched with a sparkle in her eye as the scale briefly glowed, veins of glowing energy streaked across the phone before the screen shone back to life.


    Though the scales'' magic always amazed her, powering everything from phones to home appliances to cars, a strange thought lingered in her mind. At the bottom of the box, a statement claimed the magic in the scales would last six weeks. I must have a bad batch. Half of them only lasted a few weeks. She placed the box back in the locker and grabbed her keys. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She noticed Dr Mary out of the corner of her eye standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her hands in her coat pockets.


    ¡°You sure you want to go into dragon healing? You would be one of, if not my best vet here with your knack for calming excited animals. You could probably start your own clinic if you wanted to down the line,¡± the senior vet said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Evelyn responded bluntly.


    ¡±I figured. I just wanted to try one more time.¡± Dr. Mary walked over and put a hand on Evelyn¡¯s shoulder and smiled warmly. ¡°You have nothing to worry about; no matter what the odds are, I have all the confidence you will be accepted.¡±


    ¡±Thank you. I appreciate everything, Dr. Mary.¡±


    ¡±Enjoy your weekend, Evelyn.¡±


    Evelyn stepped out into the embrace of a cool breeze, the setting sun casting a soft glow across the sky. The world outside now rushed by in a blur as people drove home, proof of the day''s end. She inhaled deeply, the rhythm of the city pulsing around her.


    A silver sedan with paint faded and flaked sat by the curb. As she approached, the door creaked open, releasing a wave of greasy aroma that overpowered the fresh spring air.  She hesitated before reluctantly surrendering to the passenger seat.


    Beside her, the driver¡ªa man whose brown hair bore the marks of a hastily removed cap¡ªflashed a smirk between bites of his burger. His city guard uniform was the definition of order, a stark contrast to the disarray atop his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got you something, too,¡± Benjamin said, pointing down at the bag that sat between Evelyn¡¯s feet on the floor of the car. A glance showed Evelyn a second hamburger still wrapped in foil.


    ¡°I appreciate it, Ben,¡± Evelyn responded as Benjamin replaced the larger dragon scale in the ignition, jolting the car awake and began driving away, matching the speed of traffic.


    ¡°So,¡± Ben started between bites, ¡°how was your last day?¡±


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s not my last day if I don¡¯t get accepted. Dr. Mary said I¡¯d be¡ª¡±


    ¡°When you get accepted,¡± Benjamin interrupted.


    Evelyn paused for a moment. Even with everyone else having confidence in her, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the actual odds of being accepted. Her stomach turned every time the academy was mentioned.


    Evelyn continued, ¡°secondly, it was fine. Maximus got cut on the fence while chasing Runner, so I got to help him.¡±


    Benjamin chuckled lightly, ¡°That tiny rat needs to learn how small he actually is¡ªwait, mom left again?¡±


    ¡°So, Mrs. Lintone said,¡± Evelyn said with a slow nod.


    ¡°Sorry, Evy. I would stay with you but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Evelyn interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. Have fun on your night shift.¡±


    ¡°By fun you mean try and likely fail to stay awake all night? Of course I will. Maybe.¡±


    A tiny smile tugged at her lips following a soft snort. With how many times he stayed up all night playing games as a teenager, there was little doubt he could stay awake if he really wanted to.


    ¡°Maybe I should apply to the Dragon Corp. Then I could have you take care of my dragon, and I wouldn¡¯t have to be on night shift anymore. How about that?¡±


    ¡°That would require you to actually care for an animal. I recall two hamsters and a gerbil that became my pets when you kept forgetting to feed them.¡± Secretly, Evelyn was thrilled to take those pets off Benjamin¡¯s hands. She never had to ask for any pets, she would just wait for Benjamin to want one and wait until he got bored of it. ¡°Besides, you¡¯d need the ability to speak with the dragon. Less than one percent of people have that ability.¡±


    ¡±And who¡¯s to say I¡¯m not one in a million? But fair enough on the animal care. You have to admit, owning a dragon would be pretty cool.¡±


    Evelyn shrugged, while she loved dragons and learning about them, she couldn¡¯t imagine owning one. It was already hard enough to get into school to render medical aid to one, what would it take to actually care for one every for every second of your life? There was no way she would be up for the task.


    The rest of the drive was silent. Benjamin finished his meal with one hand while steering with the other. Evelyn stared out of her window, watching the homes and hills pass by, trying to clear her mind. Despite Benjamin¡¯s best efforts to distract her, the results of her application consumed her mind. Visions of her sitting in orientation as dragons of all kinds flew overhead to greet the new students, thanking them for working to keep dragons healthy. Nightmares of her sitting alone at home, crying herself to sleep with the rejection letter sitting on the floor mottled with tears. No one there to comfort her in her lowest moment. How did Benjamin keep so calm and satisfied all the time? It was as if he just flipped a switch and his head became empty, free of any negative thoughts. Like now, when Evelyn looked at him, he stared blankly at the road, eating his dinner with no care in the world while his sister was being torn from the inside out by her unknown future. Her leg shook, making her heel tap the floor, thoughts never ending, even as they stopped in front of their home.


    Their one-story home was nothing to marvel at. It was big enough for her whole family to comfortably live together. The barren driveway stood out to her, typically being occupied by her father¡¯s car at this hour.


    Not even dad will be here, I guess.


    Her shoulders sagged. It was rare for him to get stuck at work, and of all days for it to happen. Even if her father secretly didn¡¯t care if she got into the academy, having him there would still make her feel a little better. He would still support her whatever the outcome, though he mainly cared about her salary, which would only be slightly higher if she became a dragon healer rather than owning her own animal clinic.


    Evelyn opened the door, grabbing the bag between her feet and turned to get out.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Benjamin called, stopping Evelyn in her seat, ¡°whatever the result, give me a call. I¡¯ll keep my phone close.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ben. Have a good shift.¡±


    She walked slowly to the front door and unlocked it, turning to see Benjamin giving her a wave as he drove off, making sure she could get inside before he left. Upon entering the house, she saw an unopened envelope with a seal over the folds. The black wax was pressed into the shape of the Dragon Care Academy emblem: two dragons twirling around a scepter roaring at each other, their wings unfurled. Based on the pictures her mother showed Evelyn as a young girl, she assumed these were two Minddrakes given the arrowhead look of their tail end. The irony of the emblem didn¡¯t escape her as Minddrake were supposedly the least violent of the five known dragon types.


    Next to the envelope was a note. Evelyn picked both up and read the note,


    Evelyn,


    I wish dearly that I could be with you when you opened this letter, but something very important came up with work, and I do not know when I will be back. No matter the result, I am proud of you, I always will be. I left a gift for you in Runner¡¯s barn, take it as a good luck charm, it may help you in the future.


    Good luck, I love you dearest.


    ~ Mom


    Evelyn sighed; only her father knew what her mother¡¯s job was specifically.. Whatever it was, when Dahlia went away on a trip, she was gone for at least a week at a time. Evelyn had no hope for her mother¡¯s sweet embrace if she was accepted, or her comfortable coddling if she was rejected.


    She shoved the note into her pocket and walked to the back of the house, exiting through the backdoor to the yard. To her left she saw the fence Maximus injured himself on, spotting the section that was in disrepair. Up against the fence was the small barn her mother kept her horse, Runner. The structure was not the best; it had rotten or missing planks, not to mention the vines and other foliage from the forest invading the building, but it got the job done. It was obvious an amateur builder constructed the barn. Why her father felt he could build it all himself, Evelyn would never know. He was lucky her brother was there to help him. It didn¡¯t help that the trees from the forest behind their yard would poke their branches through the windows and roots shifting the foundation.


    She opened the sliding door and stepped inside. The stench of horse waste mixed with the earthy smell of dirt and hay scorched her nose. If she had not gotten used to it, she would have been repulsed to the point of sickness. The small barn contained one pen with a water tub next to the hay bale at horse head height, filled halfway with feed. She must have been in a hurry if she didn¡¯t let Runner finish his meal, she pondered. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimmer of something shiny laying on the post of the gate. With a closer look, Evelyn saw a silver medallion, fitting nicely in the palm of her hand when she picked it up. It bore the engraved image of two creatures: A dragon, the type of which Evelyn could not discern, and a creature she had not seen before. It looked similar to a weasel, but the large spikes on its back and neck looked too similar to the spikes of dragons to make it so. Is it supposed to be an Ichneumon? Those creatures never got along, there was a decades long war between their respective riders which resulted in the creation of the Aonach empire. So why did they look friendly?


    Shrugging, she put the pendant in her back pocket. Being sentimental was not the first thing she thought of with her mother, but maybe having something from her would keep her close despite not being there.


    She exited the barn and entered the forest, following the same path she and her mother would take on their walks. Clovers and brush littered the ground around the tall oak trees, the path was nearly covered over, provided for the few patches of dirt still visible to Evelyn, who knew this path like the back of her hand. Following the path for a few moments led to a small clearing with a large tree stump in the center, lilies and daisies surrounding the roots. Sitting on the stump made Evelyn smile, cherishing the memories of her and her mother coming to this spot to get away from the world, get away from their worries and enjoy nature. She closed her eyes and took in everything, the birds singing their songs from the branches above, the crickets chirping away in the brush, the sweet scent of daisies.


    Evelyn looked down at the unopened envelope and noticed her hands trembling. The glimmer from the elegant wax seal taunted her, being the barrier between her and the contents inside, contents which would alter the course of her life forever. She brushed her thumb over the seal, feeling its rubber like texture as her heart was beating out of her chest. With a sigh that carried all of her trepidation, she finally broke the seal.


    ROOAR


    Evelyn jumped from the stump. What was that? Was that¡ªa dragon''s roar? It wasn¡¯t very loud as it crackled and choked. Perhaps something was wrong because she always expected a dragon''s roar to be much louder. Through the thick leaves above, she got small glimpses of a large, dark figure blocking out the rays of the sun. It continued deeper into the forest; Evelyn tracked it the best she could until the canopy grew too thick with greenery to see. A few seconds later, Evelyn could hear tree branches¡ªno, entire trees snapping and shattering in the distance from where the figure seemed to be flying.


    There was no doubt in her mind, Evelyn just saw a dragon fly low overhead for the first time, and it just crashed nearby.

 Chapter 2

    For a moment, the entire forest seemed void of any life. The birds that were once chirping fell silent, the crickets stopped their songs, even the leaves crackling in the breeze seemed to freeze in place. Evelyn stared in the direction of the crash, paralyzed by the startling realization of what happened. Only when her chest ached did she realize she was still holding her breath. Once she had regained her bearings, a war broke out in her mind.


    On one hand, this was her lifelong dream, the very thing she wanted since she was a small child, sitting in her mother¡¯s lap as she read stories of the big, powerful creatures; the chance to aid a dragon in need. Her heart fluttered at the prospect of starting her career now, ahead of all her future companions. The story she would be able to tell everyone she came across. Evelyn, the hero dragon healer who saved the first dragon she ever came across.


    However, the sane part of her mind tugged on her decision. While her mother would bring her into the forest to watch birds and read stories, they never ventured deeper than the clearing. If the dragon crashed too far south, would she be able to navigate the maze of trees and brush? Could she find her way back? Even if she found the dragon, she hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what to do. If the injuries were severe, or worse, fatal, not only did she not have the tools to heal the dragon, but she also had no knowledge of dragon anatomy except for the basics of most reptiles. If it were a mild, shallow wound, she could possibly help¡ªbut at that point, its rider could just provide field aid. This all assumed the dragon would even let her near enough to examine the wounds. She was just a strange, random human who more than likely was of no use to the dragon.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°What am I thinking?¡± she muttered to herself as she started in the direction toward the crash site. Of course she had to help; what kind of healer would she be if she didn¡¯t make sure the dragon was alright?


    Beyond the clearing, there was no path to follow. She weaved through the thick oak trees, padding through the tall, unkempt grass and flowers that filled the area between trunks. Taking cautious steps, she dreaded stepping on anything that would be offended by her uninvited intrusion. Each time she would step on something thin and round, she winced, anticipating the fangs of a snake sinking into her leg, only to realize seconds later it was merely a twig. Every sound around her caused her to flinch, her imagination running wild as to the source of the sounds. A snapping twig could be a coyote stalking her in the brush, waiting for the most opportune time to strike, or the rustling leaves a bobcat leaning in to pounce. She swallowed her fears and kept forward, her determination driving her onward.


    After around a half hour of walking, she saw the first sign of disturbance: a group of trees with multiple limbs snapped off at the top, making the sky more visible through the thinned groups of leaves. Her pulse quickened with the feeling of anticipation growing, as if her body was speeding up on its own. The damage increased in intensity as she progressed; the tops of trees were missing, then entire halves of trees ripped from their lower parts, the shattered remnants of bark and wood laid wide spread across the forest floor. Finally, she came upon a section of stumps that had jagged edges of bark where the rest of the tree had been torn off and shattered, an area that seemed to have been crushed by a large creature.


    However, beyond the wreckage, there was no sign of the offending creature. Perhaps it was well enough that it took off, which would bring Evelyn relief in knowing that it was alright. Yet her heart sank a little; she was too slow and her opportunity to get a glimpse at her potential future flew away. With an exasperated sigh, she took one final look around before turning to go home.


    Just then, a new scent reached her, one she rarely noticed when in the forest, but very prominent and overbearing during surgeries: blood. She looked back and forth across the crash site before finding a splotch of crimson on one of the shredded stumps. The iron-like smell grew thicker as she approached, and upon further inspection, she found a large pool of the dark crimson blood behind the stump. It was a lot of blood, but was it a lot for a dragon? Surely this much blood loss would kill many larger animals, but Evelyn had no way of knowing how much was too much for a dragon.


    She noticed a thinning trail protruding from the puddle going deeper into the forest.


    So it didn¡¯t take off... she thought, following the trail along. It led to a section of brush and trees that shifted and contorted, trickles of blood mottling the greenery with crimson. After a few minutes, she heard a deep, strained grumble ahead of her. Startled, she hid behind a tree; her breath quickened, her legs trembling beneath her. Risking a peek, she noticed the ground give way ahead, a gully forming in the brush-covered forest floor. Over the ground¡¯s crest, something smooth and yellow contrasted with the greenery in the background. Is... Is that...?


    The smooth yellow surface slowly rose with a ragged, labored breath before sinking back down, huffing. Evelyn slowly crept towards the large, yellow dragon, freezing with every breath it took. Each step was taken with care, as if walking across eggshells in the middle of the night. Finally, she got a clear picture of the beast sprawled out before her. The dragon was about the length of a bus head to tail, barely able to get a full picture. A Shockwing, she presumed; the books barely made mention of this type of dragon aside from their existence and color.


    Her eyes scanned the saturated yellow scales that ran along the whole of its body, broken up with charred spots along the side and around the wings. Said wings were outstretched across the ground, making it easy to spot the blackened edges of the brown, cloth-looking membrane. They were blistered and seared with some holes burnt through, the scent of burnt flesh filling the air.


    So that¡¯s why it crashed¡­


    Continuing her scan, Evelyn''s eyes were drawn to the red-stained foreleg. The stain originated from a growing pool of blood around its shoulder, trickling down its body from the constantly oozing, gaping gash. It was difficult to see how deep the wound was, but Evelyn knew that stopping the bleeding was the priority.


    Evelyn peered at the dragon¡¯s head. While there were no injuries, its eyes were closed, teeth bared as it winced and emitted low, pained growls from deep in its throat, almost as if it were whimpering. She slowly inched to the edge of the drop, looking from the wound to the dragon''s face to see if it noticed her.


    Should I alert it of my presence? She thought, questioning her own movement. Would it... Kill me if I got too close? Would it understand what I¡¯m trying to do? Evelyn tried to think back to the books her mother would read to her about dragons. They mentioned some special humans could understand dragons and vice versa, but there was nothing explicitly stating a dragon could understand a regular human. Was it just that dragons never liked to interact with normal humans, or were they physically not able to? Her heart was pounding within her chest, smashing her ribs like a feral dog in a cage. She wished for nothing more than to have the knowledge she was to learn about these magnificent beasts at that moment..


    With a quiet, deep breath, she took one step closer and spoke, ¡°E-easy now.¡± Its eyelids flung open and a pair of beautiful, majestic blue eyes pierced Evelyn with the same ferocity and fear as many animals at the clinic. With an audible gulp, Evelyn continued, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    With one more step, she was inches away from the damaged scales, the smell of iron suffocating with the rush of blood. Before she could examine it, the dragon wriggled back, recoiling at the attempt to touch it. A threatening growl rumbled deeply from it, causing Evelyn to step back and meet its eyes.


    ¡°Stay¡­ back¡­¡±


    Evelyn froze. The air was stripped from her lungs and the world around her disappeared, leaving only the dragon. Did¡­ Did it just talk to me?! She tried to come up with some reasonable explanation for what she just heard; maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, or maybe its rider was nearby and Evelyn just didn¡¯t notice them. She spun, eyes whirling around for another owner of the voice she knew she heard, but found nothing. No, this voice clearly came from the dragon; a strained, raspy sound.


    ¡°Stay¡­ back¡­ human,¡± It¡ªno, she continued, pressing her back against the dirt mound behind her. Evelyn¡¯s mind was frantically jumping around thoughts, unable to settle on just one reaction. She tried to mutter a response, but her mouth just hung open, no air available from her lungs to say anything. A staring contest ensued, the grumbling from the dragon¡¯s throat the only sound Evelyn could register. There could have been a charging bear behind her and she would not notice.


    This contest went on for what felt like an eternity. She searched her mind for the right reaction, yet all her training with angry dogs and ferocious cats seemed fruitless now. However, she could think of no other solutions that didn¡¯t involve either hurting the dragon more, or worse, getting herself killed. She took one more deep breath and raised her arms out like she would with any other animal, trying to make herself as non-threatening as possible.


    ¡°Please,¡± Evelyn started, ¡°I mean no harm. My name is Evelyn, I just want to help you.¡± Despite everything in her body telling her to not, she maintained eye contact, staying in place as she waited to see her reaction.


    The dragon looked Evelyn up and down, scanning her body presumably to assess her as a threat, which Evelyn hoped she did enough to show she was not.


    ¡°Maybe I should just kill her,¡± the dragon growled softly, as if talking to itself. ¡°Though, she does not seem to be one of those rider scum. However, she has now seen me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes went wide; her legs felt numb, almost like her whole body gained a hundred pounds of extra weight from the fear.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. I swear I¡ª¡± Before Evelyn could finish, the dragon let out a shaky gasp.


    ¡°You¡­ understood me?¡± The dragon interrupted. Evelyn could only nod in response, tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes. The growl got lower and louder as anger built in the dragon''s eyes. ¡°So you are one of them!¡± Every hair on Evelyn¡¯s body rose, her skin crawling as she saw electronic charges spark out from the dragon''s teeth, now bared at Evelyn.


    ¡°W-Wait!¡± In a jolt of panic, Evelyn tried to take a step back, but the ground gave way under her, slipping backwards, hitting the soft, elevating dirt behind her. As she scrambled to get away from the impending doom in front of her, her hand touched something metallic. The medallion she found must have fallen out of her pocket when she fell. For whatever reason, she gripped it and held up her arms, shielding her face as the dragon opened its maw, revealing the blinding light of a charged lightning strike. She closed her eyes and waited for the supercharged death she had subjected herself to. No going to the academy, no healing dragons and saving the most magnificent creatures in the world. Her only fate was to be killed by the first one she tried to help.


    She waited¡­ and waited, but no death came. She slowly opened her eyes and lowered her arms just enough to see why the dragon had stopped her attack. The dragon had clamped her mouth shut, no more sparks radiating from her mouth, her eyes curiously fixated on the medallion.


    ¡°You are not one of them,¡± the dragon said, her voice much calmer, more surprised than anything. ¡°That emblem¡ªthe dragon and ichneumon. You are who I am looking for?¡± It almost sounded as if she cooed a message of hope, hope that must have been long lost.


    ¡°Well, I¡ª¡± Evelyn stopped herself. Telling the truth would certainly lead to her death, she had no idea what the dragon was talking about. The dragon was at ease, or at least as at ease as she could be, because of whatever the medallion represented, so Evelyn had to take the advantage. Just like other animals, gain their trust and they will let you help them. ¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn lied, ¡°I am. Will you let me look at your wounds?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The dragon looked Evelyn up and down. As she looked down at her wound, her face recoiled into a wince. The low growl she emitted made Evelyn take a step back. The dragon tried to move her shoulder, which seemed to cause a bout of pain.


    ¡±Fine, if you insist.¡±


    Despite the difficulty lack of training and equipment caused, Evelyn scanned the immediate area, searching for anything that could effectively stop the bleeding. All around her were tall oak trees, blacking out most of the sun. Moss built up at the base of each tree. Wet, it could help clean the blood like a cloth, but not for stopping bleeding. Beyond the first wave of trees, she noticed an area with more sunlight breaking through the canopy than the rest of the forest. A closer inspection revealed another small clearing. The ground was populated with multiple clusters of flowers with small, white petals and multiple leaves protruding from the tall stems.


    Yarrow, perfect! Evelyn ran to the clearing and started picking every yarrow plant she could find and brought it back to the dragon, who looked curiously at the pile of flowers.


    As carefully as she could, Evelyn climbed onto the dragon''s side and eased over to the wound. She left the pile of yarrow above the shoulder and picked out a handful. The gash was deep and wide. Blood streamed smoothly from the wound, quelling her fears of an artery being cut.


    ¡°This will sting, but it will stop the bleeding.¡± After a nod of acknowledgement from her, Evelyn took some of the petals and gently placed them over the gash. A growl followed a wince, but she kept still as more petals were applied, soaking up the blood. As more was placed, the flow of blood wavered, but still seeped through. She placed the leaves over the blood soaked petals and used her weight to apply pressure. Though not as rapid, blood flowed from the few openings in the leaves. The bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop. Looking around for any wounds she may have missed, she noticed she was clutching something near her chest. ¡°Could you move your claw? I want to see if¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the dragon quickly snapped. She shook her head and continued calmly. ¡°No, I do not have any chest wounds, trust me.¡±


    Doubt crept into Evelyn¡¯s mind, but pushing the lightning breathing dragon did not appeal to her. She gave a nod before releasing pressure from the wound. Blood still seeped from under the leaves. It was not a proper bandage and the leaves would not contain the spill long enough for her blood to clot. Using the rest of the yarrow leaves, she tried to tie the stems together as a rope to help keep the makeshift bandage in place. To her dismay, the stems were too fragile and flimsy to keep tight without snapping. A grunt of frustration escaped from Evelyn as the last stem snapped.  ¡°This will have to do for now, but it will need proper care soon. This is the best I can do right now. For your wings.¡± She slid off her side and took a closer look at the burns traced across the soft membrane of her wings. The edges were black base to tip, blistering the entire way, the singes fading up the wing. She paused in thought. The only other animal she could think of with this type of wings were bats. Though she can¡¯t think of a time anyone mentioned how to treat burns on them, let alone treated one herself. Perhaps it would be best to just treat it like any other burn for now, but there was no water nearby. Maybe the moss is damp enough. The rainless days gone by limited her hope, but she managed to find a few splotches with some moisture. She gathered a handful and started dabbing balls of moss along the burns, cooling the skin gradually. At first, she recoiled her wings, but stopped after bracing for the pain.


    ¡°So,¡± Evelyn started, partially wanting to pass the time, but mostly to keep the dragon distracted from the pain. ¡°What is your name and how did this happen? Do you have a rider somewhere?¡±


    ¡±My name is Delain. And no, I do not have a rider. I am¡­¡± She paused, her eyes swaying in contemplation. ¡°I was being pursued by a Flamebreath dragon. They got a few hits on me before I charged up my sonic flight. Once I did, I lost them. For now.¡±


    Sonic flight? She thought. Nothing in her books mentioned dragon¡¯s abilities beyond their breath weapons. Perhaps the Corp wanted to keep those a secret.


    Delain yowled. Her wing twitched painfully. After a brief shock, Evelyn realized the moss she was using was now bone dry. Uttering a curse, she replaced it with a fresh ball, though that dried all too quickly. And the next and the next. Frustration built with every attempt, and soon all moss balls dried up. Not even half the wing was treated. Evelyn threw the moss to the ground. Her eyes watered as she looked to Delain, thinking of any way to apologize.


    ¡±I-I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not fret,¡± Delain interrupted. ¡°I think I can¡ª¡± Suddenly, she looked to the sky and hissed. ¡°How did they find me so soon?¡± Panicked, she looked down to where she clutched her chest and then to Evelyn. ¡°Evelyn, was it? I have no choice but to trust you with him.¡±


    Evelyn felt puzzled. Him? Was her rider around after all? Maybe he was hurt too. She watched as she lowered her claw, showing her what she was hiding. Not a wound like Evelyn feared. It was a smooth, round object, a darkened gold color with speckles of black in the shapes of diamonds spattered sporadically along the circumference. Her eyes shone, placing a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. It was an egg, a real dragon egg.


    ¡°Please,¡± Delain spoke after a moment, pulling Evelyn out of her trance. She nodded and looked back at the dragon. ¡°He is the reason I fled. I will distract our attackers for you to escape. I need to know he will be safe. Promise me¡ª¡± Delain stopped, her words catching in her throat. Tears formed as her eyes swelled. ¡°Promise me you will protect my little one.¡±


    A lump formed in Evelyn¡¯s throat, she realized what the dragon was asking, what she was planning to do. There was no denying this request.


    With a nod, Evelyn responded, ¡°Of course, Delain. I will keep him safe.¡± Evelyn slowly inched to the egg, reaching out and touching the smooth, hard shell, rubbing it softly before wrapping both arms around it. It was not only heavy, but was larger than any egg she¡¯d seen, being the size of her torso. When she felt she had a good grip, she nudged Delain¡¯s razor-sharp claws, which reluctantly receded, allowing Evelyn to pick up the egg and back up from the heaving chest. When she was up against Delain¡¯s chest, she could easily hear how labored her breathing was. She assumed there was a lot of non-stop flying for an extraordinary amount of time, and Delain was not used to it. Looking back up, meeting Delain¡¯s eyes, Delain looked down at the egg, her mouth wavering. Clearly she wanted to say something to her egg, but no words came.


    Just as Evelyn felt a tear of her own form at the corners of her eyes, Delain¡¯s ears perked, her eyes darting to the sky. Even Evelyn could hear them now: wingbeats. Multiple heavy wingbeats not far away.


    ¡°They are near, go now,¡± Delain warned. Evelyn nodded and ran as fast as she could up the side of the gully and toward the thick forest. ¡°And Evelyn,¡± Delain cried out. Evelyn looked back to see Delain, her smile weak as the dragon let her tears fall. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Evelyn weaved her way through the trees, leaving Delain behind. Not even a minute after she fled, the leaves above her shook as if a tornado were passing above them. She didn¡¯t need to look up to know what passed over her. She placed the egg in the nearest thick brush she could find and knelt behind a tree, pressing her body against the rough bark. Though she could no longer see Delain, Evelyn heard voices come from that direction. A mix of draconic voices and human voices.


    ¡°You gave us one hell of a chase, sparky,¡± A boisterous, young voice called out, giving off an air of arrogance and nepotism. Evelyn could hear Delain growl in response. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, hand over the egg, please.¡±


    ¡°Even if I still had him, I would rather die,¡± Delain responded, a strain in her voice.


    ¡°Oh,¡± a new voice started, this one deeper and more mature. ¡°Do us and yourself a favor and not prolong this process. Tell us where you hid it.¡±


    There was a brief pause before Delain responded, ¡°I did not hide him. I¡ª¡° the wounded dragon¡¯s voice wavered, ¡°I dropped him... not long after your traitorous pet severed my shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Pet?!¡± A third voice called, ¡°who are you calling a pet, you insolent, worthless piece of¡ª¡°


    ¡°Calm your dragon, Lieutenant,¡± the second voice scolded the first. The ferocity in that command sent shivers down Evelyn¡¯s spine. ¡°You both must learn control, don¡¯t let your dragon take over at will. Our priority is the egg. Shockwing, you must feel so terrible knowing you condemned your fragile, unborn hatchling to such a terrible, gruesome fate. I am willing to bet it hurts more than these wounds.¡±


    As Delain cried out in pain, Evelyn¡¯s muscles tensed as she could only sit there and listen to the torture. With any hope, the dragon inside the egg could not yet hear anything. The dragon¡¯s whelps and groans pierced Evelyn¡¯s ears, leaving her imagination to run wild as to what horrible fate that she left Delain to. There was more questioning from the voice, but Evelyn could not make out the words. Every fiber of her being told her to go back. She needed to at least try to help reduce her suffering, or at least stop the riders from making it worse. But Delain¡¯s voice echoed in the back of her mind. ¡®Keep him safe.¡¯ Evelyn looked back at the egg, so innocent and harmless within the thick brush. His yellow shell peeked through the leaves just enough for Evelyn to lay her eyes on him, but not enough to be seen from a distance. Going back would certainly condemn him to whatever cruel fate the riders wished to bring upon him.


    She thought of running, getting as far away from these cruel humans as possible, and more selfishly, get away from the sound of Delain¡¯s torture. No, they were too close; if she could hear them talking clearly, they could easily hear her scramble through the thickets and easily find her and the egg. She had to wait until they left, until they were finished...


    ¡°My patience has run out,¡± the commanding voice declared. ¡°May the Gods of Drake have mercy on your soul.¡± There were a few seconds of a deafening silence, only to be shattered by an ear-piercing screech that sent birds into flight and animals darting for cover, abruptly ending as quickly as it began. Utter silence once more. Evelyn gritted her teeth, holding back every urge in her body to cry out, tears flowing like a raging river down her cheeks. She gripped the trunk that hid her, ripping some of the bark off. How could anyone treat a dragon, let alone any living being that cruelly so casually? What monsters does the Dragon Corp produce?


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it? Mission over?¡± the Lieutenant asked.


    ¡°No, we must confirm the death of both the dragon and the egg.¡±


    ¡°Captain Oliver, she told us she dropped it. There¡¯s no way an egg could survive that kind of fall. Not even a dragon egg.¡±


    ¡°Then we must find the broken shell. You and Kastari retrace the flight path and find the egg. I will take care of the body and meet with the local guards to see if any civilians saw anything,¡± the authoritative man ordered, receiving a grunt in return from his subordinate.


    ¡°Can¡¯t that wait until morning? We¡¯ve been flying all day.¡±


    The captain scoffed, ¡°No, we must confirm the egg is destroyed. Now take flight.¡±


    After he muttered something Evelyn could not discern, powerful wing beats pushed the air around the trees. Through the few openings in the canopy, Evelyn could see bits of red block out the light from above as the wingbeats briefly got louder before tapering off in the distance. As her focus drifted back to the cruel rider, she heard what sounded like massive foliage being dragged across the ground, as if all the bushes in the forest were converging into one area with their own free will.


    ¡°That seemed an unnecessarily long process.¡± A new, fourth voice finally joined the conversation. ¡°She was clearly not going to give up the location of the egg,¡± the low, grumbling voice finished, followed by a loud thud against the ground.


    ¡°So, you did not believe her, Fionan?¡±


    Oh no... If this rider found the egg, who knows what he¡¯d do to him.


    ¡°Look at her shoulder. Do you think she could have dressed her own wound like that? Someone helped her.¡± the voice Evelyn assumed was Fionan replied. ¡°Though I appreciate you ridding us of the delinquents for the time being.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing around the crash site. Perhaps this wannabe healer is nearby.¡± Oliver paused for a moment, ¡°Though they could be anywhere in this forest by now. I shall get with the local guard and find anyone who may have wished to help this dragon.¡±


    ¡°Let us go then, I am done here,¡± Fionan agreed before Evelyn heard their wingbeats fly toward town. She waited a moment, making sure neither pair would return immediately. When she was confident she was alone, she ran back to the edge of the gully, or what was left of it now. No dragon laid there, it was purely vines, all intertwined in the tightest knots imaginable. There was no smell of blood, no sign of any struggle, just a vine covered forest floor. Delain was gone.


    If only I could have done something¡­ She thought, her stomach twisting and turning. I failed you, Delain. You should have escaped. You should be with your¡ª Delains egg conjured in her mind as a beacon of hope. If she could not save Delain, the least she could do is learn everything about being a dragon healer to take care of her dragonet.


    Evelyn took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. The auburn sky indicated nightfall was soon upon her, so she could not take her time. She grabbed a small branch from a nearby tree and placed it where Delain once laid and left for the egg, beginning her trek home.

 Chapter 3

    Fortune seemed to be on Evelyn¡¯s side for now. As the sky faded from its warm, orange hue to the darkness of night, she reached the edge of the forest with no issue. Peeking from behind a tree, she noticed the lights inside the house indicating her father was home. She took a deep breath and crept to the barn entrance, stopping every few seconds to make sure she was still alone as her heart still pounded. After a long moment, she entered the barn and quietly shut the door behind her, letting out a long sigh, releasing all the built up trepidation. With some reassurance that she was in the clear for now, she placed the egg on a stack of hay and let herself crumble to her knees, her arms hanging to her sides like wet noodles. It had been a long time since she had a hike like that, not to mention the egg that was half her weight. The hay around her felt very comfortable at that moment.


    Evelyn reluctantly got back to her feet and started for the door, the thought of her warm, soft bed giving her energy to walk. To keep her arms from dangling, she put her hands in her pockets and felt the rough, crumbled envelope she completely forgot about.


    Somehow the most important letter of her life became an afterthought within hours of receiving it. The results it held and the anxiety it bestowed upon her faded.


    Taking the letter out of her pocket, she stared at the cracked, crumpled seal. She thought of going inside to open the letter with her dad. His apathetic look for whatever her result plagued her mind. A quick ¡®congratulations¡¯ or ¡®sorry, sweetie¡¯ would await her. A reaction she could neither deny would happen, or look forward to. She looked back at the egg. He couldn¡¯t react, even if the hatchling inside wanted to, just a silent reaction. For some reason, that felt more comforting to Evelyn, as if there was someone there who actually cared. But it was just an egg. Would it be silly for Evelyn to read her letter to the egg? Possibly, but Evelyn found herself sitting next to him, nudging her shoulder with the cool shell.


    ¡°Well, are you ready to see what my future holds?¡± she asked, staring at the egg as if it could respond. With a giggle, she rubbed the seal with her thumb like she did in the forest, but this time, she felt calm. Her mind was a tranquil sea, the surface undisturbed by any pressing breeze. The rhythm of her heart was smooth and slow, no rapid pacing like before. She was no longer afraid.


    Logic would say it was the adrenaline rush from earlier that drained her of any energy to worry. But something inside her felt as if the egg was influencing her emotions, calming her down. There was no way for Evelyn to be sure, but she was certain staying with the egg was the right decision.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± In one smooth motion, Evelyn slipped her thumb under the fold, lifting it to reveal the paper inside. She slowly pulled the folded sheet from the envelope and tossed the latter aside. With one last deep breath, she unfurled the letter and began reading.


    Ms. Evelyn Eir,


    Thank you for applying to the Dragon Healers Academy.


    After careful consideration of you and our many other candidates, we are thrilled to inform you that you have been accepted as a student for the upcoming semester.


    We shall watch your education and career with great interest. The healers and dragons look forward to meeting you soon.


    ¡®Where elements unite and healing takes flight.¡¯


    -Dean of Healers


    ¡°I made it¡­ I made it!¡± Evelyn squealed, kicking her legs out in excitement. She found herself wrapping her arms around the egg, holding it in a warm, delicate embrace. After a moment, the rush of happiness and comfort was replaced by a sinking feeling. She stared at the egg as her mind started racing. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    Taking him with her to the academy was out of the question. Hiding him there would be impossible and would lead to certain capture. But she couldn¡¯t just give up on her dream, everything she had worked towards. Not only that, she needed to do this for Delain. She needed to learn to care for her son. She wracked her mind for solutions; but none came, her mind went blank. Help was required, and she could think of only one person she trusted enough to help with this.


    Reaching into her pocket, a rush of relief flooded Evelyn as she pulled out her phone, worried she lost it in her forest incident. To her dismay, there was a fresh crack on the screen, likely from her stumble while meeting Delain. She quickly dialed the phone number with ease and waited. The ringing lasted a moment before she heard the click from the other side.


    ¡°Hyellow?¡± the voice came through. Evelyn could hear the whir of wind blowing with the constant rev of an engine on the other side.


    ¡°Hey, Ben, it¡¯s Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey Evy, just the person I was waiting on. Are you doing alright? Did you get in?¡± her brother asked, a hint of concern straining his voice.


    ¡°Well, I actually wanted to talk about it in person along with¡­ another issue,¡± Evelyn responded, her voice wavering as she looked back down at the egg. ¡°Could you come over after your shift is over?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me in suspense like this? That¡¯s so cruel.¡± There was a momentary pause before he continued his response with some muffled chatter in the background. Benjamin was talking to someone in the car with him, nothing Evelyn could understand. Finally Benjamin responded, ¡°My shift is going to run a little late, probably deep into the morning, but I can come over when I¡¯m able to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll explain everything when you get here,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°Before you go, I thought you¡¯d find this interesting. We had a dragon rider come by the station tonight.¡± Evelyn froze at Benjamin¡¯s statement, her stomach twisting. What had Oliver told the guards? Would he give a detailed description of the events? ¡°I would have tried to get him to come meet you thinking he could show you his dragon. However his dragon wasn¡¯t there and he seemed moody and in a rush.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, that¡¯s cool. Why were they there?¡± Evelyn mustered up as a response, resisting the urge to add her own choice words to Oliver¡¯s description.


    ¡°He requested extra patrols around the forest, something about a leak or something? He didn¡¯t give many details on the reason. So if you go into the forest like I know you love to, don¡¯t be surprised if you come across some guards.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± Evelyn tried to sound surprised, feeling her lack of acting skills show.


    ¡°Alright, well I have to go. I¡¯ll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Evy.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Ben.¡± Evelyn hung up and took a deep breath. She lifted herself up and walked to the barn entrance, reaching to slide the door open. As her hand gripped the handle, a weird, tingling sensation in her chest made her hesitate. Something in her heart was tugging her away from the door, a feeling of loneliness and unease. However, it was not her own feelings. She looked back at the egg, still sitting comfortably on the stack of hay, a small glimmer shining at Evelyn from the smooth shell as a small beam of moonlight shone through a crack in the ceiling. Something was trying to persuade Evelyn to stay in the barn with the egg. Perhaps the egg itself was asking her to stay? No, that would be silly¡­ right?


    Her stomach churned with guilt as she thought about going to her warm, comfortable bed and leaving the poor, cold egg alone all night.


    ¡°Fine, I guess one night won¡¯t hurt.¡± She turned back and laid next to the egg, putting an arm around its base to share her warmth. The pang in her heart turned to reassuring comfort as she felt a pulse of heat radiate from the egg. Despite the foul smell of her surroundings and the cold, hard ground, Evelyn felt a sense of unexpected ease and comfort of her own. Cuddled closely with the egg, she closed her eyes and drifted softly into a deep slumber.


    Evelyn opened the door, greeting her brother with a smile. His uniform was as impeccably neat and clean as when they met the day before, though his eyes showed a rough, long night weighed down on him. Benjamin tried to hide that tiredness with a smirk.


    ¡°Looks like you slept well,¡± he said, entering the home as the door behind him closed. ¡°Is Dad home?¡±


    Evelyn shook her head. Fortunately she woke up in time to see him off in the morning, easing his worry at her absence the night before. She lied, telling him she snuck into her room after he had already fallen asleep, which he accepted. ¡°No, he left just before you got here. Something about a rare interview with the Mayor.¡±


    ¡°Bummer. Anyway, no more leaving me hanging. Did you get in?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes, I got accepted. But¡ª¡± Evelyn was cut off by Benjamin¡¯s cheer, his arms wrapping around her core, pinning her arms to her side as he picked her up and spun her around. She felt as though her ribs were going to crack with how tightly he hugged her.


    ¡°I knew you had nothing to be worried about,¡± he said as he finally put her down after a full rotation. ¡°How did Dad react?¡±


    ¡°Exactly how you think he¡¯d react.¡±


    ¡°Unenthused?¡±


    Evelyn nodded in response, pursing her lips. Her eyes drifted in the direction of the barn, thoughts of the right explanation for Benjamin and her current predicament raced through her mind, the right words escaping her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem as excited as I thought you¡¯d be.¡± Benjamin seemed to notice her distracted expression, causing Evelyn to dart her eyes back to her brother. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    She took a deep breath and decided on a course of action. ¡°You know those other ¡®issues¡¯ I told you about? Well, I think it¡¯s best if I showed you.¡±


    Benjamin raised an eyebrow as Evelyn turned to go outside and toward the barn. She cracked the door open, making sure the egg was not visible from the doorway like she planned, covering him in hay just in case. The door slid open with a creek and the siblings walked inside.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s an issue with Runner¡¯s barn?¡± Benjamin asked, looking around for any flaws with the building, of which there were many.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°No, well yes but that¡¯s not relevant. Just promise me you won¡¯t freak out.¡± She started to brush the hay off and stepped aside, revealing Delain¡¯s egg. ¡°I¡­ rescued a dragon egg.¡± Benjamin stood, stunned into silence, his mouth agape and arms limp by his side. The silence dragged on for a moment, concerning Evelyn. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut short by the sudden laughter from Benjamin, going from a low chuckle to a full belly laugh. Evelyn frowned, her eyebrows furrowed, waiting with her arms crossed for Benjamin to settle down.


    Between laughs, Benjamin finally managed to put words together. ¡°Good one, oh that¡¯s a good one, Evy. You- put a lot of effort into that one.¡± He chuckled and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. ¡°You had me there for a second; did you and Mom plan this? I bet she¡¯s in on it, too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but a bit of worry started to creep up in the back of her mind. Is he really not going to take her seriously? Evelyn¡¯s demeanor seemed to flip a switch in Benjamin¡¯s mind as his smile faded back into a frown of disbelief. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yes, this is a real dragon egg. His mother gave him to me to keep safe.¡±


    ¡°Its mother? So you met a dragon?!¡± Benjamin¡¯s voice raised with every word, concern seeded deep in his words.


    She put her arms out and motioned to stay quiet. ¡°Please, I asked you not to freak out.¡±


    ¡°How can I not? Do you know how illegal this is? You¡¯re going to get in so much trouble!¡± Benjamin stopped for a moment, took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Explain everything that led you to bring this thing here.¡±


    Evelyn explained everything as quickly as she could, recalling the scene of Delain crashing and meeting her, up to listening to what Oliver and the other rider did to the poor dragon. Benjamin was pacing around at that point, pinching the bridge of his nose and grumbling to himself.


    ¡°So let me get this straight, you approached this dragon, convinced it not to kill you and it just gave you its egg?¡± Before Evelyn could answer, Benjamin continued, ¡°And then you heard Captain Oliver torture and kill this dragon? I¡¯m sorry, Evy. None of this makes sense.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Evelyn whined.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe everything; there¡¯s obviously an egg here. But maybe you misheard what was going on. You said there were no remains, right? Maybe they just knocked her out and took her away. I just can¡¯t see a dragon rider mercilessly killing a dragon like that. Not just that, there¡¯s no way you actually spoke with the dragon. Only riders can do that so it must¡¯ve just been in your head. Maybe you took a bump when you fell?¡±


    ¡°I know what I heard, Ben. Delain entrusted me with her child and I intend to honor that trust.¡±


    Benjamin groaned and continued to pace, clearly lost in thought. ¡°Let me see that pendant you showed the dragon,¡± he asked, holding out his hand. Evelyn placed it in his palm, allowing him to study the dragon and ichneumon inscription, a puzzled look distorting his face.


    ¡°Anything you¡¯ve seen before?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, but that is clearly an ichneumon, so it can¡¯t be anything good. This makes a lot of alarm bells go off in my head.¡± He placed the pendant in his pocket and looked sternly at his little sister. ¡°Evy, you must turn this egg in to the riders.¡±


    With muscles tensing, her blood felt hot in her body. ¡°No, that is not an option!¡±


    ¡°Evelyn, you don¡¯t understand. If you get caught with this thing, you could be jailed for life. Or worse, executed. I¡¯m not going to sit here and watch you get hurt over this. You have too much to lose,¡± Benjamin explained, reaching out his hand. ¡°If you just say you found it and immediately turn it in, you could be spared. Heck, you could be honored by the Dragon Corp for this.¡±


    Evelyn took a step back, sticking out a protective arm across the egg, causing Benjamin to flinch. ¡°Delain trusted me. I am NOT denying her dying wish.¡± They stared at each other as the barn silenced, not even the crickets making a sound. A sense of fear that was not her own panged in her heart. It took every bit of her will not to look back at the egg.


    After another moment of silence, Benjamin finally broke and let out a long groan of disapproval, burying his face in his hands. He turned around and scratched his head furiously, ruffling his already disheveled hair. Evelyn could see his chest expanding before he let out a long, exasperated sigh. ¡°Do you even know how to treat a dragon egg, let alone raise a dragon?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Evelyn hesitated, of course she had no clue. ¡°Not exactly, Mom¡¯s books don¡¯t go into enough detail. But I have to try. And I would like your help.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help,¡± Benjamin started. ¡°I still think you should turn it in, but I¡¯m not going to stop you if you really think this is the right thing to do.¡±


    Her body eased and she allowed herself to look back at the egg, giving him a soft smile. It almost looked like the egg glowed brightly with relief, warming her heart.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we should do, you should go through Mom¡¯s books and find out everything you can on dragon eggs. There has to be some information on them somewhere you missed,¡± Benjamin instructed, giving the egg a cold, stern glance. ¡°I will look into whatever this pendant is. If you actually did hear from that dragon, it was obviously looking for these people for a reason. If we can find them, maybe we can relieve you of this burden.¡±


    She twitched at that last statement. Despite the very short time with him, the thought of giving him up felt wrong, like rehoming a pet, but worse. Beside that, she agreed with Benjamin¡¯s plan, giving him a nod of approval.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this between us, not even Dad can know.¡± Benjamin continued, turning to exit the barn. Evelyn hummed in agreement and the two parted ways.


    Over the next week, Evelyn did as much research as she could between work and caring for the egg. Meetings with her brother rarely brought anything new as his search was coming up empty. Aside from information about the Great Ichneumon War, which they both knew already, there was nothing about dragons and ichneumons coming together and forming some sort of alliance with humans. Meanwhile, Evelyn found little instruction on caring for a dragon egg, or raising a dragonet. For the most part, she used her knowledge of regular reptilian egg care, which seemed to do enough to keep the egg alive, though worry crept into her mind each day.


    After her final day working at the clinic, Evelyn was saying her farewells to her coworkers when she heard a loud screeching sound come from the road. All heads turned to the door as Benjamin came rushing in, bolting to Evelyn. As he approached in full guard uniform, he grabbed her arm and started pulling her to the exit.


    ¡±Evy, we need to go now.¡± Ben looked up and must have noticed the stares he was getting from the rest of the clinic, notably Dr. Mary took a defensive step toward Benjamin. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m Benjamin, her brother. Nice to meet you all,¡± he said, making a quick gesture of greeting with his free hand before he started for the door again.


    ¡±Ben, what¡¯s going¡ª¡± Pessimistic thoughts interrupted her, dreading the worst possible scenario, causing her to gasp. ¡°I-is the e¡ª¡°


    ¡±That¡¯s fine,¡± Benjamin interrupted before Evelyn inadvertently revealed their secret to the clinic. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything on the way home, but we need to hurry.¡±


    They rushed to Benjamin¡¯s car so a quick wave was all Evelyn could get out to her coworkers, well, now ex-coworkers. As her door slammed shut, the car accelerated rapidly and she barely had time to put on her safety belt. She turned to see Benjamin in a frantic state, the lack of care put into his uniform matching his usual disheveled hair. He watched the road with a cold, focused stare as his brows furrowed.


    Her mouth opened to speak, but Benjamin cut in before a word got out. ¡°The riders are going to the house,¡± he said, a waver in his voice.


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°W-what? Why?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯m not sure, but the riders did ask about healers, particularly animal healers. I didn¡¯t mention you, but I know some other guards knew about you through me. Luckily, my buddy, Case, tipped me off. He doesn¡¯t know everything, but he¡¯s been helping me out.¡± As if he could sense Evelyn¡¯s concern, he continued, ¡°We can trust him, but I didn¡¯t mention the egg or your dragon encounter.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Benjamin pondered for a moment. ¡°First thing¡¯s first, we hide the egg. Then let me do the talking when Captain Oliver gets there. Hopefully we get there in time to not be in the barn when they arrive.¡±


    As the car skidded to a halt in front of the family house, the siblings swiftly unbuckled and ran around the house to the barn. Benjamin flung the door open, allowing Evelyn to rush to the egg. He seemed to sense Evelyn¡¯s panic as she felt a pang of fear in her heart. She placed her palm on the shell, stroking it softly to not just reassure the unborn dragonet but herself as well. She looked back to see Benjamin scurrying around the rough interior, his hand on his scalp.


    ¡±Maybe we can disguise him as a haystack?¡± Evelyn suggested.


    Benjamin shook his head. ¡°No, that would be too obvious. I¡¯m not sure there is a place to hide it here.¡±


    ¡°There has to be somewhere, we can¡¯t take him back outside.¡± She joined her brother in the search for a spot to hide the egg, looking in the corners, behind barrels of feed, nothing. Nowhere to safely stow him away. Frustrations spilled out of Evelyn, mixing with her already overwhelming panic. Was she about to be discovered? Certain death awaited her, Benjamin, and Delain¡¯s egg and there was nothing they could do. She called out a curse and without thinking threw her phone across the barn, nearly striking the egg. The air from her lungs briefly vacated as she saw the phone soar past the shell. She stepped toward him, about to apologize when the thud of the phone hitting the ground caught her attention. Instead of hitting dirt like she expected, she heard the echo of plastic hitting wood. The siblings looked at each other, surprise and curiosity plain on Benjamin''s face.


    They both approached the landing zone, Benjamin kneeling down and brushing the hay away from the area. There was an area of dirt that did not match the rest of the ground, a slight mound formed that would only be visible if someone was looking for it. Removing the dirt revealed a square wooden board, splintered on the jagged edges, a different type of wood from the rest of the barn. Benjamin reached out and knocked on the plank, and just as Evelyn thought, it was hollow underneath. Together, they lifted the wood up and revealed a wide hole in the ground filled with various scrolls and trinkets, all with varying versions of the emblem that adorned the pendant.


    Before Evelyn could say anything, many questions racing through her mind, Benjamin pointed to the egg and gestured to the hole. With a nod, she shuffled over and picked up the egg, gently placing it down, dropping some hay with him. The pang of panic did not diminish, there was an addition of claustrophobia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be for long,¡± she whispered, petting the shell once more before they recovered the hole. Just as the plank hit the dirt, a knock came from the front of the barn, causing both siblings to jerk up and see the door sliding open.


    The father entered, his face a mask of worry. Trailing him was a hulking figure that made Evelyn¡¯s blood run cold. It¡¯s him, she thought. Her heart raced as she realized this towering, muscular man must be the rider she held responsible for Delan¡¯s death.

 Chapter 4

    Standing in the doorway of the barn, the stocky man stood with his arms behind his back. His rigid posture matched his spotless, midnight-black leather uniform adorned with the insignia of the Dragon Corp and a patch with a curved line forming wings. A dark gem, shaped like a diamond, protruded from his chest just above the insignia. From what Benjamin told Evelyn of the military, she deduced that indicated his rank. Under his rank were many patches in the shape of horizontal bars of various colors. The meaning of them eluded Evelyn. His face bore the wear of aging similar to her fathers. He stared through Benjamin, who was now standing at attention, raising a hand to his heart in salute, his uniform now looking drab and boring in comparison, his plain, gray jacket barren of patches, bar the insignia of the City Guard. Benjamin''s face was as stiff as the rest of his body, locking his body up in the pose.


    ¡°C-captain Oliver, sir,¡± Benjamin hoarsley greeted.


    ¡°Officer Eir.¡± Captain Oliver nodded his head in greeting toward Benjamin. ¡°At ease. It is a pleasure to see you again. I take it you will soon be on your way to your post?¡±


    Benjamin shuffled his legs apart, lowering his shoulders, but Evelyn could see he was still anything but at ease. ¡°Yes sir, I just had to take my sister home from work.¡± Benjamin briefly glanced at Evelyn.


    The rider shifted his attention to Evelyn. Just a glance from his dark-green eyes locked her in place. ¡°So that must mean you are Evelyn Eir, Veterinarian technician for Dr. Mary O¡¯conner. Just the person I wanted to meet.¡± He took a step toward her. Evelyn flinched, taking a moment to realize the rider had extended his hand out. She shot a look at Benjamin. He hinted to her to shake his hand. With a twitch of hesitation, she took his hand into hers. When their hands met, a burst of energy surged shot from his palm into hers, racing through her veins. She tried to pull back, but something held her arm in place. Captain Oliver¡¯s grip was firm, but the force he used would not be enough to hold her. Her gaze locked with his, doing her best to not show the shock and worry on her face.


    ¡°It has come to my attention that you were recently accepted into the Dragon Care Academy. While I was in town, I saw fit to come congratulate you in person. Fioren and I greatly appreciate the work you healers do for us.¡± His face was unreadable. He sounded genuine, however, his previously stoic face lightened with a barely noticeable grin; One that upon first glance was harmless and appreciative, but something felt wrong about it. To Evelyn, the grin felt wicked, as if he found something he was looking for.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Evelyn hesitantly replied.


    ¡°Perhaps one day you will tend to Fioran. Have you seen a dragon in person before?¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s shoulders raised with her breath in an attempt to quell her rapidly beating heart. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t had the honor of that yet. That is my hope when I start at the academy. I really love animals, but dragons seemed beyond anything I would work with as a veterinarian.¡±


    The rider nodded, taking a step back. ¡°Most definitely. Given your love for animals, you probably go into the forest quite often. Have you been there recently?¡±


    Before she could answer, the most incriminating sound possible rang in her ears.


    CRACK


    Her breathing ceased, chest tightening. Not now, why now? She thought in a panic, trying to send her feelings, her thoughts to the unborn dragonet to stay in the egg just a little bit longer. With a little luck maybe Oliver would think the wood of the barn walls creaking, or the barn door swaying on its rails.


    CRACK


    There was no alternative Evelyn could think of for it a second time. Before she would try to escape, she looked to her brother, hoping he understood and would have a plan. To her surprise, her brother was not ready to flee, not ready to fight, just the way he was before. It was as if he did not hear the egg. A quick glance between her father and the captain revealed that none of them reacted either. Could she have imagined the sound? It seemed so real.


    Then a flurry of emotions flooded her. The need to burst free from her confinement and explore the world. The rush of eagerness and altruism. It became clear that she was not imagining the sound. But why could only she hear it? She tried again to send her own emotions to the egg, willing the dragonet to not hatch, doing so in vain as Delain¡¯s son resisted her wish. Looking back at Oliver, she finally answered him. ¡°Not recently, I¡¯ve been too busy.¡±


    With a raised eyebrow, Captain Oliver said, ¡°Interesting, because I noticed some relatively fresh tracks leading from your yard into the forest. Are you sure you have not?¡±


    As Evelyn opened her mouth to respond, she heard her fathers voice call out. ¡°My Wife.¡± Everyone turned to Anderson, his sudden interruption. ¡°Their mother went into the forest around that time to visit her hometown. She has not returned since then.¡±


    Captain Oliver raised an eyebrow. ¡°I see, where would that be?¡±


    Evelyn became curious herself. She knew her mother well, but she always assumed that Dahlia had lived in Banrigh her whole life. Though in that moment, she realized how naive of an assumption that was.


    Anderson clenched his jaw before answering, ¡°Midrib. She hails from Midrib.¡±


    The rider hummed inquisitively, scratching his chin. ¡°So she is of Faiyan descent,¡± he muttered. After a moment of pondering, he turned to Evelyn and gave her a nod. ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Evelyn. I am sure you will get to meet Fioran soon.¡± He gave the others a nod before exiting the barn, the door sliding shut behind him.


    The family stood in silence, listening as the heavy footsteps faded into the distance. A moment passed, everyone anxiously waiting for something to happen, for Oliver to come back in a rage. Once they were sure he was gone, Anderson turned to his children, his brows furrowed. ¡°Quickly and quietly, you two tell me what happened.¡±


    The siblings looked at each other, Evelyn trying to read Benjamin¡¯s face. He was not subtle with his idea. With the shake of his head, Benjamin made clear he did not want their father to know about¡ª


    CRACK


    Everyone froze. That crack was clearly audible, not just in her head. Anderson glanced over to the trap door, then back at Evelyn. With a lump in her throat, Evelyn hurried to the haystack, kneeling down to uncover the door. If the egg was going to hatch, she needed to be there to meet Delain¡¯s son. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that I show you.¡± She flung the plank up, revealing the cracked, yellow egg sitting atop the medallions and trinkets. AS if the dragon were holding his paw up to Evelyn¡¯s, upon her touching the cool, hard exterior, she felt a bump from within. Expecting to see shock and horror on his face, She was surprised to see her father overcome with unvexed worry and sorrow. ¡°His mother gave him to me, Dad. Ben had nothing to-¡±


    ¡°Evelyn,¡± Anderson started, cutting her off. ¡°Ben clearly knows what is going on. Tell me everything.¡±


    As she opened her mouth to respond, another crack sounded as she felt something hit her cheek. Looking down, she saw a small yellow fragment of eggshell. The egg now had a long crack right under her hand. With another nudge from within the egg, the crack grew and the shell started splitting. With a glance through the crack, she could see a yellow, rounded snout poking at the eggs  hardened interior. From the limited information she could gather, she knew dragon eggs typically hatched alone, something about dragons being independent, strong beings from birth. So she resisted the overwhelming urge to help the hatchling.


    They watched in various states of awe as the little dragonet finally broke through and destroyed the outer shell, flopping onto the ground in front of Evelyn. His scales were a bright, golden yellow, a pattern of black diamonds striped down his side and his tail. Two horns barely protruded from his skull just behind his sharp ears; they were just nubs that had a lot of growing to do. The dark yellow spines on his back were curved back, the tips rounded. Evelyn estimated he was about the size of a large dog, perhaps just smaller than a Mastiff.


    Eyes still closed, he reached out his black talons at her. While the emotions were clouded before, they were now clear and defined as a strong pulse of desire radiated in Evelyn¡¯s heart. She instinctively placed her hand on his talons, barely able to cover his paw. To her surprise, he was warm to the touch. A weak power of electricity radiated from his scales, almost humming with magical potential. With a smile, Evelyn gently patted his paw and watched as he opened his big, pearlescent blue eyes. Their gazes met and Evelyn felt her whole body warm with shared joy.


    ¡°Grldabu,¡± the hatchling gurgled in greeting, revealing his small, sharp teeth.


    ¡°Hello there, little one. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you,¡± she whispered.


    With a happy squeak, the dragon nudged her chest with his snout and let out what sounded like a purr. Petting his head, Evelyn tried to the moment; a moment cut short by her father clearing his throat, winning the attention of her and the dragon.


    ¡°Sorry we have to cut this short, but you must get that to safety. Evelyn, did you understand that dragon¡¯s mother?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I feared. There is another trap door in this hole. It leads to a tunnel that takes you deep into the forest. Once out, go to Cove and find a man named Isak Elvar. Take this and the dragon. Show him the medallion and he will aid you.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°I will cover your tracks, just keep Evelyn safe. You need to go now.¡±


    ¡°We should talk about this, make a plan for us all!¡± Benjamin exclaimed.


    ¡°There is no time, look.¡± Anderson motioned to the walls, thick vines quickly climbing up the walls nearing the ceiling, similar to the ones Evelyn found where Delain once laid. She could hear faint murmuring on the other side of the door, familiarity ringing with the voices. Before she could ponder further, the barn door shattered in a ball of flames. Splinter pelted Evelyn as she shielded the hatchling from the blast. ¡°Go, now!¡±


    The second trap door was under a mix of medallions and dirt, Evelyn was in such a rush to hide the egg, so she missed it. With a nudge from Evelyn, the dragon slid into the dark hole, followed by Evelyn. Moving the dragon out of the way, she watched Benjamin follow after a moment. The light from above was snuffed out as their father closed the door above, leaving the siblings in darkness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Benjamin said as he squeezed past Evelyn and the dragon. She glanced back at the trap door then to the dragon, or where she assumed he was.


    ¡°Can you walk¡­ um¡­¡± She started, realizing the dragonet had no name yet, something she would have to rectify soon.


    The dragon responded with a low, unsure growl. ¡°Grblbl¡­¡±


    Evelyn knelt down, extending her arms. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to carry you.¡± Dull claws rested on Evelyn¡¯s shoulder, his scaly cheek rubbed against hers as she wrapped her arms around his waist. With a grunt, she lifted the dragon up, her legs telling her she should have exercised them more frequently in the past. His weight made her stumble back a step. Once she gained her balance, she felt like she was just holding a scared, tired dog. A dog that was going to grow and gain unimaginable powers. ¡°Let¡¯s g¡ª¡± As she took her first step, a large boom muffled through the ceiling above, dirt and dust raining down. Her heart dropped into her gut. Her father couldn¡¯t have been in the middle of that, could he? The dragon''s tail wrapped tightly around her waist, a pitiful whimper vibrated in his throat.


    ¡°Run!¡±  Benjamin called out, pulling on Evelyn¡¯s shoulder to guide her through the darkness. They ran for what felt like an eternity, the burden of carrying a hatchling slowing their pace. Once they were out of range of the noises from above, they slowed to a quick walk; the dragon relaxed the tail that constricted Evelyn and loosened his grip on her shoulders, giving her a slight increase in range of motion. For a while, they kept moving, stopping to make sure they were not followed on occasion. No sign of any riders or dragons tailing them, providing Evelyn as minimal relief as possible at the moment. Her legs faded into numbness, her knees buckling beneath her.


    ¡°Ben, can we stop for a moment?¡± She panted heavily, sweat dripping into her eyes.


    Concern floated into her heart. ¡°Stlrp,¡± the dragon muttered, almost sounding like a word. As much as she¡¯d like to be impressed by how quickly he was picking up words, holding his weight up for this long forced her to focus on keeping her legs from crumbling.


    ¡°No, we need¡­ to keep going.¡± Benjamin¡¯s words wavered. His labored breath echoed against the dirt walls, then the pounding sound of a body hitting the wall, sliding down slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you alright?¡± She called out, gently setting the dragon down. Unable to see anything, she held out her arms, trying to feel for her brother. The smooth, wet surface she ended up touching felt like the shape of his head, strings of hair dangling against her fingers. Assuming he was sweaty, her hand recoiled. She wiped her hands against her scrubs. When she whipped away her own sweat, the familiar, iron scent of blood filled her nostrils. She quickly tried to scan his head for the injury, but to no avail.


    As if he could sense her panic, Ben chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just¡­ need a moment to rest.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re hurt. I need to stop this bleeding; can¡¯t have you passing out from blood loss,¡± she said half jokingly. She knew there was little chance of that, but without seeing the wound, she could not be sure how much blood he was actually losing. ¡°I¡¯m already carrying one heavy creature, I don¡¯t need another. If only we had some light in here.¡±


    ¡°Light?¡±


    Evelyn jerked her head back at the dragon. ¡°Did¡­ you say that?¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡± Benjamin responded to the question.


    ¡°No, not you.¡± She scolded Benjamin.


    ¡°Light!¡± The walls of the tunnel began to illuminate, color being brought to life around her tinted with the yellow light. She turned to the source, shielding her eyes from the blinding light that shone from the dragon''s scales with a low hum of magic.


    ¡°How¡­ His scales are¡­¡± Evelyn shook her head, this was her opportunity to assess her brother''s injury. Half of his face was crimson with spilled blood. The source, a gash just above his eye, swelled, blood slowly escaping the opening. A piece of the door must have struck him when it exploded. Her anxiety dipped for the moment. ¡°It looks worse than it is, but we need to get that cut covered. You also could have a concussion. Once we¡¯re out, I can better evaluate you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I told you I¡¯m fine.¡± Benjamin sat up straight, taking his guard uniform jacket off, folding it into a makeshift bandage and wrapping it around his forehead, tying it tight enough to press hard against the wound, slowing the blood flow to a light trickle. He stood up and shot a glare at the illuminated dragon. ¡°That thing is bright, did you know it could do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you. He even said ¡®light¡¯ as he did it.¡±


    Benjamin rolled his eyes. ¡°Sure, tell him to keep doing that so we can see where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Evelyn turned to the dragon, squinting into the bright light. ¡°Can you stay illuminated?¡±


    The dragon let out a shaky grumble as his scales dimmed slowly, fading back into their normal state, returning them to the eery dark. A grumble came from Benjamin¡¯s direction ¡°Of course it can¡¯t, just great.¡±


    ¡°Scales hurt,¡± the dragon whimpered. His scales dimly lit once again. Muscles tightened, a grimace on his face, he was struggling to maintain the light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, we¡¯ll manage.¡± Evelyn gently picked the dragon back up and turned to follow Benjamin, who was continuing down the tunnel. There was a long, squeaky yawn in her ear just before the dragon cradled his head into the crook of her neck. With him now asleep, she no longer worried about his anxiety and fright and could focus on her own. Dad¡­ she thought.  There was little hope of him getting out of the barn before the explosion they heard above, but hope nonetheless. At least he allowed them to escape. Why there was a tunnel underneath the barn and why Anderson knew about the medallion stash perplexed Evelyn. What was he and their mother up to?


    Mom! If their father involved her in this, surely they¡¯d go to Midrib and find their mother. How is she going to react to all of this, her home destroyed and family presumed dead? Trying to wrap her head around this mess was for naught, nothing made sense anymore. It was as if their happy, normal life was just a fa?ade, forced into some scheme involving the group Delain was looking for. At least this means I didn¡¯t completely lie to Delain.


    Even if she could see him, Evelyn would have no idea what was going through Benjamin¡¯s mind. He was a stickler for rules, hence why he joined the Guard Corp. This situation had to be eating him from the inside out, but she had no clue what to even say, lest he give her something to respond to. His silence was deafening to her.


    After a while, they caught the first glimmer of light in hours. With a resurgence of energy, the siblings trotted to the source of the light. A boulder half the size of Benjamin was outlined in yellow-orange light, blocking the hole to the overground. Benjamin pushed on it, unable to dislodge the makeshift door.


    ¡°Help me with this, will you?¡±


    Evelyn slowly laid the dragon on the ground, easing his head onto the dirt. His light blue eyes fluttered open, letting out a long, drawn out yawn. Evelyn positioned herself next to her brother, bracing her stance before pushing the boulder with Benjamin. It slowly inched away before tumbling out of the hole.


    The warm, evening air filled Evelyn with rejuvenation, clearing her lungs of the stuffy, stagnant air of the tunnel. Light from the setting sun mottled through the leaves above was blinding after being in the dark for so long, as if she were looking directly at the dragon lighting up again. While Benjamin looked at his phone, Evelyn turned to bring the dragon into the open, only to see him crawl out of the hole himself, wobbling as he tried to remain upright. He padded to Evelyn, chest puffed out and head high.


    ¡°I walk!¡± He proclaimed.


    ¡°Great job,¡± she said, patting his head with heavy arms that wished he could have done that hours ago.


    A hand tapped her shoulder, bringing her attention to her brother. He held his phone in an outstretched hand toward Evelyn. ¡°Hand me your phone,¡± he requested with a tone of authority.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They can be used to track us, we need to destroy them.¡±


    Despite the dire situation, crushing her phone seemed devastating. ¡°Are you sure? Won¡¯t we need the map  on them to know where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I already checked, we are thirty miles west of Cove.¡± Benjamin lifted his hand closer, forcing Evelyn to reluctantly relent. He took their phones and placed them where the boulder once laid. ¡°Now help me close this.¡± They pushed the boulder back into place, covering the hole once more, the sound of plastic and electronics cracking and shattering harmonizing with the shifting dirt around the stone.


    Finally able to give their feet a break, the sibling slumped against a tree. Evelyn''s body cried out, aching all over. She¡¯d exercised before, but never to this extent, this was a new level of exhaustion. Heavy eyelids slowly faded her world to black, shooting open again when the scaly head of a dragon laid in her lap. His body curled around hers, similar to the way she curled around his egg every night in the barn.


    Do dragons hear and learn while still in the egg? It would explain why he is able to speak so soon. There is so much I need to learn, she thought.


    ¡°Are you going to name that thing?¡± Benjamin''s inquiry caught Evelyn off guard. He was right, the dragonet needed a name. So much had happened, she forgot all the names she thought of while he was in the egg and never got the chance to steady her mind to think of more, especially after he illuminated himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± She looked down at the dragon, bright eyes beating up at her curiously. ¡°How does Lumin sound?¡±


    ¡°Really? Lumin is what you¡¯re going with?¡± Benjamin questioned apathetically.


    ¡°Lumin,¡± the dragon repeated. ¡°I like, me Lumin!¡± Lumin¡¯s tail thumped her side as it swung back and forth.


    With a giggle, Evelyn said, ¡°he says he likes it, so Lumin it is.¡± Benjamin rolled his eyes. Getting the first good look at his head since Lumin brightened the tunnel, she noticed the blood covering part of his face dried up. No fresh blood seeped from the makeshift bandage. ¡°Do you want me to take a better look at that cut?¡± Despite the lack of fresh blood, the possibility of infection worried her.


    Benjamin shook his head, interlacing his fingers behind his head. ¡°No, get some rest. We have a long walk tomorrow, I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    ¡°You need sleep, too. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°Stop worrying, I¡¯ll rest once I know we¡¯re safe.¡± His gaze was fixed forward, staring into the abyss of the forest. His expression was unreadable, emotionless. With a defeated sigh, she leaned her head against the bark, placing her arm around Lumin as her eyes slowly closed, letting her exhaustion win the battle, dragging her into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 5

    Everything was cold and dark. The stone floor was rough against Cain¡¯s skin. The air was heavy and damp, filled with the scent of sulfur and moss. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, taking grains of rock fragments with his cheek. Once to his feet, he brushed his face clean. Scrapes and bruises sent a stinging pain across his face. The good news was that there was no blood and his nose was not broken. I must have fallen on my side, he thought as he looked around for the cave entrance.


    Cain thought back, trying to remember what led him here before he fainted. An angered man, his father, scolding in a loud, drunken rage. The cause of which eluded him. It could have been the lack of milk from the cow he milked that morning, or just his father not wanting to see Cain that night. Anything was possible, it was not the first time and it would not be the last. He sought shelter from the cooling, autumn air in this cave, which was like a second home for as often as he came here to escape his fathers wrath. Each night he spent in the cave, he would explore the depths, somehow finding more tunnels and crevasse each time. Something to do at least.


    A quick glance around revealed the entrance a hundred yards away, taunting Cain with his lack of progress that night. The pain emerged in his core with a low growl, reminding him why he passed out. No food had been spared for him for a few days. Despite his wishes, he needed to go outside and find food. That was easier said than done, his father never taught him how to hunt or scavenge. He rarely taught him anything beyond fetching another drink from the fridge. He reluctantly turned back to the entrance, perhaps there might have been some berries or vegetation just outside.


    A gruesome, crunching sound stopped Cain in his tracks. He looked back into the abyss, squinting  to try and get a look at what was creating the sound. Nothing but darkness engulfed his vision. The torch he brought went out while he was unconscious.


    Curiosity got the better of him; he spun back to the cave, sneaking deeper into the darkness, the sound crescendoing as he approached. The crunching stopped when Cain was a few yards away from the source, replaced by a bone chilling silence.


    With a staggered breath, Cain called out, ¡°H-hello? Is someone there?¡± He stood as still as a statue waiting for a response. A moment passed, and then another; no response came. He took a deep breath and continued, ¡°My name is Cain, I do not wish to harm you. Who¡­ or what are you?¡±


    After another long moment, Cain came to the conclusion that his hunger was causing him to hear things. Before he could turn, he was paralyzed by a pair of deep, blue eyes blinking open just in front of him, the black pupils narrowed into slits. Every muscle in his body seized, disobeying his mind that told him to run as fast as he could. The air in his lungs escaped in a pitiful whimper as he stared back at the terrifying, yet majestic eyes. They seemed to be staring straight into Cain¡¯s soul, analyzing everything about him.


    ¡°This one reeks of misery and anger¡­.¡± a calm, devious female voice said. Now Cain knew he was deprived of essential nutrients, he was seeing and hearing things now. ¡°I can assure you I am real, Cain. It pleases me you can understand me, so I shall not bring you harm either. Since you are hungry, I do not mind sharing this.¡±


    Faintly illuminated by the dim light shining from the entrance, a scaled paw reached out to Cain, holding the severed leg of a sheep. Blood poured from the open end, a fresh kill it seemed. Cain stared at it, his mind split in two. On one hand, he was starving and this was enough meat to feed him for a week. However, the situation was extremely bizarre and dangerous, getting an offering of food from an unknown beast that could speak.


    ¡°That is right, you humans require your meat to be cooked.¡± The claw withdrew the leg and the sound of twigs being tossed around echoed in the cave. Not long after, the cave was illuminated by the fire, painting the walls with an orange hue. That, however, is not what drew Cain¡¯s attention; in front of him, now reflecting the light was a dragon. Its midnight black scales reflected the flames'' lights with a flicker, a dazzling display of beauty and enchantment; from head to tail Cain guessed it was the size of his fathers horse. Having little knowledge of dragons, he wondered if all dragons were that small. The tales he had heard made them sound like giant, mystical beings.


    The dragon looked down at the dancing fire, holding the legs just above, rotating it with its claws slowly. Cain sat on the ground and watched, his body no longer had the energy or the will to stay standing. It took a while for the meat to cook thoroughly, but eventually, the dragon placed the sheep leg in front of Cain. He hesitated, unsure if this was some sort of trap to lure him into a false sense of security.


    ¡°As I said, I will not bring you harm. Like you, I sought shelter here from my pursuers,¡± it said as it continued its own feast. He wondered how it was reading his mind, wondering if all dragons could do that, but there was something weirdly comforting in the dragon''s voice, giving him the courage to finally dig into the cooked sheep leg in front of him. That first bite was exquisite, the juices from the fat coated his taste buds with the most flavor he had tasted in years. Cain felt a sense of comfort and familiarity rise in his chest, as if there was someone who finally understood him, something he had never felt before. Someone who might actually care about him.


    The dragon chuckled with satisfaction, ripping another chunk of flesh from the carcass. Hope and wonder rose in Cain¡¯s heart, though it was different, as if it were not his own feelings. ¡°Perhaps we can help each other, Cain. My name is Kryn, I hope we can form a productive, influential partnership.¡±


    ?    ?    ?    ?


    Evelyn woke with a jolt, eyes shooting open as her breath labored. Her eyes darted from side to side, taking in her surroundings. Thick layers of trees filled her vision, coated in the yellow light of the rising sun above. Looking down, Lumin was awake as well, looking up at her with a worried expression; a low, inquiring grumble resonating in his throat. As if the dragon in her lap was not enough of a reminder that the previous day was not a fever dream, her muscles ached from the long hike.


    ¡°Are you alright, Lumin?¡± she asked, stroking his cheek. ¡°Did you¡­ have a dream last night?¡±


    ¡°Dream¡­¡± Lumin stewed over his answer, reminding Evelyn there are many words he had not heard before.  She wondered how he had understood a lot of what she said up to this point. Were Dragons so intelligent that they understood most language from birth? How did they already know so much? It was clear Lumin understood Evelyn since hatching, he even spoke his first words not even an hour after he came into the world. Though he was just repeating what Evelyn had said the moment prior. ¡°I think so. I was not me, I was a you, but not you.¡±


    His speaking skills are developing so much already, dragons must be super intelligent beings, she thought. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but impressive nonetheless. Then another thought struck her. ¡°Were you in a cave in that dream?¡±


    Lumin nodded. ¡°Yes, no light. Meet bigger dragon.¡±


    ¡°Black scales, big, blue eyes? Called herself Kryn?¡±


    Lumin nodded. ¡°You know her?¡±


    Evelyn scratched her head; first their emotions, now dreams? Was this what was supposed to happen with a rider bonded with a dragon, sharing feelings and dreams? It was a peculiar dream, it felt real to her, as if she were Cain. A sparkle in his eye, Lumin smiled as his tail thumped slowly against the ground.


    ¡°You dream same!¡± Lumin exclaimed.


    The pair was startled by a loud bang ringing through the air, echoing around the trees. Lumin perked his head up as Evelyn jumped to her feet. She jerked her head around, trying to pinpoint the source. Her heart sank as she realized her brother was no longer in sight. After a quick glance, there was no sign of him in the area. Benjamin was clearly not happy with the situation, but he wouldn¡¯t leave Evelyn and Lumin alone. Many thoughts raced through her mind, every possible scenario bouncing around uncontrollably, causing her to get disoriented. She stumbled back to feel the cool touch of scales against her. Lumin chirped to her, giving a nod; with the support, Evelyn was able to take a deep breath and settle her thoughts down. Worrying would do them no good, but that loud noise was concerning.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Leaves and brush rustled nearby, grabbing their attention. Evelyn stepped between Lumin and the sound, holding her arm out protectively.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± she said. If the riders already found them, there was little Evelyn could do, but at least she could shield Lumin enough for him to flee.


    ¡±No,¡± Lumin started, nudging her hand away and stepping up with her. ¡°I safe you, too.¡±


    She felt a warm wave of his pride through their bond. Before Evelyn could persuade him to retreat, the rustling came closer, inching toward their camp. She braced herself in the most intimidating battle pose she could think of, Lumin following suit.


    After a tense moment of waiting, Benjamin emerged from the brush with two rabbits in his grasp, blood dripping from the furry creatures. Benjamin raised an eyebrow once he saw the battle ready pair.


    ¡°Are you doing the Digifighter game pose?¡± Benjamin snarked, placing the rabbits next to a fire pit that eluded Evelyn¡¯s attention in the commotion.


    Looking down at herself, she was copying the pose of a video game character. She relaxed her muscles and responded with a blush of embarrassment, ¡°No¡­ Maybe.¡± She placed a hand on Lumins head, getting him to relax as well. ¡°We heard a gunshot, I thought¡­¡±


    Benjamin pointed to his pistol holstered at his hip before throwing sticks into the pit, beginning to rub a pair together, a string of smoke starting to rise from the friction. ¡°Trust me, if the riders found us, there would be more than one shot fired.¡± After some effort, a small flame erupted to life, slowly spreading to the surrounding foliage within the fire pit.


    Evelyn sat next to the fire, the heat from the flames pushing away the brisk, morning air away from her cooled skin. A tail wrapped around her as Lumin sat next to her, watching Benjamin slowly cook the rabbits. The deep rumble in her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten in almost a full day. Though her hunger paled in comparison to Lumin. His stomach growled louder than any animal she had ever heard. He stared intently at the rabbits, licking his lips, studying every detail about them. Though the circumstances were dire, she wished she had food to give him the day prior after he hatched, hoping the delay in nutrients would not harm his growth.


    Once the meat was cooked, Benjamin handed Evelyn a full rabbit, tearing the leg off the other and tossing the crude leg to Lumin. Evelyn shot a glare at her brother, who shrugged and took a bite from the full rabbit in his possession. Lumin sniffed at the leg inquisitively, taking in the scent before devouring it in one bite. Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure he even chewed. He mewled with glee, but the rumbling in his stomach did not stop. He shifted his gaze hungrily to Evelyn¡¯s meal.


    ¡°Were you not able to find another one?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Benjamin looked back up at her, gulping down his mouthful of food. ¡°I was lucky to even get the two. I can¡¯t waste bullets and cause a lot of noise when we have people chasing us. That thing is just going to have to suck it up, Evy.¡±


    Looking back at Lumin, Evelyn could see the disappointment etched on his face, despite his efforts to internally suppress the feeling. Against her instincts to devour the rabbit herself, she offered it to the dragon who tilted his head.


    ¡°You eat?¡± Lumin squeaked.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Sure I haven¡¯t eaten in a while, but you haven¡¯t eaten ever. You need this to grow big and strong.¡±


    The hungry dragon whimpered in protest, but relented; he took the rabbit, finishing it in a few bites, causing Evelyn to jerk her hand back. Not even the skeleton remained. His natural, predatory instincts were both impressive and frightening. He purred and licked bits of meat from his lip, looking up at Benjamin thankfully. Lumin¡¯s delight in a full stomach swept through Evelyn, washing away most fear she felt at the savagery.


    Benjamin did not return the satisfaction, scolding Lumin with his stare. Lumin bowed his head as if he did something wrong.


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn asked, pulling Benjamin¡¯s attention away from Lumin. ¡°He needs to eat.¡±


    ¡°So do you, Evy. I¡¯m sure a dragon can go longer without food than a human.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. He was only born yesterday and hasn¡¯t eaten. It was already dangerous for him to go this long without a meal, let alone a substantial one.¡±


    Benjamin scoffed and looked down at his meal, pondering for a drawn out moment. The remaining food found itself in Evelyn¡¯s lap after Benjamin tossed it.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°I can find some berries or something.¡± Benjamin shrugged, scanning the surrounding trees.


    Gathering berries did not take long as Evelyn finished the remainder of the meat as Benjamin came back, stuffing his mouth. Once finished, they put out the fire, scattering the wood and throwing dirt on the ash. Satisfied no trace of their existence was left behind, they set out toward Cove.


    Even with limiting themselves to a couple short breaks, they traveled most of the day. Occasionally having to stop to free Lumin from his entanglement with vines and foliage. With each stop, Benjamin expressed more frustration with the dragon.


    ¡°At this rate, we won¡¯t get there before sundown.¡± Benjamin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He would whimper each time Evelyn freed him.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, just try to keep your wings tucked in tight.¡± Evelyn gave Lumin a pat on the head.


    The sky slowly faded from blue to orange as they heard the first signs of civilization; the muffled commotion and conversations of people. Evelyn picked up her pace to find the edge of the treeline. The extended arm of Benjamin stopped her before she could run herself off the tall hill overshadowing the town. Her muttered apology faded as she looked over the town of Cove.


    Rows of houses squeezed tightly together surrounded a large market in the center. The homes spread apart further and became increasingly in disrepair as they moved away from the center, some homes seemingly abandoned on the outskirts. There were no roads for cars, but a highway leading to a shipyard that was cut off from the rest of the town. How people came and went from the town eluded Evelyn until Lumin gasped and she followed his gaze. Beyond the market was a large dock curling around the crest of water, matching the length of the town. Hundreds of ships, ranging from fishing boats to the one feeder ship. Most were docked for the night with a few stragglers coming in from the ocean, leaving the large gulf open for a stunning view.


    Land surrounded the large body of water, leaving only a small gap into the vast sea beyond. To the left was the shipyard housing containers and broken ships, to the right, a towering mountain spanning the length of the land until it reached the calm ocean. The setting sun behind them reflected off the water, tinting it with a warm, orange hue, matching the sky above where seagulls soared in search of food.


    A soft membrane brushed against Evelyn¡¯s side, pulling her out of her trance. The small  wings of Lumin unfurled slowly, desire emanating from his awe inspired smile. It was overwhelming, Evelyn felt everything Lumin felt. The jealousy of the seagulls, the yearning to touch the clouds, the urge to run out and extend her wings and let the wind take her. She wanted to fly. She needed to fly.


    ¡°Evy? Evy!¡± She snapped back to reality, feeling Benjamin with both hands on her shoulders, shaking her.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± She stammered.


    ¡°I was going to ask the same thing. Your pet seems like he is going to take off.¡±


    Lumin was inching forward, his wings completely extended.


    ¡°Lumin,¡± Evelyn called. His head snapped to Evelyn, his eyes bulging with hope. ¡°You want to fly, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He nodded and responded with enthusiasm, ¡°Looks fun, we should¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Benjamin coldly cut Lumin off. ¡°Until we find this Isak person, this thing stays hidden. Keep it out of sight, no running around or flying.¡±


    Wings drooping, Lumin whimpered quietly. Evelyn did not need to feel his emotions to recognize his disappointment. She put a reassuring hand on the dragon''s back, simultaneously shooting a glare at her brother. Despite her disdain at how he delivered the message, he was right. No one could be trusted yet, and everyone should be considered a threat to them, especially to Lumin. If the wrong person saw the dragon, Evelyn didn¡¯t want to think about what they would do.


    On top of everything, whatever that desire was concerned Evelyn. Feeling what Lumin felt was one thing, but his feeling overtook hers, nullifying not just her feelings, but her free will as well. Hopefully this Isak has information on dragons, she thought.


    ¡°Leave it here while we go into town,¡± Benjamin suggested,


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Evelyn denied. ¡°We are not leaving Lumin alone, he stays with me.¡± The only response Benjamin gave was a grunt followed by an eye roll. ¡°Do you think we could take a wagon or something to hide him?¡±


    ¡°I would prefer it if we avoided committing anymore crimes. But a cart or something could work.¡± Benjamin pondered for a moment, scratching his chin.


    ¡°Like that?¡± Lumin said, pointing into the town. Evelyn tracked what he saw, a devious grin growing.


    ¡°That could work, is it technically a crime if it¡¯s abandoned?¡±

 Chapter 6

    The yellow dragon twisted and turned in his tight confinement, regretting his find already. Despite Evelyn¡¯s best efforts to make more room, the double stroller they found left little room for Lumin to get comfortable. Evelyn wished she could hide him in a more comfortable manner, but this would raise the fewest questions. With an old blanket they found in the bottom compartment, they managed to conceal the dragon completely.


    ¡°Very tight, wings squished,¡± Lumin groaned, his tail shifting the blanket to hang out the side and drag along the ground. Evelyn quickly pushed it back under the blanket before anyone could notice.


    Benjamin scowled. ¡°Tell that thing to stay still and be quiet, we don¡¯t need its little growls and hisses. If we get found out, we leave it behind.¡±


    There was a whimper from the stroller. ¡°You know he can understand you, Ben.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Evelyn patted Lumin on his side. ¡°Hang in there, Lumin. We¡¯ll find who we¡¯re looking for as fast as possible.¡± Only a small rumble came from him. Evelyn looked back to her brother and asked, ¡°where should we go?¡±


    ¡°The market is probably the best place to find information on people. The shopkeepers talk to a lot of people, I¡¯m sure at least one has heard something about this guy. When we get there, I¡¯ll do the talking, alright?¡± A reluctant nod is all Evelyn gave Benjamin in response. They set out for the central market of town.


    It was not as big as Evelyn was expecting, about half the size of Banrigh¡¯s main shopping district. Despite the smaller size, the market was bustling with people, many of the stores with lines out the door with restless customers trying to make their purchases before nightfall. While this made it difficult to talk to anyone, at least it meant people were too busy walking around and avoiding confrontation to inquire about the new people with a rather large stroller; though Evelyns¡¯ anxiety was not diminished.


    She took extra precautions to not bring unwanted attention to them; going out of her way to avoid people walking by, making little eye contact, and making the best effort to look as normal as possible. Though that was probably making her look even less normal. Lumin¡¯s discomfort did not help her either, his eager, uncomfortable feelings just adding to Evelyn¡¯s stress.


    Benjamin, however, seemed unfazed. Eyes forward and focused, he weaved his way through the crowd, stopping only to speak to whatever shop keeper was free. Evelyn wondered if this was something he learned with the Guard Corp, walking around with purpose and authority. Though his uniform no longer helped him as his jacket remained around his head. The only indication of his guard status was his holstered pistol at his side, though that seemed to make him blend in with the crowd moreso. Half of the people they came across wielded some sort of weapon, putting her at even more unease. In Banrigh, usually only guards had weapons. Not that it was illegal to carry self protection, but a gun was usually seen with discomfort, its owner getting glares and scoffs from everyone around them.


    After a few attempts to gather information, and subsequently being told off, Benjamin finally found someone that gave him more than a telling off. A man with a thick, brown beard chuckled at the mention of Isak.


    ¡°So yer seeking out ol¡¯ Isak, eh? I haven¡¯t the dangest idea where he would be.¡±


    ¡°But you know who he is at least. Is there anyone who might know where to find him?¡±


    The man raised a bushy eyebrow. ¡°What''s he to ya? Not many folk come looking for him, ¡®specially out of towners.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a family friend, that¡¯s all you need to know,¡± Benjamin replied.


    ¡°Not a very trusting fellow, are ye?¡± The man rubbed his scraggly beard, shifting his eyes from Benjamin to Evelyn. Her body went stiff as his eyes glanced down at the stroller. ¡°Like I said, I haven¡¯t a clue where he is, but if ye head south, ye¡¯ll come across a small booth called the Ichelv Fish Stand. Talk to the ol¡¯ man running the place, he might know where yer guy is.¡±


    ¡°Ichelv, got it.¡± Benjamin started south, beckoning Evelyn to follow.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered as she pushed the stroller along. The man gave her a single wave before they disappeared into the crowd. ¡°Ben, at least give him the courtesy of a ¡®thank you¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The sun is fading, Evy. We need to find this guy before dark.¡±


    The sky above was orange, growing darker with every minute. His crudeness was unsavory, but he was right. They continued forward, the crowd starting to thin with the imminent approach of night. This made it easier to find their destination. A small stand of rotting wood, the blue paint faded and peeling read the name ¡®Ichelv¡¯. There was a limited assortment of fish, most of which looked fresh-ish. The smell was strong, while the market had an overall fishy scent, coming close to this stand overwhelmed Evelyn¡¯s nose. Lumin must have smelled it too as Evelyn felt a strange desire to devour the fish. She pushed back on that eagerness, hoping Lumin would understand to stay hidden.


    Standing behind it was a young man, no more than a year older than Benjamin wrapping fish in aluminum foil. The deeply tan man was accompanied by an older man laid back on a wooden chair, his straw hat covering his face; the occasional snore blew the brim up slightly. As they approached, the junior of the pair swiftly unwrapped the fish he held and leaned confidently against the display. ¡°Good day to you, my name is Landon, can I interest you fine people in savory salmon? Caught fresh today by yours truly.¡±


    Benjamin groaned before responding, ¡°We¡¯re looking for someone, a man named Isak Elvar. I¡¯ve been told someone here knows where he might be.¡±


    ¡°Isak Elvar¡­¡± Landon pondered the name for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s information you¡¯re after, perhaps we can arrange a bundle deal. Procure yourself a fine specimen for a mere ten sgeile and information will be included.¡±


    ¡°Ten? You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Benjamin snapped.


    ¡°That is some valuable information you¡¯re asking for, my good sir.¡±


    With an angry grumble, Benjamin reached in his pockets and pulled out what coins he had, counting them out in his hand. As he counted, Evelyn glanced back at the old man. She wondered why he was not speaking given the previous seller told them it was an older man who ran the shop. She then realized his brim was no longer moving and the snoring stopped. A jolt of panic set in, fearing the old man was no longer breathing. It was short lived as he continued snoring, as if he knew she saw. Perhaps she imagined it?


    ¡°There, ten sgeile. Now where can we find this Isak person?¡±


    Landon handed Benjamin the salmon, who in turn put it on the handle of the stroller, the slimy scales covering Evelyn¡¯s hands, coating them with its repulsive scent. Even with her limited knowledge of seafood, she could tell this fish was not caught today. That did not stop Lumin from shifting excitedly, causing the tip of his tail to be exposed. She quickly pulled the blanket over it and rapidly glanced around, praying no one saw it. Fortunately Landon was too preoccupied with Benjamin and the old man still slept. Her nerves seemed to get through to Lumin as he went still again.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what I know¡­ I have never heard of this person you speak of. Have a nice day and come again soon.¡± He shooed Benjamin away with his hand and resumed wrapping the remaining fish.


    ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± Benjamin stepped toward the smug seller, fist curled into a ball. Evelyn grasped his shoulder.


    ¡°You asked for information I knew, and that is all I know. Perhaps you shouldn''t assume everyone around here knows everything, city boy.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Evelyn started. ¡°We need to find him, our father said he could help us.¡±


    ¡°Sorry sweetheart,¡± Landon said with a shrug. ¡°I wish I could help you, but you and your boy toy here are out of luck. Better luck with the next sucker unlucky enough to talk to you.¡±


    Her blood ran hot, frustration swelled not only in her, but Lumin as well. There was a tingling sensation at her fingertips, as if she was stung by touching something charged with static electricity.


    ¡°Show me unity,¡± a creaky voice spoke up. They all turned to the old man who laid back in his chair, the straw hat still covering his face.


    ¡°Unity?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Show me unity,¡± the elder repeated.


    She exchanged puzzled looks with Benjamin. How could they show unity?


    That¡¯s right! She thought as she reached into her pocket, palming the medallion their mother left her. Benjamin must have realized what she was doing as he started shaking his head. Ignoring him, she took a deep breath and flashed the emblem to the elder, shielding it from public view with her body. He lifted his straw hat and opened one pale green eye to glance at her symbol, letting out a grunt. He nodded and covered his eye with the hat once more and shifted in his seat, regaining his comfort.


    ¡±Yes, good. Put that there away again before someone sees you.¡± She shoved the medallion back into her pocket, following his instructions quickly. ¡°Go just outside the north-eastern gate of town.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡ª but I¡ª¡± Landon was cut off by a kick from the old man.


    ¡°Pipe down, you swindling scoundrel. Go there, stay hidden and the man you¡¯re looking for will find you after the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°How will we know it¡¯s him?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°You will know him when ya see him. Now go before Landon here tries to scam ya again.¡±


    The younger man scoffed and turned away from the group. Evelyn nodded and issued a thanks before they left the stand, melting back into the thinning crowd. When they reached the gate they prepared to sneak through unnoticed. But as they approached, only one guard stood watch, slumped against the wall with his phone out. As they slowly walked up, the guard did not pay them any mind, not even acknowledging the two going through the gate. Why the gate was so lightly manned became apparent once they exited the town.


    This side of the gulf was lined with mountains, covered in closely sprouted trees, the range forming an arc, rising from the edge of town and declining until there was a beech at the tip of the land, which she assumed could only be reached by boat. It was a wonder that there was a need for a town gate in this location at all. There was no shortage of places to hide, if they went just a few yards into the wooded area, they would be completely secluded from the outside world. After struggling to get the stroller through the treeline, they found a tree with a large divot in the ground next to its roots, allowing them to sit and rest together out of view.


    Lumin happily jumped from the stroller, stretching out his legs and wings, groaning with satisfaction. ¡°Yummy salmon?¡±


    ¡°You may be the only one who finds this ¡®yummy¡¯,¡± Evelyn said, wiping the slime from her hands. Benjamin examined the fish, poking it and prodding the scales with his pocket knife. It took a decent effort for him to cut the fish up, his skills fileting a fish, or lack thereof were apparent. The smell got worse with every jagged cut; Evelyn looked away, holding her nose to try and block out the stench. ¡°I don¡¯t think that guy was telling the truth about the freshness of this fish,¡± she claimed, getting a nod of agreement from Benjamin, who¡¯s eyes watered.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°So much for some dinner.¡± Benjamin threw the fish to the ground, wiping his blade clean.


    Lumin stared at the fish curiously, his stomach growling loud enough for Evelyn to hear. ¡°It smells ok to me. Maybe it fine for me?¡±


    ¡°Lumin, I wouldn¡¯t recommend¡ª¡± the fish was being devoured in front of them before Evelyn could dissuade the little dragon. Despite the fish being on the larger side, the meat was gone within a minute. She had no idea if she should be impressed, or disturbed.


    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s a good garbage disposal,¡± Benjamin snarked, getting a curious look from Lumin, chewing the last of the fish.


    He swallowed and tilted his head. ¡°Garbage disposal?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Lumin. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Evelyn sat down next to the dragon and put an assuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°While we¡¯ve got time, how can you speak so well already?¡±


    Lumin shrugged, ¡°I hear you, I learn. Only you hear me?¡±


    Evelyn nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can understand you, but maybe this Isak person can answer some of these questions. Why don¡¯t I teach you more words and proper grammar?¡± Lumin¡¯s eyes lit up. He nodded rapidly and sat obediently in front of her.


    Benjamin groaned and stepped away from their hiding spot. ¡°While you waste your time, I¡¯ll go find us some more food.¡± Once Benjamin was out of view, Evelyn let out a disappointed sigh. He seemed so spiteful around Lumin, but she couldn¡¯t figure out why. Maybe he was just frustrated by the situation; they had to flee, lose their home, their jobs, their father.


    Dad¡­ She thought, it never really hit her until she thought about him. If he was alive or dead, they had no idea, but she could only assume the worst. Her shoulders dropped, she hadn¡¯t really processed everything that¡¯s happened yet. As the sorrow was about to kick in, she felt the nudge of a dragon snout at her side. With his glowing, sparkly eyes, Lumin looked at her with a warm, sympathetic gaze, making a noise that sounded like a cat purring. She smacked both cheeks and shook her head, now was not the time to feel sorry for herself or to ponder what might have happened. There was so much to learn about Lumin and so much to teach him, too. He needed her to be strong and caring, so that¡¯s what she planned to be.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she started. ¡°Let¡¯s start with how much you already know.¡±


    For the next hour Evelyn and Lumin worked on his communication, properly speaking, sentence structures, everything she could think of about the language. Midway through the session, Benjamin came back with some more berries for him and Evelyn to snack on while they waited. She offered some to Lumin, who tasted one and was immediately repulsed, spitting the berry out with a show of disgust, ruling out any vegetarian diet Evelyn might have planned.


    Benjamin took no part in teaching Lumin to speak, even when Evelyn tried to give an example of a conversation. ¡°So when I say: ¡®Hello, Ben. What brings you to the gulf today?¡¯ He would reply¡­¡± Evelyn glanced at Benjamin, rolling her hand to motion to him to continue the mock conversation. All she got in return was a scoff while he continued looking out at the forest where the divot opened up. She furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to repeat her statement, intending to put in a bit more sass to the request.


    ¡°He would say, ¡®Hello, Evelyn. I have come to the gulf to help my sister and her little dragon get to safety. I hope we can find the person who can help us,¡¯¡± Lumin interjected, rewarded by a pat on the head from Evelyn, who smiled proudly at her little dragon. Though little wouldn¡¯t describe him much longer. He seemingly grew every time she turned away. Thinking back to her dog size charts, she imagined he went from a small mastiff as a hatchling to now a small great dane. She was unsure if he could fit in the stroller again. Maybe dragon growth is concurrent with their meals? He didn¡¯t really start growing until that first rabbit.


    ¡°Good job, Lumin! You¡¯re so smart, it takes human babies years to learn how to speak like that.¡± The air in the divot whirled around with the joyful wingbeats involved in Lumin¡¯s happy dance he made when he got something correct.


    ¡°Evy, get that thing to stop,¡± Benjamin groaned, holding his hand up to shield his face from the wind. ¡°We still need to be careful about people finding us.¡±


    ¡°Relax, Ben. Let him get excited about learning. Besides, you saw how little that guard cared about us. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know.¡± A croaky, weathered voice caused all three to whip their head around. Everyone went stiff, there was no source of the voice in sight, no clue as to who it could be. ¡°You should always take caution ¡®round these parts especially.¡±


    Benjamin looked up, jaw agape. ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Evelyn and Lumin followed his gaze, looking up to see an old man sitting on a branch twenty yards up in the tree above them, looking down with his feet happily dangling. Not just any old man, it was the same old man that they met in the market, looking down on them with a smirk on his wrinkled face. The muscles in her body froze, stunned at the sight.


    ¡°Good evening young ones.¡± As swiftly as an energetic child, he shuffled to the trunk and slid down the tree, feet digging into the bark to slow his descent, showering them with fragments of wood. Once at the roots, he slid to a stop in front of Evelyn. To her surprise, he had to look up at her, only coming up to her chin.


    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Isak Evlar, pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Evelyn hesitantly accepted his outstretched hand to shake.


    ¡°E-Evelyn. My name is Evelyn, and this is my brother, Benjamin.¡± She pointed to Benjamin, who only nodded at the old man. Turning to Lumin, ready to introduce him. She was cut off by the dragon eagerly walking up to the old man.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Lumin, it is nice to meet you, Isak,¡± He said happily, tail wagging, offering his claws out, mimicking the elder¡¯s gesture to Evelyn. Isak chuckled as Evelyn knelt in front of Lumin.


    ¡°Great job on your grammar, but remember, only I can understand you for now, you have to be careful about walking up to people,¡± She lectured, causing Lumin¡¯s paw to drop a bit, his ears drooping.


    ¡°A lively, young one here I see. Pleased to meet you, too.¡± Isak reached his hand out and placed it in Lumin¡¯s paw to the dragon''s delight. The dragon paw dwarfed the old man¡¯s hand, so when he gripped the small hand, Evelyn winced, hoping he wouldn¡¯t accidentally crush his hand. To her relief, Lumin did not share Benjamin¡¯s habit of squeezing the life out of someone¡¯s hand as it seemed he carefully grasped the man¡¯s hand and they shook gracefully. Not only was this man not frightened being this close to a dragon, but he seemed comfortable around him. Perhaps this was the person Evelyn needed to learn from, to educate her on how to properly take care of Lumin.


    ¡°So, you can understand him?¡± Isak asked. Evelyn nodded in response. ¡°I would assume you¡¯ve bonded with him as well.¡± Uncertain, Evelyn looked down at the hatchling. If there was a certain ceremony, ritual or event that made bonding official, she had no clue. Though the connected emotions made her wonder if they had bonded, whatever that meant. There was no mention of how riders bonded with their dragons in the books.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lumin answered, a smile growing on Evelyn¡¯s face.


    Before Evelyn could relay Lumin¡¯s answer, Isak continued, ¡°you must have a lot of questions, which I may be able to answer. Whether I¡¯m willing to give them depends on your answer to my next question. Given I don¡¯t recognize you, it baffles me that you own something with that insignia.¡± He gestured to her pocket where the medallion resided. ¡°So tell me how a couple young ones came into possession of it and knew to find me.¡±


    The siblings exchanged looks. Judging by his suspicious glances at the old man,  Benjamin did not want to answer truthfully. Evelyn was unsure how trustworthy he was either, but their father sent them to Isak, hopefully not as his final act. Besides that, if he was truly with the organization bearing the insignia, she would be fulfilling part of her promise to Delain. ¡°I got this one from our mother. She left it for me as a gift with my acceptance letter. We are unsure of what it really means, but she said it may help me, and has it.¡±


    ¡°Did it help you come across Lumin?¡± Isak asked.


    ¡°In a way, yes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Benjamin interrupted, scowling at Isak. ¡°Neither of us actually mentioned what Evelyn named that thing.¡± With a jolt of realization, Evelyn stared at Isak. Benjamin was right, only Lumin said his name.She stepped in front of Lumin, who chirped curiously, while Benjamin stepped in front of Evelyn, his hand on his holstered pistol.


    Isak did not flinch. In fact, he chuckled. ¡°Suspicious bunch, eh? Good. You don¡¯t know who your friend or foe is these days.¡± He held his hands up. ¡°And attuned to small details. Yes, I can understand dragons. That does not mean I am your enemy.¡±


    ¡°How do we know that? Our first meeting with a dragon rider did not exactly have a welcoming outcome,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°The person who told you about me, do you trust them?¡±


    Their own father would not send them to someone who meant to hurt them, would he? She pondered their options, looking at Benjamin, who still looked weary of the man. Reluctantly, she relaxed and nodded. ¡°I do. Our father, Anderson Eir.¡±


    ¡°Anderson?¡± Isak ran his finger through his beard, his voice softened and his sailor accent reduced, now matching theirs. ¡°Please explain everything that led to our meeting.¡±


    She told the story of how she met Delain, her subsequent demise, leaving out most details for Lumin¡¯s sake, up until their arrival in Cove. Isak listened intently, nodding in acknowledgement when she hit an important event in her tale. He muttered something when began telling of her encounter with the captain, then waving his hand to tell her to continue. Benjamin added a few details from his perspective, relaying what Oliver told the city guards.


    ¡°Their pursuit is quite problematic. I am sure it comes as no surprise to you that where you found him was not his intended destination. Neither was his mother supposed to be felled.¡± Lumin cooed mournfully at the mention of his mother. ¡°Thank the gods he was found first by you. I am sure you all have a lot of questions, but the day grows thin and you two must be in desperate need of shelter. It is dangerous, but we must move at night; your father may have sent them elsewhere, but there are still those loyal to the empire in town.¡±


    ¡°So does this mean you¡¯ll take this thing off our hands, become its handler for Evy?¡± Benjamin asked, pointing to Lumin. A jolt of panic shot from Lumin, who frantically looked between the siblings.


    ¡°N-no! I don¡¯t want to leave you!¡± He exclaimed before fixing his eyes on Evelyn. ¡°You still want me, right?¡±


    Though it had been assumed, there was never any confirmation that Lumin wished to stay with Evelyn. This was never what she wanted, but she felt a rush of relief at his concern. ¡°Of course, sweetie.¡± She glared at her brother. ¡°We are going to stick together through this.¡±


    Benjamin furrowed his brow, ready to respond until Isak interjected, ¡°While Evelyn was not the intended partner, separating them would not be ideal, at least not at the current moment. Besides, I am already spoken for.¡±


    ¡°You have a dragon, too? Can we meet them? Where are they?¡± Lumin asked, his worry quickly morphing to excitement.


    ¡°Calm down there, young one. You¡¯ll meet her soon enough. I think she¡¯ll like you.¡± While Isak chuckled, a disgruntled growl rumbled from him. Shocked, Evelyn looked around. No one else was around, and neither Lumin nor Benjamin reacted to the noise. Shaking her head, she assumed she was imagining things. ¡°Now then,¡± Isak continued, his accent returning. ¡°Let¡¯s get goin¡¯, follow me.¡±


    For what seemed like hours to an exhausted Evelyn, they hiked through the forested mountains, climbing the steep hills and mounting fallen trees. To her dismay, she seemed to be the only one struggling. Benjamin was no surprise to her, his training and strength grew exponentially since he joined the guards, and Lumin was a dragon, though a freshly hatched one. She assumed it was normal for his body to grow quickly and gain the strength to forge his path. But seeing Isak weave through the rough terrain as if it weren¡¯t there disheartened Evelyn. While not on the level of her brother, she had participated in athletic activities before. Though that seemed like a lifetime ago since she started classes for veterinary services. Lumin would look back and smile at Evelyn, gleefully hopping when she caught up to him. The thought that she may not be worthy of being his partner crept into her mind, perhaps he would be better off with a true rider by his side. But it was his happiness with her, his joyful energy moving through the forest, his adorableness as he was distracted by a scurrying animal that brought Evelyn back.


    To Evelyn¡¯s relief, they stopped at a beach a mile away from the town. Her legs felt as if they were made of gelatin. She fell back onto the sand, catching herself before her back hit the ground. The sky above was nearly black, stars fading into view. As she looked up, her labored breath calming, the scaled muzzle of Lumin propped her upright, relieving her hands of the coarse sand. He sat behind her, becoming a backrest for her. His chest heaved against her, but not nearly as much as hers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too comfortable, kiddo¡¯s. We merely made it to our port. It¡¯s time to set sail to the edge of the gulf.¡± The area he mentioned was dimly lit by a pair of lighthouses on either side of the opening into the ocean. They were still a couple miles away.


    ¡°On what? I don¡¯t see a boat around. Unless you mean for us to swim all the way there?¡± Benjamin curtly asked.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be swimmin¡¯ I promise.¡± Isak took a step into the ocean, soaking his feet. He placed one hand on his hip and the other extended out. ¡°Ready for a night swim, love?¡±


    ¡°If we must.¡±


    Evelyn and Lumin gasped simultaneously. That voice came from Isak, but it was not his own. It was old and creaky like him, but smoother and feminine. It sounded similar to the growl she heard before. They watched as a blue mist emanated from Isak. At first Evelyn thought it might just be an effect from the ocean, but the mist grew thick and hovered above the water, swirling in place as the rest of it sprang into existence. It made no sound as it took shape until claws splashed into the water, sculpting itself into a solid form. In a matter of seconds, every detail was formed of the enormous, blue, aquatic dragon, her cold, green eyes staring through Evelyn.

 Chapter 7

    Lumin¡¯s eyes shined as he gazed upon the creature before him, another dragon, one grown and withered with age. Humans were interesting, especially Evelyn, but this was someone like him, someone who knew what being a dragon should be like. Her glittering, blue scales reflected the dim, orange light from the sun, the rippling reflection of the water helping hide the scales fading colors.  There were a few differences between the dragons, raising many questions in his mind, only feeding his excitement. Enamored, he only realized his wagging tail was flinging sand onto his companions when Benjamin scolded Evelyn, demanding it stop.


    Before he could ask her anything, Isak began introductions. ¡°Young ones, this here is my partner, Safir, an Aquafin dragon. Safir, you should already know their names, as you¡¯ve made your feelings about these three apparent.¡±


    Safir nodded. ¡°Indeed, a precarious group I¡¯d say.¡± She scanned the group with her cold, unimpressed gaze, reassessing them with her own eyes. She looked at Benjamin, then Evelyn, and once she got to Lumin, he felt as if her deep green eyes pierced his soul; the slit of her pupil thinning, her eyes narrowing as she looked down his side, finding his diamond scale pattern. The corner of her mouth twitched. She scoffed and turned to her partner. ¡°Are you absolutely sure we must bring them along? I predict a great amount of work before they are close to being of use,¡± she said in a hushed voice, not taking much care to prevent the young dragon hearing her. Isak nodded, patting her snout. Though his sample size was small, Isak was short compared to the humans Lumin has seen. Despite that, it startled him that Isak was only the size of Safir¡¯s head. He looked back at Evelyn, then down at himself; he was only up to her waist, but he knew he would grow larger than her. Though the potential of becoming the size of Safir intimidated him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Evelyn said, taking a hesitant step to the older dragon, who glanced at her with a side eye. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Evelyn, yes, I am aware. Your hard of hearing brother, Benjamin and the runt, Lumin.¡± She flicked her tail, splashing water over them.


    ¡°Hey, watch it,¡± Benjamin called.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fussy. Her entire back is in the splash zone. You were going to get wet anyway.¡± Isak chuckled as Safir rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Must we? It is bad enough dealing with the annoying pests in the water regularly, let alone with extra passengers,¡± she complained.


    ¡±We already went over this, things changed with him here.¡± Isak pointed at Lumin.


    Me? Lumin thought. Why am I so important?


    ¡±Very well.¡± Safir lowered herself into the water, allowing Isak to climb onto her back. The thought of Evelyn doing the same with Lumin ignited a spark of excitement.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to fly at any point, are we?¡± Benjamin asked with a small waiver in his voice.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Isak answered. ¡°We are swimming the entire way.¡± Benjamin sighed, his shoulders relaxing.


    ¡°You mean I am swimming there, while the rest of you laze on my back,¡± Safir snarked, winning a hardy laugh from the old man.


    ¡°Fair enough, love. Get on, you lot; don¡¯t even dream of stayin¡¯ dry on this voyage here.¡±


    Benjamin went first, then helped his sister climb on as her legs wobbled from the hike. Lumin looked to Benjamin for help as well, waiting in vain as he turned away. For a brief moment, his tail drooped; his sadness was quickly squandered with the realization that despite being just a hatchling, he was a dragon and shouldn¡¯t need help with trivial tasks. That¡¯s why he did not want to give him the rabbit the day prior. Of course, why didn¡¯t I see that sooner? He thought. He reared back and launched himself up, extending his wings, falling just short of his goal. Desperate not to fall back to the sand, he grasped onto Safir¡¯s side.


    The blue dragon let out a sharp yelp and whipped her head around to Lumin. ¡°Watch your claws, you little¡ª¡± she cut her sentence short after Isak cleared his throat. With the help of Evelyn and Isak, he was able to reach Safir¡¯s back. He tried to protest, wishing to conquer the task himself, but the growls from the larger dragon forced him to submit to the aid.


    Lumin sat closely to Evelyn behind Benjamin as Isak wove his way to the spot between Safir¡¯s shoulder blades where her neck and back meet; he patted the side of her neck, signaling her to wad deeper into the ocean. She cut through the rough waves as if they weren¡¯t there as she picked up speed. The salty water splashed up, showering the occupants. It was cold and wet, a new, unpleasant feeling for Lumin. Perhaps it was a good thing he was not an Aquafin, unless swimming was not exclusive to them. Evelyn had yet to go over the differences between the types of dragons, though from what Lumin could gather, she was not very familiar with them either. Aside from their color, one big difference was clear: Her back spikes were not really spikes, they were taller and thin, webbing similar to their wings connecting each spike. Lumin reached to his back to make sure he did not have anything between his spikes either.


    ¡°Evelyn?¡± Lumin spoke up. ¡°What the differences between the dragon types? Like why does Safir have different spikes than me?¡±


    ¡°Firstly, ¡®What are the differences¡¯,¡± Evelyn corrected. Lumin nodded and made a mental note. ¡°Secondly, I only have a very basic understanding unfortunately. The books I had never really went into great detail.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Isak interjected. ¡°The empire did well in limiting knowledge about dragons for the public. You were fortunate to have the books you did own.¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°Good question, that I shall answer when we get to our destination and rest as it¡¯s a long winded explanation.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can help me explain the differences in dragons with your experience?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°Are ye calling me old?¡± Isak refuted, making Evelyn panic, stuttering an incoherent response. Lumin¡¯s heart beat sped up with hers. Isak croaked a hardy laugh and stroked his long, gray beard. ¡°Well you¡¯d be right, I am very old. And I wear that as a badge of honor. If only Safir here would do the same.¡± Her chest heaved as she let out a low, grumbling huff. ¡°There are many differences, not just in looks, but abilities and mindsets as well. I cannot explain everything in the time we have, but I¡¯ll do my best.


    ¡°As you know, there are five types of dragons: Aquafins, Shockwings, Flamebreaths, Groundclaws and Minddrake.¡± It was subtle, but Lumin caught a brief pause before Isak croaked ¡®Minddrake¡¯. Isak continued before he could ponder its meaning. ¡°As far as physical differences go, they have to do with the type of environment their types typically live in. For example, as you can see with her webbed claws and frills along with the tendrils on her muzzle, Safir is meant for the sea. You as a Shockwing are meant for the sky. Your slender, aerodynamic body is built for speed, but that means you are physically weaker than most dragons, which is why you have sharper spikes.¡±


    Environment, frills, aerodynamic, so many new words, Lumin thought. All of this learning made his tail swing.


    ¡°It would be best if I had a visual aid to describe the other dragons, but in short, Groundclaws are bigger and bulkier, Flamebreaths are the most average, but menacing, and Minddrake¡­¡± Isak took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Minddrake vary, though they are smaller than all but Shockwings.


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    ¡°Abilities differ as well. Each dragon type has a unique breath weapon and other powers as well. Once yer older, Lumin, you will be able to conjure up a bolt of lightning from your mouth, along with gaining another obscure ability or two along the way. Those abilities are unique to each type as well.¡±


    ¡°Like glowing scales?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Isak turned his head to Evelyn, then to Lumin, a surprised expression that faded to intrigue. ¡°Your books mentioned their abilities? I would think the current regime would keep that stuff classified, especially a rare one like that.¡±


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°They did not mention them. When we were in the tunnel and needed light to see Ben¡¯s injury, his first word was ¡®light¡¯ and he started glowing.¡±


    ¡°Preposterous,¡± Safir said, followed by a scoff. ¡°A dragon does not manifest an ability until they are at least six months old.¡±


    ¡°That is true, are you sure that¡¯s what happened?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is!¡± Evelyn exclaimed, a hint of frustration in her voice that brought a bout of uncomfort to Lumin, which Evelyn must have felt as she turned and gave him an apologetic glance, placing a hand on his side. ¡°Lumin must be special. We were in a tunnel, it was pitch black and he lit up like a star for a brief moment. Tell them, Ben.¡±


    The brother shrugged. ¡°He did something. Though I was kind of woozy at the time.¡± Evelyn jabbed him in the side with her elbow. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not lying. Blood loss does that to people.¡±


    Isak pondered that information for a moment. ¡°Maybe he is gifted. I am already impressed with his ability to speak so well already. It took Safir weeks to form full sentences.¡±


    ¡°I blame my teacher,¡± she said, glaring at her rider.


    ¡°However, it is very hard to believe he manifested an ability at only a day old.¡±


    ¡°I can do it again,¡± Lumin suggested. Isak raised an eyebrow while Evelyn shook her head.


    ¡°You spent all of your energy doing it last time. Don¡¯t you remember falling asleep right after? It¡¯s not a good idea. Besides, you don¡¯t have to prove anything, we know you can do it,¡± Evelyn reassured.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to your human,¡± Safir cut him off. ¡°Even if you think you can, do not try it. It is dangerous for a dragon your age to even attempt such things. You were lucky you only fell asleep. If you got lucky again, you would slide into the water. I do not wish to have to pluck you from the depths.¡±


    ¡°How lucky was he?¡± Evelyn asked, a hint of worry in her voice.


    ¡°I think you can figure that out yourself, young one,¡± Isak said. ¡°As for every ability, yours and the other types, that is a lesson for another day. You have much to learn.¡± So much new information eluded him, Lumin could not wait to learn it all.


    ¡°I actually have a question,¡± Benjamin spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m surprised this wasn¡¯t the first question. Where did your dragon come from? It seemed to spawn out of your stomach or something.¡±


    Benjamin was right. Everyone was shocked when Safir appeared, yet no one thought to question it afterward. He felt frustration coming from Evelyn as she glared at Benjamin, confusing Lumin. He requested more knowledge, which Lumin desperately wished for. Lumin pressed his wing against her. She relaxed her gaze.


    ¡°You have keen eyes, though it was more from the chest. One ability that is uniform across the types of dragons is that a bonded dragon can fuse with their rider, allowing us to act as a vessel of sorts. This is the first thing you two must learn,¡± Isak said, pointing at Evelyn and Lumin. They looked at each other with confusion.


    Before Isak could explain further, Safir jerked quickly to the left, forcing them all to brace themselves in order to stay aboard. Her eyes darted back and forth, teeth bared as she snarled. Isak leaned over the side of Safir¡¯s neck, hanging off her by grabbing onto one of her frills. ¡°Stay put young ones, do not panic. What was it, love?¡± Isak asked, searching the waters surrounding them.


    ¡°A pest,¡± she responded, her eyes piercing through the water.


    Lumin glanced over the side, overcome with curiosity at what would cause such a large beast to react this way. At first, only a blur of yellow on the surface of the rippled water reached his eyes. Beyond that was nothing, just an empty void of nothingness as if the water went down forever. That void was briefly disturbed by a dark figure racing across his vision. Surprised, he inched closer to the edge, leaning down to catch a better glimpse at what he saw. He felt a light nudged his rear and his paw gave way to the slick scales he was gripped to, sliding out from under him. His legs scrambled to find any traction to no avail. The air escaped his lungs as the water raced up at him.


    Just before he hit the water, he felt something grab his tail, the tension stinging the muscles, but preventing him from plunging further. He glanced back and saw Evelyn on her belly gripping his tail with one hand. The only thing preventing her from falling too were her toes digging into Safir¡¯s scales. ¡°Ben, help us!¡± she called out. Her brother was taken by surprise, making him slow to react. Lumin felt his tail slipping from her grip, so he planted the heel of his paws against Saifr¡¯s scales, trying not to claw her.


    After pushing back up an inch, he lost his footing again, his paw slipping against the slick scales and plummeted. He briefly felt his tail being pulled, but it was short lived. It released and he plummeted into the bone chilling water. The world shifted and swirled around him, his eyes stung as he looked around, unable to gain his bearings. Direction was non-existent. Up was down, left was right. All he could see was blue tinted darkness. He gasped for breath, but salty water filled his mouth instead of air. He flailed his limbs around in a desperate attempt to find the surface.


    Out of the corner of his eye, something disturbed the deep blue abyss surrounding him. The dark figure from before hovered still a distance away from him. Curiosity overcame him as he looked at the figure. He stopped flailing around, paralyzed by whatever it was. He must have been imagining things, but it seemed as if it was getting bigger. Wait¡­ it is getting bigger! Lumin thought. His wonder vanished as panic set in. His arms resumed their dance, still unable to tell which way was up. Direction became clear as the surface was disrupted by something. Looking up, he could make out the blurry shape of a human, their hand reaching out to him.


    As he reached out his own claws, he squirmed in pain as his chest tightened, his lungs desperate for air. He tried swimming toward the surface, but made little progress. Cursing his newborn body, he risked a glance at the dark figure. It was close enough that he could make out a gray body with a white underbelly and sharp teeth. Whatever it was, he could only assume it viewed him as lunch. He closed his eyes, hoping he could at least be a distraction for his helper to get away. He closed his eyes and braced for whatever pain he was about to endure.


    Instead, he felt the water around him move, rushing across his scales and pushing him up. He opened his eyes and saw that he was still surrounded by water. However, he could see Safir below him, giving him an annoyed glare. After bumping into her, to his relief, he saw Evelyn was with him. The water tower bent down to her back and dropped them where they once were.


    Lumin coughed, expelling water that had infiltrated his lungs. Gasping for air, his lungs stung as they expanded. Just as he regained his breath, it was forced out of him once again by a tight hug from Evelyn. Realizing he hadn¡¯t felt it while submerged, their connection rekindled and her emotions flooded him. From the adrenaline rush to the sheer relief, it was warming to feel her again. She was shivering against him, her breathing laboured, so he wrapped a wing around her.


    ¡°Are you alright, Evy?¡± Benjamin¡¯s voice rang out. The brother pulled Lumin¡¯s wing from Evelyn and put his blood stained jacket around her. The wound on his head was dark with dried blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Lumin?¡± She asked, her voice shaking.


    ¡°Cold and wet, but ok,¡± Lumin responded.


    ¡°Not the best time for a swimming lesson. I told you to stay put.¡± They turned to Isak, who leaned against Safir¡¯s neck, looking up at a pillar of water. Lumin gathered that is what saved him and Evelyn. Inside this one was the creature Lumin saw a blur of: a gray fish looking monster thrashing around, three times his size. It was smoother than the fish he ate earlier with sharper fins and teeth; its black eyes seemed to carry a mindless rage in them.


    ¡°At least he made great shark bait,¡± Safir gloated, smirking at the creature. ¡°It shall make for a filling dinner.


    ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t pull him out right away? Just to lure in the shark?¡± Evelyn croaked. ¡°Lumin nearly drowned!¡±


    ¡°Consider it his first lesson: listen to your superiors, runt,¡± Safir scolded before flexing her claws, spearing them through the shark¡¯s chest. It twitched on impact, then went limp on her claws. The water surrounding it turned red. ¡°This one was part of a group that has been pestering me for weeks. They have evaded my wrath until now.¡± She pulled away and the water carried the carcass to her tail which wrapped around it, keeping it above the waves below. The pillar then broke apart, water raining back into the ocean.


    Lumin wondered if she would share some of it with him since he technically helped. If it was half as good as the fish he ate before, the ordeal may have been worth it.


    ¡°How did she¡ª¡± Evelyn started.


    Isak interrupted, ¡°that is one of her abilities, water manipulation. As I mentioned before, I will teach you more about them once you are dry and rested.¡± He patted Safir¡¯s side. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, love.¡± She nodded and resumed swimming to the edge of the gulf, everyone silently watching the city behind them shrink away.

 Chapter 8

    Evelyn fought hard to resist her heavy eyelids. After the shark attack, she monitored Lumin for any after effects from nearly drowning. His breathing was laboured for some time, but eventually returned to normal. To her relief, there were no other signs of injury. She finally relaxed, nearly succumbing to slumber every few minutes, only to be startled awake after leaning on Lumin¡¯s back spikes. Isak was not joking. Lumin¡¯s spikes are already sharp to the point.


    The silence made time move slowly. What was a few minutes felt like hours. The only sound was from the waves splashing against Safir as she tread through the water. Not even seagulls above made noise, as if every being in the gulf was stifled by the tension. The sky grew dark, the only light coming from the light houses, the now distant town and the moon. Lumin was barely visible next to her. Looking up at the stars speckling the night sky, her desire for sleep only increased.


    She instinctively reached for her phone every so often, hoping to check the time and use the flashlight only to be reminded of its untimely demise. The habitual panic lessened each time with Evelyn reminding herself why it had to happen.


    She developed a cycle of dozing off, being poked and reaching for her phone until they reached the edge of the gulf. Just before entering the open ocean, Safir veered to the right, wadding toward the wooded area below the cliff the lighthouse stood upon. It seemed as though they were going to reenter the forest at the base of the last mountain. As they edged closer, Evelyn could barely make out a small bulge of water pushing into the land just under two low-hanging trees. Vines dangled from them, concealing the area from a distance.


    Safir pushed her way through the vines. The water continued into a cave that opened at the crest of the miniature gulf, getting more shallow until Safir was walking on land. She lowered herself, allowing the passengers to slide off her side and onto the wet stone. Evelyn looked up to the Aquafin and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you for transporting us, Safir,¡± she said, a waiver to her words as the frustration from the attack and Safir¡¯s delayed action was fresh in her mind. The dragon only grunted in response, looking away from the departing party.


    ¡°So this is it? Our safe haven is just a small, dank cave?¡± Benjamin asked. It was small, but everyone, including Safir fit. The waves of the ocean crashing into the rocky terrain beyond the trees echoed against the walls. There was an occasional droplet of water that struck the cave floor in a slow rhythm somewhere. With that and the cold, hard rocks they¡¯d lay upon, Evelyn slowly started to agree with her brother''s concern.


    ¡°Be patient, boy.¡± Isak waved him off. He placed his hand on Safir and reversed the process that revealed the Aquafin. Once she was gone, he placed his other hand on the back wall. He focused intently on his hand, as if he was straining to keep it there.


    After a moment, a voice emanated from the cave walls. ¡°As we are with dragons of the sky¡­¡±


    ¡°So us with Ichneumon burrowed below,¡± Isak responded. There was a brief pause, an uneasy feeling radiating in the air. The trio glanced around to find the source of the voice, to no avail.


    What is with voices coming out of nowhere? Evelyn thought.


    Everyone but Isak jumped as the wall shook. Where Isak placed his hand, the stone split in half, forming a hole just big enough for a human to pass through. Isak nodded toward the tunnel, seemingly muttering something they could not hear, then walked through. Evelyn and Benjamin exchanged astonished looks before following the old man, Lumin in tow. She scraped her shoulder against sharp edges of hard rock, barely squeezing through. Though that paled in comparison to Lumin tucking his wings in as tightly as possible, still dragging his sides against the wall. The opening behind them sealed itself, the only light now being from the other end, which was fifty meters away.


    They reached the light, entering a cave smaller than the one before. The walls around were smoothed into a dome, carefully carved to not have a single ripple in its surface. A single light hummed at the center of the ceiling, shining dim light onto the party. The tunnel closed behind them, leaving no way out. As it did, the light above crescendoed into a loud buzz and flickered out. Evelyn had never experienced this level of darkness. As if no light did, or ever existed. Her heart pounded quickly. Through their bond, she felt Lumin¡¯s surge as well. She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping her touch would calm him, but also that his touch would calm her.


    Her breath caught at the sound of rocks shifting all around them. She squeaked out a call to Isak with the last of the air in her lungs. Instead of getting a response, she was blinded by a sharp ray of light beaming directly into her eyes. Shielding her eyes, she tried to adjust to the new floodlights that illuminated the cave. Once she did, her heart dropped. Beyond Isak were three Faiyan people standing at attention, the one on the right shifting ever so slightly with eagerness. Alongside them were two creatures Evelyn had never seen before standing elegantly before them. She turned and noticed one more of the beasts was behind them, rigidly stanced with teeth bared.


    Upon closer inspection, Evelyn realized they were vaguely familiar. Thinking back to her medallion, the creatures matched the image. Brown weasel-looking beasts with tall spikes protruding from the base of their head, forming a mane. Ichneumon¡­ Real ichneumon.


    After the initial shock wore off, Lumin stepped in front of Evelyn, pressing his wing against her thigh, looking as intimidating as he could. Despite his best attempt to hide it, she could feel him trembling. In turn, Benjamin drew his pistol.


    Upon seeing the weapon, the ichneumon in front leaned forward, tensing like the one behind Evelyn. They bared their teeth and crouched, ready to pounce. The humans also tensed, placing their hands on their holstered swords.


    With a far too relaxed wave for the situation, Isak called out, ¡°Stand down, everyone. This lot is with me.¡±


    The human in the center of their formation looked to Isak, loosening his posture, but keeping the hilt of his weapon in reach. ¡°You should have given us warning of their arrival, Isak.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, but I was surprised by them as well. I would not have done this if it were not urgent. They have had a long journey and need rest.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to repose with them? Aren¡¯t dragons and ichneumon enemies?¡± Benjamin questioned. The Ichneumon snarled.


    ¡°Once upon a time they were, but not now. These are our friends.¡± Isak turned back to the person in the middle, Evelyn presuming he was in charge. ¡°Please make sure these three get to the pen. I must confer with Fukayna.¡± Isak placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something indiscernible.


    The man nodded and motioned for the person that seemed uneasy. She stepped forward and stood at attention. ¡°Heba,¡± the man said with authority. ¡°You and Xire escort them, keep astute observation.¡±


    Without movement, she responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Resting her hand resting on the hilt of the long blade at her waist, Heba stepped forward. ¡°Follow me,¡± she commanded, turning away to a solid wall.


    Isak turned to Evelyn and said, ¡°I will get you three in the morning.¡±


    The three reluctantly followed with the ichneumon behind them ushering them forward, every one of its steps precisely calculated. As they approached, the stone split like before, forming another tunnel. This one was longer and wider, allowing Evelyn to walk by Lumins¡¯ side. They stayed on the downward slope for a few moments before coming to the end.


    They entered the largest cave Evelyn had ever seen. Thirty meters tall and at least a mile to either side. Inside, faintly lit lamp posts were strewn around and one giant light hung from the center of the ceiling. It gave off a dim, blue light as if the moon were shining its light through a hole, giving the cave a nightly tone.


    To her right, Evelyn noticed the walls were carved, sharp angles bulging from the stone all along the base, some with lights beaming through windows. It was hard to see from a distance, but there was an ominous feeling of eyes staring at them as they walked along. To the left was obscured by darkness, no lights shining on whatever existed there. In the center of the cave was a statue standing fifteen meters tall. Spotlights around its base illuminated it perfectly. It was a stocky man, leg raised on a boulder with his longsword unsheathed, pointed toward whatever was in front of him. He had a stern and powerful expression on his face. At his side was an ichneumon standing tall, snarling in the direction the man pointed his sword. Compared to the ichneumon Evelyn saw, this one was large, its head reaching above the man''s shoulders. It also bore a chest plate with a diamond insignia chiseled in the center.


    She caught Lumin gazing at the statue as well, curiosity burning bright in his eyes. ¡°Who are they?¡± He whispered.


    Unfortunately, there were no placards in sight to give information. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± She responded.


    Lumin¡¯s tail dropped. He looked to Heba and muttered, ¡°maybe we ask her?¡±


    Evelyn wanted to encourage Lumin¡¯s curiosity, but with the tension between them and Heba and her companions, small talk like that seemed inappropriate. Before she could deny his request, Lumin sank low; he could feel her reluctance just as Evelyn could feel his disappointment. Guilt ate at her until she finally caved. ¡°Heba was it? Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Heba abruptly interrupted, startling Evelyn. ¡°I am to escort you to the pen and that is all.¡±


    Lumin pouted, Evelyn placing a hand on his head for reassurance.


    They continued in silence until they came upon a fenced area of the cave. The shabby fence guarded a small area, at the edge along the wall was a wooden shack adjacent to a large canopy with hay strewn around the ground. Under the canopy was a large, dark figure lazily sprawled on a wide pile of hay: another dragon. The metal sheets that formed the roof blocked out most light, so the dragon''s details were indiscernible. The only detail Evelyn could make out was that whoever it was, they were just as big as Safir.


    Heba opened the gate and stood aside. The ichneumon behind them prevented them from lingering outside, ushering them through the gate quickly. Benjamin looked around, a mix of confusion and frustration fixed upon his face. ¡°So we¡¯re sleeping with dragons?¡± He asked.


    Heba nodded. ¡°The dragon riders take refuge in there while their dragon rests out here.¡±


    ¡°I am not a rider, neither is she. Surely you won¡¯t stick us with those things?¡± Benjamin¡¯s words cut deep. Evelyn¡¯s doubt creeping back to her mind. She may be bonded with Lumin and he wants her, but would she be capable of being a rider? Whether or not she was the right person for Lumin scared her.


    ¡°It is what we have. Deal with it,¡± Heba replied. Benjamin scoffed and turned to the shelter. Heba rolled her eyes and turned to leave, the ichneumon close at her side.


    Lumin nudged Evelyn¡¯s palm, urging her to try again to inquire about the statue. It broke Evelyn out of her state of self pity and she called out bluntly, ¡°Who does that statue depict?¡±


    Heba paused. For a moment, she glanced at the statue in the distance. The ichneumon lowered its head. ¡°The late Qayid, Aamun Hamiatun and his faithful companion, Animsu.¡± Before Evelyn could respond, Heba and the ichneumon continued walking away. There was a tinge of pain in her voice, so Evelyn decided not to press further and let them go.


    ¡°You heard of them?¡± Lumin asked.


    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Those names were never in any history books. I don¡¯t even know what a Qayid is.¡±


    When they caught up to Benjamin, Evelyn asked him about them. ¡°Those names don¡¯t ring a bell,¡± he said after pondering for a moment. ¡°I guess they weren¡¯t relevant enough to mention.¡±


    ¡°Obviously to these people they are.¡±


    ¡°Relevant to the empire, Evy. I don¡¯t believe the opinions of these people matter much to them. The ichneumon should be extinct. And Faiyans should not be this far north.¡±


    ¡°Obviously they were wrong. Unless they intentionally excluded them from the curriculum,¡± Evelyn suggested


    Benjamin scoffed. ¡°Why would they do that? The emperor has done nothing but bring peace and prosperity to Aonach.¡±


    ¡°Something is going on. You can¡¯t deny that, Ben.¡±


    He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and reached for the door to the shelter. ¡°We can question Isak in the morning. Right now, we need sleep, especially you, Evy.¡± He opened the door and walked in, Evelyn close behind. Inside was barren barring a few beds arranged evenly along the backside of the room, a lamp sitting on a nightstand next to each bed. Piles of hay sat at the foot of each bed. Once she walked through the door frame, Benjamin kicked his leg out behind her, blocking a stunned Lumin from following. The dragon looked to Evelyn pleadingly. ¡°Absolutely not. That thing sleeps out there where it belongs.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Come on, Ben. He won¡¯t bother you.,¡± Evelyn said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Lumin finally said. ¡°I can sleep alone. I will have to at some point.¡±


    Evelyn sighed and leaned down to be eye level with Lumin. ¡°Are you sure?¡±  Lumin nodded. She caressed his cheek and forced a smile. ¡°Alright, goodnight sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Evelyn. Goodnight Benjamin.¡± Lumin yawned as he padded toward the large shelter neighboring the rider shelter.


    Benjamin was already in the bed furthest from the door, sleeping soundly. Evelyn laid in the bed adjacent to the wall separating the rider''s shelter and the dragons, hoping to keep her connection with Lumin strong. Despite his assurance, Evelyn could sense Lumin¡¯s loneliness. She could tell he tried to suppress it, but Evelyn felt her own loneliness combining with his. Having slept next to Lumin since she found his egg, it felt weird to Evelyn to by herself. She closed her eyes, but sleep came slowly.


    Just as slumber was beginning to take over, it was snatched away by a low rumble from the other side of the wall. She bolted upright and looked around. Benjamin was still out cold. There was no way Lumin made that noise, so she assumed it was the other dragon snoring.


    Despite knowing the likely source of the sound, she became overwhelmed by extreme anxiety and terror. Autophobia had never been a problem for her, but it was consuming her. Looking down, her hands were shaking, tears welling up, making her vision blurry. Focusing on sleep was impossible. She tried focusing her thoughts away from the fear to no avail. Then she came to the realization that, just like when she felt his burning desire to fly, this was not her own fear, but Lumin¡¯s.


    Evelyn leaped out of bed and ran to the dragon''s shelter. With no light breaching the canopy, she struggled to find Lumin. She could still make out the large figure of the other dragon, but Lumin¡¯s small stature made him hard to find. Eyes darting back and forth, she searched desperately until she finally spotted a small shadow tucked away in the corner next to the riders shelter.


    Not wanting to wake the other dragon, she carefully made her way to Lumin. Once she was close enough she could see he was shaking. His head was tucked under his tail, facing the wall. She gently laid her hand on his side and he jumped, opening his mouth to scream. His voice caught in his throat once he saw Evelyn. Tears streamed down his cheeks.


    Evelyn pressed her finger to her lips and sat down against the wall. She ushered the dragon to her. Without hesitation, Lumin crawled to her and placed his tail between her back and the wall and laid his head on her lap. She thought laying in a proper bed again would be better, but this felt oddly comfortable. It felt right.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lumin whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Evelyn responded. ¡°I like this better anyways.¡±


    Evelyn¡¯s eyes fluttered open at the sound of someone calling out her name. She rubbed her eyes and gently shook the sleeping dragon on her lap. Lumin yawned and lifted his head, allowing Evelyn to stand up and stretch. For sleeping against a hard wall, she felt well rested. Lumin stretched his legs then his wings which seemed to have doubled in length since he hatched.


    As she looked around for the voice, she noticed the other dragon was already gone. It seemed they did not notice the two newcomers to the shelter. Probably for the best, she thought.


    They walked to the front of the shelter to see Benjamin cupping his mouth shouting for Evelyn. She called out to him. Upon seeing them, Benjamin stormed over and began berating her. ¡°Where in the gods'' names were you?¡±


    ¡°Not that it¡¯s your business, but I decided to stay with Lumin. There¡¯s no need to freak out,¡± she responded, crossing her arms.


    ¡°It is my business when I¡¯m trying to protect you! I wake up and you¡¯re not in your bed. Of course I¡¯m going to freak out. What if you were taken while I was asleep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. We¡¯re safe here, remember?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t disappear like that again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in charge of me, Ben. Where I go is my choice.¡±


    Benjamin pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Listen to me, Evy. This whole situation is extremely dangerous and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re taking it as seriously as you should. We¡¯re on the run from the Dragon Corp going through the forest with contraband, asking for aid from some sort of resistance, and now we¡¯re holed up in a random cave with outlaws, dragons and creatures that shouldn¡¯t still exist.¡± His voice raised with every sentence, leaving Evelyn stammering for a response. None came, so Benjamin continued with a softer voice. ¡°Dad asked me to protect you with his last act. To do that, I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t put yourself in potentially dangerous situations, alright?¡±


    ¡°I think he has a point,¡± Lumin said. Evelyn looked down to the dragon then back to her brother. Both of them think I¡¯m too passive?


    She thought deeply about everything. They should be safe from the riders pursuing them here, but was it actually safe? Isak seemed trustworthy enough, especially if their father sent them to the man. On the other hand, everyone else was unknown. The people seemed reluctant to let them in. Beyond that, all Evelyn knew about the ichneumon was that they were vicious enemies to the dragons and empire. Even before Aonach became the empire it is today, many wars were fought between dragons, humans and ichneumon. The greatest of them ending many years before Evelyn was born. The conclusion being the ichneumon and the Faiyan nation were exterminated. A fact clearly fabricated by the empire, or at the very least incorrect. So why were the dragons and ichneumon here not fighting? Were they lulling them into a false sense of security?


    She asked her brother his opinion. ¡°I don¡¯t trust any of them. Unfortunately we at least have to trust Isak. We need him to explain what¡¯s going on. Then we can figure out what to do next,¡± he said. Evelyn and Lumin nodded in agreement.


    To pass the time, Evelyn taught Lumin more about the language and proper grammar. Despite her best efforts to include him, Benjamin still refused to help and was exasperated by her ¡°toddler¡± education. Lumin was learning quickly, having almost no mistakes in his speech. Evelyn realized she would soon have nothing left to teach him on her own.


    An idea struck her. She told Lumin about books and how they have more information than anyone could store in their mind. His eyes shone brightly and requested to be taught to read. Being an avid reader herself, Evelyn delighted in the prospect of her dragon being her reading buddy. Hopefully they have a library here.


    A half hour passed before Isak showed up at the shelter, greeting them at the gate. ¡°I hope you lot slept well.¡±


    ¡°Given the circumstances, it could¡¯ve been worse,¡± Benjamin said, cracking his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the hatchling nest made for pleasant accommodations,¡± Isak said with a smirk.


    ¡°The what?¡±


    Isak chuckled and pointed to the shelter where Benjamin slept. ¡°That there is where we intend to raise dragons in their first few weeks. The beds are for new riders to sleep close to their dragons to strengthen their bond early on.¡± Evelyn shot a sharp glare at Benjamin, who furrowed his brow. ¡°Proper accommodations are being arranged for you, Benjamin.¡±


    ¡°What about Evy?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°She should stay with Lumin. Like I said, being together helps their bond strengthen.¡±


    ¡°That is not a problem,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Lumin and I actually slept in the larger shelter because someone didn¡¯t want to sleep near a dragon.¡±


    Isak raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you want my advice, sleep in the shelter. Foto is not a morning dragon, he may have mistaken you for breakfast.¡±


    Evelyn twitched. She did not wish for Benjamin to be even more correct than he already was as she feared his gloating after they were actually safe. Isak¡¯s hardy laugh relaxed her nerves. ¡°I kid about breakfast, but he is cranky in the morning. He is also not a fan of hatchlings, and would raise a fuss about finding one sleeping in the same quarter as him if he saw you.¡±


    Evelyn made a mental note in case they came across Foto while he was awake.


    ¡°Now then, follow me. There is someone who wants to meet you,¡± Isak said.


    Benjamin held up his palm to Isak. ¡°Before we go anywhere with you, we need some answers,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°What is this place and why are there ichneumon here? They¡¯re supposed to be extinct.¡±


    Isak stroked his beard. ¡°Another lie the empire fooled you with. Obviously there are some ichneumons left, though in much fewer numbers. The ichneumon and their companions built this place during the last war. They used it as a secret military base for Faiy. Now we use it as a base for the resistance.¡±


    ¡°A resistance to the empire?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°That is correct. I can appreciate your concern and want to give you every answer you need. However, some of these questions may be inappropriate for me to answer. The person I am bringing you to can provide more details.¡± He turned and gestured for them to follow.


    Benjamin opened his mouth to protest, but Evelyn shook her head, speaking first. ¡°Remember, we should at least trust him.¡±


    They followed the old dragon rider through the cave. The lights shined brighter than the night before, illuminating the cave as if the sun were breaking through the mountain above. It became clear that the area she saw carved windows in was a residential area. The houses stacked upon each other, forming a staircase of buildings to the top of the cave. People of Faiyan descent with a small number of Aonachans walked about doing various chores. As they walked, some people looked away from the group, trying to avert eye contact. Most of them, primarily the Faiyans, glared discontentedly at them. Their disapproval was directed mostly at Lumin who, to Evelyn''s relief, seemed oblivious.


    They walked to the opposite side of the cave from the housing. Carved from the cave wall was a stone tower, to the right a large tunnel that curved out of sight. To the left of the tower was an open field with barracks crudely built in the distance. There were troops mixed with humans and ichneumon training in the field, doing various exercises that looked similar to what Benjamin described doing in training for the Guard Corp. When the group drew closer, the people training along with the ichneumon shot similar looks as the residents at them. Lumin being the primary target again. Not wanting to read further into it, Evelyn focused on the tower.


    It was a triangular shape, the peak reaching the cave ceiling and flattening. There were three levels: one at the bottom where the entrance was flanked by carvings of opposing ichneumon on either side of the door, the middle with four darkened windows halfway up the cave, and the top with one window with light flickering in and out, as if someone were pacing around in front of the light.


    The detail of the tower was extraordinary. There were fine lines engraved into the stone creating beautiful imagery of mountains and stars. At the entrance, three dimensional carvings displayed two ichneumon on either side of the intricately designed arch door holding it upright. The ichneumon were so detailed, it was as if two real ichneumon were petrified and placed in the wall.


    As they got closer, she noticed the corners of the building were not straight edged, but jagged and coarse. It seemed random at first, as if erosion from time ate away at the building. However, upon closer inspection, the imperfections were symmetrical, each corner having the same chips and cracks. Evelyn couldn¡¯t fathom how long it took to perfect the tower.


    Upon going through the door, they entered a lounge area that put every common room in Aonach to shame. Elaborate imagery carved into the sandy colored walls rising ten meters high. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in patterns, making the ceiling look like a rainforest of stone. The two in the center of the room were the largest, woven together to form a diamond with the empty space between them. Red and Green gems were encrusted into them, lights shined directly on them to tint the room in their beautiful colors.


    Two guards stood around a doorway in the back. Isak walked up to them and gave them a nod. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Fukayna at her request.¡± One of the guards nodded and sharply turned into the doorway, walking up the stairs that inclined perpendicular to the cave wall. ¡°It will be a moment, feel free to sit while we wait.¡±


    Evelyn sat on one of the few couches spread evenly in the room. Lumin leaped next to her, the couch buckling under his weight. The remaining guard winced at the sound of wood creaking.


    A table was placed in the center of the room surrounded by the couches where the tip of the diamond shaped stalactites pointed. A small figure was placed on the table: an ichneumon on its hind legs, offering a flower to whoever looked at it. It bore the same chest plate as the statue outside.


    Animsu, Evelyn reminded herself of the name Heba mentioned the night before. Repeating it in her head, the familiarity with the name started to grow, as if she had heard it before. There was no way she read the name anywhere, yet there was a lingering memory of the name hidden away in her mind, desperately trying to break free.


    The guard returned before she could figure out why the name was familiar. He muttered something to Isak, who nodded in return. ¡°Let¡¯s go, kids.¡±


    ¡°Kid? I¡¯m twenty two,¡± Benjamin mumbled.


    They followed Isak up the stairs. They passed the second floor which was dark, but enough light breached the windows from the cave so Evelyn could see it was home to two separated conference rooms neatly organized. At the top, They came upon a lone door. Isak knocked three times, paused for a second, then knocked again twice.


    The door swung open. Inside was an office, a fancy desk with complex symbols and images carved into its side. Sat at the desk was a Faiyan woman looking down at documents sprawled across the desk. Her long, dark hair curled around her head, tunneling her vision to the paper directly under her. Her fingers were laced together, pressed against her chin. She seemed intently focused on whatever was written.


    When the door closed, seemingly on its own, she brushed her hair back and looked up. With a soft smile, she greeted them. ¡°Isak, it is good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is always mine. Here are our guests as you requested.¡± Isak nodded his head at the three.


    Benjamin spoke first, standing at parade rest. ¡°My name is Benjamin, and this is my sister, Evelyn. We are grateful to you for allowing us to take shelter in your base.¡±


    The woman analyzed Benjamin for a long second before wordlessly looking at Evelyn. Her voice caught in her throat. After what felt like minutes, she managed to stammer out, ¡°As he said, I¡¯m Evelyn. And this is Lumin.¡± She laid her hand on his head for comfort. Lumin bowed his head in greeting.


    Her glare was cold and calculating, a contrast to her friendly smile. She narrowed her eyes, scanning Evelyn, analyzing every detail of her posture. After a moment, she leaned back in her chair and eased her gaze. She stood up and bowed her head. ¡°It is a pleasure to make all your acquaintances. I am Fukayna, general of Base Cove of the Unified Resistance.¡±

 Chapter 9

    There was a momentary pause, Fukayna¡¯s hazel eyes darting between the trio before her. Evelyn felt like she should say something, but she dared not possibly disrupt the general and those soul piercing stares. She finally continued, ¡°I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but as it is, we have been put in a difficult situation. I am sure you have many questions, and I will be happy to provide you with what information I can. However, I need to know how we came to meet here today. Isak briefed me on the basics, but I want to know your version of events.¡± Fukayna looked at Evelyn. ¡°Explain how you found Lumin and what happened to his mother. Leave out no details.¡±


    After a deep breath, Evelyn recounted those events. When she got to Delain¡¯s death, she tried omitting the gory, trivial details as she did with Isak. Fukayna interrupted her. ¡°Every detail, dear. What did she say and how was she killed?¡±


    Evelyn looked down at Lumin, who¡¯s innocent eyes were dampened at the mention of his mother. Having mentioned her death before did not affect him as much as she thought it would. But knowing he would not know a mothers love saddened the dragon, and Evelyn figured going into more details would traumatize him. ¡°I would prefer not to describe that in front of her son. I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s relevant anyways.¡±


    ¡°I would not ask this of you if I did not believe it was important. Tell me everything¡±


    With a reluctant sigh, Evelyn relented. ¡°Cover your ears, sweetie.¡± Lumin whimpered, but did as he was told. She then went through every moment of the encounter with the riders. Recounting the cruel, gruesome details made her shiver. Delain¡¯s groans and screams of agony stained Evelyn¡¯s mind. When she described the cut off of Delains final cries, Evelyn choked up. After a pause and regaining her bearings, she signaled Lumin to uncover his ears and continued. Fukayna listened intently, keeping a hardened expression despite the unfortunate, gruesome facts.


    Once Evelyn got through the story of her fathers supposed death and meeting Isak, she shuffled closer to Lumin, seeking comfort in his presence.


    The general stood and paced behind her desk, mumbling to herself while everyone watched awkwardly. She stopped mid stride and whipped her head to Evelyn. ¡°You are sure the riders went to Midrib?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That is where our father told them our mother went. Whether they followed that lead, I couldn¡¯t tell you,¡± Benjamin interjected.


    ¡°We must assume they did. I will send a code to Base Midrib to warn them of riders in the area. I will gather the council to discuss this, I ask that you be there,¡± Fukayna told Isak. From a drawer in her desk, she pulled out a device that looked like a phone, though it looked like no phone Evelyn had ever seen. Fukayna typed something on it vigorously.


    ¡°So we are safe here?¡± Lumin asked.


    ¡°For now,¡± Isak answered. ¡°But safety is temporary. If the corp finds out about the resistance now, we are all in danger.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Midrib is an important base as well. It is where Delain was supposed to meet our agents.¡± Fukayna paused, deep in thought for a few seconds before sighing. ¡°One of those agents being Dahlia. She is smart, I doubt she would be captured that easily.¡±


    Evelyn felt this revelation should have shocked her more. But her mother being a spy for the resistance made sense the more she thought about it. If this is what she was doing on her business trips, no wonder she never told us exactly what she did.


    ¡°Now I have even more questions,¡± Benjamin said.


    ¡°I understand, however I have one more question before I hear yours. Now that you¡¯re here, what do you plan to do?¡± Fukayna asked as she placed the device back in the drawer.


    ¡°That will depend on your answers,¡± Benjamin answered.


    ¡°With all due respect, your opinion is irrelevant to me, Benjamin,¡± Fukayna said coldly, looking annoyed. Evelyn could feel the frustration coming from her brother. ¡°I want to know what you and your dragon''s plan is.¡± She pointed at Evelyn, who¡¯s heart rose to her throat.


    Beyond meeting Isak at her dad¡¯s request, she hadn¡¯t really thought of a plan. She pondered various routes she could take with her future. Whether there was a way to still become a healer or not was unclear, or if she wanted to go back to a normal veterinarian life. Nothing like that seemed even attainable at the moment, circumstantial or morally. Everything she wanted in life was fading away from her quickly. She quickly realized she had no idea what she was going to do with her life anymore.


    There was only one constant in her plans. No matter what, Lumin was going to play a role in her future one way or another. Bracing herself, she answered, ¡°I made a promise to Delain and I have no intention of breaking it. My plan is to work with Isak and learn how to protect Lumin and help him reach his potential.¡±


    ¡°A noble answer. Perhaps we shall find out what exactly that promise means to you soon.¡± Fukayna locked gazes with Evelyn, her ice cold eyes able to freeze the most fearless of warriors. Tension clogged the air around them, building with every second. Benjamin fidgeted as he stood, his hand twitching with every sentence she spoke. Evelyn could tell he was getting impatient. He wanted answers, and so did she.


    ¡°So will you tell us who you are and why we¡¯re here?¡± Evelyn finally asked.


    Fukayna sat back in her chair and nodded. ¡°It is only fair that you know what you¡¯re getting into. The Unified Resistance is a rebel force dedicated to defying the Emperor and his tyrannical rule; composed of dragons, their riders, ichneumon and their companions along with the remaining forces of Faiy. As inferred previously, this is not our only base, but right now, you are on a need to know basis.¡±


    Benjamin shifted side to side, catching Fukayna¡¯s eyes. She looked at him and nodded, giving permission to speak as he wanted. ¡°Aside from defeating Faiy in the war, what exactly makes the Emperor a tyrant? He came into power and brought peace and prosperity to Aonach,¡± he said.


    In their lifetimes, the empire had only known peace. No conflicts beyond small skirmishes with wild dragons or local gangs occurred. On top of that, they never had great economic trouble. The economy was prosperous for most and no one they knew complained about the government extensively. She agreed with her brother, for a ¡®tyrannical¡¯ government, the empire was flourishing from their perspective.


    ¡°Your safe and peaceful government is a facade. Even ignoring the genocide committed to defeat Faiy of old, any opposers of the emperor are dealt with swiftly and viciously. Have you ever known someone to randomly disappear?¡±


    Benjamin shook his head, but Evelyn looked at the floor. ¡°Jasmine,¡± she said, realization rushing through her mind. ¡°My friend, Jasmine was ¡®transferred¡¯ from our junior high school and we were never told where or why. I remember she told me her parents were planning some rally a few days prior. I thought it was for a charity or something, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably the Dragon Corps taking the family in secret,¡± Isak inferred.


    ¡°They may have been aware of problems not public. An example: have you noticed increasing power outages and scales not lasting as long?¡± Fukayna reminded Evelyn of the trouble with her phone scale.


    ¡°Yes, because the dragons have been getting lazy and depending on humans too much. We¡¯ve all seen the reports,¡± Benjamin said.


    ¡°You believe those lies? No, it is because the dragons providing power are abused and often used against their will.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn exclaimed. ¡°I thought the dragons volunteered to provide energy.¡±


    ¡°In another time, yes. That changed rapidly with the ascension of the Emperor,¡± Isak said. His brows furrowed and his eyes expressed a past pain. ¡°Long ago, humans and dragons collaborated to create the world we know today, dragons offering their magic to power everything. These dragons were known as the Lutha Dra. It was wonderful, even with war raging, the Lutha Dra was taken care of and led easy, comfortable lives. However, once the Emperor took over, things changed. The working conditions worsened and the dragons were neglected and shamed. When they tried to go back to the wild dragons, they were imprisoned. Now they are shackled in their cells being drained of their magic and scales. When they started dying, they began capturing wild dragons and enslaving them as well. That is when Safir and I defected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible¡­¡± Those were most likely the dragons she would have tended to; Forced to watch them suffer and just keep them alive to slave away. Her stomach twisted and churned at the thought.


    ¡°And you expect us to just believe you? All I¡¯ve heard from you is slander of the empire with no proof.¡±


    ¡°Ben!¡± Evelyn chided.


    ¡°It is alright, Evelyn. You have little reason to trust me. But I must ask, why did you trust Isak to bring you to safety? Was it not because you trusted your parents? They are a part of this resistance, so they know the truth. Would you believe them?¡± Benjamin opened his mouth, then quickly closed it, avoiding eye contact with Fukayna. Seeing she deterred him from rebuking the statement, she continued, ¡°Based on our limited intelligence, we predict that the current roster of Lutha Dra can sustain the empire for five years at the most. If they capture all of the wild dragons, that extends to a decade. But it is unsustainable and inexplicably cruel. Losing the dragons would wreak havoc on the empire. No more medicine, famine devastating the populous and anarchy will rule. While I would love nothing more for retribution on Aonach and its gullible people, along with dragons for their hate for our ichneumon, this is something that will affect the entire continent. No matter his motivations, the emperor must be stopped.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to join the resistance?¡± Evelyn asked.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°That would be ideal, your parents were already members after all,¡± Isak said.


    Evelyn and Benjamin exchanged nervous looks. It was not ideal for them. She knew Benjamin would be torn up about betraying everything he stood for. But what choice did they really have? He reluctantly gave her an approving nod. She then shifted her vision to Lumin, who seemed much more eager to join, a sparkle in his eyes. Knowing his mother was going to join the resistance anyway must have gotten him excited. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Fukayna said. ¡°Now we can decide what to do with you and Lumin.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Evelyn asked.


    ¡°You were to be a dragon healer if I am not mistaken, someone not befitting of a rider. Beyond that, you led the riders right to your family, could not save him from the shark and failed to recognize the threat upon entering the room. Not a fantastic start if you ask me,¡± Fukayna berated.


    Evelyn started a rebuttal, but she was startled by Benjamin unholstering his pistol and scanning the room. That¡¯s when her last point sunk in. Threat in the room? Her and Lumin joined Benjamin in looking for whatever it was. After a moment, she noticed a pair of eyes looking at them in a dark corner of the room. She placed herself in front of Lumin, bracing for a fight. Benjamin noticed where she looked and pointed his gun in the area, finger on the trigger.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Isak called, calmly walking to the startled trio. He put his hand on the barrel of Benjamin¡¯s pistol and lowered the weapon.


    ¡°Reveal yourself, Hafara.¡± Upon Fukayna¡¯s order, an ichneumon larger than the others they¡¯d met slithered from the shadows. He stood tall with elegance, but his face was hard and scowling. Evelyn was eye level with his chest, she wondered how she could¡¯ve missed such a large creature walking in. ¡°I admire your willingness to protect him, but there are many things you must learn before even thinking of becoming Lumin¡¯s rider. We have many future riders in our ranks waiting for a dragon, and I have yet to see a healer with the conviction to do the things necessary for a rider to succeed.¡±


    ¡°She may not be good yet, but she will get better with training. She¡¯s my rider and that won¡¯t change,¡± Lumin spoke up. He puffed out his chest and snorted at Fukayna, then growled at Hafara, who looked unimpressed by the display.


    ¡°Perhaps we should come back to this at a later date. I will take her under my wing and see how she progresses as we discussed,¡± Isak suggested.


    Fukayna and Isak stared at one another for a moment, waiting for the other to blink. She sighed. ¡°I trust your judgement, Isak. We will watch you closely, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°And what about me?¡± Benjamin asked.


    ¡°The same goes for you. A room near our barracks has been arranged for you to stay in. You may train with our troops as well to hone your skills.¡± Fukayna nodded to the ichneumon in the corner, who nodded in return. He turned to the wall behind him, which split open to reveal Heba and Xire on the other side. ¡°You two, take Benjamin to his quarters. I assume you will take Evelyn with you, Isak?¡±


    The old man nodded. ¡°Aye, Safir be in the cavern.¡± His sailor infliction briefly resurfaced as he turned to Evelyn. ¡°Unless you have anything else for the general, we best not keep Safir waiting.¡±


    Benjamin shook his head. ¡°I am not leaving Evy alone.¡± He gave Evelyn a persuasive gaze


    Evelyn hesitantly chimed in with, ¡°I would also feel more comfortable with Ben with me. At least for now.¡±


    Fukayna sighed. ¡°Your loyalty to each other is admirable, and I understand your trust in us is minimal at best. However, Evelyn must start her training immediately if she is to have any hope of succeeding.¡±


    She looked to her brother, who bore concern across his face. Fukayna was right about their trust, but arguing would only wedge that distrust deeper. Evelyn tried to think of any way her and her brother could stay together like they planned. Then Isak suggested, ¡°Perhaps they can join us for a little bit, so long as they do not get in the way. It¡¯s not as if this session would reveal any rider secrets.¡±


    ¡°If you are sure, Isak. Heba and Xire will still accompany you. Isak, you have command of them for today.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, surely we are capable of more important tasks rather than¡­ babysitting,¡± Heba complained. Her conviction seemed to shatter with a single look from Fukayna. The younger companion stiffened, her stance of attention more rigid and formal. Evelyn swore she saw fear in her eyes. ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± Xire raised his head high and seemed to whisper into Heba¡¯s ear. She winced, but did not let any other emotion show. So ichneumon can speak to their companions just like dragons? I wonder how much dragons and ichneumon have in common?


    With the wave of a hand, Fukayna dismissed the party. Isak led them down the stairs and through the main lobby. Heba and Xire brought up the rear. A shiver ran down Evelyn¡¯s spine as she could feel their cold, judgemental glares through the back of her head.


    As they walked, Lumin asked, ¡°Isak, was my mom one of the Lutha Dra dragons?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said heavily. ¡°From what I know, she was a wild dragon that was captured and forced into servitude. She escaped so you would not share the same fate.¡±


    They turned toward the tunnel next to the tower. As they drew closer, the sound of water crashing against rock echoed against the cave walls. A salty scent mixed with wet minerals rushed into Evelyn¡¯s nose as they took a right turn within the tunnel.


    After a short time, they took a left turn and came upon a cavernous cave mouth that opened to the open ocean.  High enough for a dragon to hover, the ceiling was smooth and shining with small gems. Stalactites rounded the mouth of the cave, hiding most of the opening from the outside world. A pillar stood in the middle, splitting the opening in two. Where the ocean met rock, shells and seaweed coated the ground, being covered by the water rising from incoming waves every few seconds.


    A small distance into the water, the surface was disrupted by a bulge rising. Breaking through the surface was Safir sauntering toward the group, fish in mouth. Evelyn felt her mouth water at the sight of it. Though she knew that was due to Lumin¡¯s deep desire for the fish, she felt her stomach rumble. It struck her that she had not eaten yet. She was not someone who did well on an empty stomach, Benjamin always calling her a ¡®hangry goblin¡¯ when she was grumpy about food. Training would be a hassle if she did not eat something beforehand.


    As Safir entered the cave, she tossed the fish, landing at Lumin¡¯s claws. He looked at the fish then back to Safir, who¡¯s shoulders dropped in frustration. ¡°Yes, that is for you. Eat quickly.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me. I figured you¡¯d be hungry.¡± Isak reached into his pockets and pulled out a protein bar and handed it to Evelyn, relieved she got something before training. ¡°It isn¡¯t much, but it¡¯ll get you through the mornin¡¯¡±


    They both dug into their breakfast. Isak looked to Heba and Benjamin and apologized, ¡°I would have brought more had I known you¡¯d join us.¡± Evelyn felt guilty for eating in front of the others who did not get food, but that guilt was squashed by the rumbling in her stomach, begging for food.


    Heba shook her head. ¡°You need not feed us, sir.¡± Xire nodded in agreement.


    Benjamin shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t usually eat breakfast anyways.¡±


    Like the fish he had the day prior, Lumin finished his meal within seconds. This made Evelyn feel rushed to finish her meal. Once she was done, Isak beckoned the pair to the edge of the water. ¡°The first thing you two will learn is fusion. As you¡¯ve seen us do before.¡± Isak placed his hand on Safir¡¯s leg. She turned to mist and was pulled into Isak¡¯s chest. ¡°It is the first step in becoming true partners.¡±


    Heba scoffed, winning everyone''s attention. ¡°I will never understand such an ability. Needing to be a physical part of your partner? We would never need such a thing to confirm our bond.¡± She pet Xire, who gave an approving growl. She was then swept out of view by a jet of water. After a moment of shock, Evelyn found Heba a foot back, sitting on the palms of her hands. Water dripped from every surface of her body. Xire hopped to her, helping her up.


    ¡°Dragons and ichneumon have just as many differences as similarities. But please do not interrupt me.¡± Evelyn reassigned her attention to Isak, who held his hand up, a pillar of water similar to what they saw Safir do to save her and Lumin. Xire growled protectively, but flinched when Isak flicked his finger, causing the pillar to aim at the ichneumon. Once he was convinced they would stay quiet, Isak released the pillar back into the sea. ¡°One of the many benefits of fusion: when we are separated, you and I cannot manipulate magic effectively. But when fused, we draw upon our dragon¡¯s strength as if it were our own. Though you use the same amount of magic that your partner would use on their own, and if they use too much magic¡­¡± Pausing his lecture, he took a deep breath. ¡°Draining a dragons magic could range from knocking them unconscious, as you saw with Lumin¡¯s flash ability,¡±


    ¡°Allegedly,¡± Safir¡¯s voice came from Isak, startling them.


    ¡°Yes, allegedly, thank you, love,¡± Isak responded, rolling his eyes. ¡°From knocking them out to killing them outright. That is why you will refrain from using those abilities, fused or not, until Lumin has grown to at least three months of age, am I clear?¡± The pair nodded. ¡°Good, because we cannot afford to lose another dragon. And for greater incentive, you will also perish if he dies in that manner, Evelyn.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Benjamin interrupted. ¡°What do you mean if he dies, she dies? I am not leaving her life in the hands of-¡± Before he could finish his tyraid, Isak hit Benjamin with water as he did Heba, sending him tumbling back. While Evelyn watched, worried he was hurt, she heard Heba snicker, mumbling to Xire about him deserving it.


    ¡°I thought I was clear that you could come if you did not interfere with training.¡± Isak watched as Benjamin rose to his feet, spitting salt water from his mouth.


    ¡°I am only trying to protect Evelyn,¡± Benjamin said.


    ¡°You are doing her more harm than good by delaying her training... Are you proficient with that weapon of yours, Benjamin?¡± Isak asked.


    Wiping water from his eyes, Benjamin nodded. ¡°Finished second in marksmanship for the local guards in Banrigh.¡±


    ¡°Only second? Sounds like you need more training then, eh? Heba, why don¡¯t you take him to the firing range. You could use some practice as well I would bet,¡± Isak said. Benjamin perked up for a second, a glint of joy appearing in his eyes before returning to his scowl.


    At Isak¡¯s suggestion, Heba crossed her arms, head sinking into her shoulders. ¡°Preposterous. I am a swordsman, I should not have to cower behind such a weapon.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you love making yourself vulnerable to every guard in Aonach,¡± Benjamin jeered. Heba only scoffed in response. ¡°But as fun as that sounds, I am not leaving Evy alone. Especially not after you said that thing can kill her.¡±


    ¡°And I am not his babysitter. I was tasked to take him to his new quarters, nothing more.¡±


    Heba and Benjamin were simultaneously hit with water again.


    ¡°You seem to forget that I have been given authority over you today, Heba. That is an order. As a matter of fact, why don¡¯t you also give him a tour of the base afterward?¡± Isak smirked as Heba¡¯s jaw dropped in anguish. A nudge from Xire snapped Heba from her trance and she stood and straightened her posture. She took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°As for you, Benjamin, you do not want to hinder your sister''s training, do you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Benjamin said. He tried getting Evelyn to back him up, but her frustration grew as her and Lumin just stood there, listening to everyone bicker. The promise she made with her brother seemed to only hinder her now.


    ¡°If you want to protect me, let me train. Just trust me, Ben,¡± She said. Benjamin started to argue, but Evelyn cut him off immediately. ¡°Please, go.¡±


    With reluctance, Benjamin conceded and followed Heba back into the base. Tightness in her chest made her realize Evelyn held her breath through the exchange. Her mind swirled with mixed emotions. While she was relieved that her and Lumin could train without interruption, she worried for her brother. She felt as safe as she could with Isak and Safir, but she knew her brother worried for her. Not to mention he was now alone with what seemed like most of the remaining ichneumon population. All of which most likely hated the empire and everyone who represented it.


    Her worry traveled through their bond as Lumin whispered, ¡°I think he will be alright.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m overthinking things,¡± she whispered back.


    Isak groaned, looking like a load was lifted off his shoulders. ¡°Now then, shall we continue?¡±